I let go of him and took a breath, trying to stay calm. “Do you have what I need or not?”
“I got anything Declan McClintoc needs. You were one of my best customers back in the day. Hey, how are those silver bullets I made working for you?” he said, pointing to the pistol that sat in the holster.
I adjusted my jacket so it was hidden from sight. “They’re great. Get me what you have.”
“How fast do you need to find this person?” Toby said.
I glared at him as an answer.
“Right. Right. No time. Understood,” he said, hurrying into the back.
He returned with a box small enough that it could fit into a pocket. He held it out and opened the hinged lid.
I looked down at it for a few long seconds, then slid my eyes slowly up to Toby’s.
“I swear,” I snarled, “to all the gods, living and dead, if you are fucking with me right now, I’m gonna make sure you have to sit down to piss the rest of your life.”
He shook his head rapidly back and forth, eyes open wide with terror. “No, bro. It’s legit. I enchanted it a few months back. It’ll work. I promise.”
How the ever-loving fuck the plastic compass would find anyone, I had no clue.
“Show me,” I said.
Toby let out a sigh of relief and set it on the counter. “You hold it and say the name of who or what you’re looking for. The arrow will lead the way. I even made it so the arrow will glow depending on how close you are. White means they’re over a hundred miles away, gray is fifty, black means they’re within twenty-five miles. When it changes colors, blue is ten, green is five, yellow is less than a mile, and red means you are withina hundred yards. It will even start flashing when they’rereallyclose.”
Staring down at the compass, I said, “Virgil Tacitus.”
The needle twitched, then spun, and didn’t stop spinning. The tiny arrow continued going round and round, not slowing or stopping. I flicked my eyes up to Toby.
“What the fuck, my man?” I growled.
Toby shrugged helplessly. “He must have cloaked himself. Whoever this guy is you’re looking for must have known someone might try to find him.” he tapped the compass. “What can I say? Nothing is foolproof.”
I sighed in irritation, then said, “Veronica Paolo.”
Again, the needle spun wildly, not pointing in any specific direction.
I shot Toby an angry glance and hissed out the next name. “Gwendolyn Freedman.”
More spinning.
“Looks like these people have been magically blocked,” Toby said with a helpless shrug. “Whoever you’re looking for must have worried someone might try to use a wayfinder.”
“Fucking great,” I hissed. “What good is this thing, then?”
“Try another name,” Toby said, and then swallowed hard. “I promise this thing works.”
For a few long seconds, I racked my brain, until I recalled the discussion at the party. A name Virgil had mentioned to Gavin, and the same name Veronica had said.
I leaned down to the compass once more, and tried a different name. “Percival Tacitus.”
The needle spun in a slow circle, making two full revolutions before pegging in a north-easterly direction, glowing a faint blue. Toby and I both glanced in that direction, staring at the wall.
“Oh shit,” he muttered. “That’s gotta be The Pit.”
“Looks like it,” I said, slapping the compass shut and pocketing it. “How much?”
“Uh, well, since it didn’t work for the people you were really trying to find, we’ll call it a gift for my best former customer. How’s that sound?” Toby said.
