“You really are in high school, aren’t you?” he mused.
“Is it that unbelievable to you?” asked Dani. “I mean, I’m also a teaching assistant for the younger students. But yes, I am in 12th grade.”
Felix cringed, feeling even worse about what had happened the night before. He cleared his throat and forced himself up, grabbing his bag and holding it in front of him as he walked to the bathroom.
He took a shower, changed into the second of three outfits he’d brought with him, brushed his teeth, and then headed back out into the living room. Stella and Dani were sitting at the dining room table, and a third plate had been left out for him.
“Eggs, bacon and toast,” said Dani. “Nothing fancy. My mom usually plays it safe when it’s her turn to do the cooking.”
Stella rolled her eyes at her daughter, and then waved for Felix to come over. He’d only taken a single step when there was a knock at the door.
“It’s probably the mayor,” said Stella, frowning. “Felix… You should watch yourself around him.”
Felix raised an eyebrow at her.
“What? Why?”
Stella shook her head.
“I don’t have time to explain right now,” she said. “Just… don’t get on his bad side, and don’t take him at face value.”
She stood up and walked over to the door. She had a broad smile on her face as she opened it.
“Mayor Senhaji,” said Stella. “Good morning! Please, come in!”
The mayor held up his hand, politely shaking his head.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have the time,” he said. “I just came to check in on Felix, our guest.”
Felix stood up and walked over to the door, doing his best to smile and look pleasant enough.
“Thanks again for uh, your hospitality,” he said. “I’m going to try to help out however I can during my stay.”
“Yes,” said the mayor. “You are. I’d like you to put on your snow gear and head down to help Shane with the shoveling.”
Felix nodded. Part of him wanted to refuse, but other than a mild feeling of disdain and suspicion for the mayor, he had no good reason to.
“I’ll head down right after breakfast,” he said.
The mayor smiled.
“You’d better eat fast,” he said. He laughed, nodded to Stella, and then disappeared into the hallway.
Felix started eating. He looked up at Stella and Dani after a few bites and raised an eyebrow.
“Anything I need to know?”
“You’ll be okay,” said Stella. “The shoveling is hard work, certainly not the most glamorous work. But it should only take you a few hours.”
“A few… hours?”
The rest of breakfast was quiet and straightforward. Tension hung on the air between Stella and Dani, but it never got to the point where it bubbled to the surface. It felt old, as though it’d been around long since he’d arrived, and would still be there long after he left.
And leaving was something that Felix gave a good amount of thought. The photos from the crystal caves were next to useless to him. It was as though the presence of the cave had turned him into an infant when it came to being able to identify and successfully take a profitable photo.
He needed to do some photography of the inside of the spire, he decided. There’d hopefully be time for it once he finished with the shoveling. Once he had enough to tell a story, he’d get online and make an attempt at selling what he had.
Would it be the real story of North Spire, he wondered? The real story was unbelievable, even to him. There were too many rough edges and impossibilities in the truth to make it something that anyone would buy.
“Head downstairs into the lobby when you’re ready,” said Dani. Felix blinked, snapping out of his own thoughts and back to reality.
“Uh, right.” He looked around the apartment and noticed that Stella had already left.
“I’ll be home from school around three,” said Dani. “Do you wanna… maybe hang out, or something?”
“What does your mom do during the day?” asked Felix.
Dani made a face at him and waved her hand.
“She does research,” she said.
“Research?”
“Magical research,” said Dani. “Look, I’m going to be late. I’ll see you later. Or not.”
Felix watched her hurry over to the door and disappear out into the hallway, backpack slung over her shoulder. He finished the last few bites of his breakfast, put his snow gear on, and then headed out.
CHAPTER 13
It only took Felix a minute or so to make his way down the stairs. He pushed through the door into the lobby and came to an abrupt stop. Sheriff Burke stood facing away from him, toward the main metal doors and another man dressed to work in the snow.
“You’ll do it,” said Sheriff Burke.
“There’s no point,” said the man. “And it’s a fucking waste to heat that building, you said it yourself.”
The sheriff took a step forward, his fists tensing in anger.
“You will do your fucking job,” said Sheriff. “You’ll do it because it’s your job. And we all do our jobs here.”
“This is a job for three people,” said the man. “And you want me to…”
He looked past Sheriff Burke, seeming to notice Felix for the first time. The man scoffed and shook his head.
“So you send me the new guy?” he said, shaking his head. “The photographer? Probably never done a day’s work in his life?”
“Hey, come on,” said Felix. “I’m here to help.”
Both Sheriff Burke and the man focused their attention on him, and he immediately regretted having spoken up. A silent moment passed.
“Make sure you turn on the heater before you both start shoveling,” said Sheriff Burke. He eyed Felix for several long seconds, as though giving him a chance to do or say something. Felix didn’t take the bait.
“Whatever,” said the man.
“And make sure this one doesn’t start any fucking trouble,” said Sheriff Burke.
“Whatever,” said the man.
