The tiny light reappeared, higher up. I saw a small pulley-hook system mounted to her bare shoulder.
“This,” she said, “is a windlass,”
In the glow, I saw blood smeared across her face, in through her eye. Her smile was raspberry jam.
“Good to know.” I forced a laugh even as the tears burned down my face. “Thank you.”
The light dimmed to nothing. “Goodbye, little girl.”
To this day, I can’t remember if I said goodbye or not. I hope I had. After that, I followed the fox one more time around the city, to retrieve my guitar and the loot. It was like a scavenger hunt. Of course Landry hadn’t stashed it all in one place. Chicago had as many pockets as her coat.
Landry didn’t come by in a few days. Or in a few weeks. Or in all the time I worked at the diner. One day, I forced myself to go back to her den. It was mostly empty, save for a few trinkets and scrap metal. Knickknacks.
Maybe she’d blown town. Or maybe the Feds picked her up. Or the mob. Maybe she never left that building. It wasn’t there anymore. Incendiare, as they say.
I like to think she’s in Spain. Russia, maybe.
The mob never bothered with the diner after that. Cut their losses, I suppose. Eventually, Lois let me take some tables, waitressing for tips. It was a different kind of busking. A different song and dance.
But it wasn’t my only line of work. I had still had some jobs on the side. Cons, gigs, capers—whatever the proper terminology. Small beans, really, just for practice.
See, I still had that ledger. Bomber never let it go all through Landry’s fight. Strong fox. There were bigger fish to fry down the road.
We had a lot more work to do, Bomber and I.
Dark Waters
Shelly M. Burrows
China, 1667
Valdis weaved her way through the market. Her target had been on the run for several years and was wanted by Manchu officials for murder. Val was quite impressed with the mortal that her father had sent her to collect, an abbess from the Henan Shaolin Monastery. Val watched as soldiers rushed past her, headed toward the abbess now known as Ng. The abbess took the name Ng Mui Si Tai after escaping the destruction of her monastery, fleeing to the White Crane Temple where she taught the art of Wing Chun. But her safety in the new temple hadn’t lasted long.
One of the soldiers shouted for her to stop, and nearly all of the market stilled. Ng looked around her, but saw that she was outnumbered. Val studied her mark, a mask of calm covered Ng’s face. The mortal stood completely still, her head bowed. The soldiers approached her without pausing.
That was a mistake.
Ng struck with precision, and the bodies piled up around her. Yet she let the men live. She did not kill, only incapacitated them. Even as she fought for her life, she would not take another’s.
Even the best warriors tire. Once Ng grew weary, the soldiers captured her. She was forced to kneel, but the fire in her eyes never dimmed. A high ranking soldier walked to her, and without a word, broke her neck. Ng’s body was released by the soldier, and she crumpled to the ground.
Just as Ng died, a raven called out. The eyes of the soldiers grew uncertain, and when the raven landed next to the fallen woman, they backed away. They could see the raven, but not what it would do next. With its wings unfurled, the raven imbued its spirit with Ng’s and she started to glow with a majestic blue light.
Time to work, Valdis thought. Weaving through the horde of people, she ran up to Ng faster than mortal eyes could track. Val glanced around, but they were watching the raven. She whistled for her mount, Grimm, and in a flash of light, her winged horse appeared. Valdis could be anywhere; it didn’t matter if she was in this world or another. If she signaled for her horse, he would come.
The raven with its task complete, took flight.
Val bent down and picked up the body of Ng Mui Si Tai with ease and placed her across the horse’s body. She stroked Grimm’s silvery mane and leapt onto his bare back.
Val conjured the image of Gao-Yao, the God of Justice, leaving the apparition on the spot where the raven and Ng had lain moments before. Essentially, the Gao-Yao was a one-horned goat. Some would say this is where the unicorn got its start, but this version wasn’t as majestic.
