The Vigiles Urbani Chronicles- Year One

by Ken Lange

  That was absolutely hysterical, since all he did was practically rip me in two. “I have a couple of broken ribs to go with this beautiful reminder.” Eyeing the corpse, I shrugged. “Probably beats being dead, though.”

  Alexander snorted. “Ya think?” He shot Marcus the finger before kicking the lifeless body hard enough to scoot it a half-dozen feet. “Fucker was a world class douche, with a long list of grave markers to his credit.”

  “Oh,” was all I could manage.

  Alexander pulled his cell out of his pocket and gave the all clear signal. Then he looked at me. “Are you finished here?”

  Since I was about to pass out, I nodded. “Yeah.”

  Alexander stepped forward and snatched my bag off the floor. “This is yours, right?”

  The ability to speak was quickly leaving me, and I nodded.

  Alexander swung a big meaty arm under my shoulders, holding me upright. “Good. Andrew’s in a bit of a rush to get you home.” He hefted me up when I started to sag. “I’ll drive if that’s not a problem.”

  I pointed at the body. “Any idea who he worked for?”

  Alexander grimaced. “Walter Percy.”

  And we have a winner. “Well, at least that means I’m on the right track.” Looking around the loft, I growled. “Is there any chance you guys can hold this place till I can get back and make sure I didn’t miss anything?”

  Alexander cackled. “Oh, we can do that. I’ve been looking for a place for the rest of my clan to stay while we’re in the city.”

  Giving the man a curt nod, I nearly jumped out of my skin when the door pulled open. But the man coming in was one of the guards from Alexander’s crew, and I relaxed. Five minutes later, I was in the passenger seat and headed home. Hopefully, Andrew had something that could fix me up quickly so I could get back on the road again.

  Chapter 25

  We were about ten minutes into the drive when we hit a vicious bump in the road, causing a rib to puncture my lung and another to edge up against my heart. I screamed, and time stopped. Not the you’re-about-to-die-and-your-life flashes-before-your-eyes kind of thing. I mean it stopped. I couldn’t move, and the voice that had spoken to me in that hole twenty years ago whispered behind me.

  Its tone was cold and flat. “The little god inside you thinks you are going to die.”

  Pausing, it slipped its hand through the flesh of my back. “He’s correct.” The unseen appendage rearranged the broken bones. “That is something I cannot allow.”

  Time resumed its natural course.

  I howled in agony when the untapped power of the Grim surged to the forefront of my being. Brilliant blue flames erupted from the gashes on my chest, cauterizing them instantly.

  Alexander nearly wrecked the car when my shirt caught fire. He might’ve done less harm to me if he had. Instead, he waved a big meaty hand in my direction, beating the flames into submission and me along with them.

  Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the house. You’d think that with the rib out of my lung and off my heart, things would’ve been better. You’d be wrong. My ribs were still broken, two at least, and while I wasn’t losing blood any longer, I hadn’t replaced it either. Then there was my burned chest and smoldering shirt. All of which made my trip to the second floor a riot.

  Every breath sent waves of pain through me, and each step jarred my body, leaving me grunting and shuddering. Alexander patiently walked behind me to make sure I didn’t roll down the staircase.

  When I pushed the door open, Kimberly stopped mid-step. The shock on her face was quickly replaced by a blank, all-business expression. She took stock of the visible damage and motioned for me to sit. When I didn’t immediately respond to the nonverbal order, her expression hardened, and she pointed at the chair once more.

  “You need to sit and let me look at you.”

  Andrew swung around to stand over me, taking in the damage. “What the hell happened to you?”

  Thankfully, Alexander grabbed Andrew’s elbow to pull him out of the way and answered the question. He pulled his mobile out and clicked through a few photos before holding it out to Andrew. “Gavin and Marcus Gray went ten rounds, and Marcus lost.”

  Andrew’s eyes bulged. “Seriously?”

  Alexander grinned. “Yeah.”

  Andrew took the phone and stared at it a long time before turning his attention to me. “You did this?”

