I felt like I should say something to her while we worked, but nothing intelligent came to mind. I didn’t know her, and from what she said, neither did she. The dark rings around her eyes told me she was beyond tired, moving purely on instinct at this point. And her clothes were a mess, her hair dirty and disheveled. How long had she been running?
I told her I’d be right back, then moved into my room and found the smallest pair of sweats and t-shirt I owned. They’d be huge on her, but she could use them for sleeping clothes. I returned to Axel’s room and found her still standing just where I’d left her. I held out the clothes and said, “Here. You’re welcome to use the shower if you want to clean up. Or if you just want to go to sleep it will still be there in morning.”
She nodded and took the clothes from me.
I stood there awkwardly for another second or two, then said, “Well, if you need anything, I’ll be in the next room, and Axel’s out in the living room. Make yourself at home. Try to get some rest.”
As I started for the door, she said, “Blade Mage.”
I glanced back at her over my shoulder and said, “You can call me Wyatt.”
“Thank you,” she said, meeting my gaze. “For everything.”
I nodded and went to bed.
Chapter 7
I woke up to a strange smell and immediately knew something odd was afoot.
Opening my eyes, I saw it was daylight. Checking the clock, I realized it was already after noon. That was way later than I’d intended to get up. Half the day was already lost.
Remembering the creepiness of the night before, I was amazed I’d been able to get a full night’s sleep. However, it also meant I’d wasted a lot of time. That strange woman had stayed the night in my house, and my intention had been to get up early to get her someplace safe. She needed to go to the Cabal.
The smell hit me again and I was reminded that something strange was going on. I rolled out of bed wearing pajamas and a sleeveless t-shirt, skipped the house shoes, and scooped up my sword, just in case.
As I opened my bedroom door the smell was even stronger. There was no mistaking it now.
I eased my way toward the kitchen, not sure what I expected to find.
What I found certainly wasn’t what I expected.
Axel stood over the range, turning strips of bacon in a sizzling pan. The next pan over was full of scrambled eggs. There was chopped fruit on the counter, and there appeared to be biscuits in the oven.
I opened up my senses to check for any disturbances in the flow of magical energy around me, certain this had to be some kind of ruse. When I didn’t sense anything, I said, “Axel.”
He glanced at me over his shoulder and said, “Good morning, buddy! I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up.”
“What are you doing?” I asked, still suspicious.
“Making breakfast…”
I dropped the veil on Drynwyn so my sword could be seen and said, “You’re not Axel. Where’s the real Axel?”
He stared at me for a few moments before he said, “Uh…what?”
“There’s no way in hell Axel would’ve gotten up and made breakfast. You got it all wrong again. Where’s my friend and where’s Eva?”
“She’s in the shower,” he replied, turning back to his bacon. “I’m not sure what you’re on about this morning, but breakfast is almost done.”
“We didn’t have eggs, or bacon, or fruit, or any of this stuff,” I said, holding my sword out in front of me menacingly. “Our fridge was empty. Tell me where Axel is. Now.”
The apparition pretending to be my friend turned around to face me. “You’re acting weird.”
“Axel wouldn’t say that.”
“Okay,” he replied. “Then what would I say?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, glaring. “But Axel has never once made breakfast in the whole time he’s been staying here.”
“Uh, yeah, but we didn’t have company before.”
“That’s…actually logical. Doesn’t change anything. Where did the groceries come from?”
“The grocery store,” he replied. “Where I bought them.”
“Ha!” I shouted, thinking I’d caught the trickster finally. “Axel didn’t have any money.”
“No, but you did,” he said, pointing at me with his fork. “I took it out of your wallet while you were asleep.”
“And then you went to the store to buy groceries?” I asked, shaking my head. “You expect me to believe that?”
“No, I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I would go get our guest some new clothes. While I was at the store, I remembered that we’d just about finished all of the bread off, so we couldn’t have peanut butter and jelly for breakfast. Then I thought I about getting pizzas, but then I remembered about the time you told me that wasn’t breakfast food. So, then I tried to think about what a normal person would eat for breakfast and that hurt my head, so I asked one of the workers what constituted a normal breakfast and they told me bacon, and eggs, and biscuits, and fruit. I was pretty sure that was actually dinner, or drinking food, so I asked another adult if that was accurate. They confirmed, so I loaded up.”
Well, I had to admit, that all certainly sounded like Axel logic.
“You think I’m not me?” he asked, watching me carefully. “That’s scary stuff, Wyatt. How would I know if I’m not me? Wait… What if I’ve never been me? Holy shit…” His eyes widened. “Who have I been this whole time?”
Okay, that definitely sounded like Axel.
“Maybe you are you,” I replied.
“How can we be sure?” he asked, glancing around nervously.
“Star Wars or Star Trek?” I asked.
“Star Wars,” he replied. “That’s an obvious one, though. Any impersonator would know.”
“Which of the newer Star Wars is your favorite?”
“Trick question,” he said, waving his fork at me. “I don’t like any of them.”
“Which Doctor?”
