Chapter Thirty-One: Nootau |
 Is currently pissed at the two men in her life for getting hurt. |  Is missing all the action. Gun shots can do that to a Being. |  Is currently in an even worse place than the last chapter. |
A head popped up from one of the desks in the lab. "Alles gut?"
"Ja," Nootau answered with a choked cough.
The man rolled his eyes, nodded, and went back to his work, seemingly satisfied.
But the interaction left Nootau no longer a hundred percent sure he could make his plan work. You can. How was he supposed to make Dario come with him? Speaking English would be a dead give away he wasn't the man they thought he was.
A deep rolling laughter echoed in his mind. Don't worry, walker. We have this covered. You will have blood.
Endorphins flooded Nootau's body, making it sing in anticipation. Yes. Ahanu would be avenged this day.
And rather simply too. No one paid him any attention as he wandered toward the back of the lab.
How often did the castle have emergencies? The lack of concern felt rather odd. Like they found the emergency mundane and bothersome more than worrisome. Or maybe they thought nothing bad could happen.
Dario Fassnacht was about to find out otherwise.
Everyone had their heads down, focused on their computer or some kind of paperwork or reading. No one gave him a second glance. They should be staring. Don't they see the soul stealer in their midst? The fake?
Each stomp of his feet sounded horribly loud to Nootau's ears, his legs dead weight. If he didn't hear the boots as he walked along he would've though he was quiet as a mouse. Except he wasn't.
But not a soul glared at him in annoyance.
Boom. The floor trembled beneath him.
Boom.
Again no one looked up.
Boom.
Maybe his legs were shaking, not the floor.
Losing your nerve, walker?
"Sigmund?"
Nootau blinked, looking down. When had he gotten to Dario's desk? The bastard was more handsome in person than his photos showed. Nootau hated him even more. Evil should not be deceptively handsome.
"Brauche etwas?"
"Uh." All Nootau wanted was to decapitate the asshole on the spot. He couldn't see beyond the rage turning his vision red. The heavy sludge drowning him washed over Nootau making it hard to think straight. The blackness choked him. Voices rose to meet his the empty fields in his minefield.
"Bist du in Ordnung?"
Useless, walker. Let the professionals take it from here. "Ja, Herr Fassnacht. Hast du eine Minute?"
"Ist es Dr. Bellamy wieder?"
"Ja."
Dario sighed, making Nootau wonder what he agreed to, because that was all he understood. He knew it was the body talking, but it didn't feel like his actions. They were not of his spirit. Thought the giddiness he shared inside him couldn't be denied. The eerie experience of having a conversation while watching it happen hardly registered compared to the glee of having Dario within his grasp after all the hard months searching for an answer.
Soon, blood split for blood. And Nootau would revel in the taste of it.
After another hefty sigh, Dario put his computer on standby and stood. "Götter, ich hasse dieses Arschloch."
"Jeder tut es."
Agreeing with a grunt, Dario fell into step with Nootau. No one gave them a second glance as they left the lab. Glee danced inside Nootau, lifting him up. Revenge really was sweet.
* * * * *
Blood covered Edwige's hands. Her love's blood. Aegeus' life-force bleeding out between her fingers. The dark scarlet color a beacon of distress rather than the imagery of love. But his heart still beat. That much she had to remember. A steady thump-thump as the doctors worked to keep his heart pumping.
"Frau Lambros, your hands."
Edwige pulled on the dark spaces, tugging, weaving, using it to help keep Aegeus from coming apart underneath her.
"Please, Edwige, we need to be able to operate on the wound."
Operate caught her attention. Edwige blinked a few times and glanced up, hands firmly in place. Concerned brown eyes met her gaze. The doctor dipped his head.
"Frau Lambros, Aegeus is stable. We need to operate on that gunshot wound."
"Right, of course." But it was hard to draw her hands away.
"We will take good care of him, we promise," the doctor said.
Edwige took a shaky breath and nodded. Slowly she lifted her hands. Small streams of bright red blood weeped from the wound. It took all her strength of will not to press her hands down again. A blue-latex covered hand reached over to prod at the wound.
"Aegeus will recover. We promise."
"Okay."
A nurse moved beside Edwige. "Let's get you washed up."
"Yeah," she replied, allowing the nurse to lead her away.
They shouldered through the swinging doors, the hum of computers reaching Edwige's ears. She looked around, searching. The room had desks and computer stations with equipment—but no Aegeus. A wave rushed over Edwige and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She squeezed, but it wasn't the same--because it's not Aegeus, or Nootau--which reminded Edwige.
"I need Nootau. To find him," she said, her voice loud in the room.
"That we can do, Frau," said a familiar voice.
Edwige found herself with a face full of tall, glassy pale banshee. The knight who helped Mal get Aegeus down to the operating room.
"But first, maybe you wash your hands?"
Edwige jerked, looking at her hands. All the blood. "Right, uh, sink?"
"Through here, Frau."
Edwige walked through a doorway into the surgical prep room. Several large basin sinks were on one wall. She made a beeline for them, then pressed the foot lever down hard, water immediately creating a waterfall out of the faucet. The cold liquid shocked Edwige when she dropped her arms under it.
She gasped. "Fuck."
Hot tears rolled down her face and joined the blood dripping into the basin. Deep burboun stained the silver, only broken up with splashes of tears. Edwige scrubbed her hands and arms hard, the soap spreading over in thick layers.
"Fuck."
The day had gone to shit. This was not how it was supposed to go. Aegeus shouldn't be laid out on an operating table with bullets inside him, and Nootau... Gods Above and Mother Earth Below... The pain he'd wrapped himself in felt unbearable. The darkness surrounding him made her worried.
"Fuck." If he did something he couldn't take back later... "Fuck."
"Frau," the knight reached over to her and gathered up Edwige's hands. "You're clean darlin'. Don't you rub yourself raw."
"Right."
"Here." The knight pushed a towel into her hands. "Dry up and we'll go get your third."
"Thank you."
"I'm Bernard Baqueris, Frau."
"Edwige. You're Akemi's?"
He barked out a laugh, a warm rumbly one. "No, Frau, Akemi is Jariah's."
Edwige nodded. "True, but you're one of her knights?"
"Ja, Frau. Knight of Jupiter at your service." Bernard gave her a snappy salute.
"I need to find Nootau."
"That means going up into the skirmishes, Frau."
"I know."
His dark eyes burrowed deep into her soul, searching.
"He's not... himself," she said finally. "I don't... I can't..."
Edwige shook her head.
"You think he's gonna cause harm, Frau? He's a walker, ja?"
"He is."
"You think he's gonna bein' wearin' skin?"
"I do." It cracked her chest in two as she admitted her fears. It was the worst thing she ever had to admit. "We need to stop him before..."
Bernard nodded. "You say he's not of right mind?"
Edwige nodded. "Akemi was trying to find him a Healer, a specialist to help."
"Maybe it be better if I go alone, Frau."
"I can feel him, can you?"
To his credit, Bernard didn't pretend he could. "No, but I don' wan' your Third hurtin' you."
"Nootau would never hurt me," Edwige said assuredly. "In fact, I may be the only one who can stop him."
"All right, Frau. We do it your way." Bernard drew out his sword and a dagger. "But you stay close, ja?"
"Promise," she replied then asked, "Where's my pack? We may need it."
"Ja," Nootau answered with a choked cough.
The man rolled his eyes, nodded, and went back to his work, seemingly satisfied.
But the interaction left Nootau no longer a hundred percent sure he could make his plan work. You can. How was he supposed to make Dario come with him? Speaking English would be a dead give away he wasn't the man they thought he was.
A deep rolling laughter echoed in his mind. Don't worry, walker. We have this covered. You will have blood.
Endorphins flooded Nootau's body, making it sing in anticipation. Yes. Ahanu would be avenged this day.
And rather simply too. No one paid him any attention as he wandered toward the back of the lab.
How often did the castle have emergencies? The lack of concern felt rather odd. Like they found the emergency mundane and bothersome more than worrisome. Or maybe they thought nothing bad could happen.
Dario Fassnacht was about to find out otherwise.
Everyone had their heads down, focused on their computer or some kind of paperwork or reading. No one gave him a second glance. They should be staring. Don't they see the soul stealer in their midst? The fake?
Each stomp of his feet sounded horribly loud to Nootau's ears, his legs dead weight. If he didn't hear the boots as he walked along he would've though he was quiet as a mouse. Except he wasn't.
But not a soul glared at him in annoyance.
Boom. The floor trembled beneath him.
Boom.
Again no one looked up.
Boom.
Maybe his legs were shaking, not the floor.
Losing your nerve, walker?
"Sigmund?"
Nootau blinked, looking down. When had he gotten to Dario's desk? The bastard was more handsome in person than his photos showed. Nootau hated him even more. Evil should not be deceptively handsome.
"Brauche etwas?"
"Uh." All Nootau wanted was to decapitate the asshole on the spot. He couldn't see beyond the rage turning his vision red. The heavy sludge drowning him washed over Nootau making it hard to think straight. The blackness choked him. Voices rose to meet his the empty fields in his minefield.
"Bist du in Ordnung?"
Useless, walker. Let the professionals take it from here. "Ja, Herr Fassnacht. Hast du eine Minute?"
"Ist es Dr. Bellamy wieder?"
"Ja."
Dario sighed, making Nootau wonder what he agreed to, because that was all he understood. He knew it was the body talking, but it didn't feel like his actions. They were not of his spirit. Thought the giddiness he shared inside him couldn't be denied. The eerie experience of having a conversation while watching it happen hardly registered compared to the glee of having Dario within his grasp after all the hard months searching for an answer.
Soon, blood split for blood. And Nootau would revel in the taste of it.
After another hefty sigh, Dario put his computer on standby and stood. "Götter, ich hasse dieses Arschloch."
"Jeder tut es."
Agreeing with a grunt, Dario fell into step with Nootau. No one gave them a second glance as they left the lab. Glee danced inside Nootau, lifting him up. Revenge really was sweet.
* * * * *
Blood covered Edwige's hands. Her love's blood. Aegeus' life-force bleeding out between her fingers. The dark scarlet color a beacon of distress rather than the imagery of love. But his heart still beat. That much she had to remember. A steady thump-thump as the doctors worked to keep his heart pumping.
"Frau Lambros, your hands."
Edwige pulled on the dark spaces, tugging, weaving, using it to help keep Aegeus from coming apart underneath her.
"Please, Edwige, we need to be able to operate on the wound."
Operate caught her attention. Edwige blinked a few times and glanced up, hands firmly in place. Concerned brown eyes met her gaze. The doctor dipped his head.
"Frau Lambros, Aegeus is stable. We need to operate on that gunshot wound."
"Right, of course." But it was hard to draw her hands away.
"We will take good care of him, we promise," the doctor said.
Edwige took a shaky breath and nodded. Slowly she lifted her hands. Small streams of bright red blood weeped from the wound. It took all her strength of will not to press her hands down again. A blue-latex covered hand reached over to prod at the wound.
"Aegeus will recover. We promise."
"Okay."
A nurse moved beside Edwige. "Let's get you washed up."
"Yeah," she replied, allowing the nurse to lead her away.
They shouldered through the swinging doors, the hum of computers reaching Edwige's ears. She looked around, searching. The room had desks and computer stations with equipment—but no Aegeus. A wave rushed over Edwige and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She squeezed, but it wasn't the same--because it's not Aegeus, or Nootau--which reminded Edwige.
"I need Nootau. To find him," she said, her voice loud in the room.
"That we can do, Frau," said a familiar voice.
Edwige found herself with a face full of tall, glassy pale banshee. The knight who helped Mal get Aegeus down to the operating room.
"But first, maybe you wash your hands?"
Edwige jerked, looking at her hands. All the blood. "Right, uh, sink?"
"Through here, Frau."
Edwige walked through a doorway into the surgical prep room. Several large basin sinks were on one wall. She made a beeline for them, then pressed the foot lever down hard, water immediately creating a waterfall out of the faucet. The cold liquid shocked Edwige when she dropped her arms under it.
She gasped. "Fuck."
Hot tears rolled down her face and joined the blood dripping into the basin. Deep burboun stained the silver, only broken up with splashes of tears. Edwige scrubbed her hands and arms hard, the soap spreading over in thick layers.
"Fuck."
The day had gone to shit. This was not how it was supposed to go. Aegeus shouldn't be laid out on an operating table with bullets inside him, and Nootau... Gods Above and Mother Earth Below... The pain he'd wrapped himself in felt unbearable. The darkness surrounding him made her worried.
"Fuck." If he did something he couldn't take back later... "Fuck."
"Frau," the knight reached over to her and gathered up Edwige's hands. "You're clean darlin'. Don't you rub yourself raw."
"Right."
"Here." The knight pushed a towel into her hands. "Dry up and we'll go get your third."
"Thank you."
"I'm Bernard Baqueris, Frau."
"Edwige. You're Akemi's?"
He barked out a laugh, a warm rumbly one. "No, Frau, Akemi is Jariah's."
Edwige nodded. "True, but you're one of her knights?"
"Ja, Frau. Knight of Jupiter at your service." Bernard gave her a snappy salute.
"I need to find Nootau."
"That means going up into the skirmishes, Frau."
"I know."
His dark eyes burrowed deep into her soul, searching.
