“Your father took her where he wanted her.” Talen met my eyes. “We both know that.”
“My father is dead.” I gritted my teeth.
“Stop lying, James. You want to save, Ainsley? Tell me everything.”
“Where is that buddy of yours, Denny? We need to move.” If Ainsley was in Energo, we needed to get there immediately.
“You think she was magically transported underground? How would she breathe?” Denny asked what normally would be a logical question, but no logic existed when a Cipher was at work.
“She can breathe because the Cipher wills her to breathe.” Talen tossed down his shovel. “And James is about to admit he knows his father is still around.”
“Not physically,” I admitted.
“Then what?”
“I will explain on the way to the gate.”
“We need clothes.” Denny pulled out two sets from his bag. The clothes they had been wearing before shifting now lay somewhere in shreds. At least their boots had survived.
I stared at the spot where Ainsley had disappeared while I waited for the wolves to change back.
“We need to go.” Talen tugged on my arm.
“How?” I pointed to the spot where the truck had once been. It was now half in the ground.
“We have a garage with other vehicles.” Denny led the way toward a wooden building behind the cabins. He opened the door, revealing a large SUV and another pickup truck.
“Which are we taking?” Talen asked.
“The truck,” Denny jumped in. “You never know when you are going to need one.”
We got in, and Denny backed out the truck. “Are you read to fill us in?”
I let out a deep breath. I was panicking. I had no idea what was happening to Ainsley, and I needed all the help I could get. “You have to promise you will still help.”
“I want to find Ainsley too. I like her.” Denny drove through a narrow opening between the trees toward the dirt road. For a moment I thought the truck would not fit, but we made it by a small margin.
I shrugged off the jealousy threatening to appear. The only thing that mattered was finding Ainsley.
“I want to defeat your father once and for all.” Talen scowled.
I pushed aside my reservations. Ainsley was all that mattered. “I heard him in my head.”
“You’re hearing voices?” Denny took his eyes off the road.
“Yes. But not in the sense you are implying. He somehow has access to my mind. He has also poisoned Ainsley. She needs me.”
“Uh, what?” Denny glanced over again.
“I will not go into details, but she needs me.”
“If Denny can get us to a gate, we can get her.” Talen patted my arm in a completely uncharacteristic manner. “We should head straight to Belgard.”
“You are usually the pessimist.” Now I was. I was losing hope. If something happened to Ainsley I would no longer have the right or reason to live.
“Pessimism will not help us now.” He looked down at his lap.
“We will get wherever you need to go.” Denny tightened his hands on the wheel. “We’ve got this.”
“You so sure about your buddy?” Talen asked.
“Yes, I will make sure of it.” Denny’s expression was serious. His jovial mood was gone. He cared about Ainsley. I was not sure why, but it did not matter. We needed to save her.
* * *
Denny led the way through the abandoned warehouse. The ride into New Orleans had been quiet. None of us had said a word until Denny parked in an alley next to a large building a few minutes from downtown.
Denny seemed to know exactly where he was going as we crossed the enormous empty room. Our footsteps echoed on the old wood floor and strands of light from the outside lit the floor from the large windows.
Denny stopped in front of what appeared to be an office. He knocked five times.
The door wrenched open and an attractive blonde waited in the doorway. “Well, I’ll be. I haven’t seen you around in a while, Denny.”
“This is your buddy?” Talen’s mouth fell open.
“Who were you expecting?” The girl wore an amused smile.
“More of a buddy,” Talen replied.
“Denny and I are good friends.” She touched Denny’s shoulder. “Aren’t we?”
“We are, but this isn’t a social visit. We need your help.” He leaned on the wooden doorframe.
“Why am I not surprised?” She rolled her eyes.
“It’s not that kind of help,” he explained. “A girl is in trouble. We need to get to that trading place you go.”
“Why would going to Alak help a girl?” She raised an eyebrow.
“So it is Alak.” I felt minor relief hit me. At least the gate led to a place I knew well. We could get from there to Belgard quickly, especially if we used the method of transportation Talen had hinted at.
“These guys know Alak?” She pointed her thumb toward us.
“They do. And the girl is somewhere near there.”
“How?” The blonde narrowed her eyes. “How did the girl get there?”
“A bunch of zombies pulled her into the ground.” Denny made it sound so common place.
“Um, how much have you been drinking?” She patted around his pockets. “Wait, where is your flask?”
“I lost it back with the walking corpses.”
“I’ve never seen you without that flask.” A look of shock crossed her face. I studied the girl. How did she discover Alak? It was question that would have to wait for another day.
“I didn’t give it to the dead things by choice.” Denny put a hand in his back pocket.
“Don’t get all pissy with me when you need my help.” She crossed her arms.
“I’ll owe you a favor. You know I’m good for it.” Denny straightened. “Please, do this for me.”
“How do they even know about Alak?” Her eyes darted between Talen and me.
“Gina, does it look like I have time to share the whole story?” Denny sighed. “Come on.”
Gina reached up and pulled his ear. “Yes, yes it does.”
