Misfortune Cookie (24 page)

“Are you injured? Your face is all flushed.” Dylon placed his palm on my forehead. “Fix her one of Mam’s toddies.”

Gaven nodded and left the room.

I played along, not about to tell the real reason for my heated complexion.

“Is Luca okay?” I flexed, bending my elbows, then my knees. The effects of the gun were almost completely gone. Something about being around Luca’s brothers seemed to quicken the healing process.

“A bit brassed off, but otherwise he’s fine. It took him all of two seconds to realize he’d been had. He high-tailed it back to the mansion, but you were already gone.” Gaven handed me a mug of steaming liquid. “Bottoms up. This will fix you right and good.”

Hot and sweet with a healthy dose of liquor, I sipped it slowly. “I need to go home.”

“Aye, sweet sister, you will. As soon as we’re convinced you can move on your own,” Dylon said.

“Why isn’t Luca here?” It was his magic door. He should have been able to open it.

Dylon and Gaven exchanged long looks with each other.

“Tell me. Right now.” I put my feet on the floor, ready to leave.

Gaven responded first. “He’s been delayed on account of the fire.”

Chapter 17

People do not lack strength, they lack will.

I know it’s wrong to want to murder someone in cold blood. But I was about to make an exception for Reg. He’d better run next time I saw him.

“Is everyone all right?” I stood, testing the strength of my legs. Still weak and watery. Great.

“Yes. The fire suppression system activated and it didn’t spread past the closet in Luca’s room.” Gaven offered me his arm. I politely declined.

“I imagine the place reeks of smoke now,” Dylon added.

“Shut it, you stupid gob.” Gaven poked his brother in the arm. “That’s not helping.”

Before a full-blown brotherly scuffle started, I asked, “Can you help me back to the doorway?”

“Of course we can,” Dylon sniffed. “I’d be happy to do the honors.”

“I can’t wait to see the look on Luca’s face,” Gaven said, sounding downright giddy.

I gave them both my best—
enough already
—stare, all the while wondering why Luca wasn’t attacked. Were they afraid of him? Or up to something worse? My gut voted for something worse.

The brothers escorted me to the doorway, debating the entire time how best to annoy Luca. I shook my head, thanking my stars I only had a sister. These two would drive a sane person to drink. I’d have to remember to sleep with one eye open next time they stayed over. Who knew what mischief they could cause? I smiled. Thinking about them gave me at least a moment or two of relief before facing the real world.

And I suspected they knew. Underneath all the boyish bluster were two warriors. Their bodies moved with the same sleek grace and awareness as Luca. Dylon stopped on the path and raised his hand and spoke a few melodic words. The air shimmered and the door appeared.

“Wait!” I grabbed each of their hands. “Thank you for rescuing me.”

They both grew serious, a predatory glint in their eyes. Gaven lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. “It’s our honor, dear sister.”

Dylon turned the doorknob. “Be safe, Radiance.” The door swung open and Luca stood on the other side. “And try to keep knob head alive.”

Even though Luca scowled, I saw a smile in his eyes. “
Diolch yn fawr
, my brothers.” He opened his arms and I stepped into his embrace. A shower of furtive kisses rained down on me, leaving me breathless. When we came up for air, so to speak, acrid fumes stung my eyes.

“Reg got away didn’t he?” The fire, no doubt, a final parting shot to cover his escape.

“He will be punished,” Luca said, deadly menace in his voice. “I know he is your kin, but I cannot suffer what he did to you.” He fingered the bloodstain caking my shirt collar.

For a moment, I entertained the thought. Reg should die. But I couldn’t live with Luca doing it vigilante style. “I’d prefer to let the Higher Power judge him.”

Luca snarled, as if a caged beast rested inside him and it didn’t like what I’d said. “As you wish. For now.”

“We need to find that jar. I know Allen is the key.”

“Up for a field trip?” Luca snugged me close.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Moments later, we stood outside of Allen’s restaurant. Since no one had seen him, we returned to the place where he spent the most time—his office. The windows were dark and a big sign announced, CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

We went around the back of the building, past smelly dumpsters and heaps of garbage. Clearly no one had been by to empty the trash in a week. Luca used his
Alkhari
mojo to spring the lock. I guess it didn’t only work in the spirit world.

“Should I be worried about you?” I whispered to him once he shut the metal security door.

