Mob Sorcery 3 - Ch2

No sign of Fia. For that matter, the side street was clear of anybody except Vince and Kiyoko, who stood out in her almost purely jet-black appearance. Her narrow wings furled themselves behind her back like a hawk, but otherwise Kiyoko looked entirely human. Vince had read up on tengu and learned that they apparently possessed humans, but public info was scarce.

Rather than wave at him, Kiyoko nodded her head at him. Her hands remained crossed behind her back in an almost playful manner. If only he could see her expression behind her mask and see if she actually looked playful.

“Morning,” Vince said, approaching the tengu. “Uh, I haven’t listened to your voicemail yet.”

“I had assumed as much. It is why I am here,” Kiyoko said, her mask transforming her voice into the robotic English he was used to, even though he heard whispers of her natural Japanese voice beneath it. “I am uncertain whether you did not respond due to how busy you were following last night’s events, or if you perceived Knightsgate and the Yakuza to be a threat.”

He kept his face studiously neutral. Kiyoko tilted her head at an intense angle, and he knew she was monitoring every twitch of his facial muscles.

“The police said they couldn’t determine which faction the fox enforcers belonged to,” Vince said.

“The police also said that the three assailants were registered enforcers, which they certainly are not,” Kiyoko said. He caught a hint of annoyance in her Japanese voice. “Or did the information you receive during your detainment differ?”

His eyes widened before he could stop himself, which likely gave away his surprise at the news. He’d missed that tidbit on the news panel this morning and cursed himself for that fact.

The cops were lying to everyone to downplay the incident. Of-fucking-course they were. Captain Frost had admitted to Vince that all three mystic fox assassins had potentially infiltrated the USA and were international criminals-come-assassins during a highly anticipated conference, and the only reason they’d been stopped was due to a pair of enforcers the police had nearly fined into oblivion.

And every fucking conglomerate knew it. No wonder Immanuel had a top exec flaunting the law on national TV.

Vince briefly considered hiding the truth from Kiyoko. He didn’t know whether he could trust the Yakuza.

But Kiyoko had been surprisingly earnest toward him. Maybe this was her job, to get him to lower his defenses. But he wasn’t a cold enough asshole to turn her away. Besides, she knew most of the truth.

“Frost told me they’re trying to work out how the foxes got into the country. They didn’t match the records of any fox in Aulfair,” Vince said.

Kiyoko’s fingers tapped against her side and her face returned to its ordinary orientation. “I see. That explains the suspicion. The assault gave a very strong appearance of an attack by Houou’s corporate enforcers, which would suggest an attempt to frame them.”

“Or the opposite,” Vince said.

“An extremely obvious attempt to frame Houou, so that the police would suspect us?” Kiyoko nodded. “Hence the police paralysis. And your own—”

“No. I was just busy,” he admitted. “The last time I assumed an assassination was directed by the person I just rebuffed, it turned out to be one of Houou’s schemes. I’m just some grunt enforcer. Unravelling the sorts of schemes put together by the elites of Aulfair is way beyond my pay grade.”

“I see. A wise, if narrow-minded, philosophy. Can I assume our arrangement from yesterday will continue?”

He gave her a thumbs up right as his phone buzzed.

Holding up a palm, he checked the message he’d just received from Fia.

Stuck in traffic. Somebody crashed, she said.

Well, that minimized the awkwardness of Fia rocking up while he was talking with Kiyoko.

After pocketing his phone, he refocused on the tengu, whose attention had not wavered from him. A pair of catgirl sisters slipped out of the complex and pointed at them, before walking in the opposite direction.

“Nothing’s changed,” he said, vocalizing what he meant with his thumbs up. “However, voicemail is a pretty awkward way to communicate. Most people use messages, not calls. I’m often too busy to pick up.”

“I… find it difficult to communicate outside of Japanese. And many dislike it when I message them in a language that is not their own.” Possibly the first time since Vince had met her, Kiyoko shifted nervously.

“Translation apps are pretty commonplace, and I bet you can afford a decent one. They’re cheap,” he said.

“Yes, but…” She paused and straightened up. “Could you use a translation app if I messaged you in Japanese?”

He blinked. “Yes? But what if I message you in English?”

