“Hey, you’ll notice I’m not casting any first stones,” I replied.
“I can’t help it if I hear well and everyone else talks loud.” Sally’s voice was nonchalant, but there was a grin upon her face.
“I really am sorry,” Christy said. “I panicked when I found out about Calibra’s true identity. All I could think about were the ramifications that would have among my people, among our position as a neutral party in this war, and...”
“And how I might think that one bad apple might mean the rest of the bunch was rotten and in need of pruning?” Sheila offered.
“Something like that.”
“We shouldn’t be held accountable for the sins of our forefathers, especially that far removed. While some of my former associates might prefer to think of the world in terms of black and white, I’m lucky enough to have had my eyes opened.” She glanced my way for just a moment, so quickly I wouldn’t have noticed had I so much as coughed. “Whoever she was or is, she’s not you. I know that, and I would never hold you accountable for what she’s done. And if anything ever did happen where I got possessed or somehow turned against you, I wouldn’t hold it against anyone here if they did what needed to be done to stop me.”
This time, she glanced my way and held my gaze, forcing me to remember the promise I’d made to her months back – that if she ever endangered Christy’s child, I’d take her down. The unspoken implication was that she’d do the same if I ever went rogue.
My hope was that neither of us would ever need to call the other on their promise. Problem was, with all the chips falling into place and us seemingly being pulled by destiny, I had to pray it wasn’t a hope that would prove to be futile.
OF FISTS AND FEET
Much hugging and such ensued.
With Gan in the room, that meant I had to be very nimble and ensure there was always a warm body between us at any given time. Not the easiest thing to do with someone as swift as she.
Sadly, despite the full stomachs and having the air cleared a bit, there was still a shadow hanging over us all. There were friends to be saved and, despite the revelations of the past few hours, we were still back to square one on how to find them.
The Source, the giant pool of Jahabich spooge, was somewhere far underground. It was both the home and former prison of the rock-encrusted fuckers. We’d originally thought it was located somewhere beneath Las Vegas, but Christy explained our folly. Vegas happened to reside over a fairly major ley line, basically the equivalent of a Magi power grid. It’s why so many mages flocked there and, in general, why the place was so fucking quirky.
She’d done a little research into the legends surrounding the area and found that the Native Americans of the region seemed to be familiar with the Jahabich or creatures like them. That and the presence of the ley line suggested that perhaps the prison walls were thin there, creating a natural portal to allow both the occasional escapee and give Calibra a convenient spot to stage a full-on prison break.
Made about as much fucking sense to me as anything.
Unfortunately, Sally and me had pretty much blown the shit out of the entrance, thinking we were sealing the Jahabich in for good. Doing so had brought down the cave, and – as Christy explained – almost certainly disrupted the magic within it. Same apparently with the tunnel Calibra had used to escape from the Boston complex.
This wasn’t an issue for Calibra, Christy surmised. She’d tapped into The Source to create the Jahabich. She was in tune with it. Opening a new way there would probably be as easy for her as using a GPS would be for the rest of us. Sadly, she was the only one with this particular address.
Knowing how it probably worked was one thing, but it didn’t really give us anything even remotely close to a lead. Calibra was magically masking her presence. Even if she hadn’t been, The Source was considered nothing more than a legend by the Magi. If it was so easy to trace back, then surely others would have done so many times in the past.
After realizing we were banging our heads against the proverbial wall, Christy and her sisters excused themselves to head back to the basement, taking Tom with them. I could only hope that whatever they were doing down there would provide us with a lead soon.
After the witches left, Sally decided to go back to bed, although I had a feeling it was just an excuse to not hang out with Gan longer than necessary. She’d rapidly lost interest in the little psycho after Gan revealed she couldn’t transfer her new abilities.
Sheila said that since she was up, she might as well stay up. She stuck around to help me clean up the place, which was cool since Gan didn’t seem overly inclined to do much more than gaze at me creepily.
I think she’d meant to help with the mess left from breakfast, but once we got started, Sheila began wrinkling her nose at pretty much every corner of my place. Despite the end of the world looming nigh, we spent a good chunk of the morning and afternoon spring cleaning.
Once that was done and Gan declared my apartment less offensive than normal, Sheila wanted me to come clean in a different way, namely the full story of what happened during my sojourn in Jahabich central. I figured it couldn’t hurt. Between her and Gan, one of them might have some insight the rest of us had missed. Worst case, everyone in our merry group would be up to speed.
I told about how Ed had been kidnapped by the Jahabich and our journey to rescue him. I mentioned our capture – perhaps making my stand against our foes sound a bit more robust than it had been. Sadly, that only seemed to excite Gan more, so I immediately toned it back down and told the rest in as business-like of a manner as I could.
“All of those prisoners,” Sheila said, rubbing her arms, “condemned to a fate worse than death.”
“Some of them got away when we did. As for the rest, it’s hard to say. I mean, I wasn’t about to volunteer for that shit, but Mark, Sally’s ex, seemed to be pretty okay with his newfound rocky outlook on life, and I didn’t get the impression it was because of mind control.”
“I got a similar feeling from the one I ran into up in Boston, at least while she was in her human form.”
