Red gnashed his teeth. Curses. That was all he needed, a Baba Yaga and a Rider meddling in his business. How on earth was he going to accomplish his goal with them hanging around? But then he remembered what all in the Otherworld knew, a stunning development that even he had heard about, when rising from his long rest to feed. The Black Rider was Rider no longer. More than a Human, undoubtedly, but nothing like the power he used to be. The Baba Yaga, now she might be a problem. But the former Rider, he was nothing more than an annoyance. One which could no doubt be dealt with if he got in the way.
“Well?” Len said interrupting his thoughts. “What about him?”
“No,” Red said. “Not him. He is not suitable. In fact, I suggest we look elsewhere. Now.” He rose from his seat, leaving Len to throw some of his ugly paper money down on the bar and follow him out, protesting all the while. Fortunately, the Baba Yaga and her companion seemed to be deep in discussion, and paid no attention.
In theory, he should appear as any other Human to them, but it never paid to underestimate a Baba Yaga. Even if you were a dragon.
* * *
“Did you feel that?” Beka asked Alexei. They had been talking about using the dolphins as scouts, and the best way to check in with them, when she’d felt a shiver run down her spine. The kind of shiver that said magic and Otherworld and maybe danger. She might be the youngest of the three United States Baba Yagas, but she’d learned the hard way not to ignore that feeling.
“Feel what?” Alexei asked. He seemed a bit more cheerful tonight, and Beka wondered if it had anything to do with his new friend Bethany, who occasionally smiled in his direction from her place behind the bar.
“Hmm,” she said. “I’m not sure. But something just tripped my witch-dar.”
“Witch-dar?” Alexei repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Is that a thing now?”
“It is when I sense something paranormal in a room where nothing paranormal should be,” she said.
Alexei glanced around, but didn’t seem to see anything out of the ordinary. “Are you still feeling it, whatever it is? The place looks pretty normal to me.”
Beka opened her awareness, but didn’t pick up on anything other than a tiny sprite who had apparently come in to get out of the cold.
“No,” she said. “Whatever it was, it is gone now. But there was something.”
“I believe you,” Alexei said. “Of course, it might not have anything to do with our other situation, but just in case, let me know if you sense it again.”
“Will do,” Beka said. “I have a bad feeling… But never mind. Let’s talk about how we can have the dolphins spy for us without putting them in any extra danger. And how often you can go out and chat with them without people starting to think you’re up to something.”
“I am up to something,” Alexei said with a grin. “I’m up to getting another drink, since Bethany is finally letting me have beer in here again.”
* * *
A few days later, Alexei wandered over from the guest house to help get Calum out of bed and scrounge a cup of coffee. An ever-larger Lulu trudged along behind him, then plopped onto the kitchen floor with a sigh.
“Still no sign of babies?” Bethany asked, patting the dog sympathetically on the head while handing Alexei a mug that sent divine caffeine-scented steam into the air.
“She says maybe today, maybe tomorrow,” Alexei said absently, most of his attention focused on the dark nectar in his cup. “But I’m not sure if she really knows, or if that’s just wishful thinking.”
“She told you that, did she?” Bethany said, sounding amused. “I didn’t know you spoke Dog.”
Alexei sloshed hot coffee over his hand, suddenly much more wide awake. “Ah,” he said. “Better than I speak Dolphin, but that’s not saying much.”
“Uh huh.”
Now that he was more alert, Alexei thought he heard an odd off-note behind the laughter. Peering over his mug at her face, he saw lines of tension that weren’t usually there, the skin stretched taut around her eyes and mouth.
“What’s up?” he asked. “Is something wrong with your dad?”
“No,” Bethany said. “I haven’t even gone in to see him yet this morning. Just some bad news in the paper.” She handed it to him. “I was debating about whether to tell my father or just hide it in the recycling before he got up.”
Alexei drained his mug and clunked it down onto the counter so he could take a look. The newspaper was folded to the third page, where a brief article showed the picture of an older man with his arm around a young boy, standing proudly in front of a small fishing boat. The headline read “Third Generation Fisherman Lost at Sea.”
