Regardless, if the globe was actually telling the truth now, only twenty or twenty-five hounds were left. Oh, man, I really hoped that was actually the case this time. Yet again, I was so excited it practically killed me to think I might be close to finishing this calling. Unlike last time, though, I had my doubts.
I was tempted to hop on a plane and fly around the world to hunt down those last few hounds. Common sense told me not to do that, though. Me going out and chasing them would definitely alert them to my coming, causing them to run and hide, even if they were currently “good.” It would just become a huge goose chase across the world.
No, it was better to wait for the trap to lure as many of the good hounds in as possible. And then, presumably, Lord Kenan would head toward me, and his hounds would follow.
Abel and I decided that he would focus on trying to get all of the demons he had contact with to leave. I really hoped it would work. I didn’t want them to know why we wanted them to go, though. The lure of power is incredibly overwhelming, especially from Lord Kenan.
We pulled up at my house, and immediately, the amulet warmed at my throat, warning me that danger was there.
“Someone’s in my house,” I told Abel. “The amulet is warning me.”
Abel looked at me for a split second before hopping from my car, pulling out a gun, and kicking down my front door. Okay, so kicking a door down is a lot harder than they make it look in the movies, but my door is really old and the doorframe is even older. It wasn’t that difficult.
I rushed to follow him, stepping through right as he pulled the trigger several times.
18
We quickly learned that trying to shoot the danger in my house was pointless. Because the supernatural visitor was a ghost.
I recognized him immediately. How would I forget the tortured expression? The shredded bowels? The eyeless sockets, blood dripping down his face?
Dr. Faust had come to visit.
I ducked just in time as he threw something at me. I didn’t even have the chance to compute what it was before it had shattered against the doorframe behind me.
“Guns are useless,” Abel said, grabbing me and pulling me across the living room.
He released me just as Dr. Faust threw something else. Abel caught it and handed it to me.
“My grandma’s vase!” I screamed. “Oh, buster, you’d seriously be dead if you broke that.”
“I’m already dead!” Dr. Faust shrieked.
It wasn’t until that moment that I realized Abel could see my ghostly “visitor.” Judging by Abel’s reaction, he could hear the guy too. I was grateful I wasn’t the only one seeing where the attacks were coming from.
The two of us dodged as Dr. Faust chucked yet another glass dish at me. That one, Abel didn’t catch, but luckily, it bounced harmlessly from the couch before dropping to the floor.
Remembering my amulet, I grabbed it and said, “As owner of the amulet, I command you to stop attacking!”
Dr. Faust froze, arms above his head, holding another glass, which he promptly dropped. It went through him, shattering on the floor.
“And stop breaking my things!” I shouted. “I swear, I’d kill you now if you weren’t already dead.”
“And you stop pointing out my lack of mortality!”
“Or what? You’ll attack again? Dude, you know very well you can’t hurt or even touch me if I don’t want you to.”
He glowered at me, still standing—er, floating—in the doorway to my kitchen, where he’d frozen after my command. And yes, I could tell he was glowering, even without eyes. Don’t ask me how I knew—maybe it was a special power the amulet gave me. The ability to sense glowers.
“Why on earth are you here and not back in the Netherlands?”
His shoulders slumped as the fight left him. “Because you brought him back to life. Oh, Miss Ashton, why did you do it?”
I glared at him. “I refuse to believe you don’t already know the reason. And don’t judge me—you would have done the same thing had you been in my place.”
Dr. Faust entered the living room, and Abel stepped protectively in front of me. “You already know he did destroy everyone I loved.”
“And I also know just how awful that was for you. Don’t be upset with me for doing my best to prevent that.”
“I know. I can’t.”
“But you were.”
Abel and I took seats on the couch and Dr. Faust slumped to the floor. “I just don’t think you fully understand who you’ve brought back.”
“No? Then enlighten me. Just who is Lord Kenan?”
“He has gone by many names throughout his existence. Thousands and thousands of years ago, he killed his brother, and he became famous for having done so. He was jealous that the Lord favored his brother’s sacrifice and not his.”
“Wait. Are you saying he’s Cain? As in, Cain who killed his brother, Abel?”
I glanced at my boyfriend to see what he thought. Abel hadn’t changed position from where he’d sat next to me on the couch. His expression was impossible to read. I didn’t think it phased him, though, and probably because he wasn’t attached to the other Abel.
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. He has taken on many other forms since. He started out as a regular human, but through dark magic, deceit, and theft, he stole powers from others. Lord Kenan evolved into a beast who excelled at controlling, manipulating, and strengthening the magic of those around him.”
I leaned forward, needing to learn more. It drove me nuts that none of this information had been available to me before. “Where did he get the name ‘Lord Kenan’ from?”
Dr. Faust shrugged. “He stole the title of lord from someone during the medieval era. And Kenan . . . I’m honestly not sure where he got it. Perhaps he thought it was a pretty name.”
I snorted inwardly. That actually fit Lord Kenan’s personality. The dude was seriously vain.