“Tenant all the way. Same as you.”
“Which Sherlock?”
“Benedict.”
“Favorite X-man?”
“Gambit. Yours is Wolverine.”
“Reason you think were-wolves are cool?”
“Because they’re furry.”
“It is you,” I said, feeling a bit ridiculous standing there in my pajamas with my sword out.
Axel sighed. “That’s a relief. You really had me worried for a moment. Am I good to get back to my bacon?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
I noticed the coffee pot was full and grabbed a cup, then sat down at the table.
“I had an idea,” Axel said. “I think we should go see Valerie.”
“Why?” I asked.
“She’s smarter than us,” he replied. “Well, smarter than you, anyway. She might have an idea about how to help Eva.”
“I was planning on taking her to the Castle first thing. Someone in the Cabal will know what to do.”
Axel didn’t seem to like this plan.
“What?” I asked. “What’s wrong with that plan?”
“Eva didn’t ask for the Cabal’s help. She asked for your help.”
“Yeah, well, whatever that thing on the phone was last night, it’s not something I’m interested in meeting. The Cabal will know what to do. The sooner we can get her there, the sooner she’ll get the help she needs. She’ll be safer with them.”
“Maybe,” Axel agreed, shrugging. “But I still think we should get Valerie’s take on it.”
“It’s not like we can hire her to investigate Eva’s secret past, Axel. We just need to get her somewhere safe.”
“It won’t take but just a few minutes to stop by and see what Valerie thinks. Come on, Wyatt. Be smart.”
“Fine,” I said, throwing up my hands. “We’ll see what the P.I. has to say, but then we’re heading straight for the Castle.”
“Deal.” Satisfied, he went back to turning bacon.
&
nbsp; Eva came around the corner into the kitchen, her hair still wet from the shower. As she looked up at me, I froze, dumbfounded. The night before she’d looked like a delirious homeless woman half out of her mind. Now that she’d had a chance to shower and put on some clean clothes, she looked like someone else entirely. Standing there in jeans and a black t-shirt, even without makeup, she looked like a super model.
“Good morning,” she said, offering me a smile.
“Uh, hi,” I replied, blinking a few times to ensure my eyes hadn’t deceived me. She didn’t look like the same woman at all. It wasn’t just the clean clothes either, I realized. Instead of baggy rings around her eyes and slumped shoulders, now she stood up straight and proud. She was striking.
I felt a sense of déjà vu. It was much the same when I’d brought Faith back to my motel in Branson. I’d fed her and let her stay in my room. I’d even given up the bed. After a shower and a night of sleep, she’d been a different person. Axel had tried to warn me about heading down this path again. But he’d also encouraged it, hadn’t he? I knew whatever this was, I didn’t want to be involved in it. Yet, here I was. Taking in strays.
Thoughts of Faith sobered my mood. I’d failed to protect her. This time had to be different. I was going to get Eva to the safety of the Cabal.
“Breakfast is ready,” Axel announced as he pulled the biscuits from the oven. “Oh, look, I didn’t even burn them.”
I moved over to assist, feeling rather awkward. Eva’s transformation was too much of a shock for me, and I needed the distraction. Axel always came through in the clutch.
“All right,” he said, pulling some of our finest ceramic Star Wars plates down from the cupboard. “You guys eat. I’m going to go grab a shower myself.”
Then he turned and exited the room, leaving me alone with our house guest. So much for him coming through in the clutch.
I’d never been particularly good with women, especially the ones I found attractive. It’d always been a weak spot of mine. I tended towards shy and reserved or overly sarcastic.
Eva moved alongside me at the oven and I passed her a Boba Fett plate and muttered, “Help yourself.”
“You guys didn’t have to go to all the trouble,” she said as she scooped up a couple pieces of bacon.
“We didn’t,” I replied. “Axel did.”
She nodded and finished gathering her plate, then moved over to the table and sat down. I took my time piling on my own food, still not comfortable around her. When I’d put it off as long as I could, I made my way over to the table and sat down opposite her.
She munched away happily at her food, not even bothering to look at me, and again I wondered at how long it had been since she’d had a decent meal.
I started in on mine, not looking up until I felt her eyes on me. She was staring at me, her plate empty.
“You’re welcome to get some more,” I said, pointing a strip of bacon back toward the oven. “Axel made plenty.”
“Thank you,” she said, still staring at me.
I wasn’t sure what to say, so I continued chewing on a piece of bacon.
“And thank you for helping me,” she said. “For the clothes and the bed. I…”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, forcing a smile. “Do you remember anything today?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s like… I can remember things. I know that’s bacon. I know this is a dinner table. But I can’t remember a single thing since… Well, there’s hazy bits from the past few days, mostly just running, then I can remember everything from approaching you at the bar last night.”
“But you still can’t remember what you’re running from?”
“No,” she said, shrugging. “I know it sounds crazy.”
“Well, yeah, a bit,” I agreed, realizing what I’d said after I said it. “Somehow, you knew who I was. You called me out by name. Someone had to tell you about me.”
