“Who?” Luke replied.
I frowned. “So, you guys followed me without even knowing why? I figured you’d bugged me or something.”
Melody flushed pink. “We followed you because we were worried about you. You took off out of the blue. Luke spotted you leaving in a cab, and we went after you, all the way to Gatsby’s. We waited downstairs, after the host said you’d gone to dine with a Mr. Erebus, and after some time I sensed a disturbance—”
“In the Force?” I interjected automatically. Hard to resist such a perfect opportunity.
“No, not in the Force. Although… I suppose Chaos is like the Force,” she mused. I hadn’t expected her to be a Star Wars geek. “Anyway, I felt a surge of energy and realized you’d portaled out of Gatsby’s. I managed to track the portal signature here, though it took us some time to find you with a chalk door instead of a portal. I had to do some magical improvising, and some delving into my mind palace, to hit the right spot. You know, considering it is nigh-on impossible to chalk door to somewhere you’ve never been. I suppose being the Librarian comes with some perks in that respect.”
“Who’s the guy?” Luke cut in.
“His name is Nash Calvert. He’s the key to Atlantis,” I replied, relaying the rest of the intel about him being a Sanguine with a djinn curse on his blood. One I had to remove, somehow.
Luke fixed his gaze on the woodshed, visibly flipping into mission mode. “How are you going to get him to give up the goods?”
“Lie through my teeth.” I smiled anxiously. “I’d go in guns blazing, telling him I need it for Erebus, but Erebus warned me not to mention him. So, I can’t even name-drop for a bit of leverage—well, not outright, anyway. I guess the E-man fancies keeping up an air of mystique. Wouldn’t do for the key to know who wants him, and why. But I figured I could get this guy to sympathize with me, tell him I’m a servant of Erebus who needs help getting out of a deal. Erebus might not like it, given his orders, but it’s my best option.”
“Unless Nash knows Erebus, and Erebus knows that mentioning his name, in any capacity, would make Nash refuse to help,” Melody said thoughtfully. “Maybe they have bad blood, if you’ll pardon the pun.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Huh… I hadn’t thought of that. Once again, you make a lot of sense, Winchester. Anyone would think you’ve got some knowledgeable insight that the rest of us lack.”
“Well, she is the Librarian, dumbass,” Luke piped up.
“And I was being sarcastic. I guess that’s too much wit for you?” I shot back.
Melody fidgeted with the toggles of her hood. “Are you sure that lying is the right—”
She didn’t get to finish. An ear-splitting howl ricocheted through the woods as a furry beast erupted from the tree line, its white coat having been camouflaged by the snow. It leapt through the air and landed on the path, showing its enormous size. It had the face of a husky but the heft of a dire wolf—massive and savage, and likely ready to tear out our throats. As if sensing my terror, it lowered its head and bared its fangs, a growl thrumming in its throat.
“That’s not your everyday wolf,” I managed to say, my voice shaking.
“You’re damn right.” A figure stepped out of the trees, pointing a rifle at us. One moment, Nash had been in the woodshed, now he was here. Clearly, he’d used this enormous wolfdog as a distraction to sneak up on us.
Well, well, well, Mr. Calvert… you’re one slippery devil.
Twenty-Six
Finch
“Who are you?” Nash growled, matching the rumble of the massive husky. My, my, aren’t you two a match made in heaven? Evidently, they came as a pair, down to the icy blue eyes and shock of silver hair that sprouted from under Nash’s woolen hat. It reminded me of my bygone platinum days, but it turned out strawberry blonds had more fun.
“You’d loosen these lips more if you didn’t have a gun pointed at us.” I lifted my palms in a gesture of goodwill.
Nash stepped forward, bringing the rifle barrel level with my eye. “Funny guy, huh?”
“Just trying to stop you from blowing our heads off, or having White Fang here turn the snow red.” I shrugged. “No need to get trigger happy. We come in peace.”
“I’ll make the demands here, buddy. Who are you? I won’t ask again.” Nash peered down the rifle’s sight, finger flexing on the trigger. One of these days, I’d go on a mission and be welcomed in with coffee and cookies.
