Dark Star, page 16
Gabe focussed. “Yes, I just feel a little weird, that’s all. I’m sure it will pass.”
“You say the woman is a called ‘The Silencer of Souls?’” Caldwell asked.
Startled, Gabe turned to him, as if he’d forgotten the others were there. “Yes. I still don’t know what she is, but she’s not fully human. She’d have easily killed you.”
Caldwell looked contrite, and Eli knew what was coming. “I’m sorry we doubted you. I honestly didn’t think they’d find us here, or that there would be so many.”
Eli had taken them to the barn earlier to see the dead being laid out. He hadn’t wanted to, but Aubrey insisted, as if he needed proof that they hadn’t made the attack up—even though they’d certainly heard the fight from the cellar, and the house was a mess of shattered windows, floors covered in broken glass. They had both staggered back to the living room in shock.
Caldwell continued. “We have reconsidered our options, and agree that it would be best if you accompanied us to France.”
There was no flash of victory from Gabe, just a grim nod. “Good.”
Aubrey hurried on. “Not that we doubt our Senior Adepts, of course, but clearly Black Cronos have means of finding us we didn’t anticipate.”
“Regardless of your trust in your colleagues, in order for you to retain our services, I want a full list of every single member of your Inner Temple, and anyone else you’ve told.”
“There really is no need,” Aubrey started to say, but Gabe held his hand up.
“There is every need. I want every name, particularly those who know that you are here. And we will go to a new location in France. One of my choosing, that you tell no one about.”
Caldwell spluttered, “But we have made plans—”
“They’re changing. Those are my terms. Understood?”
They were obviously uncomfortable with Gabe’s requests, but Eli knew Gabe was right, and so did they. With visible reluctance, they nodded.
“Good,” Gabe said. “Write the list right now, and then we’ll go through it, one by one.”
The sound of an engine in the courtyard had all of them looking up, alarmed, but Eli realised it would be Newton, or Zee would surely have alerted them.
Eli stood, placing his hand on Gabe’s shoulder as he made a move to stand. “You stay here, I’ll go and see what’s happening.”
Gabe nodded his agreement, and Eli knew that he had to be feeling worse than he was admitting, or else he’d argue. Eli picked up his sword, just in case, and walked up the hall, the glass crunching under his boots. Newton’s BMW was in the courtyard, and Eli suppressed a grin as he saw him already arguing with Shadow.
Newton’s hands were on his hips. “Please tell me this is a joke!”
“Look at me, Newton,” she protested. “I’m covered in blood, and it’s some stupid hour of the night. Of course it’s not a joke.”
Newton looked up at Eli’s approach, his eyes sweeping across his injuries. “Bloody hell. I thought you lot were invincible.”
“I wish, but we do injure, as anyone does. We just heal quicker.” Newton looked tired, and his hair was sticking up from where he’d run his fingers through it. “I’m sorry, Newton. I know you’ve had a rough week. When is Inez’s funeral?”
Newton closed his eyes briefly. “Today. You better show me what’s going on.”
Shadow’s eyes flitted beyond Eli to the door, and Eli knew who she was looking for. “Gabe is fine. Resting. Where’s Nahum?”
“In the barn, which is where you need to be, Newton.”
Eli followed them inside. It was better lit now, the floor swept of debris. Although, large pools of congealed blood still marred the floor, and the stench of it now, hours later, was sharp. Worse was the line of bodies laid out on the far side.
Newton gasped. “Jesus Christ! What the hell has happened here?”
Nahum and Barak were talking, but broke off as they saw Newton, and Nahum said, “We were attacked by an organisation called Black Cronos.”
He quickly summarised the events of the previous few days, watching Newton examine the bodies while he listened. He shook his head occasionally as he processed the story, and when Nahum had brought him up to date, Newton straightened, already reaching for his phone. “You know I’m going to have to call my team in on this. All of these bodies have to go to the morgue and get processed properly.”