“You could message me back in…” She stopped herself, then sighed. “My apologies. That is a very one-sided request and ignores the true problem. The simple truth is that I dislike relying on translation magic that I do not control myself.”

“Is that why you use your mask, instead of a… more widely available magic tool?” he asked, nearly saying “a better magic tool” and insulting her mask.

Because her mask did translate effectively, if a little clumsily and in a robotic voice.

“Yes.” She turned so that her body stood at a ninety-degree angle to him. “I have realized that my mask tends to discomfort people in Aulfair. Even you.”

Vince winced and rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe it would have been better if Fia had arrived on time. “I mean, the mask is one thing. The voice is another. I get whispers of your true voice, but what I hear is a robotic monotone. Translation tools can mimic voices nearly perfectly in other languages. Immortals have used translation magic to travel the world for millennia, after all.”

Kiyoko’s shoulders hunched by an almost infinitesimal amount. “This is the first time I have left East Asia. And the first time leaving Japan in this vessel.”

That was a can of worms Vince wanted no part of right now. He didn’t know Kiyoko anywhere near well enough to talk about it.

“Why not test out a new magic tool?” he asked. “If you’re worried about reactions, that is?”

“They are… frustrating? Irritating? Cumbersome? Many words come to mind, and a single one in English does not quite suffice,” Kiyoko said, clearly grasping with her own translation magic. Vince clearly heard her say the same word in Japanese three times.

Ironically, she had proven her own point. The fact she could even fiddle with her translation magic on the fly like that was unheard of ordinarily.

“You like the control,” he said. “I don’t know how translation magic works, but, yeah, commercial products don’t really like you doing that.”

Kiyoko turned back to face him and nodded. “It is a common frustration. That a communication error might occur thanks to a mistranslation and that rectifying it would require me to rely upon a company with little interest in fixing it. In Japan, there is a cultural disposition that pushes back against the idea of catering to an individual, rather than the crowd. But the same applies here, for reasons I do not understand.”

“I’m pretty sure the companies here all think they know better than us,” Vince said drily. “And we’re just too stupid if we don’t understand their grand vision and try to do anything differently to the way they intend. I imagine you can’t customize a fancy translation tool for the same reason our phones constantly update and restrict the way they look and work.”

Kiyoko’s wings fluttered and her fingers tapped against her phone in her dress. He swore he heard her hiss beneath her breath. “Indeed. That is a constant nuisance. It often feels as though somebody intrudes upon my home and tells me what furnishings I may have or how I may decorate my walls. But…” She sighed. “I shall consider the translation tool, knowing it causes friction. Thank you, Vince, and enjoy your day. Your ability to escape yesterday’s attack is a testament to your longevity.”

She bowed to him—again at a mathematically precise angle—and shot into the air like a rocket. Vince was left wondering if her last line was a mistranslation of some Asian proverb or simply an awkward way to say he was going to live a long time because he was strong.

Her wings were barely a black blip in the sky when Fia’s Benz pulled into the street, puttering along at the posted speed limit that nobody except actual grandmothers followed. Vince stared at her as she coasted toward him at a speed glaciers would snort at.

The passenger-side window rolled down as she came to a stop and she lowered her sunglasses. “Keep you waiting long?” She rolled a lit cigarette around in her mouth.

Fia’s rust-blonde hair was done up in a ponytail today and she dressed simpler than usual. Black jacket and matching jeans, with a white v-cut shirt that showed off her bust. Outside of when Vince had rocked up at her apartment and woke her up, this might be the most casual he’d seen her dress. Her wolf’s tail wagged against the central column of the car.

“Not really,” he said, popping open the door and sliding into the car. “Did I interrupt your day off?”

“Alessia’s ordered almost everyone to stand down after yesterday’s incident. Blackshirts are crawling all over the city. REAT vans are rolling around Albion and downtown, with enforcers hanging off the side with active barriers,” Fia explained. “Besides the enforcers managing establishments, collecting take, and basic commercial shit, nobody in the family’s needed except if Alessia directly calls us up.”

“What about Pola?”

Fia laughed. That told Vince plenty.

