14
Broken Fairytale
Angel and I shared a pizza on the airship ride back to Purgatory, the first thing I’d eaten since yesterday. It tasted good, of course, but it would have tasted better if Nero were by my side. And if people weren’t dying all around me.
As I walked down the main corridor of the Legion’s Purgatory office building, my cat prowling beside me, I pulled out my phone and called Alec.
“I have a job for you,” I told him.
“I heard what happened to all those supernaturals.” Alec’s voice was hard and angry. “Point me in the direction of the psychopath behind this, and I’ll take ’em out.”
“It’s not that easy. We first need to find that psychopath.”
“You know who it is, don’t you?”
I thought back on Gypsy’s words. “I have a possible suspect.”
“Who?”
“Carver Spellsword.”
“Who’s that?”
“A rogue dark angel. I heard a rumor that he might be behind this, but that’s all it is: a rumor. We need to figure out if it’s true. That’s where you come in, Alec.”
“Me? I don’t know, Leda. I’m more of a doer than a researcher.”
“I know, but right now, I don’t have much use for blowing up things. I need to have a target before I can send you at it. Unfortunately, all my usual researchers are overloaded at the moment, trying to figure out how supernaturals are dying from magic they are masters of. And so I need your help, Alec. The best way you can help me fight this right now is by doing some research. We need to track down whoever is responsible for all these deaths. Find everything there is to know about the rogue dark angel Carver Spellsword.”
“Leda, this is way out of my depth, but I’ll do what I can,” he replied.
“Thanks. You know, sometimes a gunman needs to pick up a book, and sometimes a doctor needs to pick up a gun.”
Then I hung up, leaving him with that closing nugget of topsy-turvy wisdom. I turned the corner and headed for Nerissa’s office. When I got there, I saw that the two dead ice elementals had already been delivered. She was examining them now. Dead vampires lay on the other tables.
“How’s it going?” I asked her.
“Not well.” She turned to face me. Half of her hair had fallen out of her ponytail, and her eyes were red. “There are too many of them. I’m running out of space.” She looked at me with haunted eyes.
I knew how she felt. The Legion taught us to harden ourselves against the sight of death because we saw it every day. But this was different. These people hadn’t just died. They’d died from magic that should have protected them. It felt so personal, like a betrayal, a violation, an upheaval of everything that they were.
“I’ll see about getting you some more space,” I told her.
“Thank you.” She glanced at Angel, who was growling at the corpses like they might jump up and attack us at any moment. “They’re dead, little cat, and they’re going to stay that way.”
Angel sat down on the floor, and even she looked depressed.
Ivy walked into the room. “Nerissa, I have the test results from the first batch of vampires.” She handed her a printout.
Usually, Ivy, our resident counselor, dealt with the problems of the living rather than with the problems of the dead, but as I’d told Alec, we were very shorthanded right now.
“I’m trying to get you more staff,” I said to Nerissa. “But it’s not so easy. I want to make sure every soldier we get is exactly right for the job.”
“Micromanager,” Nerissa commented without even looking up from the elemental corpses.
“Maybe a bit,” I admitted. “There are a few people at the New York office that I think would make great additions to our team, but Harker will really get annoyed with me if I steal any more of his soldiers.”
“Leda, sometimes it’s more important to get someone now than it is to wait for the perfect one,” said Nerissa.
“Speaking of which, I heard you put Alec on research duty,” Ivy said.
“I only just spoke to him. How can you possibly know that already?”
“Come now, Leda. A magician never reveals her secrets.”
Nerissa snorted. “Ivy’s spies are everywhere.”
“I don’t have spies,” Ivy protested. “People just like to tell me things.”
“Because they want to sleep with you,” said Nerissa.
“Only some of them.” Ivy’s laughter was light and refreshing, just what this cold, dead room needed to put some life back into it. “Granted, Alec is one of those someones. He found me after he talked to you and suggested we do some research together.”
“Let me guess,” said Nerissa. “Anatomical research.”
“Oddly enough, I think he meant actual research this time. He looked genuinely disappointed when I told him I was busy with other work. I think he’s worried that he will let you down, Leda.”
“I picked him for the job because I know he won’t let me down,” I replied. “I’m more worried that I am letting everyone down.”
Ivy gave me a knowing look. “You’ve been watching those horrible news reports, haven’t you?”
It had started as the single incendiary reporter, but the vitriol had quickly spread to the rest. They were all condemning me now.
I sighed. “I just can’t stop watching, no matter how many times they call me the worst thing ever to happen to the Earth.”
“Don’t listen to them, Leda.” Ivy set her hand on my arm. “You’ve saved this world more times than I can count. Those reporters just want to tell a big, dramatic story, and for that they need a villain. Even if they have to manufacture one. Just like all those hate groups need a villain to blame for everything that’s going wrong in the world. They need someone to blame. And so they are blaming anyone with magic. It will all pass.”
“I hope you’re right.” I leaned against the wall.
Nerissa’s head snapped around. “That’s it. Off to bed with you, Leda.”
“What?”
“You’re so exhausted that you can hardly stand,” she told me. “And you look like hell.”
“Compliments on your bedside manner, Doc.”
She smiled at me. “Glad to be of service. Now get the hell out of my office and get some rest before I drag you to your room and lock you in.”
“All right, all right. I’m leaving.” I moved toward the door. “See you tomorrow.”
“Not before you’ve had at least eight hours of sleep, you won’t,” she snapped back.
Easier said than done. I returned to my apartment and prepared myself for bed, but it all felt so empty, so lonely without Nero here. I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to sleep.
Nevertheless, I was out almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.
My dreams weren’t exactly restful. In them, vampires choked on blood as witches’ potions exploded in their faces and fairies died from disease. Lightning elementals were struck by lightning. Wind elementals were consumed by tornados.