Think I would have liked it more if you were just Elf Mafia.
“Are you saying you won’t pass my message along, Professor?”
“I don’t mean to be difficult, but I value my relationship with him, so I need to know why I should.”
“Because he’s interested in that alien shit as much as I am, and it might be in his best interest to deal with me directly.”
“I see.” The Professor let out a long sigh. “I’ll pass along your message, but I can’t guarantee anything.”
“Fine by me.”
He made me come all the way to fucking DC? Why? He doesn’t know how to use a phone?
Shay marched up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, muttering about inconvenience as she crested them. The mammoth white marble statue of Abraham Lincoln was, as always, seated and eternally looking forward.
I bet someday some wizard will enchant that statue and have him go on a rampage. Honest Abe kicking ass and taking names.
The tomb raider stepped between two of the Doric columns dominating the front of the memorial and looked around for her contact. Correk hadn’t been all that clear about where he’d be, other than offering the time and telling her to meet him “somewhere” at the memorial.
“Miz Carson,” called a familiar voice.
Shay spun around, her hand going into her purse toward her gun.
Correk stood, his arms crossed, in front of one of the columns. He had a thin smile on his face.
Shay let her hand drop and walked toward him. “This isn’t exactly a private place, and I want to discuss private things. I thought the Professor would have made that clear.”
Correk nodded toward a gaggle of school kids strolling past. “Notice anything?”
The tomb raider narrowed her eyes and looked for any sign of danger from the kids—suspicious bulges, strange tricks of the light, anything unusual—but they just looked like a mass of kids walking toward Abraham Lincoln. They chatted, smiling and laughing.
She blinked. She couldn’t hear any of it.
“So they can’t hear us,” Shay commented. “Can they see us?”
“Not if we don’t give them a reason to.”
Shay shook her head. “Still seems dangerous.”
“Oh, not as much as you expect, but it’s only because of Smite-Williams’ recommendation that I even agreed to meet with you alone. You’re obviously resourceful, and I’m curious what you want to talk to me about.”
Shay took a deep breath. She’d have to risk giving up information at the chance of gaining information. Trusting some Light Elf she barely knew, even if he was a friend of the Professor, still knotted her stomach, but she could no longer keep operating as if she could solve every problem by herself.
Peyton and James had both shown her what she could accomplish when she dared to allow someone to help her.
She also needed contacts, and not just the Professor and a few others interested in artifacts. A woman with magical enemies needed magical allies.
“We discussed some of this before,” Shay explained. “But to get it all out on the table, I’m aware of at least three stones with alien writing, including the one I recovered in Illinois, and another artifact also with alien writing, but different alien writing.”
Correk arched a brow. “Different alien writing?”
“I’m saying it’s not from Earth or Oriceran, but it’s different from what you were interested in before. Maybe the same planet, or maybe a different planet entirely. The writing is associated with an artifact of impressive power.”
“Care to elaborate?”
Shay shook her head. “There’s only so much I’m at liberty to share.”
The corners of Correk’s mouth turned up in a faint smile. Something approaching approval appeared in his eyes.
“So,” the Light Elf replied, “do you know anything else?”
“Some associates of mine have been able to translate at least part of a message on the stones.”
“Interesting. Very interesting. And are you at liberty to share that?”
Shay shrugged. “All they could figure out was, ‘Already here.’”
“Already here?” Correk echoed. “That could mean a lot of things. It could mean something like, ‘Don’t come to Earth, the magic is already here, and it’s too dangerous,’ or it could mean something like, ‘All our forces are already here and ready to invade.’”
“Yeah, it could. Not claiming I know what the total message says.” She frowned. “So I’ve given you some info. Now I want some in return.”
“I’m under no obligation to give you anything. How do I know I can even trust you?”
Shay snorted. “Because I risked my life to grab the Scepter of Dagobert and deliver it to the Professor instead of selling it to whatever sketchy asshole would pay the most.”
Correk’s eyes narrowed.
The tomb raider smirked. “Yeah, I bet you were involved in that behind the scenes. I almost know you were.”
The elf didn’t speak. Instead, he turned and watched the silent crowds flow past with a distant look in his eye.
“What do you want from me, Miz Carson?”
“I want to know something I don’t already know.”
Correk gave a small nod. “Show me the pictures. All the symbols you have.”
Shay locked eyes with him. For all she knew, the Light Elf had some sort of total recall spell. The minute she showed him the symbols, she’d lost a lot of her leverage. She did have a stone, but she wasn’t sure if it had power, and it wasn’t like she could trade Brownstone’s amulet.
“Fine,” she spat, reaching into her purse. Shay pulled out her phone and brought up the photo containing all the stones and a close-up of the amulet.
Correk stroked his chin as he looked over the symbols. “These aren’t from Earth.”
“No shit.” Shay rolled her eyes. “Thanks for nothing.”
He held up a hand. “But I’ve seen them before, and I don’t mean on the stone you recovered for the Professor.”
Shay slipped her phone back into her purse. “Oh?”
“I’ve seen them on Oriceran, but they aren’t Oriceran. I assumed they were from Earth, but your research, among other information I have seen, points to the fact that they aren’t.” He furrowed his brow. “And this is
