by J. P. Rice
A symphony of sewer dragon agony spouted from the manholes. I raised my head again and a giant orange dragon barreled toward Gretchen and me. The dragon extended its wings and slowed the descent down. To my surprise, the dragon landed on the street, and as it turned to the side, I noticed Alayna sitting near its long neck.
She waved with a giant grin glued to her face. “Pembrooke and I will take care of these black dragons and the jaculi will take out the sewer variety. Just keep Gretchen safe and it should be over soon.”
Alayna patted the dragon at the base of his neck. Pembrooke beat his wings, rising off the ground and jumping back into the battle. I watched as Alayna held on for dear life. The orange dragon used a huge burst of dueling flames to camouflage itself and then strike.
The dragon emerged from the flames and caught a black dragon by surprise. Pembrooke opened his mouth, and a mighty blast erupted with the strength of ten thousand torches. The spewed flames engulfed the black dragon, and the injured beast beat its wings, attempting to put out the fire.
The evil dragon only fanned the flames and shrieked in horror. The flaming dragon spiraled down toward the ground like a shot down helicopter. The enormous creature crashed into the street about twenty feet away.
The ground quaked as the stubborn dragon clutched onto life, twitching and still on fire. The dragon fought against the inevitable, hissing wildly and thrashing around until he slumped down and went still. The charred flesh of the dragon attacked my nose with an odor similar to paint thinner.
Scanning the area, I couldn’t find a sidhe anywhere. The wailing coming from the manhole covers told me that the sewer dragons were being vanquished. I peered back up at the battle in the sky and saw that all the black dragons were retreating.
The noble dragons circled around above the city they had helped save. Pembrooke and Alayna flew back down to the street, landing smoothly.
Alayna said, “Not bad, huh?” She blew on her fingernails.
“Not at all,” I screamed.
Pembrooke stretched his long neck out, laying his head right in front of me. Alayna climbed down his neck and jumped onto the street.
With wonder in my eyes, I stared at the mythical creature I’d never expected to glimpse, let alone have within arm’s reach.
The jewel toned scales rippled in the emerging sunlight, causing a wave to run across the dragon’s body. The wave ran the gamut of every shade of orange, starting with fuzzy peach and ending in an amber marmalade. The mesmerizing flash not only looked amazing, but the scales were thick and could probably withstand bullets.
Tiny puffs of smoke leaked from Pembrooke’s nose when he exhaled. Ironically, the dragon had icy blue eyes that matched Alayna’s. The wyvern’s bat-like wings were perfect for the Gotham-style city of Pittsburgh. Rows of pointed horns ran along his jawline with several long fangs hanging out of his mouth.
If he weren’t Alayna’s friend, I’d be running in the other direction.
My mentor, who I’d nearly forgotten was next to me, said, “You look like you want to touch my friend.”
“I’m intrigued. That’s for sure.”
Alayna planted her hand on the small of my back and pushed me toward the dragon. We walked past his face and I felt the heat inside my heart. Some sort of enchanted power was coming from Pembrooke. Alayna pointed to the dragon’s neck, right behind his angular skull.
I reached in and tapped the mythical creature. Then I laid my hand on the skin. It was soft, hot, slightly leathery and a lot like a lizard’s. I’d expected it to be rough and scaly. The moment was surreal. As if I could feel Pembrooke’s soul.
I was petting a fucking dragon. As I got more comfortable, Pembrooke moved his head around, seemingly in pleasure, like when I petted my dog behind the ears. Remembering the situation again, I said to Alayna, “We will probably stay down here and help the people.”
Alayna nodded as she looked me up and down. “I’m going to stay with my old friend for a little while. Are you all right?”
“No.” I laughed. “But that’s never stopped me before. Other than feeling like a grenade exploded inside me, everything else can be taken care of later.”
“I just wanted to say thank you for saving Pittsburgh,” Gretchen told Alayna.
My mentor said, “We were glad to help.” She patted the dragon on the back. “Would you like to come over here and touch a dragon?”
Gretchen blushed and turned away shyly. I’d never seen the woman like that, almost star struck. “I don’t know if you want me doing that.”
“Don’t be silly,” said Alayna. “Get over here.”
Without hesitation, Gretchen took the seven or eight steps and reached out her hand. She smiled as her fingers contacted the dragon. I smiled. The woman had called me the kooky ghost detective when we’d first met. And now she had her hand on the holy grail of myth and the supernatural.
Gretchen looked at me with stars in her eyes. “Mike, you can go with her if you want. I will stay down here and help the trapped people get out.”
I turned to Alayna. “I’m still going to stay down here and help the people too. Make sure nothing else breaks out.”
Alayna climbed back on Pembrooke and prepared for liftoff. I yelled, “I got that bastard for you, my lady.” Having fulfilled the oath I’d taken, I knelt down and bowed to my mentor. I raised my head as Pembrooke extended his wings.
A glow of pride washed over Alayna’s face, and she responded, “I know. After all we went through, I couldn’t be prouder, Micheal. You were worthy of the dragons.”