"He's not... himself," she said finally. "I don't... I can't..."
Edwige shook her head.
"You think he's gonna cause harm, Frau? He's a walker, ja?"
"He is."
"You think he's gonna bein' wearin' skin?"
"I do." It cracked her chest in two as she admitted her fears. It was the worst thing she ever had to admit. "We need to stop him before..."
Bernard nodded. "You say he's not of right mind?"
Edwige nodded. "Akemi was trying to find him a Healer, a specialist to help."
"Maybe it be better if I go alone, Frau."
"I can feel him, can you?"
To his credit, Bernard didn't pretend he could. "No, but I don' wan' your Third hurtin' you."
"Nootau would never hurt me," Edwige said assuredly. "In fact, I may be the only one who can stop him."
"All right, Frau. We do it your way." Bernard drew out his sword and a dagger. "But you stay close, ja?"
"Promise," she replied then asked, "Where's my pack? We may need it."
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Chapter Thirty-One: Ashe
Sneakin'
 Ashe - Currently thankful for wings and magic. |  Jaxom - Is wishing he brought medical supplies. A lot of them. |
Ashe crept along the forest floor to the edge of the trees, crouching behind a berry bush. He beckoned Jaxx to follow, and soon the satyr was crouched next to him.
They surveyed the scene. The lake was to their right—several boats were bouncing across it, probably coming from Türlen across the water.
He glanced back at the labs. The buildings were scarred in several places, tarnished with holes and burn marks. A group of half a dozen guards were gathered near one corner, looking at the devastation.
Things seemed to be calming down, but who had won?
And if it was Akemi, could they trust her?
He had a brief window of time, to get justice for his parents, and he didn’t mean to waste it. Even if it killed him. He would do what he could the keep Jaxx from the worst of the fray.
“You’re thinking about leaving me behind again ‘for my own good’, aren’t you?” Jaxx said softly, staring at him through narrowed eyes.
Ashe looked away. “I should have left you back home.” Jaxx knew him way too well.
Jaxx snorted. “You tried, remember? Well, you can forget about it. I’m in this with you to the end.”
Ashe nodded. This selfless devotion was more than he deserved, and he was humbled by it.
He pulled out the flash drive. It was still glowing. It was strongest when he pointed it toward the castle where it met the lake. Whoever they were after, they would find him or her there. “So how do we do it?” he said at last.
Jaxx cocked his head. “Get in?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s some kind of shed or structure not too far from the castle, over there.” Jaxx pointed to where the castle wall made a ninety degree turn toward the labs. “It’s near the kitchen. If we get lucky, maybe the kitchen door will be open—”
“And we’ll just walk right in?” Ashe shook his head. “I don’t like it. Too risky. What about the library windows?” He pointed at the other end of the castle.
Jaxx considered, scratching the stubble on his chin. “Maybe. And it’s farther from the lab. There’s no direct line of sight. We could use the shed as cover, head to the castle wall there…” he pointed to the wall facing the stand of trees where they’d hidden themselves, “…and make our way down toward the water.”
Ashe glanced back at the group of guards in the distance, near the labs. They were all filing inside the building. “Okay, I think that’s our cue. You ready?”
Jaxx nodded, and pecked him on the cheek. “For luck.”
Ashe tucked the flash drive into his pocket. He waited until the last man had filed into the lab, and then ran at a low crouch toward the shed, taking cover behind another shrub, then a tree that stood alone in the middle ground, finally reaching the back of shed itself.
It was dark inside. He smudged some of the dirt off a window with the cloth of his shirt sleeve, and peered inside. It was a garage, with a snowplow and a couple trucks inside.
Jaxx arrived next to him.
They waited for a moment to see if anyone had noticed them in the castle or out in the courtyard. There were no new alarms or shouts.
Ashe pointed at the corner of the castle, where the wall turned away from the labs, and mimed crawling. There were enough weeds and hummocks of grass to give them cover between their hiding spot and the shed.
Jaxx nodded.
They were gonna be filthy after this.
No time like the present. He got down on the ground and, with one last look over toward the labs, started toward the castle at a fast crawl.
He was halfway across when another vehicle roared into the courtyard between the castle and the lab, screeching to a halt.
Ashe flattened himself on the ground, praying they wouldn’t look this way—that they wouldn’t notice him from this distance.
He dared to peek in the direction of the labs, under his arm, and saw to his relief that the occupants of the car were also running inside without looking back.
As soon as they disappeared, he hurried on to the castle, leaving the lab buildings out of sight and turning to collapse with his back against the stone wall, panting heavily.
“Shit that was close,” Jaxx said, arriving a moment behind him.
Ashe pointed to the library windows at the other end of the wall. “Come on, let’s go.” He made his way down the wall, ducking beneath windows where someone might have seen him. Afternoon was shading toward evening, and it was getting colder fast. A breeze blew in on off the lake and gave him goosebumps. Either that or he was having a phoenix flare up.
He shook his head. He wasn’t his father, no matter what recent events said to the contrary. He could control himself.
They reached the first of the windows looking into the library.
Ashe peered inside cautiously. The lights were on, but no one was visible.
He stood and tried pulling up the window pane, but it wouldn’t budge.
The castle was set right up against the lake. Maybe there was a way in underwater, but Ashe didn’t fancy swimming around in cold, dark, murky water looking for it. He preferred the sky to the lake.
Ashe pulled out the flash drive again. It wanted them to go inside.
There were two more windows.
He crawled to one, and tried it. Locked.
“One more,” Jaxx whispered. He crawled past Ashe and stood to pull up on the window frame. It resisted for a second, but then slid up with a groan.
After checking inside to be sure no one had been alerted, he gestured to the opening. “After you.”
Ashe gave him a quick peck on the cheek and ducked inside.
They surveyed the scene. The lake was to their right—several boats were bouncing across it, probably coming from Türlen across the water.
He glanced back at the labs. The buildings were scarred in several places, tarnished with holes and burn marks. A group of half a dozen guards were gathered near one corner, looking at the devastation.
Things seemed to be calming down, but who had won?
And if it was Akemi, could they trust her?
He had a brief window of time, to get justice for his parents, and he didn’t mean to waste it. Even if it killed him. He would do what he could the keep Jaxx from the worst of the fray.
“You’re thinking about leaving me behind again ‘for my own good’, aren’t you?” Jaxx said softly, staring at him through narrowed eyes.
Ashe looked away. “I should have left you back home.” Jaxx knew him way too well.
Jaxx snorted. “You tried, remember? Well, you can forget about it. I’m in this with you to the end.”
Ashe nodded. This selfless devotion was more than he deserved, and he was humbled by it.
He pulled out the flash drive. It was still glowing. It was strongest when he pointed it toward the castle where it met the lake. Whoever they were after, they would find him or her there. “So how do we do it?” he said at last.
Jaxx cocked his head. “Get in?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s some kind of shed or structure not too far from the castle, over there.” Jaxx pointed to where the castle wall made a ninety degree turn toward the labs. “It’s near the kitchen. If we get lucky, maybe the kitchen door will be open—”
“And we’ll just walk right in?” Ashe shook his head. “I don’t like it. Too risky. What about the library windows?” He pointed at the other end of the castle.
Jaxx considered, scratching the stubble on his chin. “Maybe. And it’s farther from the lab. There’s no direct line of sight. We could use the shed as cover, head to the castle wall there…” he pointed to the wall facing the stand of trees where they’d hidden themselves, “…and make our way down toward the water.”
Ashe glanced back at the group of guards in the distance, near the labs. They were all filing inside the building. “Okay, I think that’s our cue. You ready?”
Jaxx nodded, and pecked him on the cheek. “For luck.”
Ashe tucked the flash drive into his pocket. He waited until the last man had filed into the lab, and then ran at a low crouch toward the shed, taking cover behind another shrub, then a tree that stood alone in the middle ground, finally reaching the back of shed itself.
It was dark inside. He smudged some of the dirt off a window with the cloth of his shirt sleeve, and peered inside. It was a garage, with a snowplow and a couple trucks inside.
Jaxx arrived next to him.
They waited for a moment to see if anyone had noticed them in the castle or out in the courtyard. There were no new alarms or shouts.
Ashe pointed at the corner of the castle, where the wall turned away from the labs, and mimed crawling. There were enough weeds and hummocks of grass to give them cover between their hiding spot and the shed.
Jaxx nodded.
They were gonna be filthy after this.
No time like the present. He got down on the ground and, with one last look over toward the labs, started toward the castle at a fast crawl.
He was halfway across when another vehicle roared into the courtyard between the castle and the lab, screeching to a halt.
Ashe flattened himself on the ground, praying they wouldn’t look this way—that they wouldn’t notice him from this distance.
He dared to peek in the direction of the labs, under his arm, and saw to his relief that the occupants of the car were also running inside without looking back.
As soon as they disappeared, he hurried on to the castle, leaving the lab buildings out of sight and turning to collapse with his back against the stone wall, panting heavily.
“Shit that was close,” Jaxx said, arriving a moment behind him.
Ashe pointed to the library windows at the other end of the wall. “Come on, let’s go.” He made his way down the wall, ducking beneath windows where someone might have seen him. Afternoon was shading toward evening, and it was getting colder fast. A breeze blew in on off the lake and gave him goosebumps. Either that or he was having a phoenix flare up.
He shook his head. He wasn’t his father, no matter what recent events said to the contrary. He could control himself.
They reached the first of the windows looking into the library.
Ashe peered inside cautiously. The lights were on, but no one was visible.
He stood and tried pulling up the window pane, but it wouldn’t budge.
The castle was set right up against the lake. Maybe there was a way in underwater, but Ashe didn’t fancy swimming around in cold, dark, murky water looking for it. He preferred the sky to the lake.
Ashe pulled out the flash drive again. It wanted them to go inside.
There were two more windows.
He crawled to one, and tried it. Locked.
“One more,” Jaxx whispered. He crawled past Ashe and stood to pull up on the window frame. It resisted for a second, but then slid up with a groan.
After checking inside to be sure no one had been alerted, he gestured to the opening. “After you.”
Ashe gave him a quick peck on the cheek and ducked inside.
Is wondering where Mal is and what's for dinner.
Chapter Thirty-One: Mal
One Step Closer!
 Is wishing everyone wasn't such douche bags. |  Is wishing the human wasn't in front of the bullets. |
"How many bloody guards does this place have?" Mal cursed as they were forced to hide once again behind some large wooden cabinet that looked like it was from the seventeen hundreds. After today Mal doubted there would be an antique left in this place that was still in good condition.
He winced when bullets hit the wood they were hiding behind.
"Too bloody many!" Kaden whispered as he cowered behind Mal.
Mal waited, letting the guards fire all they wanted. When there was finally a break in firing he made his move. Mal peaked out from behind the cabinet, getting his bearings, he could see the access to the staircase they were after just behind the men. Both men were reloading, it wouldn't take them long and they'd have a full clip to unload at Mal and Kaden. Not willing to let that happen, Mal took his shot. His aim was a little off apparently on one guard.
He watched as one man collapsed to the floor a bullet hole in his chest. The other man staggered back, groaning in pain, he'd dropped his weapon when he'd been shot. Mal holstered his gun and went after the man with his fists. He didn't enjoy killing, and if this guy was lucky enough to live through this then so be it. But Mal couldn't have him calling for backup while they were searching for their quarry.
It wasn't much of a fight. The guard was in too much pain to really defend himself. He did get one good punch into Mal's arm where the bullet had hit him earlier though.
Mal grunted as the pain radiated up his arm, then he knocked the guy clean out. The guard collapsed to the ground. Mal took a second to see if he was still breathing. He was.
Kaden ran up beside him and started fussing with his arm.
"We really need to get this seen to," Kaden admonished.
"We will, just not now. There's no time." Mal leaned down and placed a tender kiss to Kaden's forehead. "Thank you for worrying, but come on, we have to move."
The staircase to the left had a card swipe restricted access. Mal went back to the two guards swiped a bunch of keys and a key card from one of the men's belt.
The light on the access panel changed from red to green when he passed the card through. Mal pushed the door open and he and Kaden disappeared into the stairwell. The stairs were well-worn with years and years of use. It looked like they were using the servants stairs. The main staircase would be lavish in plain view of anyone and everyone and Mal wanted to keep off as many people's radar as possible right now.
"How do you suppose the others are going?" Kaden asked quietly as they started to make their way up to the third floor.
"I don't know. I hope no one else has been seriously injured though."
"Yeah, I hope Aegeus is going to be okay," Kaden said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"He will be," Mal said with conviction.
"How do you know?" Kaden asked him.
"Because there's no way Edwige is going to let him die. She's a fierce little thing and I have complete faith in her abilities."
"True." Kaden offered him a smile.
They passed the second floor and kept going up. The sounds of all the fighting and gunshots from earlier slowly died away the further up they went. When they finally arrived at the third floor Mal and Kaden paused at the door, ears pressed against the wood, to see if they could hear anything on the other side.
"Anything?" Mal asked. "Your hearing is much more acute than my own."
"I can't hear anything. I don't know if that because there's nothing out there to hear or if there's some kind of dampener on this door. I think it's the former, but I can't be a hundred percent sure. Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry for. We'll just proceed with caution, like we have been at every other turn in this bloody castle."
Kaden nodded his agreement.