  Kimberly, meanwhile, was poking and prodding at my chest. Swinging around, she pushed Andrew back with a grumble, disgust written across her delicate features. “Get the fuck out of my way. You can gossip later, but right now I’ve got a patient to tend to.” She gave Alexander and Andrew a pointed glare. “Unless either of you want to be second and third in line, find somewhere else to be.”

  Even the slightest pressure caused my chest to vigorously object as she continued her examination. “Think you could ease up a little? I just got a rib out of a lung…I don’t need another.”

  She grabbed a pair of surgical scissors out of her bag and cut away my shirt, wincing at the burned mess on my chest. “What the hell did you do?” She wheeled on Alexander. “Did you take a goddamn blowtorch to him?”

  I tugged weakly at her sleeve. “This wasn’t his doing…” There was no way I was going to tell them about the Grim, so I lied. “It was the denarius.”

  Alexander paled as he looked down at us. “I don’t know what happened, but it scared the shit out of me. One second, he was sitting there bleeding, and the next he was on fire.” His pallor worsened, and I thought he might puke. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  Andrew stepped closer, handing the phone to Alexander. He got close enough to get a good look at the blistered and melted skin, but stopped far enough away not to impede Kimberly’s work. “Fascinating,” he mumbled. “The denarius did all that?”

  I rolled my shoulders noncommittally. Big mistake. Pain coursed through my body in long, nauseating waves. Trying to keep the contents of my stomach off the floor, I tensed and held my breath until it passed. “Thankfully. I may’ve bled out if it hadn’t.”

  Andrew turned to Alexander. “How serious were the wounds?”

  Alexander didn’t look well, and his voice was low when he spoke. “I’m not sure how Gavin was conscious when I arrived. I’ve seen men die from far less.”

  During the conversation, Alexander and Andrew had drifted too close for Kimberly’s liking, and she growled. “If you don’t step back, I’m going to cut both of you.”

  She pulled an ancient brown vial and a couple of cotton balls from the open bag on the table. When she removed the stopper, the room filled with a foul stench as she poured a thick, green ichor onto my chest. She used the cotton balls to smear the near-vomit-inducing fluid over the charred wound.

  The green ooze suddenly crackled and bubbled. Kimberly fell back in surprise, and my chest felt like it was on fire for the second time in less than an hour. Sickly gray and black smoke rose into the air, and the last of the ichor boiled away, leaving my chest covered in a thin layer of ash.

  Everyone stood there, dumbfounded. It took nearly a minute before Andrew turned and disappeared, returning quickly with wet washcloths and a towel. Kimberly held out a hesitant hand to take the washcloth before regaining her composure. Once she was fully in control of her body, she cleaned the wound.

  The sensation of the cold cloth against the hot skin felt good…and then I realized I wasn’t in pain. Testing a theory, I took a deep breath… Nothing. With each stroke, Kimberly revealed the bright pink of new skin.

  “That stuff is awesome.”

  I’d expected to find satisfaction on Kimberly’s face, but instead she looked confused and a little frightened. She peered up at me, and asked, her voice barely above a whisper, “How do you feel?”

  I took the towel from Andrew, wiped the rest of the ash away, and tentatively leaned forward. My ribs still ached, but it was nothing a hot shower wouldn’t cure. The room was quiet, and I craned my nec
k to see their stunned faces. “What? I’m fine. Hell, I’m better than fine. I feel great.”

  Kimberly tucked the vial away and scrambled to her feet. “You shouldn’t. The salve was meant to speed up the healing process slightly, fight off infections, and ease the pain.” She gestured at me, and her face scrunched up in disbelief. “Nothing like that.”

  “Oh,” was all I could manage. Getting my head on straight, I looked at Alexander. “Think you could give us a minute?”

  He was only too happy to comply.

  Kimberly kept her distance, but curiosity was clearly getting the best of her. “That’s just so odd.”

  I got to my feet and looked at them. “I’m sure everyone has questions, me included, but if there are no objections, I’d like a shower.”

