by Ken Lange
“I’m sorry…but who’s that?”
He followed my finger and sighed. “If only I knew. She’s someone who haunts my fragmented memories. I actually saw her once, a very long time ago. She was running from a pack of wraith. I probably should’ve done the same…but that’s an entirely different story, and not the reason you’re here.”
I blinked and tried to wrap my head around what he’d just said. “Okay…”
He gestured at the chair next to the bar. “Maybe you’d like to have a seat.”
Shrugging, I pulled the barstool out. “I’m sitting. Hit me.”
Viktor upended the glass, draining its contents before filling it again. “You spoke with Ignatius about the Star Born, and he said it wasn’t his place to tell you my story. He figured it was mine.”
Okay, now I was glad for the chair. I was numb from head to toe for several seconds. “You’re the Star Born?”
Kur whispered in my mind. “Ask him about the Idunn.”
He nodded. “I am. Care to tell me how you know so much about me and the Idunn?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “How much time do you have?”
He shrugged. “As long as it takes.”
It took me nearly three hours to tell him about Kur, Anubis, and my new friend Talbis. The story was a tennis match of me telling him what I knew, and him filling in the blanks. By the time I’d finished, we’d gone through two bottles of good scotch, eaten our way through his refrigerator, and stayed up well past our significant others’ bedtimes.
We were both hungry for information, but as it stood, neither of us had it. When pressed, neither Kur nor the Idunn were willing to give up what they knew. Which, let’s be honest, was more than a bit frustrating.
It was nearly sunup when we parted ways, and I was nearly to my car when my phone rang.
Thinking it was Viktor, I asked, “Did I forget something?”
Heather’s voice lilted across the line. “To come home? Justine tells me you’re only leaving now.”
I blushed. “Yeah, sorry about that. We had a lot to catch up on.”
She chuckled. “Sounds like it.”
“Is there anything I can do for you on my way home?”
Something jingled in the background. “Nope, but I’d like to know why Alyosha dropped off a set of keys.”
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the top of the Tucker. “Goddamn it, I forgot he was coming by this morning.”
She laughed. “Did you also forget to tell me something?”
I climbed into the front seat of the car. “Maybe. Tell ya what, meet me out front in ten minutes and I’ll show you your surprise.”
Heather’s voice was full of joy. “I’ll do that.”
Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to 9331 Calhoun St. It was a beautiful gray and white three-story house with a three-car garage, wraparound porch, and turret. The thing was stunning. I’d gotten lost in the place the moment Alyosha showed me in, and I was sure the same thing was about to happen to Heather.
Alyosha smiled when he opened the front door. “Welcome home. I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning, but I’m glad you came.” He gestured at the walls. “The downstairs is ready to be painted. Do you have a color you’d like?”
Heather’s mouth fell open. “This is ours?”
Alyosha nodded. “Da.” He waved at me. “Gavin paid for the place in full before he left last night. I’m going to need a few weeks to finish up, but I don’t want to rush the work.”
I grinned. “Surprise.”
She blinked back tears as she turned and wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you. I really didn’t want to leave right now…especially with my grandfather being back and all.”
“I understand.”
The tour that Alyosha gave us took nearly three hours to complete. It wasn’t that the place was that massive—although, don’t get me wrong, it was huge—but Heather insisted on seeing every last detail. I wasn’t the least bit surprised when she quickly picked out the color scheme of the interior. The wheels in her head were turning at light speed as she tried to figure out what furniture she would have to buy to fill the place.
I was more than happy to let her pick everything out herself, but I wanted the library and office next to it on the third floor for my own.
Chapter 31
May 30th
Dawn was just breaking over the horizon. I sat out on the deck overlooking the park as the world woke up. Today was going to be busy. I still had business in Brasilia to tend to—a month late, but it needed to be taken care of.
Heather was carrying coffee when she joined me. “Morning.”
I smiled. “Hello, beautiful.”
She sat in the chair next to mine. “When are you leaving?”
I glanced at my watch. “Soon. I’d like to beat the morning traffic in Brasilia.”
She beamed. “Enjoy the trip. I’m curious how Gabriela’s going to explain herself. I’ve never seen anyone give up their coin willingly.”
