Chapter 16 Declan #2
“Do better if the damned Cubbies did something more than shitting the bed every game this year, but other than that, I’m fine. Ain’t seen you in a bit,” the old man said. “Heard you retired.”
“Something like that.” I glanced around, lowering my voice. “My friend and I need to get to the Streets. You good if we head downstairs?”
“Be my guest,” he said, waving a hand toward a set of double doors at the back.
Manny glanced at Veronica, and a crease formed between his eyes. His gaze flicked from her lensless glasses to her curly hair.
“Hey, Dec?” he said warily. “Your friend doesn’t happen to be—”
“Thanks, Manny,” I said, patting the bar. “Let’s keep this between us, okay?”
“Gotcha,” he said, nodding slowly.
“Let’s go,” I said, taking Veronica’s hand and moving for the door.
“He recognized me,” Veronica whispered urgently.
“Yup,” I grunted. “Looks like they’ve spread the word on who they’re looking for. Most of the magical world probably has a description of you. Hang on.”
We stopped in the hallway beyond the double doors. Chicago Cubs posters, pictures, framed and signed bats and balls adorned the walls. On a rack by the bathrooms sat a bunch of vintage baseball hats. I snatched one off the shelf and handed it to her.
“Stuff your hair under that and take off those glasses. Tuck them away somewhere. It won’t be perfect, but it should help. Pull the hood of your sweatshirt over the hat.”
She did as I asked, tucking her pretty curls into a bun, then pulling the hat down to hide them, and finished it by pulling the hood up.
“Keep your head down while we’re down here. At least until we get to Ariella’s.”
“Ariella?” Veronica said.
“The fae we’re meeting,” I explained.
Down the hall beyond the bathrooms was a second doorway that opened to a set of stairs that appeared to go down to a dank and dusty basement.
We went down two steps, and the familiar magic kicked in.
A wave of nausea and fear shot through me as the spell tried to force us back.
Any normal human would do exactly that. Instead, we continued on, until a slight pop sounded in my ears and the dusty cellar transformed into a dark, stone-lined set of steps and a landing.
The air changed too. Instead of the sour-sweet smell of beer, and the greasy scent of fried appetizers from Manny’s kitchen, the air was filled with the smells of The Shadow Streets: the smell of impending rain, even though it never actually rained there, food from the restaurants, and the subtle ozone of a high-concentration of magic.
We crossed the landing and moved forward into the perpetual night of the hidden neighborhood. Street lamps glowed, casting the namesake shadows across the cobblestoned streets.
“How do you know that Manny guy?” Veronica asked as we stepped into the throng of people moving about.
“He was an informant back in the day. The guy’s a hybrid. His parents came over from the old world as immigrants. Mom was a Selkie, Dad a Kelpie. Kinda like a shifter but not really.”
“A Selkie?” she said. “You mean that guy can transform into a seal?”
“Sort of,” I said, scanning the crowd, checking to see if anyone was looking at us.
“He has to put on a sealskin to transform, but he can also become a sort of horse from his dad’s side.
Kinda weird to be honest. When it’s all said and done, he looks like a cross between a giant seahorse and a seal. Come on, this way.”
I led her to a side street that branched off to the right before the main intersection where most of the street performers and buskers were doing their thing.
Passing a few shops, we came to a dead end.
A single building with glowing light sat at the end of the street.
A simple sign made of ancient carved and painted wood hung above the door and read: Ariella’s
I knocked. “This is the place.”
“How do you know this lady?” Veronica asked.
“An old friend. Haven’t spoken to her in almost ten years, though. Hopefully, she’s not too—”
“Look at this raggedy piece of shit,” a British woman’s voice said as the door swung open.
Sighing, I nodded at the woman. “Nice to see you again too, Ariella.”
The fae woman was over a thousand years old, but looked like a beautiful twenty-year-old, with flowing blonde hair, dark green eyes, and skin so pale it might have been carved from alabaster.
She glanced at Veronica, who still had her head tilted down to hide her face.
“Who’s your friend? Is this the little side piece you’re fucking these days?” Ariella asked, though there was a humorous tone to her voice that told me she was only joking. I hoped Veronica picked up on it as well.
“Can we come inside?” I said, casting another glance over my shoulder.
Rolling her eyes, Ariella sighed and put a hand on her hip before moving aside and allowing us in. “Come on.”
I ushered Veronica in, then shut the door behind me. “You can take the hat off. We’re safe here.”
Veronica threw back her hood and took off the cap.