“We’ve never met before, have we?” she asked.
It was my turn to shake my head. “I’m pretty sure I’d remember if we did.”
“Then I don’t know,” she said. “The first clear memory I have is knowing that I had to find you. I had to find the Blade Mage.”
“But how did you find me? How did you know exactly where to look? How did you know what I looked like?”
She shook her head again. “I don’t know. It was like… I don’t know. Like something was guiding me. I don’t remember much beyond bits… I just knew I was afraid. I knew something was after me. And I knew I had to find the Blade Mage, and then, there you were.” She looked right at me, meeting my gaze. “When the shadow creatures came after me… Well, I just knew you were going to leave me to them. But you didn’t.”
I didn’t reply.
After a moment, she continued, “Why? Why did you help me?”
I shrugged. “Seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”
“Had you seen those creatures before?”
“Never. I don’t know what they were or where they came from. I don’t guess you do either?”
“No,” she said, studying me curiously. “You faced those things without knowing what they were capable of. Risked your life just to save a strange woman you don’t even know. Why?”
“You wouldn’t have done the same?” I asked. It was my turn to study her.
A thoughtful look spread across her face and she said, “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I don’t know who I am… What kind of person I am.”
I shrugged again and with a mouth full of eggs said, “You’re whatever type of person you choose to be right now. My guess is that you would.”
“You can’t say that,” she said, a hint of fire in her voice. As though the very idea offended her. “You can’t guess that about someone you don’t even know. I might’ve run away and left you with those creatures.”
“But you don’t know that.”
“No,” she said, looking down. “I’m sorry. This is just…frustrating.”
“I’m sure it is,” I replied, forcing a smile. “But what I said is still true. Regardless of who you were before, all that matters, all that ever matters…is the moment we’re in. It’s all we have, really. So, be the type of person you want to be.”
She smiled back at me and said, “Maybe I want to be like you, Wyatt.”
“I’m a sarcastic dolt. You can pick a better person to emulate.”
“Would you prefer I emulate Axel, then? You’re the only two people I know.”
“Please, God, no,” I said, shaking my head. “I can only handle one.”
“Then I guess I’ll strive to be like you,” she said with a hint of a smile. “Brave and protective. How’s that?”
“Well, when you put it like that, I sound all right. It’ll do for now, but I’m pretty sure you can find a better role model.”
“At the Castle?” she asked, her eyes studying mine again. “Isn’t that where you said you were taking me?”
I nodded. “The Cabal can protect you from the shadow creatures. They’re your best chance at getting to the bottom of this.”
“And what of you?” she asked. There was only the slightest hint of tension in her voice.
“What about me?” I wasn’t sure where she was going with this.
“Are you going to just leave me there?”
Now her eyes were boring directly into my soul. Whoever she was before, I got the impression that she tended to get her way.
I thought over my answer for a few seconds before I finally said, “Yes. I’m not really welcome around the Cabal.”
“I see,” she said, looking away. Clearly, that wasn’t the answer she wanted.
“Eva, I’m not some heroic figure. Last night, I was scared shitless when we fought the shadow creatures. And I nearly peed myself when I was on the phone with whoever is looking for you. I’m not the person to protect you. In fact, I’m really just a big loser. Once you spend some time around o
ther, more normal folks, you’ll see. You’re better off there. The Cabal’s wizards are professionals. We’re just the two hapless dipshits you ended up with. You can get better help than us.”
Eva didn’t reply, but it was clear she wasn’t convinced. I tried to put myself in her shoes. Alone, scared, running from supernatural monstrosities with no memories of who you were. I’d probably feel a bit attached to the only two people who’d tried to help me so far as well. It would fade once she was at the Castle, though. The Archmage, or Axel’s father, or one of the Masters would know how to help her. I wasn’t the man for the job.
Axel had mentioned stopping by to see Valerie, and now it was starting to seem like a good idea. Maybe I could convince her to come along. She was a responsible adult. Maybe she’d know better how to deal with this sort of thing.
“When do we leave?” she asked.
“As soon as I get a shower and we’ve all had breakfast,” I said, shrugging.
I thought the conversation was over but after a few moments, she asked, “Axel told me you might be reluctant to help me because of what happened before.”
I glanced up at her, again unsure where the conversation was headed.
“Because of what happened to Faith,” she said, glancing once in my direction.
I stared at her, unsure what to say. Finally, I said, “Axel has a big mouth.”
“That must’ve been tough,” she said, stealing another glance. “Did you love her?”
My initial reaction was to start throwing things and have a tantrum. Once that craving passed, I considered avoiding the question. I’m not sure why, but I finally settled on just telling her the truth. “I didn’t know her that long. I certainly cared for her. Maybe given time it would’ve grown to something else. We’ll never know.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, flinching. “That probably wasn’t appropriate for me to ask.”
“It’s all right,” I replied, forcing a shrug. “It’s not a big deal. I’m over it.”
She stared at me again, and I could tell she didn’t believe me, but decided not to push the subject.
Of Song and Shadow Page 5
