Rain Dance (Sunshine & Scythes Book 1)

by D. N. Erikson

  Flurried swirled in the air. My sneakers slipped a little on the rough terrain. Patches of ice fought the moss for control of the abandoned road. We’d traveled about a mile from the sedan, and the trees were now turning into sparse, spindly versions of themselves. I could ahead, where they stopped completely, the road disappeared, and the landscape was blanketed by snow.

  The little hairs on my arms raised as I shivered. The blue sky framing Mount Danube was slowing ceding to a gray, foggy mess that meant only one thing: a storm was coming.

  “Lucille,” I shouted, my voice swallowed by a howling wind. “Where are you?”

  The wind only roared louder in response. My shoes crunched down on the soft, fresh snow. Multiple sets of additional footprints—and blood—graced the perfect white landscape. Across the blank, snowy expanse, tucked behind a craggy rock outcropping at the mountain’s base was a thin tendril of smoke snaking into the sky. The blood trail and footprints headed that way.

  I circled over to Kai. Frost crystals clung to his long hair and eyelashes. He barely acknowledged my presence. He’d seen the smoke on the horizon, and was marching forward with single-minded determination.

  “You sure we shouldn’t wait for backup?” I rubbed feeling into my numb arms. The temperature had dropped from a pleasant tropical balm to a freezing winter in a manner of minutes. I suspected Lucille had a little to do with that—normally, the base of the mountain was a little chilly, but not covered in frost. That meant Moreland had come out here after the goddess had already arrived.

  “No time,” Kai said, moving ahead with longer strides. I hurried to keep pace in the now ankle-deep snow.

  “We’re walking into a trap,” I said, screaming to be heard over the storm. “Lucille is already here.”

  “Then we’ll deal with her, too.”

  “I don’t think you understand.” We weren’t far from the smoke, now. Ahead, there was a clump of disturbed snow—like someone had been tackled and pressed into the powder. It was heavily bloodied, mixed with dirt. “Look.”

  Kai paused and looked, but not at the powder. At me. I felt his chilly gaze trace over my face. “I’m okay, Eden. You don’t have to worry.”

  “Bullshit.” I knew a lie when I saw one. “You need to pull it together.”

  Kai swept the ice from his hair. “Perhaps I’ve found that your way is best.”

  “A whole lot of good that’s done me.” But he was already walking past the muddied snow, intent on ignoring any warning signs that got in the way of his objective. I wondered if this sort of darkness was a permanent state, or simply a temporary reaction to the undoubtedly jarring experience of having a piece of one’s soul removed.

  Kai made his way around the craggy rock first. The mountain loomed so tall above that, with the swirling gray storm, it was now impossible to see the peak. I didn’t know what to expect as trudged toward the smoke. But I heard Kai say damn, which didn’t fill me with confidence.

  I found a small one story log cabin puffing smoke. It was tucked in between two rocky formations just out from the mountain’s base, which surrounded it like two bookends. There was a body out front—torn to bits, missing both arms. Kai was already heading for the open cabin.

  I paused next to Moreland, whose dead black eyes were now really dead. The gunshot wound had soaked his business casual shirt through with blood, but that wasn’t what had killed him. From the blood spattering spread across the snow, it was the involuntary removal of his arms that had been the finishing blow. The warlock looked mean and angry, even in death. Resisting the urge to kick the corpse, I instead flicked out the Reaper’s Switch and took his soul.

  It was gross and gelatinous, almost like raw sewage. I caught the whiff of desolation and ash that I’d had to endure for four years. But, riding on the whipping wind, I caught something else, too: a darker soul, if that was possible, soaked in bourbon.

  Lucille was here.

  I heard a mighty groan come from the cabin—deep, and filled with pain. My pulse churned as I slid the soul into my pocket and headed for the wooden door. It thumped against the frame as the wind picked up. Teeth chattering, I entered the small structure.

