Night Terrors (Sarah Beauhall Book 4) (21 page)

“She’s an interesting kid,” I said, finally.

Qindra nodded and we sat a few more moments in contemplation.

“There is one more picture,” I said, needing to get this out in the open. “Frankly, it scares the hell out of me.”

It was the picture of the man in the bowler hat.

Qindra stiffened as I slid the drawing around toward her. There was a moment of panic in her face, then it was replaced by her placid calm.

“How does she know this man?” she asked, her eyes darting to me for a brief moment, before returning to the picture.

It nearly pulsed with negative energy. The thing made my stomach hurt.

“I’ve met him once,” I said, explaining about the night in Chumstick when I’d visited Qindra when she’d been locked in the dome.

“I saw him,” she said. She had her hands crossed in her lap, and her knuckles were white. “I even looked into him right after Katie and Stuart freed me …”

She trailed off, a mix of emotions racing around her face. It was the way she said Stuart’s name. Almost wistful. Odd.

“Did you learn anything?”

She shook her head. “No. It wasn’t a very in-depth search. Just a cursory look.” She sighed and sat back, taking her coffee with her, distancing herself from the picture. “The necromancer spoke with him several times. I took it he was a serial killer of some infamy, but I didn’t find anything.”

We both stared at the drawing for another few seconds before I covered it up, sliding the whole stack back into my saddlebags.

“I think he’s hunting Katie,” I said, explaining about the trips to the Sideways.

By the time I finished describing what had been going on, my coffee was cold and Qindra was dry.

She went up and got us both fresh coffee, and we resumed the conversation.

“One could assume he haunts this area because he died here,” she said. “And with the bowler hat, he can’t be older than the Victorian era. Gold Rush, maybe?”

“Lot of people coming in and out of Seattle at that time,” I mused. “May just be a good time to be a serial killer.”

“Let me do some research,” Qindra said. “No promises. You are delving into realms I’ve never plumbed, my sister. Areas where my experiences are only hearsay and rumor.”

That was not the most happy-making thought.

“That’s me, going where angels fear to tread.”

She just shook her head, not amused. Things grew quiet as we both fell into our own thoughts. I know I was missing something. Some connection.

“What of the diary?” Qindra asked after a few minutes. “I’ve watched for further indications, further disruptions.”

I looked up, very glad for the distraction. The train of thought I was following with the Bowler Hat Man was not pleasant.

“I’ve actually got it hidden someplace I’d rather not discuss.”

She nodded. “Prudent. I would still like to interview Katie when she recovers.”

I could’ve kissed her for the way she worded that. “When she wakes up, I’ll ask her,” I said, really not wanting to have that discussion. “Not likely to happen anytime soon, though.”

“I’m worried about the number of magical objects in your orbit,” she said cutting to what I figured was the real purpose of our meeting.

Can’t say I was surprised, frankly. I knew it would happen sooner or later. “Which objects are you interested in?”

“There are three that concern me at the moment,” she said, folding her hands on her lap and leaning back in her chair. “The sword, the shield, and the book.”

For a moment I thought that was the beginning of a really old joke. She didn’t mention the amulet, so I didn’t correct her.

“Well, I’ve already told you, the book is hidden away. I can’t risk anyone else getting their hands on that. Especially with Jai Li around. That girl is curious like a cat.”

She smiled at the image and nodded. “I assume the sword is equally off the table?” She casually waved her hand toward the floor near my feet.

I just looked at her. Was she kidding?

“Of course,” she said. “That leaves the shield.”

The shield. That was intriguing. I’m not sure how I felt about the shield. Justin, the necromancer had done some crazy shit with that, soaked it in his and the dragon’s blood only after my own had been soaked into the leather and the wood.

“I can loan you the shield,” I said. I’d really like to know what it was capable of. “But it is a loan, you understand?”

Qindra sipped her coffee and shrugged. “But of course.”

We continued to discuss Jai Li—her education and well-being. I was starting to feel like a real parent. Not just a babysitter.

