The Curse of Oberon (The Inglewood Chronicles Book 3)

by Croston, Jeremy

  The Warg roared out loudly over the more passive curse, demanding the death of the one who hit us. There was no decision to be made, I was much obliged to give in to the Warg.

  As I shifted into the deadly devil dog, Oberon’s curse faded into the background. Before it disappeared, it flashed grey. “So it is done.”

  Ignoring the one who took so much away from me, I snapped my jaws and howled to the sky, ready to attack my target. Jonathan didn’t know what to do but run.

  I gave chase, across the beach and towards the cliffs that surrounded us. Like a blocked off canyon, he had no escape, but that didn’t stop him from trying. He was fast, but soon he’d have nowhere to go and would have to fight like a man.

  What I didn’t count on was him jumping up on the rocks and using his nails to try and dig in. Hell, it worked too. The weasel was able to start climbing up towards the plateau above. I needed to do something; letting him escape wasn’t an option.

  The Warg urged me to use my own claws and start climbing. They provided sufficient grip to carry the large mass of my body and the chase continued. Being able to take longer strides, I was making up the distance between the two of us rapidly. Just as he reached the top, so did I.

  A swipe of my paw knocked him to the side. Blood leaked from the gashes my claws had ripped into him. It felt good to be the one inspiring fear in him, after everything he’d done to me and Liz.

  On his back, “Please have mercy on me!” I was in no condition to answer, the Warg’s energy filling me with feral contempt. Still pleading, “Please, I cannot help you if I am dead. I have information that you need!”

  I’d heard this a million times from criminals. This was just a tactic to lessen the repercussions of their actions. Sorry Johnny boy, there would be no deals today. Standing over him, I brought my claws down quickly and with precision. A swift death wasn’t what he deserved, but I wasn’t the kind of guy to toy with someone like that. In victory, I stood over my fallen opponent and howled to the sky.

  It wasn’t over yet. The Warg demanded his payment and so I had no choice but to give it to him.

  ****

  When I made it back to the base, Liz was standing there in a state of shock. Lying beside her was Bernard, beaten up pretty badly, but alive. There was no sign of Isa.

  The little vampire girl barreled into me, hugging me so tightly that I couldn’t breathe. “Words do not even register! I do not know how you are here before me, but you are!”

  Thankfully she let go, giving me a chance to breathe before responding. “A lot’s happened and hell, I don’t understand three quarters of it, but here I am.”

  She touched my face, the starches still there from Jonathan’s only attack to hit me. “Was that truly you who transformed into the beast?”

  “Your brother didn’t kill me, but he added to my list of problems. The sword he stabbed me with carried a dark curse, the Warg to be exact. I’m able to transform into him, for a price.”

  Even as she touched me, I saw a look of fear in her eyes. “Maybe Rosette can lift that curse from you.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her this one was probably permanent. A groan from Bernard broke up the question and answer session. When he looked up at me, “Shit, we’re all dead aren’t we?”

  “No you big dummy, we’re all alive.”

  By the time he got back to his feet, he was actually sobbing like a fool that his little brother was still alive. “I can’t believe it!” That seemed to be the general reaction. “Bro, mom and dad are going to be thrilled!”

  “They know by now, because I called Michael. I tried calling you idiots first, but your phones weren’t working.”

  Liz told me about their adventures in Ireland, something called a Dullahan almost killed them. I guess a witch named Anita friend their phones when she died and Bernard didn’t think it was a good idea to get new ones. “I was right too, wasn’t I Liz? That Anders turned out to be another spy.”

  I didn’t know who Anders was, but there was one vampire missing. “A friend of mine came here with me, another vampire Jonathan marooned on Neverland. She went into the tower to save you, where is she?”

  Bernard looked back up. “Someone saved me, that I know of, but I think they went back in. Last I saw, the witch inside caused a raging inferno. Sorry man, I don’t think she survived.”

