Monster Baiter (An Obscure Magic Book 6) Read online

  She dumped a squirt of body wash onto a scrubbing puff. “Sure. If they have no ill intent, they can pass through the doorway at your side; send me an email so I set the wards in the morning.”

  Delwin blinked. “Do you always look like that when you get home?”

  “With this much activity, I can usually barely move when I get home. Was there something else?”

  He scowled. “Give me that scrub.”

  She blinked, and he crowded into her shower, kneeling and carefully scrubbing her from shoulder to heels.

  “Turn.”

  She rotated toward him, and he scrubbed carefully around her body and removed all of the traces of muck, dirt and anything else.

  “This looks dangerous, Sophy.”

  “I managed to wrangle you, Delwin. Of course, it is dangerous. You were not even close to the deadliest thing that I went after, venomous or not.”

  He got up with his pajama pants sodden. “There, all clean. There were some spots that you would never have reached in that shape.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Thank you, but this won’t give you a break on your rent.”

  He laughed. “I have figured out a job to apply for.”

  She raised her brows, naked and nearly chest to chest with him. “Do tell?”

  “I think you need a housekeeper. I can stay with you, do laundry, learn to cook, and in exchange, all I want is free rent for a few months.”

  She poked him in the chest and narrowed her eyes. “I will think about it.”

  “If I get the stains out of all your clothing, will you do it?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Yes. Now, hand me a towel and stop coming into my bathroom!”

  He laughed, peeled off his pajamas, grabbed one towel for her and one for him. With the fluffy white fabric around his hips, he gathered his pants and left.

  She called out, “Delwin!”

  He turned around warily. “What?”

  “Thanks for scrubbing my back.”

  He winked. “Any time, as long as I don’t have company. Skin like yours doesn’t deserve that kind of punishment.”

  “Don’t worry. I will be healed in the morning.”

  He called out over his shoulder. “I was talking about your body wash.”

  He closed the door behind him, and she was left fighting exhausted laughter.

  It seemed that once you let a merman into your home, you were stuck with him.

  She wished that he had come with an instruction book.

  Yawning her way through reports the next morning, she looked at the approaching cup of coffee with relief. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Go home, Soph. We will take care of it.” Her mom handed it over with a grin.

  “I have the first quarter up to date, filed my reports from yesterday and am due for a visit to the estate shops.” She slurped at the coffee without hesitation. It burned slightly, but she gulped it down.

  “So, is that merman still living with you?” Her mom’s eyes were gleaming.

  Sophy wrinkled her nose. “Yes. He is now my official housekeeper. He’s going to run my errands and cook for me. Well, he will cook once he learns how. Fortunately, some of his new boyfriends seem to have useful talents in the kitchen.”

  “Does he do laundry?”

  “I find out tonight. The deal is set if he can get the slime and ectoplasm out of my outfit from yesterday. If he manages it, he can stay.”

  “Good. You need a roommate. He is as good as any, and he already knows about what you do, so it will be an easier transition for both of you.”

  “Mom, he is threatening to replace all of my bath products.”

  Lillian cackled. “Good. You make a ton of money. You should spend part of it on yourself.”

  “I do. I spend a ton on clothing.”

  “Stuff that gets destroyed doesn’t count. If you can’t nap, try and get a training session in.”

  “Yes, Mom.” She handed the empty cup back and cleared up her desk, standing slowly with only a little wincing.

  “What did you do last night?”

  “There was a spectral lash involved. It takes me longer to heal from those.”

  “Oh, baby. You have to be more careful.”

  “I was careful; it hit me and not the humans behind me.” She stretched and smiled again. “I will be fine.”

  She paused. “Mom, did you ever hear of a mage named Magnus who was arrested by the guild?”

  “No... not unless you mean Lord Magnus the soul hunter. He was a character and ended up in amber.”

  “What’s the story there?”

  Her mother scowled. “I am not sure. I could look into it if you want me to.”

  “No. I don’t think that will be necessary. I will get some more details before I go digging. It isn’t a time-sensitive project.”

  She walked around her desk, gave her mom a kiss and headed for the door, her purse over her shoulder.

  Despite her bravado, Sophy hurt, and her mom could see it. Soph could only imagine how it had been for her mother to be with her father during his missions. The DeMonstres were genetically programmed to be bait. Being the spouse of one would mean that the person you loved would constantly be in danger.

  Sophy didn’t date much and that guilt was the reason. You couldn’t kiss someone goodbye and have them waiting for you to come home bloody and torn up. It wasn’t fair.

  She got into the car and buckled up, wiping at the tear that had crept out of her right eye. Damn, she was in rough shape if she was crying.

  “Sophia, is something wrong?”

  “Nope. Where are you watching me from?” Her phone was in her purse.

  “Your GPS.”

  She pinched the bridge of her nose to stop the tears. “I am fine. I have my rounds today. You can go to neutral or whatever you do when I am not there.”

  “I am always waiting for you.”

  “That’s creepy.” She headed for the estate shop.

