Queen of the Immortals

by T. R. Hamby

  “More like eighteen months,” Barry said. “He’s got some talks on YouTube.”

  Just then the front door opened, and in walked Michael and Gilla, damp from a wet day outside. Michael was holding a bouquet of flowers, but he frowned at the TV, the bouquet falling to his side.

  “That asshole,” he muttered, frowning. “I saw him in the paper this morning. What is it now?”

  “His victim is missing,” Nora said quietly.

  Mel looked at her; she was frowning, and he could see the wheels turning in her head. Michael handed her the bouquet, and she sniffed the flowers, offering a vague “thank you.”

  “What, nothing for me?” Gabriel joked, and Michael rolled his eyes. “Damn. You’re not back five minutes and you’re already sick of me.”

  “Whatever,” Michael sighed, helping Gilla with her jacket. “Why are you watching that shit, anyway?”

  “He seems like a prick. I wonder how many people he fucked over to get a multimillion euro company up and running in under two years. Fucking incredible,” Barry said, seeming to be following his own thoughts.

  Nora caught Mel’s eye, and he looked at her serious face. “Almost like an Angel,” she said.

  Mel felt his heart drop, and he looked back at Palmer’s face, his charming grin. He was attractive, broad-shouldered and ginger-haired. He didn’t look the least bit villainish, but Mel was certain his accuser wasn’t lying--especially if she was now missing.

  But an Angel?

  “Think about it,” Nora said to the group. “How is it humanly possible to build a company of that prominence in just two years? It took Steve Jobs ten years to finally get Apple off the ground. Do we know what he was up to before then?”

  Barry retrieved his laptop from the table and flipped it open. He typed for a moment, then said, “Here’s an article. ‘Although the owner of a highly successful tech company, Palmer comes from humble beginnings. He is secretive about his past, referencing some trauma, and did not attend university. He says the idea for a startup fell into his head during his morning tea.’”

  “So he has no past,” Nora said, nodding. “None that he cares to make up, at least. And then that Midas thing--everything he touches turns to gold? What if that’s a Talent?”

  Mel couldn’t help but hesitate. “It’s a stretch.”

  “I don’t think so,” she replied stubbornly.

  She got up and headed for the stairs, taking her flowers with her. “I’m getting my laptop.”

  Mel sighed and looked at Barry. “Now you’ve done it.”

  But Barry was suddenly gray, and looked clammy. He set the remote down and hunched over, holding his head in his hands. Gabriel drew close to him, rubbing his back and murmuring to him.

  Mel looked over at Michael, who shared a look with him. They were thinking the same thing: What was going on with Barry?

  Mel’s head twitched, and he ground his teeth together.

  It was all Their fault.

  “Maybe we should take you to a doctor,” Michael said quietly.

  “Doctor’ll do no good,” Barry moaned. “It’s not human what’s happening to me.”

  Nora returned then, sitting down with her laptop open. “It’ll cost a bit,” she said, frowning at the screen, “but I think it’s time to use our old friend again.”

  “The Dark Web?” Michael said, and she nodded.

  “Let’s see if we can find someone who can hack into his bank, see if we can get some statements.”

  Mel watched her, frowning. He still thought it was a stretch, but Nora did make some good points. It was worth looking into.

  Gilla suddenly clapped her hands, and pointed to the TV.

  Everyone but Barry looked: It was a scene of a frozen forest, with a beautiful little waterfall, icy and blue. The headline read, FIVE MISSING IN ABISKO NATIONAL PARK.

  The announcer said, “Five holiday hikers have vanished in Sweden’s Abisko National Park, and police suspect foul play. Two sisters, Anna and Eva Andersson, went missing three weeks ago; husband and wife Lena and Peter Lindberg went missing last week, and reported today is the disappearance of single hiker Alice Pellam. Rumors that a serial killer is behind the disappearances are being considered by police.”

  Everyone looked at each other.

  “Ceres,” Nora said. “‘The forest is my home.’”

  They all began talking at once.

  “….have to get there as fast as possible….”

  “….might not be her for sure….”

