Page 28 of Magic and Medicine

Nadolny welcomed me with a scowl, surrounded by henchmen who prevented me from approaching him. As I looked at their raised palms, my gaze slid to their free hands, each one disappearing into the open jackets they all wore. With a raised eyebrow, I turned to my host, waiting for his next move, gathering power as I did. As the tension rose, I slowly raised my hands, palms up in a gesture of non-aggression, hoping Nadolny’s men wouldn’t start shooting.

‘You know that won’t work, so don’t allow anger to cost you the lives of your men. I am here to talk peacefully.’ Somehow, I kept the anger from my voice, knowing I still needed this man’s resources and not wanting to cause unnecessary bloodshed. Instead, I pushed my magic into the surrounding concrete, the cold dead material sprouting moss and grass at my command.

‘Who torched my building? It happened right after you sent me that ridiculous warning. Am I to believe it was a coincidence?’ he said, pacing like a caged tiger, but he sent his men out of the room with a wave of his hand.

‘I don’t know, but if it’s any consolation, there was an explosion on a ship I contracted for the amber shipment, and it happened at the same time I was scheduled to inspect the cargo.’ I smirked, ‘Maybe you are covering your tracks, and you used my email as an excuse for war?’

We both knew he wouldn’t hesitate to do precisely that if the circumstances fit, but the gang leader knew I wouldn’t be there if I believed he had.

‘My apologies, Forest Lord. Please have a seat, and let’s discuss our problem. As I’m not tree fertiliser, I’m guessing you think it’s this new player.’ Nadolny looked far more confident now that the posturing was finished, and smiling, I sat on the nearest chair. He chuckled. ‘Yes, I know how you dispose of your enemies.’

‘Better than polluting the Motlawa,’ I replied, shrugging.

‘Fish have to eat, too. So someone wants to kill you and put me out of business, or perhaps set each of us against the other while they wait in the background, ready to collect the spoils of war.’ Pouring himself a good measure of whisky, the gangster proffered the bottle, taking it away when I refused.

‘It appears so. Not to mention someone dressed like your staff delivered a package to my Sara.’

‘That would explain the message, but do you really think me that stupid?’

Alone in the private space of his office, we didn’t have to posture, and talking to the man who, in a way, shared my troubles was surprisingly liberating.

‘No, you are not that stupid. How else could you learn of the Nether?’ I asked because he’d known for decades, and I’d never discovered how. Nadolny brushed his hair away from his ears, and then I saw the slightly pointed tips, easy to hide in the longer style.

‘Half of whatever mongrel slummed it with a human prostitute. I am simply a product of the times, as they say.’ He said it with a shrug, and I changed the subject.

‘Do you have any leads on our adversary?’ I asked, and he shook his head.

‘If I knew, they would already be feeding the fish. A whole warehouse of alcohol and cigarettes went up in a puff of smoke, almost half a million in goods. It feels like they want control of the docks, and while I can weather such a loss, it is a major inconvenience, but if it happens again, let’s say my business may suffer. I’m being honest with you because I appreciate your reasonable, non-aggressive approach, which allows me to pursue my different fields of interest. I doubt your replacement would be as generous.’

‘Your first mistake is the assumption there could be a replacement. Second? That you think me malleable.’ Was it time to end this business arrangement? I wondered, but Nadolny smirked.

‘I kissed your woman and lived.’ He said, and I shook my head, hands clenched at the mere reminder he touched her, but my anger was toned down by the following statement. ‘I have businesses operating in your territory, and as much as it pains me to admit it, I know they still exist because you allow it. Not that this admission will ever see the light of the day,’ he said, and his answer made me return his smirk. Nadolny was as cunning as I thought him to be. He also knew his place in the pecking order, so I was more than willing to keep the pretence going.

‘The woman you saw me with, Sara? She was targeted after visiting this club before my men knew of her existence. I want to hear from you she is safe from your men and that you will investigate how our enemy knew her address so quickly.’

‘I knew there was more to that woman than a pretty face. You’ve never once gotten close to a female in all the years I’ve known you. I understand your feelings, but attachments make you vulnerable. I would advise you to treat her less favourably. Some people don’t have my principles and don’t know what you really are.’ I hid my surprise at Nadolny’s advice and readied myself to leave.

‘If you hear anything, I trust you’ll inform me or take action to eliminate the threat. As for your warning, I will give you one in exchange. Double your guard on any businesses in the harbour. It was an acolyte of Czernobog that threatened Sara, and there is little doubt our adversary is involved. I will let you know as soon as we discover more information and send someone to place wards around your warehouses. It won’t help much against physical attacks, but it will help lessen the threat from magic.’ I rose quickly, eager to leave.

Nadolny nodded, but I saw the corner of his mouth lift. ‘Thank you. You have my word that neither I nor my men touched your precious morsel, but it doesn’t mean she is safe. I will investigate any information leaks from my side, but it is more likely they are monitoring our movements, and since the last assassination failed… your Sara might be next. Grieving men have no heart to fight wars.’

‘But avenging spirits do. Anyone who harms her will die, and it won’t be quick or civilised. Thank you for your advice, though. It is a good start to our new arrangement.’

Without a second glance, I headed back to the car. Sara would finish work in two hours, and I wanted to look at the ship before picking her up.

As I pulled up to the harbour master’s office, the poor man was visibly upset, gesticulating wildly in front of Adam. When the distressed official noticed my arrival, the blood drained from his face, his hands dropped to his sides, and he stuttered an apology for wasting my time, assuring me the cargo was safe and stored far from the incident. Once he was finished, I nodded to Adam, watching as a brown envelope changed hands, and we headed toward the ship. My second turned toward me when we were out of earshot, cursing angrily.

‘The bastards were trying to kill us, well, you. The hold was engulfed instantly, several explosions cutting off the escape routes simultaneously. No one could have survived that; even you would have struggled, especially so isolated from the earth. There were several victims, all sent to the port hospital. Well, that’s what I heard, at least, but I’d have to confirm that, and no one is able to speak. There were no other witnesses, so we’re stuck until someone wakes up or the police find something.’

I had to fight the urge to investigate myself. Fire, out of everything, they chose fire, simultaneously isolating me from my source. That information was not well known. Only the oldest beings, those involved in creating the Nether, knew how to destroy my physical body. What the fuck is going on? I thought, struggling with my temper.

‘Who’s on the inside?’ I asked, knowing Adam must have arranged for someone to be on the investigation team, checking what the local authorities missed.

‘One of the wolves is an arson investigator. She knows what’s needed and has Michal’s number as well as mine, just in case. If Nadolny thinks he can get away with this, I’d happily pay him a visit.’ I could hear the bloodlust in Adam’s voice and laid a hand on his shoulder.

‘Hold your fangs. Nadolny had nothing to do with this,’ I said, squeezing his shoulder. The frown Adam gave me after flicking his gaze to my hand made me smile, and it widened as the red hue faded from his eyes.

‘I know you are trying to avoid gang warfare, but who else could it be? He is the only one strong enough to attempt a takeover and knows about magic. He even forced Sara to kiss him in front of everyone. Leszek, don’t tell me you’re letting him get away with this. If you won’t confront him, I will. That way, you can blame me for it.’

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