They did a U-turn and began heading across the city, toward Lionetti Tower in northern Albion. Traffic was busy at first, likely due to the crash Fia had mentioned, but lightened up quickly enough.

“How’re you holding up this morning? You were a rock after Juliet hit Lionetti Tower, but yesterday was more personal,” Fia said, her eyes darting between the road and Vince.

“Not sure it’s really sunk in, to be honest,” he admitted. “This is the second time I’ve been targeted directly. Despite how dangerous Juliet supposedly is, the foxes hit a lot harder, but I’ve brushed with death so many times it doesn’t feel new.”

Fia remained silent as they drove through an intersection. A REAT van turned on a red light and pulled up alongside them, giving him a clean view of what she’d described earlier. Rogue Enforcer Apprehension Tactics was Aulfair’s specialist division dedicated to taking care of enforcers when powerful magic was necessary. For most cities, the equivalent unit was a part-time role, where police officers responded as necessary, but Aulfair had so many enforcers that REAT enforcers operated full-time.

A pair of heavily armored enforcers hung from the back of the van with gleaming barriers surrounding their bodies. Both wore face-concealing helmets. One carried a long wand and appeared to use ice magic, judging from the color of his barrier, while the other held a rapier and definitely used wind magic.

While the enforcers eyed them for a moment, the van peeled away. Fia clicked her tongue.

“Second time I’ve been tailed by one,” she said. “I’m definitely being monitored.”

“Would they be doing their job right if you weren’t?” Vince asked.

“Maybe not, but it’s still annoying.” She shook her head. “Anyway, not sure how to take what you said. I’ve been in scraps a few times, but the way you casually speak of fights being so dangerous mostly reminds me of how dumb you are.”

“Wow. Rude.”

“You’re a certified ass-kicker who just proved it by taking on a corporate assassin in public, and you’ve chased away Juliet Forest,” Fia said. “Immanuel did a good job talking you down for so long, but you should have broken away years ago.”

“Alessia’s paying me well now,” he said.

“Maybe. But things are heating up. Your new contract is more targeted, but this looks like Knightsgate is making a play at Houou and the other conglomerates are circling the wagons around the rest of the city.” Fia’s knuckles whitened. “I’m worried we’ve become a bone the real wolves are fighting over. A trigger for a massive gang war, unlike last time when we were the target of Houou’s aggression in Albion.”

“Aren’t you the wolves?” Vince asked.

He’d have reached out and nudged Fia in the side, but knew better to hit somebody while they were driving. Fia’s serious expression didn’t waver.

“Yesterday, I’d have claimed that,” she said. “Today…” She bit her lip as they came to a stop at an intersection.

The rumbling of the engine filled the car while Fia remained silent. Nathan reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder and she shot him a soft smile.

“It’s not that bad, but thanks,” she said. “Things will be quiet until the conference is over at least, but I need to train. All of us do. But I know that if the foxes had hit Lionetti Tower in place of Juliet, or if I’d been the target instead of you, then I wouldn’t have had a chance.”

“They went after me for a reason,” Vince said.

“Maybe. But we don’t even know the real reason yet, or even who went after you.”

That was as good a time as any to bring up Kiyoko’s visit. He explained it briefly.

“Huh. The tengu’s more neutral than I’d expect of somebody so senior in the Yakuza.” Fia drummed her fingers along the steering wheel as she crossed the bridge to Albion. “Not sure what to make of that. Part of me wants to compare myself to her, because she’s…”

“Cool?” Vince offered.

“Basically, yeah. An immortal tengu who could probably take on one of Houou’s clan guardians, but is surprisingly approachable and rational? She’s even in a similar position to me, relatively speaking.” Fia’s wolf ears twitched and her tail hit Vince in the side as it wagged. “But she could also be manipulating you. Never forget that. Mei might be the bad cop, while Kiyoko is the good cop.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. For now—”

“Don’t burn bridges. The Yakuza are here to stay, and it helps to have a friend there, even if we don’t end up working with them. And no, I don’t know if Alessia has made up her mind. She’s been busy all morning talking with people. June, the mayor, the branch families, the media—everyone wants a piece of her. Stefano came and groused about how she risked our position or some such nonsense. Haven’t heard Alessia lose her temper with a branch family member like that before.”

