by K. R. Willis
I sprinted across the parking lot, and into my apartment building. Rya ducked between my legs as I opened the door. Her fur brushed along the insides of my legs and the air pulsed with magic as she dropped the illusion and became visible again. She looked as tired as I felt. It had been a long, stressful day, we were both ready to crash. The bedroom called my name, so I shucked my clothes and headed straight for my room, bypassing the kitchen and the food I knew I should eat. It could wait until I’d slept. Rya trotted past me toward my room as though she had the same idea.
My hand had just reached to unsheathe the dagger at my hip when Rya’s voice suddenly echoed through my mind. Puma. She stopped just inside the doorway of my room and yowled her displeasure. The carpet provided good traction as her claws dug in and she crouched down on all fours, ready to pounce on whatever lay within.
I froze for half a heartbeat, then ripped the dagger from its sheath and joined her in the doorway. With my heart pounding, I flipped on the light switch and quickly scanned my room. Where? I prodded Rya. Aside from a pile of dirty laundry thrown haphazardly in the corner, I saw nothing.
Rya drew in the scents of the room through her mouth, letting her predator senses pick through the smells. Hissing, she said, I don’t know, but he is here somewhere. I smell the evil wafting from him. She took a confident step forward, bared her teeth and hissed again, loud enough to make the hairs all over my body stand on end. Apparently, that got his attention as well because suddenly he moved, and I saw him.
He appeared see-through at first, like crystal or glass, but as I stared and concentrated, the illusion burst. A huge puma stalked toward us on my bed. He stood at least six inches taller than Rya and malevolence rolled off him in waves. Goose bumps broke out all over and I shivered. When he realized we could see him, he hissed and the hairs on his back stood up, making him look bigger than he already did. Rya returned his posture, and they faced off.
I was about to have the world’s largest cat fight in my bedroom.
The weight of the dagger in my hand reminded me I was armed, so I angled myself toward the puma with my dagger at the ready, twisted my entire body, and sank the dagger up to the hilt…in my comforter. Soft, billowy feathers erupted from their confines and took flight. Dammit! Where is he? I asked Rya.
Gone, she said. I no longer smell him strongly enough to indicate he is here, only the lingering of his scent.
Not that I didn’t believe in her sense of smell, but I made quick work of searching my entire apartment. Twice. After I’d checked every closet and cabinet and deemed them empty, I returned to my bedroom.
What the hell was that thing? I asked Rya as I pulled the now ruined comforter off the bed. He looks like a bigger version of you and can hide his presence the same way you can.
I don’t know. She inspected the comforter when I added it to the pile of clothes in the corner, taking several large breaths, and then grimacing. She looked back at me. His power is different from mine. I hide my presence, but am still here. He physically disappears. She sniffed the blanket again. Whatever he was, I’ll remember his smell.
Good. My thoughts ran amuck. Was it a ghost, or spirit maybe? Another Spirit Warrior? Why had it come here, to my apartment? No answers came to me, so I filed it away in the back of my mind with all the other weird, unexplainable stuff that had been happening to me lately.
After stripping and putting on my nightclothes, Rya and I climbed into bed. I jumped when she settled at my feet, but quickly relaxed. Her warmth did wonders to calm and soothe my frazzled nerves, the dagger and sword I placed next to me on the pillow settled me even more. If that thing came back, we’d be ready.
CHAPTER 15
The sound of my phone ringing woke me. I groaned and put the pillow over my head trying to ignore it. After a few rings, it stopped. Rolling over, I snuggled back into the sheets so I could go back to sleep, but the damn phone started ringing again. There’s only one person this insistent.
I threw the pillow to the floor, and reached across the bed to my nightstand where my phone sat. The clock next to it said 6:00. Ugh, so much for sleeping in. I sighed; at least I wasn’t dead.
“Hi, Sally.” I did my best not to sound frumpy. Rya yawned at the foot of the bed, but didn’t get up.
