Obsidian Gate - Chapter Seven

* Well, time for another wacky installment. Comments, criticisms, etc. always appreciated. Enjoy! Hope the edits make the chapter a bit more readable for everyone.*

Chapter Seven:
Downloading, The Matrix, and Other Telepathic Quandries

- Earth -

The moon elf sat cross legged as best he could across from the telepath and regarded her soberly. What they were planning was very serious business and, quite frankly, Danthias was terrified. He had never been very good at letting his guard down around people he didn’t know and, even though these people were well-meaning and obviously trying to help him, it didn’t stop Dan from having very real and very valid misgivings about allowing a woman he barely knew into his mind.
“Have you dealt with telepaths before?” Sarah inquired.
Dan nodded, very cleverly hiding the way his palms itched and his throat caught when he swallowed. Like it or not, he had made his choice and he would stick by it. “Then just try to relax and not fight me,” Sarah said, “I will be quick and gentle.”
Dan wanted to reply, “Aww, but quick’s no fun!”, however, he forced his mind and body to relax and go limp. It was over almost before Danthias even realized it had begun. The woman in red removed her gloves and gently put her hands one on either side of the elf’s head. There was a pulse of crimson light as her aura flared and it was done. The woman donned her gloves once more and grinned at Dan.
“How do you feel?” she asked.
“A bit lightheaded, but fine,” Dan replied, “Now, where am I and why am I in chains?”
“The lightheadedness will fade soon,” the woman assured him, “and as for your questions, all the answers will be provided. Just give us a moment to explain the entire situation.”
“No offense, my dear lady,” Dan said, “but I would really rather just get out of here.”
“Hold yer horses, pal!” one of the suits exclaimed, “We’re workin’ on it!”
Sarah turned to the officer and gave him a rather disapproving look.
“Do not push him so, Landen! We must go easy at first. He will not understand everything right away, especially idioms, and he has been through a very traumatic experience. I think he will learn quickly but give him a moment!” she admonished.
Turning back to Dan, who was giving Landen quite a dirty look, Sarah said,
“Please just let us introduce ourselves and tell you what has happened. My name is Sarah Lee and you are?”
“I’d rather not say my name just yet, if it’s all the same to you, Miss Lee,” Dan replied, “It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you’ve done for me but I haven’t lived as long as I have by being a trusting individual. Please forgive me, for now.”
“As you like,” Sarah replied, shrugging, though her tone belied her casual behavior, and she indicated the two officers behind her, “These are Detectives O’Brian and Landen. They were the ones who responded to your situation earlier and they have been trying to sort out the details surrounding your assault.”
Dan glanced at them mistrustfully.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, gentlemen,” he said, “but don’t expect me to be sending flowers anytime soon. I can’t exactly say I’m pleased with the treatment I’ve received at the hands of your colleagues.”
Both Landen and O’Brian looked as if they were about to say something, then thought better of it. Sarah, meanwhile, continued on with the introductions as if nothing had happened. She motioned towards the lawyer sitting next to her and said,
“This is your attorney, Jonas Swift. He will be handling the legal end of our little problem.”
Dan simply nodded in his direction and Sarah continued with her introductions.
“This is Marissa Li Fang and Charlie Hutton,” Sarah said, “Charlie owns the building you were found outside of. He has agreed to let you stay there awhile, provided we can get you out of here. The winsome thing staring at you like you are a side of beef would be my sister, Alexandra.”
“Hey!” Alex exclaimed from where she was standing, “Hermana, that’s not nice!”
“Always nice to be appreciated by a beautiful woman,” Dan said, grinning as he took the woman’s hand in his and lightly kissed her knuckles, “Pleasure to meet you, Alexandra.”
“It’s Alex or Al,” she said, a little breathlessly.
“Very well then, Al,” Dan replied gently, bringing his eyes up from where his lips rested just above her knuckles.
Alex felt herself blush for the first time in what felt like years and internally cursed herself for, once again, letting a pretty face make a sucker out of her. Admittedly, it was hard to be all that upset when said pretty face packed such a yummy package and had such a killer accent. Not to mention that every time his breath gently tickled her knuckles, goosebumps seemed to rise out of nowhere from every inch of flesh she possessed.
“This one’s a dangerous one,” Al thought, as he finally released her hand gently, “and not in a bad way.”
“Oh, pretty please, won’t ch’y’all jus’ tell us yoah name?” Al asked, batting her eyelashes in a teasing manner.
Her tone was one she hoped was lighthearted and gentle. Dan only grinned harder and laughed.
“Asking politely will get you just about anything,” he said, putting just that right amount of harmless lecherousness in his tone to make the woman blush again, “Very well, my name’s Dan.”
Giving Alex one last devastating smile that seemed to melt her right down to her toes, the man looked over at Charlie with a very serious and sincere look on his face.
“I’m not particularly fond of charity,” he said in a very friendly, gentle tone, “Is there any way I can pay you back for your kindness?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Kid,” Charlie replied, smiling, “Stay’s long’s ya like. Got plenty t’eat n’ drink ‘round here an’ I’m sure we can find somethin’ t’fit ya so ya don’t have t’go out lookin’ so conspicuous.”
Dan looked down at his wardrobe and cracked a bit of a smile.
“I suppose I do make a rather odd picture in this place,” he admitted, “but I’m serious about paying you back. I always repay my debts and I don’t take no for an answer.”
“We can discuss it later, Kid,” Charlie said, “You just get better an’ let the girls n’ me take care o’ the rest.”
“My thanks,” Dan said profoundly.
“I understand you are a lycan,” Sarah said next.
“Sniffed me out, did she?” Dan said, smiling a little as he looked in the direction of the dangerous looking woman with the large chest.
The woman responded with a bit of a smirk and made a meowing sound in a vague kitty cat imitation. Danthias just grinned a bit wider and chuckled.
“Darn alphas, never can hide from ‘em,” he quipped, then, when he saw the serious expression on O’Brian’s face, he added, “Yes. I happen to be an alpha as well.”
“What breed, if you don’t mind my asking?” O’Brian queried.
“It’s not something I really want bantered about but let’s just say I don’t have a severe allergy to silver, just enough to make my eyes water,” Dan replied.
“Son, that could be just about anything but wolf,” O’Brian replied.
“I know,” Dan said, infuriatingly.
Before they could say anything, he looked right over at Sarah and asked,
“Do I have a right to an attorney?”
“Yeah,” O’Brian said and he proceeded to tell Danthias his rights and explain to him why he had not been informed of them before.
It did not take the officers long to explain Dan’s predicament to him fully and when they were finished, Dan looked over at them and said,
