Shadow's Grace, page 10
“If we go back, we can spend more time with the ghosts. We can get the information we need.”
Vio shook his head. “It’s not a priority. We need to continue on the path of finding Klassen, and that would waste valuable time.”
“Maybe when this is over, we can.”
“Maybe,” he said. He noticed the bubbles were fading. He caught a faint trace of her pink nipple through the water. “You should finish your bath. If you want anything to eat, there is food in the kitchen. Sleep as long as you need to. When you wake, we’ll call Dennis.”
“Do you need sleep?”
“Not much, just a few hours.”
“What are you going to do? Will you leave?”
“No,” he said. “I’ll be here all night. Goodnight, Ariel. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He stood to leave and reached for the door. Behind him, he heard the water shift, and he forced himself not to turn around. Not even when she said his name. “Yes?” he whispered.
“Thank you for coming in. And all the nice things you said about me.”
“Of course,” he said. “You’re all that and more.”
“More?”
“Goodnight,” he said, harsher than before. He winced. “And thank you, for thinking of me during Craco.” He left before she could respond and closed the door behind him. He rushed from her room to his, nearly slamming the door behind him. As he returned to his bedroom, he swore he felt eyes on him, and wondered if she was now haunting him. It certainly felt like she was.
Chapter 12
Ariel
Grey light filtered through the heavy curtains. Ariel’s eyes opened slowly. She tried to roll over to check the time when her muscles screamed in protest. She winced at the pain that seared through her legs. Who knew being in a battle would be more painful the day after? Not for the first time, she thought Vio would be better off paired with a badass who knew how to fight. But Dennis had chosen her, so she gritted her teeth and pushed out of bed. She winced with each step to the bathroom, but she kept putting one aching leg before the other.
Her eyes drifted to the tub, and she thought of Vio last night. He had been both caring and distracted, though distracted by what she didn’t know. What she did know was that she was disappointed when he had left. Though, in a few weeks, if they were successful, he would be dead, and she would be “normal.” This really wasn’t the best time to think about a relationship. Despite that, it was far nicer than she could have imagined to be with a man who didn’t have literal ghosts. She could handle emotionally haunting baggage. It was the real ghosts that always drove her away from the men she dated. If anything, this just showed her what her future could be like. And why she couldn’t fail in this task.
After a quick shower, she wrapped a towel around her and moved to the bedroom to open her armoire. She found her field clothes from yesterday – still covered in dust – along with a few sets of black leggings and black tanks and turtlenecks, tactical vests stuffed with useful supplies, and then on the other side hung a few more items Vio must have found for her from the trunks in the house. She reached for the vintage items and took out a pair of high-waisted trousers that buttoned up, a red blouse, and a black blazer. A pair of black and white Oxford t-strap shoes fit her perfectly.
When she looked in the mirror, she had to admit, she outfit made her feel halfway human again. And she was selfishly relieved that whoever had owned the garments wasn’t still in the house. The clothes left enough room for her to strap on her blades, and she tucked the phone into her trouser pocket.
Vio was waiting for her in the kitchen. When Ariel looked at the breakfast spread, her stomach rumbled. “Nice outfit,” he said. “We can go back to your house to get your clothes if you like.” He picked up a pitcher of orange juice.
Ariel shrugged. “We should probably get some things. I, ah, don’t have any underwear here.”
“You’re not wearing any underwear?” he asked, pausing just as he was about to fill her glass.
Ariel blushed slightly. “Just a bra.”
“Um, I see.” He returned to the orange juice. “We’ll get you some clothes if you plan to stay here.”
“I’d like that. And I love these clothes, maybe I can check out the source.”
“I can take you up to the attic after breakfast. You should eat, we might not get another chance today.”
“Thanks.” She took her seat. “This looks amazing.”
“One of my favourite discoveries in the New World was the big breakfast,” he said, taking a seat opposite her and filling his plate. She did the same.
“We should call Dennis before I go shopping in your attic or we return to my house,” she said. “And about the New World. As the town of Craco became more and more uninhabitable, a lot of inhabitants left for America in the 20s. But they would have made port here along the way.”
“They would have?”
Ariel nodded. “Most ships stopped in Halifax on their way to anywhere in North America. It was like flying out of Toronto today – wherever you’re from or going, you have to fly out of Toronto. In the 20s, people traveled by ship. And the ships made port here. But this wasn’t a very law abiding port then.”
“It wasn’t?”
“No, it was known as the port of pirates,” she said, smirking around a mouthful of hashbrowns. “It was pretty much lawless, with any law enforcement taking bribes and running in circles just as brutal as the criminals. The pirates, the thugs, the gangs; they ruled the city.”
“How do you know this?”
“I did some research last night before bed,” she said. “And, at the same time our city was run by thugs in the 20s, the universities started expanding. There was a boom in expansions for arts and sciences, and the medical school increased their enrollment numbers. So here you have these people coming from an ancient city, who would have taken anything valuable with them. Maybe something like an artefact that is somehow connected with death, or a book that explains raising the dead. They make port in a city where thugs and criminals would pay for rare items. And an influx of desperate historians and scientists eager to prove themselves. What do you think?” she asked.