Holy shit. We’d reclaimed the city. As Alayna took off with Pembrooke, I walked with Gretchen toward the heart of the city. The victory left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I’d taken back the city with a move I’d learned from someone who was probably dead because of my stupidity.
This trip had revealed a little about Micheal Anthony Merlino. He wasn’t perfect. He didn’t share a bloodline with Merlin. He was a little broken. He had gotten discouraged. He had faced self-doubt. He’d left behind a comrade.
He could have given up a thousand times. He could have taken the easy road like Felix.
He made mistakes along the way, but when it counted, he was worthy of summoning the dragons. He took back the city of Pittsburgh. And most importantly, he was going to be the best dad for Dante. His life had changed in the blink of an eye and he planned to embrace it.
Chapter 40
I slammed the book shut because I couldn’t focus and set it on the coffee table, which was unusual. Normally, the well-written adventures and crazy antics of the wizard in St. Louis had always captivated me. Not today. I picked up the red master lock from the coffee table and started playing with it.
Most people would be happy. I was officially a millionaire, but I felt like forty dollars and some change. My injuries were healing well but my emotions were still rattled.
Dante was upstairs playing on the laptop I’d bought for him. He spent more time on that than talking to me. We’d gotten along well so far. I leaned back and thought about the recent events.
I had donated five hundred thousand to my Cancer Support Group to help members in need. And even though Felix had ditched out on us, I had paid him fifty thousand dollars for his effort. He was a good guy after all, and he had put his life on the line, so it only seemed fair. Luckily, he told me that his injuries were almost healed.
I still hadn’t figured out who’d broken into my house and stolen a bunch of stuff, but I put some feelers out on that one. Gretchen Meyer was in the process of her insurance claim for her destroyed house. Feeling guilty about involving her in the matter, I planned to cover anything the insurance company wouldn’t, and buy her some nice furnishings.
Satoku kept calling me, trying to get back together, but I remained resolute. I still had strong feelings for Burn and every day I wrestled over whether or not she was still alive. If she was alive, I’d concluded that a romantic relationship might not work out, but I was ready to
take responsibility and be a father to my child. Plus, I loved Burn as a person. I just wished I had told her that when we were together.
Restless, I jumped up and paced around the room.
I’d talked to Jonathan about getting back into Sleepy Willow to rescue her, but after everything that had gone down, he was hesitant. He had agreed to talk to his associates from Sleepy Willow and find out if Burn was still alive. I was still waiting impatiently for that.
There was a high-end antique auction in five days and I planned to attend and win something awesome for my vampire friend. He’d helped me out numerous times, and it was the least I could do.
As for Alayna, I’d forgiven her for lying about Merlin being my ancestor. I planned to give her shit about it in the future, but the magic was in me. Micheal Anthony Merlino.
Although this wasn’t a mysterious case that I had to build from scratch, the adventure proved that I didn’t need the Merlin thing to kick ass and take names. The people of Pittsburgh were safe again. Mostly because of me.
I’d also learned that every demon wasn’t a terrible, evil creature. Considering I’d used a tactic I’d learned from Burn to defeat the Warden of the East, I’d learned that every individual, no matter their social status or stigma, was worthy of great respect. I should have known this from my upbringing.
I was still having trouble dealing with Burn’s possible death. The scent of orange and sesame filled my nose. No. It couldn’t be. My nose led me into my kitchen.
My special candle was burning on the kitchen table. How? Dante didn’t light it. I didn’t light it. A surge of energy ran through me. This had to be a sign. She was alive. Or was this just messing with my fragile mind?
Some strange gravity pulled me toward the cabinet near my stove. I thought I heard someone at the front door and perked up my ears. Then my neighbor’s door slammed shut so I knew it wasn’t for me.
I set the red lock on the counter. Opening the cabinet door, I reached in for the Jameson. As soon as my hand hit the bottle, I heard Alayna’s voice from behind.
“What are we doing here, mister?”
I slammed the door shut and spun around. “Fuckin’...nothing. What are you doing here? I didn’t even hear you sneak in.”
“That was the plan. I was worried about your drinking. It isn’t at the level of your father yet, but you need to nip this in the bud.”
“I think I’ll be all right.”
“You can’t be doing this if you are going to raise that demon. Come on, you’re coming with me. The Gods want to see you.”
“Okay. Let me get ready.” I assumed the Gods were going to heap praise on me for flushing out the sidhe and reclaiming Pittsburgh. It was about time.
I went upstairs and shoved open my door. Dante slammed his laptop closed and pulled my sheet up over his body. I asked, “What’cha doin’ buddy?”
He yelled, “Nothing. Get out and close the door.”
I turned around and opened the door. Holding onto the knob, I said, “You need to get ready to go to the Deep Burrow. We’ll talk about all this other stuff later. But we will talk about it.” I thought the kid was around ten.
*****
As I sat in the dug-out cave at the base of the mountain in Clara Spiritus, home of the Celtic Gods, I seethed over Alayna’s chicanery. She had ambushed me with an intervention. Featuring the Celtic Gods. Not exactly the victory parade where I kissed babies and accepted all the awards like I had expected.
