Vesik 04 - This Broken World (23 page)

“Jasper, and the few like him who remain, are the ancestors of the Old Gods. As you know, some of us became Guardians, some merged into the world to become elementals, and some of us faded into the great sleep.” Aeros leaned against the limestone bluff, his shifting feet sending small waves through the shallow creek.

“I didn’t know that,” I said.

“Oh,” Aeros said. “Well, I suppose you do now.”

Sam snickered and ran her fingers through Jasper’s fur.

“A few were not so benevolent,” Aeros said. “Creatures, not of hate, though you may think that is what drove them, but they were creatures of destruction. Everything that exists, exists in opposition to something else. At times, opposition lives within a single being. Imagine Gaia.”

“Mother of the Earth,” I said.

“Yes, but for Gaia to exist, so must her opposite. Imagine a being with the power of Gaia, whose only nature is destruction. Those are the Eldritch Gods. Those are the devils seeking to devour all existence. I do not say this to frighten you, but Gaia was never a powerful god. Even Ezekiel does not have the power to bind most gods.

“When the Seals fall, some of those gods will find their way here,” Aeros said, patting the limestone bluff. “One day, perhaps not in your lifetime, an Eldritch God will fall upon our world.”

Another series of clicks and pops rattled out of Jasper.

Aeros turned and looked at the pulsing pile of lint. “Jasper is worried for Samantha. If Ezekiel dies, the dark-touched will return. They will come for those that live in the light.”

“My sister won’t fight alone,” I said, meeting the gaze of Jasper’s huge black eyes. “Our allies are growing. Even the wolves of war stand at our side.”

Jasper growled and bared his teeth.

I nodded at him. I was fairly certain he was asking if I meant werewolves. “Big werewolves. Like him,” I said, jabbing my thumb up at Alan.

“Oh. My. Lord,” Zola said when she joined Alan at the edge of the bank.

“What?” Foster asked as he glided down toward Sam. He suddenly jerked back into the air and landed on my shoulder instead. “Nudd be damned. That’s a reaper.”

“It’s Jasper,” Sam said, running her fingers through the ball of fur again.

“Ah haven’t seen that thing since you stayed with us in Coldwater, Samantha.” Zola shook her head and a small smile lifted her lips.

“I’ll just stay over here,” Foster said.

It sounded like Jasper was purring every time Sam scratched him. “I haven’t heard that sound in so long.” She looked up at Aeros. “Thank you for bringing him.”

“He was quite insistent on seeing you again before he left.”

“Where is he going?” Sam asked.

“The wolves and the Fae are not the only creatures in council.”

I looked at Jasper and then back to Aeros. “What’s going to happen?”

“I do not know, Damian. I do not believe anyone truly knows. In my many years, I have come to find that great change does not happen gradually. It erupts and burns and the world left behind is forever changed.”

Jasper made a chittering noise, and it sounded sad.

“Yes,” Aeros said. “Ezekiel has already killed some of the werewolves.”

“What?” Zola asked. “More? Where?”

“Ezekiel killed the Voice of the Cumberland Pack,” Alan said. “In the open. We don’t know how many members are left. Hugh is afraid their Alpha is dead too. He asked me to travel north to the distillery to catch my ride.” He laughed quietly. “The way that wolf can coordinate something is damned frightening.”

“You know, I never really thought about it, but who’s the Voice of the River Pack?”

“Carter didn’t need one,” Alan said. “He was … is … was?” He looked confused for a second. “Whatever. Carter is damned sociable for a werewolf.” Alan pulled a phone from his pocket and glanced at the display. “We’d better go.”

Aeros nodded. “Come, Jasper.”

Jasper chittered and twirled around Sam’s face as she kissed the fur ball before he leapt back to Aeros.

“We will join you in Gettysburg,” Aeros said. “Fare thee well.”

A pool of green and blue power began to spin and spark beneath the water. Jasper gave us a flash of silver teeth and Aeros gave us a single nod as they vanished into the portal.

Alan stared at the empty space. “That’s new.”

“Not really,” Zola said as she patted Alan on the cheek.

“Did you see those teeth?” Foster asked as he jumped off my shoulder. I’d forgotten he was there, he’d been so quiet.

“Well, if we’re driving on to our deaths,” Alan said, “we’re stopping at Biscuit Emporium.”

“Oh, yeah,” Foster said.

“Where?” I asked.

