//------------------------------// // Chapter Four // Story: The Dresden Fillies: Great Power // by psychicscubadiver //------------------------------// Edited by: SilentCarto Proofreader: Coandco Disclaimer: I don’t own The Dresden Files or My Little Pony, that is Jim Butcher and Hasbro respectively. This story takes place between books Eight and Nine in the Dresden Files. And the dawn came up like thunder. Or at least that’s what the savage knocking on my door at 6:30 AM felt like. I mumbled my way awake, pausing only to throw on a bathrobe and grab my blasting rod. Just because I was expecting Murphy didn’t mean that’s who was going to show up. “Password?” I asked from the safe side of my steel door. There was some confused mumbling on the other side until Murphy’s voice cut through it. “Open the damn door before I knock it down.” I grinned. That was her, all right. I pulled the bolt back, muttered something to disarm my wards, and tugged at the door. It took a moment and some metallic screeching before the door came open. The door frame had been bent ever since a horde of zombies had tried to break in during one hell of a Halloween. Murphy and the girls she had hosted stood on the other side. “Come on in. I don’t have coffee ready yet, but it won’t take me long,” I told them. For some reason they hesitated a second, and Twilight put forth one hand searchingly. Whatever she felt satisfied her and she marched past, yawning enormously. “I’ve got some questions when you’re done talking to Murphy,” Twilight said over her shoulder. Rainbow bounded inside next, looking surprisingly energetic, and Fluttershy followed. Where the other three were obviously dressed in the same clothing as yesterday, Rarity was wearing a pair of well-tailored black slacks, a stylish sweater, and a flat pair of shoes. Somehow that didn’t surprise me. “I’d rather have tea than coffee,” Rarity said, “but have no fear, I’ll set both to boiling. I’ll just be a moment.” “So,” Murphy said, standing to the side with her arms crossed, “how about my explanation?” There were some faint circles beneath her eyes, so I figured that her night had been a busy one. I chuckled internally at that, but still stepped outside and half closed the door. “Fair’s fair,” I said, “but I’m going to have to start with an analogy. Remember what I’ve told you about the Nevernever?” Murphy nodded. “Spirit world, home to demons, fairies and most other supernatural critters. Traveling it without a known path is suicide, because it’s pretty much infinite and most of the stuff in it is happy to eat you.” I nodded. “Good memory. I got chased off one of the known paths a few years ago and discovered that there’s more to it than just that. I used to think the Nevernever was something that just surrounded Earth. It’s more like the sea. And not just because it’s dark, terrifying, and full of massive predators. Just like any other ocean, it has islands. Earth is one of them. Those girls come from another.” Murphy blinked at that, taking a moment to process it. “So you’re talking some kind of alternate world? Another dimension? This is some comic-book stuff, Harry.” I shot her an exasperated look. “Murphy, you’re a cop that fights vampires and your best source of information is a wizard who pays the bills with PI work. We’re beyond the point where something like this is weird.” She shrugged in response. “I get the point, but still…” She shook her head. “Alternate worlds and whatever are great and all, but if that’s the only thing, then why all the secrecy?” My response was a grimace. “Well, that’s the thing about islands. Have you ever heard of Mauritius?” For a moment the name didn’t mean anything to her, but then she got it. “Isn’t that the place where dodos came from?” I nodded. “Yeah, it was small island in the middle of nowhere without any big predators or threats to the harmless birds that lived there. It’s not a perfect comparison – the girls come from a place with its own predators and darkness – but it’s nothing compared to our world. There are no vampires, no ghouls, no fae, and demons are so rare that they’re practically myths. Their demi-gods actually try to help people and use their power for good. I’ve spent less than two weeks there and the difference was unreal. “I can’t be the one to ruin that, Murph. I found my way there on accident, and I never wanted to be the one to reveal them to the monsters here. Imagine the Red Court, or any other supernatural nation, discovering their home. They’d see it as easy prey and flood the place. Even if the Princesses and their armies beat them, it wouldn’t be without bloodshed. I couldn’t tell anyone, so there was no chance that the information could ever get out.” Murphy stood silently for a moment, then a wicked grin split her face. “And it had absolutely nothing do with the fact that they’re fluffy little ponies with brightly-colored coats and big, expressive eyes?” My blood turned to ice. “Oh God. They told you. Why did they tell you?” The smile disappeared, and Murphy’s expression turned serious. “Actually, I took matters into my own hands. I couldn’t be sure they hadn’t gotten to you somehow, especially with how secretive you were being. So I didn’t invite them in or warn them about my threshold. The moment Twilight passed the doorframe her spell broke, and she transformed back.” A few chuckles escaped her and the smile was back and more wicked than ever. “Turned back into a little unicorn pony, complete with adorable little horn. Why didn’t you want to tell me all about your magical adventures with your little friends? Did they invite you to their tea parties and let you brush their manes?” The chuckles turned into full out belly laughs, and my face burned red hot. “Hey! I’ll have you know I killed a demon with a superpowered magic blast thanks to them and uncovered a massive cult-cum-conspiracy the second time around. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows the whole damn time!” That only made her laugh harder. Finally she slowed enough to speak and said, “Oh, I know. They gave me all the details of how they saved the day and pulled your ass out of the fire with the magic of friendship!” “Damnit, Murph!” I shouted, cheeks burning hotter than ever. “It was a lot cooler than you’re making it sound!” “I know, I know,” she said. “I didn’t laugh when they told the story. At least, not until you got turned into a pony!” That started the laughing again, she wrapped her arms around her middle and nearly bent double as I stared on sourly. I had to remind myself that murder was generally frowned upon, even if you could just dump the body into the Nevernever and get away with it scot-free. I was about to tell her off again, which doubtless would have just resulted in more laughter on her part. But then I heard a faint sound that was growing louder and louder as I listened. I put up a hand, hoping against hoping that she’d stop. “Do you hear that?” Nobody could doubt that Murphy was a professional. The laughter stopped almost immediately, and one hand slid towards her holster as she listened attentively. “It sounds like...” she began, her expression confused, “singing?” I took my front steps two at a time, blasting rod still clenched tightly in one hand. Given my usual luck, anything out of the ordinary would mean something bad for me. As it turned out, I was right, but not in the way I expected. A large family van pulled around the corner, and as it drew closer I not only realized that it was the source of the singing, but I could make out the lyrics, too. ~ Dough! For bread, for baking bread. Ray! A funny looking fish. Me! The person in the mirror. Fa – ther Christmas grants your wish! Sow! To plant our seeds for fall. LA! A city on the coast. Tee! It holds a golfer’s ball. And we’ll make that Dough our toast!~ “One more time!” Pinkie cheered from the Carpenters' van as it screeched to stop in the driveway, and all of the kids cheered in response, ready to launch into another verse. “Oh, look at that,” Charity Carpenter, the matriarch of the family, said a bit too loudly. “We’re here. Say goodbye to ‘Auntie Pinkie’ and AJ, children.” There was a chorus of disappointment, but Pinkie moved seat to seat somehow giving every child a quick hug before she popped out through the side door. “Good morning, Dresden!” she announced happily, darting forward to hug me before I could react. Behind her Applejack climbed more sedately out of the car, saying something to Charity that I didn’t catch. “Good morning, Pinkie,” I said cautiously. “Why does Mrs. Carpenter look like she wants to throw me through a window? Did you do something?” She laughed easily in response. “Of course not, I was the perfectest guest you could ever want, and Applejack was pretty good too. Anyway, that rumbly in your tumbly tells me that you haven’t had breakfast yet, so I’ma gonna cook you up something tasty.” And with that she was gone down the stairs and into my apartment almost before I could blink. “Mr. Dresden,” Charity Carpenter said in a cross tone of voice, “I’d like to have a chat with you.” Murphy patted me on the back and trooped off to her car. “I need to leave for work. Try not to let your magical pony friends cause any trouble.” I scowled at her, but put some steel in my spine before walking over to Charity’s van. She had never really liked me, mostly because she was convinced I was going to get her husband killed in one of our adventures. She warmed up a bit after I rescued Molly from the Winter Fae and then saved her from the justice of the White Council by taking her as my apprentice, but things still weren’t exactly chummy between us. “So,” I said, leaning down, and resting my elbow on her open window, “how did you enjoy the guests that Molly invited to your house?” Charity glared at me, but all I did was smile. I vaguely heard something that sounded like ‘oh God’ from the back of the van where Molly sat amongst her many siblings. Charity stared at me with all the intensity of a hawk watching a mouse, but when she finally spoke her tone was civil. “I’ve already discussed it with Molly, but I’d like to let you know a few things. I had no problems with AJ; she was as helpful as anyone could wish, though a bit odd. Pinkie on the other hand…” Charity snorted, and despite my expectations no flames or brimstone shot out of her nostrils. “She stormed into the house like a thing possessed, scared all of the little ones until AJ calmed her down, then all of her games and songs kept them up an hour past bedtime, after which she stayed up to watch our Disney movies until at least one in the morning. Then she had the gall to not only be bright and cheery at five AM but also to take over my kitchen!” I thought briefly of the delicious pastries she’d made before, and was barely able to contain my sympathy. “Oh, how horrible for you,” I said, my stomach rumbling in agreement. She fixed me with a gimlet stare. “Have somebody else take charge of your workroom or lab or what-have-you without your permission and then get back to me.” She sighed, and rubbed her temple. I noticed the dark shadows under her eyes; I suppose ‘one in the morning’ wasn’t just a guess on her part. “Next time I need a babysitter I’ll pay whatever she asks, but until then I’d rather you kept her out of my hair.” I chuckled to myself, “They’re only going to be in town for a few days, so you don’t have much to worry about. They just got in late last night and didn’t have a place to crash. I’m taking care of that today.” Charity looked like she didn’t know whether to glare at me some more or be grateful. “Thank you, Mr. Dresden. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a car full of children that need to go to school.” There were some half-hearted protests to that, but by the time Charity had turned around the kids were quiet. “Sure thing,” I said, patting the roof of her van and standing clear. “Just send Molly my way after school today. I’ll need her help keeping this bunch out of trouble.” Charity nodded, rolled up the window, and set off. I chuckled again to myself, and followed the stairs down to my apartment to find AJ waiting outside the door. She looked confused. “Twilight said I had to wait out here ‘til you specifically invited me in. What’s the deal there?” “That’s what I’d like to know,” Twilight’s voice called out from inside the apartment. “Now hold still, Pinkie!” I grunted, and rolled my eyes. Of course. Way to forget that. Though it was interesting to see that even a threshold as weak as mine would reverse their transformations. Given the effect of running water on magic, I’d better keep them out of the rain just in case. Thankfully, there were barely any clouds to be seen in the dim morning light. “Come in, Applejack. You’re welcome in my home,” I said, and she cautiously took a step forward, seemingly encouraged when her transformation didn’t fall apart. I followed her in, shut the door, and murmured something to rearm my wards. The ponies-turned-humans had certainly made themselves at home. A pair of piping kettles told me that Rarity was true to her word. Fluttershy was cooing to Mouse and rubbing his belly, entirely unfazed by the fact that he was at least twice the size he’d been the last time she’d seen him. As I expected, Pinkie Pie was back to being a pony, and Twilight seemed to be doing her best to reverse that situation. My rugs had been pulled back, and a circle had been scrawled on the floor in chalk. Pinkie was in the center, oohing and ahhing over my less-than-impressive apartment. Though, give her credit for good taste; she did seem to like my vintage Star Wars movie poster. Power pulsed from Twilight into the circle, and with a sudden twist and motion too quick for the eye to follow, Pinkie turned into a human girl. A conspicuously naked human girl with plenty of curves all in the right places. I averted my eyes, but I’d already seen more than I ever needed to. My body disagreed, but what the hell does it know? “Here. Put your clothes back on, darling. It’s dreadfully drafty in here,” Rarity said somewhere behind me. “And be glad you didn’t rip anything getting out of them like when Twilight changed back. It took me a good hour to restore her clothing to proper form.” “I was caught by surprise, that’s all!” Twilight said, and I could hear the blush in her voice. She also sounded tired, but given the amount of power it takes to transform someone, that didn’t surprise me. “So what the hay is happening there?” Rainbow asked, munching on some dry cereal, the heathen. “Does every human have an anti-transformin’ spell on their doors? Also, Pinkie’s dressed, so you can turn around.” Pinkie was still struggling into her dress, striking all manner of poses that my glands enjoyed, but technically all of her bits were covered so I couldn’t blame Rainbow too much. I schooled my face to a serious expression and turned to her. “Murphy didn’t explain things?” “Not quite,” Twilight said, clearing away the chalk marks on my floor with a wave of her hands and a quiet surge of power. “She told me that it had to do with a ‘threshold’ and how that protected people from magic and various supernatural creatures, but it still left me with plenty of questions she couldn’t answer.” We weren’t exactly on the clock, so I went ahead and gave them the low-down on thresholds while Rarity passed around mugs of coffee and tea. Rainbow Dash and Applejack lost interest pretty quick, but Twilight was fascinated. “Amazing! That sort of thing is an entirely different form of magic from anything I’ve seen in Equestria. Is it actually a subtle form of innate magic unique to humans or simply a subconscious use of natural magic more akin to the abilities of Earth ponies? Oh, I wish I had more time here. I could write a whole thesis on the similarities and differences between Human and Equestrian magic. Which is to say nothing of the other creatures you’ve indicated as magic-capable.” Her smile turned wry and she chuckled. “Not that I could publish it even if I wrote it, but you know.” I actually did know. Beneath the hard-boiled exterior that Chicago knows and loves (sort of) I’m really a great big magic geek. Believe me, projects like Little Chicago weren’t done by people who have things to do on Friday nights. “Speaking of those differences, I’ve got to ask about those transformations. Did you just copy the first people you saw and change the