by Ben Reeder
“Just brushed up against your root chakra. Now that I can see auras, it’s easier to affect them.”
“You are so wicked, Lucas Kale,” she said.
“I try,” he said.
“And I love you for it.”
“So, you’re uh...you’re okay?” I asked Lucas.
“Man, this is some groovy shit,” he said in a mock hippie voice.
I shook my head and turned to Wanda. “So, what’s up with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”
“Uh, not exactly, but the cops want to give me a letter of commendation for the other day.”
“That’s actually a good thing,” I said. “It’s the reprimands you want to avoid.”
“I know, but I did everything wrong, you know?”
“No, you just didn’t do it by the book,” I said. “If you had, it would have been worse. And that’s pretty much always going to be the case when the Veiled world meets the cowan world.”
“Why should it be okay for us to break the rules, though?”
The question made me pause for a moment. “We walk in both worlds, Wanda,” I said after a few seconds’ thought. “We see what no one else in the cowan world can, Hell we do what no one else in that world can. The Veiled world has very different rules than the cowan world and we break some of those, too. People like us...we have to be really careful, because we have to balance the rules of two worlds. We have to know when to break the rules of one world to protect the other.”
“That’s an awful lot of responsibility to take on.”
“Dr. C says that’s the price we pay for the power we have. Besides, end result, you saved that girl’s life. You deserve the kudos.”
“We saved her life,” Wanda said with the beginnings of a weak smile. “You did a lot of the heavy lifting.”
“I’ll take ‘we,’” I said. The bell rang, and I trudged toward the doors, resigned to another day on my own. I sent Shade a text after second period, asking her if we could talk during lunch. All I got back was one word: Yes. It was enough to lift some of the weight I felt on my heart.
As soon as the bell rang for lunch, I was out of the classroom and all but sprinting for the library. When I shoved the door open, I found myself facing at least a dozen hostile stares. Balloons and long pieces of white paper covered the tables, and someone was working on a plastic shield and swords.
“Excuse you,” one of the girls closest to the door said. “We’re working in here. Some of us have actual work to do before prom.”
“Sorry, I just need to check a reference,” I said as I started toward the back of the room. Another girl stepped in front of me with an uncapped marker in hand.
“Clue check, slacker,” she said. Her lips turned upward into a smug grin. “That means the library is closed. Do your creepy nerd shit later.” I narrowed my eyes at her and felt my lip curl up into a sneer. I started to let my aura flare when Shade stepped up behind the girl.
“Piss off Bree,” she said. Bree jumped and turned to look at Shade. Something in her eyes made the girl shrink back a little. “Just because he’s not on some prom arts and crafts committee or kissing your ass doesn’t mean he isn’t doing his part for prom. So go back to your coloring.” She turned and headed back toward the stairs, but she stopped before she got to the door.
“Thanks for that,” I said.
She turned and folded her arms, looking at me with a frosty expression. “I’m here. Talk.”
“Um, okay,” I said. “First things first, did you talk to him?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“We’ll see.”
“That’s it?” I gaped at her. “All you’ve got is ‘We’ll see?’ Shade, this is some pretty serious shit. I need better than we’ll see.”
“I need something better than you telling me you’re not lying.”
“What? Why? You know I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
She shook her head, sending waves through the mane of red. “No, I know you haven’t yet. Yet. But I can’t read you like everyone else, Chance. I trusted Brad, and he screwed me over. In a lot of ways. I hate trusting people. It scares me. Do you know what that’s like for me?”
“Being scared? Yeah, I lived scared for eight years. For that matter, the last two haven’t been exactly fear-free.”
“I don’t do scared, Chance. I’m an apex predator, an alpha wolf. I lived scared of every man around me for three years, and now, I don’t have to, but when it comes to you...I’m scared all over again. And I don’t like that.”
“I scare you?” I said. My stomach seemed to drop to the floor, and it felt like my feet were trying to slide in different directions, like the ground wasn’t solid under me anymore. “Why?””
