The Lure of a Traitor

by F. L. Jordan

  "Yeah," Natalie leaned on her door as they pulled up to a red light. "I was with Mr. Wrong for ten years. Son of a bitch strung me along and then slept with my best friend."

  "Christ," Zach shook his head in disgust. "Why do people cheat? If you don't want to be loyal, just fuck off.”

  “Amen,” Natalie sighed, allowing silence to fall between them for a moment.

  After a few seconds Zach spoke, “How’s that little dragon doing? She got a name yet?”

  “Her name is Slag, and she’s doing really well,” Natalie was thankful for the topic change. “She loves the fish. She’s still pretty scrawny, but her scales look so much healthier already.”

  “Good,” he gently stroked Copper’s wings. “I will never understand why people treat them so poorly. Dragons are amazing, and incredibly loyal if you’re good to them.”

  “Most people want a pet that’s going to love them immediately with minimal effort. Hell, people don’t like cats because they’re aloof and self reliant. A dragon is a whole other level of independence,” Natalie spoke as she turned into the hospital’s parking lot. “Hey, maybe Slag and Copper should have a playdate.”

  Wait, what? Copper had tuned them out, trying to think of how to get Zach to hang out with her more.

  “Do you want to meet my dragon?” Natalie smiled down at him.

  You have a dragon? Copper was highly confused, Since when?

  “A few days ago,” Natalie parked and turned the car off, tucking the key into her pocket. “I think you’d like her. She’s pretty spicy.”

  “If you’re trying to set him up with a girlfriend forget it,” Zach’s voice held a protective tone. “The pet shop sterilized him when he was a hatchling, not that I’d let him service a stray if he wasn’t.”

  “That’s not what I had in mind at all, you dumbass,” Natalie became defensive instantly. “And fuck you. Just because Slag is a stray doesn’t mean she’s not a quality dragon.”

  Copper looked between the two humans and panicked. He didn’t really want to go on a playdate, but he knew he needed to get the two of them together outside of work. The little dragon swallowed his pride and spoke up, I’d love to meet her. It might be nice to have a friend that’s a dragon. At least she’d understand the world from my point of view.

  Zach was shocked, “But you hate socializing.”

  And so do you, Copper retorted, You also don’t like talking about things that interest me, like my hoard, or flying, or getting a really good scratch on the door frame.

  “Alright, fine,” Zach gave in, lifting the creature to his shoulders as he exited the vehicle, “but if she has a disease and he gets sick I’m suing your ass.”

  “Do I get to sue you?” Natalie slammed her door and locked the car. “Because I’m sick of your attitude.”

  “Oh, honey,” Zach matched her sardonic tone, “I’m just getting warmed up.”

  “I’d suggest you cool off,” she snapped at him. “Unless you want another ass beating. Eli won’t hesitate to deck you.”

  “Like I’m scared of some kid,” Zach waved her off as he walked towards the hospital.

  “Boy, have I got news for you,” Natalie laughed. “Eli’s no kid, he’s the same age as you.”

  Zach stopped for a second, letting her catch up to him, “Wait, I thought you said he was your nephew?”

  “He is,” she stuffed her hands in her pockets as they strode inside together. “I have sixteen siblings, five full and eleven half. I’m the youngest.”

  “Good Lord,” Zach whistled lightly, “your dad got around.”

  “You could say that. Hey Mel,” Natalie snagged a familiar nurse. “Have you seen Eli?”

  “Is he in some kind of trouble?” the older woman looked the two fully uniformed officers over hesitantly.

  “Only for leaving the cap off the toothpaste again,” Natalie laughed. “We wanted to ask him some questions about the overdosing addicts that have been coming in.”

  “Oh,” she seemed relieved, “he’s in his office. We actually just got done dealing with one of those cases. It’s the third one today. He’s pretty frazzled. Nothing we do seems to help them, and you know how poorly he handles patient loss.”

  “Yeah. Thanks,” Natalie waved goodbye before confidently moving forward.

  “You come by here a lot?” Zach asked as they traveled, carefully maneuvering around items per Copper’s guidance.

