Beast Master: A Novel in The Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Series (The Temple Chronicles Book 5)

by Shayne Silvers

  “No way,” she exclaimed, leaning forward eagerly.

  I nodded. “Her house is actually her shadow. A Familiar of hers. Creepy as hell. Walks around on those chicken feet and everything.”

  She was shaking her head regretfully. “Incredible. I miss all the fun.”

  “She wasn’t… fun.” I rolled my eyes.

  “If you say so. Tell me, since you need a friend, what can I do to help you out? Seems like you have a lot on your plate.”

  I nodded, mind turning over recent events. I had no idea what I was going to do about the chimera, other than find a way to make a substantial amount of money, fast. Then convert it to the chosen form of currency for antiquated supernaturals, which wasn’t truly that common these days. Most just used cash. At least in my circles. Lucky me, I had nothing else going on in my life. Except for protecting Tory from the Queens.

  And dealing with Indie.

  I rubbed my temples, thinking, and an idea tumbled out almost immediately, thanks to talking about Baba. A predatory smile cracked my cheeks. “I need you to make a phone call. He won’t answer if I call. Set up a meeting. Here. In a few hours.” I calculated the time in my head, knowing that the Beast Master would likely make a move tonight. “You can tell him it’s to meet me,” I said, a smile beginning to stretch across my face.

  She watched me curiously. “Okay, who am I calling again?”

  I told her. And about our past.

  She blinked. About three times. “He’s real?” I nodded. “And you want me to just call him…”

  “Yep. This will be fun.”

  “If you say so…”

  Chapter 15

  “Squeeze the trigger, don’t pull,” Mallory whispered, eyeing the gates of Chateau Falco in the distance through a set of binoculars. It was an hour before sundown, perfect for this type of thing since the sun rested behind me, not blinding my vision.

  I nodded. “I know. I have handled a gun before, Mallory. And there’s no need to whisper.”

  He ignored my last comment. “This ent’ a gun. Tis a wee bit different from yer pistols and whatnot,” he chided.

  “Okay. Got it. I don’t know dick about this, and you know everything.” I rolled my eyes. “Now, can we hurry up already?”

  The rooftop was silent as we waited, giving me time to replay my conversation with Agent Jeffries an hour ago. I had called him to appease his concern, and to answer his questions honestly. Hearing me outright tell him I had no idea what Indie was doing in town was huge, because he could discern truth from lies. Literally. Some kind of ability of his. Telling him these things out loud would remove all doubt in his mind. Which would prevent a SWAT team from kicking down my door in the next few days. I was his only lead, so without that call, he could have made my life a living hell. Thanks to our conversation, I now had some breathing room. But he had made me promise to check in with him often, no doubt so that he could repeat his same questions, to make sure my circumstances hadn’t changed.

  Which meant I really needed Indie and Ichabod not to reach out to me. Because if they did, and if Jeffries later asked me about it, he would catch me in a lie. Not answering his call would be as good as admitting I was aiding and abetting a fugitive.

  He hadn’t given me any further details on the attack at the airport. Other than the knowledge that a few security guards had been harmed, but were expected to make full recoveries from their sword wounds. Jesus. What the hell had she been thinking? She could have very easily shifted her appearance to just waltz through the airport, no harm done. But she hadn’t. Which had to mean something. And she had used a name that would catch my attention quicker than a streaker at a Cardinals game.

  Mallory let out a sharp breath, snapping me back to the moment. “Target in sight and approaching the kill-zone. Calling Dean now,” he whispered to me before murmuring into a walkie-talkie. I heard Dean respond in a dry tone as I focused on the Op.

  At least, that’s what the pros called this kind of thing.

  I stared through the scope, relaxing my shoulders as I lay on the frigid rooftop. The thin blanket wasn’t enough to keep off the chill, but it was better than nothing. I let out a measured breath, and locked in my sights. Or however the pros said it.

  Listen, I looked through the lens thingie and aimed my metal fire-stick.

  The gates swung open at a glacial pace, and a figure stepped into view, pausing for just a moment as he listened to the speaker beside the gate, Dean saying something to him.

