by S T Branton
I frowned. The archaic term felt weird coming from someone who filled me with such instinctual disgust. Like being asked to tea and crumpets by a human shaped slug.
“Tell your boss that I doth refuse his parley,” I said with a shitty English accent. “But if he’s ready to become the dead god of death…that I’m happy to oblige.”
“Perhaps your Roman friend can persuade you to reconsider, before my Lord’s request becomes a demand. Let’s just say that bad things happen to humans who forget their place.”
I’d heard enough bullshit threats to know a real one. Whatever Delano was, he wasn’t bluffing about his boss.
The Apprenti produced an iridescent peacock feather from inside his coat and held it out between two fingers like a long cigarette.
I glanced sideways at the feather and the man holding it. “I’m more of a chocolates gal myself.”
Delano sneered. “This feather is a binding symbol of Lord Lorcan’s word. No harm will befall you during the parley.”
The legends say that it was a similar gesture that convinced Kronin to meet with Lorcan, before they worked together to end war amongst the gods, Marcus chimed in. Parley has become more than custom. It is sacred.
“You’re sure?” I spoke carefully, without moving my mouth very much at all.
It has been the way of things for thousands of years. I do not believe that even Lorcan would forego the rite. Although, I myself have a rule about never trusting a backstabber.
Inhaling deeply, I extended my hand to take the feather.
“A wise move.” The demigod nodded sagely. “Two days from now, on the top floor of the One World Trade Center. Lord Lorcan will be waiting.” The sallow face hardened for a second. “I would advise you to come alone.” He looked pointedly at the spot where the gold medallion rested on my skin.
I bit my tongue. Apparently finished with his business, the man in the black duster turned heel and strode away, his legions of vampire minions trailing behind him. As soon as I judged him to be safely out of earshot, I let out my breath and grunted, “I fucking hate that guy.”
The feeling is mutual. And yet, a meeting could be worth our time.
“Maybe.” I groused about that for a minute, severely displeased. This parley shit was better than I’d expected out of the vampire faction, but I hated the feeling of being backed into a corner. Sending a tsunami of his minions ahead of him was the most bullshit power play I’d ever seen.
“You know that guy?” Maya asked, jerking me out of my fugue. She peered over my shoulder in the direction the Apprenti had walked off with his vamps. “He looks like he’s a ton of fun at parties.”
“He was the big boss behind the slaughterhouse I told you about before,” I said. “Not the guy I killed. Higher pay grade.”
“Ah.” She nodded. “That’s so corporate.”
“Like, middle management.” I rolled my eyes. “And they’re all a bunch of smug-ass dickheads.” Checking around to make sure no one else was lying in wait for us, I motioned for Maya to follow. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Suddenly I don’t feel quite at home anymore.
***
I handed Maya my coat, since her transformation tore her ensemble to pieces. An occupational hazard when you’re a werewolf. Despite the fact that I was sore and tired as hell, I decided to make one last stop before home.
A move like Delano just pulled doesn’t happen without planning—and that planning tends to make noise. If I was even going to consider meeting with the big man himself, I needed to find out everything I could about what the vampires were up to in my absence.
And there was only one person I trusted to give me the truth.
We picked up our pace, ignoring the night life around us, until I saw the exact shitty hole in the wall I was looking for. The windows were all boarded up, and if it wasn’t for the blinking neon light, it would be easy to assume the place was abandoned. But a bar like this caters to a specific clientele.
“Really?” Maya’s voice was rife with undisguised skepticism. “I’m not sure when my last tetanus shot was.”
I shrugged. “What’s that expression? When you gotta break some eggs, go to where the shit heads are.”
“Must be a New York thing,” she said with a strained grin as she followed me inside.
The boozy, smoky stench of the barroom hit me like a brick wall. I hadn’t been in one of these dives since before I left for Washington. Even after only a week or so, I couldn’t believe I basically lived in places like this for so long. I waded through the haze, Maya in tow, apologizing to my lungs. Indoor smoking laws apparently didn’t hold jurisdiction here.
It was a rough looking crowd, the kind that didn’t take too kindly to nosy outsiders asking questions. But with the Gladius Solis by my side and a grade-A badass werewolf at my back, I figured we could handle whatever trouble made the mistake of messing with us.
Not that I expected that trouble to come from my dear friend Frank.
Frank’s distinctive bulk was wedged into a booth in the back, kitty-corner from the bar. He saw me coming and visibly sagged.
“Jeezum Crow, it’s you again.” Holding up his huge hands, he reclined in the booth, panning rheumy eyes around the dark room. They settled on Maya for a second before flicking back to me. “And you’ve brought back up.”
I nodded toward Maya. “She’s my bodyguard. And she’ll make you think I’ve been playing good cop. Now, are we going to have a problem tonight?”
He grabbed a shot and downed it before waving to the bartender to get him another. “Not from me you’re not. I might be a little heavy around the waist, but I ain’t thick. I learned my lesson, and I’m picking my battles now, all right? I’ll tell you whatever you want, long as you leave me and my balls alone.”
