by J. P. Rice
I watched as the golden bird zoomed across the cerulean backdrop, the rubies on the dagger getting duller by the moment. Soon, the sky swallowed the entire vision. The crows kept chasing the golden object, but it seemed like it was in vain.
When I turned back to the metal beast, it was standing with its arms folded over its chest. The Morrigan said, “Unless you like torture, you better tell us where that knife is headed.”
A soft man’s voice came from the metal, and asked, “How do you kill something that is indestructible?”
The Morrigan immediately responded. “Is that a challenge? We’ll either burn it and melt you down. Or I’ll call on some liquid nitrogen so that I can freeze you and smash you into a million pieces. In fact, you can choose how we do it.”
The Morrigan’s kill first and get the person’s soul to talk came to the fore, but we needed answers from a living body.
I said, “Just tell us where the knife is going, and we’ll let you live. I know this is only a suit. And something is inside that suit. And if we poured fire inside that suit...”
He cut me off and spoke regally, “I’m but a robot, controlled from afar.”
“Fook it, let’s burn him,” I said, calling another fireball into my right hand.
He changed his tone, his voice deepening, “Now, now. Perhaps we can reach an amicable agreement.”
As we approached, he warned, “I don’t think you two are prepared for how deep this all runs.”
That was a juicy tidbit, but I wanted the whole steak. “Where is that bird taking the knife?”
“Goldenwing has been instructed to take that dagger to one place and one place only. In fact, Goldenwing is being controlled from afar as well,” he revealed.
“Let’s go. Spill it,” the Morrigan demanded, growing impatient.
The man paused for a while and said, “It’s been instructed to take the dagger to the Goblin Queen. My masters are paying the Queen a handsome pile of gold to keep the dagger within her stronghold.”
I gulped down the lump in my throat. Nobody had ever breached the Goblin Queen’s castle. Not legendary knights, wizards or witches. Not even a thunder of dragons that had come after the Queen’s riches. She’d killed them all, most likely with a big smile on her face.
“What else do you know? Who are you working for?” I asked.
He advised, “I think you better sit down for this. You aren’t prepared to hear this.”
“Why not? Just tell us,” I demanded.
“Why not? Because the people are more powerful than her,” Bigfoot said, referring to the Morrigan. He chuckled. “Shouldn’t even call them people, I guess.”
That meant it had to be Gods. I tried to imagine which pantheon was behind this. And I kept coming back to the Norse.
“All right. Get ready for your heads to explode,” he warned and took a deep breath.
I was sick of the teasing. With all the sexual frustration built up inside me, this was torture.
“Three are involved. The Triumvirate comprises...” A beeping sound cut him off, followed by a robotic voice, “The self-destruct mechanism has been activated.”
“Oh, shit,” I screamed, as the Morrigan and I ran for cover. Titania flew backwards and dove into a pile of snow. The Morrigan and I dove behind a junker car as an explosion almost blasted out my eardrums.
I peeked over the hood of the car. Pieces of metal, flesh and a spray of blood flew into the air like a busted pinata. Body parts and chunks of armor bounced off the building and fell to the milky landscape. The pure snow, now tainted with blood and smoking silver pieces of metal had lost its virginal quality.
“Perhaps he wasn’t lying about being controlled remotely. Apparently, his master was watching and didn’t like the secret about to be exposed,” I opined.
“Hotdogs, anyone?” the Morrigan asked as she laughed. “I can respect it. Sucks for us, but that’s the best way to keep someone quiet.”
Titania came out of the pile of snow and dusted herself off, as I asked, “Can we believe him about the Goblin Queen?”
The Morrigan shook her head and looked at the destruction around the parking lot. “Not yet. We need confirmation on that. It would be the perfect place to send people you wanted to see dead. However, it’s also the perfect hiding place for Gareth. Nobody wants to go there.”
“I don’t. But I will to avenge my father,” I promised. “I’ll run through the gauntlet myself to taste the sweet nectar called revenge.”
“Whoa, that was some wild stuff,” Titania exclaimed, shaking snow off her special shirt.
