Monty gave him a short nod. “Yes.”
“Incredible,” Castor said and slowly shook his head. “And you’re still alive. You are either favored or skilled.”
“Favored.” Monty pulled out the picture of Crazy Eyes and placed it on the bar next to his tea. “Speaking of favors, do you know who this is?”
Castor leaned in to look at the picture. Recognition flitted across his face, but he quickly masked it. “May I?” He reached to remove it from the bar.
Monty placed a finger on the picture.
“No, I think I’ll hold on to this for a moment longer,” Monty said, keeping the photo on the counter. Castor withdrew his hand slowly. “Have you seen him?”
Castor started shaking his head. “I don’t think—”
“I didn’t think it was possible to do a runic capture on a deity.” Monty held up the picture and Castor’s face darkened. “Even a half-deity should have the ability to mask his presence from a group of humans working for the NYTF with rudimentary equipment. Don’t you agree?”
“Not here.” Castor looked around the bar. “My office.”
He turned and left. Monty took another sip of his tea before following.
“A runic capture?” I looked at the photo still on the counter. “Isn’t it just a picture?”
“No. Deities have the ability to mask their images from cameras and other recording devices. You can’t get their image unless they allow it.”
“What do they do, vibrate their faces really fast?”
“The runic interference coming off of them requires specifically enhanced equipment. This image was taken against this particular person’s will. It’s probably the reason he killed them.”
“How did they get this picture of Crazy Eyes?”
Monty took another sip of his tea. “I don’t know. Maybe we should go ask Castor and find out?”
We left the bar and headed up the grand staircase. At the top of the staircase, we turned right down a wide corridor. At the end of the corridor stood a large door that was slightly ajar.
Monty pushed the door and we entered the cavern that was Castor’s office. The rooms in the Hybrid were spacious. This one felt large enough to land a plane in. I felt as if we had stepped into the Greek wing of a museum.
Art and sculptures lined the walls. At the far end, a desk made of marble took up one entire side of the room. Three floor-to-ceiling windows along the west wall provided an excellent view of 5th Avenue and Central Park.
I noticed the guards right away and counted six of them spaced out around the office. They stood several inches over my six feet. Dark combat armor covered their massive frames, and each held some kind of bladed weapon in his hands. They remained motionless as we walked by. Even when I stepped close to one, he didn’t flinch.
“Why would a demigod need security?” I asked Monty under my breath. “Isn’t he immortal? What threat would require security?”
“Maybe a mage, an immortal detective, and his hellhound make him nervous?” Monty replied. “Keep your wits about you. The guards are not human.”
“What are they?”
“Something that should be impossible. Remember Hades with Valkyries? This is worse.”
“What is worse than Valkyries?” I shuddered at the thought of them.
Monty said nothing more and kept walking.
I glanced over at the nearest guard. I let my senses expand and felt for an energy signature. Nothing.
“Please, come in,” Castor said from behind his slab of a desk. “Door.”
One of the guards stepped over and secured the door, standing in front of it, effectively blocking our exit. Every surface of the office was covered in runes. Some were blatant, others were subtle and partially hidden. None of them looked friendly.
“Can you cast in here?”
“I don’t want to find out. Let’s start with diplomacy.”
“Every time we start with diplomacy, we end up fighting for our lives.”
“I think this time will be different. He seems reasonable. It’s his brother who’s somewhat deranged.”
We were halfway across the hangar of an office when Castor cleared his throat to speak
“I’m afraid I’m going to need you to leave that picture with me, Tristan,” Castor said and flashed an apologetic smile. “If you don’t comply, I will be forced to detain you.”
I crossed my arms and nodded to Monty. “Go on, unleash the diplomacy,” I said with a wave of my hand. “Because I’m sure ‘detain’ is just code for dinner at the restaurant downstairs.”
Monty glared at me and kept walking forward. I placed my back to the wall and rested a hand on Grim Whisper, in case the guards got the sudden impulse to de-statuefy and get stabby. Peaches, sensing something was off, started a low-pitch rumble next to me and entered ‘advanced shred’ mode.
“Well, that can’t be good,” I whispered.
Peaches chuffed and kept growling. The muscles along his flanks rippled with coiled energy. I noticed his runes were dormant and wondered if it was an effect of the symbols all around us.
Monty took a few more steps forward and held out the picture. Castor nodded and motioned to one of the guards. The guard stepped over quietly and removed the photo from Monty’s fingers. He glided over and placed it on Castor’s desk.
“That was a wise choice.” Castor sat behind his desk. “Your response will dictate my next course of action. I advise honesty.”
Monty pulled on one sleeve and brushed some hair from his face. He narrowed his eyes at Castor.
“Ask.”
“Do you know who this is?” Castor held up the picture. “Do you know his name?”
“‘Crazy Eyes’?” I volunteered.
“No,” Monty said, ignoring me. “If I had that information, there would be no need for my presence here. I take it you know, however.”
