The perk of building a hotel is deciding where to place the manager’s office. Tamara picked the spot that if there was a room got the most complaints, directly over the lobby. For an office it was the perfect place. She could hear if there was a problem downstairs. The other perk in her favor was as a shifter there were a number of easy places she could find to rest. She shifted into a wolf as soon as she locked the door and curled up beneath her desk.
She was comfortable and warm. Now she could contemplate the issues at hand. Since the hotel opened it was a decent profit maker. The word of mouth that there is a private place for magic use open for rent spread like wild fire. Most of the room rentals were in relation to the circle grove. Magic circles and weddings were the top uses for it. She had put most of the profits aside, knowing that slow season was coming during the winter months. Unfortunately Halloween was super popular, and this really was going to crunch down on productivity. She couldn’t afford to cancel too many events.
What was this group doing anyways? She let that musing occupy her mind into sleep. She didn’t wake until there was a heavy bang on the door. Groggily she got up and out of her warm, cozy spot. She shifted forms as she moved to answer the door. It was Aaron with his good looks and big cup of coffee. With an audible groan she took the coffee and left him to open the door and let himself in. She sank down in her chair and drank deeply.
The tall blond looked around and took the room in. Then he took a seat across the desk from her. “Very nice,” he said as he settled into the leather chair.
She grunted, refusing to speak until she had drank half the cup. The caffeine kicked in and felt so good. Finally she looked up at him and asked, “How bad is it?”
“Bad.” He said with a dark frown. “It’s got some good sides. Your containment seems to be holding well. But they’ve raised a lot of power in there. If we just disrupt it…boom.”
“Big boom?”
“Big boom.”
“And my hotel?”
“They were trying to open a portal to summon something. That’s the only thing I can think they were doing. For that level of systematic spells done in that particular order it’s really the only option. You have to open your portal, stabilize it, and then secure the area. As well as call and contain whatever you’re summoning.” He summarized. “Your lady last night took some very good notes, and we noted they had a book in the center of all this. So I’m having my boys track down what book they’re using by the spells they’ve been casting.”
“Ignoring the basic to intermediate level ones?”
“Nothing about this is basic or intermediate. Summoning is and advanced subject for a reason,” he said with a grumble. “And a headache in every respect.”
“What about the hotel? The portals? Why here?” She pressed.
“You know the oil theory?”
She shook her head. She wasn’t very power when it came down to magic. She balanced that issue out with being creative about it.
“When you pour oil onto water it creates little spots, and then will seek each other to become a few big spots. You end up with a couple of big ones covering part of the water,” he explained easily. “Magic is like that, bubbles of energy in the world. Your hotel is filled with magic users with many spells cast directly upon it. When they cast a big spell that let energy go wild, it naturally came to the hotel. The good news is it saves us having to scour the woods looking for portals, the downside is they're all in your hotel.”
“This could cripple the business.” She stated. “How do we fix this?”
“That’s not so easy,” he said. “Once magic is cast, undoing it is not so easy.”
“You figure that out. I need to figure out how to operate my business.”
“I can’t let you do that until we figure this out.”
“Wrong,” She told him firmly. The urge to fight filled her as she rose up. “We work together to contain it, but to shut down the hotel will mean it won’t open again. So it’s got to stay operational.”
“You’re putting people at risk…”
“I’m not,” she said. “There’s no danger to the random guest. This thing seems to only do things to our vacant rooms. So we will figure out how to handle that.”
“Tamara, don’t make me go over your head.”
“Go ahead and try.”
“Tamara,” he warned again.
“Look Aaron, I get where you’re coming from. And you got to understand where I am coming from. There needs to be a way to balance this issue,” She stated. “Right now it’s not to cause a fright to everyone. Let me and my crew works our end while you work yours.”
He wasn’t so easily persuaded but he wasn’t about to press the fight either. Tamara was well aware the council expected people just to roll over and obey. She wasn’t about to do that. This wasn’t a business that could close and just open back up like nothing happened. Its doors had to stay open if she wanted it to stay viable. There was no direct danger to anyone at the moment. The portals were limited to the vacant rooms and the staff already proved they could handle the stragglers.
She walked to the door.
“We’re not finished,” Aaron stated.
“I think we are.” She said as she turned back to him. “I can’t close down the hotel, not the night before Halloween. Yet I can work on making it safe for everyone involved. Now if you will excuse me I intend to do just that. Call the investigators if you have an issue with it.”
As she walked she knew his eyes were on her, they bore into her. At least until the heavy office door closed behind her, cutting off his view. The one thing any council agent hated, calling in another department. Her stating an investigator needed to be involved just tied his hands. He could continue to investigate with his team, but he couldn’t move forward without a member of the investigations department.
“How are we?” She demanded as she entered the lobby. It was strangely empty, at least until she looked at the clock and realized it was noon. She couldn’t help but note the big brown wolf lying next to the end of the desk. He looked so content.
