Infernal Investigations

I had to give him this; it seemed very little could faze Samuel Voltar.

He'd been working on some kind of figures in a notebook, having finally given up on reading my book, and had continued doing so even as we told all of what had happened on the roof. Even the details about three members of one of the city's more prominent non-noble families being..rewritten, essentially.

We were upstairs, back in my room, which I steadfastly refused to feel like I was a stranger in. Settling on the small wooden table across from him, I munched on some bread while trying to keep my eyes wide open.

I hadn't had time to cook anything. I didn't feel like cooking anything. I wanted to burrow into the covers of my bed and sleep, but unfortunately, this had to come first. Already, I'd been answering questions for at least a quarter of an hour.

"Do you think they'll attempt this again?" He asked, seemingly brushing over all of that as if it was nothing.

I hadn't shared the details of the overheard conversation, although he probably knew something had happened off the roof. Or would soon. Shouldn't have just walked in from the street.

"Probably not," I said. "Aunt Diwei seems to have gotten even less careful as she's aged, but the other two at least will keep her restrained. And if she decides to, let us say, join the circus, grandfather will remove the curse and make sure she does not try it again."

It had been a while since I'd been home. Too long. But even if the cooler heads in the family combined couldn't keep her from trying this, Grandfather might just keep her restrained. And if somehow she slipped the leash…keep a tracer on her and change her back after a couple of weeks.

Ignoring, of course, that her aggression had been deliberately played up. Ignoring that this was a test, probably ordered by one of the few people all three of them respected. Ignoring that they had tried baiting me into a fight so Diwei could mount my head on her fucking-

"She won't try it again," I assured him pleasantly.

Something about that cracked his facade, a flicker of surprise and something else I couldn't place, then nothing. Gone like ripples vanishing in the ocean.

"Tagashin," Samuel said, eyes flicking over to where the Kitsune was relaxing by the window. "This curse you are capable of?"

"First, you shouldn't have to worry, I only do it when people break oaths to me," she said, looking outside at the snowfall. "And it is based on intent, for the spirits evaluate on why and how, not that simplistic legalism that the arcane insists on following. So only if someone makes an oath or breaks it in deliberate bad faith can I inflict such a curse. And most people are not foolish enough to so eagerly do such things with the fey. So you shouldn't have to worry about people getting cursed by me randomly. And no, it would not be an effective weapon to use on anyone for similar reasons."

Samuel remained stone-like throughout that entire thing, only nodding at the end. "Still, I want to make it clear you are to only do this when I ask you to in the future."

"Not a problem," she replied, finally meeting his gaze. "Although I reserve the right to handle those three if they interfere again. Which, thanks to Malvia, they might."

Traitor, I thought idly as his gaze swung back to me, demanding an explanation.

"If I were to bring in members of my extended family into this?" I asked him.

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Despite their rather poor showing tonight, they have both long careers hunting monsters and a proper respect for the Imperial Government, sir," I said. "Depending on how powerful this diabolist is, you would have some very powerful potential volunteers willing to help carry the worst part of it."

His eyes narrowed even further, his brow actually furrowed. Was it because I was suddenly wanting to bring my family in, or because I'd called him sir? Or was it because it was the Xangs? Long, storied history, former adventuring companion to Her Majesty, key contributor to the overthrow of Her Most Profane Majesty. What would refusing them cost him if they took an interest?

"Broad details only," he said after a long pause. "And only if they are willing to follow my strict instructions. And the same goes for you, Harrow."

"Of course, sir," I said cheerily. "Broad details are where I operate best, sir!"

He didn't reply at first, studying my face intently as if he could find some flaw among the scales and colors.

"I don't know what's more unnerving," he muttered under his breath. "The politeness, the obedience, or the damn perkiness."

'Unnerving,' Tagashin mouthed behind me, and I did my best not to glare at her, instead giving Samuel Voltar a simple, innocent smile.

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"They are to be kept up to date on those broad details until you are told to stop all activities," he said, and I kept my smile from faltering.

"Sir?"

"I'm not repeating myself, Harrow. And the same goes for anything you might be plotting to do in that brain of yours."

I ignored Samuel Voltar's steely gaze for now. If he wanted me not to do these things, he'd just order it. Instead, he was giving me a blatant hint, just on the right side of not blatantly passing information along. Sure, it could be questioned if anyone had overheard, but one could say he was just making sure I made the correct preparations in not oversharing.

The only reason was why? Why would Intelligence be prepared to cut my legs out from under me, and why was Samuel Voltar giving me knowledge they were? I'd barely done anything.

Except for finding two ritual circles on my own initiative. And a demon. But that was cutting the plan to open hellportals in the city off at the knees. Why would it be a problem?

Another mystery for the pile.

"I can assure you, sir, my brain is thinking of nothing but innocent things."

Surprisingly, no one in that room believed me.

***

It was only fair to meet with the others after that. They'd not been in my shop when I'd came in with Tagashin, or upstairs when I gave my report.