“I’m sorry,” Alexei said. “Someone you knew?” He scanned the rest of the article quickly and felt a gnawing in his stomach that couldn’t be blamed on the coffee.
“One of my father’s friends from his days on the water, although they haven’t kept in touch much since my father’s accident. Or, to be more accurate, my father didn’t encourage anyone who tried, so they all eventually gave up and left him alone, the way he wanted.” She sighed, her shoulders drooping a little.
“Henry was a nice guy. That’s his grandson in the picture with him. The kid worshipped him.” She wiped away a tear without noticing. “It’s an occupational hazard, and the families are always prepared for the worst, but the officials can’t seem to figure out what went wrong this time. The weather was fine, there was nothing wrong with Henry’s boat that anyone knew about, and Henry was never reckless or careless. I talked to his daughter a few minutes ago and they’re completely baffled.”
“Are they sure he isn’t just missing?” Alexei asked, even though he knew the answer.
“Pieces of the boat were spotted by another fisherman,” Bethany said. “Small pieces. They haven’t found Henry or the other two men who sailed with him, but they don’t really expect to. There were sharks in the area where they found what was left of The Maryann.”
“I’m sorry,” Alexei said, handing her back the paper. She crumpled it up and stuffed it in the garbage, then blew her nose. He put his arm around her and gave her a brief hug, trying not to be distracted by the scent of her shampoo, a mix of lemon and lavender that went straight to his head. He wished he could do more, and an unwelcome echo of remembered helplessness made his muscles bunch and quiver.
“Me too,” she said. “Let’s go get my father out of bed, shall we? For once I might actually be grateful to hear him gripe at me about my lousy cooking.”
* * *
“Do you think it was the kraken?” Beka asked him later. He was still at the house, minding Calum while Bethany was at the bar, so Beka had come over. They sat in the back yard, conversing in low tones. Calum was asleep in his recliner in front of some game show, and Lulu lay panting at their feet, occasionally shifting position in a futile effort to get more comfortable.
“Maybe. Probably. This guy was an experienced sailor and he disappeared in about the same area as the dolphins reported seeing their monster. About ten miles away, but in the ocean, that’s not that far.”
“Why that area of the sea?” Beka wondered out loud, more to herself than to Alexei. “It’s open ocean with nothing around except fish, before the fish disappeared. Why would a kraken suddenly be hanging out there?”
“And where did it come from? I mean, if the thing had been around all this time, I’m pretty sure someone would have noticed.” Alexei tugged on his beard. “Did the Merpeople and Selkies come up with anything else useful?”
“They’ve just got stories left over from hundreds of years ago. The elders didn’t know anything more than the folks we met with,” Beka said. “So if there was one, it either went away or went into hibernation or something, and now it’s back.”
“Huh.” Alexei tried to wrap his brain around a gigantic hibernating squid-monster. “So what brought it back or woke it up again? And why?”
“All good questions,” Beka said a trifle grimly. “None of
which I have any answers to. I’m not even sure where the hell to look for any, but we have to do something, or I suspect people are going to keep dying, and their blood will be on my hands.”
“Our hands,” Alexei growled. “I don’t ever want to see that look on Bethany’s face again. Nor do I wish to explain to the high queen of the Otherworld if her sea-dwelling subjects start disappearing. They can’t hide out in their homes forever.”
Beka turned pale at the thought of telling the queen she’d failed in her mission. “We could call in Barbara and Bella, but I’m not sure what they could do that I’m not doing already. I tried a finding spell, but they don’t work well with water, and all I got was a vague location, which we already had, more or less.” She shook her head. “I am working on some defensive magic in case we meet up with it, especially if Chewie isn’t around to go all dragon on its ass.”
The Chudo-Yudos usually stayed with their Baba Yaga’s traveling homes when the witch in question was out and about. The dragons (in their guises as gigantic dogs or cats) guarded the Water of Life and Death the Baba Yagas drank to increase their powers and prolong their lives; the Chudo-Yudos also kept an eye on the portals to the Otherworld that was concealed in each updated hut.
