Three Parts Fey (7 page)

“I was doing my
part as the mage-humanish part of the grouping.”

“Well, you
filled a position that we didn’t even know was lacking.”

“Argyle and
Tremble managed to keep the ghouls confined. Smith located the mage
and watched my back.”

“So, a
well-rounded team. Good work for your first night; now, come on and
ward that cell.”

Benny followed
him, and her team followed her. They went down to the cells, and
Benny eyed the sparse room with a wrinkled nose.

“Can I make it
more comfortable?”

Matheson raised
his brows. “Can you?”

She stepped in
and thickened the pad of the bed with a whispered enchantment. The
floor was sealed with a glyph that she drew with her shoe. It was
warmed to a comfortable temperature, and when she had made it as
physically comfortable as she could, she walked up to Argyle. “Bite
my thumb, please.”

He blinked, but
obliged.

She hissed as
her skin was punctured and cupped her hand so as not to waste the
blood.

“Smith, can you
give me a boost?”

He came in
after her and offered his cupped hands. She awkwardly got up and
hands cupped her backside to steady her. “Thanks, Tremble.”

Wards could be
made of anything, but if you were trying to keep out a demon, it
had to be blood. She pressed a dot to the corner and jerked her
head to the right. They carried her to the next corner, and she
marked it as well. When all four were treated, they set her down
and she went to where the wall met the floor and repeated the
anointing. She washed her thumb and was about to stick it in her
mouth when Argyle grabbed her hand and sucked it like a
lollipop.

She knew the
moment the puncture sealed. He withdrew her finger and gave her a
tiny kiss and a wink.

“Wait out
there.” Benny faced the room and sent magic out to cast a web
across the walls, floor and ceiling. No demon but Benny could cross
the boundary, and no hostile intent could pass through the
door.

She was a
little dizzy when she was done, but it was a solid piece of
enchantment.

Captain
Matheson looked at her and nodded. “Smith, you had better get her
home. She looks exhausted.”

“Yes,
Captain.”

They were on
their way out when Miaka and her spectral brother were on the way
in. When Miaka saw her, the woman broke free and collided bodily
with Benny. Her cuffs were still in place, but she whispered,
“Thank you.”

Benny teared
up, and she pressed her head to Miaka’s. “You will be safe here. I
will talk with you when I come back on shift.”

“Michael can
stay with me?”

“He can. He can
be with you as long as you need him.”

The agent
behind Miaka nodded and patted his pocket where the pen resided.
“It will remain in an active distance.”

Benny smiled.
“Thanks.”

She didn’t
mention that the pen would move on its own now, that wasn’t
something she wanted to announced considering that she had just
gotten the very unstable girl into a place that respected the
trauma that had created the illegal activity. She would get a fair
run at justice.

Benny backed
off, and Miaka was taken down the hall to her room. She should be
comfortable enough until the following day.

Benny was in
dire need of a nap. She had used a lot of magic, and since it was
coming from her alone, it was taking its toll.

Her crew was
waiting for her, and they all stumbled out into the pinking dawn.
Pooky was waiting, and he shepherded them home in no time. They all
needed to rest, and it was no surprise that they all chose her bed
to climb into. The discomfort of a jumble of limbs took second
place to the need to sleep.

Benny woke with
a jolt that sent Tremble and Andrew into high alert. Argyle leaned
up on an elbow and raised his eyebrows. “What is it, Benny?
Something wrong?”

The other two
were looking around as if preparing for an incursion, but Argyle
had it right. Something was pulling her.

She got up and
put on a robe, heading downstairs to check her phone. “I will be
back in a minute.”

The impulse
that pulled her downstairs was a new one.

Her phone was
hovering above the counter where she had left it, and all the
lights it had available were flashing.

When Benny
reached the phone, it quieted and settled against her palm.

Two lines of
text from an unexpected source was displayed on the screen.

I need to speak
with you about the pending case. Meet me at the Wicked Brew; I will
be there all day.

