“I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before.” Diana tapped her forehead. “I’ll make some calls.”
When she hurried away, I whispered to Laura, “I’m feeling guilty about considering moving to another clan. She’s really going all out to keep us here.”
She nodded. “It’s despicable how nice she’s being. Maybe she knows about Portland wooing you. The woman has spies everywhere.”
Chapter 3
Saturday, March 30th
AFTER BREAKFAST, DIANA CALLED me into her office. I thought she wanted to talk about the honeymoon, but all she said on that score was that everything was working out fine.
“The reason I need to talk to you is Escobar is hard at work again, intent on destroying you.”
She rarely pulled any punches, but this one puckered my asshole for sure. “You know that from the sorcerer’s network?”
She nodded. The American slayers’ council has given Escobar a blank check to hire an assassin. Escobar claims he’s hired the most powerful contract sorcerer available, a Lithuanian trained to kill by the KGB back in the day.”
“What’s his name and what’s he look like?” I asked.
She handed me a photograph. “Remember, it’s easy for him to change his features. Bruno Sitka is six-foot tall and quite muscular. He dresses impeccably, and if he had a neck, he would no doubt turn many women’s heads. He has a dozen confirmed wins in magical fights, and there are probably as many more that Gill doesn’t know about.”
I studied Sitka’s face; his lips twisted in a snarl. “He looks like he has a heart of gold.”
She laughed. “Of course.”
“Do we know where he’s at now?” I asked.
Diana shook her head. “We have a contact in the Department of Homeland Security who told me Sitka has a ticket booked from London to Miami tomorrow, but that may be a ruse. He’s clearly headed this way.”
-o-o-o-
MY TEACUP CAT NAMED Rascal and I sat with Laura and Christina out on the patio enjoying a lazy and warm Saturday. While we were playing scrabble, Diana wandered over, holding a cup of steaming coffee.
She sat next to me. “Guess who’s coming to town?”
I had no clue. “For a visit or to stay?”
“I don’t know yet. Let’s say it’s a visit. We’re going to build another block of apartments to accommodate all the people moving to the sanctuary.”
My attention was distracted for a minute because the six-year-old came up with the word astute. Scrabble had been one of the few games I could beat her at, but it didn’t look like my advantage would last for long.
Diana coughed to get my attention.
“Sorry,” I said. “Somebody’s moving here? Why can’t they live in town or elsewhere in the county? It’s just as safe.”
Diana shook her head. “We want this guy here where we can keep an eye on him. Nobody can guess?”
Laura smirked. “Gill?”
Diana grinned.
“Thank the gods for that,” I said. What a stroke of luck. Maybe he’ll know what’s going on with the sorcerers nearby.”
“We’ll see,” Diana said. “Anyway, we’re having a welcoming party at lunchtime. He claims he wants to live where it’s safe, but he doesn’t have to worry about sorcerers. I think he want to help Ian get ready for the real challenge, namely Escobar.”
“He’s most welcome,” Laura said.
“Good,” Diana said. “Lunch should be fun. Oh, I almost forgot. Katie’s still supervising the research at CU on Gill’s book. She’s taking Gill over there after the party to meet, Fred, Dave, and Benoît.”
Fred and Dave were the two professors translating Gill’s ancient book of magic. Benoît was their grad student.
“Gill’s thrilled at their progress,” I said. “I’m sure he’ll enjoy meeting the guys. He dearly wants to know what that old manuscript says.”
Laura kissed Diana on both cheeks. “Thanks again for the honeymoon.”
Diana simply smiled. “You’ll have an opportunity to relax in California, I’m sure. Then do what you can for Ellen Camphor to heal her and save her life’s work. I’ve met her, and she was a pain in the ass. All high and mighty.”
I burst out laughing because Diana described herself to a tee.
She stared at me for a moment like I was some kind of lunatic. “After Camphor, you’ll come back here and help me deal with all the rumblings of more trouble with Escobar.”
