I was about to knock when the door silently opened.
“Get in here, Strong,” a voice called out. “Before I change my mind.”
It was Grey.
I looked around to see if he had cameras on the door, or some sophisticated hi-tech surveillance, but saw nothing. The runes along the street must have been some kind of early-warning sensor system.
“How did he know?” I muttered under my breath. “I don’t see any cameras.”
“It’s possible he has a different set of sensors,” Jessikah answered. “He is a dark mage, after all.”
“Just like a Sith lord,” I said with a nod. “Maybe he sensed a disturbance?”
“It’s very likely he sensed a disturbance,” Jessikah said, giving me a look. “Or a disturbed individual.”
“Maybe it’s these runes?”
I noticed the pulsing violet runes on the threshold. I reached out to touch them when Grey called out again.
“Wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Grey called out again. “Come in and leave the runes alone.”
I pulled my hand back and glared at the door.
“He’s good,” Jessikah said with a small smile. “Better leave those runes alone…they look painful.”
I stepped just inside the threshold and let my eyes adjust to the dim lighting. The wards and runes inside were on overdrive. Jessikah stepped in next to me and silently swept her gaze across the interior.
The furniture was a mixture of mahogany tables and cherry-wood chairs, evenly spaced out around the floor in what would have appeared to be a random setup, except for the flow of energy in and around the interior.
“This is feng shui on steroids,” I muttered under my breath. “Even more than the Randy Rump.”
“It would appear that even the furniture is positioned just so, to facilitate the flow of power in this place. Ingenious.”
“It is,” I said, following her gaze around the interior. She was right—even the furniture enhanced the power of the runes inside. “Right up to the moment the chairs and tables try to kill you.”
“Don’t be foolish,” Jessikah said. “These are inanimate objects infused with power. They are not capable of attacking you.”
The floor appeared to be a deep-red marble, which gave the illusion of standing in a frozen Saharan desert. I let my senses expand slightly, noticing that every surface had been recently runed, creating a magic null space similar to what existed at the Randy Rump…only stronger, much stronger. He really had turned The Dive into a fortress.
“Where’s Tea-and-Crumpets?” Grey asked from behind the bar to my right. The aroma of coffee—not just any coffee—but Death Wish coffee, wafted over to where I stood, beckoning. “Is he on his way?”
The tone behind the question set off my radar. Grey knew something was wrong. He wore a pair of faded work jeans and a black T-shirt. His leather duster hung from a coat rack at arm’s length from where he stood.
“Monty won’t be joining us today,” I said, keeping emotion out of my voice. “He’s away…on mage business.”
“Mage business, right,” Grey answered with a nod, as he poured dark liquid into a large black mug covered with a skull-and-crossbones design. “Did you threaten Frank?”
“I told the lizard we needed to speak,” I said. “Why?”
“He doesn’t like being called a lizard,” Grey said, before lifting the mug to his lips for a deep pull. He paused a moment to appreciate the coffee with a small grunt of approval. “He prefers Frank or dragon.”
“There’s no way I’m calling him a dragon,” I said. “I could squish him with one foot.”
“Unlikely,” Grey said. “He may be small, but that doesn’t mean he’s powerless. More importantly, he’s my friend, and I’d appreciate you showing him some respect.”
“As soon as he stops trying to corrupt my hellhound, I will.”
“Corrupt your hellhound?” Grey asked, glancing at Peaches. “What are you talking about? How does anyone corrupt a hellhound? Feed it lettuce? Give it healthy meat? Not that anyone would be crazy enough to feed a hellhound meat laced with broccoli, or anything ridiculous like that…right?”
Grey looked at me pointedly. Apparently someone had mentioned the “deathane incident” to him.
“Right…that liz—Frank’s been trying to fill Peaches’ head with…ideas.”
I regretted it the moment the words escaped my lips.
“Oh…no,” Grey answered, heavy on the sarcasm. “Not…ideas? Is your hellhound okay? Will he recover? Should I call a vet? Where in hell would I even find one for a hellhound?”
Jessikah coughed to hide a laugh.
“Not funny,” I said seriously. “You know he tried to get Peaches to form a hellhound union? A union to demand larger meat portions.”
“Is that Local 666?” Grey asked, barely able to keep a straight face. “I hear they have chapters in all the lowest places.”
A second later, he burst into laughter.
“I’m glad this amuses you,” I said, keeping my voice serious. “Frank is a bad influence on Peaches. Ideas travel faster than bullets…and in many cases can be deadlier.”
“Understood. Frank is Frank,” Grey said with a tight smile. “He’s not going to change for you, me, or anyone. I don’t control him, no one does. Deal with it. Besides, you should cut him some slack. You owe him.”
“Excuse me? I owe him what?”
“From what I heard,” Grey said, after regaining some of his composure and taking another sip of coffee, “Frank, your hellhound, and a little girl ice mage with her guardian mutt had to rescue a certain detective from captivity.”
“You were rescued by a little girl and a menagerie?” Jessikah asked. “Really?”
“I wasn’t rescued,” I snapped, louder than I wanted to. “They facilitated my exit from some nastiness. That’s all.”
“Rescued,” Grey replied. “Even made up a cute name for their group. The Coo Coo Cachoos, or something like that.”
“The Brew & Chew Crew,” I corrected, knowing Peaches would comment if I didn’t. “That’s their name.”
“There you go,” Grey said, raising his mug with a wicked smile. “The Brew & Chew Crew saved you. That’s just adorable.”
I remained silent. Grey smiled and nodded before taking another sip
