When I woke the world was fuzzy through my vision. Casting my gaze around I found I was laying on back on the crumpled hood of a car, debris laying in piles around me. Slowly I began to push myself up, scraps of wall falling off me. I realized to late my error of nonchalance wheni felt myself grabbed by the chest and flung onto the ground again. Searching for my attacker I found it was the wraith again this time more pissed than, before if that was possible.
Scrambling to my feet I launched another burst of eldritch lightning at it hitting it square in the chest. The wraith reeled in pain, a feeling I'm sure it was not use to, as I focused the bolt into continuous stream against it. Reaching into my pocket I removed a set of caltrops I had imbued with a fun enchantment and tossed them at the base of the specter. Near instantly the enchantment worked and the wraith slowed down to beyond regular time as if it was caught in the thickest molasses. Seizing the opportunity I slammed my palm on the ground and enacted a banishment spell. Upon activation a ring of purple runes appeared beneath the creature as spectral chains began to wrap themselves around the wraiths slow moving body.
As soon as the first chain touched the phantom I felt the mental strain hit me like a ton of bricks. Banishment spells are easier to preform on tired enemies due to their weakened will power but still take a lot effort to cast. With that knowledge you can only imagine the mental strain and pain that assaulted me, as the wraiths strong will thrashed against the restraints of mine. Pressure built up behind my head, internally I imagined it like I was keeping a bullet from piercing my skull.
As I pushed harder my vision began to blackout. Time seemed to slow down, and suddenly like a blast of cool air to the face it stopped and I watched the last of my chain like tendrils lock in place around the wraith. Then with a blast of air comparable to a helicopter blade the ghost was sucked down into an inky black portal.
Standing on unsure feet I wobbled forward, my balance gone I began to fall. I felt myself grabbed by soft hands which tried to lift me up.
"Careful there Jason, you ok?"
looking up at the source of the voice I found it was Lacy.
"sure thing pretty lady", I slured wobbling back on to my feet.
Taking a second I pulled focused my energy and pulled myself together. It was then I noticed I was bleeding, a small stream staining the skin under my left eye. Damn magic exertion. Any more and I could have lost one of my senses or worse.
Turning to Lacy, I wiped away the blood on my cheek and gazed at the aftermath of the battle.
It's one thing to do a job, its another to see the consequences. In the moment you don't fully grasp the destruction, simply put it to the side as collateral but when all is said and done. It makes you wonder if there was another way.
The entire side of the wall of the 2nd floor where Lacy's apartment was gone, ripped out like a piece of cardboard. The ground around me was littered with debris and the car I had fallen on had its roof collapsed and the windows shattered. It was then I felt the wear my body had gone through and my legs gave way again. Lacy caught me again as I fell and I gripped her jacket in hopes of steadying myself.
"Dude you are definitely not ok," I heard her say as she shifted her grip on me, "you can barely stand."
"Ssorry... about... the apartment", I gurgled bits and pieces of my body passing out and waking up.
"The apartment can wait, I have to get you to the hospital", she answered panic coursing through her voice as I lowered my body to the ground.
"No... doctors... cost to much."
"what do you want me to do?"
"Vial... right... pocket", I slurred as I felt her look through my pockets.
A small bottle was then thrust into my hand in a motion that was close to instinctual I shoved the end of it in my mouth and downed the liquid inside. In a fraction of a second, I felt the potion work as pangs of energy jolted through my body. Fractured boned mended, bruised muscles healed, and my energy was restored.
Opening my eyes I saw that Lacy was kneeling over me, watching with concern.
"Healing potion", I explained as I sat up, "I always keep a couple on me just in case."
"You idiot" she screamed socking me in the shoulder, "you scared the crop out of me."
"Sorry, the wraith was stronger than I thought", I apologized while standing up, "Being as tough as it was I suspect its been around for a while."
"I thought you said you were good at this", she asked her eyebrow raised in question.
"I am, but something was wrong", I explained, "the spirit was too well attached to the place. It even manifested outside the boundary of the hauntings. Regular wraiths can't do that unless the object they are tied to moves as well. On top of that it was too strong, that thing took a blast of eldritch lightning and barely flinched not to mention my sword couldn't cut it."
