Chapter 7
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Danielle closed the door of the clubhouse behind, walked up to the couch and fell face first in it. "A few more weeks and then I'll be graduating. And it'll be over." She muttered to herself. "Just a few more weeks." Her phone rang and she moaned as she sat up to pick it up. "Hello?"
"Dani, is Bo with you by any chance?" Kenzi asked on the other side of the line.
"Nope." Dani replied. "But I thought you two have an appointment with a client, today?"
"Well, tell that to the Succubus. She still hasn't showed up and we lost a client." Kenzi said.
"Sorry about that." Dani retorted. "Look, you come home and I'll cook some delicious meals for you."
"Triple chocolate muffins?" Kenzi said less angry than the minute before.
"Anything you want." Dani chuckled in the phone. "I'll see you when you get home."
Bo arrived a few hours later, after Kenzi ate the muffins and the Belgium waffles that Dani cooked. After she pouted and ranted about Bo blowing her off.
"Hello." Bo greeted her friends.
"Hey." Dani smiled at her.
"You're a tardy 'tang." Kenzi greeted instead.
"What? Did Kenzi wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Bo asked taking a bite from Dani's muffin.
"Mm, we can't afford beds. Remember? We had a meeting." Kenzi reminded her.
"Oh, shit. Client." Bo swore.
"Yeah, I upload the calendar to your phone, I tape post it reminders over the sink…"
"Kenzi."
"Dude, I even learned how to spreadsheet. Me!" Kenzi continued. "Cause it's my way of contributing. Somebody's gotta keep you on schedule."
Bo and Dani exchanged a look. "She's been pretty sour about this." Dani whispered.
"I'm not a train." Bo said walking up to Kenzi.
"No, you're the talent with the great caboose. Do you think I like acting like the adult?" Kenzi questioned.
"Probably no more than I enjoyed being abducted off the street two hours ago." Bo retorted.
"Wait, what?" Dani exclaimed leaving the kitchen. "What happened exactly?"
"Van, Dark Fae, potential information about my parents." Bo answered.
"I'm sorry." Kenzi apologized.
"Fortune cookie?" She threw the biscuit to Kenzi.
"Now where are you going?"
"Just bank the outrage for a while, okay?" Bo said turning around to face her two friends. "Mama's too tired to chat. Oh, but could you call Dyson and tell him I'd love to talk? Thanks."
"Will do!" Kenzi called back cheerfully even though she didn't mean it. "Partner."
"What is it with her and this guy?" Danielle shook her head.
The three friends met with Dyson at the precinct. Bo has accepted to work for a dark fae of the name of Mayer. A Luck Fae who lost money to a human out of luck. In exchange of her help, Bo will be able to get information about her parents. And there they were, standing and working with Dyson.
"So, we'll take this image from the security tape and we'll run it through the facial recognition." Rubber band snaps on Dyson's neck.
"And she wets herself over your geek skills." Danielle chuckled and Bo rolled her eyes. "My bad."
"I don't like you working for Mayer." Dyson told Bo.
"If I may." Danielle raised her hand. "I agree with him on this one. There's something I trust lesser than a light Fae and that would be a dark Fae."
"You don't trust Faes in general." Bo retorted and turned to Dyson. "You don't get to tell me what cases I can take anymore, as per our agreement." Dyson just hummed. "Just think of it as getting free intel on the dark."
"Why doesn't Mayer have his own guys looking into this?" Dyson countered.
"A human out of luck, lucked out on one of his bet. A bet taken by Mayer who feeds off of luck?" Dani answered. "Yeah, that would look good on his Fae-sume."
"That could be." Dyson said non-committedly. "Here it is." He handed Bo a copy of culprit's driving license.
"Thanks." Bo smiled to him. "See you around."
"Could be."
Bo smiled and left the room followed by Dani. "Right behind you. Just gotta hit the ladies room…" Kenzi called behind them.
"So, what's his name?" Dani bumped her shoulder with Bo's.
"Roger Murphy." Bo replied.
