by C. B. Miller
“That’s very generous and, if I might say so myself, very big of you based upon your mistress’s reputation.” He held up his hands as my eyes narrowed in an attempt to ward off my suspicion . “Now, the Order has a grudging respect for her organization's capabilities and her willingness to strike when the opportunity presents itself. It’s a compliment, I assure you.”
The Order!
I was a step closer and within striking range before I realized it and stopped. I shot him a grin as I backed up to the wall again. This time I didn’t lean up against it. “Now I see why you wanted my word. Good thing that I keep my promises.”
His smile widened ever so slightly, and I wanted to rip his head clean from his shoulders. The Order and their Hunters killed a good friend of mine a few months ago after they somehow turned another wight to their side. I had to kill him and a whole bunch of Hunters in the process to get out alive.
“We had a feeling that you might respond poorly after the previous encounter, but the powers that be believed it was in our mutual best interests to reach out to you as to prevent some misunderstandings.”
“I’m trying to figure out what kind of misunderstanding you’d be worried about. Isn’t the Order all about annihilating every other supernatural there is. That seems like a pretty clear cut ‘us versus you’ scenario.”
His cheeks flushed, and he presented his hand. “My name is Dane Valor, and yes, before you dismiss it, Valor is my real last name.”
In his hand was a Colorado driver’s license. It looked official, but Colorado was far enough away that I wouldn’t know what that state’s licenses looked like. It would be something easy enough for the Order to fake.
I shrugged, “A little pretentious, but whatever. Well, Dane, what is it that you have a say? I’m a very busy man.”
“The Order wants to let you know that we had nothing to do with the disappearances, vampire or otherwise, happening throughout the city. Our own ranks have fallen victim to the same scourage and determined that the members of your pact are not involved as well. We simply want to avoid unnecessary conflict.”
I barked out a laugh. “Unnecessary conflict? What you mean is that you don’t want us to kick you when you’re down is more like it.”
“I cannot provide you with details on how we arrived at this decision, and I’ll let your assumptions take you where you will. However, war is coming. Just not for your kind. Not yet, at least.”
He gave me a paternal look, although he appeared to be barely older than myself. “Don’t be in such a rush to die. It’s true. We may be in a weakened position for the time being but ask yourself why haven’t the Elders already struck out at us? We’ve done little to hide our presence in the city, and yet we continue to grow in numbers and strength under their watch.”
He had a point. My blood turned to ice as I listened to him speak. Segane and the others had taken a ‘watch and see’ attitude as the number of Hunters grew to alarming size inside Chicago city limits. No one could figure out why the Hunters were so casual about it and why no one was doing anything about them. That was even after a nasty attack in June.
“You’ve delivered a message, now what is the offer?”
Dane’s shoulders tensed for a split second and his friendly expression wavered. It was the first time his composure had changed.
“The Order is willing to provide assistance in combating this menace terrorizing your community.”
The surprise on my face must have shown through because he nodded for emphasis while I tried to comprehend why the Order would do that. What was so terrible that they would stop hunting were-creatures and vampires, let alone band against them to fight?
“Sir, I think I am much like you in some ways. We have marching orders, and we obey. Never seeing the big picture. I assure you that my preference would be to settle things right here, right now.” He waited for me to respond, and when I nodded, he continued on, “This edict came from on high, and none of us are happy about it either. But, it’s a genuine offer.”
He held out his hand, and this time he was holding a gold business card. It was solid gold, with a phone number engraved on it.
“If you call, we will come.”
I reached out and grabbed it, but he held on to it fast, “and if it’s a trap, we will know. The vengeance and fury will be something neither side has experienced in centuries. This was not offered lightly. Respect has to exist even among enemies.”
“I can agree to that.”
He released his grip on the card, and I pocketed it.
There is no way in hell I’ll ever call in the Order to help me with anything. But I’m sure Eden will love everything I learned.