hair color or did you just make them up completely yourself?” Twilight grinned. “Neither, really. We had to practice walking in this form before we got used to it and Rarity needed our measurements to make our clothing. I’m flattered you’d think I could whip these up all by myself, but I’d never even seen a female human before.” A frown creased my face as I tried to puzzle that out. “Then how’d you manage it?” “It goes back to how transformation magic works. Pinto, one of the earliest pony mages and philosophers, theorized that everything in the world has a ‘perfect concept’ only accessible through magic. I linked each of us to the concept of ‘human’ to perform the transformation. It’s energy intensive, but a very safe and effective method. However, any concept has many forms in the real world and exactly how something is transformed will vary. The prevailing theory is that the transformed object will act as if it had always been the new object. For example, if I had been born a human, this is what I would have looked like. The other theory is that the transformed object becomes its nearest possible match – in other words, it is most similar to its original form as possible within the confines of its new form,” Twilight lectured. By this point, everyone in the room except me had wandered off to chat and enjoy their tea. I found it fascinating, myself, but something did puzzle me. “But wouldn’t it obviously be the second? All of you have the same hair and eye color.” “Not quite,” Twilight replied. “I made those changes myself; the spellcaster does have some control over the transformation. The less the transformed object fights the change, the longer the spell will last. Adding or changing certain details can help the transformed creature accept the new body and fight the transformation less. Though, I stretched things too far when I tried to let Dash keep her wings. That was too far outside the bounds of ‘human’ and the transformation failed.” She blushed and rubbed one hand on the back of her head. “The magical fallout from that scorched one of my nicer rugs, but it was a valuable learning experience.” “Jeez, enough egghead talk. Let’s get down to business!” Rainbow said. “We’re here to have a good time, see the sights, and maybe fight a few monsters!” Fluttershy eep’ed softly and hid behind Mouse at that one. “So where do we start?” I rolled my eyes, but didn’t let her see. “I’ve got some work to do, and I’m sorry, but you’ll need to stay here until I can get back. Once that’s done, we’ll get those jewels changed into money, and Molly can take you shopping for more clothes.” Especially some real underwear, I thought. “Then we’ll get that hotel room and show you some of the sights, maybe grab some dinner.” “What kind of work?” Pinkie asked, somehow popping up beside me. There was a stack of pancakes balanced on both of her hands, and I belatedly realized that my griddle was sizzling with more of them cooking. I hadn’t even seen her light the fire. “Detective work,” I said, trying  to evade the question and snag some pancakes. “Nothing special.” The last thing I needed was to get them caught up in whatever was going on with Sean Belfast. Last night’s work with Little Chicago, which my brother affectionately refers to as a ‘voodoo doll of the entire city’, had given me some of Sean’s movements over the past week. The trails were faint, weakened by the days that had passed, but there was enough to show me that he hadn’t left the city through normal means. Whatever had happened to Sean, he was still in Chicago. “Don’t be like that,” Applejack said, as she set the table with my limited dishware. “Believe me, I know a thing or two about biting off more than you can chew. We don’t mind taking the time to help you out.” “It’s just a missing college student. I can handle it,” I growled softly, still trying to get at the pancakes that Pinkie was ‘accidentally’ keeping out of my reach with how she bustled all over the small kitchen. “I don’t show up to your farm and tell you how to harvest apples.” “Be that as it may–” Rarity began, but the screeching sound of metal on metal interrupted her. Someone was opening my door. A quick mental check on my wards reassured me. They were intact, just disarmed. I had only trusted two people with a charm to let them freely in and out of my apartment, and I doubted Murphy had come back so soon. “Hey, Harry, we have got to get that door fixed,” Thomas said once he finally had the door open. “Also, if Lara calls, I’ve been here since last night with my cell phone off.” Thomas is my half-brother and living, breathing commercial for those ridiculous body sprays. He’s also a vampire of the White Court, an incubus that feeds on life force gathered through lust. The sex appeal is part of their ability to hunt, and the people they preyed upon drowned in desire even as the last of their life was drained. Thomas was different, though. After almost killing the woman he loved while feeding, he had left his vampiric family and worked to live as a normal person. Well, as close as anything gets to normal around here. He looked in my direction and seemed about to say something else, but stopped dead, his eyes turning a cold silver that meant his inner predator was rising to the surface. “Harry,” he said carefully, not moving a muscle. “Why are there five beautiful virgins in your apartment?” The girls had also frozen. Every one of them stared at Thomas like he was the only thing in the