The Death Seer (Skeleton Key) (6 page)

“Yes, that was how it always started. But then we would go on adventures.” he whispered. “All kinds of adventures. We became whatever we wanted. King and Queen of a vast kingdom. Cattle rustlers on the Mexican border. Egyptian farmers on the Nile. My favorite was when I was a Hindu monk and you a nun. We lived in that monastery carved into the mountain and fell in forbidden love. If I recall, we lived several lives as forbidden lovers.”

I didn’t know what he was talking about. The images of his mad, scrawled writing in the notebooks filled my mind, and for the first time since meeting him that morning, I questioned his sanity. But of course living in a world where the doors moved around and the landscape changed on a whim, who wouldn’t go mad? “Our pretend adventures,” I clarified. “Of course I remember.”

“Pretend? How could all that have been simply pretend. Surely you remember more than that.”

His smile had slipped only a hint. “We sat at your windowsill and pretended. Night after night. I never saw you leave that room. You were a prisoner, there.”

His fingertips dropped from my chin. The water lapped against the mud wall next to us. “Of course,” he muttered softly. “It was only imaginary. Hundreds of years of lives lived in our imaginations. All those books you brought me.”

“A child’s memories don’t necessarily reflect reality.”

He barked a laugh. “Reality. You can use that word after the day you’ve had?”

“Stand and face me, foul beast!” a voice echoed from above us. It was immediately followed by the thunder of hooves pounding across the drawbridge, a terrifying sound when you’re directly beneath them.
 

Kord sighed. “At last, the hero arrives. He does like to relive his triumphs. Come on, I think we can slip into the castle, now.”

“Who is that?” I asked.

But Kord was already using the mud wall to leverage himself to the edge of the drawbridge. He got both hands on the wood planking and lifted himself effortlessly out of the water. A moment later, his hand extended down. “Hurry,” he whispered.

I took his hand, and he lifted me out of the water. On my hands and knees on the planking of the bridge, I turned to see a man in full armor brandishing a sword at a fire-breathing dragon. I’d seen the fire, but even so, I don’t think I truly believed there would actually be a dragon behind it.

“Let’s go. Unless you want turned into toast.”

The fire burst form the dragon’s mouth, engulfing the hero. The flames were far enough away, but the heat hit me and I scrambled to my feet. Kord took my hand and we ran across the bridge and into the castle courtyard. A crowd gathered near the entryway. Each and every one of the people was lavishly dressed, although like the people in the tavern, they each looked like they came from a variety of places and eras. The kings and queens of yore.

All their eyes were focused on the dragon fight until we entered their midst. At first there were startled looks, and then a near unanimous cry of, “Kord!”

We were swarmed, the crowds of royalty reaching out to touch Kord like he was their savior. I was wedged out, getting further and further from him, squeezed out like toothpaste.

“Whoa, whoa!” Kord’s voice rose above the throng. “I’m happy to see all of you, too. Please don’t trample my friend.”

The crowd parted, leaving a clear path from me to Kord, who held his hand out to me. As I hurried toward him, I glanced side-to-side at the monarchs lined up for Kord’s attention.

He gripped my hand firmly. “Can we take lodging tonight?”

The crowd cheered.

“You know I can’t tend to each of you.”

“We’ll battle for you!” shouted an elderly king.

“Choose me, Kord,” said a particularly lustful queen with breasts bound tight in a corset and peeking over the bodice. She slinked towards him and trailed her fingertips down his his chest and abdomen. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Harlot!” someone shouted from the edge of the crowd.

“Now, now, what’s this?” came a booming voice from outside the circle. Once again the crowd parted. A powerfully built king with short cropped brown hair and a strong chin came toward us, a bright smile on his face. He wore segmented iron armor, a skirt of some sort made of leather strips, sandals that laced up his shin, and an ornate red cloak over it all. “Well, look who’s here. Haven’t seen you in a while, boy!” The king brought Kord into a bear hug.

“Gus, good to see you,” Kord squeaked, most of the breath having been squeezed from his lungs. As soon as he was released, Kord brought me to his side. “This is my friend, Brenna.”

