“If I didn’t know better,” Rufus began, looking suddenly wary, “I would seriously consider the possibility that she was the Beast Master, or at least in league with him.” Tory opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand. “Easy, like I said, your reaction to a child in danger put proof to your words. Also, I know the Beast Master is a man. I’ve seen him. And he doesn’t have partners.” He shrugged, voicing his next comment neutrally, “And I can see that you are just as in the dark about your power as I am.”
She frowned, but gave him a tight nod. Aria squeezed her knee affectionately and Tory smiled down at her, brushing a stray lock of hair from her eyes.
“So, tell them about the kid,” I pressed.
He sighed. “A chimera. Technically, a were-chimera. She—”
“Aaand we’re done here,” Raego’s voice cut through Rufus’ explanation. I had forgotten he was even here. He was prone to lurking in the shadows, watching, studying, waiting. A lack of social skills did not even brush the surface when describing Raego. I had once considered him quite insane, in fact. But since then, I had met some truly mad people. Everyone turned to him, but Achilles had heard the word and stood from his chair to approach.
“Did you say chimera?” Achilles asked slowly.
Rufus nodded. Achilles shook his head in disbelief. “Well, you can consider yourselves fucked. The dragon is right. Those things are nasty. Trust me, a Greek would know.”
Rufus’ head cocked to the side. “Wait, you’re Greek? Where are you from?”
Achilles chuckled. “A country long dead, wizard. Don’t worry yourself about it. Just trust me when I say that chimeras are bad news.” He shot me a meaningful look, and then turned to walk away.
“He looks familiar…” Rufus said.
I shrugged. “He’s one of those foot models. Always showing off the latest shoes. I mean, look at those calves.” I pointed at him as he walked away.
“If I was a pair of shoes, I’d want him inside me,” Sonya said distractedly, eyes locked on his tight jeans. Then her face flushed as red as her hair when Aria and Death both burst out laughing. “I didn’t mean—” she tried. “He just has nice legs, perverts!” she screamed in desperation. Aria managed to console her between fits of laughing snorts. The Heel had momentarily stiffened at the comment, before striding up to Death and punching him in the arm, hard. Anyone else would have stumbled, but Death didn’t even quiver.
Rufus was chuckling softly at the teen, not noticing that the man Achilles had just punched hadn’t moved a muscle. Instead, his gaze looked forlorn, as if remembering a daughter of his own as he smiled at Sonya. He caught me watching, cleared his throat with mild embarrassment, and then spoke. “I used to work for the Academy. Not as a full-blown Justice, but part of their military arm, nonetheless. We were tasked with taking out a nest of chimeras. We succeeded, but after everyone left, my sole responsibility was to clean up all trace of our presence. A glorified janitor. I… found a child. Three or four years old. Too young to shift, but she was clutching her dead mother. She looked up at me, eyes glistening with confusion, fear, terror, asking me for the answer to her question… why?” his voice trailed off, rasping. I heard the Reds intake sharp breaths, murmuring softly to one another in sad tones. “That look destroyed me. I cast a sleeping spell on her just to get her to stop. Not being a warrior, and perhaps a coward, I lied to my officer about it. They had questioned my use of magic, which they had sensed from outside. I told them I had put one to sleep, so that she could die without further pain. They bought it, laughing at my weak stomach. We left, but I returned later that night. And…” he managed to look both ashamed and proud, “took the girl home. I retired from the Academy, telling them that the most recent mission had been too much for me to handle. I was the laughing stock of the Academy for quite some time, but coming home to that sweet orphan, seeing her smile and clutch to me like her savior… well, let’s just say that the Academy won’t be pleased to hear about my betrayal. As in, an immediate death sentence. And I would do it all over again.” His voice was fire at the end.
Tory and the Reds were sobbing softly, clutching each other tightly. Ashley groaned as she stretched, dozing at Gunnar’s feet in full wolf form.
“She only recently began shifting, but she isn’t violent. Sure, there have been some tough calls, but she’s still only a twelve-year-old child. Just like any other were learning their lineage.” He eyed the Reds meaningfully, and they nodded back, before casting their gazes at the rug on the floor.
