Fred (Book 6): Undeading Bells

by Hayes, Drew

  “The larger concern for you is what sort of message the House of Fred just sent the entire parahuman world,” Arch continued.

  That seemed like a bit of an exaggeration until I really considered our situation. There were representatives from all manner of species and clans here: therians of Richard’s tribe, the Clover twins and Cyndi were all mages. Obviously, there were vampires thanks to the Blood Council, to say nothing of the countless diplomatic-necessity invites we’d sent to Krystal’s agent connections. Arch was right. There was all sort of parahumans here, and we had to assume they’d all gotten the show thanks to Gideon. Word would spread; there was no stopping that.

  “To me, I’d say we showed the world we don’t roll over on matters that are important to us. I’m guessing you have another take.”

  Arch offered a single nod. “Believe it or not, I’ve basically got the same one, with an important distinction. You didn’t just show an unwillingness to quit; you also demonstrated just how powerful this clan is.”

  “We barely pulled it off. If not for Gideon, it would have been a bust,” I protested.

  A hand touched the pocket with his cigarettes, then pulled back. “Fred, let me explain something. We, being the Agency, said you couldn’t do something. You said ‘fuck you’ and tried to do it, anyway. Happens a lot; people push limits, especially parahumans. What makes your case special is that you succeeded. You got your way. Tonight, you metaphorically slapped the Agency. That also happens; most of us have been at this long enough to know you can’t win all the time. The larger concern is that, as tale of this spreads, others will take note. It’s not often anyone wins against us, even in a low-stakes scuffle. No one is going to underestimate the House of Fred anymore. People will know your name, will count your clan as a player in the games of politics.”

  I’d never considered that possibility. My mind had been entirely occupied by dealing with the Agency and making it to the venue. Oddly, I found myself less bothered by the revelation than I might have expected. I suppose that, deep down, I’d known this was inevitable. Even if it wasn’t happening the way outsiders thought, my clan had slowly been accumulating unique, powerful individuals. With the addition of Asha and her condition, I’d known we’d end up on a bigger radar eventually. If sooner than later was the cost of tonight, it was one I’d easily pay all over again.

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind moving forward.” I paused, mentally rerunning through the evening’s events. “Also, I’m not sure if I ever said it, but thank you for helping stall the agents. I’d have understood if you weren’t on our side in this one, and I’m grateful that you were.”

  “The smart call would have been to side with the agents.” Arch looked away, up to the night sky, where the stars were still shining with all their might, fighting against the dark until dawn’s inevitable arrival. “But even after centuries to learn better, I still have the same weakness that got me into this mess in the first place. I’m a romantic. Living as long as me, you see a lot, but I never stop rooting for real love, when I find it.”

  A roar came from the crowd, and I heard music start playing. Seemed as though we were moving into the dancing portion of the reception, the simple road filling in for our planned dance floor. I’d be needed back soon, as Krystal and I would be expected to open things up. Arch caught the implication, as well, nodding to the party.

  “You should head back. I’m going to have a quick light, and then I’ll join.”

  Perhaps it was the boldness of the evening, or my curiosity spilling over; whatever the case, before leaving, I looked to Arch and posed a question that had been burning in my mind for quite some while.

  “You don’t age, you don’t die. You’re not weakened by silver or any other metal. Despite appearing to be human, you make of habit of defeating parahumans that should be much stronger. I’ve only been able to think of one potential mythical being who could explain all that. An utterly crazy one, but knowing what Krystal is has forced me to keep a very open mind. Just on the offhand chance my guess is right, I have to know this much. Arch… short for archangel?”

  That earned me the first outright burst of laughter I’d ever gotten from Arch. It exploded from his lips, quickly dissolving into quiet shaking and a few light coughs, before he shook his head.

  “Not even close. Archibald just isn’t a name you hear in use much anymore. Baseline: I’m human. That’s what I started as, same as you. Then, life happened, but it isn’t a story we have time for, and definitely not one I would tell on a wedding day.”

  A high-pitched whistle got my attention. I could now see Krystal with her fingers against her lips, preparing to fire off another call if I didn’t get in gear. Good as it was to get a sense of what was to come from Arch, I wasn’t going to miss the night we’d worked so hard for.

  Strolling up, I walked past a town’s worth of supernatural beings, my clan, an assortment of agents, allies, and other various strangers. Near the back of the crowd, I could even spot Sheriff Thorgood, who was grinning from ear-to-ear despite the shiner already growing on his face.

  I walked past them all and up to Agent Krystal Jenkins, my old friend, my hero, my wife. Together, we took each other’s hands as the music began to play, falling into a rhythm that was clumsy and awkward, yet quickly took shape into something coherent as we found each other’s tempo. Our first dance of so many more to come. Some would be awkward, some could be graceful, others would be chaos incarnate. And we would face them all together.

  This was only the beginning. Hard as it had been to reach this point, it was merely the first step on the path of our lives together. Yet, in that moment, dancing with Krystal, surrounded by strangers and loved ones alike, I could hardly wait to see the adventure we’d encounter next.

  Perhaps the future wasn’t so scary a thing, after all. Not with a partner like her at my side.

  Other Novels by Drew Hayes

  About the Author

  Drew Hayes is an author from Texas who has now found time and gumption to publish several books. He graduated from Texas Tech with a B.A. in English, because evidently he's not familiar with what the term "employable" means. Drew has been called one of the most profound, prolific, and talented authors of his generation, but a table full of drunks will say almost anything when offered a round of free shots. Drew feels kind of like a D-bag writing about himself in the third person like this. He does appreciate that you're still reading, though.

  Drew would like to sit down and have a beer with you. Or a cocktail. He's not here to judge your preferences. Drew is terrible at being serious, and has no real idea what a snippet biography is meant to convey anyway. Drew thinks you are awesome just the way you are. That part, he meant. You can reach Drew with questions or movie offers at NovelistDrew@gmail.com Drew is off to go high-five random people, because who doesn't love a good high-five? No one, that's who.

  Read or purchase more of his work at his site: DrewHayesNovels.com