I glanced back at Luke. “Hey, pal, whenever you feel like stepping in, that’d be swell.”
Understanding dawned on his stern face. His hand shot up, his wrist twisting suddenly. The rifle flew from Nash’s grip and vanished into the trees.
“What the—!” Nash stared down at his empty hands while the husky’s growl deepened. Nash’s icy eyes flashed with anger. He delved into his coat and whipped out three knives. He raised his arm to hurl them, and Luke twisted his hands again, wrenching the knives from Nash’s grasp and burying them in tree trunks with a trio of satisfying thunks.
“Better late than never.” I cast a grin at Luke, who rolled his eyes.
“And only fools rush in.”
I turned my attention back to Nash. “Will you play nice now? I said it once, I’ll say it again—we come in peace. There’s no need for this to get nasty.”
“You’re on my property without permission. I’d say that’s cause to get a little nasty.” Nash threw up his hands. Fire erupted from his palms and exploded in a volley of fireballs. I dove, hitting the powdery snow face first. Meanwhile, Luke pushed Melody out of harm’s way, playing the hero and getting grazed across the shoulder by a fireball for his trouble.
“Don’t be an idiot, Calvert!” I yelled, flipping onto my back. “We just want to talk!”
Nash aimed a fireball at my head.
Groaning, I raised both hands, unleashing a powerful strand of Telekinesis from my right and a torrent of Fire from my left. The latter drew a barrier around the husky, taking it out of play. The dog whimpered, pawing the dirt as it huddled to avoid the fierce flames. It lifted its blue eyes to its owner, as if he’d know what to do. Unfortunately, at that very moment, my Telekinesis wrapped around Nash and flung him away from his dog and any other tricks he may have wanted to pull. The flames sputtered out, unable to feed on snow.
“Stop it, all of you!” Melody hoisted herself to her feet. Nash recovered and ran forward, looking twice as furious. “There’s no need for violence. Nobody has to get hurt here. Nash, all we want to do is talk. Please, listen to what we have to say.”
“Why should I?” he snarled. The husky huddled against his leg, teeth bared.
“Because I know you’re alarmed and frightened by what my friends here have just done, and I know you don’t really want to do us any harm.” Melody stood her ground, evidently getting a read on Nash. “I can feel your reluctance. You’re not a violent man, Nash. So why don’t we all calm down and try to pretend we’re rational people who don’t want anyone dead.”
Nash narrowed his eyes. “Empath, are you?”
“I am, but I am more than that. My name is Melody Winchester, and I am the new Librarian. Telling you that is an enormous risk to my safety, but I hope you will take that as a sign that we mean well,” Melody replied, shocking Luke and me. “We only want to talk. We aren’t here to rob you, or hurt you, or anything like that.”
A stalemate stretched between us all. I stood, dusting snow from my pants. Nash hesitated, his gaze flitting from Melody to Luke to me and back again. I mean, who could honestly look at Melody and her chubby cheeks and think she wanted to cause trouble?
A lifetime later, Nash lowered his hands. He used one to ruffle the husky’s fur, apparently signaling the beast to stand down. It visibly relaxed, concealing its fangs as its demeanor shifted to fluffy puppy. Steam rose up from its pink tongue as it lolled from its mouth, giving no indication that it still wanted to send us all to kingdom come.
“You understand my wariness. A man’s proper
ty is his empire, and those who enter unannounced don’t tend to have good intentions,” Nash said. “Especially those who sneak up and hide in the trees. You see how it looks to a fella?”
“Well, that’s why you ask questions first and shoot people later, when you don’t like what they’ve got to say,” I replied sharply. Men who waxed lyrical about property and empires tended to have a dose of the high-and-mighties, and I loved taking that kind of person down a peg or two. “Glad to see you’ve got the common sense to back down when you can’t win, though. Luke and I would have floored you, anyway… and your little dog, too.”
Nash scowled. “Excuse me?”
“Ignore him. He rambles when he’s nervous, and I think your dog scared the living daylights out of him,” Melody cut in before I said anything we might all regret. She shot me a Seriously, Finch? look that made me smirk.
“Biggest husky I’ve ever seen,” Luke murmured.