“Thank you. I think I’d like to speak to my lawyer and the ladies alone, then, please. Mr. Hutton may stay as well.”
Landen and O’Brian exchanged looks, then nodded.
“We’ll be needin’ a statement from you later, if we’re gonna get this whole mess straightened up,” O’Brian said.
“You will, but first I need to understand the procedures that need to take place and to understand my options.”
Neither of the officers argued. They simply left the room and locked Dan inside with his lawyer, making sure that Fraser had actually vacated the area, as they left. When he was certain they were gone, Dan graced the girls with a smile.
“Now are you willing to tell us your name?” Sarah Lee asked, not without some form of amusement.
“I'm Danthias Silverbow,” the elf replied, grinning, as he did the best bow he could in his restraints, “My friends call me Dan and we are well met.”
The entire group seemed to relax a little, then Dan looked at them and asked,
"Where are my armor and weapons?"
"We got 'em stashed at Charlie's," Al said, "Didn't think it would look good f'y'all t'be sportin' those in front o' de cops."
"No kidding," Dan murmured, "but that's actually not the most important issue here. I was wearing a necklace the last time I checked, a necklace of moonstones, under my armor and shirt. It seems to have come up missing and I need it desperately."
"Why?" Sarah piped up, curious.
"Have you ever dealt with a cursed lycan before?" the elf inquired.
All of the girls went very still and silent. Marissa nodded slowly.
"Then you know just how bad this could get if I don't get that necklace."
"I am very sorry but we found no such necklace among your possessions," Sarah said softly, "and I assure you, we took very good care of what we did find."
Dan's face fell, pale as moonlight for a moment.
"I believe you," he said quietly, "I just hope it can be found before the full moon comes. I really don't want to be responsible for what could happen if I don't have it."
Then, switching gears, he looked over at the women.
“One problem at a time, I suppose. Now that I know how I was brought here, where exactly is it that I've been taken, besides a jailhouse?”
“You showed up at Charlie’s Nightclub,” Marissa said, finally speaking up, “Downtown Manhatten, New York. You’re in a precinct of the police department there.”
“Never heard of it,” Danthias said.
“We don’t advertise that much,” Charlie said, shrugging.
“No, I mean any of it,” Dan said slowly, “Is New York a country, a city? What about this Manhatten?”
“You’re joking, right?” Marissa said, incredulously.
“Nope,” Dan replied, “Dead serious. Never heard of it. Told you I wasn’t from around here.”
“We got that impression, yes, but where are you from that you have never heard of New York?” Sarah asked.
“Not from this world, I’m guessing,” Dan said.
“Not from Earth, but how’s that possible?” Alex asked.
“Trust me, gorgeous, where I come from, almost anything’s possible,” Dan said, giving her a rueful smile.
“Then let us try this again,” Sarah said, “You are on a planet called Earth, on a continent called North America, in a country known as the United States of America. New York is one of the “states” or parts of that country and the city you are in is New York City. We are in a part of it known as Manhatten.”
“That sums it up pretty well,” Dan said, smiling, “That actually explains a lot. Where I’m from, we have stories, legends, of a place called Earth. If they’re true, everything we’ve heard about this place seems to be pretty accurate.”
“What stories are those?” Marissa asked.
“That it’s a place torn by strife, nearly dead of magic, and very dangerous,” Dan said, “That the environment’s slowly decaying and there are so many people that there’s really no way to control everything. That it’s crowded and desperate.”
“That about sums Earth up, all right,” Marissa muttered.
“Just where exactly are you from that you hear these things?” Sarah asked, genuinely curious.
“A place called Solaris,” Dan replied, “I live in the Unicorn Forest.”
“Not to be rude or anything but is there any way you can prove this stuff?” Marissa demanded.
Dan just smiled.
“You saw what happened when I drank that potion,” he said, “It’s filled with magical energy that helps speed the body’s natural healing process.”
“You’re a lycan,” Marissa replied, “You heal fast.”
“So are you but I’m willing to bet silver slows you down just as much as it does me,” Dan replied.
“Touché,” Marissa said.
“But if ya’ll’re from another planet, how in the heck did y’all get here?” Alex asked.
“Portal,” Dan replied, shrugging, “Some kind of weird magic just sucked me into it and dropped me here.”
“Suppose we believe you,” Marissa said, arms folded, “What can we do about it?”
“Well, I really need to get back home,” Dan said, “Any help in that direction would be appreciated.”
The women all seemed to share a kind of unspoken question amongst themselves. Finally, they just nodded and turned their focus back to Danthias.
“You guys’re taking this awfully well,” Dan commented, “From what I’ve seen of this world, most people would be checking me into a mental hospital right about now.”
“We are paranormal investigators,” Sarah replied, “Our job deals with the strange and unusual. Besides, I was inside your mind, remember? If you were crazy or lying, I would know.”
“True,” Dan said, then after a moment he looked over at Charlie, “So what’s your deal? Why are you so willing to let a stranger into your home?”
“Charlie’s has always been a haven for people like us,” Sarah said softly.
“Like us?” Dan said, confused.
“She means paranormals; lycans, mutants, freaks, the people the rest of humanity would just as soon didn’t exist,” Marissa said.
“I realize what the term “paranormal” means, thanks to Sarah here, but I’m not sure I’m understanding the context,” Dan said, confused.
“It’s basically a term the normal people use for anyone who’s “other,” Marissa replied, “Anyone who’s outside the norm.”
“Other than the lycan thing, I’m pretty well inside the norm for my race,” Dan said, still confused, “How do I qualify as paranormal?”
“The lycan thing would be enough but what do you mean, your race?” Marissa asked.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Dan said laughing, “I’m not human.”
All three of the women and Charlie seemed to stop, as if time itself had paused. Dan, seeing their reaction, frowned a little.
“Is that a bad thing?” he asked.
“Did you say you aren’t human?” Marissa said.
“Yeah,” Dan said, pulling back his hair from his ears, “See?”
All four stared, open-mouthed, for the span of a few moments.
“No way!” Alex exclaimed.
“His ears are pointed just like...,” Sarah began but her voice trailed off in wonder before she could finish her statement.
“But that’s impossible!” Marissa said, staring.
“Well I’ll be damned!” was all Charlie could say, as he stared at the obvious proof of Dan’s heritage, “You sure that ain’t just a mutation of some kind?”
“Positive,” Dan said, smiling.
After a moment, Dan’s carefree smile faded. Everyone was looking at him speculatively, peering at him as if he were some museum exhibit. There was nothing particularly special about him so why should they sit so, with their mouths hanging agape and that curious look in their eyes? Then, everything that had happened to him so far, the reactions of the people around him, all that had occurred since his awakening flashed through his head and his eyes opened wide in sudden understanding.