  Liz looked like she wanted to question me as to who this mystery girl was, but I’d just lost another friend and she let it go. I was tired of all of this – the fighting and the losing people. “Guys, let’s go home.”

  Chapter 35

  I woke up in a cold sweat. It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t on Neverland, that I was safe at home in Full Moon. I heard Michael’s snoring over in the guest bedroom, which helped validate that. I’d been back for two weeks and still nothing felt right. I didn’t know if it was the fact I’d been away so long or what, but nothing seemed to jive.

  Liz had stayed for the first few days before needing to go back to Phoenix. She asked me if I wanted to go too, but I just wasn’t ready to get back into the field. I think she understood, but something still bothered me when she looked at me. I almost got the feeling she thought I was damaged.

  Michael brought a sense of normalcy to life. Most days the two of us sat on the back deck talking, waiting for one member of the family to visit or another. Every day was like a parade of Inglewoods coming or going from the house. My mom wouldn’t stay away, almost to the point where I thought she was going to move in. My dad kept her in line for me.

  I looked at my clock, it was only two-thirty in the morning. Knowing sleep wasn’t coming back to me, I put on some clothes and left the house for a walk. In a town full of werewolves, this wasn’t exactly odd behavior.

  My walk ended up taking me to the graveyard where Talia and Billy were. God I missed my old team. Part of me was glad they weren’t around to see the shit show the world had become, but the part wished they were here. Between the three of us, we would’ve figured this all out.

  I stopped at Talia’s and paid my respects. She was a damn good detective and only taken away from us because of that lunatic Warren Tucker.

  From her final resting spot to Billy’s, this one was harder for me. “Hey man, I hope you’re all good up there.” It hadn’t been a breezy night, but a little wind kicked up. Maybe that was a sign from him. “I get the feeling you were watching out for me while I was away. I appreciate that.”

  I slumped down on to the grass beside the headstone. I don’t think he’d mind if I used it as an armrest. “There’s a lot of weird stuff happening. I sure could use you and Talia right about now. Bet the two of you are having a good old laugh at your old sheriff’s problems.”

  “Victor, what are you doing out here?”

  I’d really gotten lax in my surroundings if someone could sneak up on me like that. Except, this person had the skills to do it. Isa emerged from the shadows. “Holy hell, I thought you were dead.”

  “I guess you’re not the only one who can escape death.”

  I felt awful admitting it, but it was a good feeling the way she looked at me. There was no pity, or thinking I was broken. There was just happiness and affection. “Bernard said that everything was on fire. How did you manage to get out of that?”

  She joined me beside Billy’s grave. Wearing jeans and a sweater, she looked a lot different than she did on the island. Probably being able to wash helped with that too. “The witch was using magic she couldn’t control. I went back in to save the Japanese vampire, but it was too late. Fire consumed everything.” I got the impression this wasn’t a pleasant story to relive. “There was a crawl space towards the front I was able to slide into. I guess fortune favored me that day.”

  “Well I’m glad you’re alive and Bernard will be too. He felt awful you died saving his life.”

  “Unfortunately I’m not staying in town for very long. I just wanted to reach out to you and let you know I’m still here.”

&nbs
p; That made me sad she was leaving already. “Will I see you again?”

  She stood back up and winked at me. “Of course you will. When I come back, should I come to Full Moon or someplace else?”

  I hadn’t told anyone this yet, but it’d be nice for someone to know my plans. “I bought an old diner out in the desert, dirt cheap. I’m going to fix it up and reopen it I think. Next time you’re around, look up Howl at the Moon.”

  She looked at me one last time, even smiling at the fact I was still wearing the Gem of Babylon around my neck. “I certainly will Mr. Inglewood.” And just as quickly as she came, she left back into the night.

  **Liz**

  To see how few of us were in attendance on this call showed just how much we lost. The Swertfegers, Gregory, Cristof, and myself made up the new council. Cristof did not even make pleasantries, he went straight to business. “Elizabeth, how is Victor doing?”

