by Steve McHugh
He went from groggy to utterly terrified in a few seconds as his new predicament dawned on him.
Diana cleared her throat, and the man’s eyes snapped to her. “If you send any more of your clones in here, I’m going to rip your legs off and beat you to death with them.”
“And she’ll do it too,” I told him. “I just saw her crush one of the heads of a clone like it was a grape.”
The man looked between me and Diana, and when she smiled, I got the impression that any level of fight the man had left, just vanished.
“If I tell you, you have to keep me safe,” he said softly.
I nodded.
“No,” he said. “No, no I didn’t!”
“Didn’t what?” Diana asked.
The man’s head exploded, and I put up a hasty shield of air to stop us from being covered in bits of gore.
Diana sighed. “Now that’s new.”
I nodded and wondered if it was too late to tell Tommy I didn’t want to help. “Yeah, this whole thing is just getting weirder and weirder.”
Chapter Four
“So, his head just…exploded?” Remy asked as Diana carried the body of the decapitated assassin into the morgue.
“Yes,” Diana said, dropping said body onto a metal gurney.
“Why is Diana covered in more blood than you?” Remy asked.
“I rip and tear,” Diana said by way of explanation. “And now I need to shower and scrub.” She left the morgue without another word, stepping aside to allow Gordon and Matthew entry.
I’d contacted them as well as Tommy as soon as the assassin’s head had detonated, and laid out the whole sorry tale. I wasn’t sure how the assassin’s head had blown up, or even why, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t good news. Tommy had asked if I could pry myself away from dead people to come help him deal with the mass of wedding guests. Apparently, they were starting to become an irritant, and Tommy’s tone suggested he was fairly close to picking one of them up to throw at another. I told him I’d be there as soon as I checked on Sky.
“How is she?” Gordon asked, nodding toward Sky, who sat at the far end of the room, her eyes closed.
“I need wine,” she said without opening them. “I assume you’d like me to go through the spirit of that assassin too?”
“If you can,” I said.
“You know, it would be great if the next time someone dies, you can make sure they do so fighting,” Sky said, opening her eyes and getting to her feet. “This sucks.”
Gordon, Matthew, and I left the morgue with Remy a few moments later.
“Tommy asked me to come down and check the bodies out,” Gordon said. “He wanted to be able to tell both parties that someone outside of his security people had a look. I think the werelions and werewolves both think the other side is betraying them.”
“Even though both sides lost people?” Remy asked.
“It helps if you realize that both sides are also idiots,” Matthew said, his tone suggesting he was very much done dealing with all involved.
“That why you accompanied Gordon?” Remy asked. “Are you hiding?”
“Yes,” Matthew said without pause. “Also, because he’s my husband and I love him.”
“Good save,” Gordon said with a slight smile.
“Wait,” Remy said. “Why aren’t the werelions getting someone they trust to be involved?”
“They have someone working with Tommy,” Matthew said. “Two of them, to be precise.”
“Because there are two of you,” I said.
“Pretty much,” Matthew said and rubbed his eyes. “It’s stupid politics and petty grievances getting in the way of safety and getting things done. The uncle of the groom and his sister.”
“The shouty man from the dinner?” Remy said. “Oh joy.”
“Yeah, he’s a dick,” Gordon said. “His name is Viktor Elkund. His sister is Alexandra Lindahl. Different fathers. Their mother was a werelion.”
“Viktor, the one who laughed when he was told about Victoria being hurt?” I asked.
“That would be the one,” Gordon said.
“I know Viktor is a loudmouth, but what is Alexandra like?” I asked.
“Alexandra likes to go by Lex,” Matthew said. “She was the wife of a Viking chief, and rumor has it she was the reason he stayed chief for as long as he did. She’s very much the smarts of the family. She’s got a viscous streak in her too. So does Viktor for that matter.”
“Are they people you can work with?” I asked.