Mal pulled his gun, checked the clip, he was once again running low on bullets, but he couldn't dwell on that right now.
He took the key card and swiped it through the access panel. The light turned green and Mal carefully pulled the door open a crack. There was no immediate gun fire so he counted that as a win! Slowly he opened the door further and peaked into the passage outside, not a single soul in the hallway
Mal released the breath he'd been holding in a loud exhale. He opened the door fully and he and Kaden stepped out into a plush carpeted corridor. There were no old couches or antique armoires they could hide behind if someone came looking for them with weapons drawn. This passage was long and lined with doors on either side, each door had a nameplate and title underneath it, they also had card readers to the left of every door handle. It looked like they'd found the administration offices.
"Come on, the library was this way if I'm not mistaken," Kaden said, pointing down the passage to their left."
Mal nodded and they took off down the passage, the plush blue carpet muffling their footfalls.
Mal read every nameplate to their left and Kaden took all the ones on the right.
"Mal," Kaden hissed at him.
Mal came to a halt and realised Kaden had stopped two doors back. Mal backtracked to Kaden and stared at the door his wolf was standing in front of.
The name plate read:
Cynthia Papamixahl
Vizepräsident - Forschung und Entwicklung
Mal swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat at just seeing her name. Kaden took his hand and squeezed it.
"We can leave if you want. No one is forcing you to do this," Kaden said quietly.
Mal took a deep breath, squeezed Kaden's hand in return, stepped forward and lifted the card they had to the reader. Before Mal could swipe the card and see if it would give them entry the door buzzed and the light went from red to green.
He winced when bullets hit the wood they were hiding behind.
"Too bloody many!" Kaden whispered as he cowered behind Mal.
Mal waited, letting the guards fire all they wanted. When there was finally a break in firing he made his move. Mal peaked out from behind the cabinet, getting his bearings, he could see the access to the staircase they were after just behind the men. Both men were reloading, it wouldn't take them long and they'd have a full clip to unload at Mal and Kaden. Not willing to let that happen, Mal took his shot. His aim was a little off apparently on one guard.
He watched as one man collapsed to the floor a bullet hole in his chest. The other man staggered back, groaning in pain, he'd dropped his weapon when he'd been shot. Mal holstered his gun and went after the man with his fists. He didn't enjoy killing, and if this guy was lucky enough to live through this then so be it. But Mal couldn't have him calling for backup while they were searching for their quarry.
It wasn't much of a fight. The guard was in too much pain to really defend himself. He did get one good punch into Mal's arm where the bullet had hit him earlier though.
Mal grunted as the pain radiated up his arm, then he knocked the guy clean out. The guard collapsed to the ground. Mal took a second to see if he was still breathing. He was.
Kaden ran up beside him and started fussing with his arm.
"We really need to get this seen to," Kaden admonished.
"We will, just not now. There's no time." Mal leaned down and placed a tender kiss to Kaden's forehead. "Thank you for worrying, but come on, we have to move."
The staircase to the left had a card swipe restricted access. Mal went back to the two guards swiped a bunch of keys and a key card from one of the men's belt.
The light on the access panel changed from red to green when he passed the card through. Mal pushed the door open and he and Kaden disappeared into the stairwell. The stairs were well-worn with years and years of use. It looked like they were using the servants stairs. The main staircase would be lavish in plain view of anyone and everyone and Mal wanted to keep off as many people's radar as possible right now.
"How do you suppose the others are going?" Kaden asked quietly as they started to make their way up to the third floor.
"I don't know. I hope no one else has been seriously injured though."
"Yeah, I hope Aegeus is going to be okay," Kaden said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"He will be," Mal said with conviction.
"How do you know?" Kaden asked him.
"Because there's no way Edwige is going to let him die. She's a fierce little thing and I have complete faith in her abilities."
"True." Kaden offered him a smile.
They passed the second floor and kept going up. The sounds of all the fighting and gunshots from earlier slowly died away the further up they went. When they finally arrived at the third floor Mal and Kaden paused at the door, ears pressed against the wood, to see if they could hear anything on the other side.
"Anything?" Mal asked. "Your hearing is much more acute than my own."
"I can't hear anything. I don't know if that because there's nothing out there to hear or if there's some kind of dampener on this door. I think it's the former, but I can't be a hundred percent sure. Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry for. We'll just proceed with caution, like we have been at every other turn in this bloody castle."
Kaden nodded his agreement.
Mal pulled his gun, checked the clip, he was once again running low on bullets, but he couldn't dwell on that right now.
He took the key card and swiped it through the access panel. The light turned green and Mal carefully pulled the door open a crack. There was no immediate gun fire so he counted that as a win! Slowly he opened the door further and peaked into the passage outside, not a single soul in the hallway
Mal released the breath he'd been holding in a loud exhale. He opened the door fully and he and Kaden stepped out into a plush carpeted corridor. There were no old couches or antique armoires they could hide behind if someone came looking for them with weapons drawn. This passage was long and lined with doors on either side, each door had a nameplate and title underneath it, they also had card readers to the left of every door handle. It looked like they'd found the administration offices.
"Come on, the library was this way if I'm not mistaken," Kaden said, pointing down the passage to their left."
Mal nodded and they took off down the passage, the plush blue carpet muffling their footfalls.
Mal read every nameplate to their left and Kaden took all the ones on the right.
"Mal," Kaden hissed at him.
Mal came to a halt and realised Kaden had stopped two doors back. Mal backtracked to Kaden and stared at the door his wolf was standing in front of.
The name plate read:
Cynthia Papamixahl
Vizepräsident - Forschung und Entwicklung
Mal swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat at just seeing her name. Kaden took his hand and squeezed it.
"We can leave if you want. No one is forcing you to do this," Kaden said quietly.
Mal took a deep breath, squeezed Kaden's hand in return, stepped forward and lifted the card they had to the reader. Before Mal could swipe the card and see if it would give them entry the door buzzed and the light went from red to green.
Chapter Thirty-One: Tibo
Goblin to Goblin
“Rolly!” Tibo scrambled from his chair, barely managing to catch Rolly before he fell. That beloved head smacked into his shoulder hard and Rolly was dead weight in his arms. “What did you do?”
“Hush, hush, peace, Tiborishandelac. He was past his limit. I’ve merely helped him sleep.”
“Sleep?” Tibo swallowed hard against the anguished wail that wanted out.
“Yes. He needs to rest, my dear. Put him over on the chaise, if you like.” Chumin indicated the long piece of furniture on the wall opposite the window. It looked like a thing they used to call a fainting couch, but it was long enough for Rolly. “There are blankets in the chest there. I often sleep here myself when I’ve not the energy to brave the stairs in the evening.”
Still shaking, Tibo took Rolly under the arms and half-carried, half-dragged him over, huffing and grunting as he got Rolly’s long limbs up on the chaise. There were a selection of blankets in the cedar chest, as promised, and Tibo picked one of soft angora in a dark green. It was a stupid thing to worry about but he didn’t want it clashing with Rolly’s hair.
Tibo lingered a moment to brush the hair back from Rolly’s eyes. He was breathing fine and he looked so peaceful. Okay, fine. Elders do usually know best.
“Thank you,” he murmured as he returned to his chair.
“De nada, my dear. This does give us a chance to speak amongst ourselves, though. Goblin to goblin.”
“Yes, sir.” Tibo picked his own teacup up again, sniffing the contents, though he didn’t feel off or dizzy.
“It was only for the McFarland,” Chumin assured him gently. “How astounding for you, to have one for a friend.”
“Yeah.” Tibo sipped and stole a glance at his sleeping lover. “Weird luck, I guess. Always had weird luck.”
“Certain goblins do. It’s not luck, Tiborishandelac. You are more powerful than you know, and you tap instinctively into ancient goblin magic few remember. You...influence events. You wish for outcomes very strongly. It serves you well, having a powerful family like Rolly’s to call on, and precisely the friends you need when you need them.”
“I don’t…” Tibo shook his head. “I know what it feels like when I reach for magic. I do it all the time in concert. But except for throwing emotions, and metal finding, I don’t ever feel it.”
Chumin nodded, staring out the window. “You are rare. Long ago, goblins knew better how to channel a more subtle magic. To influence. To make luck. We lost the ability through years of slavery and forced transportation, lost the ties with elders who would have taught us, lost the will to try. The natural ability crops up from time to time, but few understand what it is. I tell you this because I could teach you many things.”
“I don’t...Ser...Chumin, I came to do one thing and go home.” Tibo heaved a long, shaky breath. “I got...I have a life to get back to. But I’m kinda amazed that you would want to, you know, teach gutter trash.”
Chumin’s laugh held a bitter edge. “You are my kin. Distant, yes. But my kin could never be gutter trash. I was as you once were, my dear. Alone and far too young, frightened and starving. I fought my way from the slums of Sevilla, as you did in Philadelphia. I know your struggles. I know the pain you hold so close.”
“I’d like...I mean...it would be great to stay in touch. Have a mentor.” Tibo stared at his own boots scuffing the carpet.
“So you shall, if you still wish it after you return home.” Chumin stopped to pour himself more tea. “It’s my understanding that you are here because of complications with the new portal technology.”
“Yeah. Complications.” Tibo lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “That’s one way to say it. I just don’t understand the whole thing. I mean, something that would make travel easier, faster? That’s a good thing. I don’t know why it would get people killed.”
“You think of it in personal terms, my dear. But you must think on a larger scale. Any radically new technology is dangerous. Some are more dangerous than others. The possibility of portals as a commercially viable option would set off a panic in global markets. There are entire industries that would see their livelihoods threatened. Think about the dragon guilds and all the people who support them—the feedstock farmers, the saddle makers, the transport hardware manufacturers, the dragon riders themselves, the specialized veterinarians, the ground support, the makers of hangar and nest technology, the many people employed by dragonports--all of these jobs at risk, all of these lives in the balance.”
“Yeah, but there’s no way portals could replace dragons, right? I don’t understand any of that high-brow magical theory, but you could only make them so big?”
“They are, from what I understand, still highly experimental.” Chumin leaned back in his chair, regarding Tibo carefully. “Size is irrelevant. What they actually could or could not replace in the long run is as well. If they were publicized, markets would go into a frenzy. The global economy is a delicately balanced construct, my dear. Something like this could well cause key pieces of it to collapse. Economies in collapse lead to riots, overthrown governments, wars.”
“Oh.” Tibo sipped again, wishing Rolly were awake. He understood all this kind of crap. “I guess that’s why people are willing to kill for it, huh?”
“It is one of the larger reasons. Factions within factions. And some splinters more dangerous than others.”
“Okay, so.” Tibo leaned back in his chair as well, tired and overwhelmed. “What do we do about it?”
“Hush, hush, peace, Tiborishandelac. He was past his limit. I’ve merely helped him sleep.”
“Sleep?” Tibo swallowed hard against the anguished wail that wanted out.
“Yes. He needs to rest, my dear. Put him over on the chaise, if you like.” Chumin indicated the long piece of furniture on the wall opposite the window. It looked like a thing they used to call a fainting couch, but it was long enough for Rolly. “There are blankets in the chest there. I often sleep here myself when I’ve not the energy to brave the stairs in the evening.”
Still shaking, Tibo took Rolly under the arms and half-carried, half-dragged him over, huffing and grunting as he got Rolly’s long limbs up on the chaise. There were a selection of blankets in the cedar chest, as promised, and Tibo picked one of soft angora in a dark green. It was a stupid thing to worry about but he didn’t want it clashing with Rolly’s hair.
Tibo lingered a moment to brush the hair back from Rolly’s eyes. He was breathing fine and he looked so peaceful. Okay, fine. Elders do usually know best.
“Thank you,” he murmured as he returned to his chair.
“De nada, my dear. This does give us a chance to speak amongst ourselves, though. Goblin to goblin.”
“Yes, sir.” Tibo picked his own teacup up again, sniffing the contents, though he didn’t feel off or dizzy.
“It was only for the McFarland,” Chumin assured him gently. “How astounding for you, to have one for a friend.”
“Yeah.” Tibo sipped and stole a glance at his sleeping lover. “Weird luck, I guess. Always had weird luck.”
“Certain goblins do. It’s not luck, Tiborishandelac. You are more powerful than you know, and you tap instinctively into ancient goblin magic few remember. You...influence events. You wish for outcomes very strongly. It serves you well, having a powerful family like Rolly’s to call on, and precisely the friends you need when you need them.”
“I don’t…” Tibo shook his head. “I know what it feels like when I reach for magic. I do it all the time in concert. But except for throwing emotions, and metal finding, I don’t ever feel it.”
Chumin nodded, staring out the window. “You are rare. Long ago, goblins knew better how to channel a more subtle magic. To influence. To make luck. We lost the ability through years of slavery and forced transportation, lost the ties with elders who would have taught us, lost the will to try. The natural ability crops up from time to time, but few understand what it is. I tell you this because I could teach you many things.”
“I don’t...Ser...Chumin, I came to do one thing and go home.” Tibo heaved a long, shaky breath. “I got...I have a life to get back to. But I’m kinda amazed that you would want to, you know, teach gutter trash.”
Chumin’s laugh held a bitter edge. “You are my kin. Distant, yes. But my kin could never be gutter trash. I was as you once were, my dear. Alone and far too young, frightened and starving. I fought my way from the slums of Sevilla, as you did in Philadelphia. I know your struggles. I know the pain you hold so close.”