“You haven’t been there?” Alan asked, his eyebrow rising as he opened the back door. “But you eat everything.” He coughed. “Or so I heard.”

“Ha!” Sam ribbed me with an elbow. “He knows you, Demon.”

I heard Zola chuckle as she crawled into the back beside Alan. They adjusted the bags and shut the doors as I buckled myself into the front seat.

“Picture this,” Alan said. “Sausage, egg, cheese, and a hashed brown patty on a flaky, buttery biscuit.”

“I love you man,” I said.

Foster grinned at me from the dashboard.

“Sam,” I said as seriously as I could. “Onward to Biscuit Emporium.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“F
oster,” I said. “Have you told Zola about Jasper’s bones?”

He glanced at Zola. “She knows. I didn’t tell him in front of the Old Man.”

I caught her nod from the corner of my eye. “Wise not to tell him. Ah trust the Old Man, Ah do, but when shit goes bad …” She shook her head.

“He’s a scary son of a bitch,” Alan said.

“That’s what I thought too,” Foster said.

“What are you talking about?” Sam asked as we started up another mountainside. It hadn’t taken long for us to make the Appalachian Mountains.

“The bones of a reaper,” Foster said. “They
are
Magrassnetto.”

 “That thing didn’t have any bones that I could see,” Alan said.

I glanced at the werewolf, and then back to Foster and said, “Except for his teeth.”

“His teeth look like metal,” Zola said. “But very shiny.”

“They’re only shiny when they’re alive,” Foster said. “But that’s just his teeth. That’s not the biggest source of their bones.”

“Jasper doesn’t feel like he has bones,” Sam said. “He’s all fluff. With teeth.” She smiled as she turned the wheel slowly, taking us around a sharp turn in the highway.

“You’ve never seen him angry,” Foster said. “They aren’t called reapers because they’re cute.”

“There!” Alan said.

Sam veered toward the exit.

“Better hurry. They close early. I wish they didn’t close early.”

“God, you sound like Damian,” Sam said.

“Just slam the accelerator to the floor,” Alan said through a deep laugh. “I’m sure we can make it.”

The SUV surged forward as Sam complied.

“You wolves aren’t afraid of a damn thing, are you?” I asked as I wrapped my hand around the oh-shit handle.

“There are some things,” Alan said before he fell silent for a moment. “I didn’t tell you when we were there, but Stones River scared the hell out of me.”

“Really?” I said. “Just because a big nasty demon wanted to devour us all?”

He laughed without humor and was looking down when I glanced back at him. “No, Damian. I had been there before. You must remember, I am not so young as I look.”

“Shit,” Foster said. “You’ve aged well.”

Alan smiled. “I was a kid back then, you know? I don’t remember a lot of it, but I remember losing my family.”

“Sorry man,” I said.

He shook his head. “They weren’t my real family. I lost my real family to the slave trade years before Stones River.”

I felt sick to my stomach.

“It was just a nice group of people. They got us into the Underground Railroad. Took me under their wing. Protected a small group of us. It was actually the first time I ever met Aeros,” he said with a laugh as he slapped the back of my seat. “I should ask that old pile of rocks if he remembers me. Hell, I couldn’t have been more than seven or eight.”

I turned around and Zola was staring at Alan. Her eyes were so wide I could see the whites all around her pupils.

“Alan,” Zola said, and her voice was shaky. “What is your last name?”

“Weir. Why?”

“Oh my god.” She put her hands over her mouth. “Oh my god. Do you remember two people …” She slowly lowered her hands and placed one on Alan’s knee. “Do you remember two people named Sarah and David?” Her voice cracked slightly.

“Sure, but how did you … how did you … no.” This time it was Alan’s voice that cracked. “Sarah? You’re Sarah? You’re Sarah!” Alan’s eyes glistened and tears started running down his face.

I heard Sam sniff. She was crying, glancing at Zola and Alan in the rearview. Foster hopped to her shoulder and leaned against her neck.

Zola pushed the backpack out the way and slid across the seat to Alan. “We thought you died. We thought you died. We never would have left. I’m so sorry!”

Zola wrapped her arms around Alan. The huge werewolf was crying. I mean, he was bawling, and it brought tears to my own eyes.

“David was,” Zola said before she had to stop and swallow. “David was Philip.”

“No …” Alan said, his voice trailing off in pain and disbelief. “No … David protected us. He’d never become that thing. There was no trace of humanity left in Philip.”