“Lex, yes,” Gordon said. “We’ve been working with her to foster closer relations between her pride in the Nordic countries. And yes, I did say countries. She has a pride of nearly a hundred lions at this point, which is all but unheard of. Makes hers one of the largest in the world, probably the largest in Western Europe. Viktor has his own pride too; they operate out of Eastern Europe. No one is quite sure of the numbers, but they certainly have Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary all in their group. Last we heard they wanted to move into Russia, but there’s already at least half a dozen prides there, and they do not play well with others.”
“He’s trying to out-do his sister?” I asked.
“If you ask me in an official capacity as the alpha of a werewolf pack, I would say no, of course not,” Matthew said without emotion.
“And if I asked you as a friend?” I asked.
“Fuck yes, he’s a hundred percent pissed off that his sister is doing better,” Matthew said.
“Also, allegedly, his sister is fucking his wife on the side,” Gordon said. “Allegedly.”
“Ah, the old finger air quotes,” Remy said. “Quick question, is Viktor’s wife at the wedding? Just curious if there will be some comedy gold at some point.”
“Yes,” Matthew said. “She wasn’t at the meal.”
“And neither was Lex,” Gordon said.
“He’s enjoying this,” I said to Matthew, nodding toward Gordon.
“Gordon does not like Viktor,” Matthew said. “Do you, my love?”
“He’s an arsehole,” Gordon said. “A bully, a thug, a mean son of a bitch. His own brother, the father of the groom, hates his guts, and his own wife refused to stay in the same house as him. Everyone hates Viktor except the people he’s giving power to. They love the nasty little prick.”
“You really hate him,” Remy said. “What did he do?”
Gordon looked at the ground for a second. “He murdered a friend of mine. A century ago. She was with her husband, a human, in Bucharest. She was a werewolf. She did not take kindly to Viktor’s attempt to… let’s say woo her. Her husband stepped in. Viktor had them both murdered. From what I hear, he had the husband hunted through the forest and slaughtered like a…” he paused and looked at Remy.
“Like a fox in a hunt?” Remy asked, his voice taking on a hard tone.
Gordon nodded.
Remy turned to me. “I think I want to stab Viktor in the testicles. Repeatedly.”
“Their bodies were found nailed to trees near a werewolf pack,” Gordon said. “No one was charged. No one was punished. There was no evidence that it was him, but one of the werelions who was with him on the hunt confessed it to me.”
“A dying confession?” I asked.
“Yes,” Gordon said.
I didn’t need to know more. “Okay, I’ll keep an eye on Viktor. If he needs putting down, what happens to the truce?”
“If you kill someone, probably nothing,” Matthew said. “You’re not a were of any kind, you’d be seen as carrying out a fair punishment—so long as it was warranted. If one of us did it, or one of them to a wolf. There would be problems.”
“So, if a wolf is involved, it needs to be a wolf or not a were doing the justice, same for a lion?”
Matthew and Gordon nodded.
“Just once I’d like to be involved the world of weres that doesn’t need me…” I paused. “Actually, screw it, just that doesn’t involve me at all. Every time I get involved; it always beco
mes much more complicated because of politics.”
“Welcome to our lives,” Gordon said. “Happy to have you on board.”
“Any update on Victoria?” I asked.
“She was just coming out of it when we came down here,” Gordon said. “Even for someone as powerful as her, she’s still more than a little out of it. I don’t know what was in the basilisk-tooth blade to make her have that reaction, but it was bad.”
“Any idea what the poison was?” I asked.
“Manticore venom,” Gordon said.
“Wait, they were using manticore venom and basilisk-tooth blades?” Remy asked. “What’s the point?”
“What do you mean?” Matthew asked.
“Well, basilisk-tooth blades kill you, right?” Remy asked. “And manticore venom is a paralyzing agent. Why coat the weapon that kills you in something designed not to?”
“Remy really needs to stop making sense,” Gordon said.
“Something isn’t right here,” I said.
