Satisfied on all counts, Victor walked back out to his squad car. He cross-referenced Morgan’s schedule with a campus map and decided he could drive around to the building in question. A glance at his watch — he’d arrive just in time for Miss Bennett’s class to let out.

  Victor parked in front of the business and accounting building then loaded Morgan’s driver’s license photo onto his phone. He vaguely remembered seeing her behind the counter at Charmed, but the image would help him sift through the group of students exiting the building. Victor got out of the car, ascended the main entrance steps, and waited.

  Soon, a flood of college students poured through the doors. He didn’t see her in the mass of young men and women. Victor thought that he’d made the wrong move, waiting out here for her, when he finally spotted her chatting with another girl across the entrance. She stopped when she saw him, taking in his uniform and giving him a frown.

  Victor used that opening and approached Morgan. Her friend noticed him and gave a hurried goodbye.

  “Miss Bennett, I’m Constable Victor Holmes from the Department of Magical Containment. I need to speak with you about a matter concerning your father.”

  Morgan blinked. “Don’t you mean my sister?”

  “No, this concerns your father. We are exploring middlings who have fathered chanter children. There is evidence that they may have chanter DNA themselves. If that’s the case for your father, you would both be in violation of the mandatory registry of chanters as required by the Department, the Assembly, and the Resolutions.”

  “We’re not chanters. Why are you doing this? We’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “Because of recent charm running activities your sister is associated with, Miss Bennett. Did you know that your sister is a charm runner?”

  Morgan shook her head, eyes wide. Victor continued.

  “She is working for a noted Sable trader named Artos Merrilyn. He is careful with his business, making sure that we’re unable to catch him by enlisting others, like your sister, to transport illegal and dangerous magic.”

  “Look, Constable, I don’t always agree with the things my sister does, and sometimes we don’t get along all that well, but I can’t believe she’s involved in something like this.”

  “Last night, she was witnessed traveling after curfew in Assembly Hill, delivering a package for Artos Merrilyn. We were unable to catch her in the act but her presence there after a tip led us to her is enough for us to investigate other members of her family such as yourself and your father. She should know that everyone she knows or is related to will be subject to intense investigation. We must stamp out this harmful and illegal activity at all costs.”

  “I can’t believe she would put us in this kind of position. I was at her shop helping on the night Resolution 84 went into effect.” Morgan put her hands on her hips, gritting her teeth in anger. “You’d think she’d be grateful for all my father and I have done. We treated her like one of us, like real family, and this is the thanks we get?”

  Victor shrugged. “Some chanters … well, they just don’t see the middlings as their equals. They think they’re better, above the law.”

  “What can I do? There must be something. Being investigated by the Department would ruin me. They might kick me out of school. My father would lose his job.”

  “It is my hope that we enlist your aid in cracking down on this city’s charm runners, including your sister. If you could help us gather evidence, and tell us when she and others like her are making deliveries, we might get lucky and put an end to Artos Merrilyn’s entire operation. Our gratitude would be extensive.”

  “And my sister? What happens to her?”

  “It will depend on how deeply involved she is, and how willing she’ll be to cooperate after her arrest. But I must confess, Morgan, she doesn’t act like someone who wants to work within the law.”

  Victor watched as the girl chewed her lip while she pondered the dilemma he had presented to her. He decided to try and impress her some more.

  “The Department of Magical Containment is working very hard to rid our world of magic entirely, Miss Bennett. We have a very secret project that relies on getting to the center of the Sable trade. Your sister is the key to that project’s success. I will do anything to get to that key.”

  “You’d get rid of all magic? How is that possible?”

  “Can’t you see the wasting world around you? Haven’t you learned of what befell Europe and most of Asia? That will happen here, too, if we don’t act soon. We must do what needs to be done before it’s too late. That includes you, Miss Bennett.”

  “So what do I do, Constable?”

  “Go to your classes. Act normal around your friends, and especially your sister, if you see her. I’ll send you a message soon, to your phone, with my direct contact line. Don’t go through any other Red Legs. I don’t trust my co-workers in this either, and it might endanger you or your father. So do as I say and I can make sure that you both stay safe and away from Department scrutiny.”

  “So I can go now?”

  “You are free to go, for now. Understand, I will be watching you, and you’re not the only one I’m using to get inside. I’ll know if you betray me and warn your sister. Then nothing will save you or your father from a full investigation and a very public trial. Do you understand?”

  Victor waited until the girl nodded; he enjoyed the fear and worry in her eyes, savoring it and filing the feeling away for later. She was an attractive girl.

  “Now go, and wait for my message.”

  Morgan nodded and rushed off, looking over her shoulder on the way. She saw him watching and walked faster.

  Satisfied, Victor walked back to his squad car and returned to the station. His thoughts returned to Miss Bennett several times during his return drive.

  Chapter 19

  Danny spent a few days going through the motions of his privileged life. He had everything he could wish for — all the money he could ever want to spend — and yet he couldn’t stop thinking about Winnie Durham and their encounter with the Red Legs. He couldn’t stop thinking about the senator. It had been the most exciting moment of his sheltered life and he wanted more. He was desperate for another jolt of adrenaline, to feel that alive again.