“You brought a goddamned murderer into my place of business?” Ariella hissed, turning her baleful gaze on me.
“I didn’t kill anyone,” Veronica said.
“That’s not the word around town,” Ariella said, but even though she addressed Veronica, she kept her eyes on me.
“She’s telling the truth, Ari,” I said. “We need your help to prove it.”
“You realize every witch within a hundred miles of Chicago is looking for this woman, right? There are magical bounty hunters combing all the human and magic streets for her. I don’t care what you need, you’re putting me at risk.”
“Ari,” I said, stepping forward. “You owe me. Or don’t you recall what I did for you all those years ago? Huh?”
The fae woman gave me a withering look. “Really? After all these years, now you call in your favor?”
“That’s what favors are for,” I said. “You only call them in when you need them.”
She glared at me, her ample chest heaving up and down with each breath. Finally, she looked at Veronica. “You’re telling the truth? You had nothing to do with Balthazar Freedman’s death?”
“Absolutely nothing,” Veronica said.
Ariella sighed with resigned acceptance. “What do you need?”
“I need a glamour talisman,” I said, and went on to explain what we were planning and where we needed to go.
When I was done, Ariella shook her head. “It won’t work.”
“What?” I said, suddenly crestfallen. “Why not?”
“Even the most powerful glamour spell isn’t completely foolproof.
You’ll be going into a place filled with people who know—or are looking for—this young lady.
The charm won’t be strong enough to fool everyone who knows her.
If it was a small cocktail party with four or five people, it’d be doable, but not this.
Whoever goes would need to be someone the guests don’t know very well. ”
“So, you’re saying your magic isn’t strong enough?” I said, attempting to goad her.
Ariella looked at me like I was the stupidest man in the world.
“My magic is strong enough, but you can only confuse so many people at one time. I can make a glamour talisman for you, but her? No way. They’d realize there was something off about her in minutes, and once there’s even the hint of confusion about someone’s identity, the glamour breaks.
It’s not a power thing, it’s logistics.”
“Piss,” I growled.
“It’s fine,” Veronica said, putting a hand on my shoulder.
“She’s right. All my classmates and instructors would know my magical signature.
They’d sense it. There’s no way to mask that with a glamour anyway.
This is the best we can do. You go. We’ll find a way for us to communicate while you’re there. ”
“Fine,” I said, though I didn’t like it. Leaving Veronica alone was dangerous. I wanted to be near her. I needed to protect her.
“Give me something of yours,” Ariella said, holding her hand out. “Something personal you’ll have on you at this little soirée.”
I gave her a sarcastic grin, then reached under my arm and pulled out my gun. Slapping it into her hand, I said, “Not going anywhere without that.”
She curled her lip in disgust. “How very… American.”
“Hey,” I said. “You’re the one who enchanted that thing for me. It cost me a shitload of money, too.”
“Of course it did, my dear,” Ariella said. “If you want the best, you have to pay for the best. Give me ten minutes. I’ll be right back.”
She vanished into the back.
“She’s pleasant,” Veronica said, and I couldn’t tell whether she was being sarcastic.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “She’s got a good heart, but she can be a bit stuck up about some stuff.”
Veronica glanced at the door, then back at me. “Uh, did… did you two ever… you know?”
I snorted a laugh. “No way. Remember? Business and pleasure don’t mix.”
“Okay,” she said, and I couldn’t help but smile at the relief I heard in her voice.
A few minutes later, Ariella returned and held the gun out to me butt first.
“All done,” she said. “When you want to activate the spell, touch this,” she added, gesturing to a glowing rune near the sight of the gun. “Don’t touch it until you’re ready. The spell will be good for up to three hours, possibly four. Magic isn’t science, after all.”
“Thanks, Ari,” I said, sliding the gun back into my holster. “You never saw us.”
“Saw who?” She winked at me. “Business has been slow. No one’s come in here all week.”
“You’re the best,” I said, taking Veronica’s hand.
“Be careful, Dec,” Ariella called as we opened the door. “Rumor is, bad people are looking for the two of you.”
It was my turn to wink at her. “I know how to take care of myself.”
“I hope so. Bye.”
Nodding, I escorted Veronica outside as she stuffed her hair back under the cap and hood.
“She likes you,” Veronica whispered as we stepped back into the street.
“Ariella’s a good contact to have. A good friend.”
“No, I mean she likes you likes you.”
I snorted. “Come on. Let’s get home and make a plan. We’ve only got a couple days until this party.”