  “Honestly, I do not know. This situation with the Warg is more concerning than I anticipated.”

  “If he killed Jonathan as quickly and easily as your reports state, this could complicate things.” Cristof liked Vic very much, so I could see the stress this situation caused him. “We have good relations with him, but we also have to be smart about the risks of the creature inside him.”

  Chris Swertfeger chimed in. “If the werewolf is a danger to us, we only have one choice.”

  Rosette was behind me, unable to keep her silence. “We aren’t goin’ to kill Victor!”

  I turned around and gave her a look that I hoped conveyed the message of shut up. Turning back, “What my inspector is trying to say is we are not ready to give up on reversing the curse. This was inflicted by Jonathan and my brother’s legacy will not take another.”

  Cristof seemed to respect my decision. “Does he still carry the Gem of Babylon with him?”

  “Yes, it is around his neck. With the Cain situation finished, I made a decision to leave it with him. Only we know of its location.”

  “I think that is a good place for it.”

  “I agree with you Gregory. For now, we leave it with Mr. Inglewood until alternatives are arranged.” Cristof shuffled his papers and brought up the next topic. “We are weak right now; the losses of Roderick, Kai, and Lemoyne hurt. Worse was Anders betrayal. We need viable candidates to take up seats on this council. I urge each of you to submit names of people you think would make qualified leaders.”

  The first name that popped into my head was Phil Ruud. On second thought, I did not think he would really want to serve on the council. Still…

  “And our final order of business is a request from a pack of Silver werewolves in Ukraine. They do not know who else to turn to so their Alpha reached out to me.”

  “European werewolves reaching out to the vampire council? This is a very odd request.” Gregory made a good point. Even in America, wolves rarely turned to vampires unless the situation was dire.

  Cristof went on. “Their request is simple, a pack of wolves near the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant is beginning to act out of control. They wish for someone to investigate this. Be warned, whoever takes this assignment, these wolves are quite different…”

  Epilogue

  **Two Months Later**

  The place was coming along nicely. I figured another month or so and the Howl at the Moon would become the favorite spot for lost travelers to grab a bite at. Since I took ownership, everyday five or six cars pulled in looking for directions. I could already hear the register making money.

  It was a Tuesday, so Bernard and dad weren’t able to come out and help. Something about real jobs they claimed. I got the impression they weren’t about all the hard work I’d been giving them. You could count on one thing though; they’d be lining up for free meals as soon as I was open.

  The sun was starting to wear on me. Even in just a tank top and cargo shorts, the unrelenting desert heat took it out of a man. Funny, making it a bit more tolerable was the cool energy from the pale blue stone around my neck. I half wondered if anyone even cared I still had the gem.

  I was hammering the last nail into the new exterior paneling when another car came rolling in. This was a fancy one, possibly a Porsche by first glance. I jumped down from the scaffold and walked over to greet my newest lost soul.

  Then I stopped dead in my tracks. Dressed to kill in a skirt and blouse, there was something oddly familiar about this visitor. She was wearing a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses. It was only when she took off the eyewear did I realize who this was. “Isa?”

  She smiled at me and walked over. I’d never seen her like this, wearing fancy clothes and all. “This is one hard place to find. Are you sure your customers will be able to?”

  “People won’t be looking for my place, my place will find them.”

  “I’m not used to this desert heat. Mind if we go inside to talk?”

  A little overeagerly, I opened the doors to my new place and we came in. I got the a/c working last week which was nice. I’m sure Isa appreciated it. “Pardon my gawking, but you look at hot as the heat outside.”

  She smiled and brushed her hand against my exposed shoulder. “I’d rather be back in jeans, but sometimes business calls for these things.”

  “Business? What business do you have here?”

  She sat down at one of the newly built booths. “I’m here on behalf of a group of werewolves who need help.”

  “Werewolves?” This was coming out of left field. “Do I want to know how this came about?”