  Right on schedule.

  I let out a controlled breath, and squeezed the trigger. The cannon in my arms exploded, jolting my shoulder hard enough to likely leave a bruise. The figure flew backwards a good ten feet, somersaulting into a nearby bush. I watched him through the scope, struggling to climb back to his feet. He crouched, scanning the horizon, wary of another attack. I saw a faint glint near his head as he used his own binoculars to spot his attacker.

  Little old me.

  I stood, waving belligerently.

  He was motionless for a moment, and then very slowly unfolded to a standing position. But he didn’t take a step. He just stood there. His gaze flickered to the intercom beside the gate again and then he unloaded a full clip at it, emitting an arc of sparks. Then he began storming up the drive with murderous intent.

  Mallory only watched me with a thoughtful frown.

  “Reckon we ought to go talk to him.”

  I smiled and turned to head back inside the mansion to meet my old friend. Dean was waiting at the bottom of the stairs inside the house. “Judging from the intercom’s state of disrepair at the gates, I’m presuming your brilliant plan worked?” he asked scathingly.

  I nodded, brushing past him with a smile. “Thanks, Dean.”

  “There are ways to make friends, and then ways to make enemies. I think you may have misunderstood the lesson. And you seem to have forgotten you are no longer a billionaire.”

  “We’ll see about that,” I winked to both statements.

  Moments later, Mallory and I were outside, slouching against the columns of the covered parking area leading up to the front door.

  A man strode up the last hill of the drive, coat tattered where a giant hole marred the center of the fabric, right over his heart. His face was a storm cloud, and his lips were tight with fury.

  “Hi, Van,” I said jovially.

  He stopped ten feet away, and continued to glare. He took a deep breath, let it out, and then repeated the motion before speaking, voice quivering with rage. “Your social skills… leave something to be desired,” he finally said. Although he was furious, he was also very, very cautious. He had seen me and my friends during a fight with his old master, Rumpelstiltskin. It hadn’t ended well for him, but at the same time, my actions had released him from his bond to the monster.

  So.

  Was he pissed right now?

  Yes. Yes, he was.

  But did he remember how dangerous I could be?

  Yes. Yes, he did.

  And that was the only reason he wasn’t trying to murder me right now.

  “You’re immune to weres, right?”

  He stared at me as if I had struck him in the forehead with a rock. “What happened to your forehead?”

  I managed to restrain myself, needing him more than I needed a sooty stain where he currently stood. “Lycanthropy. You’re immune to it, right?” I asked, ignoring his comment. “If you’re clawed or bitten, you don’t acquire the fun, homicidal menstrual cycle at the full moon, and all that.”

  He continued to stare, his anger at me sniping him morphing into something his face didn’t quite know how to express. “Yeah. Sure,” he finally mumbled, staring at me as if I had been speaking French.

  “Okay, that’s good. I need a babysitter. Your name came up. Good references.”

  His mouth opened once, then closed. “What?”

  “If you can handle it, I’ll consider us even.”

  “And what if I already consider us eve
n?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Then I guess I’ll just reacquaint you with Silver Tongue.”

  He flinched. “He’s still alive?”

  I nodded. “Much to his displeasure. I’m sure he would love a long talk with an old friend though. Maybe even a sleepover…” I let the threat build in his mind for a few seconds. “You interested?” I asked, face blank.

  He finally let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, you son of a bitch. Fine. After this, we’re even.”

  “No. If you do a satisfactory job with this – of which I am the judge – we’re even.”

  He growled back, “Fine. What’s the job?”

  This next part was risky. There was always the chance that he would double-cross me, but I needed an inside man. Someone to scope the place out, and give me better chances of surviving. “I need you to go to a job interview with the Beast Master.”

  He stared at me like a fish out of water for a few seconds. “The fucking Beast Master is here?” I nodded. “Do you have any idea what you’re messing with?” he asked softly.