“Good day, sir.” Dane offered me a quick salute and turned. A wave of power washed over me as he did so, worming its way into my mind. It tried to erase his name, his mannerisms, and anything else that was identifiable about it.
The magic slipped away, and I still remembered everything.
I waved as he crossed the street and called out. "Goodbye, Mr. Hunter!”
Who knew what game these guys were playing? But they wanted to make sure I couldn’t identify Dane if I saw him again. A piece of information I was going to save for later.
Chapter Eleven
I returned home, back to Eden’s Garden, and picked up my car. While I didn’t like the idea of getting stuck in traffic and then getting jumped, the prospect of getting attacked on the street again seemed worse. In my car, I at least have the chance of getting away, even if that means plowing through my enemies.
My black SUV had seen better days. The last six months were rough on it, between two angry werewolf encounters and a vampire who was convinced I was hitting on his mortal girlfriend. I could have gotten it into the shop, but there never seemed to be enough downtime to get the vampire’s hand prints out of my hood.
I pulled into a small commercial district with a few storefronts. A corner grocery store, a barber shop, and a bookstore. The bookstore occupied ground level while apartments took up the remaining two floors. The sign above the bookstore read “Bertha’s Exotic Reads and Curios,” and there was a multitude of occult items in the windows. I drove past slowly, trying to see how many people were inside. The dingy windows and poor evening light made it impossible to see if anyone was in, but there was a sign on the door that read ‘CLOSED’ on the door. That I parked down two blocks, keeping my eye out for anyone that might be watching me specifically. There were a few people walking past as I got out of my car, and they didn’t pay any attention to me. It felt weird. It was the first time today, I really felt like I was alone.
I approached the small bookstore and realized I wasn’t sure what I was going to say. Bertha Longfellow, the owner of Bertha’s Exotic Reads and Curios fame, was the leader of a local wizard’s circle, and she was definitely not a true mage. How members of her circle were able to pull off that powerful of a magical attack and able to conceal their abilities was worrisome. I wasn’t a fan of going in alone to figure out Bertha’s role either.
Wizards typically can only do some minor divinations, protection, hexes, and the like. Hexes could incapacitate someone, but only for a very short time, and their foresight was spotty at best from what I understood. If everything in the video was beyond a wizard’s ability like The Grey said earlier, this could be a group of mages.
I tapped out a quick text message to Sunshine, leaving her the details of my current location, and there was no need for any assistance. That way, if I never report back, she knows who needs their heads knocked in.
The bookstore was the typical New Age store, peddling all sorts of New Age books and services. Tarot card and palm readings, crystals, and books. This store probably stood out from the rest because the divinations would be somewhat accurate, and the crystals would hold some small amount of power. I looked at the shop hours and frowned. Bertha’s Exotic Reads and Curios doesn’t close until nine pm on Fridays, but the storefront was completely dark. To the west,
the sun’s dying autumnal light cast red shadows over the city, which meant it wasn’t even close to nine.
I tried to open the door anyway, unsurprised when the knob failed to turn. I grimaced and searched the street surrounding me, checking once more if anyone was watching me. The sidewalks were clear, and a lone car driving significantly over the speed limit zoomed past. Reaching for my lockpick set, I paused at the sound of the lock popping and the creaking whine of the door as it swung open a few inches.
The amulet was vibrating quietly, just enough that I noticed the movement and the amulet’s coldness against my chest.
I wasn’t sure when it started to vibrate or what it meant. A shiver ran through me for a second, and when it passed, the amulet had ceased its quivering. I pushed away the impulse to analyze what just happened and focused my attention on the bookstore. I couldn’t detect any movement, whispered conversation, or even breathing. I grabbed the handle and threw the door open wide.
The area beyond was cloaked in darkness, save for where the dim street lights combined with the final remnants of daylight pouring in.
