White Mountain Rising (Veil Knights Book 7)

by Rowan Casey

  “It was there, behind the last door,” she told him.

  “Isn’t it always the last door,” he said, causing her to smile. “And?”

  “It was locked. Looked like an ordinary office door lock, nothing fancy.”

  “Of course not,” he agreed. “After all, it’s not like they were prepared for an ancient artifact when they built the place. So we have to go back and break in.” He turned to head back inside but she tugged on his sleeve.

  “Too many security guards. We’ll come back later when there’s less of a chance to be seen. The center is open until five tonight.”

  Daniel nodded and seemed thoughtful for a moment.

  “You know, we passed a library on the way over. Why don’t we go there and see what we can learn about the horn. We skipped that yesterday.”

  Was it really only a day ago when they researched which knights they were meant to be? She was stunned at the realization. So much had happened in the last few days it was beginning to blur. Aches couldn’t be traced to leaping off roofs or getting punched by Charlene or one of the Worshippers. He did have a point, though. Grimm sent them after the horn without telling them anything about it.

  It took only a few minutes to find the New Amsterdam branch of the New York Public Library system and as they arrived, they both welcomed the air conditioning. Initially, Hannah wanted to stop for food but he felt this took precedence and his urgency was infectious. They set themselves up in a study carol with a computer and she began typing, trying variations on Brân Galed before the autocorrect guided her. There were over three hundred thousand results, which impressed her. He skipped Wikipedia, as they were taught in school, and focused instead on sites related to British folklore.

  Apparently, there were conflicting accounts as to who Brân Galed was. Today’s literature and thought might mean he was an amalgam of different Brâns who were active five or six centuries earlier. She frowned at one account referring to his as Brân the Niggard, until she read further to understand what the word meant. It surprised her to learn the Horn apparently was written about only recently considering it was one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, the very ones the Knights were gathering. To her, ancient meant thousands of years ago. But then she found one entry and her eyes bulged as she read.

  “Daniel, there’s a Welsh legend, it says the horn can be traced back to Hercules. The horn came from the head of a centaur called Nessus.”

  “We talked about that yesterday,” he said quietly. She wracked her memory but must have tuned it out or was too tired to absorb it. He leaned close and continued to read over her shoulder. His warm presence was comforting, something she had come to rely on. It wasn’t sexual, he wasn’t her type, but certainly a trusted friend which was good considering they were bound together in whatever this was. Adventure. Quest. Fool’s errand.

  “A horn that can turn any drink into any drink desired,” he repeated. “Talk about literally turning water into wine. That’s powerful magic. Where do you think magic comes from?”

  “Dante explained it,” she said, recalling his elaborate story of the days when magic could be felt and tasted, how it was as much a part of the world as the sun and moon. It was elemental and natural, which allowed Dante, or Merlin as he was known then, to find twelve knights and grant them part of his power. It was what made her fearless and reckless and whatever else she had yet to discover. There was more to know but Dante was vague, Marilyn silent, and even Hautdesert was quiet when questioned about it on the plane back to Brooklyn.

  “Why would the Moderator want it? To provide clean water?”

  “One horn couldn’t do that much magic. I really don’t have a clue.”

  It was a question they had asked one another over the last two days and were no closer to an answer, even after the morning service.

  They surfed their favorite sites to distract themselves for another hour but finally, her rumbling stomach signaled it was time to get moving. Their plan was to eat and return to the Center and gain access to that office. As they emerged onto the hot city sidewalk, perspiration springing to life on their skin, they discussed a number of options, none of them good. They stopped for some sidewalk hot dogs and sodas, neither one feeling much like talking. He carefully counted the handful of fives and singles he had remaining. It really had to be solved today or they were in deep shit. She suspected they were both feeling the weight of their mission and just how daunting the next step suddenly seemed. Still, neither one had even mentioned walking away from this, which was certainly an improvement over the last few days.

  Back at the White Mountain Center, she headed for the front doors but he jerked his head and headed towards the far corner. She silently followed him and saw that they were circumnavigating the block, looking for rear entrances, loading docks, anything they had not seen previously. Sure enough, there were rear doors, unmarked but clearly belonging to the worship center. Huge plastic trash bags were haphazardly piled to one side, ready for pickup in the morning. After studying the site, she stepped forward and placed her hand on the handle, pressed down the latch and gave the door a tug.

  It swung openly easily and better, silently.

  The maintenance corridor was lit with fluorescent lights high above so the area was shadowy. A janitor’s closet was off to one side but on the opposite side was an open room, dark and empty. She peered inside and saw two banks of video monitors, each with security feeds from around the building. With the services over, only one overhead camera seemed to be operating in the chapel while the Welcome Center, lobby, and the sidewalk before the entrance earned multiple angles each. Some showed offices that looked mostly clerical and downright boring to Hannah – office work would never be in her future.

