How to Lose Your Dragon (The Immortality Curse Book 1)
Page 14
The image swirled again then, changing to the face of another woman. This one younger, with dark hair and harsh features. She didn’t look a day over twenty, though I had no idea who she was or why she was important.
Once again, the water swirled, and the image changed. This time it was my face. Well, mine next to Rick’s. And the girl from before was still there, but she looked different. Shadowy, in a way, like she was there but at the same time she wasn’t. It was hard to explain.
I continued to stare at the image for what felt like an hour before it disappeared and the waters calmed down and returned to looking like nothing but slightly reddish liquid. Even the smoke from before was gone now.
“Hmm…” Sheila said, rousing me from my stupor. “This is all very interesting. And terrifying. It would appear all our futures are linked together.”
“Wait, what do you mean? That I need to stick with this dweeb a while longer?” Rick quipped.
“Hey!” I shot back, inching away from him. I don’t know why, but that one kind of stung.
“Sorry,” Rick said with a huff.
“In a word, yes,” Sheila said, interrupting both of us. “Your futures are linked with Mei’s, and the other woman we’ve seen in the waters.” She lazily stirred the cauldron with the tip of a finger. “A Queen Boudicca. Mean anything to you?”
My blood went cold at the sound of that name. I didn’t need several degrees in anthropology to know who that was. No, I’d heard that name before, several weeks ago. That was the queen whose tomb I’d raided.
Which meant all of this was my fault. I was the one who’d left the door to her crypt open, let her spirit wander the earth again.
Honestly, I should have known. Somehow or another, it’s always my fault.
“Queen Boudicca?” Rick repeated, wrinkling his nose. “The warrior queen of early Britain? What does a two-thousand-year-old queen have to do with any of this?”
At least he knew who she was.
“Her tale was a sad one,” Sheila recounted. “She died young, trying to stave off the Roman invasion after their soldiers ravaged her sisters right in front of her. She fought many great battles and razed a town, but eventually lost and was killed in battle, her goal never fulfilled.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment, and the room darkened just a bit. Or at least I could have sworn it did.
At length, Sheila continued the tale. “An all-consuming anger like that cannot be contained by one mere lifetime. Her rage and lust for revenge cry out to the heavens to this day, demanding to be sated. In a sense, she wishes for what we all wish for at some point in our lives; a second chance to finish what she started.”
“Okay, I can understand that,” I said, bobbing my head. “But what does that have to do with Mei?”
Sheila glared at me and her beady eyes seemed to bore through my skull. “Eternal life does not come easy to all of us, Damian.” The way she said it, it seemed more like an accusation than an answer.
I pulled on my shirt collar again. “Uh… sure, I get that. So Mei has something to do with that, then?”
She nodded. “Indeed. She requires the essence of an immortal creature to fuel her own path to immortality. Plus a few other things besides. An article of clothing that once belonged to her, and a powerful magic emblem. Something that means a great deal to her clan. A sword.”
Once again, I felt my veins turn to ice. “You… you don’t mean… Grax’thor?”
“Indeed.” Sheila nodded again. “Which is why she’s sent her faithful after you. To retrieve the weapon. Once she has those items in her possession, she’ll have everything she needs to complete the ritual that will end Mei’s life and grant her soul’s essence to her. Then she’ll be nigh unstoppable.”
Well hell. If Mei’s dad didn’t kill everyone, it looked like Queen Boudicca was going to do it for him. And all because of little old me. I really did get myself into the strangest messes.
“Okay, so that’s all bad,” I said. “I get that. But if we rescue Mei, that’ll stop her?”
Sheila looked like she was lost in thought for a moment. She bit her lip with one of her canines. “Perhaps,” she said. “For a time, at least. Like I said, a rage like hers cannot be held by the bounds of something as fleeting as life. There may be a way to end her rage entirely, but the waters haven’t shown it to me.”