The Sheriff walked into the stairway, letting the door close behind him. Felix sighed and turned to face his apparent coworker. He was a man of about the same age as him, maybe a little older, with jet black hair, a pale face, and a scar across one cheek.
“Felix,” he said, extending a hand.
“Shane,” said the man. “Come on. Let’s get you a shovel.”
There was a small utility room off to the side of the lobby, filled to the brim with equipment. Felix’s eyes scanned across several ice picks and a broken snow blower before settling on the shovels.
“I’ll use the plow shovel,” said Shane. “You use the regular one. Break the crust of the snow first, that way I can get the plow into it.”
“Gotcha,” said Felix.
“This is the best job in the North Spire,” said Shane, rolling his eyes. “We’re incredibly lucky to be here.”
There was a lot of snow outside, far more than what Felix had been expecting. It took both of them working in tandem to get one of the doors open enough to slip out. The snow was up o Felix’s waist in most spots, and covered with a thin layer of ice that sealed it together.
“We’re going to climb on top and slide over to the school, first,” said Shane. “Gotta turn that fucking heater on for those poor, uneducated children.”
“The school?” asked Felix. “I didn’t realize that the other buildings got used so regularly.”
Shane looked at him and smirked.
“You really are new, aren’t you?” he said. “Come on, no sense in wasting time on this beautiful, blessed day.”
The school building was the nearest of the three buildings separate from the main tower, and the smallest. Felix followed Shane’s example, sliding across the crust of the snow on his hands and knees instead of standing up and risking puncturing through the crust.
“Normally, the kids only go out to th
e school on days when the snowfall isn’t so bad,” said Shane. “And of course, that fucking asshole would pick today to have us clear the way to it.”
“How long do you think this is going to take?” asked Felix.
“Why you got somewhere to be?” Shane glanced over his shoulder at him. He looked annoyed, but sympathetic, like a good coworker should.
“No, I guess I don’t.”
The two of them spent a minute clearing out the snow directly in front of the school’s door. Shane dropped down, and after cracking the ice around the edge of the doorframe, managed to get it open. He flicked on the lights and revealed a surprisingly well maintained school hallway.
“They have a room in the spire that they use on days when it’s too cold or snowy to make it out here,” he said. “So yeah, they’re usually there 4-5 days a week.”
“Jesus…”
Felix followed him past several classrooms and what looked to be a half-sized gymnasium before the two of them stopped in front the door they needed. Shane opened it, headed into an industrial looking room, found the thermostat they needed, and turned it up.
“I’ll head back out tonight and make sure the heat’s turned down,” he said. “Normally, we’ll alternate the responsibility, though.”
“I’m only going to be here for a few days,” said Felix.
Shane smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Sure,” he said. “Of course.”
They made their way back outside and began shoveling. It only took Felix a minute to develop a firm understanding of how backbreaking the work was, at its core.
The snow’s crust took a surprising amount of effort to break through. The snow itself was densely packed and heavy, with multiple layers. The area they had to clear out was huge, and Felix began to sweat, overheating underneath his jacket.
They spent an hour shoveling out the area immediately outside the North Spire’s door and then slowly began clearing a path to the school. Felix was soaked to the bone underneath his jacket and too hot to care anymore. He started unzipping it, figuring that he’d shovel in his sweatshirt instead.
“Don’t even think about it,” said Shane. “You’ll freeze to death in minutes.”
“I’d prefer that to what I’m going through now,” said Felix.
“Seriously,” said Shane. “Don’t expect me to come to your funeral if you…”
He trailed off, and Felix heard snow crunch as he took a step back. Shane was staring at something on the horizon, and it took Felix a second to make it out against the white snow.
“Holy fuck…” said Shane. “We… we have to get back inside!”
Four large white wolves sprinted across the snow, headed directly toward them.
CHAPTER 14
Felix and Shane were a hundred yards away from the tower, and even further from the school. The section they’d been in the process of clearing left them little room to maneuver. And the wolves were faster than them, and far better at traversing the snow.
“Just… back away slowly,” said Felix. “They’ve noticed us, but I’m not sure if-“
One of the wolves slowed as it came with a few dozen feet of them, letting out a low growl. The others moved into circular positions, one of them dropping down to the snow cleared section and blocking the way back to the North Spire. Felix took a step back and bumped into Shane, who held the plow shovel out in front of him like a shield.
“We have to run for it,” muttered Shane.
“No! If we let them get behind us, they’ll take us down.”
Felix swore under his breath. The wolves had them completely surrounded. The one nearest to him drew in a bit closer, and he stared into its eyes. Recognition sparked to life in the back of his awareness. They were the ones from before, the ones that’d attacked the Ice Dancer.
“Shane,” he said, in a quiet voice. “Start walking toward the tower.”
“There’s, uh, kind of a wolf in the way,” said Shane. “Should I ask it to move?”
“If you think it will say yes, have at it.”
Shane muttered something that Felix couldn’t quite make out and took a step forward. Felix took a step backward, keeping their backs against each other. He was putting his trust in Shane to not panic and bolt off on his own, and every fiber of his being screamed that it was the wrong thing to do, and that he should be fending for himself.
