Spoiled For Choice
The five of us are squeezed into the car we’ve rented for the night, headed back to Zyra’s house so Starla and I can collect our bags. Then just the two of us will return to the manor for the duration of the festivities.
It was clear that Councilman Taylor was trying to watch us as we left, but Ji-hwan smoothly suggested to someone that the end of the evening was the perfect opportunity to approach the warlock regarding a political conversation, and we snuck away while the other party was blathering on about “Fae interference.”
“All right, team, let’s put what we’ve got on the table,” Jackal suggests once we’re outside the estate perimeter and can see there are no cars following us.
All five of us begin to speak at once, until Ji-hwan howls. The Were’s head is thrown back, but he keeps his hands firmly on the wheel and the car doesn't veer.
I slam my hands over my ears.
“Sorry, but I know that’s an effective way to draw attention. Now then, perhaps it’d be best if we go one at a time, and then we can discuss the sum of our information once we’re back at Zyra’s house?”
“So long as it’s quick. Leena and I have to return in time to get some sleep. My father has a breakfast planned for me, and I don’t think I’ll be much use to anyone as a private eye if mine have bags under them from exhaustion. I’m as tired as a kindergarten teacher.”
“Where’s the rest of that statement?” Exos asks, used to her longer descriptors at this point.
Starla scoffs.
“No need. That’s plenty tired.”
Jackal and I share our information regarding Claude and his family. Both the symbol he was wearing and Lillian’s words about Starla.
“Claude Soloman has always been a braggadocious pain, but he’s smarter than his sister in how he conducts himself, as you saw this evening,” Starla says.
I nod.
“I wasn’t able to get much more out of him during our dancing, although he was keenly interested in my siren abilities.
Not that it makes him stand out; that’s what most of the men Councilman Taylor introduced me to wanted to discuss.
Although Claude was more subtle about how he might plan to use it to his own advantage,” I say.
“He’s clever, and the fact that he asked you to dance signifies he’s interested in courting you, old-fashioned as that may sound. Claude is choosy when it comes to the ladies he associates with,” Jackal volunteers, eyes smoldering like embers even though his voice remains neutral.
Starla pulls out her phone.
“I’m jotting all these bits down. It would make sense if the Ivyrn Works symbol was a crest from a family here. An old-fashioned supernatural one, obviously. My father wanted me to study the crests at one point, and now I regret to say that I shirked that particular assignment.”
“If we can confirm it is the Soloman family crest, it’s highly likely they’re the ones who worked with Leon on his experiments,” Jackal says. “Claude being more suspect than Lillian, although we should keep our options open.”
If so, it would put my mind a bit at ease regarding Grammy’s vague instructions. It would be a massive find for our first evening.
Although …
“I still don’t fully understand how that ties in to my curse,” I say.
“I did try to do some digging about the keys of various witches and warlocks in attendance, under the guise of learning more about their pedigrees, of course,” Ji-hwan volunteers.
“And how did they respond to that, given—” I begin.
He flashes a smile that is full of too-sharp teeth.
“Given that I’m a filthy, flea-bitten Were and not a fanciful Fae or witch or even an elf? I cheated, of course. Used my charm. People, particularly snobby people like this, are more than happy to spill their guts about what they believe to be their positive attributes.”
“And?” Exos presses as the Were lets his teeth shrink.
“I struck out on any connection between sirens and curses,” he admits.
I groan.
“But! But, I did manage to find out that some families here are, if you’ll excuse this wording, breeding for the purpose of trying to pass down specific keys or magics.”
I narrow my eyes.
“That’s not how keys work.”
Ji-hwan shakes his head.
“Not technically. Although, just like bear shifters have bear shifter children, witches quite often can have keys in common with their ancestors. I have a good friend who works with defensive spells, but the rest of her family has keys geared toward poisons.”
I feel like I met this witch at Never’s, but I don’t get a chance to ask. Starla looks up from her notes to the Were.
“Are you thinking that maybe the curse is connected to one of these families as well? Just like there could be a family involved in the meddling with Leon and Ivyrn Works?”
“It makes sense. Grammy Pearl said each of our problems would lead to the other, and if they’re all connected to family drama, we could uncover our answers in the same place.
By continuing to attend these events and dig into the family secrets of the rich and spoiled supernaturals Councilman Taylor keeps company with. Sorry, Starla. Not to insult the man.”
She waves the Were off.
“Go right ahead. It’s not all that surprising, when you think about it. My father respects standing in the same way Leon worshipped power. And … the key thing is accurate.”
She lets out a deep sigh, and I tense as I remember something she mentioned to me in passing, years ago, that hasn’t come up since.
“Your dad—”
“Yes. My dad’s key is lightning. Much better lightning than what I can produce with my little electroshocks. The man can call down enough electricity to split a redwood down the center if he wants to.”
She’s stopped typing; instead, she’s just glaring at the screen of her phone. No matter how self-assured she acts, I know that it bothers her.
“I hate when crappy people get cool supernatural gifts. More unfair than fishing with dynamite,” she says.
Exos reaches a hand up from the backseat, squeezing her shoulder. She leans into the touch.
“Thanks, sug. I vote we listen to the Were. Grammy thought we’d be able to find our answers in three days. If the curse and Ivyrn Works stuff are coming from one place, it’ll make things that much simpler. We keep our net cast wide, but make sure to keep eyes on the Solomans.”
She goes back to typing. We reach the small gravel drive for Zyra and Theodore’s home, but Jackal waves us out to their garden instead of through the front door.
