She had spoken to herself more so than to me, but it left me even more intrigued about what was going on. “If Benny sent you here, it’s because he knew I could help.” Rain turned and looked at me. “At least let me hear you out. I promised Benny I’d do that much.” I sat back down hoping she would stay. “Plus, if the fucker hears I turned you away, he is going to make my life a living hell. And if you know Benny like I do, then you know what a gigantic pain in the ass he can be when you let him down.”
That earned me a tiny chuckle and just the hint of a smile. She looked a little taken aback by my swearing, but I was willing to let that slide. Rain would get used to it if we ended up working together on her little possession problem. Although, it highlighted for me again just how out of touch I was with the world right now. I’d spent the last six months trapped inside of my own nightmares, and in there anything fucking goes.
I hit her with what I hoped was an award-winning smile. “This time, just try and go easy on granny’s cups, alright?”
Rain sat back down and looked me over again as she was re-evaluating me. I could tell from the look in her eye that her current assessment of me wasn’t much different than the one she had when she thought about fleeing back to her car. She was a pretty good judge of character then because all I had shown her so far was a lack of courtesy and a cheap parlor trick. Even worse, I probably still smelled faintly of last night’s debauchery.
Even with the potion and the shower, I still had the look of an alcoholic. My stubble was a little more out of control than I liked to keep it, and my hair was probably a mess. But beggars couldn’t be choosers, and if Mansker had turned her down, that meant every other player in the city had as well.
Poor Ka’ua; she was stuck with me.
Taking a sip from my cup, I waited for her to get comfortable enough to open up. I really wished David had made some of those little sandwich things they served with tea, but now I was the one begging. He’d done more for me than I had any right to ask and yet my tummy still rumbled with hunger. I looked down at the offending organ and then back up only to see Rain smiling at me.
“You want to get out of here and grab a bite to eat?” she asked wearing a small smile.
That was the kind of smile that would have gotten me in trouble if we were closer in age and she didn’t look like an older version of a girl I sent to hell. Unfortunately for me, looking like Gabriella was an instant cold shower.
My stomach rumbled again as I stood up. “I get it.” I waved my arms around in a gesture that indicated the room or the entire house. “This place isn’t for everybody.”
She stood and started heading for the door casually looking over her shoulder. “It's not the place, but that belly that got you into trouble.” Rain started walking out of the room. “You coming or what?”
Oh, I was coming. This lady had me hook, line, and sinker. Jesus, was I fucked up or what? All I needed to do was to help Rain solve her problem, and here I was looking at her ass. Helping her would get Benny off my back for good, and maybe if things went right, I could just crawl back into my bottle and drown my sorrows alone like a proper addict.
David appeared by the door with my coat, and I slipped it on before following Rain outside. She motioned towards an old Jeep Wrangler, and I climbed in. She had total control, which was something I didn’t like but I could deal with it, if that meant squaring a debt.
The Wrangler’s engine bubbled to life and Rain popped the gear into reverse. The Jeep smoothly moved down the bumpy drive until she spun the car around in a quick circle and got us on the road. Some low classic rock was playing out of the speakers.
Wow, this woman was like my kryptonite. I loved everything about her, and yet every time I looked at her, I thought about Gabriella.
“So, I was thinking about heading over to Zonk’s,” Rain said forcing a smile.
How did this chick know about Zonk’s? I mean, it wasn’t like a trade secret or anything, but it was a restaurant normally only frequented by the magical and those that dabbled in the craft. It wasn’t on anyone’s main radar, and not the closest place to the house to grab a bite to eat.
Zonk’s held more interest for me as a young man when I was trying to learn all I could about the craft and how to harness the power from talismans. Most of the people that hung out there would never be able to do something as simple as stopping a cup like I had done earlier.
Was Rain a practitioner, or worse, a magic groupie? I guessed I’d find out more when we got there, although her experience at Zonk’s was going to be a little different this time.
Despite Rain’s easy-going smile, I could tell she was possessed and had been for a while. Once you’ve been in the demon game for long enough you could just tell. She kept it hidden well, but there were the tell-tale signs around her eyes.
It had to be a living hell dealing with the whispers. Fucking demons just couldn’t let things be. They liked to get in your head and twist everything about. It helped break you down to the point you stopped fighting the possession and just let it happen.
I got the sense that before this, Rain had been an outgoing and energetic person. I promised that if I could, I would help ease her heavy heart. A light mist started to fall as we pulled out onto the freeway, and I started thinking about the death omen. She was too young to die, and too fucking pretty.
Now, not only did I have to find a way to get Rain to open up, I’d have to deal with the madhouse Zonk’s turned into whenever I showed up. As casually as I could, I just tossed the truth out there. “Just to let you know ahead of time, I have a bit of a reputation with the people at Zonk’s.”
Rain laughed and nodded her head. “I could see that.”
What in the hell did that mean?
“Just don’t be surprised if they treat us differently than you are used to when we go inside.”
Rain looked me over and her nose crinkled up as if she had smelled something disgusting. I hated to admit it, but it was damn cute. It’s too bad I hadn’t met her before my life turned to shit. Maybe I would have had something to fight for then.
