Chapter 9
“Alright, walk us through it,” Captain Paulson said once I’d rejoined him, Adrienne, and Henri after a quick shower and change of clothes. He’d been polite enough not to demand I explain the afternoon’s events while still soaked in gore; Adrienne had collected my bloody clothes in a pair of brown paper evidence bags before they’d let me go upstairs in my underwear. That was fine. I’d never get the stains out anyway. She didn’t even try to take my coat, as she knew full well that it was more than an ordinary garment like the rest of my outfit. Its potential evidentiary value was irrelevant, as the investigation wasn’t going to result in charges anyway. She and Captain Paulson were here to make sure of that. But it would have raised too many eyebrows if they didn’t collect any evidence from me.
I saw that Henri had put up the “closed” sign and locked the door to prevent interruptions, and the three of them settled into the chairs in the reading corner of the shop. I sat in the remaining armchair and gave a quick recap of my encounter with the štrigon.
“You cut his head off?” Paulson raised an eyebrow. “With what?”
I drew my clinch pick from its spot under my shirt and set it on the low table between us. They all stared at it blankly for a long moment, then Adrienne looked up at me.
“How in the hell did you decapitate someone with a two-and-a-half-inch blade, Quinn?” she asked disbelievingly.
“Messily. And with effort.” I shrugged. “Wasn’t pretty, but it was the only way to be sure he wouldn’t come back.”
“Fucking hell,” Paulson whispered to himself as he processed that. “And the body’s gone?” he asked me, louder, after another few seconds and a shake of his head. “No chance anyone finds it?”
“No one on Earth, anyway.” I nodded. “But I’m hoping someone across the veil stumbles across it and word gets out about what happened to Jure. Might help deter anyone else tempted to collect the bounty.”
“Yeah, the bounty—who wants you dead?” Henri asked, finally pulling his eyes away from the small blade on the table.
I shrugged again. “Not sure. Jure said he didn’t know who’d posted the bounty; it was arranged through intermediaries.”
“Okay, who might it be?” Adrienne asked.
“I’ve been a Sorcerer for a couple centuries. A good chunk of that time I was a soldier of the Arcanum, fighting magical threats to mankind. Most were individual monsters like Jure, but some were bigger groups with more resources. Any one of them could have members who escaped notice and finally decided it’s time for vengeance.”
“So why now?” Henri cocked his head.
“Good question.” I nodded and thought about it. “I’ve had angry monsters attack me before, but it’s always been personal. Never heard of someone putting a hit out on an Arcanum Sorcerer. Folks in the magical world tend to handle revenge directly; the only reason to outsource a vendetta is because you can’t succeed on your own and need a champion.”
“What about plausible deniability?” Captain Paulson asked. “Maybe they just don’t want others to know who’s behind it.”
“Most parts of the magical world adhere to old customs and notions,” I explained, shaking my head. “Vengeance isn’t just about getting even; it’s about reputation and restoring your honor. That requires people knowing you’ve righted the wrong. Keeping your name out of it defeats the whole point.”
“Maybe whoever it is just wants to keep their name out of it until it’s done, then they’ll take credit. Didn’t you say a few weeks ago that the Olympians wanted to put you on trial for Johannes’s murder, but the Arcanum wouldn’t let them?” the captain mused. “Could they have decided to go another route to get satisfaction?”
“They’re bound by geas to the exact wording of the Treaty of Vesuvius.” I quickly shook my head. “They’re Fae. They literally can’t violate the treaty terms even if they wanted to; the magical bond wouldn’t let them. And those terms clearly prohibit intentionally harming a Sorcerer of the Arcanum, even indirectly, unless the Arcane Court gives them permission or the Sorcerer voluntarily enters a bargain that forfeits such protection. I haven’t made any deals with Jupiter or his followers, and the Court told them to fuck off, so they’d have to repudiate the entire Treaty to go after me. Which they definitely haven’t done, or everyone in the magical universe would know about it.”