I spared a glance at Rick. His eyes were glazed over like he had no idea what was going on or what to think. I’m guessing he’d heard of Boudicca’s sad tale before, at least, but what exactly he was thinking about, I couldn’t say.
“All right, then.” I clapped my hands together. “That was pleasant. Did the waters say anything else to you that we should know about?”
“No, Damian.” She rocked slightly in her chair. “All magic is limited. It only shows what it wants. Unless you want to give more blood, eh?” There was an evil glint in her eyes when she said that word.
“Uh, no thanks.” I grimaced a bit. “I think Rick and I will just get going. Can’t find a dragon and stop an all-out war sitting here, now can we?”
I was trying to lighten the mood, but it didn’t seem to be working. I pulled on Rick’s shoulder and after a few pushes, he finally came to and went with me.
“Thank you, Sheila. Until next time.” I gave her a stiff salute.
Sheila nodded as we walked away. “Any time, Damian. Maybe stop by for a spot of tea next time, eh?”
She muttered a few other things, but we were already out the door at that point. I liked her, really I did, but to be honest, her blood magic kinda creeped me out a bit. Tea was probably not going to happen anytime soon.
We walked outside. The sky had darkened quite a bit since we’d gone in. It was full night now, and the moon was shining bright. It was almost full. It got dark really late the further north you went, and Surrey was pretty far north.
For a second, I thought I caught a strange scent in the air, but it was gone just as quickly. Blood magic could mess with your brain. That was probably all it was.
Rick’s eyes still looked like they were about to bulge out of his skull, so once we were at the car, I waved my hand in front of his face a few times to rouse him.
“Hey, Rick! Buddy! You okay in there?”
Rick shook his head violently a few times. “Huh? What?” He caught sight of me and frowned. “Oh. It’s you.”
I could have sworn there was a hint of disappointment in his tone. Not that I blamed the guy.
“So, what did you think? Crazy, huh?”
“What now?” Rick gave me one of his signature glares.
“Sheila’s fortune telling. Pretty crazy, right? That blood magic sure works wonders.”
“Yeah, about that, Damian.” Rick’s frown deepened. “I just don’t know. A two-thousand year old queen out for vengeance? Sounds pretty far-fetched.”
I shrugged while fumbling for the car keys in the darkness of the street. “Yeah. Crazy right? Who would have let her out of her prison, anyway?” I stifled a laugh.
Rick’s frown turned into a scowl. “A whole bunch of phooey, if you ask me. Just smoke and mirrors.”
I groaned at him in the same moment my hand finally closed on the keys. “Oh, come on, Rick. I know you’re a non-believer and all, but after all that, how can you not believe even just a little bit?”
“So I take it you believed all that malarky?” Rick folded his arms in front of his chest. “I’ve seen plenty of charlatans in my time. They take a few details in what you tell them and spin a grand tale, but they’re all the same. Fakes.”
“Ugh,” I said. “I can’t believe you sometimes. You get magic literally thrown in your face, and you still can’t accept it.”
I put the key in the door and turned it.
“Well I can’t believe you fell for that dog and pony show so easily!”
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I balled my fist to wag it at him when I felt something hard slam into me from behind.
The breath was fo
rced out of my lungs as I slammed against the car door, then the ground came up to meet me, and I fell to the ground in a slump. Stars swam in my vision for just a moment as I struggled to turn over and face my attacker just in time for a long, dark object to crash into my stomach.
Pain racked my body again and I felt like I was going to throw up. Not that I had much left in my stomach to vomit. My lungs heaved as breath returned to them and I coughed it out while I rocked back and forth.
The dark object came at me again and it was all I could do to roll away just in time to dodge the next attack.
11
As quickly as I was able, I stood, spinning to get some distance from my would-be attacker. Once I was upright, I took in the situation as best I could.
On my side of the car were about five people. It was hard to make them out in the dark, but they had bluish paint on their faces, clearly marking them as Boudicca’s men. They had a rather large wolfhound with them, gnashing its teeth and looking ominous. Why it hadn’t attacked yet, I couldn’t fathom.
