by Martha Carr
What the hell is happening?
‘I know you.’
Correk stopped twisting and turning. I could swear I heard you speak… inside my head.
‘You’d be right. Remember me? You dropped me off here. I remember you. We’re friends.’
“You’re a telepath.”
‘Most gargoyles are. It’s what makes us great at working the postal system. We know what you meant to say.’
“How is that helpful?” Correk looked around the grounds but couldn’t see anyone. I look like I’m talking to myself.
‘Then just think it to yourself. I’ll hear it.’
That’s disturbing. Fly out here where I can see you. Correk pointed to the ground in front of him as the gargoyle reluctantly agreed and lifted off his shoulder, pressing down with its powerful legs.
Correk looked at the winged creature, trying to keep his thoughts to a minimum.
‘That won’t work. We get intention. I’ve been waiting for you to come back. I want to blow this joint.’
“You’ve been hanging out with the troubled youth, I take it.”
‘Not a nice bunch, believe it or not. One of them tried to fly me like a kite.’
“I believe it, but I can’t take you with me. I’m heading out there where magic is still hidden. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”
‘Not so fast.’ The gargoyle shimmered as the molecules shifted in the air and he reshaped himself into a small corgi. ‘I hear these dogs are popular.’
“How the hell did you do that?”
‘Not that hard. Watch this.’ The air shimmered again and the small corgi shifted into a parrot. The bird took flight and landed on his shoulder. ‘I’m the perfect companion. Besides, knowing intentions can be helpful.’
“I don’t want a sidekick.”
‘Think of me as a useful tool.’
“The answer’s no. You have a home here. A good home.”
The bird took off from Correk’s shoulder and shifted back into a gargoyle landing in the road just ahead of him. He stared at Correk, waiting for a reprieve but the best he got was one arched and annoyed eyebrow. ‘Fine, for now. But this isn’t over. You could use an assistant like me.’
The gargoyle took flight over the treetops, settling down near the edge of the estate, watching Correk walk out onto the road. ‘Soon enough…’
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Louie jumped back through the portal from Oriceran, a few new trinkets in his pockets, his sword safely on his back. He jumped into the living room of the condo General Anderson was providing for him, happy to have a home again. It was government issue basic but still better than what he was used to in his makeshift cabin on Oriceran.
Be prepared. The sword whispered in his ear.
His senses went on high alert and he let the portal close and turned on the lights, swinging around with his sword out, his lip curled into a sneer.
“Relax, scavenger.” Leira was sitting in his favorite recliner, her legs crossed, waiting for him in the dark.
“Good way to get yourself killed! What the hell are you doing here? Is there a mission?” He blew the air out of his lungs, puffing out his cheeks as he put his sword back in its sheath.
“I thought you had given up scavenging. Don’t bother to lie. That will make things worse.”
“I believe you decided for me. I never agreed. Look, it’s in my nature. I see something pretty that’s just lying around, I want it. Just knowing there’s a lot of pretty things left out there lying around is hard to resist.”
“Resisting temptation is not exactly in your nature, either.”
Louie gave a crooked smile. “Not exactly, no. Besides, had to check on Ronnie. I’m the little guy’s best friend. Not cool to neglect friendships.” He went to the refrigerator and looked inside for a cold Shiner Bock. “Have you tried these? So much better than that swill at the Rusty Bucket in the Dark Forest.”
“I came to tell you I don’t need your services anymore. I’m making a… a career change. Heading out on my own.”
Louie stopped the bottle halfway to his lips but took a long swallow anyway. “Heading out on your own in a family band? Heading out on your own to discover the world? That’s a pretty broad statement.” He took a seat on the blue couch that had seen better days and sagged to one side.
Leira sat up on the edge of the seat, resting her arms on her knees. “When we started this little arrangement, things were actually simpler, believe it or not. There were artifacts popping up everywhere and human beings trying to grab them first. Pretty straightforward. I still had a job to do and despite finding out I’m a Jasper Elf, I’m still a Texan. That overrules anything.”
“Interesting rule book.”
“Things have changed.”
“I suppose you’re referring to big bad Lucius. That’s right, I heard about his name, even his background. Good guy cursed to magic hell. That kind of thing is the best kind of gossip. It’s all they’re talking about in the Dark Market. Shifters are the hot topic. There’s even a rumor that Rhazdon has resurfaced. That one true?”
Leira gave him her best dead fish look, not saying anything.
“I’ll take that as a non-committal, committal. That is very interesting.” He leaned back on the couch, crossing his foot over his knee, the small artifacts he found shifting in the pouch still tied around his waist. “I can see where something like that would put a different perspective on things. You tell Jackson?”
“Leave my father out of it. Fuck it, leave my family out of it. This isn’t an explanation, only a goodbye.”
“Appreciate you not ghosting me. Anderson might have cut me loose without warning and I hear the Silver Griffins are still a little hot about a few unauthorized trips to this side of things.” His pouch clinked as he moved. “These are all Oriceran, still up for grabs.”
