Sell you a Bridge chapter 254

June 4th 2016 Advent Manor, The Nightside 10:00 AM EDT

I  spent the rest of the night training. Even with my newfound  understanding, I ended up going to sleep absolutely exhausted after  repeatedly taxing myself using my ability over and over again. One the  upside I got MUCH more done in terms of practice than I had in...well,  ever. This was going to be a game changer for improving my grasp on my  powers, and hopefully would let me operate in combat more effectively.  Constant headaches during fights weren't really a viable way to conduct  battle, and anything I could do to blunt the pain was useful.

Still,  a nice rest had left me pleasantly refreshed and ready to take on the  world, so to speak. When I came out to breakfast again, everyone was  sitting around the table eating what looked like homemade blueberry  muffins with butter. We ate them all pretty quickly, and once we'd  finished  the food we said goodbye to Julian again (though at this point  we had pretty much confirmed we were staying here for a while) and  asked him to keep an eye out for news of Kit while we tried to find a  lead on Neron.

Instead of catching another carriage we  headed off from Julian's place at a brisk walk, Taylor leading us in a  direction of his choosing. I drew even with him as we walked. "So,  you're telling me there are no leads on someone who might have made a  deal with some greater demon or other? If Pretty Poison doesn't know  exactly who maybe someone else will. You don't have any ideas?"

John  was actually the one who answered, snorting derisively from the other  side of his mentor. "Mate, the issue is that there are far too many.  Like the boss said before, demon deals are a dime a dozen in the  Nightside. Sure talking about greater demons makes that much more  difficult to accomplish, but there are plenty of powerful beings in the  Nightside who fit the bill still. If we approach the wrong one we  effectively made an enemy for no reason, and these aren't the kind of  people you arse about with."

Artemis cut in, seeming  annoyed. "Ok, well we still need to do SOMETHING. I get we can't rush  things, but I for one have no desire to sit around twiddling my thumbs  while my friend is in danger. You have to have some kind of idea about  where we could look. We won't go off half cooked and offend a bunch of  people, but we still need to at least try. Isn't there some place where  the biggest and baddest gather that we could check out?" Her voice had  an almost pleading edge to it.

I knew that Artemis blamed  herself for Kit abandoning us as much as I did. She may not have been  the reason behind it, but she had known about my cousins pain and had  left her hanging. She hadn't known how to help her friend and had  ignored the problem and I didn't think she'd ever forgiven herself for  that. I knew there were far too many parallels between Jade leaving  Artemis behind and Artemis abandoning Kit for my friend's comfort. Of  course I also knew her self loathing was stupid and presumptuous, but  saying that wouldn't fix anything at all.

Taylor looked at  her serious expression and sighed. "You lot are going to get me killed.  You're lucky I like you all. Fine. There's a place. The Londinium Club.  It's where all the movers and shakers go to unwind. If we're looking  for someone with real power, and Neron sounds like that, the other big  boys should know something about him. We can ask around there to see if  anyone can point us in the right direction. If we do that though, I need  you all to swear to keep things civil and listen to me. The people here  have way more power than even I'm comfortable messing about with, and  I'd rather not see you all dead. Despite my better judgement I actually  like you."

Though he addressed all of us, I saw him glance  at Zee and sighed. I got the distinct impression that Sindella and  Taylor had been a bit more than just good buddies, or at the very least  he had wanted them to be. I wondered how things had fallen apart between  them, how Sindella had ended up with Giovanni. Obviously as someone who  loved Zee I was glad it had worked out that way, but still, Giovanni  wasn't a great guy. Taylor seemed much more spirited and much stronger  mentally. Whatever excuses Zee made for him Giovanni Zatara was not a  strong man. He was far too controlled by his losses. Not that I was  exactly a bastion of inner fortitude, but the old magician gave a new  meaning to weak minded. Hence the whole selling his soul to a tin can  thing.

I exhaled loudly. "We agree." Everyone looked at me  in surprise and I chuckled. "What? I'm not stupid. We can't punch  everything in town. Taylor is our guide, and hes proven to have big  brass ones. If he thinks these people are scary enough to warrant  caution then I'd be stupid not to listen to him. What would be the point  of finding a guide if we aren't going to listen to him." I shot him a  grin. "Besides, I still have faith he can help us track down Kit with  enough time. We just need to let him work. Rush a miracle worker and you  get lousy miracles."

Jim's chuckle was delighted.  "Well  said my boy. We should trust our expert. Otherwise why bring him at all.  I must say. This Londinium Club sounds like quite a lovely place. But  clubs such as that usually have a strict entry criteria. Do you have the  capability to gain us entry Mr. Taylor? If not perhaps Julian could  help. If I know my old friend he's most certainly a member of such an  establishment."

That got a snort  from the big detective. "I can get us in. My reputation in this town  hasn't fallen that from from what it once was. People still try not to  get in my way." He smirked cockily, strolling casually ahead as he  spoke, before freezing in place after a few more steps. I was curious  what had shocked him, but as I followed his gaze ahead of us I saw  someone step out of the shadows ahead of us. I wasn't sure exactly who  she was, but judging by Taylor's pale face and fixed eyes, she wasn't  good news.