“That’s nothing if we have to go to Sleepy Willow and invade the Goblin Queen’s castle,” I informed her.
The Morrigan leaned down and picked up a bloody chunk of the body. She held it in front of her face and then stuffed it into her black cloak. She grabbed a few scraps from the metal suit and put them in another pocket.
Not sure I wanted to know the answer, I asked meekly, “What are you doing with the body parts?”
“Taking it back to Clara Spiritus. I’ll have Dian Cécht identify who this was. Then I’ll have someone run tests on the materials used for that suit. If we can find out where it is from, it would go a long way in figuring out who is behind this.”
It was a gross move, but a necessary one.
Titania said, “I guess I’ll ask. Who the hell is the Goblin Queen?”
When I had taken Titania’s magic, she had given up on staying abreast of the supernatural world. I couldn’t blame her, and explained, “Do you know King Ballistar of Sleepy Willow?”
Titania nodded and said unsurely, “The evil king? I thought someone just killed him.”
“You’re right. He is dead,” I confirmed. “The Goblin Queen was his first wife. When Ballistar found out she was dabbling in cannibalism, he hatched an assassination plot. But Queen Gabrielle caught wind of it and formed a plan of her own.”
The Morrigan kept collecting fragments of the metal suit, as I explained, “She cleaned out the treasury, stealing all the gold and jewels and taking them to a place where nobody would chase after her. She went to the swamp and encountered the demons. She offered to share her riches with them if she could stay there safely. The goblins welcomed her with open arms.”
Titania listened closely, as I continued, “The king sent his wardens and numerous hunting parties of well-trained warriors to return with his fortune. They all failed. They all died. Gabrielle seemed to derive pleasure from it, sending the warrior’s heads back to her ex-husband. After a while, the king gave up and forgot about her. Gabrielle and the demons had one unifying characteristic in common, an unquenchable thirst for the flesh of beings. It was never enough.”
The Morrigan finished collecting samples, and we got in the Jeep. I started the vehicle and cranked the heat.
I turned to Titania in the back seat and said, “Gabrielle quickly rose up the goblin ranks, eventually finding herself as their queen. She arranged bands of thieves to ransack the land, bringing back more jewels to add to the pile. They used the stolen gold to buy goods, never touching most of the stash.”
I rubbed my hands together for warmth. “To protect their money, they made it so invading the swamp was nearly impossible. And if you made it in, you weren’t leaving. They built a castle in the middle of their land. Tales have been told about some beings making it to the castle, but no one has returned with any of the spoils.”
“So what is protecting the castle?” Titania asked.
“That’s the problem,” I answered. “Supposedly, things spring up out of nowhere. I’ve heard that the Queen cast a spell on the swamp itself, instructing the land to kill any intruders.”
“So, hypothetically. If we had to go there, how would we get to the castle?” Titania asked meekly.
The Morrigan shrugged her shoulders but remained silent. I was hoping she could shed some light on how to breach the castle. I hadn’t told Titania the other part of the story. When I’d lived in Sleepy Wil
low, I’d seen a huge disappearance of newborn babies in the area around my village.
We’d found out that the goblins were stealing the children and using them for nourishment. Then, they grew bolder moving on to dwarves, then sidhe adults. I almost threw up in my mouth just thinking about it, the bitter stomach acid building up in my throat. Titania’s tiny size prevented me from revealing that part to her. If we had to go, I didn’t want her freaking out the entire time.
Even with the Morrigan in tow, I worried about going into the swamp. We’d gotten into a lot of crazy brawls in our day but battling the most powerful magical entities could always end in disaster. A cold sweat leeched through my skin at the thought of battling the Goblin Queen.
We needed to confirm a few things, but it appeared we were headed for the netherworld known as Sleepy Willow on a crash course with the Goblin Queen.
Chapter 10
OWEN THREW THE RAW chicken into the sizzling wok and a gust of smoke plumed into the air. He sprinkled salt over it, then used a rubber spatula with a red handle to stir the meat into the sesame oil, ginger and garlic. He’d invited me to dinner over a week ago and I was using the occasion to ask him to watch Justinian while I went to Sleepy Willow.