They did, on special circumstances, leave to assist a Baba Yaga with a particularly tricky situation, but Chewie especially didn’t like to leave Beka’s converted school bus alone for long, since one time when he had, Beka’s former mentor had stolen the Water of Life and Death and caused all kinds of problems. To put it mildly.
“Going dragon only works if there are no witnesses,” Alexei pointed out.
“Yeah, well, I’m not sure how we’d explain a giant sea monster either,” Beka said. “Either way, we have to find the damned thing before we can worry about how we’re going to take it out, although it would be wise to be prepared. And if magic can’t help us, I guess we’re back to taking Calum’s boat out and hoping for some kind of clue to miraculously pop up out of the blue.” She looked as frustrated as Alexei felt.
“I’ve got a better idea,” he said. “That is, if you can figure out a way to persuade sharks to talk to me without trying to bite my head off. Literally.”
Chapter 12
“You want to what?” Alexei said.
Bethany put a foaming mug of beer down in front of him. “I want to bring my father out on the boat tomorrow,” she said, giving him a funny look. “Is there a problem with that?”
A number of them, including the fact that he was going to be trying to talk to sharks. Plus, you know, man (and probably woman) killing kraken on the loose.
“Uh, I just, you know, thought you’d want to stay home on your day off.”
She shrugged. “In a perfect world, I’d spend my day off sitting in front of the television watching Robert Downey Jr. and eating chocolate. But in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly live in a perfect world. Hell, if I did, I’d be watching Robert and eating the chocolates while sitting in my old apartment in Boston and studying for the bar.”
Alexei stared at the wooden surface in between them. “Why would you need to study a bar? You work at one every day.”
He heard what might have been the sound of teeth grinding. “Different bar,” Bethany said. “The one I’m talking about is the test that says whether or not you are qualified to be a lawyer. That’s what I was doing before my father got hurt and I had to get home.”
Huh. That was a surprise. Or maybe not. Bethany was clearly smarter than your average whiskey slinger, and she’d said something when he first met her about coming back to take care of her dad.
“So, you want to be a lawyer. Interesting.” Okay, it kind of was, but also, maybe he could distract her from talking about going out on the boat tomorrow.
“Not really,” she said. “I’d already started to have doubts about whether or not I wanted to get caught up in a system that doesn’t work for most people. Now that I’ve been back here for a while, the idea is even less appealing, although god knows I spent enough time and money trying to achieve it. Although I had pretty good reasons for studying it when I started out, or so I thought.”
“What kind of reasons?” Now he was actually curious. It was hard to envision the Bethany he knew in a suit and carrying a briefcase, living in a city and working in an office. Somehow he doubted that her motivation had anything to do with money or prestige.
Bethany tucked a stray piece of red hair behind her ear. “My mom was sick for a long time,” she said, finally. “She died in misery after spending years being denied the disability and medical benefits she deserved. I thought I’d get a law degree and fight for people like her, but sometimes it seems like tilting at windmills. I’m just not sure I’m up for the fight. Some days I feel like I’d do more good just pouring drinks and easing pain that way.”
Alexei winced. He hated to hear her sound so discouraged, although at least he’d succeeded in distracting her.
She turned away to pour a drink for a customer and then turned back. “About tomorrow…”
Or maybe not.
“Beka and I already had plans for the boat,” Alexei said apologetically. “And your father did say we could use it. How about next Sunday? Maybe.”
“Look, Alexei. Going out the last time really cheered my dad up, and he’s been in a terrible funk since he found out about his friend Henry. I think it would make him feel better, and tomorrow is supposed to be a really nice day.” Bethany polished the already clean bar. “Unless, you know, you and Beka have something romantic going on. I mean, I know she said she’s married, but it’s none of my business if she and her husband have some kind of understanding.”