Vio took a drink. “I think we need to call the boss. The sooner we know what the item is, the sooner you can start talking to ghosts and trying to find out how all of this is connected.”
Ariel hesitated. “Are you sure you want to see him?”
Vio gave a deep chuckle. “He’s been clear I don’t have a choice on much of what I want with this. Yes, call him.”
Ariel lowered her utensils and watched Vio take another drink. She touched her thumb to the black stone at her neck. Nothing happened, and she frowned.
“Should we wait for him?” she asked.
“Let’s get the artefact, then decide,” Vio said. They pushed away from the table and moved to the staircase, where Death stood on the first step.
“Jesus,” Ariel said, startled. A muscle in Dennis’ cheek twitched at that curse.
“I prefer Dennis,” he said, shucking the sleeves of his crisp white shirt from his navy suit jacket. Ariel wondered if he ever wore anything other than a suit. If he did, she hadn’t seen him in it.
“Dennis, sorry,” Ariel said. She would never get used to him just appearing.
“You called?” he asked.
“I’ll get it,” Vio said, dashing up the stairs before Ariel had a chance to stop him. While Vio retrieved the artefact, Ariel filled Dennis in on what they had discovered yesterday about Ivan, the bodies she had found, and, finally, as Vio came down the stairs, about the artefact.
“Sounds as though you’ve been busy,” Dennis said.
Vio snorted. “Ariel nearly toppled a city that has stood for thousands of years.”
Dennis’ gaze flickered to her. “I felt that,” he said softly. “It’s not only human deaths that impact me. I can feel when a town dies. Craco died decades ago, but whatever you did yesterday caused a deep tear.”
“I’m sorry,” Ariel said, and she was. When the floor had collapsed, she hated the way the ancient buildings had groaned and protested the destruction. The guilt from destroying something ancient had burrowed under her skin.
“You need to do what you can to survive,” Dennis said. “And to stop Klassen, and whatever he is planning. And apparently, he has a protégé now.”
“Ivan was able to control the dead,” Vio said. “He just waved his hand, and they were like puppets. Do you think he learned the skills of a necromancer, or was he born with that magic? Does it have anything to do with this?” Vio rested the stone skull on his palm, the cloth still protecting his skin from making direct contact.
Dennis took the item without hesitation. He squinted and held it from all angles. He closed his eyes, his long fingers caressing it as he tried to get a read on it. Ariel held her breath, wishing he was going to answer all their questions, and make whatever they had to do much easier. But when he looked down at it and frowned, she had to bite her lip to hide her disappointment.
“I don’t know,” Dennis said. “Whatever it is, it’s older than me. Magic like this is old. It predates my time as death.”
Ariel frowned. Something about their meeting in the Public Gardens tugged at her memory. She had been distracted by the ghost at the time and now couldn’t recall what it was. “You mean you haven’t always been Death?” she asked.
Dennis shook his head. “No. My father ruled before me. Each Death lasts for between five to six thousand years. We’re alive a thousand or two before, and a few after, but not in the role of Death.”
“How long have you been Death for?” Ariel asked.
“Just over two thousand years. I started around the dawn of Christianity. It was the beginning of the end of the old ways. The world started to move rapidly. Unlike my father and grandfather, I decided to be forward focused. I tried to connect with those I was serving. The traditions of the past were rapidly fading as humanity advanced. Necromancy is an old magic and not much is known about it now. Necromancers are very rare. That there are now two during the same time is concerning. I need to do some research. Maybe . . . maybe I should have paid her more heed,” he said, a shadow crossing his face. Ariel was certain that sentence wasn’t meant for them.
“I didn’t look back,” Dennis continued, “when I became Death. I didn’t study the past traditions or magics as intently as those who had come before me. They weren’t as prominent. The magic of the world was fading. But the previous Deaths kept journals. I will look through those. In the meantime,” he said, placing the artefact back in Vio’s hands, “keep it safe. And I don’t recommend touching it.”
“We’re going to do research, too,” Ariel offered. “Vio is in this city because his last lead mentioned a library of the dead. He thinks it might be here. I’m hoping to discover the location. Maybe there will be part of an artefact or a book that tells us what it does.”
“A library of the dead?” Dennis’ lips quirked up, clearly amused. “Let me know if you find a copy of Egypt’s Book of Coming Forth, or The Funeral Rites, and don’t forget Green Eggs and Skulls.”
“All right,” Vio said, cutting him off, yet Dennis smiled at himself. Ariel fought the urge to roll her eyes.
“Sorry,” Dennis said, though she knew he wasn’t.
“Don’t you have your own library of this sort of thing?” Ariel asked.
“There would be something at my parent’s estate. Like I said, I’ll do some research as well. But I want you to keep looking. Follow this up; if it’s from Craco, it will likely lead you to Klassen. In fact, it might help bring him to you.”
Ariel bit her lip. “But . . . wouldn’t that be bad?”
“You’re looking for him, after all.” Dennis said. He turned to Vio. “Might not be horrible if word got out about your find. Just . . . be prepared for a fight. You will likely draw more than Klassen. But it’s your choice how you wish to proceed. Your month. Though call me, if you need backup,” he said, winking. He checked his watch. “I’m afraid I have another appointment. Let me know what you find out.”
