Relic: Mask (A Kane Arkwright Supernatural Thriller) (Relics Book 7)

by Ben Zackheim

“I sure hope so. Listen, my lord is making a mistake. He’s choosing to play the game himself. But we need allies. We can’t survive this thing alone.”

  “We’re not going to help you.”

  “Oh, you’re going to help all right. You’re going to go to Tokyo and you’re going to meet up with your old friend, Lancelot or Fox or whatever the fuck he’s calling himself these days. Why can’t anyone just stick to one name?”

  I had to agree with him there.

  “You’ll get to the scroll piece before the twins do. They’ve already left, so you don’t have much time.”

  “Why should we do anything you say?”

  “Because if you succeed, I’ll release the twins from the spell they’re under.”

  “I have an idea. Why don’t you do that because it’s the right thing to do. They always liked you, Skyler. How could you betray them?”

  “I didn’t want to, jerk-off. Loki’s plan was solid, before he decided to go it alone. But we’re going to need to work together from here on if we’re going to have a chance.”

  “You mean you want to work with humanity to take back the world for humans? Why don’t you make up your mind, oh wise teacher?”

  “I didn’t say I wanted to take it back for humans. But we’ll need to work together to take it away from the one race that survives on lack of hope.”

  “Politicians?” I asked.

  “The one thing you have to look forward to is that you’ll probably be the funniest guy alive by the end of all this. You’ll be the only guy alive, of course.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He ignored my question with, “A Swap Portal will open for you in one minute. Use it.”

  “Thanks for keeping some of the Solo Spell for yourself, by the way.”

  “I only gave you the portal for our reality,” he said. I could hear the glee in his voice. He’d wanted to boast about this for a long time. “I kept the portal for all the other dimensions.”

  “You’re such an asshole.”

  “A smart asshole. One day you’ll admit that. When the portal opens, walk through it and find Lancelot. He can track down the twins before they get to the scroll.”

  “And if we don’t?”

  “Game over.”

  “For who?”

  “Everyone, dickhead. Everyone but the undead.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Oh, I’ve never heard that before.”

  “Yeah, you’ve heard it hundreds of times. And it’s always true.”

  “And yet, here we are. Funny how that works.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “The scroll piece is in the hands of Japanese gods and monsters. Be careful. Both of you. But especially you, Rebel. I like you.”

  I could feel him leave my head. I knew he’d cut off the line of communication, but I still threw every cuss word at him I could muster.

  Rebel sighed. “Do we believe him?”

  I shushed her.

  “What’s goin’ on in there?” a guard called out from the other side of the dungeon door. “Who you talkin’ about?”

  “Nothing! No one.”

  “You just asked ‘Do we believe him?’. Believe who?”

  I shot Rebel a look. This was her mess. I hoped she could clean it up, because I was out of ideas.

  “I don’t believe him,” she cooed. “He’s so big. Bring him over here, Kane. He’s so big and…”

  “Firm?” I helped.

  She rolled her eyes. “And firm.”

  “Believe it baby!” I yelled.

  “Keep it down in there, you two!” the guard yelled.

  Rebel and I watched for a sign of the portal. After a moment, the dimness was broken by a silent pulsing blue. She gestured for me to walk through. I turned my back to it and walked backwards. I smiled at her as I stepped through and beckoned to her with my finger.

  “Big, firm boy’s waiting for you across dimensions, baby.”

  All I heard was “Shut the fuck…” before I backed into Tokyo.

  Chapter 46

  The city was in bad shape, but I’d seen worse.

  Tokyo had managed to keep most of its buildings intact. At least from our vantage point. It was daytime, so that was in our favor. I was sure we’d have to fight off some of the vampire’s hired muscle, but I felt like I could take on any comers. I was tired of playing defense. I wanted to kick some ass and hold the scroll piece in my grubby palms.

  Rebel appeared next to me. “That was a mind fuck,” I said.

