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The fog crept in from the ocean, a thick white blanket that reduced buildings to impressions of line and shade, turned lights into glowing beacons and made it difficult to see anything further than a few feet away. It swallowed the whole city from Old Town to Uptown, grounded the flights at the airport and forced the ferry to crawl from one side of the bay to the other.
The human locals, used to these fogs, went about their normal business, confident that it would burn off by noon. The non-human locals revelled in the freedom that the fog gave them, the Lángrén and Xixuegui walking the streets in whichever form they wished to, safe in the knowledge that the tourists huddled in their hotels, muttering about the gloom and chill that the fog brought.
The Temples, used to such weather keeping the tourists inside, made use of the time for their own studies. One Priestess, having spent several hours with ancient books and scrolls, took a break for a walk in the temple grounds.
The mists wreathed the plants and trees in moisture, giving normally friendly gardens and meditation spots an eerie feel. The air hung thick and still as she trod the raked paths and visited her favourite places, talking to the spirits inhabiting each place and the Groundskeepers that she came across in their duties.
At the very edge of the of the grounds, a twelve-foot wall rose above her. She took several moments to check the boundary spells and strengthen any weak spots. The most vulnerable of these was a damaged part of the wall that had been shored up with stout tree trunks. As she laid her hands upon it and began weaving a protective charm into the wood, a net dropped down around her.
What in... it’s cut off my connection with the elements! She began to try and get out from under it, but the moment she touched it, the net wound itself around her tightly, trapping her arms to her body and strapping her legs together. “Alert! Aggressive Intruders...” she broadcast to her fellow dragons as widely as possible, in the hope of bringing help.
A masked figure dropped to the ground beside the wall and peered into her face, smiling, “Oh no, you’re not getting out of this one, Criostail Raicleach. My Lady’s plan depends upon your death and my Lady’s word is law.” The figure reached out with a shining black, slim bladed dagger, the point sliding through the holes in the net neatly and piercing the delicate scales covering the priestess’ earholes.
The last thing the priestess thought of was not her family or friends but her duties. Enchanted obsidian blade, spelled bindweed net. Fae accent. They have resumed their war of conquest; the Triang must know! The tip of the blade slipped into her brain, and she died with a soft sigh of regret, collapsing to the droplet covered grass.
The figure waited a few moments to make sure that the priestess was truly gone, then it removed the blade from her ear, wound the net up into a neat package and cleaned the blade on the grass, removing what little blood and brain matter clung to it before sheathing it, softly giggling to itself.
The figure arranged the corpse in a meditational pose and leapt up and over the wall in one jump, taking the net and knife with it.
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KAI SPENT A QUIET MORNING at home, mothballing the Divinatory side of her business. I just can’t keep up with both sides of the business. Edward was right that it needs to be shut down so I can focus, however much I enjoy it. She paid Sebastian a significant bonus for his efforts and then sent him an email saying that she wouldn’t need his services anymore, copying it to Edward in the Hunter’s office.
Then she walked through the park to Te Ling Central Police Station. The fog turned the park into an ethereal wonderland of blossom and shadow. The lanterns had remained lit, and each pool of light glowed like a miniature sun.
I’ve always thought that the fogs are one of the best parts about Te Ling, especially in the parks; cooler than normal air against the skin, the salty-sweet smell of blossom mixed with sea air, and they turn everything into another world. Kai hadn’t seen anyone since the meal at Mother’s, so she didn’t know if she was still hearing people’s thoughts.
Something caught her attention to her left, she wasn’t sure if it was a swirl in the fog or a person, but when kai turned to look it formed into the shape of slim dragon woman wearing silver robes, a dribble of blood running down her neck.
“Jade Cat, you must help us.” The woman said.
“I’m not the Jade Cat.” Kai replied, narrowing her eyes and trying to identify the woman.
“You are. You were born to be and always will be, whether you take the official title or not.” The woman shifted oddly, and Kai felt a breeze swirl around her.
“I don’t have enough time left in this world, Jade Cat. Avenge me and halt their plans.” The woman held her hands out toward Kai and this time as the breeze blew, Kai saw the woman’s body split into three briefly before reforming.
She’s a Spirit. She must have died recently. Kai concentrated on the connection, the way she would if she were tracking with a piece of clothing and the spirit firmed up, becoming more real looking with pale blue scales and silver talons, “Who were you?”
“I was a Priestess of the Moon. I divined fortunes for tourists and wove lucky charms to sell. I had sisters in other temples and a brother who was a mage and I loved them all to distraction. I sat on the Triang to represent Hachin and keep our world calmly in tune with that of the Humans. The priestess seemed to grow sad, All that will be for nothing if they succeed in their aims.”