"What's weird about that? I thought ghosts were immune to physical damage", I heard her ask as I stared at the surrounding destruction.
"regular weapons yes, silver and magic infused no. Besides even if it was immune to physical magic still would have had a more potent effect on it", I answered as I began to examine the ground where I had banished the thing.
"So what was it?" she asked as I saw a something that piqued my interest.
Squating down I ran a finger over the area where I had banished the thing and discovered my finger tip was caked in a fine jade powder as fine as soot. Lifting my finger to my nose a sweet smell wafted from the substance. I had my deduction about what it could be but had to be sure, so I closed my eyes and fighting my own disgust touched it to my tongue.
Suddenly I was in a living room, holding a young child on my lap as the night swept across the sky. Next I was tucking the child into bed my mind full of peace at the sight of his sweet little face. Then I was in bed in my pajamas, next to the man I called my husband as I tried to clay my worried mind about the many things I had to do tomorrow. Then it was all gone and I was back yo myself.
Quickly I jerked my hand away from my mouth and wiped my hand off on my pants.
"What is that stuff?" I heard lacy ask as I stood up.
"Life force, pure concentrated human life complete with memories," I answered glancing up at the building.
"Are you saying it was feeding off of people in the apartment", I heard Lacy ask her voice softening.
"Yes, and now I know why it was so strong, having spent years draining people of life uninterrupted it must have become powerful to the point conventional weaponry and spells would barely have an effect", I mused to myself.
Turning around I could tell by the look on her face the idea of the wraith feeding was making her uncomfortable. Personally, in my many cases, I had seen it too many times to be affected any more.
"Look I'm sorry about all this", I said gesturing around the area.
"It's ok, not like my life could get worse right now," she answered her voice downtrodden.
"Do you have any place to stay", I asked as EMS, the fire department, and police arrived on the scene.
"Not really," she answered softly, "I guess I can make reservations at the motel in town but besides that..."
Looking back at the carnage of my actions and the hustling first responders now dealing with the start of an electrical fire, a sliver of guilt pierced my consciousness. Looking around I realized the rain had yet to stop and the cold wet nature it had already seeped through my clothes.
Any professional will tell you not to get involved emotionally, to do the job and leave. Sure you can act like you care maybe even put on a mask of kindness, a "customer support" exterior. Any other mage would have asked for his payment and said his goodbyes.
Not me. Warlocks care to much. I care too much.
"If you want you can crash at my place," I suggested sheepishly.
As soon as I said it I wished the floor would swallow me, or the wraith would pop back and drag me into the void. I had no right to offer that, I barely knew her, had just destroyed her apartment, and she still had yet to pay me. She had every right to dislike me.
"Excuse me?"
"You know, just until you get things figured out?" I quickly added.
"that's very kind but I wouldn't wanna impose I mean I still owe you for the banishment and all that." she said looking over at the destruction.
" Honestly you wouldn't be. I've got enough room and all." I answered.
"Really are you sure?"
"yeah I'm sure"
"Thank you"
"Don't worry about it", I answered as I began walking to her car.
...
When we returned to my place we found a bunch of people in uniforms rushing about the area. Sighing, I remembered the body lying on the ground in my office and the phone call I had made earlier. Leaving the vehicle, I approached one of the uniformed people.
I believe Shakespeare had the right idea when it comes to describing faires but no understanding of the magic or circumstances. Faires when they choose to be human size lose the ability to fly making their wings more for decoration they do but retain the rest of their physical charms such as pointy ears, light body structure, and semi-sparkly skin. However, when they enter the faye world they become tiny and regain the ability to fly more like how they are depicted in books and movies.
The fairy I had approached was shuffling around his jacket for something, as i got closer I saw it was a pixie-stix like tube.
"Officer, " I greeted stopping right nest to him, " how are things going?"
"You must be the warlock, I can literally smell the magic off you," he replied as he put one end of the paper tube in one nostril and inhaled, "Captain said for you to go talk to him when you showed."
"Thanks," I answered as I walked toward the door to the garage.
