by Logan Byrne
“Welcome to Trafalgar Triangle,” a sign read that stood at the entrance.
“Trafalgar Triangle?” Faus asked, confused.
“The shop is called Kilroy’s Oddities. Keep a look out,” Charlie said. The London magical scene wasn’t all that different from ours, though there were some creatures I hadn’t seen or encountered back home. One in particular, what seemed to be a variation of a harpy, flew around, but never got too close to the ceiling. The area seemed slightly more ornate, with statues and carvings, which appeared to be centuries old. I suppose you get things like this in a city as old as London.
The ceiling, which was illuminated with what appeared to be sunlight, shined brightly. A translucent barrier likely protected this space from anything and everyone mortal. I would imagine planes and helicopters, or even a person on a high enough platform, would be shocked and likely a bit horrified to see this space and the creatures inside it. It wasn’t exactly something you saw every day, after all.
“There’s the shop,” Britta said, pointing down the street. A little bell chimed above the door as mingling patrons entered and exited the bustling business. “What’s our plan?” Britta asked.
“We need to make it known we’re looking for the venoms without saying who we are. I think that will only hurt us. This guy doesn’t look all that reputable,” I said.
We browsed around the shop, the man behind the counter busy with others who were here before us. I looked around and thought this place was more like a magical pawnshop than anything else. There was no sense of order, everything was strewn about and not one item was related to the next. I felt an urge as I walked, though, and noticed a crystal ball that felt as if it were calling me.
I walked up to the shelf. A cobweb stretched from the back of the wall to the ball itself. The tarnished gold holster the ball sat on looked older than anything I’d ever seen up close before. I might’ve stolen this back in the day, but right now I was filled with more intrigue than lust. I felt a tingle down my spine, and a shiver covered my skin in goose bumps, before I reached out for the ball.
My hand moved slowly, my mouth slightly open, my breath bated and my tongue dry. My skin finally made contact, the tips of my fingers brushing the ball, before the clear crystal started to morph. The ball started to turn black, a cloud inside tainting the pure essence that had drawn me in, before I quickly snatched back my fingers, but in vain—the ball remained black. “And what have we here?” the man behind the counter asked, his mouth close to my ear.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, startled.
“This ball reads futures, you know. Are you a clairvoyant, by chance?” he asked, moving around me like a wisp of smoke.
“No, no, I’m not,” I said.
“Interesting—interesting indeed. You’re a witch, that much is true, but you made the ball react with just a floating touch. Not only that, but it turned black,” he smirked.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means a lot of things to a lot of different people, my love, but one thing is certain to all of them—darkness,” he said.
“Darkness?” I asked, as the others came over, noticing the man so close to me.
“In some cultures it means death, in others despair, illness, plague, injury, and everything and anything dark that you can imagine. I’d be careful if I were you, my dear, before that darkness finds its way to you,” he said.
“It’s just myth, don’t worry,” Faus said.
“Ah, we have a skeptic, do we?” the man asked, focusing his attention on Faus.
“It’s nothing more than an antiquated practice that wasn’t founded in much truth to begin with. It makes no sense,” he said.
“And the magical realm does, my boy? You think too much like a mortal, blissfully unaware of the magic swirling around you. If all of this is real, why not that?” he asked, pointing to the ball. “Young lady, I wouldn’t discount the fortune you have received. It might be the last thing you do.”
I stared at him, directly in the eyes, as I felt the diabolical sincerity in his gaze. I did have that dream about Kiren, and I knew he was out for power. What if the darkness from this ball was trying to warn me about him? I knew Faus obviously wasn’t a believer, but Chancellor Pote was a clairvoyant, and I believed in the art. I wasn’t as willing or able to discount it as Faus was.
“Tell me, what brought you five in here tonight? Was it the ball calling you?” the man asked.
“Unfortunately, no. We need to buy a very specific item that we were hoping you could help us with,” Blake said.
“And what might that be?” the man asked.
“We need venoms from some very dangerous beings,” he said.
The man perked up, looking around quickly to see if anybody else heard. Nobody else perked up, but when the man turned back to us he looked concerned. “What purpose do you have for these goods?” he asked.
“We’re researchers trying to find a cure for purple fever and we believe that some of these venoms could be tricked into helping people, and not hurting them,” Blake said.
“My mother died from purple fever,” the man said, looking off into the distance and obviously having some sort of flashback. “I might be able to help you, but only if you help me first.”
“Sir, we’re only researchers, I don’t know how much we can help,” Blake said.
“I know you’re M.A.G.I.C., but I don’t care. The man selling these venoms has come in here three times before and I don’t think he plans to stop anytime soon unless he’s gone. I can’t have a man like him threatening me with his presence and especially his words,” the man said.
“We can take care of him then and help you out,” I said.
“That’s not what I need help with. Well, it is, but it’s not the main thing as of yet,” he said.
“Well then, what is it?” I asked, confused.
“There’s a guy across the street right now, selling his wares without a license and hurting my business. He undercuts me and is essentially stealing my money. Take care of him for me and that will be the favor returned,” he said.