“Because I want to trust you, Chance,” Shade whispered, her mouth a tight line. “But I don’t know if I can.”
“You want something you can trust?” I asked, my heart pounding hard. I took her hand and put it against my chest. “Even if I’m mad at you, even if I’m hurt and confused, one thing I always know is that I love you. Now, am I lying?”
For a moment, her face softened and a tear slid down each cheek. Then she turned and walked away, leaving me there with a stupid expression on my face, certain I would never understand women. Or at least not the one woman I wanted to.
The rest of the day was a slog, and if we covered anything important in class, I’m pretty sure I missed it. Shade didn’t look at me all through Sociology, leaving me to occasionally glance at the back of her head. She bolted for the door the second the bell rang and I followed at my own, much slower, pace. Halfway to the front doors, I found Brad nursing a broken nose. The lockers behind him were dented, and when he tried to glare at me, both eyes were sporting fading shiners.
“Whatever you said, you probably deserved that,” I said.
“I didden thay nuthig,” Brad said, then winced as his lycanthropic healing moved something back into place. “She punched me before I could get a word out.”
“You still deserved it,” I said as I kept going.
“Screw you, Fortunato!” Brad called after me.
I tried not to smile as I walked on, but the corners of my mouth crept up a little. While I would have loved to see Shade sucker punch Brad, I was also glad I wasn’t anywhere around when she did. Unless I was ready for it, I couldn’t take that kind of damage. And the way Shade seemed to be feeling right then, I wasn’t sure she’d pull her punch.
Those thoughts kept me company on the drive to Dr. Corwin’s place. Lucas and Monica were already parked out front, and if the weather were cooler, they would have been steaming up his windows. As it was, I didn’t feel too bad thumping the hood of his car as I walked past. Behind me, I heard them get out of the car, then the rustle of cloth as they readjusted their clothes. I did wait at the gate for them, though.
I was first through the door to the kitchen, and I heard raised voices from the study the moment I stepped inside. Lucas and I stopped just inside, waiting to hear who was yelling at who.
“Hey,” Dr. C said. “It’s your blood.”
“How does that even begin to excuse your incompetence?” Vortigern’s voice answered.
“It carries your intent as well, dumbass,” Dr. C said. “I should have known that would happen. You don’t want her to be found. Not that I blame you.” We hurried toward the study at that. I didn’t know Vortigern well enough to know how he’d take an insult like that, but I’d seen him fight. I wasn’t eager to spend the next few days patching up the house with Dr. C.
“It’s pointed at your own domicile, you thrice cursed fool!” Vortigern yelled. “Congratulations, you’ve succeeded in detecting me!”
I didn’t bother knocking on the doors to the study. Instead, I just pushed them open and walked in. “What’s he doing here?” I said, wand in hand.
“Nothing useful,” Dr. C said.
“Nonsense,” Vortigern said. “I was...beset by a flurry of Furie
s this morning. I felt it prudent to come here. This place has certain protections.”
“Is that what a group of those things is called?” I asked.
“No, I just enjoy the alliteration,” Vortigern said with a smile. “However, while I was here, I deduced that my blood would be the best way to find the Half-Caste Chylde, but your so-called master-”
“I’m not his master,” Dr. C interjected.
“True,” Vortigern said without missing a beat. “As I was saying, your...mentor...must have skewed his divination too sharply toward the blood itself instead of the line it represents, because for the past ten minutes, it’s been centered on this...very...spot.” The last three words came out slow and soft, and Vortigern’s face went nearly white.
“I’m with Dr. C on this one,” I said. “Blood carries intent. Plus, this contract has dragon magick all over it. That’s hard to counter, even with blood…” I stopped talking as Vortigern walked past me.
“By the Morningstar,” he said softly as he stopped in front of Monica. Seeing him close to her, I was struck by the similarities between their features, subtle enough that I’d missed them until I saw both of them at the same time. “You grew into a beautiful young woman. You have your mother’s eyes.” He reached out and caressed her cheek with the backs of his index and middle fingers.
