Djinn and Bear It (Providence Paranormal College Book 5) Page 7

  “Oh!” Memories flooded back from other times I’d met her. “Okay. You have an amulet that’s helping me remember you now. Your parents are vampires, and you’re from Vermont.”

  “Uh-huh.” She gave me a cheery smile. “Hello again!”

  “Okay, so now that’s done.” Nox grinned. “You’re about to graduate, so you know what an Extramagus is.”

  “Oh, no. I mean, yeah I do, but they’re like the baddest of bad news.”

  “The worst.” I’d almost forgotten Ismail was there, standing at my right shoulder.

  “You know, I always thought that was kind of biased. I mean, I can think of lots of people with big power who did the right thing most of the time.” I chewed my bottom lip, not wanting to rehash my stance from almost every class that mentioned Extramagi but also not able to justify blanket fear and anger for an entire classification of people.

  “Yeah, we know how you feel about stereotyping.” Tony sat down with a cup of black coffee. Instead of drinking it, he pushed it over to Maddie. “That’s why this is going to be hard.”

  “What’s going to be hard?” I blinked. “I thought Fred just wanted an interview.”

  “Nope. He just thought that was the best cover for bringing you here. Convincing you all your recent klutziness and weird coincidences are because an Extramagus has his or her eye on you is what we’re really after.” Nox sighed. “I have to admit, it took me a while to believe it myself when it happened to me. But don’t you wonder exactly what kind of trouble I was in back in February?”

  “No, I don’t.” I shook my head. “I figured it was all about the Faerie Court conflict.”

  “Which got kicked up by the same Extramagus the lot of us think has been messing with the school for a long time.” Nox ran a hand through her hair.

  “That’s disturbing, but it makes sense.” Ismail sat down between Tony and me. “My last master thought one was causing her problems.”

  “Bingo.” Maddie tapped her own nose. “That’d be Kimiko, and she was right. She and Blaine were lucky to escape with their lives. If you were her Djinn, then you know something about what a mess they were in. Nox already told you she and Josh were targets. Before them, it was Henry and I and before that, Bobby and Lynn.”

  “Whoever it is, seems to target two people at a time, folks who are either powerful or assets to the school, the community, or both.” Henry Baxter, wearing an old black leather jacket, sat next to Maddie. “You two fit the bill.”

  “But Extramagi are so rare.” I shivered, wondering why this felt like some kind of intervention. “I mean, there’s a registry now. Everyone’s accounted for, and there aren’t any Extramagi on the books in Rhode Island anymore.” I looked at Henry. “Not since you got turned, right?”

  “We figured you’d say that.” Maddie pulled out a tablet and tapped it twice to activate it. “That’s why we talked it over with Josh. He gave us the okay to tell you about pack business, so we brought you this.” She pushed it across the table at me.

  The app running on the tablet looked like an interactive flowchart. Dates and names stood out, some of them instantly familiar. Tapping a listing gave a description of an event, sometimes a reference link to a public record, article, or book title. I’d almost been there for several of them, and others looked suspiciously like excuses I’d heard from a specific group of students. I might be blonde, but I wasn’t dumb.

  “Tinfoil Hat.” I stared at Nox. “So that’s the reason your whole pack even exists. You really think an Extramagus is after you guys?”

  “Worse than that.” Fred pushed a plate with one slice of pizza in front of me.

  I picked it up and took a big bite, my stomach rumbling. Ismail cleared his throat, and Fred tossed another slice from his huge pile of bread and cheese to my plate. I might be petite in human form, but bear shifters got hungry, and my metabolism meant the calories burned up before they went to my hips.

  “How could it be worse than all this?” I gestured with my free hand at the tablet. “I mean, most of you almost got killed, for crying out loud.”

  “We think the big bad is after the school, trying to get it shut down.” Maddie tapped one of the entries. I saw an article about the arrest of Doctor Brodsky the Summoning professor in January, charged with two deaths. Then, she moved on to the Obituary for Wilfred Harcourt. “And he doesn’t care who dies in the process, either.”

