by Mac Flynn
He folded the note and tucked both envelope and paper into his pocket as he shook his head. "I don't know, but I do know Mab's never closed her diner."
I arched an eyebrow. "Never?"
"Never."
I frowned and looked at the Closed sign. "She was open pretty fast after that car crashed into the place, wasn't she?"
He nodded. "Within a few minutes after the investigation. Mab has a knack for cleaning up trouble."
I turned to him and nodded at his pocket that held the note. "Looks like she's found some that won't disappear at the wave of her cat paw."
The sound of a child's scream interrupted our conversation, and our lives.
CHAPTER 3
"Aahhh!"
Orion and I spun around so we faced the way we came. A small figure raced out from a side street halfway down the empty main road. Their destination was the park, but their pursuers had other ideas.
Behind the short figure floated three dark tall, thin forms shrouded in billowing black cloaks. The lower hem of their outfits stopped a half foot above the ground, but their bodies stopped higher. There was a gap of air between the hem and the road. Their long sleeves ended in the same limb deficiency. They leaned forward as though fighting a tough wind.
Orion's sharp voice brought me out of my careful attention to detail. "Get ahead of the girl and grab her!"
I whipped my head to him and frowned. "How?"
He pointed at a side street to our right. "Take that way and get into the alley." He started off on a fast sprint, but looked over his shoulder. "And watch out for the pit!"
"The what?" I yelled back, but he was already off on the chase. I shook my head and sprinted down the street and into the alley. "I don't get paid enough for this."
The alley behind the main street shops was narrow and littered with trashcans, potholes, and alley cats that were mean-looking enough to scare the trio of floating ghouls I just saw. My feet pounded down the slick, hard-packed trail of snow created by vehicle tires.
I glanced around for any signs of a hole. "I don't see a-what the hell!"
Ahead of me was a deep, round darkness. Two boards led the wheels of the tires safely across. My stumbling, panicked feet slipped on the ice. I careened toward the endless blackness. A fateful hop and I landed on the other board. The plank bounced up and down, and sent me teetering toward the pit again. I threw myself forward and hopped between bouncing boards until I reached solid but icy ground.
I didn't have time to take a breath before my feet slipped out from under me. I crashed to the ground and slipped down the gentle slope toward the park. The little girl and her dark entourage came into view from the street to my left. Their hoods concealed all but their red, glowing eyes that were affixed on their prey. One of the creatures swooped down and stretched out a long, white clawed hand for the girl.
I slid into her like she was home base and I was making the winning point. My legs swept hers out from under her, but I caught her before she hit the ground. We glided out of the pale grasp of the phantom just as Orion came up behind them. He pulled out one of his many small leather bags and stuffed his hand inside. A quick twist of the wrist and he tossed the contents of his hand at the creatures. The gray powder fell on them and ignited their cloaks.
The creatures let out a screech and scattered high into the air. They flickered like bad TV reception and melted into thin air.
I slammed my heels into the ground and put on the brakes. We stopped at the crest of the park and I looked down at my charge.
The girl was about eight with long, black shimmering hair that cascaded down her back to her waist. She wore a pair of worn jeans and a white blouse. Around her neck was a gold chain, and on the gold chain hung a small, ovular purple jewel with a black cat's eye in the middle.
I glanced up at Orion as he walked up to us. "Do you know her?"
He knelt on the other side of the girl and shook his head as he studied her. "No, and I didn't hear about any new people moving in. She could be a runaway led here by the tree."
"Well, whoever she is she's really out," I commented.
Orion grinned. "You smashed into her pretty good, and you're not light."
I whipped my head up and glared at him. "That's stepping a few pounds close to me pounding you. Besides, you didn't give me ample warning about that black hole in the ground."
He held up his hands. "I never argue with a woman scorned, and that hole's been there so long I forgot you didn't know about it."
"Somebody should vaporize that thing with magic," I suggested.
He shook his head. "It's been tried, but nothing works on it."