“I’d like...I mean...it would be great to stay in touch. Have a mentor.” Tibo stared at his own boots scuffing the carpet.
“So you shall, if you still wish it after you return home.” Chumin stopped to pour himself more tea. “It’s my understanding that you are here because of complications with the new portal technology.”
“Yeah. Complications.” Tibo lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “That’s one way to say it. I just don’t understand the whole thing. I mean, something that would make travel easier, faster? That’s a good thing. I don’t know why it would get people killed.”
“You think of it in personal terms, my dear. But you must think on a larger scale. Any radically new technology is dangerous. Some are more dangerous than others. The possibility of portals as a commercially viable option would set off a panic in global markets. There are entire industries that would see their livelihoods threatened. Think about the dragon guilds and all the people who support them—the feedstock farmers, the saddle makers, the transport hardware manufacturers, the dragon riders themselves, the specialized veterinarians, the ground support, the makers of hangar and nest technology, the many people employed by dragonports--all of these jobs at risk, all of these lives in the balance.”
“Yeah, but there’s no way portals could replace dragons, right? I don’t understand any of that high-brow magical theory, but you could only make them so big?”
“They are, from what I understand, still highly experimental.” Chumin leaned back in his chair, regarding Tibo carefully. “Size is irrelevant. What they actually could or could not replace in the long run is as well. If they were publicized, markets would go into a frenzy. The global economy is a delicately balanced construct, my dear. Something like this could well cause key pieces of it to collapse. Economies in collapse lead to riots, overthrown governments, wars.”
“Oh.” Tibo sipped again, wishing Rolly were awake. He understood all this kind of crap. “I guess that’s why people are willing to kill for it, huh?”
“It is one of the larger reasons. Factions within factions. And some splinters more dangerous than others.”
“Okay, so.” Tibo leaned back in his chair as well, tired and overwhelmed. “What do we do about it?”
Chapter Thirty: Nootau
Storming the Castle
 Edwige - who's in a bad place right now |  Nootau - who's in a worse place |  Aegeus - who probably wishes they'd all stayed in bed |
The hospital floor in M-Wing had everything a doctor or Healer could hope for. Top of the line facilities. Edwige hated they had to use any of them, though she wondered briefly about the fact Schloss Rotlicht had state of the art facilities. Akemi said they ran their own research so if Edwige put her money on them not wanting to raise suspicions, then their own hospital made sense.
The knights stood guard outside the OR. Orderlies and nurses swept in and out with equipment. Edwige stood vigil by Aegeus' side.
Voices echoed in the OR as Edwige tried to concentrate on pulling on the energy to keep the wound from opening farther, and to keep what she could from bleeding out. The bullets made it hard to heal. She didn't want to do any unintentional damage.
"We need more O negative!" the medic shouted.
"Wo ist Dr. Stamenov?"
"Er ist auf dem Weg!"
"Entschuldigen Sie, bitte." A firm hand came down on Edwige's arm.
She looked up to the serious face of a nurse. A blue surgical mask already in place. Stern brown eyes judging Edwige.
"Wir müssen dich beiseite legen."
"I can't leave him. I'm a Healer. If I take my hands off, he will bleed out."
All Edwige got was a nod of acknowledgement as the nurse went to a tray and started arranging the scalpels, needles, sutures and the like. More nurses came in, setting up the blood, pushing drugs into his port, taking his blood pressure, and placing leads. An anesthesiologist came in with the surgeon, both talking rapidly.
Both doctors eyed Edwige as they got to the table.
"Healer. Wife," she said by way of explanation.
They nodded then began immediately ordering the nurses about. The room fell into a rhythm speaking of familiarity and calm. The hospital blue came out, covering her love. A part of her feared it would be the last time she saw his beautiful body—bloodied and grey. But the humans and Beings were trying to save her husband and moved with purpose, switching to English now and again to get Edwige situated where she could best help them.
The warmth in her hands as she pulled from the dark spaces gave Edwige hope everything would be all right. If Aegeus died, she wouldn't know what to do without him. She was already losing Nootau, and to lose her love? Edwige's breath caught.
The OR team paused, looking at her with sympathetic eyes.
"It's all right," she said. "Please, keep working."
They had multiple gunshots to fix after all. Her hands were keeping the worst under control until they could get Aegeus stabilized.
"Really," she said again.
They nodded and went back to work.
"I have my third to find, after all."
A bark of laughter came from the other side of the doors. A familiar one. Seemed their banshee friend kept watch over them. Maybe he'd be up for some hunting later on.
* * * * *
The guard had woken up screaming when Nootau used his guka to claim the skin share. Luckily he also passed out again. Nootau rolled him onto his side. It would hurt, but he hoped it would slow the bleeding a little. He only needed to be the man long enough to get into the lab, get Dario, and kill the bastard.
As Nootau placed the skin share the blood seemed to leap toward his skin, like it was eager to connect. He shook his head, squinting.
Oh, but it does want you. Wants everything.
The moment the skin touched his hip everything went sideways.
Pain flowed from the skin share, rippling across his body. A slime covered every inch of his chest, down his legs, up to his neck, and inside his mouth. Breathing hurt, like he was drowning. His bones cracked, joints popped, and his muscles stretched.
It was when the facial bones changed Nootau fell to the floor. "Ah!"
A sludge, thick, dark, and sticky settled over him. Screams, maybe his, echoed in Nootau's mind. Muffled by a cold wind. His voice trapped forever in a cold expanse that was once his soul.
Once Nootau stood again, pain held him tenderly, choked him. Each step thudded with an inordinate amount of weight. Words, thoughts, waded slowly through his mind. Unadulterated glee also hummed within him.
No, not within Nootau. Something with him rejoiced, but not him.
Getting dressed was cumbersome. His fingers didn't work the way he thought they should. The boots were a nightmare. Nootau checked on the guard. Still passed out.
Small graces.
It took a minute to open the door, but Nootau managed. Anticipation must've made it hard to grab the lever. Yes. Anticipation. That's what drove him. To have his hands around the neck of the man responsible for Ahanu's death.
The hall was nothing like the chaos downstairs. No one hurried, had weapons out, or gave Nootau a second glance. To him, each steps rang down the hall, announced who he really was.
Soul stealer.
Faker.
Walker.
The body moved, but in an alien way to Nootau, like a marionette dancing with each pull of the strings.
Dead man.
A dead man with a mask.
The door for the lab was only ten steps away. How glorious would it be to see Dario's face as his last breath came? That something rejoiced within him.
Nine.
No, the skin just fits the man.
Eight.
Glory in death!
Seven.
Just a snap of the neck.
Six.
Another guard nodded and waved to Nootau.
Five.
A smile formed on his lips. All he had to do was reach out. Death had come to the aerospace lab.
Four.
And it's name was Nootau.
Three.
Ahanu will have his revenge.
Two.
And it will be at your hands. Your soul, walker, will blacken. It will match your heart.
One.
Nootau pressed his hand to the scanner then pressed his head against the eye scan. The locks unclicked.
That something inside Nootau, the one calling for blood, sang. A smile formed on his lips, and a giddy chuckle escaped them.
The knights stood guard outside the OR. Orderlies and nurses swept in and out with equipment. Edwige stood vigil by Aegeus' side.
Voices echoed in the OR as Edwige tried to concentrate on pulling on the energy to keep the wound from opening farther, and to keep what she could from bleeding out. The bullets made it hard to heal. She didn't want to do any unintentional damage.
"We need more O negative!" the medic shouted.
"Wo ist Dr. Stamenov?"
"Er ist auf dem Weg!"
"Entschuldigen Sie, bitte." A firm hand came down on Edwige's arm.
She looked up to the serious face of a nurse. A blue surgical mask already in place. Stern brown eyes judging Edwige.
"Wir müssen dich beiseite legen."
"I can't leave him. I'm a Healer. If I take my hands off, he will bleed out."
All Edwige got was a nod of acknowledgement as the nurse went to a tray and started arranging the scalpels, needles, sutures and the like. More nurses came in, setting up the blood, pushing drugs into his port, taking his blood pressure, and placing leads. An anesthesiologist came in with the surgeon, both talking rapidly.
Both doctors eyed Edwige as they got to the table.
"Healer. Wife," she said by way of explanation.
They nodded then began immediately ordering the nurses about. The room fell into a rhythm speaking of familiarity and calm. The hospital blue came out, covering her love. A part of her feared it would be the last time she saw his beautiful body—bloodied and grey. But the humans and Beings were trying to save her husband and moved with purpose, switching to English now and again to get Edwige situated where she could best help them.
The warmth in her hands as she pulled from the dark spaces gave Edwige hope everything would be all right. If Aegeus died, she wouldn't know what to do without him. She was already losing Nootau, and to lose her love? Edwige's breath caught.
The OR team paused, looking at her with sympathetic eyes.
"It's all right," she said. "Please, keep working."
They had multiple gunshots to fix after all. Her hands were keeping the worst under control until they could get Aegeus stabilized.
"Really," she said again.
They nodded and went back to work.
"I have my third to find, after all."
A bark of laughter came from the other side of the doors. A familiar one. Seemed their banshee friend kept watch over them. Maybe he'd be up for some hunting later on.
* * * * *
The guard had woken up screaming when Nootau used his guka to claim the skin share. Luckily he also passed out again. Nootau rolled him onto his side. It would hurt, but he hoped it would slow the bleeding a little. He only needed to be the man long enough to get into the lab, get Dario, and kill the bastard.
As Nootau placed the skin share the blood seemed to leap toward his skin, like it was eager to connect. He shook his head, squinting.
Oh, but it does want you. Wants everything.
The moment the skin touched his hip everything went sideways.
Pain flowed from the skin share, rippling across his body. A slime covered every inch of his chest, down his legs, up to his neck, and inside his mouth. Breathing hurt, like he was drowning. His bones cracked, joints popped, and his muscles stretched.
It was when the facial bones changed Nootau fell to the floor. "Ah!"
A sludge, thick, dark, and sticky settled over him. Screams, maybe his, echoed in Nootau's mind. Muffled by a cold wind. His voice trapped forever in a cold expanse that was once his soul.
Once Nootau stood again, pain held him tenderly, choked him. Each step thudded with an inordinate amount of weight. Words, thoughts, waded slowly through his mind. Unadulterated glee also hummed within him.
No, not within Nootau. Something with him rejoiced, but not him.
Getting dressed was cumbersome. His fingers didn't work the way he thought they should. The boots were a nightmare. Nootau checked on the guard. Still passed out.
Small graces.
It took a minute to open the door, but Nootau managed. Anticipation must've made it hard to grab the lever. Yes. Anticipation. That's what drove him. To have his hands around the neck of the man responsible for Ahanu's death.
The hall was nothing like the chaos downstairs. No one hurried, had weapons out, or gave Nootau a second glance. To him, each steps rang down the hall, announced who he really was.
Soul stealer.
Faker.
Walker.
The body moved, but in an alien way to Nootau, like a marionette dancing with each pull of the strings.
Dead man.
A dead man with a mask.
The door for the lab was only ten steps away. How glorious would it be to see Dario's face as his last breath came? That something rejoiced within him.
Nine.
No, the skin just fits the man.
Eight.
Glory in death!
Seven.
Just a snap of the neck.
Six.
Another guard nodded and waved to Nootau.
Five.
A smile formed on his lips. All he had to do was reach out. Death had come to the aerospace lab.
Four.
And it's name was Nootau.
Three.
Ahanu will have his revenge.
Two.
And it will be at your hands. Your soul, walker, will blacken. It will match your heart.
One.
Nootau pressed his hand to the scanner then pressed his head against the eye scan. The locks unclicked.
That something inside Nootau, the one calling for blood, sang. A smile formed on his lips, and a giddy chuckle escaped them.
Chapter Thirty: Ashe
A Quick Grope in the Dark
 Akemi & Jariah |  Ashe |  Jaxx |
Jaxx held on to Ashe for dear life as they swooped together over the intervening space between the lab and the trees. He’d flown with Ashe before, but under much more romantic circumstances, not with the threat of imminent death hanging over them.
It took less than a minute. He only hoped the Rubrum Lux people were too busy with their internecine battle to notice.
The wind whipped past them, and Ashe’s wings increased the turbulence, but their flames warmed Jaxx with each flap, taking away some of the chill of the air.
Jaxx was relieved when they reached solid ground at the edge of the trees. He dropped off of Ashe’s back as his phoenix’s flaming wings snuffed out and disappeared into his back.
Ashe pulled on his shirt, and drew him into the shadows under the spruce trees.
Jaxx glanced back at the castle and the lab, hoping no one had taken notice of their fight. As he watched, a part of one of the building walls exploded outward in a hail of concrete with a horrible sound. A banshee yell?
Yes, they were busy over there.
“You feel better now?” Ashe’s face had taken on more of a healthy pallor.
Ashe nodded. “It was good to fly, even just for a short distance. And I can breathe again, out here.” Ashe took his hand and pulled him under the canopy.
Jaxx followed Ashe through the shade of the trees. The strip of forest was no more than a few hundred feet wide and maybe three times that long—just enough to hide them while they figured out their next move.
