♦ ♦ ♦
A sound, not unlike the buzzing of a thousand mosquitos, filled my head. I really hoped that was just metaphor and not reality. Talk about gross. Also, I’d have to wonder what the fuck Dave had put in that shit of his.
No, it wasn’t mosquitos. It was more like a radio with dozens of voices all babbling at once, but the reception was too shitty for me to understand any of them, as if they were too far away for a clear signal.
The buzzing increased for a moment, almost enough to rattle my teeth – not that I could feel them. Then it died down again, like I was losing the signal, leaving me certain I was about to fall back into the blissful silence I’d been resting in. But then much closer voices began to speak.
“Come on, Bill. Wake up.”
“Should we call an ambulance?”
“Do not be foolish. My love has survived far worse.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re the one who...”
“Look! I think he’s coming to.”
“More like cummed on.”
I blinked a few times but when I tried to look around I saw nothing but a fluffy white mass obscuring my vision. What the fuck?
“Here, let me clean those off for you.”
A pair of hands removed my glasses and suddenly I could see again. Everything was fuzzy, but I could make out the faces of my friends looking down at me ... including one who was semi-transparent.
“Goddamn, dude,” Tom’s ghost said. “You look like you pissed off the world’s angriest jizz mopper.”
“You’re back.” I coughed out a mouthful of moisturizer. Yuck. It might smell good, but it tasted like shit.
“I never left.”
Christy leaned in. “It was another of those pulses. Short...”
“But not sweet,” I croaked. “Ugh. I feel like a bus ran me over.”
“You’re lucky Dave cheaped out on the packaging,” Ed said, cleaning my glasses off.
Christy threw a glare Gan’s way. “He’s not the only one who’s lucky.”
“Nonsense,” she replied. “My beloved cannot be defeated so easily. Though his power might be gone, his spirit remains as formidable as ever.”
“I’m pretty sure my spirit is bruised, too,” I said, trying to sit up. Ouch! Oh well, at least nothing seemed to be broken.
“Here.” Ed handed back my glasses just as I realized that I looked like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man’s personal love doll. I guess that explained why everyone was standing close by, but nobody was actually offering me a hand. “Anyone got a few napkins?”
“A few?” Christy was grinning, but I could see the worry on her face.
“It’s okay. I’m fine. Nothing damaged but my ego.”
“Good thing those were free samples,” Dave muttered from near the door.
“Yeah, I’d hate to inconvenience your inventory.”
“Don’t bitch at me. I’m not the one who overreacted.”
I glowered at him. “No. You’re just the one who gave little Ms. Murder here a sales pitch when I told you not to.”
“Not a sales pitch, an investment opportunity.”
Gan leaned down toward me. “If you wish, my love, I can end his life in a way that will cause minimal suffering.”
“Let me get back to you on that minimal suffering part.”
“Oh. Then I am happy to...”
“I was kidding, Gan. No killing my friends, please. Even the ones who might deserve it.”
“Very well,” she replied in an unconcerned tone. “I believe there are more pressing matters to discuss anyway.”
More pressing than the fact that she’d almost killed the shit out of me? But, yeah, she probably had a point. “Agreed. We still need to discuss how we’re going to save Sally.”
“No. I am unconcerned regarding her welfare.”
What?! Before I could ask what she meant by that, Ed leaned down and helped me to my feet, or did after a few tries ... I kept slipping out of his grasp.
Tom, of course, had to offer his two cents. “Damn, dude. You look like you just gave Bill the world’s sloppiest hand job.”
Ed glared at him. “Don’t you have a house to haunt or something?”
Tom backed up a step, grinning. “Hey, it’s cool. I don’t judge.”
I pushed past Ed toward the doorway. “Let’s get back inside before the downstairs neighbors wonder what the hell is going on.” Then, once the door was shut and locked, I turned toward Gan. “What do you mean you’re not worried about Sally?”