Gus grabbed me and crushed me in a hug. “Nice to meet you, Brenna.” He pushed me away, holding me at arm’s length, his brow furrowing. “You took a wrong turn, didn’t you?”

I looked to Kord.

“She did,” he answered for me. “We’re looking for her door.”

“And you think it might be here?”

“No, your majesty, this is just a stop on our journey. Would it be all right if we slept here tonight?”

“More than all right. I insist on it.”

Gus slung an arm around each of our shoulders and led us into the castle. We walked through a great hall. There were tables and chairs everywhere, all apparently abandoned by the crowd that was now trickling back in. At the front was a marble dais and a horse sitting on a purple cushion. A high-pitched cackle came from somewhere behind me. There was a man sitting in the corner lightly banging his head on the wall.
 

“It’s a madhouse,” Gus said, as though reading my thoughts. He nodded toward the horse. “That’s the consul. We humor him. No sense trying to change people’s religion once they’re already dead. Are you two hungry?”

“Always,” Kord said.

I was about to object to the idea of food, but my stomach betrayed me. Gus laughed. He led us out of the great hall and up a wide, ornate flight of stairs. Water dripped from our clothes onto the stone floor. At the end of a long corridor were a pair of large, wooden doors. Gus swung them wide and ushered us in.
 

To my left was a massive, four-poster bed piled high with pillows. Windows lined the wall in front of us, all shuttered. Off to the right was a large, copper tub filled with steaming water. On the table in the corner was a feast. A roasted chicken surrounded by potatoes, carrots, and parsnips; crusty bread and butter, a bowl of assorted fruit, a plate of small cakes of some sort…

I walked straight to the table and grabbed a drumstick off the chicken.

“I’d have gone for the bath, myself,” Gus said.

“That’s next,” I murmured over my mouthful of food.
 

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Kord said.

“Anytime. You two get cleaned up and fed and I’ll tell the others that you’re retired for the night.”

“Actually, I have a bit of a favor,” Kord said. “Our belongings are at the bottom of your moat. I don’t suppose you know of someone who’d be willing to fish it out for us?”

“In this crew?” Magnus laughed. “You know better than that.”

 
“What if I offered to spend some time with whoever retrieved our things?”

My food turned in my stomach. “Jesus, Kord, don’t. You’ve been with four people already today.”

Gus gave me a confused look.

Kord simply chuckled. “She thinks I’m a prostitute,” he said to Gus, who abruptly burst into laughter.
 

“Well, there are certainly some queens downstairs who would pay top dollar,” Magnus said.
 

“They wouldn’t have to if they’d only swim down to our car and get our things.”

Gus nodded. “Well, then, I’ll offer a challenge. The champion who brings back your luggage wins an entire night with Kord Grable.”

“I couldn’t possibly last that long and be awake in the morning. Best make it an hour. That’s more than enough.”
 

Gus agreed, shook Kord’s hand, and left.

My appetite was temporarily stalled out. Kord moved toward the tub and dipped his fingers in. “Ah, perfect.” He gave a shiver and then started stripping.

“Wait, what are you doing?”

“I’m gonna warm up. Climb in if you want.” His shirt was gone, revealing a lean, toned torso. He unfastened his belt, followed by his jeans, and shoved them down.

I turned away. “You’re just going to take off your clothes in front of me?”

I heard the water splash as he stepped in. He moaned. “This feels so good. Come in, Brenna.”

“I’m not getting in there with you.”

“It’ll be cooled off by the time I finish, you’d do best to share.”

Now that he was in the water, I turned to face him. He’d taken his sunglasses off. I spotted them on a small table next to the tub. His metaphysical eyes held no hint of lechery. He seemed simply to be inviting me into the tub as though it was the most innocent thing in the world.
 

It was certainly large enough, and I was chilled to the bone. He had his arms elongated over the back edge, making the muscles in his shoulders bunch up. It looked so comfortable. Maybe if I sat on the opposite end, facing him. Then only our legs would touch.
 

My bones ached for that hot water. I dropped my head back and sighed. “Close your eyes while I undress.”