"And what's the plan?"
"Well, we just ask him who gave him this lucky tip."
"No humans could have done that." Dani said. "I mean it has to be an insider."
"You mean it could be Dark Fae?" Bo asked her.
"I would be surprised if it wasn't." Danielle shrugged.
"Well, let's find out."
Roger Murphy's house was simple and apparently ready to burst with people. People could be seen through the windows. It was packed with people, actually. As if there was some sort of party going on.
Danielle rang the doorbell liking the sound of the Irish folk music playing inside. A redhead woman dressed all in black opened the door. "Hi, uh, sorry to bother you, but we're here to see…"
"Roger? Of course. Welcome." The woman nodded.
Danielle stepped in first and felt it. It wasn't as strong as what she felt a few weeks before on the campus but she felt. It wasn't an ice cold feeling that ran through her veins. It was cold but she felt something warm in the midst of it. She didn't need to feel that to know that they were celebrating someone's life.
"Sorry for your loss." Danielle said briefly as she walked in.
"Thank you." She replied.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Bo asked her as they walked next to each other.
"It's a wake." Dani explained. "We did the same thing for my dad with less humans and more faes."
"Can you tell who's dead?" Kenzi questioned.
"I'm not that good of a Banshee." Dani whispered.
"Ooh, whiskey, thank you." Kenzi exclaimed grabbing a glass.
"Classy." Bo sarcastically commented.
"Ah, unlike, say, boinking peeps to death?" Danielle rolled her eyes at them bickering again.
"Touché."
Dani and Bo exchanged a look when they saw who's wake it was. "Well, I guess that answers your question, Kenz."
"Here he is…" His wife said. "The guest of honor, my Roger."
"He looks, um, peaceful." Bo said awkwardly.
"When did he die?" Dani asked softly. "If you don't mind me asking."
His wife started to cry and whimper before answering Dani. "Two days ago." Dani rubbed her arm in comfort. "Excuse me." And she left.
"That was 24 hours before he walked into Mayer's and placed a bet." Kenzi told the two Faes.
"Yeah, no kidding." Bo exhaled. "Mayer was wrong. Roger wasn't unlucky."
"No, he was a bloody miracle." Kenzi added.
"Great." Dani sighed.
The three friends then made a stop at the Dal. The place was crowded as usual. Dark and Light mingling and drinking together. They sat at the bar. Bo and Dani ordered a beer as for Kenzi she wanted a cocktail.
Bo sipped from her beer, Trick handed Kenzi her cocktail and Bo frowned. "You didn't eat one of those toadstools, did ya?" Trick asked her.
"No." Bo replied. "But riddle me this…How does a dead guy walk around town, placing bets? I mean, I've heard gambling's an addiction, but come on."
"A dead human walking?" Trick raised his eyebrows.
"What? Fae Zombies?" Kenzi joked.
"The Chinese call them Hsien." Trick explained. "We call them Body Jumpers."
"Oh, no!" Danielle exclaimed shivering.
"What?" Bo looked at Dani.
"Well, they can inhabit a recently dead human just by touching them." Trick continued.
"What, like a ghost?" Bo asked.
"No, except they have bodies but they don't like them." Trick replied. "Nasty bastards."
"Well, what's so bad about that?" Bo asked.
"Everything." Dani replied.
"It's distasteful." Trick added. "Humans are for feeding off of, not wearing." And he cast a glance at Kenzi.
"Ha. That's funny." Kenzi commented.
"Maybe, we can ask the canine unit if he knows a Hsien in town." Dani suggested. "I'm pretty sure he does."
"Hey." Bo said as Dyson stood next to Kenzi at the bar. "We were just talking about you."
"Really?" Dyson retorted as Kenzi left the bar and joined Hale.
"Don't get too excited. It was purely professional." Dani added. "We are looking for a Hsien."
"A Hsien?" Dyson glanced at Trick.
"God, for a bunch of far-out fairy folk, you guys are pretty judgmental." Bo commented.
