The surrey pulled to a stop in a narrow cobblestone road between Fourth and Fifth Avenue, a street away from the main strip of the Old City shopping district.
Residents from New Nashville, travelers from the Outer Zones, and from the smaller villages of Nash usually preferred to shop in the large, public market and rarely crossed the river into the heart of Nash City. The residents of the city, however, liked to be able to get goods and services close by. Another plus was most shops in the shopping district had hours that catered to vampire clients—the public market did not.
This road and block of buildings were new, in Nash City terms. They were all post-Cataclysm, only about a hundred years old, and built after the large building that had once been there was demolished. Pinky said it was a large theater where people listened to music, but it was destroyed during the Dark Days. Walled in and protected from the outside wars and natural disasters, the citizens of Nash had to make use of every bit of space they could. Large, public buildings that could not easily be re-purposed into housing or to meet other needs were demolished by mages or vampires, so new buildings could be built in their place.
This particular block of buildings was mainly shops and businesses. There were seamstresses, laundresses, a bathhouse, a cloth shop and, the one we were looking for, a crystal shop.
I located it quickly. The lettering barely visible on the grimy windows said Fegley’s Crystals. I knew the shop and the area well, as I lived on the next street and the Blade Headquarters was only a few blocks over. Though it wasn’t where I normally bought crystals, I knew the Blades had an account with the shop.
I didn’t wait on Ian. Instead, I climbed over him, trying to ignore the warmth that spread through me when my hand brushed his knee, and jumped out of the surrey. The quicker we got this over with, the quicker I could get home and away from this man.
I knew it was irrational to have such a violent reaction to him. But, damn. He was so damned arrogant—being driven around town by a hired servant! He probably didn’t even pay the man enough to take care of his family. That was how the rich stayed rich, off the backs of the poor and struggling. Ian probably hadn’t done a real day’s work in his life. He hadn’t had to. He’d grown up rich in a family of necromancers and con artists that got rich by cheating people.
So what if he’d founded the Necromancer’s Guild? It didn’t matter that many of the necromancers registered with the guild worked with the City Guard to solve crimes. At its heart, it was just a guild of thieves and cheats, and Ian Barroes was the head thief.
I shook my head to clear it and focused on the job at hand. As I drew closer to the door, I noticed loud voices coming from inside the crystal shop. I swung open the grimy door and entered the dimly lit crystal shop amid a swirl of emotional energy. I didn’t even have to focus my power to feel the anger and despair flying off the young girl standing in the middle of the room.
“But you can’t fire me! My family needs the money!” she shouted at the squat, bald man behind the counter.
“You should have thought about that before you closed the shop up three hours early and sent customers away,” the man said in a nasal voice.
I disliked the man instantly.
“But, you know why I did! You gave me permission,” the girl replied indignantly.
The man rubbed round, wire-rimmed spectacles with a cloth, and then placed them on the tip of his nose.
“I recall giving you permission to close early so you could go take the Mage-Level test. I don’t see any results before me, so you obviously lied.” The man huffed out a breath and leaned forward, planting his hands on the counter that stood between him and the girl.
“The only reason I let you leave early is because I thought you would finally become of some use to me. You and that mother of yours keep touting how powerful you are. I kept you around all these years, figuring when you got old enough to put to work as a Charger, you’d finally be worth having around. I’ve paid you way more than you are worth for more than three years, waiting for you to make me a little money. How do I get repaid? You lose me more than three hours’ worth of income, you worthless twit. You lied about going to take your test. Now you expect me to keep you here another six months while you wait for your tests, knowing I can’t have you charging crystals until you have passed a mage-level test. You are nothing but a liar. I can find another worthless, slum-row kid to work for half of what I pay you.”
The girl, dressed in brown hemp pants that were clean, but worn, and a hemp tunic that was similar in color to the dried mud in my hair, turned the color of a radish and took a deep breath.
“More than I’m worth?” the girl shrieked. “Five bucks a week is more than I’m worth? You pompous…”
“Uhmmm.” Ian cleared his throat behind me, interrupting the girl, causing the two arguers to turn and stare at them in shock. It was then that I saw the tears running down the girl’s cheeks. Something in my heart pinched.
The bald man’s face transformed instantly from nasty condescension to an ingratiating smile. “Good folks. Welcome to Fegley’s Crystals. How may I help you this fine day?”
I held up my arm, showing my tattoo, my tone brisk and official. “I’m Fiona Moon with the Black Blade Guard. I need to speak with Miss Millie Linton.”