It also gave me a chance to check on my babies. Unfortunately, the sapphire eggs in the incubator looked the same as last time I’d inspected them. Waiting for my dragons to break out of their shells had been testing my impatience.
I would have asked Titania to stay behind and keep an eye on Justinian, but I knew nothing could keep her away from hanging out with the Morrigan. She thought the Goddess of Death was totally badass, and that designation carried a lot of weight with the dragonfly.
I wasn’t exactly sure how to broach the subject. I fidgeted at Owen’s kitchen table while he cooked on the Viking range about seven feet away. He tossed in some half-moon carrots, Napa cabbage and broccoli. The wok released another cloud of smoke and I spoke over the sizzling, “I need to go to Sleepy Willow and I could use your help on something.”
He kept sautéing the dish, tossing it continuously with his left hand as he turned to face me. “I’m always willing to help my Junipher,” he said with a big smile as he dabbed the spatula on the apron protecting his dress clothes, then turned his attention back to our dinner.
That was the first step. “It’s really easy too. I have someone staying at my house that I need you to keep an eye on.”
He set the wok to the side, on a burner that wasn’t lit. Damn. The Iron Chef wannabe rarely stopped cooking to talk. Especially stir fry, which was supposed to be a quick process. “Why do I need to keep an eye...wait, are you speaking about a child? You know I’m not properly trained in that area.”
He put the wok back over the blue flames on his Viking range and added a drizzle of his secret sauce. I said, “It’s not a child.”
Owen stirred in the sauce with the rubber spatula and spoke over his shoulder, “Why don’t you just have Titania do it?”
My taste buds perked up as the scent of ginger and soy filled the room. “She’s coming with me.”
Owen lowered the flame and turned to me. Still stirring the wok as he glared at me, he asked, “And you don’t want me to go?”
I was ready for that question and responded, “With you being on your last legs, so to speak, I didn’t think it would be wise. We have to go into the swamp and get something from the Goblin Queen’s castle.”
Owen’s eyes widened and he blinked rapidly. “Oh, heavens. That is a perilous journey. Why on this green earth would you do that?”
I explained the Gareth situation to Owen, then said, “So it’s our only lead and I didn’t want you to get hurt. I don’t doubt your skills. It’s just that nobody has ever accomplished getting in and out alive.”
He played with the strap of his apron, then tapped his hip with his thumb. “What about that fellow? The dwarf. What did he go by?” He paused with his mouth open, deep in thought. “Oh, yes. Dolphus Aquinus?”
I’d never heard that name before. “Who would that be?”
He turned back to the stir-fry and turned up the flame again. “I’m surprised, no shocked, that this story never made its way to your ears. Oh, I know why. It only happened approximately ten years ago when you were away. I guess this story never made it to the Red Cavern.”
My knee was bouncing up and down like I had restless legs syndrome. I wanted Owen to get to the point of the story. He continued, “Yes, well, Dolphus snuck into the swamp, made it into the castle and stole the queen’s favorite ring. A solid gold ring with a giant ruby gemstone.”
The thrumming exhaust hoods above his stove were making it hard to hear Owen, so I got up and walked closer. “And he made it out alive?”
“So I’ve been told by several people.” He opened the rice cooker and the light floral scent of his Himalayan brown rice wafted over to me. He went on, “Dolphus bragged about it so much that word made it back to the queen. Enraged, she sent a goblin hit squad to bring her the dwarf. Dead or alive. But as far as I know, he’s never been caught.”
“And you know where he is hiding out?” I asked with my eyes wide and hopeful.
“Oh, heavens no. Sorry if I gave that impression, but people only see him briefly, then he disappears forever, taking his gleaming ring with him.”
Damn. That didn’t really help. “None of the stories said anything about where he might be?”
