by Leela Ash
“You know, my grandfather and Lester were friends at one point. I’d hear him talk about things… weird things that most people think are impossible.”
“Like werewolves?”
Ronnie felt her face burn a little with embarrassment. “Not exactly. But that’s the only real word I know for what he was talking about.”
“And what was he talking about?”
Why did it suddenly feel like the tables had turned? Who was doing the interrogation here? Ronnie or the other guy? It dawned on her that she wasn’t clear on his name. They hadn’t been formally introduced but she was certain he was one of the new strangers in town.
“People like you, I guess… who can turn into animals.”
“I don’t turn into an animal,” he said quickly. “It’s a part of me. The wolf resides within me and I just let it take over sometimes.”
“Oh.”
“I’m a shapeshifter,” he finally said. “My name is Achilles. And everything you saw back there… Well… We’re all in a lot of danger. If we aren’t able to turn the tides on this soon, there’s no saying what will happen to the rest of the universe.”
“A shapeshifter?” Ronnie frowned, remembering that Achilles was the name the anonymous caller had dropped on her that morning. Was she really going to be able to trust this guy? Sure, he had saved her life, but it was still possible the whole thing had been some kind of acid-tripping mind game and orchestrated by a brilliant criminal. What were those awful visions she’d had after inhaling that toxic stench? It would be her luck to encounter another shitty guy like the one that had nearly destroyed her relationship with her father.
“I might as well tell you, since you saw the whole thing for yourself,” Achilles said with a sigh. “Those creatures we encountered are bad news. In fact, that’s kind of what they’re known for. Kila show up when really bad things are about to happen. And, sometimes, when nothing bad is happening yet, they step in to try and make it happen faster. It’s like some sick biological purpose that they serve.”
“They’re the ones who murdered the Warners,” Veronica said quietly.
“That’s right. I saw that too.”
They were both quiet for a moment as they remembered the horror of the images they had seen. Or had they seen them? Ronnie still wasn’t fully convinced she hadn’t been drugged somehow.
“Anyway,” Achilles said gently, “you’re safe from them. For now. But there will be others. As I mentioned, we’re all in danger. If we can’t stop this−”
“I don’t understand,” Ronnie stated, holding her hand up to silence the man. “What kind of danger are you talking about?”
Achilles sighed. “I’m really hoping not to find that one out. And I shouldn’t be telling you much about it.”
“But I could help!”
Ronnie wasn’t sure where the proclamation came from. She had no idea what was going on or what she would be getting herself into, but she did know she had resources. That is, if it turned out that Achilles wasn’t a con artist. While she was on the subject, what kind of normal, non-criminal guy just walked around calling himself Achilles? It had to be an alias. She wished she could trust the gut instinct she had about him, but that had never gotten her very far in the past. She had to stay diligent and figure out the truth once and for all. Keep him at arm’s length.
Then again, siding with him would potentially be mutually beneficial. If it turned out that the rest of the town was right and these guys were hardened, devil-worshipping criminals, she would have a lot more opportunities to keep an eye on them and investigate if they were “working together”. It would be hard to lose.
Achilles gazed at her levelly. Well, she could think of one loss. But if she stayed stern with herself and kept her eyes (and especially hands) to herself, there would be no problem.
“What we are involved in is dangerous. You saw that for yourself. I would never allow it.”
Veronica prickled. He wouldn’t allow it? Who did he think he was? And more importantly, who did he think she was? She wasn’t just some child. She was a trained law enforcement officer. She had a few tricks up her sleeve. Just because he protected her against some weird monsters didn’t mean she couldn’t hold her own. In fact, right now, she was the one with all the power here. She could just arrest him on the spot.
“Well, unfortunately for you, if you don’t let me work with you, then I’m just going to have to determine your motives to be untrustworthy. Unless you want to see if your buddies are willing to bond you out of jail after I make them part of my criminal investigation, you’re just going to have to work with me on this."
Achilles was startled. “No. They can’t know I got into any trouble. It’s hard enough to establish myself here as it is.”
He actually looked stressed for a brief, almost imperceptible, moment. Ronnie almost felt bad for offering him the ultimatum, but there was no way she was going to just let this all go. She couldn’t be positive about what she had seen or what was going on, but she knew enough to understand that if she stuck with this guy, she would get answers. And maybe, so would he.
“What did you want from old Lester’s place, Achilles?”
“Information,” he stated begrudgingly.
“About what? I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”
“I don’t want you to help me at all!”
The sternness in his voice was almost scary. He definitely had power. And judging from the way he was invested in what was happening, he might also have something personal at stake.
“I have a lot to offer, here, Achilles. I have information. Records. Access to maps and databases beyond your wildest dreams. I have sway with the people in this town. I can get you into Lester’s house without you risking a warrant for breaking and entering. I can block off access to any area in town. Restrict people from going there. I have value. But only if you can be honest with me about what the hell is going on.”
Achilles inhaled deeply.
