Shadows on the Border

Chapter 3: Will’s Flat-2

It was just under an hour by the time Alec hammered on the door of Grant’s flat. Will lived in a new building off Piccadilly, of all places. The man never spoke about coming from money or having any sort of private income—why should he, Alec supposed—but it was clear something more than a police detective’s weekly wage paid these sorts of bills.

Lew had been finishing up whatever he’d gone into the newspaper to do when Alec went to collect him. McGovern still had him working on the upcoming exposé of the Florish Gang, Alec thought. They had a sort of gentleman’s agreement that if what Lew was investigating for the paper came too close to Alec’s professional interests, they pretended the topic didn’t exist. They’d left Lew’s Triumph at the paper and come straight to Piccadilly in the little police Model-T Alec used.

Lew hadn’t been best pleased to be pulled out of the office, although his colleagues knew he consulted for the department. He’d told Alec a couple of weeks before that he was worried about people finding out they were friends. Alec couldn’t see the problem—they were friends, for goodness sake, everything else aside—but Lew was cautious. Alec supposed he was still getting to grips with living in a whole new century. It wasn’t a problem. He was happy to spend time with Lew whenever he could, whether it was because of work or well, just because.

When Will finally answered the door, it was clear that he had, indeed, intended to be off for the evening. He’d changed into slacks and a sweater. “Come in,” he said, quietly, stepping back to let them both pass. “He’s in here. She’s in here, I mean. I can’t tell whether it’s male or female.” He gestured to an open door at the end of the hallway.

Alec stepped through.

There was a girl with a sword standing by Will’s settee. The sword was more or less pointing at the floor. But still. It wasn’t what Alec expected when he visited his sergeant at home.

“What?” Alec said, intelligently, stepping back into Lew, who was close behind him.

“What?” Lew answered, reflexively, unable to see past Alec’s shoulder.

The girl raised the sword a bit. Alec stepped back further, and Lew slid round to stand beside him. Alec didn’t like that much. He’d rather be between a sword and Lew, even one held by a girl.

Will stepped forward beside them both and eyed them all cautiously. “Fenn, this is Detective Inspector Carter, and this is Mr. Tyler, who also works with us. Neither of them will hurt you. Please, put the long-knife down.” He glanced at Alec, who realized he had his hand on his Webley. He’d taken to wearing it all the time after the debacle at the tobacco warehouse. His superiors hadn’t said anything to him about it so far.

He could feel Lew starting to tingle with Pull beside him. He’d learned to notice that much in the previous few weeks, although most of this magical stuff still went over his head.

Will continued, “Please. Boss, Tyler, sit down. This is Fenn. He says he needs our help.”

The girl…person…Grant was right, Alec couldn’t tell whether they were male or female either…carefully put the sword down on the floor by the chair, although she didn’t put it back in what Alec assumed was its sheath, a mess of leather straps at her feet. She remained standing.

Alec took off his hat and coat without taking his eyes off her and threw them on the dining table. Lew followed his example.

“Tea?” Will asked, raising a brow at Alec, probably just to see him snort. It was a sort of running joke they used to defuse tension. “No, honestly, it’s no trouble, old chap!” Will used his politest drawing room voice.

“Thank you, no,” Alec replied automatically, and then mentally kicked himself for falling for it. He remained standing, trying to keep himself slightly in front of Lew.

Lew finally spoke. “What are you?” he said, staring at Fenn.

Fenn frowned. “What do you mean, what am I? I am an Officer of the Law.”

Lew frowned back. “No. I mean what species are you? Like, we’re human. What are you?” He paused. “We’ve never met anything from the Outlands that wasn’t trying to kill us.”

Fenn glared, clearly incensed. “I do not wish to kill you.” Something flickered across her eye. Christ. She had a third eyelid. Alec glanced at Will. What the hell had he gotten them into this time?

Lew looked at the Creature steadily. “I don’t think you do. But you’re different to the Creatures we know are on the other side of the Border. They’re hungry for energy and they kill to get it. They look nothing like you. They have wings for a start. So, what are you? And what are they? Is that what you’re hunting?”

That translucent eyelid flickered again as they all surveyed each other. Then the girl seemed to half-laugh, and sat, breaking the tension. The others slowly followed her to the worn leather chairs around the coffee table. She leaned forward, workmanlike, feet planted flat on the floor, elbows on her knees, head bent a little, and the plait of fair hair falling forward over her shoulder.

“We call them Carnas. The Wild Ones.” She raised her head and looked at Lew. “They drain kias—er, energy? And leave a body with…a soft brain? Yes? And they will also kill with claws and teeth. By ripping at the throat, usually.”

Lew flinched visibly, and Alec had to suppress an automatic desire to touch him. “Yes. That’s right,” he said.

“And you know this how, Lew Tyler?”

Alec interrupted. “Because his friend is in hospital, still, recovering from an attack. Two months ago.”

Fenn became motionless. “She lived?”

Lew spoke again. “She was strong. She turned the Pull back to herself, so it didn’t drain her. But she can no longer Work. It’s all gone. She can’t even feel the energy now.”

“You killed it?”

“No,” Will jumped in. “It escaped. And it’s gone to ground. We haven’t heard sight nor sound of it since. Or been able to track it.”

“And the Young?”

Alec didn’t understand. “What?”

“The Young? What of its Young?”

There was a flabbergasted pause where they all stared at Fenn. Then Alec spoke. “It was female? It had offspring?”

“Offspring. Yes. Or a clutch of eggs.”