“I hope you’re feeling better and that your life settles down and becomes less fraught.”
“Thanks,” I said, though I couldn’t imagine what a settled life would look like. Would dragons denuding chicken strips in my Jeep still be allowed?
When I walked into Willard’s building, Gondo and the young elven intern Freysha were in her outer office, arguing over a set of blueprints spread on the desk. It looked more complicated than the siege engine they’d built out of office equipment. Maybe I should let Weber know that some magical engineers were available if he wanted to add fortifications to his house.
Willard’s door was open, so I headed straight toward it, but Gondo jumped onto the chair and picked up the phone.
“I will let the colonel know that you have arrived,” he said.
Willard was looking through the door at me from her desk, her cell phone to her ear as she ordered supplies from someone.
“I think she knows. Colonels are clairvoyant.”
“There is a protocol, as I’ve been informed. I will call.” Gondo pushed buttons.
“You only need to call me if I’m in here with someone and the door is shut,” Willard’s voice floated out as she ignored the office phone flashing on her desk in favor of finishing her other conversation.
“Oh.” Gondo put the phone down.
Freysha smiled at me. Her blonde hair was down, save for a few thin braids held in place by green beads that matched her bright eyes. “Greetings, Val. You have not been to this office for several days. Have you been helping Lord Zavryd’nokquetal catch villains?”
“You can pronounce his name?”
“I study linguistics and know several languages.”
“Oh, that’s right. You were going over translations for Willard.”
“Yes. I am seeking ways to be useful so that she will hire me as more than an intern. Did you know Zavryd’nokquetal means Noble Son Soaring in the dragon tongue? Will you tell me more about the work you are doing with him someday? Do you wish to have lunch? I have learned that humans often discuss work over the midday meal.”
“Uh, sure, kid. The next time I have a day off.” I had a few thousand questions, none that involved lunching with teenage linguists, so I continued to Willard’s office.
But I halted on the threshold as an idea slammed into me. Freysha wasn’t truly teenage—she just looked it. She’d said she was thirty-seven. Young for an elf who would live centuries, but was it old enough to have learned some elven magic? And if so, was it old enough to teach that magic to others?
“Freysha.” I turned slowly around. “You’ve studied linguistics, but have you also studied magic?”
“Yes, I have studied forest magic, but I am a long ways from being a master.”
What was forest magic? It didn’t sound promising for getting dragons to leave one alone.
“I will return to my magical studies one day, but I am taking a leave of absence while I am learning engineering in this world.”
“Leave of absence? I thought you were a refugee who’d fled some trouble back home.” Though now that I thought about it, I didn’t think Freysha had ever said that. I’d assumed that because that was what brought almost every other magical being to Earth. And, the last I’d heard, she was living under a bridge and bathing in a fountain.
Freysha tilted her head. “I came here to study from your metallurgy and engineering masters.”
“Like Gondo?”
Gondo smiled and thumped himself on the chest.
“Yes,” Freysha said politely, “and also some professors at your university. Colonel Willard is letting me use a computer here to take an online class.”
“Can you make a portal and go back home any time?”
“I cannot leave whenever I wish, no.”
“Hm.” So no portals. But what about what I needed? “Do you know how to defend against mental attacks? And magical compulsions?”
“Yes, of course. All students must learn such things.”
“Magical compulsions applied by dragons?”
“Those are difficult to resist. You can learn the basics and practice them, but a great deal depends on your inherent power and natural talent.”
Maybe I’d be better off trying to get that charm from Weber. “Would you show me the basics?”
“It is not permitted for any but a master to teach magic.”
“I’ll pay you.”
“I cannot go against the laws of our people, even here in this somewhat lawless world. I am sorry.”
Damn.
“But I could give you some tips for tapping into your natural aptitude.” Freysha touched her temple.
“I’ll take it.” Anything was better than nothing. “And I’ll pay you.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Are you sure?”
Gondo hopped onto the desk and bumped her shoulder, then whispered into her pointed ear. I debated whether I wanted to activate my translation charm. Judging by the way Freysha lifted her eyes heavenward—it wasn’t quite a good old human eye roll, but it was in the ballpark—she wasn’t going to implement whatever scheme he was suggesting.
