unexpected development—and something I’d have to find out more about. With all the strange ambient magic crackling on my skin, sensing others’ magic was much more difficult here.
“This is Four-oh-one,” Lucy said. “Dispatch, what’s going on?”
“We’ve got a situation developing and local LEOs are requesting assistance from the League. You’re the closest operative in the area not already engaged. Sending location to your GPS now.”
The screen on the dashboard lit up with a red dot to the southwest. “Got it,” Lucy said briskly. “Rerouting now. What have we got? Another dragon?” She actually sounded hopeful.
“Thankfully not,” the dispatcher said. Lucy made a face. “Reports indicate a troll is causing property damage and civilian injuries at a community market.”
I turned in my seat to look at Malcolm. His eyes were like saucers. A troll? he mouthed. I gave him a surreptitious thumbs-up. He rolled his eyes.
“Mission is to assess and contain,” the dispatcher continued. “Local law enforcement will take custody once the troll is neutralized.”
“Typical,” Lucy muttered. “Let the League do the dirty work and then the locals take the credit.” She activated the radio. “Ten-four, on my way. I’ll report in when I’ve got him collared. Four-oh-one out.” Lucy hung up the radio and glanced at me. “It’s not that far off our route to the roadhouse, but this might take some time to sort out.”
“We should probably strike out on our own, then,” I said regretfully.
My wolf growled. When I glanced back, she stared meaningfully at Lucy, then rested her chin on her paws and eyed me. The message was clear enough: stay in the jeep and stick with the Guardian. What did she know or sense that I didn’t?
“On second thought, we’ll just come along to the market with you,” I amended.
Lucy watched my wolf in the rearview mirror. “I get the feeling Daisy’s more than just a wolf with some magic. Now that we’ve bonded over coffee, how about you tell me what she really is and what the three of you are doing here in California?”
Partial truths had always served me well in situations like this, so I sipped my coffee and tried not to flinch as she wove in and out of traffic on the highway at nearly one hundred miles an hour. “I’m looking for a friend of mine. She’s been missing for two months. Last I heard, she was here. Daisy is really good at tracking people. She’s leading me to find my friend. Malcolm is my best friend, and he came with us to help keep us safe.”
“Sounds reasonable—and about half true.” She smiled. “I know a professional when I see one, Alice. I’m guessing private operative. Were you hired to track this woman down?”
“Yes,” I admitted, since further fibs wouldn’t do much but make her more suspicious. “Track her and get something back she stole from my client.”
“And your wolf? What is she?”
“Not a shifter,” I said to reiterate the point, because I had the feeling being a shifter meant something different here than it did back home. “She’s my companion.”
Another glance into the back seat. “Is she an amarok?"
I didn’t know what that was, but her tone indicated it was something to be very wary of. I shook my head. “She’s smart and she can be dangerous if someone poses a threat, but mostly she just tracks people and things and tries to boss me around.”
Daisy chuffed in agreement.
Lucy let out a snort. “Okay, I feel like I’ve gotten about sixty or seventy percent of the truth, which is good enough for right now. Maybe later I’ll ply you with drinks at the roadhouse and try to get the rest.” She sobered. “I’ve got to deal with a rampaging troll first. When we get to the market, stay in the jeep. I may be a maverick, but I don’t want to have to explain to my captain that I had a civilian with me on a call and she got eaten by a troll. He’ll be pissed about how much paperwork he’ll have to do, and so will I.”
Malcolm coughed. “Paperwork is the literal worst,” he said dryly.
“You said it,” Lucy said with feeling.
“Fair enough. I’ll stay in the jeep,” I promised.
As it turned out, I didn’t end up staying in the jeep—but in my defense, the troll threw it across the parking lot, so it was a good thing I wasn’t in it.
When we arrived at the enormous open-air building that housed the community market, the parking lot was