“If the soul-catching thing doesn’t work out, I can use my skills to break into banks.”

I snickered behind my hand. “Was that a joke? Am I rubbing off on you?”

“Not enough if you ask me. Now hush.”

We prowled through the kitchen and the dining room, careful to avoid the windows. Once we were sure the place was vacant, I entered Allen’s office. Luca remained outside the door, keeping watch.

I clicked on a flashlight and chose a corner to start examining objects. One by one, I picked up everything and sensed. Most of the items were either vibeless or uninformative. Not willing to miss a thing, I ran my fingers over the walls, the rugs, and the shelving.

Front half of the room completed, I prepared to tackle the back half, where the desk occupied most of the space. A small hiccup froze me in place. I swung the flashlight around, the beam cutting through the darkness like a knife.

The floor creaked when I took a tentative step forward. Rapid breaths puffed from under the desk, the sound muffled as if a hand was covering a mouth. I rounded the corner, flashlight blazing under the desk.

Luca banged into to the room, fists poised for combat.

I clicked on the desk lamp, and motioned for him to stop. “Why search for clues when we can ask Allen instead?”

“Please! Keep her away from me.” Allen cowered under the desk. Dark circles edged his red-rimmed eyes. His clothes were rumpled and stained. At least three days’ worth of beard shadowed his sallow cheeks. The scent of fear and old sweat oozed from his pores.

I knelt down on my haunches and tried to catch his gaze. “We’re here to help Allen. When was the last time you ate?”

Turns out, Allen’s last meal had been at the museum’s food court. He’d pretty much been on the run ever since Tien’s death. He survived on water from hoses in backyards and puddles. I tried not to run screaming from the room after I heard that.

“I was too scared to go home or anywhere near my family,” he said between noisy swallows of food.

We’d taken him to Soul Kitchen. After the Jiang Shi’s rampage, the Hereafter quadrupled the kitchen’s security, and for the short term, the area was crawling with security. I couldn’t see anyone or sense anything out of the ordinary. Luca assured me that they were there.

Gabriel, who’d fully recovered, was none too happy about the break-in let alone the added presence. He’d grumbled about how it kept the souls away. Come to think of it, there were hardly any patrons. Just the one soldier drinking his coffee in his usual spot, ghostly cigarette perched on the table’s edge.

Allen took it all in stride. Or he was so hungry and pre-occupied he wouldn’t have noticed a unicorn in the room. Gabriel’s chef had made him a smorgasbord: meatloaf, fried chicken, and chili. A steaming slice of mile-high apple pie waited for dessert.

“Why don’t you tell us how you found the Jiang Shi?” Luca prompted, muscles all tensed, ready to spring.

I felt the same sense of urgency, yet I knew if we pressed Allen too hard, too fast, he’d clam up. Or probably go catatonic. The guy was amazingly lucid for someone who hadn’t slept or eaten in days.

“I found the jar in my grandmother’s belongings. She’d died a few months ago and left a house full of clutter. I discovered her extensive collection of Asian art stashed in an old family property. She’d wanted me to keep everything in the family and she’d left a binder full of instructions on the care and ritual around the objects.” He shook his head. “I didn’t want all that stuff. And I didn’t buy into the old superstitions.”

I could relate to not wanting to inherit someone else’s mess. “So it all went to the museum?”

“Most of it. I had an appraiser catalog everything. Some of the really valuable pieces went to auction. I needed the money for my campaign.” He gave a small shoulder shrug. “The only piece I didn’t give away was that jade jar. It kind of spoke to me.”

Yeah, I bet. Like a demented genie in a bottle.

“How did you figure out there was a spirit trapped inside?” Luca asked.

“The notebook. Grandmother left me detailed directions on the proper rites to keep the spirits happy. At first, I didn’t believe.” Allen pushed the plate away and reached for the pie.

Luca’s neck muscles tightened while he watched Allen eat. “And?” he snapped.

Allen flinched and dropped his fork. His eyes widened Gabriel scowled at Luca, then picked the utensil off the floor while handing him a clean one.

I gave Luca’s knee a gentle squeeze. “Don’t mind him, Allen. We’ve had a long few days, too. I’d like to hear more, if you don’t mind.” I smiled sweetly, hoping it would calm him down.