  Lucille sat in a hand crafted chair in the corner on the right side, by a roaring fire. There was a matching wooden table—barely large enough to seat two people—in the room’s center. Otherwise, it was entirely empty, save a glass cabinet that took up the entirety of the opposite wall. It was filled, floor-to-ceiling, with neatly organize souls in small, clear plastic boxes. One of Lucille’s DSA bureaucrats—this one not a demon, but a wolf—restrained Kai next to the cabinets. It didn’t look necessary. He was frozen in place, just as Dante had been in the Boundless Jungle.

  “Shut the door, would you Eden?” I caught a better glimpse of her face. There was a pink scar on her cheek about the size of a casino chip where the magical coin had ignited her face. I couldn’t tell if she was any worse for where from taking a round to the torso, since she wasn’t naked, instead wearing the plain work clothes of an office drone. The straw-colored braid hung down in her lap, touching a pair of dark slacks that would look at home in any department store.

  I was about to oblige her request when it shut on its own with a mighty thud. When I glanced back at Lucille, she wore a mirthless smile. She didn’t need me to close the door. Hopefully she needed me for something, otherwise I’d be dead.

  “Sit down, would you?” Lucille gestured at the other chair next to the center table. I did as I was told, sitting at the table, watching her sit alone next to the fire, like a queen on a throne. Silence settled over the cabin. With the storm whipping outside and the fire crackling, it would have been relaxing had there not been a vengeful goddess glaring at me.

  I drummed my fingers on the table and said, “Well, this is an unpleasant surprise.”

  “For one of us.” She reached down and threw a log on the fire, sending a shower of sparking embers up the chimney. “I must really thank you, Eden.”

  “Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing,” I said.

  “The Department of Supernatural Affairs had been looking for this alchemist for some time. Always starting new businesses, never to be found when we closed in to punish him.” Lucile crossed her leg and clasped her hands together. “The gods and goddesses in the Elysian Fields were beginning to get quite concerned.”

  “You’re still in contact?”

  “Only when they don’t like what I’m doing, it seems.” Lucille waved her plain hand, as if that was normally not an issue. “But you solved my little problem.”

  “Don’t really see how I’m involved.”

  “After you…caught me off guard in the forest, I had men sent to your house with orders to follow you. I wanted to see if you would lead me to your little stash of troublesome coins. Instead, you led us to Moreland.” Lucille spread her arms out wide, gesturing at the cabin. “And he led us to the heart of his operation.”

  “He’s not an alchemist,” I said, probing whether she knew about the mayor.

  “No matter. He was the bankroll and the mastermind. Without that, I’m afraid, the rest of that snake will die.” Lucille stood sharply, and a I startled. The goddess glided over on her sensible shoes and leaned against my table. “And now, the question is, what to do with this snake?”

  She snapped her fingers at her henchman. The werewolf came over and removed a familiar piece of parchment from his back pocket. I glanced back at Kai. I could see in his eyes that he was awake and desperately trying to move. Guess his magic had been powerful enough to get the drop on Moreland, but had little to offer against a goddess’s powers. That didn’t bode well for my survival chances.

  Lucille unraveled the ancient document, gauging my reaction. I didn’t really have one, other than surprise. Latin writing in a neat, cursive hand graced the parchment, but symbols glowed beneath the text.

  “It’s a glyph-cipher,” Lucille said, by way of explanation. “A favorite of treasure hunters for centuries.”

/>   I recalled Dante mentioning that he and his crew had broken such a cipher—paid almost thirteen million of Aldric’s gold for the service, in fact—just to find Drake’s treasure hoard. But it dawned on me, staring at this magically encrypted treasure map, that breaking the first map’s code had been just the beginning. It had been buried with a hint of the powerful treasure that awaited those who continued the search.

  “Have you shown this to Dante?”

  “That man proves as slippery as ever, little Reaper.” Lucille tapped on the document. “I was hoping you might help me find him.”

  I breathed a little easier. Dante wasn’t dead—hopefully. Magnus’s wide broadcast on the radio had drawn too much attention to the area, causing Lucille’s minions to retreat. It wasn’t a matter of power. She could have killed all the treasure seekers easily. Rather, it was a matter of exposure—because even goddesses had to answer to someone. And, in this case, it was the pantheon of other deities who had banished her to Earth. Poke that bear too hard, and she could find herself in an even more ignominious position. Or dead.