“You don’t need to pay me,” Freysha told me with a quelling glance at Gondo.
Gondo refused to be quelled. “But if you want to donate to our cause in exchange for my assistant’s extremely valuable time, we would be honored to allow that.”
“What cause, and how did Freysha become your assistant?”
“We’re building a steam lorry to facilitate trade between goblins and other magical communities. Your gasoline is expensive, and we have trees we could use in our sanctuary, so a steam-powered vehicle is best.”
“Trees in your sanctuary in the national forest? You’re not supposed to cut those down.”
Gondo waved dismissively. “As for the rest, I’m an informant on the payroll here. She’s an intern. That means I outrank her, and she assists me.”
“Get in here, Thorvald.” Willard had finished her call.
“Lunch as soon as I can get free.” I pointed to Freysha.
I’d almost said today, but I had to pick up Amber and go dress shopping. Maybe I should have told Mary I planned to do that. She might consider shopping a sign that I was relaxing. Retail therapy was a thing, right?
“Hey, Willard.” I kicked the door shut, removed my weapons, and plopped down in her guest chair. It wasn’t as posh as Weber’s, but I slung my leg over the arm to take a stab at being comfortable. “Do you actually pay Gondo?”
Willard frowned at my dangling leg. “Ten dollars a day and all the sodas he wants out of the vending machine.”
“That’s not minimum wage.”
“Trust me, it is. Goblin bladders must be amazing.”
“Magical even. Got anything for me?” The night before, I’d texted her about Zoltan and asked her to gather information on Weber and his app.
“Yes.” Willard pulled a printout from a drawer. “I came in two hours early this morning so I could gather data for you for this posh assignment you’ve gotten that has nothing to do with this office and should by no means rely on its resources or require work from its personnel.”
“Does that mean I should thank you profusely?”
“I’ll also accept gifts. You offered to take my intern to lunch, but all you ever want from me is money.”
“I’m terribly sorry. I would have brought you some leftover chicken strips from last night, but Zav ate them all.”
“Your diet is deplorable. It’s no wonder you have health issues.”
“I’m actually fasting currently since the only chicken strips left for me looked rather unappetizing after the breading had been incinerated.”
“I’m not going to ask.” She pointed to the printout. “The summary is that Weber has never done anything illegal. He started a couple of software businesses before shifting focus and getting into cybernetics and biomechatronics. He got very rich turning people into cyborgs for a living.”
“Pardon?” I envisioned movies featuring half-robot super soldiers taking over the galaxy.
“Creating computer bits to put into people to address health problems. He had some top-notch scientists and engineers on his team and patented a bunch of stuff, some proven and some still in development. There’s an artificial pancreas for Type 1 diabetics that’s in testing right now. It’s been a couple of years since he sold the company, but he’ll get a lot of credit for good work if even a fraction of it turns out to be viable in the real world.”
“Are you saying he’s one of the good guys?” I’d expected her to dig up some dirt, but maybe Zav’s suspicion of Weber had colored my thoughts.
“It’s not like he was doing research for charity, but as far as corporations go, his had a noble purpose.”
“What about the app he told me about?”
Willard leaned back in her chair. “I couldn’t find anything about that.”
“He said it’s not public yet.”
“I called the Seattle PD and also talked to my military contacts. Nobody knows anything about an app for tracking magical beings.”
“Nobody except the werewolves who beat him up?”
Willard spread a hand. “It’s your mission. You’ll have to solve some of the mysteries yourself. But you’re welcome for the work I did do. When you bring me a lunch, I want my chicken to be free-range, organic, and non-breathed-on-by-dragons.”
“You’re what they call high maintenance, Willard.” I rose to my feet. “But you’re my favorite boss, so I’ll bring you a giant salad from Whole Foods with meat so fresh it’s still running.”
“Why don’t you grocery shop while you’re there, so you don’t have to feed your dragon substandard fast food?”
I almost said I didn’t make enough to shop there, but given the wad of cash I’d been given the night before, that wasn’t entirely true. Not at the moment. “I’ll keep your advice in mind. He would be a fan of the raw steaks counter.”