Castor nodded. “I’m afraid I can’t share that information with you or your partner.”
“You don’t want to do this,” Monty said, his voice a promise of obliteration. “We could just leave. Allow us safe passage out of the Hybrid.”
“I can’t. Pollux left explicit instructions. It’s too risky to let you leave.” Castor looked at the guards. “Kill them.”
SIXTEEN
THE GUARDS STEPPED away from the walls, hefting and swinging their weapons as they approached us.
“I don’t think anyone shares your definition of diplomacy,” I said, drawing Grim Whisper. “What are they?”
“Einherjar.”
“As in fallen warriors Odin is keeping around to deal with the end of the world?”
“They will fight beside him against the giants, at least according to the myth.”
“How did they end up here? I thought they were off in Valhalla, feasting and training for Ragnarok?”
“They’re supposed to be, but things aren’t always as they should be.” A soft wail escaped the blades as Monty pulled out the Sorrows. “Maybe we should ask Castor?”
“I’m guessing no casting?” I drew Ebonsoul with my other hand. “Casting would be really useful right about now. Maybe an anti-Einherjar area spell? That would be fantastic.”
“The runes in here dampen any casting.” He gave me a quick look. “Coming here was not the best of ideas.”
“Your powers of understatement almost leave me speechless.” I gave him a sidelong glance. “Are they immortal?”
“Undead. There’s a difference. Your gun will be useless. Negation rounds can’t negate something that’s been negated.”
“What?”
“Use your blade.” He pointed to Ebonsoul. “That should work.”
�
��Couldn’t you just say that without trying to give me a brain cramp? Would speaking clearly kill you?”
“I always speak clearly. You never pay attention.”
I holstered Grim Whisper and saw Castor lean back in his seat with a smile. I made a mental note to slap that smile off his face if we survived this. I looked down at my always ready-to-pounce hellhound.
Peaches winked out and reappeared next to a surprised Castor. To his credit, Castor recovered quickly and jumped back out of his seat, avoiding a large arm-removing chomp. Peaches shredded the armrest and spit it out next to the desk.
My attention was diverted by the whistling sound of agony headed my way. I pressed the main bead on my mala bracelet, forming a shield in time to deflect a battle-axe intent on bisecting my head.
The weapon bounced off the shield and fell to the ground. The next second it flew back across the office and into the hand of the Einherjar who’d thrown it.
“No fair,” I said from behind my shield. “Automatic weapon-retrieval is against the rules.”
“There’s only one rule,” Monty said, sliding forward and impaling one of the Einherjar while ducking under the slash of a broadsword. He whirled around and removed the head of another Einherjar who went still and became dust a second later. “Don’t lose your head.”
“I swear, if you say there can be only one…” I backpedaled from a vertical slash and skipped out of reach from a lunge. “I’ll stab you myself.”
Another Einherjar closed on me. Their silent attacks were eerie. This one slashed at my leg. I lowered my shield and stepped into his attack. He reversed direction and slashed upward. I saw the feint too late. My guard was open, exposing my neck.
A loud wail filled my ears as Monty’s sword blocked the Einherjar’s blade from cutting into my neck. Monty kicked forward, forcing my attacker to bend forward. I slashed down and removed his head. He burst into dust before hitting the floor. There was no siphon from Ebonsoul. The Einherjar held no energy signature.
“I said keep your head, not lose it.” Monty slid to the side and parried a thrust aimed for his midsection. “Remember, in the end there can be none.”
I swear I saw a smile cross his lips. The Sorrows gave off a blue glow as he quick-stepped forward, fencing style, and buried one of his swords in the chest of an approaching Einherjar. He gestured and the sword’s wails became a scream. The Einherjar burst into a cloud of dust. My shield dropped a few seconds later.
“I thought you couldn’t cast?”
I heard the growling and stole a glance behind me. Peaches had latched on to Castor, who was putting up a fight by attempting to pummel my hellhound. I wasn’t worried, though. Peaches’ head had been smashed through brick walls. It was only slightly thicker than my own.
“I’m channeling the energy through my weapons, which magnify the effect.” He shoved me back just as another battle-axe sailed past us, burying itself in the wall behind us. “Look out.”
I looked as the axe began to wiggle out of the wall in an effort to return to its owner.
“Oh, hell no,” I growled, running at the unarmed, undead, axe-thrower. I drew Grim Whisper and fired as I closed on him. He bared his teeth as the rounds punched into him, doing nothing. He outstretched one arm to the side and grinned.
I heard the axe come loose from the wall.
“Simon, the axe!” Monty yelled.
I slid forward, reached the Einherjar, and grabbed his outstretched trunk of an arm. I twisted it behind him with an added shove forward. The Einherjar looked at me, surprised for all of two seconds, as he stumbled into the axe’s trajectory, giving himself the ultimate haircut from the neck up. He dissolved into dust a second later.