"I know a Hsien, our side." Dyson informed them. "Work as a morgue attendant."
"There. Was that so hard, uh?" Bo said reaching for Dyson's hair before the latter pushed her hand away.
"You want my help or not?"
"Yeah, we do." Dani retorted. "But just the two of us. You, lady, you stay here."
"Dani." Bo tried but Dani was not hearing it.
"No, you get some rest. Dyson and I can handle this." Bo pulled her away from Dyson.
"You know how important this is for me." Bo reminded her.
"I do, believe me, I do." Dani answered. "But I also think that you and Dyson should not spend so much time together. Not more than necessary." Dani explained.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that even though you two has some sort of 'no feelings involved' kind of arrangements, your feelings are getting involved." Dani explained. "The less time you spend together, the better it is for you—Just trust me, okay?"
"Alright." Bo conceded. "But you call me."
"Will do." Dani promised. "And try to talk to Kenzi." She called out as she followed Dyson out of the Dal. "See you, babe." She said to Kenzi as she left.
Dyson and Danielle walked through the corridor that led to the morgue side by side. Dyson bathing Danielle's scent. It's stronger than Bo's and sent a wave of peace and quiet through his being. She smelled like rain hitting the earth and lavender. Whereas Bo smelled like pumpkin and lavender. A scent that sent blood rushing through his entire body, especially his penis. Was it purely sexual between him and Bo? Probably. Probably not. The attraction he felt for Bo went further than just sex.
However, he couldn't deny the attraction he felt for Danielle. He found himself smelling her without her knowledge when he was around her. And when she wasn't around, he wished she was there. Her scent was comforting to him and yet, also sent blood rushing through his entire body, including his lower region.
"What was all that about?" Dyson asked her as they walked.
"None of your beeswax." Danielle replied.
"That's why you're here and not Bo." Dyson countered.
Danielle stopped and stared at him. "I'm here because I don't like what's going on between you two." Dyson turned around to face her. "Look, I know you two have some agreements. As long as it's only for healing, I'm good with it. But feelings are involved, and that is not good. For either of you." Dani explained. "Plus, Bo's feeding is taking a toll on you. Not that I care." She added quickly as Dyson smirked at her.
"I'm handle it but thanks for caring." Dyson said smugly.
"You're handling it, my ass." Dani retorted. "Have you looked at yourself in a mirror. You look like shit and again…" Music rose through the corridor and drew Dani's attention elsewhere. She frowned and looked back at Dyson. "Is that Black Velvet?" She asked as she walked towards the sound.
Before they stepped in the morgue, they noticed two things. A man was sitting down, his feet on the desk before him and eyes closed. And a blonde woman, a short night dress on and blood on her wrists. And Dani agreed with Trick. It is distasteful to see the dead being used in a such a way.
Dani scrunched her nose up as she watched the blonde woman dancing in a suggestive way. She exchanged a look with Dyson before the latter switched off the radio.
"Eddie, what is with the blonde, man?" Dyson asked him. The blonde woman walked up to him. "Oh, don't even start playing. I'm not looking. Get back in there. I'm not playing. Get back in."
The blonde lady fell on top of the sitting man. His eyes opened and settled on the two standing faes in front of him. "Ohh! Dyson!" He groaned. "Who's the dame?"
"The dame is not seduced by what you were doing. Neither was this girl." Dani replied.
"Dani meet Eddie, Light Fae. Likes to wear corpses around and gets himself in all kind of troubles." Dyson introduced the two.
"Ha." He laughed. "Remember those Elvis' sighting in the 70's? Yeah," He pushed the dead girl on the ground. "That was all Eddie." Dani just rolled her eyes in answer to this little fact. "Cured now." Eddie continued. "Learning to appreciate my own body. You know what the twelve steps taught me? 'Thou shalt not wear thy neighbor.'" And he laughed. Dyson looked pointedly at the corpse. "I gotta call my sponsor."
"You really crossed the wrong guy, this time." Dyson sat on his desk. "Mayer is apoplectic."
