Chapter 6

The spell drainedme more than I liked. A scrying spell shouldn't have been so hard to cast, but it was clear something about the setting had made my work more taxing than usual. Perhaps the room had a built-in resistance to magic to avoid accidental detection and maybe even to protect the treasure trove of knowledge within. In any case, scrying in there took an unseemly amount of magic, and now I found myself weak, hence happy when Agent Whiteclaw offered to look for more books.

Despite my exhaustion, I eyed with interest the pair of books that had popped out. The nymph one seemed more like a biography, but just in case, I tucked it into my purse. The nameless one had me intrigued, especially since I opened it to see unfamiliar script.

Before I could even think of asking Hekate for help deciphering, a scraping noise had me glancing behind. The hidden hatch, which had closed upon our entry, now gaped wide open. While nothing emerged, I knew it hadn't been triggered by happenstance.

Friend. Foe. Didn't matter. "We have company," I announced to warn my partner, not worried about being heard. If someone did lie in wait, they already knew of our presence.

I tucked the book I held into my purse and shoved the bag so it hung at my backside. I approached the hole with the stairs, hands out, alert and ready for anything. I now kind of wished I'd not depleted a good chunk of my reservoir casting the scrying.

Nothing popped up from the hatch. I stood right over it and glanced down. Nothing appeared to be waiting below.

Agent Whiteclaw barked, "On the ceiling."

What? I'd only just tilted my head upward when something dropped from above. Solidly built, the stone body heavy, the gargoyle took me to the floor hard.

And, yes, I meant actual gargoyle. Most likely a guardian of the library activated when I used my magic. In all my previous visits, the statues sat inert atop the bookcases, and I'd never paid them any mind, making the assumption—wrongly—that they were the decorative, and not the real, variety.

As the gargoyle opened its mouth, showing off jagged stone teeth, I wondered how to extricate myself without causing it too much harm. After all, gargoyles were on the endangered cryptid list.

Thump.

My partner yelled, "How do we kill them?"

"We don't," I grunted as I used what little magic I had to give me the strength to heave the one pinning me into the air. Its wings, surprisingly translucent, fluttered as it slowed its descent to the floor.

I noticed Whiteclaw swinging a book at the one stalking him. Just one. Me? I had the one who pounced and another hemming me in from the side.

"Any suggestions on not dying?" Whiteclaw's retort.

I racked my brain for the little info I knew about gargoyles. They never came up as part of my studies due to their rarity. The best-known ones being those atop Notre Dame Cathedral. They'd been inert for more than a century. Dead or in a deep hibernation, no one could tell for sure.

"They're guardians," I stated.

"Which helps us how?" he exclaimed as he nimbly leaped to avoid the gargoyle rushing him.

I doubted I could do the same. I barely had enough magic to quickly erect a shield before my pair of gargoyles could hit me. A shield that shattered!

I grunted as the impact of a stone body sent me flying, losing my purse in the process. As I pushed myself to my feet, the gargoyle who knocked me dumped my purse out and grabbed the books I'd stashed. It handed one to the first gargoyle, and off they went, fluttering high enough to put them back on their shelves.

Maybe they weren't trying to kill us after all but simply wanted their library to remain intact. But if that were true, why had I been able to borrow books in the past?

I eyed the gargoyles as they turned from the shelves to face me once more. Their steady, thudding stomp let me know they weren't done. Since they'd easily shattered my shield, I tried a different spell. I flung magic at the gargoyles that should have frozen them.

Instead, it made their plodding steps quicker. My magic made them stronger. Not good.

"Um, I think we need to leave," I called out to Whiteclaw.

"Working on it," he grumbled. A quick glance showed him grappling with a gargoyle who, while much shorter in stature, definitely proved to be stronger given how it shoved him away from the stacks of books. In my direction, as it turned out.

With Whiteclaw at my side, we faced off against the advancing gargoyles.

"Suggestions?"

"I think we should go." Before the cryptids could shove us—or worse—I stepped onto the stairs and headed down into the tunnel, walking backwards. An awkward way of moving but it allowed me to keep an eye on the gargoyles until my partner followed. Then I got the lovely view of his ass.

We hit the bottom of the steps just as the gargoyles crowded the hatch opening.

Would they follow?

They didn't. The hatch closed. The gargoyles had done their job and removed the intruders.

"I don't think they wanted us in the library," he stated.

I snorted. "What gave it away?"

"How come you never mentioned the gargoyle guardians?"

"Because this is the first time they've come alive." I wrinkled my nose. "Probably because I never used magic in there before. It must have triggered their protective nature." And explained the drain on my power. They must have siphoned some from me to wake up.

"Well, at least we got what we came for."

At that, I shook my head. "They took the books before I even had a chance to really look at them."

"That sucks. Guess we'll have to take our chances with the internet."

"Maybe if we use a VPN, we'll throw anyone watching off track," I mused aloud.

"Your optimism is cute."

So was his ass, I thought as he took the lead back to the church. With only dregs of magic left, I created a weak ball of light that bobbed ahead of us and illuminated enough for me to admire the snug fit of his jeans and the taper of his waist from his broad shoulders. That's when I noticed a sheet of paper stuck out from his back pocket. Odd, because I didn't recall him having anything like that earlier. Yes, I'd looked at his ass a few times.

"What's that in your pocket?" I asked.

"Oh, I found it on the floor in the library, stuck under a bookcase, just before the attack." He tugged it free. "I didn't have a chance to read it. Kind of stashed it to have my hands free to fight."

"Can I see?" Because I'd been in that library numerous times. There'd never been a loose sheet of anything anywhere.

He handed it over, and I paused as I perused the tight script.

"What's it say?" he queried as I frowned.

"No idea. It's not an alphabet I know." In other words, not modern, which was the only one I spoke, read, or wrote.

"Let's figure it out once we get out of here."

The church remained empty, and we made our escape without notice or mishap. Once outside, though, I glanced at Whiteclaw. "Where are you staying?"

"Motel a few streets from the precinct."

"I assume the CA is paying for it?"

"Yeah." He then clued in on why I asked. "My location might be compromised." He glanced at me. "Your house would be, too."

The thought dropped a boulder in my stomach. I hated we even had to contemplate avoiding my home. Was that really how things were? "Maybe we'rebeing overly paranoid."

"Really?" His raised eyebrow told me he didn't agree.

"The clerk didn't necessarily die because he'd seen the chimera and talked about it." I said it, but I didn't believe it. "And the cops writing the reports could have just been lazy." Nope, that one didn't ring true to my ears either.

"It's not worth taking the chance," my partner finished. "Unless you're rethinking your involvement. I'm sure Kowalski would let you off the case if you asked."

"Not a chance." I shook my head strongly. "I watched my precinct crumble from corruption before, and there's no way I'm going to turn a blind eye to it again."

"Okay, then. Any suggestions on where we can go?"

"Pretty much anywhere would work, so long as we don't tell anyone or leave a trace."

"If we want to stay off-grid, we'll need to pay for accommodations and everything else with cash. I'm gonna be honest and admit I have only like twenty bucks on me."

"And I have nothing since my purse is in that library." I wasn't about to risk pissing off the gargoyles going back to get it. I'd wait until they calmed down because, while I didn't give a crap about the bag itself, it still held not only the chimera case file, but also the one relating to my case.

"We're going to have to hit a bank and pull some dough if we want to rent a room."

"Not necessarily. I know a place we can hide out for free while we investigate."

The secret passage and the forgotten library weren't the only hidden gems I knew about. I'd found many covert sites in my time as a CA agent. The abandoned spots. The areas the homeless preferred. The locales everyone avoided.

I headed for the latter, paying a taxi driver with Whiteclaw's meager stash of cash. We had them drop us a half-mile from our destination: a lone house set amidst abandoned warehouses, looking pristine despite the neighborhood.

When I headed up the walkway, Whiteclaw paused. "This is where we're hiding? Who lives here?"

"No one."

"Are you sure?"

I could understand his skepticism. After all, the grass appeared freshly mowed, the picket fence an unsoiled white. "No one's lived here in more than forty years."

"Why not?" he asked as I headed up the three steps onto the porch.

"Because it's haunted."

Unlike many, he didn't scoff. "Haunted by who?"

"Not who. What." I remained purposely vague.

"Is it dangerous?"

"Yes." My lips curved. "Don't worry, though. I'll protect you."

He snorted. "Good to know."

I entered the house and called out, "Hey, Lenora. I'm back. Hope it's okay I brought company."

The occupant of the home materialized suddenly in the front hall. She wore a gown of diaphanous white. Her orange hair wisped and undulated as if underwater. Her eyes were black pits and her mouth a bright red.

To Whiteclaw's credit, he didn't faint, scream, or run away. He stared in shock at the banshee that floated in front of us.

"Um, hi?" He didn't sound all too certain. Don't tell me a super-agent, with all kinds of experience, never met a banshee before.

"Lenora, I'd like you to meet my partner, Koda Whiteclaw. Whiteclaw, this is Lenora, the owner of the house. Before you say something stupid, yes, she's a banshee. The CA is aware of her presence, but we've agreed to leave her alone so long as she behaves because of her former service to the bureau."

He glanced at me to exclaim, "She's a former CA agent?"

"One of the best," Lenora stated in a low whisper. "But that didn't save my family." A single tear tracked down her cheek, and I jumped in with an explanation before she went into hysterics.

"Enemies attacked while Lenora was away on CA business."

"Killed my babies," Lenora mournfully added.

"The grief transformed her into a banshee. She's been living here ever since."

"I'm sorry," he stated. "That's a devasting thing to have happen."

"It is," Lenora uttered on a high treble note.

Given I knew how easily she could go off, I hastened to distract. "Listen, sorry to barge in like this, but I wondered if we could stay here for a bit. My partner and I have stumbled across a dangerous situation and need to lie low."

"But of course." Lenora fluttered side to side in the hall. "Just don't use the children's room. I don't like it when people try to sleep in their beds." Her expression darkened.

Given the people who dared were usually squatters who broke in, the CA turned a blind eye when she scared them straight. Lenora had cured more drug addicts with her scream than any clinic managed.

"Thanks. Hopefully it won't be for more than a few days."

"If we're going to be here for a few, we'll need supplies," Whiteclaw stated.

"We have no more cash," I pointed out.

"I'm aware, which is why I'm going to pop out to get us some stuff."

His suggestion brought a frown. "If you use cards, you could be tracked," I reminded.

"We won't have a choice if we want to eat." True. So how to fix the problem?

"There is a food bank about five blocks east," Lenora mentioned. "You should be able to supply there."

"Which solves the hunger aspect. We still can't use the internet though," I mused aloud. "Making searches hard."

"You have access to the CA precinct, right?" Whiteclaw questioned.

"Yeah, but I thought we were avoiding the office."

"In the day, yes, but the night only has a skeleton shift. What if we went in and used the computers long enough to grab some info and then split?"

"If someone's bugged the computers, they'll see what we're doing."

"They already know we're looking. We should be able to get in and out, though, quickly enough to avoid trouble."

"It might work," I replied slowly. "Assuming whoever killed the clerk and is hiding the chimera isn't close by."

"It would be pretty bold to attack us there."

"So they'll wait until we leave."

"As if they could follow if we put our minds to it."

"There are spells that would muddy our tracks." I thought aloud.

"Why not set a trap instead?" Lenora's suggestion had me blinking.

"That isn't a bad idea," Whiteclaw agreed. "If someone is monitoring us, and looking to stop our investigation, then we could turn the tables."

My lips curved. "Go from hunted to hunter. Now why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're too nice," Lenora tartly stated. "Back in my day, we weren't as gentle with criminals."

I didn't point out that her freedom to exist now only occurred because people felt sorry for her situation.

Whiteclaw raked fingers through his hair, disheveling it, then eyed his clothes with a grimace. "I look too nice for a food bank."

"I can help with that."

Before Lenora could explain, she threw herself at my partner. His eyes widened and his lips parted, but he didn't panic as the banshee ruined his garments, rending them in spots, somehow even dirtying them until he looked the part of a vagrant.

He shot a wry glance over his new look. "Guess I'm good to go. You'll be okay while I'm gone?"

I snorted. "Been fine for thirty-five years now. Pretty sure I can survive a few hours on my own. Besides, I've got Lenora."

The banshee dipped and rolled as she chirped, "This is my house. Intruders aren't welcome."

"In that case, I'll be back in a few."

"Wait." I halted him before he could leave. "Give me that sheet of paper you found. I'll examine it while you're gone."

"I thought you couldn't read it," he stated as he handed it over.

"I can't, but maybe there's a way to decipher it."

"Sounds good. Stay safe." The last thing he said before heading out the door.

As it closed, I restrained an urge to follow. He'd be fine on his own. Always had been. So why did it bother me all of a sudden?

It didn't. I was just being dumb. Piece of paper in hand, I strode in the direction of the kitchen, a hovering banshee keeping close.

"What's the piece of paper from? Is it important?" Lenora asked.

"I don't know. Not yet. We found it in a secret library after casting a spell for information on a chimera."

"Oh, I'll bet the gargoyles didn't like that."

Her comment led to me doing a double-take. "Hold on, you know about them and the books?"

"Oh yes. Found it while tracking down a bogey."

"How come there's no record of it?"

"Because some secrets are best kept hidden," Lenora stated. "Not to mention, I kind of liked having exclusive access to it."

Her argument closely resembled mine.

"How come the gargoyles wouldn't let me take any of the books? In the past, it was never an issue."

"Let me guess. You used magic."

"How do you know?"

"Because I did the same thing," Lenora admitted with a giggle. "I was looking to see if there were any books on potions. I used to love dabbling. It woke up the gargoyles. I tried returning afterwards, but apparently, a little bit of magic goes a long way. Enough about those stony book guardians. Tell me more about this chimera."

"Not much to tell. Thus far, the only thing I know for sure is she escaped a prison last year after being incarcerated for more than thirty years."

"Why was she imprisoned?" Lenora's next query.

"We were told ‘crimes against humanity,' but as to specifics, no idea. The file we were given on her was almost entirely redacted. We don't even have a name."

"How odd. Why would anyone do that?" Lenora mused aloud as she floated horizontally, almost touching the ceiling.

"I don't know. It makes no sense."

"Unless her crime was so heinous they wanted no one to repeat it."

"I guess that's a possibility." Yet it didn't feel right. "I also don't understand why someone would be hiding everything about her now. Why is no one on the internet talking about magical fires? Why did the security footage go missing? Why did someone kill the clerk who saw her?"

Then because Lenora still listened, I added, "Apparently, there's a bounty on her head."

"Meaning there is someone still alive from that time who wants vengeance. Do you know who?"

I shook my head. "They posted the reward anonymously. But here's the strange part. They want her delivered alive."

"Not so strange. Most likely they want to torture and kill her themselves." If anyone could understand that desire, it would be Lenora. "Sounds to me like there's at least one party trying to protect her by redacting files and concealing her movement and another who wants her brought out into the open. You should speak with them."

"Trust me, I've thought about it." My lips turned down. "The problem is, they're communicating on the dark web, and it's highly unlikely they'll volunteer to talk to CA agents. I figure the only way to get them to agree to meet is by offering them information on the chimera, but I don't have anything juicy enough to dangle."

"What about the sheet of paper you found in the library?" Lenora asked, reminding me I clutched it.

"I hardly doubt an old page from a book is going to help." Still, I had some hope considering it had appeared after I cast the spell.

I smoothed it out on the table and stared at it. It didn't make the writing any clearer. I sent a prayer to Hekate. Oh goddess, if you're listening, I don't suppose you'd give me the power to translate?

No reply.

How about a refill on magic so I can cast a spell to decipher?

Still nothing.

I sighed. Hopefully my magic would regenerate enough on its own before I needed it again.

Lenora floated above the table, over the sheet of paper. "How interesting. This is a page from a diary."

The comment had me eyeing her in surprise. "You can read it?"

"Oh yes. I took linguistics in college. It's in ancient Greek. One of the seven languages I know."

Excitement filled me. "What does it say?"

"Let's see…" Her voice took on a monotone quality as she recited. "It starts off mid-thought and sentence. …won't leave me alone. I've moved yet again and still he"—Lenora added an inflection to the word—"pursues. How does he keep finding me? Why won't he take no for an answer? Surely there is another that would be pleased by his attention. I want nothing more than for him to leave me alone. Especially now that I've met my true love. The danger is great. If he were to find out my heart belonged to another, I fear what will happen. I've tried to tell my love to leave. To find another. He refuses. He is so brave. Determined to stand by my side. He held me as I sobbed and said goodbye to another home. Promised me that one day we'd be free to live in happiness. I wish I had my love's optimism. I am so tired of running. So tired of having to move one place after another lest he get a piece of me. If he does, I'm doomed. My fate will be worse than death. Surely there is a way to stop someone like him? I can only hope my love's latest quest proves fruitful. Else I fear for the life growing within me."

Lenora stopped.

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Well, that wasn't useful," I muttered. Not a single word about a chimera. Just a saga of a woman with a stalker. I really wished I'd been able to keep the books the gargoyles took from me.

"You say you found this in the library?" Lenora queried, once more floating by the ceiling.

"Koda did. He said it was the floor, stuck under a bookcase, which was odd because I don't recall seeing it there before." Then again, it was possible that someone else knew about the library and had dropped it.

"Odd. This missive is only a few decades old."

My tapping fingers paused. "I thought you said it was in ancient Greek."

"It is, but the paper? It's modern, as is the ink used to write it."

I leaned forward to stare and cursed. "How did I not realize that?"

"Because you made an assumption."

"How did it end up in that hidden library?"

Lenora shrugged. "I often wondered if the gargoyles, or some kind of latent spell, continued to seek out texts even after the library fell into disuse."

Interesting, but not the mystery I needed to solve today. Out of curiosity, I asked Lenora, "I don't suppose you know what color a chimera's flames are?"

"What a strange thing to ask. Blue, of course," Lenora replied, matter-of-factly.

The reply startled. "Are you sure?"

"Oh yes. As part of my training, I spent some time in Greece and actually met a chimera while I was there. Lovely woman with the most intense eyes. One of them a bright blue, just like her hair, the other dark as night."

"Is that a common trait?" Because I couldn't help but think of that partial image I'd captured from the clerk's memories.

"I wouldn't know. She's the only chimera I ever met. I do believe, though, that mismatched eyes are a species thing for them."

"Do you recall her name?"

"Of course, it's…" Lenora paused her fluttering and frowned. "Well, this is embarrassing. I can't seem to remember. Is it important?"

"Probably not." Even if the chimera Lenora met was the same one I chased, a name wouldn't help if her entire existence had been wiped.

"What's your plan?" Lenora asked.

"I'm not sure." We'd gotten as far as agreeing that Koda should pick up some food, and then possibly visit the CA office that night. Maybe even setting a trap for anyone coming after us.

Dangling ourselves as bait wasn't my favorite idea. However, I might not have a choice if I wanted to shake a clue loose. Once Whiteclaw returned we could discuss how we'd go about drawing out anyone looking to stop our investigation.

At least that was my plan until Lenora asked, "Why did you ask about the color of the chimera's flames?"

"Because the reports I've read on the fires didn't mention it, and I've recently learned that one of the fires supposedly caused by her was purple."

"Well then it can't have been your chimera. What about the other fires she supposedly set? What color were they?"

"I don't know." But I suddenly realized I knew who to talk to that might.