“Let’s set aside the honor thing for a second. In any criminal investigation, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one,” Adrienne pointed out. “Given the timing, retaliation for recent events is a more likely motive than an old grudge. So if it’s not the Olympians, who else might be angry enough about you stopping the Tamesis to want you dead?”
“Hm,” I grunted as I thought it over, then began tallying on my fingers as I listed possibilities. “Wild faeries aren’t generally subject to the Treaties, and we know Johannes had at least one working for him—you blew the sprite Hugo’s head off right before he sacrificed me. It’s possible there were others, and they could be looking for revenge. Second is similar: if one or more of Johannes’s human acolytes got away, they could conceivably be behind it. Third…” I paused and grimaced.
“Yes?” Paulson asked, gesturing for me to finish my thought.
“It’s possible the Immortals aren’t quite so forgiving of me killing their brother as He Xiangu told me.”
“Means, motive, and opportunity,” Adrienne said. “Of the three parties with motive, who has the means and the opportunity?”
“Any of those three could have tried it,” Henri mused, “but whoever did decided not to come after you directly. They put out a hit. That takes resources, contacts, and planning. From what you’ve taught me, the wild fae don’t seem to fit.”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “Same with rogue sorcerers—with Johannes’s death, any followers of his would have substantially reduced resources, and they’d be in hiding from the Arcanum. No, the Immortals make the most sense. Plus they wouldn’t give a damn about their honor or reputation; most of the magical world doesn’t even know they exist. Shit.”
“Why wouldn’t they just take you out themselves? Why hire assassins?” Henri asked.
“Plausible deniability would actually make sense for them,” I said. “Johannes was using the Tamesis to cripple the Arcanum’s ability to interfere with his plans—while the Immortals are insanely powerful compared to most sorcerers, the Arcanum as a whole is enough to pose a serious threat. And now that I’ve revealed their existence to the Court and the Rectors, they probably wouldn’t want to be attached to my death in any way that could justify the Arcanum coming after them.”
“Okay, so one or more Immortals are our prime suspects. What do we do about it?” Adrienne asked.
“Nothing for the moment.” I shook my head. “I have an appointment in the Otherworld I need to keep, first.”
“That’s more important than someone putting a hit out on you?” Captain Paulson raised his eyebrows.
“Yes.” I nodded. He had no need to know that the entire magical world might be in existential danger. “And even if it weren’t, a few days away might be a good idea. At least until I can come up with a way to determine if the Immortals are behind it.”
“But the Otherworld has its own dangers, as you keep reminding me,” Henri pointed out. “Is Aengus going with you?”
“No, he’s not—that why I was at Bran’s before Jure showed up. He’s apparently out of town at the moment. But I can take care of myself if I have to. And the Aes Sidhe are treaty-bound not to hurt me without provocation, so all I have to worry about over there are wild fae and other monsters.”
“Oh, that’s all?” Paulson chuckled.
“I’ve been traveling across the veil since before your great-great-great-great-grandparents were born.” I scowled. “It’s dangerous, but nothing I’m not used to and prepared for.”
“Fine.” He held his hands up in mock surrender. “You’re the expert, obviously. I just find it funny how dismissive you sounded about monsters.”
“There really aren’t many types of fae monsters who pose much of a threat to a Sorcerer of the First Rank.” I shrugged. “The Sea of Honey is rumored to be home to some, but I’ll be crossing with an experienced guide.”
“Quinn, I know you’re super powerful and old and experienced and all,” Adrienne said, “but do me a favor and be careful, okay? You’re sounding almost cocky, and every story I’ve ever heard of a cocky human traveling to the Otherworld ends poorly for them.”
“Not cocky.” I shook my head. “Just ready.”
“Alright, if you say so. Either way, come back in one piece, please.”
I felt a sudden rush of emotion. I was able to keep it from showing thanks to the control gained over two centuries of magical training and experience. But it had been so long since I’d been close enough to anyone for them to care what happened to me. Even after a few months, such a simple expression of friendship was…well. I was touched. It was nice to have friends.
“I’ll do my best,” I said seriously.