“They should know the dangers of what you plan. Or, at least the potential for danger.”
I stood, turning my back on Talon angrily. I wasn’t mad at him, exactly, but I didn’t want to think about it. I stared out the massive floor-to-ceiling window, studying Kai’s tree through the enchanted glass. The glass reminded me of Carl.
I wondered where he was, and then realized I was stalling.
I turned back to Talon. “No one knows what could happen. The powers could cause an explosion. They might not mix. They might cancel each other out. There are a dozen potential ways for this to go wrong. At least a dozen…”
Talon nodded, looking sad, but resolute. “Yet you must do this to stand a chance…” he said firmly. Then he held an open paw to his chest, the claws digging into his flesh enough to scratch the skin. I realized I had returned the gesture. It meant undying loyalty. I nodded faintly, the light in the room catching the scratches down his face where he had sworn to be my Shadow.
My guardian. The only one I had shared my plan with, other than Kai.
“And I will be with you at the end, Wylde…” he promised.
I realized I was grinning as well. Not at the prospect of my death, but at the look in his eyes. Mischief and danger.
Like we had done countless times before. Even if I was only recently aware of it.
Despite my fear, I was eager to flex some muscles tonight. To see what I could do. I wasn’t sure how the night would play out, but I had a few options.
Which face did I want the world to see?
A Godkiller wielding a war hammer imbued with lightning.
Wylde Fae and his unique definition of physics.
The Horseman of Hope.
Nate Temple, the wizard.
Or… maybe a splash of all four.
The possibilities were endless…
But against two Makers, I knew I couldn’t hold back.
Chapter 46
I had wandered the property, checking on everyone, making sure all was well and that everyone was accounted for. Carl and Tory had kept everyone safe in my brief absence, not that they’d really had anything to do in such a small window. They were currently rounding everyone up to leave the property a few hours from now. Grimm and Pegasus had already left. I was no longer concerned with being seen, because either Matthias or Castor – or both – obviously knew I was back. Maybe they hadn’t even known I had left in the first place. Which could be an asset.
So, I had walked my property. I decided to take one of the ATVs out into the woods, checking the old trails I had used as a child, where Gunnar and I had played – shooting slingshots, practicing our powers, and getting into trouble.
Just like I had with Talon, but in a much more dangerous place.
Which was kind of cool. I had gotten to live two childhoods, and as the hours went by, the memories were slowly folding over each other, settling into place, as familiar as a favorite shirt. They weren’t all back, many gaps still filled my life from Fae, but enough to get a good picture.
Although my parents had been bastards to keep that life from me, they had tried to make up for it as best as possible. By helping me find a replacement for Talon, my best friend. They had likely known that even though I wouldn’t remember him, that I would probably feel depressed, some deep part of me remembering that something was… wrong. A part of me was missing.
Enter Gunnar, stage left.
I let out a laugh as a new thought hit me, and I climbed off the ATV, killing the engine as I spotted an old fort Gunnar and I had built so many years ago. I had always considered cats vile creatures, and had preferred dogs. Was that because some deep part of me felt betrayed by my best friend, Talon? Then when Gunnar appeared, showing me he was a werewolf, I had jealously latched onto him instead of my unknown memories of Talon?
“We did some pretty stupid stuff, here,” a voice growled, coming from a nearby stump. I flinched in surprise, not having seen him. Then I relaxed as I recognized Gunnar’s blonde hair. He turned to face me, smiling faintly as he pointed a thumb at the fort, which was now crumbling and falling apart.
“Yeah,” I said, smiling as I walked up to him. I studied the fort, shaking my head. “You think they’re still—”
Gunnar burst out laughing, interrupting me. “I wondered the same, but the dirty magazines are so much pulp now,” he sighed, shaking his head as he nudged a plank with a boot.
“Damn. Kathy Ireland…” I said nostalgically.
Gunnar made the cross over his chest, nodding.
“You okay?” I asked. “Ashley okay?” Because it was strange to find him here, as if also reminiscing on our childhood.