The effect was instantaneous. A spark leapt between them, and both of them stepped back, looking like they were caught in their own personal vortex, their hair flying and their clothes fluttering for a moment. A minor shockwave knocked Lucas and me back a couple of steps and sent papers flying from Dr. Corwin’s desk.
“What just happened?” Lucas asked slowly.
“Forgive me, Wizard Corwin,” Vortigern said. “For doubting your ability.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Are you saying…?”
“This...this girl is my daughter,” he said, turning back toward us. “She is the Half-Caste Chylde.” Without another word, he leaped at Dr. C.
Chapter 13
~ Never strike at a wizard directly. ~ Honorable Sheng, dragon
My brain was going in a hundred different directions at once. Most urgent was trying to keep Vortigern away from Dr. Corwin. I had caught him in midair with a reflexive TK bolt, but that had only slowed him down and pissed him off. The second spell was holding him, but just barely. As it was, I could feel my feet slipping on the hardwood floor. I leaned into my stance, but ended up giving a couple more inches in the process.
“Fool!” Vortigern shouted. “You’ve doomed her!”
“A little help here?” I said. Dr. C uttered something behind me, and I felt the pressure against my spell ease a little.
“Vortigern, stand down!” Dr. C yelled. “She’s not in any danger! Especially not here!” If he’d been hoping to calm the demon lawyer down, that wasn’t the way to do it. Vortigern let out a roar that made the windows and the light fixtures rattle. Red fire erupted around him and fiery wings appeared behind him, then the force pressing against my spell doubled. I slid across the floor, and heard the sound of Dr. C’s desk sliding behind me.
“No place on Earth is safe for her. If I can find her, then the firm will not be far behind!” Vortigern’s wings were getting bigger, and the heat from his aura was starting to hurt my hands. I slid back a little further, then my feet hit the base of the desk.
“Vortigern!” I growled. “Stop this!”
Whatever he planned on saying in reply was cut off by a splash of cold water. Most of it hit Vortigern, but a swath of cold and wet fell across my right side as well. Most of it boiled away when it hit his aura, but enough got through to break his concentration. He drifted back a few feet, shaking his head. Then a pale hand reached up, grabbed him by the ankle and yanked him out of the air. He hit the ground with a thump, but was back on his feet in a heartbeat, his face dark as he turned to face whoever had pulled him down. When he came face to face with Monica, his expression faltered and he hesitated. Monica didn’t.
She punched him across the cheek, then followed up with the other hand. Vortigern staggered back and brought his hands up.
“Peace, girl!” he said as she drew back her right fist again.
“These are my friends!” Monica said, her fist still up beside her ear. I went to stand at her right side, and Lucas stepped up on her left, a bucket in one hand and his paintball gun in the other. “So chill the fuck out.”
“Of course,” Vortigern said. He straightened up slowly, his hands still up, palms out in a placating gesture. “Consider me chilled.”
“Two minutes ago,” Dr. C said as he came around the desk, “I would have asked how you could be sure Monica was your daughter, but I think we already know that. She definitely has your temper.”
“We do indeed,” Vortigern replied. He lowered his hands and turned toward Dr. Corwin. “My apologies for my outburst, Wizard Corwin. I was overcome by emotion.”
“Just don’t let it happen again.”
“That, I cannot guarantee.” He turned to face Monica again. “I allow myself few emotions, daughter mine, and in you I invest them all. I act out of a father’s love, however unschooled I may be in such matters.”
“You’re...my father,” Monica said slowly. Her hand dropped to her side and her head fell forward. After a moment, she drew in a long breath, then let it out as a series of short sobs. “I always dreamed about you. I imagined that one day, you’d come to take me away and we’d go live in a normal house somewhere, and I wouldn’t have to do…”
“Monica, I never meant for anything-”
“No,” Monica cut him off, her voice sharp as a razor. Her head came up, and I could see the anger in her eyes. “You don’t get to explain or make excuses. And you don’t get a say in my life. Not right now. Maybe not ever.”
