by Kristin Cast
“What, now? No, no, no. I can’t go back now. Alek isn’t even healed yet.”
“There will be many times when he is unable to join you. You witnessed firsthand what will occur if he is kept in the Mortal Realm for too long and drained of his power,” Mother said.
“Well, yeah, but I don’t really think my first solo mission should also be my first mission mission. I died when I met my first bad guy. And, I was hiding from the police when all that stuff happened with Alek. I don’t know if you know what that means, but they’re not even half as scary as some crazy evil spirit. I can’t go back by myself. Plus, I wouldn’t even know how to find a demon-creature thing.” She turned to Maiden and pleaded, “Can’t I stay here for a little bit longer? Please, I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“But what of your family?” Mother asked. “Are you not concerned for them?”
Guilt and sadness rushed through her chest. “Oh, God. My mom. And Bridget. They must be so worried about me, especially my mom.” Her shoulders slumped.
“Pay my sister no mind. Your family will be safe in your absence. Just as they were before you awoke as the new Oracle. No need to worry.” Maiden rested her hand comfortingly on Eva’s back. “You may stay with us until Alek is fully recovered and able to accompany you on your journey back to the Mortal Realm.”
Mother opened her mouth to speak, but closed it just as quickly.
“Something on your mind, sister?” Maiden asked.
“No. I know Alek will heal quickly, and I will take this opportunity to follow your direction.”
“Thank you both. Um, I’m not exactly sure what to call you,” Eva said.
“You may call us Furies, or by our individual names. Whichever you wish,” Maiden replied.
“Isn’t there one more of you? I thought Alek said he had three moms.”
“Crone, our eldest sister, is keeping watch over Alek,” Mother said.
“Can we go see him?” Eva asked.
“He has been through quite a lot. I think it is best for him to rest and regain his strength,” Mother advised.
“Please? I’ve been so worried about him.”
Mother’s brow wrinkled and her gaze narrowed. “He cannot afford to have any distractions.”
“Sister, I am sure you have much to attend to. Oracle, come with me. I will show you around our home.” Maiden hooked her arm though Eva’s and briskly pulled her away from the table.
“Thank you for being so nice to me, and for rescuing me from your sister,” Eva said as soon as they were out of Mother’s range of hearing. “I really don’t think she likes me.”
“Do not let her sour disposition affect you. It has already affected her enough.”
“What can I do to get her to warm up to me? I don’t think it’ll help, her being so tense all the time.”
“I wish I could tell you that feeling would change, but I do not know anymore if that is so. A lot has happened. Mother has become trapped by her bitterness. At times, it seems unending.”
Sadness crept onto Maiden’s face, and Eva searched for something to lift the mood. “But you seem to be handling this curse thing pretty well. I mean, you don’t look a day over twenty-five.”
“One’s outward appearance does not always convey what has formed inside,” Maiden explained, her smile returning. “In comparison to my sisters, I am young. However, I am a different being than you. Even with the new life you now possess. We can discuss this at greater length, but first I must show you one of our greatest assets, which you are fighting to protect.”
Maiden led her through a dark opening. Fat balls of light wriggled on the floor. Eva hesitated behind her guide. “I don’t want to step on any of your little worm guys.”
“All creatures serve a purpose, and all life must end. Come,” Maiden said, ushering her deeper into the blackness.
They rounded a corner, and Eva’s eyes focused on the only source of light in unending dark. Majestic sapphire waters undulated rhythmically and cast wide beams of turquoise light from a raised basin in the center of the room.
“It’s beautiful,” Eva whispered.
“It is. However, it is not why I brought you here. This, the Hall of Echoes, was once vibrant and full of life. Out of all of the magics we possess, this room contains the most important.” Maiden stepped to the side and glanced down. A pothole-sized puddle glimmered on the charcoal floor.
“What is it?” Eva asked, kneeling next to the pool.
“It is how I knew to save Alek, and how we monitor the happenings of the Mortal Realm. It is also how we are able to protect ourselves from the loosed evils seeking vengeance upon us.”
“How many more of these are there?”
“We used to have many. Now, this is all that remains.”
“What will happen if this one disappears too?”
“Without these pools, this pool, we would be left blind. If we were attacked, the outcome would be the same as if you and Alek failed in your missions.”
“The rest of the bad guys would be free,” Eva murmured.
“Yes.”
“We have to figure out how to put them back before it’s too late.”
“Every time you and Alek return one of the creatures that escaped to its place within Tartarus’s jail, life surges through the Underworld. Restore another evil to its place in our dungeon, and you will also restore Tartarus.”
Eva stared at the calm water and asked, “It’ll show you anything you want to see?”
“A simple way to put it, but, yes.” Maiden squatted next to her and placed her hand over Eva’s. “Think of who you most want a vision of. Can you see the person clearly in your mind?”
Eva nodded.
“Good. Now, do not lose focus.” Maiden lifted Eva’s hand and swirled both of their fingertips in the cool water. Color burst to the surface and an image rippled into place.