  “Not too often,” she admitted, “but enough to know my way around.”

  Zach didn’t say anything more. He was too busy trying to process all that he’d learned about her so far. She’d unknowingly provided several pieces of the puzzle he’d been trying to solve while simultaneously raising more questions. Her connection to the doctor now made sense, but her comment about the toothpaste was intriguing. Were they living together? She would probably tell him if he asked. Why was she so forthcoming with personal information? He always kept his private life to himself.

  They stepped into an elevator and the tension between the two of them grew. He was so aware of her presence that it was alarming. She seemed to vibrate with a quiet awkwardness as they waited for their floor. She was nervous about something.

  “What’s got you on edge?” he asked quietly.

  “Being stuck in a small space with you,” she let out a breathy laugh.

  “Do I get you that hot and bothered?” he smirked at the thought.

  “You make me want to puke,” Natalie chuckled as the doors opened. “Come on, this is our stop.”

  Zach quietly let Copper navigate him through the halls until they came to a halt at an office. Natalie knocked and a man’s voice beckoned them to come inside. Zach felt the voice was familiar, but wasn't quite sure, Copper, do we know him?

  He’s Emily’s doctor, the dragon responded. Zach instantly questioned the safety of his sister. Why were these two in Lower Heights at an ungodly hour? Had the bag she’d tossed into his car been full of drugs? Were they smuggling illegal substances across the city?

  “Nat? What are you doing here?” Dr. Eli Carter sounded confused and worried as he rose from his chair. “Is everything ok?”

  “Everything is fine, Eli,” Zach was surprised to hear her tone drop in severity, “but I’m afraid we need to take you in.”

  “Wait? What? Why?” the man was panicking, his voice full of genuine concern.

  “Because it’s illegal to be as good of a doctor as you are,” Natalie delivered her punchline flawlessly.

  “Natalie, you jerk!” he tossed something at her and she laughed. “I’m telling Slag to chew up your shoes when I get home.” Zach checked off another piece of his puzzle, clicking the mental piece into place as he continued to listen to their interaction.

  “Oh, cry me a river,” Natalie continued to chuckle. “Anyway, we’re actually here to ask you some questions about those pills you gave me yesterday.”

  “Oh,” the man’s tone dropped instantly and he slumped down into his seat, “I can’t tell you what’s in them, but I know they’re deadly.”

  “What symptoms are the victims experiencing?” Zach asked.

  “Rapid heart rate, loss of motor function, organ failure,” Dr. Carter listed them off, “and seizures. At least that’s what I’ve seen. The paramedics can give you a better vision of what it looks like early on. I only seem to get them when they're dying.”

  “How many cases have you had in the last week?” Zach searched for more information.

  “At least twenty,” Eli answered, “and that’s just at this hospital. I’ve had calls from all over the city asking about it. Best we can figure, it hit the streets about three days ago.”

  The same day the warehouse was emptied, Copper said to Zach quietly, he wasn’t used to having to whisper. Zach nodded, barely moving his head at all. He’d had the same thought.

  Zach pulled out his wallet, taking a business card from the back of it, “Call this number if you learn anything else that might be helpful. Something t
his potent is a top priority.” Natalie took the card from him and handed it to Eli.

  “I’d hope so,” the doctor sounded exhausted. “The death rate linked to this stuff is alarming. We haven’t seen a single patient recover.”

  “Frightening, indeed,” Zach turned his head towards where Natalie had been standing. “Lock, could you go talk to the paramedics? I’d like to speak to Dr. Carter alone.”

  “Sure,” Natalie shrugged and headed out. Whatever they discussed she’d get to hear about later.

  Once she was gone, Zach turned his attention back to the doctor, “I wanted to ask you about a patient here.”

  “Emily Bell?” the doctor asked. “I remember you from the other day, Mr. Hail. She’s doing well. Would you like me to take you to her?”

  “Please,” Zach was confused. She shouldn’t be doing well. After his failed interaction with Steffani, Zach had delved into researching curses. If his assumption about which one had been placed on his sister was correct, Emily’s condition should be worsening. Regardless, he followed the man to her room. As they entered, Copper gasped, an excited squeak leaving his mouth as he bolted from Zach’s shoulder.

