by Ken Lange
At one point, they attempted to strike a deal with the mad god, better known to some as the gray wanderer. But even they were repulsed by the depths of his depravity…he’d perverted the Idunn with a parasitic version of the virus that had consumed the Svartálfar and Álfheimr to create the vampires.
Eventually, the machine gods grew desperate and forged an alliance with the other Children of the First. To seal the pact, the Svartálfar created the nine lich lords for Ankou, and Álfheimr brought forth the seraphim for Lugus. It was through this union that they gained a solid foothold in this universe. And now it was up to me to fight this war, win…or at least hurt them enough to broker a peace.
This was why Kur had celebrated when he’d bonded with me…I was a warrior, a reaper, and—according to this guy—what would be.
Whatever that was supposed to mean.
The first Reaper turned to me. “It’s time for you to go. There’s so much more for me to tell you, but I think you’ve had enough for one night.
He reached out and tapped my forehead, and the world before me faded in an instant.
Chapter 16
February 27th
My mouth was dry, my head hurt, and I was queasy. I’d never had a hangover in my life, but if I had to guess, this was what it felt like. When I reached up to wipe the sleep out of my eyes, I had to scrape away several chunky bits before I could open them. Even after brushing most of it away, it was like running fine-grit sandpaper over my corneas. Which meant that no matter how hard I tried, the world wouldn’t come into focus.
Grunting, I swung my legs over the edge of the makeshift bed and vigorously rubbed my face. The next time I opened my eyes, Cole stood there with a mixture of concern and horror on his face. When I turned to Hayden, her expression wasn’t much different.
Massaging the top of my head in the hopes the throbbing would stop, I asked, “Was I snoring or something?”
Hayden frowned, picked up her phone, tapped the screen, and handed it to me. The recording showed a mass of black mist and blue flames hovering above where I’d been sleeping. Strangely, I was nowhere to be found.
I held it up to her. “What’s this?”
She gestured for me to look at the screen. “Keep watching.”
A few seconds later, the swirling mass slowly lowered to the bed and vanished, leaving me behind.
I did my best to shake off the brain fog. “Oh. Ah…okay.”
She snorted. “That’s all you’ve got to say?”
“Pretty much.” My answer didn’t appear to satisfy either of them. Shrugging, I said, “I was having a dream about the first Reaper…then I wasn’t.”
Cole gave a nervous laugh. “If that’s how you dream, I’d hate to see what your nightmares are like.”
Handing the phone back to Hayden, I sighed. “That makes two of us.”
She waved her hands back and forth in front of her. “Wait a minute, you were dreaming about the first?”
“Yeah.”
Considering how crazy it sounded, even to me, I thought it best to give them a carefully edited version of the vision. It wasn’t so much a matter of trust as it was that I didn’t want to wind up in a padded room. During the course of the discussion, I returned the table to its rightful place while Cole made breakfast.
Hayden leaned against the wall of the trailer and stretched her legs out across the bench. “So, he claims to have taught me.”
Doing my best to play it off, I grinned. “It was a dream. You’re acting like I was somehow communicating with an ancient being that hasn’t been seen in eons…if ever.”
Granted, I did believe the vision was real, but as I said, it was a bit out there. Plus, I’d left out a lot of information, such as the Svartálfar, Álfheimr, Kur, and his allies, which wasn’t helping my half-assed story. But, going around talking about living machines, dragon lords, and some weird virus that had corrupted them made me sound nuts.
She didn’t appear convinced, though. “I get that, but…it’s pretty weird that the dream was so specific. Was there anything else in it?”
I bit my lip and nodded. “Yeah, but I’d rather not talk about it just now if that’s okay.”
She let out a single chuckle. “Suit yourself, but if it’s got anything to do with you being encased in darkness and flames, you might want to share sooner rather than later.”
Wanting nothing more than to shift this discussion off me, I did my best to deflect. “Can’t see how it could.” I waved my hand at her. “If it did, I’m sure you’d know.”
She jerked her head back. “Why’s that?”
Bewildered by her response, I stared at her blankly for a second. “Because I’m sure you’ve experienced this at least once or twice over the years.”
Hayden cocked her head to the side. “Ah…no, I haven’t.”
My chest tightened, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “Really?”
She nodded. “I’m fairly certain I’d remember.”
“Are you sure? Because I can’t be the only one he’s chosen to speak with.”
She offered me a comforting smile as she reached out and patted my arm. “The fact that you’ve been contacted by the first just goes to show the many differences between us.”
I blinked. “Other than me being taller, male, and the opposite element…what’s so different?”
She tapped my right hand. “You have an onyx gauntlet, and I don’t. It’s one of the reasons I’m almost always in full armor.” Reverence worked its way into her tone. “And it would appear you have a connection to the first.”
When she put it like that, I did sound a bit dense for not noticing. “Umm, okay. But if he didn’t teach you, how did you learn to use your abilities?”
Hayden grimaced. “As far back as I can recall, this was just the way things were.”
Cole placed a plate in front of her. “Even as a child?”
Her cheeks turned crimson. “I was never a child…or if I was, I have no memory of it. One day, I just was.”
