Jun Hee hissed.

  “Stings?”

  “I’m fine,” he said through clenched teeth.

  Once the glue was set, she popped the top off the marking pen.

  “Ready?”

  He nodded.

  “Starting.”

  Nessa began carefully re-drawing the thick broken lines as Jun Hee chanted. Their power resonated in the air, creating wavy lines of red, yellow, and purple around the amulets on Jun Hee’s back.

  When they’d finished, Jun Hee’s shoulders sagged. He hung his head, breathing in short gasps.

  “Are you okay?”

  He held up a hand, signaling he needed a minute.

  “Dad!” she called. “We need to get back.”

  He waved, jogging over.

  “Jun Hee, are you good to go?”

  The bounty hunter gave a curt nod, getting to his feet.

  Nessa pictured the garage, her dad’s Volvo with the trunk open, the black sedan with its LED lights shining brightly. The Portal opened silently.

  She motioned for the men to step through.

  When they were gone, she shut the Portal. The less her dad knew about the situation the better. The disinterest of the past few months was out of character for him. Despite his endless scams, he’d always made Nessa’s safety a priority. Always. There was more to his sudden disappearance and Barracuda’s debt than he was letting on.

  She went to stand by Roland. “I could have materialized inside your Queen’s palace.”

  She waited while the impact of those words sank in.

  Chasing Oliver was outside his jurisdiction. Madame Valencia had said the Queen of Air was interested in maintaining the status quo. Status quo probably did not include sending your most valiant knight to interfere. Nessa was the one being sent under the radar to help the Queen of Fire.

  She fingered her silver crown. “I can still go to the palace. If I do, I doubt you’ll be allowed to leave.”

  He glared, unable to answer one way or the other.

  Overhead the sky darkened. Looking up, Nessa saw thunder clouds had appeared in the bright blue sky. As if on cue, the sunflowers turned their heads to the ground.

  Pim growled, his fur standing straight up.

  Stinging crackles of energy shot through the air.

  “Is that you?”

  Roland shook his head.

  Kneeling by Roland, she tugged the cord away from his mouth. Instead of a wave of cursing or perhaps real curses, he said nothing, his eyes on the sky.

  A flock of colorful birds sailed out of the storm clouds. Dozens and dozens of them. Big as in Jurassic Park big. Their feathers were the color of the rainbow, tails trailing behind them like enormous kite strings.

  An airship of vast proportions roared out of the clouds. It consisted of a fancifully shaped airbag the size of a passenger jet with a gleaming gold and white structure suspended beneath. A flying palace.

  A tingle of magic suffused Nessa’s body from head to toe. She had no doubt the Queen of Air was aboard the ship.

  “Well, this is my cue to get the heck out of here.”

  Praying the Portal would still open, she pictured the garage again. A whoosh of cold air slapped her in the face. She saw her father running across the cracked tarmac on the other side.

  “You’re on your own, buddy. Modette!” she shouted, holding out her hand.

  The Fudo Cord spun Roland like a top as it unwound, flying to Nessa’s hand at her command. She and Pim jumped through the Portal, instantly closing it behind her.

  She counted to five before letting out the breath she’d been holding, wondering if the Queen’s soldiers were right behind. She didn’t think she’d broken any rules but who the heck knew what people in Fae thought?

  The garage was blessedly free of screaming shadow shamans. Jun Hee’s giant loaner SUV still had the engine running. Time was a funny thing between the Mortal World and Faerie. Sometimes it moved faster, other times it slowed down. She hoped they’d only been gone a few minutes.

  “Gotta’ go,” she said running to her scooter. “Gotta’ go now.”

  “Why are you in a hurry?”

  “The Queen showed up in an airship with a flock of birds the size of your car. Best not to wait around. Just in case.

  Jun Hee threw his bloody shirt and torn jacket in the car.

  She popped open the scooter’s basket for Pim, fastened her helmet, and revved the little engine.

  “I have to get back to the hospital,” she yelled as her dad started his car. “It’s my best chance of finding the Soul Eater. Maybe Roland hid the camera there. Pim will help me look.”