I thought back to Starlight. I couldn’t shake the feeling there had been some of her talking to me despite being one of them, that parts of what she’d said were genuine. “Seems like maybe they have a modicum of freedom in their original forms. It’s definitely limited, though, almost like they’re on a timer to revert back and rejoin the hive mind. Say, are you okay?”
“Me?” She looked down at her arms. “Yeah. It just sometimes tingles for a little bit after I heal myself.”
“Listen, maybe I didn’t say it earlier, but...”
“You did. Four times, to be precise.”
“Well, I’m still really sorry.”
“Don’t be. If anything, it added an air of authenticity to our ruse.”
“Not just about that, but, well, everything else ... keeping secrets from you.”
“You had your reasons.”
“Maybe, but I don’t know if they were good reasons.”
“You’re a loyal friend.”
“Loyal to the point of being stupid.”
“I won’t argue that,” she said with a chuckle. “But the important part is you decided to tell me before I could confront you with it. That means a lot to me.”
We locked eyes across the table, the silver in hers glinting under the light of my kitchen nook. I opened my mouth, not really sure what to say next, but maybe there was no need. Her hand and mine, both on the table, began to slowly inch their way toward each other. But thankfully the third wheel in the room picked that moment to place hers upon mine and spare us an actual moment.
“It is but one of the many reasons I adore you, my love,” Gan said. “So honorable, noble, and yet fierce when the fires of passion engulf you.”
“You know, Gan, you make it really tempting to open the window and let those fires engulf me once and for all.”
Sheila covered her mouth with her hand, no doubt to stifle
a laugh at my expense. I could always count on Gan to be the creepiest cock-blocker on the planet.
I quickly pulled my hand away, or tried to. Goddamn, she was strong. The table began to creak as I finally managed to slip out of her grasp. Thank goodness for sweaty palms. “Anyone want anything to drink?”
“I am quite sated, beloved,” Gan said.
“I’m fine too,” Sheila replied. “So let’s get back to it. How’d you guys escape?”
I stood up, walked to the kitchen sink, and turned on the water full blast as I rinsed out my mug. Cleaning my glass was only part of the reason for doing so, though. Sally was downstairs and, just in case she was still awake, I really didn’t care for her to eavesdrop on the next part.
“It was all my idea...”
* * *
“I am impressed,” Gan said, undressing me with her eyes. Ugh! I so needed to make it a point to wear at least two pairs of underwear from here on. “To invoke the Humbaba Accord at such a time showed great foresight on your part.”
“Yeah, I’m clever that way,” I replied. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, it didn’t hurt that one of the Feet down there was Grulg.”
“Grulg?” Sheila asked.
“He was the Sasquatch who’d basically acted as our host during the Woods of Mourning Summit.”
“Where my love boldly spat upon the peace entreaties of our ancient enemies.”
“Accidentally spat upon their peace entreaties,” I snapped at her. “No thanks to you. Anyway, their leader Turd...” I paused as Sheila giggled. “Basically, Turd was a giant shit-stain on two legs, but Grulg turned out to be an okay guy for a giant rancid ape. He didn’t particularly like us any more than the rest of them, but he was on the up and up. No tricks. So we lucked out in that Sally – I mean, we – recognized him. Thankfully, he remembered us, too.”
“Another of those strange coincidences?” Sheila asked with a wry grin.
“I will admit, on occasion it does seem like the world is awfully small, but that’s about as far as I’m willing to go. Regardless, once we cut a deal with him, the rest was causing as much chaos as we could, followed by running, lots and lots of running. That’s around when we blew up the tunnel, not realizing we might need it again.”
“It was a prudent course of action at the time. Yours is not a strategic mind, my love. One could not expect you to know better.”
“Gee, thanks, Gan. You always know how to make me feel better.”
“What happened to Grulg?” Sheila asked.
“Huh?”
“Did he come out with you guys?”
I let out a laugh. “Oh jeez, can you imagine if we’d surfaced in the middle of Pandora’s Box with a Sasquatch?” Actually, considering we’d been immediately arrested upon our escape, maybe that wouldn’t have been such a bad thing. “No,” I continued, “once we made it to the Jahabich antechamber or whatever it was, we dissolved the truce.”
“So what happened to him?”
“He ran for one of the other caves leading out of there, same as some of the other things that managed to escape. At that point, it was every man for himself.”
“Did he make it out?”
“No idea. I hope so, though. He was an okay Bigfoot. With any luck, he hightailed it the fuck out of Dodge before the Jahabich got their act together enough to give chase.”
Sheila was silent for a moment, a thoughtful look upon her face as if she was trying to envision the whole thing in her mind. Hopefully, her musings involved more of my heroic elaborations and less of how fucked we’d actually been at the time.
I got back up to get a refill of the blood Gan had brought. After that, I needed to step back a bit, remember that it needed to last. But damn if it wasn’t tasty. Now if I could only push away the thought of how she’d likely obtained it, I would...
“Did Grulg blow up his cave, too?” Sheila asked.
“Huh?”
“You said you blew up the exit behind you. I was wondering if maybe Grulg did the same with his.”