She shrugged. “I have seldom worried about her, but in this case, I don’t believe her life is in immediate danger.”
“Because they kidnapped her,” Christy surmised.
“Precisely, witch. If they wanted her dead, they could have simply been done with it.”
“We still don’t know why, though,” Ed replied, grabbing a soda from the fridge.
“Exactly.” I pulled a towel out of the closet, then grabbed two. One wasn’t going to get the job done considering I looked like the guest of honor at a bukakke festival. “Were they purposely targeting her, or are they planning to use her as bait? Because if so...”
“I do not believe she’s bait either,” Gan said. “They would have approached us with their demands by now.”
“Assuming that’s true, then what the hell are they after?”
“Intelligence.”
Tom grinned. “Why’d they attack Bill first then?”
Gan, thankfully, opted to ignore him. “At this point I believe it’s safe to assume that is why they broke into my home. They wanted access to The Source and somehow knew I had that information.”
I continued toweling myself off. “Okay, I think I see where this is going. If we can narrow down all the people who knew that, we can maybe figure out...”
She waved me off. “Unnecessary. I have already vetted those in my service. As for the rest, one is present – you, my love. That leaves only...”
“No...”
“Yes. I am afraid at this point we must assume the Shining One is responsible for that betrayal.”
“You don’t know that! Someone else could have...” I trailed off as I realized Gan’s accusation made sense, disturbing as that was. When she’d revealed herself to Sheila and me two years ago, she’d told us about the tunnel leading up to Damascus. Goddamn it! I was standing on shaky ground with my denial and knew it. “Never mind. Go on.”
“The fact that they took your wh...” Gan met my eyes and saw the daggers I was glaring at her. “...friend and did not kill her tells me there is a reason.”
I balled up the first towel and tossed it into the bathroom. “But they came for me first.”
“Indeed,” she replied. “And they failed. However, the fact they did not try a second or third time is telling.”
“Of what?” Vincent asked.
“It’s merely speculation on my part but, based on the fact that they have not offered her up for trade or ransom, I must conclude it is some knowledge that you are both in possession of.” She locked eyes with me, despite the fact that I looked like the sole XXX VHS tape in a men’s prison. “So I must ask, what is this missing factor? What do you both know that they could possibly want?”
“Ooh, I know.” Tom raised his hand like this was elementary school. “They both went swimming in Sasquatch shit that one time in Canada.”
I glanced at Christy. “Is there any way to turn him off?”
“I believe he will dissipate naturally as he did last time, beloved,” Gan said before also turning toward Christy. “I must admit, conjuring a spirit from beyond the veil is potent magic. Impressive after all this time. But I must question the wisdom of wasting such an effort on...”
“Oh, she didn’t conjure me,” Tom said idly. “I’ve been here the whole time.”
Gan raised an eyebrow. “How is that possible?”
“Dear,” Christy warned, “maybe now isn’t the time to distract us with...”
“That’
s easy,” Tom replied, Christy’s warning flying right over his head. “It’s that glowy thingy.”
“Glowy thingy?” Gan asked.
“Yeah. What did you call it, babe? Apollo’s nutsack or something?”
I saw on Gan’s face something I couldn’t claim to have seen often: surprise. “You managed to recreate one of Xihe’s Tears in so short a time? I would have thought such a task impossible.”
“Xihe’s...” Dave asked, but Gan was ready for his question.
“Western sorcery refers to them as the prisms of Apollo. I am intrigued to know...”
“Focus, people,” I said. “We’re not here to tell ghost stories, no offense.”
“None taken,” Tom replied, already beginning to flicker again.
“Good. Because if we don’t figure out what these assholes want, then Sally could very well become a ghost herself and I, for one, don’t care to start a collection.”
GAN-T CHART
Quickly was a relative concept as I excused myself to grab a shower. Toweled off as I was, I still felt like I was entombed in scented sour cream.