“Best not to wake up Lottie if we can help it. Zyra said she doesn’t always sleep well since …
well, since her own ordeal. Having Pickles here has helped tremendously, and I’d hate to ruin it.
I’d say one big question we need to answer is whether the people connected to Leon and potentially the curse weaseled their way into Councilman Taylor’s circles without his knowledge, or if he’s privy to any of the things happening.
I mean, obviously he can’t know about the curse, but he may have heard about Leon. ”
He moves from one topic to the next, giving none of us time to say anything comforting about his niece. Even so, while the others are getting seated on lawn chairs in the garden, I wrap my arms around him.
I step out from behind him as I end the embrace, facing the others.
“Grammy did tell Councilman Taylor that I’m a siren.”
“Why would she do that?” Starla says, voice loud and Jackal shushing her.
I shrug.
“She’s always got her reasons, and you know she’s being purposefully cryptic for this event.
But your father’s well aware, and he’s doing his level best to capitalize on that.
If whoever worked with Leon is here and also has a connection to the curse, having my attendance touted so loudly may draw them in, or send them running.
We should be on the watch for any extreme behaviors. ”
“You’re becoming quite adept at picking up on clues,” Jackal compliments me.
There’s a bit of back and forth as to the best way to divide and conquer. A lot of the voting has to do with my own time. Whether I should try to garner more of Claude’s exclusive attention, or if that might make him suspicious.
Starla holds a hand up as Ji-hwan finishes making a point.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think we should let my father’s whims decide for us.
He loves a skill he can exploit or barter with.
He’s already demonstrated that he thinks Leena’s siren song is a commodity he can use to sell her as a potential match to his guests.
My thinking is, he sees multiple benefits.
He’s decided keeping Leena here will keep me here.
It gives him two possible avenues to victory. ”
“That’s sickening,” Exos says.
“I thought the same thing when I realized how serious he was about introducing me to so many men,” I admit.
“But if Claude does initiate the interest, I don’t think she should rebuff him. Let him think he’s getting what he wants and follow the trail to our answer,” Ji-hwan says.
Starla slams a fist down into her palm.
“This whole situation has me more twisted up than a funnel cake at the state fair.” She stands up to pace while pulling her hair into a ponytail.
Her tattoos have come back into view, and with her hair like this, she’s much more herself.
Jackal clears his throat, and the witch comes to a stop.
“We do also have to consider the possibility that your father is very aware of exactly who he has in his home. Of Ivyrn Works—and its activities. Leon had magical connections with someone powerful who gave him the idea for these experimentations. It could be that he was introduced through your father’s network, or even that Councilman Taylor had a hand in the situation directly.
” He delivers the speech calmly but clears his throat again and stares down to his shoes as he comes to a finish.
It’s not hard to guess why. Starla’s throat bobs up and down, her blue eyes flashing with magic and her hands crackling.
Exos puts on his stony form, reaching for her.
He wraps her into a hug as her magic continues to spark.
His gargoyle skin can easily withstand the shocks, and I can’t help thinking how perfect they are for each other.
He has softened a bit for her but stands as a literal pillar of strength when she needs one.
And she can be fully herself around him.
She’s also more grounded with the gargoyle than I’ve ever seen her.
But now is far from the time to point this out, as a tear trails down Starla’s cheek.
“If that’s true …” her voice is hoarse and she trails off, then tries again, “Leon tried to kill us more than once. And he was more than willing to kill both Ginny and me to force Leena’s compliance so he could get his hands on her siren powers.
If my father really is directly involved, that would mean he’s willing to sacrifice his own daughter.
I know he’s done some crappy things, but I don’t want to think he’d stoop so low. ”
Jackal crouches in front of the witch so she doesn’t have to raise her face to meet his gaze.
“Starla, I know you don’t want to think it. It may not be true. It’s just one possibility we need to consider if we want to approach this investigation accurately.”
She shakes her head, the ends of her ponytail slapping the tears on her cheeks.
“He still views me as a bargaining chip he can use. I don’t have any value to him if I’m dead. And that’s more motivation to him than anything else.”
Her eyes are still flashing.
I’d wager almost anything that she wants to believe her father cares enough about her not to put her in mortal danger—an incredibly low bar for any dad—but she’s convinced he wouldn’t do it, if only for her strategic value.
“All these options are plausible, but none of them are certain,” Exos says. “We have limited time and too many possibilities.”
Ji-hwan has been quietly observing for a few minutes, but now he smiles.
“What we need is a wise supernatural voice to give us some insight on this situation. We’re all too close to it. We’d benefit from an outside perspective.”
Jackal raises an eyebrow.
“We already talked to Coven Leader Pearl, and she’s been clear on what she’s willing to give us.”
“But she did say to trust our instincts, and our friends.” Ji-hwan matches the hyena’s stare, holding it.
Jackal barks out a laugh.
“You cannot be thinking of calling Never!”
I cringe as the chaotic Were is named. As helpful as she has been to us in the past, I don’t know that I’d consider her a calm voice of reason, and that’s what I think we need in this situation.
“No,” Ji-hwan agrees, “but she has a wide circle of influential friends. Including a very wise Founder who might be more than happy to help, given his current role.”
“Mind putting that in words the rest of us can make sense of?” Starla asks, and I can tell she’s trying to keep the edge out of her voice.
Ji-hwan dips his chin to her.
“All right. I think we should call a god.”