The Secret Coin (Accessory to Magic Book 3) Read online

  Jessica dipped her head and tried to smile. What the hell was she supposed to say to that? ‘Yeah, sorry you and your wife had to leave for your fancy dinner. I would’ve loved to hang out with Mel’s investor and the guy who’s been sending thugs to break down my door and threaten me.’

  One of whom stood inside the bank with them right now. At least now she could confirm the fleeting hunch she’d had that night—that the orc posing as a homeless man downtown had, in fact, been sent by Jensen to threaten her some more. Did Jensen know that? He had to.

  The guy’s loafers whispered against the floor as Jensen walked toward the desk. “But she never mentioned your position at Winthrop & Dirledge.”

  Finally, Jessica found her voice. “I’d say that’s probably because this bank is my business. And the gallery was hers.”

  “Yes, and I heard she did very well at that opening. I do hope her success continues in the same trajectory.”

  This asshole hadn’t come into her bank to talk about Mel Thomas, that was for damn sure. Which left three other options—he was here to threaten her himself, or he wanted something from the vault, or he’d quickly figured out who was responsible for the slaughtering of his underlings the night before and had come to take care of it.

  Or try.

  When Jensen stopped in front of the desk, he studied Jessica’s face and smiled expectantly.

  “So what can I do for you?”

  “I imagine I’m not the first to come to you with an offer in the last few weeks.” Jensen snapped his fingers, and the orc pulled a manila envelope from the inside pocket of his puffy jacket, where he’d apparently been clenching it under his injured arm. “But I may be the first to have taken my time. It’s not the type of proposal to be taken lightly by either party, as I’m sure you’re well aware.”

  The orc joined his boss and handed over the envelope, his top lip curling in a sneer as he glared at Jessica.

  “Let me guess.” She didn’t look away from Jensen’s obnoxiously amused expression. “Another offer for first rights.”

  “Quite.” He dropped the envelope on the desk. “You know, I’d heard a few things about the new Guardian’s position here. But I must say, the rumors don’t do you justice.”

  “They hardly ever do.”

  “Aren’t you curious?”

  “About what everyone’s been saying about the new Guardian?” Despite the constant burn in her tense shoulders, Jessica managed a fairly casual shrug. “Not really. That’s not my business.”

  The man’s smile widened, and he studied the mess of spilled items on the floor in front of the back bookshelf. “It’s a bit confusing, though. Why everyone would be under the impression that the new Guardian is a clueless novice without an ounce of tact or leverage. Clearly, that’s not the same witch I’m speaking to now.”

  Forcing one of those polite but completely insincere smiles, she spread her arms. “Clearly.”

  “I’ll give you some time to look over my proposal. As a courtesy, Jessica. But do know that what I’m offering is far more than any of my competitors. I’m a meticulous businessman. I’m sure you understand.”

  Jessica was so done dealing with these jerks who thought they could come in here and one-up each other for their first rights, whatever the hell those were. The fact that Jensen had his thumb poised over Mel’s career was the straw that broke the Guardian’s back.

  “Sure, I understand. I wouldn’t hold your breath, though.”

  The orc’s eyes widened before he shot his boss a sidelong glance. Jensen merely chuckled. “And why is that?”

  “I’m just not so sure I’ll be granting first rights to anyone. Meticulous businessmen or otherwise.”

  ‘You sure that was a smart move to make here?’

  The game’s getting old, bank. If everyone’s beating around the bush about this whole thing, why not just set the damn bush on fire?

  ‘Yeesh…’

  “That’s still entirely your decision to make, Jessica. Naturally.”

  Man, he was really starting to sound an awful lot like the fae shut up in that office.

  “But no matter what you choose, there will be a certain level of fallout from those petitioners who aren’t selected for this. Once the reckoning’s second phase is upon us, of course.”

  “Hmm.” She couldn’t pull off a fake-ass smile any longer and just let herself grimace at him instead.

  Jensen glanced briefly at the back hallway before tugging on his leather gloves with slow, fluid movements. “It would be a pity to see that fallout spread beyond the confines of Winthrop & Dirledge. Beyond the Guardian’s control. Outside these walls, Jessica, I’m afraid there’s very little you can do to stop most ripple effects in this situation. But as I’ve said, I’m more than happy to wait patiently for your answer.”

  If that wasn’t a threat, she didn’t know what was.

  Apparently, the guy felt his threat had hit home. So he turned away from her and headed back across the lobby. As the orc opened the door and held it for his boss, Jensen paused and turned partially back to face her. “Mel tells me she has another series exhibition opening next month. I’d love to see you again there. In full support of such a talented artist. You never know what opportunities might…pop up.”

  Jessica had nothing to say. She didn’t want to say anything as the guy who’d literally headed multiple attacks against her and Leandras stepped neatly out of her bank. She caught a brief glimpse of the Lincoln Town Car idling at the curb, then the door shut with another jangle and clack of the bell.

  ‘Okay, he’s the first one to officially threaten everyone else instead of just you.’

  Not just everyone else. Jensen had threatened Mel. Jessica knew enough about beating around the bush to be sure of that much, at the very least. Which meant this wasn’t just about Jessica Northwood anymore.