The man hissed at the girl. “I knew you were trouble! I can only imagine what wickedness you’ve been up to that has the Blades looking for you.” He turned to me, his smile accommodating, and pointed to the girl. “That’s her.”
I ignored him. “Are you Millie?” I asked the girl.
“Yes,” the girl answered timidly. “Am I in trouble for that man last night?”
I didn’t want to discuss it in front of this man—I knew the type. Anything said in his presence would be spread through the community in less than an hour.
“Can you come speak with me outside?”
The girl nodded and moved toward me, but Ian moved from behind me and stopped her.
“Just a moment, Miss Linton. I have some business first.” He turned to the man behind the counter. “You are Mr. Fegley?”
“I am.” Fegley eyed Ian suspiciously. “And you are?”
“I am Ian Barroes,” Ian said simply.
Recognition flashed across Fegley’s face, and he gave a slight bow.
“Master Necromancer. Welcome to my store. How may I be of service?”
I rolled my eyes at the title.
“Well, I have just a couple of questions. This girl works for you?”
“No, sir.” The old man shook his head emphatically. “Well, she did, but I fired her this morn.”
“I see,” Ian replied, his tone neutral. “But she had worked for you for a while?”
“Yes sir. About two years. She came to work for me when she turned of legal work age. Fourteen.”
“She isn’t your apprentice? She doesn’t have a contract to work with you and take over your shop when you become infirm?”
The man looked appalled. “Apprentice a no-good from slum-row? No sir! I have a nephew who will apprentice to take my shop. He’ll be turning fourteen next week and will begin then.”
I was amazed with Ian’s ability to get this man to talk, even if I had no idea why he wanted him to. Though, the little bit about the nephew gave a little insight into Millie’s newly unemployed state. A shop this size couldn’t afford a worker and an apprentice. Fegley had obviously been counting on putting Millie to work charging crystals to bring in more money, but I doubt he’d planned to pay her much, if any, more than he had been.
“I see.” Ian’s tone was still quite neutral. “If you will excuse me a moment.”
He turned from the man to what seemed like an empty space. I felt a slight disruption of energy as Ian focused his power.
“Good morning to you, madam. You had something you wished me to know?” he said to the air. He stood silently for several minutes, occasionally nodding or saying, “Hmmm.”
Finally, h
e said, “Thank you so much for letting me know. I will make sure things are taken care of. I bid you a wonderful day, Madame.”
He turned back to the shopkeeper. “Mr. Fegley, did you know that spirits are attracted to energy? And that crystal shops, with all of their charged, and even uncharged, crystals, are full of magical energy, and that makes them a haven for spirits?”
“Umm, no, I did not know that,” Fegley stammered.
Ian’s smile was a bit feral, but his tone was still neutral and professional. “It’s true. You have several spirits that have taken up residence here. One of those, a very pleasant lady, has taken it upon herself to tell me a bit about your shop. Now, enough with that. On to the business I need to attend to. I believe the Necromancer’s Guild has a standing account with you?”
“Oh, yes sir.” His greedy smile was back. “I have an order I am currently working to fulfill, as a matter of fact.”
“Cancel it.”
“Umm, excuse me?” Fegley asked nervously.
Ian’s tone dropped from cool to chilly. “I said cancel it. I will have official paperwork and any pending payments sent over this afternoon, but you can, as of this moment, consider the account canceled. I should also inform you that your shop will officially be added to the list of shops and merchants which all registered necromancers are discouraged from doing business with.”
Fegley’s florid complexion went so white I thought he might pass out. “I, I, You…” He spluttered and slammed his hand on the wood countertop. “You can’t do that.”
Ian calmly planted his hands on the counter and leaned forward, much like Fegley had earlier during his tirade at Millie. His voice was low and deadly. “I assure you, Mr. Fegley, I certainly can. I cannot stop the Black Blade Guard, The Senate, the Healer’s Guild, the Charger’s Guild, or the City Guard from procuring their crystals from your shop. However, I can let their procurement agents know the tactics you use in your shop. I’m sure they will be as horrified as I am that you have taken advantage of a poor girl who needs to help her family by forcing her to work six days a week, fourteen hours a day, for a measly five bucks. When she should have been working less than half that and earning at least twenty times that. I should also remind you that fourteen is the legal age to start an apprenticeship, but a non-apprenticed employee must be sixteen years or older.”
Fegley opened his mouth as if to speak, but Ian held a hand up, effectively cutting off all protest.
