Chapter 25 – Much to Do

  “A lot of things have happened that are lost to time. Or, more accurately, those that know aren’t talking.” – Jay to Penny on the subject of half breeds.

  Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, click. Val fired all five rounds out of the little J-frame that she had been issued as an off duty carry piece. Then her, Kurt and Alec walked the ten yards down range and inspected the cardboard tombstone target.

  “Yeah, that won’t due.” Kurt said after counting four holes that were all over the cardboard target. He put some paper patches over the holes, refreshing the surface.

  “What do you expect. They put some full-bore shit in that and have absolutely no work done to the trigger.” Alec said. “Least they could do would be to issue something appropriate for that short barrel.”

  They then trooped back to the van that Alec had brought out to the range they had set up. He had been more than willing to bring out a few of the used guns from the shop and some of his own to let Val try. Kurt had wanted Penny to come too but they couldn’t get her out on such short notice.

  “So, Val, have you done much with pistols or mostly rifle? I know we handled that rift together, but you only used a rifle.”

  “Some.” She answered, opening the cylinder of her revolver and hit the ejector rod, clearing the empty casings. “We shot some of the popur service guns like Glock’s and Berettas. I liked the Glocks, but they are a little big for me to conceal.”

  “You still want nine mil?” Alec asked while rubbing at his chin.

  “What do you use Kurt?” Val said.

  Kurt looked up from where he was inspecting the box of ammo the order had issued her. “Ten mil and some spicy stuff.”

  Alec chuckled. “Yeah, fuck that. Kurt gets away with that because he is a bit of a freak to handle recoil and is thin enough to easily hide it.” He turned around and began rummaging in the drawers he had in the Van. “How about this?”

  He pulled out a Glock, but it was one of the newer models, not at all like the model twenty that Kurt carried. Val leaned in and took a look, reading the ‘48’ on the slide. It was bck on bck and had a rail under the barrel. The sights were a fiberoptic front with bcked out rear but there was something a little extra hanging off the back.

  Val poked the little fp of pstic. “What’s this?”

  Alec expined it was called the ‘gadget’ and was an addition to the gun to prevent accidental discharges when re-holstering. Apparently, it was a trade in that the customer had decked out through them but wanted something different in the end.

  “Standard magazine is ten rounds, so double that of your little snub. But the dude that had us put it together also had us order in the fifteen round mags. Comes with six of those and the mag catch is already installed.”

  Handing Val the gun and a couple loaded mags, Alec told her to go and give it a try. She tested the trigger a few times before trying live ammo, getting a feel for the much lighter and shorter pull. Feeling good, she shoved the magazine in and racked the slide without any trouble.

  Emptying a magazine at the target slowly, Val got a feel for the recoil. She liked it a lot more than the snappy and painful experience from the revolver. She was able to fire at the same rate as her old gun, but all the shots managed to stay within a fist sized group at the same distance.

  “Looks like that’s already a better option.” Alec said. Kurt nodded along.

  Val nodded and walked back to the van. “I like it a lot, but should we try some others? Just to be sure and all.”

  Alec didn’t have any issues with that and handed her a variety of the comparable options from other companies and even a few other Glocks. They tried full size guns, carry guns and everything in between that Alec could cram into his cargo van. None of them shot quite as well as the 48 but she did fine one other little gem.

  “Its so tiny.” Val said while holding the little model 42.

  “That’s the three-eighty?” Kurt asked, looking to Alec.

  “Yup, personally I like them. Sure the three-eighty isn’t a power house but that doesn’t matter as much when you can stack rounds quick. It’s got six round mags so we can get you up to seven if you carry with one in the chamber…”

  “As if there is any other way.” Kurt interjected.

  “Ha, exactly. Anyway, get a plus one extension on the mags and one in the pipe gets you to eight rounds. Makes a nice little pocket gun.” He then looked Val up and down. “Or, if you are in skintight clothes.” He waved a hand at her.