“So, how was she kidnapped? If no one knows about her, how did the Beast Master discover her, and why the hell is he in St. Louis?”
His bloodshot eyes lifted to mine. “Well, that’s where you come in.”
Chapter 8
I frowned. “What do you mean, that’s where I come in?” I asked.
Rufus eyed each of us. “You and your pals here have caused quite a ruckus in the supernatural community. Took out some Grimms, spat in the Academy’s face… allegedly.” He flashed me a faint smile. “Word gets out,” he explained. I nodded, neither confirming nor denying. Which basically was as good as admitting to it. “Took out a demon. Took over the local werewolf pack. Allied with the Obsidian Son.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder where Raego stood in the shadows. Raego grunted noncommittally. “Just to name a few eventful nights.”
I nodded. “As you said. Allegedly. But what does that have to do with anything?”
“It’s attracted… attention to St. Louis. The Beast Master is always looking for new toys. And you seem to be collecting quite a few specimens lately.” His eyes drifted to each face. “Not that I see any of you as specimens, but he certainly does. And he doesn’t like to share.”
This seemed to calm my friends down a bit. A tiny bit.
“He’s come here to collect some new pets? And he coincidentally found your girl?”
Rufus nodded. “No one knew about her. Hell, she didn’t even know her potential until recently.”
I waited, there had to be more to the story.
Rufus sighed. “She was volunteering at a soup kitchen. That was the last anyone has seen of her. Of course, no one thinks it’s anything other than an Amber Alert.” He scowled.
Now that he mentioned it, I had noticed quite an increase in Amber Alerts over the past few days. Now that practically everyone’s phones alerted them about one when it happened, it was impossible not to notice. Surely, they hadn’t all been Freaks kidnapped by the Beast Master.
And as far as I recalled, almost all of the children had been found. Although, now that I thought about it, I seemed to remember hearing quite a few newsreels where the parents had said something had been… off about their children. They had put it all down to stress from the abductions.
But a slimy thought began to creep into my head. I squashed it down. I had enough to deal with as it was. I didn’t need to add saving every child in St. Louis to my laundry list.
“What makes you think the Beast Master is behind it, and not that she was simply kidnapped?” I asked with a frown. Gunnar was nodding his agreement. Raego merely folded his arms, still frowning.
Rufus chuckled. “Because any Regular who happened to kidnap her would no longer be breathing. Intense emotions bring about the shift at that age. Instead of an Amber Alert, we would have heard about a murder spree.”
Well, that was a good point.
“Pegasus took out one of the first chimeras. Attacked it from above,” Death interrupted, shooting me a meaningful look. “The aerial assault was particularly effective,” he added.
I frowned at him, knowing what he was getting at. “Yeah, well, Grimm can’t fly.”
Death shrugged. “Just a fun fact.”
Everyone stared at him, wondering if he was joking. But the Horseman had eyes only for me. He was constantly trying to get me to acknowledge my gifts. The job offer his Brothers had offered me. To be a Horseman. Rufus saved me from responding.
“Then there’s this.
” He pulled out a flyer from a pocket, tossing it on the desk. Mallory darted ahead of me, protectively grasping the paper before I could touch it. He hadn’t moved for some time, merely watching events unfold, so his sudden motion startled all of us.
“Really, Mallory? I think I’m safe from the deadly postcard,” I muttered. “I’m not Alucard.”
“It’s the small things ye need to look out fer, Laddie,” he chided. Studying the paper for a second, he finally handed it over, judging it non-lethal.
I stared down at the flyer. It looked like a Ringling Brothers advertisement. Except it cryptically alluded to some beasts that truly weren’t possible, and there was no location given for the event three nights from tonight. It simply said, Inquire through standard channels.
Which meant the supernatural community.
Achilles was suddenly back at the table, reaching for the flyer.
I handed it over. He grunted after a few seconds. “A bloke dropped off a hundred or so of these at my bar yesterday.”
I blinked at him. “Why would he give them to you?”