He nodded, smiling. “Better than okay. It’s just…” then his face colored as he turned to me. “Sorry, I keep thinking about what you went through, but all I focus on is how…” he trailed off, not saying what I knew to be the truth. “I never stopped to think about how you feel.”
I nodded. “Weird. The memories are there. Not all of them, but a lot of them. Random flashes. Enough to know it’s the truth. I remember Talon and Pan,” I said, shaking my head.
“I’m not jealous,” he said, not looking at me.
I bit back a grin. “Okay.”
“No, really. I’m…” he let out a rush of air. “Maybe a little.” He turned to me, scowling. “A fucking cat? Really?” he finally spat, throwing his beefy arms up.
I chuckled, shrugging. “I know. I was just thinking the same thing.”
He was silent for a time. “Think your parents hooked us up on purpose? Somehow?”
I sighed, and then finally shrugged. “I don’t know, man. But… I’m glad they did.”
I noticed a sharp intake of breath, but didn’t look at him. “I’m not crying, you’re crying,” he said in a low tone, sniffing once.
“Probably all the deadly mold spores from our fort. Don’t worry about it.”
“What’s your real plan?” he asked, crouching down into a squat to lift up a plank. The words Chateau Defiance were crudely painted onto it, and Gunnar grinned, pointing. I smiled at it, remembering the debate we’d had when coming up with the name.
But his question made that memory short-lived. “I have a general idea, but the main objective is to make an example of them. I’ll try reasoning with Matthias, but from the last time we saw him, I don’t think that’s in the cards. He won’t listen long enough for me to say it, let alone prove it. And I don’t know how to prove it anyway. He won’t believe anyone who was there to vouch for me, so it’s not like I can bring in a witness. And even if Athena was still alive, I’m sure she wouldn’t be willing to give me an alibi.”
“You’re probably right. And he wouldn’t listen to Talon either. Because every witness is a friend of yours…”
“And I killed everyone who wasn’t. Athena and Indie.”
“That fucking bastard,” he cursed. “Do you have any idea how he got in past your wards?”
I sighed. “That’s what makes me nervous. One or both of them have. I’m not sure if it’s because the wall is still broken or what. Maybe the wall is part of the magic in the wards, and it’s not working without it. Like a broken circuit.”
Gunnar grunted. “Makes sense. How much longer till Danny and his brothers are finished?”
I turned to him, shrugging. “We can go check. It was on my list of things to do anyway. Before I sent them away for the night.”
Gunnar nodded slowly, as if checking his schedule. Then he shoved me, almost knocking me over the planks on the ground. “I’m driving,” he shouted, turning to sprint towards the ATV and hop into the driver’s side.
I rolled my eyes, glad I hadn’t fallen down.
I climbed in beside him, and let my shoulders relax, trying to enjoy the moment with my best friend, and not think about my fight tonight.
Gunnar hooted as he drove across the overgrown paths, tearing over obstacles so that I had to grab onto the dash rather than falling off the ATV.
We cleared the for
est and tore across the manicured lawn, Gunnar swerving as he drove wildly. I realized I was laughing, the cool wind biting at my eyes, making them water. He skidded to a halt near the gate, and the bewildered crew stared at us, hammers and tools in hand.
We hopped out and approached, still smiling. Danny stepped forward, shaking his head.
“How goes it?” I asked him.
He glanced back at it. “A few more days, I think.”
I blinked. “That’s impressive.”
He shrugged, admiring his work. “We’re good at what we do. That wall could hold back an army if necessary. Unless they have bombs. Not sure about that,” he admitted. But then he pointed at a nearby griffin statue perched atop the wall. “We tried to move that, but it wouldn’t budge. It’s not cemented down, so it must weigh a ton.” He turned to look at me. “Leo told us to leave it alone,” he added, pointing a thumb at a worker who stood apart from the others. The man hadn’t turned at our approach, but had instead continued to place his stones, slathering them with mortar. He was a big son of a bitch, his long dark hair falling down his shirtless back. Gunnar studied him with one eye, grunting as he picked up a large stone, setting it in place.