I shrugged. “Doesn’t look so bitey now, though.”
“That’s because I don’t want her to bite… for now.” Nash crouched and stroked the dog’s face. The beastie lapped it up. And literally began lapping Nash’s face, giving him a tongue-bath.
“You want us to give you some privacy?” I laughed, ignoring another warning glance from Melody.
“I guess every group has a joker. Not my taste in humor, though. Too lowbrow for me,” Nash replied coolly. “And this is not just any husky, though I’m guessing you’ve figured that out by now. This is my Familiar, Huntress.”
Melody’s face morphed into excited-chipmunk mode. “I’ve read so much about them, but I’ve never met a real one!”
I scoffed. “Aren’t they just souped-up pets?”
“No, they’re so much more!” Melody explained enthusiastically. “They’re extremely rare in this day and age, and have special abilities of their own, acquired through a series of magic rituals. They share a unique and complex bond with their magical, forged over years and years. A bonding of souls, in a manner of speaking, which is so strong that it causes immense pain to the magical if the Familiar dies, and vice versa. It’s supposed to be worse than the pain of a Purge.”
Nash smiled faintly. “Huntress and I were lucky to form that bond quicker than most. I’ve had her since we were both pups.”
“Not that this isn’t fascinating, but do you think we could take it inside?” I piped up. “I’ve been trudging through this great white pain in the ass for hours looking for you, and these chops won’t function if they’re frozen shut.”
“That wouldn’t break my heart,” Nash retorted, then peered at Melody. “Is he always so charming?”
“Oh yes. Always.” She chuckled. “But he’s not a bad guy, I promise. You know how people get when they’re frozen solid.”
“You should’ve worn a better coat,” Nash retorted.
“Yeah, yeah, I know I’m underdressed. Who knew Canada got so cold?” I tried to rein in the insults, considering I needed to win this guy over.
Melody rubbed her palms together pointedly. “So, how about some coffee?”
“Guess it wouldn’t be very neighborly of me to say no, now, would it?” He led us into the cabin, Huntress padding obediently at his side.
Twenty-Seven
Finch
“Cabin” might’ve been the wrong word for the vibe Nash had going on. I kicked the snow from my boots before entering to be a polite guest, and my stunned gaze rested on what could only be described as a workshop.
“Who’s on the naughty list, Mr. Claus?” I asked, catching Nash’s eye.
He gave a hint of a smirk. “I might switch you over, after the stunt you pulled out there.”
“What else is a guy supposed to do with a rifle stuffed in his face?” I replied. “Isn’t that right, Luke?”
Captain Beefcake shoved his hands in his pockets. “Don’t bring me into this. I’m only here to protect Melody.”
“I didn’t realize the government hired bodyguards for the Librarian.” Nash hung his coat on an iron hook by the door. “But I’m out of the loop. I don’t involve myself in magical society much these days.”
“They don’t.” Luke crossed to where Melody stood gaping at Nash’s workshop. “I’m a private hire.”
“Sensible.” Nash seemed to approve.
A roaring fire burned at the opposite end of the vast cabin, and I enjoyed the warmth sinking into my frozen body. The entire building was open plan, most of the space taken up by long wooden tables and miscellaneous machinery. Knives hung on racks and in various states of construction on the workbenches. Bone handles, wooden handles, semi-precious handles with gold and silver inlay. Beautiful specimens, and, weirdly, not unsettling even in their multitude. They were too pretty to scream slasher-movie killer, and I didn’t see any random limbs or bits of bodies lying around.
“Do you make knives for a living?” Melody turned to Nash.
“It’s a hobby. Keeps me sane through the long winters.” He brushed his fingertips along the nearest workbench. I stayed alert, in case he decided to have another go at thrashing us.
“You haven’t always been here, though, have you?” I remembered the plane carcass with the spark fragments drifting off it.
He cast me a wary look. “This is my main base of operations, but it serves to have outposts and hideaways that I can retreat to, if needed. That’s the trouble with Canadian hospitality—folks always want to drop by and bring me pies and things, so I have to maintain a reputation for drifting in and out of town.”
“I take it you don’t give everyone such a warm welcome?” I gave him a sweet smile.