“That was not a fun experience,” Sky said as the door opened and she stepped out, looking a little wobbly. “We need to talk.” She pointed at me. “That sucked ass.”
“You okay?” I asked her, moving my hands just in case I needed to catch her.
“That last one,” she said waving her hands about. “Well, he had some kind of really fucked-up life. It took a lot out of me. I’m feeling a little sleepy now.”
“And the first three?” Remy asked.
“The basilisk-tooth blade did something to their heads when they died,” Sky said, wobbling from side to side. “They didn’t see a damn thing. The assassin couldn’t remember what his employer looked like; it was scrubbed out of his head. Could have been a pink elephant for all I know.”
“Are there wereelephants?” Remy asked.
“No,” Gordon and Matthew said in unison.
“Just checking,” Remy said, muttering wereelephant under his breath a few more times. “Funny word.”
“We’ll look around down here,” Matthew said. “Take Sky outside for some fresh air.”
“That,” Sky said, gesticulating to the ceiling. “Is a fucking wonderful idea.” She stepped up to Remy. “I like you, little fox.”
“Is this what drunk Sky is like?” Remy asked me. “Because drunk Sky rocks.”
“Son of a bitch had something in his head,” Sky said to me, whispering the last word and tapping herself on the head. “Head.” She giggled.
“I’ve never once heard Sky giggle,” Remy said.
“Let’s get her outside,” I said as Sky’s behavior appeared to be getting worse.
“Nate,” Sky said as we started up the stairs to the hut above. “Whoever did this, is not a good person.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said, throwing her arm around my shoulder and helping her up the stairs.
“Telepath,” she said. “Tele...eeeee… path.”
We’d reached the top of the stairs and Remy and I managed to get Sky outside. The fresh air hit her, and we walked ten paces, before she turned and vomited.
“I’ll find her some water,” Remy said, genuine concern in his voice.
“She okay?” One of the village regulars, a young man with a round face asked.
“She’ll be okay.” I hoped. “I’m sorry about your hut.”
“She’s not the first and won’t be the last,” he said.
“I bet she’s the first to do it after going into the spirit of an assassin,” I told him.
Remy returned with the water, and Sky washed out her mouth before taking small sips.
“I’m good,” she said, settling herself on the ground.
“You sure?” Remy asked.
Sky patted him on the head again. “Thank you, little fox.”
Remy smiled. “Any time.”
Sky smiled back. “Nate, a telepath put all kind of horrible stuff inside that assassin’s brain, it bled into his spirit. It was like drinking a gallon of vodka after not eating anything for a week. His spirit was like wading through sludge.”
“You sure you’re okay?”
Sky nodded. “I’m going to just stay here for a bit. I’ll catch you up and tell you everything when my brain isn’t spinning, and it’s had time to sort out what I actually discovered. Right now, it’s just a jumbled mess of stuff.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Remy said.
“Thank you,” Sky said as Remy sat beside her, his sheathed sword across his lap.
“I just think drunk Sky is funny,” Remy said dismissively, although we all knew that for all his joking, he would stand by any of our sides should we need it.
“Nate,” Sky said after I’d taken a few steps away. I turned back to her. “Whoever did this is evil,” she said. “Not a bit unpleasant, but evil. Fucking with a person’s spirit like that, twisting it so that when they die they can’t know peace? That’s a whole new level of messed up. Be careful.”
“Always,” I told her. “Come find me when you can walk without the world spinning.”
Sky closed her eyes, and slumped to the side, resting her head against Remy’s shoulder.
Chapter Five
I found Tommy in the courtyard of the castle, standing on top of a raised platform that hadn’t been there earlier. There was half a dozen of his people there too. Added to that, were fifty people all talking at once.
“Enough,” Tommy said, his voice snapping across everyone. “I’m trying to tell you what’s going on.”
“Can’t trust a werewolf,” one of the crowd shouted.
“He’s working for them,” another continued.
“You all agreed to hire me to do security,” Tommy said, clearly exasperated.