"From what I've heard, he's pretty pissed." Dani added.
"Mayer, Mayer?" Eddie asked with a mouthful. "You know I'd never deal with the dark. Come on, Scout's honor." He swore.
"Honor's never been your strong suit, Eddie." Dyson told him.
"I swear on my mama's sacred skin. Come on." Eddie defended himself. "You know how our people keep tabs on everyone. Like, across party lines? Rumor has it Lucas is in town."
"Who's Lucas?" Dani asked.
"Dark Fae, Hsien. Very nasty fellow." Dyson answered. "Makes Eddie's transgressions look positively P.G."
"That's sweet." Eddie said.
"Where is he? The real Lucas." Dyson asked him.
"You know the deal. You want to find a real Hsien…" Eddie started.
"You find his real body." Dani finished for him. Dani walked away from Eddie and grabbed her phone. Dyson followed her. "Bo and I will break the news to Mayer. Thanks for your help."
"It was my pleasure." Dyson replied smiling to her.
Needless to say, that Mayer wasn't pleased by the news. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "A padskunik body jumper in my house?" He half yelled. "If somebody hired a Hsien to bring me down, I wanna know who, ASAP."
"He didn't bring you down. You got stiffed, literally." Kenzi commented.
"Stop. Hock mir nisht en chinik." Mayer said. "I don't talk business with humans."
"No, you just gobble up their cash and luck." Bo countered.
"I got played out of a serious bank. Two hundred thou unmarked for my Fae bosses." Mayer explained. "If I don't nip this in the bud, I'm chopped liver, plowed under."
"What, they'd kill you?" Bo asked him.
"Not him. His family." Dani answered.
"Exactly." Mayer nodded before turning around. "Are you picking?" He scolded his nephew who had his finger up his nose. "Were you born in a barn?"
"I have allergies." His nephew said back.
"Get outta here."
Kenzi and Dani chuckled. "Bo? Could you ask Mayer who would want to ruin his reputation? I mean he's such an enchanting guy. I can't imagine." Kenzi asked sarcasm dripping in her voice.
"I've been losing a lot of business to a backroom gamer named Jesper Selming." Mayer anwered looking at Bo.
"Professional rival—always a worthy suspect." Bo nodded.
"I can't get you an invitation…" Mayer continued.
"I generally don't need one."
"But here's his address." Mayer handed Bo a piece of paper.
"Well, thank damn I'm here." Kenzi said as she applied eyeliner on the bottom lid. "You can't just walk into an underground gambling den and get the kingpin to talk."
"A little giggle, a little tongue down his throat and I can probably make him ice skate." Bo retorted.
Dani stepped in the room with a tight red dress that stops just above the knees. "Are you sure red is the right color for me?" She asked them.
"Red is the perfect color for you." Bo reassured her. "Men will be goggling at your girls."
"Am I not showing too much skin?" Dani asked again standing in front of the mirror.
"DeeDee, there's nothing wrong with a bit of skin showing." Kenzi handed her a pair of boots. "If anything, you're not showing enough." Dani disappeared in the living room. "Anyhow, magic hoo-ha aside." Kenzi continued looking at Bo. "Backroom poker is complicated, almost ceremonial. I should know. My dad would spend hours playing. Taught me everything I know."
"If we do this…go in…how do I know I can trust you?" Bo asked the small girl.
"Bo, are you serious?" Kenzi said back shocked at Bo doubting her. She was at loos for words but before she could go any further Bo broke character.
"See, that was a bluff, uh?" Bo chuckled. "How do you like my poker face?"
"Oh, it's on bitch." Kenzi warned her. "Ante up." Bo chuckled.
The three of them walked in the underground compound side by side. All of three of them dressed for the occasion, dresses on, knee length boots. They were dressed for war.
"Backroom poker is like golf on meth." Kenzi started. "And, baby, I'm getting a contact high." The three of them stood together observing the ongoing game. "Dude, I could rule this game. Check out the cougar." Bo and Dani looked at the woman that were swirling her drink at the table. "She plays with her straw every time she bluffs."