“I have to defend my property from strangers. Especially magical ones.” His face hardened. “There aren’t any magicals in this town. Huntress sensed you the moment you stepped on the path. That’s why you got the hostile treatment.”
I picked up one of his knives and turned it over in my hand. “I guess that makes sense. Is that why you hide out here, because there aren’t any magicals?”
“You ask a lot of questions.” Nash took the knife from my hand and set it back down on the workbench, as if I’d tried to snatch one of his children. “Before I answer any more, I want to know who you are and why you’re here. You can tell me while I get the coffee going.” He walked to a rustic coffeemaker and began to brew a pot, leaning expectantly against the sideboard.
“My name is Wade Crowley,” I said, sinking onto a varnish-stained stool. “You already know Melody, and that’s her guard dog, Luke Prescott. Not as menacing as yours, but he does the job.”
I had to lie about my identity, considering Melody’s former warning. If Nash got a whiff that I was involved with Erebus, and they did have bad blood, he’d be off like a shot. I didn’t want to risk him knowing who I was and what I’d gotten myself into.
Melody frowned at me but said nothing.
Luke, on the other hand, sighed. “I’m a bodyguard, not a guard dog.”
“Sounds like six and two threes to me.” I chuckled, swinging my feet like a kid. Thanks to Melody, the gremlins had gone underground. The mental freedom felt amazing, making me lightheaded. Even if I knew it wouldn’t last.
“Crowley, eh?” Nash folded his arms across his red-and-black flannel shirt, the uniform of any woodsman worth his salt. “Impressive name to bandy about. I heard you were involved in Katherine Shipton’s demise last year.”
“Ah, so you do get the news here?” It appeared he wasn’t quite the recluse he made himself out to be.
“I dip my toe in from time to time.” He lifted his shoulders in a half-assed shrug. “Now for the million-dollar question—what are a Crowley, a Winchester, and a bodyguard doing here, harassing me?”
Melody stepped in before I could say a word. “We need your Sanguine blood for a spell, to save our friend who’s being forced to live with a horrible and violent djinn. And we’re willing to remove the djinn curse on you, if you agree to help us.”
Whoa there, Winchester. That left me ree
ling. Melody had clearly done her research on Raffe, which I hadn’t anticipated.
Nash lowered his head, deep in thought.
“Nash?” Melody prompted.
He lifted his head. “Can you guys excuse me for a moment?”
“Of course,” she replied.
With a conflicted expression, Nash walked away toward the back of the cabin and disappeared through a doorway in the back wall. Huntress padded after him, leaving us alone in the kitchen-slash-knife-factory.
Luke jumped in right away, his tone hushed. “Wade Crowley? Are you serious? You think he won’t find out?”
“I couldn’t tell him I’m me, could I?” I hissed back. “The deal I struck to kill Katherine was supposed to be secret, but it got around.”
“That’s exactly my point.” Luke heaved a strained sigh. “If Nash has seen your photo in the news, he’ll wonder why you’re lying. Deception won’t get us anywhere. And, I hate to say it, but that goes for you too, Melody. Why didn’t we just tell him the truth, upfront?”
Melody leaned against one of the workbenches. “I did what I had to, based on my judgment of his emotions.”
Luke looked exasperated. “Is this about going to Atlantis again?”
“Huh?” I gaped at Melody. Evidently, they’d been having a lovers’ quarrel I hadn’t been party to.
Luke grimaced. “Melody is still determined to go to Atlantis, even now that Erebus wants to, too, which makes the entire endeavor ridiculously dangerous. I’ve been trying to dissuade her for days, but she won’t listen to reason.”
“Let’s shelve that for a minute.” I could only deal with one piece of stress at a time. “Why did you swoop in with that? I had an excuse ready and waiting.”
“Yours wasn’t going to work,” Melody replied bluntly. “Mentioning a spell to free you from Erebus would’ve made him suspicious, and Erebus explicitly told you not to say his name—he had to have a reason for that. We’re better off pinning this on Raffe, since Nash has been on the receiving end of a djinn curse, too. It’s familiar territory for him, and it’ll play on his sympathies.”
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