by Krysta Scott
Songe nodded. “That might be best for now. One last word before you go. The Nightshades have long been the law within the Guild. You would be wise to stay out of his mind for now.”
She shuddered. “That isn’t going to be a problem.”
He studied her, the scrutiny unnerving. For the second time she forced herself to not shift. She didn’t know why but she sensed that she needed his permission before leaving. So she waited.
“Good.” He let go of her arm. “Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not a proper child of the Guild. You have great power. Don’t misuse it but feel free to test it out.” His cackling laughter was the last thing she heard as his image faded.
Nikki woke with a start, sending her case file crashing to the floor. She rubbed her eyes. When had her dreams gotten so surreal? If this trend kept up, she would be a sleep deprived zombie before the end of the week. She scowled at the pen still clutched in her hand. She gripped it so tightly, it left a crease in her palm. Irritation flared at the sight of its metallic gleam. She threw it against the wall.
The amulet was the beginning of all this. Before she had been given the necklace she had never heard of the Guild or of Mr. Songe. Now the Guild had been mentioned twice and Mr. Songe had invaded her dreams. Since her father wouldn’t tell her anything, she would have to find out about these strange events from somewhere else. Mr. Songe appeared to have an agenda that increased the queasiness in her already unsettled stomach. Garrett wore the ring but she didn’t trust him to tell a straight story. Never-the-less, the amulet had disrupted her well-structured life. She was determined to find out why.
Chapter Seven
Nikki sat at the breakfast bar nibbling on a piece of toast spread with strawberry jam, rehearsing the list of things to accomplish at the office today. Her files no longer littered the floor but were stacked neatly in her briefcase. She sipped her coffee and grimaced at all the tasks left unfinished by her bizarre dreams. No matter how many signs indicated that the experience was real, she couldn’t convince herself that it was more than a dream. She hadn’t been raised by fools. And she wasn’t about to start believing in flights of fancy now.
The phone buzzed. She dug it out of her purse. Damn. She almost shoved the cell back in her purse. What could Garrett want now? The text message was sent last night. After she had turned her phone off. She chewed her lower lip wishing she’d never turned the damn thing back on. With a sigh, she scanned the message. I know I’m not your favorite person right now but I really need to talk to you. Could we call a truce? I’d make it worth your while. Dinner tonight?
Now he wanted to play nice? She could almost see the saucy wink at the end of his message. The slow seductive way his lips curved into an inviting smile. His solid confident posture intermingled with the scent of clove and cinnamon that turned her knees to jelly. Even now, the temptation to accept his invitation overwhelmed her ability to reason. Tiny shivers of anticipation trickled down her spine. Nikki dropped the phone on the counter. She really needed to get a grip. Garrett was the enemy not a sexy dinner date.
She glanced at the clock. Crap. Half past eight. Didn’t leave her much time. She jumped off the stool, slammed her mug on the counter, grabbed her briefcase, and headed for the door. Before she slipped her cell phone back in her purse, it rang. Double damn. Her persistent dad. But she couldn’t continue to ignore him. She flipped it open. “Hello, Dad.”
“You would think I would hear a little more joy given you crashed my gate just the other day.”
She flinched. “Sorry.” Besides his penchant for calling at the wrong time, like on her way to work, the man had a point. She had just dropped by the other day knowing he wasn’t keen on surprises. “It’s just that I’m late for work.”
“Again?” She didn’t have to see his face to know he sneered. It was ingrained on her brain and in his voice. “Didn’t your mother always tell you that you’re on time for the things that are important to you? Maybe you could be punctual if you had taken that other job.”
“I didn’t want to be a tax lawyer, Dad.”
“The pay’s better than what that shit hole pays you.”
“You’re in a foul mood.” And probably drunk. Lately, she couldn’t think of a time when they’d spoken that he wasn’t inebriated. But she wasn’t about to bring that topic up. She leaned against the wall of the apartment wishing she had the guts to just hang up. But this man was her father and she just couldn’t bring herself to treat him that way. “What prompted this little call?”
