“We want the same thing, Simon,” TK said. “We want Tristan back…whole.”
“What am I going to do at Haven?” I asked. “I don’t read runes. Roxanne is there, and she can help you with whatever runic trap was on the skywalk. Besides, she’s not going to be happy to see me right now.”
“He has a point,” LD said, looking at TK. “She’ll hold him partially responsible for Tristan casting when he wasn’t supposed to.”
“Where are you going to go?” TK asked, each word a threat of pain. “Tristan doesn’t exactly want to be found at the moment. He expressed as much the last time you saw him, I’m sure.”
“I’m going to go see Ezra,” I said. “I have questions only he can answer.”
TK nodded.
“Very well,” she said. “I understand.”
“You do?” LD and I said simultaneously.
“Of course,” TK replied, stepping into the circle. “You feel you must take some kind of action. I would hazard that, as his shieldbearer, you should have acted sooner, preferably before he went dark.”
“Considering that I’m not the mage here,” I answered, measuring my words carefully to prevent disintegration by an angrier TK, “I would say that those who are mages should have seen this coming and done something about it. Just a thought.”
“We’re doing something now, before it gets worse,” TK said, her words soft as titanium. “I’m not your mother; you don’t need my permission. Do what you must, and try not to get killed.”
LD shook his head and chuckled.
“You, hombre, like to live dangerously,” he said, glancing at Jessikah before stepping into the circle. “You coming, Farsight?”
Jessikah shook her head.
“I think I’ll stay with Mr. Strong,” Jessikah said after a pause. “He didn’t threaten to kill me where I stand.”
“This is why you need to be nice,” LD said, looking at TK who began to gesture. “Now she’s scared of you.”
“I would say that’s the appropriate and correct response,” TK said, glancing at Jessikah. “It will keep her alive.”
“Fear shouldn’t be the go-to response,” I said. “How will you get answers?”
“Fear has a way of providing the answers I need.”
“You want her scared of you?” I asked. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“She should be scared of me,” TK said. “I am a real and present threat to her. Fear will make her careful and keep her alive—two excellent qualities to possess, considering her present situation.”
“You’re going to have the Black Orchid after you, Farsight,” LD said. “They’ll try to take you out and make it look like an accident. Watch your six. A little fear is a good thing.”
TK nodded. “For the record,” TK said, with a final gesture which caused the circle to glow, “I was being civil. I don’t do nice…now or ever. It’s not like I blasted her into oblivion, which was a viable option.”
“True,” LD said, looking at me and stepping back into the circle. “We’ll be at Haven for a while, then we’ll meet up with you. If you see Tristan, be careful. Don’t try to convince him to come to the light side. He’s not thinking straight right now.”
“I know,” I said, remembering his words. “He threatened to end my immortal existence.”
“Try not to find out if that’s possible,” TK said. “Do not engage him. Once we decipher the trap Evers used, we will find you.”
“Be careful,” LD said, before they disappeared in a green flash.
“Who is Ezra?” Jessikah asked. “Why do you need to see him so badly?”
“Ezra is hard to explain,” I said. “Are you sure you want to come with? I’m not going to let you attack Monty.”
“I have no intention of attacking Tristan.”
“Good. I’d hate to have to shoot you.”
“It’s not like you could really stop me,” Jessikah said. “You’re not a mage.”
“It amazes me every time I hear that,” I said, staring at her. “It’s usually right before I have to put a mage down.”
We left the office in silence and headed for the stairs.
THREE
We took the stairs down to the garage, surprisingly avoiding my landlady until the lowest level. I didn’t want to have to explain why Monty was “away” or on an “extended vacation” until further notice. For once, her radar must have been down as we navigated the stairs.
Or so I thought.
Standing next to the Dark Goat, in all her frozen splendor, was a displeased-looking Olga. Somehow, she always knew when I was about to leave or enter the Moscow. At this point, I was beginning to wonder if she had some kind of tracker on me.
“What is that?” Jessikah pointed to the Dark Goat as we approached. “It feels—”
“Later,” I said under my breath. “I have to deal with this.”
“Stronk,” Olga said, arms crossed, glaring ice daggers at me. “Where is prepodavatel? Where is teacher?”
Olga was dressed in a bespoke, dark-blue pantsuit, made by some designer even I didn’t recognize. It meant she was probably wearing the equivalent of a small country’s GDP. Her sky-blue eyes glowed softly with latent energy, and her nearly white-blonde hair was pulled back into a severe bun, which only made her look more imposing.
“Monty is away on mage business,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “He should be back in a week or so.”
Olga narrowed her eyes at me.
“You lie poorly, Stronk,” Olga said, glaring at me before glancing at Jessikah. “Who is this?”
“This is a…friend,” I said. “She is going to help me work a case.”
“She is detective?”
“Something like that,” I said, placing a hand on the Dark Goat and unlocking it with the clang of a hammer on anvil. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” Olga said. “Everything not okay.”
“What happened?” I asked, suddenly concerned. The last time we’d had an issue, the Moscow was slowly being encased in ice. “Where is Cece?”
“That is problem.”
“Is Cece in trouble?”
“Cecelia is big trouble.”
It was vague, but we were heading in the right direction. Olga would not be rushed.
“Tell me what happened,” I said slowly. “Is it like last time?”
“No, no,” Olga waved my words away. “She is learnink, but