“We brought C-4. Unless he was hiding a brick of it up his ass, then I doubt it.”
“The Alma shun the technological trappings of man,” Gan explained.
“Some of them do anyway,” I groused. “But as I said, Grulg was a straight shooter. I didn’t get the vibe that he had a hankering for the latest iPhone upgrade. So no bombs, although who knows? I suppose he could have used magic. We’ve seen the Feet do some funky things with trees.”
“Alma shamans are fairly rare, my love,” Gan said. “Their warrior caste is far more numerous.”
“Well, there you have it, then. No boom.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Sheila said, her eyes wide and sparkling.
“Not really. It means one more place where those fucking rock cocks could potentially surface from.”
“That’s what I mean.” She stood up and leaned across the table at me.
I tried, and mostly failed, to not sneak a peek at the ensuing cleavage, but what she said next made all thoughts of boobs flee my mind ... for a moment or two.
“Think about it. If Grulg made it out, then he’ll know how to get back in. If we can find him, maybe he can tell us how to get down there again and save Ed.”
WAR AND PIECE
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yeah, he might point out the way ... after he finished smashing my head with a rock.”
“You said yourself he was an honorable man, err, ape,” Sheila pointed out.
“Yes, honorable, but still a loyal member of the race that hates our guts.”
“But you were able to make a truce.”
“A temporary cease fire,” I clarified.
“But a cease fire nevertheless. He could have attacked you guys outright, but he was willing to talk. Maybe he would be again.”
“The circumstances were a bit different down there. Believe me, he made it perfectly clear he toed the party line. So long as the rest of his buddies are down with kicking our asses, then he is, too.”
“But what if they weren’t?” she asked.
“Weren’t what?”
“Weren’t hell-bent on wiping you out. It’s painfully obvious the Jahabich aren’t just a threat to the vampires. You said so yourself. It was a veritable Noah’s ark of the supernatural down there.”
“Yeah.”
“So, then the ... Feet, I guess, must be aware of the threat. Maybe not to the extent we are, but we both saw it for ourselves at our trial. Some of those things turned into Sasquatches. That means they’ve had losses. That means they have to know there’s another enemy out there gunning for them, too.”
“The enemy of my enemy?” I asked. “Seems a stretch to me. I mean, you don’t know these things like I do. They really don’t like us for whatever reason. I don’t know, maybe we insulted one of their mothers way back when.”
Gan stood up and placed her hands behind her back. “We have been enemies for countless centuries. The reasons are lost to time. However, that mutual dislike was kept at bay for nearly five millennia by the Humbaba Accord.”
“Yes, which is now null and void.”
“Not entirely, Dr. Death. You yourself were able to invoke it when needed. The Accord, as you no doubt are aware, is quite lengthy – several dozen scrolls in size.”
“Uh yeah. Light reading for a rainy day.”
“It provides boundaries for the fragile peace that existed between our people, that much is true, but the signatories were wise. They understood our mutual nature and made sure to include provisions for breaches of that peace. The Accord was signed in blood under the eyes of ancient powers. It is not so easily dismissed in its entirety.”
“So you’re saying that it could be reinstated, in theory anyway?” Sheila asked.
“An argument could be made that we are simply in a state of abeyance with regard to it. In theory, as you stated.”
“I’m failing to see how,” I said. “I mean, we’re in a state of all-out
war here. Thousands have been killed. You yourself bragged how you had a mile-long line of Bigfoot skulls lining the road to your house.”
“I was stating a truth, not bragging. Regardless, you are thinking of this war like a human. That is a mistake. The morality of the players involved is beyond such petty considerations. Though it is true there are many primal powers that wish to see it proceed so they might reestablish the old religions, there are just as many that wish to keep them in check.”
“So there’s a chance,” Sheila said.
“There is always a chance, Shining One, even if infinitesimally small.”
“Says the one who actually started this war,” I added, letting a trace of bitterness enter my voice.
“My intentions were to make clear my claim upon you, beloved. And I make no secret that this conflict helps me forward my personal ambitions. However, I see no reason why this new development cannot also aid my aspirations.”
I put my head on my hand and stared at her from across the table. “It’s amazing you haven’t won a Noble Peace Prize yet.”
“There is also the fact,” Gan continued, ignoring my barb, “that the initial aggressor of hostilities on their side is now dead.”
“Turd?”
Again, Sheila snickered at my mention of his name. I couldn’t blame her. If I lived to be a thousand, I doubted that would ever stop being funny. “But wait. Didn’t the attack on the Khan happen before he got involved?”
Gan shrugged as if the death of her father was water under the bridge. “An opportunistic way of gaining our attention, nothing more.”
I considered this. “Turd and François seemed pretty buddy buddy for a while there and, from what I heard, François did have a mad-on for your dad.”
“Indeed. I have little doubt the attack was at least partially perpetrated with inside knowledge from the traitor. In fact, we have no way of knowing how long they were manipulating events to bring about the summit.” She began to pace. “But they are both dead now. The Alma will have gathered to select a new leader for this hemisphere.”
The Tome of Bill (Book 8): The Last Coven Page 8