“Someone paid me a visit yesterday.”
“So?”
“He was asking about you.” Her father’s tone didn’t indicate the casual kind of someone informing her of a fact. His voice had a sharp edge to it, like he was accusing her of a sinister deed.
Nikki ran her fingers across the rough stucco wall suddenly feeling ice cold. Not because her father seemed to think she was up to no good, but because someone had been to his house asking about her.
“Who was it?”
“Some asshole claiming to be investigating you.”
That didn’t make any sense. Why would anyone be asking about her? She hadn’t committed a crime or been involved in anything nefarious. Up until a few days ago, her life had been pretty typical. Boring. But something had changed. “What did he want?”
“He asked if you were born somewhere else.”
“Why would he care about that?”
“He’d found Cassie’s birth announcement and obituary. Wanted to know why you didn’t have a birth announcement.” A slosh and the sound of a gulp alerted her that her father had in fact been drinking. But that wasn’t what concerned her most. A man was skulking around inquiring into her past and she had no idea why. She pulled her hand through her hair wondering how life had gotten so complicated.
“Why should he care about that?”
“I have an idea.” Another gulp accompanied by a cough. “I’m willing to bet he knows about that little necklace you have.”
She bit her lip. “What would that necklace have to do with my birth announcement?”
“Why else would anyone be interested in you?”
Nikki jerked the phone away from her ear and stared at it. No matter how uneasy their relationship, the ugliness and revulsion emanating through the phone hurt and surprised her. He’d never spit this kind of venom at her.
Breathing deep, she raised the phone back to her ear unsure how to deal with this unexpected mood. She veered away from the subject of the amulet. “I thought birth announcements were automatically placed in the paper.”
A grunt from the other end was the only response. Had he lost interest in the conversation or was he stonewalling? Every instinct urged her to end the conversation. She was late enough for work as it was. But she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Like it or not, she wanted to know why the man couldn’t find her birth announcement and her father had answers. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
He emitted a choked laugh. “Darlin’, there’s lots I don’t tell you. It wasn’t that long ago I was a respected attorney with all the devastating secrets that go with it.”
She bit back a sharp response. “I mean about me,” she said softly.
“Honey, you wouldn’t sleep a wink if I told you all the things I know about you. But I’ll tell you one thing, you better run because they’re after you and if they get you you’re fucked.”
“Who?”
“That, I’m honor bound not to say.” He paused. “But you need to extricate yourself from them. Take my advice. Get rid of that amulet.”
“Consider me warned.” She should do exactly that but there was a pull to the necklace she didn’t understand. And she wasn’t the only one that had a piece of jewelry like that. A chill tore through her freezing her in place. She wasn’t the only one. “Dad, did the man who visited you have a name?”
“Garrett Nightshade.” A sharp click severed the call, leaving her in a whirlwind of confusion.
Garrett had been asking about her, and she had no idea why. She wasn’t dismissing the Hanover case like he preferred but that wasn’t enough reason to be rifling around in her life. That pesky dinner invitation made a lot more sense. He wanted answers. What business was it of his that she didn’t have a birth announcement anyhow? That had nothing to do with the case. There was no doubt that the amulet had her dad spooked. Somehow he connected the visit from Garrett with her gift of the jewelry. What made sense in his mind was muddled in hers. It was time to find out more about the Guild.
****
Nikki spent a long morning catching up on her caseload. Regardless of the hours she put in, the mountain of work would never be completed. It didn’t help that the mystery of the amulet and Garrett’s persistent interest kept inserting itself into her thought process, making it impossible to remain on task. Finally, lunch. She grabbed her purse and rushed out. Maybe, she could get some answers.