  Jun Hee waved out the window. “I’ll follow.”

  “Jun Hee, I don’t need your help.”

  “Don’t you?” he said ominously. He accelerated forward before spinning in a very cool drift move. “Which hospital am I following you to? Never mind, I’ll figure it out.”

  She watched him speed down the ramp. “Dad, you need to get back to Aunt Emerald’s. Belencourt is looking for the orb I found.” She paused. “And…I’m guessing he’s looking for you as well.”

  He said nothing.

  “Are you going to explain?”

  “Later.”

  Nessa sighed. One day she would get a straight answer from her dad. Not today maybe, but one day.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The call came in while she was still on the road to Inglewood.

  “Meowr?” asked Pim over the noise of the engine.

  Little scooters make a lot of noise at top speed.

  Slowing for a traffic signal she told him, “Let’s wait until we park,” because she had a bad feeling. Given the way the day had gone, this wasn’t going to be good news.

  And guess what? She was right. The video was attached to an email from madamevalencia@madamevalencia.com.

  Three high-pitched voices howled. Wings drooping, dresses in tatters, her fairies clung to each other in a pitiful little heap. A whip cracked off camera. They screamed louder.

  The picture went dark followed by one line of text: ‘Get it done.’

  Pim hissed batting at the screen with his paw. She’d unlatched his basket to share the phone screen with him.

  Her stomach went all fluttery.

  “Remind me again Pim why we got fairies?”

  Pim jumped up to place his front paws on the handlebars. Leaning in, he rubbed his head on her chest

  “We could walk away from Madame Bitchy Valencia. We could.” Even as she said it, she knew she wouldn’t. Pim did too judging by his expression.

  Nessa had been the one to initiate this major change in her life. Saying sayonara to her dad’s scams. Leaving the vagabonding world of cheap motel rooms and short-term rentals. She liked living in Hermosa Beach. Going to school in Santa Monica. Having coffee with Ravi. Even with the constant threat of Frank hanging over her plus all the dangers of bounty hunting, it felt…right.

  “I’m scared,” she admitted to Pim. “Are you scared?”

  He nodded.

  “We’ve been scared before. They’re counting on us.”

  Pim growled his agreement, showing his teeth.

  Revving the scooter, they headed back to the hospital hoping to find Roland’s cloak.

  “Let’s try to find his cloak. Roland’s, I mean. He wasn’t wearing it when he came up to dad and me.”

  He was linked to the Soul Eater. Nessa hoped to put together another tracking spell.

  The fire trucks were gone. Three police cruisers remained parked near the emergency room entrance. As far as she could tell the ER was open again. They could hardly keep it closed. This was LA. ERs were busy all night, every night. Her dad hadn’t shown up. Good. He must have taken her advice to go back to Aunt Emerald’s.

  “Let’s stay together. We can start with the tree line and flower beds on the street side.”

  Her phone buzzed again. Hoping it was not more torture videos she tapped it on.

  Ravi.

  “I am at the hospital with a team. Where are you?”

  “Pim and I are in the parking lot. We’re hoping to find a cursed object the other Paladin was carrying. He didn’t have it on him in the ER. Is Mrs. Banks still alive?”

  “No, she passed about half an hour ago. But not from the Soul Eater. Her heart gave out. I was watching.”

  She looked at Pim. “Shoot. He won’t come unless he doesn’t know yet.”

  Pim trotted away nosing the bushes, signaling to keep looking.

  ‘We’re going to keep looking.’

  “Got it. Come find me if you need something.”

  They searched the bushes, flower beds, and trees. First one side of the hospital grounds, then the other. Pim’s sensitive nose finally sniffed it out buried around a spiky Ocotillo bush in a far corner almost to the service entrance. They were lucky enough of the stink spell remained. Folded inside the cloak was the cursed instant camera.

  “Jackpot,” she whooped, hugging Pim.

  A rustling in the bushes made her stuff the camera down her shirt. She whirled only to see a little covey of quail burst out of the undergrowth cooing their distinctive song. They ran in circles around her and Pim, hopping and fluttering their wings.