Benny blinked.
“Right. I need a shower.”

The origin of
the text was unknown to her phone, but the feel of the power was
eerily familiar. Jennifer Langstrom had the unusual distinction of
having a mind and aura patterned like Benny’s, without the power.
Benny had attempted to strip the soul copy off of Jennifer, but the
layer underneath had taken to the imprint.

One short phone
call had been all they had been allowed before her lawyers had told
her to stop talking to Benny. If she wanted to meet in person, it
had to be important. During her training, the XIA had recommended
that Benny not meet her, but something was up.

She trotted
upstairs and headed into the shower, locking out any of her
companions. She didn’t want company and definitely no shenanigans
before she left.

Wrapped in a
towel, she returned to the bedroom and filled in her collection. “I
got a text from a friend. I have to meet her for coffee.”

Tremble stood
and headed for the shower. “I am coming with you.”

She twisted her
head toward him and followed him into the bathroom. “Why?”

“That was way
too much power for a simple request.” He smirked and pushed her out
of the bathroom, closing and locking the door.

Sighing, she
headed for her wardrobe, and she pulled out her normal collection
of jeans, t-shirt and underwear. When she was dry and dressed, she
pulled a brush through her hair in time to see Tremble emerge from
the bathroom with his hair braided for the day.

She walked to
the side of the bed where Andrew was watching her, and she rubbed
her cheek against his. “See you in a few hours.”

He blinked and
rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

Argyle snorted.
“It is ten in the morning.”

Benny winced.
“Sorry. If it wasn’t a friend, I wouldn’t go, but she needs to talk
and we can’t discuss things over the phone.”

Andrew sighed.
“Talk to you later.”

He dropped back
into the pillows, and she laughed.

Argyle beckoned
to her, and she walked around the bed to cuddle with him for a
moment before Tremble cleared his throat.

“Ready.”

Argyle leaned
back and slept instantly with a slight smile on his face.

There was only
time for a glass of water before she hauled Tremble out and into
the sunlight. Pooky galloped around and became his normal
sports-car configuration.

“Sorry for the
sudden need, Pooky. I got a call.” She settled her small purse
between the front seats.

Tremble slid
and glanced at her. “Are you going to tell me where we are going
and who we are meeting?”

Pooky started
to roll down the driveway.

“We are going
to Wicked Brew, and I am going to have a conversation with Jennifer
Langstrom. She has information about the pending lawsuit.”

He blinked.
“What lawsuit?”

“Oh. Damn. I
forgot this hit the fan when I was in training and you guys were on
leave. Um...My parents are being sued for the wilful neglect that
led to the death of the other girls and the endangerment of
Jennifer.”

Tremble cleared
his throat. “You did forget to mention that.”

“Sorry. I got
distracted with the demon thing and all.”

He sighed and
closed his eyes. “Why are you going to meet with her today? I would
think her lawyer would have told her to stay away.”

Benny shrugged.
“I have no idea. That is what we are going to find out.”

Tremble sighed.
“This is a bad idea.”

She chuckled
and squeezed his hand. “Like many others I have had, I am sure
things will turn out fine...eventually.”

He gave her a
wry look through his rainbow eyes. “Don’t think that wearing fey
eyes will make me soften on this. It is not a good idea.”

She let Pooky
drive, he was doing it anyway, and looked at her face in the
driver’s mirror for an instant. “I didn’t mean to. I am guessing
that things are shifting. Let’s wait and see how they work
out.”

Jennifer was sitting
with a cup between her palms in a quiet corner of the busiest
coffee shop in town.

Benny placed
her order and moved to sit across from Jennifer. “You rang?”

Jennifer’s eyes
were hollow and haunted. She reached out and touched Benny’s hand,
sighing in relief. “I have missed that.”

Benny’s eyes
teared up. “I am sorry, but I had to pull the copy off you.”

Jennifer nodded
and swallowed. “I understand. I didn’t want to file charges, but my
parents took over.”

“It is fine. We
will get through it, I am sure.”

