by Kit Hallows
“How?” Astrid asked. “What did you do to destroy it?”
“Fireballs. They came out of my hands. Huge frigging fireballs, I didn’t even know I could…” I smiled, feeling more than a little sheepish.
“Were they conjured by your other,” Astrid asked.
“Yes.”
She nodded and looked as if she was about to say more, but stopped.
“Do you know how that portal came to be?” Samuel asked. “Only someone with a great deal of power could have made a direct connection like that. It would require an immense amount of dark magic and the blood sacrifice of many.”
“Well, the asylum where I found it definitely had a captive audience,” I said, as an unwelcome thought crossed my mind. “I suppose if they’d been looking for sacrifices, there'd have been plenty of victims there who couldn’t defend themselves. Maybe that was why the place got shut down? I don’t know. I kind of made a point of staying the hell away from it, prior to my encounter with the hexling and Stroud.”
“Do you know who owned the asylum?” Samuel asked. “This might help.”
“I don’t,” I admitted. “But looking into it will be a top priority. At the moment, however, I have another urgent situation I need to take care of.” I glanced at Willow’s picture and noticed Astrid follow my gaze. “I’m on the trail of an old enemy. But as soon as I’m done, providing things go to plan, I’m all yours.”
“Did you ever use the portal yourself, before you destroyed it?” Astrid asked.
“Once. I think. When I was ten years old. I believe I came through it with Tom.”
Astrid and Samuel exchanged a glance.
“Look, if you know something about that you should tell me.” I barely managed to contain my irritation. “I thought that’s what we were doing here; sharing knowledge. Or am I mistaken?”
“We don’t know anything. I promise,” Astrid said. “But it seems, based on a few of the things you’ve mentioned, that Tom may have brought you here from Penrythe. The question is why? Who are you?” She gave me a deep, questioning stare.
“That’s just one of the many great mysteries I’m still looking for answers to.”
“It could explain your split,” Astrid continued.
“My what?”
“The point where your being, your soul was split from one into two. The journey between worlds would have been arduous, and it sounds like Tom did his best to confound or mask your prior memories. That’s a lot for a child to deal with. Most likely it would be enough to break them, or cause a severance. We should investigate this further. Once we’ve found Endersley.”
“What does he want here?” I asked.
“His whole life was devoted to studying the mysteries of the flesh, mind and soul,” Astrid answered. “But his specialty was understanding diseases and plagues, and how they spread. His knowledge cured the scarlet malady; a terrible disease of the mind that infected an entire city.”
“But then Stroud found him,” Samuel added, “and not long after that, Endersley vanished. Rumor has it Stroud possessed him by some devilish means, kindled his interest in the restless ones then fostered his studies.”
“So they could be used as a weapon against Stroud’s enemies,” Astrid said.
“And Endersley’s on his way here?” I asked. A sinking feeling passed through my stomach. “With the disease?”
Samuel nodded. “Quite possibly.”
“Why? What do they stand to gain?”
“To clear this world,” Astrid said. “To scorch the soil so fresh buds can grow. To make a new home for Stroud and his cult. Stroud’s a shade for now, but we believe he plans for that to be a temporary condition.”
“At which point, he’s going to want a new home. There are too many people in ours who want to defeat him and his followers are limited for now.”
“But why bring the disease here, why turn our people into the restless?” I asked. “Surely it won’t be such a great place to live if it’s full of zombies.”
“Zombies?” Samuel asked.
“It’s what we call the restless, zombies,” I said.
Astrid took another swig of beer then fixed me with an almost pitying look. “The restless will decimate your people. Back in Penrythe, they are few in number, for now. And they’re mostly in the countryside away from the city; in distant dwellings and remote places. But if they came here, they’d multiply and descend upon this place like starving wolves.”