  She stood on tiptoe to get a better look at the upper rows and by then was joined by Daniel who more easily could scan the images. There had to be two dozen screens in use and she wondered where the security guard was. As if to answer her own question, a distant noise reached her ears. A flush from a nearby bathroom so they were about to be discovered. Daniel hadn’t heard it, apparently, as he studied the screens and was focused on one. He gestured a long, thin index finger at the screen which showed an office, devoid of the usual trappings. Just a standard desk and chair. No phones or computers. Atop the desk, next to a large velvet bag, was the Horn. To her, it was still a trumpet, but she felt the confirmation deep in her soul.

  “We have to hurry, the guard’s coming back,” she said through clenched teeth.

  Daniel was jarred by the words and whipped around in alarm, finally focusing on the sounds beyond the security room. They weren’t of water rushing but there was a slurping sound, something wet. The following sounds of bones breaking and a muffled scream shocked them both and she quickly scanned the screens in hopes of seeing the hallway. Nothing.

  A dull thump on the tiled floor was punctuated with a splashing sound. This was followed by the sound of something being slid into fabric or leather. Daniel stiffened and froze in place.

  There was a shadowy form growing by the doorway, short and squat.

  “The Dvergr,” he whispered.

  12

  Daniel

  Under the fluorescent lighting, the Dvergr seemed unreal but as Daniel gazed closer, he could see an aura of chains, the work of hard labor forged by the troll’s efforts. He was stalking down the hall, not bothering to look in the security door and ignoring the teens. Instead, he was adjusting the sword at his side, something he hadn’t worn when Daniel first saw him. It was short and thick, not your typical sword and sorcery-style sword. Not at all. It didn’t gleam or have a jeweled handle. There was a leather strip tied around the handle, matching similar strips around the scabbard that ended at his knees. He had other sheaths around his belt, knives of different lengths, and apparently a length of link chain wrapped around one forearm. The thing had come prepared to do battle making Daniel wish that Hannah had the sword she used at Avalon. His fingertips were still stained red wi
th the guard’s blood.

  With a thick foot, it kicked in the door at the end, entering the main part of the building. There was a screech and cry of torn metal as the door came off its hinges and clattered against the marble floor. The thing was incredibly strong, no doubt from all that time hammering away at the forge. If he was trying to be subtle, he sucked at it but if he were trying to draw the other security guards, they would no doubt come running. There was a look of recognition and then it nodded once in greeting, which chilled him to the marrow.

  “If the guards fight that thing, it gives us a chance to get the horn first,” Hannah said in a rush and in an arc, avoiding his outstretched arm. Everything inside Daniel said it was time to run in the opposite direction, not that there was an opposite direction. He wasn’t equipped for this fight; the sight was a useful tool, but not when it came to opposing a creature from beyond the Veil. The thing glowed a fiery red, coruscating around his body, thickest around his torso. For a brief moment he wondered why the Dvergr would want the Horn. Was there some way to harness its magical power or did the master craftsman want to use it in some way history didn’t record?

  Hannah ran in an arc past the lunging dwarf, past the door and into the hall, her footsteps picking up speed. The Dvergr glared in her direction then turned his attention on Daniel, who felt the gooseflesh stand at attention, sweat slicking his neck. “You are difficult to find, but not impossible,” the dwarf snarled.

  “Where is it?”

  Rather than answer, Daniel stood still in the security room, his eyes frantically searching for something, anything, to use as a weapon. Nothing obvious presented itself.

  “Last chance to tell me and possibly live,” the Dvergr said, taking a step toward him, the sword in plain view.

  Out of sheer desperation, Daniel reached behind him for the rolling chair the guards used and shoved it between him and the dwarf. The sword was already swinging and the blade proved as sharp as he feared and it bit deep into the back of the chair. But it kept rolling and Daniel used that and the dwarf’s momentum to swing things around and position his attacker deeper into the room and him closer to the door. With one final shove, he spun about and bolted from the room.

  His longer legs let him put distance between the security room and freedom. He hoped to catch up with his partner in short order and since they knew where they were going, it should not have been a contest. As they emerged into the main lobby, sure enough three security guards, each one brandishing a Taser and baton, came into view. One of them must have activated an internal alarm because a chirping alert was echoing from everywhere. If there were other guards on the upper floors, they’d be coming in a hurry. Side by side the teens stood, neither with a weapon and relying on adrenaline and, appropriately enough, faith.

  Daniel considered themselves doomed.

  The Dvergr appeared behind them, the length of chain in one hand, the sword in his other. His expression told Daniel all he needed to know without the sight embellishing things with bright, white hot waves swimming around the dwarf. To make matters worse, it was smiling, showing his grimy, dark teeth.

  Clearly, the guards had never seen the Dvergr before because their faces wore nearly identical expressions of horror and surprise. With the three humans on one side and the dwarf on the other, Daniel felt paralyzed with in decision.

  One of the security detail cursed and aimed the Taser at the dwarf and fired. Before the darts could reach him, the sword rang through the air and cut the wires. The other two charged, their own weapons at the ready. The Dvergr glanced over one shoulder to check on his prey then turned his attention to guards, a wicked grin on his ugly face.

  Hannah charged to their right and around the one-sided fight, the Dvergr not paying her any attention so Daniel ran after her once more. He glanced over his shoulder and caught the creature’s attention.