Well that explained the odd scent from earlier. It was the failinis turning water into wine again. At least they had one useful talent.
On the other side of the car stood Rick, jaw open, mesmerized by the whole deal. He’d done something similar the last time someone had attacked us, so I kind of expected it.
“Rick!” I shouted, hoping he’d hear me. “Run for it! Save yourself!”
He did nothing, though, just kept standing there staring into space.
Damn. I’d have to come up with some other way to save him. These thugs wouldn’t let him sit idly by for long.
The big man with the long, dark object - I could see it more clearly now, it looked like an aluminum bat - lunged at me then, swinging his bat like his life depended on it. In a way, it kind of did.
I ducked to avoid the blow as the bat whooshed through the empty air over my head. In the same moment, I slammed forward with an open palm, aiming for Bat Boy’s sternum.
My attack had better luck than his, and it was Bat Boy’s turn to have the wind knocked out of him as he staggered backward, smacking into his buddies. A tangled mess of arms and legs flew everywhere as the mass of bodies stumbled and fell to the ground, screaming and mewling as they went.
I took advantage of their struggling to rush over to Rick. I took his frame in both hands and shook hard until I saw his eyes blink a few times.
“Rick!” I shouted again.
This time, he looked at me. There was still a hint of confusion in his eyes, but also signs of life. Good. He was coherent enough to listen.
“Run for it, buddy! Get out of here before these guys kill you!”
Rick stared at me for several seconds before doing anything, then nodded. I let go of him, and he took off down the street, arms and legs flailing like he was doing one of those new wave dance moves more than running. It was mildly amusing to watch.
Part of me wondered if that was how he ran when his life wasn’t in danger, too. But that didn’t matter. He’d be safe if he made it far enough, fast enough. That was what mattered.
Me? I’d probably die. But I was okay with that. There were worse ways to go than a glorious death in battle when you were outnumbered. My family would honor my memory.
If there was any world left to honor it in after the dragons and Boudicca tore it apart.
That thought got the blood pumping again. I needed to save Mei. Death could wait until she was safe and sound.
I turned to face the mess of Celtic warriors right as they were getting back to their feet. I could make each of them out better now, and the effect was even more menacing than before.
Lanky Guy and Half-Naked Guy were there in the back, near the failinis. Bat Boy was at the fore, and next to him was a dude with a lead pipe and, of all things, a wiry little female. She looked every bit as deadly as the others.
“Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me,” I said, flashing them all a toothy grin. As I spoke, I fumbled around in my pocket for a small, triangular-shaped object.
Bat Boy returned the grin. I could see he was missing a few teeth, which wasn’t a flattering look for him.
They lurched forward.
“Wait!” I cried. “You’re not going to attack me one on one, keep the odds even? How rude!”
The smiles of my enemies got bigger, and they kept closing the distance.
Heh. So much for chivalry.
I shifted my feet a little, taking up a tiger stance. Like any good Chinese boy in the 18th century, I’d learned several forms of martial arts, so I wasn’t incompetent without a bladed weapon. Still, five on one - six with the dog - was not good odds.
Bat Boy came for me first, swinging his weapon in a wide arc. I shifted and dodged to the side, smacking his weapon arm right at the wrist with a closed fist.
I heard a grunt as the bat clanged on the ground. Bat Boy kept coming, though, his weapon soon forgotten in the scuffle. He ducked low and lunged at me like he was trying to grapple me to the ground, and I feinted backward so his arms grabbed air instead of my tender flesh.
With his head exposed like that, I brought a knife hand down on his neck and smiled as his body crumpled to the ground in a heap.
It wouldn’t hold him for long, but at least it slowed the enemy advance.
Pipe Guy came for me next. He was a good foot taller than me, and twice as heavy. I should have guessed that the armed ones would come at me first. It only made sense. Knock me out nice and easy, then steal my stuff. It’s what I would have done in their situation.
