CHAPTER Two
It was late when I finally awoke again. Sunlight was streaming in annoyingly through a gap in the curtains and hitting the side of my face. I groaned slightly to myself, wondering whether the events of the night before had just been a product of my imagination. However, when I finally managed to get myself out of bed and check, it became apparent that unfortunately they’d been real. I stared mournfully at my broken door for a moment, hoping that my new landlord wasn’t planning to make any surprise visits to check on his new tenant before I managed to get it fixed.
Possession-less as I virtually was, the flat itself was rather bare. It came supplied with a few basics: a sofa, a bed, a kitchen table and chairs – one of which was currently keeping the front door closed – and very little else. I’d not even had time to stock the cupboards yet, and the absence of coffee was grating on me. I made a mental note to make sure that I managed to leave work in time this evening to buy a proper coffee machine and some of South America’s finest, then shrugged on my usual uniform of jeans and a dark t-shirt and picked up my backpack on my way out. At least there was nothing worth stealing inside the flat, I figured ruefully, as I left the door hanging precariously against the frame. Corrigan still had a hell of a lot to answer for though.
The bookshop was a short ten minute walk away, and I knew from my previous strolls back and forth that there was a small coffee shop along the way. I checked my watch and decided that there was time to pick up a triple espresso. Opening day wasn’t until next week and, while there was a hell of a lot to still get ready before then, at least being a bit late wouldn’t cause too many problems. When I emerged from the shop, one coffee and one foul-smelling herbal tea clutched in my hands, there were prickles against the back of my neck and, without turning round to check, I knew that I was being watched. It was hardly rocket science to work out where I was going though, so I did my best to ignore them and continued forward. If those idiots had nothing better to do than follow me round all day, then that was up to them.
The new, improved, and somewhat displaced, Clava Books was situated along a busy London thoroughfare. I’d suggested to Mrs. Alcoon that we should change the name – after all its namesake, the Clava Cairns, was on the other side of the country – but she’d insisted on keeping it the same. After ensuring that she could never return to Inverness by burning down the original and making everyone think that she’d died inside it, I could hardly argue. We’d been fortunate enough to be able to take over the lease of the new building thanks to some generous compensation from the mages. I had the distinct feeling that it was my good books they were trying to stay in, rather than Mrs. Alcoon’s, but she deserved something after her livelihood and home had been ripped out from under her so I’d kept quiet and let her take the money. She was living in the small flat above the shop and, even though we hadn’t officially opened yet and therefore had no profits to speak of, there was enough left over to pay me a wage to cover my own expenses.
The bell tinkled as I pushed open the door, announcing my arrival. Mrs. Alcoon’s lilting Scottish voice drifted over a greeting to me from behind a towering pile of boxes. “Mackenzie, dear, are you quite alright?”
“Sure, Mrs. Alcoon, I’m fine.”
Her head popped up, and her eyes regarded me seriously. “You should see a doctor, you know, dear. That might help you to sleep better.”
Mrs. Alcoon wasn’t exactly a mage, but she did possess some weak Divination powers that allowed her moments of prescience and insight. Clearly this was one of those moments.
“Honestly, I’m fine,” I repeated, reassuring her. I lifted up the tea. “Here, I brought you a drink.”
She beamed at me, and stood up so I could pass it over to her. “Oh, you are wonderful. You should really have gotten another cup though as I think we’re going to have a helper with us today.”
I frowned at her, puzzled.
“The March-Mage called. He’s sending over his best librarian to give us a hand with getting ready.”
I grinned. “You mean the Arch-Mage?”
She waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Oh, yes, Arch-Mage, sorry. A lot of this Otherworld stuff is very new to me, you know, dear. It’s difficult to get all the names right.”
Technically speaking, no humans (even those with minor powers) were allowed to know about the Otherworld, and its denizens did a good job of keeping it secret. However, considering that there had been no sensible explanation other than the truth as to why Mrs. Alcoon had lost months of her life in a coma, coupled with the fact that her slight Divination skills had already picked up on my Draco Wyr heritage beforehand, pretending otherwise had seemed pointless. Thankfully, the mages had seemed to agree and I’d had no disagreement about revealing the whole truth to her from any other quarter either. To be fair to the older lady, she’d dealt with all of the revelations remarkably well. She had known about the existence of the Ministry for years before I’d met her though. I gave her a suspicious look and wondered whether her ‘mistake’ had been deliberate. She blinked back at me innocently. Hmmm.