“Deal,” I said. “Now tell us your information.”
“The man you seek talks with an accent when he isn’t talking in tongues. His hair is short, black, just like his skin. He always wears a fang around his neck and isn’t seen without a black coat that extends down towards his knees. That’s all I can tell you, I don’t know anything else,” he said.
“That’s more than enough to go by. Thank you for your help,” I said, and we turned and started for the door.
“Don’t forget about your end!” he said, pointing to the man across the street. I nodded.
“I guess we should take care of this, shouldn’t we?” Charlie asked.
The man across the street was peddling his wares with his back turned to us. He wore a cloak, the hood up. “I’ve got unicorn hairs, vampire teeth, and a wart-ridden toad that’s bound to make any potion virile and strong!” the man called, his shrill voice sounding vaguely familiar as we moved closer.
“Have a license?” I asked, as we stood behind him.
“No, not yet, it’s in the mail and—”
The being stopped as he spun to face us. My face turned sour, and I crossed my arms as Blake pulled down his hood. It was Pokeshi, the forest elf who’d turned out to be nothing but a thorn in our side back in New York.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“You told me not to sell in New York anymore, so I’m not. I moved shop, moved country, and I’m doing very well here now,” he said with conviction.
“Where did you even get this stuff?” Charlie asked, perusing his selection.
“Hey, get your grubby mitts off my stuff unless you plan on buying!” Pokeshi said, slapping his hand away.
“Charlie, I think that’s assault on a police officer. It would be a shame if we had to take our old friend Pokeshi in, wouldn’t it?” Blake asked.
“No, I was just pla
ying around, see,” Pokeshi said, giving Charlie some friendly harmless slaps on the arm and shoulder. “Besides, we’re not even in the States. You can’t arrest me,” he said confidently.
“We have full jurisdiction in the magical realm, elf, no matter the host country,” Britta said.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, rolling up his goods.
“What are you doing there, friend?” I asked, my arms crossed.
“Well, you told me I can’t sell, so I just thought I’d be nice and—”
Within an instant, Pokeshi bolted, screaming and running as his legs flew out in every direction.
“Catch him,” I yelled to Charlie, who smiled before shifting and running after Pokeshi. Within seconds, Charlie’s strong jaguar body was holding down a crying and screaming Pokeshi who tried everything he could to wiggle free and get away.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to run, I promise. It’s just habit!” he said, as a crowd started to gather.
“Into the alley,” I said, and Blake picked him up as Charlie shifted back.
“Oh god, you’re going to kill me, aren’t you? Pokeshi can’t die, I’ve got too much to live for, baby! I’ve changed, I swear! I even have a goldfish now. Who’s going to take care of Milton if I’m gone?”
“Relax, we aren’t going to kill you. We’re police officers, not psychopaths,” I said.
“Well, I mean—” he started to say.
“Shut up, Pokeshi,” Blake said, nodding.
“We need to know if you’ve seen or heard of a guy selling venoms,” I said.
“Oh, so you want me to rat on more people who could cut my head off, is that what you’re asking?” he asked.
“I could cut your head off right now if you don’t answer her,” Blake roared, shifting instantly as his eyes glowed and reflected off of Pokeshi’s.
“Easy there, we don’t need any violence. This is a single man, not affiliated with any crime syndicates. You’ll be safe. We just need to know if you’ve seen him around,” I said.
“What’s his name?” he asked.
“We don’t know,” I replied.
“Well, that really narrows it down, doesn’t it?” he asked.
“He sells black market venoms,” I said.
“Oh, that guy,” Pokeshi said, a look of fear on his face.
“So you know him?” Britta asked.
“I know of him, big difference there. I’ve seen him go into that shop many times, the one across the street from where I sell,” he said.
“The owner said he keeps turning down offers to sell the venoms or something like that,” Faus said.
“Definitely not, kid,” Pokeshi replied, laughing a little.
“Wait, explain yourself,” I said.
“The man goes in there, and I’ve seen the owner inside buying from him and taking him into the back. They’re definitely in collusion and that rat isn’t rejecting his advances,” Pokeshi said.
“What would be his motivation, then? He’s going to throw his supplier under the bus and lose out on that money?” Faus asked.
“He wants to tie up loose ends,” I said. “I used to see it all the time in my, you know, other life. He doesn’t want this shifter going to us or killing him over money or whatever so he’s going to get us to take him out instead. That way there’s no tie and he gets to keep the money and stay out of prison.”
“So Pokeshi is free?” he asked, bright-eyed.
“Let him go, we got what we needed. You better be telling us the truth, and get off this corner and stop selling your wares before I arrest you,” I said.
“Trust me, I don’t want to be around here if that guy finds out I helped you five. See ya!” he said, giggling and bolting off.
“Time to make an arrest?” Blake asked.
“No, we don’t have anything but the word of a criminal witness to go on. We need to get definitive proof if we’re going to mount this case. Not only that, but we need the naga there at the same time so we can catch him. The owner will go down for trafficking and illegal goods distribution, but the shifter is the main prize,” I said.