“Don’t try pleading ignorance. You told me yourself you knew how old the girl was. If your abuse of the child labor law doesn’t appall them, I’m sure they will be disturbed by the fact that you weed out the most inferior and cracked crystals to put into to your weekly bulk orders, like those for the organizations I named. You can be assured they will all be informed. The City Guard will also be informed that black-market smugglers often deliver crates to your back door. I’m sure they will be interested in inspecting your stock to identify where some of your higher-end crystals originate. Good day, Mr. Fegley.”
Fegley went from pale white to beet red. He sputtered, but no coherent words came out.
Ian turned to Millie and me. The girl’s tears had dried up, and I was staring at him with shock and amazement. “Now, ladies, I believe we have some business ourselves?” He made a dramatic sweeping, bowing gesture towards the door.
I saw the corners of Millie’s mouth quirk into a half smile as she quietly exited the shop, not even looking back at Fegley. I shot Ian a quick, quizzical look as I followed the girl out the door, but his face was completely blank.
I knew from the look on Fegley’s face that everything Ian had said was true, so I knew there had obviously been a spirit there speaking to him. I didn’t know why it was my immediate reaction to believe a necromancer was making things up. I had worked with so many during my years as a Blade and had never found fault with the information provided by any of them, even Ian. Especially Ian. His reputation was beyond reproach. But there was still that little part of me that always jumped to disbelief. The lies of one so-called necromancer had jaded me. I didn’t know how to get beyond it.
Out on the street, Ian led us to his surrey. He spoke something in the driver’s ear I couldn’t hear, and the driver climbed down from his seat, walked down the block, and disappeared inside a small cafe. Ian motioned to the two bench seats in the front of the carriage that faced each other.
Looking a little reluctant, Millie took his hand and let him help her up into the surrey. Like before, I ignored his hand and lifted myself up. I settled on the seat across from Millie with Ian next to me. The street was anything but private, so Ian reached up and let down the cloth curtains on each side of the carriage, keeping any prying eyes out.
He glanced at me. “Can you do a sound ward?”
I shot him a look that questioned his intelligence. Of course I could do a sound ward. Anyone with a modicum of power could do one on a space as small as the surrey. Without responding to him directly, I chanted a basic soundproofing spell.
When I was done, I nodded to him, and then looked at Millie. The poor girl was sitting as stiff as a board on the cushioned seat. She looked scared to death, yet defiant. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, but she looked like she’d rather die than let them fall. The girl had spirit.
I realized no one had ever answered the girl’s earlier question. “Millie, you aren’t in trouble. We just have a few questions for you.”
She looked skeptical. Her voice shook as she said, “But, the man was dead. I know he was. I saw them take him away in the morgue wagon. I killed him.”
“Yes, he was dead.” I kept my voice low and soothing. “But you have every right to defend yourself when attacked.”
“If I’m not in trouble, why are you here?” Millie said, drawing herself up straighter.
Ian spoke this time, surprising me with how calmly soothing his voice was. “Like Agent Moon said, we have a few questions. I know you had to tell the guards what happened last night, but it would really help if you could go over it again with us.”
“Ok, but I don’t know what I can tell you that I didn’t tell them last night. I was walking along and this man grabbed me. I kicked him, and he fell. Dead.” Her voice trembled on the last word.
I opened my mouth to speak, but lost my words when Ian reached over and took Millie by the hand. He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned towards the young girl, his eyes intent on her face. “It’s okay, Millie. Take a deep breath. Now, close your eyes. Go back to last night just before the attack. Walk through it slowly and tell us. Where were you? What were you doing? What did you see?”
Opening my senses, I searched for power coming from Ian, but there wasn’t any. He wasn’t trancing Millie. He was just being kind. And it was working.
Millie began to speak in a soft, distracted tone as if she was concentrating very hard. “I had just closed up the shop. I was in a rush; I needed to get to the public Mage-Level Test. I had a buck to ride the trolley, but the streets were crowded. I was going to miss it, so I cut down the alley. That one.” She opened her eyes and pushed back the curtain to point to an opening between buildings that led to the next street.
“Why don’t we walk down there? It may help your memory. Do you feel comfortable with that?” I asked.
Millie nodded silently.
“Ok, give me a second.” I chanted to remove the soundproofing ward, and then chanted another spell. “Okay, no one but the three of us will be able to hear what any of us say. But we have to work fast; this spell only works for fifteen minutes.”
