by J. A. Pitts
You know the universe listens, right? Like, hey, she’s happy and letting things slide. Let’s kick her in the slats.
That’s what ran through my mind in the next second.
On the other side of the yard, near the burned-out barn, I saw him. The one-eyed bum, Joe or Odin. Who was he tonight? I veered in his direction, the music a happy background, but the world tunneled toward him … only him.
“’Ware, smith,” he said, and vanished.
I spun around, searching. He appeared near Stuart, squatting on the top of the long table with a wolf at his side.
“Folly and peril,” he said.
The song played on in the background, and the crowd was singing along, clapping and stomping. I staggered through them, looking for the mad beggar. “No riddles,” I shouted, and the people nearest me looked at me like I was crazy. They faltered in their revelry and followed me with their eyes, open-jawed and confused.
There near the stage, I saw him again. I began shouting, pushing. The people in front of me started to realize something was going on and began turning, anger and frustration breaking their joyous moment.
He watched me, his arms raised to the heavens, and he sang. I cannot tell you what he sang, but it seemed to be my name, maybe the song that Katie herself sang.
Then he was gone again. I was almost to the stage when he vanished. Had he been a figment of my imagination?
Bam! The power on the farm flashed out. Even the bonfire seemed to fade. The crowd shifted, allowing me to move through. Faces peered at me in wonder and fear.
A wolf leapt onto the stage, larger than a pony. The band didn’t notice, but the crowd saw, faltered in their singing, their voices mingling into shouts and astonished gasps.
“The witch has fallen!” Odin’s great voice issued from the wolf’s throat. “Black blood rises to our doom!”
The voice was so loud that people fell to the ground, covering their heads with their hands. I ran to the house, pushing people out of my way, calling to Katie. The wolf sprang at Katie but vanished before reaching her. She spun around as if sensing the attack. The other band members fled into the crowd, and the noise returned—shouting and screams.
The old man reappeared behind me, on the picnic table.
“More than your love hangs in the balance, smith. Choose wisely.” He crumbled into shadow, and two great crows leapt upward, pulling toward the sky.
Fuck! Odin showing up wasn’t a good sign. Qindra was down? She wasn’t half-bad as a person, but she was damn powerful. What was up with that damn house?
I ran across the barnyard, into the back of the crowd. It was then I finally noticed. Stuart wasn’t lounging—he was on watch. His people were as well. There were warriors posted around the place, armored and armed. The farm had become an encampment. They were not playing games. Nothing was going to catch them by surprise again.
I sprinted past the barn. Stuart was directing two young women, pointing first at me, then at the barn. I couldn’t tell what he was saying, but he didn’t try to stop me.
“Katie?” I called, spinning about. She was nowhere to be seen. For a moment I panicked as chaos reigned. People were shouting, calling to friends and loved ones. Then, Gunther’s strong voice rose above the din, shouting commands. The crowd parted, and I had a clear shot at the house. I leapt up the stairs onto the deck. The band had scattered, the instruments were gone as well. I looked back into the crowd one final time and turned to the house.
The door stood open. Jimmy was waving a flashlight around, swearing. Deidre had been spilled out of her chair. He rushed over and knelt at her side.
She pointed at me, and Jimmy turned, his face flush with anger.
“The elf took her,” he growled.
“Her? Katie?” It couldn’t be happening, not again. “Where?”
I followed where Deidre was pointing at a large hall mirror. “Not Katie, Melanie,” she said, gasping. “She was with me moments before the power went out, just before the voice shook the house.”
“What about Katie?” I asked.
“She was with the band?” Deidre said, confused. “Who’s fallen, Sarah?”
“Damn it, Beauhall,” Jimmy said, his voice a dangerous step away from rage.
“Was it Gletts?” I asked.
They didn’t respond.
“The boy? Was it the boy or the girl?”
“Boy,” Deidre said, pushing herself up on her hands. Jimmy stood quickly, righted the chair, and bent to pick her up. She locked her arms around his neck and he melted a little, letting some of the anger fade.