“You guys’ve never seen an elf before, have you?” Dan asked quietly.
“Never,” Sarah admitted, “Nor have about ninety eight or ninety nine percent of the people you meet on the street. We know they exist of course. There have been reports from Europe about some of the Fae wanting to emigrate to America and start coming into the twentieth century with us but those are vague, distant, almost like a dream, to most of us. We all grew up believing that elves and the such were nothing more than fairy tales, legends based on creatures that may or may not have ever existed. It took a radical scientific discovery and a cultural revelation for most people to even admit that there may be something out there besides humans and that was only within the past three or four years.”
Dan's jaw dropped.
Fairy tales? He had heard the stories of course, how all the non-human races had banded together and decided that human society was becoming too advanced too fast, too antagonistic, and too suspicious of outsiders for them to remain on this plane and how they had all agreed to abandon Earth for a more hospitable home, before it was too late. Apparently, they had done it just in time, before human evolution really kicked off and the Burning Times lead them straight into an era of never-ending human expansion. By the end of that period, there had been almost nothing left of those races who had once shared the vast globe with the dynamic Earth humans. The ragtag remnants that had agreed to stay behind had blended in, hidden themselves away, or died out in the ensuing years, leaving most humans to believe that they had never existed to begin with except as myths and fairy tales, legends which ended up surviving all the way down to the present. Those who had abandoned the Earth had found a new home on Solaris, paving their way with sheer determination but always with the warning to heed the lessons of Earth; do not trust humans too much, keep their expansion to a minimum, and ensure that they respect and care for the land, as they never did on Earth.
All of this mingled in Dan’s head and he understood that these Earth women knew nothing of this history but to have never seen an elf at all? That was truly a horrible thought. On the heels of that realization came another that frightened Dan right down to the bone.
“That means there aren’t any elves here, am I right?” he said.
Sarah simply nodded quietly and dropped her eyes, as though ashamed to admit it.
“No wonder people were freaking out,” Dan said bitterly, shaking his head.
Sarah put her hand on his shoulder, patting it gently, her smile as encouraging as she could make it.
“Don’t take it personally,” Marissa piped up gently, “They just don’t know any better.”
Dan sighed, then looked over at his fellow lycan for a moment.
“Can you hold my arms above my head?” he asked.
For a moment, the woman looked startled, then complied. To the astonishment of everyone in the room, the elf began to bend and twist, curling himself around into a little ball. Straining and contorting gracefully, the elf seemed to bend in on himself. Marissa held the young elf aloft effortlessly with one arm, watching the show with growing amusement. Then, there was a horrid ripping sound, accompanied by a grunt of pain, and the lycan unfolded himself again. The women gasped, as they saw what had happened.
In his teeth, Danthias was holding what looked like a set of lock picks, package and all. The wrapping was slightly covered in gore and the girls could see why. Somewhat high on the front of the man’s left forearm was a tear. They could see a small, jagged wound, now beginning to close, blood still slightly seeping. He gave a quick nod to Marissa, who set him down, and the man began to twist and bend again. How he managed it, the girls never knew but, moments later, the lycan was standing, holding both sets of manacles in his hands. The lock picks, he set under his tongue to cleanse them and gave the women a wink.
“That’s much better,” he commented, “There isn’t a cell or lock built that can hold me for long if I don’t wish to be held.”
Sarah laughed, thinking how much the lycan reminded her of her sister at that moment, then looked over at Danthias,
“Are you willing to talk to us about what happened now?”
Dan nodded, smiled, and plopped down in one of the chairs. All in all, Dan’s story took almost no time at all to tell. When it was over, the lawyer was grinning ear to ear, absolutely certain that he could get a settlement out of the whole thing. He was positive it would never see court.
“What do you usually charge?” Dan asked, curious about Earth currency.
When both the lawyer looked at him astounded and began to protest, the elf shushed him.
“Nothing’s free and you deserve something for your time,” Dan said, “ I meant that no charity thing and, besides, I’m a very generous tipper.”
It took the lawyer searching up the value of gold online for him to figure out roughly what his fees would equate to on Solaris but Danthias eventually had it calculated and considered it chump change for his freedom.
“Soon as I’m out of here, you get paid in full,” he promised.
“Are you willing to talk to the police now?" Sarah asked, smiling.
“You say these officers can be trusted and I believe you,” Dan said, “It sounds like they’ve gone to a lot of trouble to try and protect my rights so, yes, I suppose I should talk to them.”
As Sarah went to inform O’Brian that he and the others could return, Dan looked over at Alex and Marissa.
“Can I stay like this or should I put the chains back on?” he asked.
“Sad to say but Ah think y’all should put ‘em back on f’now,” Alex said.
“Then, would you do the honors?” Dan asked, holding out the manacles to her in one hand and his lock picks in the other.
Alex grinned and snapped the manacles back into place, then washed the lock picks and wiped them clean, stowing them in her back pocket.
“I’ll have to retrieve those later,” Dan remarked offhand, giving Al a devilish smile that made her blush.
“Maybe if y’all’re really nice,” Al replied and mentally cursed herself for not thinking before flirting.
Danthias just grinned, seeming to see and sense her inner turmoil.
“Then I’ll be very good,” he promised, flashing her a wink.
Again, Al blushed, only covering it up just in time to avoid Landen and O’Brian seeing it. Even so, she cursed the elf’s silver tongue and his soft, masculine chuckle seemed to vibrate all the way down her spine.
It took Danthias very little time to relay everything he had said to the two officers. At first, they were reluctant to believe but then, Marissa stepped forward.
“He’s not lying,” she said, “He doesn’t smell human and it isn’t just the lycan part of him. I just couldn’t figure it out ‘cause I’ve never smelled an elf before.”
“That potion did heal him,” Sarah pointed out.
O'Brian nodded, then motioned at the necklace that Dan had taken such pains to get returned to him.
"What's that?"
"A safety precaution," Sarah Lee piped up, "Nothing more."
His eyebrows raised some but after a few more moments of deliberating, O’Brian finally said,
“Alright, let’s go talk to Ewald an’ Russell. It’s time we broke those little punks, once and for all.”
Landen grinned and, for once, O’Brian joined him. With a solemn nod to the Sirens and Charlie, their prisoner in tow, the officers prepared to face down their rivals. They would find out what was going on and nothing would stand in their way.