“Keira! Where have you been? Why didn’t you call me and let me know what happened yesterday with Janelle Williams? I’ve been worried sick. I thought maybe you’d been eaten or something.” Her words were rushed, and she breathed kind of heavy. I could almost hear her heart pounding as she spoke.
“Geez, Sally.” Her concern for my wellbeing was heartwarming, yet tiresome at times. “The address for Janelle Williams was bogus. It led me on a wild goose chase.”
“Really? I thought she seemed a little strange. So that must mean she’s the one who took your blood, right? I mean, why else would she give the hospital the wrong information?”
“Looks like it.” I filled her in on the rest of the events of the evening in between two big yawns.
“Wow, Keira. You’ve become a magnet for all things weird here lately, haven’t you? Any idea what happened with George?”
My chest tightened. I’d been trying real hard not to think about it. Hesitantly, I answered, “I don’t know. I’m going to ask Leo if he can use his contacts and find something out for me.”
“Okay,” she said. “And while we’re waiting on tall, dark, and annoying, I can do some research, see if I can find out anything else on Janelle Williams.” Sally had always been a whiz at computers. If anyone could track down Miss Williams, she could.
“Thank you,” I said. “I’m going home today to speak with my father about everything that’s been happening. I can’t wait any longer. I should be back sometime tomorrow evening.” Before dark, I added silently. With the Vampire Council after me now, I wasn’t taking any chances. “And hey, you and Sam watch your backs, okay? Don’t take any unnecessary risks. A lot of these guys know we’re friends, if you get my drift.”
“Yeah, I get your drift, and we will. Don’t worry about us. Go talk to your father, and you be careful,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s you they’re looking for. Take your weapons, and make sure Rya is on the lookout. Oh, and if you see my father, would you tell him that he can kiss my—”
“I will,” I cut in before she could finish. I knew how she felt about her father, and I agreed with her, but still. “Thanks, Sally.” We said our goodbyes and hung up.
Rya rose from her spot at the foot of the bed and stretched languidly. I did the same, then threw back the covers and got to my feet. I needed to get around.
The hot water welcomed me as I climbed in the shower and let it wash away the stress of the last few days. If I let myself be totally honest, it was a stalling tactic just as much as a method of getting clean. The thought of going to see my father and having him tell me whatever he needed to made my stomach cramp.
It felt ominous and foreboding. Everything that had been happening to me seemed to lend credence to my feeling of uneasiness. I’d always known I was different with my ability to cure supernaturals, but Father had made sure I never felt like a freak. He told me that the Great Spirit created my special blood as a way to keep the world balanced between humans and supernaturals. But now, I wondered if there was more to it than that.
Lost in my thoughts, my skin had taken on a prunish appearance, so I turned off the water and stepped out onto the bath rug to dry off. Rya startled me when she trotted in and plopped her big tan butt on the edge of the rug right in front of me.
Stop stalling, she said. Obviously she’d been eavesdropping. Anything your father kept from you about your birthright was for good reason. With that, she got to her feet and trotted back out the door.
Her words didn’t make me feel any less anxious.
After thoroughly drying off, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and secured it with two elastic bands, then stared at my reflection in the mirror. My hair had grown at least six inches s
ince my father had last seen me. “This is silly,” I told the black-haired girl in the mirror. “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.” The uneasy breath I exhaled fogged up the glass, so I turned away and went in search of clothes and my weapons.
The clothes I picked were comfortable and concealed my weapons well. Rya led the way to the kitchen and hopped up onto the island. Her massive weight made the wood creak and pop in several places, but it held. She parked her rear end on the butcher block top and stared intently at the refrigerator. Guess I wasn’t the only one hungry.
“You are sooooo not a house cat,” I quipped as I strode past her and opened the fridge door. A quick perusal of its contents produced a week-old sirloin steak for Rya that I’d planned on grilling before all this crap happened, and some lunchmeat for me.
