Chapter 1

"Harry…"

I should have sensed something was wrong when I heard Bob's voice. Everything looked normal when I unlocked the door to my lab and entered putting my hockey stick in its place. It's funny that I can carry around a hockey stick in Chicago and hardly get a raised eyebrow, but carry a staff carved with runes and sigils and people run the other way. Go figure. A little glamour spell goes along way with normal folks.

Everything looked normal when I raised the flames of the candles for more working light. I brushed a few papers and stones from my work table and began unwrapping the frail tattered cloth that hopefully would end my search for my client and in return deliver to me a nice hefty check.

"Harry…"

The second time Bob called out should have been enough for me to notice. Hey, I was way past tired; couldn't remember when I ate last; and as always I was working on a deadline that was looming over my head.

"Bob, what is it?" Raising my voice impatiently. "Can't you see I'm working here?"

Finally I noticed that Bob hadn't come out of his skull. His ethereal body would normally have been out to find out the latest news and happenings. It's not like he had anything else to do with his time.

I straightened up and looked at the old yellow skull. "Bob, would you get out here before I break your ..."

Black smoke curled from one of the eye sockets and quickly gathered into his familiar form. Bob was definitely shaken. He doesn't get rattled normally. I mean, come on, he has no physical body, he's a centuries-old spirit trapped in a skull in my workroom. What could possibly have frightened him?

"Harry, we are not alone."

Startled, I shook down my bracelet and willed some of my fear into it, wondering if I had time to grab my staff. I scanned the room more carefully. Everything. Looked. Normal. There were jars, bottles and boxes on the shelves and the tables. Organized clutter is what I call it. It may look like a mess to others but things were exactly where I knew them to be.

The ward candles remained unchanged. I relaxed a bit and brought my attention back to the ghost.

"Bob?" I followed his eyes past the table where there was a faint glow coming from the wide empty space at the far end. I slowly and quietly reached for my staff, powering it up as I made my way gingerly around the table to stare at my summoning ring.

"Bob, you want to tell me what's going on here?"

The summoning ring was just that. A. Summoning. Ring. A copper ring inlaid to my concrete floor. It was a one-way street to call up all kinds of nasties or anything else that might be a little disagreeable. It was My summoning ring. I don't use it often. The High Council rather frowns on its use. It borders on Black Magic and to be caught summoning up a nasty demon or something could bring a harsh penalty. My standing isn't the greatest with the High Council so I try to keep my summonings short and to the point. In my line of work sometimes you have to walk the shadowy grey line to get information.

"Harry, you got to believe me, I had absolutely nothing to do with this."

I glanced back at Bob who had not taken a step closer, before I returned my eyes back to the ring, more exactly to the hooded figure that was slumped against the magical barrier the unbroken ring provided. "Bob, you didn't summon it?"

Bob looked hurt. "You know that I wouldn't; that I can't."

I knew that. It would have been a lot simpler if he could. "So tell me what you did do?"

Bob started pacing trying to recall the details, glancing at me and then to the figure and back to me again. "I don't know where to begin. After you left this morning, I began searching for the vanquishing potion just as you had asked, remember?"

"Yah, yah, go on."

I walked around the ring trying to get a better look. It was hard to tell whether it was a man or woman or even human. The thing was wearing a dark hooded cloak, appeared human-like, small built, possibly five, five and half feet. Feet, hands and face, if it had any, were all hidden in the volume of the fabric. If physical appearance were the only factor I would have a fighting chance to subdue this thing if it got out of the ring. Knowing what I know about preternatural beings, size means nothing when it comes to magical power.

Bob continued, "Totally immersed in my laborious research, I failed to see anything until the flames soared." He stopped and shuttered. "Harry, I don't know anything that can cross over uncalled."

"Get on with it, Bob."

"Well then it hit me."

I jumped back and stared at Bob, "What do you mean, it HIT you?"

"The whole room was filled with… with… light, blinding, blaring light." Bob chewed on his unreal finger. "I could feel it. I could feel it, Harry! It was absorbing me. I fled."

After a moment or three I broke the silence, "Well, it looks like you survived."

Bob shot me a futile glance. "Harry, please be careful, I don't know what it will do when it wakes up. I don't know if it is contained in the ring."

I closed my eyes to concentrate. Containment. Right. I rummaged through the shelves until I found the bag. Picking up some gems as well I began working. It wasn't long before I had completed two salt and crystal circles around the first copper one.

"Try to get out of that," I said smugly.

I finished cleaning the runes and delivered them to my client in spite of Bob's protest. It's been asleep for nearly six hours. A couple of more hours wouldn't hurt. Maybe it likes eight hours like normal folks. I couldn't remember when I slept a full eight but I never said I was normal. And neither was this thing. The Tri-Ring Ward was known to restrain every known bad guy around so I wasn't surprised to return to my place with everything in place and intact.

