My mother gasped, placing a hand over her mouth.
Shiva ignored her. “Should have. She’s not the same anymore. The amulet changes people. As does the company she keeps…”
His words hit me, but I was too riled up to give them too much thought. “Yeah. Learned that the hard way. After she tried to kill my friend and rob me blind. Twice. But I don’t understand why. What the hell could have changed her so dramatically in such a short span of time?” My mother’s face was completely white with disbelief.
“Good question,” Shiva replied, encouragingly. I waited. He just watched me, then finally sighed, as if giving up on the limited capabilities of my mortal brain. “You should ask her.”
“Well, you are blindingly helpful. That is such a great idea. I wonder why I haven’t thought of that. I should just go up to the woman that wants to murder me and ask her, how have you been lately? I was just curious why you turned into a psychopath. Want to grab a coffee?”
“Murder?” my mother shouted, a horrified look on her face.
“Feelings,” Ganesh offered politely. “I think they like it when you ask about their feelings.”
Achilles burst out laughing, and even Mallory let slip a chuckle. My mom didn’t look pleased at me ignoring her, or Achilles’ laughter. At all.
Shiva snapped the fingers of all four hands, silencing everyone. “You are missing the point. The Grimms are a bad idea. You must hide the Hands of God. That way the Tiny God, or Maker, cannot wake a sleeping god when he finally decides to get around to it. The Grimms – although dangerous – can wait. A vengeful god waking up will not wait.”
I sighed, stubbornly agreeing. “Hands of God,” I murmured, remembering them from the cavern and my previous talk with Shiva. “Are any of them here, in the Armory?”
“No,” said Pandora.
Shiva turned to her. “I grow weary of this. I want to speak to… Mallory for a few moments. In private.”
Mallory’s spine straightened, not with fear. But like a man preparing to walk to the gallows.
“Wait, you’re leaving?” I asked, incredulous.
Instead of answering, Shiva clapped all four hands, and the two of them were suddenly gone.
“Damn you, Shiva!” I shouted, waving my fist at the air.
“Unwise,” Ganesh murmured. “My father destroys worlds…”
I wanted to roast everyone in the room to barbecue. But I chose tact. “Okay,” I said, addressing each face, wanting to take out my anger on someone. “Before anyone else disappears, I want a goddamned answer,” I said, eyes fixing on my father. “Why did you really set up the Armory? What gives? I’ve never gotten a clear answer. And don’t tell me it’s to keep the world safe. I’m beginning to realize that there are always ulterior motives.”
“To keep these items out of the hands of his Masters,” Ganesh answered, pointing at my dad.
My parents flinched, but didn’t speak.
“Yeah, the Academy is a real bunch of assholes,” I agreed. “And they have expressed extreme interest in the past about getting access to this place.”
No one responded, but I guess there really wasn’t much else to add. The Academy sucked. Period. Realizing I wasn’t going to get any other answers, I turned to Pandora.
“I need something to keep Tory alert. Something to keep her shifters in line in case she’s targeted. We have anything like that here?”
“We have some Moonstone amulets. I’m not sure we have enough for all the students, but as long as they are always near one, none can shift. So just keep the students close together.”
I nodded unhappily. Because that would make them easier targets for the Academy. “Do Moonstones work on all shifters?”
She nodded. “I’m glad to see you finally using the items here,” she added, smiling.
Achilles leaned forward. “Speaking of, I left my helmet with Pandora a few years ago. After, well… after dinner one night.” Her face turned beet red, this time a much more personal flush to her cheeks. “Mind if I check to see if it’s here?”
Pandora nodded, speaking quickly. “It is.”
Achilles stood, tying his stupid pink robe tighter. “Great, I’ll just go grab it really qui—”
“You’ll sit your happy ass down, is what you’ll do. Unless you want to swear to work for me. I like the hat you’re wearing now better anyway.”
He glared at me, and I could have sworn I saw fire in his eyes. “It’s mine.”
“Possession. Nine tenths of the law,” I smiled. His eyes shot to Pandora, who nodded weakly.
