Agency of Bondage

"Mordus!"

Trixie dove aside as a trio of magical, amethyst coloured knives flew towards where she had just been standing, the apparitions shattering as they collided with the wall behind her. She grunted as she hit the cobbled floor and felt pain flare in her shoulder as she raised her wand.

"Cesto!" she cried through gritted teeth, her stunning charm narrowly missing the fugitive wizard as he dove for cover behind a phone box.

"On your feet, Trix!" Jason yelled as he ran past her, spells flying from his extended wand. "No time for a nap!"

She scowled after her partner as she pushed herself to her feet and hurried down the street in pursuit of the other wizards. She loved working with Jason, he was always happy and making jokes, but there were times like this, where she had only just avoided being impaled, that she wished he'd just shut up and do his job.

They sprinted after the dark wizard, dodging his curses as they pursued him through the back streets before finally cornering him in a dead end alley. The man turned, his wand held out before him as the two detectives advanced cautiously towards him.

"Give it up, Hoxley!" Jason demanded. "There's nowhere to run. It'll be the Pit for you now."

The man called Hoxley snarled, spittle flying from his lips as he searched desperately for an exit from the trap he had unwittingly run into. "You can't send me there!" he roared, referring to the infamous prison for rogue wizards. "I ain't going there!"

"You should have thought about that before you killed those two boys," Trixie hissed, unable to keep the venom from her voice.

"They deserved it!" Hoxley shouted, his wand shaking in his hand. "They all deserve it! Mor...."

"CESTO!"

The dark wizard was launched backwards as both Trixie's and Jason's spells struck him square in the chest. He struck the wall with a crunching sound before dropping limply onto a pile of black bin bags below where he lay still.

"Nice shot," Jason said approvingly as he lowered his wand.

"I know," Trixie replied cooly. "I got him first."

"Oh, really?" Jason said with a smirk. "Well then big-shot, why don't you go check on him and I'll call it in."

"Fine by me," she replied. "You can deal with the Mutes when they get here."

She turned and strutted away from her partner, taking a small measure of satisfaction in the momentary lapse of his smile at the mention of the dreaded Pit guards. She approached Hoxley cautiously, her wand held at the ready in her hand, but it quickly became clear that the rogue wizard was out cold. She paused to scoop up his stubby wand before casting a binding spell, ropes shooting from the tip of her wand to bind the unconscious wizard from head to toe.

"The Superintendent is pleased," Jason said walking up beside her a moment later. "A team should be here any moment to take him in."

No sooner had the words left his mouth did a loud humming sound fill the air as a swirling portal of orange light manifested in the centre of the alley. Trixie and Jason shielded their eyes as three figures stepped through the portal and felt the air around them turn suddenly warm. Two of the figures were female Mutes, both dressed in tight fitting black sleeveless dresses that fell down to their ankles. Mutes were not witches or wizards as such, though they were birthed to them. Some strange genetic defect saw them possessed by a different kind of magic. Their hair was always white and their eyes were solid pools of inky black. The most unsettling aspect of the Mutes though was their lack of a mouth, their jaws utterly smooth and hairless. The two Mutes looked over at Hoxley before gliding towards him, their feet hovering several inches off the floor.

"Give the creeps, they do," muttered the third figure as he strolled up to the two detectives.

Trixey tore her eyes from the Mutes and turned to smile at the new arrival. Rupert Colt had transferred to the agency from America where he had worked as a detective in Texas. He was loud and brash but he was also incredibly handsome and Trixie had had a crush on him ever since he had arrived.

"Oh great..." Jason, who had a distinctly different view of the American to his partner, muttered as Rupert sauntered over.

"Pretty good goin' you two," he said, hooking his thumbs into his belt as the two Mutes began to prepare the still unconscious Hoxley for transportation.

"Believe it or not," Jason said cooly, "we've done this before."

"Oh, sure!" Rupert replied, cocking his head beneath the white stetson that he wore. "I just know that this fella's given ya'll the slip before. Must feel good to have finally caught up with him."

"Yes! It does," Trixie said before Jason could reply. "Thank you, Rupert."

He winked at her, the sparkle in his eyes and the grin on his face making her heart flutter. "My pleasure, Ma'am," he said.