Obsidian Gate - Chapter Six

*Here's the next installment. It's been a pretty busy month but I'll get back to posting when I can. Did some edits on Chapter Four and I hope this is enjoyable*


Chapter Six:
If ever there was a time for a miracle...

“New York City, Center of the universe.
Times are shitty, but I’m pretty sure they can’t get worse.
It’s a pleasure to know, when you’re singing the “hit the road” blues,
that anywhere else you could possibly go after New York would be...
a pleasure cruise” - from Rent

- Earth -

Sunlight seeped in faintly through two small windows in Danthias Silverbow’s cell and, though both were set nearly seven feet up in their respective locations, the elf squinted painfully, as what little light there was managed to somehow reflect at just the right angle so that it glinted directly into Dan’s hypersensitive eyes. The lycan twisted and jerked, seeking a better position, and cursed his bonds in every language he knew when moving proved impossible.
He had tried everything. Every dirty trick, every sly maneuver, every useless test, and mental exercise he knew had been considered, attempted, and then rejected. The cops had not found the lock pick sets Dan had had surgically implanted into his skin, however, being tightly bound from the moment of his arrest, the elf had been unable to reach them or even twist enough to tear one loose. He couldn’t speak the cops’ language and Danthias was acutely, painfully aware that he wasn’t talking his way out of this one. The looks on the faces of the men who had brought him here had told him that much. In fact, his silken, glib tongue would probably only earn him a muzzle to go with his current restraints and those were tedious enough. Even had those been removed, he was weaponless, armorless, and bereft of his usual equipment, tricks, and traps, stranded in a strange place with no immediate way out. He didn’t even have his sunglasses.
Being confined had not only given Danthias plenty of time to examine his current situation, evaluate his options, and curse his abominable luck, but also to contemplate and take in his bleak surroundings. Though he had berated himself for a weak fool, the elf had to admit that it was through no lack of his trying to get out of it that he was stuck in his current dilemma.
All four walls of Dan’s cell were solid metal, several feet thick, and the material smelled like a strengthened adamantine alloy with high silver content. It was nigh unbreakable and ten times the strength of tungsten but the elf had been unable to resist the urge to attempt smashing it anyway. Everywhere the metal touched it burned and the entire cell and all its equipment had been made out of the same stuff, purposefully for containing lycanthropes, vampires, any creature with superhuman strength and a vulnerability to silver. Dan was guessing this one was mostly for vampires, as the small slit windows in the door and the back wall could be shut and bolted to prevent light from entering the cell.
Dan jerked, irritated, at his bonds and glared at them furiously for all the good it did him. A slender metal collar adorned with only a blinking green light graced the elf’s slim neck, connected to the wall by an immobile rod. Both were of the same strange alloy as the rest of the cell and hadn’t budged. Between the collar, the metal, and the drugs that had been injected into the elf’s system, Dan itched all over and was absolutely miserable.
The elf knew instinctively somehow that the drugs and silver were meant to reinforce the power of the annoying electronic collar. The trio were sapping his strength, preventing him from Changing, neutralizing what little magical talent he had, and keeping him docile. The drugs made it hard, at times, to form one coherent thought after another but Dan managed, as best he could, to focus and try to stave off the drugs’ effects. His head felt fuzzy and with his bonds, he was effectively helpless. His hands and feet were both shackled together, a bar running between them, so that Danthias could not raise his hand above his waist and, with a bar connecting each set of shackles to the wall, Dan was as close to immobile and helpless as he had ever been. Dan was thoroughly convinced that, at this particular moment, all of his gods hated him. Even pacing to brood over his misery and ponder a possible route of escape was denied him. He was trapped, a tiger in a cage, and the cruel irony of that thought stung Dan to the core.
The elf jerked out of his melancholy brooding over his fate, as the sound of keys in a lock echoed in the lonely cell. The door opened, admitting a diminutive woman in a blue police uniform. Dan offered her a wan, dispirited smile, and she gave him a fairly warm one in return, full of sympathy.
The policewoman was reasonably attractive, in her mid-to-late twenties, with a pixie-like, youthful face made up of high cheekbones, pouty, pink lips, and large, expressive blue eyes that made her look like a China doll. Her skin was a mild, healthy tan and her dark, sandy blonde/light brown hair was cut boyishly short, page boy style, a very flattering look for her slender, athletic frame.
The woman approached Danthias slowly, a kind, tolerant smile on her face, and proceeded to very carefully, very cautiously, release him from his bonds. The elf was wary but, as this woman was the only one, thus far, out of all the policemen at the station to approach him without fear or hostility, Dan guardedly obeyed her pantomimed instructions. As soon as his hands were released, the elf collapsed, gasping, as the woman caught him. The woman was slight, barely coming up to Dan’s chin, but she managed to support him while she fiddled with his manacles and lead him gently toward a sparkling clean chamber pot. Danthias found that the shackles at ankles and wrists now had just enough slack for him to be able to hobble a bit and do his business. Necessity took him, as soon as the woman helped him to his seat and pulled a curtain around him. When he was done he made a bit of noise to attract her attention and the woman lead him to a small washbasin, giving him as much time as he needed to brush his teeth, wash his face, and comb his hair, before sitting him down at a small table.
She shackled Dan briefly to it, long enough to hit the button that emptied the chamber pot and bring him a large tray of hot, delicious smelling food. There was not a word of complaint from her about her duties and she smiled as Dan eyed the roast beef and vegetables hungrily. Oblivious to the fact that it would do him little good nutritionally, Danthias wolfed down every last morsel of food, hoping to stave off starvation long enough to get a real meal. The meat was blood rare, which helped some, but the elf knew he would need much more before too long. When he had finished eating, Dan was allowed to wander around for a few minutes and stretch his legs. Then, he was lead over to a small cot in the corner of the cell and reattached to the wall by his ankles. It was somewhat uncomfortable but Dan found he had just enough give in all his bonds to lie down. Weariness overtook him and he was asleep before the woman left with the tray.
For two hours Dan slumbered. The rest rejuvinated him enough that he didn’t even complain when the policewoman returned to reshackle him to the wall in his original position, though she seemed to do so with great reluctance. Danthias wracked his brain for a solution to his dilemma, trying to make as much use of his wits as he could before they returned to give him another series of injections. He, of course, hissed, snarled, struggled, and generally put up as much of a fuss as he could but the shackles prevented much. The outcome was pretty much inevitable, given the amount of police in the room and Dan’s limited mobility, but the stranded lycan still took insane pleasure from making the attempt and from the fear he saw on the faces of the policemen who came in to inject him. Served them right, as far as Dan was concerned. It wasn’t long before he was left alone again, the drugs once again beginning their debilitating effect. Danthias kept coherent for as long as he could and tried to remain calm throughout it all, though his feral instincts were screaming for freedom. For the moment, the elf was coming up negative for any bright escape plans, however, within him, a small, slender spire of hope remained. He allowed a tired smile to play on his face and concentrated. If there was one thing Danthias Silverbow knew about luck, even his own cursed, bad kind of luck, it couldn’t last forever. Sooner or later, the wheel of fortune would spin and Danthias fully intended to turn it to his advantage. After all, being stuck on the bottom, there was no place for him to go but up. It was only a matter of time.

