by Hadena James
As he went to jump, Lucifer and Levi grabbed hold of his legs. His head still went through the ceiling above us. The three of them crashed to the ground with Lucifer on top of the thing. I jumped out of the chair, over the back, cowering from the thing.
“Someone get Uther!” Mammon shouted.
“What is it?” I asked as Anubis wrapped his arms around me.
“He is a mad half-breed,” Anubis answered. “You do not want to watch this.”
Lucifer was now starting to struggle. Levi had hold of the thing’s head. Abaddon and Begor were struggling to get hold of its legs. The thing was laughing hysterically. The voice was high-pitched and hurt my ears.
Levi let out a loud howl and followed it with a string of expletives. I turned to look. The thing had its teeth clamped onto Levi’s arm. Mammon was struggling to free him. Ragnok set his head on the table and joined the fray. Ba’al stood up.
“I’ll find Uther and tell him about Stephen,” Ba’al said calmly and walked away.
“Do something,” I told Anubis as Sonnellion jumped in.
“I would, but I can’t,” Anubis told me.
“Then move, damn it, and I will.”
“No, you will not,” Beezel shouted to me. “The last thing we need is a female involved in this.”
“He will shred your clothing Mein Schatz,” Anubis gave me a look. “He is mad as a March Hare and very interested in the female form.”
“They are losing!” I said to Anubis, almost pleading. Others were running to join us now. Their footfalls were echoing along the corridors.
“They will gain control,” Anubis said reassuringly.
“You say that like you know,” I gave him a look.
“One day, I will tell you about Mad Stephen or as the Brits call him ‘Spring-Heeled Jack,’ but not now,” he held me firmly, keeping himself between Mad Stephen and myself.
Another growl came from the pile. Anubis took even firmer hold and ushered me down the hall. We rounded a corner. The maniacal laughing seemed to calm down some.
“I am surprised he didn’t break in sooner if he was free,” Anubis said when we were out of sight.
“What are you talking about?”
“Not now. Now, we need to make sure that we keep females away from the melee.”
Uther Pendragon came running down the hall. He was not happy. He was frowning so hard it looked like his face would break. It was also turning red and his eyes were starting to glow. Anubis kept me out of the way as Pendragon ran past.
“Now would be a good time to go to the hotel,” Anubis led me out of the hospital.
Even from the street, I could hear the noise coming from the second floor. And that maniacal laugh. I was sure it and Hannah giving birth would haunt my dreams.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The entire block was now on lockdown. It had been announced about ten seconds after we had reached the hotel. What I could only assume was some sort of police force had filled the streets.
The hotel room actually seemed small compared to the rooms of my house. There was a single king-sized bed, a recliner I didn’t think my father would fit into, a smallish table and some chairs. There was also a desk with a station to hold a laptop. The dresser held a TV. I didn’t know what sort of channels the Island had, but I was willing to try a few just to check them out.
The room was painted a soothing shade of green with rich browns to liven it up. The bedspread seemed old. All the furniture was real wood. The ceiling was well over my head.
The bathroom was a perfect square. It was large enough for a winged creature to shower in the shower stall. A large square tub, big enough for my father and probably my pregnant mother took up almost one-third of the room. A double sink with wooden cabinets under it and a toilet finished off the room.
I sat down on the bed and stared at Anubis.
“Fine, I will tell you,” he sighed and took a seat in a smallish recliner. It was definitely not built for the winged.
“Stephen Nicholai is a half-breed. Mother a Vampire, father an Angel. He was mad when he was born, Maturing didn’t help. He was confined to the Island because he isn’t really a danger to anyone, but he is a threat. He has a thing about cornering women and shredding their clothes off with those permanent claws. In the 1800’s, some Witch opened a portal into London and Stephen got through it. He terrorized London. He never killed anyone, but he scared the hell out of them. It took about thirty men to get him back and it took us forever to track him down. It was actually how Hunters got started. Since then, he has escaped back into London and a few other places on occasion. The last time was just after World War II. He was supposed to be confined to the Prison after that incident, but I guess he has been paroled. The London papers nicknamed him ‘Spring-Heeled Jack’ because he has an amazing jumping ability. He is almost completely powerless as far as magic goes, even unable to use light to change his appearance. But he is stronger than one can imagine.”
“That’s actually less interesting than I thought it would be,” I admitted.
“If Cerebus scares you, Stephen should scare you. Cerebus has more rational thought.”
“Okie dokie,” I frowned at him.
“Trust me on this; you do not want to be alone with Stephen. You might be able to hold your own for a few minutes, but he’ll have you naked pretty quickly after that.”
“I’ll make a mental…” My door burst open and I sighed heavily as my father entered. Blood was drying in different areas.
“Are you alright?” He huffed at me.
“Fine. Are you?” I asked, examining the blood.
“Most of it isn’t mine,” he looked at Anubis.
“Did you get him under control?” Anubis asked coolly.
“You could have helped,” Lucifer made it sound accusatory.
