Shading my eyes, I scanned the meadow. The autumn devas were out, bringing the stark barrenness to the land so it could rest and rejuvenate.
“What are you looking at?” Lana asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing, just eyeing the meadow.”
We headed toward the bar. The door was guarded by a large man with tattoos on his arms and on his skull, which showed through the buzz cut. He was at least part giant, though I wasn’t sure what other heritage he hearkened from.
“Halt. You are now entering Ginty’s, a Waystation bar and grill. One show of magic or weaponry will get you booted and banned. Do you agree to abide by the Rules of Parley, by blood and bone?” He stood between us and the inner door, his arms crossed.
I frowned. “Sure. No problem, dude.”
“Then answer, I do, by blood and bone. If the human’s with you, you have to vouch for her.”
I rolled my eyes. “I claim her and vouch for both of us. I do, by blood and bone.”
“Enter and be safe.” He stood to the side, opening the inner door for us.
I swept past him, wondering how many times he’d had to educate new customers. As we entered the bar, I realized that it was much larger than it looked. There were interdimensional portals here, I could feel them around. There was also a staircase leading up to a second floor, and there hadn’t been any second floor apparent from outside.
The bar itself was gorgeous, polished mahogany, with a granite inlay and brass fittings. Booths lined the edges of the room, and tables—set with olive tablecloths and vases with mums in them—filled the center of the floor. A large bay window stretched across the front of the bar, and windows dotted the upper walls, not low enough to see through, but wide enough to let light shine in.
We approached the bar and scrambled up on the tall bar stools. A tall woman who had to be over six feet manned the bar. She was black, with a spiky platinum Mohawk, and I immediately pegged her for an Amazon.
She looked up from polishing the glasses and moved toward us. “Can I help you?”
“White wine,” I said. “And I need to talk to Ginty. Herne called him about us.”
Wendy blinked, but nodded. “I’ll get your drinks as soon as I talk to the boss.”
She ducked into a back room that was curtained off, returning shortly with a sturdy man about four foot five. Ginty, it had to be. He was built, his muscles ripped, and his hair was long and blond, pulled back into a braid that hung to midback. He was handsome as all get-out in a rugged way, wearing jeans and a button-down flannel shirt. He paused, then stepped up on something behind the bar to stare eye-level at me.
“You must be Raven BoneTalker. My pleasure, I’m sure.” He held out his hand and I shook it. His grip was firm and dry. “I’ve heard of the Daughter of Bones,” he added. “You have something of a reputation.”
“Probably well-deserved,” I said with a grin. “Yes, I’m Raven BoneTalker. This is my friend Lana. You say you can provide her with sanctuary until we deal with this freakshow ex-boyfriend of hers?”
Ginty nodded. “I can, and I will. But tell me the story, please.”
I glanced around the bar. It was almost empty, and there was nobody around to hear me except for Wendy, so I launched into what had happened, with Lana punctuating my re-telling at certain points.
We finished, and I took a long sip of the wine. It was good, smooth and full-bodied.
“That’s a horrifying thing to go through. I’m so sorry, Ms. Frost. Before I can go any further, you must formally ask me to provide sanctuary. You need to state your name, and what you are asking for.”
“That’s right. Herne mentioned that.” I turned to Lana. “You’ll have to do it, I can’t speak for you.”
Lana cleared her throat. “Will you provide me with sanctuary?” She paused, then hurried to add, “I’m Lana Frost, and I ask you for sanctuary.”
Ginty cleared his throat, and I thought I felt a speech coming on. There were all sorts of rules and regulations to places like Waystations and Sanctuary Houses.
“I, Ginty McClintlock, having been formally asked for sanctuary by you, Lana Frost, a human in need of protection, do open the doors of this Waystation to you. I can guarantee you safety as long as you stay within the upper rooms. We’ll bring you your meals until this is done. But know this: if you return to the main bar, or set foot outside the door, my guarantee breaks. Do you understand?” He motioned toward the ceiling. “Up there, you’ll be in an interdimensional space that I rule and guard. Down here, you’re technically protected but if your fiancé’s as nuts as you say he is, he probably won’t care even though this is a Waystation. Outside, there’s no way for me to protect you.”