“We are from Energo.” Sometimes blatant honesty could go a long way to moving things along.
“Really?” Gina released his ear and looked at us. “Which city?”
“Belgard.” If she had truly been to Alak, she would know. It seemed like as good of a test as any.
“Belgard?” She stepped up on her toes. “Have you met the Essence?”
“How do you know of the Essence?” My protective instinct turned on.
“I’ve met her brother. Now he’s a looker.” She made a low whistle.
“And he is very taken.” I would not want to mess with Samantha under any circumstances.
“I know.” Gina laughed. “And when I say ‘met’ I mean ‘saw from a distance’.”
“I do know the Essence well, and if you truly help us, I can get you an audience with her.” Charlotte would understand I made the deal to help Ainsley.
“For real?” Her eyes lit up.
Charlotte would get such a kick out of hearing this girl’s excitement.
“Yes, but we have little time. Where is the gate?”
“Do you really know the Essence?” Gina stepped toward me.
“Yes. She is one of my closest friends.”
“Is he telling the truth?” Gina asked Talen.
“Yes. For some crazy reason the Essence loves him.”
“Let’s go.” Gina grabbed a sweater off a coat rack and walked out of the office. She walked back through the warehouse and opened a heavy, black door. “You guys are going to have to duck for this. I hope you don’t mind confined spaces.”
Gina led the way down a narrow corridor. Although one would have expected the temperature to increase in such a small space, it dropped dramatically. I understood why she grabbed her sweater. The further we walked, the lower the ceilings went until I was walking completely slouched over.
She stopped in front of an iron gate that spanned the length of the corridor. She reached into her sweater pocket and cursed under her breath. “I forgot the key.” She turned to leave. “I will be right back.”
“Let me try mine.” It was a key to Energo, not Alak, but I tried my crystal key. I held my breath while I slipped it into the small keyhole, and relief flooded me when it turned in the lock.
“Well I’ll be…” Gina trailed off as I pushed open the gate and a flood of sunlight spilled into the corridor.
“Are you coming with us, Gina?” Denny asked as I pushed the gate open and light flooded into the corridor.
“Absolutely, I was due for a trip anyway.”
We stepped into an alley between two tall buildings in the bustling city of Alak. With a pang in my chest I wished Ainsley was with me. After her Stone Age comment, it would have been fun to see her expression when she noticed the tall electric billboards of Alak. The thought chilled me. I would have been happy to see any expression on her face if it meant she was with me again.
“Your father will not hurt her. He took her for a reason. The undead did not kill her for a reason.” Talen continued with his optimism. Maybe he understood how much I needed it.
“I will not relax until she is at my side again.”
“This girl must be something else.” Gina walked right out toward the busy street. She knew exactly where she was going, and she did not appear to be remotely surprised by the sky high buildings and dense crowds.
“She is everything.” I meant it. Ainsley had become my world. “You think someone at Homina’s Aqua is going to be able to help us?” I knew that Talen would understand my question. Homina’s was one of the pubs best known for conducting business.
He nodded. “That pub is my best guess.”
“I need to conduct some business of my own.” Gina averted her eyes in a way that made me wonder what kind of business she was in. Denny had mentioned electronics, but there was probably more at play.
Any other time I would have pushed for answers, but we had no time. “Fine. I will have Denny contact you to uphold our side of the bargain. Thank you for helping us find the gate.”
“No problem.” Gina gave a small wave before disappearing into the crowd.
“So we’re looking for a bar?” Denny asked.
“Yes.” I nodded. “Stay with us, this city gets busy.”
We wound our way through the crowds that covered all sides of the intricate canal system that ran throughout the city. Alak was a major port city, and it had only grown in the past few years. The large ships in the marina were twice the size of what they were when I had been growing up.
The streets teemed with people of all variations, colors, and sizes. Their attire and jewelry were just as unique. I noticed Denny struggling to prevent himself from staring at anyone too long. It was a good idea, because staring almost always inevitably led to a brawl.
By distance, the trek to Homina’s should not have taken long, but pushing through the crowds took effort. For every step you made forward, you were often pushed back by the wave of people coming the other way.
“This makes Times Square seem like nothing,” Denny shouted over the crowd.
“What’s Time Square?” Talen yelled back.
“A tourist spot in the lost world,” I explained, but I could not be sure that Talen heard.
Finally we reached the door of Homina’s. The pub stood out mostly because it was the only remaining brick building in that part of town. Everything else was now metal and glass. The façade had a worn out look, but there was something comfortable and inviting about it.
We made our way inside. The walls of the bar were covered in faded advertisements. Homina never pulled anything down. He simply covered up the old with new.
The long wooden bar spanned over half the building, and it was lined with stools that were all taken. The rest of the room was filled with small wooden tables. As usual, some were pushed together throughout the room to allow larger groups to meet.
With all of the changes that had occurred over the years, Homina’s had remained the same. The diversity of the people had remained as well. Denny seemed to be trying really hard not to stare at the neon scales and duck bills of several of the bar patrons. Alak was frequented by members of almost every nation.