  “What? You mean finding your doppleganger, surviving a run-in with Loki, being betrayed by our old teacher and former teammates, dodging battling mountains, meeting Pandora’s daughter, realizing we were looking for the wrong thunder god, discovering your partner is a liar like you, and seeing Thor right before he gets his dick back?”

  “Yeah, that.”

  “Come on. Just another day for us, partner.”

  “And the fact that Skyler knows who I am.”

  “You’re Kane Fucking Arkwright. Don’t let that shit confuse you. You’ve spent decades becoming the dickhead hero I know and love. Don’t start doubting it now.”

  I smiled, and kind of fixated on the little mention of love. “Let’s be sure to avoid Asgard from here on,” I said. Rebel smiled. “Lucas,” I said over the comm.

  “There you are. Where have you been, sir?”

  “We took a detour. But we’re back now. I need a status on Tokyo.”

  “We’ve been trying to reach you for two weeks now. There’s been a…”

  “Two weeks? We were gone for a day, max.”

  Rebel had to cut in with, “It’s a surprise that time works differently in Asgard?”

  “Thanks for the contribution, partner. Lucas, what’s up?”

  “We’ve lost contact with Baldr. He went out with a team in Paris to check on a location that could have been used to hold someone as powerful as Dino. But the team disappeared.”

  “Shit.”

  “But that’s not all. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, sir…”

  “That’s a lie,” I said.

  “You’re right. I live for it. Regardless, Pandora has betrayed us in Brazil. Freyja and Odin have abandoned us. Lancelot is the last man standing.”

  “I go away for two weeks and the whole world goes to hell.”

  “Really, Kane?” Rebel asked.

  “Deeper hell, I mean. Okay, keep the good news coming, Lucas.”

  “Pandora found one of the scroll pieces and she refuses to hand it over.”

  Rebel’s expression didn’t change, but she looked like a burden had just been placed on her shoulders. If Pandora was turning on us, then Rebel would be the one to go toe-to-toe with the witch.

  I sighed. “Anything else, demon?”

  “That just about does it,” he said in a chipper voice. He’d been able to do his favorite thing — give me bad news.

  How were we going to make up for so many losses? We’d left Paris with a string of victories. Now we had a flood of losses, with no end in sight.

  “Status on Tokyo, Lucas. Now.”

  “We did pick up on a seismic event near the waterfront a few minutes ago.”

  “An explosion?”

  “No. The disturbances were paced in such a way that I’d say they belonged to a very large biped.”

  “Put a pin in the location for me.” I took a look at my phone. It still had a charge which, all things considered, was a stroke of good luck. I saw Lucas’ pin drop on my map.

  “Half a mile south from here,” I said, taking a look around. “Can you fly us there, Rebel?”

  “Not yet. Give me a few minutes to charge up.”

  “Oh, no. Don’t let me rush you. Take all the time you need. We’re not in a hurry to get the scroll piece before the twins grab it for Loki.”

  “If I could shoot you and get away with it, I would.”

  “Jameson Black,” I said

  “What?”
/>
  “I’d kill you for Jameson Black, on the rocks.”

  “I’d kill you and everyone you know for you to take a shower.”

  I changed the subject. If we had to rest then we should make the most of it. “What do you think the mask was? Skyler seemed to think it had something to do with the scroll piece.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe putting it on reveals the relic’s location?”

  “That sounds weird and awkward, so you’re probably right.”

  Both of us turned toward a sound from a nearby alley. Rebel’s hands glowed mauve. Yes, mauve. You never could tell what the color of magic was from one second to the next. My Glocks covered the area where the rustling noise came from, and my best guess of where its trajectory would take it next.

  A fox emerged from the piles of trash and debris. It shook the filth from its fur, sat down, and stared at us. We stared back. I found myself fascinated with the scruffy thing. It wasn’t afraid of us.

  “What are you looking at?” Rebel asked, less taken by the creature’s charm than I was. “Come on, Kane. Leave it.”