Alexei almost choked on his beer. “No! Ew. I practically helped raise Beka. I look at her like a daughter. Or a niece or something. And she and Marcus are madly in love with each other. So no, yuck. Nothing like that.”
Was it his imagination, or did Bethany actually look relieved?
“Well then, why shouldn’t my father and I come along wherever you’re going tomorrow? He won’t care where it is, as long as he’s out on the water.” Now she looked puzzled. With maybe a hint of annoyed thrown in for good measure.
“Don’t you think it is a little too dangerous?” Alexei thought he’d try a different tact. “What with Henry’s boat disappearing and the other odd incidents the local fishermen have been reporting?”
Bethany narrowed her eyes. “If you think it is so dangerous, then why are you and Beka still taking the boat out? Wouldn’t it be just as dangerous for you as it would be for us?”
Alexei had never missed his brothers so much. If they were here, Gregori would think of something clever to say or Mikhail would dazzle her with his charm. Alexei couldn’t do either, so he resorted to desperate measures: the truth.
“Well, maybe, but we’re going out to look for the monster. You don’t want to be along for that.”
“Wait, you’re what?” Bethany stared at him. “You mean you’re going out searching for a giant squid? Why the hell would you do that?” She lowered her voice when a few heads swiveled in their direction. “Please don’t tell me that you actually believe it’s a kraken, like you told Duke. I figured you were just looking for an excuse to get into a fight.”
She wasn’t wrong there. Too bad she was wrong about the kraken. A giant squid would have been a piece of cake, comparatively speaking. Or a piece of sushi.
“Beka is kind of a monster hunter,” he said more or less honestly, avoiding the second part of Bethany’s question. “I’m just helping her out. That’s why she came here from California.”
“And you two think you’re going to find some mythological sea creature that eats ships?” Bethany shook her head. “The insurance company told Robbie they had documented one other case of an attack from a giant squid, off the coast of Japan, so they paid on his claim. It’s pretty freaky, but they think it must have been attracted by something on the boat that reminded it of prey. The oceanographers from Woods H
ole are having a field day, but neither they nor anyone else has caught a glimpse of the thing. It has probably headed back out to deeper waters.”
“So you’re not worried about being out there? Bringing your poor defenseless father?” Alexei was running out of ways to talk her out of it. Crap.
“Oh, please,” Bethany said. “I’d like to see a giant squid try and take on my father, wheelchair or not. We’re coming out with you tomorrow, and that’s all there is to it. If it is safe enough for your friend Beka, it is safe enough for us. Monsters. Ha.” She went down to the other end of the bar to fill a drink order for three craggy old men sitting together and playing cards.
Well, SHIT. That was going to pose a bit of a problem, wasn’t it?
* * *
“I can’t believe you let them come along,” Beka said out of the corner of her mouth as she guided the boat out to sea. Bethany and her father were sitting toward the front of the boat, and Alexei and Beka were in the small cabin, but Beka still kept her voice down, just in case. The ocean breeze could play funny tricks with sound, snatching it away and carrying it where you least expected it. “What were you thinking?”
Alexei scowled at her. He’d been in a crabby mood since they’d all arrived at the docks that morning. Probably because he’d lost an argument. He hated that.
“I was thinking it is their boat and I couldn’t exactly keep them from coming if they wanted to,” he said, glaring out at the innocent waves. “Besides, I tried to talk her out of it. She wouldn’t listen to me.”
“No wonder you’re so grumpy,” Beka said with a grin. “You always used to pout like this when one of your brothers got the better of you.”
“I am not pouting,” Alexei muttered. “Grown men do not pout.”
“Could have fooled me,” Beka said. “Are you really worried we’ll run into the kraken while they’re onboard?” She fingered the spell pouch she’d tucked into her waterproof jacket. In theory, the magic she’d worked up would pack enough of a punch to scare off a kraken, although she doubted it would kill one. And she’d just as soon not have to test the theory out one way or the other, thank you very much. Besides, it was her job to protect Paranormal creatures, not kill them, if at all possible.
Dangerously Fierce (The Broken Riders Book 3) Page 12