Once she was settled again, he turned to me. “What do we do now?”
I was torn. Qindra was down, fallen to something or someone at Anezka’s place. That was two hours away, and I owed her. Melanie had been snatched by Gletts. He probably wouldn’t hurt her; he wanted me—or more to the point, he wanted Gram. So why Melanie?
“Where’s Julie?” I asked.
Jimmy did a double-take, shaking his head. “Gone, before the band started up. Why?”
“I need wheels.”
“Take the bike,” Gunther said, coming into the house. Stuart was at his shoulder, holding a bundle.
“You’ll want this,” Stuart said, laying my chain on the kitchen table.
I turned to Jimmy. “Right.” Ducati, armor … and … I looked into his eyes. Time to push him. “I need Gram.”
He started to shake his head, but Deidre placed her hand on his arm. “Don’t be an ass. The sword claimed her.”
“Deidre,” he started, but her look stopped him.
“I don’t care what you and those two have been cooking up. That’s her sword; she remade it and earned it with her blood, if you don’t recall how all this went down.”
He lowered his head, and I could hear his teeth grinding.
“I don’t like it,” he said, but he turned and stalked to the back of the house.
I started to follow, but Deidre held up her hand. “Just hang tight. He’ll bring it.”
One of Stuart’s crew came in with my harness, and Kyle George handed me a holster with two hammers in it. The handle of one was stained dark. I had used it in the spring. The second was new, but a sister to the first.
“Thanks, Kyle.”
He nodded, blushing. “Owe you for saving my life.”
What do you say to that? Obligation, debt? Or just accept it as gratitude.
“Anytime.” I held out my hand, and he grasped my wrist, shaking solemnly.
“You seen Katie?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “No, but I’ll go look.”
“Thanks.”
I watched him push back out of the house. The squads were preparing, and the support staff was getting things in order. Battle lines, triage center, et cetera. Been a busy summer here. I turned to the task at hand.
The armor had been repaired and cleaned of any bloodstains. That made me feel better. The thick underarmor was new, however, as they’d cut the last off me. I slipped it on over my T-shirt and jeans, and then Stuart helped me with the chain shirt. By the time I had it belted and cinched just right, Gunther was back in the house with a motorcycle helmet.
“Was a present,” he said, handing me the black helmet with wraparound face protection. There were crossed hammers painted on either side and a flaming sword across the top from nape to brow.
“That’s hawt,” I said, grinning.
He dangled the keys in front of me with a big grin. “She flies. Don’t forget to touch the ground sometimes.” He laid the keys in my hand, closing my fist in his hands. “Ride careful.” He kissed me on the cheek and stepped back.
“Gotta run and see to the troops,” Stuart said, stepping past Gunther to give me a quick hug. “Don’t get killed.” Then he dashed out the door.
Gunther tossed me a salute and followed, bellowing commands as he went.
“You are pretty scary,” Deidre said, rolling her chair into the kitchen.
I nodde
d. “I’ll be out at the bike, whenever Jimmy gets back.”
“You think we’ll be attacked again?”
I stopped, thinking. If I fucked up with Qindra, who knew? I wasn’t even sure what I was facing. “Better safe than sorry,” I said, smiling. “But hopefully I can catch this at the source.”
“We could send folks with you.”
I shook my head. “No. If they attack here, you want full strength. I’ll stay out of trouble.”
She rolled her eyes. “Liar.”
I just grinned. What could I say?
“Just be careful, Sarah.”
I hugged her quickly and fled out the door. I was not gonna start crying, not now.
The troops had hurricane lamps burning by the time I’d gotten back outside. They weren’t messing around here. The first squad was still on the perimeter, watching for whatever may be coming, but Gunther’s squad was in the barn, getting its act together.
The yard was empty except for the Ducati. I slowly climbed down the stairs and walked to it, expecting it to bite me. The leather was in good shape, and the light of the bonfire danced along the bottom of the chromed exhaust.
