Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1)

by Noelle Alladania Meade

  A gentle breeze ruffled my hair, and I felt like I’d made a good decision.

  Thirty minutes later, with candle, camp chair, umbrella, camp table, and pitcher of water at hand, candle-lighting practice resumed—out on the driveway and away from the house. I stared at that candle. I thought about matches. Thought about flame. Pictured a laser beam shooting from my finger to the wick. Nothing. I tried to reach a state of calm focus, like you supposedly reach during meditation, and only felt sleepy.

  Angry and frustrated, I kicked at the gravel. “Damn it. What can’t I do this?” As I glared at that damn candle, there was a whoosh of energy and the candle exploded, sending glass and molten wax everywhere. I jumped up and down, screaming, “Yes!” as people poured out of the house.

  “Quick, get me another candle,” I yelled to Kat.

  She came back with a whole box of tea lights.

  “Line ’em up, Miss Kitty.”

  She did, and took several big steps back.

  I focused my anger, sending my will at each little wick. The first few blew across the driveway, and the next few melted into sticky puddles on the table, but the last one was intact and burning merrily.

  Everyone cheered, and I felt like I’d just run a marathon. I wanted to do my winner’s lap. Instead, I settled for helping clean up the broken glass and chunks of candle. Mikah probably wouldn’t notice the scorch marks on the ground. “Thanks Grammy,” I said. “Glad you didn’t let me burn the house down.”

  Report 5

  Blog−Regan’s Rants

  It’s happening, just as I predicted. They’re coming to get us. You all know about the Event, unless you’ve been living under a rock, in which case Uncle Regan can’t help you. I was on the red-eye from Vegas when it happened. Weird shit, man. Who knows what they’re been putting in the water.

  We got a few pointy-eared types on our flight, and one little kid that went furry all over. The stewardesses, excuse me, flight attendants—no, fuck that, stewardesses— kept their cool and moved ’em all up to first class and pulled the curtain.

  We waited a really long time after we landed. Uncle Regan knows it was a long time, because Uncle Regan needed to whiz and they wouldn’t let us out of our seats. We finally get off the plane and I see TSA goons leading off all of them. The only Human was the kid’s mom.

  When are they coming for the rest of us? Uncle Regan will be prepared. You know that. I hope you are too.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Monsters Among Us

  We had an early dinner of sandwiches and tea, and then it was time to leave for the neighborhood meeting. Mikah and Berto still hadn’t gotten home. I left a note along with the flyer we got this morning. Surely Cordie would understand. This was a special circumstance, and it wasn’t like I was going anywhere alone.

  “I’ll make sure Mikah gets it,” said Tessa. “Don’t have too much fun without me.” She blew me a kiss.

  We still had an hour, but there was no way to know how many people would actually show up for this. I wanted to make sure we got good seats by the pavilion, so I pushed people along. Politely.

  Fine. Fairly politely.

  The house is right on the edge of the park, so it wouldn’t be too bad of a walk. We carried an assortment of camp chairs and blankets so we wouldn’t have to sit on the ground.

  It was still full light out, this early, and I had my sunglasses firmly in place. I vetoed the floral umbrella Kat had wanted me to bring. “I’ve been in the sun before. The glasses will be fine. The umbrella would be in people’s way. And besides that, I’m not going to give any other Dark Elves a reason to laugh at me.”

  She rolled her eyes, but the umbrella stayed home.

  Kat, Ted, and I led the way. Korembi, Razaini, and the rest of the Troll contingent followed. The path would have taken us the long way around, so we headed east, cross-country, to the meeting spot. Even this early, other people were heading toward the full-size white replica of the Parthenon. We weren’t the only ones wanting good seats. The most striking thing was how few Humans there were compared to the number of Changed. There was no way of knowing if the Humans had mostly decided to stay home, or if we really did have such a high level of Changed in this neighborhood.