“Do you have any information on how to stop him?”
Dr. Faust shook his head. “No, and that’s one of the reasons why I came today. You must learn as much about him as you can. You need to understand him, to know what others have tried to do—unsuccessfully—to stop him. Your lives depend on it. The lives of every ghost on this planet depend on it. Please do not leave us to deal with him alone!”
The intensity in his voice took me back, and I realized I hadn’t fully considered what would happen to the ghosts if I failed. Lord Kenan ate them, for crying out loud.
“How do I find information about him?”
“Seek help from supernaturals who are already on your side. At least two of them have access to great stores of knowledge, separate from the knowledge you have access to.”
“‘At least two of them?’ That’s specific.”
Dr. Faust glanced out the window, then back at me. “Your elderly neighbors are not what you assume them to be.”
“I know, I know. They’re Croents. And royalty. Are you saying they might know more about Lord Kenan than they’re letting on?”
“You already know about them?”
“Of course. They told me a while ago.”
“Well. I didn’t expect that.”
“People surprise us occasionally, don’t they?”
“Naturally. But no, they probably don’t know more than they’ve already told you. However, they do have access to a great amount of knowledge.”
“Let me guess. It’s back on their planet or dimension or whatever?”
“Of course it is. If it weren’t, you would be able to find it in the Akashic.”
“Good point.”
Dr. Faust got up. “I’m sorry I broke your dishes. I have a hard time controlling my anger. The moment I saw you, it flared up, regardless of how much peace I intended to bring with me.”
I doubted what he said was true. I mean, the amulet had warned me before we’d even exited the car. Dr. Faust had come in anger—it hadn’t “flared up” when he’d seen me. I didn’t mention that, though
, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference.
We said goodbye to the ghost, waiting until the amulet told me the coast was clear before Abel and I started cleaning up the mess Dr. Faust had left behind.
“What do you think of what he had to say?” I asked Abel as I swept.
He glanced up from where he was picking up glass shards near my front door. “It makes sense. We already know the Russells were around when Lord Kenan was stopped the first time. Naturally, they would have everything written down somewhere, chronicling each attempt to stop him.”
“When should we head to their dimension?”
“That’s up to you and them. Personally, I’d wait until the plagues have stopped, though. Lord Kenan won’t be here for a while—judging by the fact that it’s taking him so long to leave Holland—and you don’t need the distraction of these plagues. Especially not while trying to gain knowledge from other people who might already not be inclined to share it. Who knows what the Russells’ dimension is like now.”
He made some excellent points. I decided to talk to the Russells. We’d hopefully make arrangements to visit their world just as soon as the plagues had ended.
Throughout the rest of the day, while waiting for those ten hounds to arrive and taking care of them as they did, I paid close attention to the radio. All the campaigns by the governor had stopped. Nicole must’ve put a lot of money into this project to get stations to share only her campaigns.
And all of her messages were really good. There were five total, created by professionals with uplifting and encouraging music that made me want to run out and help me myself.
Instead of the barrage of phone calls and visits outside my house, though, this time I was completely ignored.
Was that good or bad? I didn’t know. I hoped it was good. Maybe it meant people were simply embarrassed and were likely just to forget everything.
Or . . . and this thought upset me. Maybe they were biding their time until they could attack, when I would be helpless against violence. Like, when Abel wasn’t around.
I really hoped that wouldn’t be the case.
19
The boils started right on time. Immediately, from the pain, itching, and burning sensation that came with them, I knew they would be the worst plague yet. At least I’d been able to escape the other plagues even just temporarily. Hopping in the shower kept the flies off me and made the itch from the lice go away, but the boils followed me regardless of where I was and what I was doing. They made me so uncomfortable, I felt like screaming constantly. My hair began falling out in chunks where the wounds on my scalp had erupted. I couldn’t believe how bad it was. I shuddered to think of innocent people having to experience this, especially little children.
At least I didn’t have as much to stress about currently—well, not directly, anyway. I’d taken care of the hounds that had been on their way before going to bed, and since the diseased livestock plague hadn’t affected me directly, I’d gotten good rest the night before. I supposed there was a little blessing to be had in no one trusting me.
We did our best to distract ourselves, but by around eleven in the morning, I was so beyond miserable that I had to get out of the house. The next hounds wouldn’t arrive for hours, and Mindy and I hadn’t been called out on a job since the day before.
Without asking her or Abel if they wanted anything, I jumped from the couch, grabbed my purse, keys, and phone, and ran out the front door, heading to the store. Abel followed me, stopping on the porch to yell after me.
“Where are you going? I should go too.”
“I’ll be fine!” I called back at him. “I can’t stand sitting around anymore.”
From his response, I could tell he wasn’t especially eager to go. He didn’t push the matter, and for that, I was grateful. I needed a break from being around him, but I definitely wouldn’t tell him that. We’d spent so much time together over the last week that I was going insane. Normal people weren’t around each other this much. The fact that he didn’t argue with me told me he needed a break too.