“I could have and it would have either killed him or made him that much stronger, physically speaking. I thought it better to protect Brenna.”
“I hate fighting with him,” my father sank onto the bed.
“I can see why,” I told him.
“Your mother and the Coven are asking for you once you have had a few minutes to get your nerves under control,” Lucifer told me.
“My nerves are fine, it is hard to be terrified of something you don’t understand,” I told him.
“Oh yeah,” my father sighed. “I forgot you’ve never been around him before. Pendragon would also like to see you when you have the time.”
“Why?” I asked suspiciously.
“Because Mad Stephen was locked up and got out. Pendragon is hoping you can help him figure out how. He is also hoping you can help with the City protection barrier and some of the other problems going on.”
“Uh, I don’t know anything about this stuff,” I told him.
“True but you can give him a power boost. Sonnellion tried, but can’t,” my father stood, kissed me on the forward. “Have some lunch then meet everyone.”
“I am so not hungry after watching Hannah give birth. Where am I meeting them?”
“The Witch Store across the way,” my father pointed to some invisible spot.
“The one we passed on the way to the hospital,” Anubis clarified.
“Did we lock the door?” I frowned at it.
“Yes,” Anubis shot me a grin.
“You know you broke the door, right?” I asked my father.
“Oh, uh, well,” my father blushed.
“I also didn’t pack for an overnight trip,” I informed him.
“There’s a store near the Witch Shop that sells clothes. I’m sure you can find something there,” my father dismissed my clothing woes while he fiddled with the door.
“I hate shopping,” I reminded him.
“I’ll shop,” Anubis stood.
“I’ll get you moved to another room and have this door replaced,” my father took the door and leaned it against the wall.
“Sure,” I shrugged, stood up and left.
; Outdoors, the city was still bustling. I didn’t know if it had a name or if they just called it the City. Elders weren’t really creative about naming certain things. The store fronts were amazing, nothing like the store fronts I was used to seeing. They looked both ancient and brand new at the same time. The stone buildings were kept neat and tidy, but the stones themselves showed signs of weather wear and cleaning. Many of them had a mix of pane glass with stained glass mosaics in spots.
The doors were all wide with large handles. The handles looked ornate and possibly hand carved. The stores themselves carried a variety of things that could be bought in your typical stores off the Island; clothes, food, electronics, knick-knacks and brick-a-brack. One shop advertised having all-natural Dragon’s Milk Soap. I couldn’t resist, I had to stop.
The inside was brightly lit, but not with fluorescents. Chandeliers were set in the high ceiling with light bulbs. A member of the Fey walked up to me. She smiled wide.
“How may I help you, Ms. Strachan?” She asked. I tried to smile back, but wondered how she knew my name.
“Um, I was interested in the Dragon’s Milk Soap,” I stammered out. “Do I know you?”
“No, but we all know you,” she smiled and walked to a counter with a plethora of different colored soaps. “What scents do you like?”
“I don’t know, something kind of light, I think.”
She leaned in and sniffed me. After a few moments, she sniffed me again. I didn’t mention that I thought that might be the most bizarre thing that any sales person had ever done to me, but I wanted to.
“Jasmine and orange would be my recommendation,” she handed me a bar of soap. It was wrapped in silk and the smell emanated from the cloth. I had to admit, it smelled pretty good, but I still wasn’t sure why she had been sniffing me. I turned it over, found a small piece of cloth that had been strengthened and written on. It was handwritten and very neat. It proclaimed to be All Natural Dragon’s Milk Soap with extracts of jasmine and orange. There was no price though.
“Will that be all?” She asked.
“Maybe,” I looked around the rest of the shop. There were all kinds of concoctions; lotions, perfumes, shampoos, conditioners, lotion bars, deodorant, cones that seemed to be made of wax and things I couldn’t identify.
“Do you want me to show you a few more items?” She asked.
“No, that’s fine, just the soap.”
“A Demon with your skin could probably benefit from a Dragon’s Milk lotion or a how about a chimera salve?” That caught my attention.
“Made from chimera spit?” I asked.
“Yes, it is a great pain reliever when you are trying to heal yourself, but…” she shrugged.
“I’ll take some of that too,” I told her.
She produced a large tin. It was also labeled “jasmine and orange”. The substance was waxy, but it had to be better than being licked by a chimera.
“How would you like to pay for that?” She asked.
“Good question, do you take debit?”
“Debit?” She frowned.
“I have some US dollars, I have a few Euros, but I don’t have any money from the Island.”
“Well, how about a touch of horn?” She asked pulling out a pair of clipper-like things.
“Do you do things with Demon Horn?” I asked her.
“No, but I can trade it at the Witch Shop and get things like Dragon’s Milk,” she told me.
“Does the Island work on the barter system?”
“I forgot, you’ve probably never been here before.”
“That would be correct.”
“We have a monetary system, but barter is just as good. You can barter at most of the shops. Seeing as you’re a Demon and a Witch, I’m sure you can buy lots of stuff on the barter system.”
“Well, I don’t have much horn,” I pulled back my hair to reveal the tiny 1-inch nubs.
