Chapter Fourteen #2
After observing everyone he could, he stepped away, allowing the crowd to cheer on Lena for an encore.
At the entrance, a young woman frantically made her way inside, adjusting her skirt and wobbling in the heels she had no coordination in.
Milo regretted whoever picked out Acolyte Reed’s undercover outfit because her frazzled expression and ungraceful strut drew more attention than the role he’d intended for her this evening.
Milo swaggered toward her, popping his collar and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Hey, darling. How about I get you a drink?”
Acolyte Reed reached into her purse. “If you don’t get your arm off—”
“Go with it, Ellie. You’re already late enough for this assignment.” Milo stared into her hazel eyes, expression stern before shifting to something carefree and aloof. “Come on, sweetheart. One drink. On me. ”
“Okay,” Ellie said, playing the part before lowering her voice. “I didn’t mean to be late. My shift ran longer than expected, and traffic was hell, and then I needed to talk with Specialist Williams to get suited up, or in this case, suited down.”
Milo released his arm when they reached the bar and ordered drinks. “Second time I’ve given you a case and you fell short.”
“I’m sorry, Ench—” She bit her bottom lip, almost announcing to everyone who he was.
“Carl,” Milo playfully dragged out each letter of the name and shook Ellie’s hand.
I shook my head or perhaps simply rolled over in my sleep.
It felt a lot like head shaking with the judgment I barreled at each of them.
Milo should’ve picked enchanters, not acolytes.
And this acolyte should’ve prioritized the case file he’d passed along to her earlier that day.
I empathized with Ellie. She clearly had to work another job to get by financially since acolytes weren’t paid for their guild work.
Something that didn’t affect Lena Novak, who’d arrived before Milo and inserted herself within La Maison de l’Infini, but for industry professionals like Ellie, who didn’t come from a family with the financial resources to support her during the years of unpaid acolyte service, it was difficult.
Part of why the change in education wouldn’t help shift the industry.
Sure, academies had opened their doors to help aspiring students obtain licenses, but how many of those newly licensed students would have to give up their industry dreams because they couldn’t afford years of unpaid labor?
How many would have their license suspended because they couldn’t maintain the cost of keeping it active without a steady income in a casting field?
I buried my resentment for a broken system and observed Milo and Ellie. They discreetly chatted—each occasionally blurted something random or obnoxious if eyes fell their way—and Milo informed Ellie to keep a close eye on those watching Lena .
“Your branch is perfect for subtly sussing out threats.” Milo finished his drink and walked off.
Hours passed. Milo and Ellie worked throughout different parts of the club, him observing the crowd from a roulette table, where he continued blowing his money on bad guesses.
“All on red.” He rubbed his palms together. “Feeling lucky this time.”
He wasn’t. But he didn’t need to draw the ire of the owners by cleaning them out.
Unlike state or federally-regulated gambling, Milo found it easier to loop his clairvoyance on the odds here.
No publicly endorsed betting allowed for casting influence, which Milo had learned every time he bought a lottery ticket in his youth.
Still, the enchantments lining La Maison de l’Infini were potent, and if he wasn’t careful, they’d notice him using his branch to intentionally lose.
He figured they were less likely to question someone going into an evening of debt than someone cleaning out the casino.
It allowed him to fluctuate his clairvoyance on other guests between losses.
Having observed nearly every person here, Milo hadn’t found one individual eyeing Lena during her fights that he couldn’t easily read potential futures on.
When the matches ended for the night, the crowd thinned some, but Milo stayed.
As instructed, Lena went to the bar for a post-celebration round of drinks, keeping company with anyone willing to talk to her.
None of them were more than human based on the easy predictions Milo managed.
A lot of them were overly flirty, though, and Lena’s strained smile suggested she bit back aggravated responses.
Finally, Milo’s eyes locked onto a woman who cut through the chatty onlookers accompanying Lena, taking a seat beside the young acolyte.
Not a single person objected to her interjecting.
In fact, after a few words from her out of earshot and a delicate hand on each of their arms, everyone left.
All that remained was Lena, still slick with sweat from her fights, and the woman in a white dress covered in gold and magenta flowers.
Milo fixated on the woman talking to his acolyte, the energy around her vibrated, and he couldn’t glean anything about her future.
In fact, Lena’s became murky when he glanced in her direction.
Nothing about this woman’s appearance held demonic features.
There was usually something obvious or even subtle that gave a demon away, aside from the black blood and eating people.
It was part of why witches with certain augmentation or bestial branches had to carry waivers of identification.
Gael’s spikes didn’t resemble any demon of public record, yet those possessing non-human features would fall under suspicion.
Although, this woman possessed nothing altering her appearance.
No elongated ears, no tucked tail based on the skintight dress; since she wore her hair in a tight high bun, it was easy to note she lacked gills on her neck or horns on her head.
Milo might’ve stated it definitely wasn’t a vampire to his boss, Enchanter Campbell, but I couldn’t think of a single known demon with entirely human features aside from vampires.
Was it a devil inhabiting a human host? I trembled.
No. Not possible. If one had surfaced, even Milo wouldn’t sit so casually observing without a trace of fear in his mind or body.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Ellie rushed toward Milo, no longer keeping a quiet distance. “I thought you said we were only supposed to observe, not engage.”
In a matter of seconds, Lena had gotten up while the mystery woman paid the tab, and the pair walked together toward the exit.
“I did.” Milo cracked his neck and followed with Ellie.
“My guess is we’re dealing with a succubus or siren.
Each can compel with words or contact.” He wasn’t able to narrow it down since the woman had whispered kind nothings and delicately touched the others she sent away before doing the same to Lena and convincing her to leave.
“ They can also augment their appearance to be aesthetically pleasing to any audience.”
Really? I didn’t know that.
Milo and Ellie exited La Maison de l’Infini, and he held her back momentarily.
“Your only job here is to release the demonic casting she’s done, lock her in place, and keep your eyes open for other threats.”
“Understood.”
“I’m serious,” Milo said. “No banishment until I assess the situation.”
“If we’ve got the demon, why can’t we—”
“Because she’s not hunting alone,” Milo interjected.
His reasoning was fuzzy, like it came from something deep and guarded, but he’d seen this type of targeting and pattern before.
A demon used to lure and capture prey for a bigger, scarier monster.
He needed to ensure the demon puppeteering these killings was banished more than the deadly smaller threats.
Tossing off his earrings, Enchanter Evergreen took form, and he followed the demon leading Lena through back alleys.