The Cardkeeper Chronicles: Books 1-5 (Complete Collection)

by A. C. Nicholls

  “That is… good to hear,” said Dalton, before rolling the scroll back up and placing it inside its bamboo casing. It was then that he froze, his eyebrows twisting up as if a sudden thought had hit him out of the blue. “May I ask, this friend of yours…”

  “Jack,” I offered.

  “Yes, Jack. If he once struck a bargain with Death, and he then went on to follow in your footsteps as a Cardkeeper, would it… Hmm, I wonder…” Dalton looked up at me, his expression contorted and serious. “Would Death aid him in his guardianship?”

  I shifted uneasily in my chair. “I don’t understand.”

  “Well, I mean, if he is unable to die, perhaps he would make a suitable replacement.”

  “Yes, but… I’m sorry, I think you may have misunderstood. Jack is unable to grow old, but even mortal instruments can still end his life. He’s only protected from death by natural causes, such as cancer and old age. If he takes my place–”

  “When he takes your place,” Dalton corrected.

  “Fine, when… he will be granted immortality for thirty years. When that happens, he’ll just be a regular Cardkeeper. It will be as if he’d never made the deal in the first place. The powers of R’hen are no stronger than Death himself. You know that.”

  Dalton lowered his eyes and nodded, biting his lip as he slowly rose from his chair. “Yes, yes, you’re quite right. Ah well, at least he has had more time among your people. Such experience could help him when it comes to protecting that city of ours.”

  “Right,” I said absent-mindedly. All I could think about now was Jack Hannigan, and all those times he had stuck up for me on the school playground. There were years of friendship to cherish whenever I thought of him. I only hoped that he hadn’t changed – that he was still that strong, morally grounded guy that I had always known him to be. After all, only a man like that could excel at a job like this. People tend to forget how much the role demands of you. Only recently I had lost the man that I loved. Jason was a werewolf and a warrior, but mostly just a great man. He died protecting me, Link and Chicago. For that very reason, his loved ones and I would always remember him.

  “Lady Keira.” Dalton’s voice broke my cloud of thought, and I suddenly realized his hand was placed caringly on my shoulder as he leaned over to observe my facial expression. “Is everything all right? Perhaps you could use some water.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, smiling and climbing out of my chair. Memories of the past would have to wait, as I had other things on my plate – bigger things, far greater than me or werewolves or love or death. “Thank you for your help.”

  I fled the room before my wellbeing could be questioned, and explored the kitchen to find Link laid out on the work surface, stuffing his face with bread and sweet cakes. For a faery only five inches tall, he sure could pack it away.

  “You ready to go?” I asked.

  Link snapped to attention, sucking the grease and crumbs off his fingers as he scampered to his feet. “Go? Yeah, yeah, and where exactly is it we’re going?”

  “To a shipping yard.” Yahd, I thought, but didn’t voice it. Even through his mopey moments and short temper, I would certainly miss Dalton when my time was up. Who knew what would happen to me then?

  “Why a shipping yard?”

  “If there’s a slim chance that Jack might be there, it’s imperative that we investigate.”

  Link sighed. “And if there are more monsters, like last time?”

  “Then we fight.” I said it like it was news, scooping him up into my hands and heading for the door. “As ever, we fight, until there is no fight left inside us.” And although I didn’t know it at the time, for the next couple of days the truth of that statement would not cease to haunt me.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Link and I waited for nightfall before heading down the large slope that spewed out onto the expansive eastside port. There were shipping containers and cranes, wire fences and warning signs. The moon shone down on only one side of the yard, keeping the other half hidden behind a veil of darkness. There was only one thing that made me curious about the midnight scene: the lights were on, but nobody was home.

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” said Link, floating a few paces behind me.

  “You and me both. Come on.”

  As we reached the fence that skirted the perimeter of the yard, I checked for an alarm. When I decided it was safe, I used my telekinetic magic to peel back a large sheet of the wire, ripping open a doorway for me to easily pass through. Stepping cautiously inside, I kept a keen eye out for anything suspicious. The very fact that I had been led here was one thing, but the absence of any dockworkers set my heart to pounding.

  “I wonder what’s in these containers,” Link said.

  “It’s not really our business.”

  “But if Jack is inside…”

  I shook my head in response, distracted by the eerie silence of the port. Even if Link would shut up for two seconds, all I would hear was the gentle rolling of waves and the distant passing of cars up on the road behind us. My senses – as strong as they were – would have picked up on any movement. It made me want to turn and head back, giving up on this ridiculous outing.

  Still, the question remained: where was everyone?

  After looking around the entire lit-up side of the yard, I tried the office. It was a small trailer with the lights still on, the security feed still running, and even a cold cup of coffee on the desk. It occurred to me that although the place was empty, it didn’t seem like it was supposed to be. Workers had been here at one point, and from the looks of things, they’d simply gotten up and left without a trace.

  At least the control panel was still up and running. I leaned over the switches, found the one labeled: DOCK C LIGHTS (the only one that was switched off) and flicked it on. A quick glance out of the window told me that the previously dark area now had light restored to it. This, I knew, would make me feel a lot more comfortable exploring it.

