Cameron Haley - Mob rules

I'd been so focused on the Evil Spirit act, on my obsession with saving Adan, I hadn't connected the dots. I wanted to be the white knight riding to the rescue, right out of a fairy tale. I should have remembered that in real fairy tales, the white knight is always a sucker.

"Adan is a changeling," I said.

"Yes," Honey said. "He's a shapeshifter. He can be anyone or anything he wants, and he's a born liar. That's his glamour. But you almost destroyed their whole plan when you brought Jamal back. King Oberon didn't expect that. The changeling had to improvise all that stuff about the evil spirit when he realized his part in the murders had been revealed."

"It was a good act," I said. "Good enough for me, anyway. The lie really wasn't that far from the truth. The killer was a spirit from the Beyond. It used magic from that place, magic I couldn't see. The only question was what kind of spirit from the Beyond? Well, the kind that didn't like the railroad spikes Fred used to crucify Jamal-cold-iron railroad spikes. The kind of spirit with a preference for titanium over steel in kitchen cutlery. The kind that seemed, just for a moment, to sniff out your potion when I dosed his drink with it."

"It doesn't seem like much to go on."

I scowled. I didn't think Honey was really in a position to question my investigative technique-or lack of it. "More than anything, it was the juice. This whole thing was always about the juice. Papa Danwe doesn't need Rashan's territory. Neither would a spirit that's just looking for a vacation home in the mortal world. It had to be something that needed a lot more magic-needed it just to exist in this world. From there, the details pointed to your people. Rashan just confirmed my suspicions."

Honey shook her head. "I didn't even know about the conspiracy, and I gave it away."

"Yeah, I guess you did," I said. "So I'm next, right?"

Honey hesitated before answering. "I'm not sure, but I think he would have killed you already if he didn't need you. He needs your juice, Domino."

"And he's the assassin? Once he has the juice he needs, he's going to kill Rashan?"

"No, he can't. Remember, he's not a sorcerer. He can't use the juice himself."

"I guess that makes sense. If he could do it, he wouldn't need the soul jar. His job is to get the juice and give it to the assassin, and then help the assassin get close to Rashan. Papa Danwe. That's the only reason they really needed him."

Honey shook her head. "They needed him to build the gate, too."

"In Inglewood. The gate I was so sure was the World's Largest Magic Wand."

"Yeah, but Domino, it's actually in Hawthorne."

"So what? It's all Inglewood to me."

"In the old days, hawthorn trees were doorways between Avalon and Arcadia."

"What the fuck? Is that important?"

"No, King Oberon just thinks it's funny."

"Yeah, I can't stop laughing." I shook my head. "The one thing I don't understand is why use sorcery at all? If Oberon wants to take down Rashan, why not just nuke him with fairy magic?"

"They know each other, Domino. I think they've known each other a really long time. They aren't friends, obviously. I think your boss has defenses against glamour, but that's not the only reason. There are stories. It's said the last time they faced each other there was a treaty, and King Oberon promised to never again use his magic against the sorcerer."

"Seems like your king broke that promise when he sent the changeling after him."

Honey shrugged. "I guess it depends on what his definition of 'his magic' is."

"He's worse than a fucking politician." I wondered why Rashan hadn't bothered to mention any of this. Then again, I'd learned not to waste too much time on that kind of wondering. "He is a politician, Domino. A really good one."

"Well, he hasn't changed my opinion of them much."

"So what about us?" Honey was looking at the gun in my hand. I put it back in its holster.

"I guess I probably won't shoot you."

"Maybe I deserve it. I'd rather die than betray you." She started crying, and I didn't like hearing it. "Maybe that sounds stupid, but it's really true. I'll do anything if you can just forgive me and we can still be friends."

"Take a shower with me?"

The crying stopped, and Honey blushed.

"Just kidding," I said. "But I'll think about it." I winked at her and smiled.

Honey laughed and shook her head.

"The thing is, Honey, I don't have many friends in Arcadia, either." I swallowed hard. "And I betrayed you, too. When we first met, I used a spell to read your mind."

"What did you see?"

"Enough to know you're not to blame for any of this. Enough to know I'd be lucky to have a friend like you. And I'm sorry."

Honey started crying again, but this was a different sound, one I could live with. "Thank you, Domino," she whispered.

I nodded. "Okay, just two more things. What's Adan planning to do with your gate, and what are we going to do about your family?"

The piskie smiled, and there was an evil gleam in her eye.

Adan arrived at my condo right on time. I buzzed him up and went to meet him at the door. When I opened it, he was standing there wearing faded jeans and a snug white T-shirt, with a sports bag slung over his shoulder. It was the kind of unremarkable image-just a guy standing in a hallway-that nevertheless breaks over a girl and pulls her in, making her feel that all is right with the world. It made me think of razor blades and sleeping pills.

I let him in and he gave me a quick kiss. He set the bag by the couch and went into the kitchen to fix us some drinks. I sat down on the sofa to wait. I'd like to say I didn't feel anything, but I guess I'm not that tough. I hurt like hell, and just like in the Between, I couldn't tell exactly where the pain was coming from.

Adan came out of the kitchen with two glasses and a bottle of tequila. He smiled at me. I looked at him, and for a moment, he was all I'd ever wanted. He smiled again and came to me.

When he reached the middle of the living room, he crossed the circle I'd laid down with saltwater. I'd been a little apprehensive about it, but I followed Honey's directions to the letter. The changeling never even noticed, never sensed the trap until it was much too late. I tapped the ley line running under my building and channeled it into the circle.

When the circle closed, Adan noticed. His eyes narrowed and the beginnings of a snarl tugged at his mouth, but he quickly controlled it. He kept walking and a few steps brought him up against the other side of the circle. He bumped into the magical barrier and stepped back. He looked confused. It was very convincing.

"Domino, what's going on? There's an invisible wall in your living room!"

I considered playing along, letting him have his moment. I decided I had better things to do.

I picked up his sports bag. I set it on my lap, unzipped it and pulled out the soul jar. Its magic was strong, old and black. Holding it was like telling a secret.

"What is that? I didn't put that thing in my bag. Domino, strange things have been happening to me. You'll probably think I'm crazy, but…I think something is inside me. I think maybe I'm possessed. Is that possible? Is this… Can you help me?"

"Yeah, I can help you, Adan. But I won't lie to you. It's gonna sting a little bit."

Right on cue, Adan called out in the lilting pre-Celtic language of his people. The spatial fabric of my living room stretched and thinned, and two fey warriors came through the gate. They had long, perfectly straight, silken hair, and their features were far too fine and sharp to be human. They were very tall, and their bodies were heroin-chic thin but bound in corded muscle that made them look dangerous rather than delicate. They were dressed more like street kids than elf lords, with battered jeans, T-shirts and trench coats. They held long, straight swords like they meant to use them.