The Boy and the Detective
Emerald Grite was born with gem green eyes that shone in the sunlight, straight platinum blonde hair that went down her entire back, and pale skin that was accentuated by rosy thin lips.
Her family consisted of her parents- a mother and father- an older brother and an older sister. Her older brother got married last year and moved out, starting his job at a detective agency. Her older sister was studying business to become a real estate agent. And then there was Emerald still in high school, still hating it. She hated the family business, not because it was boring or barely made any money but because she just knew it wasn’t for her. She wasn’t meant to build buildings, she sucked at math. She wasn’t meant to rent and sell properties, she didn’t have good enough people skills. And most of all she wasn’t meant to do the other side of the business.
Yes, her family worked in business in the human world, but in Otherworld they did much more. Not only did they do contracting, construction, and real estate but they also worked with the detective agency. The agency would come to them for certain missions where they needed a building to catch criminals in the act. And with the money the agency gave them how could they refuse plus they were contributing to the greater good. It was a win win.
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“You know you don’t have to walk me to the market every time Emerald.” Her sister said.
“You know why I have to Opal, you can’t trust anybody here especially at the far end of the market.” Emerald replied. When their brother still lived with them he would take Opal to the market, but now Emerald’s mom made her go. The market wasn’t a grocery store like you would think. Oh no it was a once a month thing where traders and merchants from all over Otherworld gathered to showcase and sell their rare goods. It was also a place where people got swindled, robbed and pickpocketed, beaten, kidnapped, and assaulted. Sometimes by a random wandering drunk or by someone or someones skilled in what they were doing.
Zircon, their older brother, used to take Opal every month. He stood at 6’5 and had an expression that could scare even the bravest of men. Emerald’s mom relied on the fear factor he gave to keep her daughter safe. Now that he was gone Emerald had to go, ‘safety in numbers’ her mother had said. If there was safety in numbers why did she also have to dress like a boy whenever they went? Couldn’t two earth magic wielders fight off a few people if they worked together, especially two who could combine their magic in synchronized attacks? Well in her mother’s opinion no they couldn’t, they were just two little girls wandering the slums and anything could happen to them because they were alone and unguarded.
Emerald hated it. She was 17 years old and her sister was 20, why did she need a babysitter? Why couldn’t their dad just go instead? Why did she have to dress like a boy?
‘She doesn’t need a babysitter I just want to make sure that she's safe.’
‘Your dad and I are busy working. We can't go with her everytime she wants to go.’
‘If people think a man is with her they won’t try anything.’
All the replies her mother said. Sure they were true, but that didn’t make Emerald any less agitated. She hated the market; it reeked of booze and mildew and some of the ‘rare’ goods sold by the clerks weren't even rare. It was probably something they picked off the ground, found in a trash can, or bought (stole) from someone else at a much cheaper price.
Emerald liked her sister, don't get her wrong, she was her sister afterall, she was obligated to. What she didn’t like was wearing a black dress suit -tie included- and carrying a bunch of bags, while her long hair now tied in a ponytail at the base of her neck clinged to her while she sweated in the summer’s sweltering heat.
Emerald didn’t know what the people around the market believed. If they truly thought she was a man then she was doing her job right. Emerald’s height didn’t surpass her sister’s but she was still pretty tall, everyone in her family was. And unlike most girls her age if she was not wearing an outfit that accentuated it, one could not tell she wasn’t a man especially when she bound her chest and wore a suit jacket with a vest under it.
The thing that aggravated Emerald even more than visiting the market was the fact that whenever her sister bought something she would hand it to her without thinking and then a clerk had to make a comment like ‘aw what a nice brother you have’ or ‘how gentlemanly of your brother’ and the ones she hated most of all ‘what a thoughtful husband you have’ or ‘your husband is very kind and handsome too.’ Being mistaken for her sister’s husband made her want to yell that she was in fact her sister. Not. A. Man.
Despite her anger she knew that she could never get out of it and that if she wasn’t there and something did in fact happen to her sister, she couldn’t even bear to think of that.