“They aren’t going to spit in our food or anything are they?”
Obviously, we had different ideas about what my reputation was. She must have thought I was a real piece of shit if the people at Zonk’s were going to spit in our food after seeing me. To be fair I hadn’t really given her a reason to trust me yet, and I had freaked her out when I saved Granny’s cup.
“It’s not that kind of reputation.” I paused to give her a look. “It’s a little freaky at first, just try and ignore it if you can.”
Rain gave me one last glance as if trying to figure me out. I wasn’t trying to be mysterious, honest. She must have come to some kind of resolution that suited her because she cranked up the tunes and turned her focus back towards the road.
The green pines blurred by as we pulled off the freeway and started winding our way into the hills. After fifteen minutes, Rain pulled into the parking lot at Zonk’s.
Zonk’s was a local place and a pit stop for travelers. It had all kinds of wards on it that said fuck off to the things that gave you the heebie-jeebies. It also had some intricate work that would encourage people to stop for gas or food, depending on the owner’s needs. The compulsion wasn’t strong, but it was enough to snag the random stray that made it up this way. Outside of the occasional magician, this place would only be full of the helpless wannabees I had dubbed the Reverie.
The Reverie were the dreamers; the ones that had gotten the smallest taste of the unknown world and couldn’t let go. They didn’t have the magic to do anything of importance, and yet they were cursed to know that it existed and that they were part of it in some small way. Most of them had only seen something or thought they had. Shit, some of them could even perform a few basic spells without assistance. Working together they could cause a little damage, but most of them were harmless.
So, Zonk’s is where the Reverie gathered, and that was just how th
e owner Zed liked it. He sold them trinkets and books most of them would never be able to properly use. He kept the good stuff away from the masses, but that didn’t mean his private stock of talismans and cursed objects was lacking in power. Shit, if these people knew what Zed was really into, they’d never come back. Those wards weren’t just there to keep things out, he had other wards to keep things in.
Zed was a bit higher up than the dabblers he catered to, but not by much. Zed got most of his mojo from using the artifacts he collected to boost his power. Outside of myself, he probably had the largest collection of cursed artifacts on the West Coast. The main difference between us was that none of mine were for sale. Although it wasn’t exactly safe for him to use artifacts to increase his power, he also wasn’t technically breaking any of the strictures.
Most of the customers at Zonk’s didn’t know about the artifacts or care. They just assumed Zed ran the place to make money. It was easy to dismiss a man in a t-shirt and overalls, but what they didn’t know is Zed was independently wealthy. He could have shut the place down and never worked another day in his life. His collection and ability to track down items was well sought after in the magical community. That and the dude fired up one hell of a burger.
Rain climbed out of the Jeep after tossing it in park. I jumped out to follow her in, but stopped for a moment to take in the illusion. Rain was lost in her own thoughts and didn’t notice that I wasn’t following her, that or she didn’t care if I did.
I ran a few paces to catch up and reached her side just as we passed through the barrier. The old barn that the mundies would see was replaced with two stories of dark wood. The building looked like a giant cabin, but inside it was so much more.
I let out a little chuckle thinking about the mundies driving by, wondering if the few gas pumps out in front of the dilapidated barn even worked. Their next thought would have to be, why are so many cars parked outside of such a shithole? If they could only see what I was looking at now, they would understand.
If you made it past the exterior illusions to the inside, well then you knew why so many cars were parked out front. The building kind of looked like a giant meeting hall at a summer camp, or a Viking city.
Everything was made out of hand-cut, wooden logs that had been stained a dark brown. The look was warmed a little by the bright lights and gas lanterns along the outside. Inside was something else entirely.
The gift shop was well lit and like anything you would find in a tourist trap, but the restaurant had the lights dimmed low and soft music playing that would have been commonplace for an upscale bar. Oh, and they had burgers. Did I mention how good the burgers were?
Rain walked in and a few people glanced in her direction. It was obvious they knew her, but were keeping their distance. It was kind of odd; I’d always gotten a friendlier vibe from the Reverie. They tended to welcome anyone in with open arms if they had a trace of the craft. They were almost shunning Rain like she was toxic.
I only had a moment to ponder what was happening before my own little bit of weirdness took over. The whole restaurant went deadly silent as I stepped in behind her and every eye in the building turned towards me.
Rain glanced towards me almost as if she expected someone else to be standing by her side. Maybe someone a little more famous and a hell of a lot better looking. I just smiled back at her and motioned for her to play along. I hoped the shrug of my shoulders was enough to let her know this was what I had been trying to warn her about in the car.
A voice boomed out from the kitchen. “Jesus, Bozz, you look like someone just fucked your mother.” Zed came around the counter and made his way towards me.
Uneasy laughter erupted around us. Rain just looked confused. I pulled Zed into a big hug and clapped him on the back.
“It’s more like I got hit with a train full of vodka, but the mother thing was a nice touch.”
Zed smiled. “Well, a train full of vodka would have been my second guess.” He turned and motioned for us to follow him. “Come on, I’ve got the best seat in the house for you.”