  He started talking to his friends, other privileged children of the Temperance and governing elite. They were all bored. He got them sharing secrets, comparing family vaults. It was surprising what magic was out there, even in the homes of the top Temperance leaders. The hypocrisy of it all fueled Danny’s desire to enter the trade. If he could get Winnie involved, he’d live on the edge of the law and finally feel truly alive. All he had to do was get the best charms and forbidden magic for his friends and connections in the city’s middling upper crust.

  Danny had no doubt about neighborhood demand, but now he had to find a way to secure what they needed. To do that, he needed Winnie on his side. His plan would work, but he had to give her something of value to make her trust him. He had a secret, something he’d never shared with anyone. It might be the thing that would help get Winnie Durham to trust him.

  He’d tried texting and calling, but she hadn’t responded. Her only reply had been a single text: Busy with the shop. He assumed that meant she’d somehow found a way to stay open in the face of Resolution 84. There was nothing left for him to do but hit the Enclave and visit Charmed in person. Danny needed Winnie’s help to put his plans into motion, and he’d tell her anything to get it.

  Danny got in his car, a sporty two-seater convertible that always invited the attention of girls, and drove downtown.

  He parked close to Charmed and walked to the entrance, looking in as he reached for the doorknob, surprised to see a crowd inside the store. He wasn’t sure what she was doing to keep her shop open, but it seemed to be working. He saw they’d rearranged things in the store and the sales counter was now right beside the entrance. Winnie looked up as he entered, flashed him a smile, then turned back to her customer.

  “It’ll be ready to pick up on Saturday, Ma’am,” Danny heard as he approached. “You’ll find it good as new when you return.”

  “And the other thing we discussed?” asked the well-dressed businesswoman.

  “Everything will be as you expect it when you return,” Winnie said. “I assure you.”

  The woman nodded, then turned, almost running into Danny on her way out of the shop. She seemed nervous and in a hurry to leave and didn’t even spare him a glance. Women like that usually checked him out, appreciating his looks with a smile and a nod. She barely glanced at him as she passed by with a mumbled apology.

  There were a few other customers, but Winnie’s employees seemed to be taking care of them. He’d seen them both before, including the tall blonde with the short hair and the small mousy one with longer brown hair pulled back into a pony tail. Were they friends? And if so, how would that affect his plans?

  Danny approached the counter, smiling at Winnie. “You’ve been avoiding me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you weren’t interested in seeing me again.”

  “I haven’t been avoiding you. I’ve been busy. You got my text, right?”

  “I couldn’t believe you were that busy, so I came down to see for myself. Looks like you landed on your feet. How did you get the shop back open? I thought you were forbidden to sell magical goods.”

  “I can’t sell them, but I can repair existing magic and charms. It’s a loophole in the law. What about you? I thought you’d be moving on to some upscale princess more worth your time.”

  “I think you underestimate the power of your charms, Winnie. I’ve been thinking about you since the other night. You won’t respond to my messages, so I figured I’d have to come and talk to you in person.”

  “So talk,” she said, scribbling something on a ticket then fixing it to a glass mixing bowl sitting on the counter beside her.

  “Is there somewhere we can go?” Danny asked, eyeing customers and employees. “Maybe in the back, away from prying ears? I have something I want to ask you.”

  Winnie stopped and looked at him. Then she nodded, pointed toward the back of the store, and started walking. Danny threaded his way past the waiting customers and around the counter behind her.

  “I have some business, Cait,” she called to the blonde. “I’ll be in the back if you need me.”

  “Yeah, business,” the blonde laughed. “I think we can manage without you for a while.”

  Danny wanted to laugh with her, but kept it to himself. He remembered her response to his casual advances the other night.

  He followed Winnie into the back, looking around the office and storeroom. She pointed to a chair next to the desk then sat in the one behind it. She was acting so professional. This wasn’t going as had planned. He expected Winnie to want to see him again, to be excited that he’d showed up to see her. This was different, throwing him off his game.

  Danny took a moment to gather his thoughts.

  Winnie patiently waited, smiling. Then, finally, she said, “It’s good to see you again. I’ve been so busy with getting the shop back open. Then we got this rush of customers, and now there are all these repairs that need doing. I’ve wanted to see you, but couldn’t get away. There is something I want to discuss with you. It’s business but it would mean we would have an excuse to see each other.”

  “It’s alright. I’ve spent the last few days thinking of a way we could spend more time together, too. I finally thought of something that could benefit both of us and give me an excuse to come down here. But you thought of something, too, so you go first.”

  A moment’s hesitation, then, “I think there’s an opportunity for the two of us to work together. The other night, I was making the sort of delivery that people in your neighborhood want. But I couldn’t come and go without getting noticed, and that almost got me caught. I think we can solve that problem, without exposing either of us to the other night’s risk.”

  Danny pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair. “Go on.”

