Chapter Twelve
The stuffed monkey made it to its new home in one piece, despite the bumpy taxi and a ride on the Arcana city rails. I handed the little guy off to Angel as soon as we got back. If anyone could find a prince hidden in there, it was Angel. She squealed with delight when she caught a glimpse of the little brown monkey, practically tearing it from my hands. He was in good company.
Gideon lingered near the counter, as if I could have a vision at any moment. We’d discussed my visions on the train, hoping that another would materialize. But nothing happened. He’d sent out a message to all the SI’s psychics and other contacts, but so far they had zilch.
If I knew anything about my brother, he would’ve figured out how to shield himself from psychics and magical objects that could capture him. And he would’ve taught Theo those same tricks. We were screwed.
The phone at the museum rang. It startled me at first because I wasn’t used to hearing it go off. The only people that called the museum were telemarketers, and very rarely, Mr. Jones himself. A sudden thought struck me on the second ring. Nicky said he’d contact me. So far, my track phone had remained quiet all day. It was probably him asking for the dagger. I didn’t know what I was going to tell him.
Gideon must’ve had the same thought. He raised his eyebrows at me and then nodded for me to answer it. I picked the black receiver off the counter, slowly raising it to my ear. The hard plastic felt cold against my skin. There was a buzzing in the background that made me think it was a bad connection. Wherever he was calling from, it seemed far away.
“Hello?”
The buzzing suddenly got louder, and I pulled the receiver away from my ear in pain. There was a blip on the line, like a man trying to talk, but it was fuzzy. I glanced at Gideon, fear working its way through my veins like a shot of adrenaline. He pursed his lips, listening closely. Finally, the buzzing stopped and I put it back up to my ear.
“Hello? Who is this?”
“Hello, I’m calling for Aya Harris.”
The voice sounded oddly familiar, but it wasn’t Nicky’s.
“I’m Aya. Who is this?”
“Ah, Aya, I thought that was you. Has the SI contacted you with any updates on the missing Yonas case?”
I realized in that instance where I knew the voice from.
“Ian Welch, I’ve told you not to bother me anymore.”
Gideon threw his hands up and walked a few steps away, shaking his head. He was probably contemplating whether to shoot Ian Welch or simply throw him in jail for messing with the investigation. Either way, I was game.
“I just want a comment from you. Anything you can tell me. I know there’s more to this case. Has Agent Ward been in touch with you?”
“No comment.” I slammed the receiver down.
All the anxiety that had been rushing through my veins only seconds ago made my knees shake as it fizzled out.
“He just doesn’t give up,” I said. “When will he get a clue?”
“I’ve never known a demon who could take a clue.” Gideon shrugged. “He’s already sold his soul to get to the top – he’ll do anything else it takes. I’m not surprised he’s harassing you.”
Angel came running up to us with her cellphone in hand. Her face was flushed like she’d just run a mile in her Jimmy Choos. She hopped next to me, tucking back a strand of hair behind her ear, and waved for Gideon to come closer.
“I’ve got a crazy idea to help the case,” she said. “There was a rumor a while back that someone who can perform a locator spell resides in Arcana. I talked to my friends who dabble in magic – it took me all day – but I think I’ve finally got a reliable location for him. He might be able to find this Theo guy for us.”
I held back the flutter of excitement in my stomach. Locator spells weren’t as easy as they made it look on TV. It took powerful magic to find someone who didn’t want to be found. And as always, powerful magic came with a cost.
“Where is he?” Gideon’s face came alive with action. He finally had a lead to pursue. “What do we need?”
“His name’s Limax. He’s set up residence under the old sewage plant on the East end.” Angel grimaced as if she could already catch a whiff of the sewers. “And just so you know, he’s a giant slug demon. It’s not going to be easy getting him to help us.”
I’d heard of slug demons. They tended to live solitary lives underneath big cities. It was pretty common for them to be involved in illegal trade and black market dealings. The SI liked to keep tabs on most of them, but Limax must
’ve escaped their notice.
I’d never heard of a slug demon performing magic, but it didn’t surprise me. Demons liked power, no matter what form it came in. Performing magic was just another feather in its cap.
Gideon sighed, a disappointed frown on his face. “Will he even talk to me?”