  “Copper!” Zach’s jaw dropped when he heard his sister’s delighted voice. He could hear the little dragon rolling around on the bed, excitedly clicking and squeaking. Copper had adored Emily since the day Zach had brought him home. She’d always snuck him treats and watched after him when Zach was ill or couldn’t bring the little creature with him.

  “Em?” Zach managed to croak out as he heard the doctor leave.

  “Zach!” she addressed him with the same energetic delight. He held out his hand and gingerly took the few steps required to close the distance between himself and her bed. As his fingers met the fabric of her thin hospital sheets she took his hand in hers. He noticed instantly that her fingers felt less bony.

  He sat on the edge of her bed and brought her hand to his lips, “I’m so sorry, Em, for everything.”

  “Oh, shut up and give me a hug,” she pulled on his hand and he slowly leaned forward, embracing her withered frame gently. “I can’t believe you waited until I was dying to come apologize.”

  Zach buried his face in her pointy shoulder, “There’s nothing I can say to fix the way I’ve acted, Em, but I’m, I’m so happy you’re doing better. I don't think I could have lived with myself if you’d died before I could say I'm sorry.”

  “I wasn’t going to die until you did,” she hugged him as tightly as she could. “How have you been, Zach? You look good.”

  “Not great, but I, uh, I started seeing a therapist,” Zach sat up, swiping at the tears that had started to form in his eyes. “So that’s something.”

  “Good,” Emily smoothed out the collar of his uniform and wiped away imaginary dirt. “You deserve happiness, Zach. So, are you coming to family Thanksgiving this year or not?”

  He laughed and nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be there. Just call and remind me.”

  “Oh, I will,” she sounded strong. “Your little nieces and nephew have been begging to meet you.”

  “Wait, how many kids do you have now?” Zach had only been aware of one child.

  “Three,” she said sadly. “You’ve missed a lot, big brother.”

  He pursed his lips and nodded, “I know. I need to fix that.”

  “Yes, you do,” she pulled him in for another hug. “I love you, Zach.”

  He returned the gesture, “I love you too, Em.”

  A soft knock came at the door and Zach sat up, letting go of his sister. Copper stopped rolling around and returned to his place on Zach’s shoulders.

  “Ready to go when you are,” Natalie’s gentle voice came from the door. “If you guys need more time, I can wait in the car.”

  “No,” Zach stood, bending to kiss Emily’s forehead. “We’ll have plenty of time to catch up. You and I need to talk to Captain Levit. Bye, Em, I’ll stop in again, I promise.”

  “Bye, be safe,” he heard her lean back into her pillows as they left the room. Zach had no idea how the curse had been reversed, but he was happy it had been. Though, it left him wondering about his own situation.

  “What do you know about magic, Lock?” he asked as they got into the car.

  “A fair bit,” Natalie admitted. “Why?”

  “Is there a way to lift a curse?” Zach felt Copper tense as he asked it.

  “Uh, well,” she thought for a second as she started the vehicle, “it depends on the curse, but typically, yes. Most every curse can be broken in at least two ways.”

  “What?” he nearly choked, this meant that not only had Steffani lied to him, so had the doctors who supposedly specialized in magical injury. How much money had his parents wasted in that fraudulent clinic trying to fix his eyes?

  “Yeah,” Natalie spoke happily as she drove. “You need three things to lift one: an opposing magic of equal or greater power, the proper catalyst for removal, and a vessel in which to catch the curse once it’s out.”

  “Is there a time frame for removal?” he chewed his thumbnail. He could feel Copper tense up in his lap as they waited for Natalie’s answer.

  “The sooner the better,” her voice now held a note of suspicion. “Why? Do you know someone who is cursed?”

  “Yeah,” he groaned. “Me.”

  “I’m going to need a little more explanation than that,” Natalie chuckled, thinking he was joking. Why wouldn’t she? His PR story was that he’d been injured in the field.

  “My eyes,” Zach sighed. “A witch cursed my eyes three years ago. It's the whole reason I was taken out of general law and put in the Department of Magic Defense.”

