The agent seemed to think about how to answer her. “Faeries say the ke’tain contains actual breath from their goddess, and the word ke’tain translates to goddess breath. It’s one of several religious objects used in a celebration to Aedhna, and it’s never been removed from the temple until now.
“The ke’tain would have no meaning to a human, unless they were a collector of Fae antiquities. We’ve been focusing one of our investigations on known collectors and black market sellers.”
Something niggled at my mind, but there was no time to dwell on it because Ben Stewart was still speaking.
“We’ve also been watching several Court faeries of interest, but that has been tricky because of the treaties protecting them. Unless we have solid evidence proving they have committed a crime, we are limited in what we can do.”
I scowled. Here was another glaring example of how unfair the laws were that governed faeries in our realm. The authorities wouldn’t think twice about entering the home of a lower faerie, but Court faeries were held to a completely different standard. They didn’t have total immunity like their royals, but it was the next best thing. This was why I planned to study law. I wanted to fight for the rights of all faeries, not just the privileged.
“What is the bounty for this?” asked a gruff voice that belonged to Kim’s brother and hunting partner, Ambrose. Leave it to him to get right down to business.
Trey leaned over to speak in my ear. “I bet it’s a level Five.”
A level Five? A thrill went through me at the possibility. I’d learned that the bounty for a Five was an insane fifty thousand dollars, and not even Mom and Dad had ever brought in one of those.
Ben Stewart cleared his throat. “The ke’tain is irreplaceable, and it’s imperative that it is returned to Faerie as soon as possible. Therefore, the job has been classified as a level Six with a bounty of one hundred thousand dollars.”
My jaw fell as the room erupted in a clamor of voices. Next to me, Trey whooped so loudly it made my ears ring.
Rubbing my ear, I turned to Bruce, who looked as dumbstruck as I was. “I’ve never heard of a Six.”
He scratched his chin. “Because there’s never been a Six until now.”
“Are you going to join the search?” I asked him as I watched people talking excitedly among themselves while the agents tried in vain to restore order to the room.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that bounty. One hundred thousand dollars would support my family until my parents were able to come back to work, and it would help pay for the repairs needed on our building. But that much money made people crazy. If bounty hunters were competitive over level Three and Four jobs, what would they be like for a one-hundred-thousand-dollar payout?
Trey snorted. “Of course, we’re going after it. Aren’t you?” He quieted and gave me the side-eye. “You don’t have any ideas about where it is, do you?”
I shot him an incredulous look. “I heard about it five minutes ago. How would I know anything about it?”
“Because you’re super brainy and read all those books,” he said in a tone that was almost accusatory. He still hadn’t gotten over that whole bunnek incident.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but none of the books I’ve read mentioned the ke’tain or any Fae artifacts.”
Trey looked only slightly mollified. “But you are going after the bounty?”
“I don’t know yet. I could probably pick up a ton of other jobs while everyone else is focused on this one.” The competition for the ke’tain job was going to be fierce, and I’d take guaranteed income over the slim chance of a big payout.
Bruce nodded approvingly. “That’s smart thinking. We might do the same.”
Trey spun to face his father. “You can’t be serious.”
“We’ll discuss it when we know more about this,” Bruce replied.
“Jesse,” called a male voice.
I turned my head to see two young men shouldering their way through the crowd toward us. Aaron and Adrian Mercer were identical twins with blond, curly hair and hazel eyes, and they were both built like linebackers. They had been in Trey’s class, and we’d always gotten along, although we’d never hung out outside of school. Like me, their mother and father were bounty hunters, and for as long as I could remember, they’d talked about following in their parents’ footsteps.
“Crazy stuff, huh?” Aaron grinned at me. I knew it was him because of the tiny bump in his nose where it had been broken in high school. Before the break, no one had been able to tell them apart.
Adrian stood beside his twin, the two of them forming a wall between me and the rest of the room. “We wanted to get to you before anyone else.”
“Get to me?”
They nodded in perfect unison, making them look comically robotic.
“To ask you to partner with us for the job,” Aaron said as if it should be obvious. “Everyone knows how smart you are, and they’ll all want you on their team.”
Adrian flexed his impressive biceps. “The three of us would make a killer team. You’ll be the brains, and we’ll be the brawn.”
Trey stepped closer, crowding me. “Jesse isn’t going after the ke’tain, so you’re wasting your time.”
“I didn’t say that.” I elbowed him in the ribs.
He rubbed his side. “Well, if you do, it makes the most sense for you to work with Dad and me.”
“We asked her first, Fowler.” Aaron scowled at Trey, reminding me they hadn’t been the best of friends in school. I couldn’t remember the particulars, but I was pretty sure it had to do with a girl they’d both liked.
“Boys,” Bruce called sharply. “Back off, and give Jesse room to breathe. She can speak for herself, and if she wants to partner with any of you, she’ll let you know.”
I shot Bruce a grateful look as the Mercer twins backed up a step.
“Sorry, Jesse,” Adrian mumbled. “Got carried away.”
I smiled at them. “I’m flattered you asked, but I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do.”
Aaron pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. “This has our numbers if you decide to join us.”
“Thanks.” I took the card and stuck it in my back pocket. I could hear other hunters around us talking about forming teams to go after the ke’tain, and it felt like the day of the kelpie hunt all over again. Only this time, the bounty was much higher. The air in the room practically crackled with energy, and this was only the beginning.
No one else approached me to be on their team, but I did catch a few sizing me up. Whether they were viewing me as a collaborator or as competition, I had no idea.
It took a good twenty minutes for Ben Stewart to take command of the room again, and his first order of business was to remind us we were forbidden to share anything we’d learned here with the general public. Then he informed us the ke’tain sensors could be signed out at the Agency headquarters in Manhattan starting tomorrow.
The second he told us we were free to go, every phone in the room dinged or buzzed with an incoming message. I looked down at my phone and saw a drawing of a smooth, blue stone that appeared to glow from within. The image looked so real that I touched the screen before I realized what I was doing. Feeling foolish, I stuck my phone in my pocket.