Chapter 20

“Ding! Ding! Ding! Goooooooaaaaaal!”  Artemvian spun in a circle, taking the bottom half of his shirt and raising it to his chest.  Kissing his fist multiple times, the mage got to his knees and mimed wiping a tear from his eye.

The two woman stared, their minds unable to come to terms with the sudden random act of violence.

But it wasn’t random.  Not in Artemvian’s mind at least.

“And that’s what you get for making a deal with a Daemon.”  Artemvian wagged his fingers at the darkness of the open door behind the pale woman.  “Oh…”  He looked down at his finger.  “I guess you can’t see me though, huh?”

Then in a motion akin to pulling on a string, Artemvian wiggled his finger towards himself.

The man who went flying into the building came flying back out, tumbling arm over leg over rib right at the beautiful woman’s feet; accompanied by more crashes of metal and wood from within the building.

Celine stared, her head trying to make sense of what just happened and more importantly, what to do.

Her training came back immediately.  Right now, what Artemvian did was akin to firing the first shot.  Before this strange new woman could retaliate, Celine had to act first.  She immediately aimed her gun at the woman, “Freeze! Nobody moves!”

Somehow it sounded a bit silly in the wake of Artemvian’s theatrics.

It only took a second for Celine to realize that her warning was unneeded.

The woman was smiling.  

“So this is the famous Artemvian Delacreau Moneti that I’ve heard so much about.”  The pale woman licked her lips, speaking with a distinct European accent “You’re much more… fun… than rumors led me to believe.”

“This? This isn’t even my final form”  Artemvian quipped.

Celine looked wide-eyed between the two.  The moment of confusion and indecision passed, “What made you do that?”  she hissed to Artemvian, “They were unarmed!”

“Oh puh-leaze.”  He drawled.  When Celine kept glaring at him, Artemvian sighed.  “They’re not.  You can tell because she didn’t even bat an eyelash when I pummeled that Witch who’s lying by her feet.  My guess?”  His smile turned wolfish.  “She’s the third party that’s involved.”

“Third party?”  Celine didn’t lower her gun and right now, it wavered between Artemvian and the new woman. 

“Mmmhmm.”  Artemvian checked the woman’s expression.  “Takes real power to summon a Daemon like that.”  He carefully took a step to the side, giving a pointed look at the gun.  “Um, do you mind pointing that away from me?”

“Funny and smart.  I’m must be love.”  The pale woman quipped.

“That still isn't good enough for us to fire the first shot!”  Celine hissed, “We’re the authorities.  We can’t just-”

Artemvian cut her off  “You know those scenes?  In the Cartoons?  When you want to get information but there’s a henchman that’s not worth your time hanging around?  Bogging down the pace of the plot?  I saw a couple of clips on Meowtube the other day.  Trust me, it’s much more fun watching it than it is to experience it.”  He rolled his eyes, “So I thought it’d be easier to get rid of this guy and go straight to the source.”

“Don’t you agree… miss?...”

The woman’s laugh was all glass and emptiness which made Artemvian roll his eyes.  “Oh, you’re much more than the rumors have made you out to be.”  She threw her head back as she laughed, revealing her almost too perfect neckline.

Artemvian took a good hard look.

After a few seconds, the woman stepped forward, delicately avoiding the fallen man.  “Helen Ryder, at your service.”  Then she put a hand forward.

Artemvian gave Celine a look, “Excuse me.”  Then he strode forward, took Helen’s hand and brushed his lips across it.

Celine said nothing.

“Now, Ms. Ryder,”  Artemvian took a step back, “Maybe you could help us out here.”

“Please, I’d love to be of help to you and Agent Alvarez.”

Celine stiffened.  “How do you know my name?”

“Oh, I make it my business to know all sorts of things.”  Helen replied, “And it’s only natural that I know about the newly appointed lieutenant of the Grimms.”  She turned her gaze on Artemvian, “Especially if she enlisted the help of the mercenary who’s all the rage these days.”

Celine narrowed her eyes so much that it tightened the skin around her ears.  “Would you happen to know what we’re doing here, Ms. Ryder?”

“Naturally,”  Helen’s gaze was cool.  “You’re here to find out who’s been doing all those nasty things to Councilman Valdemir’s son and his wife.  Well, I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time.”

“How so?”  Celine asked, effectively taking charge of the questioning.  

Artemvian knew what she was doing and he didn’t mind.  Not at the least, especially in front of Helen Ryder.  He kept his eyes glued to the woman, ready for any sudden movements.

