Jimmy gave me a hard look and then sighed.
“You do not want to go messing with dragons, Simon,” Jimmy said. “No offense, but neither of you are powerful enough, together or alone, to deal with one mature dragon. Not even with your pup, amazing as he is.”
“None taken,” Monty said, raising his tea cup before taking a sip. “I try to avoid dealing with pure magical beings capable of unleashing untold destructive fury upon my person. This is”—Monty pointed at me—“his situation, not mine. I’m actually on hiatus and recovering.”
“Recovering?” Jimmy asked, raising an eyebrow. “From what?”
“He had a small run in with a being wishing to unleash untold magical fury upon his and my person,” I said, glancing at Monty, who just happened to be focused on the window next to us again. “That, and he went through a schism.”
“Whoa,” Jimmy said, staring at Monty. “Shouldn’t you be in Haven or some medical facility? I hear schisms are serious for mages. Are you okay?”
“I am perfectly fine.”
“We all know what fine stands for,” I said. “Anyway, despite the better judgment of medical and magical professionals, he checked himself out.”
“You’re out here against Roxanne’s wishes?” Jimmy asked, surprised. “You enjoy living dangerously.”
“Tell him why,” Monty said, taking another sip. “Don’t give him half the story.”
“I’ve been contacted by some…dangerous individuals,” I said, trying to avoid mentioning names. I didn’t want anything to blow back on Jimmy or the Rump. “Monty thinks they want my help in hunting dragons. Specifically, a dragon.”
“This dragon have a name?”
I momentarily debated sharing the name with Jimmy. Despite the number of times the Rump had been redecorated, Jimmy had always welcomed us to his place. I didn’t want to ruin that goodwill. If I didn’t tell him, he’d hold it against me, and this was Peaches’ second favorite pastrami place, after Ezra’s.
I doubted he would cut off Peaches. No one risked pissing off a hellhound like that, not even a werebear, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
“Balfour. They said his name is Balfour.”
“Are you sure?” Jimmy asked, his expression grave. “Did they mention a first name?”
“First name?” I asked. “I thought that was the first name.”
“Balfour is the enclave name,” Jimmy shared. “The Balfour and Obouros Enclaves are ancient and dangerous. Not groups you want to tangle with.”
“They’re going after this Balfour,” I said. “I don’t know why.”
“No one hunts dragons anymore,” Jimmy said. “You’re talking hundreds of years ago and nowhere near this continent. What makes you think they want to hunt dragons?”
“I don’t, Monty does,” I said. “I think they want to meet me to tie up some loose ends.”
“Loose ends? Meaning you?” Jimmy asked. “You really have a knack for pissing people off, don’t you?”
“It’s a gift,” I said with a mock bow. “I just wanted to know if there were any dragons actually living in the city, not visiting for a holiday of mayhem and destruction. I know it’s far-fetched, but this will put the myth to rest, and then I can focus on preventing these individuals from trying to take me out.”
“These individuals, are they magic users?”
“No, they are a group of highly specialized and trained assassins,” I said. “It was a group I belonged to a lifetime ago.”
“What do they specialize in?”
I paused.
“Jimmy, I don’t want to involve you in anything that can come back and burn you,” I said. “If they thought I was mentioning them to you, you would be in danger.”
“So don’t mention them,” Jimmy said. “What do they specialize in?”
“Hunting beings of magic—”
“And killing them?” Jimmy asked, the anger creeping into his voice. “They kill magic beings?”
“Yes,” I said. “They believe they are ridding the world of evil. I know it’s twisted and wrong, but they have the support of some very powerful people.”
“Are they hunting you now?”
“Why would they hunt me?” I asked. “I’m not…Shit.”
“Finally, it dawns,” Monty said, waving a hand. “Are you certain Evers didn’t smash a stone into your cranium?”
“She tried, several times,” I said, as the realization hit. “This could be a bait and switch.”