Needles crunched underfoot and the air was even colder here away from the sun—Jaxx’s breaths came out in little clouds. He shivered and wished he had brought warmer clothing, but who knew they’d be forced to flee Akemi’s little investigation?
Jaxx stared at the back of Ashe’s head, wondering once again what was going on inside there. Ashe had run the gauntlet this last week, facing up to his father’s legacy made flesh in his own actions, and confronting his mother’s death once again.
On top of all that, Jaxx could only begin to imagine what burning two people alive was doing to him inside.
The trees opened up before them, and there were the cold azure waters of Lake Türlersee. The sky above was a chalk-blue, with thin, high cirrus clouds scooting across the horizon. A breeze blew off the lake, making him shiver once again.
They found a sheltered place not far from the lake’s edge, tucked away under the trunk of an old fallen tree. They were all but invisible from most directions.
Jaxx followed Ashe, ducking under the tree and wedging himself in facing his guy.
His lover wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“Hey!” Jaxx said more sharply than he intended.
Ashe looked up at him, his eyes haunted.
“Listen to me.” He’d been around Ashe long enough to know the man’s moods, and this one—self pity—didn’t suit him at all. Jaxx needed to break him out of it if they were going to get through this thing together. “You did what you had to back there. We were attacked. They would have killed us both if you hadn’t acted.”
Ashe took a deep breath. “I can still smell her burning flesh.”
“I can too.” If he closed his eyes, he could see the woman’s look of horror. “But Ashe… look at me.” Jaxx took Ashe’s chin in his hands and turned the man’s face toward him once again. “You saved my life. You’re not your father—you were acting in self defense. You saved me.” He pulled Ashe in for a kiss, needing the simple human contact.
Ashe responded, passionately, pulling him closer, his hands going around Jaxx’s back, his lips hungrily tasting Jaxx’s.
Jaxx felt his body responding. His skin was hot, and he felt the desire rising…
Until he realized Ashe was laughing. And not just laughing. Rumbling, really, a big belly laugh from deep inside.
“What the hell?” he asked, pushing Ashe away. “Is there something funny about the way I kiss?”
Ashe was almost in tears with laughter. “No. It’s just… you know in bad romance novels? When things go off the rails? The werewolf, or psychotic boss, or spurned ex lover is hot on their trail. And then the happy but harried couple stops for a quick grope in the dark, while they’re right in the middle of chased by the bad guys?”
Jaxx nodded. Then he grinned, and blushed. “Yeah. Point taken. Keep on task.”
Ashe nodded, trying to keep a straight face. “Probably for the best.” Then he smiled, a genuine one. “Thanks for that. I needed it. You kiss really well. I’ve told you that before.”
Jaxx adjusted his jeans. Ashe’s lascivious grin wasn’t helping matters one bit. “So what do we do next?” Jaxx’s cheeks still felt hot. From embarrassment. Yeah, that was it.
Ashe’s smile faded. “I think we should run. Seriously. Get as far away from this place and these people as possible.”
“But your father…”
“They almost killed you. I almost lost you. You don’t know what that does to me inside. I already lost both my parents, Jaxx. Having the same thing happen to you… it might kill me.”
Jaxx shook his head vehemently. “That’s a terrible idea. I know you, Ashe. Leaving now would kill you too. It would just take longer, as you wondered every day if you had almost found the truth—if you’d gotten this close and walked away.”
Ashe scowled. “What are we going to do here? We don’t even know who we’re looking for.”
“Maybe we do. What about your mother’s list? The people in the flash drive file?”
Ashe frowned. “There were five of them. How will we find them in time? How will we know which one, or ones, are the ones who killed my parents?” His shoulders sagged. “This place is huge, and we have no idea where they are. Or if they’re even here.”
Jaxx grinned. “I can probably help with the first part.” He opened his pack and pulled out the pilfered laptop he’d taken from the empty office. “Let’s see. Maybe they have campus-wide wifi. Searching… dammit. I doesn’t reach this far.” He scratched his chin. “Maybe there’s something on this laptop. A directory… something?”
“Do you really think we could end this today?” Ashe sounded hopeful.
It was a good sign.
“Maybe? Crap. This laptop’s useless.” Jaxx shoved it back into his bag. At least he still had the flash drive.
He took it out of his pocket.
It was glowing.
“Ashe, look.” He held up the flash drive. The dandelion on the side was shining.
“Can I see?”
He handed it to Ashe.
Ashe stared at it, transfixed. “‘I left a dandelion for my little bird. Keep it with you and it will guide you to the truth.’”
“What?”
“It’s what my mother said to me, in that file.” He moved it around. The glow grew and faded. “It’s strongest when it’s pointed at the castle.” His eyes lit up. “This will show us the way.” He closed his eyes and whispered “Thanks, ‘Mita.”
Jaxx squeezed his hand. At least they had a place to start.
Chapter Thirty: Mal
Through the Halls
 Malcolm Demir - Dragon Ranger and sometimes cocky bastard |  Nidhogg the Blue Diver and his Mal |  Kaden, our sweet werewolf :) |
"Keep a close eye on the guards," Mal whispered to Kaden before they headed off.
"I have your knife if I think one of them looks like he's going to betray us."
Mal nodded. He really didn't like the thought of Kaden having to use his knife, but he liked the thought of a bullet in the back of his head even less.
They had three guards and three medical personnel with them. Mal didn't really trust anyone but their friends after the events of the last week. They formed up, Mal and one of the guards in the lead, Kaden and a second guard behind them, then the medics with Aegeus and Edwige and a final guard at the rear.
The snail’s pace was chafing at Mal. They were unfortunately in a catch twenty-two situation. They needed to get Aegeus to the OR as quickly as possible or risk him bleeding out. However, they couldn't travel very fast as he was being carried on the stretcher, and any unnecessary jolts could cause him more damage. Plus there was the fact that Edwige was having to travel alongside Aegeus, hands pressed against his wounds trying to slow the bleeding.
Mal had picked up another gun from a fallen guard, he checked the clip and wasn't happy with the number of bullets left, but something was better than nothing.
The sounds of fighting could be heard in the distance in other wings of the castle.
Their party was too large for any kind of stealth mission, they also had to make their way through just about the entire castle to get to the lift that would take them down to M-Wing.
Mal could hear Edwige talking softly behind him to Aegeus. The pain in her voice just about broke Mal's heart.
The guards remained silent and on alert as they traveled through the richly decorated passages. The occasional gun shot in the distance breaking their silence. They'd so far passed three dead bodies. After a heated exchange between one of the guards and one of the medics in German, that Mal didn't have a hope in hell of understanding, they paused while the medic checked for a pulse on each body.
It didn't take them long, and they were soon moving again. They came to a curve in the passage. Mal and the guard, who he hadn't been introduced to, cautiously checked around the corner to see if the coast was clear.
The sound of a gunshot and the guard collapsing beside him had Mal pulling back immediately.
Fuck! He cursed silently.
Shocked gasps and an outcry from one of the younger looking medics had Mal turning to the assembled group. He lifted his finger to his mouth in the international sign of shut the fuck up now.
Thankfully everyone quieted down.
Mal quickly checked the pulse of the guard, but he wasn't hopeful. The bullet had entered right through the heart. Mal said a silent prayer that he and his friends would all make it out of this hell hole alive, he carefully closed the guard’s eyes, then took the man's guns and any extra ammo he found.
One of the guards looked like he was about to take exception to Mal taking the weapons. Mal turned to him and hissed quietly. "You want to stick your head around the corner and disable the shooter?"
The guard must have understood enough English to know what Mal had said as his face went a little paler and he shook his head emphatically.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
Mal didn't glance at Kaden, not wanting to see the worry he knew would be plastered all over the wolf's face.
Mal checked his weapon, made sure it was ready to fire, then slowly and cautiously peeked around the corner. He spotted his targets twenty meters down the passage on the left. They were hunkered down behind an old couch which had been pulled out from its normal resting place against the wall.
The antique looking couch had solid wooden legs, leaving a good thirty centimeters of clearance from the ground to the bottom of the couch Mal took aim at the feet he could see and fired.
Sharp cries of pain were followed by the men falling to the side into the open, grabbing at their feet. Mal didn't waste any time, in quick succession he fired on the men and put them down. He didn't have time to waste.
"Wait here until I give the all clear," he told the men behind him.
Cautiously he stepped out from behind the wall, gun still held at the ready. When no bullets came his way Mal quickly made his way down the passage to the downed men. He kicked their weapons out of reach then checked their bodies. They were both dead.
Mal did a quick sweep of the rest of the area then called the all clear.
He waited for the others to catch up then they continued on.
Mal only knew this place vaguely, not enough to get them where they needed to go quickly, so the guard who had been with Kaden stepped up to point them in the right direction.
"How much further?" Edwige asked sometime later, her voice clearly showed the strain she was under, and the worry she held for her husband.
"The elevators are just up there," the guard replied and pointed.
"Thank god," she sighed.
Mal had to agree with her.
They were nearly to the elevators when half a dozen people stepped around the corner from a side passage.
Guns were drawn and pointed at the newcomers, people from both sides were yelling, Mal couldn’t understand what.
It took him a minute to realise one of the people was Akemi.
"What the hell, Akemi?" Mal didn't lower his weapon, not after what’d happened. He wanted to believe he could trust Akemi, but he was just a little too sceptical for his own good.
"Lower your weapons," Akemi told her guards.
"But Ma'am…" one of the guards protested.
"I said lower them, now! Akemi said, her voice sharp as a whip.
Her guards lowered their weapons. Once they did Mal gave the order for their guards to follow as well. He lowered his gun.
"Mal, I need to get Aegeus to the OR, or he's not going to make it," Edwige said a quiver in her voice.
Akemi spoke rapidly to her men and two of them broke off and headed to the elevator.
"My men will accompany you to see you are not harmed again," Akemi said.
"Thank you, both of you," Edwige said.
"Be safe, Edwige, I hope Aegeus pulls through," Kaden said as he stepped up beside Mal.
"He will, I won't have it any other way." She tried to smile, but Mal could tell it was forced. The medics and guards raced passed them to the lift the guards were holding for them.
When the shiny metal doors slid silently closed Mal turned back to Akemi.
"What the hell happened?" he asked. Kaden took Mal's free hand and squeezed it gently, reminding Mal he needed to calm the hell down.
"We were betrayed," Akemi said succinctly.
"No shit Sherlock. There are dead people from here to fucking Timbuktu." Mal squeezed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Who betrayed us?" he asked.
"I'm working on that."
"You mean you don't know?" Mal growled.
One of the guards beside Akemi twitched, like he wanted to go for his weapon. Mal stared at the man and raised an eyebrow, daring the guard to pull his gun.
Akemi grinned at Mal. "You really would make an amazing addition to our ranks, you sure I can't convince you to join us?"
Kaden growled beside him and Mal had trouble holding back his own grin.
"I like the quiet life of a ranger, thank you."
"You have a strange definition of a quiet life, Malcolm." Akemi assured him. "Have you seen any of the others?"
"We saw Roly and Tibo round a corner heading in the direction of the castle. We haven't seen, Ashe or Jaxx, and Nootau disappeared sometime during all the gunfire. We were a little busy with trying not to get shot," Mal told her.
"I see you weren't very successful at that." Akemi motioned to his arm, which was still wrapped with a piece of Kaden's shirt.
"It's nothing that can't wait, I've certainly had worse in my life. The fact it fucked up my leathers is more upsetting to me."
Akemi laughed. “Of course, it is.”
The sound of footsteps down the passage let them know they were going to have company shortly.
"We must go, I have people to find before this turns into a full-blown war."
"Look around you, it's already war," Mal said.
"You might just be right," Akemi motioned to her guards and turned to leave. She took two steps then turned back to Mal.
"The quarry you seek can be found in the Administrator offices above the library on the third floor. Take care Malcom as she has one hell of a temper and won't come quietly." She then turned and disappeared down the passage at a run, her remaining guards surrounding her.
"You okay?" Kaden asked.
"Yep, I can finally see the end of this, you sure you want to come along? Mal asked.
"I've come this far, not about to abandon you now." Kaden leaned up and placed a fast hard kiss to Mal's lisps. "Let's go before we're used for target practice again."
They took off down the passage Akemi and her guards had come from. Thankfully they were on the right side of the castle, they just needed to find their way up, so Mal could finally get a chance to confront the person who ordered his sister's death.
Chapter Thirty: Tibo
Herr Verwalter
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Rolly blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dim interior of the tower. The bottom floor appeared to be one large round room, the circular walls broken here and there by cabinets and closets. Stone steps spiraled up toward the next floor. A monitoring station, unmanned, sat to the right side of the door. While the room appeared to serve multiple functions--for meetings, briefings, security, and possibly a small kitchen staff-- at the moment it was completely deserted.
“So do we do the too-stupid-to-live horror movie thing and yell hello or some shit?” Tibo whispered, crowding close.
Rolly shook his head, examining the monitoring station. Screens, keypads, switches and toggles--he didn’t know what the fecking hells any of it was. There was an intercom above the desk with several buttons, one of them labeled Herr Verwalter.
“That’s administrator.” Rolly pointed. “Probably our Mr. Delgavelac.”
Just as Tibo opened his mouth to answer, the intercom crackled to life.
