Free Night's Pawn by Tom Dowd Page A

near the door. There was another hiss, and Cara could see a crack of light appear around it. She held her breath.
    "We should be fine; it's been long enough." He swung the breakfront away and stepped into the room. With the seal broken and the door open, they could hear the faint sounds of a fire truck siren. "Time to leave," Chase said.
    Cara followed him out, grabbing the pile of stuff she'd carried in with her. "Church," she said.
    He turned. She'd stopped just outside the room and was standing there holding her belongings tight against her. She was still wearing her body suit, and Chase could see the fear in her eyes. "They've got magic… they're going to kill us…"
    Chase wanted to walk over to her, take her in his arms, hold her, tell her everything was going to be fine. She needed him, and he could comfort her. Chase wanted to, but suddenly he was afraid to cross that distance, to take those steps.
    Instead he measured his words as carefully as possible. "I won't lie to you, Cara. I don't know what to do. But I know someone who will."

7
    "Farraday!"
    Chase burst through the doors of the talismonger shop only a few steps behind the wind from the street. He moved quickly into the shop, looking everywhere. Following close on his heels, Cara shut the door behind them. The store resembled an old-fashioned bookshop, except that the shelves were stacked with odd items and artifacts of the occult as well as books. Cara looked around wide-eyed.
    "Farraday!" yelled Chase again.
    "Up here," came a voice, high and odd.
    Chase and Cara both looked up. A man squatted atop one of the high bookcases, his tall, lanky frame crunched tight beneath the ceiling. A row of newly made Amerindian medicine shields hung from the walls near him. Several more, still wrapped in plastic, lay on top of the bookcase in front of him. "I wanted to see who it was before I said anything."
    "I'm screwed, my friend. I need your help," said Chase.
    Cara gasped, and Chase took a step back as Farraday virtually let himself tip off the top of the bookcase. He didn't move, but his body twisted in flight, end over end, completing the flip just as he reached the ground. He landed on his feet and bent with the impact, the many fetishes and trinkets on his leather vest bouncing merrily. He grinned. His face was long and tight, with oversized dark eyes nearly the color of his short-spiked black hair. A long, thin ribbon of red and gold metal dangled from one ear. "Cat fall," he said, still crouched. "You like it? Bought the spell yesterday; locked it on me right away. Never can tell around here."
    "Good move," said Chase. "I've got magic problems."
    Farraday rose gracefully to his full height. "Don't we all."
    "I think I'm being traced, me and the girl." Cara gave Chase a look as he continued. "An elf mage got hold of some strands of our hair and we're sure he plans to use them to trace us."
    Farraday nodded. "Ritual sorcery. Easy."
    Chase winced. "Thanks. Just what I needed to hear."
    The magician shrugged. "Sorry, I find circumspection morally repulsive."
    "Me too, you smelly bag of shit. Can you help me or not?"
    "There are things that can be done, yes," Farraday said, smiling. He turned and held one hand up, the index finger beckoning them to follow him to the back. Chase did as he was bid, as did Cara, who kept him between her and the magician.
    "Church," she said quietly. "I…"
    Farraday stopped suddenly and his index finger ceased twitching. "Wait," he said without turning, head tilted slightly. "Where did they get the hair?"
    "From the shower drain," Chase told him.
    The magician turned slightly, the glint in one eye clearly visible. "Not from a hair brush?"
    Chase shook his head. "My hair's too short. I don't bother." He looked at Cara.
    "Um, yes," she said. "I use a brush."
    The light in Farraday's eyes dimmed.
    "But I had it with me; I grabbed it before we went into the secret closet."
    Farraday grinned again and gave Chase a speculative look before