Cole handed me my food and turned to her. “Everyone has a beginning. Are you sure that was yours?”
She bit her lip and shrugged. “Mostly.”
This was getting a bit too deep for me, and Hayden was obviously uncomfortable with the turn we’d taken. “While I’m sure we’d all like to get to the bottom of this, we should probably focus on our current problems. And that’s the three of us trying to hunt down several necromancers.” Cupping my forehead in my hands, I massaged it gently, hoping to rid myself of my headache. “Thing is, I haven’t got the first idea where to start today. I mean, it isn’t as if we’re awash with leads.”
Cole grinned. “I might be able to help with that.”
Hayden took a bite of her eggs. “I’m all ears.”
He snickered. “How do you feel about visiting some of the local bat caves?”
She laughed. “What, are we going to meet Bruce Wayne?”
I glanced up at her and frowned. “Who?”
Cole’s mouth dropped open. “Dear God, you do know who batman is, right?”
I dropped my forehead back into my hand and nodded. “Oh…yeah. The comic book character.”
He ran his hand over his face. “Jesus, man, have you lived under a rock your entire life?”
Pushing my plate to the side, I grumbled, “No, but it wasn’t like I read them as a kid, and most of my adult life, I’ve been busy.”
Hayden blinked. “Doing what?”
Blood rushed to my cheeks. “I worked for the DoD for twenty-eight years, and this job has kept me rather busy for the last nine months.”
She giggled. “And to think, someone recently told me I need to get out more.” Glancing at Cole, she asked, “Why are we visiting these caves?”
His expression soured. “The local bats have been acting weird for the last few months.” He gestured at the two of us and said, “I figured, while I had some backup, this would be an excellent time to check Mount El Malpais for chindi.”
Caves fi
lled with bats weren’t my favorite places to visit. I’d been in a few in the course of my duties, and, partially due to their stench, they hadn’t been the most pleasant experiences. The added risk of disease, and having shit smeared all over me, made this lead less appealing by the second. But it was the only one we had at the moment.
With that thought, I lost all interest in what remained of my breakfast. “Great. When do we leave?”
Cole checked his watch. “It’s six now. I figure by the time we get cleaned up, it’ll be after seven…so maybe eight?”
Hayden nodded. “Sounds good to me.” She got to her feet. “Anyone mind if I hit the shower first?”
We shook our heads.
She snickered. “Suckers.”
Cole laughed. “It’s an instant water heater, so we’ll all be fine.”
She grinned. “Good to know.” And with that, she ducked into her room to grab a few things then into the bath she went.
Forcing myself to finish the last bite of my breakfast, I asked, “How far away is it?”
He paused for a moment then shrugged. “Probably about an hour from here. Why do you ask?”
“Mostly curious. It seems that no matter what’s going on we’re an hour from where it’s happening.”
He chuckled. “Welcome to the great southwest. Most people live here for the isolation, and believe me, you can get plenty of that in these smaller towns.”
I nodded. “I bet.” Gesturing at my bags, I said, “After I finish the dishes, I’ll get my gear in order.”
Twenty minutes later, Cole took his turn in the shower while Hayden changed into what appeared to be modified hiking gear. As for me, I dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of work boots.
Hayden took one look at me and frowned. “That’s what you’re wearing? Did you forget that we’re hunting a bunch of undead and a small pack of necromancers?”
I laughed. “I didn’t forget.”
She frowned. “Your getup seems a bit…I don’t know…civilian?”
I gestured at myself. “Just because I’m not decked out in tactical gear doesn’t mean I’m not protected.”
She reached out and pinched my shirt. “Enchanted clothing?”
I nodded. “Yep.”
A big smile crossed her lips. “In all my years, I’ve never found one who’s a tailor.”
With a dismissive wave, I chuckled. “Neither have I. Andrew, my uncle, supplies all the enchanted material to a man named George—who I might add, is a phenomenal tailor. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to put you in touch with him.”
She furrowed her brow. “Andrew Randall?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
She blinked. “He’s an enchanter?”
Ever say something and suddenly realize you probably shouldn’t have? That was how I was feeling right about now. “Yeah. I guess that isn’t public knowledge.”
She shook her head. “No, no, it’s not. For future reference, most enchanters hide their talent to keep themselves safe.” She must’ve seen the confusion on my face because she continued. “Due to them being so rare, and their skills so sought after, someone might try to take advantage of them…or enslave them.” Shivering, she shook her head. “But no one in their right mind would try to turn that man into an indentured servant.”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s not that bad. In fact, he’s a pretty nice guy.”
Hayden grimaced. “Right up until he’s not.” She held out a hand to stop me. “But, I’ve heard good things as well…look at what he did for the weres in North America. But given my…our abilities, being around a telepath makes me nervous.”
I blinked. “Why’s that?”
“Because they can read our damn minds, that’s why.”
Unable to stop myself, I let out a chuckle. “That’s what’s got you so worked up?”
She nodded. “Well, yeah…doesn’t it bother you?”
Shaking my head, I grinned. “Telepaths are just like anyone else in the Archive—their powers don’t work on us.”
Her mood instantly lightened. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, that’s fantastic.”