“Come upstairs, boys,” a soft, ancient voice spoke through the plate. The accent was that of someone international, a goblin who had lived so many places that his origin was difficult to pinpoint. “Up to the top. I would come to greet you but there are only so many times a day these ancient knees will manage those steps.”
“Ser Delgavelac?” Tibo craned his neck to speak to the intercom high on the wall. “Are we safe here?”
There was a moment of silence so long, Rolly thought their host had switched off the intercom.
Then, “Safety is a relative thing, my boy. We are far safer than those poor darlings shooting outside. Come up, come up. We have things to talk about.”
Tibo shrugged and took Rolly’s hand. They climbed.
The second floor appeared to be a workspace with desks and computers dotting the room, but again, it was unpopulated. The only exterior light came from ancient arrow-slit windows and the few desk lights still burning here and there gave the space an eerie feel as if there had been occupants that some eldritch and terrible thing had swallowed up. The third floor was broken into smaller rooms with doors, so these must have been the domain of higher level employees. All the doors were open. All the offices empty.
At the top of the stairs, their way was blocked by a massive iron-bound wooden door. Tibo lifted his hand to knock just as the door opened with an ominous creak and some huffing and puffing.
The huffing came from a bent and wrinkled ancient goblin as he tried to wrestle the door open. He smiled and tapped his griffin-handled cane against the wood. “That gets more difficult every year. Come in, boys, come in. I’ve just made tea. You look like you’ve been through a war zone. Heh. I suppose you have.”
“Ser Delgavelac?” Tibo hesitated, shifting from foot to foot, his voice softer and more respectful than Rolly had ever heard.
“Chumin,” the elder goblin said as he clomped back into the room, leaning heavily on his cane. “Call me Chumin.”
“Yes, sir.” Rolly nudged Tibo into the room. “Should we close the door again?”
“If you would, Rolly. That would be very kind of you.” Chumin bustled about at an ornate, baroque-style side board with the makings of tea. “We are, to answer young Tiborishandelac’s question, as safe as we can be right now. There are many things that have simmered under the surface for too long. You see the result.”
The room in which they found themselves was richly appointed in dark wood and expensive fabrics. Rolly’s boots sank into the deep red carpet and he gratefully collapsed into one of the overstuffed armchairs in front of the mahogany desk large enough for hedgehogs to hold a hockey game.
Up here, there was an actual window, a bow window set into the curve of the tower with a cushioned seat. A book lay open on the velvet as if it had just been abandoned, though the view would have posed a distraction to any reader. The lake stretched out before them with its dark woods, a beautiful picturesque sight.
“This is lovely, sir,” Rolly ventured as he motioned for Tibo to sit. “You’re certain we’re not endangering you? Everyone seems to have deserted.”
Chumin nodded and hummed a bit as he set everything on a tray with meticulous patience. “There are plans in place for emergencies. My staff has been evacuated. Procedures, you know. I stay here because I am a stubborn old spider in my nest and the keep has stood this long. It will stand a little longer.”
Tibo leaped up to take the fully laden tray, still mute and wide-eyed, and unaccountably polite.
“Thank you, Tiborishandelac. Such a good boy.” Chumin waved a hand at the desk to indicate where the tray should go and stumped over with his cane to take the leather chair behind the desk, one suited to his size and frame rather than some overbearing enormous thing that would have swallowed him whole. “Also very quiet.”
Rolly chuckled and took the offered tea, which smelled heavenly. He hadn’t realized how thirsty he was and how much his throat hurt. “He isn’t normally, sir.”
“I just--” Tibo shot him an exasperated, pleading look. “I’ve never met a goblin so old before.”
Chumin laughed, a dry, kekking sound, while he took his own cup and a dainty little golden cake. “I do forget how refreshingly honest American goblins can be. I can hardly deny it though. I am very old and have survived everyone I knew when I was your age.”
There was something in the way he said it… Rolly shook his head, not up to shades of meaning.
“So. Tell me what happened that has you running to me. I know in general, of course. You were here to be debriefed, to make your statements, and opposing factions used it as an opportunity to strike and try to gain all for themselves. But if you are here, Akemi has lost control. At least temporarily. Tell me.”
They sipped tea and ate tiny, perfect cakes while they told the Administrator of Transportation what had occurred underground and Pel’s admonition of where to run. By some silent agreement, they didn’t tell everything, just stuck to what had actually happened in the room and their flight afterward.
“I think the whole kerfuffle took more out of me than I thought.” Rolly put his teacup on the desk and ran a hand over his face. “I’m absolutely knackered.”
“Quite all right, my dear,” Chumin said, watching him closely. “You’re more than welcome to take a little nap.”
The room pitched and spun under Rolly. He gripped the arm of the chair, trying to get up. “What did you do, you dried up little bugger?” he wheezed out before Chumin’s calm, smiling face spiraled away into the dark and he felt himself falling.
“So do we do the too-stupid-to-live horror movie thing and yell hello or some shit?” Tibo whispered, crowding close.
Rolly shook his head, examining the monitoring station. Screens, keypads, switches and toggles--he didn’t know what the fecking hells any of it was. There was an intercom above the desk with several buttons, one of them labeled Herr Verwalter.
“That’s administrator.” Rolly pointed. “Probably our Mr. Delgavelac.”
Just as Tibo opened his mouth to answer, the intercom crackled to life.
“Come upstairs, boys,” a soft, ancient voice spoke through the plate. The accent was that of someone international, a goblin who had lived so many places that his origin was difficult to pinpoint. “Up to the top. I would come to greet you but there are only so many times a day these ancient knees will manage those steps.”
“Ser Delgavelac?” Tibo craned his neck to speak to the intercom high on the wall. “Are we safe here?”
There was a moment of silence so long, Rolly thought their host had switched off the intercom.
Then, “Safety is a relative thing, my boy. We are far safer than those poor darlings shooting outside. Come up, come up. We have things to talk about.”
Tibo shrugged and took Rolly’s hand. They climbed.
The second floor appeared to be a workspace with desks and computers dotting the room, but again, it was unpopulated. The only exterior light came from ancient arrow-slit windows and the few desk lights still burning here and there gave the space an eerie feel as if there had been occupants that some eldritch and terrible thing had swallowed up. The third floor was broken into smaller rooms with doors, so these must have been the domain of higher level employees. All the doors were open. All the offices empty.
At the top of the stairs, their way was blocked by a massive iron-bound wooden door. Tibo lifted his hand to knock just as the door opened with an ominous creak and some huffing and puffing.
The huffing came from a bent and wrinkled ancient goblin as he tried to wrestle the door open. He smiled and tapped his griffin-handled cane against the wood. “That gets more difficult every year. Come in, boys, come in. I’ve just made tea. You look like you’ve been through a war zone. Heh. I suppose you have.”
“Ser Delgavelac?” Tibo hesitated, shifting from foot to foot, his voice softer and more respectful than Rolly had ever heard.
“Chumin,” the elder goblin said as he clomped back into the room, leaning heavily on his cane. “Call me Chumin.”
“Yes, sir.” Rolly nudged Tibo into the room. “Should we close the door again?”
“If you would, Rolly. That would be very kind of you.” Chumin bustled about at an ornate, baroque-style side board with the makings of tea. “We are, to answer young Tiborishandelac’s question, as safe as we can be right now. There are many things that have simmered under the surface for too long. You see the result.”
The room in which they found themselves was richly appointed in dark wood and expensive fabrics. Rolly’s boots sank into the deep red carpet and he gratefully collapsed into one of the overstuffed armchairs in front of the mahogany desk large enough for hedgehogs to hold a hockey game.
Up here, there was an actual window, a bow window set into the curve of the tower with a cushioned seat. A book lay open on the velvet as if it had just been abandoned, though the view would have posed a distraction to any reader. The lake stretched out before them with its dark woods, a beautiful picturesque sight.
“This is lovely, sir,” Rolly ventured as he motioned for Tibo to sit. “You’re certain we’re not endangering you? Everyone seems to have deserted.”
Chumin nodded and hummed a bit as he set everything on a tray with meticulous patience. “There are plans in place for emergencies. My staff has been evacuated. Procedures, you know. I stay here because I am a stubborn old spider in my nest and the keep has stood this long. It will stand a little longer.”
Tibo leaped up to take the fully laden tray, still mute and wide-eyed, and unaccountably polite.
“Thank you, Tiborishandelac. Such a good boy.” Chumin waved a hand at the desk to indicate where the tray should go and stumped over with his cane to take the leather chair behind the desk, one suited to his size and frame rather than some overbearing enormous thing that would have swallowed him whole. “Also very quiet.”
Rolly chuckled and took the offered tea, which smelled heavenly. He hadn’t realized how thirsty he was and how much his throat hurt. “He isn’t normally, sir.”
“I just--” Tibo shot him an exasperated, pleading look. “I’ve never met a goblin so old before.”
Chumin laughed, a dry, kekking sound, while he took his own cup and a dainty little golden cake. “I do forget how refreshingly honest American goblins can be. I can hardly deny it though. I am very old and have survived everyone I knew when I was your age.”
There was something in the way he said it… Rolly shook his head, not up to shades of meaning.
“So. Tell me what happened that has you running to me. I know in general, of course. You were here to be debriefed, to make your statements, and opposing factions used it as an opportunity to strike and try to gain all for themselves. But if you are here, Akemi has lost control. At least temporarily. Tell me.”
They sipped tea and ate tiny, perfect cakes while they told the Administrator of Transportation what had occurred underground and Pel’s admonition of where to run. By some silent agreement, they didn’t tell everything, just stuck to what had actually happened in the room and their flight afterward.
“I think the whole kerfuffle took more out of me than I thought.” Rolly put his teacup on the desk and ran a hand over his face. “I’m absolutely knackered.”
“Quite all right, my dear,” Chumin said, watching him closely. “You’re more than welcome to take a little nap.”
The room pitched and spun under Rolly. He gripped the arm of the chair, trying to get up. “What did you do, you dried up little bugger?” he wheezed out before Chumin’s calm, smiling face spiraled away into the dark and he felt himself falling.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Nootau
Passing Period
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The halls were like highschool all over again, but on steroids and more blood. Knights battled each other as well as an unknown force of people. The colors were different on everyone, some of the clothes too, but fucked if Nootau knew the difference. He only had one goal anyway.
The Dragon Aerospace Research Lab the floor above them.
The place where the bastard Dario ran his walker trading business from. If luck ran on Nootau's side, maybe he'd even make it out to get the human's brother-in-law and husband. One could hope. That terrible cruel emotion hope. But Nootau held onto the gleaming black emotion as he pushed, punched and sometimes bit, his way through the mass of bodies.
Blood scented the air. It excited Nootau. He reveled in the taste.
More. He needed more of the stench of fear. The hall's screams and shouts weren't enough.
A body slammed into the back of Nootau. He swung around and punched automatically, not bothering to look at the face. He waited a moment to see if the person got up, but they stayed on the floor holding their nose.
Nootau looked both ways down the hall, trying to figure out the quickest way up top. There was a lot of action down toward the way they came in, less toward the castle. There had to be an elevator or set of stairs. Somewhere. Of course the problem was access.
A shout went out. "Duck!"
Nootau dropped immediately.
Two swords met overhead. Frozen for half a tick, Nootau watched as Akemi battled it out with another knight.
"Aegeus? Edwige?" she grunted out.
"Aegeus was shot. Medics and Edwige are with him in our interview room." Nootau crawled out from under the feet stomping around him, edging toward the wall.
"Where are you going?"
Instead of answering, Nootau shimmied toward the castle and noticed a sign that looked a hell of a lot like stairs.
"Nootau! Don't!" Akemi's sword cut through the air. A yell followed it. Nootau turned just in time to see the man drop.
"He can't get away," Nootau said, meeting her eyes.
"I've got Gian going for the husband and brother-in-law already. Dario's office is in lockdown procedure—"
"Behind you!" Nootau shouted as another man drew up his sword, ready to take advantage of her distraction. He held up his gun the same time Akemi swung around.
She blocked the blow, though the move made her go to her knees. Without a backward look Nootau took off down the hall, avoiding knives, swords and punches best he could. Akemi's growl of frustration reverberated down the hall. He wondered how long it would be before she went foxy.
Ahead, an unfamiliar knight battled it out with a knight that looked vaguely familiar to Nootau. He picked sides and sucker punched the attacker's head. The guy yelped and turned into Nootau's fist. It gave the familiar knight just enough time to knock the guy unconsciousness.
"Thanks," the knight said as he pushed onward into the fray.
Nootau ducked around a few more people before making to the staircase. Fuck me. It was key-coded. Of course. With a sigh, Nootau turned around and went back to the knight he helped knock out. After a minute of going through his pockets Nootau hit pay dirt.
"Thank you gods," Nootau breathed out.
The keycard opened the door to the stairwell. When Nootau stuck his head in, only the emergency lights were going. No one else seemed to be in it. Akemi mentioned a lockdown protocol. He wondered how that would affect him getting into Dario's lab.
"Oh, wait." Nootau stood at the top of the stairs. Numb.
The scanners at the lab door. He could only get in if he had the proper fingerprint and retina scans.
You didn't think you could walk away clean from this, did you?
"Shut up."
What's one more guard to you? You've already got me. Why not add to your collection?
"Shut up."
You're already chest-deep with nowhere to go.
"Shut up!"