“Emerald, what do you think of this ring?” Her sister lifted it up and showed it to her. It was an emerald ring shaped in a teardrop and the band was rose gold and studded with mini diamonds.
“It’s nice.” Emerald replied not really caring. She just wanted her sister to be done so that they could finally go home.
“Oh that one is a beauty isn’t it? I made it this morning. It’s a 1 carat emerald on a rose gold band studded with miniature diamonds. I designed it to be sleek and dainty.” The clerk said with a kind smile. She looked nicer than all the other ones Emerald had seen, but that’s almost the same as saying ‘congratulations you’re better than a murderer.’ Still though, she seemed like a genuinely good person.
“How much is it?” Opal asked, still admiring it glistening in the sunlight.
The clerk turned and said something to the other person in the tent in a language Emerald couldn’t understand. The other person handed her a card scanner, and the clerk set it next to the coin register.
“It’s seven gold coins.” The clerk responded.
‘Seven gold coins?!?’ Emerald almost yelled, ‘For a dainty little thing like that, there was no way in hell.’ That was equivalent to seven hundred dollars. Otherworld currencies were different from the normal world. It works as follows (converted into US dollars).
1 gold coin= 100
1 silver coin= 50
1 copper coin= 20
1 bronze coin= 10
1 iron coin= 5
1 aluminum coin= 1
Emerald thought Opal had to be crazy. There was no way she would pay that especially for a fake ring. They had the same magic, surely her sister had to notice it too. Right?
Her sister stared down at the ring again, then looked back at the clerk. “I’ll take-” Emerald snatched the ring from her hand. “No you will not, it’s not even real rose gold, it's painted zinc and the ‘diamonds’ are just clear quartz. The only real thing is the emerald!” She snatched the ring out of her sister’s hand and slammed it back onto the clerk’s table.
Normally Emerald was at least a little bit better at controlling her anger but for some reason it wasn’t working today.
She bawled her hands into fists, her long nails digging into her palms, and took a deep breath and then let it go trying to calm herself. It worked, barely.
Emerald bowed at the waist. “I’m sorry. It’s a very pretty ring. But for it to be fake and have such a high price, we couldn’t afford to spend that much.” ‘Literally’ Emerald wanted to add but she didn’t. She stood back upright and looked at the clerk. She was smiling a genuine happy smile. She looked at Emerald with tears in her eyes and said, “It’s okay I forgive you. We all lose our temper at some time or other. But having the courage and humility to admit that you are wrong is what makes you a good person. So thank you.”
Emerald didn’t know what to say. The clerk grabbed a small bag and put the ring in it. “Here I want you to have it, free of charge.” She held the small bag out.
“I- we can’t accept it. Especially after how rude I was.”
“Nonsense young one, do you know how many people blow up at me from day to day complaining about the goods that I sell? That’s just the life of a merchant, you have to have tough skin. But you’re different from all those others, you apologized to me. You’re a kind person.” She smiled again.
Emerald reluctantly took the bag. And her and Opal left.
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Emerald and Opal arrived at their parents' home. Their mother greeted them when they walked in.
“Hi, how was the market today? Did you get anything good?”
Emerald placed the bags on the kitchen table and left for her room. She had had enough of people for the day. She really didn’t want to be there when her sister recounted what transpired at the market, putting emphasis on how Emerald lost her temper again. She’d probably add in some embellishments (lies) of how Emerald got so mad this time that she had punched out one of the clerks.
Emerald collapsed onto her bed and would have taken a nap if Opal hadn’t barged into her room.
“EMERALD!”
“WHAT?” Emerald screamed, throwing a pillow at her sister.
“This is for you.” She placed the bag with the ring in it on Emerald’s nightstand. “And mom wants to see you, right now.” Opal walked to leave but then grabbed the pillow Emerald threw at her and threw it back hitting her younger sister right in the face. Then she finally left.
Emerald fought the urge to go after her but she remembered that her mother wanted to see her and if her mother hated anything, it was being kept waiting.