Rain gave me another curious glance. I just put my head down and followed Zed.
“I heard you were out of commission.” He cast a quick glance over his shoulder at me and then kept moving. “I had planned to stop by and see if I could finally interest you in parting with a few things.”
“You know none of my collection is for sale, Zed. I try to keep those objects out of the hands of the people you like to sell them to.”
“Hey, we all have to make a living, Bozz,” Zed said shaking his head.
“Damn straight we do. I just wish you only made yours from burgers and fries.”
Zed clapped me on the back before letting me slide into the booth. “Just tell Kelly C what you want, and it’s on the house.” Zed gave a casual wave over his shoulder and headed back towards the kitchen.
“Why is our meal on the house?” Rain asked.
“Because every time I step foot in here, Zed’s business for the week triples,” I said it as a matter of fact, but I knew how it sounded.
“What are you, some kind of secret rock star or something?”
“I am to these people.” I waved my hand at all the people sitting around us.
“Why?” Rain asked, obviously confused.
“Cause that little trick I did with the cup is something everyone here wishes they could do. Some of these people would kill to have that kind of power.”
Rain frowned. “The power to stop cups from breaking?”
“Oh, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what I can do.” I was trying really hard not to sound like a conceited jackass, but it wasn’t really working.
Rain’s lips moved into the shape of an O as she finally understood what I was talking about. Her expression changed to reveal determination, something I rarely like to see on the face of a woman. Normally, that meant I was in store for one kind of trouble or another. At least this time, it was the kind of trouble I was prepared to handle. When my buddy Christopher’s wife got that look, it meant he got to spend the weekend antiquing. A small shiver ran down my spine just thinking about it.
Kelly C stepped up to our table. She had short, bouncy, blonde hair, and a smile to match. I’d always meant to ask her why she liked to go by her last initial instead of her full name, but I never did.
She shifted from heel to toe almost jumping with enthusiasm. “What can I get for you?”
“I’ll have the monster burger with fries, and a side of onion rings.” I handed her my menu and smiled. “Oh, and a strawberry shake.”
“And you?” Kelly asked Rain.
Rain gave me a questioning look. Her one eyebrow went up, and it was the cutest thing. Yes, I had ordered enough calories for three days, but I was hungry damn it. There was no way to remember the last time I ate, so I planned on taking full advantage of the situation.
“Bacon burger with fries, and a small chocolate shake,” Rain said. Then she stared back at me defiantly, as if she was daring me to say something about her order.
“Be back in a jiff.” Kelly C smiled and strode away.
If there was one thing I knew about women, it was that you never questioned their order at a restaurant. Trust me when I tell you, they already knew how many calories were in the food, and just how bad they were willing to be.
They also had a plan on how to burn those calories off. Plus, if you said something like, why didn’t you order a salad, you were kind of just a dick. Not only that, but I appreciated a woman that could chow down. I mean, who wanted to be stuck eating salads for the rest of their lives when you could be having bacon burgers? You had to live, and today, living meant a burger and fries.
Kelly brought out our shakes, and after taking a huge spoonful of mine, I looked over at Rain. “I think it’s time you told me why Benny sent you to me.” I already knew, but it helped to hear it from the victims in their own words.
All of her confidence and the defiance s
he had shown when she dared me to question her order had evaporated. “I guess I had to tell you sometime.”
I nodded, not wanting to get in the way of her story.
Rain looked down at her shake and started to move her spoon idly through it. “I guess it all started three weeks ago. It wasn’t much at first, just some scratching in the attic. I called out an exterminator, but he couldn’t find any signs of activity. Then the sounds started in the basement.” She looked up to see if I was paying attention. “Nothing to be found there either. I chalked it up as one of the many benefits of living in an old house. I mean, they all have their quirks, right?”
They did, although not all of those quirks were as innocent as the house settling.
“So, I pushed the noises to the back of my mind, but then the lights would flicker and sometimes my appliances would turn on all by themselves. Of course, the electrician couldn’t find anything wrong. That’s when I got worried. I went to talk with my priest. He came over and blessed the house. For the next three days everything was fine, then I got attacked.”
Spirits didn’t take a blessing nicely if they weren’t ready to move on, but this sounded like it was moving past the ghost phase and more into demonic territory. “Something actually touched you.”
“It did more than touch me.” Rain slid up the sleeves of her coat, and I could see bruises there. “I went back to my priest, and he said there was nothing else he could do. I couldn’t believe it. I’d been going to St. Mathews since I was six, and now I felt like I was being abandoned.”
Not surprising after what happened with Gabriella.
“So, I started doing my own research, and you know what came up. One name, over and over again.”
“I’m flattered.”
Rain laughed in my face. It wasn’t a dainty chuckle, or just a little grin and giggle, but full-throated laughter from deep in her belly. “It wasn’t you,” she said between gasps. “There was one cop at all the scenes, Benny Benitez.” She laughed again at the expression on my face. “Don’t look so hurt, Bozley; we wound up together eventually, right?”
Possessed (Bozley Green Chronicles Book 1) Page 4