The voice cackled, sending a shiver down Nootau's back, embedding in his spine. Goosebumps broke out over his arms. You know what you have to do. He did. He truly did. Go on, have another taste. But he didn't want to.
How else can you ring that Dario bastard's neck? Just grab the next sucker like you did with me.
"Shut up." Gods, why couldn't the voice just go away.
Because your soul is blackened, what does it matter now if it gets a little dirtier? You going to leave Ahanu in the ground cold, forget what you owe him?
Nootau shook his head. "No."
Ahanu went to the camps for you. Took the blame for your bite.
"Stop."
His death is on your hands.
Yes, it was.
And Aegeus? You really love the poor schmuck? He's dead because of you too. Poor little walker can't handle his cage.
"I'm not caged!"
Oh but you are walker. You put the bars up yourself. Then you buried everyone else in with you.
The door swung open and a guard stuck his head in. "Guten Tag?"
"Mornin'," Nootau answered as he put his hands behind his back. Looked like Destiny was smiling down on him.
"Sie solltest nicht hier sein." The guard waved for Nootau to come closer.
"Sorry, don't know German."
The guard sighed and stepped into the stairwell. He had one hand on his belt, the other held onto a shoulder radio. He was frowning and talking at Nootau. Irritation laced his voice. Not that any of the words made sense.
Nootau smiled and put his free hand closer to his crotch. The guard looked before rolling his eyes, but his attention still wavered at the move. He stepped closer and the door slid shut behind him. Mistake.
Fool.
In two steps Nootau was on the guard, dragging him down. He punched him in the face. A solid thwak followed by a spurt of blood as the guy's nose broke. The guard howled and grabbed at Nootau's hands. But he stopped, putting them up as Nootau pushed the muzzle of the gun in his cheek.
"Clothes. Off. Now."
The guy spat at him.
"The hard way then."
Nootau clocked the guy again, getting a nice crack-bounce combo off the floor. This time the guy lay still.
"Naked time. Unfortunately it's going to suck for both of us."
* * * * *
Edwige pressed against the wound in Aegeus' chest as the medics jabbed another dose of morphine into him. An IV port was in one hand with a bag of blood attached to it, but they were only filling a holey bucket if they couldn't get the bullets out. Though Edwige could barely see past all the blood, or the ache of Nootau just leaving them.
The medics had switched to English to keep her in the loop.
"We have to evac him!" one shouted.
"He's not stable," the other argued. "Do you want to enter the passageway? It's a fucking war zone!"
"He's dying. I can feel him slipping away," Edwige replied. "Please, we can't stay here."
The medics winced and went silent.
Several of the knight murmured to each other in German.
"Please. I can't lose him."
"Bloody hell!"
Edwige glanced up, finding Mal with Kaden in the doorway. Mal had his knives out. They weren’t shiny silver anymore, but a dull red. Edwige did her best not to think on what he had to do to get to their room.
"Is he—bloody hell?" Kaden echoed.
Edwige sniffed once and shook her head. "He's still breathing, but we have to get him to the OR in M-Wing. They have a hospital floor there?"
She turned to the medics for confirmation. They nodded.
"Then we better get him outta here," Mal said, adjusting the knives in his grip. "We make a path, you follow."
The knights saluted him and hefted their swords. If it had been any other time, Edwige would've laughed. She could see why Akemi wanted him so much. A natural born leader. One who cared.
"Which way to M-Wing?" Mal asked.
"There's an elevator toward the front entrance that goes all the way down," one of the knights answered.
Mal sighed. "Figures. Let's get a move on."
The one who spoke went to the front with Mal. Edwige and the medics shared a look.
The younger one counted, "One. Two. Three. Up."
They stood together. Edwige with her hand still pressed firmly against Aegeus' chest. There was so much red. His breath came out labored, and his usual golden glow had dimmed to a chalky white.
"Hang on, my love," Edwige whispered. "We'll get you fixed right up, then I can go kick Nootau's ass for leaving us behind."
One of the taller knights, a banshee, glanced down at her. The corner of his lip twitched.
"Don't think I can't."
"No, Frau, I most certainly think you can."
The Dragon Aerospace Research Lab the floor above them.
The place where the bastard Dario ran his walker trading business from. If luck ran on Nootau's side, maybe he'd even make it out to get the human's brother-in-law and husband. One could hope. That terrible cruel emotion hope. But Nootau held onto the gleaming black emotion as he pushed, punched and sometimes bit, his way through the mass of bodies.
Blood scented the air. It excited Nootau. He reveled in the taste.
More. He needed more of the stench of fear. The hall's screams and shouts weren't enough.
A body slammed into the back of Nootau. He swung around and punched automatically, not bothering to look at the face. He waited a moment to see if the person got up, but they stayed on the floor holding their nose.
Nootau looked both ways down the hall, trying to figure out the quickest way up top. There was a lot of action down toward the way they came in, less toward the castle. There had to be an elevator or set of stairs. Somewhere. Of course the problem was access.
A shout went out. "Duck!"
Nootau dropped immediately.
Two swords met overhead. Frozen for half a tick, Nootau watched as Akemi battled it out with another knight.
"Aegeus? Edwige?" she grunted out.
"Aegeus was shot. Medics and Edwige are with him in our interview room." Nootau crawled out from under the feet stomping around him, edging toward the wall.
"Where are you going?"
Instead of answering, Nootau shimmied toward the castle and noticed a sign that looked a hell of a lot like stairs.
"Nootau! Don't!" Akemi's sword cut through the air. A yell followed it. Nootau turned just in time to see the man drop.
"He can't get away," Nootau said, meeting her eyes.
"I've got Gian going for the husband and brother-in-law already. Dario's office is in lockdown procedure—"
"Behind you!" Nootau shouted as another man drew up his sword, ready to take advantage of her distraction. He held up his gun the same time Akemi swung around.
She blocked the blow, though the move made her go to her knees. Without a backward look Nootau took off down the hall, avoiding knives, swords and punches best he could. Akemi's growl of frustration reverberated down the hall. He wondered how long it would be before she went foxy.
Ahead, an unfamiliar knight battled it out with a knight that looked vaguely familiar to Nootau. He picked sides and sucker punched the attacker's head. The guy yelped and turned into Nootau's fist. It gave the familiar knight just enough time to knock the guy unconsciousness.
"Thanks," the knight said as he pushed onward into the fray.
Nootau ducked around a few more people before making to the staircase. Fuck me. It was key-coded. Of course. With a sigh, Nootau turned around and went back to the knight he helped knock out. After a minute of going through his pockets Nootau hit pay dirt.
"Thank you gods," Nootau breathed out.
The keycard opened the door to the stairwell. When Nootau stuck his head in, only the emergency lights were going. No one else seemed to be in it. Akemi mentioned a lockdown protocol. He wondered how that would affect him getting into Dario's lab.
"Oh, wait." Nootau stood at the top of the stairs. Numb.
The scanners at the lab door. He could only get in if he had the proper fingerprint and retina scans.
You didn't think you could walk away clean from this, did you?
"Shut up."
What's one more guard to you? You've already got me. Why not add to your collection?
"Shut up."
You're already chest-deep with nowhere to go.
"Shut up!"
The voice cackled, sending a shiver down Nootau's back, embedding in his spine. Goosebumps broke out over his arms. You know what you have to do. He did. He truly did. Go on, have another taste. But he didn't want to.
How else can you ring that Dario bastard's neck? Just grab the next sucker like you did with me.
"Shut up." Gods, why couldn't the voice just go away.
Because your soul is blackened, what does it matter now if it gets a little dirtier? You going to leave Ahanu in the ground cold, forget what you owe him?
Nootau shook his head. "No."
Ahanu went to the camps for you. Took the blame for your bite.
"Stop."
His death is on your hands.
Yes, it was.
And Aegeus? You really love the poor schmuck? He's dead because of you too. Poor little walker can't handle his cage.
"I'm not caged!"
Oh but you are walker. You put the bars up yourself. Then you buried everyone else in with you.
The door swung open and a guard stuck his head in. "Guten Tag?"
"Mornin'," Nootau answered as he put his hands behind his back. Looked like Destiny was smiling down on him.
"Sie solltest nicht hier sein." The guard waved for Nootau to come closer.
"Sorry, don't know German."
The guard sighed and stepped into the stairwell. He had one hand on his belt, the other held onto a shoulder radio. He was frowning and talking at Nootau. Irritation laced his voice. Not that any of the words made sense.
Nootau smiled and put his free hand closer to his crotch. The guard looked before rolling his eyes, but his attention still wavered at the move. He stepped closer and the door slid shut behind him. Mistake.
Fool.
In two steps Nootau was on the guard, dragging him down. He punched him in the face. A solid thwak followed by a spurt of blood as the guy's nose broke. The guard howled and grabbed at Nootau's hands. But he stopped, putting them up as Nootau pushed the muzzle of the gun in his cheek.
"Clothes. Off. Now."
The guy spat at him.
"The hard way then."
Nootau clocked the guy again, getting a nice crack-bounce combo off the floor. This time the guy lay still.
"Naked time. Unfortunately it's going to suck for both of us."
* * * * *
Edwige pressed against the wound in Aegeus' chest as the medics jabbed another dose of morphine into him. An IV port was in one hand with a bag of blood attached to it, but they were only filling a holey bucket if they couldn't get the bullets out. Though Edwige could barely see past all the blood, or the ache of Nootau just leaving them.
The medics had switched to English to keep her in the loop.
"We have to evac him!" one shouted.
"He's not stable," the other argued. "Do you want to enter the passageway? It's a fucking war zone!"
"He's dying. I can feel him slipping away," Edwige replied. "Please, we can't stay here."
The medics winced and went silent.
Several of the knight murmured to each other in German.
"Please. I can't lose him."
"Bloody hell!"
Edwige glanced up, finding Mal with Kaden in the doorway. Mal had his knives out. They weren’t shiny silver anymore, but a dull red. Edwige did her best not to think on what he had to do to get to their room.
"Is he—bloody hell?" Kaden echoed.
Edwige sniffed once and shook her head. "He's still breathing, but we have to get him to the OR in M-Wing. They have a hospital floor there?"
She turned to the medics for confirmation. They nodded.
"Then we better get him outta here," Mal said, adjusting the knives in his grip. "We make a path, you follow."
The knights saluted him and hefted their swords. If it had been any other time, Edwige would've laughed. She could see why Akemi wanted him so much. A natural born leader. One who cared.
"Which way to M-Wing?" Mal asked.
"There's an elevator toward the front entrance that goes all the way down," one of the knights answered.
Mal sighed. "Figures. Let's get a move on."
The one who spoke went to the front with Mal. Edwige and the medics shared a look.
The younger one counted, "One. Two. Three. Up."
They stood together. Edwige with her hand still pressed firmly against Aegeus' chest. There was so much red. His breath came out labored, and his usual golden glow had dimmed to a chalky white.
"Hang on, my love," Edwige whispered. "We'll get you fixed right up, then I can go kick Nootau's ass for leaving us behind."
One of the taller knights, a banshee, glanced down at her. The corner of his lip twitched.
"Don't think I can't."
"No, Frau, I most certainly think you can."
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Ashe
Running from the Crime
 |  |
Ashe worked his way along the narrow corridor, fleeing with Ashe from the scene of the crime. His crime.
He wanted to beat at the walls around him that pushed in on him like his father’s hands, pushing him to be something he didn’t want to be. I need the sun, the open sky. He’d been cooped up too long, and he was starting to climb the walls. Sex had only been a temporary antidote.
The passage was lit only by a long row of old incandescent lightbulbs hanging on thin cords. That and the bare concrete walls made him think of nothing so much as a dark interrogation room, where a lone lightbulb swung overhead as the interrogator asked pointed questions.
Not a comforting thought.
Between each room was a small side passage—that must be where the one way mirrors looking into the interview rooms were. In fact, several of the glass panels had been broken out, dark glass scattered across the floor of the passageway.
He didn’t stop to look inside those rooms.
Jaxx followed him, squeezing his hand tight.
Ashe frowned. This was all his fault. If it weren’t for him, Jaxx—his beautiful Jaxx—wouldn’t be in danger.
What he had done to protect Jaxx, back in the interview room, made him feel even worse. He had used his power to kill someone. Maybe two people.
He chastised himself. Done was done, and they weren’t out of this yet. Time enough for self-recrimination later.
Out. I need to get us out of here.
The hallway turned right and he sped in the new direction, dragging Jaxx after him.
“I think they came this way,” someone said far behind them, the voice echoing down the hallway.
The passageway before them split in three directions. Ashe skidded to a halt.
Ashe looked at Jaxx, who shrugged. “Left?” He mouthed.
Ashe nodded. Left it is.
They headed down the new passage and came quickly to a closed door.
It was locked from the other side. Ashe jiggled the lock, but it wouldn’t budge.
His claustrophobia pressed down on him, and he started to hyperventilate. He turned back towards Jaxx. “I can’t… we can’t… it’s locked…” The world twisted and his stomach churned at the same time. Out!
Jaxx held Ashe’s face in his hands. “Ashe, Look at me.”
Ashe looked in Jaxx’s eyes. “The walls are too close. We need to get out of here.” His voice sounded ragged, even to himself, and his eyes darted back and forth, looking at the confining ceiling and walls.
