The Godsverse Chronicles

Magic: Chapter 6

Kimberly and Phil worked on the dagger for hours, running it through every database in the known universe to find its ancient origin. Phil was nothing if not thorough, and while I didn't know Kimberly, she seemed equally intense in an off-putting, punchable way.

While they worked, I had a chance to call around to my contacts and try to figure out what was happening and, more importantly, who was trying to kill me. Luckily, Phil had an untraceable quantum number generator which allowed me to call anywhere in the world without it being traced back to me, and I had a Rolodex full of contacts that didn't sleep.

"Thanks, Skyler," I said to one of my informants. He was a police officer who would provide me with any information I wanted—for the right price. I paid him handsomely for the privilege, but he also got off on the thrill of the subterfuge. Police officers were often adrenaline junkies, and spycraft was the ultimate high. "I'll call you back later to see if you found anything."

I slammed the receiver down in anger. Halfway through my Rolodex and I still had no clue about the loser who was trying to kill me. I was hot as a pistol and inches from ripping somebody apart with my bare hands. I hoped it would be the jackasses who were on my tail, but if not, it would be the next person to cross my path.

I stormed back into Phil's office. The hum of computers and the glow of green screens filled the room. Anjelica was half asleep, and I pushed her toward the edge of the cot when I dropped down on the bed, the duffel bag full of money under me. It occurred to me that I'd been so concerned with figuring out what happened, I never even opened up the bag.

"Did you find anything?" Anjelica kicked me lightly as she stretched.

"Nothing. Apparently, whoever is trying to kill us both is a ghost."

"That's a distinct possibility." Anjelica rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Given who you associate with, after all."

"Funny," I replied with a chuckle. "But you're right. Saying they are a ghost is an insult to ghosts, ghouls, draugrs, lich, and spirits of all types. Those guys would have the decency to leave a trail, at least."

"So, there's nothing you can do?" Anjelica yawned through her words. "I thought you were good."

"I am good. It's very frustrating." I pulled the duffel bag close. "At least I'm rich now." I opened the bag, thinking that maybe looking at the money would cheer me up.

There was nothing inside the bag but gym socks and phone books, cut to feel like the shape of money. I dumped the whole thing out on the floor and searched through it, but I already knew the truth. I was boned.

"Gross," I grumbled, picking up a foul-smelling sock.

"That doesn't look like money," Anjelica said.

"No, it doesn't, and now I am a level of anger I have only reached twice before in my life. The monsters who did this are very, very dead."

I had leveraged everything for this job, emptied every account, and called in every favor. Even with the advance, it wasn't nearly enough to buy the information I needed, but I hadn't minded the expense because this was going to be "the big one," the one that would let me stop doing tiny, little jobs and move up to the big time. Now, I was flat broke.

"I'm going to kill them." I spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm going to find them, and I'm going to kill them so hard."

"You have to find them first, though, right?" Anjelica said.

"I do." I whipped around to Phil and Kimberly. "Anything yet?"

"Not yet," Phil replied.

"We're getting close," Kimberly added, typing furiously. "But a word of warning, bugging us isn't going to make us work any faster."