God Mother's children were those born with the blood of Mother Nature in them. Through the centuries they were called witches, but their first duty above all was to protect the Material World against all other Worlds. They are, for all intents and purposes, the real Guardians. And how did I know this? Because Mike and I knew one. Samantha Hawthorne. A few months ago Sam saved my bacon more times than I could count in a single day.
"Demon?" I narrowed my eyes at her.
"You refer to them as First Borns. But when I invited mine in to extend my life, they were known simply as demons."
You'll have to excuse Diane, came a strong female voice in my mind. It had the echo and tonality of a First Born. She's a bit old world. And please forgive her attempt to kill you. She's suspicious by nature and you do have the Peripheral stink about you.
Ah, so the host's real name was Diane. I could hear First Borns if they wanted me to. I'd been able to hear Mephistopheles, the First Born inside of Jason, as well as Morgan, the one within Manuel. First Borns were apparently both a part of their host and separate. So hearing this one wasn't a surprise. Though I had noticed Samantha's aversion to them and was a bit glad we hadn't encountered any while she was here. And who do I have the pleasure of addressing?
I am Nyx.
And the name Raven?
It is the name she and I chose together. But tell us, out loud, Guardian, why you have the taint of the Peripheral if you are not part of it?
"Because I was in the Peripheral."
"She's talking to you, isn't she?" Mike said, ignoring my explanation to Nyx and Diane.
I looked at Mike. "Yeah…you can't hear her?"
"No, but you're making faces."
Raven put a hand on my arm. "You were inside the Peripheral?"
I nodded. "I've been there more than once—only the first time we didn't know that was where we were. We just thought it was Alfheim."
Her eyes widened. "You've already entangled yourself with the Faeries? Guardian, you live dangerously. Contact with anything inside of the Peripheral is forbidden, and deadly. What's in there should stay there. Forever."
I considered this new Revenant, so different from the ones I'd met. Taking in her fighting skill and her determination to cold-cock me back to the Peripheral, I took a shot in the dark at why she was here. Why not? I felt like a mac truck had plowed into my chest. "That's your job, isn't it? The part of you that's still God Mother. You make sure the things exiled to the Peripheral stay there."
She blinked. "Yes. I'm still God Mother's child. I maintain all borders. How recently were you there?"
"Six days ago," Mike spoke up. "He came out of it four days after he went in, then two days in bed."
Raven stared at me. "You had the sickness then, when you returned. It's not uncommon. It was woven into the border of that world to prevent things from coming out."
"You mean like the way a Faerie turns to ash?" I said.
"Yes. Did you cross over using a Cairn?"
A Cairn was a Faerie created place between their world and ours. "I have before, but not this time. Didn't you see my past in my blood?"
"No. I only looked for the Djin. I don't pry into others' personal lives, Mr. McConnell."
"You got my name."
"No, I told her your name." Mike leaned against the opposite wall on the other side of me. "And she already refreshed me on how the whole vampire slash First Born slash Revenant thing works. Oh, and Raven is the new Shi-han here. She'd actually closed up the dojo for the afternoon."
"But we have keys and let ourselves in." I looked at Raven. She was certainly an attractive woman. Not too thin, and well-muscled. Her hair was dark auburn, a much deeper shade than Stella's, though I was sure Raven's wasn't a natural color. Her eyes were more of a light brown and her facial features spoke of distant Middle Eastern ancestry. "So, where's Shi-han Shu?"
"Flew back home to Okinawa." Raven said. "I felt he deserved a break. I was in the meditation room getting my thoughts in order when I heard you two come in. I waited and listened, and when I smelled the 'Pheral on you, I suspected you were the power I sensed six days ago."
"You sensed a power or a Power?" I emphasized the last power since I didn't know if she was speaking of power in the culmination of strength or one of those Ethereal zombie fighters.
She looked serious. "Not an Angelic slave. Power—a way to say it would be a disturbance in the natural flow of energies between the planes."
"That might have been when the Djin you're looking for, Rippin' Ja—, pulled me in."