But he wasn’t much more effective than his buddy. He swung his pipe in a vertical arc, intending to bring it crushing down onto my skull.
His swing was harder to dodge than Bat Boy’s, but I managed to move my body out of the way just in time.
The lead pipe barely nicked my arm, and I felt a wave of pain radiate up and down the appendage. Pipe Guy was every bit as strong as he looked.
I tried to grapple the man’s arm and pull the weapon out of his hand, but he was too strong for me, and it felt more like I was helplessly glued to his arm instead, being flung about, as he swung his arm around to free me.
On the last throw, I let go on the outward arc, and the momentum carried me a few feet backward. I stumbled a little to keep my position, but it gave me time to finally find that object I’d been searching for in my pockets while the enemy regrouped.
“Until next time,” I said with a slight bow.
I raised the small, triangle-shaped object high in the air and flung it into the ground as hard as I could. At the last instant, I brought up my other arm to block my eyes.
The flash-bang charm went to work immediately. None of my enemies had been ready for it, so they were all stunned by the intense white light that shot out of the device, filling the entire area for several seconds.
Once again, I took advantage of their confusion. I ran over to the car and flung the driver’s side door open. There inside were my two weapons. I looked at both the katana and Grax’thor for a moment, not doing anything.
Sheila’s words came back to me. Grax’thor. Boudicca needed Grax’thor to complete her ritual. I needed to keep it from them at all costs. So I did the responsible thing and left it in the car, where hopefully they wouldn’t see it, and grabbed the katana.
Now that I had a weapon, I felt better about my odds.
Sure, these guys could come back to life, but it didn’t seem like it was instant or anything, so all I had to do was take them out for long enough to escape and collect Rick, wherever he’d run off to.
I scanned the street quickly, looking for him, but I didn’t see him anywhere. Oh well. Hopefully, he’d escaped.
Half-Naked Guy was the first one to come out of the knot of enemies and approach me once the flash-bang started to wear off. I should have guessed it would be him. The two of us had the most history, after all.
He crouched low and lurched forward, and it was all I could do to jump out o
f the way before he careened into me.
Seriously, who rams themselves headfirst into a guy holding a katana? Not a smart move.
But it worked to his advantage, and he made it past my guard. I brought my blade around and smacked him on the back with the flat of the blade. That hit, combined with his own momentum, sent him sprawling into the passenger door behind me.
His head hit the door with a loud crack, and he went limp.
Nice. One attacker down. Of course, with the shiny new dent he’d left in the car, it would be harder to return it now, but I could deal with that when I was safe and alive. At least it was only superficial.
Wiry Chick was the next one to come after me. I caught a glimpse of something metal in her hands and saw that she was sporting a pair of brass knuckles. I couldn’t let those hit me, or I’d be a goner.
She made a slight jab at my sword arm, and I feinted to the side with ease, but that was followed up by a lunge and another fist to my gut. The second hit connected, hitting the same area in my stomach that had already been bruised by the bat earlier.
My whole body tingled with pain, and I almost lost my footing, stumbling back a step in the process until I was up against Half-Naked Guy’s body.
In a move that smacked more of desperation than planning, I swung my sword around, aimed at her retracting arm. I managed to score a glancing blow against her forearm before she could get it to safety and felt satisfied as I watched a thin combination of skin and clothing fall to the ground.
But Wiry Chick kept coming at me in spite of the injury, like it wasn’t even there.
I’d forgotten that these Celtic warriors were damn-near immortal and didn’t slow from simple damage.
Shoot.
Before Wiry Chick could regroup enough to do much damage, I slid my sword forward, aiming for her chest. She flew backward to dodge the blow, but ended up knocking herself into the driver’s door, which was still open.
With my other hand, I slammed the car door closed onto her body as hard as I could. I heard the crunch of something metal combined with a sickening thunk of something soft, and Wiry Chick went limp.