Shannon smiled up at her like a calm desert island in the midst of a tempest sea. She was tall and statuesque, such a contract to the red headed owner. She had a phone on one ear, and taped quickly at the computer with her other. Tamara approached the front desk agent as she dropped the phone to its bracket, and smiled a charming and completely calming smile.
“Where are we?” Tamara asked and realized she must sound as exhausted as she felt.
“The number and address to tonight’s group are bogus. I have been trying the room reservations to talk to them but nothing, not a single one answering,” she explained calmly.
“Try authorizing cards,” Tamara ordered with a sigh. She didn’t want to think of the lost revenue. It wasn’t uncommon on busy days for a hotel to authorize credit cards in advance. She normally wouldn’t, but the group signed a contract. They had to fill out a detailed request to get circle grove. If the information was invalid and none of them were answering phones meant something wasn’t right with them, and voided the contract. She‘d rather not have them in that case. “If they fail, we tried to contact them, cancel their reservations.”
“Do you want me to cancel their whole group reservation?”
“Yes. They signed a contract,” Tamara stated. “Not my fault they didn’t read what they sign. We are making every reasonable effort to reach them.”
Shannon nodded and moved over to the credit card machine.
“What’s going on with housekeeping?” Tamara asked.
“They’re cleaning all occupied or recently vacant rooms. After that we’re going to coordinate to check all vacant clean rooms and see where those stand.” Shannon reported easily. “Everything is under control Boss.”
“Tell that to the diplomats,” Tamara said with a roll of her eyes. She signaled to Fionn, “Come with me.”
A voice caught her where she stood. “Excuse me.” Tamara turned to look at an aged being. His skin had not kept up with the times, he looked positively dead. She knew anywhere else he would have worn an illusion, but it wasn’t necessary here. He wore a proper modern suit and looked like a bad art representation of a dead investor. Tamara smiled at him, “Lord Aris, how are you?”
“Very well my dear, but I heard through the grape vine you were not.”
“Oh? That quickly?”
“I have circle grove booked tomorrow night remember? I’m paying attention to what’s going on and might interrupt my plans.”
She closed her eyes and sighed, “The dead ball.”
“You forgot?”
“No, no my lord. Please come walk with me,” she said and beckoned him to join her. He fell into step with her as she let the way outside the back door. The sun was shining bright, but it was a still a crisp cool autumn night. The manicured garden was littered with colored leaves. Then it hit her. “My lord, perhaps we can help each other.”
“I am listening?”
They came to a set of benches that overlooked the gardens and forest beyond. She motioned for him to sit as she took a seat on the end. He sat down next to her. They were both able to look about the beauty around them.
“Last night a group of mundane booked circle grove,” she explained. “What we didn’t know is they had a very real magic book.”
“What kind of magic book?”
“Something advanced, for summoning.” She answered. “A book like that won’t cover the basics that we all already know, so it went dangerous. Thus my staff and I froze them in time.”
“Froze? As in a flaticous?”
She nodded. “It’s holding amazingly well.”
“I am impressed, but not sure how that I may be of service.”
“I had you go over everything you intend to do before I agreed to let you use circle grove for you ball.” She said slowly, “You told me that you needed to bring in special plants. The goal was to siphon energy from and feed the dead in a way they can only get away with once a year.”
“That is correct. The alternative is to take it from the ground, killing all plants around the area.”
“What if there is a great deal of magic built up for a different purpose. Could you use that?”
“Like what those mundane have?” he asked thoughtfully.
“I know it’s not the same ‘type’ of magic than what you planned. I don’t claim to know too much about your ways, but if you come with me I can show you and you can judge it for yourself.”
“I admit you have me intrigued.”
She motioned for him to follow her. The path into the woods and to Circle Grove was off to the side of the gardens. They walked in silence. It was nice and communal. Three years ago if someone told her she would be wandering a hotel property with a lich, and completely at ease about it, she would have laughed at them. Now it was no big deal.
They walked the twisting paths with ease, and arrived at the bubble of frozen time. It was invisible in the day’s light. An armed diplomat stood guard there and narrowed his eyes at them as they approached. “Feel free to let Aaron know,” she told the guard as she and Lord Aris stared at it. The sense of power still wafted from it in weakened pulses.
“There is indeed a great deal of power here,” he mused. “Do you know what they were intending?”
“Some sort of summoning.”
He let out a hearty laugh. “Mortals and summoning demons is an age old tale. It never ends up well.”
The sound was scarily normal. If it was anyone else she would have not looked twice, but the undead man just made her shake her head. “Do you think you can work with it?”
“I need to consult with my members. I think there are possibilities. Is there a conference room free I may use?”
“Of course, at no charge,” she said and motioned for him to lead the way back down the path.
They were half way back when Aaron came upon him. He looked angry, as if a demon had just bit his ass. But there was courtesy to worry about. He was facing a shifter and an undead. As a council diplomat he knew he had to have certain protocol with those of different natures. That was why he had no choice but to call in an investigator when she demanded one. “My lord,” he said as a moment to catch himself.
“Mister Polick,” Lord Aris greeted. “I am glad you are the one attending to this situation. Due diligence is definitely called for here.”