“Unless you warn people,” Samuel said. “But from what you told us in the Hinterlands, this world is deeply divided and the majority who live here are unaware of the magical elements in the world around them. The blinkered I believe you called them. They sound ignorant, and ignorance provides fertile grounds for all manner of ills. With almost no one to stop them, the restless will spread here like straggleweed.”
“Right,” I glanced to the window. I thought about calling Underwood, but there was a very good chance he was under surveillance. And that the Council were already aware of the situation, perhaps even complicit.
“We might be wrong,” Astrid said. “There’s a chance Endersley’s here for other purposes. But either way we have to find him.”
“I’ll help you. I promise,” I said, “but before I can join you I have to find my own quarry. I can’t let her get away. Not again. But I’ve been given reason to suspect she might have connections to Stroud. Believe me, if she knows anything, I’ll get it out of her. Before I kill her.”
Astrid’s eyes locked on mine. “I see you have your path set before you, and there’s a chance it will join ours. We should part ways for now. Samuel and I will continue to pursue Endersley while you tie up your loose ends. But first, we'll need you to teach us about this world, and how to move within it without drawing undue attention.”
“And we need to know how things work,” Samuel said, fixing the television with a wary glance. “And how not to die, if possible.”
“Sure. This,” I reached for the remote control. “is actually how I got my first understanding of this place. As crazy as it is.” I switched on the television and handed Astrid the remote. “If you push this button, different windows will open. Many of them will show a story being acted out. We call them TV programs. Most are pretty cheesy and nonsensical but it’ll give you some insight into how things work here. Among the blinkereds at least, and they’re the ones you’ll need to be able to blend in with. Watch them, learn their ways. And in the meantime, I’ll get more booze. I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”
10
I woke with a bleary head after only a couple of hours of restless sleep. Not the best start to the day but the long night had been necessary.
The sunlight flashed over the mirror as I opened the blinds, reminding me I'd need to move it to a less intimate location, now that it now had become a front door, of sorts. Samuel chuckled in the living room. I wandered through to find him surrounded by cats, and smirking as he chugged at his pipe and watched a cartoon featuring a flamboyant talking turnip.
Astrid sat at the table in the kitchen, polishing a dagger. She nodded as I walked in and even smiled. Momentarily at least.
“Morning,” I said. A cold breeze blew through the open window and while I was glad it was airing out Samuel’s smoke, I wasn’t thrilled with the temperature. I thought about asking him to lay off the pipe but he looked so contented. Which wasn’t exactly unusual, but now and then I’d caught glimpses behind his mask. I could see he’d had a hard life, he just hid it better than Astrid. I made coffee and handed out cups.
“Coffee,” Samuel said. “See, I’ve been learning.”
“Did you sleep?”
“Not a wink,” Astrid said. “But it was time well spent. We needed to learn as much about this world as we could.” She nodded toward the television. “The blinkereds seem to be people of very limited vision who are almost hypnotically drawn to loud bright flashing things. They seem very unhappy, for the most part, which is why
they’re so dangerous. Yet I find I like them. They’re funny. It’s a mad and dangerous place. Full of denial and barely concealed fury. I could get used to it here. It’s very interesting.”
I glanced at the wonky ring of empty beer bottles that circled the table like a boozy interpretation of Stonehenge. “Good. You’ve got a rough idea of how things work then. Now, let’s go get some breakfast, then I’ll take you to see a friend of mine. A vampire with good connections, she might be able to point you in the right direction when it comes to this fugitive of yours. If he’s crossed over to our world, and there’s even the slightest chatter about him, she’ll most likely have caught wind of it.” I grabbed my wallet from the dresser, pulled a few twenties out and handed the rest to Astrid and Samuel.
“What’s this for?” Samuel asked as he leafed through the bills and held them up to the light, scrutinizing them.
“So you can buy whatever you need.”
“Like beer,” Samuel pocketed the notes. “I don’t usually have much use for money, but thank you anyway.”
