by Kristin Cast
Electricity popped, and an initially tame breeze rolled into forceful gusts, tangling Eva’s hair and sending fear snaking down her spine.
“What’s happening?” Bridget’s words were swept up in the wind.
“I don’t know!” Eva tried to shout back over the crackling roar.
The air settled as a shape took form.
“Alek?” Eva breathed.
Sweat glistened off his bare arms and the sculpted muscles of his chest and abs played peekaboo through the rips in his shirt. The corner of Eva’s mouth curled into a lascivious half smile.
Bridget leaned into her and whispered, “Insta-love.”
“Eva,” Alek gasped, before falling into one of the zebra-striped chairs.
Eva rushed to his side. “Are you okay?”
“I only need a moment to recover.” He took a few deep breaths, and the color returned to his cheeks. “Have you been in contact with Tartarus?” He wasted no time getting down to business.
“I was just about to call. I thought you were waiting to hear from me before you came here.”
“Hang on,” Bridget interrupted. “What happened to saying hi to people when you materialize uninvited in the middle of their living room? It’s pretty impressive how totally spot on you are with your landings, by the way.”
“Yes, I know.” Alek cleared his throat. “But there isn’t time for that. Something went wrong. I had to come to the Mortal Realm sooner than planned.”
“What happened? Are your mothers okay?” Eva asked. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve been fighting.”
“Considering what happened, I’m fine, and for now Tartarus remains the same. It is this realm I am worried for. An infection is spreading. It’s alive and it does not belong with mortals.”
“An infection?” Eva carried the book to Alek and pointed to the picture. “Does it look something like this?”
“That is exactly what we saw.”
“We? Who’s we? Isn’t Eva the only one you’re supposed to be teaming up with?” Bridget asked.
“The detective. Has he made it to you?”
Three quick knocks echoed from the direction of Bridget’s front door.
“I’m going to just take a stab in the dark and say that that’s him right now.” She opened the door without looking through the peephole.
“We need to talk.” James burst through the door. PJ trailed him and waved shyly at Bridget. She shot Eva a puzzled glance.
I have no idea, Eva mouthed back.
“You’re alive.” He looked at Alek, expressionless. “Good. Don’t want your body muddying up an already complicated scene.”
“Wait a second. What’s going on here? I’ve only been gone for a day and you two are having sex, you guys are off fighting crime together, and there’s some otherworldly infection attacking my city.”
“I knew it!” PJ clapped.
“And who the hell is that?” Bridget asked.
Alek took a few steps toward the visitor and puffed out his chest. “Yes, my thought exactly. Who are you?”
“He’s direct, right to the point. I like that in a man. Name’s PJ. That’s short for Patrick Johann. But, I can assure you, it’s the only thing short about me.” He extended his hand to Alek, and his cheeks flushed pink. “Sorry, that was not my best line.”
Alek turned to face James. “Why did you bring him?”
“It’s a long story. We have more important things to talk about,” James said.
“Yeah, but how are we going to do that with this new guy lurking in the background? No offense.” Bridget offered PJ a polite smile.
“James, Bridget’s right. Bringing him here was a really bad decision, and we don’t have time for those. No offense, PJ, but now is not the time to make new friends.” She grinned and waved at him cordially.
“PJ.” Alek plopped a broad hand on his shoulder, and he wobbled. “Has anyone ever struck you in the face before?”
PJ’s eyes widened as Alek’s fist made contact with his cheek. Instantly his legs buckled, and he crumpled to the floor.
“Jesus Christ, Alek!” Eva rushed to PJ and gently tucked his bangs behind his ear to survey the damage. “He’s out cold.”
“Our PJ problem has been resolved. You are welcome.” He shook his shaggy mane from his eyes and smiled broadly.
“At least help me get him to the couch,” Eva instructed.
Effortlessly, Alek scooped him off the floor and dropped him onto the sofa.
“Now, can we just take a minute to figure out what’s going on?” Eva asked.