  I shrugged. “Kind of. But I need you to do it anyway.” I wasn’t stupid enough to tell him about my curse, and my dwindling magic. Let him think I was as juiced up as he remembered. “Listen, I just need a man on the inside to give me a layout of his facility. You’re immune to weres, which makes you my prime candidate. You don’t actually need to do anything dangerous. Just observe, and get me information.”

  “Nothing dangerous. Just get a job with a lunatic, spy on him, and then give the information to his enemy. Nothing dangerous at all.” He threw up his hands. “Working for him is kind of a long-term job. He doesn’t just let people leave, you know.”

  I smiled at him, leaning forward conspiratorially. “If I have my way, that won’t be a concern for long.” I paused. “You are both connected to the big players. The Syndic—”

  He blazed through the space between us in a nanosecond, and clamped his hand over my mouth. Mallory hissed, practically dancing on the balls of his feet, ready to kill. But Van wasn’t attacking. His eyes were wild. “Easy, kid. Neither of us has protection any longer. With Stilts gone, saying that name could be hazardous to our health.” He met my eyes until I nodded, then he withdrew his calloused hand and stepped back.

  “Okay. What I was saying is that you both have connections with… them. Use your hatred for me, and your extensive track record of hunting down Freaks to win him over. You’re in town without a job, thanks to your previous employer… shutting down operations, which was thanks to me. Tell him you want nothing more than to stick it to me by helping the Beast Master – for a brief window while he’s in town – to steal some of my citizens. Then you’re done. Unless the Beast Master has a better offer later. He’ll bite. If not, make him. I need someone on the inside.”

  Van’s gaze wandered the grounds as he searched for an excuse. I let him, nodding discreetly at Mallory who looked the exact opposite of comfortable with the situation. Finally, Van turned back to me and nodded. “Okay. But after this, we’re done.”

  I nodded gratefully. “Thank you.” I began to turn away, and then paused. “Oh, Van. Few other things. Can you keep an eye out for… the Grimm?”

  He studied me. “Your fiancée? That Grimm?” He asked with a frown. I nodded. “Sure. Did you misplace her?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Did you check the kitchen?” he grinned. I didn’t smile back. “Just keep my eye out? Because I don’t think she’s going to like it if she finds me tailing her. As in, she’ll take my eye,” he added dryly.

  “Oh, she definitely won’t like you tailing her. That’s why I need you to be sneaky.”

  “Fine. We done?”

  “Almost. I also need to see Baba Yaga.”

  He threw his hands up in frustration. “What the hell, man? Do you need me to wipe your ass, too?”

  My glare tightened. “Remember who you’re talking to…” I threatened with a harsh smile. “This is your way out of my crosshairs.” I plucked a bullet from my pocket, holding it up to the light. “Speaking of crosshairs, I got some fancy new bullets the other day.” And I tossed it to him. “You can have this one. I have more boxes of them upstairs.”

  He caught it instinctively, studying it. His face grew pale as his other hand absently touched the hole in his shirt. Where I had shot him. He looked at me, face emotionless.

  “Bone and claw, right? The only thing that can harm you…”

  He nodded, face tight, as he pocketed the bone-tipped bullet I had tossed to him.

  “I listen, Abraham, and I plan ahead. Be thankful I didn’t use this bullet a few moments ago. Call it a gesture of good will.”

  He didn’t look happy, but finally sighed. “You can find Baba in a warehouse in Soulard. Not far from your bookstore, actually.” He rattled off the address. Which was in fact alarmingly close to my bookstore, only a few blocks away. And I didn’t like that one bit. One, because she was in my city – even though it was fortuitous right now. Two, because out of the whole city, she had chosen a spot in my backyard. Van continued, watching me thoughtfully. “But be careful. She’s… not right in the head after our last… meeting.”

  I frowned. “Okay. Go get that job. Be persuasive, Van. This will benefit you just as much as it will benefit me. And Achilles will probably be your best bet to get information to me.”

  “What?! He wants to kill me!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be such a drama queen. You brought that on yourself.” He was fuming, panting heavily as his fists flexed open and closed spastically. “Listen. Everyone knows you hate each other, so no one will be stupid enough to think you’re working with him. Also, it is totally believable that – working with the Beast Master – you would need to be in contact with a local bartender who sells tickets to the show. This isn’t a request. Anything else will give you away.”