Lana nodded. “I understand. But…what happens if you can’t stop him, Raven? What do I do? Live here till I die of old age?”
“I’ll take care Tag, don’t you worry about that,” I said.
“Excuse me.” Wendy paused, setting her cloth on the bar. “I’d like to help you get this rat bastard.” She was speaking to me.
I blinked. “Um, is that…” I glanced at Ginty, not sure what to say.
He cleared his throat. “Wendy, it’s up to you, but you know that I prefer my employees not get involved in outside cases—”
“It’s not an outside case if we’re protecting the girl. As long as she stays here, she’s our concern.” Wendy motioned to Lana. “She’s obviously scared out of her mind. She’s human, up against one of the magic-born, and he’s a fucking psycho who’s been murdering women. I’m an Amazon. This is my business, boss.”
Ginty let out a slow breath. “Yeah, I’m not going to win this one, am I?” He grinned at her. I had the feeling they had a good working relationship.
She laughed. “You never do with me, boss. You never do.”
“Fine, if Raven will accept your help, you do what you want. Meanwhile, Lana, let me show you to your room. Raven, you can’t come upstairs to see her unless I give you my leave. So, for this visit, I offer you the chance to make sure your friend is well provided for. You can talk to Wendy when you return, but right now, I want to get Lana settled before the asshole takes it into his head to send an assassin after her.”
Ginty motioned for us to follow him, and we headed to the stairs. We climbed one flight, then a second, with mist boiling around us on the stairs. On the third story, we exited the stairwell and entered a long hall that resembled a hotel, with green carpeting, muted ivory walls, and an occasional bench along the wall. We followed Ginty past three rooms, to a door that read “3F.” He opened it with a keycard, then ushered us inside.
“I don’t have my suitcase,” Lana said.
“I’ll drop it off,” I reassured her, looking around.
The room was spacious, with a queen-sized bed made up with a cozy comforter. A bookcase filled with books and magazines sat against one wall, a desk against another. There was an e-reader on the desk, along with several blank journals and a variety of pens and pencils. A TV sat on the dresser, facing the bed.
“You have TV in interdimensional space?” I turned to Ginty, unable to fathom how they managed it.
“No, but we have managed to patch in a connection to streaming Vid-On-Demand. So Lana, you can have free access to all the movies and shows you want. The bookshelf is full, and the e-reader holds over three thousand books. There’s a laptop over there, though it has no connection to the internet since we can’t take a chance on anybody following your trail. But you can use it to play games and write letters on, which we’ll print and post for you. Down at the end of the hall is a gym with a weight room and a small therapy pool. Through that door is your bathroom. If you need anything, just press the buzzer by the bed and I’ll send someone up.
Lana sat on the bed, looking bewildered and ready to cry. “I can’t believe all of this. That Tag’s done what he’s done. That he was going to kill me. It’s all too much to take in.”
I motioned to Ginty. “Do you have someone who can come talk to
her? She’s been under so much stress the past few days, I’m worried.”
He nodded. “I have a trained therapist on staff. I’ll send her up to talk to the girl once we’re done.” He turned to Lana. “Do you think you’ll be comfortable? Is there anything else I can get you? There’s a mini fridge in the closet, and we can stock it with whatever snacks you like.”
“Just a new life if you have one,” Lana said, then bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be churlish. I’m just really freaked out.”
“Understandable,” Ginty said. “But everything will be all right. I’ll send someone up to talk you through the transition. She’s trustworthy and she’ll try to help you in whatever way she can.”
“All right, thank you.” Lana wiped her nose.
“I’m afraid I have to ask for your phone and anything else you have that might have a link to the outside world—tablets, pagers, anything of that sort.” Ginty held out his hand and Lana reluctantly handed him her phone. “Is that everything?”
Lana nodded. “Everything, yes.”
