Ruled by Tainted Blood Read online

  “You haven’t told me where to find the goblins,” I said. “I’m not leaving until I know.”

  The detective scrutinized me for another four count. “Watch her, Miri. I’ll be right back.”

  Miri offered a serene smile. “Gladly. Take your time.”

  “No,” I snapped. “You need to hurry so we can help Judith.”

  Foxner rushed out the door.

  “So,” Miri said. “About my questions.”

  “I know the perfect person to answer them.” I extracted my pendant. “Summuseraphi, Summuseraphi, Summuseraphi.”

  “Supreme seraphim?” Miri’s eyes widened at Summus’s appearance, pink creeping into her cheeks.

  “Again? Really Quayla?” Summus asked.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m trying to save Judith.”

  Summus pressed his lips together and turned toward Miri. She raised her yellow pad. “The water phoenix indicated you could answer my questions. What kind of phoenix are—”

  Summus slapped his hands together. “Let’s get this over with.”

  “The detective that chased the goblins will be back in a moment. Once she tells me where she lost them, she’ll need rewritten.”

  “You do realize rewriting is not as easy as it looks, right?”

  “How could I?” I asked.

  “Okay, good point,” Summus said. “It’s exhausting, all right?”

  “All right. I wouldn’t ask you if I could do it,” I said.

  Summus went to work on Miri’s memories. At first, I watched, but looking directly at reality being rewritten made me sicker than I’d ever been. I paced the room, waiting for Foxner and hoping Summus finished before she arrived.

  Summus’s head snapped up. He swore then apologized heavenward. The changes around Miri sped up, culminating in a wave of power that left my skin tingling.

  “Sorry, your detective will have to wait.” Summus vanished.

  I cursed and stepped out into the hall.

  11: Bending the Rules

  Ignis

  Ignis pulled his Camaro into a parking space along the bus line he’d taken back to the church after his death. His fury over the theft of his heart by the arrogant elf knight Dolumii had been enough to transform the natural gas fueled bus into a warm and cozy fireball.

  Bastard died before I could pay him back and reclaim my heart.

  Ignis took a deep breath before he melted his beloved car. His idea had calmed lingering anger and given him a new way to search for their missing eggs. Letting temper interfere meant losing the opportunity to shove their eggs under Vitae’s snooty nose.

  Can’t wait to see his expression.

  He stepped from the blistering car interior into a pleasant, hundred-degree Atlanta day. A few people without other options trudged through the heat, sweat damping their clothes before they’d taken a few steps outdoors.

  Ignis drew in the heat. He had no issues with glorious southern summers—except maybe the humidity. Unlike Quayla, he couldn’t do anything about the damp sticky air. He’d tried warming his skin to burn it off, but the ever-present, pervasive humidity refused to be burned away, leaving him soiled and irritable.

  Got to envy the Aquas. Caelum too for his ability to produce a drying breeze.

  He inhaled through his nose, seeking faerie taint. Sulphur and marsh hid beneath sweaty pedestrians, overdoses of perfume and someone’s garlic onion toast.

  Ignis spun slowly, taking a few steps first one way and then another. Taint didn’t draw him one way or another.

  I miss Mare. She could’ve wrapped a necklace of essence beads around her throat and felt which pearl tainted fastest. My essence would only burn the taint away, besides I can’t pull off the pearls.

  He opened the Camaro’s passenger door and dropped onto the seat. “Anima?”

  “How can I assist you, Shield Ignis?”

  “Anima, with as long as we’ve known each other, there’s no need to be formal.”

  “Shield Vitae has reprimanded me for being too informal. Besides, did you not just call me by my full name?”

  “You’re right. Thank you for pointing out my hypocrisy. I meant no offense.”

  “None taken, Ignis. Forgive me, I just had a most disagreeable conversation with Quayla. How may I serve?”

  “I need your help. I’m trying to track down a faerie who dwells in the general area of this bus stop. Can you measure the taint levels around all of the surrounding seeds and extrapolate a location or at least a path of pursuit?”

  “Faerie aren’t supposed to live in the mortal world,” Anima said.