“Vanna’s father, right?” Vince asked.

Fia nodded, while he recalled the old wolffolk who they both suspected was the mole that sold the Lionettis out to Houou and Kaziern during the attack on Lionetti Tower and Pola the other night.

What a mess. Things were too complicated, and Vince wanted some faces to beat in.

The conversation topic shifted to lighter fare. Vince had a busy day ahead of him, but Fia had the day off, so he needled over her plans. Which, as it turned out, were basically non-existent.

“You’re a workaholic,” he teased.

A sour look crossed her face. “You sound like my dad.”

“Uh huh. Don’t deflect. There’s no chance in hell I actually remind you of your old man.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Her tail thwapped him in the side. “I could spend some time with the girls. Go see a movie with them or work out. Nina mentioned she’d be busy and I doubt Pola will be allowed to roam the city.”

“Why not do something yourself?” he asked.

“I’m a social animal, V. The idea of spending a day off playing video games all day is soul destroying,” Fia drawled. “I need to get somebody to join me at least.”

“Your brothers?”

She groaned and pressed her forehead against the steering wheel. They were stopped at a red light, so at least Vince didn’t need to worry about crashing.

“Hell no,” she ground out. “They’re the sorest fucking losers, and the last time I tried joining them in one of their co-op games they trolled me all night. Can’t take them anywhere.” Her eyes shifted sideways. “I know Nina doesn’t touch games, but what about you?”

“Uh, do mobile games count?”

“… For a guy struggling with money, mobile games seem like a bad idea. Not that I play them myself.” A long pause as Fia crushed her cigarette in the car’s ashtray and lit up another one with a flame from her finger. “Didn’t get a console due to money, I bet?”

“Basically. Consoles and computers cost money, and I’ve never needed one more than I needed to make rent. Nina has a work laptop but like you said—”

“She has no interest.”

“Never took you for a gamer.”

“I’m not. But when you grow up with two younger brothers and join a gang of overactive wolfgirls, you end up doing unexpected things.”

They reached Lionetti Tower. The stately tower loomed over them and the surrounding business park and was the largest landmark in this part of Albion. As always, the casino at the very top never stopped shining even in the middle of the day.

Not even the sight of police on every street corner slowed illegal gambling in Aulfair. Especially not a casino advertising this blatantly to the wealthy.

“Want a coffee before we head in?” Fia asked as she pulled into a parking lot.

“If I say no, will you get one for yourself anyway?” he responded.

She didn’t answer but the smirk on her face told him all he needed to know.

“Let’s grab some coffee and then head up to see Alessia,” he said.

A small café across from the tower was having a slow day, but the young barista scrolling on her phone gave Fia a cheery greeting when she entered. The barista’s eyes shot between Fia and Vince and a sly smile crept onto her face.

“We’re not like that,” Fia growled.

“Sure, sure. I know what you Lionetti wolves are like.” The barista winked. “You’ve been here less often lately, and I remember you got two coffees the other day. Hmm?”

“Just get me two of my usual, Nia.”

Giggling, the barista whipped up a couple of coffees to go in a flash. She waved them out the door while Fia dared Vince to say anything.

Once outside, he did. “I take it you’re a regular.”

“Quite a few of the girls are. I imagine it’s slow today because most of us are off.” Fia nodded at the security patrol wandering the park beside the tower, which comprised Lionetti’s usual security mooks rather than the wolfgirl enforcers of the family itself. “It’s a nice place. Anyway, I take it you brought the contract. I remember Alessia gave you a paper one.”

“For some crazy reason, yeah,” he said.

“I’m guessing she got a bit antsy over the paper trail. Maybe because she’s calling out Houou. Enforcer contracts are always a bit weird.” She shook her head.

They ambled through the atrium with little more than nods at security and took an elevator up to Alessia’s office. A trio of wolfgirls sat in the foyer when they exited, while Lucia leaned against the wall. The trio were playing dice and cards at the same time, and were wearing significantly less clothing than usual. Only Lucia was fully dressed.

Only one game came to mind when both dice and cards were involved: Vice. Hence why Vince could see multiple bras right now and there were some pill bottles and blister packets laid on the table.

“Fuck’s sake, what are you idiots doing?” Fia snapped.