"Where in the 'Pheral did he take you?"
"It looked like a battlefield."
Raven stopped talking and looked away. Mike and I exchanged looks, and I decided not to press it because I didn't know if her reaction was an emotional one or not. So I gave her a very quick recap of what'd happened with Officer Jones, Rippin' Ja—, and Stella. "I didn't know I was in the Peripheral. And I didn't know what was overshadowing him, just that something was. And it was powerful." I omitted any mention of Gabriel again, and if Raven didn't look into my personal thoughts, then the Cherubim's meddling in my life was safe.
Not that I really cared about Gabriel's welfare. I just didn't want her messing with mine.
Raven didn't say anything for a few minutes. Then, "Ms. Rosenberg is still there?"
"I think so. I wasn't able to get to her."
"Physical beings can exist in the 'Pheral for a time, but the essence of the place will leach their humanity from them."
Mike leaned forward. "Leach their humanity?"
"They'll go crazy. Mad."
"How fast?" I asked. The thought of that happening to Stella turned my stomach.
"Depends if they eat or drink something grown or created there. Everything's made of the dust. And since she's not in a Cairn, ten days on this side is the longest anyone should be in the 'Pheral."
It was mine and Mike's turn to exchange glances. My first trip into the Cairn had lasted two weeks. "So…is time different in a Cairn as opposed to the Peripheral itself?"
"Yes. Cairns are the worst. I wouldn't let her remain there much longer. But it's not just the crazy she has to worry about or the sickness she'll have to endure when she returns. It's the other things banished inside the Peripheral. And a lot of them like human flesh. Nothing from this World survives in the Peripheral for very long unless it's overshadowed. Which is why once something goes in, it's my job to keep it in or kill it. My original purpose in coming here was because about a month ago a breach in that World was detected: a hole opened up and stayed open for a while before it closed. I suspect many things escaped during that breach, namely this Djin. Having that kind of thing running free in the Material World isn't acceptable."
"But I thought things turned to ash if they came to this world. You know, those safeguards?"
"Some do. Faerie are the most susceptible to the preventative magics. Many of the other creatures there will die if they attempt to cross over in their natural form. Most beings in the Peripheral can overshadow living things and ride them over. But once on this side, they must stay attached to something living or they will become ash."
I had a thought. And I didn't like it. "So…all those old stories about the Faerie taking kids…"
"It was the easiest way for them to find a conduit back. Children are the most susceptible to their control and the easiest to heal from the safeguards. A Faerie can destroy its 'Pheral form and possess a child—but they can't stay in that child. Once the child matures, puberty forces it out and it has to find another child."
Something about this bothered me.
A lot.
I just couldn't get a clear grip on what. "And this has nothing to do with Changelings?"
"Fae? No. Those monstrosities are completely different."
Mike spoke up. "That Djin was overshadowing Officer Jones. It told Dags it was hired to take him. And it took Stella to get to him. Now, if it's a thing that's been locked in the Peripheral all th
is time, then how would it know that Stella meant something to Dags? That he would react the way he did?"
"It wouldn't. Which means whatever hired him—hired being another word for summoned—knows Dags. And knows him intimately." She refocused on me. "What kind of enemies do you have?"
I winced. "Take your pick. I got humans who think I should be in a cage. Or dead. I got Dark things that think the book should be returned to the Darkness and screw what happens to the vessel—that would be me." I thought about Gabriel and made a decision. "And I got Angels who think the book is a weapon of some kind. So, any of those could be pulling the strings. Hell, we still don't know where the zombies are coming from or why."
Raven looked from me to Mike and then back to me. "Zombies? You've seen zombies? Ethereal Powers?"
"No. Not those. Real zombies." Mike settled back against the wall. "You haven't seen the papers?"
"You mean the mutilations? Those were done by zombies?"
Mike nodded slowly. "Do you know a lot about zombies?"
"I'm afraid I do." She pushed herself up and then leaned over to offer me her hand. I took it and grunted as she pulled me to my feet, though I kept a hand on the wall. Mike stood as well. "But I'd like for you to take me to where you last saw them. I'll get changed and we can take my car."