  “What the heck?”

  The little fat ground birds, feathered crests bobbing, seemed delirious with happiness, nuzzling her ankles.

  Her phone buzzed. Caller I.D. said Jun Hee.

  “Now what?” she said shortly, staring at the quail.

  Pim reached out to bat one on the head. Undeterred, it kept circling.

  “Is that any way to answer your phone?”

  “What is it Jun Hee.”

  “I’m at the hospital. Did my quail find you?”

  “They’re Jun Hee’s,” she told Pim. His tail shot up in a question mark. “Why do you have quail?”

  “They’re spelled to track.”

  “You have magic spells for…” she stared at the little flock, “for controlling birds?”

  “Bird whisperer,” he said with a very un-Jun Hee laugh, as though he was having a good time. “As a bounty hunter the skill comes in handy, believe me. Eyes in the sky or on the ground.”

  It would be invaluable, Nessa thought. Especially since he used to be based in Colorado with a lot of outdoors to cover.

  One of the quail began jumping up and down, Nessa leaned over to pet it. The other quail scrambled to be near her hand like lead filings to a magnet.

  “Where are you?” he asked.

  She described their location. A minute later the tall form of Jun Hee jogged into view. He’d changed into a clean shirt and forest green hooded fleece jacket.

  “You’re no good at tracking, right?” he said before Nessa had opened her mouth. “My birds can help. We need something from the old lady to start the spell.”

  She held up both hands. “Wait, wait. Why are you here? This isn’t a Barracuda bounty.”

  “Hey, I’m not only about money.”

  Her doubt showed on her face. Pim sat back making the identical expression though Jun Hee couldn’t see.

  “I’m not.”

  Her expression didn’t change. Neither did Pim’s.

  He rolled his eyes. “The Infernal Court has put a bounty on this guy. Dead or alive. My favorite kind.”

  Money. Okay. Now she understood the good mood.

  “I don’t know why you’re after him,” he said assessing her like he could divine the reason from her posture. “Isn’t a Soul Eater a little out of your league?”

  Nessa bristled, giving him a hard stare. “How would you know what my league is? Seems I’ve done pretty good for Barracuda Bail Bonds so far. And who led the charge to rescue you from Baron Samedi?”

  He put his hands out in a placating gesture. “Right, right. Sorry. I’m being a jerk.”

  “Yeah,” she agreed. “You are. As usual.”

  “Ouch. Listen, let’s work together. You could use the money.” He tugged at the sleeve of her faded GAP sweatshirt. “If only to buy some new clothes.”

  He wasn’t wrong about using some help. Time was running out. If the speed of the previous murders was any indication, the clock was ticking for the Soul Eater. The Fire Queen already knew about the plot. He could cut and run at any moment.

  “My clothes are fine,” she sniffed. “Why are you using birds and not Chuck? He was your tracker on the cursed sword case.”

  Chuck was a Lobo. A rare supernatural creature who turned from wolf to man instead of the other way around. Nessa had been an unwitting part of a murder ritual to free him from an evil Voodoo Priest.

  Shortly thereafter, Baron Samedi, the Loa of the Dead, kidnapped Jun Hee and her boss, Roman Barracuda, for a fun evening of human sacrifice. Chuck had taken part in the rescue effort. He’d stuck around after the excitement, bonding with new friends. He’d struck up an unlikely friendship with Jun Hee. Unlikely in Nessa’s opinion because Jun Hee was generally a self-serving dick and Chuck was nice. Both as a wolf and human.

  Jun Hee squatted down to pet the quail. “Chuck is helping Simone and Father Harry. They’re looking into those witch-brewed energy drinks making supernaturals go nuts.”

  Simone was a young follower of Voodoo and the girl behind Chuck’s rescue. Father Harry was close to Simone and her family. He also helped save Nessa when Frank the Fallen Angel zeroed in on her one night.

  Nessa wished the jovial Irish priest was helping her. Although he looked human, he was either half or a full angel. She could use his magical muscle against the Soul Eater.

  “I thought the Infernal Court put a stop to those drinks.”

