“Enchanted?”Lucian scoffed as if I’d told him the Easter Bunny was on his way over with a basket of goodies.“There’s no such thing.”
“Well, let me come up with a better descriptor: infused with magic.Items like these are only found on the black market.”
He reclined his head in a moment of understanding.“Fuck.”
Occasionally we came across rare metals.No one knew who made them or what kind of Breed forged the magic, but they were dangerous in the wrong hands.Some metals could even suppress gifts entirely, rendering the person defenseless.
I collapsed in the desk chair with my left arm slightly raised, the chain connected to his right wrist.My colleagues, Connor and Hiroki, had tested the cuffs out, and that’s when we discovered their power.
“Are you sure they’re Vampire-proof?”he asked.“What kind of metal is this?”
“The kind we’ve never seen before.Literally.And we’re too afraid to ask around about its origin.Peter nicknamed it Satan’s Wedding Ring.”
He frowned.“Why would you keep it in here without a key?”
“Wehavea key, but it’s with Connor, and I don’t know where he keeps the keys to illegal items.As a precautionary measure, we store them separately.If a prisoner broke loose, they could cuff us and then toss the key in the river and we’d never free ourselves.”
“So call Connor.”
“He’s out of town until tomorrow.”I heaved a sigh at the thought of them finding out.“Besides, I can’t tell him.This kind of infraction would go on my record.We’re friends, but we don’t cover up each other’s mistakes.”
“But you didn’t do it.”
“No, but I shouldn’t have invited you in here in the first place; this room is off-limits to the public for a reason.”With the gravity of our situation sinking in, I took out my phone and placed a call.“Be quiet.”After four rings, it went to voicemail, so I left a message.“Hi, Connor.I know you’re out of town at the moment, but Mr.Seaborn gave me trouble tonight during his release.It reminded me that we have too much contraband piling up in our evidence room that we need to take care of.I’m going to handle the delivery this time, but I need the keys for all the items, including those weird shackles.Can you call me back and let me know where they are?The sooner we hand them over to the higher authority, the better.Call me back.”
Lucian lifted the chain and bit it between his teeth.“We can melt it down.”
“You’re not putting a blowtorch anywhere near my hands.Besides, it won’t work.”
“How do you know?”
I jiggled the chain.“Because it’s enchanted.My colleagues took it out back and tried different ways to break or cut it.Chain saw, blowtorch, sledgehammer—nothing worked.Even the cuffs don’t bend or break.That’s not to say we thought of everything, but I’m not about to run around town announcing we have something like this in our possession.It won’t matter anyway.Only the wearers can see it.”
“Are you telling me this thing is invisible?”
I swung the chain.“Exactly.”
“How the hell is that possible?Does it emit energy?”
“Do I look like a scientist?”
“What’s the point of it?”
“Besides being indestructible?We floated around a few theories and think the original intent was to aid the higher authority with arrests in the human district.It’s increasingly difficult to apprehend criminals with all the cameras on streets, in stores, and on cell phones.This would allow the criminal to be cuffed and brought in without attracting attention, but we don’t know for sure.”
Lucian tried desperately to pull off the tight cuff, but all it did was leave a red mark on his wrist.With flushed cheeks and sweat beading on his brow, he gave up and dropped his arm at his side.
“Peter’s the only other person who’s seen it besides us.He tried everything to break the chain but almost broke Hiroki’s arm in the process.”
He tapped it against the desk.“If people can’t see it, can they hear it?”
I shook my head.“It might be a one of a kind.At least I hope it is.What a terrifying thought.”
With a grim look, he squatted next to me and repeatedly ran his fingers through his hair as if he were using invisible shampoo.“What if the Councilman lost the key?”His breathing picked up, and I could sense his stress was turning into dread.
My thoughts scattered.“Then we’ll have to discreetly find a trustworthy lockpicker.”
“What if the key was imbued with the same magic and that’s the only thing that can open it?We might have to cut off our arms.”
