“Stay at your place until the rent runs out, I guess.”
“And then?”
Link shrugged, wiping his eyes too. “I don’t know. Maybe head back home.”
“You could always hang with Jack.”
“He’s not my kind of guy.”
I pictured them together – or tried, before realizing I couldn’t. “No, I suppose he’s more of a one-man band. And you… I don’t know, you seem to have everything you’ll ever need.”
“Except I won’t have you.”
“Stop.”
The waterworks came again and I pulled him in for one last hug. Even though his body was so small, his heart still pounded like a drum against my own beating chest. By the time he pulled away, my eyes were raw with the stain of tears.
“Go, Keira. I can’t cry forever.”
“You’ll be okay. If you need anything, Dalton’s here. Make sure he gets my letter.”
Link nodded.
“And be sure to return the Staff of Lucada to Ernie.”
“I will.” Link planted a kiss on my cheek and then whispered in my ear. “I love you, Keira Poe. For the record, you’re the greatest person I ever had the honor of knowing. Now get in there and quit your job, for God’s sake.”
This time, somehow, I held my tears back and went for the door, shooting one long, loving look back to my old friend. Our eyes locked and I held his warm gaze, staring into those loving blue eyes one last time, before entering the hall and closing the door behind me.
Goodbye, Link.
I took a moment to recover from my heartache, sucking in a large breath and crossing the Grand Hall toward Jack. He stood by the fires, still refusing to wear a robe even as he prepared to accept his new job. I wished I could stick around to see how Dalton felt about that.
“You ready?” I said, stopping beside him.
“As I’ll ever be.”
I took a short step back and waved my hands above the flames. The embers receded, parting in two like Moses controlling water. Amid the center of the pit was a floor grate, and right in the middle of that, a magicard hovered in the air.
“The Elders prepared this for you,” I said.
“I didn’t want a magicard.”
“That’s what I told them, so they gave you an empty one in case you ever need it.” My eyes shot over to the door and then back again, but I refused to think about Link anymore. “You will encounter mages who need to be stopped, and you’ll need an empty card to do it with. As long as you have one on you, you’ll always be covered.”
“Fair enough. So then, what do I do now?”
I held out my palm. “Just walk in and claim it.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Jack hesitated before taking short, frightened steps into the fire. Each time his foot landed on the grate and he came one step closer to his future, I felt my own life fade from existence. Any second now, I could die. Any second now, I could simply drop to the floor as if I’d never existed. Like the Gods of R’hen snapped their fingers and terminated me.
“It doesn’t hurt.” Jack glared down at his feet with wonder, the fires roaring around him as he stood beside the magicard. “One step closer to immortality,” he mumbled, and then met eyes with me. “You ready for this?”
I took a moment to collect myself, nodded, and then raised my quivering hands over my eyes. The last thing I saw before the world turned black was Jack reaching out toward the magicard. He spread his fingers wide and wrapped his hand around his future, while the fires considered his sacrifice… and made my strength his own.
CHAPTER THIRTY
One by one, I removed my hands from my face and peered over at Jack, who stood beside the fire staring down at the bright orange glow. If I didn’t know better, I’d have said something had hit him on the head, but then he craned his neck to face me, and a small grin appeared.
“This is…” He laughed, spreading out his hands to examine them. “I feel so strong.”
I couldn’t share that sensation with him as my own strength drained from my body, but not as dangerously as I’d imagined. I kept staring at my arm, waiting for the sags of old age to weigh down my skin. No such thing happened.
Jack returned to me, placing his hands on my shoulders and beaming widely. “I feel great! And – And you? How are you feeling? You haven’t aged and you’re still alive. That’s a good sign, right?”
I nodded, slowly trusting myself to accept it. “I… Yeah, I feel okay.”
“You don’t sound so sure.”
“I’m just used to being stronger, that’s all.”
Jack dropped his hands to his sides and spun around. “Yep, definitely great. No wonder you enjoyed your job so much.” He looked down at the magicard in his hand, raising it to his face for closer inspection. “And if I trap something in here, I get their traits too?”
“Good and bad, so be careful.”
“Absolutely.”
I felt my lips curve into a smile as I headed back for the hallway, back to Link. I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when I popped open the door and appeared in front of him. When I did, I got a hug that fiercely exceeded my expectations.
“I’m okay,” I said, holding him close.
“You look okay.” Link studied me from head to toe. “And your strength?”
“Leaving, slowly but surely.”
Jack cleared his throat, stealing our attention. I sensed his impatience to leave, and lifted Link onto my shoulder before heading back down the stairs for the last time. Before we left the Vault, I took my letter from Link and left it for Dalton by the front door.
Goodbye, old friend. I wish I had it in me to say it to your face.
But Dalton must have been watching me somehow, for when we reached the end of the dirt path, a portal opened up in its usual spot. I turned back toward the Vault, taking one last look at the dark tower standing proudly on the horizon. Just in case he was watching, I gave Dalton a nod of appreciation, and then passed through the portal.