“We only had sex the one time. Well, two if we’re being specific,” Bridget said.
“That’s so not what I’m talking about.”
“Oh.” She crossed her arms and sunk onto the couch next to PJ.
“We made contact at the hospital,” Alek began.
“Where we saw some crazy shit you’re not going to believe. Actually, I forgot where I’m at; you’re definitely going to believe it,” James added.
“We encountered the creature you showed me. The one from the book,” Alek said.
“The Nosoi?”
Alek nodded. “My mothers spoke of this evil, but they said there is no way the Nosoi could be in this realm. It’s jailed in Tartarus.”
“I hate to say this, but they’re probably wrong. All the evidence points to the Nosoi being here, now.” Eva marched to the dining room table and stared at her reflection in the bowl of water. “We have to find out what the Furies know.”
Twenty-One
Sabrina Masten walked into the Brook Restaurant and Bar, and swept her gaze around the room until she saw her friend waving enthusiastically from a table across the way. She hurried to her, hung her purse on the back of the high-backed barstool, and collapsed onto its cushy seat. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was horrible. A bunch of roads are closed off, and I had to go about five miles out of the way to get here.”
“No problem. Breanna and Whitney have texted me pretty much that same exact sentence already.”
“You work for the city’s planning department. What kind of never-ending construction are they starting now?” Sabrina asked.
“There isn’t anything new scheduled for this area, but they did just say the cops have blocked off a big section around the hospital.” She pointed to one of the many TVs hanging around the bar.
“Hmm, weird. Hopefully they’ll have gotten their shit together by the time we leave.” Sabrina caught the bartender’s eye and motioned for him to come over. “I’ll have one of whatever she’s having, and bring us each a shot of Fireball.”
“Fireball, wow. I don’t know if I’m up for it. Work that bad, huh?”
“Aubrey, you have no idea. They’re restructuring things, which is just a nice way of saying that they’ve fired a bunch of people. Not only does it not make any sense, but they’ve also not bothered to do anything about the workload. I’m doing myself what, just last week, I shared with four other people. It’s a big fuck you to everyone left.”
“Why don’t you just quit?”
“Right, and work where? I have a business degree from a crappy state school just like 80 percent of the people our age. I don’t want to be out of work and living back home with my parents. I should probably be happy I have a career at all.” She raised her shot glass and her smile widened. “I want to stumble out of here, and preferably not alone.”
“Cheers to that!” Aubrey clinked her glass against Sabrina’s, and the women downed their shots. “How long has it been anyway?”
“How long has what been?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You broke up with that asshole Anthony over four months ago, and I haven’t heard you talk about anyone else. I’m not saying you need to date someone, just, you know, maybe spread the love a little bit.” Aubrey laughed and waved her hand over Sabrina’s crossed legs.
“I know. I know. Believe me, I am more than over this dry spell. I’ll make sure tonight’s
the night.” She smiled and cast her gaze around the sparsely populated room. “So, what happened with that guy you met on Match.com? Bryan, right?”
“Close. This one’s name is Ryan, but I don’t know if I’m going to keep him around.”
“Why? Did he order four shots of Patrón and get hammered in the first twenty minutes like the last guy you met up with?” Sabrina laughed.
“Oh, don’t remind me. He was so sloppy. I’m trying to block that encounter from my memory.”
Sabrina laughed and took a sip of her Chardonnay.
“Oh, shit.” Aubrey stared over Sabrina’s shoulder, her eyes wide. “Speaking of encounters you want to block.”
“No fucking way,” Sabrina groaned. “God, this city is way too small.”
“Brina!” Anthony bellowed, and stumbled over.
Cigarettes and beer assaulted her nostrils, and she craned her neck away from the stench. “Don’t call me that.”
“What, you never had a problem with it when we were together.” His heavy arm slithered across her shoulders as he ordered a drink from the bartender.
“Yeah, but we’re not together anymore, Anthony.” She shrugged his arm off of her back.
“And whose fault is that?”