  When we reached the large shallow fountains in front of the pavilion, there were police cars parked on an access road around back. I nudged Kat and gestured. I actually felt a little nervous, and I hadn’t done anything wrong. Well, at least since we got home.

  A really hairy Dwarven dude—think bushy red beard and something out of a fantasy game—was passing out bottled water. “Welcome, everyone.” I couldn’t help staring. He was nearly as wide as he was tall, and looked like solid muscle.

  “Bless you for the water,” said a red-faced woman, trying to catch her breath. She was one of the few Humans here, at least so far.

  “Crom bless you and give you strength,” he replied.

  We claimed our spot, and I told Kat, “Just a sec. I’ll be right back.” I went over to the Dwarf and said, “Ingve?”

  He turned, and gave me a curious look. “Do I know you?”

  “Sort of. You stopped me on the street Thursday morning and said I looked like I needed help.”

  He stared at me a few beats, and recognition dawned in his eyes. He let loose with a belly laugh of pure joy. “You don’t look dead yet. Does that mean you’re a bad-ass?”

  “Not quite yet, Ingve, but I’m still alive where others aren’t, so I guess I’m getting there.”

  “Good to hear it. Crom tells me He has big plans for you.”

  “Seriously, Ingve? Your God told you He had plans for me?”

  “Indeed He did. His voice was a whisper that morning. Now it’s a shout that rings through me like a hammer striking steel.”

  “I’ve seen a lot of weird things, I guess. What’s one more?”

  He cocked his head to the side, as if listening, and his enormous beard bristled. The hair stood up on my arms, and the air had a metallic tang. “Hold out your hand,” he said, in a voice richer and deeper than he’d just been using.

  I held out my hand like a child catching raindrops. There was a crash of thunder, and blue lightning struck my hand from a cloudless sky. “Shit!” I should have been dead, but my hand only tingled, and something rested in my palm. I ignored the screams and shouts, and had a look at my gift from the sky. It was a necklace with a charm—a hammer and anvil suspended on a silver chain. It fit easily around my neck, and when it dropped into place, I felt strong and confident for the first time in a very long time. Maybe since before my mother died.

  “Olivia, what the hell happened?” Kat pulled me into a hug, and then looked like she was checking for burns.

  “I’m fine, Kat. Really. I’m better than fine.” I held the tiny anvil toward the sky. “Crom!”

  Ingve grinned. “You coming to the open full moon this week? It’s on Saturday.”

  “You know what, Ingve? I might just do that. See you there?”

  “See you there, Olivia. Strength and honor.”

  “Strength and honor, Ingve.”

  Kat and I walked back to our spot. It was funny, but suddenly there was a good three feet of open space around us on all sides. You’d think something was making people a tad nervous around me.

  Korembi had a huge smile on his face. “It never be dull around you, Olivia. Now you callin’ the lightnin’ to play wit’ cha?”

  “Not exactly, Korembi, but I’m pretty sure I just converted from Wiccan to Crom.” I twirled the hammer between my fingers a moment. A thought ran across my mind and I looked back at Korembi. “If you don’t mind me asking, what beliefs do you follow?”

  He grinned. “Pastafarian, mon.” Razaini elbowed him in the ribs and he laughed again. “The lovely Miss Rosanne and I be Jewish. I converted when we married, and our faith is the only thing she insists I be serious about. Drives a hard bargain, my girl does.”

  “The man has a collection of T-Rex porn,” Razaini sai
d. “I had to get him to be serious about something, just one thing, or I’d never make it.”

  My jaw dropped. “T-Rex porn?”

  “Hey, mon, that be all in the name of science.”

  The closer we got to six, the louder the crowd got. More Humans showed up, but always with the Changed, never alone. I recognized the two green-haired Elf boys who were on gate duty the other day. One of them noticed me looking and his cheeks flushed a dusky green. I had a pretty good idea what Tessa had been doing with them, but at least they looked none the worse for wear.