I pulled into the store parking lot, deciding to buy whatever the heck they still had on the shelves.
When I entered the place, I truly realized just how badly things had been affected by the plagues. I hadn’t really been shopping since everything had started, and I was utterly shocked and dismayed to see how bare the shelves were. Almost nothing was stocked anymore. The produce was nonexistent—the shelves and bins were clean and empty. I suppose that didn’t surprise me. What with the flies and frogs, et cetera, none of that stuff would’ve survived long. But beyond that, even the dry goods were almost all gone.
I walked up and down the aisles, grabbing a couple things here and there, trying to decide what to leave behind for someone who might actually need the items. I was so lucky to have the Russells for my neighbors. They had at least a five-year supply of food storage on hand that had been keeping us all alive. I’d known that food storage was important, especially in a state like Utah where water was rare and the chance of natural disaster high, but now I really understood.
I chuckled to myself. It probably hadn’t been the current rendition of the Russells who had gathered the emergency supply. No, that didn’t seem to be something a vampire would do. The original Russells, though, had obviously considered food storage to be an important thing, much like many of the neighbors around me.
After about ten minutes of walking the aisles, I realized I was drawing attention. People were recognizing me. At first, it didn’t bother me—I’d frequently been recognized since moving here. But this was different. They had a reason to hate me.
Something struck me in the back between my shoulder blades, and I gasped, turning to defend myself. A box of Jell-O mix lay innocently on the floor.
I looked at the small group of people who were standing about ten feet from me. All of them were glaring, and I had no idea who had actually thrown the box. I felt fear trickle into my heart—the amulet wouldn’t protect me against regular people—and I turned and walked rapidly away, occasionally grabbing and putting stuff in my cart.
When I turned the corner, the people following me hissed and booed, increasing their speed to keep up as I tried to make my way back to the registers. I had a long way to go, though.
“Hey! You!” a man yelled at me. “You need to get out of Utah before you destroy our entire state!”
Murmurs of agreement came from the others chasing after me, and a couple more items were chucked. I dodged them, trying to ignore the catcalls and angry voices that rose up against me.
I’d finally reached the registers when a woman stepped in front of me. I shrieked, raising my arms to protect my face, but she stepped around me.
“Hurry,” she said. “I’ll do what I can to stop them.”
I nearly fainted from relief, recognizing her. She was the woman whose husband had been shot while I was in Iraq. The one who’d accepted my offer to help pay for his funeral.
Gratitude rushed over me. The woman was covered in boils too, but she didn’t seem to resent me. As I checked out, she stood in front of my attackers, arms folded, glaring. She didn’t even need to say anything—the group eventually dispersed, leaving me alone, and I was able to get out of the store without more bruises.
When I got back home, I was surprised to see Chief O’Hare in front of my house, pacing. Abel was sitting on my front porch, motionless and expressionless.
“What’s up, Chief?” I asked, popping my trunk and pulling two bags of groceries from it.
“Just what were you thinking?”
I looked between him and Abel. “What do you mean?”
“Do you know how many calls I got from people asking me to arrest you? You should not have left your house! It’s not safe out there for you. These people are listening to what the governor told them, and if they see more of you, it will incite them to violence. You absolutely cannot leave your house again.”
“I won’t be a prisoner here!” I said,
trying to control my frustration. “I can’t possibly get rid of the hounds and do my job as a Fire Impeder if I can’t go anywhere. The hounds aren’t even coming here—they’re heading to the Russells’ house, where everything is set up.”
Chief stopped pacing and faced me, hands on his hips, appraising me with serious eyes. “Then I’ll request that you only go back and forth between your house and the Russells’. Do not go anywhere else—at least, not until all of this has calmed down. You’ve got to be more careful than you have been, Lizzie.
“Oh, and I’m ordering more guards.”
Without saying goodbye, he hopped in his car and drove away. I stared after him, trying to remember why I liked him in the first place. I wanted to scream and throw things at him and pull the rest of my hair out. He was treating me like I’d done something wrong and like I was a fragile little person who couldn’t protect herself. It killed me.
Abel got up from the porch and approached me. “What happened at the store?”
I sighed, desperately wanting a hug from him, but knowing it would only make the boils hurt and burn worse.
“At first, nothing. Then people started following me all over, throwing things at me and yelling. A woman stood up for me at the end—otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to check out at all.” I looked at him, remembering my shock at the store when I’d first gotten there. “Have you been to a store recently? The shelves are bare! It was awful.”
Abel reached over and tucked a loose curl behind my ear. “Yes, I have. Things could be much, much worse, though.”
I nodded. He was right.
We headed inside, put the groceries away, then spent the rest of the day being miserable, eating junk food, and watching TV. My boredom was interrupted by the occasional hound that arrived, giving me something to do, but I hadn’t ever felt this useless in my entire life. It was horrible.
Just before I headed off for bed, Abel told me he was going back to the warehouse. He promised to be back before the sun rose the next morning. He wanted to sway as many people to leave the area as possible.
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