by Ken Lange
Regardless, by the end of the shower, I felt significantly better.
I dressed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Gabriel was in the process of getting breakfast together. Letting him take the lead, I lent a hand when needed. The scent of bacon filled the kitchen and made its way upstairs to wake the others. Before long, Kimberly, Heather, and Henri were anxiously waiting at the table to be fed.
Gabriel and I served them.
Henri eyed Gabriel. “Nephilim?
He nodded. “Yep.”
Henri grinned. “Are you the one who made the stew?”
Gabriel sat across from him. “I am.”
Henri beamed. “You’re an excellent cook. If you ever need any pointers, I’m always available.”
Gabriel’s expression softened. “Really?”
Henri nodded. “Absolutely.” He thumbed over at Kimberly. “I love my daughter, but she wasn’t exactly my star pupil.”
Kimberly cut her eyes at her father. “Really? That’s what you’re going to bring up after all these years?”
Henri gave her a dismissive wave. “It isn’t as if I said you can’t cook. You can, but with you it’s a mechanical thing. There’s no flare to the dish when you make it.” He gestured at Gabriel. “He, on the other hand, breathed life into the food.”
I glanced over at Heather, who just shrugged and kept her head down.
Kimberly frowned. “I’ve gotten better over the years.”
Henri beamed. “That’s wonderful.” He turned to me. “After breakfast, I’d like to have a word with you.”
Hopefully, this wouldn’t be round two of Am I Worthy to Date Heather…because I wasn’t in the mood. “Okay. Anything in particular on your mind?”
He shrugged. “A few things, but they can wait.”
That was helpful. Turning to Heather, I asked, “Will you be around today?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I’ve got a meeting with a man who might be able to help me track down Mr. Smith.”
Gabriel frowned. “I’ve never seen someone so difficult to trace.”
Heather sighed. “Me neither. Normally, there’s something to go on. If it weren’t for the rare documented accounts, I’d swear someone fabricated the man.”
Kimberly grimaced. “Maybe they did.”
I glanced over at her. “Huh?”
She leaned back in her seat as she chewed on a piece of bacon. “Maybe this Mr. Smith is nothing more than a digital mask worn by someone else, or by a group of other people. If we’re having this much trouble tracking him down, then maybe the truth is that he isn’t real in the first place.”
I had to admit, that was a pretty solid guess, but something about the theory didn’t sit right with me. It did, however, give all of us, save Henri, something to think about. He was too busy stuffing himself silly to give two shits about anything else.
After Gabriel finished eating, he excused himself to make a quick trip to Elmwood. Kimberly and Heather weren’t far behind as they had triumvirate business that demanded their attention. Much like Gabriel, they’d put several things to the side to deal with our current situation.
That left me to clean up. After picking up the plates and silverware, I started toward the kitchen.
Henri held out a hand to stop me. “Mind if I help?”
I laughed. “Hell no, I hate doing dishes.”
Opening the door for me, he waved me ahead. “I couldn’t help but notice that you two moved to the guestroom last night.” He paused. “As an FYI, this is her home now and she’s entitled to sleep wherever she wants.”
I emptied my hands and opened the dishwasher. “Funny you should bring that up. Heather and I were just discussing this yesterday.”
Henri furrowed his brow. “Oh?”
“Yeah. We both agreed this is your home and we were just keeping it cozy for you.” He opened his mouth to interrupt, but I continued. “It’s true. She didn’t even move in till a few years ago and that was only to be close to her studies with Andrew. Truth of the matter is, we thought it’d be best if we found a place of our own.” Gesturing at him, I said, “Besides, forcing you to find a new place to live after being gone for so long feels wrong on a fundamental level.”
Henri sighed. “Thank you, but—”
I shook my head. “No buts. You need to settle in, be comfortable, and reclaim what’s yours.”
He nodded. “Okay, if that’s the way you guys truly feel, I won’t talk you out of it.”
I chuckled. “That’s how we really feel. Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
His expression hardened. “No…if it was, I would’ve asked Heather to join us.”
Drying my hands, I said, “In that case, I’m all ears.”
Henri took a deep breath and nodded. “Mind if we take this conversation to my office?”
I gestured toward the stairs. “After you.”
Upstairs, he hesitantly sat at his desk. “You’ve been putting the office to good use?”
I wobbled my hand back and forth. “Over the last few months, but mostly it’s been empty since you left.”
He gave me a curious expression. “Why?”
I shrugged. “As I said, Heather didn’t live here for a long time. When she did move in, there was something about this room in particular that gave her the willies.”
Leaning back in his chair, he harrumphed. “Interesting.”
He got up and moved over to the case he’d escaped from. “Thank you for keeping the books in order when you took them down. That’ll make it easier to put back together.” After tapping the books in a specific order, he placed his hand against the middle of the shelf and it clicked open. “You’ll want to see this.”
I moved over to the case and was shocked to find what appeared to be a massive library hidden behind it. “That’s a pocket reality?”
Henri grinned. “It is. This is where I went to study and peer into the other realms.”
The very idea of these pocket dimensions hurt my head. “Okay…that’s very impressive, but I’m still not sure what you’re trying to tell me.”