world that mattered. Rarity’s eyes were lidded and she wore a small indulgent smile. Twilight was breathless, and a heavy blush obscured Fluttershy’s face. Applejack shook with what looked like restrained need. Pinkie grinned like she’d just found an extra big present under the Christmas tree, and Rainbow was biting her lower lip, trying – and failing – not to watch Thomas’s every move. For one long moment the tableau was frozen that way, and the only noise was Spike’s snores from the couch. I faintly smelled some of the pancakes beginning to burn. One of the downsides to Thomas no longer draining people without regard to their safety is that he gets hungry. And when he’s hungry, the magic that attracts women to him gets turned up to eleven. When he has everything under control he can damp down that effect, but being caught by surprise like this would make it near impossible. This many healthy, beautiful young women – exactly the sort of prey his instincts would scream at him to pursue –  in the place he called home was simply too much temptation for him. I stood up, and crossed the room quickly. “Hey, Thomas. Right now really isn’t the best time. Sorry about that.” I grabbed his arm and tried to lead him back out the door with me. It was like pulling on steel beam. He didn’t move an inch and continued staring at the girls. “Dresden,” Rarity said, standing and smiling, “don’t be so rude. You should introduce us to your guest.” Thomas smiled back, his eyes turning paler still. “And I would be honored to meet such lovely ladies.” The girls were starting to move towards him slowly, as if in a dream. Thomas didn’t even seem to register my attempts to drag him away, so I did what all great wizards do: I cheated. “And I’m sure Justine would be happy to see you well fed,” I said in a low voice. Thomas turned to me faster than any human would be capable, glaring. “How dare–” he started with a low growl, but then he blinked. As my words sank in the hard, possessive anger went out of his expression. “Sorry, Harry,” he said, letting me lead him outside and shut the door after us. There were a few groans of disappointment from inside the apartment, but none of them ran after us. Which could have been a problem. I’ve seen women literally throw themselves at Thomas when he really has his power cranked up. The silver faded from his eyes and he regained more and more control over himself. “Empty Night,” he swore. “Some warning would have been nice. That was like dangling well-aged bourbon under an alcoholic’s nose.” “Sorry. I didn’t think about it until you got here. They showed up unexpectedly last night, and I was planning to get them a hotel room today,” I frowned. “Will you need to stay clear? They’re only going to be in town for a few days.” “I can manage if it’s out in public somewhere. Just… don’t leave me alone with them.” His eyes flashed silver again for a brief second before calming back down, and his hands tightened in anger. Probably with himself. If the two of us were any indicator, guilt complexes must have run in the family. “You think Lara might call for you?” I asked, looking to change the subject. Lara Raith is his half-sister (no relation to me), and she pretty much ran the White Court. Thomas rolled his eyes. “She’s already tried my cell phone twice, and I’ve been ignoring her. I was out last night with a bachelorette party, and I wasn’t going to let her interrupt things.” I stared at him with an expression that was pure disgust. “Stars and stones, how many women was it?” Yeap, definitely disgust, not even the slightest bit of jealousy. He smirked. “Enough to make me feel halfway decent for first time in a long time. Don’t make that face at me. I didn’t sleep with the bride, and it’s easier to take less when there’re more girls to take from.” I shook my head. “Any idea what she’s calling about? Molly can watch the girls if you need my help.” Thomas stretched and yawned. “No, it’s family politics again. Just the usual backstabbing, lies, and manipulation. I’m dragging my feet because whatever part she has planned for me, I’m not eager to jump into it.” I patted him on the back. “I’m there for you, buddy. Just a heads up for when you come back, there’s six girls in the group, not five.” Thomas rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Harry, but believe or not, I can count.” I frowned. “Then–” “Think about it. I’ll see you later, assuming Lara doesn’t kill me first.” He took the steps two at a time. After a moment I did think about it. The immediate conclusion I reached was that I should do less thinking about it. I went back into the apartment to find the girls recovering from the aftereffects of Thomas’s mojo. “W-who was that?” Twilight asked, a light blush still adorning her face. “More like ‘what’ was that?” Applejack said, looking faintly disgusted. “I ain’t never felt like that before. It was like every bit of sense fell straight outta my head.” “Yeah,” Rainbow chimed in. “Hairless apes aren’t my thing, but with him I just wanted to–” she cut herself off, her dark skin flushing even darker and looking angry. “That was my, er... roommate, Thomas,” I said. I felt bad not telling them the whole truth, but they didn’t need to know that we were brothers and letting the information slip even accidentally could doom both of us. We each had plenty of enemies that would take advantage of that fact, and given our allies … well, there was no sense letting the White Council know I was so