  Chapter Ten

  Ismail

  The conversation at the table went silent, although that didn’t stop the Redcap Changeling and Jeannie from finishing their meals. That there was an Extramagus in the area wasn’t news to me. I’d heard Kim and her mate, Blaine, discussing it, after all. But I hadn’t realized this many people, an entire pack of shifters and others no less, were involved. I’d just assumed that, since Blaine Harcourt was a dragon shifter, he’d keep his troubles to himself. My servitude to Jeannie didn’t require me to help her on this, or anything she hadn’t explicitly asked of me. But an Extramagus could become the worst kind of tyrant. If left unchecked, they’d do anything to increase their power and lifespan or pay any cost. After that, there was no stopping them.

  “I’m under no obligation to the rest of you or the school, but how can I help?” I leaned back in my chair.

  “We didn’t ask you here so you could help.” Tony stared into his coffee. I gazed at the freakish aura of magic surrounding him. I’d never heard of a magical feline shifter before, and normal shifters didn’t have magic energy unless someone else put it there. So I wondered whether he could be trusted considering the group was up against an Extramagus. But then I noticed that Tony’s magic came from Faerie. Before I could scrutinize it further, he shot me a glare over the rim of his cup. I had to stop looking at a member of this pack that way or risk them all distrusting me.

  “Okay, so why did you want to talk to Ismail, then?” Jeannie brushed crumbs off her hands and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “You know how we said you’re a target?” Fred swallowed his second-to-last mouthful of pizza, then frowned down at his plate.

  “Yeah?” Jeannie tapped her foot under the table.

  “Like Henry said, there’s always been two.” Tony shrugged. “We think Lamp Man’s the other one.”

  “Seriously? An Extramagus would target a lamp-bound Djinn?” Jeannie scoffed. “That’s insane. All they do is follow orders, and you can't get at them when they're in their lamps.”

  “No, it makes sense.” I sighed. “I helped Kimiko and Blaine more than I should have. Being Unseelie means I can bend some rules while doing my job.”

  “Let me guess: that’s the closest you’re going to get to telling us exactly what you did to piss the bad guy off?” Tony’s stare reminded me of a bristling tomcat.

  “Wow, Tony. Just wow.” Jeannie stood up. “You bring me over here, lay something this big on me, and then insult my friend?” I blinked at that. I was used to dealing with frightened folk, masters or people who wanted to become one. Did she consider me a friend? “Don’t think that I’m soft because of how I look. Oh, and by the way, you’re not one to talk about being cagey.”

  “She does have a point, Tony.” Fred managed to speak coherently around a mouthful of pizza. “You’re a pretty dodgy guy.”

  “Yeah, about my own personal life which is strictly my business and none of yours. I don’t mince words about this.” He slapped his hand down next to the tablet between Jeannie and me, then stared at me. “This is serious trouble, people. We’re trying to figure out who this Extramagus is before an innocent man gets executed for crimes against Extrahumanity. A Summoning professor was Mind-controlled for crying out loud. What else can this bastard do? We don’t know. They’re always one or more steps ahead of us, and we still have no idea why anyone would want to mess with the school. Mark my words, it’s about something much bigger than making students and faculty look bad.”

  Tony was right even though I refused to admit that out loud, after his outburst. I
had to move the conversation along to something constructive. Heading off the potential social eruption with a question would be the best course. Luckily, I had plenty of those.

  “Is there a list of the powers you think this Extramagus has?” I looked at the tablet, wary of touching it. I’d never used such a device before and wasn’t sure how not to ruin their display.

  The Umbral girl navigated to a different screen. I saw a few lists and scanned them. The rest of the information looked like a police dossier. I read that, too. When I shuddered, all eyes fell on me. I reminded myself that this was a group of students, young people with limited experience and without extra power from a lamp to help them. Neil had mentioned the older generation not having time, but I wondered whether he knew how dangerous this Extramagus might be. Right after that, I wondered whether I was overreacting. I composed myself, pushing down evidence of the cowardice that shaped my life when I was their age.

  “How theoretical is this limitation you have listed for him?” I pointed at one of three guesses, careful not to touch the screen.