"So?"
"What the players subconsciously do each time they bluff or when they know they got the goods…that's their tell." Kenzi continued. "Learn someone's tell, then you can always learn their next move."
"Thank you, Rain Man." Bo said back. "But keep your eyes open. Take note of the exits."
"We'll talk to the players. See if they've seen anything weird. Like an empty body lying around." Dani continued.
"And I'll find Jesper." A tall man looked at Bo with insistence before making his way towards her. "Unless, he finds me first. Okay, I'm out. Remember the signal?"
"Back in 15 or I'll fake a seizure." Kenzi recited.
"That's my girl." Bo said as she followed Jesper into another room.
"Well, let's mingle." Dani said with a slight smirk.
Dani walked around the room among the gamblers while Kenzi stood by the poker table. Until she was officially designated as Mighty Mario lucky charm. Dani just kept an eye on her and on the room in which has just walked in with Jesper.
A few minutes went by, she was still keeping an eye on Kenzi. Kenzi was having a good time, a cigar in her mouth, she was clearly the winner tonight. Dani smiled slightly and cast a glance at the room in which Bo was. Ice was spreading on the windows as she saw Jesper holding Bo down. Dani sprang into action, she rushed to Kenzi's side. "Seizure." Dani whispered before disappearing.
She pushed the door open, Bo was on the table struggling with Jesper. "Hey!" Dani yelled. Jesper turned around to look at her.
"Oh, the Banshee." Jesper cooed.
Jesper walked up to Dani, his fingers turning into icicles. Dani didn't leave him time to attack, she grabbed his right wrist with her right hand, pulled him to her. Twisted around so her back would be to his chest and elbowed him in the face. She stomped his left foot, passed his right arm over her head, punched his ribs, placed her left hand in the crook of his arm and bent it, so that his fingers or rather the icicles were aimed at his throat.
Jesper fought back, he plunged the icicles on his left hand in her neck. He was doing to her what he did to Bo but he backfired on him. Dani, being a hellhound, the icicles melted. Her body didn't go up in flames but it was hot enough to melt the ice. Jesper let her go and backed away holding his hand.
"Eat crowbar." Kenzi called. Jesper turned around and was hit in the face by the crowbar the petite human was holding. Bo kicked him in the stomach and he ended up his course on one of his antiquity. Speared.
Dani and Kenzi rushed to Bo's side, the latter was shivering badly. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" Kenzi asked her.
"Gail." Dani replied quickly. "Come on, let's get her out of here."
"Dude, you're like an icicle." Kenzi commented looking at Jesper.
"Do you know the way out?" Bo questioned both her friends.
"Yeah, turn left at Mario and then book it." Kenzi said. "Bye-bye retirement fund."
Bo fainted. "Bo! Bo! Stay with us." Dani grunted, worried for the Succubus. "We got to hurry."
They drove her to the Dal, where they had a chance to find Dyson. Dani was against the idea, knowing how draining it was for Dyson but Bo needed it. Otherwise she could die.
"Yo, 9-1-1 booty call, like now." Kenzi announced as Dani and she half carried Bo inside.
"Better down another espresso." Hale said. Dyson and he took Bo from the girls' arms and carried her in the back.
Dani sat at the bar, touching her neck checking for the wound that might have been there. But it was already healed. "What was it you were after?"
"A certain Jesper. Mayer sent us on his track. What he forgot to mention, is that the guy is a Frost Giant." Dani told Hale.
"Damn!" Hale exclaimed. "You, ladies, really know how to get in trouble." Hale commented.
Moans and grunts rose from the back of the Dal. Hale, Kenzi and Dani looked at each other awkwardly. Embarrassed that they were hearing their best friends having sex. Somethings cannot be unheard and this was one of them.
Now loud banging could be heard. Dani was trying to think of something but it was hard when all you could hear was the banging and the grunting. Especially when she knew what was going on in the other room.
"So, seen any movies late…" Glass shattered on the ground. "lately? Or…" Hale tried starting a conversation.
