Freya's Inferno (Winging It Book 1)

by Sonja Bair

  David nodded. “Your points sound valid and I agree with them. But my thoughts are revolving around the bizarre nature of the energy trail itself. I’m concerned that Jia is getting stronger. She left energy trails at the mine collapse, the camping place of the hiker, the church before the fire, and now the burned church, but with each one, they are getting stronger and more potent. They also appear darker and have a bitter, almost sulfur smell to them. She’s escalating not only in her crimes, but she seems to be collecting...” he paused, looking for the right word, “darkness.”

  “Darkness?” I repeated. I wasn’t sure what he meant. He must not have been sure, either, because he said nothing for awhile, just tapped the steering wheel with his thumb. After a minute, his face went blank of emotion and he replied in a manner-of-fact voice, which I was beginning to understand as his defense mechanism against troubling thoughts. “It appears she is collecting evil with every act she is doing.”

  I still wasn’t sure about what he was getting at. I had run into evil people before, and they hadn’t acted like Jia.

  David continued, “Some people don’t believe that there is an evil force out there. Sure, maybe they believe that people make bad decisions, or maybe they think that people are born with defective DNA and that causes evil actions. But I know, I am absolutely convinced, that there is an evil force in the world. And I can feel Jia gathering that evil power around her more and more with each place we go to. At first, maybe it was not intentional. She had let her guard down through the loss of Qiang and some blackness had surrounded her. She took comfort in that darkness. But it seems like without the presence of Qiang, she started to purposely seek out evil. The evil seems to be helping and directing her now, not just staining her actions.”

  His interpretation sounded terrifying, like Jia was not acting alone, but with a partner not of this world. I mentally gave myself a shake and reminded myself that I, too, was not alone. On my team, I had half a pack of werewolves, an Arbitrator, and overprotective parents with ties to international organizations, not to mention I was kickass myself. Bring it, Jia. But then I hastily regrouped. Or not. Let’s not invite trouble.

  “Okay, if that is true, how would she act differently? How does that change our approach to bringing her in and stopping her?”

  “I’m not sure. But it makes me even more worried about your safety. You said Alrik is staying with you now?”

  “Yes,” I huffed. “I’m surprised he let me out of the house alone.”

  David stiffened, shifted in his seat, and cleared his throat. “That’s good,” he said in a tight tone. “Anytime he needs to leave, call me and I’ll come over. If I’m not available, Pedro or Philip can stay with you.”

  “Jia’s tribe mates are coming tomorrow,” I said. “I’d like for you to meet them with us. Perhaps you can share something from the visions that I missed.”

  “Fine. I’ll be there.”

  By this time, we had arrived back at his house. My Eagle, sitting in front of his house, looked familiar and comforting.

  Ever since making him laugh, Pedro had been quiet in the backseat. As we stopped, he clicked off his seat belt and leaned between the two front seats. “Freya, David is not going to like what I’m about to say, but screw it. It needs to be said.” He continued in a rush as if he was afraid David would physically stop him. And, in fact, David jerked open his door and was out of the car in a flash. “David, Philip, and I are not lone wolves any more. We have, without any effort on our part, become our own rag-tag werewolf pack.” By this time, David had opened the back door and grabbed Pedro by the back of the shirt. He pulled Pedro out of the car, but Pedro managed to squeak out something that sounded like, “But it’s not…” before David had him out of the car and shut the back door. I had a deep gut feeling about what Pedro was trying to say, but for the current moment, I was content to be at least not completely certain of what was going on. Ignorance, even somewhat feigned ignorance, was bliss. I watched through the car window as David chewed Pedro out in a low voice. Pedro tried to argue back at one point, but after only a moment, his shoulders slumped and he spread out his arms in defeat. David had overruled Pedro’s appeal. David was the Alpha of this particular “rag-tag werewolf pack” and Pedro, like it or not, had to accept his decision.