He folded his arms. “Are you really going to deny me what is mine? After all I’ve done to help you? After New Orleans?” he added with a dark, meaningful grin.
“What happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans,” I reminded him in a warning tone, not wanting to discuss Gunnar’s bachelor party fiasco in front of my parents. He smiled wickedly. “Think about it this way, High Heels.” His anger was back in an instant. Oh, he didn’t like that nickname. Definitely a keeper. “Everything in here belongs to someone. But now those things belong to me. It’s not a Lost and Found box. You want it back, you agree to help me. And do me a favor,” I added, remembering the gorillas.
He actually growled. “I’ll think about it. You usually make stupid decisions, and I’d rather not get involved in all of them. I do have a reputation to consider. We’ll negotiate.”
“No, you’ll lick my boots if I ask. And then you’ll get your hat back. Or… you won’t.”
The look on his face was most satisfying.
Chapter 25
Pandora took on a lecturing tone, eyes glassy as she interrupted our spat to tell me about the Hands of God and where they could be found.
“The Elders have one, but I recommend against that. I doubt they will like what you’ve done with their nomads.”
I frowned. “Nomads?”
She nodded. “Those who used the Gateway to enter the grounds at Chateau Falco. When they were sent to look for Indie, after she died there.”
I leaned forward. “They were originally a hunting party?”
Her gaze focused on me, the glassy look suddenly evaporating. “Yes. Did you not know?”
I scratched the back of my neck idly. “I had heard it, but I didn’t think it was their only reason for coming here. I thought they just walked through the Gateway because it was there.”
Pandora shook her head. “No. She was cast down into the earth with a Fae seedling. Her death fueled the seedling, birthing the Gateway, granting her to the Elders. But… Death used that power to bring her back. Stealing their sacrifice.”
I grunted. “You’re saying they wanted to sacrifice her?”
Pandora looked frustrated as she tried to explain. “No, she was offered as a sacrifice. I do not know their intentions with her corpse. She belonged to them. But now she is alive. I do not know the Elders opinion on the matter, other than that they need her.”
“Okay… that’s not ominous. She was just at my house. But the Elders didn’t even know she was there.”
Pandora shrugged. “They are bonded to Chateau Falco now, and see what the mansion sees.” She studied me. “You didn’t have her marked as a threat, so they never saw her, because she was not relevant. Many come and go at your house.” My parents frowned at mention of the house.
Achilles burst out laughing. “That’s what she sai—”
Pandora slapped him in the chest, hard, interrupting his outburst. “Grow up, Myrmidon.”
“Sorry,” he finally muttered unapologetically, still chuckling to himself.
Ganesh looked truly confused.
Pandora continued as if nothing had happened. “This is merely my best guess. I know so little about the Elders. And even less about your bond with Chateau Falco’s Beast.”
My dad bolted upright. My mother looked to have stopped breathing. “What?” he gasped.
I waved a hand at them. “Tit for Tat. You hold back, I hold back,” I growle
d. There were way too many secrets floating around when it came to me and my friends. It was time to put a stop to it. He looked momentarily angry, ready to reassert his traditional Temple dominance.
But then my mother placed a palm on his hand, shooting him a sad look. “He’s right…” My dad finally let out a long sigh, seeming to deflate, looking torn, weary to the bone, and ready to just give up on life. Well, bad choice of words. Give up on spirithood, or whatever.
But he didn’t speak. I shared a long look with him, but he just dropped his eyes.
I shook my head, turning back to Pandora. “What do you know about the Beast?”
She shrugged. “As much as you.” She shot a look at my parents. “The topic never came up.”
I didn’t need to ask them. I wouldn’t ask them. They hadn’t ever mastered the Beast. But I had been in the cavern. Perhaps I would find my answers there. If not, I would check elsewhere. I no longer felt cozy after hearing so many allusions to secrets regarding my parents. But before they had died, they had chosen to give me the Maker seed… without my knowledge. Which meant that maybe they had a reason.
But I wasn’t going to ask.
