West Coast Witch (29 page)

“Was there something else, Inspector?”

The petite woman met my eyes. They were dark and large, and there was a certain emptiness
about them, like something was missing from the woman. “I know what you are, Mister
Carpenter.”

It was the way she said it, emotionless and cold, that did it for me. I shuddered
just a little, fearful of what she was. Something in the back of my brain told me
that she wasn't human. “Why, whatever do you mean?” I asked, trying to play it off
as nothing.

“Your kind doesn't belong in this era,” she said, simply. “And you are playing a most
dangerous game, Carpenter. See that you watch your back.” And then, as if a switch
was flipped, she smiled and said. “Get well soon, Mister Carpenter.”

When she left, I felt a distinct urge to cuddle in under the sheets and hide. I was
scared. Li hadn't moved like a were or vampire. What was she? I decided that, after
I was out of the hospital, I'd take a look into my mother's notes. Maybe there was
something there.

I slept for a good few hours, before being awoken by the sound of the door. I had
a window, and could see that it was night outside. Not that the brilliant lights of
the hospital's halls didn't try to tell me otherwise.

“Who's there?” I looked to the door, and groaned. It was Nick. “What the hell do you
want?”

“Well, someone's not a morning person.” Nick grinned as he stepped into the room and
closed the door. The man was dressed in a suit again, and had a little brown bag in
one hand. “I thought I'd bring you a little treat, as a thank you.”

“I take it Marshal Thomas is doing well?” I asked him.

Nick nodded. “Indeed. He's doing very well. He should be making a full recovery in
a few weeks, with nothing more than some scars, a battered ego, and a worried wife.
Here, catch.” He pitched the bag in an underhand toss to the bed.

I caught it, and I broke the seal with my thumb to open it. “Seriously? Gummy octopi?
That is awesome.” I grinned, and pulled out one of the gummy creatures and started
to bite on the tentacles. “How did you know I liked these?”

Nick shrugged. “Oh, I have my ways. You're quite the eccentric fellow, though I always
like to know what to get the people I'm sending my Christmas cards to.”

“Christmas cards, huh?” Once I had nipped off all the tentacles, I popped the body
of the octopus into my mouth. “Uh, so, besides the update, what brings you here?”
In the back of my mind, the warning from my dream-mother came back to me. Don't trust
this man.

“I wanted to congratulate you on bringing down Lucien. That was no small feat.”

“You talked with Amy, I take it?” I asked him.

The man nodded. “You know, I'm seriously tempted to give you a job offer.”

“A job offer?” I arched an eyebrow. “Im already working two jobs.”

“Why, as a Federal Marshal.” He said. “We'd have to put you through training, but
I expect you'd do superbly as one of the team.”

I paused for a moment. He certainly didn't beat around the bush. “I'm flattered, really,
but I would have to say no.”

“Is it money?” Nick asked. “Because we do pay very well. And you would get your choice
of assignment. We could even keep you here in San Francisco, should you wish.”

“No,” I decided to take a leap of faith, and bluff my way through this. “Because I
know that my mother worked for you, and you ruined her.”

Nick froze. For the first time, I saw concern and worry on his face. “You can't know
what happened.” He said. “It's much more complicated.”

I had found something.

“She trusted you, she worked for you, and whatever happened, she came out on the butt
end of it.” I glared at him. “Take your offer and shove it. We can work together in
the future, but I'm not going to work for you. Not until I know everything that happened
with my mother.”

“Of course, Eric. I respect that. You have my number, should you need my assistance.
And, please, do take care of yourself. Rumor has it that you've been selected as a
new Knight.” He smiled. “Be careful. A witch is a terrible thing to waste.”

I watched as he turned around and opened the door. “Nick?” He looked back over his
shoulder. “Thanks for the candy. Very appreciated.”

“It was my pleasure.” He said, and inclined his head just slightly. “You're in good
hands with Amy, despite our dislike of each other. She'll protect you, don't you worry
about that.” He said, and he walked out.

I was walking in a few days. I went home on Saturday, with orders for bed rest and
to take it easy. They'd never seen someone with my injuries heal that fast, which
I had attributed to Amy's abilities. By the time I got home, I had a few dozen voice
mails from my friends at work, Terry, and some from Teresa. I ignored them for the
moment, and slumped down onto my couch.

Amy, who had helped me up to the apartment, shut the door. “The doctors said you are
to have bed rest, and that you should not go back to work for at least a few more
weeks.” She said. “But I expect you to be fit again in a week or so.”

“So, how does this all work? How are you healing me?” I asked.

“A transition of energy.” She explained. “It is a...power. Not unlike magic, but a
gift much more defined. The energy speeds up the natural recovery of your body. I
cannot cure things, but I can speed various processes up.”

“Huh,” I thought about that for a moment. “And is this something you do for all your
wards?” I stared at the ceiling, not really wanting to do anything for the moment.

“To be honest, Eric, you are the first person I have ever guarded like this.”

I opened my eyes, and shifted to look at her. My chest ached in pain as I moved. “You're
serious? Why didn't you tell me?”

“I did not wish to alarm you. I have worked with protecting people before, but never
in such an involved manner.”

I nodded. “I see.” I thought back on the hospital now. “I should tell you, I had a
visit from two cops while I was in the hospital.”

“Really?” She moved to sit at my kitchen table.

“Yea, they were inquiring about what happened with those Bliss dealers, but that's
not the big thing.” I thought about it for a moment about how to voice my concern.
“One of them wasn't human.”

“Not human.” Amy looked at me. “How could you tell?”