“Mom.” Tears flooded Eva’s eyes and rushed down her cheeks as Lori’s soft features came into focus. “I miss her so much. This is the longest I’ve gone without talking to her. As soon as I get back, I’m going to fix this. All of it.”
“You need not be saddened.” Maiden tilted Eva’s chin so their eyes met. “Within you is the power to regain control and finally put an end to this curse.”
“You think so?”
“I know. In time, you will too. Now, let us move to something more joyful, yes?”
Eva wiped her eyes and let Maiden guide her to her feet.
“There is something I have dreamed of showing to someone other than my sisters. They cannot appreciate this, as I know you will. Would you like to see it?”
Eva shrugged as she dried the last of her tears from her cheeks. “As long as it’s not scary or stinky.”
Maiden again looped her arm through Eva’s and directed her back into the dark. “I assure you, it is neither. Although, you just might die.”
Eva stiffened as she thought of all of the possible creatures and lamenting spirits Tartarus might house. Tempering her uneasiness, she let Maiden guide her further into the twisting black of Tartarus.
Three
James sat at his desk, absentmindedly clicking the end of his pen, staring blankly at the computer screen. She was there. Right in front of me. And then she was gone. Vanished. Poof. He replayed the moments in Mohawk Park before Eva’s disappearance. People don’t just disappear. He clicked the pen a few more times. I aimed my gun. Told her not to come any closer. Then there was that noise. And the smell, like something burning.
The double doors leading into the front of the station flew open. Their etched-glass panels rattled, jerking James from his thoughts.
“Ma’am! Ma’am! You can’t go back there!” A young officer jogged down the hall, calling after the woman who’d stormed through the doors.
“Lori Kostas?” James’s brow furrowed as he searched his memory for a scheduled meeting he may have missed.
Her gaze swept the room, and settled on James. “Detective
Graham, I need to talk to you,” she shouted.
“Sorry, Detective,” the officer apologized. Lori planted herself in the empty chair next to James’s desk. “I told her to wait and that I’d come get you, but—”
“But I’m tired of waiting, Detective,” Lori interjected. “I need answers. I couldn’t sit by the phone for another second hoping you would call with some sort of news.”
“Thank you.” James read the officer’s name badge. “Thank you Blevins. I’ll take it from here.”
Blevins nodded and quickly made his way back to his post.
“I apologize for barging in on you like this. It’s not what I would normally do, not that any of what’s going on falls under the “normal” heading, but I had to do something. Waiting around for answers while I imagine my own version of what’s happening is making me feel crazy.” Lori’s eyes swelled with tears. “Do you know anything new?”
He shook his head somberly. “I wish there was something I could tell you, but there haven’t been any new developments in your daughter’s case.”
“But you still think Eva’s a part of this?” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “That she and Bill and that other man killed that young woman and are now on the run?”
“At this time, we’re investigating every possible angle.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit.” Spittle flew from her mouth as anger chopped her words. “You were there the night she was found. You talked to her at the hospital. Do you believe she’s guilty?”
Fear and sadness had leached into Eva’s voice. Please, just give me a chance to explain. It stained his memory and made him question what he thought he understood about the case, and Eva’s guilt.
“Ms. Kostas, there are a lot of unanswered questions about what’s going on. At this point, I can’t tell you whether or not I think she’s guilty.” His gaze drifted down to the buffed white tile between his feet. “There are strange things happening. Right now I don’t know what to believe.”
“Excuse me, Detective.”
James cleared his throat. “Blevins, everything is good here. Thanks for checking.”
“The captain sent me to find you. He wants to see you and your partner in his office. I already talked to Detective Schilling. He’s on his way there now.”
James stood and shuffled papers around on his desk, avoiding eye contact with Lori. “I’m sorry to cut this short. I have to get in there.”
“Please let know me as soon as you find something out.” Lori placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. “I appreciate your honesty, Detective. Even though it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, it’s the only real answer I’ve gotten. Thank you.”
James continued rearranging the same stack of papers until Lori exited through the double doors. “Get your head together, James.” He balled his hands into fists and pressed them against the surface of his desk. “There’s an explanation for all of this. Work the case. Find out what happened.” He took a few deep breaths, and straightened his posture before heading toward the captain’s office.
The door to Captain Alvarez’s office was closed, and James stood outside of it, staring at his reflection in the engraved gold placard. “Tell him what happened exactly as you wrote it in the report.” He rolled his neck a few times and rubbed at the tension sprouting in his shoulders. “It’s simple. Stick to the story.” James knocked rapidly before cracking the door and poking his head into the office. “You wanted to see me?”
“Come in. Take a seat,” Captain Alvarez said, running a hand through his thinning hair. The fluorescent lighting glinting off of his scalp and forehead made him appear to wear a permanent layer of sweat.
“Sorry I’m late. Lori Kostas came and insisted I talk to her.” He settled into the only available chair next to Schilling.
Captain Alvarez pursed his lips. “She have any new information on the whereabouts of any of the suspects?”
“No, she has no idea. More than anything, she’s freaked out and wants her daughter home.”
“What I’d like to know more than anything is how she was able to get away from us. For a second time. Her daughter, that is,” Schilling huffed.