“You can’t tell anyone. “
“Are you kidding? I’ve seen what happened to Lester. And even my own grandfather, to some degree. The last thing I want to do is isolate myself from the townspeople. They’re my lifeblood. I really care about this place, Achilles. If we’re in the kind of danger you say we are, let me protect it.”
Achilles tapped his fingers rapidly on the table before finally setting his gaze squarely on her. “Okay. Let’s see if this is too much for you to handle. And if you think there’s even a chance of it being crazy or being too much, then stay the hell out of it."
Veronica felt a wave of relief crashing down on her. Finally, some progress. “You have yourself a deal.”
6.
It felt like the interrogation lasted for a decade. Achilles hated spilling it all to this woman, but he saw no other choice. Not only would her help potentially prove to be crucial but he trusted her. He hadn’t realized how long it had been since he had been able to completely express what he was going through to someone who, for some reason, seemed to genuinely care. Still, she was afraid. Afraid of him? Or afraid of the truth? It was hard to tell. A person’s energy could only tell him so much.
She was afraid for her town, Achilles knew. But some selfish little part of him was really into the thought that maybe she was concerned about him too. He faced danger on a daily basis as the hero chosen by the wolf shifters. Veronica had had a taste of that for herself. And despite the tough exterior she tried to present, he sensed there was something more to her. Something softer. And he was very keen on finding out exactly what that was.
“I know this may be a little overwhelming, Achilles, and I’m sorry for that,” Veronica said finally, heading the interrogation to a close. He had told her everything he could think to tell her, and she had sat there in quiet reflection of the story. It was unclear to him whether she believed him, but considering their previous experience with the Kila, it was likely she did.
“I don’t get overwhelmed very easily,” Ac
hilles stated. Ronnie’s face softened into a smile, and Achilles had to look away. She was a beautiful woman, despite her apparently active efforts not to be. But he would just keep that to himself. For now.
“Well, in either case, I think it’s clear that whatever is going on with this serpent mound place you’re talking about, Lester and my grandfather had some inkling of what was going on there.”
“It appears that way.”
He considered showing her the book he had stolen from Lester’s house but decided against it. There was already enough going on. The last thing he needed was her having another thing she could blackmail him for.
What would the others think of him spilling his guts about everything that had been going on? Was it better to be honest about the danger and have that much greater a chance of discovering the key to the portals, or was he putting everyone in even more danger?
It was a tough call to make, but there was something in his gut telling him he was doing the right thing. Still, he had a feeling the other men were never going to see it that way. He had to make sure his cooperation with the sheriff would remain their secret.
“I guess it might help you to hear something about the local lore concerning the serpent mound…”
Achilles’ attention perked up immediately. Did she know something about it that they didn’t?
“Back when I was still a child, there were a lot of excavations going on. But many of the people who got too close, were killed, and under very mysterious circumstances.” Ronnie paused, then sighed. “A lot of people thought it could be some sort of cult activity, but the symptoms were somewhat consistent with that of radiation poisoning, so it was hard to say what actually happened. There were never any witnesses left to testify about it.”
“That’s odd,” Apollo said. So, it was possible that the enemies already had some idea about where the Portal Room was located. But if that was the case, why wouldn’t they have made a move on it?
“Well, most people settled on the idea the land was cursed. And the strangest part about it was, not long after, maybe a decade or so, excavations had been terminated and the radiation-type deaths stopped.” Veronica looked soulfully at Achilles and he did his best to hide the tightening of his chest inflicted by her gaze. “It was as if there was some force or actively protecting the area from people who were getting too close.”
Suddenly, it clicked. The serpent mound had been protected by their shifter ancestors. There had been a barrier around the Portal Room that kept people away from it. But how had that been established? Which shifter race had implemented it? And why did it suddenly lose its power? Was it because the searches had stopped and people were no longer as close to the answers as they had been before?
“There were still some relics that were able to be located. I’m sure Lester has his fair share of them; though, during his time with the mound, he was starting to go downhill. The effects of the ‘curse’ may not have killed him, but many speculated that they deteriorated his mental faculties.”
The pieces of the puzzle that made no sense to Veronica did make sense to Achilles. He knew about the Portal Room located in the center of the serpent mound; he knew there had to be energies there that they didn’t have a handle on. They hadn’t learned how to control it or where it came from, and any of the strange occurrences that Veronica could tell him about would be really important in helping him make progress in his mission. As long as she was safe, anyway…
“The man isn’t crazy, Veronica,” Achilles said sternly. “What he knows, at least some of it, is absolutely real.”
She looked at him, apparently surprised by the authority in his tone.
“I never said he was crazy. I’m just giving you some history.”
Achilles nodded. “All right. Go on.”
Veronica shifted in her seat before continuing.
“There’s something important there. I know it. And if what you’re saying is true, then I think we’re going to have our work cut out for us. Any piece of the puzzle will help. Any artifact that was excavated from the mound during the short time the excavations were allowed may contribute to your goal. Don’t you think?”
