by Keller, Tom
"Sure thing," he replied.
"Then I guess we're done here," I said as I stood. "You're welcome to use my place if you need anything. I'll make sure the wards let any of your Weres in if they need it. Other than that, shy of this thing making another appearance, let's talk again tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll contact some of the other Fae and see if they know anything."
When they were gone, I rummaged through my cabinet, settling on a Battlestar Galactica mug that said simply, Frak, and filled it. I figured that was as good a word as any to sum up the way my day was going. Then I turned to Charlie.
"Take a trip to Fae and let Nikki know what's going on here," I said, knowing that my daughter was still there. "Tell her we have it covered for now, but I may need to borrow a couple of warriors or trackers when this thing shows up again. Then see if you can find out anything about these Demons."
I picked up the phone and dialed Siegfried.
"Robert," he said as he answered the phone. "Things are a bit busy here at the moment. Can I call you back?"
"Sure," I replied. "But you need to know that Martin's lost two Weres."
"Lost two Weres?" Siegfried repeated. "I can spare a moment then. What happened? Is he all right?"
"They were killed over the weekend, but Martin just confirmed that this morning. We ran across the creature near Cold Creek. Alf says it was a Gallu. Some type of Babylonian Demon. Charlie and I fought it last night, but it got away. It's still out there, and it's a nasty mother."
"A Gallu?" he replied. "No, it is not familiar. But we had two attacks here at the hotel last night, which is why I'm pressed for time. Both attacks were against Fae. We believe they are Mares, a type of Succubus. Not as life threatening as yours, but still a problem. Listen, we have them contained, but not captured, and I have to get a Mage to Michael's location. Can we talk later, when things are under control?"
"Sure, call me when you get things settled. Siegfried? Be careful," I said, before disconnecting.
An attack against Fae at the Neptune? What the hell was going on? If Siegfried need a Mage to handle things, then this definitely wasn't a normal attack. I knew what Mares were and a sudden thought gave me an idea about the Gallu. I drained my cup and went upstairs, throwing on some shoes and a different shirt before heading back down and out to the backyard. Alf was back at the fire pit, checking the ashes, so I stopped there first.
"I don't what other tricks you may have up your sleeve but now would be a good time to see what else you can find out about this thing."
"I will try," he said as he put down the poker.
"Thanks," I replied as I walked back to the oak in the yard and summoned the Hamadryad within.
"Aeva," I said as the Faerie appeared. "I need to go somewhere."
Chapter 3
I stepped out into bright Reno area sunshine and tried to get my bearings. Behind me was the Truckee River and beside the oak I'd emerged from was a ramshackle old house, sitting among cottonwood trees that had definitely seen better days. I walked across the desert to the roadway and, pulling out my cell, speed dialed a number.
"Robert," a woman's voice answered. "How good to hear from you."
"I was wondering if you and Ella could meet. I have something I need to discuss with her."
Ella was the human name for the Lilin Elder once known as Egidari, and one of the last of the original Lilin to suffer defeat at the hands of my ancestor, Demeter. Together, we'd broken the spell that had once been placed on them.
When the spell had first been lifted, Ella and Delia had disappeared, along with most of the other Lilin. I found out later that they had come here; to the place that the Lilin Elders had been located, and having once identified herself, started to take control. I'd heard that not everyone thought it was a good idea. However, she'd won the argument, and had eventually contacted me.
Like I said, I was ultimately responsible for their actions on this world, thanks to the government's position on the matter, and since I'd been the one to free them, she'd agreed to follow the rules. She'd also needed some time to consolidate her power, and a little help. Fortunately, when it came to her grabbing power, there were only a few hundred Lilin left, at least here in the States, so she only had to deal with a few detractors. Thanks to our history, the Fae and Lilin weren't exactly on the best of terms, but she was smart enough to know that we needed each other. My unconditional breaking of the spell, not to mention my relationship with Delia, had convinced her that I was no ordinary Fae and could be trusted.
"I wish we could," Delia replied. "But you know we're still up north trying to put things together."
"What a coincidence," I said. "I just happen to be a few miles away off of Mustang Road. Think you could come and get me?"
"Off of Mustang? What are you doing there?"
"At the moment, I'm watching a parade of concrete trucks drive by," I said with a laugh. "This was the closest oak I could find. Seriously, can you come get me? I'm getting some funny looks from these guys. I don’t think I quite fit in."
"I'll be right there!" she said, and disconnected.
Ten minutes later a grey Toyota Sequoia drove up and the driver side door flew open. Before I could say a word, Delia was in my arms and hugging me.
"I've missed you," she said after a kiss, and then stepped back. "But what are you doing here? I thought we agreed we needed time to get things settled."
"We did," I replied. "And that hasn't changed. But I have a problem and I think Ella might be able to help."
"Get in," she said as she returned to her side of the SUV. "I'll take you to her."
I hopped in and she took off down the road, turning left at Peri Ranch. We passed the long closed Old Bridge Brothel and went another mile or so before turning onto a dirt driveway going toward the river. It looked like just another patch of desert until we crossed the magic veil that hid the buildings behind it. I didn’t know what to expect in a Lilin stronghold, but it wasn't this.
