“Are you going to be okay for a few minutes if I go change?” I asked after I’d finished my soup.
“I won’t sneak out or anything,” Nicola said dryly, “if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I was more concerned about your mental well-being,” I said. “The last few hours have been pretty intense. I know you probably still have a lot of questions. I promise I’ll do my best to answer them when I can, but there’s still a lot I don’t know myself.”
“Go ahead and take care of yourself,” Nicola said. “I’ll be fine for a little while. Living in this town, I’ve seen some pretty weird shit too. Maybe not as weird as a sasquatch, but I can handle it.”
I gave her a supportive smile, then went to my room. I shut the door and stripped out of my clothing. As I’d guessed, my skin was covered in scratches and bite marks. I hadn’t been caught quite as bad as Nicola, but several of the lacerations made me wince when I prodded the already swollen and angry edges. Wishing I had something to numb the pain, I began dabbing my injuries with antiseptic wipes.
I was starting to feel like I was losing control. Nicola was too strong-willed for me to leave her alone, and taking her with me everywhere I went would only expose her to new dangers. Sitting alone on my bed, I let my thoughts drift to the thing I’d been trying to ignore ever since we’d arrived back at the chalet. In the middle of the attack by the snow creatures, I’d sensed the darkness the vampire and sasquatch had each mentioned. The fight in the forest had been too chaotic for me to really focus on it at the time, but now that things had settled down, I could sense its influence. Whatever it was colored my thoughts, darkening my mood and filling me with a sense of hopelessness. It might have been easy to dismiss as doubt or fear, but it was different from any of my own feelings. It was a distinct external pressure, squeezing me ever so subtly no matter what I did to push it away.
I was no closer to understanding what it was or who might be controlling it, but I could no longer ignore its presence. If Bloedermeyer had indeed awakened some ancient being, I had no idea whether or not I could stop it before it killed again. As nasty as those little creatures had looked, I didn’t think they were malicious by nature. They’d come at us with teeth bared, faces twisted in rage, but that didn’t mean they were outright evil. Extrapolating on what I’d seen with the wolves the night of the party, the more likely case was that something had twisted the creatures to its own will. It had used them like violent little puppets, soldiers in a war against perceived intruders.
And I had killed them. There had been too many of the little bodies to count, but for all I knew, I’d wiped out an entire family. If something like that lived in the woods just outside such a popular resort, odds were high they were innocent enough fae who’d been the closest tool at hand. Corrupted by whatever was trying to kill Nicola and me, they’d been turned into pawns who’d lost their lives for no good reason. If I’d been a more competent mage, I might have been able to subdue the little guys without murdering the lot of them. The more often I found myself in danger, the more I realized just how little skill I had in wielding my powers.
I had a strong feeling that before all this was over, I would be tested and found wanting. Too often in the past, I’d barely scraped through fights — often only managing to survive by sheer luck or quick thinking. While that might work against a human enemy, I highly doubted it would do me much good in the face of a god-like being waking from a centuries-long slumber.
Chapter Seventeen
After sweet-talking Nathan’s boss over the phone, I learned he’d be returning from his last trip of the day shortly after eight o’clock that night. Nicola and I took advantage of our free time to eat enough dinner for six people, then took a car into town.
The shop itself was closed. When we went around back, we saw light shining from the open cargo bay door. The same truck I’d seen earlier that morning was backed into the bay, and Nathan was busy unloading stacks of snowshoes and other gear.
“You again,” he grumbled. “What do you want now? I told you everything I know when you were here this morning. Nothing has changed since then.”
“Except that I talked to your buddy Charles,” I said. “I understand why you hid how much you really knew about him. Maybe now that we’re both on the same page, you think you could be a little more forthcoming about what’s going on around here?”
Nathan looked from me to Nicola, and then back again. He glanced up and down the back alley, ensuring no one else was within earshot. When he was satisfied we wouldn’t be overheard, he nodded towards the cargo bay door before disappearing inside.
“So you met Charles,” he said. “Quite an interesting guy, hey?”
I snorted a dry laugh. “That’s an understatement and a half. Although, in the end he wasn’t exactly helpful. All he told me was the same thing everyone else is saying. There’s a darkness coming. I can feel it now too, but I’m no closer to knowing anything about what it actually is.”
Nathan stared at Nicola. “This is Bloedermeyer’s daughter?”
“My name is Nicola,” she said. “And don’t bother trying to insult my father just to get a rise out of me. I’ve heard it all before.”
“Easy now, kids,” I said. “We’re all on the same team here. Something bad is happening, and before long it’s going to start affecting everyone in town. Right now, it seems to be focused on Nicola and her father. At the rate the local wildlife is turning on people, it won’t be long before no one is safe.”
Nathan narrowed his eyes. “Tell me what exactly happened to you.”
I told him everything. The news story I’d seen about the bear attacking people when it should have been hibernating. The zombie-like wolves outside the party the night before. And finally, the little snow-rats and their frenzied attack. He listened with complete seriousness. His brow furrowing deeper the longer he listened.
