“Bro, I can’t believe we’re going to meet Lucas Lum,” the voice of Rafe the goblin snickered from behind the white tablecloth. “I love his movies! They’re some of the most fucked-up things I’ve ever seen. Over-the-top violence, sex, full-frontal nudity… It’s like a wishlist ripped straight out of my own mind.” “Enjoy his work while you can,” Logan replied with a chuckle as he gently leaned against the room service cart. “He’s dark elve and we’re going to drive him into an early retirement.” “Uh, Logan?” Rafe’s tiny paws brushed the tablecloth aside. “Are we going to poison his dinner or something? Why am I hiding in a room service cart? And what’s up with your fancy outfit?” For this occasion, Logan wore a white dress shirt with a black tie and black dress pants. It was simple, but it was the same uniform worn by employees of the Royal Palms Resort, so it made for the perfect disguise. Nobody had even tried to stop him when he waltzed into the kitchen area and
“That’s our cue,” Logan nodded to Rafe, reached up, and then grabbed a silver platter. “Ready to put on your disguise?” “Dude, playing food?” he said as he climbed up onto the top layer of the cart. “This is the role of a lifetime. Contrary to popular belief, Logan didn’t just sit backstage and smoke pot his entire time in Drama Club.” “Of course not, he also was back there eating anything edible,” Logan laughed as he opened the tray and the goblin hopped in. “Guilty as charged.” Rafe’s voice was cut off as Logan placed the lid over his small body. Logan took a deep breath and then began to push Rafe’s makeshift chariot toward Lum’s room. The wheels of the room service cart squealed as they rolled through the bowels of the resort. The concrete hallways were littered with trash, broken glassware, and more carts than one could ever possibly need. Then there was the smell, a mixture of sweet, discarded desserts from the function the night bef
“Of course I do.” Beth crossed her arms in annoyance. “I was—It’s just—” “I found it!” Rafe exclaimed as he came running back to their side with what Logan assumed was Lucas Lum’s cell phone in his hand. His actions brought everyone’s attention off Beth and onto the newfound clue. The goblin handed the device to Logan and he clicked the button on the side. “Damn, it’s locked,” Logan sighed. “Any ideas on what his password could be?” “That’s easy,” Rafe said, placing both hands on his hips. “Try ‘696969.’” “There is no way his password is ‘696969,’” Logan laughed as he punched in the numbers. “See? It’s—” The password was accepted, and he now had access to the phone of one of Hollywood’s biggest movie producers. “You can thank me later, bro,” Rafe chuckled. “Preferably with nachos.” “I guess pervs all think alike,” Kelda joked with an eye roll. “Seriously, I probably would have taken that asshole out even if he wasn’t a demon. Cr
Shadow, our black Jeep Wrangler we’d picked up back in Boston, glided down the desert highway at breakneck speed toward Robert Quinn’s mansion. A bit of research had told us that the CEO owned a vacation home here in Phoenix and that he was currently in town for some major tech conference. “There’s something I’m still not getting, Jakey.” Rafe raised his hand from the passenger seat as if he were a kid in grade school, so I gave him a nod to continue. “Why would Anton Blum be in contact with the CEO of a tech company? I know they’re both demons and all, but there’s not, like, some giant group chat of Magicspawns or anything… is there?” “It is strange,” Kelda said from the backseat. “Most dark elves are egotistical and stubborn. They hate each other for the most part and only get together when they have to work toward a common purpose.” “In short, dark elves are assholes.” Abina shrugged. “But you of all people should already know that, Logan.” “I th
Logan jokingly interjected to change the subject, breaking the silence. “What’s with all the security? Afraid Bill Gates is coming to take out the competition?” The first guard let out a weary sigh, his expression unamused. “I would hold my tongue once you get inside,” he warned, motioning for Logan and his companions to follow. “Mr. Quinn isn’t really one for jokes.” The second guard rapped on the large door, a specific pattern of four knocks followed by six more. There was a muffled mechanical sound as a deadbolt unlocked, and the door creaked open slowly. “Follow me, and don’t wander off,” the guard stationed behind the door instructed, gesturing for them to enter. The four of them crossed the threshold into the mansion, their eyes immediately filled with awe. Throughout the expansive dwelling, pristine white marble floors adorned with gray specks stretched before them. Just beyond the front entrance, a grand two-way staircase soared upward, a
“Am I that bad of an actor?” Logan shrugged and tensed his body. “Word travels quickly in the dark elves world, Logan,” Quinn said as he shook his head and laughed. “Did you really think I wouldn’t know the man who banished Azar? I’m sure you thought you’d waltz right in here and kill me like you’ve done to so many of my brethren.” “You can’t blame a guy for trying,” Logan said as his eyes darted around for the first hint of the trap Quinn had no doubt set. “You ain’t as clever as you think you are,” Quinn continued. “Dark elve hunters have been trying to kill me ever since the Vatican discovered our little secret way back when. But now? You’ve walked right into my trap. I’ve had a sniper with enchanted bullets aiming at you this entire time, and your elves are being apprehended by my men as we speak.” “You sure about that?” Logan raised an eyebrow. “My women are tough as nails. The three of them have more balls than you’ll ever have.” “That’s amusing,
Logan whistled out to Beth, and a black beam of Magicfire shot across the landscape and engulfed the elve. Instantly, the red Magicfire walls disappeared with a puff of smoke.He looked up at Quinn, whose body was now surrounded by a dark flame, and saw that he was trying to run. Logan reached out, caught him with a jade spell, and then tossed him back toward the house.The elve's body smashed through the sliding glass door as if it were made of cardboard and then disappeared from view. “Excellent work, guys,” Logan called out as the four of them ran toward the mansion. “Now we just need to make sure Rafe did his part!” As he dashed through the broken glass of the sliding door, a wide grin spread across his face when he saw that his best friend had set up his trap. Robert Quinn was frozen in midair above a Key of Solomon that had been scratched into the kitchen floor. The asshole grimaced and tensed as he tried to free himself, but his powers were com
“Rafester, out!” the goblin threw up his arms in confusion and then booked it down the tile path. “Is that okay, master?” Beth purred. “I, uhhh sure. You can watch.” “Of course it is!” Kelda said slyly. “On one condition. You have to join us next time.” “We’ll see, Kelda,” the redhead protested. “For now, I just want to see how this mortal performs.” “Oh, you won’t be disappointed,” Abina cooed. “Hop in, Logan. The water is lovely.” Logan walked toward the edge of the pool, but Kelda stopped him.“Aren’t you forgetting something?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.“Oh yeah.” He slid his boxers down his legs and tossed them off to the side. Beth let out an audible gasp of surprise from behind him, and the eyes of the two elves in the pool lit up with hunger. “I told you he was big,” Kelda smirked. “But not—Holy fuck!” Beth covered her mouth as the curse slipped out. “Wow, Logan.” Abina laughed. “Your