  “….have to stop them either way….”

  “….find a cabin that’ll fit the six of us….”

  “Hold on,” Nora finally said, and they quieted. “We still have Palmer to consider.”

  Michael sighed. “Like Mel said, Nora; it’s a stretch.”

  “He sexually assaulted a young woman, Michael,” Nora replied, bristling. “Regardless if he’s an Angel or not, he needs to be stopped.”

  She’s right, Gilla signed. Just because we’re hunting Angels doesn’t mean we can’t hunt humans too.

  Mel nodded. She was right, and Nora was too.

  “So we split up,” he said. “A few of us will go to Sweden, and a few of us will stay and tackle Palmer.”

  “Gilla and Michael should stay,” Nora said.

  Gilla looked bewildered. But I’m….me, she replied confusedly. Aren’t I the most equipped to kill an Angel? Shouldn’t I hunt Ceres while someone else tackles the human?

  “He’s not human, I promise,” Nora said firmly. “If he’s an Angel; then he definitely has that Talent.”

  “Talent?” Mel asked, confused.

  Nora nodded insistently. “‘Everything he touches turns to gold,’ remember? I think he can manipulate people to get what he wants. That’s probably how he got his company to take off in so short a time. And Gilla,” she continued, looking at her, “you’re Immune to his Talent. Ceres doesn’t have a Talent, so we can go deal with her while you deal with Palmer.”

  Gilla looked hesitant, and she looked to Michael for help.

  “Look,” Nora said before he could speak, “you have to trust me on this. I know this guy’s an Angel. All you have to do is wait for information from the web. It should only take a day for the information to be available. Just check how far back the bank statements go, right? And if they go back far enough that he’s definitely a human, then Gilla and Mel can switch places; Mel will kill Palmer, and Gilla will help us kill Ceres. Okay?”

  They were quiet. Gilla and Michael looked at each other, and Mel could see an unspoken line of communication pass between them.

  Finally Michael looked at Mel.

  Mel didn’t have to think. Palmer had to be dealt with anyway, and if he was an Angel, then Gilla was the best person to do the job. And they couldn’t waste time for either case.

  He nodded, and Michael did too. “Okay,” he finally said, and Nora nodded firmly.

  “We’ll go with you,” Gabriel said, looking at Nora. “Barry needs the fresh air.”

  Barry moaned. “I’m still alive.”

  “For now,” Gabriel joked, but there was worry in his voice.

  They began packing right away. Mel booked a flight for the next day, early in the morning. He also went out and bought some itching cream and some compresses for Barry, so he could survive the flight.

  He was just looking around for hotels when Nora appeared from the closet, dressed in jeans and a jacket.

  “I have to talk to Andreas,” she said, grabbing her purse.

  Mel frowned worriedly. “Why?”

  She shrugged sheepishly. “I just….have to apologize, I guess. We put him through a lot, and I feel bad.”

  Mel sighed, and nodded. He understood, although he still worried about her walking around by herself, in her condition.

  She seemed to read his mind, because she gave him a reassuring look. “I’ll be okay. I promise. I’m not that far gone.”

  “I don’t think you’re far gone, love,” he
replied, taking her waist and kissing her cheek. “I love you.”

  She smiled. “I love you too, Mel.”

  Michael caught sight of her as she left, and he looked at Mel, who was leaning on the door jamb.

  “Andreas,” he said with a shrug. “Righting some wrongs.”

  Michael frowned. “I suppose so.”

  He looked at him. “How is she?”

  Mel took a deep breath. “Better. Getting there.”

  “She won’t get to enjoy the flowers I got her.”

  Mel couldn’t help but smile at Michael’s worry. “She took a picture of them.”

  “Oh….good….”

  He looked at Mel again, and lowered his voice. “Do you think Palmer is an Angel?”

  Mel sighed and shrugged. “Better safe than sorry.”

  “I would rather Gilla be dealing with an Angel than with a human. It’s less dangerous for everyone.”

  “You don’t sound very worried for her.”

  “I am,” he replied, a little indignant. “It’s just….she’s….”