Kenzi cleared her throat. "No."
"Did my troll get out?" Trick walked up to them with a bat in his hand.
Dani looked at Kenzi quickly before answering him. "Bo and Dyson, uh, needed a heart to heart." She shrugged.
"Yeah, just talking." Kenzi added. "You know, a lot of meeting. Just lots…of talking." Kenzi said but Trick was already gone. He knew exactly what the Shapeshifter and the Succubus were doing in the other room and he didn't seem too happy about it.
The banging finally stopped after several long minutes. Bo and Dyson finally walked out of the room. "Red cross ain't got nothing on you." Bo commented. "Hey. Hey. You okay?" Bo asked him seeing the state he was in. Dani was right, the feeding was taking a toll on him. Dyson looked paler than usual, he looked tired, sick.
"It's not as bad as it looks." Dyson replied to her and Dani scoffed from where she was sitting.
Trick slammed the box he was carrying on the bar and made Dani jumped out of her skin. "Jeez."
"Shit." Dyson cursed. "So much for keeping our secret."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Bo apologized smiling.
Dani left her seat and went up to her friend. "Bo." Kenzi called out. "Oh, my god. Not a scratch. Dude, your junk could cure cancer."
"Before or after, his junk fell off." Dani muttered staring at Dyson.
"What are we gonna do next? Now that we know that Jesper was tipped off by someone who worked for Mayer?" Kenzi asked.
Dyson's phone rang. "Dyson." He answered. "Eddie, calm down, man…Who's there? Eddie?" Dyson checked his phone. "Went dead." He said looking at Dani. "Morgue?"
"Let's go." Dani replied starting to walk. Bo and Dyson following behind her. "Don't do anything stupid, Kenz."
"You know me." Kenzi replied.
Bo and Dani had changed out of their dresses before going to the morgue. Dyson walking between them before the latter keel over. "Whoa." Dani exclaimed catching him. "You're okay?"
"Hey, I took too much, didn't I?" Bo asked resting a hand on his shoulder.
Dyson let out a long breath. He pulled away from Dani. "No, you took what you had to."
They continued further into the morgue. "Where is he?" Dani asked no one in particular.
"Can you tell if something happened to Eddie?" Bo asked Dani.
"Look around you, Bo." Dani retorted. "Death is everywhere."
"True."
"Eddie?" Dani called. "Eddie?"
A loud crash resonated from another room. "Eddie?" Dyson called this time.
"Yeah." Eddie came out of the room, stopping in front of Bo. "Dyson. What up, brother?" He looked at Bo and Dani. "Hello."
"Are you okay?" Bo asked him.
"Never better. So, uh,…what up?"
"You called me." Dyson reminded him. Bo and Dani exchanged a glance, feeling that something was strange. "Sounded like you were gonna soil yourself. You said, 'he's here.'"
"Yeah, he was." Eddie replied.
"Lucas, you mean?" Dani asked him.
"Yeah, my fellow Hsien. Wanted to know if I'd been talking to that Succubus." Eddie answered her. He then turned to Bo. "He really doesn't like you sniffing in his business. That's okay. I scared him off, though."
Dani raised her eyebrows at that, surprised that Eddie could scare anyone off. Dyson seemed to share her surprise as he asked. "You did?"
"Yeah."
"You know, I've learned some interesting things in the past few days." Bo told Eddie. "That fae can be bookies, that body jumpers exist. That people often have a tell when they're bluffing."
"Oh, you think I'm bluffing?" Eddie asked scratching his right eyebrow for the hundredth time.
Bo looked down at his shoes and she saw blood rushing down on the ground. "Eddie is not here anymore, is he?" She asked "Eddie."
"No. Thank god!" Lucas pushed the cart closest to him on Bo and Dani and pushed the door, to the room Dyson was in, closed.
Dani fell on the ground while Lucas was running away. Bo helped her friend up. They both tried to open the door for Dyson but it was locked for good. Dyson asked them to go after Lucas, assuring that he'd get out on his own.