“Yours, you fucking skeeze,” Aubrey interjected. “Now go away. It’s obvious no one wants you here.”
“Thanks, Aubrey, but I’ll leave as soon as Brina tells me to go. And, so far, it looks like she wants me to stay.”
“Leave, Anthony,” Sabrina said without missing a beat.
“C’mon, Sabrina. You know I’m sorry.” He picked up the bottle of beer he’d ordered and took a long swig. “Fine. I can take a hint. Gonna go hit the head, but I’ll be around for awhile in case you realize.”
“In case I realize what?”
“In case you realize,” he repeated wistfully. He lifted her hand, and gave it a quick kiss before shuffling off to the bathroom.
Aubrey cringed. “Ugh, he’s so disgusting.”
“Tell me about it.” Sabrina used a cocktail napkin to wipe off the back of her hand.
“I have no idea what you saw in him. You can do so much better.”
“Yeah. Thanks Aubrey.” Sabrina’s stomach knotted. “I, uh—I’m not feeling so hot. I think I’m going to head out.”
“What? You never go out, and you just got here. Don’t let that asshole ruin your night.”
“No, it’s not because of Anthony,” she lied. “I just have to be up early, so I really need to get home.” Sabrina stood, dug her wallet out of her purse, and waved her credit card at the bartender.
“At least stay with me until one of the other girls get here,” Aubrey whined.
“Ugh. Fine.” She set her card on the bar top and flopped back into the chair. “But I’m leaving the second one of them shows.”
The door chimed as more patrons entered the bar.
“Maybe they’re here!” Aubrey stood on her tiptoes and peered at the front door. “Oh, gross.” Her face wrinkled like she’d just gotten a whiff of something rotten.
“Who is it now? I don’t think I can handle another ex.” Sabrina craned her neck to check out who’d arrived.
A man dressed in a remarkably convincing zombie costume shuffled into the bar, growling and twitching like a feral animal.
The bartender stepped out from behind the bar, blocking him from coming in any further. “Hey, man. We’re kind of far out from Halloween.” The bar went silent.
The man bared his teeth and growled ferociously.
“Oh, yeah, I’m really scared. If it was up to me, you could stay. I’d even give you a free shot for the killer makeup job, but I need this gig, so you’re going to have to leave and come back.” The bartender grabbed the towel hanging from his back pocket and wiped off his hands. “I’ll have a beer waiting for you after you go get cleaned up.”
Sabrina leaned into Aubrey. “Just wait, the punch line will come any minute now.”
• • •
A shrill squeal permeated the bathroom, electrifying the hairs on the back of Anthony’s neck. He turned the faucet off and listened. Another scream, this time louder and more guttural. He wiped his hands on his jeans and charged into the bar. Shock sucked the air from his lungs, and he stumbled into the wall behind him.
A body lay in a heap at the front of the bar, its jaw unnaturally stretched away from its bleeding face. Fear and panic contorted the faces of the bar patrons as they hacked up red tinged mucus.
“Brina.” Anthony shot through the sputtering crowd to where he’d last seen her. “Sabrina, are you alright?”
Her knuckles turned white as she clung to the bar top with one hand and gripped her wine glass with the other. Coughs racked her body, and she struggled to breathe.
“I’m freaking out. We need to go to the hospital.”
Sabrina’s wine glass shattered in her palm. A large sliver protruded from her skin, and she yanked it out of the oozing wound. “Prepare. The queen is coming.”
Silence coated the bar as each person turned to face him. They spoke with hushed reverence, red dripping from their lips. “The queen is coming! The queen is coming!”
Snarling, Sabrina sprang forward and slammed a shard of glass into his pectoral muscle.
“Ah, fuck!” He screamed and shoved her backward.
She stumbled and tripped over a barstool. Her head slapped against the countertop, and her body locked as she slid down the face of the bar, a crimson streak marking her descent.
Anthony pulled the glass from his chest and dropped it on the floor. “Brina?”