closely connected to the White Court, especially since we were technically at war. “Is he seeing anyone?” Pinkie asked with a big grin. I noticed that the burnt pancakes had disappeared and the ones she was making now were heart-shaped. “Because if not, I’d like to invite him to a private party.” “Pinkie!” Rarity gasped. “There is no need to be so uncouth. A gentleman like Thomas would clearly prefer somewhere candlelit and romantic. Perhaps Dresden could suggest an appropriate restaurant for the occasion.” Hell’s bells, I’d seen movie theaters that didn’t project as hard as Rarity could. “My first restaurant suggestion for any occasion will be Burger King,” I snarked, but then deliberately turned my expression serious. “But we aren’t having dinner with Thomas. He’s a great guy, but he’s also a vampire of the White Court.” I explained what that meant, and the rest of the group quickly grew just as serious. “They pretend to love people and then drain them?” Twilight asked, her face horror-stricken. “Dear Celestia, and I thought changelings were bad.” I nodded. “Par for the course here. Plus the other two big Houses of the White Court don’t use lust. They feed through fear and despair instead, which makes the process even uglier.” There was sounds of disgust from the group and I nodded again. “Most of the White Court don’t think about killing a person any more than you or I would think about eating dinner. Thomas, though, is trying to change. He’ll take a little bit here and there, but he doesn’t drain people beyond what they can heal and he takes as little as he can manage. Despite his family, he’s a good person.” There were some glances exchanged after that, but Fluttershy surprised me by being the first to speak. “I think I understand. Some of my animal friends are carnivores and none of the other animals really like them, even though they only eat what they need to and don’t enjoy hurting others. If you trust Thomas not to hurt us, then I trust that.” “Yeah, but if he tries that again on me, I’ll show him a few of moves Murphy taught me,” Rainbow bragged, throwing a few shadow jabs that seemed faster than a person should be able to move. “Very well,” Rarity said, adjusting her outfit with a newfound sense of solemnity about her. “I believe before he walked in we were discussing our plans for the day.” I snorted. “Somebody wake up Spike, and we’ll discuss it over breakfast.” Those pancakes smelled delicious. “Whatever we decide, the first step is clear. We need to get all of you that hotel ASAP. For that we’ll need money, and the only place to get it is somebody who works for a monster.” ……… ‘Gentleman’ Johnny Marcone runs crime in Chicago. I don’t mean he runs protection rackets, drugs, the sex trade or the black market. He runs all of them. Anyone committing crimes in his territory without his approval has a tendency to get turned in to the police or disappear entirely. It all depends on how much their involvement annoyed him. He liked to pretend that he has a ‘civilizing’ effect on the criminal underground, but all he did was curb its excesses while making it churn out human misery more efficiently than ever. The police were hesitant to go after him even when they knew he was involved in something. Not only did he own all the right people and have an army of personal lawyers, but they were also afraid of the gang wars and violence that would engulf the city if they took out the man that kept everything in check. Marcone and I had hated each other since the day I refused to work for him. He isn’t anywhere close to the worst enemy I’ve had, and I’ve even worked with the guy on occasion. But that doesn’t stop him from being a monster, and one day I’ll run out of enemies worse than him. He was convinced I would get myself killed long before that happened, so neither of us had moved on the other. Not yet, anyway. Selling gemstones is not as easy as it would sound. Any reputable jeweler will only buy through certified, contracted sources. Pawn shops are fine for jewelry, but when it came to loose stones like the ones Rarity had brought, the black market was the only place to sell without proof of where the stones had come from. And anyone in that business would answer to Marcone, directly or indirectly. Joseph Futney was a wizened little guy that looked way older than he actually was. He ran a hand through his iron gray hair as he squinted through a glass eye at the gem he was handling. “Peridot weighing thirteen karats, good quality, decently but not spectacularly cut,” he mumbled, scratching out notes in some sort of shorthand. “And you can’t tell me where it was mined? That matters for the pricing, certain areas produce better stones.” Rarity glanced at me, but said nothing. I needed her here because she was an expert in the stones even if she didn’t know any better than I did what kind of prices we’d get. “Yeah, actually. I was just having fun the first four times I answered that question. That one comes from the land of rainbows and unicorns.” “Wiseass,” Joseph said under his breath. But there was sweat on his forehead and he glanced nervously at me right after he said it. I just smiled back with plenty of teeth. He flinched away and continued studying the jewels. For some reason all of Marcone’s goons have it in their heads that I’m dangerous. It might be because Marcone and I have clashed before and certain buildings didn’t survive the encounter. Or it could be because he was in the know