Now I just needed to start thinking about getting our life back to what resembled normal these days. This was nice, just chatting with her. Oh, there were a few raw spots, but I was going to like this aspect of the whole
Fist of Nidhogg
gig. I liked feeling like I belonged at the grown-up table for once. And Qindra was great to bounce ideas off of.

“I’ve asked Stuart to accompany me down to Portland,” she said, setting her coffee cup on the table and folding her hands in her lap. “He’s hesitant, as you may imagine.”

I looked at her for a couple of seconds before I realized I had my mouth open. I closed it and blinked a couple of times. “Um … My Stuart?”

Qindra chuckled. “Well, I’m sure he’s his own man, but yes. Stuart Black, I’m sure you know him.”

I swallowed. Stuart had pulled her out of the house in Chumstick. He’d been very protective of her that night. I guess it didn’t stop then. “He’s his own man, for true. I just didn’t realize the two of you had kept in touch.”

Qindra shrugged. “We’ve shared a meal or two in the intervening months. I quite enjoy his company.”

I was stunned, frankly. And was Qindra blushing?

“Surely you’re not asking my permission?” I asked.

She shook her head, “Of course not. We’re both adults. I just thought it may be easier if you were aware of it rather than finding out from other sources.”

She was sweet on him. I’d have to pump him for information the first chance I got. The old dog. I thought he’d given up on women.

“So, are you asking me to nudge him along the direction of going down to Portland with you?”

She shrugged again, the color in her face deepening. “I’ve never had a …” she bit her lip, thinking of the right word, I’m sure. “Companion.”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “You’re smitten.”

She sat up straight, her back stiff. “I’ll thank you not to belittle my situation, Sarah.”

I held up both hands, shaking my head, the laugh dying on my lips. “No, I’m sorry. I think it’s odd, but somehow intriguing. I love him,” I said, realizing I really meant it. “He’s one of the good guys. Don’t hurt him.”

She smiled demurely, “I have no intention of hurting him.”

This was strange. I was terrible at dating, and here she was seeking my help. My how the world turns. “You know,” I said, sitting back and cradling my coffee mug against my chest, “it may be a good idea for Stuart to get a lay of the land down in Portland. Check up on Frederick, make sure nothing negative is going to impact Black Briar.”

Her eyes brightened. “Excellent suggestion,” she said. “I’ll mention it.”

We finished our coffee discussing Stuart and the different views we had of him. I’d never had a girlfriend like that, talking about dating, comparing notes on the folks we crushed on. It was nice.

The fact she was a witch who worked for a dragon didn’t really seem to matter in that moment. Of course, I worked for the same dragon now. Katie would find this whole thing charming.

Jimmy, on the other hand, was going to flip his shit. His inner circle was being compromised into the world of the dragons. The lines were blurring and the enemy was not so easy to discern. So much for the Tolkien view of orcs and goblins. Maybe the enemy was not always quite so obvious.

Unless they were about to kill you. That usually cleared things up. Of course, there was that one time, when the dwarf Rolph came after me with an axe.

Of course, I was about to give Gram to the awful fucking dragon, Jean-Paul in exchange for Katie and Julie.

He had a different view on things. Some days I’m surprised we’re still friends.

And that’s when I suddenly realized that I had some of the strangest friends. Ma and da wouldn’t recognize me. Maybe this was what it was like to grow up. I could get used to the change. Too much angst just makes me tired.

Thirty-one

Meeting with Qindra had given me a few ideas. I rode back to Circle Q, grabbed the diary and put it in my saddlebags, giving it the right side to its lonesome and putting the rest of the gear in the left side. I left the hammers in the bottom of the closet and closed the door. I had Gram, hopefully I wouldn’t be meeting anyone that required hammering.

I wanted to get all the pieces of magic in one place, see if they influenced each other. I debated taking Bub with me, but thought twice about it. This wasn’t a smithing problem. It was a discovery issue.

Back to Kent I went, this time on the bike. I got a few honks and waves, which was not something that normally happened. I chalked it up to the kicking paint job and the mufflers.

The gun store which sat under our apartment was open, but I didn’t have time to run in and see Elmer. Besides there were a bunch of people milling around inside, so he was busy.

