The Mage in Black

Page 34

“If she sent you money for the debt, why accept Slade’s offer?” I said, unable to help myself.
“It was the only way I could guarantee Valva would get in the ring with the Mischief. Shit! Now everything’s ruined.”
“Damned straight,” Slade said. “Your debt just tripled to cover the money I lost tonight.”
“Oh, gods!” Lenny’s shoulders drooped.
“Lenny, I need you to calm down and focus. When did this female contact you?”
He gasped back a sob. “Two days ago.”
“Did she give you a name? A number? Anything?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. The number showed up as unlisted. No name, either. I think she was a mage, though.”
Maisie’s eyes shot to mine. I nodded, acknowledging I caught the implication. Now we knew whoever sent Eurynome was female. Now the suspect list included only fifty percent of the mage population.
“Why do you think she was a mage?” Maisie asked.
“She said something about that one there”—he pointed at me—“being a threat to magekind.”
The hair on the back of my neck prickled. I gritted my teeth against the questions that revelation brought up. Maisie was on top of it, though.
“If Sabina’s the threat, why did she want Giguhl dead?” Maisie asked.
“She said she needed the demon out of the way so she could personally take out the mixed-blood.”
A growl ripped through the room, echoing off the concrete walls. Lenny cringed, not so brave now that he couldn’t hide behind his magic. I could practically smell Giguhl’s anger. I couldn’t blame him, since I was feeling pretty hot myself. Maisie shot the demon a warning look. Valva petted his arm until he stilled.
“I’ve heard enough,” Maisie declared. “Lenny, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of a mage’s familiar.” She looked at Slade as Lenny’s head drooped. “I need a phone.”
Slade pulled his cell from an inner pocket of his suit coat. While Maisie called in backup, I went over to Giguhl.
“I’m not in trouble, am I?” Valva said.
I fought against the instinct to blame her for her part of this mess. It wasn’t her fault she’d been summoned by an asshole. “No, it’s not your fault.” I smiled tightly. “G, can I talk to you for a sec?”
Giguhl nodded and kissed Valva on the forehead. When he pulled away, his body was covered in gold glitter. I pulled him far enough away that Valva couldn’t listen in.
“This is some shit, huh?” he said. “Can you believe that douchebag?”
I swallowed, hating what I was about to say. “She can’t stay, G,” I blurted.
He paused. “Why the hell not?” he demanded finally.
“She’s his property.”
“Like hell!” he growled.
I sighed. “Listen, I know you like her, but he’s probably going to jail or whatever the mages do to attempted murderers. He’ll probably have to send her back when that happens.”
“This is bullshit,” he said. “It’s not her fault!”
I placed a hand on his arm. “I know that.”
He looked over at Valva. She had her golden arms wrapped around her middle as she watched Lenny beg Maisie not to turn him in. She looked vulnerable and lost standing there alone. “Can you talk to Maisie? See if there’s another way?”
“I don’t know—”
His eyes pleaded with me. “Please, Sabina. I love her.”
I frowned at him. “How can you love her? You met her thirty minutes ago.”
“I can’t explain it.” He sighed like a lovesick swain. “Valva completes me.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m serious.” And he was; I could see it in his eyes. My demon was in love.
I sighed. “Fine. I’ll talk to Maisie.”
Giguhl pumped a fist in the air. “Yes!”
I held up a hand. “But I’m not promising anything. Don’t get your hopes up. She could very well send Valva back herself tonight.”
He nodded eagerly as if he understood, but I could see he was already planning a demon wedding in his head.
With a martyred sigh, I walked back toward the ring. Maisie was talking softly to Valva. As I watched, she put her arm around the demoness. I paused, not wanting to interrupt. Maybe their bonding moment would soften Maisie up for my request. Of course, the wait also gave me time to think about the consequences of Valva staying. I didn’t want two demons under my care. Hell, I could barely manage to keep Giguhl out of trouble.
Finally, Maisie gave Valva a final squeeze and came my way. When she reached me, she pulled me aside. “We need to talk about Valva.”
“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about too. Giguhl—”
Maisie interrupted. “I have to send her home, Sabina. I know Giguhl likes her, but Lenny’s going to trial. We can’t have a demon hanging around without someone taking responsibility for her.”
“What if I take custody of her?” Not that I wanted a second minion, but I didn’t want to let Giguhl down.