Alan wrapped his arms around Zola. “I can’t believe it’s you,” he said. “How are you still alive?”

Zola pushed away from the werewolf and stared at him. She frowned and glanced at me. I didn’t know if she was looking for my thoughts on the subject or not, but I just nodded.

Her eyes trailed back to Alan. “Ah took the souls of eight slavers.” Her body was drawn into a tight line. She was bracing for Alan’s reaction, and I could see it. “In blood and darkness, Ah took the lives they should have lived.”

Alan didn’t recoil. He didn’t frown. He just rubbed his arm and stared at Zola. “Did they suffer?” There was an anxiousness in his voice, and I saw Zola visibly relax.

“A great deal,” Zola said. “A very great deal.”

“Good,” Alan said. There was a violence in his voice I’d never heard from the wolf, and I’d seen him tear heads off.

I saw Sam shiver out of the corner of my eye.

“That reconfirms my theory,” Foster said. “Don’t fuck with Zola.”

Alan released a slow chuckle and I nodded sagely.

“No shit,” Sam said.

I turned around and took a deep breath. “Oh, look. Biscuits.”

Sam swerved into the drive thru. “Two minutes to spare. They’re going to hate us.”

“Ah don’t care,” Zola said. “Ah need some damn comfort food.”

Sam smiled as we pulled up to the window.

A cashier with a forlorn look slid the window open after a brief hesitation. “Can I help you?”

“Are you still open?” Sam asked.

“Yes,” she said with a small frown.

“Oh good, we don’t want to make the werewolf angry.”

“Hey,” Alan said from the back. “I’m not going to rip your arms off if I don’t get a biscuit.”

 The cashier actually belted out a short laugh and smiled. “That’s a new one. What can I get you?”

***

It was dark by the time we neared our destination. The biscuits were long gone, and Alan had shared some incredible stories of his time with Zola and Philip. Sarah and David. In some ways, I wished I could have known them then. In other ways, I was thankful as all hell that I didn’t. Those were some of the darkest of times.

The Old Man’s words came back to me. Philip was not always the faceless monster you think of now.

I frowned and stared out the window. Foster was carving something into the top of the dashboard with his sword. I was sure Vik would be thrilled about that. I smiled and watched him work for a while.

“I don’t think you should stay in Cumberland,” Alan said. “I would normally invite you in as a pack member, but the city is in upheaval. Honestly, I don’t even like the fact you’ll be driving through it.”

“Is it that bad?” I asked as I turned away from the fairy’s impromptu art project.

“From what we’ve heard. It’s all secondhand information, but it seems likely.”

“Can you recommend a better place?” Zola asked.

“Anywhere,” Alan said. “Hagerstown has some decent hotels.”

“It would be better to find a questionable motel,” Zola said. “Ah don’t want to use any of our real names.”

“No,” Alan said. “There’s a safe house in Hagerstown. Neutral territory. Damian, show them your pack mark and they will give you all room and board.”

“Can I call it my rabid dog mark?”

“I …” Alan furrowed his eyebrows. “That may not be the best idea.” He started to laugh.

“Umm, guys?” Sam said, leaning forward.

Foster turned his gaze away from his carving and dropped his sword. “Nudd be damned.”

“Shit,” Zola said, and she dragged the word out.

Alan was silent, but I felt him pull on the back of my seat as he leaned forward.

I stared at the horizon. It should have been pitch black other than the light pollution.

The sky burned. Orange and red shadows rose above a half-ruined skyline.

“Do
not
drive into the city,” Alan said. “Cross the bridge. Stop on the other side. I’ll find my own way.”

“Alan,” Zola said, “Ah don’t think that’s the best—”

Alan leaned over and kissed her cheek. “We don’t have time for the best anymore. We have to make do with what we have.”

Sam slowed as we swerved around a shallow s-curve.

“The fires are on the eastern side of the city,” Alan said. “Fucking hell. What a clusterfuck.”

Something thundered beneath us and then something else exploded in the distance as we started over the river. There was a brief flash of light and debris in the distant hills.

“Stop there, Sam.”

Sam came to a stop as we reached the opposite side of the river.

“Good luck my friends,” Alan said as he traded grips with me. “We will meet again.” He locked eyes with Zola for only a moment. “Go. Now.”

Sam didn’t hesitate. As soon as Alan closed the door, she smashed the accelerator to the floor. The SUV lurched forward. I watched as Alan hurdled the edge of the bridge behind us.