A thought struck me. “Hold on, he said his best librarian?”
Mrs. Alcoon sipped her tea. “Yes, dear.”
Uh-oh. If that was who I thought it was going to be, then Mrs. Alcoon’s mettle was going to be tested more than both either she or I had anticipated. I shrugged mentally. She was made of stern stuff; she’d cope. I flipped open the plastic lid to my coffee and took a large gulp, scalding the sides of my throat, then placed my cup to one side and got to work.
The bookshelves were already in place, and we’d spent the previous week giving the walls a coat of inoffensive cream paint, and the wooden floor a fresh varnish. Now all that really remained was to sort out the stock. I reached over into the nearest box and began pulling out books, ready to put them into order on the shelves. I’d managed to convince Mrs. Alcoon that Gaelic tomes weren’t going to draw in much of an audience here in London although she’d vetoed the idea of going mainstream and selling bestsellers. Instead we were touting ourselves as a ‘New Age’ bookstore. In essence that meant all manner of Otherworld-based books, along with some make-believe human versions. The colourful book on top of the pile proclaimed itself as ‘Crystal Wisdom: How to harness the power of gemstones to change YOUR life’. Yeah, that would be a human one then. I started two piles: one fit for normal public consumption that we would place near the front of the store, and one for the more discerning Otherworld customer, that would be somewhat hidden towards the back. I also started my own secretive pile that I hid surreptitiously behind me, ready to stuff into my backpack later. I’d sneaked a couple of vampire books into the purchase order for my own perusal and, while I was sure that Mrs. Alcoon wouldn’t have minded me ordering a few books for myself, I was fairly confident that she wouldn’t be impressed with my reasons as to why I’d ordered those particular ones. Aubrey and his little vampire friends still had a lot to answer for after their actions at the mage academy that had inadvertently caused the death of my friends. I wasn’t about to forget what they’d done and, somehow or other, I was going to make them pay.
Before too long, I was surrounded by books. I rested back on my haunches for a second, looking around. I barely seemed to have made a dent in the boxes that packed the floor space. This was going to take some time. I was just reaching out for the next box, when there was a snap and crackle in the air. Looking up, I noted the purple shimmer, idly wondering to myself if there was a way to prevent the mages from dropping in unannounced whenever they wished. Not that I disliked them or didn’t want their custom, but I wasn’t really particularly keen on the idea that they could show up whenever and wherever they wanted to. I’d have to do some investigating to find out. There had to be a mystical version of a doorbell that we could somehow install.
“Dear? The air is humming and looking really rather peculiar,” called out Mrs. Alcoon from the other side of the store.
“I think that’ll be your helpful librarian,” I commented.
I hadn’t even finished my sentence when a familiar chubby figure came fluttering heavily through the portal. While I, of course, would have been throwing up all over the newly varnished floor, Slim irritatingly appeared none the worse for his travels.
“Fecking hell. Is this it?” the little gargoyle exclaimed.
I flicked a glance over at Mrs. Alcoon, who was blinking rapidly. “Goodness,” she murmured.
“Can’t fecking believe I’ve been made to come all this way for a little shop. Fecking humans.” Slim wheeled round in the air and fixed a beady eye on me. “Not that you’re human, you weird fecker.”
“Good to see you too, Slim,” I smiled.
As the steely custodian of the library in the mages’ academy, Slim clearly knew all about what happened back in February when I’d shifted into a dragon and killed Tryyl, the wraith that had left destruction and devastation in its wake. The Arch-Mage had assured me that he had placed a geas – an oath – on all the witnesses so that my real identity wouldn’t go any further. I was somewhat skeptical but could do little about it now. It wasn’t as if I could go around threatening the entire Ministry, even if I did apparently have the ability to transform into a fire-breathing beast. I hadn’t actually tried to shift again since that terrible day. The dragon form had so completely taken over my consciousness, and had been so consumed by the blinkered desire for violence, that I was kind of afraid to attempt it. I had discovered that I liked being in control of emotions. I supposed it was rather ironic that it was Thomas, whose death had caused me to lose all that control, who had taught me to feel that way.
Mrs. Alcoon found her voice. “Well, this simply will not do, Mr Slim. It will not do at all.”