The VHS store was something I’d be glad to never see again. Its dusty walls and creepy-looking exterior had always made me feel like a sleazy old man when I entered, the gloominess sucking the life from me a little more each time. It made me consider its opposite: sunlight – bright, burning sunlight. I thought of sitting in the sun, of maybe taking a long vacation before I found a real job and settled down. Hell, Link could come if he wanted.
We took to the front door then, where Jack stopped suddenly and softly pressed a hand on my arm. There was something about him that was uncertain.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Can we talk?”
“Sure.”
We all stood awkwardly for a moment before Link finally got the hint.
“Oh, right. You want to say goodbye. Keira,” Link took flight and kissed me all over my cheek, smothering me with affection, “I’m so, so glad you’re back. I’ll meet you at home, yeah?”
“No problem.”
“Take care, little man,” Jack said, teasing without emotion.
“I’d rather be little than have a puberty beard like yours. Later.”
Link was gone only a second later, leaving Jack and me alone in the store. I looked around the room, taking in the details that I was sure to forget soon after leaving. Life always had a funny way of making you move on.
“I can’t work out if I’ll miss this place,” I said.
“Hmm? Oh, sure. Listen…” Jack’s expression had changed massively since excitedly dancing around inside the Grand Hall. His enthusiasm for becoming immortal seemed to have been replaced by sheer exhaustion. “Your mind is at peace?”
“I guess,” I agreed. “Why?”
“That means the job hasn’t changed you?”
“Only for the better, I hope… What is this about?”
“How do you… do it?”
I sensed a strong feeling of fear radiate from Jack. Everything from his dull ton
e to the way his body sagged told me that he didn’t consider himself worthy of the job. I reached out to place a hand on his arm. “You’re going to be fine, you know.”
Jack looked up, his eyes reaching into mine. “I’ve been such a fool.”
“Why?”
“The imps… I hurt them, Keira. I did some bad things. I lied to you about my sister. I made a bad habit of rushing in without considering the consequences. How am I supposed to live with that? How do I go from day to day with this responsibility, knowing that I have stuff like that in my past?”
I shook my head. “We all do stupid things. But you know what made me realize you were the right person to follow in my footsteps?”
“What?”
“You fought with me.” I smiled then, noticing traces of that smile carry over to him. “You’re only human, and yet you went up against a thirty-foot demon with nothing but a sword. That shows heart, Jack. And even more than that, it’s totally badass.”
Jack laughed, sucking up a breath and reaching for the doorknob. “I suppose you’re right. I just wanted to say thanks. For everything. I’m going to do the best I can with this power. You can relax knowing that.”
“I already knew.” I shot him a wink and passed through the door, leaving this life behind me. To say that I trusted Jack entirely was one thing, but I was certain he had potential. The Vault was in safe hands with him, and years from now, when I’d be sitting on a beach and watching the waves roll across the sea, I’d know that Jack Hannigan was out there, protecting the city and fighting the good fight. I smiled, picturing the title, and carried on down the street.
Jack Hannigan, Cardkeeper of Chicago’s Pillar.
Yeah – he would be just fine.
NEW BLOOD
THE CARDKEEPER CHRONICLES
A. C. NICHOLLS
CHAPTER ONE
Stumbling down the grass verge toward the sewage plant, I could sense two of the werewolves behind me, as well as one guarding the gate in the distance. I kept my cool, the Sword of Lucada hidden inside its hilt and tucked away safely inside my pocket. If I needed it, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it, but that wasn’t why I was here. More than anything, I just wanted to talk – to find peace between the Cardkeepers and the werewolves.
“How ambitious of you, Jack,” Keira would have said sarcastically. Keira was my predecessor, and having just taken the job from her only last month, I desperately wanted to show her that she’d made the right choice by selecting me to fill her boots. If that meant putting myself in harm’s way… well, I wasn’t one to shy away from a fight.
I continued down the hill with a burning sensation running up and down the length of my spine. Any minute now I would be at the gate of the sewage plant, the home of the werewolves and their alpha. My plan was to gain an audience with her, and hopefully, get her on my side. It was past time this ugly business with them and the vampires ended, and here I was trying to make that happen. Maybe the new job had already sucked out some of my brain cells.
As I reached the gate, the man on patrol raised his palm up to block me. He was a short, stocky guy, wearing an AC/DC shirt that had shrunk in the dryer, and a receding line of thin, black hair. His five-o’clock shadow made it look like he was already in beast form. That, or he was just dirty.
“What business do you have here?” he asked.
“I need a word with Lena.” I peered over his shoulder at the front door, which was slightly ajar. If it came to it, I would force my way past this man and head inside. “Could you summon her for me?”
The man’s frown broke into a look of amusement, his lips turning up into a devilish grin. His eyes drifted beyond me and met with the two guys who stood behind my back. “Hear that, guys? This moron thinks that Lady Lena can be summoned.”
I spun slowly toward the condescending laughter, my eyes falling to their boots as I reached into my pocket for the sword. I’d been trained by the best swordfighters in the underworld, and my first lesson – which had taken all of six months – was to always assess my opponent before striking. It was second nature now. I found myself instantly studying the dirt on their boots, the tattoos on their arms, and the cigarettes hanging loosely from their lips. But their real giveaways were in their hands. The smaller guy – who looked no older than a kid in his late teens – stood with his fingers shaking. The other guy had an itch on his knuckles, eager to transform into the raging beast. I would be sure to take him out first. Bully the bully, and the sheep will fall back.