  “You’ll be our conduit for charm running in Assembly Hill. If things work well there, I’m sure you have connections in all the city’s poshest neighborhoods. The opportunity for expansion is huge.”

  “And you need me to connect you to all of this? What’s in it for me?”

  “Besides the excitement of being the connection for all your friends’ magical needs, you’d get a cut of everything we make. I figure if we make three or four big deliveries, we can be set for the whole year.”

  Danny looked at Winnie. He saw a fire in her eyes and it excited him. She was living a real life, a dangerous life, and he wanted in.

  “What about Artos Merrilyn?”

  “I have an arrangement with him for other things. I don’t see the need to involve him in this.”

  “I’ve heard he doesn’t like it when others deal Sable items without his permission. Maybe we need a safety net, a secret that would lead him to look favorably on us if we’re caught.”

  Winnie looked at him. “What kind of secret are we talking about? I’m not as worried about Artos as I am about the loose lips of your friends.”

  “Two things. First, you don’t need to worry about my friends. I’ll be the one they see, not you. I won’t share my connection with them. They’d just try and go around me to get straight to you and that would put us both at risk. Second, you’re never going to get ahead just repairing magic here in this shop and running the odd charms through to your customers. You could have a much better life and I’d like to show it to you and help you reach it for yourself.”

  “How do I know I can trust you?”

  “Because, I’m willing to share a secret with you that I’ve never told anyone. And I’m going to tell because I think it’s something you would want to know, and something that could be used to protect you should you run into some sort of troubles with Artos Merrilyn.”

  “I’m intrigued.”

  Danny looked at the closed door, wondering if they were audible on the other side.

  Winnie read his concern. She waved her hands in the air and muttered something under her breath. “There. No one’s listening. I made sure of it, so tell me this secret.”

  Danny looked around, a little uncomfortable with magic being used this close to him. He drew a deep breath then started talking.

  “When I was ten years old, my parents took me to witness an Assembly session. They were proud of the fact that they would receive an audience with Director Kane himself and wanted to present me to him, show off the Temperance movement’s newest generation. I don’t remember much about the visit except that I was bored most of the time.

  “When the time came to meet Director Kane, I was frightened. I got so nervous after shaking his hand that I almost had an accident. I asked my parents to take me to the bathroom, but they didn’t want to cut their audience short. So they sent me out of the chamber on my own to find the restroom. But I didn’t get far — just out of the room, I turned back to ask my parents something, I don’t even remember what. But I do remember what I saw.”

  “What?” Winnie asked, leaning forward.

  “My parents were frozen, their eyes wide and mouths slack. Director Kane was standing over them, whispering in some sort of language I didn’t understand and wiggling his fingers in front of their eyes. I hid behind a curtain next to the doorway, watching as he cast a spell on my parents. I knew that was what he was doing. Then he snapped his fingers and they both resumed a conversation, mid-sentence.

  “Neither of them realized that anything had happened. I was terrified. I slipped back out of the room and hid in the bathroom until my father came looking for me. The audience was over and I never saw Director Kane in person again. But from that point on, my parents were more than just Temperance followers — they became fanatical. I’m convinced he cast some sort of spell on them. I don’t know why he would do such a thing if he was a chanter, but I know what I saw.”

  “Let me get this straight. You’re telling me that you saw Director Nilrem Kane, the head of the Department of Magical Containment, the man who hates magic more than anyone in the world, using magic? Nils Kane is a chanter? That’s impossible. It does sound like a ten-year-old’s imagination.”

  “I’m telling you what I saw. I’ve been skeptical of all of the Temperance leaders ever since. How could they all be so fanatical in their devotion to anything Nils Kane tells them to do without magic? I’ve seen it in action. They watch his speeches and take everything he says as gospel. Even his most outrageous claims against the use of magic and its dangers are taken at face value. They’re all under his thrall.”

  “But it doesn’t make sense. If he’s a chanter and uses magic himself, why would he seek to have it all outlawed?”

  “I don’t know, Winnie. I only know what I saw. And I’m telling you now, as an object of my dedication to us working together. No one else knows this, and it couldn’t be proved anyway, but I swear it’s true.”

  Danny sat, waiting and watching as Winnie processed what he told her. He’d never shared this memory with anyone and it scared him to share it with her now. He barely knew her. She could betray him, use this to secure a favor from Director Kane for herself by turning him in. Who knew what the Director would do to silence this secret?

  “Alright, Danny. I believe you. That’s a good secret to have in the pocket, should we need it. Artos won’t be happy if we get caught running behind his back. That might just be the insurance card we need.”

  “So that’s it. We’re in business.” He leaned over and shook her hand. He wanted to do more, but he settled for the hand shake. The rest would come in time. This chanter girl was something special.

  Chapter 20

  “So that’s it. We’re in business.”

  Victor Holmes sat in his squad car around the corner, stewing in disbelief.

  Could it be true?

  He heard a gasp in the seat beside him — he wasn’t the only one to be blindsided by the revelation about Director Kane. The constable looked over at Morgan. She looked back, aghast at what she’d just heard. It confirmed for him that he hadn’t been hearing things.