The Mutes returned to his side, Hoxley's bound form floating between them. The air was warm enough now that Trixie could feel herself starting to sweat, though she supposed that could just be her nerves from being close to Rupert.

"Well, that looks like my cue to get out of here," he muttered, smiling weakly at the Mutes. "Honestly, these gals haven't got a fun bone in their body!"

"I can imagine how hard that must be," Jason quipped.

Rupert laughed, missing the sarcastic remark as he returned tot he portal with the Mutes. "Be seein' y'all!" he called

"Bye!" Trixie called as they stepped through the portal which swallowed them up before vanishing, the temperature almost immediately dropping down as Mutes departed.

"Jeez," Jason snorted when they had gone. "You really are obsessed with him, aren't you?"

"What?" Trixie demanded, spinning around to face her partner. She could feel her cheeks turning red. "I didn't say anything!"

"Come off it!" Jason retorted, his grin practically stretching from eye to eye. "Ooh Rupert, you're so funny! Ooh Rupert, thank you for saying we're good at our jobs even though we've both been here longer than you!"

"He happens to be brilliant," Trixie snapped back. "You know he's got one of the highest arrest rates in the agency?"

Jason snorted. "Whatever," he grunted.

"What's the matter, Jason?" she teased. "Not jealous are you?"

"Yeah right!" Jason scoffed defensively. "I'm just looking out for you, Trix. You've heard the rumours about him, right? You can do better than him."

She pulled a face as she turned away, masking the frustrated sigh that escaped her lips. She had heard the rumours. According to the office gossip, Rupert had already slept with half the agency and was seemingly working his way around the other half. She didn't want to be just another notch on his belt but after a recent string of disastrous dates and failed relationships maybe that was all she needed. And who knew, maybe things between them would be different? Maybe she would be the one to convince him to change.

"Come on," Jason said, rolling his eyes. "Lets get back and file our report. The Superintendent wanted to congratulate us in person."

She nodded and watched as he drew a circle in the air with his wand, another portal yawning open in front of them. They stepped through together, emerging in the parking garage beneath the Agency before taking the lift up to their shared office where they set about filing all the necessary paperwork to complete their arrest. As promised, the Superintendent stuck his head around the door to congratulate them in his usual gruff manner and offered them the following morning off before immediately assigning them another case. By the time they had finished the paperwork on Hoxley's arrest, it was almost midnight. Jason halfheartedly suggested they go for a drink as was tradition after they made an arrest but Trixie politely declined. She was tired from the chase and her shoulder was still aching from where she had fallen on it. She was looking forward to getting home and having a hot bath and honestly, Jason looked equally relieved.

Trixie lived in a small flat in Camden, a little north of the Agency, which she shared with her friend, Ella who also worked at the Agency as a lab technician. Unsurprisingly, Ella was still up when she got home, sat cross legged on the sofa watching some stupid dating show on the brand new television that she had insisted they needed. Her curly black hair was pulled back behind her head and she was wearing baggy pyjama bottoms and a top that Trixie was pretty sure belonged to her.

"About time," she called as Trixie pushed open the door to the flat. "Did you get him?"

"We got him," she replied, shrugging off her coat and hanging it beside the door.

"That's my girl!" Ella called. "You hungry?"

"I'll just have some toast, I think," she replied, trudging to the kitchen. She flicked her wand at the kettle, the water beginning to boil almost immediately as she waved her wand again at the bread and toaster.

"I've done you a bath already," Ella said. "Assumed you'd want one."

"Absolutely," she replied, dropping onto the sofa beside her friend where she began to devour the buttered toast. She frowned as she watched the show which consisted of six ridiculously attractive people prancing around a pool somewhere in the Caribbean whilst alternating between sleeping with and screaming at each other.

"This is trash," Trixie said at last.

"Yeah," Ella agreed, grinning. "It's great isn't it?"

Trixie stood and took her plate to the kitchen, listening to the arguments as she rinsed her dirties under the tap, when Ella suddenly paused the show.

"I saw it," her friend said quietly. "The potion in your room."

Trixie stiffened. She didn't need this right now. "Oh," was all she said.

"I swear I wasn't prying," Ella said quickly. "I just wanted to borrow a top and... There it was."

"And?"