  I smiled, and she slammed her fist upon the table. “Need I remind you of your transgressions? You have killed, and you have wielded weapons. Your sister’s life hangs by the faintest of cosmic threads.”

  My smile immediately faded and my voice turned into a low growl. “You don’t touch her.”

  “That depends on what you say next.” Lucille picked up the parchment by its edge. “Give me what I want, and perhaps there will be mercy.”

  “I’m not giving you shit.”

  Lucille nodded over my shoulder. I snapped my neck around just in time to see Kai briefly unfreeze, and the werewolf punch him in the gut. The FBI agent wheezed and fell to the floor before being frozen in mid-exhale once more.

  “That is what we call leverage, Eden.” Lucille waved the map in front of my nose like a dog owner would a treat before its canine companion. Annoyance crawled over my skin like fire ants, but I had to admit—however begrudgingly—that she held all the cards.

  “What can I possibly give a goddess,” I said, looking up her with all the deference I could muster. Hopefully the act would work.

  Lucille took the bait. Flattery is hard to deflect, even for a powerful being. “Two small favors.”

  “And you’ll let my sister live?”

  “We shall see, should you behave yourself.”

  “Anything,” I said, putting breathy desperation into my tone. “But the agent lives, too.”

  Lucille rolled up the parchment in her hands, like she was considering my offer. It was all a ruse. She’d already decided that I was the only ticket to what she sought. This was just to make sure the balance of power stayed in her court.

  I added to the illusion by sinking into the seat, shoulders slumped, with a worried wince on my face.

  Finally, Lucille said, “I suppose that is something we can discuss.”

  I broke into a huge smile and said, “Thank you,” as my thoughts screamed, I’m gonna get you, bitch. But Kai was right—maybe we needed to become more of our old selves. I hadn’t died because I had lied. I’d died because I’d trusted Roan.

  Not the kind of moral you told your children at bed time, but such were the ways of my world. Trust was merely an illusion, the sort of thing that disappeared when the price tag was high enough or circumstances became convenient.

  Thinking the world is just, and there’s gods and people looking out for your best interests, well, that’s what gets you killed.

  “It’s really nothing,” Lucille said, trying to keep from beaming. No one had worshipped her like this in years. It must’ve been a pain in the ass being a goddess on Earth, but having to keep it secret to keep the peace. Quite frankly, it was incredible that someone with her ego had managed to do so. No doubt her powerful friends in the Elysian Fields had driven home the importance of keeping a low profile.

  “What should I do?”

  The fire went out, and a biting cold seeped into the room. A little bit of theatrics before the big reveal.

  “The piece of me you took,” Lucille said. “And the treasure hunter in my grasp.”

  I resisted the urge to smile. Instead, I said, “That can be arranged.”

  Yes, it could.

  Hell, if I was lucky, I might get rid of every noose on my neck by the end of the night.

  “Then put your little pen knife on the table,” Lucille said, watching me like a lioness as I removed the Reaper’s Switch from my jeans. “And let’s get started.”

  Oh, yes, Lucille, I thought. Let’s finish this for good.

  33

  If I’d been expecting a goddess to ride around on dragons, or teleport at will, I was disappointed. Either Lucille’s powers had more limits than I’d thought, or she was playing things close to the vest. But me and a temporarily mobile Kai were ushered into a disappointingly bland minivan. We enjoyed the entire backseat to ourselves, while Lucille took the front and her werewolf associate drove.

  The automobile rumbled around the dirt, branches and flowers scraping against the paint as we bounced on to the main road. It’d been tucked away in the jungle, hidden from prying eyes, which was we’d missed it on the drive over. We’d passed the sedan with the busted-up axle on the way.

  It was full-on night, now, and I had plenty to think about as the car headed southeast, to the banyan tree where I’d stashed the soul shard. I had little confidence in Lucille upholding her end of our tenuous bargain.