“No loyalty among thieves, huh, Frankie?” I leaned on the edge of his table, folding my arms. “Your crew’s not here either?”
He grunted. “Most of them are still in the hospital after running into you. I haven’t heard from the rest in weeks, which in this business means one of two things. They’re dead, or worse.”
“What do you mean worse?” Maya asked, a look of concern on her face.
The bartender returned with two shots of something dark and cheap. Frank drank them both without taking a breath. Luckily his fear of me kept him sober.
“If you’re working with this one,” he said pointing at me, “then you know that there’s some freaky shit going down. And it’s not just the bloodsuckers either. There’s worse than them prowling around.”
“I’m familiar,” Maya said without a hint of irony.
“This town,” he sighed into his empty glass. “It used to make sense. Now it’s like Disneyland for the devil. And that’s no place for me.”
“You could always leave,” I said. It was weird seeing Frank so scared of something other than me.
“Go where? And do what? This place is my home. I was born and raised here, and if the rumors I’m hearing are true, I’ll probably die here as well.”
I smiled toward Maya. This. This was why I kept coming back to Frank.
“Better fill me in on those rumors Frank. I know you and I haven’t always had the same goals, but you’ve got to believe me. I’m only here to help this city. Help the world. Whatever else I am, I’m on the side of humanity.”
He took a long hard look at me, as if seeing me for the first time. A flicker of hope, of defiance, returned to his eyes.
“I believe you mean that.” He looked down at another shot that showed up, then pushed it away. “Most of this is smoke, OK? I’ve got nothing hard and fast for you. Just whispers here or there and my own hunches which are far from foolproof.”
I smiled at him encouragingly. “I’ll take anything you’ve got, pal.”
“Well, the human side of my, uh, particular business has basically closed up shop. No one, and I mean no one’s got the guts to go up against the vamps. And yet, if you’re the kind to read the news, New York�
��s in the midst of a crime wave. Bank robberies, shoot outs, arson, you name it, and it’s happening. But not by anyone on team mankind.”
“Then who’s behind it?”
He couldn’t help himself. Without thinking he threw down the remaining shot and his voice jumped an octave.
“Who else? It’s the freaks. But like I said, not just the fang bangers. There’s all sorts of creeps running around. I don’t know much, but I know the vamps all started out flesh and blood. But the things I’m hearing about, no one knows where they came from, but it’s like they’ve been here the whole time, ya know? Like something from my nightmares. And they’re all going nuts.”
“But why, Frank?”
“I look like a Magic Eight Ball to you?” Frank threw up his hands. “Who the hell knows? But I’d wager my left nut that it’s nothing good. Like some sort of sign, you know? End of days shit.”
The mobster shook his jowly head. “I don’t know what you got your nose into, kid, but be careful about it.”
I pursed my lips. “What do you mean by that?”
Frank looked at me flatly. “I mean see that you don’t get your schnoz bit off, you punk. I ain’t no plastic surgeon.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“End days shit sounds about right.”
Maya was pacing back and forth in my apartment, full of energy despite all that we had been through.
I filled Maya in on my history with Frank as I watched her move around the loft. She pulled her hair down as she listened, running her hands through a mass of unruly black curls. “I kind of feel bad for the guy,” she commented, a couple bobby pins secured in her teeth. “I mean, I know he’s a criminal and all.”
I snorted. “He could be worse. But without him, there’s a lot of shit I wouldn’t know.”
Maya laughed, and she stretched, stifling a yawn. “You know the worst thing about being a Were? The whole transforming thing is frickin’ exhausting. I could sleep for a day. And I think I need a chiropractor.”
“Look at it this way. If your human body breaks, you’ve got a bigger, stronger one to use instead.”
“Right, because everyone wants to see a Were at their vet’s office. I’m sure that’ll go over like a lead zeppelin.”
I grinned. “You never know. It might increase your credibility. Especially if your Were form grants you the ability to, like, talk to dogs.”
She gave me a look. “What do you think this is, Dr. Doolittle? You make it sound like I’m losing my mind.”
“You and the rest of this city.”
“Yeah,” she said, finally perching on the edge of my mattress. “What the hell did Frank mean about other creatures. Does he mean the harpies?”
It is possible. But there is a great probability that he was referring to other members of the Forgotten. Remnants from the old wars who have been following Kronin’s dictates for millennia.
“Like your ogre friend.”
Precisely. They are rare, but I would imagine that a city the size of this one would attract nonhumans who wanted to remain hidden in plain sight. If they didn’t cause any trouble to humans, there would have been no need for me to investigate them. But now that there’s no Kronin, there’s very little keeping them in check.
“Then it’s playtime. They’re probably rejoicing the gods’ return.”
Maya waited patiently, familiar enough by now about my advisor on the inside. I relayed his ideas to her.
“Great,” she said. “So not only do we have a god of darkness and his Apprenti—not to mention their army of vampires—but we also have a host of who knows what else roaming the streets. You weren’t kidding when you said you could use a partner. Let’s just hope that I don’t start letting loose as well.”