Christy took the time to call home and make sure Tina was okay.
Fortunately, for the sake of the fact that he couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut, Tom winked out of existence again shortly thereafter, before Gan could coerce additional information out of him.
At this point I wasn’t sure what harm he could cause, but perhaps it was for the best that his loose lips didn’t have too many opportunities to sink our ship.
Despite having taken a shower, I still smelled like a reject from the cosmetics aisle when I rejoined the group. Doing my best to not glare at Dave for having sent me that crap to begin with, I suggested we start at the beginning so as to try to figure out what – if any – knowledge Sally and I shared that could be of use to those trying to kick open the door to beyond.
“She and I were both vampires as well as members of Village Coven.”
Gan waved her hand dismissively. “Neither presents a unique factor for anything I can ascertain. Please be more granular, my love.”
Grrr! That was rapidly getting old. “Um, fine. We were both in Pandora Coven, too.”
“So was Kara,” Ed offered. “Oh, by the way, she texted me a little while ago. All’s boring on her end, thank goodness.
“Okay, moving on. Here’s a good one. We were both present at the Woods of Morning summit.”
“As were several of us,” Christy replied.
Gan nodded. “Interesting, but perhaps not relevant. The Alma were removed from this world at the time of The Source’s collapse.”
“Alma?” Dave asked.
“The Feet ... Sasquatch,” Ed explained. “Same shitheads, different name.”
“And a stupid one at that.”
Gan shrugged. “Regardless, fearsome as they may have believed themselves, I do not think they would be a factor in forcing their way back to this dimension. However, let us continue along this line of thought.”
“All right,” I said. “We can forget that second summit. I mean, Sally and I were the only ones who ended up marrying a Bigfoot, but...”
“Don’t forget when Turd adopted me,” Ed replied bitterly.
I couldn’t help but grin. “Oh, trust me. I could never forget that.” He flipped me the finger and I continued. “Anyway, hopefully this isn’t some sort of reconciliation attempt by our respective spouses because I don’t know about you guys, but the Feet were seriously...” I trailed off for a second, a memory resurfacing. Way to go, free association psychobabble.
“What is it?” Christy asked.
“Maybe we’re too quick to dismiss the Feet.”
“How so?”
“They were originally nature spirits connected to The Source. After Calibra captured us, she showed Sally and me a vision of the past. When she first discovered The Source, it was basically Sasquatch’s swimming pool. She kicked their asses then, later on, experimented on them, which resulted in the accident that turned her into a vampire. Human souls merging with nature spirits. It’s part of the reason why the Feet hated us.”
Gan raised an eyebrow. “She showed you this?”
“Yep, in glorious, technicolor magic vision.”
“Fascinating. I’ve read legends hinting as such, but our written history doesn’t go back far enough to actually confirm it.”
“Well, myth not busted,” I said. “Is that it, maybe? So far as I’m aware, Sally and I were the only ones she showed her old vacation photos to.”
“Maybe,” Gan offered. “Such knowledge does fill the gaps in our species’ history...”
“Awesome.’
“But,” she continued, “I’m not certain it is relevant to our here and now. Even if they knew, I’m doubtful the Magi who ventured below would care to subject themselves to a similar accident. The mortality rate would certainly exceed any prospect of success. As for the vampires who went with them, they were of the new breed. Why go back? For all intents and purposes, we are a superior species to what came before.”
Humility, thy name is Gansetseg.
“There’s also Sheila to take into consideration,” Ed replied. “Why would she want to recreate vamps again? Does she really miss kicking their asses that much?”
I found myself glad Tom had become undetectable again, because I had little doubt he’d have an asshole comment for that.
Christy shook her head. “She was obsessed by what she’d done to the Magi. But vampires? No. I don’t see it.”
“I concur with the witch,” Gan said. “I believe we may have the correct focus in The Source cavern. But I’m not convinced that the creation of the vampire race would offer our foes any usable insight.”
