by Ken Lange
I shook my head. “You know as well as I do that people exaggerate.”
He rolled his shoulders. “That might be, but the man has a proven track record…so much so that the odds of us surviving this shit storm have gone up significantly.” He tapped his cell. “In fact, I’ll be waiting to see if Ignatius is coming here himself before calling Danielle. If he is, she probably won’t even yell at me…much.”
Well, wasn’t that special? My chances of living through this ordeal were looking better and better. Considering that a single necromancer had nearly overwhelmed me with his undead, and another had almost drowned me, things hadn’t exactly been going my way.
Rubbing my forehead, I sighed. “Do you really think she’ll be that impressed with a single man showing up?”
Cole nodded. “I do… Look, you don’t get it because you’ve never heard of the guy before. But Ignatius is one of the most powerful people on the planet. That’s it, end of story. So, if he shows up, the wife will be a little more accepting of the situation. Mind you, she’s still going to be pissed off, but she’ll be way more understanding with Ignatius in the picture.”
It took a second for everything to sink in. “Oh…”
Cole backhanded my chest. “Don’t look so distraught. Things really are looking up for us.”
I forced a smile onto my face and nodded. “If you say so.”
He laughed.
In another fifteen minutes, we stopped at a place called Lotaburger. Where my uncle had been endeavoring to murder my liver with scotch, Cole was trying to kill me with fast food. Don’t get me wrong, it was awesome, and just what you’d expect from a place like this, but I was going to need to put in a few extra hours at the gym if he kept this up.
Cole went to dump our trash and head to the restroom when my phone rang.
I held the phone to my ear. “Hello, this is Gavin.”
A man with a thick Scottish accent said, “Good day to you, Gavin. It’s a pleasure to finally have an opportunity to speak with you. My name is Hayden Ignatius MacKay.” He paused for a second before continuing. “Justine tells me you’ve landed yourself in a bit of a mess. Is that true?”
I got to my feet and walked out to the truck for some privacy. “Nice to meet you…sort of. Did she fill you in?”
He chuckled. “Not really, no. She was called away before finishing, but from what I was able to gather, there are a number of necromancers involved.”
Not sure why, but when I opened my mouth, I couldn’t stop myself from telling him everything, which took the better part of twenty minutes.
He sniggered. “Sounds like your arse is out the window… Mind if I ask a personal question?”
I leaned against the truck. “If it means you’ll help, sure.”
The good humor faded from his tone. “I was always going to help, lad.”
Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back to the sky. “Ask away then.”
He paused for a long moment before letting out a breath. “How did you arrive in New Mexico?”
Holding the phone away from my ear, I blinked at the absurdity of the question. “Commercial airline. Why?”
He took a sharp breath. “So, you didn’t use the gate?”
My confusion left me as embarrassment took center stage. “No, not the gate. It doesn’t seem to work for me…I think it falls into the same category as most things in the Archive.”
Curiosity laced his tone. “How’s that?”
I let out a nervous chuckle. “Well, if it requires magic to activate, I can’t use it… Simply put, I’m magically challenged. Mostly, anyway.”
“But you do have abilities.”
Nodding, I said, “Yeah, but they aren’t what you’d expect.”
His tone suddenly turned serious. “They rarely are. I’ll be there by nightfall. It appears we have much to talk about over the next few days.”
Arching my eyebrow, I asked, “Oh?”
Ignatius’s voice was hard. “Yeah. I’ll call you when I get to town.”
A mild case of panic started to set in. “Wait, don’t hang up.”
He paused. “You need something else?”
Shaking my head, I said, “No, I just needed to let you know it’ll take us a few hours to get back to Santa Fe.”
He laughed. “Oh, yeah, don’t bother. Stay put, and I’ll meet you in Grants. I was there once, a very long time ago… I’m pretty sure I recall the way. After I get there, I’ll call, and you can come pick me up.”
Shrugging, I chewed on my lip. “Okay, I can do that.”