  He heard her blow a long breath through her lips and tsk her tongue against her teeth, “Three years is a long time, Zach. Do you know the name of the witch who did it?”

  Natalie was wracking her brain for a reason about why she couldn’t sense the curse. It would be deeply rooted into his soul by now, but if it were cast by a lesser witch, there was a probability that she could find someone to help him.

  He sounded so helpless, “I have no idea.”

  Natalie sighed, “Why didn’t you get it taken care of when it happened?”

  “I tried!” Zach exploded. “I spent seven months at the damn MCMI getting poked, prodded, and tested. Every single doctor there told me that curses can only be reversed by the witches that cast them. Hell, even the local witches maintain that story.”

  “Because the MCMI receives funding from the covens,” Natalie felt genuinely sorry for him. The Metropolitan Center for Magically Injured was typically a safe place to go for regular people struggling under the weight of magically derived grievances. The fact that Zach was refused treatment told Natalie exactly who cast the curse. But why would Agram have a reason for blinding him?

  Zach had no words, only pure rage. He gripped the outer seams of his pants and tried to focus on breathing. Copper had only seen Zach’s face turn this particular shade of red once, and that was the day he'd found his fiance fucking some stranger in his bed. Copper shifted his gaze to examine Natalie. She was stiff, her lips in a hard, concentrated line.

  Can it be removed? the dragon asked.

  “It would be difficult since you don’t know what type of magic was used, but I’m sure you could find a witch willing to try,” she said slowly, refusing to look at either of them.

  “I have absolutely no intention of letting a witch use their magic on me ever again,” Zach growled. “Nothing good ever seems to come from a witch.”

  “Not all witches are bad, Zach,” Natalie glanced at him. He was positively vibrating with anger.

  “Show me an honest witch,” he spat, “and I’ll show you a liar!”

  Copper watched as her chin tilted down and away from Zach. She looked ashamed. Was this what she’d been hiding the other day? Was she a witch?

  "Any chance you're hungry?" Natalie asked, trying to change the topic. "It's 1:30."

  "Yeah," Zach forced hims
elf to calm down, running his right hand through his hair as he gently smoothed the pad of his left thumb over the tip of Copper's tail. "Pick some place that has alcohol."

  Natalie watched Copper's head snap towards his human, pure fear in his little eyes, Zach, not on the clock.

  "I could use a pint myself," Natalie said as she turned the cruiser towards her favorite pub, "and I know a place that has a strict one drink limit for on the clock officers."

  "Really?" Zach was mildly amused. "Where?"

  "Flannery's," her response was clipped.

  "Lock, that's in the 2nd," Zach sighed. "I have no desire to be anywhere near their precinct."

  "Me either," she stated flatly. "I just want a friendly atmosphere and a good home cooked meal. Trust me, Hail, you'll love this place."

  "Fine, but let's not linger," he hated to admit that it sounded nice, or that he really was quite hungry. "Corvis and I don't get along."

  She snorted, "He hates me, I'm just not scared of him like you are."

  "Who said I'm scared of that weasel?" Zach's temper flared again.

  Natalie laughed a single short sarcastic burst, "Well, the fact that you don't want to go in his district is a good indicator."

  Zach quietly mocked her, then snapped his head to face her direction, "I just don't want to deal with him. I've had enough stress for one day."

  Sensing the finality in his tone, Natalie turned on the stereo, giving the two of them a reason not to talk. As she drove, she watched the man beside her. She wanted to help him, but he clearly didn't want to be helped. She also noticed that Copper was staring her down. He was an observant little creature. What all had he noticed?

  The three of them remained silent until they stepped into the pub. A smile instantly burst onto Natalie's face as three officers in powder blue looked up from their meals.

  "Ho-ly shit!" Sergeant Michael Davies stood from his bar stool and scooped her up. "If it isn't Princess Hair Pin!"

  "Let go of me you oversized steroid shot!" Natalie laughed and pushed her old friend away.

  "Looking good in mauve, kiddo," he clapped her shoulders fondly, failing to hide the sadness behind his smile. She was obviously missed at her old station.