Incarnate (A Spellmason Chronicle) (11 page)

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” she said.

“Marshall Blackmoore,” I said, grabbing the sides of his face and making him look at Alexandra. “Tell her of what you speak.”

“There’s been a lot of talk out there in the magical community,” he said.

Caleb crossed his arms. “Oh, has there, now? Do tell!”

“The Orders from all five boroughs are planning a meet,” he said. “They’re freaked-out about how much living stone is in the city now. They want to hold a Convocation.”

Alexandra waved me closer and I dragged Marshall over to her cell.

“What the hell are the Orders? What’s a Convocation?”

“Each borough is divided up into witching orders,” Caleb said. “There’s a warden that watches over the covens in each area, and a head witch who runs the Convocation.” He turned to Marshall. “But how would
you
know that?”

Marshall looked as if he might be sick at any moment. “I’m a bit more involved with them than any of you know,” he said.

“How?” I asked.

“Blame Caleb,” Marshall said, pointing to him and starting to babble. “He’s the one who got me started down this path. I wouldn’t even have started with alchemy if he hadn’t got me into it. The surprising thing, though? I’m
good
at it.”

“You’re
okay
at it,” Caleb corrected.

“Fine,” Marshall said. “I’m
okay
at it . . . but, not to sound too egomaniacal, on top of that knowledge, I
am
clever. So I started experimenting. Your hoods, for example. Normal material treated with a mixture of potions. Hell, my Dungeon Master’s guide gave me plenty of ideas to try out, and a few of the people Caleb
had
introduced me to were curious as well. There’s a market for this kind of stuff. The other night when you came in like a drowned rat? Those weren’t gamers at Roll for Initiative. Those were witches and wizards coming to check out my latest wares. There’s far more money in arcana than gaming, I’m sad to report.”

“Marshall!” Alexandra said.

“Hey, I’m the alpha geek. I know better than anybody that with great power comes great responsibility. I’m being careful. I don’t sell to just anybody who comes in wearing a pointy hat with moons and stars on it.”

“Never mind that,” Caleb shouted. “What about the damage you’re doing to
my
profit margin?”

Marshall and Alexandra joined in and the group was shouting at one another to the point where I could not follow any line of their arguments. I released my grip on Marshall and let him go completely as he verbally defended himself. Only when Aurora returned with the two humans from the other night did I speak again.

“Enough!” I said, and turned to face the newcomers. The hallway fell silent except for the footsteps of their approach. Aurora’s hands were on the back of her head, the two other humans walking with their firearms drawn. I looked down at Marshall with a growl. “What have you told them about Alexandra?”

“Nothing,” he said, full of nerves with his hands held up. “I swear! The community is abuzz with talk, but I would never compromise any of you by talking to them about what we do. I’ve kept my ear open for anything that sounded threatening.”

“Is this any way to start a reunion?” Alexandra asked from the cell, as the two new humans joined us. “The tall one is Detective Maron. The other is Detective Rowland. And as you can see they love guns.”

When the detectives turned to Alexandra, they noticed me for the first time and both of their firearms swung over to me.

I stepped toward them, my gaze unwavering as I did so. “I think we have learned how ineffective such measures can be,” I said. “But if you insist on pointing your weapons, I do prefer them aimed at me rather than threatening my friends with them.”

Unsure of what to do, the two detectives slowly lowered their weapons.

“What is this?” Detective Rowland asked with wary eyes darting among us. “A prison break?”

“Depends,” Caleb said, pointing at Alexandra. “Is she actually under arrest?”

“She’s locked up,” the woman said. “What do you think?”

“That isn’t an answer,” he said. “Is she or is she not under arrest?”

Rowland went silent, refusing to answer.

“Technically?” Detective Maron said. “No.”

“So technically,” I said, catching on, “we are not breaking out a prisoner.”

Maron nodded, unable to take his eyes off of me. “We could book you for trespassing,” he said, holstering his firearm, “but honestly, I don’t know where we’d hold you.”