  Hannah paused at a fire station, elbowed the glass panel and hefted out the axe, glass crunching beneath her heels. He watched in fascination at her decisiveness and determination. He envied her these things and just followed, as she hurried to the end of the main hall. At least she paused to test the handle before trying to destroy the door. Of course, it was locked. She shrugged at him and then froze. The cries of pain from the guards and the sickening sound of sword cleaving flesh disturbed them both. He also heard other footsteps above, more fodder charging down the stairs in response to the annoying alarm. Police might even be on their way and they were already wanted for arson, he didn’t want to add breaking and entering to his rap sheet.

  They were running out of time and, he suddenly realized, an exit strategy. Hannah was good at charging into situations, but without thinking it through, could leave them trapped in the office with the Horn and Dvergr. If true, that was not going to end well. He was the planner but not quick on his feet, something he had to work on should they survive the day.

  With the axe, Hannah slashed at the handle and it bent on the first blow and it took two more strikes before it broke and she kicked at it. The door splintered and then flew open and over her shoulder he saw the Horn, a hazy glow around it, like a device in sleep mode.

  “Grab and it and let’s fly,” she ordered.

  Daniel didn’t hesitate as he rushed to her left, picked up the purple velvet bag and carefully touched the Horn. It glowed brighter, energy started to wake up and it felt warm and almost alive in his hand. The Horn felt heavier than he imagined it would but he couldn’t ponder it now so he instead placed the bag around it then fumbled with the zipper on his backpack, moving things around to fit the object.

  Hannah had shrugged off her own pink backpack and gripped the axe with two hands. “Get my pack and follow me,” she ordered. There was determination in her voice and he didn’t hesitate. She led the way back into the hall and as they entered the narrow space, they could see the Dvergr whirling in action, his short blade slashing through the air and an arm fell to the ground, trailed by tendons, veins, and blood.

  Daniel felt a fresh wave of nervous sweat creep down his neck as he looked in desperation for a way out but they had little choice but to go forward, towards the carnage, practically asking the troll to come and get the artifact of power. All that stood between them was a short young woman with a fire axe.

  “There’s a fire door and stairs down to the basement. Maybe there’s another way out,” she said and headed right for it.

  “How’d you know that?”

  “I checked the plans when we were waiting for the service to start,” she said. “And you say I never prepare.” She had him there and he couldn’t help grinning at that.

  “Halt!” the creature said in a gruff, guttural voice that pierced the siren and moans of the fallen men.

  “Like hell,” she said and kept moving.

  That’s when a small stiletto-like knife whizzed right through the top of her right ear, brushing her hair. She spun around, yelling in pain, and retightened her grip on the axe handle. Her ear was bleeding, matting her hair, but she was in the red haze now, ready to fight to the death if need be and this time, Daniel was certain he would not stop her. On the other hand, he was moderately terrified, unable to imagine having to fight the thing after Hannah fell. The idea of her triumphing over a demon from the Veil was unimaginable.

  She took her steps carefully and waved the axe in the air before her. The Dvergr for its part, ignored the heap of humans behind him and concentrated on her. It was grinning with a glint in his eye that said he was relishing the fight.

  That’s when it charged, sword pulled back so it could swing before him and gut her. Daniel realized that they were fairly evenly matched in size, although she was a little taller, evening the odds. If anything, the axe handle was longer and might actually give her better reach. The axe flew around and met the descending sword. Metal upon metal rang out and she let out a grunt as she absorbed the impact. The Dvergr followed by lower his head, attempting to butt her and get too close for the axe to do anything but be a dist
raction.

  Hannah faked left and spun right, readying to swing the axe like a baseball bat, taking aim at his back. The attacker missed his target and howled in fury while she let loose and the axe came around only to strike the scabbard. It sliced it in two, but didn’t injure the creature.

  “I’ve had that for five hundred years, girl,” it said to her in fury.

  He charged again and the two were swinging, parrying, moving in a whirl. Daniel couldn’t believe what he was seeing, it was as if she had trained for this all her life rather than channeling something within her she didn’t even know existed a week ago. He wanted to watch but knew that she would tire long before the creature. Surveying the scene, he spotted one of the corpses on his back, jack wide open revealing a canister of mace or pepper spray clipped to his belt. The teen hurried over and freed it, hesitating at first to touch a dead man or his things but gritting his teeth, he yanked it free.

  He was now behind the Dvergr and could stalk it, timing his move. Hannah was definitely sweating, her shirt getting dark in spots. Blood from her ear trickled, glistening in the artificial light.

  Maybe he could blind the creature and she could kill it or at least maim it allowing them to flee. The familiar police sirens were now added to the noise in the building which meant they had to act quickly or more people would be harmed or, worse, they’d be arrested and the horn lost to them.

  The Dvergr imitated Hannah, feigning left then moving right, and the tip of his sword caught her upper arm. It neatly cut through her shirt and skin, red blood quickly flowing down her right arm. She grimaced but didn’t let go of the axe.