2.

O’Brian and Landen parked their vehicle in their registered spot and rushed inside the police station, a faint gust of air precluding them. O’Brian’s tough features were drawn into harsh lines and his lips were set in a thin line of anger. Parts of the confession that Tobias Simms had given them had really riled Aiden up and he was determined to see that justice was done. He looked like a bomb ready to explode and Landen pitied the first person to draw his attention.
O’Brian flung the doors of the precinct open, fury blazing from his eyes, as he stormed into the main part of the building. All sound, motion, and activity stopped dead, cops staring blatantly, as O’Brian marched straight towards the Captain’s office. No one could ever remember Aiden O’Brian losing it this badly and everyone was frantic to learn the cause of it but not a single person even made a motion towards the Captain’s office door, as O’Brian slammed through it.
Landen merely headed for the main entrance, hoping to meet the Lees and their party. He left O’Brian to scream and holler his frustration, praying Aiden would be smart enough to control himself so that he at least had a job when it was all said and done. Fending off any would be questioners with a look, Landen walked towards the front and sincerely hoped this case wasn’t about to get as ugly as it looked.
Captain Tanaka jerked his head up as the door to his office flew open. His black, slanted eyes narrowed a bit when he saw the expression on O’Brian’s face and sat back in his seat, arms crossed.
“Something I can help you with?” Tanaka inquired.
Whatever else could be said about Mason Tanaka, he was not easily intimidated. His neat, short, salt and pepper black hair and plain, but nice, brown suit and tie weren’t the slightest bit ruffled from O’Brian’s aggression. He didn’t even blink. The white walls and unrelieved darkness of his mahagony desk formed a great armored barrier most days but this time it wouldn’t be enough. O’Brian refused to allow the Captain’s perturbation to stop his tirade. He looked right into the man’s lined face and leaned into the desk, his hands in front of him.
“What the Hell’s goin’ on, Mase?” he exclaimed, “Russell and Ewald jus’ fingered a man Landen an’ I need for an important investigation.”
“The lycan,” Tanaka said, nodding in sudden understanding, “That boy’s been nothin’ but trouble since they brought ‘em in here. No one speaks his language an’ we’re havin’ a deuce of a time figurin’ out what language he does speak so we can get someone t’read ‘em his rights. He won’t talk t’anyone, ‘cept t’curse an’ yell at ‘em an’ he even spit on Ewald when he went t’catalogue his possessions.”
“Can’t say I blame ‘em, after how Ewald treated ‘em,” O’Brian muttered, though not loud enough to interrupt the Captain’s spiel.
“He plastered the ink from his print sheet all over Russell’s face an’ didn’t even cooperate enough t’flatten his hands so we could get a good set o’prints t’run,” Tanaka growled, “He won’t eat anything we give ‘em, he literally snarls at any officer that gets too close, an’ it took five men t’hold ‘em down t’give ‘em the LACE injections.”
O’Brian just tried to keep his mouth shut. The LACE or Lycanthrope Aggression Control Enhancer injections were meant to prevent a lycan from suddenly shifting and going berserk on any arresting officers. It was a powerful mixture of sedative, adrenaline blockers, and muscle relaxers. Personally, O’Brian thought it was damn near illegal to subject anyone to that kind of treatment but it had saved many officers’ lives with its effectiveness and he just waited patiently, as the Captain finished ranting.
“We still haven’t got a decent set of prints on ‘em, he wouldn’t sit still for his mug shots,” he was saying, “Kept turnin’ away or makin’ faces at the camera. He trashed the line up room when those boys came in t’i.d. ‘em. Ewald and Russell are both threatenin’ t’shoot ‘em just t’get ‘em outta their misery an’ the only officer he’s let anywhere near him is Fraser.”
Colleen Fraser was a fairly new recruit to the force, a little pixie of a woman with a heart of gold. O’Brian wasn’t surprised at the stranger’s reaction to her.
“Maybe he can sense who means ‘em harm,” O’Brian said, “It’s not my fault Ewald and Russell have shit fer manners when it comes t’paranormals.”
Tanaka just closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and counted to ten.
“Be that as it may, they’re good officers an’ that boy assaulted them,” he said, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just let that boy rot in his cell. He’s been nothin’ but trouble an’ those boys hired a lawyer. He’s been threatenin’ all sorts o’ lawsuits if we don’t get ‘em t’court.”
“He didn’t attack them, Mase,” O’Brian said, “You didn’t see how fucked up he was. Those boys shot ‘em with silver bullets, for Christ’s sake. Silver, Mase. That’s illegal as all Hell an’ you know it. I just need a chance t’prove he’s innocent.”
“You got proof?” Tanaka asked quietly, the good cop in him taking over.
“I got some people might be able t’collaborate his story,” he replied, “They can testify t’the severity of his wounds an’ t’the treatment he was given when arrested, not t’mention the fact they might be able t’prove those boys knew what he was an’ came after him intentionally. I’m tellin’ ya, this was a textbook hate crime.”
“Several of my officers have bruised ribs an’ Corchoran’s gonna have a black eye for days,” Tanaka replied sternly, “This had better be good.”
“I got a witness who’s willin’ t’give up everything he knows in exchange for a lighter sentence,” O’Brian pleaded, “He admitted, on record, that he an’ those boys attacked that lycan an’ he’s willin’ t’rat the rest of ‘em out.”
“You got his statement handy?” Tanaka demanded.
“Right here,” O’Brian replied, handing over the paperwork gladly, “Got it on tape, too, in case you wanna play it back.”
Mason seemed to take forever to look over what O’Brian and Landen had pieced together. By the time he had finished looking over what the two officers had gathered and had listened to the tape of the confession, his brows were knit together in concentration and thought. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he folded his hands together in a little steeple and spun around in his chair to face O’Brian.
“What do you want from me?” he asked quietly.
“I need t’talk t’the boys that tagged ‘em,” O’Brian said, “Let me an’ Landen question ‘em. I’m pretty sure we can crack ‘em an’ find out what’s really goin’ on.”
“They’re still in the interrogation room with that lawyer o’ theirs an’ Russell an’ Ewald,” Tanaka said, “Your boy threw quite a fit when we took ‘im in there t’i.d. ‘im.”
“I can imagine,” O’Brian said, unable to help but smile a little, as he calmed down. He was really beginning to like this kid.
“Go, question those boys but try t’keep it civil an’ keep that kid outta trouble,” Tanaka said, “He causes one more outburst around here an’ I’ll shoot ‘im myself.”
“Do I have your permission t’bring my civvie witnesses t’help?” O’Brian asked, “They might be able t’i.d. the attackers.”
“Don’t push it, O’Brian,” Tanaka replied.
“One o’them thought she understood ‘im,” the officer said, “Kid’s gonna have t’have an interpreter if he’s gonna make it through this.”
“Fine,” Tanaka sighed, “Keep ‘em under control an’ low profile. They cause ripples, they leave, an’ I don’t give a damn whether you need ‘em or not.”
“Right, boss.”
O’Brian smiled, privately triumphant and muttered his thanks, as he closed the door behind him. Squaring his shoulders, O’Brian headed towards the interrogation rooms to inform Ewald and Russell that they would be having visitors later. He could hardly stop the grin that slowly began to dominate his face. It was going to be fun seeing Ewald’s face when he told them and it was high time that he found the truth.