There was even less he could say in the light of an obvious compliment. “Thank you my lord. I am trying to keep a handle on the situation.”
“Yes. Miss. Decker was just giving me an opportunity to potentially aid in the solution without disrupting my initial plans.”
Aaron cast her dirty look, “was she now.”
“My lord, why don’t you go ahead and call your men. Tell Shannon that I authorized conference room B at your disposal.”
The lord bowed his head to her and walked on. Alone with Aaron she smiled grimly at him. “Did I not say we would find a solution? I may have one.”
“By involving an undead. Are you insane?”
“Who already booked the area for his dead ball on Halloween night?” she supplied.
“To do what?” he demanded.
“To do his rituals for his people,” she snapped back.
“And how is that helping?”
“Because instead of setting up to get the magical energy, he can use what’s there. Syphon it off so it can’t go boom.” She stated.
“Do you know what you just offered him?’ he snapped taking a step forward.
He should have remembered he wasn’t dealing with a woman and mortal mage, but a shifter. She had faced many men who thought they were big and tough. The best way of dealing with them was being big and tough back. She should have remembered that Fionn, in wolf form, was with them. He had stayed with her silently the entire time. He took a step forward and growled threateningly.
“Look Aaron, get a grip on yourself. This is not like you,” she stated much more calm.
His eyes flashed at her, and then he nodded. “I’m going to drive into town.”
“If it is affecting you like that, we’d better check on everyone else too.” The weak pulse from the circle she had felt earlier must be stronger and subtle that she initially realized. The scene back there wasn’t entirely contained it would seem.
“How are you so unaffected?”
“I’ve been around magic my whole life. I know how to just ignore it.”
“Shield yourself you mean.”
“So does my staff. We need to be impervious to people and their spells or we’d be useless to our jobs.” She shrugged. “Now, we both have a lot to do. Is that investigator coming?”
“He will be here in a few hours,” Aaron said and marched on.
Tamara didn’t follow. She watched him walk down the path and disappear around the bend. Doing what he did for a living, she wondered why he couldn’t shield. The dark evergreens gave great cover, even in a brilliant but cold day. She looked up to the cloudless sky letting her thoughts roam. Even if Lord Aris accepted the situation, he was undead and they were notoriously opportunistic. Restraints would have to be in place. Mandi would know what to do, and she was sure she could enlist Shannon to help. The two mages were useful in these kinds of situations.
“What’s on your mind?” Fionn’s deep voice purred next to her right ear.
She turned to him. He was a respectable distance from her, but it still felt close. “Why are you back?”
“My portal is still open. I was concerned that I wasn’t the only one to come out, so I came back,” he said seriously. He smiled. “Besides it’s nicer over here.”
She rolled her eyes and turned to walk down the path. He fell in line with her. It was unnerving how companionable it was. “Don’t you miss your home?”
“A half breed rejected on both fronts?” He shrugged. It was clearly a reality he had had time to adjust to. “Neither fae, nor wolf.”
She cocked her head, “You know I’ve never had that problem. Mortals, as you like to call them, don’t realize I’m not one of them. Wolves are rare around her, but other shifters let me be. I’ve no inclination to join a pack or the society politics.”
“I’ve not seen other shifters where I come from,” he admitted.
“Here mortals and shifters are not inherently magical. Thus those of us that are tend to band together. We celebrate our differences. From what I have seen of fae society it is not necessarily the same.”
“Each fae joins a clan that best suits them, or they are born into it. Then do their clan duties.” He mused. “But you, you’re doing your own thing.”
“Fuck everyone else,” she agreed with a slight smile.
“What if…what if I didn’t go back?” he asked after a long pause. “There is much more freedom in this realm.”
“But there are rules. You’d have to obey fae and shifter law.” She pointed out.
“You seem to do it with ease.”
“I have no idea what fae law or society is like. But I like to think I do okay,” she agreed. “You don’t like where you come from?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Since you’re from another realm it would have to be cleared with the council.”
“What is this council? I assume Aaron is one of these council people?”
“Since mortals are not magical, the law is to keep magic a secret. They did it to protect those of us who are inherently magical and those who cannot hide. We call it Parandus. The council’s job is to ensure that all the different people and creatures stay hidden. Some rely upon it, others rebel against it. Most just accept it as part of life. But that means they monitor portals and access to other realms.”
“You would think that would be a right magical people have.”
“There was an incident a long time ago where two realms used this place as a battle ground. That’s when the council got involved and quashed it before Parandus was destroyed and all of us with it. Now they’re strictly monitored.”
“So you called in those people when you realized what was happening with your hotel.”
She frowned. “I did."
“I suppose those would be the rules and society I don’t understand.” He replied, not understanding the dilemma.
“This is a dark place, not all roses and sunshine.”
“And it’s cold,” he pointed out with a crooked smile. She couldn’t help but smile in return.
“You said you thought someone might have come through from your portal. Did you find them?” She asked.
“He did.” A squeaky voice answered.