by Charley Case
Mila swallowed hard, trying not to gag. “I’ll see what I can do. Thanks”
“My pleasure.”
Finn smiled at Mila as she sat at the table, and her face split into a smile. She unrolled her silverware and placed the napkin across her lap, before picking up one of her club sandwich corners and taking a bite.
“Good call?” Finn asked.
Mila nodded, holding a hand over her mouth. “Ereal ood.” A piece of turkey fell out of her mouth, and she snatched it up off the table, stuffing it back into her mouth before Penny could get it. She chewed the rest of the bite and swallowed. “It was Gregory. He gave me the number for a Valkyrie that contacted him.”
“Holy shit! That’s great.” Finn almost dropped his sandwich in his au jus from the news. “Are you going to call her?”
“I don't know. Probably. Not until we get home.”
Finn raised an eyebrow, but it was Penny who spoke up, holding her steak in both hands, her chin dripping with meat juice. “Shir squee, chi chi.”
“I know.” Mila tried to sink into her seat more to get away from their gazes. “I need to call. I’ll do it, just don't pressure me. I need to be ready.”
Penny nodded. “Chi chi,” she said with understanding, before ripping a chunk of steak off with her teeth.
“What if it’s your blood!” Hermin nearly shouted, a finger rising to the ceiling, as he suddenly rejoined the conversation.
“Oh, my god. Hermin, you scared the shit out of me.” Mila said, pressing a fist to her heart. “What does my blood have to do with a phone call?”
Hermin looked at her like she had gone mad, but let the question go as Garret began nodding. “It could be blood. He is a royal. Mila we can explain with her celestial magic, but Finn has actual royal blood. That could be it.”
Hermin frowned now that the theory was out, he didn't seem to be liking it as much.
“Why would my heritage have any sway over how magic interacts with me. That doesn't make sense,” Finn said, not liking where this was going. Anything that brought his family into it was terrible as far as he was concerned.
“Well, it doesn't. Unless that was what they were trying to do,” Garret admitted. “But it’s the only reason I can figure.”
“So, let me get this straight,” Finn said, taking a bite of his au jus-soaked sandwich and chewing before continuing. “You’re best theory is that the Dark Star is fucking up everyone’s magic, including her own, and specifically making sure it doesn't affect me? That sounds insane.”
The Huldu peered at one another, and Garret nodded. “Well, when you say it like that.”
Finn chuckled. “Yeah, I don't think that's it, guys.”
“Probably right.” Hermin checked an imaginary watch, then glanced around the diner to be sure no one was looking. “Well, it looks like break time is over. Gotta get back to keeping the planet running. Thanks for lunch.”
Both Hermin and Garret vanished in a shower of bubbles.
“Cheap bastards. Left us with the bill.”
Mila reached over and squeezed his hand. “Babe. We’re rich. A couple of pancakes aren’t going to break the bank.”
“It’s just the principle of the thing.”
“Who wants to go talk to Stephanie?” Mila said, changing the subject.
Penny raised her hand.
“May as well. It’s not like she has her guard dogs anymore,” Finn said, dipping his sandwich again.
Chapter Eighteen
Finn and Mila watched as Penny focused her magic between her small taloned hands, her eyes closed in concentration, a little bubble forming. Finn leaned in for a better look and saw images of Boulder flashing through the bubble, like a slideshow on fast forward.
They had moved to the car, sitting in the diner parking lot, the Hellcat running with the heat on while Penny tracked the quarter she had dropped in Stephanie’s bag. Finn and Mila kept quiet while the small dragon worked.
After two minutes, Penny's eyes snapped open, and the image in the bubble stabilized, showing an old Victorian-style house close to downtown Boulder.
“Shee shir,” Penny said, giving the address to Finn, who entered it into the navigation on his phone.
“Got it. You’re sure she’s still there?”
“Chi. Shir shee.”
Mila put the car in drive and pulled out onto the road, heading for old town.
They wound their way through the older roads, passing large houses that were far too fancy for a college student to afford until Mila pulled to the curb in front of the house they had seen in Penny's tracking spell.
“Man, I wish I lived in a place like this when I was in college,” Mila said, leaning to peer past Finn and Penny at the huge house. “This place has to have a lot of zeros in the price. Must be nice to be the daughter of a supervillain.”
Finn chuckled. “It’s not as good as you might think. My father might not technically be a supervillain, but that depends on who you ask.”
They watched the house for a few minutes, looking for signs of guards while Penny performed another spell to detect wards on the place. The dragon cocked her head to the side, blinking a few times as she considered what she felt. “Chi chi. Squee shee chir.”
Finn frowned, and Mila pursed her lips. “I didn't quite get that.”
“She said there are wards, but they’re falling apart. It’s like they haven't been powered in a while, or they have been twisted by all the magical fluctuations lately. She’s convinced they’re degraded enough they won’t function anymore.”
Mila frowned. “If this is her daughter, you would think Hellena would work to keep her protected.”
Finn shrugged. “She might be so far into her darkness; she’s not thinking straight. I wouldn't be surprised if she completely forgets Stephanie even exists from time to time.”