There weren’t many antique shops in Hazelwood. Even less, close enough for her to get to in an hour. She stared in dismay before a little antique store called Lost and Found Antiques. The exterior wasn’t anything special. Every window was smudged with dirt. The shop’s name was written in golden letters peeling around the edges. Several rusty wheels, plant pots, and gates dotted the entryway, giving the place the appearance of a yard full of junk rather than a shop filled with valuables.
Having no better option, Nikki took a deep breath and pulled on the door. A bell jingled when she stepped inside.
The interior didn’t dispel her earlier impression. Musty mildew permeated the room. The floor was cluttered with furniture that could be antiques but hadn’t been kept well. Wall to wall chairs in disrepair lay under thick layers of dust. A wooden dresser’s varnish, scuffed and gouged with course gaps would have shown brilliantly had it been finished to its natural deep cherry wood. A table with chipped corners and deep grooves on the surface, candle sticks too tarnished to recognize whether they were tin or brass. An armoire was painted pink with flowers stenciled on the doors which might have been pretty if crayon markings hadn’t covered the bottom and the sides. Surely, this was not the place that held the answers she sought. She turned to leave.
“May I help you?” A strong male voice stopped her. She glanced over her shoulder. A stick of a man leaned against the back wall behind the glass case counter. He held a broach in one hand and a cloth in the other. Deep brown, almost black eyes regarded her seriously under thin, shoulder length hair.
“I, uh, was hoping you could answer a question or two.”
He beamed and spread his arms wide, bony fingers still grasping the cloth and jewelry. Bell sleeves ballooned beneath his limbs. With some amusement, Nikki noted the man certainly dressed the part of an idiosyncratic dealer. She wouldn’t be surprised if he wore pantaloons and pointed shoes.
“My shop holds answers for many.” He smiled. “My name is Arthur, how may I be of service?”
Nikki held back a laugh. All that was needed to make the atmosphere complete was some sawdust and circus animals. She checked her watch. Too late to back out now, she approached the counter. “I have this piece of jewelry and wondered if you could tell me where it originated.”
His eyes lit up with interest. “Let me see it and I’ll see what I can do.”
She fished around in her purse and clasped the velvet case. For what seemed to be the thousandth time, her fingers curled around it. She placed it on the counter and opened the lid. The emerald jewel winked under the dim bulb of a tarnished chandelier. Arthur was instantly mesmerized. His long fingers grazed the silver work around the gem.
“This is very fine work,” he murmured. His eyes never left the piece. “Wherever did you get it?”
His voice took on a soft tone almost reverent about an object that had caused nothing but scorn from her father. Her father had been afraid of it, whereas this man seemed to appreciate its beauty and worth.
Telling him the package had mysteriously been given to her seemed unwise. “A friend.”
He glanced up his face registering surprise. “That’s a nice friend you’ve got there.”
She coughed. “Yes, it is.” It was clear he didn’t believe her. No doubt he thought she had stolen it. If she had been in a pawn shop, the proprietor might have checked up on the ownership, but not here. Besides, she wasn’t there to sell. “All I want is some history on this object. Can you help me or not?”
He raised an eyebrow. “No need to get testy.”
“Thank you.”
He reached behind the counter and pulled out a box. After a few minutes of rummaging through its contents he extracted an eye piece. He placed it over the amulet examining all sides. “The emerald is genuine. It looks like the casing is made of platinum rather than silver.” He held it up to the light. “I’m not seeing any signature or mark that identifies the artist.”
Wiping his face with an old handkerchief, he set the eye piece and necklace back down on the glass top. As he did, the necklace made a scraping sound. With both hands planted firmly on the counter, he rocked back on his heels. His eyes fixed on a point over her shoulder. Glancing in the same direction, she couldn’t see anything more than clocks and other artwork hanging on the opposite wall. He sucked in a breath. She turned around to face him.