  “You okay?” I kept my voice low as I addressed Kai. On the outside he didn’t look much worse for wear, but his reaction was sluggish, like he’d been drugged.

  He blinked twice and said, “Not so good, Eden.”

  “Any idea what she’s doing?”

  “Temporal vortex,” Kai said, the words slow and enunciated almost syllable-by-syllable. “Manipulating time and space on a very small, specific scale.”

  Luckily her powers had limits. I assumed that was why the stoppage effect was more of an exaggerated pause, where the victim’s eyes could still move and certain limbs would continue moving through space—albeit at a glacial pace. That, and they didn’t work on me. Whatever allowed me to be a Reaper also provided me with immunity from such tricks.

  Still, that was powerful magic. Not that I needed further confirmation regarding her power. She’d brought my sister back to life, after all. The absurdity of it all—and how it was about to end—made me laugh.

  Both Kai and Lucille gave me odd glances, but only the goddess spoke. “I see little humor in your situation, Eden.”

  “Then at least we share that,” I said, amid halting bursts of laughter. Even Lucille’s furrowed stare couldn’t get me to stop. Nope—everything was just too chaotic and random. Rip off the rich, get dead. Keep a low profile on the beach, get framed. Follow protocol, get kidnapped. Never give up, get fucked again.

  I’d have wallowed in it, but it was like the universe had been sending me a message all this time, and I just hadn’t been listening. And now, as the scales seemingly tipped back in my favor—with the car heading for a crash course with Aldric at the banyan tree—I was just wondering how I was going to come up with the short straw again.

  Lucille threw up her hands and turned around. Well, at least I had one hidden talent: I was inscrutable to the goddess of rain herself. That had to count for something.

  I finally collected myself, regaining a small shred of the confidence I’d felt in the cabin. She was going exactly where I needed her to. In the meantime, I just needed to keep it together.

  I rested my chin on the plastic sill and stared at the passing scenery. On the way, we passed a nondescript sedan that looked government issue. Rayna must’ve come out to backup her actual partner. The sedan braked, behind us, clearly not expecting to see another car out here. Our werewolf driver accelerated, though, and the sedan was out of sight before it could pick up our tail.

  The rest of the ride was uneventful and as tranquil as a girl coul
d expect for a trip to the gallows. Finally, after miles of jungle and backcountry roads, we ran out of room to continue forward. We’d arrived, and my heart thumped in anticipation like I was about to go on stage for the biggest performance of my life. Too bad I didn’t have anything to offer that would sway this particular crowd from voting me off the island.

  I glanced out the front windshield and saw a half dozen black SUVs belonging to Aldric. They were empty. Beyond that, I caught a glimpse of the edge of Dale’s Rum Hut. It looked closed for the night—or due to inclement weather. Thunder cracked as I stepped outside.

  “In case you forgot, little Reaper.” Lucille eyed the phalanx of SUVs with suspicion.

  “Dale makes a killer tequila shot,” I said.

  She wasn’t buying that explanation, and neither was her werewolf associate. He racked Kai’s Glock, and his eyes began to glow red at the edges. Too bad Aldric couldn’t have parked in the bushes. It was a cold day in hell when I was rooting for the vampire to come out ahead in this whole situation. But his wrath seemed preferable to whatever torture Lucille had no doubt planned for me. She wasn’t the forgive and forget type who bestowed mercy on those who burned holes in her face.

  Kai and I led the way across the tranquil beach. The Rum Hat sat still, the radio dormant on top of the bar. What I wouldn’t do for a stiff drink. Up the beach, about a mile, I could see high powered lanterns—the kind you saw at construction sites—and torches.

  “Jesus, the hole’s not that deep,” I said. But Aldric knew my history, and he’d assumed I had some trick up my sleeve. Unfortunately, he’d overestimated me, which, in a cruel twist of irony, was making his survival more unlikely.

  And mine. Lucille yanked my arm sharply, spinning me around. “What is your game?” Despite her unthreatening frame, her grip felt like it was about to crush my arm.

  “Nothing.”

  “No more lies.” She squeezed tighter, and I buckled to the sand in pain.