Jennifer
nodded, and the foam on her cappuccino began to stir.

“I needed to
speak with you in order to give you a warning or instruction. I am
not sure.”

Benny looked
into the face of what had obviously become a seer. “I am
listening.”

Jennifer
squeezed her hand. “See the fey first. Call the wild and see the
fey first. Wear all that you have when you see them. It is
important. All of you must wear all that you are.”

The cryptic
nature of the reading didn’t bug Benny. She had been seered
before.

Jennifer
blinked and sighed, looking into her cup warily. “You know, I used
to drink my coffee black, but now, I see too much in it. Is it the
template?”

“No. It is the
print of magic laid on your mind. You are now pulling wild magic
into you, and it is coming in the form of time. Every seer is born
to pull one wavelength.”

“How do you
know mine is time?”

“It feels like
time.”

Jennifer rubbed
her forehead. “Why won’t it shut off?”

Benny grabbed a
napkin with her free hand and started writing with a pen groped
from her purse. “Call this guy and tell him two things. One, I sent
you, and two, you are a time seer. He will help train you. Your
mind no longer has the automatic structure to process power. You
are going to have to go into training or go insane.”

Jennifer took
the napkin with a shaking hand. “It’s a man?”

Benny grinned.
“He is the best trainer for you. Female seers grow into their
powers. He acquired his, and he can help you start from the basics.
He has gone through it himself.”

Jennifer nodded
and seemed content to ignore the lack of direct answer. “Right. One
more thing. What is his name?”

Benny chuckled.
“I am not authorised to use it. He is a name seer. That is how he
looks forward and back. You use time and follow the magic, he uses
names and sees where they go and where they have been, forward and
backward in time. I think you two will get along.”

“Thank you. I
know things are about to hit the fan. Thank you for coming when I
called.”

Benny smiled.
“It is the least I can do for what was done to you, but you saved
my life.”

Jennifer
smiled. “You saved mine. I am just beginning to know my own mind,
so when I know how I feel about the whole thing, I will let you
know.”

“Be sure you
do. If you want to attack, I am ready for it.”

Benny got to
her feet and took her mochachino from the server and gripped the
takeaway cup. “Thank you.”

The server
nodded and smiled.

She turned back
to Jennifer. “Take care and call if you need anything.”

Jennifer smiled
and held up the napkin. “This feels like what I needed.”

They parted
ways without saying goodbye.

Benny beckoned
to Tremble, and he pried himself away from the ladies sighing over
him.

Tremble
murmured outside, “She doesn’t look good.”

“No, she is
going mad.”

Benny didn’t
look back, but she could feel Jennifer’s gaze on them as they got
into Pooky and she gave the order to go to the XIA so she could
check on Miaka.

Tremble and
Benny passed through security and got authorisation to visit Miaka.
He went to check their schedule while she headed to holding.

Miaka was with
Michael in an interview room, and a necromancer was interviewing
her.

Benny tapped on
the door, and Miaka smiled, asking quickly if Benny could enter.
The bemused necromancer nodded.

Benny entered
and moved to put her hand on Miaka’s shoulder. “How are you
feeling?”

“Much better.
Officer Demorak was just having me walk through the rituals of last
night. I had to confess that you were the one who handled
Michael.”

Michael
grinned. “I was hardly handled.”

“Agent Ganger,
perhaps you could tell me what spell you used?”

Benny nodded to
Officer Demorak and smiled. “Miaka raised her twin, and I anchored
him to the pen using an association connection. As long as he wants
to manifest, he will be bound to that pen.”

The officer
blinked. “You gave the ghost the choice?”

“Of course. It
is his afterlife he is delaying. When he and Miaka decide she no
longer needs him with her every day, they will discuss it and he
can be released, by his own will or hers.”

“How did you
manage that?”

Benny snorted
at the obvious answer. “They are twins. Joined in blood and
soul.”

The officer
struck his forehead with his palm. “Right. Not necromancy, binding
magic.”