Stepping in, there was a clicking sound, and the room was suddenly illuminated. I let out the involuntary breath I took when the motion sensor turned on the lights and looked around. It was laid out much like any bookshop. Bookshelves lined the walls with several aisles of bookshelves. There was a small table off to my left, probably for tarot readings or some other type of spiritual consultation. At the back of the store was the counter. A glass cabinet was next to the counter that was filled with gemstones and other jewelry, next to a wall display of what looked and smelled like hundreds of types of incense. The scents were nearly overwhelming, creating a nauseous bouquet of competing smells. Looking around, besides the motion sensor, there were no signs of modern technology. No camera, no monitors. The cash register was ancient, looking like something out of the early 1900s with a receipt paper next to it. A lime green sign that read “Cash Only” rested against it.
Behind the counter and off to the side was a doorway covered by a thick curtain.
Convinced that there wasn’t a modern security system protecting the shop, I walked behind the counter and pushed the curtain aside. Beyond was a small storeroom filled with various books, incense, gemstones, and other New Age items. Thirty feet away was a thick wooden door, and as I approached, a flash of motion from my right was the only warning I had. My side screamed as a searing hot pain lanced into me. Eden’s blood called and the pain vanished.
I spun to face a tall, lanky blonde guy sporting a thick dirty blond beard. His hand was clenched around the athame sticking in my side and stared into my eyes, grinning. The smile slowly faded as I looked down at the knife, back to him, and down again.
“You stabbed me!” I scolded.
The relief I felt at this man’s inexperience with a blade was consumed by the rage welling up from deep inside me. He had every opportunity to kill me, and instead of a quick death, this idiot meant to savor the kill. He pulled out the blade and plunged it once more into me, fortunately missing anything vital once again.
“Just die, you idiot!” He had a deep voice that rumbled through my head as he looked expectantly for me to fall.
“No.”
I smashed my elbow into his face and clinched his body closer to me. Pinning his right arm tight against his body to keep the knife buried in my gut and preventing him from stabbing me, I headbutted him. Blood spilled out from his nose with a crunch. He was dazed, but even in this clinch, he could twist the knife in my gut. Wights are not invincible. That wound was going to cost me.
He raised his left arm to shield his face, and I jammed my thumb hard and deep into his exposed armpit.
A high pitched shriek left his mouth as my thumb dug into the nerve cluster there. He tried to jerk away from me, but he wasn’t strong enough to completely break away from me. My imbued strength kept his arm pinned while I kept his body close to mine. Shifting, I took a partial step backward, creating enough room between us to drive the palm of my hand upwards into his chin in one smooth motion. Stunned, he released the dagger as he tried to keep his balance. As I let him go, I pushed him and sent him wheeling backward a few steps before he caught himself on a nearby bookcase.
As he tried to shake away shock, I crossed the distance in a few quick steps. Launching a series of rapid but unimbued jabs at his face. The man raised his arms and blocked a majority of the blows. I was rewarded with a sickening crunch and pop as I stomp kicked the side of his left knee and it gave way. He collapsed to the ground on one knee, crying out in agony.
I wrapped an arm around his neck and twisted his right arm behind his back until it felt like it would pop out of his shoulder.
“How do I get to Bertha’s haven from here? Speak, and I will let you live.”
I hated to be that harsh, but I am on a time limit, and Eden doesn’t look highly on mercy.
“Die in a fire!”
He struggled for a moment, but it was evident that he had put up as much of a fight as he was capable of.
“Hard pass, but I can definitely arrange that for you if you don’t cooperate. I’m here on official Accords business, and you just tried to kill me.” I pulled a little tighter on his arm and ground his weight towards his bad knee. “So, one more time, how do I get to Bertha? I am an official emissary of the Council, and if you do not comply … well, you can guess what will happen to you.”
“You don’t have any proof we were there last night.”