  “One reason I’m tracking him down, Ani. Can you help?”

  “One moment please.”

  Ignis waited.

  “Ignis, I have an alert—oh, never mind.”

  “Ani?”

  “I am sorry. It was only a ‘hot and now’ event near you.”

  Caelum.

  Ignis shook his head. “It’s fine. I thought Vitae purged those sensors from the net?”

  “Caelum reprogrammed them with specialized logic which prevents them from displaying while Vitae is present.”

  “Too smart for his own good. He’d be a force to be reckoned with if he put that much energy into dealing with the Sidhe.” Ignis’s stomach grumbled. “Ani? While you’re working on my search, where was that event?”

  “I’m afraid I have already finished, and you must head north and a little west—away from the donut shop.”

  “North it is. Thanks.”

  Ignis caught a stronger scent five blocks north. It led west and north in a zigzag that seemed to work its way past a maximum number of smoke shops, bars and pizza joints.

  Ignis turned a corner and slammed into a young man with sweat stained dress shirt, wild red hair, large ears and an attempted mustache more fuzz than fur.

  “Sorry,” Ignis stepped around him. “Excuse me.”

  An itch grew between Ignis’s shoulder blades. He turned back to find the man he’d bumped staring at a weird device and Ignis in turns.

  “You’re yellow!”

  Ignis’s brows shot up. “Excuse me?”

  The red head rushed forward several steps, one hand held up. “I didn’t mean you’re a coward or anything.” He beamed down at the cobbled remote. “You’re the yellow magic, one of the ones fighting the blue and red. Nice to meet you, I’m Bradley.”

  Ignis narrowed his eyes, dropping them to the device. One of the glass spheres glowed a swirling yellow. “What is that?”

  “It detects magic,” his smile widened. “I made it myself.”

  Ignis grabbed Bradley by his shirt. “Are you Fae Kissed?”

  “What?”

  “Have you made a deal with the faeries.’

  “I didn’t know that was an option,” Bradley said. “Are they yellow too? Red? Blue? How would I get in contact with them?”

  Ignis jerked Bradley closer, inhaling deeply. An odd taint lingered to him, but from casual contact rather than the reek of an infernal mark. “You don’t if you know what’s good for you.”

  Bradley titled his head, pensive expression vanishing behind a quick grin. “All right. You’re the gold here, not me.”

  “Show me how this device of yours works.” Ignis knelt to one side out of the direct path of the weird object. “Extend it forward?”

  “Sure, anything for you guys. I want to help.”

  Bradley pushed the heavy device forward. As it moved past Ignis, the yellow glow softened, making it easier to see a slight blue glow in one of the other globes.

  Ignis took the device and waved it at Bradley. All three globes lit ever so slightly, confirming Ignis’s suspicion the man had been in contact with magic but wasn’t bearing a source. He handed the detector back and drew out an ornate golden pocket watch. He opened the ornately inscribed cover depicting an angel to reveal a glowing white feather instead of timepiece and clockwork.

  Bradley pointed the detector at the feather. The golden globe flar
ed to life like burning phosphorous. Awe dropped Bradley’s exclamation to a whisper. “Great Gygax!”

  “Summuseraphi, summuseraphi—”

  Bradley frowned, cocking his head. “Prime seraphim?”

  “Summuseraphi,” Ignis finished.

  A blinding light filled the side alley.

  “Holy shit, a real archangel!” Bradley said.

  Both Summus’s wings and shoulders slumped. He took a deep breath, raising his head and throwing golden hair off of his face. He took one look at and Bradley and cradled his face. “You again?”

  “Have we met?” Bradley asked.

  Ignis took the device from Bradley’s hand. “We need a rewrite, seems he’s been tracking the faeries with this device. I’m pretty sure he isn’t Fae Kissed.”

  “He’s not,” Summus said. “We’ve met before.”

  “I think I’d remember that,” Bradley objected.

  “You filmed it,” Summus said.

  Bradley reached for his phone.

  “I’ve already erased the recording.”

  Bradley’s face fell.