Ella sat up on the sofa, her eyes burning into the side of Trixie's head. "I know you talked about it, Trix... I guess I just didn't realise you were being serious."

"Well I was," Trixie said, trying to keep the sudden flare of anger that she felt under wraps.

"Are you sure?" Ella said softly. "Trix, I know things have been rough for you lately but do you really need to resort to... This?"

"Yes," she said firmly. "You don't know what it's like, Ella! You have Rob! I had a life! I was happy, I was going to get married and then he ran off with that... That... That bitch!"

"I know," Ella said gently "but..."

"And it's not just that!" Trixie interrupted. "I've been on date after date and they've all been awful! What else do I have left?"

"I just want you to be sure," Ella said quietly, her eyes wide, tears forming at their corners.

"Well I am!" Trixie snapped. She threw her plate into the sink and stormed into the bathroom, pulling the door shut with a bang that probably woke the neighbours. She stripped and sank into the water that she heated with a flick of her wand, closing her eyes and pressing her hands to her face as she gave vent to a silent scream. She hated talking about her past, about the man that she couldn't even bring herself to name anymore. Ella had been trying to dissuade her from her plan, but if anything she had only made Trixie more sure of what she wanted.

She stood and crept out of the bath, relieved to see that Ella had already disappeared off to bed. She crossed to her bedroom, easing the door shut behind her before approaching the cauldron that sat on her desk. The love potion that she had been brewing for the past week was bubbling softly over the magical flames she had conjured, pink smoke drifting lazily towards the ceiling. She understood why Ella was concerned. The use of love potions remained a distinctly grey area that, in her need to foster a relationship with Rupert, she had decided to exploit. It might not be real love to start with, but it was something, and Trixie was hopeful that, given time, she might be able to make it something more.

****

Trixie rose late the next day and was relieved to find that Ella had already left for work. She felt bad for storming away from her friend the night before so spent a few hours tidying the flat and making sure Ella's laundry was all done and neatly folded on the end of her bed before getting ready for work. She dressed in a pair of white panties and matching lace bra before pulling on a pair of black tights, a knee length black skirt and a bottle green long-sleeved top. She spent a few moments attempting to tame her coral pink, shoulder length hair but as usual was defeated by it. For some reason she had never managed to get it to fall straight.

Before she left she took a small vial from her desk and poured into it a dose of the love potion, sealing it with a cork before slipping the glass into a safe pouch in her handbag. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she caught the scent of old leather, freshly cut grass and for some reason, cinnamon, wafting from the potion. She pulled on her overcoat and held her breath as she conjured a portal in the middle of the living room and stepped through it into the Agency parking garage.

It was just after lunchtime as she stepped out of the lift into the reception area of her floor. The Agency was a large building, its twelve floors covering all aspects of magical law from basic policing on the ground floor to the dismantling of rogue wizarding cults on the top floor. Trixie's office, was on the tenth floor, the smart reception area decorated with panels of dark wood and brass wall lights. The receptionist, a pretty blonde girl, smiled at Trixie as she flashed her pass before hurrying down the corridor opposite the lift to her office. She pushed open the door, stepping into the small square room that she shared with Jason, their desks sitting back to back in the centre of the room, teetering piles of paper and old case files stacked all around them, a fire crackling cheerfully in the hearth beside them. She shrugged off her coat and dropped into the worn leather armchair behind her desk as her partner looked up at her.

"Nice of you to show up!" he quipped with a sly smile.

"How long have you been here then?" she snapped.

"Whoa! Easy!" he said, holding his hands up in defence.

"Sorry," Trixie groaned. "Didn't sleep well."

"Well I slept like a log!" Jason proclaimed. "And I've had a full half hour to crack on with this case without you disturbing me."

She pulled a face at him before opening the file in front of her. The case centred around an old wizard by the name of Barnabus Green who had been found dead in his home. Going by Barnabus' picture, and the report from the coroner that was attached to the file, age was Trixie's number one suspect in his death but that didn't explain the writing desk that had been found blasted apart beside his body.

"Interesting," she said thoughtfully. "Not a mark on his body."

"No," Jason agreed. "No sign of Black Magic either, though the desk certainly took a hit from something."

"The medical report suggests he was suffering from memory problems. Could he have miscast a spell perhaps?"