I shrugged. “Glad to make your day.”
Hayden snickered. “And you have. I’ve spent most of my life purposely avoiding telepaths.” Her voice dropped, and she blushed. “This might sound silly, especially given the revelation, but I have an irrational fear of them.”
I patted her on the back. “Well, you can put that to bed now.”
Her smile returned. “Thanks, I needed that.”
Chuckling, I said, “You’re welcome.”
Cole stepped out of his room and pointed at the door. “Are we ready? We’ve got a long trip ahead of us.”
Without any further discussion, we piled out of the trailer and into the truck. It appeared we had an appointment with a bunch of flying rodents.
Chapter 17
It turned out our destination was about fifteen minutes from where we’d found the skinless chindi. Or, as Hayden had started calling them, deadites… Apparently, she was a big Evil Dead fan. Or maybe she just loved Bruce Campbell’s chin.
It took us several minutes to make our way from where we’d parked to one of the many sheer rock faces of El Malpais. Cole guided us down a well-worn trail before veering onto a less popular one. A little later, he climbed halfway up the mountain to a spot not meant for your standard tourist. There, on a little outcropping, we found a dozen or so tubes that led into the dark interior of the extinct volcano.
I removed my pack before taking point and climbing in ahead of the others. Using my enhanced vision, courtesy of the Grim, I scanned the area for bats—we didn’t want to spook them with lights unnecessarily. As it turned out, it was a needless precaution since they were nowhere to be found. I cracked a couple of glow sticks and tossed them into the gloom. As they fell, they highlighted small mountains of guano in heaps on the floor.
The climb down wasn’t too tough, given the numerous natural handholds, shelves, and the slope of what had once been a massive magma chamber. Granted, I was still at about a thirty-degree angle with my back toward the floor, but it was doable without a harness and a ton of rope. While there weren’t any bats in the vicinity, their stench lingered. Once on the ground, I flashed my light several times to give the all clear signal then looked around.
The cavern was massive, with a domed ceiling and a large tunnel at the far end. Since it was the only exit down here, I had to guess that was where we were headed. It took them a couple of minutes to make their way down to me. Hayden had secured a rope at the top, so it’d be somewhat easier to get out of this hellhole when we were finished.
Cole shone his light against the far wall. “We’ll be making our way through there. The passage narrows in a few places, but you should be able to make it easy enough.”
I pointed my flashlight at the ceiling. “No bats.”
He nodded. “That’s what I was afraid of. This place used to be filled with them. But over the last year, they’ve stopped nesting here. I can’t be sure why, and without backup, venturing into the unknown seemed unwise.”
I patted him on the shoulder. “Given how the last few days have gone, that was probably a wise choice.”
Hayden glanced between us. “How in the hell would this be tied to the walker problem?”
I chuckled. “No idea, but if you’d told me a week ago that I’d find several hundred undead buried in an old uranium mine, I would’ve thought you were nuts.”
She frowned. “That’s true.” She pointed at a nearby pile of droppings. “Plus, it’d practically take an act of god to make the bats leave a home they’ve had for so long.”
Cole’s voice hardened. “Agreed.”
Her frown deepened. “I’d really like you to be wrong about this. The last thing I want is to be caught in a confined space with a ton of deadites.” She glanced up at me. “I’m not sure if you know this or not, but
most of our abilities are worth dick against zombies.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
Her gaze landed on Cole. “I take it that you’ve been in here before?”
His eyes lit up. “Yeah. I was a kid at the time, but I’m familiar with the tunnel system.” He gestured at the opening. “There are several offshoots in there, most of which are dead ends, but if we follow the main path, it’ll take us to a small grotto. If we don’t find anything there then this is just a weird coincidence.”
Eyeing the pile of crap, I grumbled, “Have I mentioned how much I hate this?”
Hayden snickered and walked past me. “Only a few dozen times. But do tell us again, because I’m sure we’ve forgotten.”
I flipped her the bird. “No need to get snippy. I’m just making sure my concerns have been heard and noted.”
Cole snorted. “I think we get it. You’re afraid of bats.”
I shook my head. “Not at all. I just hate the things. And the only thing I dislike more than that is walking through a mountain of their crap. It’s disgusting.”
Hayden spun on her heel and gawked at me. “It can’t be any worse than charbroiling some random guy during the first triumvirate meeting you attended…can it?”
I held up a finger to stop her from going any further. “Let me be clear here, nowhere in that story was I ever forced to wade through his shit.”
Cole blinked and staggered back a step with laughter. “Wait…wait…so in your mind, it’s all okay until there’s feces involved?”
I gave him a thumbs-up. “Bingo. We have a winner.”
Hayden chuckled. “Oh God. You’re worse than Viktor. He can’t stand being covered in blood—even though it happens more often than you might think—but he doesn’t whine about it.” She pointed at the tunnel. “The sooner we get going, the sooner it’ll be over…along with your whimpering.”
Grr. “Fine, but I still hate this.”
Her tone became highly sarcastic. “Really? We hadn’t noticed.” She pointed ahead. “Now, move it before I start flinging shit at you.”
I sighed, and my gaze hit the floor. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”