“Don’t steal anything, if you can avoid it. You don’t want to get into any tangles with the police. Or the Organization for that matter. Don’t forget-”
“We’re to be invisible. Ghosts. As silent as an especially silent flea.” Samuel nodded, then with a tap of his foot his bow leapt up from the floor and he grabbed it. “I imagine I won’t be able to take this with me.”
“Absolutely not,” I said. “You need to blend in.”
“Fine.” Samuel waved a hand across himself. Bright blue light sparkled among the folds of his muddy cloak and the threads of his clothes, transforming them into the garments of a somewhat well-dressed blinkered. He wouldn’t have looked out of place in a bank or a real estate office, if it wasn’t for his wild beard. “It’ll hold for an hour or so,” he said.
“That’ll be long enough to get you into the magical quarter; once you’re safely there, you could walk around naked and no one would bat an eye.”
“I’d rather he kept his clothes on,” Astrid said. “At least until I’ve eaten.” She ran a hand across herself and the same blue light sparkled as she transformed into what looked like the manager of the real estate agency Samuel could have worked at.
“Perfect.” I threw a set of keys to Astrid. “These will get you in and out the house, but promise you'll remain unseen at all times. Can you do that?”
Samuel gave a wry grin. “What do you think?”
“Right. Just make sure you do. I’ve warned you about Mrs. Fitz already; the last thing we need is for you to appear on her radar.”
“Then we shall be one with the shadows,” Samuel said. “And remain unseen in the eyes of the lady who must be avoided at all costs.”
“Good,” I said. “Let’s go.”
Our trek through the city to the magical quarter wasn't exactly uneventful. Samuel was nearly run down by a taxi and Astrid almost broke a Hare Krishna’s wrist when the overly enthusiastic monk came at her with a wilting flower. But other than that, the trip was a breeze.
We stopped at Nika’s diner, where no one gave us a second glance and I knew I could let my guard down a little. Samuel ordered two plates of sausages and as soon as he'd scarfed them down, he burped loudly and prolifically. But, in that good old Nika's tradition, none of the other customers batted an eye. And on that note we paid the check and made our way to Books, Nooks, Oddments and Glamors.
“So,” Talulah said, giving Samuel a wary glance as he rifled through a stand of potions, “let me get this straight. You’re here looking for a man that may or may not have crossed over from the Hinterlands? A man who doesn’t want to be seen?” She twisted her fingers around a stray strand of her long magenta and chestnut brown hair and tucked it behind her horn-rimmed glasses. The sleek pearl grey dress she was wearing, which had been enchanted to match the color of her eyes, shimmered along with her gaze as she shifted her weight to her back foot. “Is that about the size of it?”
“Yes, and the sooner we find him the better. For everyone,” Astrid said. She smiled at Talulah. “This shop’s special, but I get the impression there’s something quite dark beneath it.”
“There is. Deep down in the cellar.” Talulah agreed. “But they won’t harm you, my dear. Now, this might take a little while. Please have a seat, there’s a sofa down the second aisle. I’ll get you some coffee and send for my friend the raven. She's very much aware of most things that come to pass within the magical quarter, so we’ll find out what she’s witnessed of late.”
“Actually, I can’t hang around,” I said. “I need to get going.”
“You seem restless, Morgan,” Talulah said. “And troubled.”
“I’m looking for Wyght.”
“I hope you find her,” Talulah said, “and if you’d like that bitch’s death to be a slow drawn out affair my brood would be more than happy to assist you.” She gave me a cold, vicious grin. A reminder that, while she was always personable and kind, she was still a vampire at heart. Then her smile faded. “Speaking of Wyght, have you been to see Argyle Screed yet?”
“No. Should I have?”
“He’s been looking for you. Not that you’ve been an easy man to reach.”
“What does he want?” I wasn’t particularly anxious to pay Argyle Screed a visit, but he knew things and that was always useful in my line of work.
“He said he had information for you. About Wyght, actually. One of his mercenaries came by on the off chance that I might know where to find you. A great beast of a man. At least I think he was a man, it’s hard to tell sometimes. He could have been an ogre.”