I smiled when Ian raised an impressed eyebrow at me. What, did he think I was an amateur? I was an experienced Blade agent. Secrecy during investigations was imperative. Though it was unlikely anyone had any interest in the current one, you could never be too careful. In a world filled with paranorms with super hearing, as well as unseen spirits, a No-Speak spell in public open spaces was SOP. The only problem was they were dangerous. It wa
s important to be specific with the time on a No-Speak, and to only use them in very short intervals. The last thing anyone wanted was to be caught in a dangerous situation and not be able to scream out for help.
When they reached the alley opening, Millie stopped and looked at Ian. “It was getting dark, and I didn’t see anyone in the alley. But I didn’t really look. I was in a hurry.”
She slowly began to walk down the path between the two brick buildings, Ian and I trailing behind her. She stopped about halfway down the alley. “I think I was about here when I noticed the man. He was standing against the wall near the other end. He started walking towards me.”
Ian went to stand next to her. “Concentrate. How did he walk? Did he speak to you? Was there anyone else in or near the alley?”
Millie looked confused by the questions, but complied. “He walked normal. No, wait, I remember now. I thought he walked kind of strange, kind of stiff. He was walking towards me, but I just kept going, then he reached out and grabbed my arm.”
She ran up about fifteen feet and stopped. “I was right around here. I remember because I pushed him away and pounded on this door.” She indicated a shabby, wooden door that had seen better days. It was obviously a back entrance to one of the shops in the building.
“No one came, and the man grabbed me again. I screamed.” She paused, her eyes closed in concentration. “He told me to shut up. He said he was going to make all of my troubles go away. But…but it was weird. His voice was weird. Like it didn’t fit his body. I don’t know… I can’t explain it. It doesn’t make sense. I was really scared.” She looked at me as if in apology.
“I know. It’s ok. What happened next?”
“Well, I’m not very good at magic, at real magic, but I keep a small, charged crystal in my pocket. It was a throwaway, and I can charge it myself,” she said quickly, as if they would think she stole it. “Anyway, Mama taught me an easy flash spell. So I put my hand in my pocket and said the spell. The flash of light startled the man, and I was able to pull away. I ran towards the end of the alley.”
Not everyone was born with the power to perform magic, and those were sometimes only had specific ones, and might not have the ability to do certain spells. Being a norm, a person with no magic or not enough magic to register on the Mage-Level exams, in a paranorm-dominated world, was both inconvenient and dangerous. So much of the technology today depended on magic. Life was very hard without the power to perform easy spells. And in a world where everyone was stronger and faster than you were, having a little bit of magic to use could mean the difference between life and death. Norms and paranorms alike often carried crystals charged with general magical energy. They enabled the carrier to perform small spells and tasks by touching the crystal and chanting the spell regardless of the person’s natural ability to do magic or the type of power they had.
Millie looked defiantly at Ian. “There wasn’t anyone else there. I know because I was screaming for help and looking around. There wasn’t anyone. I made it to the end, but I tripped here.” Walking to the end, she used one foot clad in a ragged boot to point to a hole in the ground just beyond the edge of the alley. She had made it out onto the public sidewalk.
“I fell down, and the man was coming at me. When he reached to grab me, I kicked up as hard as I could. I don’t know where I hit him, but I guess his head, because he fell down. And he was dead.”
She began to tremble again, but her voice was steady. I had to give it to the girl—she had spunk. It was apparent she thought she was facing a murder charge, despite our assurances, yet she stood strong and told her story without wavering.
“How did you know he was dead?” I asked as I looked around the area. We were now on the street I lived on. The block was made up mostly of bars and restaurants. Even at dusk, the music drifting out would have drowned out the girl’s screams. That explained why no one came to help her.
“Because of the way he looked,” she said matter-of-factly. “I mean, no one could look like that and be alive. I’ve never seen a dead body before. I didn’t know they would shrivel up like that so fast. It was so weird.”
“What do you mean shrivel so fast? How did he look before he fell?” Ian’s voice startled us both. He’d been silent for so long, lingering behind us. I had almost forgotten he was there.
“Well, normal, I guess. He was a normal, live person. But then when he fell, after I kicked him, it was weird. Like one minute, his face was normal, then it went all white, spotty, and sucked in. Like all the air and stuff had been sucked out of him. Looked a little like the dried apple chips Mama makes.” She paused uncertainly. “Isn’t that what happens when someone dies?”
“Not usually,” Ian said distractedly. “You are sure there wasn’t anyone around?”