“It’s okay.” He leaned forward and kissed Ashe’s cheek. “Close your eyes. Take my hand.” Jaxx took Ashe by his left hand. “Give me the gun.”
Ashe complied.
Jaxx led Ashe back the way they had come. Ashe kept his eyes closed, concentrating on breathing slowly, on the touch of Jaxx’s hand.
They stopped, and there were two short, sharp gunshots. at close proximity. There was a thump in the distance.
“Okay, run!” Jaxx pulled him down the passageway, taking the other hall.
If there was a locked door this way too, they were screwed. Ashe opened his eyes just enough to see where he was going so he wouldn’t stumble and fall. The hallway swirled around him. He closed his eyes again.
Soon enough, they reached another door, but thank the gods this one opened at Jaxx’s touch.
They tumbled through into someone’s office.
Ashe opened his eyes again, and the world steadied.
The office was very tidy; a heavy wooden desk, leather chair, and a couple dark wood bookshelves filled with black binders.
Ashe breathed in deeply, feeling some relief at being out of the enclosed passageway.
“Help me push this desk against the door.” Jaxx heaved against it, and Ashe joined him.
They maneuvered the heavy desk up against the door they'd just exited, pushing it hard up against the wall.
Jaxx grabbed the laptop from the desk and shoved it into his pack. “You never know. It might come in handy,” he said with a wink. Then he took Ashe's hand again. "You all right?
“Better.” He took another deep breath. The walls still felt way too close, but the hammering of his heart had slowed a little. “Let's move. That won't hold them for long."
Indeed, someone in the passageway had just discovered that the door was blocked. The handle turned from the other side, and there was muffled cursing.
Jaxx led this time, opening the door from the office to peer out into the hallway. He whistled.
"What?"
"It's like a red wedding out there. Lots of bodies. But it looks quiet at the moment."
Someone banged hard against the other door, behind the desk, which inched forward just a little.
The shared a look. ”Let's go!”
Ashe needed no more encouragement.
The hallway was littered with debris—chunks of concrete and dust and rubble—and scattered bodies, mostly dressed in black.
Once, they saw someone with green skin, and Ashe felt sick to his stomach until he realized it wasn't Tibo. He'd grown a certain begrudging fondness for the goblin rock star, and he would be sad if Tibo should come to harm.
Gunshots and sparks of magic floated around the next corner, bringing him back to the here-and-now.
Ashe pulled Jaxx through the next doorway, which led to a stairwell. Up. The sky was up. An alarm went off, but it was just one more noise in the cacophony. “This way!”
They ran up the stairs two steps at a time, one, two, three flights, coming out at last onto a wide roof—the top of one of the lab buildings, apparently.
Ashe breathed a great sigh of relief. Air. Oh God, fresh air. And the big beautiful sky above them.
The door slammed shut behind them, startling him.
Jaxx tested the handle. It was locked.
No way back into that rat hole. Thank God. “Come on!” Ashe ran across the rooftop, gravel crunching underfoot, the whump whump whump of a huge exhaust fan providing a white noise in the background. It felt so good to be under the sun again. It was mid-afternoon, the sun slanting away toward the west.
He reached the edge of the roof. There was no way down.
Jaxx came up behind him, his sure footing catching him before he plummeted over the edge. "What now?"
Ashe pulled him down into a crouch. He pointed, putting a finger over his lips.
A group of guards dressed in black were dismounting from a jeep that had just pulled up in front of the building.
"Akemi's men?" Jaxx asked.
"How would we tell?” They could just as likely be reinforcements for the other side. “Can we trust her?"
Jaxx looked at him, his ears drooping. "I don't know."
This whole thing had been a clusterfuck from the very start.
Ashe looked around the area from behind the safety of the low perimeter wall. They needed someplace to hide, to figure things out.
The forest. They’d marched through it in their first assault on the castle.
He pointed at the copse of trees that ran around the lake.
Jaxx nodded. "But how do we get there?"
"First class." He pulled off his shirt and tucked it into his pants, and stepped back from the edge of the roof where anyone below would have a hard time seeing him. His wings extended out from his shoulder blades with a triumphant whoosh.
Jaxx grinned and put his arms around Ashe's neck, and Ashe held him tightly.
Thank God his Satyr was light.
When the courtyard below was clear, Ashe spring off the roof and into the sky, making for the temporary safety of the trees.
Free to fly!
He wanted to beat at the walls around him that pushed in on him like his father’s hands, pushing him to be something he didn’t want to be. I need the sun, the open sky. He’d been cooped up too long, and he was starting to climb the walls. Sex had only been a temporary antidote.
The passage was lit only by a long row of old incandescent lightbulbs hanging on thin cords. That and the bare concrete walls made him think of nothing so much as a dark interrogation room, where a lone lightbulb swung overhead as the interrogator asked pointed questions.
Not a comforting thought.
Between each room was a small side passage—that must be where the one way mirrors looking into the interview rooms were. In fact, several of the glass panels had been broken out, dark glass scattered across the floor of the passageway.
He didn’t stop to look inside those rooms.
Jaxx followed him, squeezing his hand tight.
Ashe frowned. This was all his fault. If it weren’t for him, Jaxx—his beautiful Jaxx—wouldn’t be in danger.
What he had done to protect Jaxx, back in the interview room, made him feel even worse. He had used his power to kill someone. Maybe two people.
He chastised himself. Done was done, and they weren’t out of this yet. Time enough for self-recrimination later.
Out. I need to get us out of here.
The hallway turned right and he sped in the new direction, dragging Jaxx after him.
“I think they came this way,” someone said far behind them, the voice echoing down the hallway.
The passageway before them split in three directions. Ashe skidded to a halt.
Ashe looked at Jaxx, who shrugged. “Left?” He mouthed.
Ashe nodded. Left it is.
They headed down the new passage and came quickly to a closed door.
It was locked from the other side. Ashe jiggled the lock, but it wouldn’t budge.
His claustrophobia pressed down on him, and he started to hyperventilate. He turned back towards Jaxx. “I can’t… we can’t… it’s locked…” The world twisted and his stomach churned at the same time. Out!
Jaxx held Ashe’s face in his hands. “Ashe, Look at me.”
Ashe looked in Jaxx’s eyes. “The walls are too close. We need to get out of here.” His voice sounded ragged, even to himself, and his eyes darted back and forth, looking at the confining ceiling and walls.
“It’s okay.” He leaned forward and kissed Ashe’s cheek. “Close your eyes. Take my hand.” Jaxx took Ashe by his left hand. “Give me the gun.”
Ashe complied.
Jaxx led Ashe back the way they had come. Ashe kept his eyes closed, concentrating on breathing slowly, on the touch of Jaxx’s hand.
They stopped, and there were two short, sharp gunshots. at close proximity. There was a thump in the distance.
“Okay, run!” Jaxx pulled him down the passageway, taking the other hall.
If there was a locked door this way too, they were screwed. Ashe opened his eyes just enough to see where he was going so he wouldn’t stumble and fall. The hallway swirled around him. He closed his eyes again.
Soon enough, they reached another door, but thank the gods this one opened at Jaxx’s touch.
They tumbled through into someone’s office.
Ashe opened his eyes again, and the world steadied.
The office was very tidy; a heavy wooden desk, leather chair, and a couple dark wood bookshelves filled with black binders.
Ashe breathed in deeply, feeling some relief at being out of the enclosed passageway.
“Help me push this desk against the door.” Jaxx heaved against it, and Ashe joined him.
They maneuvered the heavy desk up against the door they'd just exited, pushing it hard up against the wall.
Jaxx grabbed the laptop from the desk and shoved it into his pack. “You never know. It might come in handy,” he said with a wink. Then he took Ashe's hand again. "You all right?
“Better.” He took another deep breath. The walls still felt way too close, but the hammering of his heart had slowed a little. “Let's move. That won't hold them for long."
Indeed, someone in the passageway had just discovered that the door was blocked. The handle turned from the other side, and there was muffled cursing.
Jaxx led this time, opening the door from the office to peer out into the hallway. He whistled.
"What?"
"It's like a red wedding out there. Lots of bodies. But it looks quiet at the moment."
Someone banged hard against the other door, behind the desk, which inched forward just a little.
The shared a look. ”Let's go!”
Ashe needed no more encouragement.
The hallway was littered with debris—chunks of concrete and dust and rubble—and scattered bodies, mostly dressed in black.
Once, they saw someone with green skin, and Ashe felt sick to his stomach until he realized it wasn't Tibo. He'd grown a certain begrudging fondness for the goblin rock star, and he would be sad if Tibo should come to harm.
Gunshots and sparks of magic floated around the next corner, bringing him back to the here-and-now.
Ashe pulled Jaxx through the next doorway, which led to a stairwell. Up. The sky was up. An alarm went off, but it was just one more noise in the cacophony. “This way!”
They ran up the stairs two steps at a time, one, two, three flights, coming out at last onto a wide roof—the top of one of the lab buildings, apparently.
Ashe breathed a great sigh of relief. Air. Oh God, fresh air. And the big beautiful sky above them.
The door slammed shut behind them, startling him.
Jaxx tested the handle. It was locked.
No way back into that rat hole. Thank God. “Come on!” Ashe ran across the rooftop, gravel crunching underfoot, the whump whump whump of a huge exhaust fan providing a white noise in the background. It felt so good to be under the sun again. It was mid-afternoon, the sun slanting away toward the west.
He reached the edge of the roof. There was no way down.
Jaxx came up behind him, his sure footing catching him before he plummeted over the edge. "What now?"
Ashe pulled him down into a crouch. He pointed, putting a finger over his lips.
A group of guards dressed in black were dismounting from a jeep that had just pulled up in front of the building.
"Akemi's men?" Jaxx asked.
"How would we tell?” They could just as likely be reinforcements for the other side. “Can we trust her?"
Jaxx looked at him, his ears drooping. "I don't know."
This whole thing had been a clusterfuck from the very start.
Ashe looked around the area from behind the safety of the low perimeter wall. They needed someplace to hide, to figure things out.
The forest. They’d marched through it in their first assault on the castle.
He pointed at the copse of trees that ran around the lake.
Jaxx nodded. "But how do we get there?"
"First class." He pulled off his shirt and tucked it into his pants, and stepped back from the edge of the roof where anyone below would have a hard time seeing him. His wings extended out from his shoulder blades with a triumphant whoosh.
Jaxx grinned and put his arms around Ashe's neck, and Ashe held him tightly.
Thank God his Satyr was light.
When the courtyard below was clear, Ashe spring off the roof and into the sky, making for the temporary safety of the trees.
Free to fly!
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About Marionettes in the Mist
This is a weekly Urban Fantasy serial written by participating MCB authors: Angel Martinez, Toni Griffin, J. Scott Coatsworth, and Freddy MacKay. It posts every Monday and Thursday. A total of thirty-six chapters will be written for the blog. Marionettes in the Mist will be released in three volumes that will include illustrations, story expansions, and of course, edits later on in the year.
Blurb
A fugitive skinwalker, a down-on-his-luck phoenix, a goblin rock star, and a wild dragon ranger have nothing in common except the sudden violence that tears their separate worlds apart. With wildly different motivations, each sets off on his own journey to try to solve the puzzles left in the wake of murder and mayhem.
When these four meet, the hints and clues begin to point them to something bigger, and toward answers that might make them wish they'd all stayed home.
Character Art (by Mila May)
Main Cast
Tibo - Goblin - Rock Star & Lead Singer for "The Flying Mantas"
Rolly - Banshee - Rock Star & Bassist (& sometimes baby sitter for the lead singer) of "The Flying Mantas"
Mal - Human - Dragon Ranger of the Dragon Guild
Kaden - Wolf Shifter - Accountant
Nidhogg - Himalayan Diver (dragon) - Dragon of the Dragon Guild
Ashe - Phoenix - Cowboy & Unicorn Whisperer
Jaxx - Satyr - Doctor (MD)
Nootau - Skin Walker - Construction/Trade/Craftsman
Edwige - Human - Healer (Magical Ability)
Aegeus - Merman (of Greek origin) - Youth Counselor & Advocate
Supporting Characters
Waban of the Menominee - Skin Walker - Medicine Man
Akemi Fessler - Kitsune - Solar Celestial in the Rubrum Lux
Jariah Dikoume - Human - Knight of Mars in the Rubrum Lux
Gian Doss - Human - Knight of Saturn in the Rubrum Lux
Dave Norris - Human - Drummer for The Flying Mantas
Eck Decapra - Satyr - Lead Guitarist for The Flying Mantas
Darel Balagee - Rainbow Serpent Shape-changer - Dragon Ranger of the Dragon Guild (part of Mal's team)
Categories
All
Aegeus
Akemi
Ashe
Banshee
Bernard
Chapter Eight
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Five
Chapter Four
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Nine
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter One
Chapter Seven
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Six
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Ten
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Two
Cowboy
Dark Spaces
Doctor
Dragon
Dragon Rider
Edwige
Goblin
Healer
Hello
Human
Jariah
Jaxx
Kaden
Kitsune
Magic User
Mal
Marionettes In The Mist
Meeting
Merman
Mermen
Nidhogg
Nootau
Once
Phoenix
Ranger
Rolly
Satyr
Siren
Skinwalker
Sphinx
Tibo
Trans*
Wolf Shifter