“Dark magic twists someone enough that they can forget their own child?” Mila looked horrified.
“It can be all-consuming. Most of the time, by the end, the user is the used; just a husk of their former selves. It’s a blight that needs to be stamped out. Come on, let’s introduce ourselves.” Finn opened the car door and climbed out.
Mila followed, coming around the car to stand next to him. “Do you think she's a magic-user?”
Finn shook his head. “I checked her aura earlier at the school. She didn't have one. That means either, somehow, she’s one of the rare creatures that have no magic whatsoever or, more likely, her abilities are being forcefully repressed.”
“What does that mean? Besides the obvious.” Mila amended.
They started up the front walk towards the door. “If I had to guess, then I would say she’s a magical, but her mother blocked her abilities for some reason. Probably to keep her hidden, if I had to guess. But that means she’s probably not a Peabrain.”
“She looks human.”
“So do I to a degree, but we both know that’s not true. You would be surprised how common the human form is in the universe. It was a pretty good design, all things considered.” Finn chuckled and opened his jacket. “You should probably stay out of sight, just in case she hasn't been exposed to magic at all. Don't want to start on the wrong foot.”
Penny sighed. “Shir shee.” She grumbled, before crawling down his chest and into the jacket.
Finn chuckled. “I agree. Non-magicals are annoying. Sorry, Penny. We gotta do what we gotta do.”
They stepped up onto the wraparound porch, walking past the white wicker furniture, and Finn knocked on the door.
They waited a full minute before Finn knocked again. “Maybe she dropped her backpack off and went somewhere?”
Mila cocked her head, listening. “No, I can hear her walking around. I think the house is just big, and it’s taking her a minute to get here.”
Sure enough, just as Finn was about to knock on the door again, it opened a crack, the door chain keeping the aperture just wide enough to fit her face.
Finn was surprised at h
ow much she looked like Hellena, aside from the curling red locks spilling past her face.
“Hi. I’m agent McClain with the FBI, and this is Agent Vallon. Would you mind if we ask you a few questions?” Finn said, in a jovial voice, holding up the folded runic paper as a badge.
Stephanie looked the badge over, then looked past them, scanning the road. Her eyes narrowed as she didn't see what she was looking for. She looked between Finn and Mila, biting her lip nervously.
“One question,” she said, brushing an unruly lock of curls from her face. “What are your real names? I know you don't work for the FBI. I saw you two on campus earlier when the dean ran you off.”
Finn looked at Mila, his brows rising. She smirked and took the lead. “Stephanie, we need to talk. My name is Mila Winters, and this big teddy bear is Finnegan Dragonbender. We don't want to cause you any trouble, but we need to ask you a few questions about your mother.”
Stephanie’s eyes widened, and she again bit her lip. “My mother is dead. You can ask my dad, he lives on the other side of town.”
Mila smiled. “We both know Herman isn’t your father. If I had to guess, I would say you haven't even seen him in years. We need to ask you about Hellena.”
Stephanie relaxed a little, again scanning the street. “They’re not coming, are they?”
“The security team?” Finn shook his head. “No. They got buried in work.”
Mila groaned at his terrible joke. “Do you want them to come?”
Stephanie recoiled in disgust. “God, no. Those assholes make my life miserable.” She thought for a few minutes, chewing her lip. “Give me a minute, and I’ll grab a coat. We can go to the coffee shop down the street. There aren’t any ears listening down there.”
She closed the door, and Finn looked at Mila. “Well, that was easier than I expected.”
“Yeah. There is no way in hell I would go get coffee with two strangers who lied about their identities to my face. I would have called the cops.”
“She could be calling them now.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Mila said, looking both ways down the street, making sure there wasn't a police cruiser coasting up on them.
Just when Finn was about to say they should go, the door opened, and Stephanie stepped out, pulling it closed and locking it behind her before turning to them. “Let’s go.”
She led the way down the steps, setting a quick pace in the cold. Finn and Mila were forced to jog to catch up with the fast-moving young woman. She didn't say anything or even look at them as she led them two blocks to a small business district with a coffee shop situated in the center of a row of shops.
A bell rang when they opened the door, and a young woman behind the counter waved. “Hey, Steph. The usual?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Mona.” Stephanie made a beeline for a booth in the back.
“What can I get you two?” the barista asked as Finn and Mila passed the counter.
“I’m good, thanks,” Mila said.
“We’ll have coffee,” Finn said at the same time.
Stephanie slid into the booth, pulling off her puffy blue coat and white knit hat, settling into the squeaky seat.
Finn and Mila took the other side, and they stared at one another until Mona brought their drinks. They thanked her, then sipped on their coffee for a few seconds.
“Is she in trouble?” Stephanie asked, sipping on her latte in a large white cup. “Or is she the trouble?”
Finn liked this girl; she was sharp. “She’s the trouble.”
Stephanie deflated. “I thought so.”
Mila leaned in. “She’s also in trouble. We’re trying to stop her from hurting herself and a lot of innocent people.”
Stephanie sighed, her eyes misting with tears. “I thought something was going on.” She swallowed hard. “What do you need to know?”