John,  who had been looking ahead of as as his mentor did, stopped on a dime  and swore loudly. "Oh Christ, it's her. Run." He said it like it was  reflex, like knocking on wood when you said something that might jinx  you, not like he expected us to actually listen. Still, I saw his body  shift slightly like he was about to bolt. Despite that, he stayed where  he was, obviously fighting himself. Considering John hadn't even been  this scared of the Harrowing (though Taylor had) I expected that she  must be someone very scary.

Taylor  looked...strange. Not afraid, as much as worried. His face was pale,  but his brow was furrowed, and I got the impression he wasn't as scared  of the woman as he was disturbed by her presence here. His voice came  out firm when he spoke, no shaking or uncertainty. "Suzie. I thought you  were busy with a job. I haven't heard from you in a few days. What  exactly are you doing here?"

The  tall, gorgeous blonde in the black leathers looked calm. She was  strapped with several guns, and a pair of bandoleers crossed her  generous chest. She looked at John first, smirking at him maliciously.  "Well if it isn't little JJ. Finally came crawling back Junior? I always  told him he was better off without you, but he's much too soft, is my  John. Still, I don't have any business with you." Her eyes flicked to  me. "You though. You I have a contract for. I don't suppose you'll come  quietly? I hope not, that's never any fun."

Taylor  stepped in front of me. I was surprised by the motion, as was Suzie,  and in fact, even Taylor looked a bit shocked. Still he stood in front  of me defensively. "No. I don't know what you were told Suzie, but  Morgan is a decent kid. He's also...a friend." He looked back at Zee.  Clearly thinking about her mother, and unwilling to make her watch me  get hurt. Oddly, that wasn't a bad sign. If he was trying to reason with  the woman, then clearly she COULD be reasoned with. He'd even defended  my character, which meant she actually cared about things like that.

Suzie  scowled at him. "What? The kid is half demon John, I have it from some  very reliable sources. No pit spawn are decent, even if they play the  part. They don't have souls. You know this." Taylor looked surprised,  but he didn't back down. Suzie softened a bit, though not much. "Look,  if it helps I'm not being paid to end him. Someone wants to talk to the  kid. I don't usually do retrieval missions, but when I found out some  demonspawn whelp was worming his way into your life, well..." She glared  at John. "You don't have the best taste in sidekicks."

I  put my hands up. "Whoa lady. I don't know where you heard that, but I  not half demon. I'm half devil, but not the kind you're thinking of, and  I wasn't born that way. It was a change I went through later in life,  and most of the people here knew me both before and after. I'm not some  demonic offspring with a hard on for world domination. I just came here  to find my cousin, and John told us his old boss could help. It was  Taylor's decision to help us out, and I'm grateful for it, but we aren't  manipulating him."

She  rolled her eyes. "Kid, I wouldn't believe a hellspawn if they told me  water was wet. Not to mention the company you keep. Seriously, John?  Elves? I thought you had better sense. Vicious little sociopaths the lot  of them. Although..." She squinted at Zee. "You look oddly familiar for  some reason. Not the elf parts, but the nose, and the mouth a little  bit." Her eyes narrowed. "You kind of remind me of this prissy little  know it all I used to hate." She turned her glare on Taylor. "Really  John? Sindy? And she went and got herself knocked up by an elf  apparently. Always knew she had bad taste."

Taylor  looked genuinely angry at the statement, as did Zee, and Drea had to  literally step up and put her hand over out girlfriends mouth to stop  her from going off on the obviously very dangerous woman. Taylor closed  his eyes and took a deep breath. "Listen, can we please go somewhere and  talk this over? I promise you we can answer your questions, despite how  things were framed these are good kids. I admit I have a few new things  to ask myself, but they helped me out against the Harrowing, and that  buys a bit of good will from me."

Her  eyes went wide at that, clearly aware of who the Harrowing were, and  she shot us a respectful look. She glared for a bit, before sighing and  giving a nod. Taylor let out a sigh of relief. Before she could make a  move though, there was a gunshot. Suzie jerked in place with a grimace,  hand going to her side and them coming up wet with blood. I expected her  to slump or at least waver, but she just glared into the shadows on the  other side of the street. Another woman stepped from the darkness, tall  and dark haired and pale, with a wide predatory smile. "You really  shouldn't get so distracted Suzie. It'll be the death of you."

Suzie  snarled at the other woman as Taylor stepped forward to come to her  aid, but she put up a hand. "Hello Belle, you irritating bitch." Suzie  reached into a pouch on her belt, her other hand hovering over one of  her guns, and pulled out a syringe. She jammed the blunt plastic tip  into the wound and pressed the plunger, and a strange blue foam filled  up the injury.  A series of bright green sparks poured out of the foam  for a second and then it turned grey and started to smoke.

 Suzie grimaced. "That antidote was expensive, you whore. So, I assume those bastards double booked me? I hate when clients double book me." Then she drew the gun in  a blur and shot the dark haired woman in the head. The sound of the gunshot rang loudly in the air as the woman's head rocked back, and we all just kind of stared at her. Hadn't been expecting that.