I nodded. “I have to say, it was nice having you by my side tonight. And I’m sure you’ll be able to keep your…problems under control. Speaking of which…” I took Marcus from around my neck and handed it to her. “Why don’t you spend some time training with the old guy before you hit the sack.”
She smiled as she slipped the amulet around her neck. “He says he prefers the term ancient. It is more accurate and less demeaning.”
I rolled my eyes. “Tell him just to be grateful I don’t refer to him as saggy ass.”
***
I’d be the first to admit my partner-related cold feet hadn’t completely gone away but waking up to the sound of Maya’s snoring made me happier than I’d been in a while. It was surprisingly nice to have her around, even if it made my living quarters a little cramped.
Marcus was hanging from her hand, as it dangled off of the second-hand mattress we bought for her. I crept over and grabbed him without waking her, then began my morning training.
“Everything go alright last night?” I asked between lunges.
Her mind is remarkable. Brilliant but without the kind of arrogance that so often accompanies such intelligence. But the tensions inside her—her pacifism colliding with her new lethal nature. Despite his death, there is more Lupres left in there than I originally believed. It is good that I spend time with her. Our link will prove invaluable.
“Do your thing,” I said with a smile. “I don’t mind taking a break from you now and again. That is if you won’t miss me too much.”
Somehow, I will find a way to manage.
Maya woke up eventually, and we took the day at a leisurely pace. Until the coffee ran out. That was unbearable, so we decided to go on a quick supply run.
New York buzzed as we made our way out onto the street.
We turned the corner, and the neon sign of my local bodega came into view. As we crossed the street, the bright unmistakable light of a muzzle flash backlit the front display. “Hey!”
Hand poised to draw my sword, I beelined for the door of the shop. Before I reached it, a rowdy group busted it open from the inside, nearly breaking it off its hinges, and knocking me back on my ass.
“What the—” Maya looked up, some yards behind me. “What’s going on?”
I wasn’t sure yet myself. The guys who spilled out into the street were a strange-looking crew, decked out in baggy clothing, wide boots, and thick knit caps. Like some kind of 90s street gang. They were laughing uproariously out of mouths filled with horsy teeth at the end of long, flat faces. One of them had his coat open, exposing a chest full of thick, dark hair.
Despite all of that, the first thing I noticed was that they had guns. Not only that, but they were firing, seemingly without much purpose. The rattle of a semiautomatic shattered a window across the street, just before they bolted down an alley.
I told Maya to check on the people inside the store, make sure there were no injuries. Without looking back, I took off after the bastards.
It might not have been the work of Forgotten, but that didn’t mean I was gonna let these shits shoot up my town.
They moved fast, but they all ran with the same kind of odd gait. Like they were leaning forward at an unnatural angle. I assumed they were drunk. And they were laughing the whole way.
I kicked myself into gear and followed them around a corner. One saw me coming and turned to fire in my direction. I spun behind a dumpster and let the barrage wash over me. As I heard the sound of him changing clips, I bolted.
His eyes grew wide at my approach, and before he could raise his gun to fire again, I was on him. My tackle must have felt like getting hit by a bus, but the jerk kept his cool. He was thin, but his legs packed a powerful kick, and I took a couple good hits to the stomach as he scrambled out from under me.
Not wanting him to get away, I grabbed his boot like a toddler and held on. His foot slipped out, which was when I noticed that it wasn’t a foot at all.
It was a hoof.
Ah, so they are not human after all, Marcus said, almost with a laugh.
“No shit,” I said as I climbed to my feet, staring at the strange creature in front of me. He was much more wild-looking close up; his eyes were elongated and almost red in color, the pup
ils standing vertical. The scraggly beard sheathing his face was tangled, coarse. Pulled back, his lips revealed surprisingly vicious teeth that seemed to belong to a more outwardly predatory beast.
It smiled at me hungrily.
“See something you like, woman?”
“I see something I’d like to pummel,” I said, drawing the sword from my belt.
He’s a satyr, Marcus said. The servants of a lesser god who didn’t survive Kronin’s rise. Mean creatures, but not much of a threat. I assumed they all had died out years ago, but apparently their race lives on.
“Ah, so you’re the one I’ve heard so much about.” He looked at the sword but seemed unperturbed. “You should take my advice and leave town while you still have the chance.” As he spoke, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Steam from his breath mingled with smoke when he talked. “Or better yet, why don’t you come with me. We could have some fun while there’s still time.”
The way he said it made me believe spending time with him would be no fun at all.
“What do you mean while there’s still time?”
His laugh was short and harsh. “You’ve got the sword, so you must know what’s happening. The gods have returned. And they will tear this world to pieces trying to kill each other. Your people don’t stand a chance. Especially since Lorcan has claimed this city as his own.”
I opened my mouth to ask for more information, but the sound of footsteps drew my attention. I looked just in time to see the satyr’s friends pulling out their weapons. One of them fired, and for a moment the world seemed to slow. The Gladius Solis leapt in my hand. Whether or not it was my nectar fueled reflexes or some power inherent in the sword, I wasn’t sure. But the blade flashed and the bullet that had been aimed at my chest dissolved in midair.