“And us?” Barak asked. “This was a coordinated attack, and we were defending ourselves.”
“I know, but I can’t pretend this didn’t happen. You’ll have to make statements, but under the circumstances, that will be all. But these guys,” he gestured at the dead, “worry me. Will they come back? Will White Haven be at risk?”
“They might come back for us,” Nahum said, “but I don’t think you need to worry about White Haven.”
“I suspect that after this,” Eli added, “they will rethink their strategy. They took a big hit today when they underestimated us. But,” he said, trying to reassure Newton, “some of us will be leaving soon for France.” He caught Nahum’s questioning glance. “They’ve just requested our help—not surprisingly.” He addressed Newton again. “If they’re watching our movements, they’ll know it’s pointless to come here again.”
Newton nodded. “They’ll follow you though, and you won’t be able to take your weapons with you. Have you considered that?”
This was something they had discussed at length, and now there was talk of someone driving to France and carrying all the weapons in Gabe’s SUV, hidden somehow. Nahum nodded wearily. “We’ll think of something.”
“What does this astrolabe lead to that they want it so badly?” Newton asked.
Shadow was examining the bodies again, still clad in her armour. “We have too many theories and no real answers, unfortunately. But, knowing whether these are human or not would be good.”
“Didn’t you say that Maggie had taken the bodies in London?” Newton asked, frowning. “She might have results already.”
“Could you find out for us?” Nahum asked. “I doubt she’ll tell us, but she will surely tell you.”
“Potentially we’ll be working together on this,” Newton said thoughtfully. “All right. Let’s get started, because I want the bulk of it finished before the funeral this afternoon, and at a more reasonable hour I’ll call Maggie.” He rubbed his face. “Christ. I’m exhausted. This is all I need with rogue witches on the loose.”
Having seen first-hand what mayhem Mariah and Zane, the two witches from the Witches Council had caused, Eli had every sympathy for Newton. “I’ll still be here, with Zee and maybe Niel. We’ll help if you need us.”
Newton met his eyes gratefully, a faint smile on his face. “Thanks Eli, I appreciate that.” He took a deep breath and punched a number into his phone. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Harlan regarded Jackson, and suddenly he didn’t seem the same diffident, affable occult hunter at all. There was an edge to him he’d never seen before.
“I wish I could tell you more,” Harlan said after recounting their fight, “but the only other information I have on them is from years ago.”
Jackson nodded. “Could I see it anyway?”
“Sure. Wait here.” Harlan fetched the papers from his study, glancing nervously out of the window as he did so. He half-expected to see a figure loitering on the street, watching him like in some film noir, but was relieved to see that the road was deserted. Cursing himself for being jumpy, he passed the folder to Jackson and took a seat again. “I copied these records from the guild.”
Jackson studied the pages for a few moments. “Old letters.” He looked up. “The same handwriting, too.”
“I noticed, but that might mean nothing other than they have long-serving, loyal staff.”
“Could JD tell you more?”
Harlan cleared his throat. “We’re not on good terms right now, but when I mentioned their name, he had definitely heard of them. He seemed surprised to learn they were back.” Harlan leaned forward, sitting on the edge of his chair. “I presume you know they have the same origin as the order, but they went their separate ways.”
Jackson nodded, still examining the papers. “We do. They’ve meddled in many things since then, and have accumulated a lot of money. But,” he stared at Harlan again, “this is the first time they have been so openly aggressive in years. This is our chance to hunt them down and destroy them for good.”
“Destroy them? That seems extreme!”
“You witnessed them the other day. You know what they’re capable of. That’s only a sample of their power. And it’s not just in the UK. They have a presence everywhere. They may have been dormant here, but our European friends have reported their activities over the past few decades.”
“What about in the U.S.?”
“They have no presence there yet, as far as we know.”
“So, you have no idea where they’re based?”