Maisie shook her head. “Sabina, don’t you think you have enough on your plate without adding a second minion?”
I sighed. “Probably, but I can work something out.”
Giguhl and Valva had been sidling closer as we talked, and now they were just a few feet away.
Maisie noticed them, too, and lowered her voice. “Are you sure?”
I looked at the demons. Giguhl pleaded with his eyes. Maybe having two demons at my disposal wouldn’t be so bad. “It’s the least I can do.”
Maisie sighed. “If that’s what you want. I’ll have to have Lenny transfer control to you.”
“He can do that?”
Maisie nodded. “Yeah, it’s a simple transference spell. I’ll tell him if he cooperates we’ll take that into account during the trial.”
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s do this.”
Behind me I heard Giguhl whisper, “Yes!”
Maisie shot me a look like she thought I was crazy before she went to talk to Lenny. While they discussed the logistics, I went back to the demons.
“Well, Valva, looks like you get to stay.” Then something occurred to me. No one had asked her opinion of this plan. “That is, if you want to?”
She looked up at Giguhl and smiled. “I do.”
I barely managed not to roll my eyes. Who knew demons could be so sappy?
Over her head, Giguhl mouthed, “Thank you.”
I nodded, suddenly feeling better about the decision.
“Okay,” Maisie called. “We’re ready.”
The three of us went over to Maisie and Lenny.
“I’ll remind you that any aggression on your part when I take off this collar will be added to your list of crimes,” Maisie was saying.
Lenny nodded, looking broken. “Yeah, I know.”
Maisie nodded to Slade, who unlocked the collar. Lenny took a moment to rub his neck. “I’m gonna need the salt from my backpack.”
Slade went to the rumpled knapsack Lenny had dropped outside the ring. He found the box of salt and brought it to Lenny.
“Okay, everyone stand back,” he said.
I cast a threatening glance his way to discourage any shenanigans. But he just went about pouring the circle in a businesslike manner. When he was done, he rubbed his palms together. “I’m ready.”
Maisie nodded her permission, and we all stood silently while Lenny closed his eyes. Soon, a shimmering wall of magic rose around Valva.
“Enu Iddimu. Nadanu a Sabina Kane. Ana Harrani sa Alaktasa la Tara.”
A laserlike beam of magic shot out from the circle and landed on Maisie, making her hair stand on end. After a moment, the light disappeared and the sheet of magic around Valva descended. I jerked, worried Lenny had figured out a way to harm Maisie. Since the spell was done in the Hekatian language, I had no idea what he’d just said. But other than a scowl and mussed hair, she looked fine.
Maisie’s breath escaped her in a rush. “What the hell! I told you to transfer the demon to Sabina!”
“Oh, shit,” I whispered, cluing in on the situation.
Lenny frowned. “I don’t know what happened. You heard me say Sabina’s name. It should have worked.”
“Wait, what’s going on?” Giguhl said, looking worried.
Maisie turned to him. “Lenny screwed up and transferred Valva to me instead of Sabina.”
“I didn’t screw up,” Lenny muttered.
“Can’t he just undo the spell?” I asked Maisie.
My sister sighed, looking annoyed. “No. Our only option is for me to transfer her to you myself.” She shook out her hands and smoothed her hair. “Go stand by the circle and we’ll try it again.”
I went to stand next to the circle of salt. Valva stood inside, waiting patiently. “Okay,” I said. “We’re ready.”
Maisie cleared her throat and raised her hands. She drew Valva’s sigil in the air and repeated the spell Lenny had used verbatim—or so I thought. It certainly sounded the same to me.
I held my breath, waiting for the transfer spell to hit me. But nothing happened. After a few seconds of waiting, I grew restless. “Maisie?”
Maisie’s mouth fell open. “It’s not working.”
Lenny snorted, looking superior. “Now who screwed up?”
Maisie rounded on the male. “I did the spell right. There’s no reason the transfer shouldn’t have worked.”
Giguhl stepped forward. “Actually, there is one reason.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe Valva’s supposed to be with Maisie.”
I looked at Maisie, gauging her reaction to Giguhl’s theory. She looked shocked by the idea.
Giguhl continued. “Think about it. When I met Sabina, she wasn’t looking for a familiar either. It just kind of happened without her really asking for it. Sort of like it was meant to be.”