The nearest wolf moved in closer to Felix, maintaining eye contact as it did. Felix swung the shovel once it’d come within striking distance.
“Get back!” he shouted. “Raaahhhh!”
He swung the shovel like a lunatic, hitting the snow and making a shallow attempt at demonstrating his ferocity. The wolf took a step back, but it was impossible to tell if it was out of fear or amusement.
“It hasn’t moved, Felix,” said Shane. “Do we have a plan B?”
Felix risked a glance over his shoulder. The wolf in front of the tower’s door was sitting on its hind legs, watching them impassively. It looked a lot like a dog waiting for its master’s command, except for the fact that its teeth and lips were stained with dark red blood.
“Uh…” Felix chewed his lip. “Throw a snowball at it!”
Something moved from in front of him. Felix whirled around in time to swing his shovel as the wolf nearest to him closed in. He clipped it on the nose and it let out a terrifying snarl. He swung again, harder and more desperately, and struck nothing but air. The wolf backed off.
“Of course,” said Shane. “A snowball. An Alaskan Wolf would surely be terrified by something like that.”
Felix took a step back, forcing Shane to take a step forward as their backs collided.
“They’re wolves…” he said, trying to think. “Don’t look away from the one by the door, Shane.”
“What?”
“Look it right in the eyes,” he said, “And then peg a snowball at its nose.”
The wolf near Felix moved in again, this time along with another coming from the side. He let a feral scream and slashed at them, tossing up snow and feeling like a madman.
“If I die in a snowball fight,” said Shane, “then I’m giving you a whitewash in hell, Felix!”
Felix looked over his shoulder in time to see Shane let loose with the snowball. He had a good arm, and it flew forward with speed. It missed the wolf by at least a dozen feet. The wolf looked at Shane, sniffed the air for a moment, and then trotted off to investigate where the snowball had landed.
“Walk,” said Felix. “Not fast. Confident. Walk to the door and get it open.”
Shane started moving. Felix gripped the shovel tight in his hands, stumbling slightly as he took backward steps to stay even with Shane. The two wolves nearest to him moved in closer, and closer. Felix let out another primal howl and swung the shovel, striking it against the ground hard enough to crack the plastic. One of the wolves began to growl, and then the other joined in.
“Felix!” hissed Shane. He had the door open and was halfway through it. Felix took another step toward it, and one of the wolves began barking, the noise far more violent and gruff than any of the noises he’d made.
The wolves charged forward. Felix didn’t have time to get through the door. He felt a deep, bone shaking fear take hold of him, the same type of fear he’d felt in the crystal caves, the stuff of nightmares and doom.
Felix and threw the shovel at them. He dropped into a fighting crouch that was more instinctive than useful. One of the wolves looked like it was about to pounce. He locked eyes with it and gritted his teeth. Suddenly, all he could think about was how badly he wished he had his camera with him, and could photograph that moment, the intensity on the wolves face.
Nothing happened. The wolf watched him, its growls slowly dying down into something that was almost gentle, rather than threatening. Felix took a step back, and then another, keeping his eyes on the wolves. Someone grabbed him by the arm and pulled. He fell through the door and collapsed onto the floor of the lobby. Shane
slammed his shoulder into the door, pushing it closed, and then locked it.
Mayor Senhaji, Sheriff Burke and a number of other people that Felix didn’t recognize stood around them, grim expressions to a person. Felix stood up slowly, still catching his breath. It took him a couple of seconds to see the gun in the Sheriff’s hand, and the blank expression in his eyes.
“What…?” He took a step as Sheriff Burke walked forward. From beside him, Shane waved a hand and let out a forced laugh.
“We’re fine,” he said. “Thanks for asking.”
“Are they still out there?” asked the mayor. Felix shook his head.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I… wouldn’t suggest going to look.”
Sheriff Burke grabbed Shane’s arm roughly and locked eyes with him. After a moment, he pulled him into a tight hug, gun still in hand.
“Be more careful next time, Shane,” he said.
“I will,” he said. “Sorry, Dad.”
The Sheriff looked over his son’s shoulder and nodded at Felix.
“Come on now everyone,” said Mayor Senhaji. “Show’s over, get back to what you were doing. The doors are going to stay locked for the rest of the day. Nobody goes outside for the rest of the day.”
Shane pulled back from his father and smiled at Felix.
“You’re alright,” he said.
“Yeah,” said Felix. “You too. Close one.”
“Damn fucking right.”
He walked away. Felix started toward the stairway, intent on going up and checking in on Stella and grabbing his camera.
“Felix.” The sheriff’s voice was firm and emotionless, and it was enough to make him stop in his tracks. He turned around, unsure of whether or not he should say anything in reply.
“Thank you,” said Sheriff Burke. “You did good by me today.”
“Uh, you’re welcome.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m not watching you.” Sheriff Burke took a step toward him, his face regaining a measure of its former rigidity. “Don’t fuck around in my town.”
Winter Spire: Sorceress of Lust Page 5