  “Well if you accept my request, we’ll have plenty of time to catch up.” She pulled a piece of paper out of her purse. “You can read all about it for yourself.”

  The letter, which was very short, begged for help for a pack in Ukraine. They claimed vampires were harassing them, killing them for sport. They begged for someone to come to them and help before it was too late. “Vampires attacking werewolves? This seems quite strange. Why didn’t you take this to Cristof or someone?”

  She put the note back in her purse. “I came to the one person I trusted above all else. Besides are you that trusting of vampires right now?”

  In the two months since I got this place, my faith in my friends had been shaken. Each time Liz came to check up on me, she wanted Rosette to try and lift the Warg from me. Eventually I got frustrated and told her that I wasn’t broken and she needed to stop trying to fix me.

  Then I saw the same scared looked she had when she saw me again at the tower. I walked away, angry that she treated me in such a way and in my own stubborn pride, hadn’t called since. “I guess you can say things haven’t been quite the way they used to be.”

  “That’s why I’m here, because you’re a good man. These wolves need our help.”

  I couldn’t say no to such a request. “I guess I can put off my opening for a little. I mean it’s like you said, it’s not like I have a line of customers already.”

  She smiled and her hand took mine. “There is one last thing you need to know about this job.”

  That’s never good. “I’ve been in some shit. How bad are we looking?”

  “These wolves are a bit shy to strangers and for good reason.” She gave my hand a soft reassuring squeeze. “This pack lives in the fallout zone of Chernobyl. Most of them are a bit scarred, if not worse.”

  You’d have to be from another planet to not know about Chernobyl. “Is it safe for us to go there?”

  “There’s still radiation in the area, but with the right equipment, we’ll be safe.”

  Honestly, I’d like to say that was reassuring but I’d probably be lying. “Well, I need to go home and get some stuff if we’re going on a job.”

  She dangled her keys in front of me. “Why don’t you leave your car here? This rental I have is a lot of fun to drive.”

  Grabbing them from her, “Now this is how to properly start an adventure!”

  **Somewhere in the Irish Sea**

  Clinging to the great stupid lizard, my strength was starting
to fade. I’d been stuck at sea for way too long, with no blood to keep me going. It’d been a miracle I’d survived this long. I didn’t know if I could starve to death, but it was getting to the point where the will to live was leaving.

  I must’ve dozed off because I was awoken to the sounds of men yelling. “I don’t know what he’s stuck to, but the boy’s in trouble!”

  British accents? Had English fishermen found me? I looked over and sure enough a boat was beside the crocodile’s corpse, just meters away from me. Oh, a fresh meal would soon be coming my way.

  One of the fishermen reached down and I took his arm. I was too weak to fight yet, but the warmth the boat provided would change that soon. He brought me into the wheel house and put a blanket around my shoulders. “I won’t ask you many questions, but are you coherent? What’s your name?”

  I nodded, already feeling my temperature rising. Soon I would be able to feed. “My name’s Peter.”

  **To be continued**

  More from Jeremy Croston:

  Ragnarok on Ice Series:

  Power Play: Act 1 Svartalfheim

  Penalty Kill: Act 2 Midgard

  Game Over: Act 3 Yggdrasil

  The Inglewood Chronicles:

  The Cactus Killer (Volume 1)

  The Wrath of Pan (Volume 2)

  The Cascade Snowman – Gregory’s Tale

  The Curse of Oberon – (Volume 3)

  Pacific Station Vigilante:

  The Negative Man: City of Chaos

  The Negative Man: Stormfall (Winter 2016)

  www.amazon.com/author/jeremycroston

  http://ragnarokonice.wordpress.com

  www.facebook.com/ragnarokonicev2

  One Last Thing:

  Thank you for taking the time to read my book. I appreciate your time and effort in doing so. I would love to hear from you and hear feedback about my work. I encourage you to write a review on Amazon to help other readers, as well as me. Again, thank you for being an awesome reader!