Her body bounced wildly, knocking her head against the wood with deep, repeating thuds.
Gurgling hisses sounded around Anthony as the group closed in on him. He snatched Sabrina’s purse, cradled her against his body, and tore through the sea of bloodshot eyes and clawing hands. In the safety of the street, he studied Sabrina’s face. Her eyelids were open slightly, but he could see only the whites of her eyes.
“Oh God, oh God. Brina, baby, stay with me. We’re almost to the car.”
He placed her gently on the concrete before pawing through her purse for her car keys. “I found them. I found them. Everything’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.” He stared at her motionless form, and it hit him. Everything wasn’t going to be okay. “I’m so sorry. For everything.” Anguish sucked the strength from his legs, and he crumpled to the ground next to her body.
Her back arched again, and Anthony shuffled to the side to give her room. Blood bubbled from her mouth and poured onto the cement. A wet, choking noise emanated from her throat as her larynx bulged. Scarlet specks tore out of her mouth and shot into the night sky. The cloud rippled and pulsed in the air above him. He scrambled to his feet and smashed the key fob to unlock the car. The pulsating swarm rained down on the car as he darted into the safety of the vehicle.
They pelted the roof and zipped past the windshield, screeching as they disappeared into the night.
The queen is coming!
Twenty-Two
The hours of training in the dark caves of the Underworld, the handful of times he’d visited the Mortal Realm to return the escaped evil to its place in Tartarus, his battle with Alastor, all of it had readied Alek to face the next level of ancient villain, but, more than that, it had been what he craved. Until now. Now there was an emptiness within him. Something the hunger for battle and glory no longer filled.
The warrior within you is fading. Refuse him, let him die, and what creature will you be?
Pythia’s words pressed against his thoughts, and Alek rolled the remaining half of his talisman between his fingers. He squeezed the sharp edge of the cracked crystal and let the pain drown out the specter’s warning.
Eva waved her hand in front of his face. “Alek, are you going to help me with this or not?”
“Yes, of course,” he responded, unsure of what he’d agreed to. “Help you with what?”
Eva put her hand o
n her hip and pointed to the bowl of water on the dining room table. “We have to get in touch with your mothers, and this is really not the time to stop listening to me.”
He grabbed her hand with both of his, and rubbed his thumbs in slow circles over her soft skin. “I’ll do whatever you require.”
“Oh, well.” She took her hand off her hip and twirled the ends of her tousled hair. “For starters, I just need you to put your fingers in this water so we can call your home.”
“I can think of something else she needs you to put your fingers in.” Bridget winked.
“Thanks for that, Bridge. Now, we put our fingers in here and think of Tartarus, right?”
“Yes, you must focus your intention and think of nothing else.”
“Okay.” Eva closed her eyes and dipped her fingertips in the still water. “Tartarus, Tartarus, Tartarus.”
Alek followed her lead and cleared his mind of all thoughts except those of his home in the Underworld. With his eyes closed, Tartarus morphed from its true dark and craggy form to the bright and restored realm he hoped the future would one day bring.
“Whoa, guys, doesn’t that feel weird?” Bridget whispered.
A cyclone of water spun up from the bowl, lifting Alek’s and Eva’s hands inches from where they started. “I was unaware it was happening.” He removed his fingers and felt warmth roll off Eva’s arm as she shuffled closer to him.
“It’s not going to suck us up, is it?” Bridget asked, hooking her arm through James’s.
“No,” Alek breathed. “It will only reveal my home to you.”
A sharp trill rang out, and Alek waited, ears perked.
“Alek!” The water spun and contorted to form a perfect recreation of Maiden’s face. A broad smile lifted the corner of her eyes and created a small dimple beneath the apple of her right cheek. “How are you? And you, Eva, you are looking much better than when you departed. It is excellent to hear from you and see you both together. I hope you are well.”
“Temper your excitement, sister. This is a mission. Not a call to discuss pleasantries,” Mother said flatly, her form rippling to life.