  “Keira.” Link landed on my shoulder, slowly slipping back into my hood. “I don’t like this one bit. Where is everyone? Why were the lights off? What ha–”

  “I don’t know, buddy.”

  “But where are the–”

  “I said I don’t know, okay? But we have to find out.”

  Link stayed quiet as I crossed the yard back toward the area that had been dark only minutes before. I rapped lightly on the containers as I walked, noticing that some gave off more hollowed sounds than others. It wasn’t a secret that a gang ran this place, but that wasn’t why I was here. Investigating that would only be a waste of my time, and time wasn’t a luxury I had.

  I stopped at a blockage, where one container lay across the walkway at an angle. It was as if it had been dropped by a crane, and then abandoned at only a moment’s notice. Whatever the reason for its presence, it was in my way.

  “Do you want me to lift you over?” Link asked.

  “Thanks, but I’ve got this.”

  Without thinking, I outstretched my hands and summoned my magic. When ripples of air made pulsating patterns in my palms, I mentally grabbed hold of the container, and with all of my inner strength, I began to shift it. The container moved easily at first, crashing onto the ground and steadying itself. It wasn’t until I had to slide it along the floor that I felt the full pressure of its weight. A warm trickle of blood oozed onto my lip, but I ignored it. The metal screeched along the concrete, and when there was finally enough space to fit between, I released my hold and sagged to my knees.

  “Keira!”

  Although I could see Link bounding off my shoulder and landing right in front of me, I could barely make out the features of his face. My vision blurred and my body felt like a vat of quivering Jell-o. Even worse, my thoughts no longer felt like my own. My feelings–

  “Let me… Let me out…”

  The voice came from nowhere, startling me. Panicked, I shot a look around my shoulders, my vision growing worse. I tried to regulate my brea
thing, taking long, deep draws of air and letting them out slowly. It was then that I understood the origin of the voice.

  It was the soul of the magicard.

  “Are you okay?” Link asked, gazing up into my eyes.

  “I…” Shaking my head, I climbed my feet and tried to focus. As my vision slowly returned and I was finally able to stand, I accepted that I was using too much magic. The soul inside the magicard was starting to take over, which meant that I had to limit its use. I supposed that the bad timing was only a part of the infamous Keira Poe luck.

  “Yes? No?” Link crawled up my leg, this time resting on my shoulder.

  “I’m fine,” I lied. “Let’s keep going.”

  “If you say so…”

  Ignoring that comment, I reached up and held him in place while I ventured deeper into the yard. My eyesight wasn’t perfect, but I could see just enough to know where I was going. The only problem was, I could have sworn I’d seen the quick movement of shadows on my peripheral vision. I would have to stay alert, although difficult in my current condition.

  Eventually we came to the end of the painted walkway, where the dock met the black midnight water below. I could hear the waves sloshing around as they kissed the rocks, and that was when I knew we were finished here. Turning to face the way we’d come in, I blinked open my eyes and gave my attention to Link.

  “There’s nothing here,” I said.

  “No shit. So, what’s next?”

  “Next? I guess we should go back to the Vault and–”

  A sudden crash in the distance made my heart skip a beat. I rubbed at my eyes while desperately trying to check on my surroundings. It wasn’t until I could see that I wished I could go back to being blinded. The enemies stood right before me, blocking my exit. They were nothing but silhouettes in the night.

  “Vampires!” Link screamed, taking flight immediately.

  As fast as I could, I drew a dose of magic into my hand and got ready for a fight. The mage’s soul could slip through at any moment, I realized, but with three bloodsucking bastards standing only meters away, I had no choice but to take my chances.

  No matter the cost.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Before I could so much as make a move, Link soared toward the vampires with his tiny fists clenched, yelling like a battle-hardened veteran with something to prove. If someone so small could be so courageous, I thought, it would only prove cowardly for me not to do the same. So, with that in mind, I blinked the moisture from my eyes and then dashed forward with a great deal of magic charging in my hand.

  There was no pause for consideration, only three confusingly fast silhouettes gliding through the darkness in a bottleneck formed by the containers. I screamed at Link, telling him to move aside as I shot out my arms and grabbed something – anything I could – with my mind. I felt a sudden click as my mental claws dug into something, and before I could see what it was, I yanked it aside to sweep two of my enemies away.

  I opened my eyes wider, fighting against my will to squint as I caught sight of the battleground in front of me. All I could see was one huge container pulled onto its side, with the arms of one vampire protruding from the metal belly. Beside it, the second vampire was already turning to ash, and the wind soon swept it away without so much as a whisper. Shortly, the legs dissolved too, becoming one with the air and vanishing into the darkness.

  Only one remained, and its hand was wrapped around Link as he fought to break free. Nobody treats my friend like that, I said to myself as I charged forward and fired a blast of telekinetic energy at the monster. Link fell to the floor, wheezing and trying to say something, but I couldn’t quite make out his words. I was too busy focusing my efforts on the vampire, drawing a bundle of nearby rocks toward me before shooting them at the vampire like a turret. The creature dashed out of sight, but I kept my hands trained on its general direction, ignoring the voice in the back of my head – the mage.