Leira got up to go. “I wish you well. You’re not a bad guy. Frankly, you fought really well back at the vineyards. It would have been a lot worse without you. You showed up outside of the house at just the right moment. A minute longer…”
Louie thought about the book in the library. All about the choices we make. “Hey, here’s a crazy idea. Let me join you. Come on, don’t roll your eyes. You’re gonna need backup and it can’t come from a human. They’re not equipped for all this. You need someone who’s not only magical but has a few street smarts and has been tested in battle. I have fought off my fair share of Kilomeas, angry gnomes, and slimy things I don’t even know the name for.” He held out his hands, the beer in one of them, shrugging his shoulders. “What do you say?”
“Thanks anyway. Not what I had planned.”
Louie quickly set down the beer and blocked her path. “Come on, none of this was what you had planned, right? Not what I had planned. More of the same unplanned shit is coming our way. I have skills you can use. Give me a shot and if it doesn’t work, like I end up dead or something, then we part ways. No harm, a little foul.”
“You’re not good at taking no for an answer.”
“I suck at it. Women find it charming. Young ones anyway.”
“Call me old again asshole and see how well this goes for you.”
“Wasn’t referring to you. See you more as gender neutral.”
Leira glared at him but started laughing, despite her convictions. “Fine, a trial period that I will probably regret.”
“You won’t, I swear. Are we staying in Austin? Do I need to find a new place to live? I mean, this place isn’t much but the bed’s not bad, as long as you don’t mind rolling toward the center.”
“Stop talking. We’re relocating to D.C. Soon. Be ready. You fuck up at all and you’re out, Louie. That includes disappearing on scavenging trips without notice. You do that, don’t come back.”
“Got it, done. Partners.”
“No, not partners. Not sure what we are, but not partners. You take orders from me. We go out there and see if we can hold off mass chaos just a little longer.”
“Sounds like fun. Me and my sword are all in.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Leira slipped in through the side gate as a cheer went up from the bar. “Leira!”
Estelle snapped a towel at Craig and Mike sitting closest to her from where she stood behind the bar. “How many times have I told you not to do that?”
“More times than I can count.” Mike let out a laugh and jumped out of the way before Estelle could land another one on him.
“Good one, Estelle,” said Cassidy, picking up her ice tea to keep it out of harm’s way.
Estelle took out her cigarette and blew a perfect trio of O’s as she watched Leira give a wave and keep walking for the guest house. She squinted her eyes through the smoke and grabbed two bottles of beer, easily popping off the tops as she jumped down from her box and walked across the patio.
“I think Estelle is shrinking.”
“Shhhh, Scott, if she hears you…” said Mitzi, as she slipped a piece of cheese to Lemon, sitting by her stool.
“One of these days we’re going to look over at the bar and all we’ll see is a red bouffant and a cloud of smoke.” Kimberly smiled and gave Lemon a little of her watermelon.
“That’s all I can see now if I’m sitting on the patio.”
Estelle turned back to stare down the regulars who all quickly swiveled on their stools, facing the bar again. She let out a deep raspy laugh and turned back to the guest house, putting on another quick coat of her favorite deep red lipstick.
She gave a soft rap and waited for Leira to open the door just wide enough to see who it was, with Estelle holding up the beers. Leira knew better than to try and talk Estelle out of coming in and opened the door wide, while waving behind her back at the troll to go find someplace else to be. She heard a loud tsk as he reluctantly let go of the remote and scrambled for the pantry in the kitchen.
“Might as well settle down in the discount cheese puffs container for the duration,” he squeaked.
Leira kept her eyes on Estelle hoping she didn’t hear a thing as she came inside. “Something on your mind?”
Estelle looked around for a place to stub out her cigarette, leaving it in her mouth even as it became more ash than cigarette. Leira caught on and went into the kitchen to grab a mug to act as a makeshift ash tray. She glanced in the pantry and saw Yumfuck plastered against the inside of the large plastic container. Most of his fur was already tinged in orange and he was busy licking the orange dust off the inside. “Remind me to tell Correk to not eat whatever you leave,” she whispered.
The troll cackled and gave her a wink. “Like I’ll leave some. Good one!” he squeaked.
At the last moment, Leira grabbed a damp wash cloth and draped it over the opening of the container. She headed back for the living room already seeing tiny orange paw prints dotted here and there. “How did he do that so fast?” She turned on the radio that sat on a nearby shelf and turned it low to hide the smacking sounds coming from the pantry and kept walking.
Estelle had a thing about cigarette butts on the ground. She dropped what was left into the mug and slid an unlit cigarette into her mouth before completely walking into the living room, keeping her own rule about not smoking in the guest house. It was all out of respect for Leira so she would know this was her home.
Estelle handed over one of the beers and sat down on the couch, as she took a long, slow swig, the unlit cigarette still dangling from the corner of her mouth.
“That’ll do.” Estelle tapped her cigarette on the edge of the mug out of habit, deftly holding the beer in the same hand, putting it back in her mouth. “You want to tell me what’s going on?” She leveled her gaze at Leira, not blinking or looking away.
How the fuck does she do that? “How did you know?”