“This is worse than I feared,” he said when I’d finished. “I’ve been trying to ignore it, but there’s no denying something is seriously wrong. At first, I dismissed it as a manifestation of the negative energy in town — all the hate directed towards Nicola’s father — but it seems it’s much worse than that.”
“Is there anything you can tell us about this?” I asked. “Anything at all? As the local Lorekeeper, surely you must know something.”
Nathan sat down on a plastic storage container. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “There is a legend. This particular legend is so old, virtually no one even remembers it today. Only the Lorekeepers pass this knowledge from one to another, and even then it’s generally dismissed as a tall tale used to scare young Lorekeepers in training. As it is told, there was once a being known only as the great protector. Since before even my oldest ancestors settled on these lands, the Protector served as a guardian to all living beings. It protected the rivers, the trees, and every animal that lived within a thousand miles. No one knows exactly what happened, but the legend tells of a time of great turmoil and upheaval. The Protector was not the only one of its kind. Other similar beings watched over neighboring lands, and for centuries at a time they lived in relative harmony. Occasionally, for no apparent reason at all, they would wage brutal and devastating war on each other.”
“How long ago are we talking here?” I asked.
“Prehistoric times?” Nathan said. “Earlier? The problem with oral history is that a lot of the details are lost along the way. The easiest way to omit something from the memory of future generations is to simply stop talking about it. Our legends and history go back to the very creation of these lands, but only the Lorekeepers still recount the stories of the great powers that once battled for control of this region.”
“So what happened?” Nicola asked. “If this Protector used to watch over everything around here, why’s it so pissed off now? It’s not like my father’s development is the first construction site in the area. The resort has quadrupled in size over the last decade or two.”
“I d
on’t think your father is directly responsible,” Nathan said. “As easy as it would be to blame him, you’re right in that he’s just the latest in a long line of developers who’ve already built dozens of new houses and businesses in this area. When I was still a young boy, my great-grandfather sometimes expressed disquiet over what he used to call Black Fog. As legend tells, the Protector battled rival ancient ones, ultimately falling beneath the combined strength of those who joined forces against it. The reasons are lost in time, but the entity my people once knew as the Protector was imprisoned in the mountains. It was buried so deep and so thoroughly that all but a few have forgotten it ever existed. The Black Fog was an oppressive force my great-grandfather believed was the now corrupted Protector trying to reach into the world again.”
“What are we talking about here?” I asked. “Is this thing like some sort of god? The way you talk about it is more in line with ancient Greek or Roman mythology. Hell, it could be another version of the Norse gods battling for Asgard.”
“While most of our legends depict specific events in the history of our people, there are some fringe legends that can be interpreted in many ways,” Nathan said softly. “I grew up listening to my great-grandfather’s stories, and when I got older, I learned they were more than simple bedtime tales. They are the records of my people's history and lore. The time I spent with my great-grandfather was part of a ritual passing on of our accumulated knowledge. It was always done with such great solemnity I never doubted the truth of it. But when it came to stories of the Protector… I don’t know.
“It sounds crazy even saying it out loud now.” Nathan sighed and shook his head. “Don’t think I don’t know that.”
“But you do think something big is happening here,” I said. “The way the local wildlife are acting up has got to be a sign that something is deeply wrong. Even the local fae are being corrupted. The longer I spend here, the more I feel its influence.”
“I do believe something is wrong.” Nathan looked at the floor. “I think my great-grandfather was trying to warn me that something like this might happen, but I was too young to understand. I didn’t choose to become Lorekeeper; I was born to it. My training began before I was old enough to walk. By the time I understood the responsibility that came with this role, I was too afraid to embrace it. I feel the darkness growing stronger, and I can’t help but think that my great-grandfather would have had some idea of how to stop it.”
“You can’t be too hard on yourself,” I told him. “It’s a different time now. Hell, if how I spent my teenage years had been held against me for the rest of my life, I’d never have become the emotionally stable and secure person I pretend to be today. So you rebelled a little. There still time to make up for it. If your great-grandfather spent that much time teaching you, surely you must know something that can help us.”
“There might be one thing,” he said. “But it’s kind of a long shot.”
“At this point, a long shot is better than anything else we have.” I looked at Nicola and then back to Nathan. “Tell us what you know, and I promise I’ll help you shut down the source of this Black Fog or whatever it is we’re up against.”
There I went again. If what Nathan was saying had even an inkling of truth to it, I just promised to go up against a power more ancient than anything I’d previously known to exist. I hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about the existence of gods in any form, but the idea of going toe to toe with one was decidedly less than appealing. So much for easy babysitting duty. Taking on an insane godlike being was a far cry from what I’d thought I’d be doing this week.
“It’s not so much what I can tell you,” Nathan said. “And it’s not something we can learn tonight.”
“Well, what the hell is it?” Nicola asked. “If we’re going to take on this psycho Protector, shouldn’t we get our asses in gear?”
“The girl has a point,” I added. “From the sounds of it, this thing is only getting stronger. All the new development over the last few decades must have woken it up. If the way it’s coming after Nicola and her father is any indication, this latest development is just the final straw on the camel’s back.”