"An office complex?" I asked as she pulled the SUV into the garage next to the main building.
"I thought it was something we could use later. I modelled it after some of the construction buildings down the road, although its looks are deceiving. The layout is perfect for what we need and we can integrate it into the area if we decide to lift the spell that hides it."
"If you say so," I replied with a chuckle. "I sense Elvish magic. I would have helped if you had asked."
"It was Bjartr's idea," she replied. "He has been helping since we first took over."
Bjartr was an Elf that had watched over the Lilin since before the spell was broken. He also ran a Fae establishment in Vegas called Danu's. A place I also had a stake in since I'd rescued Delia from the Elders. It was where Delia had worked when I first met her. The Elves were a funny sort and had made it their life's work to look after the other Fae, usually setting up in bars and taverns, which were well known places to meet. Another Elf, Handion, lived in my Fae world and had been a lot of help to me since all this had started.
She parked the car and I followed her through a corridor into the main building. We walked through a doorway into the main lobby area which, not surprisingly, looked exactly like an office lobby. There were even two Lilin stationed behind a counter who greeted her as we walked by.
I smiled and waved as we walked past them and even without my Fae hearing, I would have heard the whispers between them as they recognized who I was. Walking past the elevator, I followed Delia up the stairs to the second floor and down a hallway, eventually stopping at an office door. Without knocking she opened it and held it as I walked through. I found myself in a spacious office with modern trim and immediately recognized Ella behind the large wooden desk.
"Well?" she asked as she stood and walked around the desk to greet me. She was dressed in a business casual outfit with brown slacks and a white silk blouse. She looked a hell of a lot better than the first time I'd met her, when we'd pulled her out of a cell. "What do you think?
"
"It's not exactly what I expected," I replied as she motioned us toward a leather couch to the side of her desk.
"Personally, I was leaning toward a castle with a moat," she said with a smile before sitting and turning her chair toward us. "Maybe some guards in red and black uniforms carrying pikes, but Delia convinced me that this would be more practical."
"It might at that," I agreed. "Especially if you do intend to make it visible to outsiders in the future. Then again, a castle would have made a bolder statement, and the moat a nice touch."
"Which is exactly what we don’t need at the moment," Delia said.
"So you keep reminding me," Ella replied, still smiling. "And of course you are correct. Now, to business. Your visit is unexpected. Is there a problem I should be aware of?"
"As far as you guys are concerned?" I said. "No. Everything seems to be progressing as well as can be expected. I understand Meredith was able to help you with the issue with the locals."
"She was," Ella replied. "Negotiations are still continuing. But thanks to her... involvement, we seem to be close to terms."
As I mentioned, when the spell was lifted, the Lilin, almost as a group, disappeared. That included those that worked for several of the local Fae, both in Vegas as well as here in the Reno area. That had caused more than a little friction between the groups, especially since most of the Fae had been taking advantage of them and weren't used to negotiating on equal terms. When they resurfaced, with Ella as their head, not everyone had wanted to play nicely. Thankfully, I'd convinced Meredith to intervene. With her help, tensions eased and the two groups were at least able to come to the table.
There were a lot of areas the Lilin excelled at. Not the least of which was entertainment. Whatever pheromones or other methods they used to attract... well, let's just call them customers, they were a valuable commodity. Coupled with magic, it kept the places full, and since the Lilin weren't like vampires in fiction (they used a needle like appendage rather than teeth) whatever blood they received in return was never noticed.
"That's good to hear," I said. "Anyway, what I came here for was some information I thought you might be able to provide."
"I see," she said. "And what type of information would that be?"
"Something from your history," I replied. "I need to know about the Gallu."
She was quiet for a bit and looked as if the word had conjured up a memory which was not pleasurable.
"The Gallu?" she finally said. "Why would you want to know about them?"
"Apparently, I fought one last night," I replied. "I was hoping you could tell me how to kill it."
"You say you fought one? And yet you live?" she said, her eyes narrowing. "Of course you do. But then again, you would, if anyone could."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"They are what you would call Demons. They were in the service of the Underworld. Only a very few could escape their clutches once they came for them," she replied.
"He didn’t come for me," I explained. "He had killed a couple of Weres and Charlie tracked him into the mountains. We had a brief battle, but he didn’t like my sword and melted back into the ground before we could go finish him off. Anyway, there's a story that one was killed with a mace. I was hoping you knew the truth behind the legend."
"Yes," she said. "I am familiar with the tale of Ninurta and Asag. But it was not quite that simple. The God did kill the Demon King with the help of his father and the singing mace, Sharur. But not before destroying cities with thousands of people and turning hectares of land into desert. Even then, neither he, or for that matter, any of the Gods, could escape their fate. They are all dust now."
She shifted her chair and picked up the phone on her desk.
"Douglas, bring me some tea. Oh, and coffee for Delia and our guest."