“So what else do we know about that accursed place?” Vincent asked.
“It was a shithole,” Dave said, drawing glares from all of us. “What? It was. Even the palace that bitch had was still lakefront property in the middle of Hell. And don’t even get me started on her ego. Statues of herself all over the place, and that big cave painting shining down on everyone like some fucked-up Flintstones selfie.”
“I let out a laugh. “Yeah, that was all kinds of messed... Hold on a second.”
“What is it, my love?”
“The cave painting Dave mentioned. Something else was there before that.”
Unsurprisingly, all eyes turned to me expectantly.
Too late I realized I should have maybe watched my tongue in present company. Oh well, what was done was done. Besides, Gan was no mage. What use was it to her? “Back when we were in Vegas, we had to rescue Ed from the Jahabich ... for the first time, anyway.”
“Kiss my ass.”
“Sorry, man, but you were pretty much our group’s designated woman in a refrigerator. Take some pride in your work. You were good at it.” Ignoring the double-fisted fingers he shot my way, I continued. “Anyway, back then there was a different mural on the wall, a much older one.”
“What was it?” Vincent asked.
“It showed the Jahabich being defeated in the distant past, but that wasn’t all. There was a spell written on the pictograph, too. I think it was originally left there as instructions for future generations, in case those fuckers escaped again ... which of course they did.”
Vincent nodded. “I see. Do you think this spell could be what they want?”
Christy made to open her mouth, but I shook my head and replied, “I don’t know. It feels like a stretch. First off, the Jahabich are all dead. Secondly, Sally and me weren’t the only ones who knew about it. Christy saw it, too, or at least the photos.”
Ed held up a hand. “Let me stop you there. We don’t actually know what these assholes want, so maybe we’re only assuming it’s something only the two of you know.”
“The Progenitor has a point,” Gan said. “It would make sense for a knowledgeable strike team to target the easiest prey first. A seasoned witch would make for more difficult quarry than...”
&nbs
p; “Those of us who are squishy and easy to beat?”
She smiled at me, showing straight white teeth. “Your way with words continues to warm my heart.”
“Wonderful to know. Back to the point. The other problem is we’re talking five years here. Hell, I barely remember what the damned thing looked like. As for those pics, that was at least two cell phones ago, and no, I didn’t save them to Instagram in case any of you are wondering.”
Christy shook her head. “That wouldn’t matter to a Magi skilled in mind magic. Memories, even old ones, can easily be coaxed back to the surface.”
Okay, she had me there. Score one for magical mind-fuckery.
“Be that as it may,” she continued, “the spell on the cave wall was ultimately limited.”
True. By then, the Jahabich problem had already spread far and wide. Containment would have been nothing more than a Band Aid.
“It was limited in its original format,” Gan replied. “But I believe you further refined it to be of use, did you not?”
The barest grin appeared on Christy’s face. “I was wondering if you remembered that.”
“I remember a great many things.”
Couldn’t say that surprised me. Gan’s mind was like a psychotic steel trap. She was the type to hunt someone down because their ancestors didn’t bow low enough a century earlier. Regardless, she had a point. Christy had worked hard on the cave spell, expanding upon it and making it something we could use to end the threat that Calibra posed.
“Yeah, but we never even got a chance to use it,” Ed said. “Christy was knocked out before that could happen.” At her glare, he added, “Sorry, but you were.”
“Whatever the case,” I said, trying to keep us focused, “Sally didn’t know the new spell. Neither did I.”
Christy nodded. “That’s a good point. I’m the only one who knows it in its entirety.”
“Perhaps we are thinking about this wrong,” Gan said after a few moments. “Tell me, was the Shining One aware of any of this?”
“Sheila?” I replied. “I guess. She definitely knew about the cave spell and that we were planning on using it. I remember that much.”
“But what of the refined version, my love?”
Strange Days (Bill of the Dead Book 1) Page 14