“That’s funny; I didn’t mention why I was here.” I twisted his right arm further until the shoulder popped. I’m not into torture, but this was about survival. Wizards needed the trappings of magic to do their work. Wands, staves, rings, and so on. If Bertha’s circle figured out some way to channel offensive arcane energies, I wanted to make sure his ability to direct those energies were lessened. And I didn’t want to kill him unless I really had to. His fate should be left up to the Enclave after a trial if at all possible. Who knew? Maybe he was redeemable in some way.
He screamed in pain, and I contemplated choking him out just so he’d stop. He did try to kill me and make me suffer in the process, but I still felt a measure of guilt at the pain his dislocated shoulder caused. I wasn’t sure how to restrain him while I talked with Bertha either, but that was a problem for future Kaedin once I got the information I needed from him.
I tightened my hold around his throat, slowly constricting him until his cries of agony turned into a gasp, “What do you want?”
“Now, I don’t have a lot of time, Chad. You really need to tell me where the entrance to Bertha’s haven is.” He looked like a Chad, and I didn’t want to know his name. There was no reason to trust he’d give me the real thing anyway.
“Chad? What are you talking about? My name’s not Chad.”
“I don’t care. No, really, I don’t.” I threw him to the ground hard, and the air exploded from his lungs as I pulled out my cellphone. I put my foot on his throat and gently applied pressure while he recovered his breath. Flashing the picture of the two women at him, “Who are these two?”
There was a flash of recognition in his eyes before his face hardened. “Ugh, I don’t know. Who could tell from that crap picture?”
I didn’t want to agree, even if he did have a point. The picture was terrible. There was recognition in his eyes, and I wished for a split-second I had the ability to nudge weaker minds like vampires.
Or like MacKenzie.
I shook away the thought of her and focused on Chad. He was grinning slightly, watching the slow, steady trickle of blood from my wound drip down my side.
“Ok, so here’s what is going to happen to you if you don’t tell me what I want to know. We are going to take a little walk down to my mistress, and I am going to give you over to her. Now, you might have heard of her and the fact she hates magic. A lot.”
He spat in my face.
I didn’t’ bother to wipe it off and just glared at him. “
I work for - wait for it….”
He choked on the next piece of spittle as I pressed harder on his throat.
“Eden. Savage.”
The smirk on his face disappeared at the mention of Eden. I thought he figured out I was a wight when I didn’t die outright, a decision he is probably regretting since I survived his initial attack.
“Good, you’ve heard of her. Side note, she has no issues with giving her enemies the blessing of Conversion because it kind of gives her an eternity to torture then. Let me assure you, she very much enjoys pulling the legs off of insects.”
She’d also follow the laws of the Accords in this case, but he doesn’t need to know that. At least, I hope she’d follow them. Besides, torture wasn’t an efficient method for getting information out of people. Not when you can reach into their minds and compel them to tell you.
He glanced at the windows and smiled. “You know what, let’s go back to your puny mistress. Let her do her worst. Let her embrace the true nature of the universe. What everything really comes down to. And then she’ll be the one weeping in despair at her meaninglessness.” The smirk returned and spread across Chad’s face as he spoke.
For a defeated man in a lot of pain, he seemed confident, like he was the one with the upper hand. There was a fervor in his eyes as he watched me. “Last chance, Chad. . You have some information I need, and you will talk one way or another. It’s a matter of when and how much pain is involved.”
Silence.
I waited a few more heartbeats before letting out a heavy sigh. I kicked Chad in the head, and his eyes rolled back in his head as his body went limp. Pulling the athame out of my gut. I focused my will on the wound, feeling it slowly close and knit. The blood spilling from my side slowed to a trickle and then finally stopped as the wound closed over completely. Healing myself was something I’d recently learned, but I was loathe to use the power most of the time. It took a lot out of me, and I needed to be in a safe spot while I mended. Unlike a werewolf or a vampire, which instinctively heal from almost every wound unconsciously and with little effort, wights like myself needed uninterrupted time to heal. Something we couldn’t do in the middle of a fight.