I returned my attention to the girl in my arms. "Speaking of magic, we might just need some to get her to wake up." I gave her a shake. "Come on. Snap out of it."
The girl scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head. "No. No! Please don't leave me, Henry! Please don't go!"
I leaned down so our faces nearly touched and gave her a good shake. "Hey! You're all right! You can relax now!" The girl's face relaxed and her body went limp in my arms. I rolled my eyes. "I didn't mean it that way."
Orion chuckled. "I think we're stuck with her for a while."
I glanced up at him and frowned. "Shouldn't we be calling a Lost Paranormal Pipsqueak hotline or something?"
He shook his head. "There isn't one, but we can take her to the police tomorrow. I think they've got their hands full tonight with that ship."
I sighed and studied the waif in my arms. "So what do we do with her until then?"
Orion stooped and took her from my arms. He stood and pressed her against his chest. "Ever babysat someone before?"
I rose to my feet and arched an eyebrow. "You're not serious, are you? I mean, some days I've got my hands full enough babysitting you, and you're supposed to be my sidekick."
He grinned. "Then tonight you'll be the sidekick and I the ace babysitter."
Orion walked past me with my mouth dropped to the parking lot. I balled my hands into fists and glared at his retreating back. "I'm not a sidekick."
"Then how come you're falling behind?" he called over his shoulder.
"Because I don't want to catch some of your dumbness!" I snapped.
I growled and marched after him. We rejoined a half block down and I glanced at the sleeping bundle in his arms. There was a small smile on her lips as she cuddled against his chest.
My eyes flickered up to him. "So what were those things that were chasing her, anyway? The new welcoming committee?"
His face fell and his eyes hardened. "They're called Death's Messengers. They're brought into this world by a curse and charged with taking the soul of the cursed one back with them."
I arched an eyebrow. "That sounds like a lot of big trouble to be following a little girl like this."
He nodded. "It is. It takes a lot of skill and power to cast the curse. I doubt even Mirela would be able to do it."
"So who would?" I asked him.
Orion shook his head. "I don't know, but maybe she can tell us when she wakes up."
I sidled up closer to Orion. "So how do you know so much about this curse, anyway?"
He grinned. "I don't know if I should tell you. You might get jealous."
I rolled my eyes. "Seriously? Me get jealous? Now 'fess up. Who'd you make mad?"
He shrugged. "Oh, just a coven of wizards. One of my friends dared me to steal the magic seal of their leader."
I snorted. "That guy's name wouldn't happen to start with a 'B,' would it?"
Orion chuckled. "Maybe, but anyway, I got the seal, but got caught. There I was trapped in their cave until I saw the hole in the ceiling that let out the smoke from their large bonfire pit, the one they used to burn heretics at the stake."
I raised an eyebrow. "Um, isn't it usually the other way around?"
He shook his head. "Not around here."
I snorted. "Of course. I forgot we were in Bizarro World. Continue."
He furrowed
his brow. "Where was I?"
"About to make a quick getaway through the ventilation shaft."
"Oh, right, well, I partially transformed-the most I could do those days was change my hands-and had just reached the hole when there came a deafening quiet over the crowd. That's when I heard the leader chant the curse and saw those Death's Messengers appear."
"So did you have better luck outrunning them?" I wondered.
He snorted. "Nope. They caught me before I got out of the cave. I lost my grip and crashed to the floor. The wizards surrounded me and I thought I was a goner until something jabbed me in the ass."
"Your mother's astral projection?" I guessed.
Orion shook his head. "No, something much better, and less scary. Bill and I had been playing with silver crosses earlier, and I forgot to take one-" I held up my hands.
"Wait a sec. Playing with silver crosses was a thing when you were growing up?" I asked him.
He shrugged. "We dared each other to touch them."
"But doesn't silver burn were-people?"
"Only a little."
I rolled my eyes. "Continue."
"As I was saying, I left a cross in my pocket, so when the Messengers got close to me I waved it in the air like a lunatic. That scared them away and they crashed into the wizards. You should have seen those old men shuffle in every direction. Some of them even got up to a stride."
