by E. A. Copen
Haru’s head snapped up, rage burning in his eyes. “Yes, I do. When I became War, I had to live through it. Every war. Every battle. I watched the Romans burn London to the ground. Saw the Norsemen slaughter and rape by the thousands. I walked through killing fields so thick with the dying and the maimed that I had to swim through blood and organs. Even after all that, those aren’t the battles that have stuck with me. You want to know about the worst ones? The ones that never stop. Modern warfare. We ship them out, blow them up, patch them up, and send them home. Missing arms, missing legs, scarred brains. Injured people. We shove them back into a world that thinks they’re grotesque freaks. Oh, people might pretend not to notice the milky eyes, the stump arms, or the way they flinch at every loud noise, but they do. We took their weapons away and ask them to fight a war no one can win, the war against their own minds. That’s the worst thing about war, Lazarus. Surviving it.”
I stared at my shoes. That wasn’t something I’d ever thought about. Having never served in the military, it never occurred to me that coming home from a war zone could be even worse than being in one. Not only were all those guys going to have to go home, but now they would have to live with injuries that would change their lives forever.
Haru got out of bed and swayed. I tried to steady him, but he pushed me away and held himself up with the help of the table.
“I kept my end of the deal, Lazarus,” he snapped. “I hope you get the dirt you need on Pestilence. Those men paid for it with their lives and I just spat on their sacrifice.”
“You didn’t—”
“Yes, I did! Do you think those men came to the tournament to be spared? They came to win, or to die glorious deaths in battle, not to become vegetables.”
“You may be an expert on war, Haru, but trust me when I say there’s no such thing as a glorious death. There’s only death.”
He grunted and pulled himself around the table. “Maybe to you. The point’s not how you die. It’s how others see you die. Your legacy. If you had a choice, would you want to live so long your bowels shut down and you have to have your loved ones change bags full of your piss and shit? You want to still be here if they have to feed you, bathe you? That’s how you want them to remember you? I imagine you’d rather have them drink to your memory and say, ‘That Lazarus fellow, he fought to the last. He was a good guy.’ That’s what I took away from those men today. That’s what your deal costs.”
“Haru...”
He shook his head. “No. I can’t do it. No more deals. When you and me are facing off in the finals, all bets are off. It’s to the death, Lazarus. I’ll see you then.”
A commotion in the hallway drew our attention. Three men rushed in, carrying a woman between them. Blood pooled over her stomach and dripped from between her lips. Her eyes were closed. Chances were good she was already gone, but they were going to try and save her anyway.
“Doctor!” one of the men shouted.
The office door slammed open and the doctor rushed out to assess the situation.
Haru and I slid quietly toward the exit only to find Tiamat blocking the way.
She stood with her arms crossed, a sour look on her face. “I lost a fighter in the arena,” she said. “I’m going to lose this one too. We’ll be down to three. At least we won.” Her eyes hardened as she looked at Haru. “It will be your team against mine in the semi-finals, War. If you pull any of that shit you did with the Maori with my people, you won’t leave this arena alive.”
Haru straightened and took his hand away from his injured ribs. “See you in the arena.”
“Yes, see you there.”
We reached the hallway and he turned one way while I went the other. Anger boiled in my chest as I walked, and I wished I had my staff with me just so I could have something to wrap my fist around. I settled for clenching and unclenching my fists in front of me instead until my palms looked red. Blood red. No, there was no blood on me. It was just a trick of the light.
The sound of sandals slapping against the stone floor made me look up. Tony rushed around the curve behind me, his face red. “Horseman!” he exclaimed when he saw me.
I stopped walking and turned around. “Easy, man. What’s wrong?”
He slid to a stop a few paces from me and gulped down some air. “You said to tell you if we saw Pestilence out and about. I just saw her.”
“Where?”
“She went into the infirmary.”
