Page 94 of Outfoxed

“I’m in a hot tub, the bandages are apparently waterproof, the company’s not bad, but I wanted to ask if you might be willing to tango with a choir.”

“That depends on why.”

“They’re behind the worsening storms hitting Tulsa.”

“You have seen this while you were in the Alley?”

“I saw,” I confirmed. “I can redraw their emblem, and the feel of it put them probably in Florida somewhere, as no sane choir would go anywhere near your turf. I’d like to come visit, but I’d be bringing a little songbird with me, and I’d like to bring him out of your city alive.”

“Leash him and you may bring your toy with you. He’ll have to wear his collar with your tags on it, and I’ll send you a text with his identification number. How good are his songs?”

“He’s a quadrant master, so I’m assuming he’s at least decent. He’s a damned good poet in the Alley, too.”

“Sandro Moretti, then.”

“Yes.”

“Leash him, and I will tell my fellow queens he is yours and that my sister queen offered her approval by not challenging your sale at the auction. A simple enough thing. Have you been practicing your Voodoo?”

“Not as I should.” Honesty worked best with Ryleigh.

“You will practice with me, then, and I will ask my queens for help testing you. Ask your pet how good of a songbird he is.”

“How good are you at being a songbird, Sandro?”

“I’m good. My best trick is disruption, but I can carry a tune in a bucket without using magic as needed.”

I relayed his comments back to the Voodoo queen, who hummed before saying, “Good, good. Bring your pet, leash him before he enters the city limits, and don’t forget his tags. He must wear his collar for however long he is in the city, but you can make it as pretty as you would like. When he is not in your bedroom or with the permission of an attending queen, he must be leashed.”

My tail developed a life of its own, but thanks to the hot tub’s currents, I doubted Sandro noticed. “He’ll deal with that condition.”

“Text me to this number with the details, and I will have someone meet you when you come into the city. Can I expect you sooner than later?”

“As soon as is safe. I’ve had some trouble with infections.”

“The East is safest for you, yes. I will begin seeking out this choir. And should I find them before you arrive?”

“Silence them.”

I bet the woman smiled. “You would make a splendid little queen if you could be lured to the South to stay. I would be honored to have the teaching of you.”

“Just because they call my brand of witchery Voodoo doesn’t mean it is.”

“You know this, I know this, but you could learn my arts well given time and motivation. It would serve you well. I will, with the help of my fellow queens, silence this choir, but you will give us six months for the teaching of you—after the dust settles from their deaths and all is well in your city, of course.”

Six months of time in New Orleans was a small price to pay. “You’ll have to teach my pet, too,” I countered, as only a fool bargained with one of the queens without making demands.

Otherwise, she would win without peer.

“Then you best make his collar very comfortable. We have a deal. Keep in touch.” Ryleigh hung up, and I returned the phone to Sandro’s mother.

“Well?”

“The Voodoo queens will deal with the choir, but I have to put up with them for six months, and my pet will be taught some new tricks of his trade as well. We’ll be expected in New Orleans as soon as it’s safe for me to travel.”

Sandro’s mother raised a brow. “I didn’t pay nearly enough for you. What’s this about a pet?”

I pointed at Sandro. “He’s my pet. In New Orleans, music mages are either killed or they’re the pet of someone with the favor of a Voodoo queen. If he wants to go into the city, he has to be collared, tagged, and leashed when he’s not in our bedroom, and he will be expected to share my quarters. To the Voodoo queens, he’ll be considered a guardian, especially since he can disrupt other music mages. They’ll like him for that. The collar can be any form of choker or snug necklace, the tags can be in any style we choose, but it must include certain information, and the comments about the leashes are literal. The leashes can be no longer than five feet, and there are set rules regarding when I can unclip it. For example, I can unclip it to let him into a stall in the men’s bathroom, but I must accompany him into the bathroom and keep a close eye on him.”