“She wasn't a vampire or were, but she could tell I was a witch.” I explained. “Listen,
there was something about her. She was just really...I don't know, empty.”

“Describe the woman.”
 
Amy instructed.

“Her name was Inspector Li. She was about five-four, Asian, dark hair. Her eyes...dark,
large, and I don't know, something missing from them. She didn't seem human.”

“Fascinating.” She furrowed her brow in thought.

“What is it, got any ideas?” I asked her, thinking back on anything else. Nothing
really popped out in my memory, besides just a sense of emptiness. There was something
was wrong, missing from her.

She shook her head. “It is nothing that I can think of. Perhaps there is something
in your mother's notes regarding one like her.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
“I hope so. I don't know, she just rubbed me the really wrong way. I think she might
be a potential threat.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
“Then we will be cautious.” We were interrupted by a knock on the door. “I will get
it.” She said, and opened the door. “Hello,” She said to whoever it was.

“Yea, this is Eric Carpenter's place, right?” At Amy's nod, our visitor continued.
She had a soft voice, feminine. “I'm Rebbecca Young. You guys were at Rico's place,
and you carried me out?”

“Yes, indeed.” Amy smiled. “Please, come in.” She said, stepping aside.

Becca was a woman of average height. She was up on her feet, which was something,
though her pretty face was gaunt. Her hair was pulled back, only accentuating that
gauntness. She was dressed in a black blouse and a pair of jeans. “Mister Carpenter?
Are you still recovering from the Bliss?”

“Uh, no,” I shook my head. “I'm just a victim of my own Quixotic desires.”

“I don't follow.” The were female furrowed her brow.

I shook my head. “Forget it. This is totally unrelated to what happened with the Bliss,
trust me.”

“All right,” Becca fidgeted with herself a moment before continuing. “I wanted to
thank you, the both of you, for coming to help me. You didn't even know me.”

I shrugged, feeling a little singe of pain from my ribs. “I'm just in it to help people.”

“Even still, I'm impressed.” The dark-haired woman said. “If you ever need anything,
I'm in your debt.”

I shook my head. “It's not really necessary. How did you even get into that situation?”

“What, getting hooked on Bliss?” She sighed, and looked to Amy, then back to me before
continuing. “College. Ended up in a bad sorority, bad peer pressure, and, well, here
I am. I met Rico one or two months ago, and well, Julia was a really bad influence.”

“The female vampire.” I recalled. “Yea, she seemed really weird. What was her deal?”

“Wish I could tell you. She was just very...I don't know, odd. Territorial, aggressive.”

Amy nodded. “I know the type. They pop up in vampire females often. It is some sort
of perversion of a nesting syndrome.”

“Yea.” I nodded. “Well, Becca, we're here to help. If you ever need anything, don't
be afraid to call, all right?”

“Yes, you're the Knight of the Bay now, right?” Becca said. “So I guess I would call
on you for help.”

“Doesn't have to be as the Knight.” I told her. “If you need it not to be official,
just give me a ring around here. You got that?”

She smiled widely. “Yea, thanks, Mister Carpenter. I should be going now. Tyler wants
to chat, and I need to see that my stuff hasn't been repo'd or anything.”

“Uh, Amy can show you to the door. I'm going to just lie down and try to ignore my
cracked ribs.”
 
 
 
 

She winced. “Uh, get well soon.” She said as I flopped onto my back. Amy walked her
to the door.

When Becca was gone, Amy turned back to me. “You are a stupid, stupid witch.”

“Why, because I got raised with outdated concepts of chivalry?
 
I'm trying to help people. Granted, I really don't think I could even help myself
right now, but I'll be back to tip-top shape soon, right?”

“Indeed.” She sighed. “I just do not want you dragging yourself into situations which
you cannot get out of.”

“That's something I just never hope to get into. I'm not going to run off and go fight
all the vampires in San Francisco. You happy?”

“Not really, but it will have to do.”

The next week was anything but resting. I was up on my feet after a few more days,
though the doctors all told me to take it easy, and not move much.

Thanks to a bit of Amy’s weird “powers,” I was moving about pretty easily by the time
that we were summoned to Pax. The meeting was set during the day, a bit of an oddity,
considering that Arcanes seemed to be, for the most part, nocturnal.

Pax’s parking lot was practically empty when we got there. It was also empty when
we entered. There apparently wasn’t a noon rush.

Teresa and Ishmael sat at a table. I moved to join them. “Hello, Count, Teresa.” I
nodded to each of them. “Ishmael, thanks for the gift. It was…well, thoughtful.” I
honestly loved it. How many people could say they had such an early print of Moby
Dick?

“It was my pleasure. I trust you are doing well?”

“Better. I’m on the way to recovery, thanks to Amy.”

Amy only nodded to them. She’d worn a jean jacket over a simple black Beatles t-shirt,
and sensible slacks.

“Amy, is it?” Ishmael smiled politely. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Amy.”

“And the same.” She said. Amy’s voice was a bit stiff. She turned to me. “I’ll be
out in the car. This is your hour.”

“All right, thanks for the lift.” I said, and moved to sit down at the table as Amy
left. “So, who are the other leaders?”

“Well, there are three other leaders. The first we don’t have to worry about. Lord
Gawyn only ever abstains from voting, if he shows. The Fae do not interfere in our
manners often.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “Then who are the other two?”

“The first is the leader of the weres, Finnegan.” Teresa supplied.

“Yea, we met, and he sure didn’t like me.”

‘He will have even less reason to like you in this case. Finnegan remembers the Emissaries,
and he does not like them.” Ishmael said

“One of them crawled up his butt and died?” I deadpanned.