VoodooMoon (27 page)

Ian stared up at the ceiling and tried not to notice how big and empty his bed felt without Fiona in it. It was strange how before he’d had her in it, the bed had been a soft, cozy place to rest. Now it was just a cold flat place to lay while he didn’t sleep. Not that he’d gotten a lot of sleep over the past week. But, staying up half the night talking and making love to Fiona had been well worth the weariness the next day.

Now, all he could do was stare at the ceiling with bleary eyes and play their last conversation back in his head, over and over. He couldn’t believe he had lost her. No, he refused to believe it. He was certain, that though she may have meant everything she said when she said it, her motivations had been fear, weariness and stress. Besides, she’d said she couldn’t love him, not that she didn’t love him. There was a very distinct difference. He would give her time and space, but he wouldn’t give up on her. Not just yet.

She was hurting, and what he really wanted to do is hold her and comfort her, then go kick the ass of everyone and everything that had ever caused her pain. But all he could do was take a step back. He would do as she asked, get another partner on this case, and continue to try to find Millie and the other missing mages. And when it was all over he would go to her and try to sort things out. If he didn’t die from the hole in his heart first.

With a sigh, Ian heaved himself out of bed and stumbled across the room to pour himself a stiff drink. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to drink himself to sleep over Fiona Moon, and he doubted it would be the last. But, as he raised the whiskey to his lips, his large, wall-mounted scry-crystal began to buzz and pulse with color.

It was very late. Maybe it was Fiona. He half dropped the glass onto the table, whiskey sloshing over the side and rushed to his desk. He waved his hand over the crystal to activate it, but when the fog cleared, it was Jarrett Campbell’s face he saw, not Fiona’s.

Ian scowled. “Campbell,” he said, by way of greeting.

“Barroes,” Jarrett returned the greeting. “I’m sorry to bother you so late, but Fiona left her scry-crystal here and I need to speak with her. We have a bit of a situation.”

Confusion, then fear washed over Ian. “Jarrett, Fiona isn’t here. Why isn’t she there? What the hell is going on?”

In the crystal Jarrett went rigid. “I don’t know. About half an hour ago River woke up terrified from a dream. She’s convinced it was a vision. She isn’t completely coherent yet, but she refuses to go back to bed until she speaks to Fiona. We went up to her room and she wasn’t there. Her scry-crystal is on her dresser. She left a note saying she went to the library. But I just scryed the Corsinis and Mateo said she was there, but left just under three hours ago. I figured she would be with you.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Ian snapped, slapping his hand across the crystal and cutting the connection before Jarrett could say anything. Clad in just his pants, he stuck his feet in his boots, leaving them unlaced, grabbed his shirt and vest and his rarely worn sword, and headed out the door, dressing as he went.

Ian’s guard, Daniels, drove the rickshaw at breakneck speed while Ian sat in the back dressing and peering out along the side of the road for any sign of Fiona. When Ian entered the pub it was full of people. River and Anya sat side by side in two chairs pulled side by side. River was leaning against Anya, her head on her older sister’s shoulder as Anya hugged and soothed her. Carly Corsini sat at the table on the other side of River, one of River’s hands in hers, speaking in low tones.

Mateo and Pinky were at the bar, bent over a piece of paper, and Jarrett paced the far side of the room, speaking into his scry-crystal. “Okay,” he said, then snapped the crystal closed. He looked up and started walking toward Ian. “That was Sam. He’s headed into Headquarters to start gathering a team for a search.”

“A search? What the hell is going on?” Ian bellowed.

“We aren’t sure, but we think Fiona went after Bokor, alone.”

“What? How? She wouldn’t even know where to look. Where would she have gone?”

Carly cleared her throat. “We think she went to the Parthenon.”

Ian searched his memory for the word but came up blank. “What is that? Where?”

“It’s a pre-cataclysm building that was once a part of a park. It’s a couple of miles outside the city walls,” Carly told him.

“Okay, can someone start from the beginning?” Ian said, his irritation rising. Nothing they said made any sense.

Carly and Mateo recounted their conversation with Fiona. “When Jarrett called looking for her, I was afraid something had happened so I redrew the map I gave her and brought it over,” Mateo finished up the tale.

“Why didn’t you go with her?” Ian raged.

“Hey, man,” Mateo held up his hand. “I thought she was headed to Blade Headquarters to assemble an assault team. That is what she said she was going to do. I had no idea there had been a threat on her life, or I never would have let her go alone.”

“It’s true, she said she was going to the headquarters building,” Carly reinforced.

“But she either changed her mind or didn’t make it there,” Ian said, suddenly very sure Fiona hadn’t went after Bokor by herself. Despite her sense of responsibility for Millie, Fiona was too smart to put them both in danger by rushing in unprepared. “My money is on didn’t make it there. River, you had a vision?”

“Yes,” she said, her face tear stained, and her voice creaky. “But it was just flashes. I saw Fiona, her eyes were closed. Her wrists were in chains. It was dark. I couldn’t really see.”

Fear gripped Ian so hard he could hardly breathe. “Was she hurt? Who else was there? Damn it, River is she alive?” His voice rose with every word.

“I don’t know. I don’t know,” River dissolved into a fit of sobs.

Before Ian could blink, Pinky was in front of him. The man’s nostrils flared and his eyes were wide with rage, but his voice was icily quiet. “Ian, I know you are worried about Fiona, and that is the only reason your heart is on the inside of your chest right now. You need to take your voice down a notch. If I ever hear you speak to River, or any of my daughters in that tone again, I will break every bone in your body before I rip out your throat.”

Ian took a step back. For all that he looked like a harmless kid and had the easiest going demeanor Ian had ever seen, the scrawny vampire was not someone Ian wanted angry at him. “I’m sorry,” he said, meaning it.

“I know,” Pinky said, clapping Ian on the shoulder. His normal tone of voice returned. “And I suppose I should take back some of that promise. I can’t really blame you if you use that tone on Fiona once in a while, I think we all do. She kind of brings it out in a person.”

“No need to worry about that,” Ian replied. “She’ll break my bones herself if I get out of line.”

Pinky laughed. “That’s true. Try to remember that. My little girl is tough as nails. She’ll get through this.”

Ian nodded, then walked over to River and knelt beside her chair. “River,” he said, softly. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m just frightened. Forgive me?”

River gave him a shaky smile through a wall of tears. “It’s okay,” she said, her voice tremulous. Then she leaned over and whispered into his ear. “You love her.”

Ian kissed River’s cheek. “I do. Try not to worry. I’ll find her and bring her back, I promise.”

River smiled again, this time a little more brightly. “I know.”

“We should head over to the headquarters building; