Page 30 of The Elementalist (Four Elements #1)

A Search for Understanding

I paced around my apartment, alternating between worried and grinning at Crystal’s clothes on my bed.

We’d left the hotel a little after eight, stopped by her place so she could change, then headed back to Shadow Pines with a detour to recover her car. My place didn’t have much in the sense of real food, so we also grabbed breakfast from a place across the street and down a block.

She’d walked out the door a few minutes ago with only her invisibility on; hence, the clothing on my bed.

Fortunately, the sheriff’s office wasn’t too far away, a little over a mile.

That could prove to be a problem if the vampires or whoever is pulling Justine’s strings spotted her.

I could only hope she made it there without detection.

After all, she certainly appeared invisible to me.

.. and killer vamps should be snoozing about now.

While Crystal headed to check out the sheriff’s office, I called Michael.

At present, I could count the number of sources available to get ‘weird’ information on one hand.

Presently, that amounted to two. Michael and Crystal.

She obviously had no idea why the Farringtons wanted her, other than presumably her being a succubus, so I had one person left to ask.

“Hey, Max. Good to hear you’re still alive,” said Michael by way of answering.

“For the time being… You were right. Only they didn’t come after me. I went after them.”

“Great. I’m guessing it ended well since you’re on the phone with me, unless this is a direct line from the hereafter.”

I chuckled and sat in the chair by my computer desk.

Well, it’s technically a folding card table, but it’s my computer station.

While sipping the last of the coffee I’d gotten from Benny’s place, I gave Michael a quick rundown of what happened at the old boarding house.

For her privacy, I left out that Crystal had accompanied me or that she was anything other than human.

“Holy shit. I kinda heard about that.”

“You did?” I asked, incredulous. “How?”

“Those college kids you found were on the news this morning. They’d been missing a couple days, same old story—hiking and presumed lost.”

“Ugh. If I had a buck for every time that happened in Shadow Pines. Most people around here translate that to ‘never to be seen again.’”

“Right. Only, these kids came back. Claimed they’d been abducted by a couple of crazy hermits or something who’d been squatting in the abandoned boarding house. No mention of vampires, unsurprisingly, but they did wind up in the hospital for ‘observation.’”

Oops. Crystal and I never did go back for them.

Guess they managed to get out of that room.

I can picture that redhead, Shiloh, breaking the door down.

And I had, after all, given her the key to that BMW.

Bigger question is if they decided not to talk about vampires on their own, or if someone made sure they didn’t.

Considering they haven’t disappeared again, I assumed they decided to keep their mouths shut.

I shook my head. “You’d have to think the doctors would start to suspect something weird was going on around here with all the cases of people being ‘low on blood’.”

Michael laughed. “They probably do… and are made to forget once they ask too many questions.”

“Speaking of questions, I got one for you.”

“Shoot.”

“Shit. You just reminded me I need to drop the truck off at Hank’s. Anyway… do you have any idea why someone would want to capture a half-succubus?”

“Umm, only that they’re an idiot. Those critters are pretty much impossible to contain. Also, supposedly quite dangerous. I’ve heard of a few reports, but the information is somewhat sketchy. They might be demons, might be something else.”

“Fey.”

“That’s one theory, yeah. I’d recommend you stay the heck away from them.”

I shifted in the seat, stifling a grunt at the soreness in my groin. “Let’s say in theory someone managed to find a way to contain one with, oh, a strange green energy field.”

“You saw this?”

“The barrier felt like glass, kinda looked like green lasers in smoke. It was round, and came up from a circle drawn on the floor.”

“And it worked? Someone actually captured a succubus?”

“Yeah. Half-succubus, not a full one. What would they want her for?”

Rustling crackled over the line, as though he held the phone to his head with his shoulder while rummaging books or binders. “Gimme a sec.”

“Sure.”

I glanced across the room past the bedroom door at her clothes on the bed.

Sneaking into a police station is probably one of the dumbest things a person can do.

Doing it naked is next level. Though, she is invisible, can open any lock she touches, and/or can teleport short distances.

So, yeah, Michael’s right… containing a succubus with physical means is pretty much futile.