The remaining two Einherjar flanked Monty. I fired Grim Whisper to distract one and had to jump to the side to avoid a flying hellhound. Peaches hit a column, slid across the floor, and stood growling. He shook off the blow and rumbled at Castor. It took me a few seconds to register that his collar was glowing bright red before he blinked out. He blinked in again a second later, twice his normal size.
“Monty, move!” I pushed him against the wall as Massive Peaches barreled through the Einherjar, shredding the remaining two with several quick snaps of his jaw on his way to mangle Castor.
“That may be problematic,” Monty said, sheathing his swords. “We need Castor alive. Can you stop your creature?”
I ran after Peaches.
Peaches stopped mid-stalk and turned his head to face me. His eyes held a faint red glow and the runes along his body were increasing in intensity. He was a few seconds away from his eye-beam maneuver.
Castor was a wreck. His neatly pressed suit was missing both sleeves and his jacket was torn in several other places. His hair, which had been model-shoot ready when we’d met, was now a disheveled disaster. He had cuts and scratches all over his face and arms. One of his pants legs was missing a large Peaches-chomp-sized section.
The three of us approached a shaken Castor. He kept the desk between us and reached into a drawer for something. Peaches nudged the desk and shoved Castor back into his chair.
I almost felt sorry for him, until I remembered he’d unleashed the Einherjar on us.
“Keep that hellhound away from me!” Castor pointed. “Do you know how expensive this suit was?”
“Who is Crazy Eyes, the man in the picture?” I pointed to the photo on the desk. “Tell me who he is.”
“He checked out several days ago. This is all Pollux’s doing. I told him to refuse the reservation.”
“What is his name?” Monty stepped closer to the desk and took the picture. “His real name.”
“I don’t know. I heard Pollux call him Sal.”
“Is he a demigod?” I asked. “Who is the god part of this equation?”
“I don’t know.” Peaches growled. “Wait!” Castor looked at me. “He’s a demigod, a powerful one. More than you’ll be able to handle with just your hound.”
“Do you know where we can find him?” Monty asked. “It’s urgent we speak with him.”
“Urgent? You speak with him?” Castor broke out in laughter. “After today, I wouldn’t worry about that too much. I’m certain he’ll find you.”
“Was he alone? Did this Sal person check out alone?”
“No, he was accompanied by an older gentleman.”
“Did this older gentleman have a name?”
“You’d have to ask Pollux, he handled their stay at the Hybrid. Why don’t you wait until he returns? I’m sure he’d be happy to assist you.”
“No, thanks.” I sheathed Ebonsoul and looked over at Monty. “We need to bail.”
Monty looked around the destruction in the office and turned back to Castor.
“Where did you get Einherjar?”
“I didn’t,” Castor snapped back. “That was Pollux, and—before you ask—I don’t know how he got them. He just said to eliminate anyone asking for Sal. Where did
you get a hellhound?”
“I didn’t,” Monty replied and glanced at me. “He did.”
“You’re bonded to the hellhound? You’re a human.”
“Not until I’ve had my coffee.”
“Where did you get it?” Castor asked with a mixture of surprise and disgust clear in his voice.
“Hades.” I noticed movement among the piles of dust. “And his name is Peaches. He’s not an ‘it.’”
“Hades would never give away one of Cerberus’ pups to someone like you.” He scoffed. “Did you steal it?”
This guy was beginning to piss me off, so I did the one thing all beings with power hated. I ignored him.
“Monty,” I said, giving Castor my side but keeping an eye on him, “Is that dust moving?”
“What dust?” Monty turned to see piles of dust reforming into the bodies of the Einherjar. “Spontaneous reintegration. Fascinating.”
“No…not fascinating, disturbing. Extremely disturbing.”
My eye caught more movement. Castor moved to the side and placed his hand on the desk, causing a panel to glow. Metal shutters slammed down over the windows. A thick steel plate slid down and covered the door. Our only exit.
“The dampening runes in here will prevent any teleportation circles, and the Einherjar will just keep coming back. It’s what they do. No matter how many times you kill them, they will come back. Don’t you know the story? They’re getting ready for the end.”
“Remind me to end you when I get a chance,” I said, kicking away some of the dust only to see it flow back and continue to solidify.
“You’ll never get that chance. I’ll have the staff come up and remove what’s left of your bodies.” He pressed another section of the desk and a rift opened behind him.
“Don’t let him get—” I lunged forward. Peaches reacted faster than I did. He bounded over the desk and landed where Castor had been a half-second earlier.
The piles of dust were beginning to resemble bodies. Monty crouched and picked up some of the dust. It flowed out of his hand and rejoined the pile.
“This spell is stronger than anything Pollux or Castor can cast. Someone or something much stronger is behind this.”
Dragons & Demigods: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel (Montague & Strong Case Files Book 6) Page 9