“Can I apologize?”
“Maybe later,” Monica said. She put her hands on Vortigern’s shoulders. “If you can.”
“If I can?” he said. Then her knee came up, and he doubled over. Lucas and I winced as he hit the floor. All three of us stepped back as the Infernal lawyer puked on the hardwood.
“That was not how I figured finding the Half-Caste Chylde would go,” Lucas said.
“It wasn’t the reunion I had in mind, either, Mr. Kale,” Vortigern moaned from the floor. He let out another groan, then slowly got to his feet. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his mouth with it, then carefully refolded it before he tucked it away again. “Though it is better than what I deserve. Monica...is that still your name then? I do not know who you were placed with, or anything about your life. I wish I could say it was some noble, paternal motive that drove that deal, but, in truth, I had no choice. The firm took you from us… killed your mother and held you hostage against my performance as one of their .employees on the mortal side of the Veil. I have done terrible things in the name Sammael and Berith, but seeing you alive and whole…” He stopped, his voice suddenly thick with emotion.
“Don’t lay your regrets on me,” Monica said. She reached out and took Lucas’s hand. Side by side, they looked so right together, and I could see her draw strength from Lucas’s presence. Dressed in her black corset and skirt, she was a Goth queen to Lucas’s dark prince. “I don’t care what you did for me. I didn’t ask you to, and I didn’t have a say in it.”
“No, sweet daughter,” Vortigern said. “I have no regrets over what I did. In this moment, quite the opposite. The only regret in my heart is that you suffered because of me. For that, I am sorry, dear child.”
“It’s going to take a lot more than I’m sorry,” Monica said. Dr. Corwin walked back into the room and threw a roll of paper towels at the lawyer.
“You can start by cleaning up your mess,” Dr. C said. “As for you, Monica, you’re staying here until after the Rending is over.”
“Like Hell I am,” Monica said. “Lucas and I are going to prom, and then we’re going to Shanghai.”
“Shanghai?” Lucas asked.
“What’s in Shanghai?”
“Synreah has a place there,” Monica said, her voice sultry. “She let me borrow the keys.”
“Does this mean no lessons this afternoon?” I asked
“I’m afraid it does,” Dr. C said. “I know that disappoints you.”
“Immensely,” I said. “I might have to have dinner with my mother and my sister tonight.” I left through the kitchen, followed by the chorus of Monica’s protests and Lucas’s questions. My mind was still going a thousand different directions at once, but I had the beginning of a plan of action. I was counting on Monica to be more stubborn than Dr. Corwin, and for Lucas to back her play. And, if things went the direction I thought they would, I was counting on demons being demons. It was time to do a little scouting and a lot of scheming.
A few hours later, I pulled into the parking lot of a little diner called Tog’s. The sign was old school, plastic over fluorescent bulbs, with a thick sheet of plexiglass protecting it. Steve was there on his BMW motorcycle, trying to look casual in jeans and protective bike gear. He had the Maxilla slung alongside the bike on a welded rig, and he held his black helmet under his arm. I pulled the Mustang up beside him and leaned out my window.
“You don’t look like you’re ready to go do something shady at all,” I drawled.
“Ha, ha,” Steve said, not at all amused. “You owe me a steak dinner for this, at the very least.”
“Would you settle for a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich?” I asked. “Like, on Monday?”
“I know you better than that. What happens between now and Monday?”
“Oh, you know, the usual.”
“Armageddon, end of the world type stuff?”
“Potentially, but not if I have anything to say about it,” I said.
“Last time that happened, what you had to say was no, and it seemed like it stuck. Now here we are again. So, what are we doing tonight?”
“Something stupid and dangerous,” I said.
“That sounds familiar, too.” He put his helmet on and kicked-started the BMW. “Lead the way.” I pulled out of the lot and hit the road going north.