to us don’t say what makes them so anxious to strike a deal. Maybe they’re afraid that being haunted will hurt the price. We generally pay well enough for ‘unusual’ items that the owners make the sale on the spot. I’ve heard it’s whispered that Trifles and Folly is the best place to get rid of ‘problem’ pieces. Good for business, and good for the Alliance.
Just then my phone let me know I’d gotten a text message. “It’s from Sorren,” I said. That was odd. It was a few hours before sunset, and Sorren was usually sleeping. He’s old enough to be able to stay awake during daylight – so long as he’s in a completely dark place – but doing so drains him, so I’ve heard him say that he avoids it unless absolutely necessary. The fact that he was up now told me he was really worried about everything that was going on.
“And?” Teag asked, watching as I read the message.
“He asked if we could bring the pistols out to his house. He’ll look at them later tonight.” I paused. “Uh oh. He said to be very careful. ‘Make sure you’re protected.’” I looked up and met Teag’s gaze.
“He sounds worried.”
“Yeah. So am I. I think all of the things that are going on are related, I’m just not sure how. But if someone is out to get Sorren, we’re bound to be in the crosshairs, too.”
I HAD ONLY been out to Sorren’s house a few times. It was out in the country, not terribly far from Charleston, but far enough to feel separate from the bustle of the city. The house was just a bit newer than antebellum, small by former plantation standards. The barns held thoroughbred horses, not farm equipment, and the home itself was tastefully decorated. Sorren had told me that the house was one of several he kept around the world, managed through third parties to hide his longevity, and staffed by a handful of loyal and discreet long-time servants.
“Any word from Sorren on the trouble with the other locations?” Teag asked as we headed up the long driveway.
I shook my head. “No, but he may have more to tell us when we see him. Whoever’s been targeting Sorren’s connections isn’t likely to let up until he gets what he wants.” Sorren was fairly closed-mouth about the extent of the Alliance’s operations. Part of me was curious, but I figured that it was Sorren’s way of protecting us. Knowledge was a dangerous thing in our business.
The home at the end of the road was framed by an allée of live oak trees, with white pillars, large windows and a wide front porch. Carefully tended gardens graced both sides of the entrance. “Those flowers are gorgeous,” Teag noted. “It’s too bad Sorren never gets to see them in sunlight.”
I knew from experience that Sorren’s home was protected by several types of magical wardings, even more elaborate than the ones Lucinda had placed around Teag and my homes and the store. That was in addition to a modern security system. The wardings were tuned to keep out magical threats and supernatural predators, and while I could feel a shimmer of energy as we crossed the protective barriers, I saw nothing out of the ordinary.
A droning buzz made me look up. Through the canopy of live oak branches, I glimpsed a dark shape in the sky. We were heading for the house not long before sundown. I figured that by the time we got settled in, Sorren would be rising for the night.
“That helicopter looks awfully low,” Teag said, squinting.
“And it’s coming in at the wrong angle to land,” I said, worried as the chopper headed straight for Sorren’s house.
“It’s not going to land – it’s going to crash!” Teag slammed on the brakes. The helicopter slammed into the antebellum house. I threw my arms up over my face to protect myself and huddled in a crash position, eyes squeezed shut.
The explosion rocked our car although we were still half a mile away, and the fireball was so bright it flared red through my closed eyelids. When I dared to raise my head, the whole building was on fire. Its roof was gone, the windows were blown out, and flames leaped into the sky.
“Come on!” I said, unfastening my seatbelt and opening my door. “Sorren’s in there – or at least his staff are!”
Teag was right behind me as we jogged closer to the site of the