“Okay,” Kord said, frowning in confusion.
 

I undressed and dipped my toe in, immediately drawing it back.

“Just go slow. It’s so worth it,” Kord said. He had one eye open and a grin on his face.
 

“Close your damn eyes.”

He obeyed, but the smile remained.

I stepped in slowly, first one foot, then the next. Gradually I lowered myself down into the water and felt the chill and ache in my bones start to ease away. “Mmm, you’re right,” I said. “Feels good.”

My leg slid up against his. My eyes were closed. I was afraid to find out if he was watching me or not.
 

“Was it all really pretend?” he asked, his voice soft.

I opened my eyes to find him frowning at me, dark eyebrows furrowed like a child waiting to find out if Santa Claus was actually an elaborate lie. “Of course. We were children.”

He licked his lips as though about to speak, but apparently thought better of it.

“Kord?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you here?”

He stared into me for a moment, his eyes making me feel naked. Soul-naked. “I followed my mother.”

I waited, but he said no more. “Did you never want to go back?”

“There was no door back. This is usually a one way trip.”

My stomach burned. “What about me?”

“Well, you have this key. So maybe, just maybe, for you, there is a door.”

“But you don’t know for sure?”

“I’ve been here for…for…how long? How long have I been here?”

“ten years.”

His eyes widened. “ten?”

“Yes.”

He lay his head back against the rim of the tub. “I’ve been here ten years, and yet I know very little of this place. Gus might be able to help. Certainly my mother can, if I can get her to talk.”

“Do you and she not communicate often?”

His silence lasted several seconds. “She’s in a dark place,” he said. And that was all he said.

His naked leg stretched alongside mine and yet he made no move to touch me. He was a gentleman for me, though he gave himself away to pretty much anyone else who asked. I felt sorry for him. I reached down beneath the water and skimmed my hand up and down his shin.
 

He lifted his head and stared into my eyes. “You are very pretty, Brenna.”

“Thank you. I believe you’ve told me that once already today.”

“I thought it merited a second mention.”

I smiled and sank a little lower into the tub. My knees were bent, just breaching the surface of the water.
 

“I haven’t had sex with anyone today,” he said.

The shock of his confession strangled my voice for a moment. And then I laughed. “It sure seems like you have.”

His lips turned upward in a faint smile. “That’s not what they want from me. Well, some do. Margaret…she was my first, I suppose that’s why I keep going back to her. But for the most part, what people want is something completely non-sexual. Something only I can give them.”

I found myself leaning forward. “What?”

He shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure. But I think it’s…relief. A break from death. They all describe it a little differently. Some say they get to feel alive for a while. Some say it’s like being truly awake in a way they can’t achieve on their own. All of them act like drug addicts, begging me for a fix, offering me all sorts of favors.”

“What is it that you do?”

“I just lie next to them, hold their hand, and take on their burdens for a while. They go into a trance or sleep, and they dream. Maybe they live. Maybe they walk, briefly, among the living. I don’t know. I just know how it makes me feel. All of their pain and fear is mine for a brief time. It isn’t pleasant, but once I feel it, I’m happy to give them a break from it. I hate thinking of anyone going on forever bearing those kinds of burdens.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say to this. It didn’t make sense, and yet I believed him. “Could you demonstrate? On me?”

“I’m not sure it would work on a live person. We could try, though.” He edged over closer to the side of the tub.

I certainly hadn’t intended to try it now. But the invitation was clear. I moved, careful not to splash water over the sides of the tub. I twisted around until we lay, hip to hip, next to each other. He let his arm drift over my shoulders. The water in the tub was still hot, but now, so was I. Warmed through, all the aches eased away, I found myself harboring a different kind of discomfort.

Kord reached through the water and took my hand, holding it between us. “Now, just relax against me.”

Everything was the same temperature. His skin, my skin, the water. His heart beat steadily beneath my ear. His chest rose and fell with his breaths. The awareness of every part of my skin that touched his filled me with a new kind of heat that tightened within me. But other than that, nothing happened.

“It’s not working,” he whispered.

“Does it usually happen fairly fast?”