about some of my more... exuberant actions in the course of protecting the city. I had scanned the place before coming in and the only danger we were in right now was dying of boredom. Magically, at least. I’d be shocked if he didn’t have some security beyond the thug sitting in the corner keeping a watchful eye on us. Joseph was a paranoid little guy, taking his sweet time examining the stones. He was probably worried that they were fakes. “Mr. Futney, why are you wasting our time?” Rarity asked. I could see some nervous tension in her, but she hid it well beneath a mask of slight annoyance. He sniffed and made a show setting one of the jewels down. “I’m being certain that these gems are the real thing and worth offering on. If you think Mr. Dresden’s reputation is enough to let you just waltz in here and drop off something without my utmost scrutiny then you’d be quite wrong.” His words sounded good, but there was more sweat beading on his forehead and the room wasn’t that hot. “That is possible,” Rarity said pleasantly, “but you’ve examined all of the stones by now. Also, your notes are not terribly difficult to decipher, as they are similar to how I categorize my own gems. You’ve already marked down that all of them are real, an initial offer, and a maximum offer.” He clutched protectively at his notebook, but she continued. “That was five minutes ago, and everything you have added since is irrelevant and – in regards to the estimated size of my chest – inaccurate.” She glared daggers at him, and he shrank back. “I would like to know why.” “That would be because he was waiting for me to arrive,” said a smooth, pleasant baritone. It was one that I unfortunately recognized. Marcone wore a suit that cost more than my car and apartment combined. He had a strong, confident face. His eyes were the green of faded dollar bills, seemingly kindly, but cold ruthlessness waited just beneath the surface. He was flanked by his typical guards: Hendricks and Gard. Hendricks looked like a gorilla that had been stuffed into a suit and given a red buzz cut, but I’d learned that he was smarter than he looked. And did I mention that his biceps were bigger around than my thigh? Yeah, I was pretty sure he could Hulk right out of that suit if he felt like it. Standing next to him, Gard was a beautiful woman over six feet tall. She had blue eyes, blond hair, and a chest that Joseph would have loved to estimate the size of. Her expression was colder than winter on Lake Michigan, but underneath it burned a battlelust that made most berserkers look tame. She’d left her double-bladed axe at home, which I took as a good sign, but I didn’t doubt that she other means to wreak havoc with her. Marcone and Hendricks were pure human, but she was a capital-v Valkyrie. Her service to Marcone cost a fortune, and from what I’d seen, she was worth every penny. “Oh, how wonderful,” I said, staring at the procession without a trace of the entirely rational fear I felt at their sudden arrival. “It’s exactly the last person in Chicago I ever wanted to see.” Whatever Marcone wanted, he wasn’t out for blood, not yet at least. If he planned to kill me, he wouldn’t show up to taunt me first. He would set snipers to surround the building and hope to kill me before I knew I was even in danger. No sane man wants to take a wizard in a straight fight – even if he won, my death curse would kill him or worse. Marcone grinned softly with an air of resigned patience. “Believe me, I enjoy your presence just as much, Dresden. However, after the most interesting story about you picking up a group of exotically-colored young ladies from Special Investigations crossed my desk I had to have a look for myself. Not only Mr. Futney but all of my subordinates were instructed to inform me if they saw you.” The hair on the back of my neck rose. It would be one thing if this was between us; that was business as usual. If he was here specifically because of the girls, that was something else entirely. I gritted my teeth and glared at him. His smile turned a shade deeper, into something that was almost a smirk. He knew how protective I could be and enjoyed my reaction. “Sir, if you don’t need me any further…” Joseph said, his body language indicating a clear desire to be anywhere else. His thug in the corner was radiating a similar vibe, but knew better than to speak up. “Stay here, Mr. Futney,” Marcone commanded. “It would be very rude of me to interrupt your business just so I could have a word with your customers. Please, continue with your examination of the gems they brought.” Joseph slid back into his seat without a word of protest and immediately set to work, more sweat beading on his forehead. “Now,” Marcone continued. “If you’d put away your more juvenile impulses and make introductions, I’d be grateful.” Rarity had frozen at his arrival, and she glanced worriedly at me. I sighed and gave her a quick nod. I rose and gestured for her to do the same. “Rarity, this is ‘Gentleman’ Johnny Marcone. He runs the criminal underground of Chicago with brutal efficiency. Marcone, this is Rarity. She’s a close friend and more dangerous than she appears.” “It’s a pleasure,” he said, clasping Rarity’s hand with both of his and lightly shaking it. Give Rarity credit, she schooled her face into a polite mask and clasped his hands in return. “I thank you for the compliment.” The mask cracked a tiny bit and her confusion showed through. “Excuse me, but you aren’t how I thought