Millie’s tone was firm and sure. “I’m positive. I didn’t see anyone at all until after I kicked him. This street wasn’t as busy. There were a few people walking, but they were on the opposite side of the street.”
Ian checked his pocket watch. “Well, I think our fifteen minutes is just about up. Thank you for your time, Millie. You’ve helped a lot.”
“Really, that’s it? I’m not in trouble, and I can go?” Her face brightened.
“You aren’t in trouble. But, before you go, I need to know a couple of more things,” I said.
“Okay,” she cautiously said.
“Is it true you are a charger?”
“Well, I haven’t had an official Mage-Level test. But, those are my powers. I’ve been working part time with a charger to learn. She says I’m good.” Her face fell as if remembering her situation. “But it doesn’t matter. There isn’t another public test for six months.”
I took a small tablet of hemp-paper and a short, charcoal pencil out of a small pocket in my vest. After I wrote on the paper, I offered it to Millie.
“Take this to Maurice at the Academy Testing Center. He arranges the Mage-Level tests for the Blades. He will be able to get you into the next test, which should be in the next couple of days.”
Millie stared at the paper, but she didn’t take it.
“This isn’t charity,” I said. “You were the victim of a crime, and you have helped us today. This is the least I can do for you.” I shook the paper a bit, and Millie took it.
I scribbled a message on another page, tore it out, and handed it to Millie. “After you get your results, take them and that note to Leesa Parks. Her office is on the first floor of the Blades building. The Blades employ their own chargers, and Leesa is the head of the department. This isn’t charity either. If your results are good enough, she should be able to find a position for you. You’ll have to work hard.”
Millie’s face broke into a wide grin. “I will, I swear. Thank you, Miss Moon.”
I winced. I had no objections to my last name. As a matter of fact, it was exactly what I wanted it to be. But Miss Moon sounded like a schoolmarm. I disliked it when anyone used it. “Call me Fiona. Do you need a ride home?”
“No. I don’t mind walking as long as it’s daytime. Thank you, Fiona!” She started back down the alley and stopped.
“Mr. Barroes, are you really going to cancel your account with Mr. Fegley? And tell the Guard about him?” she asked quietly.
Ian’s face was impassive. “I am. Does that bother you?”
Millie chewed her lip. “No. He was mean, and he didn’t pay me much. But, I didn’t have much choice. My family needed the money. He only fired me because his nephew can legally become his apprentice now. He didn’t care one bit that losing my job would hurt us. And he always called me such bad names.”
Then, to my surprise, Millie ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you!”
Ian stared at me over the girl’s head, looking dumbstruck. He obviously didn’t have much experience with emotional teenage girls. I laughed and made a hugging motion with my arms. I nearly laughed out loud when Ian mimicked the motions, stiffly patting Millie on the back.
After a long moment, Millie backed away, her face flushed. “Thank you both. I didn’t know how I was gonna tell Mama and Papa I was fired. But knowing I can take my test and knowing Mr. Fegley will get what’s coming to him will make it easier.” Then she turned and ran down the street.
As soon as she was out of earshot, I let the pent-up laughter fly. Ian still looked a little shocked.
“What are you laughing at?” he asked indignantly.
“You! Big bad Master Necromancer scared of a grateful little girl!” I hooted.
“I was not afraid. She just caught me off guard. Now, can we please get on with this? I have a class in less than an hour.”
I forced myself to stop laughing and compose myself. “Okay. What do you think this was?”
“I’m still not sure.” If he did have an idea, his face gave nothing away.
“Well, I have an idea. It sounds like a necromancer messing around.”
His face remained impassive, but his voice held a sharp edge when he said, “This was not a necromancer.”
I had my doubts, but I wasn’t up to arguing with him. I was exhausted and still encrusted with dried mud. I wanted to get home. Besides, I’d only been dispatched to witness the questioning and give a report to Sam. This was not officially my case. “Fine. Good day to you, Ian.”
“Don’t you want a ride back to the Blade building?” Ian asked. We were still standing in the alley way opposite from where we came in.
“No need. I’ll scry Sam with my report.” I waved my hand at the street behind me. “I’m not far from home.”
“Ahh, yes. You live above a bar. I’d almost forgotten,” Ian said.
Almost forgotten? How did he know in the first place? No matter. “Well, Pinky likes to call it a pub, but yes, I do. I’ve been up for about twenty-three hours, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to head there now.”
“Of course.” His voice was stiff and formal again. “Good day, Fiona.”
“Good day,” I said again. I turned and headed down the street, completely aware he watched me until I disappeared from his line of sight.