by Tom Keller
The sand was deep, and hot, and I found myself sliding more than walking down its steep slope. The bottom was worse. Rocks and boulders covered the floor of the basin. It seemed to take forever to navigate through them; discovering the hard way that they were sharp, and the way treacherous.
Eventually, we reached our destination. The dome towered above us. It looked to be made of the same clay that the box containing the Breath of God had been made of. Light brown, with symbols etched in a row across the center. The etchings were lighter than the rest of the dome, as if the sun had bleached the grooves cut into the clay. We found an opening on the other side, and Jazzy followed me in. The room was bright from the sun that shined in from oculus in the center of the dome's roof. Before us lay the pit's cover stone. Once round, it had broken into pieces and was crumbling; the hole that it had once covered now exposed and open.
"That's not good," she said, stating the obvious.
We pulled our weapons and walked up to the abyss.
"If this is open, where did he go?" she asked. "We would have seen him if he got out when the portal opened. Except for those few dunes, it was pretty flat all the way here. I could see the crater from the top."
"We missed him, all right. But not today," I said, kneeling to examine the pieces of broken stone. "This rock has crumbled from age." Scooping up a pile, I let it flow through my fingers. "Even the broken edges have been bleached from the sun shining through the hole in the roof. This didn't just happen. I think it happened a long time ago."
"A long time ago?" Jazzy said. "You mean we just went through all that and the bastard wasn't even here? What a bunch of crap!"
"It sure looks that way," I replied, picking up a piece and throwing it into the dark chasm. I waited silently for a while, but didn't hear it hit bottom. "I wondered why Sister Jeanette kept saying that Azazael was not my concern. Now I know why. Looks like the joke's on Beelzebub and his Angel friend. At least that part of the story was real enough."
I stood up and brushed myself off. "Come on, we need to get back. I don't want to push our luck. Who knows how long Jesse can keep the portal open, and this case is screwed up enough. Let's not add to it by getting stuck here."
I followed Jazzy back the way we came. Two questions burned in my mind. Who else had known that Azazael was already gone? But more importantly, where was he?
The End
About the Author
Tom Keller is a retired cop and former computer forensic expert who's also spent time as a Federal Public Defender investigator. Back in the early days he was a busboy, a cook, and a shoe and real estate salesman. He's taught courses at the local Community College as well as lectured to others in his field on a variety of topics. These days he works as a P.I. in Las Vegas, Nevada. A place he's called home for over 40 years.
He had a website design business back in the days when you still accessed the Internet by modem. He's sold model airplanes and electronics on the web and eBay. He even had his own TV show for a season or two (okay, it was really low budget, better call it no budget, and it was on UHF for those of you that remember those kinds of things. But, hey, it did snag a 2.0 share one episode). He collects toy space guns, lunch boxes, and coffee cups, among other memorabilia. If he had a personal card it’d probably say something like ‘specialist in generalities,’ or as his brother would say, polymath.
Tom is still married to his college sweetheart and spends his free time with his family and spare time writing. Fae:Generations is his first book in the exciting new series, Heirs of the Vegas Fae. His other books are also available on Amazon.
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Books by Tom Keller
Return of the High Fae
(Vegas Fae Stories Book 1)
When ex-Cop turned Private Investigator Robert Hoskins saves the life of ex mobster and casino owner Eddy Milagre he figured that he might have stepped into something he shouldn't have. After taking down two of the 'would be' kidnappers, Robert finds himself in Milagre's office getting the third degree, but that's just the beginning. When Milagre's people start asking him about Wizards and magic all he wants to do is to get out of there in one piece. Mobsters or not these people are nuts!
But when his dog starts talking to him and he gets a mystical visit from an Aunt and a Dwarf he knows his life has changed, and not necessarily for the better. What kind of world has Robert stepped into when he finds out he's descended from the Gods?
From disbelief to acceptance, Robert encounters a variety of mythical beings. From Faeries and Norse legends to the Oracle at Delphi, from Mermaids to Werewolves to everything in between, Robert's world has definitely changed. While his path through that world appears chosen he soon learns that the beings that reside in the world of myths and fairy tale's aren't that much different than those of the mortal world. Good and evil still battle one another and it's time to take sides.
What should Robert do when the world around him stops making sense? When he finds out from a Dwarf that his dog is descended from Fae hunting dogs. When he knows that corporations and even the mob don’t run Vegas, it's the Fae. When the prettiest girls he meets are over 3,000 years old and some of them drink blood. And that stripper, is she really a Faerie? Let's not even go there. What should Robert do when he learns that strength in his new world is measured in magic and he barely has a clue how to wield it?
Do Demons, Gods, Elves, and Faeries really exist? Are Vampires truly the children of Lilith? Robert didn't believe it at first either.
Of Gods and Fae
(Vegas Fae Stories Book 2)
You see plenty of strange things when you're a P.I. in Las Vegas, but even that couldn’t prepare ex-cop Robert Hoskins for what was to come. At first, he couldn't believe that all those stories he'd been told as a child were true. But hearing that the Fae had taken the casinos over from the mob was something else. Elves, Dwarves, Werewolves and Faeries were just the beginning and battling dark Mages, the opening act.
Having banished his enemy to the cold hell of Tartarus he'll now have to travel to the Fae lands to claim his birthright. Along the way, and after, there's Demons and Dragons to fight and a trip down the river Styx to the gates of Hades itself is on the playlist if he'll want to defeat the dark Fae's minions and undo an ancient curse.
From the author of "Return of the High Fae," this is book two in the Vegas Fae stories but a standalone novel in its own right.
Sin City will never be the same.
Twist of Fae
(Vegas Fae Stories Book 3)
As an ex-cop and P.I., Robert Hoskins thought he'd seen it all. Then, while working a simple case, his world changed. The next thing he knew he was battling Wizards, Demons, and even the occasional Dragon.
Now, with government agents closing in on him in the human world, and the ancient Dwarves threatening the Fae lands, he's got to prepare himself for his most daunting task of all: telling his adult children they are the descendants of Greek Gods!
But there's more going on than even Robert can imagine when a visit to Fae uncovers hidden secrets that could change everything. To Robert, family comes first, but this time his adventures are a little too close to home.
Not Just Another Fae
(Vegas Fae Stories Book 4)
Ex-cop and P.I., Robert Hoskins knows some cases are tougher than others, especially when dark magic is involved. A call from the local pack master about some missing Weres is more than it seems.
Portals to the Underworld have opened and ancient creatures long thought dead have returned. As a Fae, Robert's faced off with Demons before, but always as the hunter, never the prey.
What magic force has opened the portals and why is it travelling through the Hells of the Underworld releasing Demons in its wake? Robert needs old friends and new allies to find ou
t.
But knowing what the problem is won't be enough. He has to find a way to stop it — making this his most difficult case of all.
Night and Fae
(Vegas Fae Stories Book 5)
Ex-cop and P.I. Robert Hoskins didn't think twice when an old friend needed help. But little did he know where the evidence would lead him when he dug deeper into the case.
Demons, Dragons, Monsters and Fallen Angels are only the tip of the iceberg when his old enemy escapes from Tartarus and seeks her revenge. There are wars to be waged and enemies galore as an ancient prophesy resurfaces and the universe attempts to seek balance.
Even the Gods will step down from the heavens when bloodlines are revealed and Robert faces off with the dark High Fae in an epic battle that will shake the very foundation of the Fae worlds.