  He let out an exasperated sigh. “Any way you can tell me why I’m risking my life again? Why are you picking a fight with the Beast Master?”

  “I need to save a chimera.”

  His jaw practically hit his chest. Then he began to laugh. “You’re fucking insane. Bat-shit insane. I’ll do these things. And do them well. And then, we’re done.”

  I nodded, ignoring his accusation. But the Dark Presence inside me didn’t ignore it, and began railing against my resolve to kill this murderer once and for all.

  Van left between one blink and the next, simply disappearing from my sight, which infuriated the Dark Presence inside of me. Mallory scowled at the spot where he had been, and let out a grumble of disapproval. “What next, Laddie?”

  “We go question a prisoner. Then I go see the witch so I can hopefully save a kid tonight.”

  Mallory’s responding grumble was altogether hungrier and more approving this time.

  Chapter 16

  I threw a pitcher of chilled ice water at the sleeping form. He woke with a startled gasp, jumping up and down, panting, eyes wide. He saw me and his hands flashed to the thick bars of his cell. He leaned forward. “How dare you imprison me!”

  “The way I see it, handing you over to the Academy would put me in their good graces, and rid me of a nuisance.” I held my phone out so he could reach through the bars. “Go ahead, call Jafar, Captain of the Justices.” I feigned a sudden look of embarrassment. “Oh, wait… I killed him.” I smiled at him. “In that case, phone a friend. I’ll wait.” I began tapping a foot as I leaned against the bars with one shoulder.

  The man glared back. “And how much good will that do for you, seeing as you will no longer be a Maker if you don’t help me?” he replied smugly.

  I didn’t let my frustration show on my face. But I was seething. Little bastard should have known I was going to help him. If he had done his homework, like he said he had, he would have known. But instead, Gunnar had attacked him, and the man had responded by extorting me to help. Or risk forfeiting my power.

  “So, we are at an impasse. I need you, a
nd you need me. Neither of us is happy about it. I understand that.” He nodded his begrudging agreement. “Now, if you want to get out of this cell, you will release me from the curse.”

  He stared at me for a good long while, and then shook his head. “I can’t,” he said, dropping his head. After a few moments, he looked back up at me. “But even if I could, I wouldn’t. I need you to save my girl, and after everything that happened, I don’t know if you would help me. Call it cowardice.” He shrugged. “I don’t care. I would do worse if it guaranteed her safety.”

  I sighed, understanding his position. Things had gotten out of hand, and I wasn’t sure if I would have reacted differently in his shoes. I hadn’t really thought he would be able to simply cancel his curse. Things like that usually required some predetermined action to be fulfilled to nullify the magic spent on the spell. No free lunch. “Worth a shot.” I tapped my lips in thought as Mallory smiled darkly at my prisoner. “Fine. Counter offer. Make an oath to do whatever I say, no matter what. For the duration of our rescue attempt. Once you touch hands with your… daughter, the spell is restored. Period. No negotiations.”

  The man watched me for a few seconds before finally sighing. He nodded. “I swear to abide by the conditions you just stated.”

  “Not so fast. We’re going to make this binding. I have trust issues. Not unlike you.”

  I nodded to Mallory and he pulled out an archaic set of keys to open the cell door, glaring the whole while at Rufus. He let the man out, shoved him before me, and said, “Kneel.” Then he very politely held a pistol to the base of his skull. “This is how I say please.”

  Rufus didn’t look happy about it, but complied.

  “Ye will use yer magic to make this oath legit. Swear it on yer power. And make it convincing. Tryin’ to break free gets ye a bullet to the brain pan. No hesitation.” He chambered a round, the sound loud in the stone chamber. “The second time I ask ye to repeat it will be through a bloody mouth, and I always found it hard to speak with loose teeth. So, try to get it right the firs’ time, boy.” Mallory smiled before looking up at me. “Or don’t,” he added.