Cold Days

"Identify yourself, please," I said. "I don't want your Name. Just something to call you."

"By some I am called Lacuna," he replied.

"Suits me, Lacuna," I said. "Remove the helmet, please. I want to see who I'm supporting."

Lacuna reached up and removed the face-shrouding helmet.

She was gorgeous.

Fine black hair bound into a braid at least a foot long spilled down out of the helmet when she did. Her skin was paper white, her huge eyes black all the way through. There were small markings or tattoos of some kind in deep purple ink on her skin, but they shifted slightly as I watched, some fading from sight, others appearing. Her features were long and very lean. She had a straight razor's elegant, dangerous beauty.

Toot's jaw just about dropped off of his head. "Wow!"

"Hmmm," Karrin said. "That's the one who beat you up last night, is it?"

"And tripped him this morning," Thomas reminded her.

"And tripped me this morning," I growled. I turned back to Lacuna and studied her for a moment. She looked back at me without blinking. Actually, she didn't move at all-except for her braid, which drifted upward like cobwebs over a heating vent.

"Huh," I said. "Was not expecting that."

Lacuna stared, her eyes flat.

"I won't ask you to break your word," I told her. "And I will treat you with respect and provide for your needs in exchange for your service. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Lacuna said.

"Wow!" said Toot.

"Without breaking any oath, I would like to know," I said, "whatever you can tell me about the person you were serving until you were taken prisoner."

She stared.

I caught my mistake and rolled my eyes. "Let me rephrase that. Tell me whatever you can about the person you were serving until you were taken prisoner without breaking any word you've given him."

Lacuna nodded at that and frowned pensively. Then she looked up and said in a serious, confidential tone, "He does not seem to like you very much."

I took a slow, deep breath. There were more titters behind me.

"I noticed that, too," I said. "Tell me what you know about what's happening tonight."

"Children," she said in a sepulchral voice, and her little face twisted up with unmistakable fury. "And candy. Lots and lots of candy."

"Wow!" Toot said. He zipped away in a flutter of wings.

"Without breaking your word, tell me everything else you know about Ace," I said.

"He owes me," Lacuna replied grimly, "for services rendered."

I sighed. "I don't suppose you'd like to volunteer to offer me some more useful information?"

The armored faerie stared at me without blinking. It was a little creepy.

"Nah, I didn't think so," I said. "Are you hungry?"

She seemed to consider that for a moment, then said, "Yes."

"Do you want some pizza?"

Lacuna's face twisted up in disgust. "Ugh. No."

My eyebrows went up. That was a grade-A first. The Little Folk would quite literally go to war over pizza. They liked it that much. "Uh. What would you like to eat, then?"

"Celery," she replied promptly. "Cheese. Green tea. But mostly celery."

"How random," I said. I looked over my shoulder. "Molly?"

"I've got those," she said, and went to the kitchen.

"Okay, Lacuna," I said. "We've got a bunch of business to take care of. I want you to eat, get some rest, and make yourself comfortable. You aren't to leave this apartment. Understood?"

Lacuna nodded somberly. "Yes." Her wings blurred and she darted across the apartment to the kitchen, where Molly was preparing a plate with Lacuna-chow on it.

"Good. I'll figure out what to do with you later." I rubbed the back of my neck and went back over to the others. "Well. That was a little frustrating."

"Why'd you take her prisoner then?" Thomas asked.

I glowered at him. "Don't you have a squad of mercenaries to round up? Or a bridge to jump off?"

"I guess so."

"Okay, everybody," I said. "You've got your assignments. Let's get them done. Molly, you've got the apartment and the phone, so after you send the search parties, you're coordinating. Anyone learns something, call Molly with it. Otherwise, meet back here by five."

There was a round of nods and agreements, and Butters, Thomas, and Karrin headed out into the city.

Once they were gone, Molly asked, "Why'd you ditch them like that?"

I lifted my eyebrows again. The grasshopper just kept getting cleverer. "I wasn't ditching them," I said.

Molly arched an eyebrow. "You weren't?"

"Not entirely," I said. "That stuff needs doing, too."

"While you go somewhere dangerous all by yourself. Am I right?"

I didn't answer her right away, and she finished making Lacuna's meal. She put the plate on the counter and the serious little faerie fell upon it like a ravening wolf.

"Something like that," I said. "Don't you have a job to do, too?"

Molly eyed me. Then she picked up the map on the table, folded it, and walked toward the door. "I'm not going to fight you about it. I just wanted you to know that I knew."

Just then, Toot buzzed back into the apartment from somewhere. He zipped in frantic, dizzying circles, starting at the point he'd last seen Lacuna, until his spiral search pattern took him to the kitchen. Then he swooped down to Lacuna, landing neatly on the counter.

I peered at the two little faeries. Toot held out to Lacuna a wrapped watermelon Jolly Rancher, as if he were offering frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child. "Hi!" he said brightly. "I'm Major General Toot-toot!"

Lacuna looked up from her food and saw Toot's gift. Her eyes narrowed.

And then she sucker punched Toot-toot right in the face.

My little bodyguard flew back a couple of feet and landed on his ass. Both of his hands went up to his nose, and he blinked in startled bewilderment.

Toot had dropped the Jolly Rancher. Lacuna calmly kicked it into the disposal drain of the kitchen sink. Then she turned her back on Toot, ignoring him completely, and went back to eating her meal.

Toot's eyes were even wider as he stared at Lacuna.

"Wow!" he said.

Chapter Thirty

The Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary has a second name-the Magic Hedge. There are about fifteen acres of trees, brush, and winding trails. It's been an established bird sanctuary for decades, and is a major port of call for birds migrating south for the winter. If you read some flyers about the place, they'll tell you all about how the Magic Hedge is chock-full to bursting with the magic of birds and nature.