“If you want my help, you’ll have to trust me enough to go on a journey with me tomorrow,” Nathan said. Then he smiled mischievously. “And you’re going to need to bring your bathing suits.”
“Is this some kind of joke?” I asked.
Nathan shook his head. “No joke. While I might not have the information myself, there may be a way we can tap into it. Between your abilities and the knowledge my great-grandfather instilled in me, we may be able to get a better idea of where this Black Fog is seeping out into the world. If we can do that, maybe we can shut it off again.”
“You promise this isn’t just some lame excuse to get the two of us alone in the woods in our bathing suits?” asked Nicola. “Because this would not be the first time that’s happened to me.”
“You’re just going to have to trust me,” Nathan said “Pack light, but bring what you need to spend the night. You’ll just have to meet me here early tomorrow morning. I’ll explain the rest on the way.”
Chapter Eighteen
It was still dark when we arrived at the shop early the next morning. Nathan had already loaded the truck, two snowmobiles parked on the back. Nicola and I had eaten a hasty breakfast and demolished nearly three pots of coffee between us, but I still felt groggy when we climbed into the cab of Nathan’s truck. I still hadn’t made a decision on whether or not this was a worthwhile use of our time. If Nathan said it might be able to help, I figured it was worth a shot.
“When do you expect we’ll make it back to town?” I asked as Nathan pulled out onto the highway.
“Not until late tomorrow night,” he replied “It’s a bit of a trip, and we may need some time to recover in the morning. “
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nicola asked.
“I’ll explain it when we get there,” was all Nathan would say.
Headlights illuminating the road before us, we drove north for nearly an hour before Nathan eventually pulled into a small, unmarked turnout. Nicola and I unloaded gear from the back of the truck while Nathan reversed the two snowmobiles down onto the snow. I watched him affix a gear sled to the back of one of the snowmobiles, and then we loaded all of our collective belongings into it.
“Only two snowmobiles?” I asked. “You know there are three of us, right?”
“Do you know how to drive one of these things?” Nicola asked from where she was already throwing a leg over one of the heavy machines.
I shook my head. I didn’t even know how to drive a car.
“Nicola can drive her own,” said Nathan. “You and I will take the other. This isn’t the easiest terrain to navigate, and we don’t have time to teach you how to drive a snowmobile.”
Left with no other choice, I climbed onto the back of Nathan’s snowmobile. He started the engine and waited for Nicola to set off ahead of us before roaring off down the trail. The first few miles of trail were a wide and flat track that was well-traveled. We made good speed on the level ground, but the trail eventually narrowed and became harder to follow. Nathan was forced to take the lead when we pulled off into untracked terrain. Within an hour, my ass was numb from the rumbling snowmobile, and my arms ached from holding onto Nathan in an effort to not slide off the back. The slippery fabric of my snow pants made it hard to stay on the seat. Only the thought of tumbling backwards to be run over by the gear sled kept me from letting go.
After two hours of this, we stopped for a short lunch. The sound of the engines had made it impossible to talk along the way, but Nathan and Nicola were now settling into an easy banter. Even though we’d been driving through the woods for several hours, Nathan still wouldn’t let slip so much as a hint of what he had planned. I wasn’t sure what else I could have been doing back in the village, but heading out into remote wilderness with someone I barely knew felt a lot like I was wasting m
y time. I couldn’t bring myself to relax the way Nicola had. Then again, it wasn’t like she had to worry about figuring out how to stop an ancient and borderline-omnipotent power threatening to corrupt every living thing in the entire region.
“Ready to get going again?” Nathan asked when we’d finished eating.
He collected the remains of our lunch, then began repacking the gear sled.
“How much farther do we have to go?” I asked.
“Distance-wise? Not that far.” Nathan gestured off into the woods. “But the going gets a lot tougher up ahead. With luck, we’ll be there in another two hours.”
“Let’s get going then,” Nicola said eagerly.
At least someone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Every time I glanced over my shoulder, I saw a huge smile on Nicola’s face. She was obviously experienced at driving snowmobiles. She seemed to be treating this more like a fun day out in the snow than anything else. Not for the first time that day, I wondered if it had been a smart idea to bring her with us. Without knowing what Nathan had planned, I had no way of knowing if Nicola would be able to stand up to it. I’d already learned the danger of leaving her unsupervised, though. No matter how much I questioned my judgment in letting her tag along, it still felt like the safest option.
The first hour after lunch passed by uneventfully enough. The going was indeed tough, Nathan and Nicola often having to stand on the side of their snowmobiles in order to navigate them across steep slopes. Several times, I had to get off and trudge through knee-deep snow while Nathan maneuvered the snowmobile ahead of us. As slow as our progress seemed, I couldn’t imagine having walked the distance we’d already traveled. I didn’t know what Nathan had packed away in his gear sled, but my efforts to help shove it back onto the path every time it shifted too far off the trail made it pretty clear I wouldn’t have wanted to carry even a fraction of this stuff on my back.
Black Ice (Black Records Book 3) Page 15