4
“How do we know we can trust him?” Blake asked.
The five of us were sitting around the living area of our safe house, a fire crackling in the stone fireplace. The boards creaked when I stood up. “Why would he lie?” I asked.
“Maybe he’s working with them somehow?” Blake asked.
“Then why would the guy in the shop send us outside to take care of him? Besides, the owner said he wasn’t buying from him,” I asked.
“Maybe he thought he would trick us, and I’m not sure I fully trust that he isn’t buying. A guy like that with a shady business and demeanor isn’t turning away easy money, no matter the source,” Britta said.
“Not you too,” I said.
“I’m not saying it’s for sure, but if that clerk was using Pokeshi, maybe he would realize that we would go talk to him and he would give it up,” she said.
“I don’t know, I’m standing with Lexa on this one,” Charlie said, scratching his chin. “I don’t think Pokeshi would lie to us like that; he knows we’d arrest him. Besides, his information was good with the casino before.”
“I say we go forward thinking and acting like the information we got from Pokeshi is valid. We need to come up with a plan, though. We’re going to need to start staking out the shop,” I said.
“I researched some old city blueprints and scoped out the area while we were down there. There are a few rooftops we can access, but the whole area isn’t too open for obvious reasons, being in the middle of London and all,” Faus said.
“I can shift and hide up on one of those rooftops. My vision becomes very clear when I’m shifted, so I’m sure I’ll be able to spot this shifter based on the information we received,” Charlie said.
“What about the rest of us?” Blake asked.
“I can use some of my tech to sit across the street. Besides, I’m not sure the guy will remember me. I’m pretty forgettable,” Faus said.
“Trust me, man, you’re not. Nobody forgets a guy who shifts into a Minotaur,” Charlie said, laughing.
“Talking about shifting, did you hack up a hairball in the bathroom earlier?” Britta asked, focusing her attention on Charlie.
“Okay, I shift into a giant cat who has to groom himself, so don’t start with me,” Charlie retorted, smiling as he pointed his finger at Britta.
“You’re so gross,” she said, rolling her eyes, a small laugh escaping as Charlie giggled.
Blake and Faus chimed in, defending Charlie and his gross habits, as I sat there, taking a sip of my black tea that was steaming with a wisp of heat, smiling and taking in the moment. These were the moments I lived for. Ever since we started our jobs we hadn’t gotten any chance to just be together. Every day was work, living in the precinct and leaving behind any real social life, besides my dates with Blake. We were on a mission, sure, and we were working, but nothing about it felt like work. Being able to sit around a crackling fire and hear the laughs of my closest friends felt more like a dream than any nightmare work could be.
I knew I was lucky, going from living a solitary life, stealing what I could to make enough to feed myself and keep some type of roof above my head, to discovering I was a witch, working a stable job, finding out I had the mark, and doing missions in London and Morocco to hunt down a dangerous criminal I believed to have ties to Kiren. I guess it showed that dreams could come true, no matter the circumstances.
•••
“You know how to reach us, right?” Britta asked, as she and Blake loaded their backpacks with gear and supplies. This trip’s goal was two-fold: to catch the naga shifter, but also for Britta and Blake to get intelligence on ivory trading, as well as the trade in rhinoceros and unicorn horns that had been popping up in London.
“Yeah, we’ll contact you if anything happens,” I said.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Blake asked. He p
ut his hand on my forearm, and we walked over to the side of the room. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I’ll have Charlie and Faus with me,” I said.
“I just worry about you, especially if this guy shows up. I know how you are, and I’m afraid you’re going to run in and try to catch him after hunting him down for so long. I just want to make sure you’ll contact us and let us get there before trying to apprehend him,” he said.
“Blake, I’m not stupid,” I said, a little offended he would even bring it up.
“Lexa, you know I never called you that. I never would. I just don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said.
“I will, I promise. I know this one is going to be harder to take in, and he won’t go without a fight. I’ll make sure you and Britta are there before I go in,” I said.
“If you two are done having your moment over there, we need to go,” Charlie called.
“I promise I will,” I said, before kissing Blake on the cheek and running off with Charlie and Faus.
•••
“Okay, we need Charlie to go up there,” Faus said when we arrived at the corner by the shop, pointing at a building about three stories tall directly across the street.
“How do I get up there?” Charlie asked.
“There’s a fire escape to the right of the building in the same alleyway we caught Pokeshi in. Take this, too,” Faus said, handing Charlie a radio to slip into his ear. “This will stay with you when you shift and will let us three stay in constant contact in case anything happens.”
“Where am I going?” I asked.
“There’s a bench nearby on the same side of the street as Charlie and me. That’s the best I have for you,” Faus said.
“And you?” Charlie asked.
“I’ll be in that café with my listening equipment,” Faus said.
“Oh, so you get to sit in a warm café and drink cappuccinos while we’re outside,” Charlie said, putting his hands on his hips indignantly.
“Hey, my equipment would easily give me away. The last thing we want is this guy getting suspicious of us,” Faus said.