you would be.” Marcone took one of the remaining seats while Hendricks and Gard continued to loom behind him. I took a seat as well, but I didn’t relax, not a bit. Marcone chuckled lightly. “I think you’ll find I’m rather personable, provided you haven’t crossed me.” A touch of darkness glittered in his eyes at that, then it was gone. “And in Dresden’s case, I have made a temporary exception because we have been useful to each other in the past, and I anticipate further mutually beneficial arrangements in the future. In the right circumstances, even someone as hard-headed as him can see reason.” “One reason I’d like to see is why you’re here,” I growled. “Cut the bullshit, John. You didn’t come just to chat and introduce yourself.” Marcone raised an eyebrow. “As a matter of fact that’s exactly why I came. Well, and to make a few threats.” The gears turned furiously in my head. “You had something to do with Sean’s disappearance? Was he working for you?” That would certainly fit in with how his dad had been afraid that Sean had turned to crime to settle his debts. Marcone’s eyes narrowed very slightly, but there wasn’t a hint of recognition in his expression. “Believe it or not, Dresden, every unfortunate thing that occurs in this city is not somehow my design. No, I came to warn you not to interfere.” His face darkened, but his glare wasn’t focused on either of us. “Someone is testing my control over this city, and I will maintain it my way.” I blinked. That was about the last thing I had expected. Things like a gang war or some other challenge weren’t exactly easy to keep secret, but I hadn’t heard a trace of whatever Marcone was talking about. “If people are being hurt, you know that all the threats you could make will be worthless. I’ll step in and end whatever’s causing it, with or without your permission.” Which might be exactly what he wanted, but it wasn’t like he could come and just ask for my help openly. Appearances aside, his pride would never allow it. “The same holds true for me and my friends,” Rarity said, voice quiet but strong. “Twice now Dresden has helped us in our troubles. It would be only fitting if we returned the favor. Though, admittedly, that wasn’t how I was planning to spend our vacation.” I scowled. “Rarity, if something is going on, the last thing we need is to get you and the girls involved. If I had died helping you, it would have been sad, but nobody would have come looking for payback. Even putting aside how I feel about you risking yourselves, calling it a ‘diplomatic incident’ would be an understatement. The– Twilight’s mentor would rip this town apart if something happened to any of you.” Rarity shook her head and daintily tucked a curl behind her ear. “And as I’ve told you before, you don’t get to decide who can and can’t risk their life. The Princess would understand. After all you’ve done for us we cannot and will not let you walk into something dangerous alone. Not if there was the faintest chance that we could help.” A light golf clap came from Marcone as he looked on with a wry smile on his face. “Very touching. Ms. Gard?” he asked, glancing back at the better-looking of his bodyguards. “Ms. Rarity is not human, though I cannot tell what she conceals beneath her disguise. Her magic, although strange, doesn’t match what we found, and her speech, mannerisms, and body language are not those of a warrior. I doubt that she was involved.” “You do meet some unique individuals, don’t you, Dresden?” Marcone asked, rising from his chair and brushing a miniscule speck of dust from his suit. “As much as I enjoyed this chat, I have business that needs handling.” “What was this really about, Marcone?” I demanded, giving quick glare to Gard. Her expression was inscrutable as she moved to follow her boss. “What was Rarity not involved in?” I had the feeling that we’d been played, but I didn’t know how. “Just another piece of business that doesn’t concern you, Dresden. Mr. Futney?” “Yes, sir?” “I recall Ms. Rarity mentioning a ‘maximum offer’ in your notes. That is what you will give our guests for their trouble.” He smiled, turning the charm back on like a light switch. “I regret leaving so soon after meeting you, Ms. Rarity, but I must go. Should you find yourself in need of my services in the future, please know that I am open to business with the mundane and supernatural alike, and I’m certain anyone with your good taste and wealth would represent a unique opportunity for investment.” “Thank you, sir,” Rarity said with a small curtesy. “But I’ve been given the choice between the lures of high society and my friends before. I chose my friends then and would not hesitate to make the same choice now.” “A pity,” Marcone said, sighing. Then he turned and strode out. I wanted to give him a parting shot, but nothing good came to mind. I had a sour taste in my mouth. Marcone knew something I didn’t, maybe several somethings. But he didn’t know everything about what was going on or he wouldn’t have been curious about Rarity. Still, he had a leg up on me. For a brief second I entertained the notion that whatever worried him wouldn’t affect me. It’s a big city, after all, and purely by the law of averages there should have been at least one crisis where I didn’t need to get involved. Nah, the universe hated me too much to let that happen. “Is something wrong, Dresden?” Rarity asked. “Yeah,” I said, considering the hints Marcone had dropped. “The problem is, I don’t know what.”