Owen’s secret sauce had reduced and concentrated the flavors, so he added in two big scoops of cooked brown rice. It crackled and popped under the extreme heat of the wok, and he spoke over the noise, “He seems to be traveling around Sleepy Willow. On a victory tour of sorts.”
“Has he told anyone how he did it?” I asked as I shifted my weight from leg to leg.
Like a mighty ocean wave, Owen tossed the stir-fry up the lip of the wok, dangerously close to spilling it everywhere, then he magically pulled the contents back to the other side. He kept repeating it rhythmically. “I’m afraid nobody knows his secrets. At least, not to my knowledge. It appears he’s keeping that secret tightly vested.”
“Well, thanks for that. I’m not sure how much it will help if we can’t find him.” It was just another carrot dangling in front of me.
Owen grabbed the handled measuring cup of whipped eggs and poured a steady drizzle into the stir-fry. As soon as the golden waterfall hit the pan, and before it had time to solidify, he incorporated it in with the spatula, coating the rice, chicken and vegetables. “You know I haven’t any connections in Sleepy Willow. Perhaps you could call on some of your own,” he suggested and shut off the flame.
He turned to me, and I said, “I haven’t been back in so long. Most of the elves I knew are dead now. And it’s not like I can just call. Who knows who’s still alive anymore? But that brings me back to what I have to ask you.”
“Physically strike me with your best shot,” he said with a silly smirk. I laughed, and he went into his cabinet and pulled out two plates. He returned and set the oval plates next to the stove.
I spoke softly, “As I said, I just need you to look after someone, almost like a pet. You just need to feed him and give him some water is all.”
Owen stopped transferring the stir-fry onto the plate and looked at me with a stern face. “You know I’m a principled gentleman and I can’t shake the feeling you are leaving out important details.”
I held my thumb and forefinger about a centimeter apart. “There’s a teensy chance it might be a werewolf.”
“And why can’t he feed or acquire beverage for himself? Do I want to know where he is relieving his bowels?” He shook his head and went back to serving the food.
“I know it sounds bad, but Octavius sent one of his members after me. And I am just holding onto him so that I can keep the alpha in check,” I said meekly, hoping he would take sympathy and help me out.
“How exactly are you detaining him?” he asked, as he picked up the plates and gestured with his head toward th
e kitchen table.
I hurried over to the table and pulled out a chair for Owen, who placed both plates down. We both sat down and made eye contact. I winced and said quickly, “I’ve got him in a very large enclosure.”
Owen closed his yellow eyes. “You’ve got this poor fellow locked away in a cage?”
It sounded horrible when he said it out loud. I retorted, “It’s more of an enclosure than a cage. He was going to kidnap Titania. I’m just giving him a taste of his own medicine.”
He pulled his chopsticks out of the white wrapper. “Junipher, I’ve helped you on numerous occasions. I’ve done some less than admirable activities on your behalf. But I won’t take part in this act of retribution. You probably already know that I’m going to counsel you to release the wolf.”
“It is being done to keep peace between the vamps and wolves. There is a noble purpose hidden somewhere in there. I’m using him to keep his master from going wild and destroying half of this city.” I took out my chopsticks and picked up a piece of chicken.
Owen mixed his food around, the steam rising to his chin. “Yes, well, you’ve wrapped the situation in some nice gift paper, but trouble lies just behind that flowery design. I cannot assist you in your abduction.”
Abduction was such a strong word. Accurate, but strong. I had a notion Owen would turn me down. I knew another guy that didn’t seem to have a problem with kidnapping a woman. Perhaps Mike Merlino would be up for the task.
I finished dinner, left Owen’s and immediately called up the young wizard. He revealed that he was leaving town for a few days and wouldn’t be able to accommodate my request. I tried to get him to tell me where he was going, but he kept it secret.
That put me in a corner. I couldn’t just leave enough food and water for Justinian. Could I? No. I didn’t know how long the journey would take. And as Owen had pointed out, where would the wolf relieve himself?
Letting him go seemed like the worst possible option. Leverage over the alpha wolf, especially when setting up a fair duel, was imperative. Octavius’s erratic behavior needed to be put in check.