He shrugged back. “Pretty typical. My clientele attracts all sorts.” He eyed me up and down. “You should know.”
“Wait, now I know who you are. You’re Achi—” Rufus began in disbelief.
“Easy, boy. Don’t hurt yourself.”
Rufus’ eyes darted to me. “He’s… that’s…” he finally let out a breath. “Christ! No wonder everyone’s so nervous about you. Dining with him of all people?”
I chose not to mention any of the other names in attendance, fearing his reaction to discover that a Horseman of the Apocalypse stood a dozen feet away. I shrugged in answer, turning to Achilles. “So, your chimera is one victim. Which means I have three days to save two new victims and get the chimera back—”
Rufus cleared his throat, shaking his head. “Three new victims. My girl was taken from Chicago, not St. Louis. I followed the Beast Master here. His thugs chased me off before I could learn their base of operations, so I came straight here.”
Mallory’s head swiveled to stare out the window in alarm.
Rufus flushed. “No one followed me. I swear. I took the long way.” Mallory continued to stare out the window like a sniper.
“Of course,” I muttered. “That means I need to save one new kid each night, then take out the Beast Master at his circus…” I said absently, thinking. “Or I can take out the Beast Master early, save your chimera, and hopefully prevent him from taking anymore hostages.” Rufus nodded, not catching my sarcasm. “Do you know where this is going down?” I asked Achilles.
He nodded. “Sure. And anyone else who pays the ridiculous cover can also know.”
Plans were already spinning in my head, adrenaline filling my veins. I would get to test out my new powers against a truly dangerous foe. I had been practicing, and if I had to admit it, I was kind of eager to see what I could do in a fight. The cane throbbed warmly at my hip, agreeing. “Or you could just tell me,” I said to Achilles. He was silent, so I turned back to him. He simply stared back. “Right?”
He shook his head. “Not without payment.”
I frowned. “You’re kidding. You’re going to make me pay you to save a child?”
He shook his head again. “The money doesn’t go to me. It goes to him. The Beast Master. And I do need to keep up appearances.” I began to argue, but he held up a hand, forestalling me. “I swore an oath. One of those pesky magical ones you can’t get around. And if you continue with this mad quest, you’re going to need me on the inside in the future.” He grunted. “If you have a future after this.”
I growled under my breath, closing my eyes as I silently argued with the Dark Presence that was suddenly encouraging me to murder Achilles for the information. Forcing him back to silence, I sucked in a deep breath, and opened my eyes to find Achilles staring at me with sudden concern. “I’m fine.” He didn’t look convinced, and neither did the others, judging by the silent looks I caught in my peripheral.
“You were muttering something.”
“I already told you. I’m fine,” I snapped. “So, I need to get some money. How much are we talking?”
He told me. And it wasn’t standard US currency.
“Okay, wow. I don’t think… I don’t keep that stuff lying around.”
He shrugged. “Let me know when you’ve got the coin.”
I sighed in resignation, wondering how in the hell I would get that type of money on such short notice. I knew my friends couldn’t help, even with Gunnar’s pet accessory business booming. Because we weren’t talking dollars. “Once I get the funds, we have him.”
“Right. Fat lot of good that will do you,” Achilles muttered. I frowned. “Did you miss the part where he had over two dozen Freaks bound to his will? And that’s just counting the prisoners. Not his thugs. Those Freaks he’s had under his thrall for so long that he trusts them to work for him without chains.”
I slumped in my seat. “Well, sure, we have a few wrinkles to work out, but at least we will know where he’ll be.”
Achilles growled. “And the crowd of several hundred twisted sons of bitches. The ones who paid good coin to see a bloodbath. Think they’ll like you strolling in to crash their party? It will literally be you against hundreds. And don’t forget, he hosts events for all types of monsters. Even a mysterious group you’ve had encounters with in the past, and aren’t supposed to talk about. It’s fair to guess that some of them will be present.” He turned his back on me, muttering angrily to himself as he walked back to Death. I shivered at the thought. He was talking about the Syndicate. The group who had employed the Brothers Grimm. And Rumpelstiltskin. “And forget about the circus,” he continued. “You still need to stop him from taking any more kids.” The Horseman watched him, murmuring soothing words to the warrior.