I shrugged. “From my understanding, no one has.”
She patted my arm. “Phone me when you get there.”
I got to my feet. “I will.”
Indigo flames enveloped me, and when they vanished, I was standing in the same hangar I’d left earlier in the month. Rodrigo simply handed me a set of keys and turned to leave.
Biting my lip, I tapped him on the shoulder. “I hate to ask you this, but is there any chance you’d be willing to drive me? I really just want to get there, do what needs to be done, and leave.”
Rodrigo smiled. “Sure thing. Where are we going?”
I handed him a piece of paper with the address on it. I didn’t understand it, as it just read QNW 109 SHCNW SQNW – Brasília DF Brazil. That was the main reason I’d asked him to drive. How the hell did people get around in this city?
Rodrigo smiled. “I know the place.”
It took about half an hour to get to the building where Gabriela lived. I didn’t want to involve Rodrigo in Archive politics, so I let him be on his way. From here, I could just pop home.
The doorman gave me attitude until I pulled a few hundred dollars out of my pocket. After that, he pointed the way to the elevators. I got off on the sixth floor and proceeded to the only door on the entire level.
I knocked and waited.
A very attractive woman with long dark hair and silver eyes answered the door. “Yes? May I help you?”
I held out my hand. “I’m Gavin Randall, and I’m hoping you’re Gabriela Medina.”
She froze for a moment before taking my hand. “You’re the new vigil.”
I shrugged. “Been at it for about a year now, but yeah.”
Gabriela stepped back and waved me in. “Come in and have a seat. There’s no reason to do this out in the hall.”
I stepped inside and allowed her to guide me into the living room. She sat on the couch. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”
Sitting across from her, I said, “I’m guessing you know why I’m here.”
She gave me a knowing smile. “I do.”
I couldn’t stop staring at her eyes. “I’m sorry…are you a vampire?”
“I am.”
I grabbed my phone to pull up her file. “But—”
She cut in. “My file says I’m a sorcerer?”
I slowly raised my gaze to hers. “Yes…is that why you gave up your coin?”
Nodding, she said, “Well, I didn’t give it up so much as it chose to leave when I was turned. My sire, however, says it’d be all right with him if I became the prefect once more. He’d hate for my record to be tarnished over his involvement.”
I blinked. “And who is your sire?”
Gabriella got to her feet. “Let me get him for you.”
A minute later, she rounded the corner escorted by a man who was about six-feet-tall and probably two hundred pounds of solid muscle. His dark skin seemed harder than it should’ve been given that it was supposed to be flesh
. His eyes were, somehow, a deep brown. He was good looking but not overly so.
His white linen shirt was mostly unbuttoned, exposing a metallic scarab that’d dug into his sternum and surrounding tissue. Its body appeared to be carved out of a lightly colored, almost translucent ruby that was covered in gold. Gilded legs and pincers burrowed into his skin to mesh with an intricate circuitry that glowed just beneath the surface.
There was a long, strange silence in my mind, a feeling of absence I wasn’t accustomed to anymore, until, finally, awestruck, Kur whispered, “Plague Bearer.”
Stammering, I asked, “Who…who are you?”
Power washed off him in waves as he flashed me a disarming smile. “I am Cain.”
If you enjoyed The Vigiles Urbani Chronicles, continue the story in the Nine Realms Saga. Buy your copy of The Warden Global Omnibus here.
About the Author
Ken Lange is a current resident of the “Big Easy,” along with his partner and evil, yet loving, cats. Any delay, typo, or missed edit can and will be blamed on the latter’s interference.
He arrived at this career a little later in life, and his work reflects it. Most of his characters won’t be in their twenties, and they aren’t always warm and fuzzy. He is of the opinion that middle-aged adults are woefully underrepresented in fiction, and has made it his mission to plug that gap.
Translation: he’s middle aged and crotchety.
Connect with him online
Email him: [email protected]
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Check out his website: www.kenlangeauthor.com
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Want more?
Other titles by this author:
Warden Global
The Wanderer Awakens
Rise of the Storm Bringer
Sleipnir’s Heart
Children of the Storm
Plague Bearer
Coming Soon:
Dawning