I noticed she hadn’t mentioned the possibility of us leaving for Portland, but that was fine. I felt more comfortable in Boulder anyway, particularly when Gill would be here.
-o-o-o-
THE WELCOMING PARTY STARTED before the guest of honor arrived. Katie had called to say his plane was late.
When they arrived, I hugged him, lifting the little guy off his feet, and spun him around. “I’m glad you took pity on us and came.”
He grinned but shook his head. “I decided, after I reached a hundred, that I’m entitled to do whatever I damn well please. So, I do. I would not let the fickle wishes of a young buck like you, no matter how needy, color my opinions. Nope, not me.”
Everyone laughed because they knew it was all bullshit. They teased him because I supposedly couldn’t manage on my own.
After lots of drinking and eating, Gill pulled me aside.
He pressed his hand against my chest, and he had to have felt his medallion under my shirt. “Who knows?” he asked.
“No one but you.”
The medallion only helped me sense other people’s intentions to hurt me, not their thinking, but that was usually enough to save my ass. Particularly in battles, feelings were more important than ideas.
“Has there been any blowback yet from your victory?” Gill asked.
“Just that guy Sitka Diana mentioned to you. I don’t know when he’ll get here.”
Gill frowned. “Could be soon. You can bet they’ve got something particularly nasty planned. Be especially wary every time you leave the sanctuary. This is a good time for you and yours to disappear for a few weeks.”
-o-o-o-
Friday, April 5th
FOR ALMOST A WEEK, I stayed entirely within Boulder County while Nicky worked a quiet deal with a judge from the Colorado Court of Appeals to let me go to California on our honeymoon. I had signed a bail agreement limiting me to the county, and Nicky had already gotten that broadened to the state, but it took days to get the exception for California.
While we were waiting on that, Gill and I trained hard. I’d already learned about as much as he could teach me, but regular practice honed my skills.
After one training session, we sat outside on a bright sunny day and chatted over a couple of beers.
“By the way,” he said, “while you’re up in northern California, there’s a guy I want you to look up. Another Indian. His magic is even crazier than yours.”
Gill loved to rag on me for my bizarre mixture of Celtic and Osage powers. “What’s weird about him?”
“He can beat any Grade Six Holar in a fight, but he can hardly use attack spells.”
“Then how does he win?” I asked.
“Beats me.” Gill paused. “Direct connection to the gods is what he says. Sequoia lives in his own world, somewhere deep on the bottom of the ocean, son. Brilliant fighter, but nobody can figure out how he does it. I think he’s on peyote half the time. Or another one of those wacko weeds.”
Gill was far off the deep end himself, and my stomach knotted as I realized that Laura’s safety and Christina’s might be threatened by this strange guy. “Why do you want me to meet him?”
“Maybe you’ll understand him. One thing I know for sure is that he could kick Sitka’s ass, no problem. Maybe Sequoia will whisper his secret in your ear.”
The image Gill had conjured up in my mind was too creepy for words. I shook off the shivers. “How do I get a hold of Wacko Guy?”
Gill sipped his beer and smacked his lips. “I’d call him by
his real name, if I were you, punk. He reads minds, too.”
“Sequoia?” I replied. “Sounds like his parents have a real sense of humor. What’s his last name?”
“Ain’t got one, just Sequoia. Like Elvis or Beyoncé, everybody knows him, I guess. And don’t blame his folks. He gave himself the moniker. Real name’s supposedly Lester Monroe.”
This was getting worse and worse, but I’d rather be Sequoia than Lester, too. “Just give me his damned phone number.”
Gill did, plus the man’s address. I typed both into my contact list. “What about his email address?”
“Doesn’t have one. According to my sources, the guy doesn’t even have electricity or a cell phone. The number I gave you is for a campground somewhere north of Eureka where the great fighter lives. Anyway, while you’re up there, look him up. He knows me as the guy who split a bottle of tequila with him and arm-wrestled for the worm. He won.”
That was a rousing endorsement if I’d ever heard one.