  The surprising thing was the amount of press turnout for a neighborhood watch meeting. Promptly at six, a group of people came out on the steps, along with four uniformed officers. I recognized Officer Curtis, and her partner, Officer Webster, but not the other pair. I guess it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but one officer was Human and the other was Dwarven, like Ingve.

  A Dark Elf woman in an impeccably tailored suit turned on her microphone. I think she was the first other Dark Elf I’d seen so far. She had to shield her eyes from all the flashing cameras.

  “Thank you all for coming this evening, especially on such short notice. I’ll make introductions, and then we’ll get started. I’m Vivian Davis. I’m with the Denver District Attorney’s office, and I live here in the neighborhood. This is Gerald Merrik.” She gestured to the arrogant looking blond Elf at her right. “And this is Udell Orinson.” She nodded toward the pale man to her left that looked Human, with something a little off. “Gerald and Udell are also residents. Gerald owns the U-Post-It shipping office, and Udell is a retired school teacher.” They both nodded and waved. “They’ve both volunteered their time to help us get organized.”

  She smiled at the cameras and I knew the next bit wasn’t for us. “Community safety is a top priority for me. Even though some people have experienced Change, all of Colorado’s citizens have the right to equal protection in the eyes of the law, and with that right comes responsibility, which is why this community is banding together for the protection of all.”

  “Kind enough to join us this evening are Officers Curtis, Webster, Gable, and Stonefield.” She pointed to each of the officers in turn, naming the Dwarven man last. “And now, Officer Curtis.”

  I started to wave at Sharon as Vivian handed her the microphone, and then it occurred to me that she’d have no idea who I was. She didn’t know I’d Changed.

  Sharon might have been nervous in front of this mostly Changed crowd, but if she was, she didn’t show it. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you, Vivian, for inviting us to your meeting, and for giving us this opportunity to address the community. I’m Officer Sharon Curtis and I work with the Denver PD. I know some people have had some concerns about interacting with the police since the Change. Whatever this was, it did not take away your citizenship or rights. Nor did it take away your responsibilities. Changed or not, you are still entitled to equal protection under the law and, by the same token, you are still expected to observe all of the laws of the land.

  “I wish we were here on less serious business, but last night there was an assault in the park, just east of here. We’re advising that everyone take some basic precautions. Don’t come into the park alone. Stay out of the thicker trees, especially after dark. Vivian has also requested that we help organize an enhanced neighborhood watch, for everyone’s safety.”

  “What do you mean by ‘assault’?” someone shouted from the crowd.

  “The flyer said ‘remains’, idiot,” yelled someone else. “What do you think that means?”

  Sharon waved everyone to silence. “Yes. There was a homicide in the park, and that’s all the information we’re prepared to release at this stage of the investigation. We do ask that you stay out of the area that’s been taped off.”

  “If you were out and saw or heard anything between midnight and seven a.m., please let us know. My contact information is available on the table up here. You can reach me by phone or email.”

  “What’s an ‘enhanced neighborhood watch?” I asked.

  “The plan is to organize regular patrols through the park. Everyone will either be paired with another member of the community or an off-duty police officer. The training will cover what to look for as you patrol the park. Please keep in mind, we are not training vigilantes here. If you see something, report it immediately. We are not asking you to ‘stand your ground’. We are not going to be re-enacting the Old West, and we’re not going to shoot anyone for dressing wrong. If you are interested in joining the enhanced neighborhood watch, come up after the meeting. Along with my contact info, you’ll find a sign-up sheet.”

  There were a lot of questions about the death, but she wasn’t giving anything away. “We do not comment on crime scenes or details of ongoing investigations.”

  At the end, she said, “We’ll be staying for a while after the meeting and we’d be more than happy to answer any questions about the enhanced neighborhood watch program.”

  Vivian took the mic again. “Thank you all for staying and listening to this important safety information. I hope many of you will consider joining this program. It’s for all of our safety. Thanks again, and good night.”