“It’s fine where it is,” I told Danny, still eyeing the newcomer, Leo. I remembered Danny mentioning the new help, but was curious about his comment on the Guardian. Had he recognized it as a griffin, or had he just been making an idle comment?
“We should be ready to leave in a little while,” Danny said, no doubt wondering why I had asked him to call it quits for the day.
“Introduce us to Leo,” I said. The man’s shoulders tensed, and my curiosity piqued.
Danny led us over to the man. “Leo, this is Nate Temple,” he said. The man turned to face us, nodding respectfully, only making brief eye contact. He didn’t look shady or anything, more as if he was just a loner, a drifter, and not comfortable with social interactions. He had a thick beard, neatly cut into a square below his jaw, and his chest rivaled Gunnar’s bulk.
“Thank you for letting me help, Master Temple,” he said, still holding his trowel.
“Thanks, Danny,” I said, not taking my eyes from Leo. I tried to remember his last name, but it escaped me. Danny said something and left the three of us. “You’ve seen one of those before?” I asked, indicating the griffin statue.
He nodded slowly. “I saw it hiss at one of them when they weren’t looking. I know they don’t like to be moved…” he said uncomfortably, still not meeting my gaze. I grunted, wondering about his story. Again, despite his obvious familiarity of magic, I didn’t feel even a hint of bad vibes from him. I felt quite the opposite, in fact. That he was unbelievably trustworthy and loyal, but had preferred not to make his awareness known. Which made sense when his coworkers were Regulars. He would sound like a crazy person. Not good for the new guy on a job. “You have remarkable control of your beasts,” he said in the uncomfortable silence. “Last time I worked a job where we unknowingly tried to move a griffin, the thing almost tore the worker’s leg off. But that was at night, so we were ready for it. Danny and his brothers… well, I thought it easier to keep the truth a secret. I’m the new guy,” he said with a shrug.
“They’re more like family, not beasts,” I admitted, glancing up at the Guardian griffin. It winked at me, not moving the rest of his body, but Leo noticed it.
“I see,” he said slowly. “Maybe you can let it know that we meant no harm.”
“He can hear you. Don’t worry. How do you like the job?” I asked, changing topics.
He smiled briefly. “Feels nice. I miss this stuff. Regular walls are so boring.” His eyes flicked up to mine, as if wanting to say something. “Heard about the other day. What you did to the bastard who tried to take your kid,” he growled. “Fucking coward. I hope he suffered.”
Gunnar grunted. “One thing you never do is piss off Nate, or try to take his toys.”
I nodded, straight-faced. Leo glanced up at Gunnar, nodding at both the words and the werewolf’s undertone. “Understood,” he finally said. “Maybe we could grab drinks sometime?”
I laughed sharply. “I may be a billionaire, but Danny and his brothers look like they could do some damage at a bar,” I said, grinning. “I’m not that flush.”
Leo chuckled, nodding his agreement. “True, but I was just talking about me. I hear your name a lot, from the other side,” he said cryptically, implying the magical world.
I sighed. “Yeah,” I admitted. Not really feeling like sharing stories about my exploits over drinks. Especially when I had a lot on my plate tonight. The saga of Nate could very well end by my own relative killing me.
“I’ve got a few stories I bet you’ve never heard,” he said in a careful tone. My shoulders suddenly twitched at a new sound. A car had pulled up to the drive and parked. Achilles climbed out of the car, saw me, and waved before jogging over.
“We’ll talk soon, Master Temple,” Leo said, sounding as if he had overstepped his bounds.
He turned to take a step, and a spear slammed into the dirt at his feet. He didn’t even flinch. I spun, surprised to see Achilles grinning as he pointed a finger past my shoulder. “You sneaky son of a bitch! How long have you been in town?” he roared. And suddenly the two met in a violent bro-hug, with great back-patting. Leo looked both ecstatic to see an old friend, but also guilty that I was witnessing it, the two emotions warring with each other on his face.
I turned to Gunnar, frowning. He shrugged, watching the two men. “We don’t look like that, do we? Is that a European thing?”