-o-o-o-
Sunday, April 7th
Brigid’s Community Ranch, Boulder County, Colorado
DIANA HELD A GOING-AWAY party for Laura, Christina, and I the night before we were to ship out for California. I took time to speak with everyone there individually, but I concentrated on talking to Gill and Diana. They were my best bet for dealing with Sitka when I got back. She had no news about the assassin and still couldn’t place him any closer to us than Miami. Something told me the asshole was anywhere in the country but there.
When we finished obsessing about him, I said, “Tell me again about this nasty witch we’re going to meet in Eureka.”
Diana rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you just relax? I shouldn’t have mentioned how annoying Ellen can be. She will probably treat you like a prince. She likes big men, at least as friends. She’s gay.”
“The bottom line,” Gill said with a mouth full of party mix, “is that Camphor is an extraordinarily skilled potions master. In fact, she’s the only living Violet Level Witch in the Mendile Guild.”
I needed more detailed instructions. “You want us to grab her diaries, but you say she’s a jerk. What if she resists letting them go?”
“Look,” Diana said, “you shouldn’t steal them. If she resists sharing her knowledge, let it go. It’s simply another chance to expand both your and your partner’s magical horizons. Plus, Laura might do her some good.”
Diana turned away from me and called out, “Don, Holly, please help me. Ian is whining again about working with Ellen.”
“I don’t whine,” I said in an undertone, “I grouse.”
“Laura,” I shouted, “tell them grousing is more dignified than whining.”
She smiled and waved but stayed at a table surrounded by other moms.
“I don’t mind fighting sorcerers,” I said, “but I hate arguments within our own team. Gill has told me everything I need to know about fighting spells.”
“Forget fighting,” Holly Sullivan said, “Ellen has her quirks, but she’s not nearly the asshole that Don is.”
Don Blake laughed. “You can safely ignore this lying snot,” he pointed at Holly. “As for Ellen, she can be rough around the edges, but she’s definitely a remarkable woman. Worth putting up with a little rudeness for enlightenment, right?”
Before I could respond, Holly fired back. “He’d know about rudeness. That’s all he knows.”
I held up my hands to stop them. “Kids, kids, stop arguing. You had me at enlightenment.
“Anyway,” Diana said, “Ellen is fantastic with healing plants, and we should get her knowledge preserved, preferably on camera, before her dementia progresses.”
“Why us?” I asked, pointing at Don and Holly. “Why not send one of these two?”
“Because you’re going to be right there, Farm Boy,” Gill said. “Just give it a whirl for a few weeks. If she gets nasty, we’ll send in the marines.”
Earlier, Diana had said Laura and I should only spend a few days with the witch, but now it was weeks. “Are you trying to hide me for as long as possible?”
Instead of answering me, Diana said, “The resort is fully protected, and after you leave, you’ll still be in a popular vacation area. People come from all over the world to marvel at the redwoods and the dramatic north coast. The local sorcerer community is small and mediocre, so you can protect yourself no problem. Stop complaining.”
Before I could react, she said to Don, “I’m delighted to hear you’re moving to Boulder.”
He snickered. “I have this overwhelming desire to feel safe. Also, Gill and several other upstanding citizens want to live here—why not me?”
“The more the merrier,” my old mentor said.
We talked about Don’s move for a while, but I hadn’t forgotten my real question. “Diana, Gill, are you hiding me?”
“Not at all.” She scowled at me. “You supposedly love the outdoors. I can’t fathom why you’re making such a fuss.”
Don and Holly snorted in response. They seemed to think I was behaving childishly, too. And it should be a wonderful trip. I’d never seen the Pacific Ocean.
“Just try to get Ellen to cooperate,” Holly said. “She’s stubborn as hell and famous for being secretive. Do your best, and if it doesn’t work, spend more time on the beach.”
Don nodded. “You’ll have to wear her down. She’s worked her whole life to learn her secrets, and she won’t give them up to just anybody. I’ve told her about you and Laura. She should respect your wife’s healing talent, but if not, the redwoods are amazing. I’d spend years there if I could.”
