Page 46 of A Skirl of Sorcery
‘I’ll be there.’ I drained my cup of coffee, which wasn’t up to Black’s standards but had been reasonably bitter and tasty nonetheless, and stood up. ‘Take care of yourself,’ I told him. I meant it wholeheartedly. ‘Oh – and don’t go back to your flat. It’s not safe.’ I pulled a face. ‘Sorry.’
‘A mirrored ceiling is a silly idea anyway,’ he muttered.
I managed a small humourless smile then I left. I had business to attend to.
I foundit hard to believe that I’d accidentally come across the only people in Coldstream who’d had their powers ripped away from them. The idea that Keres and the Barrow werewolves were the only ones affected was nonsensical: there had to be others.
There were two people I could go to in order to confirm that dark theory.
The Magical Enforcement Team headquarters was smack bang in the centre of Coldstream. The last time I’d visited, the place had been in a considerable state of disarray having been attacked in the middle of the night. Now it sported a shiny new front door complete with an elaborate magical ward in place. In theory that was a good thing: the fast repairs meant that the MET appeared not only efficient but also prosperous. In reality, it was a pain in the arse because I could no longer stroll inside and demand to speak to Captain Wilberforce Montgomery. I had to wait on the step outside until I was deemed unthreatening enough to enter.
‘Take a seat, Ms McCafferty,’ stated the officious-looking druid who eventually allowed me into the building. ‘Captain Montgomery will be here shortly.’
The MET were woefully under-staffed and the one contact I could rely on was often out on the mean streets of Coldstream, dealing with the petty crimes that others hadn’t mopped up. That Montgomery was already in the building looked promising but, alas, he didn’t see it the same way.
His face dropped when he strode into the waiting room and saw me. ‘Oh, it’s you. I knew our paths would cross again at some point but I was hoping it would be later rather than sooner.’ Clearly, the druidic staff sergeant had neglected to mention my name.
I smiled pleasantly; I still had my amiable cat-lady persona to maintain, although Montgomery’s belief that I was nothing more than that was diminishing every time we met.
‘Good afternoon, Captain.’ My smile widened; I could be both deferential and polite when the situation called for it.
He gave me a long-suffering look that was filled with dread rather than pleasure. That was a shame. Maybe next time I’d drop by with some scones instead of problems – then again, given Dave’s reaction to my baking attempts, perhaps that wasn’t such a good idea.
‘I suppose you’d better come this way,’ he said. ‘We can talk in the interview room and you can tell me how you’re planning to ruin my day.’
‘Ruining your day would never be my intention, Captain.’
He snorted. ‘Yeah, yeah.’
I followed him into a small windowless space that appeared to have been renovated at the same time as the front door and the waiting area. Whoever had been in charge ought to have tried harder; even with a fresh coat of paint and newly plasteredwalls, it was depressing. I managed to stop myself from saying so and sat down.
Montgomery took the seat opposite. ‘Alright then, Ms McCafferty. What’s the problem today?’
‘Call me Kit.’
His look suggested that he didn’t ever want to be on first-name terms with me if he could possibly help it.
I got to the point. ‘I’m here as a concerned citizen.’
Montgomery sighed. ‘Go on.’
‘I’ve heard reports that there are people in Coldstream who’ve had their powers stolen. Their magic has been ripped from their bodies with some force. Is this true?’
‘You have nothing to worry about, Ms McCafferty. It’s happened to very few people and there’s probably a simple explanation. I expect they’ll recover their magic soon enough.’
Shit. I’d expected there would be others but it was still awful to hear Captain Montgomery confirm it. ‘How do you know that? Has anyone recovered their powers yet?’
‘Well, I doubt the three affected would tell me if they had. The harpy has lost her ability to fly, though that makes Coldstream safer, and I suspect the leprechaun having a run of bad luck is simply feeling sorry for himself. The druid is a frequent complainant who is prone to exaggeration.’
I looked at Montgomery and he looked at me. ‘Goddamnit,’ he muttered. ‘That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it? You want information about who’s been affected. Is there something else going on? Should I be concerned?’
I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to have somebody else on the case. ‘I think,’ I said carefully, ‘that you ought to investigate further. If the druids have been affected, maybe you ought to check with the witches’ council to see if any of them have been having problems. The same goes for the vampires. It wouldn’t hurt to tell the public to be on their guard.’
‘Be on their guard for what exactly?’ His eyes narrowed.
I grimaced but answered truthfully. ‘I don’t know. But I don’t think any of them will suddenly recover their magic any time soon. And I recommend that they see a doctor, even if they’re not feeling unwell.’ I took out the handkerchief I’d used to collect the sample of nasty dark gunk from the rooftop overlooking the Shellycoat house. ‘I’d also look for some of this residue. I suspect it might be connected.’
He gazed at the handkerchief. ‘What is that?’