  Now it was personal.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jessica could write off all the bastards trying to weasel their way up to the bank’s second floor for a shot at the doorway. She could handle being attacked pretty much everywhere she went, including her own home.

  But now Jensen Ardis really knew who she was. Mel’s friend. The vestrohím who’d made such a fetching art subject and who’d seriously maimed his orcish right-hand man. And the Gateway’s newest Guardian. There was no way he’d let any of that go, and for how intensely Jessica had hoped to keep Mel out of this whole screwed-up situation, there was no way Mel wouldn’t be involved now.

  Shit.

  ‘Totally.’ The bank cleared its nonexistent throat. ‘Hey, but listen. Aren’t you a little curious to see what’s in that proposal?’

  No.

  ‘You haven’t looked at a single one. I’m just saying. What if someone knows more about me than I do? I’d want that information.’

  But they had something better for which Jessica had already paid—the fae hiding silently in the office who just so happened to have been a part of the Gateway’s original sealing off from that other world.

  Jesus, the guy had to be a couple hundred years old, at least.

  ‘Jensen could be too, you know.’

  “Jensen can go fuck himself.”

  The office door opened with a soft creak, followed by Leandras’ low chuckle. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  She whirled toward the fae. “You know him.”

  “I do. Apparently, so do you.” When she scowled at him, Leandras spread his arms in concession. “I can spend as much time as necessary in that dusty closet, Jessica, but you can’t expect me not to listen to your conversations out here.”

  “Whatever.” After snatching the thick envelope off the desk, she opened the top right-hand drawer and tossed Jensen’s proposal in with all the others. The desk drawer slammed shut, and she glared through the front windows at the empty street. “If he’s put two and two together, he’ll probably have an idea I was at your place last night.”

  “There’s no proof.”
Leandras swiped at the front of his shirt. “Unless you’ve suddenly remembered something you left behind.”

  “Besides his guys and a bunch of Requiem members and whoever else showed up to kill you? No. Just bodies.”

  “Jensen won’t move unless he has proof. Though I am curious about this Mel person—”

  “You don’t get to ask about her.”

  “But I am asking, Jessica. If this presents an obstacle to what you and I have to do, I need to know.”

  She whipped her head sharply toward him. “No you don’t. And I haven’t even decided what you and I need to do. Drop it.”

  The fae shrugged and strolled toward the desk before picking up two more pieces of what had to now be room-temperature bacon.

  Her patience lasted long enough to watch him eat the first one, but then her curiosity got the better of her. “Okay, what the hell are first rights?”

  He raised his eyebrows, swallowed, and glanced at the center drawer of the desk. “Three phases of the reckoning, Jessica. We activated the first when you withdrew that coin from the vault for me. I could have finished it there and then, but you—”

  “Stopped you from bringing the bank down on both our heads. That’s what I did. We’re talking about the whole first-rights thing.”

  “Yes.” The fae pulled his gaze away from the desk as if it physically pained him. “The second phase makes it possible for one venture beyond the Gateway, whether it’s by a single magical or a group entity. That comes with its own set of rules and limitations, but it allows one round-trip into and out of Xahar’áhsh before the third phase is complete.”

  “Which is?”

  “The full undoing of the sealed Gateway. An open invitation for everything that lies beyond.”

  Jessica blinked quickly, then scratched her head because she couldn’t figure out what the hell else she was supposed to do. “And that was your plan from the beginning.”

  Leandras slowly lowered the second slice of bacon back to the plate. “I don’t follow.”

  “Don’t give me that. You follow.” She pointed at him. “You came here raving about being in trouble, about running out of time, and made that withdrawal. Then you stood here right in front of me with that coin in your hand like it was the only thing you’d ever wanted, and that was just the beginning.”

  “Jessica…”

  “No. You knew exactly what it would do. Kicking off the reckoning and sending all the chumps like Jensen and the Requiem after me. Because you wanted the rest of it to happen. Including the Gateway being fully opened.”

  Leandras swallowed and met her gaze head-on. “Yes.”

  “Then something went wrong with the binding, because there’s no way you went through all that to get the Gateway open on your own. Especially not without the magic I had to steal back for you.”

  “Nothing I told you about the state of Xahar’áhsh was a lie.”

  “No, just the state of what you’re actually trying to get out of this.” Her fists clenched at her sides, and she wanted more than anything to have the bank zap Leandras’ lying fae ass right out the front door. Then she could be done with him.

  ‘Uh…reminder. The binding—’

  I know what the binding holds him to!

  “I understand there may be some other personal issues of your own at play here—”

  “It’s all personal!” Jessica stormed toward him, throwing her hand out toward the back hallway. “What were you gonna do, huh? Make me an offering for first rights too?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Then why did you need that coin?”

  “The sigil is the originator of this process, Jessica. Nothing else can be accomplished without it.”

  “Then it’s a good fucking thing I took it from you. Or the Gateway would be open right now, wouldn’t it?” Her voice had risen to full shouting volume at this point, and a corona of dark light flared at the edges of her vision as she glared up at the fae. “Wouldn’t it?”