“Great. See you soon.”
I ended the call and glanced over as Cole sat down. “It looks like Ignatius will be here by nightfall.”
He grinned and patted me on the back. “That’s awesome. When are we picking him up at the gate?”
I shook my head. “We’re not… He said he’ll meet us here in town.”
His lips twitched up into a smile. “Fine, then I guess we’re stuck here for a while.”
Looking around the dusty parking lot, I asked, “What do you want to do till he shows up?”
Cole shrugged. “No idea, but I’d rather sit someplace where there aren’t as many people.” Thumbing over his shoulder, he got to his feet. “I say we camp out by the abandoned station until he calls. It’s close enough to grab a bite, use the toilet, and still have cell service.”
Glancing over at the spot, I said, “Sounds good to me.”
We used the time to call our significant others. As expected, I got Heather’s voicemail. Cole, on the other hand, had to deal with an irate Danielle, but just like he’d said, she calmed down when she found out Ignatius was coming in to give us a hand. While she didn’t like the idea, he convinced her to stay put until we were able to get a better handle on the situation.
The day was dragging on, until a few minutes after three, when a bolt of energy shot through my body. I turned to Cole. “Did you feel that?”
He gave me a quizzical look. “Huh?”
I opened my mouth to explain when my phone rang.
Unable to shake the uneasy sensation in my gut, I answered. “Hello.”
Ignatius took a deep breath and said, “Afternoon. Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m at an abandoned hotel called the Desert Sun.”
“All right. One second.” Covering the mic, I relayed the information.
Cole thought for a moment then nodded. “I know the place. It’s just down the road from here. Tell him we’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Moving my hand, I opened my mouth to speak but Ignatius cut me off. “I heard the man. See you shortly.”
Ending the call, I shrugged. “Guess the cab is about to get crowded.”
Cole shook his head. “Not if you ride in the back.”
I chuckled. “Already playing favorites?”
Cole smirked. “What can I say? The man scares me more than you.”
After I climbed into the truck, Cole put it in gear, and we turned back toward Highland Meadows. Ten minutes later, we pulled into the abandoned parking lot to find a short, stocky, redheaded man standing there, holding a duffel with a small pack thrown over his shoulder.
I couldn’t tell you what it was that set me on edge, but there was something familiar about him. A shiver ran up my spine as I got closer, and his emerald eyes locked onto mine. Holding out my hand, I said, “I’m Gavin Randall.”
Ignatius froze for an instant before shaking my hand. The moment he touched me, a shockwave of power rocked us back onto our heels as it spread out in every direction. It hit Cole with enough force to knock him back several steps.
Ignatius’s eyes instantly burned blue, and bright orange flames cut through his flesh. As his visage flaked away, his right hand turned a brilliant shade of orange, and black swirls enveloped his body, covering him in the familiar silhouette of the Grim—only his was much shorter.
It took me several seconds to comprehend what I was seeing.
When Ignatius spoke again, he lacke
d an accent, and his voice was feminine. “Well, isn’t this a sack of shit.”
Stepping back, I said, “It’s something, all right.”
He—or she?—threw back her head and laughed. When she released my hand, our respective alter egos faded from sight. And where the stocky man had stood was a woman with long copper hair. She didn’t fill out the clothes in quite the same way, but that did little to detract from her beauty.
Ignatius stepped back and sighed. “Fifteen thousand years of hiding, and you go and ruin it in ten seconds… Christ! Oh, and please call me Hayden. I prefer that in this form.”
My mind was stuck in neutral for several seconds, but eventually I found my voice. “I don’t…I don’t understand. What’s happening here?”
Hayden pointed at me. “You’re a Reaper, and so am I.” Turning to Cole, she flicked out her index finger, motioning for him to come closer. “And you are?”
His voice cracked when he spoke. “I’m Cole Pahe.”
She sighed. “Well, Cole, I’m going to assume you know how to keep a secret.”
His neck would’ve snapped if he’d nodded any harder. “Absolutely.”