Uh oh. I watched the older woman warily. Maybe she wasn’t going to cope with being confronted by a flying purple gargoyle with a penchant for old books quite as well as I’d thought. She lifted a single finger in his direction.
“Do not move,” she stated firmly, then disappeared underneath the counter and began rummaging around in something, before standing back up and brandishing a flowery yellow headscarf. Mrs. Alcoon held it up in front of her face and squinted sideways at Slim. “Yes, this will suit nicely, I think.”
Slim’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. I watched, thoroughly amused, as she carefully picked her way around the boxes until she was directly in front of him. Then she reached out around his waist and, in one swift motion, tied the scarf around his middle, knotting it at the side and hiding his naked nether regions.
“What the feck are you doing?” screeched Slim, short arms scrabbling down to his side trying to snatch off the offending piece of fabric.
“Mr. Slim,” Mrs. Alcoon began in a patient voice, “Mackenzie and I are most grateful to have your assistance and we do hope that you convey that thought to your March-Mage. However, flying around here with your bits hanging out all day long simply will not do.” She fixed him with a beaming smile. “It’s simply too distracting. I’m sure you understand.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Now, can I get you some tea perhaps?”
Slim gaped at her, then stared down at himself. The clash between the yellow of the scarf and his purple skin was really rather extraordinary. I couldn’t help myself: a tiny snort escaped me, causing the gargoyle to spin round in the air and snarl.
I tried to look serious, and failed. “It suits you, Slim, it really does. I think yellow is definitely your colour.”
“You can fecking shut your trap,” he hissed.
“Mr. Slim,” repeated Mrs. Alcoon, “would you like some tea?”
He muttered an affirmative reply, not looking at her.
For her part, she smiled at him benignly. “Then I’ll be right back.” She disappeared off into the small kitchenette at the back of the shop.
As soon as she’d gone, Slim jabbed a stubby finger in my direction. “If you fecking tell anyone else about this, anyone at all…”
I grinned. “My lips are sealed.”
He stared at me suspiciously, then grunted unhappy acquiescence. “Well, let’s get to work. Sooner I get out of this fecking hell hole and away from that crazy woman the better.”
With Slim’s help, the process of unpacking the books and sorting them out became much faster. He had a few choice words about our selection, muttering away to himself whenever he came across a particularly New Age endowed human text, but I had to admit that he knew his stuff and was able to arrange the piles much more efficiently and knowledgeably than I could. It helped, of course, that he didn’t get distracted by every third book like I did, and feel compelled to sit down and read a chapter of it. When Mrs. Alcoon brought out his tea, he sniffed at it warily before taking a tiny sip. I stopped what I was doing and watched, waiting for him to spit it back out again, but instead a curious spasm crossed his face and he said nothing else. He ended up drinking the entire thing, causing me no end of surprise. For once, however, I wisely kept my mouth shut.
By the time it was midday, everything was unpacked and in piles around the floor, and I was depositing the flattened cardboard boxes outside, ready to be collected for recycling. I’d managed to drop the vampire books into my backpack without the others noticing, and planned to read through them carefully at my leisure later on. I designated myself to go out and pick up some sandwiches for lunch, hoping that it was safe to leave the pair of them behind on their own. Certainly Slim could hardly go wandering about the streets of London, and I didn’t trust that Mrs. Alcoon would manage to bring back anything edible. Hungry as I was, there seemed little other choice.
I turned left out of the shop, thinking that I’d wander down to the small supermarket on the corner and pick up some crusty bread and perhaps a rotisserie chicken if they had any left. As I did so, a tiny movement caught my eye from across the street. I paused mid-step, thinking for a moment, then continued, keeping careful watch on the busy road next to me. I deliberately slowed my steps, making it appear to the entire world as if I were simply out for a relaxed stroll in the daytime sun, and counted down in my head.
I’d timed it perfectly. As soon as I reached the crossroads, the traffic signal changed to green and the stream of cars revved up and continued on their journeys, effectively blocking anyone from crossing over to my side of the street. As soon as that happened, without turning my head, I turned left down the street and away from my watchers, and began to run. I pelted down the pavement, dodging passersby. There was a hairy moment when I almost got entangled with the lead of a small terrier that was tied up to a nearby lamppost and began barking at me, but I managed to leap over it, then twist left again down a small alley that led along the back of all the shops, parallel to the direction I’d just come. The faint smell of urine and rotting rubbish reached my nostrils, reminding me that on my list of things to do was finding some time to clear out the back of the bookshop so that at least we could avoid having any unpleasant whiffs drift in and bother the customers. For now, however, I ignored it and continued to sprint, this time unencumbered by pedestrians, until I reached the end when I turned left again out onto the street and up to the same busy road that I’d originally been on, albeit a few hundred metres back from where I’d started.