  “Blaine, Lynn, and Olivia are our brain trust.” Nox tossed her head. “They’re the ones who checked into it. And Kimiko’s the one who originally thought of the idea. You tell me how reliable she is.”

  “If his only limitation is being unable to use magic outside of Rhode Island, I’m not sure how you’ll ever find an identity or a way to stop them.” I sighed.

  “Ismail, I wish to know who this Extramagus is.” Jeannie pointed at the screen. There was no mistaking what she meant. I closed my eyes, focusing my magic like a drawn bow. But when I tried to loose it, send the bolt of my magic out to obey her command, it stopped.

  “I can’t grant that wish.” My eyes flew open.

  “Wait, what?” Jeannie’s eyes widened. “I thought Djinn had huge cosmic powers but itty-bitty living space.”

  “The latter is true, the former not so much.” I gestured at my face. “I went into the lamp when I was young. After tithing, but only weeks after my full year was up in the Under. And I got out at the same time as your father, Fred.” I nodded at the young Redcap. “Also, I’m only a Marquess. Most Djinn are Dukes. I’m not as powerful as I could be.”

  “But what about the power from your lamp?” Henry scratched his head. “All the experience you have from however many years you’ve been in there? If it’s a memory problem, I might be able to help.”

  “No need.” I sighed. “I remember everything, including part of that extra power I mentioned before. But even a Djinn has limitations. For example, I’m limited in certain Faerie magics by my rank in the King’s Court. In this case, something is blocking me, and the fact that I can’t obey a direct command from the lamp’s master tells me a few things.”

  “So, dish.” Nox gave me a lopsided grin. “What’s the four-one-one?”

  “First, the energy blocking me is Faerie magic. Second, it’s Seelie.” A chorus of gasps sounded out around the table. I waited as they regained enough composure to silence their surprised murmurs. “Finally, the Extramagus is warded against Djinn. Do you understand what that means?”

  “Ugh. It’s right on the tip of my brain.” Maddie put her head in her hands. “I’m not Lynn or Trogdor, and Olivia’s asleep.” She looked up again, peering at the rest of the group. “Anyone else?”

  “Another Djinn.” Nox tightened her hands into fists. “One in the um, other Court. The Extramagus must have one of his own.”

  “He definitely did when my dad had to rescue Blaine.” Fred clenched his jaw, which was probably scarier for the others than me. None of them had worked with Redcaps in the Under, after all.

  “But look here.” Henry had slipped a glove on his right hand. He used it to tap the tablet’s screen. “Kimiko made a note about how she thought all her wishes were countered by the Extramagus’s own Djinn.”

  “Well, she was the one in the thick of that particular fight.” Nox leaned her chin on her hand. “She must know what she’s talking about there. But something about that explanation’s not sitting well with the ancestors.” Nox leaned back, rubbing her stomach and tilting her head as though listening to voices only she could hear. Kelpies got water magic and the ability to change into a horse, but that came with the input of anyone else who’d ever worn the pelt which gave them their magic. It seemed Nox was at peace with them, so their influence was probably a good thing.

  “Of course, your ancestors are all riled up.” Tony shook his head. “Kimiko was wrong. The drive-by shooting wasn’t a Djinn wish; it was an Organized Crime hit. You don’t need to make wishes for the big cat Mafia to shoot at Yoshi Ichiro’s daughter. He’s crossed them too many times in the courtroom.”

  Tony stood up. “Yeah, the Extramagus probably still has the same Djinn who knocked Blaine out over the Pell Bridge. But it’s way more likely we’ve got a rat in Tinfoil Hat. Because the other thing that can ward against Djinn is a Monarch. Someone's carrying tales to Her. And I bet more than half of you right here think it’s me. Probably for the best if I make myself scarce. Arrivederci.”

  Tony turned his back on the group, stalking down the length of the mezzanine. He looked back over his shoulder once. Directly at me, of course.

  “He’s been a real bag of cats lately,” said Henry. “Don’t take it personally.”

  “But he does have a point about a possible informant in or around your pack.” I raised an eyebrow, intrigued that the vampire had brushed off the theory Tony had presented.

  “Maybe, but that’s for Josh to decide. He’s the Alpha.” Henry shrugged.