The infirmary? Why go there? She wouldn’t take on Tiamat, would she? How stupid could she be? Then again, she’d already killed Chernobog and a Valkyrie. She was either stealthy as hell or more of a fighter than everyone assumed. Either way, I had to get back to the infirmary. Maybe I could catch her before she finished her job.
I gave Tony a hasty thanks and rushed past him back the way I’d come. It was only a short jog back, but the tournament was between matches, so people were filing out to stand in the hall. I had to push through them to get back to the infirmary. When I arrived, Tiamat was no longer guarding the door. No sound escaped from inside.
I ran into the room and halted at what I saw. There hadn’t been any time to clean up all of Haru’s blood, which made the place look like a murder scene. The Babylonian woman’s body lay still on the bed. I thought the two men who had brought her in were gone, but once I stepped in further, I spied them on the ground, motionless. Their backs were to me so I couldn’t tell what’d happened, not without going closer. I took another step.
“No,” croaked out the doctor’s voice.
He was curled up in the corner closest to me near a cabinet full of medical supplies. White, fluid-filled blisters covered his face, neck and arms. His eyelids were nearly swollen shut. Anger sparked anew. This man was a healer, a non-combatant. His only purpose in all of this was to patch people up. More than that, he actually seemed to care. There was absolutely no reason to hurt him.
Keep it together. Information first. Anger later. “What happened here?”
His voice was barely above a whisper as he answered, “She came. She put her hand in their chests and they fell over screaming. The blisters... they came after. I tried to stop her when she started chanting and she did this. You need to leave. Bar the door when you do. Go and get security.”
His fingers twitched around something black, drawing my eyes to it. A gun. He had a gun.
Haru slid into my peripheral vision, his katana drawn.
I raised my hands. “Easy, doc. I’ll go and get help. No need for that.”
“It’s not for you. I know what this is, and I know there’s no cure.” He opened his mouth and put the barrel in.
“Doc, no!”
The shot drowned out my objection.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Their fight is over,” Haru said as we watched the security roll away three body bags.
Temporary barriers kept the curious crowds back while security in HAZMAT suits carried out thick black bags full of materials to be taken to a decontamination center somewhere. A set of them marched into the infirmary with flamethrowers to repeat the process they’d used when Chernobog died. Search and destroy.
“They didn’t have to die,” I muttered and lowered my head. “We were right there not two minutes before. How did she get all of them so fast?”
“She must’ve been waiting for us to leave. Doesn’t explain why Tiamat just let her through. Think they could be working together?”
Tiamat and Xipetotec’s pet didn’t strike me as natural allies, but neither seemed to like me. It was hard to guess without knowing why people were dying. These three murders didn’t fit her previous pattern. They weren’t strategists; she’d targeted the fighters and left Tiamat alone as far as we knew. At least, no one had found Tiamat’s body. I couldn’t imagine the mother of chaos falling victim to someone like Pestilence. She was a scary lady, Tiamat. Maybe she didn’t see her coming. Maybe she stormed away when the doctor said there was nothing he could do. No way to know unless we were there.
; Yes, there is.
The fourth body bag was wheeled out. He was the only one they were moving separately. I grabbed the plastic barrier and ducked under it.
“What are you doing, Lazarus?”
“I’ll be right back.”
I only got a few paces before the security turned their spears on me. “Step back behind the barrier or be met with force,” said one of the muffled voices through the air filter.
I pointed to the fourth body bag. “Is that the doctor?”
“I said get back behind the barrier!”
“You want to find out who’s behind all this? I can help. You have to give me access to the body.”
Her spear jabbed at me. I narrowly dodged by leaning to the left. “This body has an active unidentified infection. It’s scheduled for incineration. No one is allowed access.”
“Chances are good he’s got lots of them,” I told her. “I just need you to hold it for a few hours. Do it in a decontamination room if you have to, but I need it. It has evidence.”