  “Don’t you think it’s weird that there’s a fox in the middle of Tokyo?”

  “Someone has to step up now that all the people are gone. May as well be the foxes.”

  I followed her over the rubble. The animal didn’t hide the fact he was following us.

  “Handsome devil,” I said.

  The fox trotted up to my side and looked up.

  “You want food, buddy?” He opened his mouth and seemed to smile. “Sorry, I don’t have anything. Ask Rebel.”

  “I don’t have anything for him.”

  “Ready to fly, Rebel?”

  “Yeah, hold up a minute.”

  I knelt down to pet the animal. I was careful, but it was so good to see something healthy, and even happy, that I probably got a little too into it. I petted him behind the ears and his smile grew wider. I pet inside his ears and he started to squeal. I pulled him in for a hug and he seemed into it.

  “Okay, ready,” Rebel said.

  I lifted my arms in the air and she hoisted me up into the sky with her.

  “You two are cute together,” Rebel said.

  “He’s pretty cool, Rebel. You should have pet him.”

  “I did a lot more than that with him. That’s enough for me, thanks very much.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “It means what it sounds like. You may have done the foreplay, but I went all the way.”

  “Fucking A, Rebel. That’s messed up.”

  “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

  “Getting mounted by a fox? That’s pushing it, even for you.”

  I said it, and I knew what was going on in the same instant.

  I closed my eyes and felt the blood flush through my face.

  Getting mounted by a fox.

  Getting mounted by a fox.

  I opened one eye and looked down at the ground below us.

  Lancelot stood where the fox had sat.

  The fucker waved, and started running in the same direction we were flying. He leaped over the debris like, well, a fox.

  Rebel laughed.

  Chapter 47

  Fox was a super.

  He was a kitsune.

  “The only reason for you to keep this from me is that you’re an asshole,” I yelled over the wind in our ears.

  “Good guess!”

  “So the once undead, now re-alive Fox, also known as Lancelot, is also a fox?”

  “Didn’t see it like that, but yeah, that sums him up nicely.”

  “How did you know it was him?”

  “I’ve seen him in his fox form before. Back in Paris.”

  “I assume you know how he became a fox?”

  “He didn’t become a fox. He’s always been a fox. I’ll let him explain it all to you.”

  “I won’t be talking to him ever again, thanks.”

  “Oh, come on. The two of you just had a little snuggle session. Nothing wrong with that. It was adorable.”

  “I can still reach my Glocks, Rebel.”

  “Give it a shot, Kane. Let’s see how well you aim while falling to your death.”

  “That would leave you to save the world on your own.”

  “That would leave me to save the world in peace and quiet, is what you mean.”

  We flew through the chilled air for a moment before I brought up what was on both of our minds.

  “Are you ready to fight Rose and Cassidy?”

  “Fight? Yeah. But I won’t kill them, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m asking. So if it comes down to a choice between saving your partner, yourself, or one of them, you’ll choose them? That doesn’t fill me with warm and fuzzies.”

  “First of all, I’m not here to fill you with warm and fuzzies. Apparently, that’s Fox’s job. Second, I won’t let it come to that. There’s always another way.”

  “Says the woman who plows through her enemies for shits and giggles.”

  “There’s always another way, Kane.”

  “If you say so. We could use Lancelot’s help here. Maybe he could run interference.”

  “He’ll be there. No doubt.”

  I didn’t like the way she said that.

  “Meaning what? He’ll be there to watch us die?”

  “No, he’ll help us. As long as I’m there, Lancelot will be there.”

  “A real knight in furry armor, that guy.”

  “What’s that over there?”

  I checked to see where she was looking. On the waterfront was a large line of warehouses. They made a long white streak across the bleak landscape. Smoke rose from one of the buildings. But that didn’t mean anything. Smoke was rising from all over Tokyo. One glance at my phone, and I could tell the warehouses were our destination.