“You probably came here thinking that the Third Eye was responsible.”  Helen pointed at the fallen man, “They’re not.  I came here to find that out myself.”

“And we should trust you because?”  Celine pressed.

“Because it’s not everyday you meet another person who’s in the Know now, is it?”  Helen replied.

“Just because you’re in the Know about the Supernatural doesn’t rule you out as a suspect.  If anything, it makes you more of one.”  Celine’s gun never wavered.

Helen sighed.  “Right.  Of course.  And while you’re wasting your time with lil’old me, the true culprit will be furthering his plans.”

“And you know how?”  Celine repeated.

“Because before you arrived here,”  Helen answered, “I was trying to get him,”  she daintily nudged the unconscious man with her foot, “to summon the creature that’s haunting the Valdemirs.”

“You almost succeeded.”  Artemvian interjected.

“Yes.”

Celine looked to Artemvian.

“That’s why my tracking spell led us here.  Yet, I don’t sense the taint from either of them.”  He shook his head.  “The goons and the man over there are smothered with daemon-taint.  But the woman is clean.”

“You said she’s the third party.”

“Oh, she still is.”  Artemvian said, “Just not the one we were looking for.”

He sighed, running his hand through his hair.  He’d been too quick to jump the gun.  An amateur mistake.  The old him would have been careful, more thorough in sussing out the Daemon and the related Summoner.  But without his staff and the effort that went into crafting a finely-tuned spell, he had patched together something he thought would work.  All in all, he’d overestimated his own abilities and underestimated the intricacies of the magic that ran deep within Nero City’s veins.

Oh, he had a good idea of how powerful he was.  Destroying things was simple.  But what Artemvian was starting to miss were the finer, more sensitive parts of the Art.  

Tracking, finding, sensing and controlling.  Healing, changing and altering.  Those sorts of things.

“Is it my turn to ask questions yet?”  Helen asked.

Celine rounded on her.  “Who exactly are you?”

“I told you already.”

“I”m not asking for your name, Ms. Ryder.”  Celine elaborated, “I’m asking what business you have here.  And don’t give me another non-answer, or I’ll be forced to bring you in for questioning.”

Helen gave Artemvian a furtive look, like she was sharing a secret only the two of them should know.  “Oh, did I not mention?  I’m a Fixer.”

Fixer.  Another word for Mercenary.

Artemvian leaned back on his haunches, away from Helen Ryder.  Something about her body language was fishy.  She was too confident, way too calm for someone who was under suspicion of engaging with Daemons.  Of course, most denizens of this world didn’t believe in Darklings in the first place.  But if Helen Ryder was in the Know and knew that Celene was part of a taskforce that specifically dealt with those sorts of things, she would have shown some kind of nervousness.

“A Mercenary then.”

“Much like Mr. Moneti over there.”  Helen gestured to Artemvian.

“Oh, I’m sure we’re nothing alike.”  Artemvian absently kicked one of the fallen gangsters, almost like an afterthought.  “I, for one, wouldn’t need these second-rate Witches to summon a Daemon.”

“Mr. Moneti, don’t tell me you’re naive enough to believe that this is the extent of the Third Eye’s strength.”  Helen explained, “This?”  She gestured all around them with her arms, “This is one of their lesser Covens, led by one of their younger members.  You haven’t even encountered their main forces yet.  Even your encounter with Eldritch could be examined as nothing more than a simple brush with their lower ranking members.”  Her eyes locked onto Artemvian’s.  “You have not yet even begun to touch upon what Nero City’s Supernatural Community truly has to offer.”

“Oooooh, so scary.”  Artemvian mocked.  “Lady, if you were going for scary and beautiful, congratulations.  You managed to only nail one and it ain’t scary.”

“...Thank you?”

At that exact moment, Celene’s phone rang.

“Agent Alvarez here, I’m in the middle of something.”  One of Celene’s eyes turned machine-blue, indicating that she was on a call.

“Uh huh.  Uh huh.”  She said, seemingly into nowhere. “What?!”

Helen smiled at Artemvian.  “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Moneti.”

Artemvian didn’t bat an eye.  “Ah, connected in high places, are you?”

“Higher and higher still.”  Helen said.

Artemvian thought hard.  Something about this whole case was fishy.  Granted, he’s only been working on it for a couple of hours.  Yet, the fact that Helen was trying to summon the Daemon they were tracking was too harmful to his spell to be a coincidence.  It was like she did it on purpose, to get in their way.

‘Stick to the facts.’  Artemvian told himself.

One.  The Valdemirs were being haunted by a Daemon, otherwise referred to as a Darkling in this world.