The two men turned to me, and Leo looked very wary.
Achilles was beaming. “Why did you hire this sack of shit to build a wall? He’s terrible at it.”
Leo growled. “It’s what I do, now.”
Achilles grunted, shaking his head. “You need to come to my bar. I know just the thing for your obvious boredom.” The other workers were watching us, as if surprised to see the new guy was so popular.
I furrowed my brows, turning from one to the other. “That sounds… nice. What have you been up to lately?” Leo asked carefully.
Achilles waved a hand. “I run a bar on the side, but Nate helped me and Asterion set up a Fight Club. We should get the old gang back together,” he said, eyes dancing with unrestrained excitement. He studied the wall, frowning. “Well, after you finish this, I guess.”
“Gee, thanks, Achilles,” I muttered, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Leo. Achilles had mentioned Asterion, and there was no mistaking the flash of eager recognition on the man’s face.
“Leo…” I said, thinking. Then I took a step closer, my breath catching as I recalled his last name. “Vasilias…” I shook my head, staring from him to the wall. Vasilias meant King in Greek. “No. You’ve got to be shitting me…”
Gunnar folded his arms, not looking happy. “Who the hell are you?” he finally asked.
Leo sighed, lowering his eyes for a moment. But when he lifted them again, they were full of an inner fire, a self-confidence that reminded me of Achilles. But his were different, as if weighed down by a sense of duty – more like Gunnar. “Leonidas… of Sparta,” he finally said, turning to me. “I didn’t want to tell you at first, wanting to earn the job on my own merit rather than my history. I don’t play in that world anymore. Too much politics,” he admitted, squaring his shoulders as if to accept a beating. “I’m sorry for the deception—”
I took two steps and gripped him by the shirt, shoving him into the wall as I stared deep into his eyes from an inch away. The workers suddenly found important things to do near their vans.
I tried to control my breathing. “Swear on your name that you have never betrayed me or mine. Ever. Not even in the slightest,” I hissed, suddenly wondering just how convenient it would be for Castor or Matthias to hire this legendary Spartan to infiltrate my home, possibly thwarting my walls, making me believe them to be safe when in reality they were dysfunctional.
Leo met my eyes without b
linking. Not happy about the situation, but understanding my position entirely. “I’ve only done service to you, none other. Only Achilles knows who I am. All else think me dead or forgotten.”
“Achilles?” I asked without turning my head, ready to incinerate Leonidas’ head if he so much as farted.
“It’s true. He doesn’t play well with others. Too much betrayal in his past.”
“You’ve had no contact in the last year… two years,” I corrected, “with anyone knowing who you really are?”
Leo shook his head. “None. I swear it on my name.”
I let him go, still angry at how easy it could it have been for one of my enemies to slip someone into the crowd.
“You really, really should have told me, Leo,” I muttered. “Finish the wall. We’ll talk later. Achilles,” I said, turning to face him. “This better be important. I have an appointment.”
I wasn’t angry with Achilles, and he knew it. But he also knew I was still a little raw from the war, where he had been on the other side, playing a double agent.
“Just coming to check on the place. I thought you were going to be gone longer.” He assessed me thoughtfully. “You look less… crazy this time.” Then he turned to Gunnar with an expectant grin. “Have fun?”
Gunnar growled, showing his teeth as he smiled.
“I can’t wait to hear about it.” He turned back to me, shrugging. “Like I said, I planned on checking the place regularly, just in case you were gone a while. I didn’t have anything to tell you,” he admitted. Then he let out a breath, holding up a hand like a Boy Scout. “I swear I haven’t betrayed you, switched sides, or done anything to cause you a headache.” He glanced over his shoulder at Leo who had gone back to work without a word. “Well, anything other than accidentally recognizing Leonidas. In fact, you could say I did you a favo—”
“Okay. Thanks, Achilles. I need you to leave. Now,” I said, feeling annoyed. I didn’t have time to play games or joke around. My good humor had been washed away entirely by my sudden fear that I had already been invaded or betrayed.
War Hammer: A Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Book 8 (The Temple Chronicles) Page 25