  Val looked down at herself and the outfit she had on. Jeans, a tight tank top and sneakers was the go to outfit tely. “That brings up a good point. How do I carry this? They issued leather inside the waistband holsters for us in the order.”

  “I am kind of hoping that wont be a problem after tomorrow.” Kurt said, thinking he could make another ring that afternoon and perhaps two the day after.

  Their dwarf companion squinted at him. “What you cooking up over there?” He asked.

  Kurt smirked and stared back at him. “Make you a deal, you come over for dinner tonight, bring that gal pal of yours. I grill, we have some drinks and at some point, I show you what I came up with.”

  Alec huffed. “I don’t know what would be worth driving all the way up there for, but free dinner and drinks are worth it.”

  “I’ll get your favorites on the way home, so you have extra incentive.”

  His eyes widened. “That’s a pricy bottle.” He said, his voice carrying some doubt.

  Val chose that moment to interject. “Certain celebrations are worth any expense.” She said it like it was a common expression and she was just repeating it.

  “Alright you got a deal. Lets call it seven even for the two guns and all the stuff that comes with.” Alec held out his hand to Val.

  “Deal.” She said and shook hands with him. “Cash when you come in tonight?”

  That worked just fine for Alec, and he packed up and drove off, leaving Kurt and Val to make their own way home. Clearly the prospect of a home cooked meal and good booze was enough to light a fire under his butt.

  They headed back to Petoskey, stopping at the grocery store, an ATM and a local liquor store. They stopped in town for lunch on the way before heading home. The bottle of scotch was almost as expensive as the guns that Val had picked but Kurt didn’t mind. He took the opportunity to stock up on a few other things as well, making sure to get some of his favorites.

  Once back in the house, Kurt went downstairs and spent the next several hours making a second ring. The process was just the same as the one that Jay took, and the end result was an identical ring. He pnned on giving this one to Alec, making ones for Val and himself the following day.

  Just over three hours ter, Kurt was walking back into the living room to find Val on her tablet. She was talking to someone but said her goodbye’s after seeing him. Kurt looked around as he walked toward her.

  “Did you clean?” He could faintly smell cleaning products as he stepped into the kitchen.

  “Well, I tried to. Really, I think I just sterilized is all. Seriously I didn’t find any dirt or dust on the floor and the counters were spotless.” She huffed before giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Another one done?”

  “Yeah, I was going to give it to Alec if you are ok with it. I can make ours tomorrow.”

  She nodded. “Fine with me. Honestly, I love that you are so considerate, but you have already given me a lot so…”

  “Val, you are getting the best. Both of us are getting the best I can make because our lives might depend on it.” He wrapped her in a hug. “Besides, its only a slight investment of time. Not like I am spending millions on this stuff.”

  She smiled back at him, and he answered her other question. “Also, you probably won’t have to clean anything. Well, unless we spill or make a major mess. When I had all the pieces of the house id out before assembling, I enchanted the counters, floors, walls, toilet and just about everything I could. They all have a rune symbolizing ‘cleanliness’ etched on them. Its not super powerful or fast acting but keeps up with the day to day.”

  “Is that why my room in the order was always so clean despite me never really doing much?” She asked, thinking back to how little she actually had to maintain it.

  Kurt shrugged. “It would be my guess, but I also have no idea how that pce operates.”

  They both turned their attention to the driveway as they heard a car coming. After a moment, a newer orange Subaru was making its way over the slight rise and stopped in front of the house. They saw Alec climb out of the driver’s seat and his ‘gal pal’ getting out of the passenger side. Kurt had never met her before and wasn’t sure what he expected but it wasn’t this.

  Where Alec was shorter and of light complexion, his hair nearly blond and with modest features, his girlfriend was… not that. She was tall and of a bronzed skin tone with bck hair styled into a high ponytail. She wore a light summer dress that reached her knees and sandals on her feet. Golden jewelry could be seen on wrists, neck, ears and even a ring in her nostril.

  They both walked up the steps and Kurt opened the door to let them in. “Kurt, Val this is Na’Sec. Na, this is Kurt, old friend from the army, and Val, a new friend through Kurt.” Alec did the introductions after they stepped inside.