I snorted. "I hope you didn't give any of the wilting wand wielders a heart attack."
He shook his head. "Nope, but I nearly did. I ran all the way home and hid under my bed with my cross. That's where my mom found me and forced the truth out of me. She marched me back to the coven and apologize to all of them."
I arched an eyebrow. "She sounds like she was quite a woman."
He nodded. "Yep. Still is."
I stopped and blinked at him. "Wait, so you're saying your mom's still alive?"
He paused and half-turned to me with a sly smile on his lips. "I thought you were cold."
"Why the hell haven't I met her?" I questioned him.
He shrugged. "I guess we just haven't had the time, what with the Sickness, and the Amazonians, murders, and, well-" he glanced down at the girl in his arms and grinned, "-there's our growing family to look after."
I crossed my arms and glared at him. "Is it because I'm not good enough?"
He cringed. "It's nothing like that, she's just-well, my mom. That's it."
I shuddered and held myself closer. "That isn't it, but we'll talk about this after I've thawed. Besides, you never finished your story."
He blinked at me. "I didn't?"
I shook my head. "No. You told me how you knew about Death's errand boys-"
"Messengers," he corrected me.
"-but you haven't told me what you threw at them. That didn't look like tiny crosses," I pointed out.
He grinned. "Actually, they were. I ground up some silver crosses and tucked them into that bag. I never leave home without it."
I clicked my tongue and shook my head. "What would the good Mr. Aude think of that?"
"He'd be pretty pleased to find out who took his crosses and left a couple of bucks in their place."
I snorted. "You know you're going to Hell, right?"
He grinned. "Yeah, but that's all right. I wouldn't know anyone in Heaven, anyway."
CHAPTER 4
We traipsed up the quiet hill to the street on which we lived. A bright color in the white neighbor's lawn caught my attention. The sign read Room For Rent in bold, red letters.
I glanced at Orion and jerked my head toward the sign. "Looks like Widow Snoopy next door wants some company." That was the old woman who lived beside us. She was snoopier than a hound and as gossipy as a parrot.
He shook his head as he strode up the path to our porch. His lips were pursed as he glanced down at the girl in his arms. "There's no time for that. I'm a little worried that she hasn't woke up yet." He stopped on the porch and turned to me as I followed him up the steps. "Besides, I have much to teach you about caring for kids, my young apprentice."
I snorted and opened the door. "Just don't lead me to the Dark Side, okay? Black is not my color."
We strode into the warm house. Orion walked to the living room and spread the girl out on the couch. He stepped back and turned to me as I sidled up beside him. "See if you can get her hands and feet warm."
I arched an eyebrow. "And what are you going to do?"
He grinned. "Make a special wake-me-up juice."
My face fell. "I thought we were supposed to be reviving her, not finishing the job of those Errand Boys."
"Just try to warm her up," he insisted as he strode over to the kitchen.
I sighed and knelt beside the girl. Her hands were like ice as I clasped one in my hands and started rubbing. I studied her pale face with its pursed lips. She looked oddly familiar, but I couldn't place the nose. My eyes wandered down to the necklace and the dark jewel set in the small gold frame. I tilted my head to one side to match the direction of the eye.
"Don't catch her on fire," Orion teased as he knelt beside me. In his hand was a clear glass. He stirred the brackish contents with a spoon as he leaned down to look at the girl.
My eyes flickered up to his face. "I could say the same thing to you." The girl moaned and her eyes fluttered open. She looked in my direction, but I felt like she stared right through me. "Looks like we have a lively one."
Orion shook his head. "Not quite," he commented as he placed the spoon on the coffee table. "It looks like she's been hit by a powerful magic.
My nose wrinkled as a pungent odor rose from the concoction. It smelled like a mixture of rabbit dung and formaldehyde. "Are you trying to wake her up or embalm her?"
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," he quoted. He scooted closer to the front of the couch. "Now help me tip her head back."