“We would appreciate the gesture.” Haru was suddenly next to me. “I know you’re just doing your job, and we respect that. However, the doctor’s remains could provide a unique insight into an ongoing investigation. Your cooperation would be noted.”
The Valkyrie eyed us. Through the plastic, it was hard to tell, but I thought I recognized her from the party. “Take the body to decontamination and hold it for two hours,” she ordered.
“But ma’am,” protested another.
She turned on her subordinate. “I don’t want to get on the bad side of both War and Death on the same day. Do as they say.”
War bowed next to me. “Thank you.”
“You’re still wearing PPE when you come for a look and going through a full decontamination shower,” the Valkyrie advised.
“Of course. We would expect nothing less.” He bowed one more time and stepped back.
I was starting to wonder if he ever got whiplash from bowing too fast.
Haru turned and started working his way through the crowd. I followed. “I hope I didn’t just lie for you, Lazarus.”
I shook my head. “Pestilence didn’t kill him. He was a suicide, which means his soul is intact. I can speak to his shade. We verify it was her in front of a few witnesses, and we’ve got the evidence we need to bust her.”
“I didn’t realize speaking with departed souls was part of Death’s skillset.”
“It’s not. I’ve been doing that for fifteen years or so now. I was a necromancer long before I took on Death’s mantle.”
“Oh.”
Haru was quiet as we walked. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but I figured we should stick together for the time being. My next match wasn’t for about six more hours, and his wouldn’t be until the finals now. With their team decimated, the Babylonians would be out of the running, and his team would’ve been slated to fight them next if I remembered the bracket correctly. Eliminating the Babylonians gave him a free pass to the finals.
“Who did you have in mind to serve as a witness?” Haru asked.
I shrugged. Anyone with any pull would work. We’d be better off with two or even three people standing by, but getting that many gods in one room without having them at each other’s throats would be difficult. Tensions were running high as we headed into the semi-final round, which would put my team against Tony and the other Romans. Luckily, we had a no-kill agreement with them. Tony had turned out to be the most helpful one in the bunch.
“We should probably get someone impartial,” I answered. “Someone who doesn’t have a team in the running. That way, no one can accuse them of manipulating facts.”
Haru nodded. “It will have to be someone with some authority. Someone the other gods will respect.”
“And someone who can give us some backup when we go to confront her. Xipetotec won’t be too happy when we take away his pet.” I tried to think of which god in attendance would meet all of those qualifications. The answer brought me to a dead stop. “Shit.”
Haru stopped. He must’ve come to the same conclusion as me. “Loki. He’s in charge of the security, so he’s got the backup. No team in the tournament means he’s got no reason to lie.”
“He’s a trickster though. Will the other gods believe what he has to say?”
Haru shrugged. “After his team was taken out, they voted unanimously to make him the Game Master, so probably. I mean, they’re trusting him to run this whole event.”
That was news. Why was I always the last one to know important information like that? “What’s a Game Master do?”
“Not much,” Haru said and started walking again. “It’s mostly a ceremonial position. In the event of a tie in the final round, he acts as a tie-breaker. There are a bunch of other obscure rules concerning his job, but no one really pays attention. For the last several tournaments as I understand it, their primary job was to oversee security, act as a liaison for other gods, and host a party, all of which Loki has done. Anyone you talk to will call him a gracious host.”
“And since this is his venue, he’s got a vested interest in keeping law and order. He won’t want to tarnish his reputation with stories about his incompetence when it comes to security.”
“Precisely.”
We came to a hallway that curved in toward the arena. Haru turned down it, so I went with him, assuming we were on our way to meet Loki. The hallway ended in a set of curving stairs guarded by two Valkyries. They were everywhere. After this, if I ever saw another Valkyrie again, it’d be too soon.
Haru put on his best, most charming smile. “Afternoon, ladies.”
“It’s the middle of the night,” said the one on the right. After a closer look, I recognized Sigrun.
Haru continued without missing a beat. “Apologies. I’m adjusting to the new sleep schedule. You know, I could use some help with that. It gets a little lonely.”