Bob had calmed down somewhat. He glanced at the motionless form and then to me. "There has been nothing, nada, nienta, nichts."

"Okay, gotcha, it's still getting its beauty sleep." I grabbed a large old book and slammed it down on the table causing dust to fly and Bob to jump. "Time to wake up, sleepyhead."

"Harry!"

"Later Bob, I'm tired of waiting for this thing to gather more strength." I fired up my trusty staff and pointed it at the now stirring figure. "It's now or never, sweetheart, show me what you got."

The thing uncurled slowly. Pale human feet emerged from the bottom of the robe as did slender hands from the sleeves. It rose gracefully to its feet, letting the robe once again cover its hands and feet. It stood there perfectly still, head bowed and hidden, sensing its surroundings.

I willed more power into my staff as my neck hairs prickled. A gentle caress like a subtle breeze brushed against me. Pleasurable as it was, it was still an intrusion. This creature's magic had crossed the circle of protection. That angered and frightened the hell out of me.

"Harry, I feel it on me again." Bob's fear returned to his voice.

Get in your skull, Bob."

"Are you sure?" Bob offered, "I don't know what I can do but…"

"Bob, that's a command." I will take all the help I can get but I wasn't going to take unneccessary risks. With Bob safely back in his skull I returned my focus on this human-like being in front of me.

"Hi there, so glad that you drop in, if I knew you were coming I would have cleaned up a bit."

The soft female voice spoke in a language that was unfamiliar. Whoa, that's unnerving. I wasn't expecting such a warm sensual sound.

I've been around this block once or twice so you can't trick me with the sweetness. I'm familiar with the charms of the various courts of Vampires and the Fae as well as the illusions of other more vicious creatures. So hey, what's one more nasty trying to pretend to be nice.

"That sounds like an ancient form of Latin," Bob called out from his skull.

I know Latin or at least a little. What kind of creature speaks Latin anymore? Bob is better at ancient everything.

"Bob, get out here and talk to this thing then."

"Quisnam es vos?" Bob asked for her name.

The female responded. "Meus nomen est Sallamatrgafreth."

Hells bells, either this creature was lying or this was one stupid monster. Names have power. Tremendous power. I can use this, if I needed.

"Sallamargafeth, ostendo vestry."

"You didn't pronounce her name right," Bob whispered.

"Maybe she will reveal herself anyway, she doesn't seem to be the brightest candle on the stick."

She touched the protective shield that stood between her and me. It shimmered and flexed but stayed firm. I gripped my staff tighter. Slowly her hand withdrew from the barrier and reached for the clasp at her throat. Unfastening the robe and she let it fall to the floor.

That's not what I expected when I asked her to reveal herself.

I nearly dropped the staff. Bob let out an audible gasp as we both stared at the naked woman. She wasn't Greek goddess beautiful but she was curvy beautiful in all the right places. There was something about the woman that made her nudity seem natural to her. She wasn't embarrassed nor boastful of who she was but rather it was an innocuous attitude that enhance the vision.

I would have totally believed that there was a naked beautiful woman standing no more than three feet in front me if it wasn't for one little detail. She had no bellybutton. I closed my mouth and inhaled deeply. With everything so perfect who would notice a small thing like a navel. I would. And I did. No normal woman here. Someone was sloppy and forgot that little detail.

I had two options, either use my Sight and see her for who she truly was and have that image forever ingrained in my brain or I could met her halfway with a Soul gaze.

Soul gazing was not for the timid. If this thing was a monster from wherever, there would be no soul to see, nothing. The downside to that was this thing would get to gaze into my soul, see who I really was. I didn't want it to see the real me.

Before I got to the decision, she drew me into her eyes.

I found myself falling; falling through open space. Open dark space. I hit ground with a hard thump, knocking my breath out. When I was able to stand again I found myself in a bright sunny field of wildflowers. A peaceful breeze was blowing little butterflies around. I heard a child giggling. I followed the happy sounds to a large tree; a pretty little child was swinging and enjoying the ride. She looked at me and smile, a huge genuine grin. Then it was over.

When I looked again at Sally what's-her-name her eyes were large with fear. She rushed to put on the robe and crunched down on the far side of her prison.

"Harry, what did you do to her?"

"I didn't DO anything to her, she started it."

"A Soul gaze?" Bob drew a deep breath, "What did you find?"

"She's a child, Bob."

"Poor thing, no wonder looking at your soul scared her to death, I can only image."

I thought she's not the only one scared.