Minutes to Midnight (15 page)

These people were nuts.

But Illy's expression grew
serious. "Guys, what does this mean? That someone is directing Mr.
Klinsky's actions? In order to do
what
, exactly? Does Faerie
exist?"

Raven came from a door in the back of the
house. I hadn't been sure she was there 'til now. "Faerie is a
place within the Peripheral. What they were doing—what they would
have done if they'd managed to kill you—is—"

"I was not planning on killing him." Jack
found his voice, though he didn't look happy. "I just wanted to get
that book out of him."

"That's not true." Illy shifted, and I
pulled back from her to look. She scowled. I think that was the
first time I'd ever seen the expression on her face. "I overheard
your members talking about Dags being the last body needed to open
the Coyote Flame."

Raven stood over Jack and thumped him
Gibbs-style in the back of the head. "Idiot."

"I wasn't going to kill him. I told him and
I'm telling you. I haven't killed anyone. I don't know anything
about any bodies in those Squares."

I cleared my throat. Shivered. "Who—who told
you to bait me?"

All eyes turned to Jack. He looked down, and
I assumed he wasn't going to answer. "I can't say."

"Why not?"

"Because she'll kill me if I do."

Mike leaned in close to him.
"I'll kill you if you don't." He pressed the end barrel of his
Eagle against Jack's cheek. "
Now
."

"Fine—I don't know her name. I just know her
face. Sort of. She's always dressed in a black robe. She's the one
who came to me and told me I could open the gate to Faerie if I did
this ritual." He looked up at Mike. "But I didn't know anything
about dead bodies. I just wanted a little bit of power. Like Darren
got." He swallowed. "Did you know I have tattoos on my palms just
like he does? But I can't throw light. How can he throw light? How
is it he has magic spells? Fafner didn't teach us spells." He
looked at me. "I would hide, if I were you. She's watching you. And
one day, she'll catch you."

She? She who?

Raven frowned at me. "What does he mean
throw light?"

I held out my palms. I knew
and Mike knew the tattoos were invisible to the eye. "Before I got
this
Grimoire
, I
used to send light out of my palms. I haven't been able to do that
in a while…that I know of."

"Bottom line," Mike said. "Is that we don't
know if anyone else is going to get killed in Chatham Square to
complete this pentagram." He looked at Jack. "Frankly, I don't
believe you."

"It's true."

"You were just about to cut my best friend's
chest out to get to a book."

"Not literally." Jack shifted where he sat.
Now it was his turn to feel uncomfortable tied up. "The knife I
have was meant to astrally cut the book out."

"A-astrally?" I blinked at him. "Is-is that
p-p-possible?"

Jack still didn't look at me. "She said it
was. And I believed her."

"We need to set up a watch on the Square,"
Mike grabbed Jack by his shoulder and jerked him up on his feet. "I
say we tie this jackass to a tree and see if he's good bait."

"No!" Jack tried to twist away. "You can't
do that! I have rights."

Raven moved next to him and he visually
shrank back from her. "You have nothing."

"Well, that's nice," Illy said, and put a
hand to my chest. "But if we're done here and the city's not in any
danger of being overrun by Oberon and Titania, can we go? Dags
needs a shower, a doctor, and clean clothes. Not necessarily in
that order."

"No doctors," I piped up. I reached behind
my head and touched the now-tender spot. I felt a few things there
that I shouldn't. Dirt, debris, maybe even glass. Damn…that was
stuff Mike and I couldn't completely clean out. I didn't even know
if I was all right with this sleepy juice in me.

"Sorry about that." Jack spoke up. "I'm
afraid we weren't that careful dragging you out of the
basement."

"It looks like you dropped him," Mike
said.

Jack winced. "We did."

Illy sighed. "Dags, you might have a
concussion."

"I can't go to a doctor, Illy."

"I know a magic doctor," Jack said in a
quiet voice. "She's nice. And she's good. But…."

Mike pushed the gun in Jack's face
again.

"Okay, okay…don't use me as bait."

"We'll think about it."

Jack sighed. "This doc likes to be paid up
front, in cash, and her healing methods are a bit—"

"Unconventional?" Mike said.

"Yeah."

"Guardian," Raven said in a quiet voice.
"Listen… "

I can sense injuries within
you, Darren McConnell. As well as two drugs. It would be preferred
if you didn't become ill and vulnerable to those wishing to take
the
Grimoire
….
If you don't care about yourself,
then at least have a bit of respect for those who do. Mike's beside
himself and will only rest as long as he knows you're
okay.

Nyx's voice was calm. Soothing. Pretty much
like the voice of all the First Borns I'd met.

He doesn't need to worry.

He does. You were taken on his watch and he
feels responsible for you. And there's…

When she paused, I cocked my head to the
side.

"Dags? What is it?" Illy asked.

"Nyx is speaking to him. Sshh." Raven put a
finger to her lips.

Nyx?

Were you aware there is a bond between the
two of you?

I leaned into Illy's
shoulder
. Yes.

He is like a brother to you, and you to
him.

Yes. He's…more like family to me.

This type of bond can be both a burden, and
a boon. I would suggest you choose which.

I wanted to ask her what she meant but I was
too tired and my head hurt way too damn much.

REGROUP

Jack and Mike came to an
agreement. Jack gave the doc a heads-up and Raven produced the
cash. Jack would contact Mike if he got another visit from the
mysterious woman. Jack did this in exchange for not being used as
bait or sent to jail for kidnapping and having his name exposed in
the
Savannah Morning
News
, much to Illy's
disappointment.

I think he did it because Mike made him pee
his pants.