  “Unkillable,” Mel said. “I know.”

  He shifted awkwardly. “Look, it’ll be fine. Just get rid of Palmer, and come and help us. Piece of cake. Ariel was harder than this.”

  Michael’s lips twitched, and he nodded. “Yeah.”

  “How was Serene yesterday?”

  Michael had gone Up for a visit.

  Michael’s face darkened, and he shrugged. “Still pregnant. Still unhappy.”

  “She’ll be better once the child is born. Can’t be long now.”

  Michael nodded, looking away. He didn’t seem entirely convinced, but also seemed soothed by Mel’s words.

  “Funny,” he murmured, looking at his shoes, “how far we’ve come.”

  He said it awkwardly, shifting on his feet.

  Mel wasn’t sure if he was referring to the six of them, or to the two of them, standing, talking to each other as brothers would. They hadn’t had a fight in six months, hadn’t said cruel words to each other. Mel’s nightmares were lessening. They even joked around here and there.

  It was….happy.

  Mel nodded, smiling slightly. “It’s been a strange journey.”

  “Yeah,” Michael chuckled.

  He thought for a moment, then added, “Better than the last 200,000 years, though.”

  Nora

  The waiting room was nearly deserted when Nora arrived. She assumed the rain had caused a lot of cancellations.

  She stood at the front desk until Andreas appeared. He caught sight of her and immediately looked wary. But he went to the door anyway, and let her in. They walked down the hall to his office, and he closed the door behind them.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, sitting behind his desk. “You look sick.”

  “Thanks,” Nora joked, hoping some humor would break the tension. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”

  He nodded awkwardly.

  Nora decided to get right to the point. “I came to apologize.”

  He frowned. “For what?”

  Nora frowned too, and said, “Well….we tricked you. We forced you to perform the surgery.”

  Andreas looked away, his jaw working. “I would have done the surgery eventually, you know.”

  “I’m sure. But we were on a time crunch….I’m sure you don’t want to hear the specifics….and we couldn’t wait for you to get over the initial shock of everything.”

  She shrugged. “It’s a lame excuse, but it’s all I’ve got.”

  His lips twitched. He drummed his fingers on the desk.

  “Angels,” he said quietly, and he shook his head. “Biggest shock of my life.”

  “Mine too.”

  He looked at her and smiled. “So that’s why you’re here now? Guilty conscience?”

  “Yes….I wanted to get an apology in before we leave,” she replied, flushing. “We’re heading back to Sweden. We have….some things to do there. In Abisko.”

  Andreas frowned. “What, the forest?”

  “Yes.”

  “They’re saying there could be a killer there.”

  Nora nodded pointedly. “Yes.”

  “I see.”

  He thought for a minute, drumming his fingers on the desk, before saying, “I have a cottage there. Near the Turiststation. You’re….welcome to stay there. I don’t mind.”

  Nora stared at him, bewildered. She had just apologized to this man for tricking him, and he was letting them stay at his cottage?

  “Are you sure?” she breathed.

  He chuckled. “Yes. I only use it in the summer. I don’t mind….just….don’t ruin it with your Angel things.”

  “I’m sure we won’t,” Nora replied. “Thank you, Andreas. This means a lot.”

  “Of course,” he said as they stood. “I’ll text you the details.”

  He looked at her for a long moment, his green eyes shining in the light from the window. He came around the desk, slowly, until he was facing her. Then he ducked his head and kissed her, gently. Nora closed her eyes, savoring his lips on hers, his taste, his smell.

  Then they broke apart, and he smiled at her. “I forgive you,” he said with a smirk, and Nora grinned. “There, that’s better. Tell your boyfriend to keep making you smile.”

  The flight to Abisko took about five hours. Barry slept through most of it, worn out from a night of pain and itching.

  Nora, for once, didn’t feel like sleeping. She felt much lighter since she had found another case to work on--and after receiving forgiveness from Andreas. She spent the flight reading up on Abisko, and going over hiking trails with Mel.