  “Still around apparently.”

  The magically spiked drinks had emerged during the chase for the cursed Sword of Eternal Blood. A Zombie master discovered the drinks took his undead slaves from shambling walk to a bat-out-of-hell run. Fueled up on the potion, his zombies had come after Nessa and the sword.

  Tonight, neither zombies nor evil energy drinks were the problem.

  “So, quail,” she said raising an eyebrow.

  “Quail,” he said firmly. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it as they say.”

  “I’m pretty sure I can get some of Mrs. Banks’ clothing for whatever tracking spell you have planned. Mrs. Banks is the lady I was tracking. Only… won’t an object from her lead you, er, the birds, right back here?”

  “Not if we work the spell right. Also, you have something of the Soul Eater’s, don’t you? I mean you found him once.”

  The leather cord they’d used in their original tracking spell was back at her aunt’s. Putting her hand in her pocket, she pulled out the small blue stone left after the demon’s body dissolved. She showed it to Jun Hee.

  “His?”

  She nodded.

  “That will be enough,” Jun Hee said after she explained how she found it. “The problem is we have to get into the hospital to get something from the victim.”

  One of the quail fluttered up onto Pim’s back. Several others crowded around cooing. They seemed able to see her invisible Familiar.

  Pim blinked at her.

  She gently set the quail back on the ground and picked Pim up.

  “I’ll tell Ravi. He can help if I have trouble getting in.”

  “The Witch Cop is at the hospital?”

  “Why wouldn’t he be? You said yourself the Infernal Court has put a bounty on the Soul Eater.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” He didn’t look happy.

  Probably worrying about not collecting the full bounty, Nessa thought.

  Smothering a yawn, she walked back into the Emergency room. At the nurses’ desk, she identified herself as the granddaughter of Ruth Anne Banks. The shift had changed making this a different set of nurses.

  Her dad was on his way, she explained. He worked nights and had to arrange for time off.

  Nessa was never at a loss for a story. She’d had ample training from her father in concocting cover stories on the go.

  The nurse checked with Admitting and told her in sorrowful tones explained her grandmother had passed away.

  Nessa didn’t have to fake the tears. Hearing it from them and hearing it from Ravi were two different things. Breathing in the sterile smell of the hospital, she felt death was all too close. Poor lonely woman. With her lower lip trembling, she asked what happened next. Should she go wait for her dad outside? Nessa was hoping they would suggest she go up.

  The nurse patted her hand. “She’s upstairs. Third floor. ICU. I’ll buzz you through.”

  Nessa thanked the nurse, texting Ravi as she walked into the main lobby.

  Ravi met her at the elevator. Dark and handsome with thick black hair he wore combed back. He came from money and always looked it. Even here in the middle of the night he had on a beautifully cut dark blue suit, creamy blue shirt, and intricately patterned tie.

  “Hey, Ravi.”

  “Hey, Nessa. Where’s Pim?”

  She pointed by her left leg.

  He leaned down, “Hey, Pim.”

  Pim meowed a hello. He liked Ravi. They both did.

  She explained quickly about Jun Hee’s plan to track the Soul Eater.

  “I just need a piece of her clothing. Morbid as it sounds. I want to get this guy.”

  “So do we. I’ll talk to the nurse. Who are you again?”

  “I’m her granddaughter. Dad is supposedly on the way to start the paperwork and bringing fresh clothes for…for Mrs. Banks. God, I feel like such a ghoul.”

  He put his hands on her shoulders. “You are not a ghoul. He’s a bad man.”

  “My dad?” she said automatically then put her hand over her mouth.

  He gave her an odd look. “No. The Soul Eater.

  “Right, right,” she agreed. “Really bad. I tried to save her, Ravi. I tried hard.”

  “Of course you did. Wait here, I’ll talk to the nurses.”

  Ravi returned after only a few minutes with one of the nurses. She handed Nessa a paper bag.

  “These are her things,” the nurse said with a sad smile.

  “Not her handbag though, right? My dad will get that when he comes. Paperwork…I shouldn’t…” she let the sentence trail and sniffed wetly.

 

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