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Go to the detective agency her mother said, it will only take a second she said, it’s important. Emerald had been waiting in the lobby of the detective agency for almost an hour and she was getting ready to cut her losses and walk out. Her mother sent her to deliver the agreement for one of their apartments they wanted to use to catch some thief. Why her mother couldn’t just deliver them herself she didn’t know, she didn’t know why Opal couldn’t either, but her mother insisted she do it. Emerald didn’t even get to change out of her suit, luckily though the agency was cold inside. A little too cold like they were trying to either freeze any bacteria that could infect evidence or just freeze the evidence in time. The agency also smelled sterile like it had been washed with industrial grade bleach, scrubbed with 100% rubbing alcohol, and then lightly spritzed with Clorox. Just by walking inside Emerald felt like she hadn’t showered in years.
Tired of waiting Emerald went to the elevator and pressed a button for the chief’s floor. If she waltzed in there it wasn’t like anyone would stop her they all knew who she was they all saw her before, they’ve all talked to her and her family. Heck sometimes the chief would go to her house and have a congratulatory lunch with her parents.
Emerald stepped off the 5th floor and walked down the hall to the chief’s office. She knocked and didn’t hear an answer. Tired of waiting anymore she just opened the door. Sitting at his desk was the chief and standing in front of his desk was a guy she had never seen before.
“Oh one of the Grite children, it’s nice to see you. Though I would appreciate it if next time you don’t just walk into my office unannounced.” Chief Detective Montgomery Prescott said. He didn’t seem angry, at least not by his tone. It was hard to tell by his face, he had a look that never gave anything away.
His face was covered in wrinkles, he’d probably been the chief detective for a century judging by that alone. He had a mustache just like every other stereotypical law enforcement worker and his hair was starting to gray on the sides.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to disturb you. But my father signed the papers that you needed. I came to deliver them.” Emerald said. The other man in the room turned and looked at her as she walked to Chief Prescott’s desk. When Emerald looked at him she felt something searing in her gut. The guy looked to be her age, he was tall and handsome. He looked perfect. From his gelled back black hair, to his faultless lightly tanned skin, to his calculating silvery grey eyes, to his crisp suit and tie, to his shiny black shoes. He looked like the guy every man wanted to be, the guy every girl wished she had. He looked perfect and it annoyed Emerald. Something about him got on her nerves but she couldn’t place it. She’d never even seen him before and already she could tell there was something wrong with him.
Emerald handed the folder to Chief Prescott. He took it with a thank you. He set it down on his desk and stood up. He gestured a hand to the man standing next to Emerald. “This is a new recruit that we’ve taken on. He’s only 17 right now, but he’s shown to be very promising, he's the one doing the new case.”
The new recruit in question removed his glove and reached out his hand. “My name is Charles Sage. Nice to meet you.” He replied. ‘Wow even his voice, teeth, and manners are perfect.’ Emerald wanted to punch him in the face and make him just a little less perfect.
She shook his hand and said, “pleasure.” Charles didn’t smile instead he just had a straight face the entire time. It was weirdly unsettling.
Chief Prescott sat back down at his desk and handed the folder to Charles, but before he could leave Emerald asked him a question. “What case are you working and why are you doing it alone?” She wasn’t trying to be nosy, she was actually curious.
“A case on the market that comes to town once a month. I want to make it safer for people to go and there have been reports of people getting robbed and kidnapped. However instead of by some idiot drunk it’s actually by a group of people. I suspect some of the shopkeepers are in on it. As for why I’m working alone, I work better that way. Having a partner or partners complicates things.” His answer held a finality to it.
“Doesn’t working with someone else make the jobs easier? Because then you can divide work and it’s not as much on one person.”
“That’s only if both partners work together well and are both responsible for their own jobs. I prefer to do everything by myself that way I know for sure that it is done correctly and efficiently.” He said his tone still having that finality to it. “If that is all. It was a pleasure meeting you Miss Grite but I do have work to attend to. Good day.” Then he left.