Instead I unlocked the door between Elmer’s gun and knife store and the … I stopped to look … bakery. That place changed over pretty frequently. This latest tenant, a cupcake maven, had some strange damn hours. Thursdays were eleven-thirty to three-forty-five. What the hell was that about? I didn’t understand how she stayed in business.

I jogged up the stairs with my gear and opened the door. The place had grown cold, devoid of love or joy. Most of our stuff was there, scattered about in the way that happens when you live a full and busy life. But now, things looked abandoned, wasted.

There was nothing of the passion Katie and I had shared here. We’d made love in this place, sometimes quiet, sometimes crazy. These walls were witness to some creative debauchery and more love than I ever thought I’d be blessed with.

Now it was empty. Even when she came back to me, came back to Jai Li, we couldn’t live here. We needed a new space to grow into. A space that glowed with joy.

I called Qindra, explained I was going to try something she wouldn’t like, and for her to make sure Nidhogg was in a safe place, that the staff were busy elsewhere. I told her to expect something within the next hour.

She was not happy, nor supportive. But assured she would keep her clan safe.

I washed dishes, cleared the counters, folded bedding and generally cleaned up while I gave Qindra time to prepare. I needed to do something here, something to unravel this damned mystery.

The apartment looked fairly good for the amount of work I’d just done. It’s amazing how much you can get done in just an hour. Maybe I should do this more. Take care of the little things before they got out of control.

The real trouble was, beyond laundry and dishes, knowing which of the little things you could deal with was a real bitch to get a grip on.

After the hour mark, I gathered my things and prepared.

I sat down on the couch setting the saddlebags at my feet and holding Gram on my lap. Gram was another lover. That is how she saw it, in any case—that black blade who sang to me of battle, who cried for the blood of the dragons. She needed my touch as much as I needed to feel her in my hands again.

I grasped the pommel, letting the power of her course through me, and pulled her free of her sheath. This was power the likes the world had not seen in generations. This magic blade, tuned to me, embodied the power to slay a dragon, to bring down giants and trolls. The runes along her fuller glowed a soft, deep red when I turned her from side to side, letting the light play across her lines.

The amulet on my chest pulsed as I gripped Gram tighter and opened to her, allowing my true self to meet the sentience of the blade. For the briefest instance the room flared with light, crisp and clean. This was one of the gifts of Gram. The world became clearer, the good and the bad, the broken and the beloved—each shone with a clarity that I didn’t experience without her.

This place, this apartment was dead to me. I could see it even more clearly now that I held the black blade. One of my top priorities had to be finding us someplace we could call home. Someplace to raise Jai Li.

I set Gram across my knees and pulled the diary from my saddlebags. The book leapt from my hand, landing against a pillow, the tinfoil showing between the loops of scarf.

“Calm down,” I said. Everything was more—amplified. I took a deep breath, watching the book. It throbbed, almost as if there was a heart beating under the tinfoil. I carefully pulled aside the scarf, and using one edge of it, unwrapped the tinfoil. The book pulsed with energy I could see with Gram in my hand: sometimes green, sometimes purple. It was at war with itself, I suddenly understood. Two owners, two factions, two masters. This wasn't Katie’s book after all. Was it her mother’s?

I thought about the possibility that touching the book would kill me, but I had to try something.

The cover was dull leather underneath the strobing glow. There were cuts and burns on the surface, and the three sides away from the spine edge were ragged, like it was trying to grow together, like a healing wound.

I reached out and placed my hand onto the cover.

Screaming filled my head. Between one breath and the next the world exploded into a cacophony of anger and fear.

I didn’t die. That was a bonus. But I’m fairly sure if I hadn’t had Gram held in one hand, I would have.

As it was, power surged from the book, through me and into the blade. The runes that ran down the blade faded, the usual red, like burning coals, were overcome by throbbing purple and green light. Eventually, as I sat there, stunned by the amount of energy flooding through me, the flames began to rise along the fuller, pushing back the invading colors until once again the warm glow of the forge emanated from Gram.

Alone the book would’ve killed me. That much was clear. As a team, however, Gram and I together could take the full measure of what the book had to offer. At least for now.