Hayden frowned. “See that you do. I can’t have this getting out.”
Cole leaned to one side and then the other. “Are you Ignatius? Or did something happen to him?”
She gave him a look that said he must be a special type of stupid. “What the hell do you think? Of course I’m Ignatius.” Closing her eyes, she held up a hand to stop his reply. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.” Waving a hand at me, she said, “Doofus here has inadvertently let my secret out… Goddamn it.” She shook her head, and bit her lip. “I apologize for being a bitch.”
My brain finally kicked into gear, and I gave her a dismissive wave. “No worries…but would you mind telling me why you’ve been pretending to be a guy for, what did you say, fifteen thousand years?”
Hayden glanced around the empty lot and grumbled, “This is hardly the place or the time… Besides that, I need a change of clothes. I’m not going to walk around looking like this the entire time I’m here.”
Gesturing at the truck, I sighed. “Give me your things, and I’ll put them in the back.” We piled into the truck. “It’ll take us an hour to reach a place with enough privacy to change. Mind answering a few questions on the way?”
Hayden shook her head. “That’s not how this is going to work. Once I change, we’ll talk. Not a moment before.”
Chapter 13
True to her word, she remained silent for the entirety of the trip back to the trailer. Once there, she stepped inside, looked around, and walked to the back. She pointed at my door. “Mind if I borrow the room for a bit?”
I shrugged. “Not at all, but how’s that going to help?”
She pointed at her bag. “I’ll need that.”
Handing it to her, I shook my head. “Okay, so you packed a spare set of clothes?”
Hayden gave me a look that said that I must be the star pupil on the short bus. “Yeah, I planned for you to be the first person to shatter my disguise in fifteen millennia.” She clenched her fists and let out a low growl before regaining her composure. “Just sit tight and wait for me to get back.” She stepped through the narrow door and turned around to face us. “It’s probably best you don’t come in here. There isn’t a lot of room to maneuver, and with this being a moveable structure, sticking the landing is a bit tougher than normal…which means the more space there is, the better.”
Before I could say anything, a bright ball of orange flame appeared to engulf her, and then she was simply gone.
Cole’s mouth dropped open, and he smacked me in the chest. “Okay, that’s weird as hell.”
Glancing between him and the empty spot, I nodded. “You’re telling me.”
He shook his head. “You don’t get it…that’s the same thing you do, except yours is blue instead of orange.” Plopping into the nearest chair, he cupped his face in his hands. “This is crazy as hell. There are two of you.” He appeared to be mumbling more to himself than actually talking to me. “I can’t fucking believe this shit… Two Reapers, one scary-ass vigil, and the goddamn legendary leader of the Ulfr.”
Fifteen minutes passed, and she still wasn’t back. A part of me was starting to think she wouldn’t return at all, but I really wanted to be wrong—she was my best hope of surviving this mess. Twenty minutes later, my optimism had gone, and I was getting to my feet when the blinding ball of flame reappeared. When it vanished, Hayden stood there wearing advanced body armor that fit well without being revealing.
The bag in her hand hit the floor with a thud, and she folded her arms. “In all my years, you two are the only ones who’ve discovered my secret.” Taking a deep breath, she sat across the table from Cole. “I know how crazy this has to look to you, but you have to believe that there’s a very good reason to keep this between us.”
He let out a nervous laugh. “Like you’ll kill me if I don’t?”
Shaking her head, she reached out and patted his arm. “If I was going that route, you’d be dead already.”
A bead of sweat popped up along his hairline, and he shifted on the spot. “Okay…good to know.”
Hayden forced a smile onto her face. “There’s a lot more at stake here than my identity becoming public knowledge.” Sitting back in her seat, she sighed. “For reasons I can’t really get into, there are certain people in this world who aren’t ready for me to make my appearance in my true form. If it were to get out, it would mess up eons of planning.”
Cole wiped his forehead. “You have my word that no one will hear about this from me.”