Now that I was to the rear of my trackers, I was in a position to find out exactly who it was wasting their time following me around. I still didn’t really care whether they were there or not, but I was curious who the might and power of the Otherworld had decided to send to babysit me. The first one was easy to spot, not just because she was frantically searching up the street for me, but because I also knew her. I hadn’t been na?ve enough to presume that Corrigan himself would spend his entire time following me around, the previous night’s encounter notwithstanding, but I still felt the slightest twinge of disappointment that it was Lucy, the honeybadger shifter with the appetite of a horse who I’d first met in Cornwall, and not the Lord Alpha himself. Telling myself that I felt that way just because I’d wanted to prove that I could give Corrigan the slip without even breaking into a sweat, I dismissed her, and looked for the others.
Where Lucy had by now managed to start crossing the road, the other two were still standing on the opposite side, about halfway down the block. It was apparent that the reason they’d not started to come after me was due to the fact that there were starting to come after each other. They were facing each other, clearly squaring off, while the shoppers nearby gave them a wide berth and more than a few nervous glances. I chuckled to myself, and leaned backwards slightly to get a better look. The mage, not anyone I’d previously encountered, had his back to me, but his profession was recognisable thanks to his odd attire. It seemed to be de rigeur that as soon as mages made it out of the academy, they ended up in attention-grabbing clothing that proclaimed their distinct personalities as loudly as possible. Having spent barely a couple of months wearing the constricting mage uniform myself, I didn’t blame them. This particular specimen was wearing shocking pink neon jeans and a green t-shirt, with some kind of floppy hat perched on his head. Clearly, staying unobtrusive wasn’t high on the mages’ list of intentions and I wondered what it said about me that they didn’t care that I’d know I was being followed. It seemed likely that it was more about making sure that the shifters and the faeries knew he was there than anything else.
I watched as he reached over to the Fae opposite him and gave him a tiny shove. Apparently Beltran still hadn’t been relieved of his duty yet. He leaned in towards the mage and flicked him on the nose. I snickered. Despite my amusement, however, the tension in both their bodies was clear; their mutual hatred was visible even from across the crowded street.
“Quite a show they’re putting on,” commented a voice next to me, making me jump.
I cursed myself for being so wrapped up in the proceedings that were unfolding between Beltran and the mage that I’d not been paying attention to what was nearby, and glanced over at the owner of the voice, before immediately relaxing. It was a slight, bespectacled chap who I’d never seen before, but who clearly was about as dangerous as a tub of margarine.
“Mmm,” I murmured agreement.
“Do you think I should call the police?” he asked, with a slightly anxious tone.
That probably wasn’t a good idea. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll sort it out themselves,” I said reassuringly. “There’s no point in escalating the situation further.” Or getting the human police wrapped up in affairs of the Otherworld at least.
I continued to watch the pair of them, wondering whether I should intervene and nip their posturing in the bud. Before I could make a decision either way, however, Lucy reappeared next to them. She gesticulated irritably in my direction. I guessed that my scent had finally given me away, and wondered if it would be worth my while getting in touch with Julia to see if she could make me up some masking lotion in case of future encounters. I discarded the idea as pointless almost immediately. Corrigan could contact me whenever he wanted through the Voice, the mages just needed to set up a simple Divination spell if they wanted to find me and, if I allowed a single drop of blood to fall, the Fae – well, Solus anyway - would know exactly where I was. It highlighted how ridiculous the whole notion of them all following me around really was.
Beltran and the mage turned towards me, frowning.
“You know them?” The man beside me asked, with a curious note in his voice.
“Not exactly,” I answered, smiling at him politely and hoping he’d continue on his way. Fortunately, he seemed to get the message as he smiled back and nodded, then made to cross the road himself.
Lucy, Beltran and the mage were all staring at me so I gave them a grin and a little wave. None of them looked particularly happy. I shrugged. That was hardly my concern. My stomach rumbled, reminding me why I was outside in the first place. My original curiosity satisfied, I headed back down the street to finally pick up some lunch.