“Hmm,” said Michael after a few minutes of paper shuffling. “Someone capable of creating the barrier you’re describing might be interested in her essence.”

“Her essence?”

“Yeah, like her soul energy or whatever. As you might expect, taking that from her would be fatal... to her, of course.” He rummaged some more while I waited.

Truth was, I was still damn weak, but at least I could move now.

Michael came back on the line five, ten minutes later.

“Okay. Best I can figure, they’re looking to create a magical artifact with the ability to control minds.

Succubus essence could also be used for an invisibility item—but then again any fey spirit can—or this one I’m reading about here sounds like a continuous radiant charm.

Like, if they put it into a ring or bit of jewelry, whoever wore the item would be so charismatic everyone around them would think they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.

No matter what they did, people would love them.

Barring, of course, anyone immune or resistant to charm. ”

Damn. That sounds bad. I can’t let that happen. “Is there any way to protect her?”

“Protect her? You know the succubus?”

“We’ve… met.”

Michael kept silent.

A half-minute passed. “Michael?”

“You did it, didn’t you?”

I sighed. “Any possible way I respond to that you’re going to take as an admission that something happened.”

“Something happened.”

“See?”

He whistled. “Max, you could help me out with some information. I don’t have a lot here on succubi. No need to reveal who she is, but any concrete facts you can share would be amazingly helpful.”

“I’ll ask. She’s kinda private. But I will say they’re definitely fey and not demons.

Nor do they kill. They’re not inherently dangerous.

Bear in mind, I’m talking about a half-succubus here.

No idea what the purebloods are like. So…

what’s the best way to make sure the bad guys don’t keep going after her? ”

Michael murmured as if jotting down notes for a few seconds. “Best way? Either kill the person or persons trying to take her power, or kill her.”

I grumbled.

“I realize that’s not a wonderful answer, but it is the best way to guarantee that the artifact is never created.

I suppose you could attempt to talk the arcanist out of it, but I don’t imagine that would work too well.

If they’ve already gone to the trouble of creating an entrapment field, they’re committed. ”

“Arcanist?”

“Would it be easier for you to understand if I called them a wizard?”

“Easier to understand, yes. Believe? Not so much.”

“You throw lightning bolts from your hands, Max. I’ve seen it.”

I rubbed my face, groaning.

“An arcanist is similar but different. You are nature. The power is both around you and inside you. Using it is as natural as breathing or walking. Arcanists manipulate forces comparable to yours, though it is completely external. For them, it takes years of focus and study, memorizing specific thought patterns, hand motions, runes, that sort of thing. Most of what they do needs to be channeled into the form of items or, like that circle, inscribed on the floor, walls, paper, and so on. They are also quite rare. A person needs to be born with the ability to invoke magic, but if they never pursue it, it will never develop. In the modern world where the collective consciousness of humanity largely regards things like magic as mythological, the vast majority of those who have the propensity to become arcanists never realize it.”

“Well, that’s too bad for them… but at least one guy around here figured it out. Maybe more than one. I really don’t know.”

“If you wind up having to deal with him or them directly, you should have the advantage. They would be reliant on trinkets and traps.”

A sudden feeling of no longer being alone came over me.

I sat up and looked around, stretching my arm to grab the .

44 beside the computer keyboard. Learning that vampires really existed didn’t worry me as much as learning the sun didn’t destroy them.

Sure, they’re weaker in daylight, but a highly motivated vampire wouldn’t let that stop them.

And killing an entire pack is plenty enough to motivate their friends.

But… I didn’t invite anyone inside. Thank God for that crazy rule.

With that thought in mind, I shifted my attention to the window, scanning the buildings across the street for someone watching me with binoculars. Something moved in the corner of my eye. I whirled to my left, aiming my gun at… Crystal’s underwear floating up off the bed. Oh, for the love of…

The flying panties stretched out, sank down near the floor, then took on the shape of the woman pulling them up into place.

“So, there’s nothing ‘magical’ that can be done to protect her?” I asked, spinning away and setting the .44 down on the table.

“Afraid not.”

“Damn. Hey, I need to go, Michael. Give me a call if you find something?”

“Will do. Be careful, Max.”

“I’d say I will, but you wouldn’t believe me.”

He laughed.