"I can't." I headed to the changing room. "I got a shift tonight. I already pushed it back just to come here and have all this fun."
"You think that's a good idea?" Mike followed me down the hall. "Someone's out to drag you into the Peripheral. Might be safer if you stick with us."
"Mike." I turned and looked up at him. Raven stood a few feet away. "I've had enough zombies and thinking for the day. And we need the money." That wasn't really true. I had a lot of money I hadn't told Mike about. I just…I just wanted a night of normal.
Raven moved up behind Mike. "Why don't we accompany the Guardian to his job? Keep an eye out? If there's a Djin after him, he'd make great bait for me."
I could tell Mike wasn't that enthusiastic about the idea. He glanced at her and then at me. "Okay. How long's the shift?"
"'Til one."
"Perfect," Raven said. "Then you can take me to the cemetery. Hell, we might even crash a dead man's party." She laughed. It was a pleasant tone and I smiled.
Mike didn't even smile. I think it was the day's info-dump and the stress that came from overkill that put Mike on edge. He turned and stood up tall. I recognized his fight stance. He was prepared. Waiting. Aggressive without force. And Raven needed to watch out. "You think this is a joke? Those zombies have killed four people, two of them children. And six nights ago they nearly dragged Dags off into the dark. If we go to the cemetery tonight, we go to kick ass."
But Raven didn't let his tone or his demeanor get to her. Her eyes went black and her features shifted in that oh–so-familiar way of the Revenant. "Mr. Ross, I know more about the type of creatures you're hunting than you can possibly imagine. These aren't Hollywood zombies. They aren't human beings in high quality latex and paint. These things are real. They're rotting humans running around, killing living humans. They're Ghoul-made abominations."
Raven and Mike paused their conversation when each of went to our designated sex-based bathrooms. I changed out of my gi and back into my jeans and teeshirt. It was slow going for me. I was so…so damn tired.
After Mike finished we stepped back into the hall and fell in step behind her as she walked across the empty mat to the front office.
"Ghoul?" He looked a little confused.
I knew what a Ghoul was, having met Jason's Ghoul, Nick Shay. But I had no idea what she was talking about. I'd never seen Nick make a zombie.
"What are Ghouls?"
"Ghouls are made by Revenants, Mr. Ross." Raven turned to face us once she got to Shi-han Shu's former desk. "Revenants feed Ghouls blood to keep them alive and immortal. But if a Ghoul gives their blood to a human, what matures isn't another Ghoul."
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. "That's what makes a zombie?"
"Zombie might be the modern term for them, but we once knew them as Lamia." She looked very serious. "The walking undead."
EARTH BANiSHING
I took another shower before heading to work. I was dead tired, with sore joints and a headache. Fresh coffee waited for me in the carafe when I came downstairs, dressed in my black jeans, KB T-shirt, and sneakers, but there was no sign of Mike and Raven. A quick glance outside revealed Mike's Jeep was gone. The plan was for me to get to work and they'd keep an eye on me and the bar until my shift was over, then it was off to Bonaventure. The cemetery would be closed by that time, but Mike and I knew a way in.
The evening was nice, a cooling breeze coming off the river as I walked down to River Street. I took the closest set of stone stairs down to the street. Tourists were out, sightseeing and choosing places to eat. I myself had sampled quite a few of the restaurants along the waterfront. Highlights for me were Spanky's, Shrimp Factory, and Huey's. I'd also discovered a weakness for pralines which I bought regularly at River Street Sweets.
Kevin Barry's was a two-story pub on the corner of a building next to the Sheraton Hotel. The front door was framed by glass windows covered in stickers. The laughter and conversation coming from inside was always pleasant and inviting. Tall tables and a large wood-and-brass bar filled the first room. What drew in crowds was the live music in the adjacent room. My favorite part of the bar was the balcony and armed services museum upstairs. A few times after closing, a few of the other bartenders and servers and I would have a pint and watch the boats move up and down the Savannah River.