  “Most likely, yes.”

  Jessica’s arms and shoulders burned beneath the heat of her fractured magic flaring up inside her. How had she ever thought she’d be able to control what was left of it? Oh, right. Because she hadn’t ever expected to be shoved into this Guardian role. To have to deal with all the lies and threats and sheer stupidity of almost every other magical who walked through that front door.

  A burst of black sparks sprayed from her fingertips.

  Leandras eyed them briefly but stood his ground. “But when I made that withdrawal, Jessica, I had no idea who you were.”

  “You still don’t.”

  “I didn’t know what you were. Are.” He leaned toward her until their faces were only inches apart, glancing back and forth from one of her eyes to the other. And she was sure he saw the same flashes of black within them that blinked across her vision. “It’s a very good thing you took that coin from me. Because I may not have managed to keep it out of the wrong hands, knowing what I know now. But you did.”

  “I just stopped you.” A humorless laugh escaped her. “And now I’m actually helping you.”

  “For another four days, yes. I sincerely hope your willingness to help me doesn’t die out with our binding.”

  She brushed past him to head toward the back hall. “Nice try.”

  “Jessica.” His long fingers clamped down around her wrist, and she spun around with a hiss.

  “Don’t touch me.”

  His fingers only dug deeper into her skin. “The rest of this can’t be decided until you and I leave this building. Then I can show you.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “Have you heard anything I’ve said? You felt what’s on the other side of that door.”

  “Let go!” She jerked her arm away from him, but a burst of purple light flared beneath his palm, and his grip only tightened more.

  “I won’t be denied this, Jessica. We only have one chance to do this the right way—”

  Jessica shoved him away with her free hand, and the broken fragments of her magic took over from there. A smoky tendril of thousands of black specks burst from her wrist, and beyond feeling the sharp jolt of her power bashing against the fae’s, she heard the snap of her magic against his flesh. The singe of his skin.

  Before she realized what she’d done, Leandras flew backward and bashed against the edge of the desk. His shiny dress shoes kicked against the floor, but they weren’t enough to keep him from sliding down before he sat there like a startled child, blinking at her.

  “That…”

  “That’s what happens when you don’t listen to me.” Jessica clenched the hand that had acted against her, breathing heavily. “Don’t touch me again.”

  ‘Damn. See, this is exactly why you need that box upstairs.’

  No, this was exactly why Jessica didn’t get attached if she could help it. To anyone or anything.

  Because now, the pang of guilt slicing through her was almost as powerful as the guilt that had made her cast the Shattering in the first place. How was she supposed to live that guilt down if she was running around the city with full-powered magic again? If she’d had it all inside, she would’ve just killed him.

  ‘If you had it all inside you, it wouldn’t be acting up on its own like a blown fuse.’

  Leandras stared at his hand in disbelief. It didn’t look severed, consumed, charred, or any other variation of possible wounds. But she’d definitely done something to him. Even when he’d been at death’s door and bleeding black sludge from his ears, the fae hadn’t look this surprised and utterly lost.

  Jessica swallowed. “You okay?”

  “Am I?” He looked slowly up at her, but his real focus was obviously somewhere much farther away. “When I have an answer for that one, Jessica, I’ll let you know.”

  Great. She’d just broken the fae. But she wasn’t going to apologize. She’d given him fair warning, and he’d refused to listen.

  “I think we need some space.”


  “Perhaps that’s best.” Leandras rose laboriously from the ground, steadied himself with a hand against the desk, then headed for the cramped office. “I’ll be…waiting.”

  He shuffled across the lobby and slipped through the office door before closing it behind him. There was no other sound.

  Shit. As if things couldn’t have gotten any worse, now she’d gone and offended him. Or scrambled his brains somehow with her unhinged anger and all the unpredictable magical runoff that came with it.

  ‘Aw… You do have a conscience.’

  Jessica blinked and headed for the back lobby. Just to give them both some space.

  If I didn’t have a conscience, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have picked me for this job.

  ‘FYI, that’s not a prerequisite for being a Guardian.’ The bank chuckled. ‘But yeah, it might have something to do with it. So what now?’

  There was really only one thing they could do. Business as usual for the next four days, all while trying to figure out whether everything Leandras had showed her and claimed she needed to do were actually true. It would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if she’d had any contacts whatsoever beyond the walls of Winthrop & Dirledge who could corroborate the fae’s warnings. And his pleas.

  That was what they were, even if he hadn’t explicitly said it.

  But just because someone looked desperate didn’t mean they actually needed what they thought they needed. Or that getting it wouldn’t just make things worse for everyone.

  ‘We could go ahead and say you’re the exception to that rule.’

  Jessica stopped at the first landing of the staircase before it turned again to head up behind her. She sat on the top step and propped her forearms on her bent knees. How the hell am I an exception?

  ‘Well, for example, you’re pretty desperate right now.’

  She snorted.

  ‘But if you don’t get what you need, it’ll be worse for everyone. Not just you.’

  Find me a way to aim that backlash at Mickey Hargraves, and I’ll undo the Shattering.

  ‘Oh, shit. For real?’