I tilted her head back and he slid the mummy medicine down her throat. Half the road material went down before the girl choked.
"That should be enough," Orion commented as he leaned away.
"Yeah, she outta be ready for the grave any time now," I teased him.
My prediction was a little off. The girl blinked and her empty gaze disappeared. She looked around the room in bewilderment. "W-where am I?" Her eyes widened and her body stiffened. She whipped her head left and right and tried to sit up, but I held her shoulders to the couch. "Where are they? Where are those things?"
"Whatever was chasing you did a disappearing act after Orion threw some silver at them," I spoke up. The girl's large dark eyes blinked at me. I jerked my head over my shoulder at Orion behind me. "For lawsuit purposes, he's the guy behind me."
She looked past me at Orion and blinked at him. "Orion?"
He grinned and nodded. "Yep, lifesaver extraordinaire."
"And modest man," I quipped.
The girl sat up and glanced down at her hands. She furrowed her brow. "Who am I?"
I arched an eyebrow. "You don't know?"
The girl clasped the cat's eye jewelry in her small hands and frowned. "I. . .I don't remember."
I looked to Orion who had pursed his lips. "Please tell me amnesia isn't contagious around here."
He shook his head. "No, but it is serious. We need to know who cast that spell, and if she can't tell us this is going to be a lot harder to figure out."
I returned my attention to the girl. "Can you at least remember who tried to have your soul escorted to the other side?" The girl flinched.
"Trix," Orion warned me.
I shrugged. "What? It's true."
"Let me handle this," he suggested. Orion scooted me back with his arm and took my place.
I stood and crossed my arms over my chest as I glared down at him. "It's not like I bite. Much."
He smiled at the young girl. "What can you remember?"
She furrowed her brow and turned her face away. "I don't know remember anything."
He leaned forward to catch her eye. "N
ot even where you came from? Or where your parents are?" The girl shook her head. Orion's smile grew strained. "What about your favorite food?"
The girl shrank into herself and squished into the corner of the couch. She shook her head and muttered her reply. "I don't remember anything, okay? Please just stop asking."
Orion leaned away and looked up at me. He shrugged and climbed to his feet so we stood shoulder-to-shoulder. His eyes flickered to me and he jerked his chin toward the kitchen.
I led the way to the kitchen and we faced each other on the other side. "Well?" I asked him.
He sighed and shook his head. "I'm not sure. She might get her memory back after a good rest, or she might not get it back at all."
I glanced at the couch. The girl leaned her back against the rear of the couch and her face was turned away from us. "So do we need to worry about her transforming into an aardvark and trying to suck our faces off?"
A snort escaped his lips. He covered his mouth with his hand and cleared his throat. "I think the aardvark's claws is worse than its bite, but she's a little too young to transform, anyway. That doesn't happen until they're a teenager."
"So I was a late-bloomer?" I asked him.
Orion grinned and placed a hand on the counter behind me. He leaned toward me and lowered his voice. "Better late than never."
I rolled my eyes and pushed him away. "Focus, Casanova. You brought a mental patient in the house, remember?"
He sighed and pushed away from me. "I suppose I should act like the adult."
I jerked my head toward the couch. "You can start by acting like one for her. She's going to need a lot of adult-ing until we can get her to the authorities."
He grinned. "Maybe we could take turns. You know, get a head-start on our future."
I arched an eyebrow. "Either I'm dealing with two cases of amnesia, or you're delusional."
He shrugged. "Maybe a little of both, but why don't we each take a shift? I've put some protections around this house over the years, but I've never tested them on Messengers."
I glanced at the back of the girl's head. "So you think they'll come back?"
He nodded. "Some time, though maybe not tonight. Still, we can't be too careful when dealing with those things, and that's why we need the shifts."
I frowned at him. He smiled at me. I inched my arm out. He did the same.
Thus began our epic rock-scissors-paper duel. It lasted about as long as a duel. He made the mistake of using rock his first pass, an amateur move in a game of skill. I waved my paper hand and grinned at him.