“Enough,” I shouted, using my air magic to raise the word by enough decibels that it reverberated around the courtyard.
Everyone turned to look at me.
“Some of you know who I am,” I said. “Some of you will know that Tommy brought me here because I don’t give two shits about your petty, centuries-old nonsense. I don’t care whose grandfather fucked whose grandmother. I don’t care who killed who, or who tried to kill who, but if any of you accuse Tommy of doing anything but his best for you, I will personally eject you from the highest rampart of this castle like a goddamned missile.” A whip of fire trailed from my hand, touching the cobbled stone, causing steam to rise all around me.
No one spoke for several seconds.
“Go back to your rooms,” Tommy said. “We will talk to each of you in turn.”
“Oh, one more thing,” I said. “If any of you hired the son of a bitch that tried to murder me and my friends, we’re going to have problems. I would consider handing yourself in now, because I am not in the mood to hunt for you.”
Shockingly, no one raised their hands to confess, but I figured I might as well try.
When the courtyard was clear—except for Tommy and me—he sat down on the makeshift platform.
“Victoria was poisoned with manticore venom,” I said as I sat beside him. “And we had an assassin whose head exploded. Sky will tell me more when she doesn’t want to throw up her own lungs.”
“Everyone is having a particularly shit day,” Tommy said.
“Except the assassin behind it all,” I said. “They’re on form.”
“I’m beginning to regret agreeing to this job,” Tommy said.
“If it helps, I very much regret saying yes.”
Tommy laughed. “Thanks for your support.”
“Any time, my friend,” I told him, giving him a thumbs up. “So, Viktor and Lex, they around?”
“The werelion contingent?” Tommy said. “Lex is useful, but I’d rather have a rabid bat helping out than Viktor.”
I spotted a man and woman stood in the doorway to the castle, they were watching us with interest.
“Beth and Logan,” Tommy said. “I get the feeling they want to talk to us.”
“We don’t bite,” I called out.
Beth was a few inches
over five feet, with long red hair and dark skin. The man was taller by at least a foot, with shaggy blonde hair that really did look like it belonged to the typical surfer dude image. Both looked concerned as they walked over to us hand-in-hand.
“Tommy,” Logan said, shaking his hand. “Thank you so much for being here.”
“You hired me to run security,” Tommy said. “I expected drunken stupidity, maybe a few brawls, but I hadn’t counted on assassins, got to be honest.”
“Varol and Mona were our friends,” Logan said. “And my mother-in-law was attacked, her guard murdered. No one expected any of this.”
“We want to help however we can,” Beth said. “Do we need to postpone the wedding?”
Tommy shook his head. “Maybe that’s what the killers want. Maybe that makes things worse. We don’t know yet. We need more intel. We need Victoria awake and talking.”
Beth turned to look at me. “You are Nathanial Garrett, yes?”
“Nate,” I said, shaking her hand. “I’m sorry about what happened to your friends.”
“Thank you,” Beth said. “Find whoever did it. My mother is a strong woman, I am sure she will recover in time. I’m doing all I can to make sure that her pack…our pack, remain calm. Most of them want to tear the forest apart to hunt for them. I am also sure that someone will try to take advantage of the situation.”
“Viktor, by chance?” I asked, taking a shot in the dark.
“He offered his services to find the killer,” Logan said. “He has been nothing but supportive of our relationship, why would he wish to disrupt the wedding?”
“Just a thought,” Tommy said. “But have you considered it might not be about your wedding?”
“The wolves and lions are together in one place,” I said. “Maybe they want to disrupt the truce. Sow dissent among you all. Have you second-guessing everyone. The wedding goes ahead, but people are now full of paranoia and fear. We need to know more, but for now, just go about your day as normal. Well, as much as possible.”
“I’m not sure how we can,” Beth said. “We were meant to have a banquet tonight, and who wants to go eat when people are being killed? What if the assassin uses it as a way to kill more of us?”