  “Yes, girl. That’s it. Fire away. Let the magic flood through your veins. Let it seize your blood and make you stronger. No more mercy – they don’t deserve mercy. None of them do. They need only a bitter end and a–”

  “Oh, shut up,” I said, lowering my hands. Now that I was able to see clearly, I turned back to Link and found him sitting on his butt, catching his breath. “You okay?”

  “I’ve survived worse.”

  “Right. Listen…” I slowly moved to his side, sitting on the ground in front of him and crossing my legs, trying to find the best way to phrase this without upsetting him. But the way he looked at me with those sparkling blue eyes made it seem like too much of a risk. Sadly, it needed to be said. “I may not have had the best vision, but when that container struck the vampires, I could have sworn I saw you pull one out of the way.”

  “Damn right, I did.”

  His honesty took me aback. “But why?”

  “I was trying to keep one alive so we could squeeze some information out of him. But now that his pals are dead and he’s done a runner, there’s fat chance of that happening.” Link climbed to his feet, dusting off his knees as he stood. “Never mind, eh?”

  “Sorry.” I felt foolish, but surprised at the same time. Going back to even just one year ago, I never would have thought Link would be courageous and smart. I wasn’t used to this; my faery companion taking control and doing a better job of it than I ever had. If I’d only stopped to ask what he thought, we might have had someone to question by now. After all, I was beginning to doubt that Jack Hannigan would be making an appearance tonight.

  Although it wasn’t a total waste.

  Link’s mouth hung open as he stared in shock at the top of a container stack. I followed his line of sight until I saw two more silhouettes sitting atop the highest point in the yard, watching over the action. They were smaller than vampires – far too short to even be human children. I put the pieces of the puzzle together in my head. It was too public an area to be imps, and troll infants – as much as they loved to climb – seldom came out at night. There was only one thing they could be.

  “Goblins,” said Link, taking flight and heading toward them.

  “Link.” I ran after him, climbing the stack with ease. “Link, come back here.”

  By the time I reached the top, Link sat with them in a triangle, tickling their toes and befriending them like it was nothing. I couldn’t help but smile as I joined them, moving slowly so as not to startle them. Goblins had the minds of children, and although they could be very frustrating to work with (especially in pairs), they could also be a lot of fun.

  I sat cross-legged in front of them, offering a smile to them both.

  “Hello,” I said.

  “Good evening,” said one.

  “Evening good,” said the other, to which they both giggled like kids.

  It felt wrong to head up here with the intention of using the goblins for information, but it had to be done. I watched them fidget nervously; three feet of green, oily skin and enormous wing-like ears. I put them at the ages of ten or younger – any older than that and they would be growing their horns by now, or at the very least, the glowing yellow would have ignited in their eyes. I got the impression that these goblins had yet to learn how to breathe fire, and for that, I was endlessly grateful.

  “What are your names?”

  “I am Plack and he is Plock,” the one closest to me said, and he had barely finished his sentence by the time his companion corrected him.

  “I am Plack and he is Plock.”

  One pushed the other, and the other pushed back, and before I knew it they were laughing and rolling and having a hell of a good time on the top of this filthy metal container.

  “Boys,” I said. “Boys!”

  “I don’t think they care much for your serious tone,” Link told me.

  “Then what do you suggest?”

  “I’m on their level. Let me take care of this.”

  I didn’t have to say anything for Link to step forward and jump on
top of them. Before I knew it, he was wrestling with them both, laughing along with them as they scuffed and poked and giggled together. After an effort of seizing control, Link held them both apart, stood between them with his hands gripped firmly on their shoulders.

  “This is my friend Keira,” he said. “Isn’t she pretty?”

  “She is pretty,” said Plack… or Plock.

  “Pretty, she is.”

  Link let go of them, returning his hands to his sides. “Keira has a problem. A puzzle, if you like. If she tells you what it is, will you help her solve it?”

  “We love puzzles!”

  “Puzzles, we love!”

  Their high-pitched voices were already giving me a headache. It was all I could do to put on my most artificial smile and lean toward the goblins, whispering as if the puzzle were a great secret. “I have a friend,” I began.

  “She has a friend!”

  “A friend, she has!”

  I cleared my throat. “His name is Jack Hannigan, and he may have been here. If you tell me where he is, it will unlock the second part of the puzzle. Now…” I raised my flat hand into the air. “He is human size, with dark brown eyes and is very charming. Have you seen him? Has he been here at all?”

  “Oh, the prisoner.” One goblin turned to the other. “Plack, it’s the prisoner!”

  “The prisoner, Plock!”

  “What? I’m Plock.”

  “That’s what I said, you’re Plack and I’m Plock.”

  Once more they erupted into laughter, falling onto their backs and rubbing their naked white bellies as their howling giggles rang into the air. At this rate half of Chicago would hear them, and I probably still wouldn’t get any answers. My patience was wearing thin, but I had to play ball whether I liked it or not.