“All right. Come on, Raven, we should go back downstairs.” Ginty headed toward the door. He left the keycard on the dresser. “Nobody else will bother you. Most people who are staying with us really don’t want to be found.”
“Understandable,” she murmured.
I hugged Lana. “I have to go now. I’ll be in touch as soon as I can. Please don’t worry. We’ll take care of Tag and then you’ll be able to find a new home and a new life.”
As Ginty and I headed out the door, shutting it behind us, I could hear her crying, and it broke my heart leaving her there alone.
Wendy was all gung-ho and so Ginty gave her the day off. Before he put Lana’s phone in the safe, I asked him if I could check it. I flipped it on and a dozen messages, all demanding to know what the hell was going on and where she was, flooded her texts. I quickly checked Tag’s location. Still in Colorado Springs, thank the gods. It occurred to me that he must really like his job or he’d probably be on the way back here right now.
I turned off the phone and handed it back to Ginty. “Thanks. He’s still in Colorado.”
“Well, that’s a small blessing,” Ginty said. “I’m going to see about lunch for the guests. Wendy, why don’t you and Raven take a booth and talk over your plans.”
As he vanished behind the curtain, to what I assumed was not only a back room but the kitchen, Wendy turned to me, her eyes practically glowing.
“I live for shit like this, you know. Anything to help out a sister being targeted. In this case, for real.” She gave me a feral grin, and I realized right there I had met my match.
“Then you’re going to love what I stumbled on. The dude’s been hiding that he’s one of the magic-born. He has to be a psi mage, I think, given his ability to control others. He’s killed dozens of women, bathed in their blood, and I believe he’s bound all their souls together to feed on them. He’s got a Target on Lana, so…”
“So, we have to take him out so he can’t touch her again, because that sideshow freak sure isn’t going to remove it, and even if he did, he’d just find a way to retaliate.” Wendy stared at me, a blunt look on her face.
“That’s my thought. I’ve got a friend—also one of the magic-born—who’s more than willing to help however he can. I’ve made contact with the entity, and it knows we’re trying to help. Tag’s due home by early tomorrow morning. He’s still in Colorado, but given the string of texts he lobbied at Lana, I wouldn’t put it past him to skip out on his meeting and come home early.” I frowned. “I can’t be certain, but I don’t want to overlook the possibility.”
She nodded. “I can bring muscle to the plate.”
“That we can use. Ginty gave you the afternoon off?”
“Yeah, I can leave whenever you want.”
“Then if you can meet me down at the Sun & Moon Apothecary, we’ll talk with Llew and plan out how we want to proceed.”
She perked up. “You know Llewellyn Roberts?”
I laughed. “He’s one of my best buds.”
“Then, girl, I know we’ll get along. I’ve met him before and he’s pretty chill. I’ll meet you there in an hour. I need to eat lunch first.”
“Sounds good.” I waved to her and headed for the door. “Take care of my friend.”
“Oh, we will,” Wendy said as I slipped past the bouncer and out to my car.
I was hungry as well, so I decided to drop in at A Taste of Latte for lunch, but the coffee shop was so crowded that I ducked out again and wandered up the street to a diner on the opposite corner named Ethel’s. It was a replica of a 1960s diner, and the waitresses all were dressed like pinup girls. The walls were covered with retro pop art, and as I settled into a booth, one of the girls hustled over to me, her pad and pencil ready. As she approached, I picked up a menu that was stuck behind the napkin dispenser.
“Can I get you something to drink while you decide what you want?” she asked, not even blinking at me.
As I studied her for a moment, I realized she was Fae. “Sure. How about a chocolate shake? And I know what I want,” I added, staring at the selection. “A double cheeseburger with fries, no pickles or onions, and a side salad to go with that.”
She hurried behind the counter. A couple of minutes later she returned with a tall glass filled with the chocolate shake, whipped cream on top, and a cherry. She took off again as a couple entered the diner and sat at another booth. Service was quick and the diner had a decent clientele, at least for the lunch hour. It wasn’t packed, but there were a respectable number of customers eating, waiting on food, and dawdling after they finished.
