“Hello, Ms. Orvis. Were you part of the group looking up the wild magic star?”
“Who is this?”
“Tell Stovos to get out of you so we can have a conversation. Yes, I know you can hear me, you pointy-eared harpy-fucker.”
Orvis snorted. “So, you obviously know us. Who are you?”
“Delphine Abra Kadabra. Spirit of the aurora borealis and half-elf owner of all divisions of DAK Corp. A coven of warlocks found Bethany tonight and tried to break her wards. Eight of them.” She paused. “Warlocks, not wards. She has way more wards than that.”
“What? Ohmygod.”
“So, what I want to know is who poked the local coven and told them there was a fallen star in their midst? I would like to have a word with them. As you were the one speaking to Bethany, I thought you would be good for a point of first contact.”
“Oh, shit. Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Her car is fine. Eight warlocks are going to be vomiting light for a few days. Their testicles might show up again. Might not.”
“Can I look into this and call you back?”
“Yes. I am activating a very obnoxious phone tree. Shall I call Nessa?”
“Nope. I have her. She’s in the house.”
“Ah, I will get on to Olmin and Nen then. I haven’t gotten to be this angry in a long time. It’s rather freeing.” Delphine chuckled. “Who knew this much rage would be entertaining? Are you on it, Ms. Orvis?”
“Stovos is already calling Kelnen. We will find out what happened quickly.”
“I do love a quick resolution. I will see you at the office around eleven. Got to get that pesky meeting out of the way.”
“We will figure it out.”
“Talk to you soon.” Delphine smiled and disconnected the call. She contacted the warlock and spoke swiftly. He was going to be on the lookout for the men who had attacked Bethany’s car. The answer might be found there.
Delphine sent her light through the city and waited for the response from trees and animals. They didn’t know anything except that the men appeared out of light, and they were intent.
With all of her options unfurling, she went to get some coffee. Bethany was asleep and safe. That was the most important thing. She wished that Bethany had contacted her when they got back from Asia, but that hadn’t happened, and that young woman was hard to find. She had to have been panicking to call for help. She hadn’t done it before, and Delphine’s number hadn’t changed in ten years.
* * * *
Orvis sat up and made call after call, waking the city one household at a time. “Nothing. No one said anything.”
Stovos paused. “There was one other person consulted who might not have had the same eye toward security.”
Orvis frowned. “Who?”
He punched in a call and said, “Lord Rez? Did you mention Bethany to anyone around you tonight?”
“That is a rude way to start a call, Stovos.”
“We need to know. She was attacked tonight. Eight warlocks came after her and tried to get through her wards.”
Lord Rez said, “What? Is she all right?”
“Yes. A friend rescued her, but we are trying to find out who set the jackals on her.”
“During our initial conversation, I was not alone in the room. Please excuse me, I have some lives to investigate or destroy. It depends on the answer.”
“Thank you. Please let me know if you have found the culprits. They should be vomiting light and missing testicles, according to the woman who saved Bethany.”