I grabbed the handlebars and stepped over the seat, settling onto the leather. I closed my eyes and let the feel of the machine settle into my legs. After three long breaths, I opened my eyes and slipped the key into the ignition.
“I think you’ll be wanting this, too,” Jimmy said, coming out onto the porch. He had my rig in one hand, with Gram snuggled inside her sheath and my helmet in his other hand. “You going off again, you’ll want to keep your head protected. It’s hard, but not that hard.” He grinned at me, that old familiar smirk I was used to seeing. “They added some things to your saddlebags.”
He tossed me the helmet, and I caught it in both hands. I stepped off the bike, set the helmet on the seat, and looked at the saddlebags. Inside were a change of clothing, some water, and PowerBars. The other side was empty. I stuck the holster and one hammer in the empty side and the other hammer in the full side, distributing the weight.
Jimmy handed me the rig, and I slipped it over my shoulders. Not as difficult as a bra, for what it’s worth. I had the leather cinched tight, with Gram just above my right shoulder. I reached up, grasped the handle with my right hand, and pulled her clean.
I felt the amulet against my chest grow warm suddenly, and the runes along the blade burst into flames.
“Holy shite,” Jimmy said, stepping forward.
I lowered the blade, turning it so he could get a look. “This is new.”
“We’ll talk about it when you get back. You going after Melanie?”
Good question. One I’d already decided, I realized.
“Going to Chumstick,” I said.
Jimmy started to protest, but I slid Gram home into her sheath and held up my right hand.
“Whatever can take out Qindra and her cleaning crew is some fairly bad shit,” I said. “Not something I want running around.”
“What about Melanie?” He paused, squirming in his frustration. “And Katie?”
“What about Katie?” Katie called.
We both turned to see her striding out of the barn. She was dressed in a chain-mail shirt, and she had her guitar strapped over her shoulder, just like I had Gram. “What was that about Melanie?”
Oy. We spent the next few minutes sorting things out, and Deidre rolled out onto the deck.
“Don’t forget this,” she said, holding up the shotgun in a long holster. “Strap this to that damn infernal machine.”
“I appreciate that,” I said. “But I’m more comfortable with Gram here.” I patted the pommel over my shoulder.
“I’ve been studying this, me and the twins,” Jimmy said, stroking the stock, tracing the faces in the carved flames. “Powerful stuff, but not evil.”
I looked at the shotgun in Deidre’s hands. She looked pretty damn formidable.
“Why don’t you keep that?” I asked. “In case somebody shows up here, ya know?”
Deidre started to protest, but Jimmy put his hand on her shoulder.
“Girl’s right, Dee. I’d feel better if you had something that would work if anything funny happened again.”
“I’m not helpless,” she said, pulling a face. “But if you insist.” She pumped the shotgun, slamming a shell into the chamber.
“I pity the next giant that steps in front of you,” I said with a smile.
Deidre gave me a wicked grin, flipped the safety on, and dropped the barrel over her lap.
“What’s coming?” Jimmy asked me for the second time. “Any ideas?”
“No idea,” I said. “But I have a feeling if I don’t get to Qindra now, we’re screwed.”
I turned to Katie, took her in my arms, and hugged her.
“Be careful,” she said. She was upset, I could tell.
“Melanie will be okay,” I said. “I just think whatever’s taken Qindra is a bigger threat.”
She shrugged a little, burrowing her shoulder against my chest. “We’ll hold the fort,” she said. “I just feel useless.”
I tilted her face upward and kissed her. “You are far from useless.”
“Yeah. Okay.” She stepped back and smiled at me. “Go on. Time’s a wasting.”
I got on the Ducati, adjusted all the gear to make sure I could ride, and put on the helmet. I twisted the key, and the bike rumbled to life. Everyone stepped back as I turned the throttle, letting the engine growl. I waved at Katie, and the folks in the area waved back.