Sigrun rolled her eyes while the other Valkyrie restrained a snicker. “Get lost, pretty boy.”
“I’m flattered. You know what’d make me look even better? A pretty thing like you on my arm. We could turn heads, baby.”
Her nose wrinkled. “How about you turn around? This area’s off limits.”
He turned to the other Valkyrie. “How about you, sweetheart?” Haru offered with a wink. “You got a free half-hour? With a giggle like that, I bet you’re wicked between the sheets.”
The other Valkyrie offered a sweet, dimpled smile. “Throw in your friend, and we could have a party.”
“I’m all partied out, thanks,” I said, raising my hands in defense. “No offense. You’re pretty, but...”
She gave me a pouty face. “Am I not your type? That’s okay.” She winked back at Haru. “You two can have each other, and I’ll just watch. How’s that?”
Sigrun smirked. “Which one of you is the bitch?”
I pointed at Haru. Haru pointed at me at exactly the same time.
“Get that finger out of my face,” I growled and shoved his hand away. “Listen, we’re here to talk to Loki on official tournament business. Is he up there?”
“Depends,” Sigrun said, giving me an appraising look. “What’s the business?”
“It’s about the murders,” Haru said. “The entire Babylonian team was just wiped out. We have a lead, but we need an impartial witness and access to a restricted area.”
Sigrun narrowed her eyes at me. “There are four guards up there with him. If you mean him any harm, I promise you won’t get far.” She stepped aside and jerked her chin toward the stairs. “Go on up, but we’re watching you.”
“Why does everyone assume I want to kill every god I talk to?” I grumbled on the way up.
“Well, you do have a record.” Haru paused halfway up to wince and grab at his ribs.
“You okay?”
“I’ve had worse.”
That was hard to believe after seeing the amount of blood he’d lost, but maybe it was true. He’d been brought up to beco
me who he was. I imagined he’d taken plenty of beatings. In my case, that normally meant broken bones, bruises and getting stabbed at least once. No matter how bad I got beat up, none of it was as bad as the moment I inherited my powers as a Horseman from Baron Samedi. Dying over and over wasn’t something I’d wish on my worst enemy.
Living through every war in history was probably worse. I didn’t know how he was still sane. I’d met enough jumpy vets to know one war could break a person. Witnessing every battle in history over the course of a few minutes? But maybe it wasn’t like that for him.
The stairs led to a suite guarded by four more Valkyries. It was comparatively Spartan to every other god residence I’d ever seen. Most gods were really into asserting their wealth and power, usually through gold, diamonds, and expensive luxury items.
Not Loki. His suite’s furniture consisted of a desk with a single chair with a neat pile of papers and a small lamp. A bed with a simple wooden frame rested against one wall. Black fur draped over one side serving as a blanket.
The Valkyries at the top of the stairs stepped aside to let us through.
Haru frowned. “Not exactly what I was expecting.”
“Isn’t it?” Loki said from behind his desk. “Let me guess. You expected a huge four-poster bed and a harem of half-naked women?”
Haru shrugged. “Or fully naked. I wouldn’t complain either way.”
“What would Min say?”
Haru stared.
Loki put his pen down and finally looked up from his papers. “Of course I know. I wouldn’t be a very good god of mischief if I didn’t have a good information network. Don’t worry, War. Your secret is safe with me. For now.”
“If you say a word—”
“I don’t like to repeat myself, but I will just this once, Mr. Nakamata. You have nothing to fear from me.” Loki stood. “Now, what can I do for War and Death?”
“The Babylonian team,” I said, crossing my arms. “You know about them?”
“And the arena doctor, unfortunately.” Loki lifted the stack of papers he’d been scribbling on. “Reparations for the families and all the paperwork that comes with it. Unfortunately, suicide isn’t covered under the existing agreement, so that family will get nothing.” He dropped the papers.