The ball was in their court. They needed to come clean on their own. Prove their loyalties.
To their son.
“Where are the other Hands?” I asked Pandora. “Wait, how many are there?”
“I know of four. One with the Elders. One with the Fae,” she shot me a look. “Which I wouldn’t advise after your stunt with the Queens.”
I grinned absently, nodding. “Good call. Four…” I muttered. “Of course there are four.” I shot a glance at Ganesh, and his four arms.
He just shrugged. “Coincidence, I’m sure.” I rolled my eyes.
“The Academy has one. And… so does the Syndicate,” Pandora continued.
Achilles cursed. Ganesh honked. I just stared.
“Those aren’t good options…” I finally admitted.
“How do you feel about robbing the Academy?” my father flashed me a devilish grin.
Despite my feelings, I smiled. “Why not? I’m already on their naughty list. Where is it?”
Pandora met my eyes, watching me intently. “The Library.” She swallowed. “In Alexandria.”
“Field trip to the lost Alexandrian Library? Hell yeah!” Achilles pumped his fists, which looked absolutely ridiculous in his fluffy pink robe.
“You’re telling me that the lost library of Alexandria… isn’t lost?” I asked in disbelief. She just fucking smiled.
“I have something that will help…” And she led me away from the group, into the Armory.
Chapter 26
I sat in my office, having returned from the Armory an hour ago, thinking criminal thoughts. Robbing the famed Library of Alexandria was going to be dicey. But I could always play the card that I was working in the capacity of one of my other roles. Horseman or ex-Maker – because I still had a teeny seed of the power sitting inside of me for some reason, even though G Ma had told me it couldn’t do anything.
But I only needed an excuse if I was caught.
I needed to not be caught.
But, hell, the Academy had declared war on me. My friends. My city. Why should I concern myself with playing nice? Maybe I should rob them blind and leave my fucking business card on the mantle. Take credit for the damn theft. Maybe even steal something else and use it as leverage to call them off my back. Off my friends’ backs.
I grew nervous just thinking about that, though. Having them threaten to attack me was one thing, but preemptively attacking them? I needed to have brass balls to do something like that.
And I needed a crew. Maybe.
There was always the chance that a one-man job would be easier. Safer.
And I needed to make sure my friends were protected in my absence.
I picked up the phone to call my friends, give them a heads up. That danger might be heading their way. First, I called Othello, to ask her a favor. Next, I called Tory to tell her about the moonstones. But she didn’t answer. Maybe she was teaching a class or something.
I called Raego next, because maybe Tory was still there. I wasn’t sure if the dragons were in danger or not, but I felt better covering all my bases, just in case. But he was the king of the dragons. The Academy taking him on would start a genuine war. And G Ma’s beef was with me, not dragons in general. She wouldn’t risk that just to spite me, would she?
“Temple,” Raego drawled. “It’s like you can hear when your name is spoken…”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I just received the most interesting phone call. About you.”
“Wait. The Academy… called you?” I asked in disbelief. I had been prepared to hear all sorts of hell about Yahn, Tory, and the gorillas. But I hadn’t expected this.
He grunted affirmatively. It was hard to tell when Raego was amused or upset. He was… different from most people I knew. I had seen him joking around with the best of us, but I had also seen him calmly command one of his dragons to execute another dragon. He had been drinking a tea, if I remembered correctly. His hands hadn’t shaken. Even as the dragon was murdered before him. He simply nodded, and moved to the next task of the day as the other dragons carried out the body.
There was a reason I encouraged Tory to watch over the Reds, and not Raego. I had even made sure that she legally adopted them after their mother, Tory’s brief girlfriend, had been killed in our war with the Grimms.
Because Raego was… different. Old Testament. At least when it came to dragon stuff.
“They threatened to call my grandmother, Nate.”
I couldn’t help it. Out of all the things I had expected, Raego once again surprised me. I burst out laughing. “I need you to back up a minute.” I gasped. “They called you to, what, exactly? Talk about my many redeeming features? And somehow that escalated to calling your grandmother? To be honest, I didn’t realize you even knew your grandmother.” Because his father had been a real son of a bitch, willing to kill Raego for power. Not really a family man.