Unruffled, I turned back to Rufus. “Ignore him. He’s a Negative Nancy. His foot must be bothering him.” Rufus blinked, his gaze darting back to Achilles across the room. I turned to find the Myrmidon flashing me a cold smile as he drew a finger across his throat. I grinned back, waving my injured hand at him. “Love you too, Heel.”
Raego let out an annoyed breath. “Would you please get that sorted? You’re flinging blood flakes everywhere. And we are not going to help you on this suicide mission.” I glanced at my hand. He was exaggerating, as it was now dried and crusted over, but he had a point. I turned to Mallory, but then hesitated as a thought struck me.
Yes, this would be perfect. Maybe give a little trust to earn a little trust. Negate the breach in Guestright by extending an olive branch.
“Rufus, would you mind healing me?”
Rufus paused for a beat, glancing guardedly at Mallory. “As long as I’m not going to be tackled into another bookshelf or Tased with his lightning stick.”
I grinned back. “They’ll play nice. Won’t you, boys.” Grumbles answered me. “See?”
Rufus still looked wary as he leaned forward to take my hand in his palm. He studied the small wounds thoughtfully. “Yes, this isn’t bad at all. Just an inconvenience, really.”
I felt the warm tingle of magic delve deep into my hand, repairing the damage done, but then the power ratcheted up to a level that was way too intense for a simple healing spell. Then it was gone. I saw the guilty look on Rufus’ face before he pulled away, the spell over before I could stop him, especially with my powers weakened due to breaking Guestright earlier. The Dark Presence inside me screamed with an almost feral fury. I slid back in my chair as Mallory jumped atop the table, his crackling lightning spear sizzling against Rufus’ neck.
“What have ye done, wizard?” he roared. Gunnar had jumped in front of Ashley, who had woken suddenly at the abrupt chaos. Her confused growl punctuated Mallory’s threat.
“I… bound him. No harm. As long as he helps me find my girl,” the man admitted.
Chapter 9
“Well, isn’t this just magical. Trust. Curses. It makes one feel so appr
eciated,” I spat. That hadn’t gone as planned. At all.
Rufus carefully pointed a finger at Raego. “He just blatantly said that you weren’t going to help. I have to protect my girl.”
I stared daggers at the man. “And that would be relevant if you had asked him for help, not me,” I shouted back. “Did you think I was just going over plans out loud for the hell of it?”
“Let’s just say I press a little harder with my stick. What happens then, wizard?” Mallory growled, a hungry, slightly psychotic gleam in his eyes.
“He loses a significant portion of his power,” Rufus answered slowly, careful not to jostle the tip of the spear on his throat.
“Doesn’t that sound familiar,” I grouched, remembering the Academy’s first attack against me. “Let me guess, this lasts three days.” Which meant it lined up almost perfectly with the event at the circus.
He blinked. “A little bit longer. Almost four days. How did you guess?”
“It seems the Academy is partial to this particular spell. Tried it on me once before.”
Rufus’ eyes shot wide open. “Impossible. I invented that spell. None of them are strong enough to duplicate it.”
I stared at him, sensing the blockage of power between me and my Maker ability. It was different than the first time. Stronger, but different. For example, this time it was limiting a different type of power. Before, I had been a wizard, a like magic to Rufus’ spell. This time, the spell was battling an alien power, a Maker’s power. For all of that, it was still doing its intended job. I could sense the reservoir of power, and knew I was limited only to that. And that as it was used up, it would no longer replenish. Until I concluded my end of the bargain.
“They used seven Justices to duplicate it,” I answered him. Rufus’ eyes grew thoughtful before he finally let out a small nod.
“That might work.”
“No, that did work. They ended up taking my wizard’s power. Luckily, I had a backup plan, and it only expedited the growth of my Maker’s ability,” I answered cryptically.
Beast Master: A Novel in The Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Series (The Temple Chronicles Book 5) Page 5