The breeze blew harder, and the woman broke apart again. Kai felt her becoming too weak to stay in this realm. She swapped to mind speech, “I promise you that I will find your killers and bring them to justice. Go onward in your journey, Lady Priestess. I shall carry your words to the right people and your love to your family. Go in peace and rest well.”
The spirit smiled, her fangs glinting in the soft light, “Thank you Jade Cat. May Lady Chang’e bless your life with beauty.” Then as the breeze swirled the fog into ragged wisps, the Dragon Priestess began to fade.
“What was your name?” Kai called out to her.
The voice that replied was almost too faint to hear, “Yutu... remember me.” Then the spirit was gone, and Kai felt a deep sadness swallow her. Rest well, Lady Yutu.
She resumed her walk through the park, watching the fog break up and the sunshine through the gaps. Lady Yutu of The Moon Temple. I need to find out who her siblings were. Lucky I’m going to TLCPS. As Kai exited the park at the City District end, the sun burned away the last of the mist and the city came back to life after its brief respite under the fog blanket.
Special Division seemed to be full of frantic officers, most of them wolf clan and all of them panicking. Clive Kingston was bellowing orders from the front of the main office, but when he saw Kai, he breathed a deep sigh of relief before jerking his head toward Zhao’s office, “He’s in there. Am I glad to see you.”
“Why?”
“Zhao will fill you in. Your client is in there as well.” He said.
“Fair enough.” She walked past him and knocked on the door to Zhao’s office.
“Come in!” the detective’s voice sounded deliberately calm, but Kai could feel the undercurrent of fear from him.
Opening the door, she saw Melanie Reading-Smith and Louise Smith sat to one side in the comfortable chairs with coffee mugs. They were chatting and hadn’t seen her. Curious, she pushed her mind out toward them and immediately felt the terror that Melanie was feeling. Oddly, Louise didn’t seem to be at all worried.
“Ah, Miss Riordan. Would you like some coffee?” Detective Zhao stood by his coffee machine.
“Please, I need it after that walk.” She shut the door behind her, pulling her mind back from the women at the same time. They looked at her and the terror that Kai had felt from Melanie before seemed to fade slightly, replaced by a certain amount of relief.
“Take a seat, Miss Riordan. We’re not standing on ceremony this afternoon; not after the morning I’ve had.” Zhao waved his hand toward the comfortable chairs.
Kai sat down, “Does it have anything to do with the death of a Priestess of the Moon Temple?”
“I told you that she’d know something.” Louise said smugly.
“Shush. You have no idea what you’re talking about, Louise.” Melanie snapped at her Sister in law.
Zhao brought a mug over and handed it to her. Kai took a deep breath of the bitter, slightly chocolatey aroma wafting up from the liquid and felt her muscles relax.
“I should have known that you’d know what was going on.” Zhao sat down, “Yes she was a Moon Temple Priestess, but she was also the Crystal Dragon.”
Kai shot a concerned look at Louise.
“It’s okay, Miss Riordan. I’ve brought Louise up to speed on the Treaty.” Melanie said.
“That tallies with what the Priestess told me then.” Kai said, sipping from her cup.
“You’ve spoken with her?” Zhao seemed surprised.
Kai sighed, “I didn’t get much choice.”
“Does she know... did she know who killed her?” the detective sat forward.
Kai drank more coffee, gagging slightly at the bitterness, “She didn’t say, but she asked me to avenge her and halt their plans.”
Melanie gasped, “That’s got to be the Fae. Everything that I’ve gathered at work points to them as well.”
Zhao looked at her, “What do you mean?”
“IT couldn’t find out where the malware they uncovered came from, but they did work out exactly what it had taken.” She drained the rest of her coffee in one gulp, “It wasn’t random people’s personal details, it was specific people, all of whom are connected to the Triang. It also took Andrew’s details, but I couldn’t understand why they would do that; his business partner is half – Fae so they know all about him.”
“So how do you connect the Malware with the Fae?” Kai asked.
She looked troubled, “There was a phrase included in the coding of the malware that didn’t fit; Fada Beo na Banríona. The techs didn’t take that much notice of it, they brushed it off as being the malware coder’s joke. I don’t know what it means but I know enough of their language to recognise it as such.”
Kai pulled out her phone and with a lot of swearing, texted Amira: What does “Fada Beo na Banríona” mean?
After a minute or so, the reply came back: Long Live the Queen. Why?
Same case I asked you about the other day. Kai told her and got a thumbs up emoticon back.
She relayed the information and Zhao made a note of it.
“So, the Fae were using Derwin-Hepler & Reading-Smith as a way of gathering information.” Louise surmised.
“But why?” Melanie said.
“That’s the real question.” Zhao said gloomily.