  “That is my existence. Though, I am happy that they assigned me to your service.”

  She grimaced. “I thought you were a ghost.”

  “I am a consciousness. Ghosts can’t travel from technology to technology.”

  Sophy grinned. She had been told. “Why did they send you to me anyway?”

  “Because they were tired of doing the referencing for you. Keeping an archivist on duty for hours was far from a desirable event. They decided that I could be trusted to act as your liaison. I have enjoyed it. You are the first person I have spoken to in centuries.”

  “Well, we have a half-hour drive. What can you tell me about yourself?”

  “I am no longer in physical form.” Magnus chuckled.

  “Yeah, I know that. How did you come to be hanging out in my GPS?”

  Magnus sighed. “I am confined in amber with my magic and soul suspended for my crimes. When I was free, I had a skill with the histories, so when they were looking for someone to act in this capacity, my name arose. The seers were shocked, but the guild agreed to let me out... so to speak.”

  “What did you do?”

  He chuckled. It was a nice sound. “I committed the cardinal sin of deceiving the Mage Guild. I was not what they thought I was, and when I was discovered, the result was my incarceration.”

  “What did you hide?”

  “That is a conversation for another day. Now, why were you crying?”

  She thought back to what had started the conversation. “Oh, I was just thinking about how hard it is to be the spouse of the Cursed One. My mom has the patience of a saint.”

  “Didn’t she go on assignments with your father?”

  “She did, but once I was there, she didn’t.”

  “Your ancestresses always went to the curses with their children strapped to them. Their husbands kept track of the children while they worked, but the moment they were done, they were back with their families.”

  “
Huh. That was a class that was missing while my father trained me.”

  Magnus paused. “Ah, I have just located his mother’s file. She died young for a Cursed One. She had a sister, though.”

  “Yes. She taught me blade work. My father was not encouraging me to follow the dictates of the curse.”

  Magnus snorted. “Foolish. You were doomed to it the moment you were born.”

  “Gee. Thanks.” She snorted.

  “It is the truth. I am surprised that there is a surviving DeMonstre who has not taken on the duty of the Cursed One.”

  “Great Aunt Sapphire is in a wheelchair. She was injured when I was seventeen. She tried to help with the duties, but she was a librarian by nature. A curse blew up in her face, and she has spent the remainder of her life chasing me and trying to get me to continue the family line.”

  “I have been updating myself on current social behaviours. Don’t you like men?”

  “I don’t want to be wanted for my bloodline, and I don’t want to use someone as a breeding stud just because it is time.”

  “A very grown-up answer.”

  She laughed. “I have entered my fourth decade. I am a grown up, despite appearances.”

  She pulled into the parking lot outside the estate shop. “Well, as entertaining as this has been, I have to go work. Please transfer yourself to my phone.”

  “Yes, Sophia.”

  She could hear the urge to continue in his voice and the frustration that she cut the conversation off.

  She unbuckled, grabbed her purse and left her car. It was time to look through the extensive inventory of Ambermarle Estate Brokers.

  Part of her was still girly enough to enjoy shopping.

  Chapter Five

  “Good day to you, Justin.” Sophy smiled at the younger member of the Ambermarle family.

  “Madam DeMonstre! I wasn’t expecting you.” He cleared his throat and looked nervous.

  She looked at his body language and flexed her hands. “What came in and where are you hiding it?”

  “Um, nothing... Dad, look who is here.”

  She turned to Ambermarle senior. “Ah, Guy. So happy to see you.”

  “Madam DeMonstre... what brings you here today?” Guy Ambermarle looked at her and ran a nervous hand over his thinning hair.

  Sophy wondered if the hairstyle was genetic. Junior and senior were wearing the same slicked-back style.

  “Oh, you know. Just looking for a comb for my hair, and it is time for your inventory check. You know the drill.” She quirked her lips.

  “Of course. Of course. This way to the quarantined arrivals.” He waved her into the depths of the shop stacked with ancient woods, books, statues and instruments.

  The estate brokers had been created to keep entire collections of magical artifacts from reaching untrained humans and unsuitable species. Cursed items were common. Most families just locked them up and forgot about them until great uncle or aunt whatever passed away.

  She flicked her vision into seeking the chaotic patterns of cursed objects, and she spotted three near the wrapping table, which meant that they would be going out to a client.

  “Gee, Guy. You must have been a little out of practice. Those objects haven’t made it through quarantine.”

  He blinked, and the stench of sweat began to creep through his clothing. “Really? They have been here for months.”

  “I was here four weeks ago, and those items were not here in the shop. What are you up to, Guy?”

  “Nothing. I swear. The client was very specific in getting those items, untampered with.”

  She wandered over to the candlesticks and lifted two of them, whispering to them and dispersing their magic. The saltcellar was particularly nasty. She discharged the magic with a few small words, and the puff of black hate shot upward.

  When she was done, she wiped off her fingers and took a photo of the collection. “Note for the file. Items have been cleared of noxious influence.”

  The words printed across her screen, and she turned back to the shopkeeper with a bright smile. “Now, on to quarantine.”