Jackson sipped his drink again. “None whatsoever. Any leads we think we have simply disappear into the ether.” He tapped the folder. “How did you get the astrolabe back?”
“Good detective work…and some luck.” He recounted their trip to Storm Moon and what they found out from Blaze’s friend.
“You met Maverick Hale? He’s an interesting character.”
“You know him?”
Jackson wiggled his hand. “A little. I wonder if there is a Cronos presence in Oxford?” He was talking more to himself than Harlan. “I’ll mention it to my contact.”
“How high up is your contact?” Harlan asked.
Jackson winked. “High enough, but you won’t have heard of him. Like anything paranormal, it sits under a covert operation. Hopefully though we’ll learn something from the post-mortems.”
Harlan blinked with surprise. “They work with Maggie and her team?”
“Hell no!” Jackson recoiled in horror. “She’s not discreet enough! But the division accesses her reports and her SOCO team’s findings. Most of the stuff she follows up on we have no interest in.”
“We, hmm? So, you’re involved with them more than you’re letting on, Jackson.”
“On occasions,” he reiterated. He stood, shrugging on his long raincoat that he wore regardless of the weather. “Can I take these documents? I’ll bring them back.”
“Sure. But soon, please.”
“Just give me a few hours. If you hear anything else at all, please let me know—no matter how small. And I suggest you get out of here.”
Harlan stood too, walking him to the door. “I was debating that same thing. I’m jumpy as hell.”
Jackson’s clear eyes were troubled. “I have no doubt they would use you as leverage to get to the astrolabe, so make yourself scarce. And leave your toys behind,” he added, referring to Harlan’s bike and car. “They’re very recognisable.”
With that he slipped out, and Harlan started to pack.
Gabe was glad to see the farmhouse returned to normal by late Tuesday afternoon. He watched the last of the SOCO team drive out of the courtyard, taking all sorts of samples with them. Newton and Moore had left hours before, as had the dead once the coroner had arrived.
He had berated them for moving the bodies, but Gabe had stood his ground, arguing that they were trying to prevent panic if a passing walker found the bodies. They had all given statements, and although Gabe knew it was for the best, they all felt scrutinised and judged, and quite nervous, despite Newton’s reassurance that they wouldn’t be arrested. Gabe spotted Shadow emerging from her room in the outbuilding, looking refreshed after her shower, something he had yet to do.
“You should get some sleep,” she suggested, walking over to join him. Her hair was still damp, looking darker than normal, and she combed it out with her fingers as she talked. “Are you feeling better?”
He nodded. “Whatever was in Eli’s herbal tonic was really good, although,” he rubbed his fingers across his lips. “I can still feel her touch. It’s like an ice burn.”
Shadow studied his face. “You’ll be glad to know they look fine.”
“Care to test them?”
She laughed. “Not right now, thanks.”
“Later, then?”
She shot him a warning glance. “Partners don’t snog!”
“Who says?”
“I do!”
“The rule you broke the other night!”
“For the cause, as you well know. And you started it.” She walked into the house, swinging her hips in a way that made Gabe’s loins ache, and he followed her in, deciding to change the subject while he felt he was ahead.
“Any sign of JD’s thief?”
“No.” She headed to the fridge and grabbed a couple of beers. “But that’s not surprising after last night’s debacle.” She popped the caps off and handed him one. “But they might try tonight.”
“They’ll have to be invisible to get in. I spoke to Caspian, and he’s going to manage at the warehouse without us for a few days, which means we can have a couple of lookouts tonight.”
Shadow leaned against the counter. “Everyone will burn out if we’re not careful.”
“That’s why most people are in bed right now, except for Eli. He’s patrolling. Niel and Zee will be our lookouts tonight. The rest of us can sleep, and then catch the flight tomorrow.”
“Niel is gutted he’s not coming.”