“So would I,” James mumbled, picking at a few loose threads on the cuff of his shirt.
“You have something to say, Graham?” Alvarez opened his desk drawer and pulled out a manila envelope stuffed with papers.
“Nothing, sir. Just agreeing with Schilling.”
Alvarez dropped the thick packet on his desk and started thumbing through its contents. “But you were there for her second disappearance, were you not?”
“Yes sir I was. It’s all in my report.”
“I read your report, and all the others associated with this case. They’re right here, actually.” He poked the file with his index finger. “But I’d like to hear it from you.”
James grabbed the chair’s armrests to keep from fidgeting in his seat. “Yes sir. There was a loud noise, and when—”
“No, I want to hear it from the beginning. When you first arrived on scene.” Alvarez leaned back in his chair.
Repeat what you wrote in the report. What you saw didn’t happen. It couldn’t have. There’s an explanation. Get through this, then find it. His heart fluttered with his increasing nerves. “Fine. From the beginning.” He gripped the armrests so tightly the color drained from his knuckles.
A shrill ring erupted from the captain’s phone, and he glanced down at its screen. “Give me a second.” He answered the phone, and spun around in his chair.
Schilling leaned over and whispered, his stale-coffee breath coating each word, “It’s shit, but what are you gonna do?”
“Hmm? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Got a lot going on.”
“Relax, Graham. Fuckups happen.” James kept his expression blank as Schilling searched his face. “You losing Eva. It was just a fuckup, right?”
Alvarez’s chair turned, and he dropped his phone back on the desk. “Where were we? Oh, yeah, the beginning. Go ahead, Graham.”
James shook away his nerves and thought back to what he’d written in his report. “Schilling and I entered the Mohawk Park trail from the east. Shortly after, it forked, and we separated. I took the path on the left, and Schilling went to the right. I heard what I thought were the sounds of a male and a female talking, and I followed their voices.”
“So you thought you heard a male and a female, but that wasn’t the case?” Alvarez asked.
James kept his gaze fixed on the captain and continued with his version of events. “When I turned the corner, one of the suspects, Eva Kostas, was there alone. She was covered in blood. I could not determine from my visual whether any or all of it was her own. I asked her if Alek was with her. She said he’d disappeared, and that she needed my help to find him. I assumed, because of the voices I’d heard, that Alek had to be nearby.”
James fidgeted as Alvarez jotted a few notes down on a piece of paper. “Did she say anything else about his location other than needing your help to find him?”
“No, just that he was gone. She then proceeded to approach me. At which time, I raised my weapon and warned her not to come any closer. Then there was a loud noise. It sounded like a gunshot.”
“I heard it too, Captain,” Schilling added. “The trail I was on looped back around. By that time, I wasn’t too far from Graham.”
“The noise, I thought Schilling was firing. Maybe Alek had found him and he was in trouble. It distracted me. I turned to find the source of the sound, and see if Schilling needed help. When I turned back around, Eva was gone. She must have run off. I looked, but didn’t find any sign of her.”
“Okay.” Alvarez nodded to himself as he wrote down a few final notes. “You served overseas, right Graham?”
“Yes sir. I served one tour in Iraq with the Forty-Fifth Infantry Division.”
Alvarez set his pen down and folded his fingers together. “There a lot of noise over there? Gunshots, explosives
?”
James’s brow lowered as he stared across the desk at the captain. “Is there something you’re trying to get at, Captain?”
Alvarez shook his head. “Not at all. I just want to see where your head was at.”
“My head was in the case. In that moment. I heard something that sounded like a gun and I wanted to make sure my partner didn’t need me.” James hovered between sitting and standing. “I didn’t let her go. I don’t know where she is.”
“I don’t think you turned your back and let one of our main suspects walk off. But you need to understand that this shit show is all our city is talking about. It’s the top story on every goddamn news station in the state. When David called me about you, I didn’t hesitate in giving you a position here. I go way back with his family. His daughter was like my own, and when she passed, it hurt me just as bad as you.” He paused a moment. “The department can’t afford any more mistakes. Don’t make me regret doing you a favor. You got me?”
“Yes, sir,” James said, lowering himself back into his chair.
“Now.” Alvarez adjusted his tie and smoothed his wispy hair. “I’m assuming, since both of you were available to come into my office for this little sit down, that there are no new leads.”
Schilling cleared his throat before speaking. “We’ve got their pictures plastered everywhere and on every news outlet. All three of them: Eva Kostas, Bill Morgan, and Alek Whoever-the-fuck. But nothing so far.”
“This Alek character. We still don’t know anything about him? Haven’t found him in any database?” Alvarez asked.
“We haven’t even been able to figure out his last name,” Schilling muttered.
“Nothing has popped. No one’s ever heard of him. He’s a complete mystery,” James said.
“This whole fucking case is a mystery. Evidence that leads nowhere, suspects disappearing—it’s a nightmare,” Schilling said.
“Which is why, gentlemen, we’re putting this one on the back burner.”
“What? There have to be more leads we can check out, something we can do. There are way too many unanswered questions. You can’t take this away from us,” James pleaded.