Chapter Nineteen
“Do you know where Hellena is?” Finn asked.
Stephanie shook her head. “Last I knew she said she was traveling out of the country, but that was almost a month ago.”
“Traveling for what?” Mila leaned forward, whispering.
“Work, I would guess. She’s always on some trip, especially lately.”
Finn reached into his pocket to grab his box of Charleston Chews then remembered that Penny had eaten them all. He took a sip of black coffee. “What did she tell you she did?”
Stephanie smirked, angrily wiping at her eyes, her emotions beginning to overflow. “She says she works for a government agency. The CIA or some other acronym. But I knew that was a lie from the beginning. She was always gone, but when she was in town, she didn't go out or talk to people, always acting strange and avoiding public places. Her phone never rang at odd hours like you would expect an agent’s phone to do. I realized, pretty early on, that she had to work for herself, or at least not for the government.”
Finn leaned back, trying to figure out how to broach the subject of what was going on with this girl's mother, but Mila was miles ahead of him.
Reaching across the table, Mila took Stephanie’s hand in hers. The young woman resisted at first, but she quickly giving over to the familiar touch. “I can tell you she doesn't work for the government. The opposite, in fact.”
Stephanie choked back a small sob, wiping at her eyes with her free hand. “I was afraid of that. She’s been changing lately, becoming angry at the drop of a hat, and traveling more than usual. When she did come home, she was different. She seemed like someone else the last time I saw her. It was like she was only there because she had to be. We talked once in the three days she was home, and she was saying weird things the whole time.”
“Like what?” Finn asked, shifting to give Penny a little more room in his jacket.
“She said that the world was about to change for the better, but that it was going to be a hard time for those who didn't know their own power,” Stephanie said, staring into her latte.
Mila squeezed her hand and gave her a small smile. “Was that the last time you talked to her?”
Stephanie shook her head. “She called me a week ago.” She swallowed, working up the courage to continue. “She said that people were going to start talking about her, and not to believe them. But that didn't make sense if she was some kind of spy or whatever she was pretending to be. I didn't know who to tell. I didn't even know if I should tell anyone. She sent men to watch over me, but they kept me at the house when I wasn't in class. They scared me. It was like I was in prison.” She looked up and gave a sad smile. “Today was the first time I didn't see them parked out on the street in a week.”
Finn nodded. “Yeah. We had a bit of a run-in with them earlier. They won’t be bothering you anymore.”
“Good. The bald guy acted like my mother was some kind of religious leader. It was creepy.”
“Yeah, he wasn’t exactly all there.” Mila nodded. “I have to ask, why are you so willing to tell us this? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it, but you don't know the first thing about us.”
Stephanie laughed, making her have to wipe her nose with a napkin. “That’s the thing. I do know about you two. She called me last week and warned me that there might be a large man with a beard and a small Mexican woman snooping around and that I should avoid you. She told me that you would tell me lies about her.”
Finn cocked his head to the side. “Then why are you talking to us?”
“I don't trust her anymore,” Stephanie confessed. “She’s changed, and I think she’s about to do something terrible. If you’re the ones she wants to keep me from, then I need to talk to you. She scares me. I don't know what happened to her, but she’s not my mother anymore, at least not the mother I remember. I need help.”
Mila squeezed her hand. “We’re here to help, Stephanie. We need to stop what Hellena is about to do. I don't know how much I can say or how much you know about what she is, but she has a darkness consuming her from the inside. I don't know if we can stop it without hurting her, but
we have to stop what’s coming, or a lot of people are going to die.”
Stephanie considered Mila's words, sniffing hard. “I don't know where she is, but I have a way to find her. If you help me get out of here and away from her people, I’ll help you.”
“We can do that,” Finn assured her. “We should get out of town soon, though. I have no idea how many people she has under her influence, but I’m sure the guys we ran into earlier aren’t the last of them.”
Stephanie’s breath caught in her throat as she looked past Finn through the front window. “Too late. They’re here.”
Finn looked and saw two Humvees parking in the small lot. As the vehicles stopped, the doors opened, and four guys in full tactical gear piled out, heading for the front door at a run.
Finn didn't hesitate, sliding out of the booth, pulling Mila out with him, then taking Stephanie’s hand and pulling her to her feet. “We need to go.” He pointed to the rear exit. “Out the back, quickly.” He pushed Stephanie to a run, pulling Mila along with him.
Mila caught on and whispered the power word for her armor as she pulled the Ivar from its holster.
Finn reached past Stephanie and shoved the back door open, herding the young woman out into the alley. They skidded to a stop when twenty rifles were leveled at them held by soldiers in black tactical gear matching that of the men who were coming in from the front door. After a beat, the eight men came out the back door, joining their comrades and pointing rifles at them.
Finn slowly spun around, taking in the threat. They were surrounded, and Finn wasn't sure he could get them out of this one.
A man wearing a red beret stepped forward, not saying a thing, but holding out a phone, the screen showing a connected call. Finn hesitated, but the man motioned for him to take the phone, his face hard.
Finn stepped forward and took it. Holding the phone to his ear, he cleared his throat. “Hello?”