One of the more repugnant facts I had first learned about faires is their addiction to a substance known as Dust. Where it came from was a fiercely guarded secret of theirs, why is unknown as the only good it does for other races is "True sight" but for them it literally allows them flight, instant magic use, and if taken in high doses calming hallucinations.
Tucking my hands into my jacket pockets I walked toward the doorway of my garage. The area where the fairy had died had been scrubbed clean leaving no trace of her blood, several areas had been highlighted with a yellow marker depicting where certain items were. I ignored all of it, my attention was focused on the fairy in the fedora talking to another officer.
"I assume you're the captain", I asked as he sent the officer running off to do something.
"Buckly," he answered shaking my hand with a firm fist, "So you were the one who found her body?"
"Yeah, just kinda fell in," I answered looking over at the doorway, "not much else I can tell you."
"That's understandable, weather is pretty heavy today," he said while reaching into his pocket and grabbing a stick of gum," cleaned up most of the evidence."
"yeah," I admitted looking at where the body use to be, "Any idea who she is?"
"Laura Gensi, she's a maid to one of the more influential families in the Faye world", he summed up with a pained look of distaste, "The Light falls, don't know anything more than that at the moment. You have any idea why she came here?"
"No, but if she came to me it was probably because she needed professional help", I answered, "Not to say your not professional, but sometimes us warlocks are the only ones who can help."
"I understand, to be honest even if she had come to us I'm not sure we could've done a lot," he replied his chewing forgotten as he thought for the moment, "most we could've done was watch her for a couple hours."
Turning away from the spot he began walking out the door before turning back to me.
"Listen you already know the rules, don't leave the state and don't derail the investigation. My men will pack up and be gone in a couple minutes, if anything comes to mind you come down to the station in the Faye, you hear me?"
"Yeah I hear ya," I answered as he turned around and left.
The fairy police left soon after the Buckly, It then took me a couple of minutes to explain the situation to my landlord Sullivan. Once it was all done I showed Lacy around the upstairs living area and gave her use of my bedroom for the night. Having everything taken care of everything I retreated to my desk downstairs in the main garage and slumped heavily in my padded chair.
The detective's words replayed themselves in my head, not much they could've done. I had known the Faye world was in an uproar at the moment with gang activity, Dust peddling, and the recent death of the previous king, but this. I rubbed my eyes and stared at the spot where she had lain.
I had come across death before, it was an unfortunate part of the job. Every warlock has their way of dealing with it, be it drugs, sex or some other third thing you learned how to cope or get past it. Me, I talk to the dead.
"Sorry I couldn't help you," I said talking to the spot where she had laid, "I would've tried my hardest to save you. Unfortunately, whoever was after you got to you before you could get to me. These are often the hardest cases to let go because you feel personally responsible for them. I keep thinking that if I had been listening a bit harder or something else I would've been able to protect you or get you some medical help. But we both know that wouldve been near impossible, rain dulls even the strongest scent and the storm could drown out any noise of you being shot. not to mention that magic is a lot more silent than a bullet."
"Who are you talking to?"
Looking up I saw Lacy in her pajamas staring at me from the stairs. Her sleep attire was a mix of soft shorts and a t-shirt that had Dragonforce on the front.
"Just talking to the victim or more likely just talking to myself", I admitted with a a sigh.
"can't get the case out of your head?" she asked leaning over the railing.
"not particularly no, I feel a bit responsible for it and knowing the turmoil the faye world is in the guards won't get to solving this case till its gone frozen," I answered.
"so why not investigate it yourself?" she asked walking to the bottom of the stairs.
"The Gaurds won't let me, the moment I start poking into it they'll arrest me for interfering in an open investigation. That and most faires despise warlocks for some reason." I explained, "no, the smart thing to do is to leave the case alone."
"Something tells me your not", she replied looking at me with her emerald eyes.
"I said I care to much", I smiled and with a motion lifted my self from the chair, "I never claimed I was smart."
"So what are you going to do?" she asked as I walked over to the stairs.
"me, I'm getting some sleep", I answered as I stopped next to her, " I've got a busy day tomorrow."