I started to reply but she held up her hand. I chuckled at the thought of being shushed by a being that only months ago would barely be able to consider the thought of telling me to be quiet. Then again, this was one of the greatest generals the Lilin had ever produced and she had been a princess in her own right. I suppose I should be happy that we were allies. She could have decided to resume the war. I glanced over at Delia, but all I got was a shrug.
A moment later a male Lilin, whom I assume was Douglas, came into the room carrying a tray. He set it down in front of us before placing a carafe and several cups on the desk, as well as her tea. Then, without a word, he returned to wherever he had come from. Delia poured coffee for both of us and I waited for Ella to continue.
"As I recall, it was said that some were animal shaped Demons," she said after taking a sip. "But it is impossible. They were pulled back into the deepest recesses of the Underworld when the Gods fell, never to be heard from again."
"About as impossible as a Lilin and a Fae drinking tea together would have been just a few months ago," I remarked, with just a hint of sarcasm.
"Point taken," she replied. "Never the less, such a thing does not seem possible to me. Tell me then. What did this Demon look like?"
I described the Demon that Charlie and I had encountered; including the fact that it looked as if it was hurt by the lightning that my sword could produce and that it had appeared at night.
"I cannot say if this Demon is indeed a Gallu. The Demon, Asag, was made from the mountains themselves, had three legs and a body that felt like rock. He was of the Gallu; but such Demons could look like anything."
Then I asked her about the magic mace that had been used to destroy the other one.
"The Smasher of Thousands was not just any mace. But like most of you, this Fae God thought magic could kill the beast. No, magic did not kill the Demon, or save the thousands that died."
"Hey, I don’t care what he thought," I said, putting my hands up to indicate I wasn't trying to take a position on the superiority of magic in battle. Besides, I was betting that she wasn't an innocent in the killing of civilians, either, but this was starting to feel like pulling teeth. "I thought we were past this Fae/Lilin bullshit. You know me better than that, just like you know I don’t like the idea of killing innocents. The point is this: whatever he did worked. Right? So what was it?"
She took another sip of her tea before replying.
"My apologies" she finally said. "It is easy to forget and those were different times. But yes, he finally crushed it."
"Crushed it?" I repeated.
"Yes, he crushed its skull with his mace. Using it like that other thunder God would do with his, oh? What's it called? The Norse one?"
"You mean Thor's hammer?" Delia said.
"Exactly," she replied. "Like Thor's hammer. He was able to use the mace to crush the Demon's skull and kill it. Then he beat the Demon into the ground."
"Somehow, I didn't get the impression that it would be quite that simple," I said.
"Oh, it wasn't," she replied. "The battle lasted for days. Thousands of warriors and Wizards kept the Demon busy until the God was finally able to land the killing blow. As I said, many died and the land turned to waste before the Demon was finally defeated."
"So then all I have to do is keep it busy until I can crush its head," I said with a sigh. "And the rest of it, of course. Well that should be easy enough."
"Assuming, of course, that it is indeed a Gallu Demon." she added. "If so, you must remember, magic alone will not kill it, but it will weaken it."
"I'm glad you clarified that," I said. "Easy-peasy then."
"Who's being an ass now?" Ella quipped. "I was only trying to answer your question."
"I'm sorry," I said with a laugh. "I know how it sounded, but it wasn't directed at you. It's just one more frigging problem I'm dealing with at the moment. The point is, nothing's ever simple."
"True. But when you're as old as I am, or even Delia's age, you'll find that simple is boring."
"I'm not that old," Delia chimed in.
"No, of course you aren’t," I replied with a laugh. "And I could use a littl
e boring in my life at the moment,"
"Yes, well, then you have come to the wrong place." She took a last sip and then placed her cup back on the saucer. "Now, is there anything else? Ally or not, I do have other issues to deal with."
"No, I think that's all I need for now. I have a few other folks I still need to meet with back home," I said as I got up from the couch. I walked to the front of the desk. "Thank you for the history lesson."
"Robert," Ella said as I began to turn away. "If you need any of my warriors, you need but ask."
"I appreciate it," I replied. "But I think I can handle it."
"As you say," she said, pushing her saucer away and picking up some notes from her desk. "At least be careful. I can think of no good reason that such ancient Demons should show up now. I've grown quite fond of you, and the last thing I need is to have to find a new Fae partner just when I was starting to like you."
"Nah." I replied with a chuckle. "I'm not letting you off that easy." Then I opened the door and walked back out into the hallway.
Delia suddenly appeared at my side and grabbed my arm.
"Why didn't you take her up on her offer?" she asked with a frown. "Isn’t that why you came here? To ask for our help?"
"I did ask for your help," I replied. "Help in the form of information that your boss just provided."
She didn't reply. She just stood there.
"Ok, listen," I explained. "You guys are still trying to get a handle on things here. There's no reason to drag folks down to Vegas when I'm not even sure what I'm dealing with yet, or even if it'll show up again. But if it'll make you feel any better, if it looks like I need any help, I promise to ask for it."
"By then it'll be too late," she replied, her arms now crossed. "I know you, Robert. You can be... stubborn at times. Just promise me that you'll do this one like we did that raid on the Mages, not like some of the other times."