I pulled out everything I needed to make a sandwich and set the now open steak in front of Rya. She curled her lip at the slightly discolored hunk of meat and said, What is this? It smells rotten.
It’s all I’ve got, and I’m sure, as a predator, you’ve eaten worse. I set to work making my sandwich while she twitched her tail.
Pumas eat meat fresh from the kill, not something that smells like it’s been dead for years.
I laughed. Well, missy, there’s only enough lunchmeat here for two sandwiches, which I plan to eat, so it’s either that or vegetables. I’ll have to do some shopping after we get back.
The look she gave me was priceless. If a puma could wrinkle its nose and look absolutely disgusted, she managed it…and then some. I was doubled over laughing when she bent down and tore into the steak. I almost wished I’d given her the vegetables.
***
The drive to my childhood home in Browning took about two hours. It was strange how I now thought of Vaughn as my home, and couldn’t imagine ever leaving. The thrill of driving Old Red on the open road, combined with Rya’s constant conversation, made the time fly by. Before I knew it, we passed the Welcome to Browning, Montana sign and my heart skipped a beat. I’d almost forgotten how beautiful it was with the Rocky Mountains surrounding us on both sides, and the flat grassy valleys blanketed in fir, spruce, pine, and other species.
It had been roughly two years since I’d been home. One of our annual celebrations brought me home the last time. I enjoyed the festivities and seeing my father, but I had worked tirelessly to build my client base and reputation at the shop. Closing for the weeklong celebration became too much of a hassle. So for the last two years, I made up an excuse for not coming home. Father had grumbled something about family and our traditions, but ultimately, he gave in with little admonishment.
I drove past the Native artwork business where I worked part time a couple of summers, and the burger joint where Sam, Sally, and I spent many afternoons hanging out after school. It was just as crowded as I remembered.
A few miles out of town, I craned my head to the right, looking at the horses eating grass in the pasture of the education center where I learned to ride and wondered briefly if the old gelding I rode was still there.
After turning onto the old gravel road, one I’d traveled on thousands of times, I crested the hill that led to the clearing where my father built his lodge so long ago. As soon as it came into view, I sighed. Despite my efforts to venture out and create my own life, I knew I was truly home.
CHAPTER 16
“Are you hungry?” Father asked. I’d called him on the way here, and he’d welcomed me with open arms. He wore blue jeans and a light blue T-shirt, with his black hair pulled back in a ponytail, just like mine. A little more gray streaked through his hair than I remembered, though.
“Famished, actually,” I said and followed him into the kitchen. The lodge hadn’t changed much since he built it and gave it to my mother so long ago. That ugly monster perked its head up again, but I stomped on it until it went back to its hole and the burning behind my eyes at the thought of my mother dissipated.
It was a simple home, but the love shared within these walls was still visible. From the large oak table Father carved by hand that had been distressed by all the meals we ate together, to the oak log inset into the wall above the fireplace that still had his and my mother’s initials carved into it—even though he swore my mother did that, not him—to the boxes of my mother’s clothes packed away in the closet he didn’t think I knew about. I found them when I was ten and played dress up just to be close to her.
“Keira?”
I jerked my attention back to him, and wiped away a stray tear before it betrayed my train of thoughts. “Hmm?”
“Are you all right? You seemed far away for a few minutes.” He pulled a platter out of the fridge, and my stomach growled at the mouthwatering sight of pot roast, carrots, and potatoes.
“Yeah, sorry. Just remembering, and thinking how good it is to be home.” I really hadn’t thought I missed it, but I was wrong. I helped him make us a couple of plates, and heated them in the microwave.
We sat down at the table and talked while we ate, just like old times. We spoke about town and the tribe. For almost an hour we discussed everything except what I really needed to talk to him about. When we finally finished, I cleared the table and rinsed the plates while Father waited.
He stood as I placed the last dish on the towel to dry and said, “Come,” then led us out onto the porch, and motioned for me to sit in the wooden rocker opposite him. For several minutes, silence stretched between us as we watched Rya and Falin—Father’s spirit wolf—play in the field around the house. They chased each other and played what looked like tag.