“With you being the bait,” Monty said. “They use the guilt card, which you’re obviously still susceptible to, present you with a clandestine mission which is par for the course for the group, then serve you up as the prime target. Have you forgotten Slif?”
“She’s pretty hard to forget,” I said. “You think they’re playing both sides?”
“It’s what I would do,” Monty said. “The dragons get revenge for Slif—I can assure you they haven’t forgotten, either—Rott gets revenge for Cassandra’s death, which you’re still being blamed for, and everyone gets a happy ending.”
“Except me.”
“Well, there is that.”
“I thought I was being low key. Staying off the radar.”
“Low key?” Jimmy said. “You’re bonded to a hellhound—which, if the rumors are true, can grow larger than Grohn. You roam the streets with a powerful mage. You take on beings of magic who want to destroy you both, while you inflict severe property damage to the city. I’d say that makes you a being worth hunting, wouldn’t you?”
“Indeed,” Monty said, before taking another sip. “I wonder if there’s a substantial bounty on your head? It would explain much.”
“Not helping,” I said. “Why would they hunt me? It doesn’t make sense.”
“If only to stop depreciating property values in the city,” Monty said. “You really should rein in your destructive tendencies.”
I glared at him.
I tried to punch holes in Jimmy’s argument, but couldn’t. If Shadow Company had been keeping tabs on me ever since Cassandra died, they had plenty of material to prove I was no longer normal.
“We need to prepare for tonight,” I said. “There’s a good chance I’m walking into a set up. I’m pretty sure dragons have been gone from the city for decades at this point, if not centuries.”
“Well,” Jimmy said, “that’s not exactly true.”
“What? What are you saying? Dragons are in the city?”
“Not exactly in the city,” Jimmy said, looking away. “More like close by.”
“Can you be a bit more vague?”
“I hear there’s a large enclave of dragons accessible from the city, if you know where to look, which I don’t,” Jimmy said. “I do hear rumors, though. Don’t recommend it, since it will probably be a one-way trip. It seems they can be reached and still maintain a small, but influential presence in the city.”
I saw a flatbed roll up to the front of the Rump. On the back sat the Dark Goat. Robert got out and stepped inside the shop, clipboard in hand.
“I took the liberty of having Cecil transport the vehicle to us,” Monty said, standing and walking over to Robert. I waved and he nodded back, fear clearly etched on his face. “One moment.”
I turned to Jimmy.
“Where and how?”
“I can’t tell you,” Jimmy said. “I’m a werebear, not a dragon. Even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“What? Why?”
“For several reasons. Y0u would try and go there. You would then bring your special brand of destruction to their realm. Then, they would squash you before coming here and doing the same to me.”
“You’re scared of them?”
“No, not scared. I have a healthy respect for creatures that don’t wield magic,” Jimmy said, his voice firm. “They are magic. Unlike you, I understand what I’m facing. I’m not operating on some irrational fear. This is a very rational and—”
“You’re a werebear, how can
you be scared?”
“Having power doesn’t make you invincible or invulnerable,” Jimmy replied with a sigh. “Don’t do this, Simon. This is one time you need to walk away.”
“I can’t,” I said. “There are some things I need to set straight, some debts that need to be repaid.”
“No debt is worth your life,” Jimmy said, getting up from his chair. “Go deal with this group of yours, but trust me, you do not want to get involved with dragons, especially not the Balfour Enclave. I have to get ready for the evening rush. You’re welcome to stay as long as you don’t blow anything up.”
Monty came back to the table, a look of concern on his face.
“We have a problem.”
TEN
“What kind of problem?” I asked. “Why does Robert look like he’s ready to bolt at any moment?”
“Could be it has something to do with your vehicle, but I doubt it,” Monty said, glancing at Robert, who had returned to the truck to offload the Dark Goat. “That is not the problem.”
“Wait, are you saying we have another problem beside the fact that I have to go see Douglas?” I asked, glancing around Monty to the fearful Robert. I waved, but he just ignored me. “What’s his deal?”