  Kurt held out his hand to Na’Sec. “Nice to finally meet you.” He smirked. “Alec has mentioned you but was always vague on the details.”

  She shook his hand and returned the smile. “Just call me Na. It seems our experience is vastly different since he wont shut up about his buddy Kurt.” Her smile wavered a bit and she seemed to stare through him. “Half elf? But..” she trailed off.

  “Wolf.” Kurt said simply. “Pretty keen sense for a jinn.” He had picked up on what she was pretty quick. He had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting a few over the years. Her smell of spices and a faint metallic tang was the dead giveaway.

  She smirked before greeting Val. “And you are? Kitsune and Elf?” She looked between the two of them before turning her attention squarely on Alec. “What exactly is going on here?” she sounded confused and anxious at the same time.

  “Just dinner with my friend and his girl.” He patted the air between them. “Kurt had something to show me but its just an excuse for us to hang out.”

  “Oh? What exactly is he going to show you?” She sounded genuinely curious, her confusion evaporating and being repced with an intense desire to know more.

  The experience summed up what Kurt knew of jinn. They were often considered capricious or fickle but in reality, it was them being driven by emotions. They usually had a dominant one that they defaulted to, but they were generally like any other person, well, any other paranormal.

  “Hells if I know but he did promise me something to wet my whistle.” Alec said, bouncing his eyebrows at Kurt. “Well, that and dinner which is usually a treat when he is cookin. So, what’s on the menu?”

  Val snorted and led them into the kitchen where Kurt had just pulled out what they prepped earlier. He pced the tray on the counter for them to see. He had made a recipe that he had seen before but altered it to suit his needs.

  “Steak pinwheels. It’s a skirt steak, rolled around bell pepper and onion, pinned together then sliced into these rolls. I made enough for each of us to have at least 2. Half are marinated and half are dry seasoned.” He took pride in his colorful creation and saw both Val and Alec looking on appreciatively. Na looked on with her curiosity but not much more.

  “For sides I have some dinner rolls and some fresh fruit. Nothing fancy but I feel it will be enough to satisfy.” Kurt finished and Alec gave him the side eye.

  “No apps?” he asked. “This is very…”

  It couldn’t have been timed any better as Alec was interrupted by the oven timer going off and Val skipping over to the oven. She withdrew a tray that had a row of piping hot hors devours.

  “Fresh, asparagus spears wrapped in a twist of puff pastry and bacon. Seasoned with coarse salt and ground pepper.” Val said while setting the tray on a cooling rack in front of them. Alec reached a hand forward, but she smacked it with her oven mitt. “Careful, they’re hot.”

  Alec chuckled and withdrew his hand to wait patiently. “Got yourself a real winner there.”

  Kurt just ughed while starting to sear the pinwheels on skillet before putting them in the oven. Val had brought out refreshments for everyone and they sipped their drinks while snacking on the tasty starters. They all seemed to like the dish, even Na who didn’t look so sure before her first bite.

  Soon it was time and they sat down at the table for the actual dinner. Val and Alec tucked in instantly. They both groaned at their first bites of the steak, immediately cutting off a second bit. Na inspected hers carefully before taking a tentative nibble. Her eyes widened and she quickly fell in line with the others.

  “Mm. This is amazing.” The jinn commented. “What are the seasonings?” she asked pointing at her half-eaten pinwheel with the dry seasonings.

  “Honestly its just salt, pepper and a little garlic powder with a dash of cayenne pepper to offset the mildness of the veggies. I think the big thing is the initial sear and a baste with garlic butter in the oven.”

  “Can you please just give me the recipe for this and your appetizer?” She asked in her sweetest voice.

  Kurt ughed and promised to let her leaf through his recipe binder and copy anything she wanted. They finished dinner with pleasant chit-chat and a little banter between Kurt and Alec. It was a rather enjoyable meal for everyone, and they moved back to the living room to let their food settle.