I looked at the four of them, and I knew they were conniving to keep me away. “Laura and I will try to work with Ellen.”
Holly nodded. “Diana doesn’t want me to mention this, but Ellen developed Alzheimer’s some time ago. Her caretaker tells me it’s much more advanced than is commonly known. In truth, you may already be too late.”
She gave me a vial of an orange liquid. “Pilan. If she’s already gone, give her this. It’s her own potion, and it should bring her back well enough to cooperate for a week or two.”
I took the vial. “Fine.”
“That’s the spirit,” Don said. “The great news is, the world’s tallest trees live along that part of the California coast. It’s a religious experience. In fact, I doubt you’ll ever come back. It’s been great knowing you.”
That comment removed any doubt. The four of them were scared shitless about what Sitka might do to me if he could.
Chapter 4
Monday, April 8th
Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado
KATIE DROVE LAURA, CHRISTINA, and me to the airport in the predawn darkness. After we arrived, we gave our chauffeur a tight hug and checked our bags at the curb.
Katie said, “I’m going to miss you three.” Tears welled in her eyes.
“We’re only going for a few weeks,” I reminded her.
“I know, but I hadn’t realized until just now how much I value the safety of the sanctuary for all of us. I won’t stop worrying about you until you’re all back home.”
She obviously hadn’t gotten the memo about Colorado being more dangerous for me than hiding out in California.
The three of us flew to San Francisco without incident, and we left the plane with plenty of time to make our connection to Eureka.
But as we walked down the concourse to our new gate, Gill’s medallion zapped me. I glanced around and spotted a tall, middle-aged, Arab-looking man approaching us from behind in a crowd. The amulet made him glow a bit. Damn! Another sorcerer.
He didn’t seem to notice me, and he was dragging a heavy suitcase behind him. The guy was either a great actor, or this was a bizarre coincidence. Probably the latter because he made no attempt to draw closer.
I whispered to my wife, “A sorcerer, behind us, on the opposite side of the concourse, the bearded guy.”
Her eyes opened wide. She whispered back, “Is he afte
r you?”
I shrugged. He couldn’t bother her because she was pregnant, and he couldn’t attack a child, like Christina.
“I doubt he knows I’m here,” I said, “but not sure. Let’s see if he passes us.”
She looked at me askance. “How do you even know he’s magical? He’s too far away to sense his aura.”
Gill had wanted me to keep the medallion secret, but he didn’t have to live the lie. I needed to confide in Laura, and I’d already hinted at the medallion’s power once or twice, but I hadn’t explained all yet. “I’ll tell you when we’re really alone.”
The sorcerer moved ahead of us, something that no one planning a fight would do.
That comforted me, and I could plan to attack him at will. Magic would create an invisible bubble in the concourse to hide our fight from passersby, and I now had the length of the long concourse to get ready.
I texted Diana with the news and my plan.
When she immediately responded, I showed Laura. I rely on your best judgment, but don’t take stupid chances.
Laura smirked. “Plausible deniability.”
I hurried along, ahead of Laura and Christina to stay close to the sorcerer.
When he approached an empty gate area, I snuck up behind him. If I was going to eventually attack Escobar, I had to get much stronger. Fighting sorcerers was one good way to build strength, but I hadn’t encountered any since the sanctuary had been established.
Finally, the man spun around and glared at me. I’d gotten close enough to my prey for him to sense my aura.
I smiled at him and stepped sideways into the empty gate area. “I challenge you for magical power,”
My body froze, but I could see the asshole’s reaction. His smartest move would’ve been to run. He could make it quite a distance before I unfroze, assuming he left his luggage behind.
Lucky for me, most sorcerers have a vain streak. They rarely back down.
He moved out of the flow of travelers, spread his feet, and dropped the handle of his heavy suitcase. His leer told me he was confident of winning, which I sincerely hoped was a dumb move. I formed my ward and waited for the buzzing in my ears to start.
Vengeance (The Sorcerers' Scourge Series Book 3) Page 3