Yes, Achilles was sure of it too. He was aware of the Portal Room. The old man may have been too, according to Apollo’s information. But Veronica didn’t, and he still didn’t want to get this woman involved. Sure, she might be able to hold her own against a human threat, but everything they were dealing with was going to be so much worse than that.
Still, it was valuable information, and Achilles nodded.
“I want you to do strictly research,” he said. “Do you understand?”
Ronnie sighed but nodded.
“I need to know the locations of every artifact taken out of the mound. Once we know where they are, maybe we can use the process of elimination to find exactly what I’m looking for before it’s too late.”
Ronnie was quiet for a moment. “What happens if it’s too late?”
It was a question that was troubling them both, but she hadn’t dared to ask it until now.
“If the evil ones get their hands on the wrong information, all will be darkness.”
Veronica shuddered, then glanced at her watch.
“I’ve kept you here long enough. I think we have everything we need for now, don’t you?”
Achilles was surprised by her abrupt closing of the conversation. Almost disappointed. At the same time, he was relieved as hell that he wasn’t going to spend the rest of the evening in a jail cell.
“Yes.” He managed to withhold his feelings about the situation with a masterful authority. “I will stop by tomorrow evening to see if there’s any information on the artifacts. Just do me a favor and don’t contact me. I’ll come to you.”
“Okay,” Ronnie said, standing. She looked like she wanted to approach him but kept her distance. Was she, too, disappointed by their parting? No, of course not. That was a silly question. She had initiated it. “I’ll see you then.”
***
Achilles sighed as he neared the bed and breakfast, where he immediately saw Apollo outside. The man and his daughter were playing some obscure form of baseball/basketball, clearly orchestrated by the child. Apollo was doing his best to keep up and play along, but Achilles grinned to himself when he heard the dragon shifter exclaim, “You changed the rules again! I’m never going to win!”
When the dragon shifter glanced up from his game long enough to register Achilles there, he tossed the basketball to his daughter and headed toward him. She caught it and went on with her fun unperturbed.
“Where have you been?”
Achilles prickled. It wasn’t like he had to answer to anybody. He was a grown man.
“I had some things to take care of,” he muttered vaguely.
“Well, we closed on this property as of today. I thought maybe you’d want to be there for it.”
Shit. Achilles had forgotten about that. They had finally found the perfect parcel of land on which to create their base. The best part was, it was adjoined to the bed and breakfast where they had first arrived. It was a bit far from the bustling downtown area of Greenrock, which Achilles personally preferred. However, he couldn’t help but miss the feeling of a community presence; all kinds of people gathering together in a productive environment. There was still a wolf strongly within him, after all. He enjoyed being part of a community.
In fact, he was almost starting to view the other two shifters working with him as a makeshift pack. But that was difficult when he felt condescended to half the time.
“Slipped my mind. Sorry, Apollo.”
Apollo shrugged. “Your loss. But we are getting the equipment all moved in tomorrow, so prepare yourself for some heavy lifting.”
“Right.”
It was almost exciting, in a way, to be settling into somewhere bigger. Sure, the bed and breakfast was nice and all. But on the new base, there was ample space; it was a huge property with a lot of potential. But he didn’t wan
t to spend more time than necessary focusing on the ins and outs of home care and maintenance. They had a far more important mission than that.
Still, there was nothing to say that they couldn’t find it to be homey. Stick a flowerpot here or there or something. Apollo’s mate, Quinn, was pretty good at that sort of thing. They would probably have a very nice space to work with eventually.
“Anyway,” Apollo continued, “we have to choose our roles to establish ourselves in Greenrock as valuable members of society. As craftsmen, we will need a craft. Or none of this will be believable and we will rouse suspicion within the town.”
“Oh, there’s already ample suspicion, Apollo. Unfortunately, I think that ship has sailed.”
Apollo frowned for a moment, deep in thought.
“It’s not too late to prove them wrong,” he finally said. He was being annoyingly optimistic, but in a way, it was a refreshing shift from where Achilles’ thoughts had been. “We just have to fit into the roles. It shouldn’t be too difficult. So, what do you want to be? I can sort of picture you as a welder.”
Achilles frowned. “I’m not a welder! I’m a warrior!”
Apollo chuckled. “Well, in this town, you are going to have to be something else as well.”
Achilles sighed. “Fine, whatever you say. I will be a ‘welder’.”
“Oh, it’s not so bad. I know the wolf shifters in Stonybrooke all have different career aspirations. Didn’t you consider going to the university out there?”
“I already had my goals,” Achilles said begrudgingly. University had never been appealing to him. He hated sitting still that long. Instead, he had busied himself working with the Council, finding anything and everything to do he could that would help his pack thrive. It was just the kind of work he enjoyed doing, and that he did best. He hadn’t expected everyone to recognize it and had been even more surprised to be considered their choice of hero. But, in a way, what else would he have done with his life?
Weld, apparently.
Oh well.
“We will be viewing the instructional videos for our equipment the day after tomorrow,” Apollo said cheerfully. “I hope you are prepared!”