“You could say that,” he muttered drily. “They want you dead. Very dead. They asked me not to help you. In any way. Or else…”
“They would call your grandmother,” I finished, not bothering to hide my laughter.
“This isn’t a joke, Nate. She’s… formidable. A nasty old crone. A real pain in the ass.”
“You’re the king of the dragons. The Obsidian Son. You’re welcome for that, by the way.”
“Appreciated,” he said. Because I had basically handed him the title when we first met. After he had been forced to kill Peter – now the statue I had earlier seen in his lawn – and I had killed his dad. Kind of. There was a little bit of teamwork involved, but that about summed it up.
“So, what’s so bad about Grammy?”
“She’s… controlling.”
“Raego, I really don’t have time for this. I was just calling to give you a heads up about them. I didn’t need your help, so don’t worry. You’re safe from… gram-gram,” I burst out laughing.
I heard something shatter on the other end of the line and began laughing even harder. “It’s not funny, Nate. She could ruin everything!”
I wiped tears from my eyes. Big bad dragon king was scared of a little old lady. “Calm down. Like I said, I don’t need any help. Just lay low. Pretend we’re not friends.”
“We aren’t friends. We’re barely business associates,” he said flatly.
“Wow. That’s cool. Dick,” I said.
“Pretty convincing, right?” I could sense him grinning on the other end of the line, and felt relief cascade in. That had actually caught me off guard, thinking he honestly felt that way.
“Very. Just keep that up and gram-gram won’t come to make you clean up your room.”
“Dick.”
“Obliged,” I smiled. “Is Tory around?”
“No. She’s at the school with the Reds.”
“Okay.
How’s candy-paint doing?”
He let out a contented sigh. “Very well. That really couldn’t have gone any better. He is… toe-tah-lee excited about being a dragon,” Raego chuckled. “And the other dragons couldn’t be happier. Thanks for giving me credit.”
“Bros,” I said.
“No.” And he hung up. Bastard.
I let myself laugh a bit more before reaching out to Alucard. He didn’t answer either. Probably busy with Tory at the school.
I moved next on the list. Gunnar. The local Alpha werewolf of St. Louis.
The phone rang several times, and I was beginning to grow a bit concerned that he wouldn’t answer. Then the line clicked open. “Hey, Cyclops. I just got off the phone with Raego—”
Static, shouting, and gunfire erupted in the background, as if the phone had been on mute for a second.
“What the fuck did you do, Nate?” Gunnar shouted, and then the line went dead.
With a suddenly racing heart, I snatched up my satchel, and opened a Gateway on the spot, right into the parking lot at his apartment complex, hoping it was close to the chaos. Raego’s banter had lulled me into a false sense of calm. It was raining through the Gateway, so I snatched up my raincoat with an affixed blue scarf from a nearby rack, tugging it on. I had thought it looked cool at the store. Then I slung my satchel around my shoulder.
The soothing sounds of shotguns, the pleasant scent of cordite, fresh rain, and the wails of the dying called out to me, activating my adrenaline, and my magic.
Yep. Right place.
I jumped through, calling out my whips, ready to teach these clowns a lesson.
Whether it was the Academy or the Syndicate.
Two sides of the same coin, if you asked me.
I didn’t even realize until too late that Mallory had followed me, lightning spears crackling ominously in his scarred fists. I shot him a look. “This is War,” I said, letting him know we weren’t friends.
He grinned darkly, and a shadow I had never seen crossed his face as he licked his lips. “How about a little Panic, Laddie?” And he let out a large huff of air, dispersing a fog over the parking lot – which was full of wizards flinging bolts of lightning and balls of fire, among other things. Wolves darted here and there in small packs, taking down wizards to the sounds of agonized screams. I didn’t see any wolves on the ground, which meant they had been prepared.
Tiny Gods: A Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Book 6 (The Temple Chronicles) Page 13