Emerald was stunned he may look like the perfect man but he sure wasn’t. What surprised her the most though he called her ‘Miss Grite’ she was prepared for him to refer to her as ‘he’ or ‘Mister’ or by her brother Zircon’s name. She was ready to correct him if he did, but he didn’t, he knew.
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Emerald couldn’t take this for the rest of the week. It was only Tuesday and her sister still wanted to go to the market. In fact Opal wanted to go every day. Emerald might bash her skull in if it came to that.
“We haven't gone to this side of the market yet.”
‘Yes we have, twice.’ Emerald wanted to say that but instead she shut her mouth and continued walking. They stopped at stall after stall until Emerald hit something. Actually, someone.
Emerald took a step back and looked up and as if her day couldn’t get worse. Standing before her was Mister Perfect himself. Emerald was going to ignore him and continue walking but Opal had other plans.
“I’m so sorry about that Sir-.” Opal froze when she looked at him. Her cheeks turned red and she forgot what she was saying. ‘O joy’ Emerald thought ‘Now I get to watch her flirt.’ She was going to walk away again but her sister looped her arm through hers.
“It’s okay.” Charles said to Opal. “It’s good to see you again Miss Grite. This is your sister I presume, Opal.”
“Yes I am, how did you know that?”
“I met your sister yesterday when she dropped off the documents at the agency.”
“Oh you’re the new recruit our mother was talking about, Charles….-”
“Sage.”
“Yes that was it, are you still coming over after the case is solved, for a victory meal?” Opal asked. That was news to Emerald.
“Why are you here?” Emerald asked.
“Research.” Charles replied. “I’ve never been here. I need both the layout and to acquaint myself with the vendors, patrons, and the merchandise.”
“Well then we’ll be seeing you-”
Opal yanked Emerald’s arm. “Why don’t you come with us?” Emerald snapped her head towards her. “We’ve been coming here for years, we know the layout and people pretty well.”
That was it. Emerald snapped.
“No! I’m pretty sure he doesn’t need our help. Besides, we'd only slow him down. He works alone.” Emerald said, quoting him. She didn’t wait for a response; she yanked her arm away from her sister and walked, to where? She had no clue, she just went.
Emerald was almost at the exit when she heard a scream and gunshots.
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Emerald ran full force back into the market looking for her sister. She couldn’t see her from the sea of people trying to escape. It was impossible but maybe she could ‘see’ her in a different way. Emerald squatted down to the ground and put her hands on the dirt pathway and then closed her eyes. She concentrated and used her powers in her head. She could see it, a mass of people running away shopkeepers trying to pack up their most valuable items and profits and get away. Emerald concentrated harder. She went deeper into the market, there was a woman standing still almost as if she were frozen- Opal- and next to her was a man- Charles Sage- she took off into the market looking for her sister.
When she reached her sister she saw why Opal was frozen standing before them was a woman-the clerk from yesterday- her body was bleeding on the ground and next to her written in red was ‘The Dark Lord Will Return.’
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“I want to join you on the case.” Charles looked up from his reports.
“And why do you want to do that?”
“Because I knew that clerk who was killed. She gave me this.” Emerald showed him the ring. He tilted his head to look at it over his glasses.
“It’s pretty. Mostly fake though. And fine if you must. I know that you won’t take no for an answer.”
“Now listen here you- wait what?”
“I said that I accept your offer. I think your powers of earth magic will come in handy when the time calls for it.”
“How do you know what powers I have?” Emerald asked a little creeped out. Sure, he could know because everyone else in her family did too but it seemed much more different than that.
“Because that is my magic power, Analysis. If I experience something with one of my five senses then I will be fed information on it. It has drawbacks though if I see a photo of something I can only get information on the photo itself not the object in the photo. It’s why I knew that you were in fact a woman when we first met, by shaking your hand I learned that about you and I learned about your powers along with other things.” Charles explained his eyes were still glued to the reports.
“Sounds fun, you can literally know everything about anyone or anything.You're an encyclopedia.” Emerald joked sarcastically.