3.

Landen reached the front entrance just as Alexandra, Sarah , Marissa, and Charlie were being buzzed in by the officer on duty. He waited patiently, while the officer frisked them, checked in all their weapons, and checked their permits. Light streamed in through the glass doors, bright sunshine to duck behind light clouds. Another perfect day to begin another perfect investigation.
“Yeah, right,” Landen thought, with a rueful snort, “If O’Brian an’ I still have badges when this’s done, I’m gonna be surprised.”
“So what’s the sitch?” Alex demanded, her black Nikes making no sound on the green linoleum floor, “They manage t’book ‘im yet?”
She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that almost every male head in the room had turned at her entrance, watching her in those tight, black jeans. Landen smiled, shaking his head, as two younger officers managed to nearly knock themselves unconscious while trying to exit the building and oggle Alexandra at the same time.
“They haven’t officially charged ‘im with anything, yet, but the Cap’s out for blood,” Landen finally said, “Word is your boyfriend’s a real handful.”
“He is not mah boyfriend,” Al shot indignantly, eyes flashing, “Ah’m just concerned’s all.”
“Riiiight,” Landen retorted, “Lee, since when don’t you chase after young studs in leather an’ silk?”
Before Alex could get all huffy, Landen turned his attention to the rest of the small group, pointedly ignoring her irritated glare.
“We need t’get you guys signed in, pronto,” he said, trying to hide how nervous he really was.
“You expectin’ trouble?” Marissa asked.
“Could be,” Landen replied, “Tension on this one’s a doozey.”
“I called a friend o’ mine on the way here,” Charlie said, looking over at Landen, “Jonas Swift is one o’ the best lawyers in the biz an’ he don’t mind pro bono work.”
“He okay with the paranormal angle?” Landen asked.
“Couldn’t be more sympathetic.”
“Great, that boy’s gonna need all the help he can get.”
The quintet made their way towards the front desk, brushing past the hustle of officers coming and going. As they approached the main desk, the brunette woman sitting behind it looked up and smiled, an almost comical gesture, as she was buried under several hundred pounds of desk and paperwork. Before Landen could even reach for a pen to sign in his guests, he noticed Ewald heading his direction, face like a thundercloud about to explode, with O’Brian right on his heels, both more angry than Landen had seen in a while.
“Great,” Landen muttered, just as Ewald reached them. Ewald's face was turning an ugly red from rage.
“What the Hell do you think you’re doing?!” he demanded.
“Nice t’see you too, Ewald,” Landen replied sunnily, his most winning smile coming out, “Don’t you have supposed witnesses t’question?”
“What the Hell do ya think yer doin’?” Ewald demanded again.
“Checking these good people in,” Landen replied, irritated, “Now, if you’ll excuse me...”
“Like Hell you are!”
Instantly, it was as if time stopped and the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees. The quintet on their way to the cells glared at Ewald, Marissa openly growling, barely holding on to their tempers.
“They’re vigilantes, for Christ’s sake!” Ewald was screaming, “Goddamn p.i.’s an’ yer gonna let them get their greasy, freak paws all over this case!”
“As I recall, that would be the Captain’s call, not yours,” Landen pointed out.
“These freak shows got no place bein’ here!” Ewald continued to rave, “We’re runnin’ an investigation, not some sideshow circus act!”
“We ain’t the freaks around here!,” Marissa suddenly spat, “Why don’t you go find some doughnuts t’eat or some car t’chase! Go play in traffic an‘ let the real cops do their job.”
“Bite me, you mutie -” Ewald began, but froze when he saw the look on Landen’s face.
“Finish that sentence an’ I’ll have you reported fer harassment an’ discrimination,” Landen said coldly, all traces of his smile gone, “Yer jus’ jealous ‘cause she’s got more balls than you ever will an’ fer the record, she’s a lycan, not a mutant, you arrogant, racist prick.”
Ewald looked on the verge of another scathing remark but the looks on faces all around stopped him cold. Charlie was cracking his knuckles threateningly and his face was made of stone. Sarah was barely holding Marissa back but the look on her face said she really was only doing it out of reflex. Alex, meanwhile, had her arms folded and was staring Ewald down coldly. From behind him, O’Brian, also barely controlling his anger, laid a hand on Ewald’s shoulder and snapped at him.