Val smirked at the soldiers, not that they could see her, but the looks on their faces were priceless. They had condemned this woman to death, and now they saw their God of Justice which would not have appeared if she had been a guilty woman.
The crowd began to murmur. The soldiers retreated, leaving the Gao-Yao goat visible to all. Valdis loved creating these images of myth, revealing in her Valkyrie ability to glamour mortals who never fully grasp that there is so much more to their world.
Her mount Grimm started to move. Thrusting powerful wings, he leapt into the air. Val gave the scene one final glance and someone caught her eye. All the people below were focused on the scene she created.
All except one.
She frowned at the man. He was handsome with a strong jawline, shoulder length jet black hair, and eyes so dark, they looked like coal. She returned her attention to the task at hand. She held on to Ng and Grimm started to gallop. She took one last look at the man before disappearing in a burst of light.
Present Day
Val wore a bright red bikini and lay on a blanket next to Lake Baikal. She was officially on her own dime. The air was a perfect seventy degrees, and the water was ten degrees warmer. There were others sunbathing nearby, but she was in her own little world. She had her iPod on and her eyes closed.
She was humming the tune to Nirvana’s Smells like Teen Spirit, when a shadow blocked her sun. She opened her eyes to see a man wearing a pair of dark jeans and a fitted black T-shirt.
Val pulled her ear buds out and looked him up and down. You’re easy on the eyes, she thought.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” the man replied.
Val sat up and the moment she laid eyes on him, she knew he was a Variant.
“You’re a Variant,” she stated. Because you must be if you’re still alive.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” he asked. “In China.”
“Sure,” she said, lying back on the blanket. “Now can you get out of my sun? I’m on vacation.”
He sat down next to her and she glanced over. The sun was kissing his broad shoulders and setting his hair aflame.
“So, now that you found me, what do you plan on doing? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge,” she said with a grin.
She was hoping to coax a bit of a smile out of him, and her crude humor worked. He turned and faced her. His teeth were white and straight, except one that wouldn’t quite fall in line.
“If I had my way, I’d take you right here on the beach,” he replied.
That one sentence set fire to her blood. The thought of his lips kissing hers before trailing down her neck.
“So why don’t you have your way?” she asked, her voice growing husky.
Val wasn’t a shy woman. She’d lived well over a millennium. Any sense of modesty she possessed was lost long ago.
He lay on the blanket facing her. “Because I need your help.”
Reality smacked her in the face. Great, she thought. She had finally decided to take a vacation, and she was going to be spending it working. But the man was sexy and there were worse ways to spend a vacation.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
His eyes went dark blue, swirling like the sea, and his face was damn near unreadable.
“My name is Gang Hai Long,” he said, amused.
“I’m Valdis, but you can call me Val.” She tucked her feet underneath her, relieved to realize she actually wanted to help him. “I know of your kind. You’re a dragon, strong and on the upper echelon of power. Why would you need my help?”
“You are modest. That day in China, I was surprised to learn that you existed. I suppose even Variants have their myths,” he said.
“I’ve searched for you for centuries, but you end up in my territory, sunbathing,” he said with a smile. Had he smelled her then? Variants could sense when others were near, mostly by scent, sometimes by their other senses.
“Well, here I am,” she said, and then paused. “You still haven’t told me what I can do to help you.”
“First, would you answer one question for me?” he asked.
“Sure?”
“What happened to the woman I know as Ng Mui Si Tai?” As if to explain his curiosity, he added. “I have never seen a mortal given such reverence, such respect. It led me to wonder why. Normally, we stay away from humans.”
Val wasn’t surprised he asked, but she wasn’t sure how much to tell him. She met his gaze and saw something there that made her decision easy.
“Ng Mui Si Tai is a Valkyrie now. After you witnessed her mortal death, the raven imbued her with Odin’s spirit. I took her to Valhalla where she was given a choice. She could remain there for eternity, or she could become a Valkyrie and be Odin’s messenger. Male warriors have the same choice, except they would become Berserkers if they chose to leave Valhalla,” she paused for a moment to give Gang time to process this information.