The Dagda, Mabon, Blodeuwedd and Alayna sat with me. Hopefully, the chastising was over.
The Dagda said, “You have been trusted to protect a city. That is a great responsibility and this drinking is getting in the way. The best way to take care of a problem is to address it immediately. By the way, did you happen to chance upon a harp while you were in the Red Cavern?”
I nodded. “Yes. A demon got to it right before me, but it was there. At least, I assume that was it.”
The Dagda’s face turned red. “I’ll get that back before it’s all over.”
Mabon said, “We’re all here to help you. We want you to succeed. To ensure that, you need to take this little pill here.” The Young Son extended his hand with a small orange pill in his palm.
Trusting the God, I snatched the pill and bit my tongue softly to release some saliva. I tossed the little pill in my mouth and swallowed. Tasted like an orange. I’d forgotten to ask the obvious question, “What was that?”
Mabon explained, “That pill will make it so you can’t get drunk anymore.”
“What? Will I get violently ill if I drink or something?” I wondered aloud.
The Dagda shook his head. “If you drink any alcohol, you will lose the abilities of your magic.”
Oh shit. “I’m not sure that was necessary.”
“It’s done. Whether necessary or not remains to be seen.” The Dagda motioned like he was washing his hands, then held out two open palms.
If the Gods hadn’t just reamed me out over my drinking, I would have told the Gods about the implant in my leg. But now, keeping my mouth shut seemed like the best course of action.
Mabon said, “We aren’t just going to smack you around verbally. We also want to help you in other ways. Blodeuwedd has been coordinating with all the avian creatures in Pittsburgh. She will provide a resource for intelligence gathered by the blessed winged friends we have in the city and surrounding areas.”
Blodeuwedd, covered in her pavonine cloak, handed me a little silver whistle. “Just blow into that when you want to talk to me. It might take some time, but I will arrive eventually to help.”
“Thank you.” That was cool. Sounded like a great tool to have in the belt. The birds saw and heard everything.
I felt a twinge in my calf where they had placed the implant. Suddenly, I lost control of my body and punched wildly at the air in front of me. I tried to stop, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. The Gods and Alayna looked at me like I was crazy.
I finally regained control of my body, but it seemed like my deal with the devil was already coming back to haunt me.
A big flashing neon sign appeared in my thoughts and wouldn’t go away. A sign of hope. It said, Burn is alive. The sign wouldn’t leave, but the letters began to change. As the words took shape, the message was clear. I needed to save her.
Blood Goblet
Bloodline Awakened Supernatural Thriller Series
Book 2
J.P. Rice
Copyright 2018 by Jason Paul Rice(J.P. Rice)
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. All names are made up and used fictionally. Any resemblance to real people is completely coincidental. Any resemblance to real events is only part of the author’s imagination.
Cover Art by Ljiljana Romanovic
Chapter 1
I pressed the sharp point of the blade against the inside of my wrist.
Sitting with my back against the bathroom wall, my sink and toilet were in front of me. I had my left arm stretched out on the ledge of the bathtub. My shaky right hand held the leather knife handle.
I’d lost control of my body. I was a puppet. My life was now being controlled by an implant in my calf. And the ultimate puppet master was the most powerful demon in the Red Cavern. A devil named Montidore. Who knew making a deal with the devil could go wrong?
A pearl of blood pooled around the silver point. My mind visualized jamming the dagger in as far as I could and raking it up to my elbow. What was happening?
I wanted to throw the knife down and stop this nonsense that had been going on for days.
The pain in my calf subsided, and I dropped the knife to the ground. As the blade clanged on the bathroom tiles, I collapsed and curled up into a ball. I’d become a monster. I had realized my worst fears.
With my bo
dy under my control again, I thought about taking myself out.
The implant could cause me to take despicable actions, out of my control. I needed to talk to the Gods about this and figure out how to remove the remote-controlled device. My calf muscle tightened again.
I picked up the dagger without thinking and laid the point of the long blade in the same spot as before. Trying to fight it was futile. My hand shook, and the razor-sharp knife threatened to cut through a vein.
I raised the knife and prepared to stab my left wrist. As the knife swung down, my life flashed before my face. There was so much I still wanted to accomplish.
At the last moment, my hand slipped on the handle. The knife fell harmlessly to the ground. My life had become a carnival sideshow for a bunch of devious demons.
The tightness in my calf abated again, and I wondered how much longer I could do this. It had only been occurring for the past few days, but it scared the living shit out of me. I wasn’t worried about myself anymore. I was a danger to society at large. The same society I’d sworn an oath to protect.
When I had faced the choice of the implant or death, the answer had seemed easy. Now, I wasn’t so sure. I’d planned to remove the implant, but that was before the devil named Montidore had demonstrated the self-destruct option. Once the implant was removed, it would explode and kill anyone within about a ten feet radius.
I was in a box on this one. I still couldn’t understand how the demons were doing all this with just a tiny chip in my calf.
My phone rang. Back in control of my body, I got up and grabbed it off the windowsill. Unknown Number. I swiped accept.
Chapter 2
I knocked on my bedroom door. “Hey Dante.”