  “Curious though about how you’re aware again and so soon,” Summus said.

  Ignis turned his attention to Bradley. “Summuseraphi will take care of you.”

  Bradley stepped backward, taking his detector out of reach. “He’s going to erase my memory, isn’t he? That’s why I can’t remember meeting him from before. You know I’m only trying to help you.”

  “I need your detector,” Ignis said. “You could help by handing it over.”

  Bradley’s mouth quirked into a thoughtful half frown. He brightened. “Sure, anything you need.”

  Ignis took the offered device.

  Bradley held up a forestalling hand before Summus. “It runs through batteries pretty quickly, and I think the gases in the globes are at least half burned out.”

  “Thank you,” Ignis said.

  “If you erase my memory, how are you going to get them refilled?” Bradley asked.

  That’s a good question. If this device proves useful, it might be best to minimize how much of his reality Summus changes.

  Ignis looked over at the divine phoenix.

  “I know that look,” Summus said. “Our terra used to give me the same look before he got me to do something that caused trouble.”

  “It might be best to limit his rewrite to the last hour,” Ignis offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Besides, a smaller re-write will be less draining.”

  Summus’s expression mirrored Bradley’s previous frown. “I don’t know.”

  Ignis turned to Bradley. “What’s your name again?”

  “Bradley Sky, junior assistant medical examiner.”

  Ignis gestured with one hand. “We know where to find him later if we need to finish the rewrite.”

  “The longer he keeps the memories, the harder it is to rewrite him.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about me,” Bradley said. “The people we work for figured Gus was nuts, and I’m not far behind him. Nobody would believe this even if I told them—and I’m smart enough not to say a word.”

  Ignis shrugged.

  “All right,” Summuseraphi said. “Just don’t mention this to Vilicangelus.”

  Ignis clapped Summus’s shoulder and returned to his search. Heeding Bradley’s warning, he hunted by nose until he reached a multi-building high-rise apartment complex. His search took far too long, but less time than if he’d had to go through the taint saturated complex door to door.

  Three heavy raps on the door brought a grizzled, middle-aged man to the door. He rolled his eyes the moment he cracked it open.

  “What do you want, bird?” Cember asked. “I’m not violating any of the Articles of Ararat.”

  “Except living in the mortal world.”

  “Give me a break,” Cember said. “I’m not breaking any mortal laws. I’m not harming anyone—unless you call photographing evidence for my clients’ court cases harmful. I even found a missing person for someone this week.”

  “Let me in, and we’ll discuss it.”

  Cember eyed him. “All right, do you swear to abide in peace in accordance with the Laws of Hospitality?”

  “I so swear to enter and leave in peace, causing no harm to any within the domain of your dwelling.”

  “Enter in peace, Shield Ignis of the Atlanta Protectorate,” Cember stepped back, opening the door with an inviting sweep of his hand.

  Ignis scanned his surroundings as he stepped inside. Cember’s apartment seemed modestly furnished with an open floor plan and three doors leading off the main area. As soon as the door shut, the illusion of a grizzled old detective vanished.

  The old pixie shoved a cigar between his lips, smoke trailing away from a salt and pepper beard. His patched simple tunic had seen better days, but it was clean and in good repair. He ran a hand along a buzz cut, faded wings twitching before they sped up to a blurred thrum. Cember flitted across the breakfast bar and dragged open the refrigerator. “Do you want a beer?”

  “Thank you, no,” Ignis said.

  The pixie’s strained flight hit the breakfast bar a bit harder than necessary. He darted back to the fridge, taking down a red plastic opener designed for children to open pop-top cans. He snagged a bendy straw on his return flight, popped open the can of imported German beer and inserted a straw.

  “All right, bird, what do you want?”

  “I want to hire you,” Ignis said.

  Cember spewed beer all over the counter. “You what?”

  “Our eggs were stolen,” Ignis said. “I’d like to hire you to track down the thief.”

  Gears spun so fast behind the pixie’s eyes, Ignis smelled them burn under the friction. Even so, he answered fast. “Let’s talk payment.”