  Twenty minutes later, I was clean, and my ribs were no longer an issue. Grabbing a new set of clothes, I made sure everything was a George original. If I’d been paying more attention this morning and worn one of his shirts, I wouldn’t have had my chest torn open. To ensure I’d never make that mistake again, I gathered up all my old clothes and tossed them in the bin.

  In the kitchen, Isidore and Alexander were standing over the counter, whispering. They nearly jumped out of their skins when I popped in. Isidore looked at me, shaking his head. “Do you ever make noise?”

  “Meh.”

  “Normally, this is where I’d tell someone not to sneak up on me or they might get hurt, but in this case, I think I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Isidore stepped aside to reveal the heaping plate of burgers.

  Alexander chuckled. “Wisest thing you’ve said in years.”

  I suppressed my amusement and tried to do a little damage control along the way. “Ever think I might’ve gotten lucky?”

  Isidore snorted. “Please. I’ve seen Marcus fight. Nobody’s that lucky.”

  By the looks on their faces, there wasn’t a chance in hell of convincing them otherwise. My stomach growled, and I pointed. “Could I get one of those?”

  Isidore thumbed at the table. “Take a seat, and I’ll make you one.”

  That was an offer I couldn’t pass up. “Thanks.”

  Isidore set about making the burger with all the trimmings then allowed me to eat in relative silence as he and Alexander discussed house security. Finishing up, I headed into the living room to find Kimberly and Andrew having a heated discussion at the desk.

  Kimberly waved a triumphant hand in my direction. “Do you believe me now?”

  Andrew’s eyes fixed on me. “I’m not convinced.”

  Kimberly’s mouth fell open in disbelief. “Seriously?”

  I’d never liked being the center of attention, and I liked it less when people talked behind my back. Strolling over, I gingerly sat in the chair next to Kimberly. “Anyone care to fill me in?”

  Irritation covered her face, and glaring at Andrew, she waved for him to interject. “Yes, Andrew, please tell Gavin what we’ve been talking about.”

  He looked more than a little put out. “I’d like to know how you’re feeling first, if that’s all right?”

  Gesturing at my chest, I scowled. “I’m a little sore in places, but otherwise fine.”

  Andrew contemplated my words for a long moment before turning to Kimberly. “If your theory was correct, he’d be completely healed by now. Think about it. The entire grounds are covered in enchantments, which, I might add, haven’t lost an ounce of their potency since he arrived.”

  Kimberly didn’t appear convinced, but he’d clearly shaken her confidence. Turning to face me, she pushed herself up in the chair. “But you are feeling significantly better since I applied the ointment?”

  I frowned. “A few seconds after you applied it, yeah. But there hasn’t been any further improvement.”

  She deflated. “I see.”

  Irritated, I said, “Maybe if one of you came out and said what was on your mind, I could help.”

  Kimberly dug up the courage to speak first. “With everything I’ve seen recently, and after a long discussion with your uncle, I was starting to think you were a siphon.”

  Kur urged caution.

  “What’s a siphon?”

  Andrew glowered at Kimberly. “They’re a myth, and nothing to concern yourself about.” His gaze never left Kimberly. “There’s never been recorded proof of their existence.”

  That was a dodge. “That didn’t answer my question.”

  Andrew tore his gaze from her. “A siphon absorbs power from the world around them. They can use any sort of magical energy to heal themselves, and they drain the life from those around them at an astonishing rate.” He turned to Kimberly. “That is, if you believe the legends.”

  Draining the life out of everyone around me and transforming magic into healing properties. I could definitely check one of those things off the list. But my gut told me I wasn’t a siphon. I might’ve had some of their traits, but it was obvious even to me that she was wrong. “Granted, I may heal quickly when exposed to magic, but I think we can all agree that I’m not sucking the life out of you. Think about it…if that were the case, Heather wouldn’t be getting better.”

  Kimberly blinked then slowly nodded. “That’s true, but you have to admit,” she waved a hand at my chest, “whatever that was is weird.”

  I frowned. “True… Thing is, I’m not sure that a Stone Born is capable of being a siphon.”