“All SuNaTran personnel have been instructed not to engage with you for the time being,” Monty said, raising a hand when he saw my expression. “Hold on, it’s not their fault. This directive comes from Cecil ,and it’s for their safety.”
“I’m a menace now? Is that it? Why would Cecil do this?”
Monty raised an eyebrow at me.
“Fine—I mean, I know why, but why? He’s had plenty of opportunity to blacklist me in the past,” I said, offended. “I noticed he hasn’t blacklisted you. Robert had no problem speaking to you.”
Robert stepped into the Rump, handing Monty a clipboard and pen. He glanced my way and barely nodded, doing his best to ignore me.
“This issue may have something to do with your friends—associates—whom you conversed with earlier,” Monty said, taking the clipboard from Robert and signing it. Robert wordlessly tipped his hat to the both of us and practically dashed out of the Randy Rump and back to his truck before speeding off. “He moves quite fast for someone his age.”
“He almost broke an ankle trying to get away. What’s going on?” I asked, confused. “I know the Dark Goat gives off some serious creepy vibes, but this is Robert. He should be used to it by now.”
“James, may we use the back room?” Monty asked, looking at Jimmy. “We have a delicate matter to discuss.”
“You can use my office,” Jimmy said, pointing to his office before ducking down behind the large counter to organize more supplies. “You know the sequence. Back-room is currently being set up. I have some Dark Council people using the space later tonight for some meeting of theirs.”
“Thank you,” Monty said, leading the way to the office. “We shall be brief, no more than ten to twenty minutes.”
“All yours,” Jimmy replied with a grunt as he moved one of the crates of beer. “Don’t break anything.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Monty said.
“Wasn’t talking to you, Tristan,” Jimmy said, glancing my way. “Remember what I said, Simon. Walk away.”
“Would if I could, but I can’t,” I said, following Monty to the back.
Monty approached the office.
This door, even though it wasn’t as strong as the back-room door, was still impressive. It stood eight feet tall and half as wide, making it easy for the werebear to enter his office without stooping.
I could tell Monty had reinforced some of the runes. Not that I could make out what they meant, but they just felt different, stronger than before.
“You changed the runes?”
“Enhanced them, yes,” Monty said as he activated the sequence that opened the door. “You can sense the difference?”
“They feel stronger—scarier and stronger.”
The door and frame were made of Australian Buloke ironwood, one of the hardest woods on the planet. I narrowed my eyes and saw that it, too, was magically inscribed with new runes on every inch of its surface.
Most of the runes on the door were indecipherable. The few I did understand scared the hell out of me. Jimmy had asked Monty to increase the configurations and Monty had gone to town.
Before, if anyone tried to use this door without knowing the sequence, they were in for a world of pain. Now, with the new runes, trying this door without knowing the sequence would leave the victim in a pile of dust before they knew what hit them.
“I’m impressed you can sense the difference,” Monty said, opening the door and stepping into Jimmy’s office. “It means your sensitivity is growing.”
“I’ve always been in touch with my sensitive side,” I said, still looking at the runes on the door. “How did you manage to enhance proto-runes?”
“The same way anyone improves at anything—practice.” Monty glanced over at the faintly glowing runes. “I do admit it was dicey there for a few moments. Nearly disintegrated this place a few times.”
“Wait—Jimmy tells me not to break anything, but trusts you to enhance the destructo-runes on his door?”
“Doors,” Monty corrected. “I needed to do the protorunes on both doors: this and the main door. That one took some work. In any case, we aren’t here to discuss my runework, impressive as it may be.”
“How strong are you now, exactly?”
“Irrelevant,” Monty said, waving my words away. “If you recall, I called Cecil earlier to get your vehicle delivered. He shared some disturbing news.”
I held my hands up in surrender.