I nodded. I was pretty sure I knew exactly which mercenary she was talking about. Crispig. “Where’s Screed now?”
“I don’t know. He’s on the lam, apparently.”
“I can probably find him,” I said. “If you think it’s worth my while.”
“I’d say it’s almost certainly worth your while. Argyle’s not a man to mince words or waste time. And no, you won’t find him. Not unless he wants you to.” Talulah ducked behind the counter and came back up with a tiny miniature wooden boat. She handed it to me.
It was smaller than it had first seemed, about the size of a quarter, its bow and masts painted as black as coal. One of the sails had tiny white script that spelled out ‘Morgan.’ “What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Find some running water, a river or stream, that leads to the sea. Actually, a gutter or storm drain would probably work. There’s one in the alley outside the shop. Drop the boat in and it will make its way to Screed. Or so his man-beast said.” She reached back behind the counter and handed me a small poppet in the likeness of a man in a long tattered coat. A man who looked suspiciously like me. “Keep this with you. Screed will send a messenger to find you, and they’ll take you to him.”
“Can’t he just phone?”
“Come, Morgan, this is Argyle Screed we’re talking about. Just go and drop the fucking boat down the drain and be done with it.” Talulah sighed and turned to Astrid and Samuel. “I can assure you, if you haven’t noticed already, that almost everything in this world is at least twice as complicated as it needs to be.”
“Yes, it definitely seems that way,” Astrid said, as she rifled through a pack of Tarot cards.
“Well, good luck,” I said to her, before turning to Samuel. “And like I said-”
“No stealing, no maiming, no murdering. And avoid Mrs. Fitz at all costs,” Samuel said. “We’ve got it.”
“And we wish you good fortune in the hunt for your quarry.” Astrid gave me the same curt smile her mother had once given me, before glancing at the card in her hand. The High Priestess. A woman in a pale gown framed by the embossed gold border printed around the edge of the card. She wore a triad of moons as a crown and her eyes were white slits amid a long gaunt face surrounded by flowing black hair. Astrid slipped the card back into the deck and set it down; when she glanced up at me again there was a glint of
concern in her eyes. “Be safe, Morgan.”
“You too.” I felt a strange sense of heaviness as I left the shop. Like I was suddenly alone. Which was odd because I'd been alone, more or less, pretty much all my life.
The air outside Books, Nooks, Oddments and Glamors was cold and crisp. Winter leaves tumbled down the alley past me like a plague of petrified locusts. The gloom grew heavier as I wandered on, all the light of day filtered by the thin veil of grey sky between the rooftops.
I found the drain Talulah had mentioned, near a gaggle of thin, jittery people who watched me with wide, hungry eyes. Crystal addicts, or maybe something else. Nothing good. I smiled at them one by one. And one by one they found something better to stare at. Then, destroying my aura of rugged manliness, I took the tiny wooden boat from my pocket, kneeled down and dropped it between the bars that covered the drain. “You’ll pay for this Screed,” I whispered.
When I straightened up, the group of twitchers had gone and a lone figure stood in a narrow opening across the way. His face was obscured by a hood, but I could see a grizzled, stubbly chin and thin drawn lips. He nodded for me to follow, then turned and walked down the street and vanished round the bend.
Was this Screed’s messenger?
Surely the wooden boat hadn’t even hit the water yet? Still, this was the kind of place to expect the unexpected. I hurried past the opening and found a narrow street of darkened doorways and grimy windows.
Empty.
“Hello?” I called, my voice echoing along the walls.
I reached for my gun as I stepped out to begin my search when someone dropped to the ground behind me. I tried to turn back but before I could move, an arm locked around my throat and dragged me back into a shadowed doorway.
11
I grappled to free myself as the assailant tried to pull me into what looked like a deserted house. His grip grew tighter until I drew back my elbow and smashed it into his ribs.