“Not hard, dearie. You have tells, if anyone would bother to watch. What’s going on? You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
“That’s probably a little overstated.” She paused, looking around the guest house. My home for the past four years. “I got a new job offer. But it’s in D.C.”
Estelle chewed on the end of the cigarette, making it bobble in her mouth. “Is it a good job?”
“It’s a great opportunity to do some good.” That’s not a lie.
“So, we’re talking a move, here. Out of Texas and into foreign territory.”
“Not sure I’d classify Washington, DC as foreign.”
“Not Texas and it’s a company town and the company is politics, and the politics change every few years, and so do the people. And it’s not Texas.”
Leira gave her a crooked smile. “Well, when you put it like that.”
“I can see you’ve already made up your mind.”
Leira felt a sense of relief come over her. Estelle was right. She had made up her mind to go. But leaving was harder than she expected it to be. “I just found some kind of roots, my roots. Put together some kind of family. Everyone’s in a good place. Makes it hard to go.”
“Found a good man, who’s easy on the eyes.” Estelle slapped her knee and leaned closer. “It should be hard to go, little lady. I’d be worried about you if it was easy and you just left me a note on the counter. Your family is here, and I’m including myself and all those people at the bar who don’t seem to have anything better to do with their day, God bless them.”
“I’ll come back to see you…”
“Of course you will.”
“And I’ll miss this place.” She looked around at the tiny room. “So much happened inside these walls. Some of it was the best times of my life.” The bracelet slid down her wrist as she twisted the sapphire ring on her finger.
“Oh honey, this is still your home. Hell, this was storage before you came along. This place will always be here just for you as your home. That’s not changing as long as I’m alive.”
Leira leaned in, risking a snappy rebuke. “Just how old are you?” Are you part Elf, have you been around for a few hundred years? Are you some kind of alien?
Estelle winked and smiled as the cigarette pointed up toward her nose. “That’s a mystery lost to time. Better if it’s kept right there, too. Let’s just say, you have a home in the great state of Texas where you can always come home and find the people that love you and know you best. Take that worry off your plate. Go out into the world and put the bo-back-slappyass on the bad guys. I’ll sleep better at night knowing you’re out there.” She put her hand gently on Leira’s knee. “And when you need a reminder, you come back here and we’ll sit at the bar and talk about bowling, or Barton Creek, and share a little brisket.”
“It’s a deal.” She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Estelle’s small, bony shoulders, hugging her close, breathing in the smell of tobacco and Shalimar. “Thank you for everything.”
“Wasn’t nothing, dear. It’s what you do for family. Better get back outside before those regulars of mine start serving themselves and pestering the wait staff. We have a bowling practice to get to. Need to defend our title!”
***
Leira saw Estelle to the door and went into the kitchen to find the troll sitting on the edge of the table, wrapped in the cloth. There were smears of orange on every surface except on the troll. He kind of got the point.
“We’re moving?” He was sitting very still, waiting for an answer.
“We are.” Didn’t think how this would affect the tiny dude. “You okay with that?”
“Hagan coming too?”
Leira hesitated but answered him quietly. “No, buddy, he’s going to stay back here in Austin, but we’ll stay in touch. Same with Mom and Nana.”
“What about Correk?”
“That’s an interesting question. Don’t exactly have an answer for that one yet.”
He held out his tiny paw and Leira held out her hand as he stepped into her palm. “This is part of life. Everything changes, even if you’re trying not to evolve, and standing still is not in your nature,” he sque
aked. “Thank goodness.”
“You’re like a tiny little Yoda of my very own who eats an amazing amount.”
Yumfuck cackled, leaning back in her hand, his paws behind his head. “It takes far more courage to walk forward than it does to stand still, even when it’s for the best reasons. But then you find out that the world is a pretty good place to hang out. Onto the next adventure out there. What kind of food do they have in D.C.?”
“That’s a good question. I have no idea. We’ll find out together.”
“Let’s get this part straight. Do they have bacon, Cheetos and Dr. Pepper?”
“Yes, that much I can guarantee.”
“Then we’re good. We can figure out the rest.”
“I like a little dude with priorities.”
The troll let out a soft trill. “Yumfuck hits the road!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Leira knocked on the familiar bungalow, standing back, waiting for Hagan to answer. She came with a hot pizza from Home Slice, extra pepperoni just the way Hagan liked it. She was hoping that would make breaking the news a little easier. The troll was tucked in her pocket with his own piece of pepperoni. He was trying to make it last but finished it in three bites, peeking out of her pocket at the box.
Leira knocked again and peered through glass panes in the front door as Hagan came barreling down the stairs, his shirt only partially tucked in and his hair in disarray. He opened the door with one large pull, sweeping his hand to the side, not saying anything.
“You don’t look so hot. You okay? Brought pizza.” Leira took in the deep circles under his eyes and the puffy cheeks as she found her way to the kitchen, setting down the pizza. The troll squirmed his way out of Leira’s pocket, jumping onto the kitchen island and lifting the lid to the box, breathing in deeply.
Leira ignored Yumfuck and kept watching Hagan. Something is off. I recognize that look from long stakeouts when we were looking for someone really bad. He hasn’t slept.