Detective Rowland pushed her way past everyone to the front of the cell, her firearm raised once again. She tapped it against the bars of the cell and looked back at her partner. “You’re not just going to let her walk, are you?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I didn’t imagine such a crowd being around when it came time to make that decision.”

“Then let me make the decision for you,” Alexandra said.

I watched as Alexandra bowed her head and concentrated her power into the concrete of the floor where the bars of the cage met it. The area crumbled and twisted and slid away in all directions from the base of the bars.

“Alexandra, please,” I said. “Refrain from manipulating the building any further. We are well underground and I have already done some damage to this building’s foundation.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, stepping closer to the bars. “I’m not looking to collapse the place. I just want to show our new friends what they’re dealing with.”

I reached for the now-loose bars and pulled them apart with ease.

Alexandra stepped out of the cage to join the rest of us. “I could have left anytime I wanted to, Detectives,” she said.

“So why
didn’t
you?” Detective Rowland asked.

“After a good night’s rest, I’m feeling . . . refreshingly cooperative today. This outpouring of rescuers tonight reminded me of something I’ve forgotten these past few months—I don’t have to bear this burden all alone. You two chasing us down isn’t just another problem for me to deal with. It’s an opportunity.”

“It is?” the woman asked.

“Yes,” Alexandra said. “For
you
.”

“You want to explain that, Miss Belarus?” the man asked.

“Look,” Alexandra said, reaching for Aurora’s pole arm. Her friend handed it to her, and Alexandra broke it down into its three component sections, then handed it back to her blue-haired friend. “Your people and my people could have a go at each other right now, but can we agree that’s not going to turn out good for either side?”

“I don’t know,” Detective Rowland said. “We’ve got a pretty good legal team here. Not as good, I’m sure, as the Belarus family real estate lawyers, probably.”

“You’ve been doing your homework, Detectives,” Alexandra said. “But let’s try to keep my family out of this, shall we? I’m talking about here and now. You start shooting, Rory here probably would have started swinging her bladed stick thing around—which
is
a thing of beauty to see, mind you. Caleb and Marshall no doubt have some alchemical tricks up their sleeves. And Stanis . . . ?”

All of the humans looked to me and I made sure I stood stone still, giving the grimmest gaze I could muster to the two detectives.

“Well,” Alexandra continued. “There’s no telling what chaos he’d bring into the fray.”

The female detective raised her firearm. “Are you threatening us?” she asked.

“No,” I said. “I believe what Alexandra is actually trying to do is be reasonable.”

The detective could not help but laugh. “Three people and one gargoyle breaking into our precinct is considered
reasonable
?”

“Actually, Stanis is right,” Alexandra said. “I don’t think anyone upstairs here has anything written in the law books to cover the world we’re all trying our best to deal with now. I’ve been lamenting how I haven’t been able to just spend time practicing actual art lately, but the truth is we’re creating something here. We’re going to have to make this up as we go along.
All
of us.”

Detective Rowland lowered her firearm. “What do you want us to do, then?” she asked.

“I’ve decided that I—we—will help you with your
grotesque
problem,” Alexandra said.

I looked to her, lowering my voice. “We will?” I asked.

She laid a hand on my chest. “We already
are
. I just think it would be better if we found a way to bring in more of the human involvement element. Your kind are public now. It’s time we start thinking about how humanity is going to adjust to
grotesques
out in the world . . . or
not
adjust. Our first step is to find a way to better control the rogue population out there, and I think these two might help us with that. I’m tired of fighting the rogue ones alone, especially when being chased by witches, warlocks, and cops alike.”

“Witches and warlocks?” Detective Maron asked. “We’re talking witches and warlocks as well?”

Aurora held up a hand. “One threat at a time, pal.”

“I had something I meant to tell you about them, Alexandra,” I said. “Before we were interrupted at the armory. I had wished to impart some knowledge I have learned from Jonathan.”

“Who the hell is Jonathan?” the female detective asked.

“A dead monk now trapped in a
grotesque
body,” I said, getting dead-eyed stares from the detectives. “It is a long story.”

“You can tell them about it another night,” Alexandra said. “What did the monk tell you?”