  “What’s the going rate?” Ignis asked.

  “Normally, a per diem and expenses, but you’re not a wafer.”

  “Which means what?” Ignis asked.

  “Your fee will be special.”

  “I won’t surrender any essence.”

  Cember waved the suggestion away. “I’m already something of an outcast, but if the Courts are behind this and they find out that I helped you, I’m persona non grata, you know what I mean?”

  Ignis gestured for Cember to continue.

  “I want a work residency visa,” Cember brightened. “Expenses too—even if they’re Faery expenses.”

  Ignis scrutinized the little faerie. He’d tracked the little jerk down because he’d claimed to be a detective who obviously had contacts in the Courts as well as Atlanta. It was a long shot, but if it added one more resource to their search, it seemed worth a shot.

  A work visa though, that’s setting a dangerous precedent.

  Terrance had a contact in the Wyld Wastes, but Yarque didn’t live in the mortal world. The same was true of Caelum and Quayla’s contacts. Ignis’s own faerie contacts had closed down when he’d sought them out, yet this pixie was willing to help in exchange for staying in the mortal world.

  I’ve already convinced Summus to go out on a limb, I doubt I can get him to back this. Vitae will never agree. Vilicangelus might consider it, if I could get ahold of him, but calling Vili will only get me Summus.

  “Atlanta only,” Ignis said. “And only for so long as you don’t violate any of the Articles of Ararat.”

  “I hate be legalistic and all, but I’ll need this in writing,” Cember said. “Got to cover my own ass, you understand.”

  “Do you have any stone?”

  Cember grinned. “I have just the thing. Come on.”

  Ignis followed into a small bedroom, a new octave of taint slamming into him the moment the door opened. The faerie glade contained within the room was and was not in the mortal realm. An old, winter-deadened stump dominated one quarter of the room. Slate stones circled a cold but not frozen pond, edged by evergreens and winter blooms.

  Cember stopped on the largest of the paving stones and tapped it with a foo
t. “This should work.”

  That it should.

  Ignis bent over the stone and summoned his essence. He stopped, raising his eyes to the faerie. “Don’t make me regret this, Cember.”

  “You’re doing me a huge favor, bird. I wouldn’t dream of double-crossing you.”

  “Better hope not,” Ignis’s finger lit like an acetylene torch. “I have temper issues.”

  Ignis carved the visa into the stone, infusing the letters with his own essence to guarantee authenticity. Cember watched over his shoulder, a smile wider than his face trying to spread even further.

  12: Uneasy Partners

  Quayla

  Rather than waste breath persuading Detective Foxner not to look in on Miri, I simply marched away, letting the detective’s prey response drag her along my wake. She eyed my hilts when I reclaimed them from security, but didn’t comment. She refused my suggestion to take separate vehicles—probably to strand me on foot and limit my escape options as if I couldn’t transmog and fly away.

  Foxner drove us through Atlanta in a tense silence. Unlike her friend, she didn’t ask questions. She glowered out the window with the supple lines of her jaw hardened to near razor edges. When she did loosen her scowl, it was to grumble low enough she assumed I couldn’t hear. “Driving criminals around... wouldn’t do this if a life wasn’t on the line... should be cuffed not in my passenger seat...”

  “And I wouldn’t have read you in if Judith weren’t in danger.”

  We turned north on Cobb Parkway.

  “What deludes you into thinking this is your jurisdiction?” Foxner asked. “You’re not even a cop.”

  “I’m a shield, same as you, difference is our Praefecture extends well beyond Atlanta’s city limits.” I gave her a frank look. “Besides, we’re dealing with supernatural baddies definitely out of you league.”

  Foxner snorted through her pert little nose.

  The car turned right at the Big Chicken, drove under an overpass and then pulled into a side alley leading back to a shopping center. Foxner drove behind the buildings into the loading area. She came to a stop just past the loading ramp where the wall had appeared.

  I drew my necklace as I exited the vehicle. I whispered into it, trying not to sneeze on taint and faerie magic. “Summuseraphi, Summuseraphi, Summuseraphi.”