  Astonishment shone on Kimberly’s face as she turned to Andrew. “Why didn’t you say that he was a Stone Born to begin with?”

  Andrew shrugged. “Honestly, I didn’t think about it till just now.”

  Cutting in, I said, “Besides, if I were one, the…denarius would’ve said something by now.”

  Her mouth dropped open, and she eyed me curiously. “You can speak with it?”

  “Of course.”

  Andrew looked confused. “I knew it was a warehouse of knowledge, much like my own coin, but I’ve never heard of anyone being able to communicate with it.”

  I had the sudden feeling I’d just told the room I had an imaginary friend. “Maybe the others just haven’t said anything. I mean, it sounds a little peculiar…”

  Kimberly’s face was hard yet somehow more welcoming. She gestured at my right arm. “Andrew tells me that isn’t the only unusual thing about your bond with the coin.”

  The Aquila…one more item in a long list of eccentricities. Pulling the sleeve up high enough for her to see it, I said, “I suppose it isn’t.”

  Kimberly got to her feet and, for the first time since my chest was covered in ash, got close enough to touch me, running a finger around the scar tissue. “Could it be?”

  Andrew was on his feet and next to her nearly instantly. “Like I said earlier, I really don’t think so.”

  The way she touched the symbol was almost reverent. “Well, I do.”

  Her words hit Andrew hard enough to make his body slump. “It couldn’t be.”

  With a jerk of my sleeve, I covered the mark. This was really starting to piss me off. “I hate coming in late on a conversation, because I miss all the important shit, like the context in which any of your words make sense.”

  Andrew kept his eyes fixed on the sleeve of my shirt. “I’ll look into it.” He brought his gaze up to mine. “She believes you wear Caesar’s seal.” He looked at her pointedly. “If that were the case, Lazarus would’ve been here by now.”

  Kimberly collapsed into her chair with a sigh. “Who says he isn’t on the way?”

  Andrew’s annoyance was getting the better of him, and he raised his voice. “Let’s start with the fact that Europe hasn’t lost their shit. Seriously, if he as much as moved a toe outside the Vatican, people would be shouting about it. Secondly, there hasn’t been a vigil strong enough to take over for Naevius since his death at the Battle of Hastings, and you somehow think my nephew is going to walk in and suddenly pick up the mantle?”

  Kimberly was ready for the argument and pointed at me again. “He wears the Aquila, an
d I’ve never heard of another vigil having such a mark. You really need to accept the fact that Gavin isn’t normal, by any stretch of the imagination.”

  I desperately wanted to know more, but there were things that needed tending to, and sitting here wasn’t getting them done. Hesitantly, I got to my feet. “When this is over, I’d like to sit down and hear both sides of this argument. For now, all I can say is I appreciate your…faith in my yet-to-be-discovered abilities. But I need to resolve this situation before I can even wrap my head around the rest of what you two are implying.”

  Quickly saying my goodbyes, I wandered off to my room, considering the possibilities. If Lazarus did show up, it would only complicate things, and I didn’t need that right now. My attempts to ask Kur were met with silence. Great, even my imaginary friend wasn’t talking to me…or perhaps he just didn’t know the answer.

  Chapter 26

  It was dark by the time I reached Elmwood. On the drive over, even as distracted as I was by thoughts of Lazarus, the Aquila, and siphons, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being followed. Traffic had been virtually nonexistent, so I doubted I’d been physically tailed. Of course, with magic in the mix, that may not have been necessary.

  The business park was dead to the world at this time of day; even so, I gave the area a hard look before making my way to the door. I punched in the code then waited for the click of the magnetic lock to disengage before moving inside. Gabriel stepped through the double glass doors leading to the back, a sandwich in one hand and a Glock in the other.

  Sucking something out of a tooth, he holstered the weapon. “Evening.”

  “How are things?”

  He held the door open as I passed. “Everything’s fine here. You, on the other hand, look like you’ve had a shit day.”

  That was a nice way of saying I looked like roadkill. “Yeah, it’s been a rough one.” Glancing over my shoulder, I peered back at the doors.

  Gabriel followed my gaze. “What?”