  When it looked like Pedro was thoroughly raked over the coals, I opened my car door and bid them both good night, making a beeline to my Eagle. I didn’t want to deal with more emotion, especially when that emotion was my own.

  Chapter 16

  I was one block from my home when I remembered that I had supposedly left to get some groceries. The grocery store by my house was closed by this time of night, so I had to go across town to the bigger market. I was nearly tripping over my own feet by the time I got home, I was so tired. These adventures on school nights had to stop. I was exhausted.

  Alrik was sitting outside on the patio when I came home. I sighed and rolled my eyes. The night was not done yet. He had his laptop open and sitting on the table in front of him, but his jaw was clenched and he stared forward into the dark night.

  “Did you trace the energy trail with David?” His tone was tight but not angry. He turned to face me.

  I took a second and tried to mentally gear up for another fight, but Alrik answered his own question. “Based on the look of your face, that would be a yes. I can’t say that I’m happy about it, but I understand your motives. Fill me in on the details.” He pushed a metal patio chair toward me with his foot.

  I stood there for a second, not trusting this change of attitude.

  “Please?” Alrik’s tone, which mixed humility with a bit of humor, convinced me to sit. I filled him in on Jia’s memories. When I mentioned the guidebook for the second time, he interrupted me.

  “What is this guidebook? Do you know?”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head in frustration. “She didn’t find anything in the memory. It seemed like an actual object, though, that was in her possession before the cave-in.”

  “I searched through the guest house after Jia hit you on the head. I didn’t find anything suspicious or anything that looked like a guidebook.”

  I smirked. “No ‘Guide on How to be A Crazy Unpredictable Pain in the Ass?’”

  Alrik laughed. “No, but I found that book on your bookshelf.” I laughed along with him since I, unintentionally, had completely set him up for that comeback. Alrik continued. “Hopefully, the Yin/Yang couple will know what it’s about tomorrow. You look like you are about to turn into a zombie. Why don’t you go to bed? There’s nothing we can do until tomorrow.”

  I didn’t argue.

  ***

  School dragged by the next day. I kept messing up student names, which was a clear indication that I wasn’t in good form. Another sign was the bizarre case of the giggles I got during a discussion about taxonomy. That was probably the first time in the history of teaching where the classification of bacteria was a source of ten minutes of hilarity. Luckily, it was contagious and the whole class was laughing by the end—although nobody was exactly sure why. After an eternity, the last class ended and I shut down my laptop. It was time to meet with Jia’s tribe mates. Elin had picked them up at the airport, and we were meeting at my house. It was going to be a tight squeeze, but Elin’s house was too far away to be useful if we could take immediate action to find Jia.

  I arrived home to find Alrik and David sitting outside on the patio. The tension could be cut with a knife, but they were managing a polite conversation about international policy concerning cyber terrorism. I said a brief hello and went inside to make coffee and lemonade. I didn’t want to insult the Chinese right away with the version of tea that I drink. Elin’s car pulled into the driveway. Help, hopefully, had arrived.

  Elin introduced Wen Yu and Meng Yu. They were substantially older than Jia and Qiang. Meng still had dark black hair, but Wen had streaks of grey throughout her hair, which was pulled back into a tight bun. They were both short, on
ly reaching my eye level. Most striking however, was the dynamic change in the atmosphere when they arrived. Immediately, the tension between David and Alrik dissipated. My shoulders dropped, even though I hadn’t even realized I had them tensed in the first place. I wouldn’t have described the feelings that the Chinese couple had brought as sedating, because that would imply a lack of concern. Instead, the vibe that they brought with them was a sense of serenity. I looked around at David, Alrik, and Elin; each one had a look of calm resolution about them. The problems we faced could be overcome. There was a good answer, and it would be okay. We could use all of our collective talents and powers and bring Jia in to safety. All of our little foibles were nothing compared to our strengths.