“If you don’t like the situation, talk to the Captain,” he said, “but we got a pissed off, hurt lycan t’deal with who doesn’t even know what’s happening t’him. These women’re multilingual. One of ‘em’s bound t’find a way t’communicate with him an’ Marissa here can handle ‘em if he gets outta hand. We need t’read ‘im his rights an’ find out what really happened. These people treated his wounds, heard the shots. They can help, which is more than you’ve done.”
“I tried,” Ewald said, simply, “We tried t’get him an interpreter but he’s fought us at every turn.”
“You did not try hard enough,” Sarah informed him coldly, “You are supposed to be a policeman. Act like it.”
“No kiddin’!” Al snapped, “Ain’t no wonder he didn’t cooperate! Ah wouldn’t either if someone treated me like a monster ‘stead of a person!”
“I don’t need a lecture from you two!” Ewald snapped and was about to come out with something else when Landen stopped him.
“Just shut up, Ewald!” he said, “They’re right. You put yer personal feelings ahead o’ yer job an’ it’s ruined you. Now get out of our sight!”
Ewald glared, face straining in an effort to control himself. He looked about to say something truly scathing but O’Brian put a hand on his shoulder and simply shook his head. That was all the cue Ewald needed. He stomped off in the direction of the interrogation room like a little kid that had been chased off the playground. The group could not help but smile a wee bit of satisfaction. As they gathered around the front desk, signing in their names, another young man approached. He stepped up beside the group and called out to the receptionist in a jovial voice.
“Excuse me, my name’s Jonas Swift, I’m here for a pro bono case,” he said, then, noticing Charlie and the others, his eyes opened wide.
“How ya doin’, Jonas?” Charlie said, his face splitting open in a big grin, “How’s yer dad?”
“Just fine; he wants to know when you’re coming to dinner again,” Jonas replied, shaking Charlie’s hand and smiling broadly.
“You tell ‘im as soon’s this mess’s over,” the bartender replied warmly.
The other members of the crew silently assessed this newcomer with keen eyes, wondering whether he would be an asset in this case or not. Swift was tall, attractive, somewhere in his early thirties with a classic tan. From the plain gold band on his left ring finger to the tan suede shoes he wore, he exuded confidence and class. He also looked like he’d been damn convincing in a courtroom.
“You two know each other?” Landen asked, looking from Swift to Charlie, curious but not entirely surprised.
“Charlie and my father served together in ‘Nam,” Swift replied, “I’ve known him for years.”
“You know everybody!” Landen exclaimed, looking over at Charlie. The bartender merely shrugged.
Looking at Swift, O’Brian said,
“We’re arranging t’go talk with yer client now,” he said, “I’m Detective O’Brian, this’s my partner, Detective Landen, an’ this’s Alexandra Lee, Sarah Lee, and Marissa Li Fang; They’re special consultants on this case with the Sirens Detective Agency.”
Swift shook each of their hands in turn warmly, smiling a little as he heard the names.
“Charlie talks about “his girls” all the time,” Jonas said, “It’s nice to meet some of his “angels” in person, finally.”
Alex and the other women laughed, rolling their eyes. It was common knowledge that Charlie Hutton just somehow had a knack for helping pretty young women down on their luck by cleaning them up and giving them employment. Most of those he had helped had stayed loyal to Charlie, working for him long after they’d made enough to make their own way. This had lead some to jokingly dub Charlie’s female employees “Charlie’s Angels” and the name had stuck. Since every member of the Sirens had, at one time or another, made use of Charlie’s spare room, none of them could argue the nickname.
“Fill me in on what you know," Swift said, softly.
O‘Brian and Landen, ignoring attempts to amend statements or butt in by the Sirens, gave the lawyer what they had. Avoiding the stares that Ewald’s earlier temper tantrum had drawn, Alex and the group quickly signed themselves in and headed deep into the recesses of the building. The young woman could only pray that the lycan could hold on until they had sorted this terrible mess out and walked with determination towards the cell that the guards on duty pointed out to them, not without a sneer. It was going to be a long shot but Alex knew they could do it.

4.

