Ghost Light

After hearing about a toddler, no more than twenty-four months old, stolen from his crib, I’d started waging war on office supplies.  My desk was littered with fragments of wood and graphite.  And pencils weren’t the only casualty of the morning.

Jinx, in a fit of pique, had smashed the receiver of her retro-styled phone back into the cradle so hard, it was now held together with duct tape and nail glue.  The front of our office also showed signs of abuse.  It looked as if we’d corralled a herd of angry cattle into our waiting area.

It’s amazing the amount of damage a mob of desperate faeries can cause.  I didn’t blame them, they’d lost their children and it’s not like they could go to the human police for help, but we’d have to make repairs.  Jinx, always the pragmatist, was adding a fee for physical damages to our bill.  Of course, we’d never collect a penny if I didn’t find those kids.

I swallowed hard and dragged myself from my chair.  My knees creaked and my legs trembled as I walked with heavy steps to the conference table.  I’d missed my morning run.  That meant more laps around the Old Port and along the harbor tomorrow, if I survived the day.  I tried to distract myself with plans for my altered workout schedule, but my eyes were drawn to the bags that held so much hope for the parents of the missing children.

I lowered myself onto the floor beside the table, back against a row of filing cabinets.  Sitting on the floor meant I had less distance to fall, a lesson I’d learned after cracking my head more than once.  I pulled my knees to my chest and looked up into Jinx’s worried face.

“Hand me the first bag,” I said.

I reached out, hand shaking.  Too much caffeine?  Maybe it was time to lay off the coffee.

Jinx bit her lip, but nodded and grabbed a plastic bag off the table.  Before she could pass it to me, Ceff stepped between us.  He knelt in front of me, knees almost touching my booted feet.  Lines creased his brow and pinched the corners of his eyes.  I wanted to reach out and wipe the lines from his face, but instead I hugged my legs closer to my chest.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yes, I do,” I said.  I looked him in the eye to let him know I was serious.  “It’s the job.”

But this was about more than my career, he knew it and I knew it.

“You don’t have to be a hero,” he said.

A cold chill ran up my spine, but I held myself still.  I was good at hiding my fear, had been doing it for a long time.  I’d made up my mind last summer and I wouldn’t back down.  This city, with all its ley lines and supernatural beasties, needed a hero.

“Galliel would disagree,” I said.

I lifted my lips in a grin, though my voice lacked the humor I’d intended.  Galliel, a beautiful unicorn seeking sanctuary at St. Mary’s church, adored me as much as I adored him.  Father Michael claimed that Galliel’s affection was due to two things.  Unicorns are attracted to virgins and heroes.  I knew that I was the former, but Father Michael had insisted that I was also the latter.

I’d never thought of myself that way until my city had been threatened by vicious each uisge.  Since then I’d been trying my best to fill the void against evil.  I hadn’t known what being a hero really entailed, but I was a quick learner.

Today I was ready to live up to the priest’s expectations.  If it took a hero to help rescue these kids, then that’s exactly what I would become.

“Ivy, I…,” he said.

“I know,” I said.  I reached out with gloved fingers and gripped his hand, holding it for a moment.  No flesh touched, but the simple act of holding Ceff’s hand was intensely intimate.  I was amazed that my gloves didn’t burst into flame.  “Me too.”

The touch was a rare stolen moment.  I just hoped it wasn’t our last.

“You will not be swayed?” he asked.

“No,” I said.

“Then what can I do to help?”

Most guys would stomp off or pout when their girlfriend did something stupid or reckless, but not Ceff.  I glanced up at Jinx, standing over Ceff’s shoulder.  She looked at my hand on Ceff’s, waggled penciled eyebrows, and winked.  I pulled my hand away from Ceff and gestured to my roommate and business partner.

“Jinx is in charge,” I said.  “Follow her lead and do what she says, without hesitation.  She knows the drill.”

Jinx nodded and held out her hand to Ceff, two pieces of rubber resting on her palm.

“If you’re staying, you’ll need these,” she said.

The brightly colored pieces of rubber were earplugs—to block out my screams.

Jinx slung a crossbow over her shoulder and set a handful of iron and silver bolts onto the table.  Ceff raised an eyebrow and she poked a finger at his chest.

“Weapon up, big guy,” she said.  “Ivy will be completely defenseless while caught in a vision.  If the person who stole these children shows up, I have her back.  So should you.”