“I haven’t destroyed any vehicle and I don’t think the Dark Goat can be destroyed. Whatever he’s saying I did—wasn’t me.”
“You do realize that not everyone who knows you thinks you are a source of mayhem and destruction,” Monty said. “Some actually think it’s you and your creature.”
“Hilarious, really,” I said. “I’m going to go on vacation and let everyone see what a menace you two are. If it’s not about the vehicles, then…?”
“This has to do with something—someone—else.”
“Who?” I asked, actually concerned because we were having this discussion in a secure office inside a neutral zone. It meant either Monty was taking major precautions, or worse, he was scared of something. “What’s going on?”
“Cecil was instructed to deliver a particular vehicle tomorrow night.”
“Since when does Cecil give you his delivery schedule, and what does that have to do with telling his people I suddenly have the black plague?”
“Every few decades, Cecil delivers a special vehicle. The 1939 Duesenberg Coupe Simone Midnight Ghost.”
He paused to let the words sink in.
“That piece of automotive art was never found after the war,” I said in almost a whisper. “There’s only one of them, and it was lost.”
“Not lost, hidden and kept hidden, even to this day,” Monty said. “Except for rare occasions when its owner requests it.”
“I thought Cecil owned the ‘Duezy’—and why is this relevant?”
“Cecil owns a 1939 Duesenberg Coupe Simone Midnight Ghost.”
“You’re saying there’s two of them?”
“This Simone Midnight Ghost is owned by one Magnus M. Balfour,” Monty said. “Cecil informed me that he will be delivering this vehicle to a location downtown tomorrow night.”
“Magnus M. Balfour?” I asked. “There is no way this is a coincidence.”
“I was just informed that Slif belonged to a very prominent dragon enclave, one of the most powerful in this country. Would you like to guess what her last name was?”
“Please tell me it was something generic, like Slif Smith?”
Monty just stared at me and shook his head.
“Balfour? Her name was Slif Balfour?”
“It’s not a proper surname, but she belonged to the Bal
four Enclave.”
“Of course, this Magnus is just paying the city a visit?” I asked hopefully. “Coming to take in the sights and do the tourist thing?”
“After he instructed Cecil where to deliver his automobile, he expressed a desire to meet the individual who ended his enclave sister’s life—a particular Simon Strong.”
“Bloody hell,” I said as Monty raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“It has been my experience that dragons lack an appropriate sense of humor,” Monty said. “He is aware of you and your actions regarding Slif.”
“How are you not part of that equation?” I asked in disbelief. “I mean, yes, I was the one who was dragonploded and I was the one that buried Ebonsoul in her neck, and…Oh, shit.”
“Well, I admit, I did provide the orb,” Monty said matter-of-factly. “However, you provided everything else.”
“No wonder Cecil is acting like I’m toxic waste,” I said. “How strong is this Magnus Balfour? And for the record, what kind of name is Magnus M. Balfour?
“An old one. He is the leader of the Balfour Enclave of dragons,” Monty said. “I highly doubt it’s an honorary position. I’m fairly certain this ‘mission’ we are being briefed on tonight involves Magnus and his imminent demise.”
“Shadow Company is going to try and kill a dragon enclave leader? Is that even possible?”
“They’re going to try and fail, killing you in the process,” Monty said. “That’s my best guess. Especially if Rott is part of this plan.”
“If this Magnus is holding a grudge, why not just take me out directly?” I asked. “If he’s as powerful as he sounds, he can dust me without much effort.”
“Politics and optics, I’m sure,” Monty said. “You’re just a human to Magnus; to take direct action against you would be beneath him. But if you were to be part of an operation to kill him…?”
“He would be free to wipe me out without a second thought. Without repercussions.”
“Self-defense will carry more weight than, ‘This was the insignificant human scum who managed to kill my sister with only a blade.’”
“I’m noticing how you left out the enormous orb of destruction you supplied.”
Requiem: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel (Montague & Strong Case Files Book 13) Page 8