“I know why you are here,” he began. “The spirits have been restless, and they told me you would be coming.”
“Why, Father? Why have you kept whatever this is from me?” I tried to keep the hurt out of my voice—the betrayal—but some of it leaked through.
He turned wizened old eyes to me and answered, “I’m sorry, Keira. As your father I merely wanted to give you as normal a childhood as I could. If you’d known what was coming at such a young age….” He looked away for a moment, watching Rya and Falin, who’d found a rabbit to chase, then turned back and looked at me with an intense sort of tenderness. “I was afraid it would destroy that beautiful innocence all children have. And then when you got older, and were no longer a child, I still couldn’t bring myself to tell you.”
I laid my hand on top of his and squeezed. “Tell me now.” What little anger I had left evaporated. Even without my mother, my childhood had been wonderful because of him, and I just couldn’t seem to be angry with him for wanting to protect me.
He squeezed my hand, and looked back out over the field. He drew in a deep breath, and relaxed his hand as he blew it out, gathering his thoughts. I watched Rya and tried to remain calm as I waited for him to begin. I had the feeling that whatever he was about to tell me would change my life forever.
“Very few people remember this story,” he began. “It happened so long ago. I personally have never told it before.” I waited impatiently for him to continue, bouncing my leg up and down.
“It began in the 1300s,” he said. I quit bouncing my leg. “No one knows for sure who summoned him, or why, but they did and he came into this world, bringing with him death and disease.”
“Summoned who, Father?”
“The Evil One,” he answered. A shiver ran through me. “A demon. One of the most powerful demons to ever be summoned from the underworld. He was summoned and released for reasons we do not understand.
“It started over in Europe.” He paused for a second, and I chewed the inside of my lip, waiting. “People began dying, and it quickly spread until hundreds, then thousands were infected. They believed it was from flea-infested rats, but it wasn’t; it was him. They called it the Black Death.”
My jaw dropped. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me this demon caused the Bubonic Plague? How is that possible?”
“Yes,” Father said. “That is exactly what I’m saying. He swept across Europe, spreading his death
and disease wherever he went.”
I started to say something, but Father started talking again so I shut my mouth and listened. “The Bubonic Plague began in 1346, the year we believe the Evil One was released. In the beginning, everyone who contracted the plague died. But sometime around 1350, someone survived. The virus had mutated, and the person was no longer human. They became the very first vampire.
“Years passed, and more survivors emerged. They too, were other. Vampires, werewolves, witches…all manner of supernaturals arose from the death this demon created. Humans and supernaturals alike tried to stop him and failed. Something had to be done.
“After much debate, key members from the different races of supernaturals, and even the human race, assembled themselves together to find a way to either destroy him, or send him back to the underworld. They called themselves the Peace Keepers.” My heart raced as I waited for him to keep going.
After several gut-wrenching moments he continued. “A group of magically gifted volunteers from within the Peace Keepers—which comprised of witches, wizards, sorcerers, and one shaman who represented the human race—went looking for a way to banish the Evil One since they could not destroy him. They found the stones at Stonehenge and discovered they held a magical property of their own. It made the perfect portal. They trapped him and sent him back to the underworld.” He turned and looked at me. “Supernaturals hadn’t been around very long when this happened. They weren’t as powerful as the ones we have now. After they summoned the Evil One and trapped him within the rings, they sacrificed themselves in order to seal the spell.”
We sat there staring at each other for several seconds before I could make my brain comprehend what he had told me. “Okay. Let me see if I have this straight. Some idiot summoned a very powerful demon and turned him loose on mankind for reasons unknown, the demon turned Europe into his personal playground and unleashed one of the world’s most deadly and catastrophic epidemics, which gave rise to supernaturals, and then a United Nations of those magically gifted supernaturals banded together and used one of our seven wonders of the world as the portal to send him back to Hell.”