He cleared his throat, fingering the new fork. “I know this will sound crazy, but the jar whispered to me. At night while I slept, I could hear it. At first I assumed it was a dream. I had a lot on my mind. The demands of the campaign, running a business, and settling the estate, not to mention my wife’s constant demand for more attention. You can’t blame me for hearing voices.”

“Not at all,” Gabriel agreed.

“Over time, he told me what to do. How to free him and what he could do for me. I figured why not do as he asked. The worst that could happen was nothing.” Allen shuddered. “I was wrong. So wrong.”

Yes. The old adage,
Be careful what you wish for
, was tragically true.

“At first, he did help me. I don’t know how he did it, but he increased the restaurant’s prosperity three fold. And, in the election campaign, I started climbing in the polls.”

A dark shadow seemed to pass over the table. We all knew what was coming next.

“I could only make it so far. To win, I needed backing from wealthy patrons to open doors for me.” He poked at the pie with his fork, flicking bits of crust onto the table.

“We know how that turned out. Did you ever have control of the Jiang Shi?” Luca plucked the fork away and placed it on the table.

“I don’t know. Maybe in the beginning.”

“Hold on.” Gabriel leaned forward. “Who’s been controlling the Jiang Shi since then?”

“I don’t know about Zihou, but his sister, I think she’s been independent since the beginning.” I turned to Allen. “Where is the notebook?”

“It’s in my desk. Top right hand drawer. White binder.”

Luca vanished. Allen jumped when Luca re-appeared a moment later. The white binder slammed into the center of the table.

I gave Luca the stink eye. Was all the flashy drama really necessary? “Can you show me what the jar looks like? I think I saw it in Tien’s office.”

Sadness melded onto Allen’s face at the mention of his friend’s name. “Yes. Here it is.”

One glance told me what I needed to know. “That’s not the same jar.”

Luca swore under his breath. “He took the wrong one?”

“It’s my fault. I assumed that was the Jiang Shi’s jar because I felt a spirit in there,” I said. Too bad it was the wrong one. “However, I know exactly where the right jar is.”

I had to hand it to Tien. He’d hidden the jar in the cleverest way possible. Right underneath our noses. Now all we had to do was retrieve it without Reg or Lillian catching us. The sooner we recovered it, the better. I didn’t want more innocent blood spilled.

Allen would stay in Gabriel’s capable hands. He would be safe and he knew the restaurant business, even if he couldn’t quite grasp the concept of pay what you can afford.

When we left, I could hear him quizzing Gabriel. “Why would you not charge a fixed price? How can you make a profit? What about—”

The door closed behind us, cutting off the conversation.

“Are you sure about this?” Luca said. “They may not welcome my kind.”

“They’ll love you. You’ll see.” I held his hand. The world shifted. The sidewalk we’d been standing on reformed into another similar cement surface that was much cleaner. The street was well swept and litter free. At my request, Luca had transported us into the alley across the street.

“Come on. We need to hurry. The sun sets in a few hours,” Luca said.

The monks’ temple stood out among a street of sameness. The red tile roof peaked in sharp contrast to the all of its flat-roofed neighbors. The building glowed with a peaceful blue aura, and oozed with tranquility. We rang the clunky bell at the gated doorway.

A young initiate answered the door and led us inside. Chants echoed in the corridors, the tone low and somber. We skirted the main hall and entered a secluded courtyard. Orange-robed monks toiled over plants arranged in neat rows. Weeds were pulled, dead stems were clipped, and plants were watered with silent precision.

Bo, stooped over a row of curling string beans, waved to us. “Good afternoon. I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

I shaded my eyes from the bright sun. “Could we go somewhere more private?”

Bo gradually made his way toward us while offering admiration and praise for the work his brothers performed. When he reached us, he bowed low to Luca. “Welcome, Guardian.”

Luca hid his surprise well and returned the greeting. “My honor, Gatekeeper.”

Pleasantries dispensed, we moved indoors. I blinked a few times to adjust my vision to the dimmer light. Luca placed his palm lightly on my back.

“Did Tien leave you anything, Bo?” I asked once we were inside his cozy office.

“No, not directly. But his wife dropped off boxes of books and other items for us to sell.”

Hoped surged. “Do you still have the boxes?”

“No. We donated all the items to needy families.”

Shit. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else? A jade vessel?”