Tonight the place was packed. April, warm weather and the night before a full moon. I was a few minutes early so I did a quick inventory check behind the bar and greeted my first customers, a nice mother and daughter seated and ready to give their aching feet a rest. Two Irish coffees and the shift began.
Most of the time when I worked, I threw myself into autopilot: mixing drinks, putting in food orders, wiping down tables, greeting guests—I'd done it so long I was always amazed at how sore my face was after smiling all night. Flirting always landed me some seriously great tips. I also had my own regulars, a few that came in during my shift to talk and catch up.
At about nine, the small stage in the other room came to life and a new performer took the stage. Several of the patrons at the bar got up to find a seat at one of the many tables in the music room or stand in a corner. By the time the musicians were into their second song, it was standing room only along the back wall. Mark Butler, a longtime manager and bartender, helped me handle the drink orders as the waitresses brought the orders in from upstairs and from the patrons seated at the tables in front of the performance.
During one of the slower songs, Mark brought in seven empty beer bottles from tables in the music room, holding them by their necks, and tossed them into the recycle bin just inside the door to the kitchen. I'd ducked into the kitchen to grab a plate of wings I put an order in for an hour earlier. They were cold but I didn't care. I was starving.
"Nicole and Hank servicing the bar?" Mark asked.
I nodded to him as I grabbed a bottled water from the counter and opened it. "Yep. Good crowd."
He stopped in front of me with his hands on his hips. "Is this your first break?"
"Yeah—do you need me back out there?"
"No," he said with a laugh. "I need you to take a real break. Things will slow down while they're singing. Finish that up and get out of the bar for twenty after you finish eating. But be back in here no later than that. Once they break for intermission, we're going to be slammed."
I didn't argue. I'd been moving nonstop and the thought of getting fresh air made me finish those wings in record time. I took the water with me as I waved to a few regulars that waved at me, and stepped out into the night.
A boat was just passing by, piled high with cargo boxes. Green, faded blue, and brown. I crossed the cobblestone to the park by the river
's edge and finished my water. After tossing the bottle into a trash bin, I sat down on a concrete bench and breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a normal night. And I loved it. People. Music. Good food. And laughter.
Laughter was the key.
I turned where I sat and looked back at the bar. Two people stood outside talking. I could hear the echo of the music from where I sat. I hadn't seen Mike and Raven inside, unless they were on the balcony. A quick look up didn't tell me anything. Too many shadows.
Sitting out in the open, enjoying the breeze, made me feel guilty when I thought about Stella. Buzzkill. I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. I shouldn't be there, enjoying the night, listening to music when she was trapped in another world. The only way I knew to get to her was through a Cairn.
I toyed with the thought of slipping back into the Cairn Thomas Rhymer pulled me out of after my first visit to the Peripheral. Thomas had opened up that same Cairn back into the Peripheral. And, according to Hob, if me or Mike used that Cairn, we wouldn't suffer that debilitating sickness.
But what about Raven? Would she? Did Revenants even get sick?
It'd been a month since Mike, Sam and I tumbled out of that Cairn through a pipe in the Bonaventure Cemetery. Mike said that door was no longer there. Was the Cairn gone? Was it even stationary?
Gates or doors into and out of the other Worlds were better if they were stationary. Drilling your own hole into other Worlds was pretty much a no-no because once drilled, the hole remained—but its location changed on a dime. So one day Mr. Joe Blow could be walking along Main Street's sidewalk, enjoying a hot dog filled with nitrates and covered with relish, and if he happened to step or move into that hole—invisible to the human eye—his day would be totally ruined when he found himself in another World of existence, possibly chased by Faeries on a hunt.
Or dead, if he ended up in the Dark World. 'Cause you know, it doesn't have air.
The only hole-making spell I knew of was a Coyote Flame. I'd been thinking about that spell a lot since this morning but I continued to push it out of the way. I could use the spell, but since I didn't understand the string theory involved in linking it to a World I had no knowledge of…well, let's just say I didn't want to be the one responsible for screwing with Joe Blow's day.
Minutes to Midnight Page 7