  I smiled and gave a small bow while holding out my hand, trying to cover all cultural bases at the same time. Wen gently took my hand and returned the bow. Her English was not as good as Jia’s, but she thanked me for my hospitality and work so far. I had previously thought that the Sun/Moon supernaturals had gotten the short end of the supernatural power stick, but I now realized how wrong I was. I may be able to fly, David may be able to turn into a werewolf, but those physical talents could only get you so far. The mere presence of this Yin/Yang couple was allowing us to overcome our petty differences and be better people. Yes, my mother was right to court this supernatural tribe in an effort to get them to join the USN.

  Alrik arranged three chairs to allow Elin, Meng, and Wen to join us on the patio. We all sat down, and Meng asked us to start at the beginning and tell Jia and Qiang’s story. The rest of us looked at each other, debating who should start. Since I was the first to meet them, I began. Meng and Wen nodded politely as I spoke. They never touched each other, but it was clear they were communicating back and forth. It was a subtle communication; I don’t think it was with anything as concrete as words, perhaps not even emotion, just a knowing. I had seen similar connections between long-married couples, but never to this level. When I got to the cave-in at the ranch and Qiang’s death, Wen closed her eyes and sat back in her seat. Meng put his hand over his wife and partner’s hand and soothingly said something in Mandarin to her. She replied softly, then flipped her hand up and interlocked her fingers with his. They stayed that way for a moment, silently mourning the passing of one of their tribe. At last Wen opened her eyes and quietly asked our forgiveness for the interruption.

  “Pairs in our tribe do not die young. It is a gift from our talents. And one never dies without the other. To live alone is to live after being ripped in half.” She paused and shot Meng a look of dismay.

  Meng nodded and said, “But let us talk of that after you are done updating us on Jia.” He inclined his head toward me in an invitation to continue the story.

  I continued with our efforts to find her that day and the adventure with the hiker, the meth trip, my encounter at the ranch, and then at last the burning of the church. The couple allowed me to finish without interruption. When I finished, Meng asked if he and his wife could discuss this in their native language for a moment, since they felt their English skills were lacking. Of course, the rest of the table quickly agreed. I doubt I would have even thought of asking that question if I were in their shoes and reminded myself to be polite more. Meng and Wen talked for about five minutes, but again, I had the sense that the words we were hearing were only the surface of their communication. I was inspired by the power of their contact. How many of our human arguments are because of a breakdown in the communication process? Here was an example of two people who understand each other. I wondered how life was different around them. Did they ever fight? Did they have difference of opinions? What level could humans rise to if they truly listened to each other?

  Meng and Wen seemed to reach an agreement and turned to the rest of us. Wen said, “We apologize for Jia’s behavior. This is the first time anything like this has happened. We want to find Jia, both for her own safety and the safety of the town. Do you have any idea where she might be staying?”

  Alrik answered, “No, but she has a car. My guess is that she is living out of the car and changing locations.”

  Meng nodded. “Do you know about this guidebook she is talking about?”

  Again, Alrik answered. “No. I have searched the house where she is staying and did not find anything that remotely looked like a guidebook. I was hoping that you had a suggestion about what it was.”

  Wen shook her head. “This is not a book from our culture which she refers to. Jia is a university professor. She deals with many books. Perhaps the guidebook is something from her studies.”

  “She studies European medieval literature, right?” David asked.

  “Yes. But this is an area we are not familiar with. If it is one of these books, I would not know,” Meng said with regret.

  “Is there some sort of medieval guide to losing a spouse?” Elin asked.

  David answered, “From the energy trail that I am picking up, Jia is experiencing a darkness that isn’t only depression. The darkness that she leaves in her path is getting thicker and thicker. I’m guessing that it isn’t a guide to losing a spouse. I’m guessing that she is looking for a guide to that darkness. Maybe even to evil.”

  There was silence around the table.

