Tommy
Blue, the bogget that Tammy knew, was sitting at the end of the bar, idly humming to himself as he tapped the pint glass that seemed oddly big in his hand. Letting my eyes adjust to the dim light, I stared at him.
How anyone thought he was human was beyond me. He was short, maybe a little over five feet, and he looked like a gnome. All massive nose and weathered skin. It made me glad that my kind at least had good looks in my human form. Blue looked like something out of a fairy-tale.
“How the fuck does he manage in…” I hissed to Raze who brought up the rear. But I was stopped from finishing my sentence. The man’s face snapped towards me, his eyes glowing an impossible shade of green.
“Ah Bloody Bones and his pet wolf.” Blue went back to his staring, his fingers tapping on the glass in front of him.
Behind me Raze growled. He didn’t appreciate being called my pet. I didn't tell him to cool it since I wouldn't have liked it either.
“Quiet down,” the bogget laughed loudly, but not one person in the room turned their attention to him. It was like he was invisible.
Raze growled again, louder this time, and still no one turned. All eyes should have been locked onto us. Especially when a grown man in a leather cut was growling and snarling like an attack dog.
“You know me?” I took a step forward, the hair on the back of my neck rising. Something was very wrong. It wasn't just the weird man in front of me. The whole bar felt strange. I could tell that the other patrons were human, but it felt like I was looking at them through a window. No, not a window, a television set. Everything felt slightly disjointed, out of time.
“I know of you.” The creature known as Blue nodded without looking at me. “We all figured you would find us sooner or later. Not that we expected it to take you this long, or for you…” he flicked a look at Raze out of the corner of his eye, “to throw your lot in with the Legion of Vidar.” He chuckled mirthlessly. “No one expected the almighty Leviathan to get to you first. But here we are.” He spread his hands wide. “What can old Blue do for the almighty Bloody Bones of legend?”
The way he said my name made me wince. “No one calls me that anymore. I’m Tommy now.”
“Ah, yes, since Rawhead died you haven't quite been yourself have you?”
“Don't talk about my brother like you knew him,” I bit back. “And stop with the magic. Can the humans even see you?”
It had taken me a minute to realise it but as soon as I did, I could feel it everywhere. There was some kind of spell on the bar.
“They see what I want them to see. And I want them to see a strapping young man. I do like humans so very much. They are so…” he paused, his gaze travelling round the bar, “soft and willing. But if it's making you feel uncomfortable then...” With a click of his fingers, it was like the fog lifted from my vision. Everything went back to the way it should be. Everything except Blue. He still looked exactly the same.
Frowning, I slid onto the stool next to him. My eyes swept over him. “Why bother with magic?”
“It's just a simple glamour that makes me more appealing to them.” He shrugged his bony shoulders.
“Son of a bitch is using a glamour to get them into bed,” Raze hissed next to me. “I should rip his throat out.”
I agreed with him. “We can't. Not until we find out what he knows, or if he can help us.” Surprisingly, I was the voice of reason.
“That’s right,” Blue crowed triumphantly. “You listen to your master, wolf. I am the only way you are going to get anywhere near Acco and his auction.”
“Auction?”
“He is still selling firstborns then?” Raze's voice was quiet.
“He never stopped. He’s just more careful about it now. And he has a network of humans that supply him.”
“And you can get us into this auction?”
Blue laughed. “Fuck, no, but I can get you to the woman who is supplying this year’s harvest. She will be able to get you in if you are persuasive enough.”
He didn't have to elaborate. By persuasive, he meant we would need to threaten her. We had to scare this human enough that she was more frightened of me then she was of Acco. I was more than up for that job. I was a scary son of a bitch in my other form. A literal thing of nightmares. I had seen grown men piss themselves at the sight of me.
“Who is it?” Raze asked over my shoulder.
“Someone your missing girl works with.” Blue took a sip of his drink. I watched his Adam's apple bob but the liquid didn't seem to go down. A never-ending beer. We could probably do with that kind of magic back in the clubhouse, I thought absently.
“A teacher?” My eyebrows disappeared into my hairline. How was that possible? Weren't teachers meant to be good? Their whole job was to nurture children.
“Not just any teacher, the principal.” Throwing back his head, Blue laughed. “Briella’s boss is the one that gave her up. But if you wait for just a little while, she’ll turn up. She's due to be paid once the auction is over.”