  “Hey, Kurt, Na brought hookah if your cool with it.” Alec said while resting his hands on his lightly distended stomach. “We can set it outside if you prefer.”

  “What’s hookah?” Val asked from her spot next to Kurt, having adopted a pose simir to Alec’s.

  “A sort of communal tobacco pipe.” Na answered. “These two apparently liked it when they were younger. It can be really rexing in the right atmosphere.”

  Kurt hadn’t smoked in a long time, much less out of such an involved apparatus. “Sure, bring it in. I can turn on the ceiling vent fans. That should take care of it.”

  Na stood and went out to the car, returning with a rge metal case. She set up on the coffee table while Kurt and Alec rearranged the furniture. Val watched intently as the device was set up, her eyes never once straying.

  Kurt and Alec went to the kitchen and got a round of drinks for everyone. They finally broke into the scotch that had been standing like a trophy on the counter. They took an appreciative sip and sighed while returning to the now lit hookah.

  Val sniffed as he sat down, and her eyes locked on the gss in his hand. Rolling his eyes, Kurt let her have a taste and immediately regretted the decision as he saw her face. There was no chance of him getting that back. He just went back to the pantry and poured a gss of the vodka he recently bought.

  Na on the other hand had another gss of wine and was reclining back against the couch as she took a drag of the fragrant tobacco. She sighed appreciatively and passed her hose and mouthpiece to Alec.

  Kurt took a pull as well and had to admit, he kind of missed the taste of good tobacco. He naturally didn’t have the same reaction as others since he was a lycan and the chemical didn’t st long in his system. Really, he drank and smoked for the taste and secondary effects more than anything.

  They all sat for several minutes, enjoying the quiet company. Val seemed enamored with the hookah and, after a brief coughing fit, took a liking to the experience. Finally, someone had to break the silence. That someone wasn’t Alec but his ever-inquisitive girlfriend.

  “So, Kurt, as much as I have enjoyed the dinner and company, which I hope to make a more frequent occurrence, what was the other thing you wanted to show Alec?” Na asked.

  “It’s gotta be some new magical gadget.” Alec said. When Na looked over to him, he expined. “Remember how I told you that Kurt here is an enchanter? He’s the one I got that ring from.”

  Val perked up and held out her arm. “And he made this magical focus for me. Took him all of, like two hours.” She absolutely beamed with secondhand pride.

  Na smiled as they shared. “While the ring is nice, I have seen the like before. My uncle is a bit of a collector and often commissions work like these.” She took another drag on the tobacco. “He just commissioned a bag of holding and should have it some time next summer from what he says.”

  Alec sat up and leaned in. “Alright, out with it.” He set his drink down while Na picked hers up and sipped from it while watching with a raised eyebrow.

  Val and Kurt shared a look then a nod and smirk. Kurt held out his right hand with the ring on his middle finger. Turning it over he picked up the empty gss in front of him and held it so both Na and Alec could see.

  “Swear to keep it a secret?” he asked as he stood and stepped into an empty spot in the room.

  “I swear on my family’s halls. You know you can trust me.” Alec said with a snort.

  Na blinked and nodded. “I swear by my ancestors that I will bear your secret to the grave unless you say otherwise.” She said confidently, smirking like she knew what he was about to do and took another sip of her wine.

  Kurt stored the gss into his ring. He then resummoned it and set it on the table, making sure to let it thump into pce.

  “A cute trick and…” Na began but was cut off as Kurt then summoned something that hadn’t been in the room.

  From the ring came a pillow, couch cushions, a chair, and finally a bottle of beer that he popped the top from and handed to the stunned dwarf. He summoned another, popped the top and clinked Alec’s before taking a sip and walking back to his spot near val.

  Both him and Val grinned at the stunned pair. Alec’s mouth was hanging open while Na’s hand tightened on her winegss to the point he thought it might shatter. He took the ring off and set it on the table right in front of Alec before taking his seat next to Val. They had pnned to just let the two come to grips with the development so now it was a waiting game.