Gabe sank into a kitchen chair, his tiredness mixing with his guilt. Niel was loving their occult work, but he needed to keep the other Nephilim motivated and involved, too. “I know, but to be honest, the way we’re going, he’ll be joining us anyway. I guess I just want to ensure the remaining guys will be safe once we leave.”
“Maybe he could follow with the weapons. If we can hide them well enough.”
“That will be his first job when he gets up. He’s going to take my SUV apart. Or,” he said, voicing something he’d been mulling over, “he could fly.”
Shadow looked surprised. “That’s a long way!”
“It is, but we’ve travelled such a distance before. And it will be easy enough to do over the course of one night. He can stop and rest a couple of times, especially before he crosses the channel.”
“Even carrying a big bag of weapons?”
“Yep. We’ll work out some way of strapping a bag to him.”
Shadow sat opposite him. “That would solve our problem. Maybe a few of you could have flown.”
“I’d considered it, but there’s a lot more air traffic now. And besides,” he flashed her a grin, “I wanted to see what a plane was like.”
She smiled at his admission, and for a moment her company was so easy and relaxed it made Gabe think that anything was possible between them. “Me too,” she admitted. “Another new experience to savour in our strange, new world. Anyway, it sounds like you and Niel will be busy later, so I’ll cook.”
“Rabbit stew?” he teased.
“I can manage more than that!”
“I know. Thanks, Shadow. For everything. The fact you killed half a dozen of them last night really helped.”
“I think you’ll find it was closer to ten. I am fey.” She sipped her beer, looking smug.
Gabe groaned. “Will you ever stop saying that?”
“I doubt it.”
He hoped she didn’t. It infuriated him and amused him equally. “You heard that Caldwell and Aubrey gave me the list of their Inner Temple last night?”
She nodded. “What are you going to do with it?”
“We went through them all, one by one, and there are a couple that strike me as suspicious. I think we should give their names to Harlan and ask him to follow them up.”
“How?” She looked incredulous. “I know he has connections, but that might be a stretch, even for him.”
“We haven’t got time, and I think it’s important. Black Cronos found us too quickly! I don’t care how good their resources are.”
“True. Where’s the list? I’ll call him.”
He dug into his pocket, extracted the folded piece of paper, and handed it to her. “I’ve asterisked the couple I suspect. One’s a newer member, and the other is the secretary —one of the members who had the codes to the lock and safe. And an eager beaver, according to Aubrey at least. One of the more fervent ones.” A wave of tiredness washed over him, and he stood, leaving half his beer in the bottle. “I need to shower and sleep. So should you. You may be fey, but you’re not invincible.”
“I grabbed a couple of hours, post-interview.” She glanced around the kitchen and grimaced at the mess. “I’ll call Harlan first, and then before I cook, I’ll get rid of the glass.”
The mess from the shattered windows had been partially swept up by Aubrey and Caldwell who had helped with some of the clean-up, anxious to do something useful after they had taken shelter in the cellar.
Gabe checked his watch. “Shit. The glaziers are coming in the next hour or so.”
“Good. I’ll supervise them.” She nodded at the door. “Go. By the time you wake up, the place will be almost back to normal.”
“Oh, and warn Harlan that he could be in danger.”
She waved him away with a flick of her hand. “Consider it done.”
Seventeen
Harlan checked into the Mandarin Oriental in Hyde Park, central London, a hotel that combined a satisfying mix of the old and new, equipped with restaurants, a gym, swimming pool, and bars. He had debated whether a small boutique hotel would be better, or even a basic hostel, but then decided the anonymity of a big hotel with lots of staff and security would be safer—for everyone. And besides, who was he kidding? He hated basic hotels. They sucked.
For added protection, he had booked in under a pseudonym, a name he had used rarely, but for which he had a credit card and passport, all completely separate from anything he used for The Orphic Guild. It was a precaution he’d taken years ago following a few hairy moments with previous hunts, and now seemed the perfect time to use it again. Today he was Bradley Harris, a suitably common name that didn’t stick out.