  She posed for a few more pictures, especially with the officers, and I could see her chatting with the reporters until they packed up. Most people headed for home, but more than I expected stayed.

  “I’m going to sign up,” I announced. “I want to help.”

  Kat looked alarmed, “You know your sister wouldn’t like it.”

  “Maybe, but she’s not here. I promise I’ll be careful,” I told her. “It’s not like we’re expected to take someone down ourselves. We’re just keeping an eye out. Besides, they said there’d be some training, and I intend to level up a little.”

  There were a number of people already signed up when I got up to the table. I signed and gave my contact info, and waited for Sharon to finish talking to Vivian.

  She finally turned to me. “Yes? Did you have any questions?”

  “I did. Hey Sharon, how do you like the new paint job?”

  She stared at me long and hard. “Olivia?”

  “Hey, you guessed it. Surprise.”

  Vivian was staring at me. So that was Colby’s girlfriend. I wondered if she knew who I was, or if I was just the first other Dark Elf she’d seen. If she knew about Colby, it would definitely explain the intensity of her stare and the feeling of hostility.

  “This is Kat, and our friend Ted, and these are friends from Wyoming that are staying with us.” I went around the circle, introducing the Trolls. “Officer Curtis worked with my dad,” I told them.

  “He was my training officer my rookie year,” she said. “He’s been sorely missed. He was a good man.” She turned to the other officers and said, “Guys, this is Everett Mitchell’s daughter, Olivia. Her sister works for Public Health and her brother is Special Forces. Olivia, Officers Gable and Stonefield started in District One with your father as their shift commander.”

  I shook hands and accepted their condolences. Being a cop’s kid can be a headache, but it’s good to be a member of the family.

  Suck that, Vivian.

  After a few minutes, Sharon took me aside. “Have you talked to your brother or sister yet, Olivia?”

  “I’ve talked to Cordie, so she knows. I don’t know if she’s back in town yet. I haven’t talked to Leo. He’s on one of his missions, I guess. He’ll call me when he can, so I’m waiting.”

  Her eyes scanned the sign-up sheet, and when she looked up, I knew she’d hit my name. “Are you sure about this?”

  “I want to help out too. There’s no reason I can’t do my part to keep the neighborhood safe. If we get to pick shifts though, I’m going to try for nights. I see much better at night. I can even see in the dark.”

  I could see her sense of duty warring with a promise to a friend to keep his children safe, but ultimately, duty won out. “If you’re sure, then we’ll be contacting you as soon as we
get training times set. We needed to see how much turnout we’d get before we reserved any space or personnel for this.”

  “I promise I’ll do my best, Officer Curtis. You can count on me.”

  “I’m sure you will, Olivia. But I still have to tell you to be safe.” The other officers kind of looked askance as she gave me a hug, but they didn’t say anything, at least not while we were standing there.

  “See you later!” I waved.

  “See you later.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Busted

  We got home to find Berto and Mikah having a late dinner in the kitchen. Tessa was perched on a bar stool, wheedling Mikah for something. “Just give me a chance. Please. I know I can help. You said the best interest of the children is your only concern. How can you not want someone there who knows if someone’s lying?”

  He sighed and put down his fork. “Tessa, I cannot bring a demon as my personal assistant without frightening the children I’m supposed to be watching out for. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think it would work.”

  She hopped off the stool. “If you’re worried about my looks, I’ve been practicing. I can pass.”

  Her face was tense with effort. The tiny horns receded and disappeared and her wings turned into a mere shadow on her skin. When she opened her eyes, they were a normal dark brown again.

  “How did you do that?” I asked. “That was freaking amazing.”

  She actually looked embarrassed. “I got it from a cartoon. I decided to give it a try.”

  Mikah pursed his lips thoughtfully, getting up and walking all around her. “If I agree to this, we’re going to have some ground rules. You have to maintain this look. You have to dress like a legal assistant. I’m sure Olivia or Kat has something that will work. And, this is a big one—no eating the clients. And no fucking them, either.”