“As you suspected from your vine incident, there was another person in Fort Tryon Park with you, hunting you. A warlock. I believe it was he who had set the plant snare that was meant to trap you.”

“Jonathan saw the guy?” Caleb asked.

“He did,” I said with a smile that bared my fangs.

“Well, what did he look like?” he asked

“The monk said this man had black hair and a beard,” I said. “And he wore many rings.”

“Great,” Marshall said. “We’re on the lookout for some guy with way too much man jewelry. Maybe we should start our search among the Bridge and Tunnel crowd. Head out to Long Island or New Jersey.”

“Wait,” Caleb said. “Was it wild hair, like kind of an Einstein thing? And fistfuls of rings?”

I nodded.

“You know this man?” Detective Maron asked Caleb.

“That I do,” Caleb said. “I’ve done some work for his family over the years.”

Anger filled me. “Once again working for those who would do us harm,” I said.

Caleb met my eyes, not looking away.

“Don’t start,” he said. “All my past mischief predates knowing any of you.”

Detective Maron stepped forward, pulling a small notebook from the inside pocket of his jacket. “You have an address on this guy?” he asked.

“No,” Caleb said. “Actually, I heard he was dead, but I know some people who might be able to sort that out for me one way or another.”

“Let’s get on it, then,” Aurora said.

“We can grab this guy and hold him,” Detective Rowland said.

“Like you did Alexandra?” Marshall asked. “Very effective. I’m sure this place is totally warlock-proof.”

“Let us handle it, Detectives,” Aurora said.

Caleb shook his head. “I don’t think large numbers are what’s needed right now,” he said.

“Bullshit,” Maron said.

“Listen,” Caleb said, insistent this time. “I can’t risk spooking the whole arcane community by starting a massive . . . well, a perfect term for it, actually, is a witch hunt. What I need to conduct with those people requires subtlety.” He looked up at me. “Not brute force.”

Detective Rowland was already shaking her head.

“No,” she said. “We have to be part of this.”

“Absolutely not,” Alexandra said. “But it would be kind of you to fetch my things for me. They’re going to come in handy.”

Detective Rowland tried to argue, but her partner laid his hand on her shoulder. “Let them go,” he said. “We’ve got to start trusting someone sometime in all this.”

“I’m not sure releasing our only tie to all this gargoyle madness is our best course of action,” she said. “This woman and her friends are the first solid lead we’ve actually been able to track down. Something tangible, so our brothers and sisters in blue stop snickering at us in the hallways.”

“As I mentioned,” Alexandra said, “I could have released
myself
anytime I wanted. You know my name. No doubt in your research you’ve already verified that I am who I say I am. If I prove uncooperative after my release, you have more than enough information to track me down where I live. But don’t worry. I’ll be in touch.”

The woman thought about it for a moment before giving a silent nod.

“I’ll get your things,” Detective Maron said and headed back up the hallway with Rowland.

“I will see what I can find out about who is organizing this other band of
grotesques
,” I said. “I do not like the idea of some sort of dark insurrection rising up out there while me and my people at Sanctuary strive to protect this city.”

“Thank you,” Alexandra said. She turned from me, and went to Caleb. “Come on. The sooner we find this guy, the sooner maybe I can have one less group of people trying to kill me.”

The two of them followed after the detectives, leaving the rest of us alone in the basement.

“Come on,” Aurora said. “We’ll take the back way out with you.”

“Back through the sewage,” Marshall said. “Lovely.”

I nodded. “If my father the tyrant could see me now,” I said. “An emissary of my people, trudging around under the city, going out of my way all for the comfort of humans and the safety of my own . . .”

Aurora slid the pieces of her pole arm into the art tube and strapped it across her back once more. She clapped me on my shoulder.

“You are not your father’s son,” she said. “He would have caused a scene, tearing his way out of this precinct with as much devastation as possible.”

“That is where we differ,” I said, heading back to the storage room we had come in through. “I have not half the vain pride he had. I do not have his ambitions.”

“Well, what ambitions
do
you have?” Marshall asked.

I stopped at the door leading into the room, casting my eyes back down the hallway just as Alexandra and Caleb vanished around the corner.