Charles didn’t laugh at the joke, instead he explained “it’s a useful power to have but it is taxing sometimes. It’s involuntary. I have to wear special gloves and glasses most days, sometimes even earplugs to filter out my powers. If not I get terrible headaches or nosebleeds and I have passed out on occasion.”
“Is that why you don’t have a partner, because working with someone else would interfere with your powers?” Emerald asked. Emerald doubted that’s how it worked but she still wondered.
“No, that is for a different reason. Which I do not feel comfortable explaining at the moment. Is there anything else you would like to know about me seeing as I know so much about you?”
“Your voice, where are you from, England?” Emerald asked.
“No, I am from the United Kingdom but I’m actually from Wales.”
“Oh.” Emerald had no clue where that was. “Well what’s the first order of business? I’m sure that with your powers you already have a lead.”
“I do in fact. Tomorrow we meet at your family’s hotel down from the market.”
“Why there?”
“I’ll explain tomorrow.”
“Alright then Chuckles. See you tomorrow.” And with that she left the detective agency.
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When they arrived at the hotel Charles filled Emerald in on how he tracked the culprit to a room inside the hotel. How they were going to peacefully capture him and his comrades. Everything was planned down to the very last detail. So how did this happen? How did everything go so wrong?
Emerald and Charles entered the hotel inside were stolen trinkets from the market-potions, jewelry, and some things Emerald had never seen- money both stolen and counterfeit, and a spell book that looked very old and very dangerous.
Before they could do anything Charles was attacked from behind. A gun came down and cracked him in the head, rendering him unconscious. There was only one man standing before Emerald, she could get away but how could she do that and get Charles?
“Don’t move and I’ll let you get away. This is man’s work, and I don’t fancy hurting women, especially one as pretty as you.”
Emerald made a disgusted face. ‘Think Emerald, think of something.’ Emerald closed her eyes and imagined the marble floor of the hotel climbing up the man’s legs and pulling him down. Suddenly to the attackers horror two hands of stone came from the ground and grabbed him at the ankles and began to pull him down into the earth. In his shock and horror the man desperately tried to escape flailing around and accidentally hitting his head on the dresser. Emerald stopped using her powers; there was no point in wasting them on someone who wasn’t a threat anymore.
Emerald went to the bed and snatched up the spell book and she picked up Charles as best she could and carried him on her back. She took him to another room and laid him down on the bed and hid the spell book under it.
She raced down the stairs and into the lobby. There was nobody there. She kept running for the door but then she was grabbed and pinned down by two men. One held her face down by her arm on each side.
“This will teach you not to interfere.” A third man said. Emerald felt something sharp and cold prick her skin at the base of her neck. Then it began to hurt more as it slithered all the way down the length of her spine. The third man had taken a knife and dragged it down her back deep enough to leave a mark; probably hoping to scare her. But shallow enough that it didn’t injure her spine indefinitely.
Her back stung with the exposed wound she could feel her vision fading with the loss of blood and the pain. But she fought against it; she summoned a piece of her strength and the diamond chandelier in the lobby began to shake. Diamond after diamond fell to the floor scattered about the lobby. Once the final piece fell they all got a mind of their own, they began bouncing from place to place. From wall to wall, floor to ceiling off objects; making miniature projectiles. The glass windows shattered, the furniture was torn, the wallpaper was shredded, and the flooring was scratched. It was like a hoard of sharp deadly bouncy balls were attacking. The men were cut by the diamonds and luckily tried to escape leaving Emerald alone.
Emerald crawled to the nearest wall and used it as a support to stand up. With her back turned away from them she didn’t notice the gun pointed in her direction.
A loud ‘boom’ echoed in the lobby.
But Emerald did not feel pain. Well except for the searing one in her sliced back.
She turned slowly and on the ground and in front of her she saw Charles, face contorted in pain laying on the floor. His right hand clutched his stomach. His left still holding onto the book.
Something in Emerald snapped. She saw red. The diamonds stopped their assault on the criminals and fell to the ground. Emerald lifted her hands and this time instead of just two hands an entire body emerged from the ground. A giant stone golem that almost reached the ceiling appeared. It charged at the men.