Henri gestured at the chair in front of the desk. “Sit.” I did, and he took his seat as well. “I wanted you to see it for yourself, so you can understand that the knowledge I have is valuable.”
I grinned. “You didn’t have to bring me up here to make that point. I already had an inkling of how valuable you are by reading some of your books.”
He gave the books a dismissive wave. “Notes and theories, mostly. Now, however, I have proof, and a formal understanding of how things work…to a degree, anyway.”
Still not getting the point, I sighed. “All right, but where are you going with this?”
Sweat beaded along his forehead. “I’ve had an opportunity to speak with Keto about the last three decades. Pretty much everything was status quo until you showed up last year. After that, things have gotten a bit out of hand. You uncovered an organization called the Black Circle, which is the necromancer’s version of the Archive. Now you’ve stumbled on the Gotteskinder, and while you seem to have a vague handle on things, I’m betting you’re struggling with all this.”
I nodded. “Not going to lie, I’m having a hell of a time figuring it all out. Over the last eleven months, my world’s been turned upside down.”
His expression soured but he forced a smile onto his face. “I get that. Same thing happened to me twenty-seven years ago. That’s when I stepped out of the role of research scientist and into applied science.”
Shaking my head, I sighed. “I’m still not sure what you’re going for here, Henri. I’m a simple man. If you’ve got something on your mind, just say it, and we’ll work through it.”
His tone turned curious. “From everything I’ve been told, you’re restructuring the vigiles, and you’ve created a special branch that assists you called centurions.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Mostly it’s made up of weres, and Gabriel, of course. They’ve been the only ones willing to
volunteer so far.”
His gaze locked onto mine. “That’s about to change.”
“Come again?”
He flattened his shirt. “I’d like to volunteer.”
I blinked. “Wait. What? Are you sure? Have you spoken to Kimberly or Heather about this?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “No, they’d only try to talk me out of it. They just got me back and wouldn’t want me to put myself in harm’s way. Thing is, I know different. If there are people in this world calling forth jinn or god knows what else, you’re going to need my expertise.”
Heather would probably murder me—if she got to me before her mother. But he was right. I needed the help. If he was willing, I was too.
“I’m game for it, on one condition.”
He narrowed his eyes. “And what’s that?”
I blew out a long breath. “I want us to tell them what you’re doing together. That way they won’t try to talk you out of it, but they’ll have a heads-up before you suddenly become a centurion.”
He thought about it for several seconds before nodding. “Fair enough.”
After a lengthy conversation over a conference call, they agreed—with a condition of their own. An hour and a half later, the two of them showed up to watch as I inducted Henri Noel Fabre into the fold.
Chapter 25
Several hours later, my phone beeped, alerting me to a message—Baptist letting me know he was on his way over. It seemed he wanted to discuss whatever he’d found in person…which was fine, because I needed to have a heart-to-heart with the man.
I got to my feet and padded up the stairs to find Henri in his office. “Hey.”
He glanced up from his notebook. “Afternoon. Can I help you with anything?”
Shifting on the spot, I asked, “Would you mind if I borrowed the office for a bit? Baptist’s on his way over to talk with me, and I’d like somewhere private to do that.”
Henri got to his feet. “Sure. Give me a few to pick up and it’s all yours.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”
He gave me a dismissive wave. “Think nothing of it.”
“Take your time. He probably won’t be here for another fifteen or twenty minutes yet.”
Henri absently nodded as he continued to put his things away. “Okay.”
Downstairs, I grabbed a snack and waited for Baptist in the living room. When I caught sight of his cruiser parking in front of the house through the window, I went out to meet him. “Afternoon.”
He waved as he made his way through the gate. “How are things?”
I shrugged. “No one’s tried to kill me in almost a day, so pretty damn good.”
He chuckled. “Way to place your expectations on the low side.”
I held the door open for him. “Come on in.” Pointing at the stairs, I said, “Henri’s been kind enough to lend us the use of his office.”
He nodded. “Great.”
I followed him up and closed the door behind us. “Before we get to whatever it is you want to talk about, I’ve got a question.”
He grinned. “Okay…shoot.”
I sat in the chair in front of the desk and gestured at the other. “Have a seat.” He did, and I continued. “Are you a Domovoi?”
For the first time since I’d known the man, he didn’t blink for several seconds. “I am. May I ask what, or who, tipped you off?”
I shrugged. “Keto, the doctor who was here, recognized you and your partner. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m not big on advertising. People, human or not, have a very weird response to my kind, especially considering how little is known about us.”
I smiled. “You guys are certainly good at keeping to yourselves. Is there a reason for that?”
His voice had a slight edge to it when he spoke. “We’re a protector race. We look after people and things…it’s what we do and what we are. Our cousins to the south, the Blajini, cared for this world so much that they sacrificed one of their own to keep it safe…but they’re gone now, and their task has fallen onto my people’s shoulders. Most are content to ignore what must be done by remaining in our homeland. Alyosha, my mother, and myself are the only three I’ve ever heard of who’ve left to pursue our true purpose: to look after the Star Born and his successor and ensure their safety.”