Two.  There was no real apparent reason why.  The Daemon wasn’t out to hurt them, because if it wanted to, it already would have.

Three.  Helen got to this sect of the Third Eye first, summoned the Daemon –or at least a part of it– which just happened to throw Artemvian off the Daemon’s trail.

Four.  Judging from Celene’s expression which looked like a kid who just ate carrot juice, and Helen’s apparent calm in this situation, it was like Helen knew what was going to happen from the start.

Five.  Someone hired Helen to do this.  Someone high up enough to bail her out and…

“...And know of our plan every step of the way.”  Artemvian muttered.

Helen just smiled.

“Moneti, we’re done here.”  Celene said, glaring at Helen.

“It was nice meeting you, Agent Alvarez.  I hope we meet again.”

“Bite me.”  Celene growled.

Helen laughed, walking away into the dark alleys.  Celene did nothing but watch.

Artemvian made sure Helen was a good distance away before talking to Celene again.  “Celene-”  He began.

Celen held up a hand.  “I just got a call from the higher ups.”  She sighed, frustration creeping into her voice.  “I’m sorry for dragging you into this Moneti.  But this thing is messier than I thought.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ve been ordered to drop you from the case.  I’m sorry.”

“Huh.”  Artemvian smiled.  “Even higher than your higher ups who wanted to hire me, huh?”

“Higher and higher still.”  Celene said, repeating what Helen said to him.  “But don’t worry.  Your fees will be covered in full.”

“Then one last piece of advice before you fire me.”  Artemvian offered, “You have a traitor.  Someone who’s been watching your every move, Celene.”

“We went over this.  The Darkling.”

“Not the Darkling.  Someone who’s an insider.  Maybe the Valdemirs, maybe one of your own men.  Or maybe even those higher than the higher ups.  Whoever it is, someone wants the Darkling to stick around.”  Artemvian sighed.  The Valdemirs seemed like nice folk.  He wanted to help them, but he wanted to be careful about sticking his nose into police business.  It was one of those things that Riley said to be careful about.

Acting out in the official capacity that Celene gave him was one thing, another thing to poke his nose into things where it was obvious that he was unwelcome.  His position was still tenuous in the city.

“Thanks for the tip.”  Celene said, nodding.  “I’ll keep an eye out.  You need a ride?”

“Nope.”  Artemvian answered, “Good hunting.”

“Good hunting.”  Celene looked wistfully at him before turning on her heel and walking away.

Artemvian turned, grabbing his phone and calling for a cab; probably Hermes Taxi Services.

This case had proved to be a deadend; but it wasn’t without its benefits.  If anything, this proved a theory that he had all along.

The Supernatural Community wasn’t just hidden in the underbellies of Nero City; they were hidden in plain sight.  From what he could gather, the Supernatural Big Wigs existed both in the upper-classes, where they ruled over politicians and corporations, all the way down below to mercenaries and thugs.  Helen Ryder herself hadn’t been entirely human, no.  That was one of the reasons why Artemvian took such a good long look at her neckline –the woman never breathed.

It was obvious that the Supernatural Community was beginning to take an interest in Artemvian.  Not only that, they were vehemently opposed to him becoming involved in anything related to politics.  This had been a warning; that they knew who he was, what he was doing and could stop him using various means.

And the petulant child in Artemvian told him that he wanted to smash that plan to pieces.  Not just to find out more, but because people who kept him away were usually shady.

And he just loved ruining shady people’s plans.

After calling for the cab, Artemvian quickly dialed Riley.

“Do you know what time it is?”  Riley picked up.

“Good to talk to you too.”  Artemvian leaned against a wall, staring at the fallen bodies of the Third Eye.  Some of them were beginning to stir and he casually flicked a finger, shooting a Mana Bullet and knocking one of them out.  He repeated the motion, akin to someone spinning their pen while bored.  “I decided to take the Nate & Nate job.”

“...Good choice.  Can I ask why?”

“Oh,”  Artemvian flicked another Mana Bullet, knocking out the last of the Third Eye goons for the second time that night.  “Just feel like that’ll be better for my reputation.”

“Ok then.  I’ll get the paperworks ready and contact them.  Be ready to come in for a sit-down sometime this week.”

“You got it.”  Artemvian hung up and walked away, putting his hand in his pocket and feeling the weight of the diamond that Celene forgot about.  Most likely, in the ensuing chaos of the investigation, he doubted the Valdemirs would remember either.

He could probably sell it for a hefty sum to get a gem more suitable for his staff.

It was time to show Nero City just what a Mage could really do.