They'd been in my basement this entire time. Apparently, a dozen clerics of Tildae had been brought into the purify where the two ritual circles had been stored. It ended up making it the place in the house least stained by the taint of diabolism.

Small mercies, they'd be back for the rest of the house tomorrow, so I didn't have to worry about sprouting additional limbs or my blood becoming acid while I slept.

So, a very tired, slightly irritable, and clearly-sleeping-on-the-floor Alice, Gregory, Tolman, and Melissa. They all seemed to perk up upon seeing me though, which did interesting things to the cowlick on Gregory's head. How had he gotten one from sleeping?

"Apologies for being gone so long," I told them. "I would have come right after waking up if I could. Unfortunately, several of my family members decided to hunt Miss Barnes, and I couldn't allow that to happen."

All four of them were staring at me like I'd announced I was sawing my own head off. Alice, in particular, looked like someone had suddenly hit her on the back of the head. The exact same expression from when a one-horned thug was walloped in the back of her head with a piece of firewood. I should know, I'd been there when Alice had applied the walloping.

"Malvia, why are you a fish?" Alice asked me bluntly.

"What she said," Gregory said. "Are we certain she didn't get possessed?"

One of Tagashin's tails swatted him on the back of the head. "Do not doubt my work. She is not possessed."

"Nor is she a devil," Dr. Dawes said. "She's been tested, and while she's closer, she has not crossed that line yet."

"I am not a fish," I said. "I will admit, I do have gills, scales, and fins, but my head does not look like a fish, does it?"

"Your eyes are larger," Alice said drily. "And wall-eyed."

What? No, they hadn't! I'd checked in a mirror after getting back. Ignoring that, I decided to brush past my sudden alignment towards fish.

"I would like to say thank you to all of you," I said. "For saving my life, for helping me these last couple of days, for everything you've done. You have my heartfelt thanks for it."

"She said it without gritting her teeth," Alice muttered. "The Hells is wrong with you Malvia?"

Tolman's expression was lightly teasing, with just a hint of seriousness. I could practically hear what he wanted to say.

Katheryn Falara? Are you really going to disappear behind another mask?

Second person. Maybe I was too similar to the sketchy smiling alchemist I'd pretended to be for two years. It was something different, though, and that's what mattered.

"Listen, if you find me being welcoming to be too disturbing to witness, I'm sure the street has good lodging available at this time of night," I offered, getting annoyed looks from three of them. "If not, we can arrange your stay here. Either way, I'd like you all to come here tomorrow morning, if you choose to. There are things I'd like to discuss."

"And they can't be said now because?" Melissa asked irritably.

Probably didn't want to spend a second more here than she had to. The tenuous assurances that she wouldn't be arrested for being Flame likely felt threadbare.

"Because it's a late hour, and I want to get some rest," I said, to clear disbelief that they all tried to hide. "As it is for everyone else. I'd rather have this conversation in the morning. So, unless you have your own place to stay, we can set things up in here."

"They can stay at my place," Tolman volunteered, then met my skeptical stare flatly. "What?"

"Which one of them is your husband going to have less of a problem with, Tolman?" I asked. "The former Black Flame diabolist whom he knows-"

"-and him and I never got along-" Alice noted.

"-another half-sister of Versalicci's-"

Melissa muttered something under her breath about having had her fill of traitors.

"-or," I gave Gregory an appraising look, trying to find a reason to object. "A priest of the pantheon deities?"

"You make it sound so vile," Gregory told me lightly.

Tolman didn't take that nearly as lightly. "Being able to wield magic that hurts our children isn't something he'll be happy about. Or the other things."

Melissa and Alice didn't seem too offended, but Gregory immediately turned pale and apologetic. Tolman waved it off, and I took the opportunity to talk while stifling a yawn.

I wasn't lying. I wanted to rest. If it hadn't been for my new skin blocking out the cold, I'd probably be asleep in a snowdrift somewhere.

"We do have some cots," I said. "Shouldn't be too hard to drag out. I keep them in the back room in case I need to treat anyone. If anyone wishes to leave, feel free, although I cannot guarantee Intelligence won't be tracking you for their own purposes."

Alice swore. Quietly, since Intelligence agents were right outside the house. And in my basement. Oh, and behind my counter.

They better not steal anything.

"Again, as much as there is that needs to be done," I said with a yawn. "I really do need to get some rest, so as much as I would love to continue, I am going to go sleep for a very long time. May you all sleep just as well. If someone could knock on my door if I'm not up by nine?"

Mute nods from all of them, and I was up the stairs, feeling several days worth of weariness descending on me. I made it past the door that marked the boundary between shop and home, and firmly closed it.

Not fast enough that I couldn't overhear one last thing before it closed.

"She's actually serious about trying to get a full night's sleep. Are we absolutely sure she didn't get possessed by a devil or perhaps a fey?"