“Of course she wasn’t able to leave directly after her transformation. She had to get used to her new strength and speed. Odin allows Valkyrie and Berserkers to retain their battle skills, but the memories of their lives are erased.”
She saw the look on Gang’s face.
“You look appalled, but let me explain. If she were able to keep her memories, she could go back to her home and try to make contact with descendants. Ng Mui Si Tai didn’t have any, but if she did, it could disrupt the way that person’s life was meant to be lived. Especially when humans aren’t to know of the Variant world,” she added.
She could see the understanding in Gang’s eyes. He nodded and took a deep breath, accepting what she said.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. I will keep that to myself. You have my word,” he said sincerely.
“So now will you tell me how I’m supposed to help you?”
“There have been rumors that Gong Gong’s associate Xiang Yao has been searching for ways to free him. We have to keep that from happening. The sea god has to remain in exile,” he told her. Gang sat up, facing Val.
“Long ago, before mortals roamed the earth, there was a battle. Gong Gong, the god of the sea, wanted the high throne from Zhu Rong, the god of fire. The fight lasted days and in the end, Gong Gong was defeated and thrown from the heavens. Gong Gong was so ashamed of his loss to Zhu Rong that he smashed his head against Buzhou Mountain. This mountain was one of the pillars holding up the sky and by smashing it, the sky tilted toward the northwest and the earth shifted to the southeast. This caused great floods and many suffered,” he paused, checking to see if she understood.
Val motioned for him to continue.
“Something had to be done. The goddess Nuwa had cut off the legs of the giant turtle Ao and used them to replace the broken pillar. The flooding ceased, but they could not fix the tilt of the earth. Gong Gong has been in exile and has sought a way back to the heavens ever since that day long ago. The sea god has to remain in exile. But there are those who would free him.”
“Ok, so how do we find Gong Gong’s henchman, Xiang Yao? He’s the one we must stop, right?”
“In the story I told you of how Nuwa used the legs of the giant turtle Ao, well, he didn’t die after that battle. The gods sought to reward him for his sacrifice. He lives in the Bohai Sea and was given the sacred task of carrying the three islands of the eight immortals on his back.”
“There is speculation that Gong Gong was exiled to the Gobi Desert. What better way to punish a sea god? Take away the sea, put him some place dry and land locked,” he mused. “Every time Gong Gong nears the boundary of his exile, he becomes confused and feels compelled to move in another direction. Of course, these are rumors, nothing is ever set in stone when it comes to Gong Gong.”
“That’s pretty clever, keeping him in a prison devoid of his beloved water,” Val quipped.
“If you agree to help, we should see my father first. My grandfather loved to tell him the stories of the sea god’s downfall. His knowledge of Gong Gong’s mythology is more comprehensive than mine. He may help us discover the best way to defeat Xiang Yao and keep Gong Gong imprisoned. The problem is my father is in Shanghai, an eleven hour flight, or perhaps we can drive?” Gang asked.
“I don’t have a passport, so we will have to drive. Or,” she paused, a grin on her face. “I could summon Grimm, and we could be there in seconds. Mortals won’t see him, but you should be able to.”
She could see his excitement. The thought of riding with her had his face lit up like a kid’s at Christmas.
“You won’t get in trouble?” Gang asked.
“Nope. Grimm is my mount. The only way I could get in trouble is if you were human…a living, breathing human that is. You game?” she asked with a knowing smile.
“I would have to be crazy to pass up an offer like that! I’d love to ride with you,” he said, looking around. “What stable is he in?”
Val couldn’t help but laugh.
“He’s in no stable.” She put two fingers between her lips and gave a whistle.
The people nearby looked her way, but only for a moment. They would never hear the sound of Grimm’s hooves when he hit the sand or when he finally appeared in a burst of light. His silvery mane flowed behind him as he galloped toward her and Gang.