“Do you see anyone from Kenset?” Talen asked, confirming my suspicions about the transportation he meant.
“Back corner.” I nodded toward where a man with the appearance of an ox with wide-spaced nostrils and thick, wrinkly skin sat talking with a woman who appeared to sparkle like diamonds. “We lucked out.”
“Wait. That bull-looking guy? He has to weigh like 400 pounds. We’re asking him for help?” Denny rubbed the back of his neck.
“The Kenset are friendlier than they look, but let us do the talking.”
“Greetings,” Talen interrupted the Kenset and the sparkly woman, officially known as a Zale.
“May we help you?” The Zale smiled at Denny.
Denny shook himself. I could not blame him for staring. The shimmering diamond appearance of the Zale did not hide the shapely bodies of their females. “Yes, we are in need of transportation.”
“What kind of transportation?” The Kenset appeared interested for the first time.
“We need a few dragons.” Talen asked for exactly what I knew he would.
“Dragons?” Denny coughed.
“Who is this guy?” The Kenset watched Denny warily.
“Ignore him. He does not get out much.” Talen shot Denny a look to tell him to keep his mouth shut.
“You look familiar.” The Kenset leaned toward me.
“We have never met.” I tried to stay calm. Not everyone knew who I was.
“Why should he lend you dragons?” the Zale asked. “There is no chance any of you have the funds necessary to cover his losses if something were to happen to one of his animals.”
“Nothing will happen,” I explained quickly. “And we do have access to the resources.” I knew the coins in my pocket were nowhere near enough to borrow a dragon whose worth was nearly immeasurable now that there were so few left. “We have means to promise safe return and payment.”
The Kenset made a rumbling sound I assumed meant he was thinking. "Wait, I know who you are." He squinted through his beady eyes.
I waited with baited breath. "Do you?"
"You are his son." The Kenset’s face darkened and his hands balled into two large fists.
"He is a Guardian." Talen jumped in to defend me. "He is recognized by the Essence."
“Then the Essence has lost her mind.”
“Do not speak ill of the Essence.” I felt my blood boil. “Say what you will about me, but not her.”
The Kenset appeared to mull it over. “I still cannot trust you without proper collateral.”
“Wait.” The Zale rose to her feet. "You owe me a quarter of the worth of one dragon already when you add in the interest you have piled up, and do not pretend you doubt they will return home. The beasts are stronger and smarter than any man.” She had changed her tune.
“My debt has nothing on the price of one of my dragons, but the price to borrow it for a few days runs close. Do you mean to take on this potential debt?” The Kenset narrowed his eyes. “For what possible reason?”
"I will take him." The Zale stood and approached Denny. “He can be my collateral.”
“Uh….” Denny looked between Talen and me.
"How do you know he is worth enough?" The Kensett squinted again, this time to get a closer look at Denny.
"Wait, you can't be serious?" Denny turned to us. "You can't leave me here."
"He is very valuable,” Talen explained. "One of the last of his kind."
"What is his kind?" The Zale ran her hand down Denny’s arm.
“He is a Dire Wolf.” Talen pointed to Denny. “Very rare.”
Denny bristled. “Ok. So yeah, I’m not available for collateral.”
/> "Oh my." The Zale ignored Denny’s protest. "I will take responsibility if you let me have him." She turned to the Kenset.
"As collateral." I quickly added.
"Of course." She smiled broadly, revealing teeth that sparkled as bright as the rest of her. She ran her hand down Denny’s arm again. “I have never met a Dire before. I have heard stories about what they were like.”
“There used to be Dires here?” Denny asked with a surprised inflection in his voice.
"Not in Alak that I know of,” the Zale explained. “Your type usually prefers the countryside.”
“But near here?”
“Close enough I could take you for a visit to where the pack used to live.” She smiled again.
“I will agree to be collateral.” Denny nodded. “You need to get to Ainsley.”
I knew the true reason for his cooperation had little to do with Ainsley, but I would not look a gift horse in the mouth.
“It is decided then. I also require the sum of ten thousand gold coins.” The Kenset opened one of his large hands and held it out palm up.
“Absolutely.” I nodded. “I will send payment back with your dragons.”
“That is ten thousand per dragon.”
“We only need two,” Talen pointed out. “Since Denny is staying behind.”
“You will come back for me, won’t you?” Denny asked. “I still want to help you.”
“We will, but you are helping us already.” Hopefully Denny got something out of the deal. Maybe he could learn more about others of his kind.
“I have a few dragons at the Kenset embassy in town,” The Kenset pointed toward the doorway.
“Perfect.” Talen punched the table top. “Pleasure doing business with you, Mr.? I am sorry. I am afraid I missed your name.”
“I go by the name of Stronghull.”
Talen opened his mouth and then closed it, as if debating the right response. “Ok, Stronghull, lead us to these dragons.”
19
James
I approached the winged creature with trepidation. Covered head to toe in iridescent scales, she had a certain beauty to her, but she was also enormous with the capacity to breath fire. Anything that could produce fire was dangerous.
Forged in Ice Page 16