I pulled out my phone and texted Llew that I’d be over when I finished lunch. He texted back: slow day, i’ll see you when you get here.
The waitress returned a few moments later with my food, and I set to, hungrier than I had realized. I glanced at the clock on the wall. I’d been away longer than I thought, so I called Apollo.
“How’s Raj doing?”
“Raj and the ferrets are fine. I can stay till you get home, if you aren’t going to be much longer. I fed everybody, cleaned out the ferret cage, made certain they had food and time to run around and get petted, and I changed their water bottles. I also cleaned out their ears.”
My heart swelled. “You’re a wonder, Apollo. Thank you. I may be awhile. If you leave, let me know. I have an app on my phone that lets me lock my doors from here.”
“I do need to get to class soon. Give me ten minutes and I’ll text you when I’m out. I’m glad I could help, though. I’m not sure what’s going down, but whatever it is, it feels fucked up, for sure.” He hung up and I returned to my cheeseburger.
I had finished half the burger and most of the fries by the time Apollo’s text came through, and I gave a thumbs-up and pressed the app that would lock my doors. Setting my phone aside, I returned to my lunch and leisurely finished it off, needing the downtime. At least Lana was safe, and I didn’t have to worry about the freak going after her until we dealt with him.
Wiping my fingers on a napkin, I tossed a twenty on the table and headed for the door. I’d have to come back, I thought. The food was good, people minded their own business, and it felt like a cozy, safe place to rest for a few minutes.
Llew waved as I entered the shop. He finished bagging up a customer’s goods, then as she left, motioned for me to come over to the counter.
“So what’s the score?” he asked. “Where are we at?”
I told him what Herne had said, and then about the trip to Ginty’s. “Lana’s safe for now. She’s traumatized, and she won’t be able to come out of hiding until we take care of Tag.”
“Do you trust this Wendy?” he asked.
I nodded. “She’s on the up and up. She’s a little scary, and when I tell you someone’s a little scary, you know it’s true.”
At that moment, the door opened and Wendy entered. She was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a turtleneck, and a
jeans jacket. She crossed to the counter, holding out her hand to Llew.
“Hi, I’m Wendy. We’ve met at a few Pride rallies.”
He brightened. “Oh hi! You’re that Wendy!”
She laughed. “I assume that Raven’s told you about me?”
“I was just filling him in on what went down at the Waystation.” I glanced around the shop. “Should we talk about this in private? I feel uncomfortable out here in the open. I’m not sure why, but maybe it’s just the nature of the case.”
Llew led us to the break room in back, which held a small table and several chairs, a counter, a microwave, and a mini fridge. “I’ll go lock the door. I’ll be back in a moment.”
As he headed out, Wendy and I sat down. She stretched out her long legs, staring at her boots, which were a killer pair of Doc Martens. “Llew’s all right.”
“He’s one of my best friends. I trust him with my life.”
Wendy nodded. “I’ve got a couple friends like that. Ginty’s one of them. He took me in when I got exiled from Themiscyra. I asked for sanctuary and ended up with a job and an extended family.”
I wanted to ask why she had gotten thrown off of the island of the Amazons, but I didn’t like people prying into my business and I tried to curb myself from prying into others’ affairs.
At that moment, Llew returned and sat down opposite me.
“All right. What are we going to do now that Lana is safe? How do we take care of Tag?”
“It’s a complicated issue, considering his victims are mostly human, I’m betting.” I let out a long breath. “My vote is that we sneak in, ambush him, and take him out. But if we do that and nobody figures out he’s dead, the families of his victims will never get closure. And if the police do find his body, Lana might be a suspect.”
“We can’t have that.” Llew paused. “What about the Force Majeure? Of any group, they’d take this most seriously.”
I stared at him. “That’s true, but do you know a member of the Force Majeure? I certainly don’t, and I don’t want to get mixed up with them, either.”
Witching Hour: A Wild Hunt Novel, Book 7 Page 19