“I think I might know something about this piece. Hold on a moment.” Arthur retreated into the back room. Rustling noises and clanks like he was moving papers and boxes continued a few minutes before he emerged holding a large tome. He positioned it just right of the necklace and thumbed through it. The pages were yellow with a fancy script that appeared hand-written rather than type set. The odor of dead leaves wafted through the air at each page turned. She watched, fascinated, his fingers move swiftly over the pages.
He stopped. “Here it is.” He flipped the book so she could read it. “I knew I had seen it before. Your little piece of jewelry is renowned. It’s the mark of The Guild of the Celestial Night. See?”
“Right, I’ve heard that before but what does that mean?”
He scowled at her. “How is it that you come in possession of such an item without understanding the significance of it?”
“As I said, a friend—”
“No,” he laughed. “Not true. A member of the Guild would never pass this on to a nonmember.”
“Except someone did, because I have it.” She pointed to the amulet as if the mere fact it was there indicated he was wrong. Then she remembered the man in her dream had called her a child of the Guild. But that wasn’t possible because, according to Arthur, she wouldn’t need to be here if she was.
“Have it your way.” He waved his hand in the air with flourish. “It doesn’t matter to me. Would you like to know the legend of the Guild?”
“Please.” Queasiness churned in her gullet but she had to know.
“No one is quite sure of the origins of the people who created the Guild. It is a very secret society, and not much is available to the public. All I know comes from my grandfather who had some past dealings with its members. He was able to account for it in this book and his journals.”
Nikki chewed her bottom lip. She was being told a fairy tale. In fairness, he was recounting a legend which amounted to the same thing. But she couldn’t be sure that anything she would hear could be taken as fact. Regardless, she would listen. It might give her an idea of where to go from here. As Arthur prattled on she silently cursed herself for not having the foresight to get Songe’s phone number.
“It is believed that people with special abilities—possibly Celts—migrated to America and established a community here in Oklahoma. They all settled in the same area and didn’t mingle with outsiders.”
“Obviously, they did eventually,” she muttered.
Arthur paused, giving her a reproachful look. “Did you want me to tell you the legend or not?”
Nikki folded her hands in front of her, and murmured. “Sorry, please continue.”
“Now where wa
s I?”
It wasn’t that he was taking a long time to tell the tale. After all, she did ask for the history but a jittery sensation lodged in her stomach. She just wanted him to cut to the chase. It seemed she would be denied this wish.
“Oh, yes, they didn’t mingle. Then shortly after the dust bowl when they were building all those lakes, they were forced out of their homes.”
“You mean the government seized their town by eminent domain.”
“Exactly right.” He beamed her a smile of approval.
She had the impression Arthur enjoyed having an audience and might drag this moment out as long as possible.
She sighed, resigned. Late to work again, twice in one day even. Her father was right. The important things came first.
“That’s when they scattered and the mark of the Guild became so important. The one who wears this.” He held up the amulet. “Identifies themselves as one of them. That’s why I’m so surprised you have one and don’t know what it is.”
She pursed her lips. Where the hell had this little trinket had come from? Her mother? According to her father, her mother never owned it. Even though he wouldn’t say, she was sure her father knew more than he let on. Mr. Songe gave it to her but where did he get it? He must be one of them. But what did that mean exactly? Oh, it was all so confusing, frustrating.
“Do you know anything about the Guild’s activities?’
“Not much. My grandfather swore by them. He said they made him a very rich man. But I never thought they did much to really help him. Grandfather had an eye for antiques. A much better one than I do. He had this knack.” Arthur closed his hands into fists then flit them open as if he was a magician in the middle of a magic trick. “The Guild entrusted him to their history and relics.”
“What did he say they did for him exactly?”
Arthur lifted his eyes to the ceiling as if looking there for an answer. After a pause, he blew air from pursed lips, pushing bangs that had fallen into the middle of his forehead to the side. “That’s where he got a little vague. Near as I could figure, the Guild was into some metaphysical malarkey. They’re a weird bunch. That’s for sure.”