I eased the bike into first and shot down the driveway to the main road. At the end, just before it bent around the house, I stopped and looked back. Jimmy was with Deidre on the porch, and Gunther and Stuart had their troops getting ready for an unknown attack. The bonfire blazed in the middle of it all, and in front, standing alone, was Katie.
“Fuck it,” I mumbled, popping the clutch, and gunned the bike with one foot firmly stamped onto the ground. The bike roared, the back tires spinning as we did a quick one eighty, slinging gravel out into the field away from the house.
Katie did not move except to let her hand drop as she waited for me to return.
I pulled up beside her, flipped up my helmet. “Get on!”
She didn’t even hesitate, just hopped on the back and grabbed me around the waist. Jimmy yelled, people came running, but I gunned it, and we flew down the driveway.
She squeezed me hard, hanging on as we accelerated, her head against my left shoulder. I wasn’t leaving her behind ever again.
Fifty-five
It was freaking cold—let me tell you. After dark, October, going over the mountains. The amulet was warm on my chest, but my hands were freezing.
Then I heard her singing, felt her really, her face against my left shoulder. I didn’t know what the words were, but a warmth spread through me, over me like a blanket. I knew she had her own power, but feeling it in this way was pretty new.
The time crawled. We stopped just on the other side of the pass at a rest area and got off the bike to walk around. There was a booth there where a local non-profit was giving out coffee and selling donuts. We got a cup and a couple sinkers. The young woman taking the money looked at me twice once she noticed the chain mail but didn’t comment.
We stomped around while we filled up on hot sugar and caffeine. I was missing my boots. The tennis shoes were comfy but didn’t hold up to the bike as well. Would be better to have the leather up over my ankle.
“We need to get you a helmet,” I said as we sipped our coffee.
She smiled at me, slipped her arm around my waist, and squeezed. “Thanks for coming back for me.”
I leaned my head over, kissing her on the ear. “I love you. I’d rather have you with me.”
We hugged. I’d rather not have the chain mail between us, but it worked out. Later, when all this was over, I wanted to take her into a long, hot shower. Her singing was keeping the cold from being debilitating, but it was still not optimal.
“Your singing is powerful,” I said as we walked back to the bike. “I guess I never realized how magical it is.”
“Things are different,” she said, serious. “I’ve noticed it since you reforged Gram. There is a change in the world. I feel powerful when I sing, like I can affect things like never before.”
I kissed her. “You sing; I’ll drive. When we get to Anezka’s we’ll reevaluate.”
“Yeah,” she said, climbing on the bike behind me, just as it began to drizzle.
And we were off again, the cold just tolerable. The rain was a cruel joke. We hunkered down and pushed onward, aware of the road conditions, the spray from trucks, and the creeping cold.
Coming out of the pass, I thought I saw things flashing past us, shadows against the darkness of the mountain. Above us, the clouds seemed to be moving in the same direction, fast and furious. Like all the bad weather was heading to Anezka’s place.
Instead of going into Leavenworth first, I cut up 207 off Highway 2. Brought us to Chumstick from the north—felt safer.
The vans came into view first, glowing white in the drizzly night.
Once I saw the trucks, the house became apparent, a black hole in the otherwise black night. Shadow on shadow. I parked the bike beside Qindra’s Miata.
Katie unslung her guitar and peeked in the trucks on one end, and I checked out the others. All empty.
I pulled the hammers from the saddlebags, strapped on the holster, and settled them into their loops. Their weight pulling against my jeans felt familiar, if a little breezy. We walked across the road to where the barrier had been and stopped. It was back, only far different.
I reached my hand out, and felt it, a bubble for sure, but thicker. Smoke swirled inside, black shadows. I pulled Gram from her sheath and the world brightened a touch. Here was power. She hummed in my hand as the runes flitted with flames. The amulet against my left breast vibrated in sympathy. There was definitely a connection. Relics made by the same hand, that’s what it said to me. Hive-mates, Bub would have called it. Same maker, harmonious.