They were powerless against it, it made quick work of them before they could do anything. One of the men managed to escape, but luckily the officers at the detective had just arrived and were able to catch him. The men were detained outside and Emerald mustered the last of her strength and went back to Charles.
She rested his head on her lap and spoke. “Why would you do that? You’re such an idiot Chuckles.” Emerald said with tears in her eyes. She didn’t exactly know why she was crying.
Charles turned so that he was facing her some more. “Because I wanted to save you…….” His voice was hoarse and barely there. “Izzy.” And then he closed his eyes.
Paramedics rushed in and took both of them to the hospital. They were there for two weeks.
The slice on Emerald’s back was deeper than the adrenaline let her believe. In the aftermath Emerald had to have two rods placed next to her spine in order to prevent future issues and she could no longer put excessive pressure on her back either. The rods would continuously send pulses to her spinal nerves allowing her to move. Without them there was a chance that she wouldn’t be able to walk.
Charles now had to wear a back brace and be in a wheelchair. He could still walk and run, his legs weren’t the problem. But the bullet had gone through his abdomen and out through his back giving him some minor injuries that could be corrected if he used his brace regularly and didn’t walk or excessively move his back for a few months. The blow to his head cracked his skull and had to be stitched up, luckily he only had a minor concussion and was only out for three days.
“They told me that you had just woken up.”
Charles turned his head towards her. He was still wearing his back brace and his head was still bandaged, but by the looks of it at least the bleeding had finally stopped plus he was awake now. And that’s all that mattered to Emerald.
“I’m sorry I’m in such a poor state, Miss Grite.” There was that proper voice that she missed so much.
She smiled “It’s okay I have no room to talk Chuckles.” She really didn't; she was just as bandaged as he was although it wasn’t visible.
“Why do you call me that?”
“What Chuckles? Because it’s a nickname for Charles and because it’s the complete opposite of your serious personality. It’s ironic.” Then she chuckled and Charles smiled at that. It was the nicest sound he heard in a long time.
“Right now I’m so drugged up that I feel like chuckling.” He said.
Emerald giggled at that. Then Charles' face turned serious again. “What happened after they were apprehended?”
“Chief Prescott arrested the four men and took the book, he said he was going to give it to a friend of his who specializes in ancient artifacts or something. I don’t really know.”
Charles looked like he knew exactly who the chief was talking about. He sat up in the bed and winced with the effort. But he powered through and sat so that his feet were off the side of the bed and that he was facing Emerald dead on.
“I have something important to tell you about the mission. Chief Prescott tried to assign me a partner but I wouldn’t hear of it. I fought against him and he gave in. That mission was important to me because I used to go to that market all the time. With my older sister, Izabella.” Tears started to prick at his eyes. “She would take me with her when we were younger. We had so much fun there.” A sad smile appeared on his face. “She passed away last year. She was shot during a mission. She took a bullet for me. Literally.” He let out a humorous laugh. “Izzy was my partner. We joined the detective academy together and we worked alongside each other. I just couldn’t accept Chief Prescott giving me another partner especially to work on a case that involved somewhere that shared so many memories with my old one. And then when you asked to join me I agreed because I saw how like me and Izzy you and your sister shared memories over that market too. I wanted to help you preserve what I couldn’t. That’s why I took that bullet for you, I didn’t want a repeat of last time. I wanted to make things right. I wanted to save something.” Tears began to pour from his eyes.
Emerald rushed up and hugged him. Hurting both of them in the process, but it was the thought that counted.
“You didn’t have to make anything right. I’m sure Izabella is proud of you. I know that I am. And now other families can go to the market and feel safer knowing that a threat is gone.” He wiped his tears and smiled.
“Thank you Emerald.” She smiled back. That was the first time she ever heard him use her first name. It made her happy.
Emerald fought against the pain, closed her eyes, leaned down, and kissed him.
And they both knew that it was just the beginning.
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New character drop time(I have so many characters to introduce it’s not even funny).
This has been sitting in drafts for months so if it’s bad, no it’s not.