  “That’s it. The seismic event that Lucas mentioned started there.”

  A huge boom from below us sent shockwaves so strong that we felt it in the air.

  “Apparently, the event is still going.”

  “We read another huge disruption in Tokyo,” Lucas said over the comm.

  “Yeah, we’re on our way there now.”

  “I’m afraid I have some more bad news, sir.”

  “Great! Sock it to me, Lucas.”

  “A front has appeared to the west of the city.”

  “A front. What do you mean, a front?”

  “A new weather pattern, best we can tell here.”

  I looked behind us and saw a wall of clouds. It seemed to reach all the way to the stars. I’d never seen anything like it.

  Rebel must have felt a disturbance, because she turned and whispered, “What now?”

  “From the look of it, we have a storm coming in. Get us down there. Whatever made that storm is probably not on our side.”

  A lightning strike flew from the pursuing darkness, and barely missed us.

  “Looks like you’re right, partner,” Rebel said as she soared toward the warehouse. She accelerated so fast, my head snapped back. The wind flew into my nose and mouth with such ferocity, I couldn’t catch my breath.

  She slowed just in time for us to touch our feet down gently. She let go of me. I tried to get my land feet back.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” I said.

  “Me neither.”

  “Really? You fly well.”

  “Wow, a compliment from Kane Arkwright.”

  “I felt it was time to give you a taste of Kane love. Keep your spirits up. You okay?”

  Rebel’s face was pale. Her eyes were blinking fast.

  “Fine. I guess that ride took something out of me. Hey, what’s that smell?”

  An odor swept over the area. It smelled metallic. Like cooling iron.

  Rebel and I turned to face the storm clouds. We couldn’t tell what we were seeing at first. But once we understood, we faced each other.

  She looked how I felt.

&nbs
p; Shaken to the core.

  Chapter 48

  The sky bled.

  A blanket of red mist rolled from the clouds like walls of rain. One wave after another heaved to the rhythm of a pulse.

  My first thought was, "A god is bleeding out."

  I didn’t have time to have a second thought before Rebel threw in her two cents, with her usual class.

  “Fuck this shit. That is not blood rain.”

  “That is blood rain. It’s either Set, who is supposedly sitting out this part of the war. Or it’s Raijin.”

  “That’s the Japanese god of thunder?” Rebel asked.

  “Yeah. This guy’s got two hammers.”

  “Overcompensating, probably.”

  “He’s making his entrance. He knows we’re close to his prize and he’s here to protect it.”

  The sound of concrete and steel being slapped by millions of drops of blood bore down on us.

  We looked around for cover. The line of warehouses ran as far as the eye could see. And every single one of them had their bay doors shut. The only promising target was the smoking warehouse, where light poured from the windows.

  I opened my Swap Portal right when Rebel said, “Swap us out of here.” I was relieved it worked. Maybe the stress of getting soaked in blood lit a fire under my Solo Spell. My Swap Portal worked great when I coordinated things beforehand. It worked like Russian Roulette when I didn’t have a plan. With that fun little factoid in mind, Rebel and I stepped through the hole in the air and landed in a deeper well of hell.

  The warehouse was swarming with demons.

  I tried to identify the type of demon, but it was hard to track them, they were moving so fast. Red and white flesh covered their small, square bodies. Black hair trailed behind them, making them look like creepy toy dolls in bad need of a kid’s braiding skills. But the blood they were shedding wasn’t doll-like, at all.

  It was the twins’ blood.

  Cassidy roared in pain. His large swipes kept the demons at bay, but barely. A few of them kept breaking through his defenses and tearing into his flesh with claws and fangs. Rose floated above her brother and dropped bolts of light on the creatures. It helped a little, but there were too many of them.

  I tried to open my Vault Portal. The Sceptre would come in handy. I just had to hope that Skyler hadn’t taken it yet. The Vault Portal popped open and slammed shut five times, filling the warehouse with a bright glare that caught everyone’s attention.