Doc Grace was everything I didn't expect her
to be. First, she was a woman by sight with a heavy, masculine
voice. She reminded me of Delilah, a rather nasty Fae we
encountered inside a Cairn. The damn thing had the front end of a
Drag Queen and the ass end of a Black Widow spider.

And at any other time this comparison might
have bothered me. I honestly didn't care. She was a healer, and a
licensed doctor with a private practice.

Within a half hour, she had the nasty cut on
the back of my head cleaned and stitched up, requiring only two
shots. One antibiotic and one tetanus. She agreed with me that it
looked like someone had dropped me on my head, which she said
accounted for the wooziness. "I'd say you have a mild concussion.
My suggestion is to get a good day's bed rest, and don't be
surprised if sudden noises or smells make you throw up."

Mike asked if it was okay to see her without
Jack's recommendation. She agreed, and we piled into my SUV with
Mike behind the wheel. I was still cold and still without shoes,
socks, or shirt. We went to the townhouse first and I took a
shower, keeping my head out of the stream. Doc Grace had already
cleaned my hair so I wasn't worried about that. Dressed in jeans,
shirt, boots, and a jacket, I came down the stairs to where the
others were gathered around the table looking at the book.

Illy was in a chair, up on her knees the way
a seven-year-old would be. She had her nose so far into that book
that she jumped when I put a hand on her back. "Gotcha."

"What're you doing dressed?" Mike wanted to
know as he set a glass of water in front of me. I sniffed it and
then downed half of it.

"I'm ready for the discussion."

"What discussion?"

"The one you and I always have when we're
stumped on a case."

Raven and Mike exchanged looks. Illy kept
her face in the BBOE.

"Uh." Raven frowned. "Mike and I already
discussed things."

"And?"

Mike pulled the chair out, facing me. "And
you're going upstairs to bed. Illy's going to stay with you while
Raven and I go check out Bonaventure."

"You guys didn't go already?"

"No." Mike looked like I'd hit him in the
face. "You were missing, Dags. I wasn't going to do anything until
I found you."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Ain't that the
truth."

"So…" I finished my glass of water and
pushed it away. I felt a little awkward, and a little embarrassed.
It was starting to feel like I was becoming a burden. Always
getting my ass kicked. Always getting into trouble. And
technically, this was the third time I'd gone missing on him. The
first when a changeling kidnapped me into the Cairn the first time.
I was gone for two weeks. The second a week ago, when Ripp'n Ja—
tried to take me to its employer, so to speak. And now this. "When
did you notice? That I was missing?"

"After we searched Kevin Barry's for you.
Your boss called me and said you never came in from your break, but
someone had seen you talking to a cute blonde. I looked at my phone
and that's when I saw your text. Did not understand it at all."

"He called me," Illy said as she turned a
page of the book. "And I told him what you and I talked about."

"Illy met us at the pub about 2 a.m. We
backtracked from where she left you. The trail sort of lead us in
the direction of the Sheraton. We found the folder, Illy went over
it with us, and we started looking for you."

I frowned at him. "Have you been to
sleep?"

"Yes," he said. And at the same time Raven
said, "No."

I was quiet for a second before I glanced at
the clock. "We're running out of time. We have got to get Stella
out of there."

"That's what we've been working on. Jack
Klinsky, his crazies aside, was convinced by some mystery woman
that he could create a Coyote Flame and make it a stationary
portal. My gut tells me he didn't have anything to do with the
zombies. I think he's a harmless wizard wannabe."

I shook my head. "I wouldn't underestimate
him. Always assume what you hear when he talks is a lie."

Mike laughed. "He won't be doing anymore
magic in any more Squares."

"How do you know that?" I grabbed my
glass.

Mike strolled over to one of his trunks in
the living room. "Because I took his stuff." The inside brimmed
with a plethora of magical accouterments. Half used candles stuck
up through the assortment of brass and silver candlestick holders
and braziers and old books like thick quills of porcupine. "I
promised he could have them back when we're done and the killing
stops."

Neat plan. But I still didn't trust Jack. I
wasn't convinced he wasn't lying. But for right now, it'd be better
to refocus on getting Stella out of the 'Pheral. Tick tock, tick
tock. "So…We go find Thomas and have him open the Cairn? I'm
thinking we can find where she is pretty easily? Maybe see if Hob's
still there?"

Mike started to answer me
but Raven stepped in. "Dags—I think running into the Peripheral
unprepared is a trap. Specifically for you. Someone wants
you
in
the 'Pheral.
They went as far as to hire a Djin to bring you there. Now…some of
this feels like a Revenant's working behind the scenes, and some of
it doesn't. We just don't know where the separation is. I think our
best line of defense is gathering information on the known element.
The Revenant. We know there's a Revenant involved because of the
Lamias, which are Ghoul made. And that Ghoul sent them after you.
The best way to learn more about a Revenant is through their Ghoul.
Our first objective should be finding that Ghoul which will lead us
back to its maker."

"The Revenant." I sighed. "So how do we find
this Ghoul?"

Mike spoke up. "Raven believes the Ghoul
won't be far from where you're most vulnerable."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means he or she is watching you, waiting
for you. So we go to a place where the Ghoul will feel confident
enough to try and take you again. Some place where they nearly
succeeded."

I made a noise and sat forward. "Aw
no…you're talking about going back to Bonaventure."

"Yes." Raven crossed her arms over her
chest. "But this time we'll be ready. If you insist on going with
us instead of getting sleep, then we'll need to make this endeavor
pay off. The three of us will set a trap and catch the Ghoul before
they raise any more dead."