“Oh that will be plenty for the cost of this,” she reached up and snipped a piece off. I looked at it in her hands; she’d taken maybe one-fourth of an inch.
I could already feel the horn starting to grow back. She was still smiling as she tucked away the bit of horn.
“My name is Melody, feel free to come back anytime,” she continued smiling.
“Ok, I might do that. I don’t know how long I’ll be here.”
“I have a website if you decide you really like the dragon’s milk soap,” she handed me a card. “I ship anywhere in the world.”
I thanked her and left the shop. Anubis was already in the shop next door. I could see his snout through the window. I sheepishly walked inside.
“Yes, Mein Schatz?” He asked. In his hands he held a long black dress that looked a little like a tunic.
“Um, I need money,” I whispered pointlessly as he held the tunic like dress up to me. He shook his head.
“No, really,” I continued to whisper, knowing the shop keeper and the other customer could hear me.
“I was not shaking my head about the money, I was shaking it at this dress. I don’t think it suits you. Where’d you get the soap?” He seemed to suddenly realize I was there and talking to him.
“I bought it next door, sort of,” I told him.
“Ah, you had to barter because you had no geld,” he answered.
“I don’t know what geld is,” I responded.
“Gold, the Island works on a system of gold and silver coins. You can exchange whatever money you have in your pocket for gold and silver at the bank, but you won’t be able to get money out of your American based bank account.”
“Yeah, I might have about thirty dollars on me in cash. I have another ten or so in Euros.”
He held another dress-like thing against me. This time he nodded. I raised an eyebrow. It had ties and things and reminded me of something my mother would pick out.
“In other words, you do not need to go to the bank, you actually need money.”
“That’s what I’m getting at. I could ask my parents, but that would be equally embarrassing and I saw you first.”
“But of course,” he pulled out a small pouch and handed it to me. “There is probably three or four hundred gold coins in there. It should be more than enough. If it isn’t, I will go to the bank and withdraw some more later.”
“Is that a lot?” I asked.
“Yes,” Anubis finally looked at me. “I forget, you have never been here.”
“You are the second person to say that to me in the last ten minutes.”
“Go to your meeting, take the purse, use what you need,” he picked something else off the rack. I turned to walk away. “Bren, I love the smell of your soap.”
With that parting shot, I left. Another three doors down, I found the Witch Shop. It was actually not spelled even remotely close to that, but the stuff in the windows indicated that I could buy dragon scales, chimera spit and a variety of other necessities needed for potions. The sign read “Wifches Shoppe”. I would ask about the “f” later.
Chapter Twenty-Four
This store wasn’t much different from the first two. High ceilings with chandeliers and light bulbs, wide walkways between counters, glass tops on counters and locked cabinets with items that seemed to be expensive. Somewhere in this store, my Coven was waiting on me. A clerk found me. She was obviously a Witch and obviously not a half-breed.
“Brenna?” She asked.
“Yep,” I answered.
“Downstairs, this way,” she motioned me to follow her.
The stairs were similar to the ones at the hospital. They were curved and slanted to the outside. Again they gave me a sensation of vertigo.
“What’s with the stairs?” I asked as I entered the basement.
“The design holds the weight of Elders better,” my mother’s voice came to me from somewhere.
“So, they are slanted for a reason,” I answered.
“Yes, now get over here. We have some questions.”
I followed the sound and found
my family sitting at a table. My mother was drinking a cup of tea. Rachel had something that smelled like methane. The others were drinking sodas. I sat down at the only vacant chair.
“What would you like to drink? Would you like something to eat?”
“Uh, just a soda,” I answered the Witch. She left the room and came back a few seconds later with a Coca Cola in a glass bottle. I took it from her and opened it.
She continued to stand around. My mother gave her a look and she pulled over a chair from somewhere else.
“Brenna, this is Vera,” my mother introduced us. “She’s part of our Coven, but she never leaves the Island because she is mated to a Centaur.”
There was a moment when my brain tried to wrap around the image of that. It quickly disappeared as I envisioned Jasmine and Chiron. Not all Centaurs were evil, I knew that, but I didn’t have a great track record with him and it clouded my judgment at all. Maybe it was time to add two things to my “I’m not sure I like them” list.
“For the record dear, my mate, Hieronymus, never thought Chiron had his head screwed on tight,” Vera told me. Since I didn’t have a response for that, I just smiled at her and hoped my mother got on with it.
“Your father said you had some theories?” My mother asked after another second of silence.
I spent the next hour explaining my discussion with Ezra about the undead Elders and Nick’s role in their possible resurrections. My theory about the Coven having the book that belonged to the Witch that had cursed Anubis. Then I added that everyone currently pregnant seemed to have been at my Maturing Party and maybe there was a spell cast there that was preventing the souls from forming at the moment of birth. After a few moments of them discussing these ideas, I dropped the bombshell.
“And I think Magnus is still alive,” I said.
“What?” My mother frowned at me.
“Well, he is immortal.”