Dani and Bo went their separate ways looking for Lucas in the morgue. "I know you can only jump bodies by touching them Lucas." Bo started. "So, come easy or make this hard but either way, this is the end of the line."
Bo and Dani kept each other in sight. So, when a body suddenly jumped on Bo's back, Dani immediately rushed to her help. Dani grabbed the dead corpse from behind and pulled him away from Bo and slammed him against the closest pillar. "Is that all you got?" She then pulled him and slammed him onto the cart he came from.
"No, I'm just warming up." He replied and touched another body. He was literally jumping bodies in front of Bo and Dani. The last body he jumped got up and he was a giant.
"Shit, that's not good." Dani exclaimed.
"Let's dance." He challenged them.
"Bring it, juice monkey." Bo retorted.
"Have you seen the size of him?" Dani shrieked.
He stomped up to them pushing the carts out of his way. Dani and Bo held the last cart between them and the Beast. "When you're dead, I'm gonna wear your corpse like a coat."
"I'm calling P.E.T.A." Bo punched him but he didn't feel anything. He just pushed the cart away. Dani and Bo took a step back.
"I'm gonna rip Dyson to itty-bitty pieces, using your hands." He continued.
"You got to be more precise." Dani said. "Hers or mine?" Dani crushed his nuts but again, it seemed that the body jumper didn't feel any pain.
He grabbed Dani by the throat and lifted her in the air before slamming her down on the metal cart. Bo punched his ribs, his stomach but he just kept strangling Dani. "Bo." Dani grunted, air slipping out of her lungs. "Do something."
"I'm trying." Bo retorted jumping on his back. She snaked her arm around his throat so she could block his airways. She didn't have to work too hard, though, as Dyson placed the canon of his gun on the Giant's head.
"No more bodies within reach. I pull this trigger, you are as dead as the one you're in." Dyson threatened.
He let Dani go, Bo slid down his back. She helped Dani up. "What the hell took you so long?" Bo asked Dyson.
Dani was nursing her throat. Observing Dyson and Bo interrogating Lucas. "Who paid you to take down Mayer?" Bo asked him. "Where's his money?"
"Somewhere you'll never find it." Lucas answered.
"Whatever." Dyson stepped up to him. "We got all the time in the world, unlike you." Dyson sniffed. "I can already smell that corpse starting to rot. A few more hours and it'll be so decomposed, you won't be able to stay in it."
"If you don't get back to your own body soon, Lucas, you'll be worm food. Like all of your little human puppets." Bo continued. "Or hey, how about I lock you in one those body drawers, huh? It's a hell of way to spend your final hours."
"He forced me into Roger's corpse. Fixed the bet at Mayer's, said if I didn't trick that old bookie, I wouldn't get my body back." Lucas answered and explained.
"Who would that 'he' be?" Danielle asked him.
"This is Lucas. Your body jumper." Bo declared once they arrived at Mayer's. "He's here to tell us who ripped you off."
"He better." Mayer looked up at Lucas.
"You gonna let us in?" Bo asked him.
"You two, yes. Him, no." Mayer answered.
"There's rules, Bo. Dark and Light don't mingle. They barely do at the Dal," Dani said to Bo.
"I can't enter without his permission." Dyson added.
"I don't want him knowing my business." Mayer said.
"And I don't want the Ash knowing that I was involved in it." Dyson said back.
"So, you both stay quiet. Everybody wins." Bo suggested.
"Or they could do that." Dani nodded in agreement.
"On your blood honor." Mayer offered his arm to Dyson. The latter met him halfway and they shook hands. "Bad peace is better than good war."
They all continued further into the small restaurant. Seymour, Mayer's nephew was sitting at the table cleaning his nails. "What's with the meat delivery?" He asked seeing Lucas' new body.
"You don't recognize him." Danielle rested a hand on his shoulder and leveled down her head to his. "It's a shame, isn't it Bo?"
"Such a shame." Bo took over, she too levelling her head to his. "Come on, don't you recognize your buddy Lucas, uh, Seymour? The jig is up."