She glanced over and Gang’s eyes were glued to her horse. She couldn’t blame him, really. Grimm was magnificent. He was pale, so pale he looked like he was made of a fluid metallic substance. His mane, when the sun caught it, looked silver. Not to mention the brilliant way his wings unfurled. He was majestic.
She briefly remembered the day Grimm was given to her.
After a Valkyrie is reborn, they go through a lot of training. It takes time getting used to the new strength and speed. Once that’s done, the younger Valkyrie battles the oldest sisters. If they prove battle worthy, their father Odin will choose a horse for each of his daughters. That horse is forever linked to its rider.
Shortly after she’d finished training, Odin sent for her. She remembered that she was proud and nervous at the same time. Her father very rarely summoned her. When he presented her with Grimm, she was beyond happy. She’d finally earned her wings, as her father would say.
Gang stood transfixed. “Can I pet him? Or is that forbidden?” he asked.
“Sure! Grimm loves his neck and ears scratched,” she said.
“How do you know?”
“He told me, of course!” Val laughed. “Grimm and I can communicate. It comes in quite handy.”
Gang looked over at her to see if she was serious. When he realized she was, he shook his head. “This is amazing. I’ve lived a long time and thought I’d seen it all. You managed to surprise me,” he said with a smile.
Gang turned from her and took a step toward Grimm. He seemed amazed when the horse lowered his head, almost like it was bowing to him. Gang stroked Grimm’s ears. “I’ve never felt something so luxurious. His coat is as soft as velvet.” He ran his fingers through the horse’s silken mane and marveled at his golden eyes. A person could see a sentient being staring back.
“Is he saying anything about me?” Gang asked Val.
Laughing, Val nodded. She could hear Grimm’s commentary. “He’s saying he’s never been eyed so appreciatively by a dragon, and he worries you’ll find him when you need a snack.” She snickered at Gang’s expression.
Gang’s jaw opened with an audible pop, the look of disbelief on his face.
“I wouldn’t do that! Our family is meant to protect, not eat horses.”
“He was teasing you.” Val laughed harder, and Grimm nudged Gang with h
is nose, nearly knocking him over.
Gang had an amused look on his face. “Just for that Grimm, I’ll make sure I find you when I’m hungry,” he said, with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Grimm snorted.
“All right, you two. We have to get to Shanghai,” Val said, throwing on her clothes, before leaping onto Grimm’s muscular back.
She held her hand out to Gang, and he took hold and leapt up behind her. He put his arms around her waist as Grimm’s wings unfurled and he leapt into the sky. His powerful wings flapped as a burst of light enveloped the trio.
Gang could not believe what he had just experienced. One moment they were in Lake Baikal, and the next they were hovering over Dongtai Lu antiques market. He was utterly enthralled.
The Yuyuan Garden wasn’t too far away, so they flew there, just over the tops of the unsuspecting mortals’ heads. When they landed, it was smoother than any plane ride he had taken.
He jumped down from Grimm’s back and laughed like a kid.
“That was…simply amazing! One moment we were in Russia, and I blink, and we are here in my homeland! I don’t think I could ever get used to that,” he said, looking at Val and Grimm in wonder.
Val stroked her horse lovingly and he nuzzled her with such affection it left no doubt these two were connected in a supernatural way.
“How far is your father from here?” Val asked.
It took a few moments for Gang to gather his bearings, but when he did, he told her that they needed to go to the Port of Shanghai. The port was the biggest in China, and his dad was in charge of it, as was his grandfather and his great-grandfather before him. Soon it would be expected that he take over as well. It was a prospect that he wasn’t fond of, but it was his duty.
Grimm took off, and the pair made their way to the Port of Shanghai. It was bustling with men and machines, scurrying like ants over the immense property. Right in the center of it was Gang’s father, Bo Long, barking orders. It wasn’t until they walked up that he slowed in his work.
“My son, to what do I owe this pleasure?” said Bo Long.
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