  David continued, but he looked uncomfortable, shifting in his seat as if he didn’t believe what he was about to say. “There is one book that I can think of that fits the description of a medieval guidebook to evil. That would be Dante’s Inferno.”

  “Dante’s Inferno?” I asked and leaned forward in surprise. “Where Dante goes down to Hell and visits the different layers, each layer being a deeper and deeper layer of Hell, for worse and worse sins?”

  “Oh yeah. I read that in high school,” Elin said. “Dante isn’t a resident of Hell, he visits it and goes on a tour with someone. Julius Caesar or someone from the ancient world.”

  “Virgil,” David absentmindedly corrected her. “After last night’s vision of Jia, I was struck by the chain of events after the cave-in and Jia’s reference to Freya being a guide. It seems as if Jia thinks she is not quite alive and is, in fact, on a downward spiral. This description reminded me of the Inferno, which fits with Jia’s area of study. And in fact, part of the conference in Oregon she attended was on Dante’s Divine Comedy. The Divine Comedy is made up of three parts: the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paridisio.”

  “Why couldn’t she have fixated on Paridisio? It would have made our lives so much more pleasant,” I said under my breath.

  Even though I asked the question rhetorically, Wen answered. “Perhaps because she believes that she wasn’t supposed to live after Qiang died.”

  I replied, thinking of the vision, “Or because she was only left with evil when she died. During the vision last night, Jia was completely overwhelmed by negative thoughts and emotions. She said that she had to force Qiang to hold back the cave-in to save Miguel, pushing altruism on him. Could she have lost that altruism when Qiang died?”

  Meng and Wen stared at me for a second and then tilted their heads toward each other. The soft whispers of Mandarin floated across the table. When they finished, Meng filled us in. “Part of the curse of being part of our tribe is to know not only the light part of the human soul, but to know the dark parts as well. Just as there can be great wisdom and love in our spirit, there can be great fear and hate. We do not know if a person of our tribe can be left with only half the human capabilities, but perhaps it is possible. If this is the case with Jia, my wife and I are very concerned.”

  David pulled out some papers from a small folder I hadn’t noticed before. He handed a page to each of us. The paper was titled “Dante’s Inferno—The Levels of Hell.”

  “I listed out the levels of Hell according to Dante. If I am right, and Jia is following the Inferno as a guide to evil, she would be progressing through these levels. I have some thoughts on some connections between her actions and the levels of Hell, but I’ll let you look them over first and see if you see any links
.”

  I scanned the list and immediately saw what connections David was talking about. Lust—the second circle of Hell, perhaps the hiker? Gluttony—the third circle, the meth trip? My stomach dropped to my feet. Greed—the fourth circle, stealing the money and car? Oh no. This was fitting too well. I didn’t want to read any further, but I forced myself. Anger, heresy, violence, fraud, treachery. Oh, heaven help us. Was this what Jia was doing? Where was she on this fantastical to-do list of evils?

  Alrik gently, but in a way that spoke of great emotion, put his paper on the patio table. “It fits,” he said through clenched teeth. “I see the book reflecting her actions. Or should I say she is fitting her actions to reflect the book. Which level do you think she is currently on?” he asked David.

  “I don’t know if we can split the church into one or two levels. Before burning down the building, she defiled a Bible from the altar. That act itself could be heresy and the fire could be violence, or the whole act together could be heresy alone.”

  “So we are looking at either another act of violence or an act of fraud. And I’m assuming that she will try to include Freya in this, since she has fixated on her,” Alrik said.

  “Right.”

  Meng spoke out in a firm voice. “No, this will not happen. We must bring her in before any more damage is done. Perhaps we can plan together the best way to find Jia.”

  “Agreed,” said Alrik. “From what I understand, there are usual spots around San Luis where people park cars and sleep overnight. It’s not legal, but the officials overlook it if the travelers behave. I suggest we come up with a list of these sites, split up, and explore them. We can also ask any transients we see if they have seen Jia or her car.”