Lucia looked up, and smirked at the sight of Vince. “I’m playing designated bodyguard. But if V wants to join in the fun, I’m happy to let you take over and let him play.”

“I don’t have the constitution for Vice,” he said flatly.

The wolfgirls had some light bruises on their arms. Likely where they’d punched each other. The pills all looked to be simple stuff like painkillers and caffeine tablets. Far too weak to do much to the constitutions of the wolfgirls. By their standards, this was merely passing the time.

Vice was a brutal game and popular among demihumans and immortals. The dice were enchanted and could be affected by the playing cards, but each card required the players to indulge in specific vices. From a glance at the cards on the table, Vince saw they were playing a pretty typical deck: drugs, stripping, and physical punishment.

In gambling parlors, the requirements could be very high to play the cards. Broken bones, taking illegal drugs—that had to be paid for at market prices on the spot—or even fucking one of the establishment’s escorts were typical. This game looked fairly tame, given the wolves could probably punch a hole clean through Vince’s chest without even trying.

The kicker, and the main reason Vince steered clear of the game, was that barriers and other protective measures couldn’t be used. Only regenerative spells and other magic that was used afterward. Hence why the game was popular among non-humans with the constitution to survive it.

“I checked with Alessia,” Lucia said. “It’s a light day and there’s a REAT team chilling in the atrium anyway. And I’m still on my feet. Sure you don’t want to join, Vince? We can go easy on the punches if you’re worried. Maybe make the deck more… interesting.” Her eyes glittered with excitement.

Fia gripped Vince’s arm tightly enough to bruise. “We’ll be fine. Take it easy, Lucia.”

Lucia waved them off. “We’ll be fine. Try to have some fun with Vince on your day off yourself, Fia.”

Clicking her tongue, Fia dragged Vince toward Alessia’s office. They didn’t go far, but did leave Lucia behind them.

Fia stopped dead and let Vince go. Rubbing her own arms, she scowled at the floor.

“You alright?” he asked her.

“It’s fine. Just… Figured security would be tighter after yesterday,” Fia mumbled. “I know Lucia’s keeping watch still, but…”

Something told Vince the issue ran deeper. Fia had her troubles with vices in the past, and the game seemed like the sort of thing she’d have enjoyed once.

“You annoyed that I got to admire some tits?” he teased. “And that Lucia basically offered to show me hers?”

She snorted and finally looked up at him. “What tits? You have Pola and Nina, and you’d need a hundred Lucia’s to match them.”

“I heard that,” Lucia called out. “I can add sex cards to the game if you want, Vince.”

“Fuck off,” Fia shouted back.

They finally entered Alessia’s office. It was a long, palatial room that extended on forever and contained a lounge room, dining space, bookshelves, and basically anything somebody would need to live here. A small kitchenette hidden in a side room could provide food and beverages, and there was a condo in the building that Alessia stayed in most nights.

Alessia sat behind an old executive desk, eyes wide and black wolf ears pricked up as she stared at Vince and Fia as they wandered in. She wore a simple white and gold one-piece dress with chiffon frills and a sapphire necklace that matched her eyes and lipstick. Like Pola, her bust was impressive and beaten out only by Nina.

She wasn’t alone in her office, however. An older wolffolk man lounged on a recliner with a laptop and a Bluetooth earpiece. He looked to be in his late 50s, but wore a silver suit that matched his hair and tail. A neatly trimmed goatee gave him a sharp look and he barely glanced up at them when they entered.

“I’m assuming you’re here about your contract, and not to play with my enforcers, Vince?” Alessia asked, with a hint of amusement and reddening cheeks.

- - - - -

Commentary: Expect a bit of Fia for a while, as she'll fill Nicki's boots as chauffeur and sidekick for a little while.

The scene with Kiyoko is setting up some stuff with her in the future, but a big one is changing her voice. While it was intentional, I know that her robotic voice in the audiobook annoys people and as she softens and integrates with Aulfair and Vince, switching out the mask and moving to speaking normally will happen. I'm just accelerating it a little.

Also, Vice finally shows up. It acts as a neat reminder that the Lionetti girls like to have fun, even if they're not as wild as the demons.