She nodded her thanks, and turned to me. “And you?”
“Like anyone would believe me.” When she didn’t seem reassured by my answer, I tried again. “I promise not to say anything.” Before she could open her mouth to reply, I continued, “Forgive me here, but I’ve got a ton of questions, starting with…how in the hell have you managed to pull off being a guy for centuries? Is that some sort of spell, or a cloaking device…or something else entirely? And how—”
She held out her hands to slow me down. “Easy there, big fella. Let me answer that question first.”
I gestured for her to continue. “Okay, go for it.”
Leaning forward, she placed her elbows on the table. “What you saw was a construct, and as far as I know, it’s unique to us. It allows me to create a near indestructible outer layer of armor in any form I wish.” She eyed me for a long moment before continuing. “I’m sure that with enough time, you’ll be able to create one as well. But, given your size, the only thing you’d be able to pass for is a giant or something of the sort.”
Cole’s eyes went wide. “I hate to interrupt, but could this manifest into some really…interesting-looking black and blue body armor?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Huh?”
He sat up straight. “We were out at the Sohio Mine when someone took a shot at us.” He waved a hand in my direction. “This weird black stuff covered him from head to toe to create some really advanced body armor with blue highlights.”
Her gaze tracked up and down me a couple of times before she spoke. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “Yip.”
Her tone became curious. “Interesting… I wouldn’t have thought someone so young would be able to manifest a construct—especially one that’s able to withstand a sniper.”
I shrugged. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, it wasn’t quite indestructible.”
She cocked her eyebrow. “Why do you say that?”
Opening my shirt, I showed her the bruise on my chest. “Because the bullet hurt like hell.”
She pursed her lips. “Odd…maybe because it was your first time using it.”
“Maybe.”
Hayden smiled. “Don’t worry, it’ll get stronger as you do.”
I folded my arms and hung my head. “How does that work for us anyway? It isn’t as if I can hit the gym
a couple extra days a week to make that happen.”
She tittered. “No. What you need is more experience and more souls at your disposal, along with a host of other things. All of which you’ll acquire as the centuries pass. You’ve been at this what…less than a year?”
Absently nodding, I leaned my head against the wall of the trailer. “So…hurry up and wait is what you’re telling me.”
Hayden wobbled her hand back and forth. “More or less. Just give yourself time to develop your abilities.” She gestured at me. “You should be proud of yourself for getting this far, this quickly.”
The information wasn’t exactly a surprise, but it was still a disappointment. “I guess.”
Cole leaned his forearms against the table. “Sorry to cut in, but you said you’ve visited Grants before… Do you mind if I ask when?”
Thankfully, his question distracted her from the oddity I’d become.
She shrugged. “Maybe a hundred and fifty years ago.”
Cole grinned. “Well…things are starting to make a lot more sense now.”
Confused, I asked, “How’s that?”
He turned to me. “Remember when I said a stranger came to town to stop those mercenaries?” I nodded, and he continued. “And do you recall me telling you that there were conflicting reports about it being a man or a woman?” He turned to Hayden. “That was you, wasn’t it?”
Her gaze landed on him. “You were here?”
Cole nodded. “Yeah, and you saved a lot of people that day.” He bit his lip and shrugged. “I’ve always been curious… Why were you here?”
She sighed. “I was doing a favor for Lazarus. It seems the old vigil—”
Cole cut in. “Samuel Estes.”
She gave him a sad smile. “Yes. It appeared he’d been killed six or seven months before, and Lazarus wanted to see what I could find…which wasn’t much. After a few weeks of investigating, the only thing that caught my attention was three asshole brothers trying to stamp out the locals by force.”
I growled. “The Grants?”
She nodded. “I couldn’t prove it, of course, but they hired a bunch of Spanish mercenaries to kill off the locals.” Her fists balled up. “I offered the captain a healthy sum of cash to walk away, but he didn’t care about money. All he wanted was to kill people, and he saw an opportunity to do that without much of a fight.”