  He was blanched and swallowing, but he led her to the rear of the storage area where the chained area told her she was about to go through a busy day.

  “Whose estate was it?”

  “Leonard Doringer. We got it two weeks ago and have been waiting for your arrival. There is a high demand for many of his works and objects.”

  She mentally whistled. “Unlock it and give me the key. I will let you know when I am done.”

  He drew a key with a scarlet ribbon from his pocket and unlocked the cage. She took the key from him when the door of the cage opened, and she stepped inside.

  Sound from the shop ceased, as did the world outside the quarantine area. Getting a space warded with dampening magic was expensive, and Sophy really wasn’t surprised that the Ambermarles were turning to grey-market cursed goods.

  The spell books and enchanted objects were fine. She was specifically looking for items that could embed themselves in a human soul and take hold.

  The flare of acid green got her attention. She took out her phone and snapped a photo before she worked on deciphering the curse on the flute.

  The flute seemed to be a standard luck-draining curse, but the case was another matter.

  “This is new.” She took photos of the case and worked on analyzing the spell that stuck to it.

  “Magnus, run a check on curse-generating objects.”

  “Working.”

  She set the flute back into the case and closed it, keeping the box near her. It was coming with her all cursed up.

  The rest of the collection was shockingly benign. Some fatal serving ware was all that needed her attention.

  She knew that this was only part of the collection, and she kept the flute case under her arm when she left and locked up the quarantine.

  Guy was waiting nervously by the shipping area.

  “Okay, Guy. Show me the books. There were at least seven famous objects in the collection that were suspiciously missing.”

  “I don’t know which those could be?”

  “Show me the books, Guy, or the guild will be here in an hour.”

  He pulled the shipping logs down and laid them out on the table. She flipped through to the last page and found the items in question. Four different collectors, none of whom was human. “Of course.”

  She took photos of the manifest, checked her image and gave Guy a dark look. “Congratulations. You just bought yourself a weekly check.”

  His shoulders slumped. “I thought you were coming tomorrow.”

  She sighed. “I was going to, but I still would have known the objects were missing. I have been to Leonard Doringer’s home with my great aunt. I know what he had and what was entailed to other family. This flute is the only object that I need to take away with me, so you are getting off with a warning regarding the stuff you were shipping. Now, I am off to demand those missing items from your clients, so you had better prepare for that.”

  He shuddered nervously. “I will prepare for the fallout.”

  “Good. I will deal with what is going on with the Doringer collection.” She held up the box. “I would like to make sure that I sign this out. If I can return it to you, I will.”

  He scowled. “What is that? I don’t remember seeing it.”

  “It is a flute.”

  “It wasn’t on the manifest.”

  She snorted. “It isn’t mage magic. It was probably hiding.”

  Gratifyingly, he didn’t ask her how she had seen it. He just wrote a receipt for the flute, and he kept a copy while giving her one.

  “What estates do you have coming in?”

  “The Meldon collection, as well as the furniture from Imrick the Bold.”

  “Good. I will be here next week. Keep it in quarantine until I clear it.”

  She reached into her purse and wrote a cleara
nce for all items in quarantine with the exception of the items previously mentioned. It was important to keep records. When she was done, she signed it, folded her copy and handed the other copy to him.

  “There you go. I am going to do a quick run through, just in case.”

  “Of course, Madam DeMonstre. Thank you for the clearance.”

  She inclined her head. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

  Sophy went through the inventory with her senses open wide. Two small bookshelves that would cause confusion were easily dealt with, and the rest were clear.

  When she left, she felt the relief in the father and son. She didn’t blame them. This was a stopgap measure to slow the cursed objects entering the city. Nothing would stop them, but you could slow them down. Collectors would still collect, and those with evil intent would still find some way to curse their targets. More cursed objects were born every day.

  She put the box in her passenger seat and asked Magnus, “Well? Anything in response to my request?”

  “Four objects and each is tainted with demon magic.”

  “Fan-fucking-tastic.” She looked at her phone. “Can you dial the Ganger house for me?”

  “Done.”

  She held the phone to her ear and smiled when she heard a familiar voice. “Hello, Lenora, this is Sophy. Can I bring something by and get Emile to take a look at it?”

  “Of course, dear. Come over.”

  “Thank you, Lenora. See you in ten minutes.”

  She put the car in gear, backed out and then shifted to drive to the Ganger house. Benny’s wedding was just a few days in the past, and Benny herself was now firmly in the XIA.

  The time spent around the Ganger family kitchen was a fond memory for Sophy. Her parents and the Gangers were friends of long standing, and that friendship had extended to their daughters.

  Benny had taught Sophy so much about identifying power signatures when her father was refusing to help with the training. When her aunt was injured, he changed his mind, and fortunately, her training had occurred without him agreeing to it. Everyone around her had helped her become capable and ready.

  The Gangers were like her aunt and uncle. The fact that their home was the largest extranatural research library on the coast made visiting them just a little bit more fun than normal.