I blinked. “Do you know who he is?”
Baptist frowned. “Sadly, I don’t. My mother tracked the rumors of his whereabouts to this city, but she and her husband were killed before she could go any further.” He gestured at himself. “I’ve searched for decades with no real leads, but I’m sure he’s here. That’s why I joined the UCD. If the Star Born ever shows up, I’ll have the resources to do what it takes to keep him safe.”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one looking for the guy.
“We have a common goal then.”
He arched an eyebrow. “You’re searching for him as well?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I am. I’ll make a deal with you: if I find him, I’ll tell you. If you find him, you’ll tell me. Sound fair?”
He thought it over for a second before nodding in agreement. “Da.”
I frowned. “You said your mother and stepfather were killed. Do you know why? How long ago did it happen?”
Anger and sadness flickered through his eyes. “Nearly a hundred years ago now. As to why? I haven’t a clue. The whole family was home one evening when a woman knocked at the door. When my stepfather answered it, she hit him with a blood curse, killing him instantly. My mother was able to shield me from harm, until the necromancers showed up. In the end, she was killed as well. I would’ve been next if it hadn’t been for pure dumb luck. Apparently, Viktor was onto the group, and when he attacked them, I ran for it. Hell, I kept running until I was back home in Russia. That’s where I met Alyosha. It was he who convinced me to continue my mother’s work. After we married, we returned to New Orleans, and I’ve been searching ever since.”
I blinked. “No offense, but that’s an awful story. I’m glad you’re alive and all, but goddamn, dude. That’s rough.”
He gave me a dismissive wave. “It is the way of things.”
I cocked my head to the side to get a good look at the man. “You said this happened a century ago. Just how old are you?”
His tone became disinterested. “Old enough. We don’t really count the years…that’d get tedious. We’re more or less immortal. Not to say we can’t be killed, because obviously we can, but barring injury or sickness, we will continue to be as we are.”
“Oh. Okay…ah, good to know.” Taking a deep breath, I said, “That’s scary as hell.”
He chuckled. “Says a Stone Born.”
“Huh?” Then it hit me: I was in the same boat. My stomach tied itself in knots. “Ah…yeah. I see what you mean.” At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to change the subject. “I’m sorry to have dredged all this up.” Leaning forward in my chair, I put my elbows on my knees. “You said you had some information for me.”
Baptist pursed his lips. “Are you all right? You don’t look so good.”
Sweat trickled down my back. “Yeah, I’m fine.” That didn’t sound convincing even to me. “I’ve just never considered what eternity looks like, until now.”
He gave me a sad smile. “It’s a wonderous and horrific thing. You’ll see civilizations rise and fall. Beloved cities will turn to dust, and new ones will replace them.” Reaching out, he patted my forearm. “The key is to adapt, grow, and expand with it. Understand that life is change, and to survive it, you must change with it. Otherwise, you’ll go insane.”
It was hard to breathe, but I nodded anyway. “Right.” Inhaling deeply, I sat up straight. “So about that information?
“You’ll be all right. I have faith in you.” Sitting back in his seat, he said, “I’ve found Dr. Phineas Levi.”
My mind was working a thousand miles an hour, yet I still couldn’t place the name
. “Who?” Shaking my head, I did my best to regain focus. “Oh, the doctor who used to work at Touro?”
He nodded. “That’s him.”
It was difficult to find my words. “Where?”
Baptist clenched his hand, causing his knuckles to pop. “He’s in a house not that far away here in the Garden District.”
My mind finally kicked into gear. “Really? He’s in this neighborhood?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Da. Why?”
I sighed. “That just figures.”
Baptist gave me a confused look. “How’s that?”
I shrugged. “Most people who drop off the grid do so by going into the marsh, or up in the mountains, or somewhere away from people. Not this asshole. He’s too busy living in the lap of luxury, rubbing elbows with a bunch of other rich folks.” Cupping my face in my hands, I rubbed vigorously. “Anything else?”
Baptist frowned. “I’m afraid it gets stranger.”
Grimacing, I said, “Lay it on me, brother.”
Annoyance crossed his face. “The house he’s living in used to belong to his grandfather.”
I leaned back in my seat. “How the hell did we miss that?”
He sighed. “It was purchased by Hirtenlicht after his grandfather’s death. If I had to guess, Phineas has been hiding out there since he quit his job at Touro.”
I dropped my face into my hands again and let out a muffled groan. “You got the address?” He nodded. “Okay, give it to me, and I’ll pay the guy a visit.”
He grimaced. “You don’t want my people to bring him in?”
I shook my head. “That’d be great if he played by the rules. But for all we know, the house is rigged to blow, or he has a ton of glyphs around the house that could nullify their powers, or any number of things that won’t bother me.”
He didn’t appear convinced but slipped me a piece of paper with some writing on it. “Your call, boss, but Lazarus will be mighty upset if I lose his vigil after it took so long to fill the position.”
I sniggered. “Don’t worry. You won’t be losing me that easily.”
He thumbed over his shoulder. “So, Henri’s sticking around for a while?”