He disappeared. Ariel started and once again reached for the space where he had been. Vio gripped her hand, and she blushed.
“Sorry,” she said. “Still getting used to that.” Vio only grunted and released her hand to rewrap the artefact. “What are we going to do?” she asked.
“Get you some clothes.”
“I meant about letting word get out that we have the artefact.”
His jaw tightened. “I know what you meant. First let’s get you clothes. We’ll go to your house and bring some things over. I don’t think we should be separated. Especially not if . . .” his words trailed off as he looked down at the black stone. Ariel finished his thought.
“If we’re about to draw attention?”
“If word gets out among the underworld that we have something connected to necromancy, I can assure you we’ll become very popular.”
“Dennis has a point. It might help bring Klassen to us.”
Vio looked her over and Ariel withered under the stare. Dennis had said it could be a battle. She wasn’t a warrior, and Vio knew it. She knew he was weighing their options because of her limitations.
“I’ll return this to a safe location upstairs. We can leave in a minute for your house,” he said, and moved swiftly up the stairs.
Ariel’s chest ached at his lack of faith. She returned to the kitchen and dining room to start packing up the flood and putting the dishes in the sink. Anger simmered under her actions. She was angry that she had no skills and brought nothing to the table. She was angry that Vio made her feel like that over and over. She was angry that she was so weak, so scared, so . . . mortal. For the first time in her life, being abnormal should be an advantage, and yet it only continued to be a weakness. Do I belong anywhere? It had never felt like it.
“Ariel?” Vio’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up from the sink, now full of dirty dishes.
“I’m ready,” she said. She didn’t hesitate. She grabbed his arm, wrapped her fingers around the necklace, and took them to her bedroom at her aunt’s house.
The familiar smell hit her. She opened her eyes. Her tension eased at being surrounded by her things. At being home. Unlike the rest of the house, she had updated her room. Bookshelves and dressers full of her items lined the modern red and grey walls. Items she had spent a life collecting.
“This is your bedroom?” Vio asked when he steadied himself from the vertigo of transportation. He released her hand and looked over the space.
“Yes, at least it’s not screaming 70s,” she replied. She moved quickly to the closet and grabbed a suitcase, tossing it on the bed. Vio took a seat on her mattress, and something about seeing him sitting on her bed sent a faint thrill through her. Damn him, how could he make her angry and aroused at the same time?
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Ariel laughed bitterly at the question. “All right? My aunt died a week ago and I haven’t had a second to process her death. I’m thrown into a battle taking place on a battlefield I am familiar with, yet I bring nothing to it. I know you don’t want to draw Klassen to us because I’m weak.”
She yanked open her top dresser drawer and pulled out a handful of underwear, socks and bras, and tossed the undergarments into the suitcase. Most of it missed and spilled over Vio’s lap. “Shit,” she said. She moved to grab it off him but he wrapped his hands around her arms.
“You are not weak,” he said. “What you did in Craco was brave and strong. But you’re wrong. You’re not familiar with this battlefield, only with the dead. And that makes things more complicated. If it was just me, yes I would announce it to the world and draw Klassen to me. But it isn’t. More than enough people have already died because I haven’t managed this properly. It’s not just your death I’m worried about. You have a unique gift, and if Klassen learns that, he will try to turn you into one of his creations and exploit it.”
Ariel gaped. Her anger fizzled and she sagged. Vio guided her to the bed so she sat beside him. “You think he would do that?”
“I have no doubt. And it’s not just him. It’s Ivan. It’s Lucian – Dennis’ brother. He’s also after Klassen. And there are the others. The . . . what did you call them? Thugs and gangsters. The miscreants of the underworld who would love an artefact to fence for the right price. You could be one of those items they want to sell. We can’t trust Dennis to fight his battle for us.”
“I know,” she said. “I just wish I could help more.”
“You’ve achieved more in the past few days that I was able to in years. And you will again, by talking to the dead and learning where the library of death is. I’m unable to do this without you. Dennis knows that. Otherwise he wouldn’t have asked you.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’m sorry. I spent my whole life not belonging with the living, and now I have a chance to belong with the dead, and I don’t feel like I belong here, either.”
“It gets easier,” he said softly. Ariel realized he must have never belonged either.
“Thanks,” she added. Vio picked a lacy red bra off his lap. Ariel flushed.
“Oh,” she said, snatching it from him and tossing it in her suitcase. But he picked up a pair of sheer purple panties. “Damnit,” she said, grabbing the handful of lingerie that had landed on him.
Vio smiled slightly, and she was relieved he didn’t mind being covered in her underclothes. In fact, he seemed to find it amusing. “I’ll give you more privacy,” he said, pushing up from the bed.
“I won’t be long.” She looked around the room. Vio followed her gaze.
“I like this room, it’s much more you.”
“I guess I’ll need to decide what to do with the rest of the house when this is over. I hate the rest of the decor,” she confessed.
Vio paused in the doorway. “You could have my house when this is over,” he said. “It suits you better.”