“I have no interest in fighting you,” I said, turning back to the man at the gate. “But I’m here on official Cardkeeper business. If you don’t step aside right now, I’ll be forced to give you the ass-kicking of a lifetime. After all the wars between our peoples, don’t you think you should be avoiding that kind of conflict?”
The man’s teeth clamped together, grinding as he assessed me with angry eyes. “Oh, yeah? What business is that, then?”
“I’ll only discuss it with someone of importance.” I gripped the hilt of the sword, ready to rip it from my pocket at a moment’s notice. “Now, one last chance. Move out of my way before I move you myself.”
I actually heard the footsteps behind me before I saw any movement. My instincts kicked in within an instant, and I stepped to one side while pulling the sword out in front of me. The bigger man, whose fur already sprouted from his filthy flesh, recovered from his lunge and gazed down at the sword. How much of it was on show, that was – the Sword of Lucada was a perfect weapon. Not only did its mystical enchantment deal with supernatural beings, but the blade itself also retracted into its hilt. Most people saw the hilt as a warning and wisely chose to back off. Others – this dumbass werewolf for example – only mocked it with uneducated laughter. It only made it easier to push the button on the grip, shooting the blade out and piercing the beast’s chest in the blink of an eye.
The wolf clutched at the gaping wound where his heart belonged. I ripped the sword out, pulling droplets of blood along with it, and raised it back over my shoulder for another swing. Just as I got into my defensive stance, the wolf doubled over and then fell to the floor, dead.
“Anyone else want to argue?” I said cockily.
The smaller man stepped back, his muzzle shrinking back down to the average-sized nose he’d had before. The guard at the gate, however, seemed to have a different plan. Before I had time to stop him, he ran back through the door, leaving it swinging open as he screamed bloody murder, calling together his band of werewolf warriors as he made it to safety.
This wasn’t what I’d wanted, but I couldn’t show my weakness. Not now. Not ever.
Paying no mind to the werewolf, I wrapped my hand tight around the hilt of my sword and stomped toward the building. I stormed through the door into a dark, narrow corridor until I came to a small, square room. I wish I could have said that the room was empty – that the alpha was waiting for me to sit down and have a pleasant conversation with her – but I had no such luck. Instead, I had the honor of facing five fully-formed werewolves, each one snarling and drooling with their razor-sharp claws slashing around like knives. There was no way I could beat them, but I had to try.
I closed my eyes for only a second, drew in a deep breath, and then charged.
My sword came down like a cleaver, tearing through the air with a whistle while the blade glowed a burning red. If only for a second, I felt the resistance as it met with a werewolf’s arm, slicing through like it was made of butter. The howl that followed was deafening, but I had no time to stop and cover my ears. I swung the sword around again, shoving the disarmed wolf to the side and advancing on the next, which was twice the size and even uglier than the last. My sword struck its claws and held there while we both forced pressure through our arms and fought for the advantage. I thought I was going to win – that I could overpower a werewolf with the additional strength of a Cardkeeper. Truth was, I was so distracted that I never saw the others leaping toward me.
The wind left
my lungs as I was pounced on, and the full weight of the wolf crushed my ribs. The sword clattered to the ground and the ringing sound echoed all around as I stared into the huge, dog-like face of my attacker. It was all I could do to clench my fist and rocket my best punch into its nose, making it yelp as it rolled off me and onto the floor, whining.
I sprang to my feet, poised like a scorpion ready to sting the next son of a bitch who came at me. The three remaining wolves glanced at their two fallen comrades, crouched onto their haunches and snarled once more. Slowly, I edged toward my sword, dropping to my knee to pick it up. When I finally had my fingers around it, I felt power once again, like nothing could harm me. All the same, I would rather have avoided a battle.
“I’m done fighting,” I said calmly. Sure, it was a dumb move, but I pushed the button on the grip and watched the blade shrink back into the hilt, leaving traces of its glowing red light to wisp around like smoke. I raised my hands, stood up straight and backed toward the nearest door – the one that led further into the plant. “Let’s just stop trying to tear each other’s throats out and work together, shall we? Now, take me to your alpha.”
The words had barely left my mouth when the door behind me fell open with a clunk. I turned my head for only a second to identify the newcomer, when the wolves took advantage of my distraction and attempted a second attack. This time my cheek met the wall, crashing like a racecar with an explosion of pain. My vision blurred instantly as the strength flooded from my body and I slumped to the ground. In my passing moments, I caught only a glimpse of a woman’s heel beside my face, before the lights went out.
How very ambitious of you, Jack.
Real smooth.
CHAPTER TWO
I awoke on a soft bed, with a sore cheekbone and a violent waft of lavender drifting up my nostrils. My head was groggy and my muscles were weak. This immortality business wasn’t as good as I’d hoped – I’d expected to become unstoppable. And yet, they’d still knocked me out cold.
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