Danthias snapped out of his self imposed malaise, fighting off the ennui of the drugs coursing through his system, long enough to hear the door to his cell area slam open. He jerked his head up enough to see the tiny female police officer enter the room. Behind her was a man he didn’t recognize, followed immediately by two he did, the same officers that had tried to help him at the hospital. As if to further brighten his mood, the larger man in white and black and the three gorgeous women from the hospital followed. Dan’s eyes instantly locked with the midnight blue ones of the woman who had captivated him. She was smiling and Dan found himself hoping, just a tiny bit, that his luck was turning, that somehow, this woman was here to help him.
Alexandra, meanwhile, felt her heart skip a beat, as she saw the handsome stranger. He looked even more hopeless and pathetic, if that were possible, than he had before. Deep circles and subtle lines had etched their way into the elf’s face, making him look drawn and haggard. Alex’s heart did a flip flop and she rounded on Officer Fraser, who had ushered them in.
“Why’s he all trussed up like ‘dat?” she demanded, her Southern accent deceptively silky, despite the menacing undertones.
“Captain’s orders,” she said, “He gave everyone such a hard time when he was brought in, Captain wanted him secured; Wasn’t my choice, believe me.”
“Unchain him,” Alex said, eyes narrowing.
“What?” Fraser said, uncertain.
“I do not believe my sister stuttered,” Sarah Lee said, her tone almost cold, “Those bonds are barbaric and cruel. This young man has done nothing to deserve this.”
Fraser stared at Sarah incredulously, then glanced at O’Brian and Landen. O’Brian nodded slightly and Fraser unlocked the doors to the cell without another word. Silently, she set up the long table Danthias had eaten at earlier and ushered police, detectives, and the lawyer all into the cell, pulling out some metal folding chairs. After making sure all the chairs were far enough away from where the lycan was to sit that no hostage situation could develop, Fraser retreated long enough to produce coffee, water, doughnuts, and some chips. Then, she quietly set about the task of undoing the lycan’s bonds.
Danthias, glad of being able to move, offered the woman absolutely no trouble, giving her an encouraging little smile. Fraser quickly unlocked him and replaced his bonds with ones that were just as strong but far less restrictive. Being bound hand and foot by cuffs was imminently preferable to being strapped to the wall, even if the elf still had to endure the godsforsaken collar. Fraser quietly left the room, locking the door behind her and Dan faced the motley group that appeared to be his rescuers.
Landen smiled gently over at the young lycan, who was regarding him skeptically, and picked up the pitcher of water on the table, gesturing towards a glass. The lycan nodded, catching his meaning immediately, and grinned a little. Alexandra, from her side, caught that grin and thought she had never seen anything so bright and charming in her entire life. As Landen handed the young man his drink and he sipped it thoughtfully, Alex had to reign in her wandering mind and hormones.
“’Dis one’s dangerous,” she mused, forcing herself to focus on the events at hand. It would not do to get distracted.
Landen, still smiling, glanced over at the lycan and asked,
“What’s yer name, Kid?”
The lycan’s smile lessened slightly in confusion. Dan knew what language it was, even felt as if he had been asked that same question before numerous times in numerous forms, yet his limited comprehension robbed him of any ability to respond. Though he had a good ear and was getting used to the strange flow of this odd speech, he was forced to make an apologetic, noncommital shrug.
The young man in the suit seemed to sigh in frustration and Dan wracked his brain hard then suddenly perked up, as he remembered something very important. Speaking as slowly and clearly as he could, the elf stumbled thorough what he hoped was a passable greeting in Latin. Instantly, to his amazement and delight, the gorgeous woman with the blue eyes smiled and perked up as well.
“Hello there,” she responded, her Latin nearly flawless, especially next to Dan’s clumsy utterances, “Can you communicate effectively in this language?”
“No,” Dan replied, regretfully, “My Latin’s horrible.”
The young woman smiled, obviously understanding, and leaned back towards the woman in red that Dan had saved earlier that day. There was a brief exchange between them, a nonverbal signal of some kind, then, Danthias got the shock of his life. He had grown up learning the bare basic facts surrounding psionics, the powers of the mind. The elf’s education had been very excellent for his social standing and, while he had little to no psionic talent himself, Zantriel, his best friend, was a telepath and the two of them had developed a psychic rappor, strengthened by Zan’s talent and the deep friendship between the two of them. Even so, the brush of another consciousness against his own was somewhat of a shock. Had his mind been a house, it would rather have felt like someone politely knocking on the door.
Concentrating, Dan focused on the source of the sensation. Slowly, he was able to perceive his own energy and simply let himself see what there was to see.
Dan’s jaw dropped.
He could see his own psychic aura, a hazy, silvery sheen ghosting out from his body towards the red clad woman. The woman, however, glowed. There was no other word for it. She shone like a second sun, bright, crimson light pouring out of her so luminous that Dan feared he’d be blinded if he stared too long.
The telepath’s aura clouded his for a moment, then he heard her voice in his head, clear as day, thoughts, images, and concepts forming words as easily as if she were speaking to him out loud.
“Hello there,” she said, smiling, as she echoed the blue eyed angel’s greeting, “You seem to be in quite a bit of trouble.”
“So it would seem,” Dan replied, “Can you help me?”
“It is not a matter of “can I?” but one of “will I?,” she replied gently, “and, as you helped me yesterday, it would be rather ungrateful of me not to. Incidentally, I do believe I can help you but it will require you to trust me. Do you think you will be able to do that?”
Dan’s reply was immediate and without reservation.

5.

Sarah turned back to her companions, smiling a little.
“I have made contact with him,” she said, “He has agreed to let me help him.”
“How?” Landen asked.
“I am going to “facilitate” his learning of English,” Sarah replied calmly.
“You can do that?” Swift, the lawyer, said, sounding surprised.
“Have you not seen The Matrix?” Sarah said teasingly, “To a telepath, the mind is no more than a very sophisticated computer. With the correct connections and codes, one can easily download information from one computer to another. Mind to mind information transferal works basically the same way.”
“I was not aware you were a telepath,” Swift said, giving her a considering look.
“I do not advertise the fact,” Sarah said simply.
“Are you sure this’s legal?” O’Brian asked quietly.
Sarah regarded him thoughtfully.
“He has given consent and we do not have all night to decipher what my sister has assured us is poor Latin,” she replied, “Besides, I cannot maintain mental contact all night long. It would be too draining on the both of us and he does not have much more facility with telepathy than he does with Latin. This is the fastest way.”
“If that’s what you call the fastest mode of speech, Lee, than you really scare me,” Landen said.
“You had better hope so,” the young woman retorted tartly, “The freedom of this young man depends on it.”