"You?" Mayer looked down at his nephew actually stunned. Stunned to see that the nephew that he considered completely incapable of doing anything, betted against him.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Seymour said with panic in his voice, standing up.
"Can't be."
"Believe it, pal." Lucas confirmed what Mayer already knew but didn't want to believe. "Seymour and his buddy hired me. My real body's in car."
"Stupid corpse jockey." Seymour insulted Lucas. "This wouldn't have happened if you weren't so stupid."
"Uh, pot, meet kettle." Bo chimed in.
"Drek Fresser." Mayer exclaimed.
"You never let me do anything." Seymour defended himself.
"My sister's only son. I taught you everything but common sense." And Mayer slapped Seymour. "Three hundred years, you finally grow a backbone and you can only use it to usurp your own uncle?" Danielle grew uncomfortable at seeing Seymour being scolded in such ways. Sure, he deserved it, somehow. But Mayer could have waited instead of doing this in front of the crowd.
"All I wanted was some respect." Seymour said weakly.
"Respect? You're dead to me." Mayer declared. One of Mayer's men forced Seymour down into his seat.
"I guess I'll go collect the body of evidence." Dyson said pulling Lucas with him.
"My throat is still hurting me." Danielle said to Bo.
"At least, it's not bruised." Bo replied. Both Faes turned around when they heard footsteps. "Kenzi?" Dyson was back accompanied by Kenzi. "What are you doing here?"
"He texted." Was Kenzi's response. "We, uh, we text."
"Yeah, you know." Dyson continued. "Yeah, back up."
"Weirdo." Bo commented as Dani threw her arm around Kenzi's shoulders
"Ah, he's not so bad." Kenzi retorted, her arm around Dani's waist.
"I was talking about you freak." Bo clarified. "So, Seymour, uh?"
"He's a traitor. My own flesh and blood." Mayer said.
"Well, we all have family issues." Dani exhaled. "What are your plans for Seymour?"
"Put him somewhere safe, what else?" Mayer replied. "You're more familiar with the Light. My side…we don't believe in mercy. He's family." Mayer explained. "So, you promise not to tell, I'll let you see the oracle."
"'Let' my balls, buddy." Kenzi intervened. "That was the first deal. She made good on it. You want Bo to keep your little secret, that's a whole new shebang." Dani looked proudly at her friend.
"What do you want?" Mayer asked.
"I'll take the debt." Bo said. "You never know when I might need to collect on your blood honor."
"Ah ah, you're not too bad for a succubus." Mayer chuckled impressed by Bo.
"You're not so bad yourself, considering you're Dark Fae." Bo complimented back.
"So, join us." Mayer suggested.
"I'm not picking sides." Bo reminded him. "At least, not until I find out about my parents."
"Cassie's in the back." Bo glanced at her friends, they both nodded reassuringly at her, and Bo disappeared in the back.
Kenzi sat down at the table and took one of the spring rolls. Mayer slid his hand down Kenzi's and brought it to his lips. "Mm, I like to feed off you." Mayer said. Dani looked at him ready to do anything if he ever tried to.
"Yea, I'd make a bad snack." Kenzi replied. "I never had much luck."
"You taste like a survivor." Mayer informed her. "Well, if I can't eat you, maybe I can use you, if you need a job."
"I got a job, but thanks." Kenzi smiled at him. She got up and Dani followed her in the back.
"Do not tell anyone that just happened." Kenzi and Danielle heard Cassie said to Bo.
"What does it mean?" Bo asked her.
"You're a major player." Cassie continued. "Fate has some serious plans for you." She wiped the blood on her face. "Later." And she left.
Kenzi and Danielle exchanged a look before going up to Bo. "So?" Bo shook her head.
"Bo, it's okay. We'll get the answers you're looking for…just not today." Dani told her.
"Maybe it's better not knowing." Kenzi added. "Family…it's…it's complicated."
"She's alive." Bo cut them off. "My mother's alive."