  “Yeah, and he’ll consider your opinion and mine as far as that goes, too.” Nox stopped rubbing her stomach. “But I can tell you all right now, I think he’s altogether wrong. And the Extramagus still has a Djinn on the line for a wish.”

  “Yup, I agree.” Fred grinned. “And I bet it’s for the same reason, too.”

  “You both saw something?” Jeannie looked from Nox to Fred, then back again.

  “Yeah. Faerie magic energy surge.” Fred winced. “I bet the only reason Ismail here didn’t get any backlash is because of the wards we have here in the Lounge against that other unmentionable kind of Faerie magic.”

  “Is your whole school warded that heavily?” I blinked at Jeannie. “Surely there are students from the other side of the Under here.”

  “There are, so it isn’t. They have their own Lounge. Spectral Magi and some diurnal shifters use it as well.” She chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t know how strong the overall school wards are, but they got increased after this Lounge and the library got wrecked.”

  “Is that why you have an ancient dragon for a librarian?” It was my turn to be bewildered.

  “Wow. He's that old?” Nox shook her head. “I never knew. So many things make sense now.” She chuckled. “No wonder Blaine’s scared of him.”

  “Speaking of Blaine,” Jeannie said, “shouldn’t we bring him in on this now that Tony has left the building?”

  “Nah, too late for him and Kimiko. Probably you guys, too.”

  “Don’t dragon shifters need less sleep than the rest of us, though?” Jeannie glanced at Henry. “Well, besides our friendly neighborhood vampire, of course.”

  “Usually, yes. But he told us earlier that he has a big fancy dress formal shindig to go to tomorrow night.” Nox wrinkled her nose. “Josh and I have to go, too, but I have time for a nap in the afternoon, and Blaine doesn’t.”

  “Oh, no!” Jeannie shot out of her chair, putting her hands to her face for a moment. Then, she whirled and grabbed her bag. “I’ve got to go get some sleep, too. Sorry guys. Thanks for the heads-up, but I’ll have to help you with it some other time.”

  “Wait!” Maddie reached out, tugging Jeannie’s sleeve. “This is totally a life-or-death thing. It’s not about you helping us, it’s us offering to help you. I can hide you for a few days or something.”

  “Thanks, Maddie. I appreciate the offer, but I just can’t take it.” Jeanni
e somehow managed to look weary and frantic at the same time. “But the reason I have to jet is life or death, too.”

  “What do you mean?” Fred blinked.

  “That hoity-toity costume shindig Blaine’s going to.” She turned to go as though that answered the question. When she scanned our faces, hers fell. “Look, you don’t understand. It’s a charity ball to benefit the Senior Center. I have to go and support it as part of my capstone class. If I miss it, I won’t graduate. And even worse, the Senior Center’s offerings could get cut if we don’t raise enough. All those elderly Extrahumans would lose things like free medical screenings and temporary housing. I have to do my part.”

  I expected protests, but there were none. Maddie nodded, bouncing her dark curls. Henry shook his head and sighed, but grinned anyway. Fred’s lips tightened, and he gave her some kind of salute. Nox stood up and shook her hand.

  “Four of the pack will be there if you need us.” Nox put her hand on one of her bony hips. “We’re all rooting for you. Good luck, Jeannie.”

  But good Luck would be in short supply, as it turned out.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jeannie

  “No way, Mom!” My fist hit the mattress so hard I dented a spring. “I’m not going to a formal event that my graduation depends on with Dale. Don’t you remember? We broke up.” I’d forgotten the morning of the ball was the same as Mom’s weekly phone call from home.

  “Well, I know that, Jeannie. It’s a shame, really. I mean, he’s such a catch.” She sighed. “And stop grinding your teeth, dear. Those don’t always regenerate so nicely if you crack them, you know.”

  “I shouldn’t have told you.” My finger hovered over the disconnect button on my phone.

  “Well, of course, you should have, I’m your mother.” Mom’s airy tone clashed with that nasal Boston accent I’d struggled so hard to exorcise. “If you can’t tell your own mother about breaking up with your high school sweetheart, who can you talk to about it?”