Mark Del Franco - Uncertain Allies

Ceridwen returned to her chair. “The ring remains. It is glamoured from sight. Someone might sense it, but no one will see it.”

Meryl crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Now you’re wearing her ring.”

I glowered. “Knock it off.”

She huffed, pretending to be annoyed. “Fine.”

“What’s this all about, Ceridwen?” I asked.

She leaned back. “I’m building an army, Grey.”

“An army,” I said.

“A reckoning is coming, Grey. Maeve is losing the support of the full Seelie Court. I will have it known how she betrayed me,” she said.

“In the meantime, you’re kidnapping people,” said Murdock.

Ceridwen glanced at him with unconcealed disdain. Murdock had pulled his gun on her once. First impressions were lasting. “No one is here against his will, Detective. We give everyone a choice. Safety with me or a pawn in Eorla’s war with the Elven King.”

“Sounds more like they’re pawns either way,” said Murdock.

“My people will always have a choice. The elves do not understand that concept,” she said.

“You’ve never met Eorla Elvendottir,” I said.

“You said you would stand by me, macGrey,” she said.

“I did. And I will. This isn’t the time.”

“I disagree. Eorla’s people are hunting us down. Her people have harassed mine throughout the neighborhood.” She tilted her head in consideration.

“Those are Donor’s people. He’s trying to create confusion down here,” I said.

Ceridwen narrowed her eyes. “Why would Donor care? His problem is Maeve.”

“Then why was Gerda Alfheim embedded in one of your glamoured walls? She works for Donor, not Eorla or Maeve,” I said.

The dwarf made a noise that drew my attention. He tried to cover the reaction by feigning disinterest. “Who is this, by the way?” I asked.

“This is my security chief, Nar Veinseeker,” Ceridwen said.

Murdock and I exchanged glances. “He’s who Donor’s been after, Ceridwen,” I said.

Ceridwen cocked her head at Nar. “Explain.”

Nar remained still for a long moment. “I had no knowledge of this, m’lady. My intent has been to secure our facilities as requested.”

“It sounds like your security chief has been hiding information from you, Ceridwen. Someone has been looking for dwarves that were here a century ago. Anyone with contacts in the Weird knows about it. I have it on good authority that it’s Nar they’ve been looking for,” I said.

“A curious claim, Nar, don’t you think?” Ceridwen asked.

Nar bowed. “M’lady, I do not know this gentleman, but I will not be spoken ill of. Our facilities were being attacked, and I took appropriate measures to protect us as you requested.”

“You weren’t being attacked, Ceridwen—he was. He’s been using your Hunt to protect himself if Gerda caught up with him,” I said.

Ceridwen didn’t take her attention off Nar. “What did she want with him?”

“Her last victim said she was looking for a stone ward that he knows about,” I said.

We both have held the truth spear, macGrey. I sense you are not telling me everything, she sent. Ceridwen had brought the spear to Boston, not realizing what it was. Access to it appeared in our minds at the same time, and we struggled over control of it. In the end, it came to me, but not before Vize used it to kill her. And now he had it again. I shrugged and glanced at Nar. I wasn’t going to share anything with a dwarf I didn’t know.

Nar drew a round polished stone out of his pocket and tossed it to me. “That is what she wanted. Stone wards are keyed to our glamour defenses.”

“These alleys and tunnels are our sanctuary. If anyone were to gain access uninvited, we would be at their mercy,” Ceridwen said.

I rolled the stone in my palm, feeling the essence cycling within it. It matched the ones Janey Likesmith had found on the dead dwarves at the morgue. I handed it to Murdock. “It’s like a pass key through the essence barriers and works with your body signature. It resonates with the same essence as the shield and lets you through if you have it on you.”

“Why not change the lock?” Murdock asked.

Nar held his hand out. “We do, but it takes time to modify all the barriers.”

Murdock tossed the stone back to Nar. “We found one of these on Gerda Alfheim. Kinda curious it didn’t work for her. Maybe you found time to modify one or two?”

“We only defend ourselves,” said Nar.

“This is all beside the point. Nar knows that’s not the stone she wanted,” I said.

“What stone do you believe she sought, Grey?” Ceridwen asked.

“Something called a faith stone. Bergin Vize wants to know where it is, too. That’s who your people are fighting back there, Ceridwen.”

She placed the helm on the floor and stood, her wings sparking angry shades of red and orange. “Vize is here?”

“I talked to him myself not an hour ago. Your people interrupted the conversation. He has the spear, again,” I said.

Then it seems our interests are aligned once again, Grey. I will have my revenge against the man who murdered me, she sent.

Nar moved closer to her chair. “He is playing with you, m’lady, to discredit me. He knows how you feel about this man.”

“Gerda may have been your enemy, Nar, but Vize is the one you need to worry about,” I said.

“The Guild is getting curious, too, Ceridwen. Your security guy is bringing some heavy hitters down on you,” said Meryl.

“I will not allow the Guild in my domain,” Ceridwen said.

“This isn’t your domain. It’s a city neighborhood,” Murdock said.

“Ryan macGoren is not to be trusted. We will investigate this matter and proceed appropriately,” she said.

Murdock shook his head. “After what happened in the Weird, the mayor is not going to allow fey vigilantes to run around outside the law.”

“I will deal with the Guild and the Elven King on my own terms, not anyone else’s, fey or human,” she said.

“I’m still reporting it,” he said.

“Then perhaps you should make yourself comfortable until I decide the best course,” she said.

Murdock loosened his jacket. “Is that a threat?”

I held my hands up for calm. “Let’s bring it down a notch. We’re all on the same side here.”

“Speak for yourself,” Murdock said.

I ignored him. “Ceridwen, don’t do anything foolish. You’re already planning on taking on the Guild. Talk to Eorla. I can vouch for some of her people, and she’s operating under color of law at the moment. Her support will be a lot more useful to you than that of someone who has a private agenda.”

“My people come to me because they do not trust her, Grey,” asked Ceridwen.

“Donor has been creating that distrust. There’s a dwarf named Brokke who can vouch for it. Your people might trust him,” I said.

“I know who he is. He’s a Consortium advisor, not one of Eorla’s people,” Ceridwen said.

“Eorla trusts him.”

Nar leaned forward. “If I may, m’lady? I do not believe I am the one here with a private agenda.”

Ceridwen glared down at him. “I will speak with Brokke and decide for myself, Nar. If Bergin Vize is indeed behind the attacks on my people, there will be hell to pay.”

Not long before dawn, Murdock dropped me off at my apartment. I had to crawl out of the backseat. Meryl considered it a toxic zone and had made a permanent claim on the passenger seat. “Thanks for another quiet evening out with friends,” Meryl said.

I tweaked her nose. “When was the last time you got to knock out a nixie?”

She smirked. “Yeah, that part was kinda fun.”