"We've had his wand analysed Jason said, shaking his head. "The last spells he cast were shielding charms. That in itself is telling and it seems unlikely that a miscast wouldn't leave some sort of mark on the body."

Trixie nodded in agreement. "We should do some digging," she said. "See what we can dredge up about our victim."

Jason nodded. "I'll scope out his financial history. You look at family connections?"

She nodded and soon they were both in their elements, flicking through files as they began to piece through the puzzle that had been lain at their feet. Trixie quickly found that Barnabus had no immediate family. His closest living relative was a great niece who had moved to Belfast about ten years ago after leaving school whilst Jason discovered a mountain of debt to Barnabus' name, mostly accrued through various gambling outlets over the course of the last football World Cup.

"The debt could mean something," Jason muttered. "Suicide perhaps?"

"Still doesn't explain the desk," Trixie said. "We should go and examine it."

He nodded and together they stood and headed out of their office down the hall to one of the evidence rooms. As trixie pushed open the door she was surprised to see Rupert standing beside one of the clerks, the splintered remnant's of the writing desk laid out on the floor in front of them.

"Rupert!" she said cheerfully.

"Oh great..." Jason muttered.

"Howdy Ma'am," Rupert said, tipping his white hat at the two other detectives as they entered. "Just hearin' about your case from Matthew, here."

"It's Michael, actually," the clerk said in a barely audible voice.

"I see you got out of the Pit," Jason grumbled.

"Yeah," Rupert said, his smile flickering briefly. "And I thought Texas jails were bad! That place is spooky!"

"Yes, how awful," Jason muttered. "Anyway, we're working a case at the moment so if you don't mind..."

Trixie jabbed her partner in the ribs, smiling at Rupert as he nodded.

"Sure!" he exclaimed. "I assum y'all have to look at the desk that Martin and his lot brought in?"

"Michael," the tech said again.

"Well it's just round here. Say, you mind if I do the honours?"

"Be our guest," Trixie said happily, ignoring Jason's grumbling.

"Sure!" he replied, brandishing his wand and pointing it at the desk. "Let's see what secrets this thing has for us!"

The fragments of wood shot into the air, swirling in a slow circle before slowly piecing themselves back together. The desk had clearly been well used, the mahogany front was faded and scratched and the brass lock was tarnished and blackened. As the piece of furniture fell to the floor with a bump Rupert stuck his wand behind his ear and dusted his hands proudly, earning a scathing eye-roll from Jason as he walked around the desk.

"There's a piece missing at the back," Jason said suddenly.

Trixie and Rupert came to his side where they saw that a piece of wood about fifteen centimetres by ten centimetres was missing from the back of the desk.

"Are we sure we got all the pieces?" Trixie asked.

"Everything that was there was catalogued," Michael said quietly.

"Seems we have our first clue," Jason said.

"Right!" Rupert agreed. "thanks for your help, Matty!"

"Michael," the red faced clerk corrected him again as the American bundled out of the room, Trixie offering him an apologetic smile as she and Jason followed Rupert into the hall.

"We should go up to his house tomorrow and see what we can find," she said.

"You two need any help?" Rupert asked.

"No, thanks," Jason said firmly.

"It can't hurt, Jason," Trixie ventured. "At least let Rupert have a look at the file. He might spot something we've missed."

"Happy to oblige!" Rupert said, marching off towards their office before Jason could object.

Trixie threw Jason a smile before hurrying off after the American. Back in their office Rupert managed to squeeze himself behind Trixie's desk where he started thumbing through the file on Barnabus' murder. Trixie watched him intently, unable to keep her eyes from wandering to his muscled arms and dazzling eyes. He was wearing a leather jacket and the smell suddenly made her remember the love potion concealed within her handbag and an idea started to form in her mind.

"Tea, anyone?" she asked innocently.

Both men nodded, engrossed in the case files. No doubt Jason was desperately trying to spot something they had missed before Rupert did. She grabbed her handbag and slipped out of the office, hurrying to the break room where she quickly set the kettle to boil with a flick of her wand. She readied three cups, pouring tea into each before slipping the vial out of her bag. She removed the cork from the vial and gently tipped the pink liquid into one of the cups, stirring the steaming liquid as the pink smoke wafter up to her face. She grabbed a tray and made her way back to the office, smiling as the two men looked up.