  They landed, and drove to Andreas’ villa. It was a beautiful log building, with four bedrooms and a loft. Gabriel and Barry took the loft, and Nora and Mel took the master bedroom. They didn’t take time to unpack, but went to the living area and flipped on the TV instead.

  “No changes,” Mel said, staring at the large screen.

  “Good,” Nora said.

  “Let’s go out on one of the trails,” Mel murmured. “See if we can find anything. Barry can stay, get caught up on sleep.”

  “No, he needs the fresh air,” Gabriel said firmly.

  “I’m right here,” Barry said grumpily.

  He was ashen and clammy, but he continued, “I’m going with you.”

  So they threw on some layers, coats and boots, and got in the car. Mel and Gabriel only bothered with coats, just to fit in, but Nora and Barry--who still felt the cold--were well-insulated. They decided to head for the King’s Trail, and start searching there.

  It had snowed a little, and the ground and roads were lightly dusted with white. Some leaves still clung to the trees. In the distance were the mountains, which loomed high and gorgeous under a gray sky. Barry, who had hardly left London in his twenty-four years, was awed, forgetting his illness and staring out the window at the scenery.

  Nora was amazed, too, and had a hard time consulting her guidebook, preferring to snap pictures instead.

  “It’s too bad I don’t have an Instagram,” she sighed.

  She looked at Mel. “Did you ever live here?”

  He shook his head, squeezing her thigh. “No. I used to live in the east--around the 800s. Killed a few Vikings.”

  “Really? Vikings are so cool.”

  “They weren’t back then,” he replied dryly.

  The park was closed due to the disappearances. The polis, however, were accepting volunteers to help look for the missing hikers. The four were advised not to split up.

  They walked for about half a mile, looking around.

  Nora suddenly felt incredibly stupid. The King’s Trail was where Alice Pellam was last seen, but it was also about sixty-five miles long. She could be anywhere, and it would take them forever to find her.

  “We should split up,” she said, looking at Mel. “Take different parts of the trail.”

  Mel began to reply, but he was cut off as Barry gave a cry, doubling over. They
went to him, but he pushed them away, stumbling out of their grasp.

  “Jesus,” Gabriel breathed as Barry held his head in his hands. “What is it?”

  Barry straightened, breathing heavily, and looked at the trail ahead, which was wide open. Then, to everyone’s shock, he sprinted forward, running several yards before--

  It was very fast. His body seemed to shrink, turning from the black of his coat to a golden brown. He jumped, and wings burst from his shoulders, and what was once a Barry sprinting into the air was now an eagle soaring into the sky.

  The three stared, stunned, as the eagle gained height, its wings flapping against the breeze. It then dove a little, soaring, its large wings outstretched.

  “Fucking Christ,” Gabriel cried, watching as the eagle flew circles in the sky.

  Nora agreed. They watched as the eagle dove and landed hard on the ground. Then it burst back into flight, and Nora could clearly see a small animal clutched in its talons.

  It flew toward them, its wings making a great whooshing sound, and landed on the wooden planks of the trail. It looked at them, and Nora saw that its eyes were a piercing blue.

  It cawed, as if to exclaim its surprise, too, and then turned to the squirming mouse beneath its feet. And without hesitation it began to feed, pecking hard into the mouse until its bones crunched.

  Nora felt a little sick, but she couldn’t stop watching, marveling at the great bird before them. Every few seconds it looked up, cocking its head at them, before returning to its meal. It was beautiful, with its golden brown feathers, a sharp beak and fierce talons. The only thing out of place was the color of its eyes.

  Finally the eagle finished eating, turned, and in a blurred rush of feathers, grew into a human, and Barry crouched before them, amazement on his face.

  He looked a thousand times better: There were no longer circles under his eyes, his color had returned, and he was grinning, breathless.

  For a moment no one spoke. Then Gabriel swore, and he and Barry laughed ecstatically, throwing their arms around each other. There was relief and excitement on their faces, and Barry let out a thrilled whoop.

  Nora threw her arms around him too. He felt good against her, still clothed, and smelled sweet--though she had rather expected him to smell like bird droppings.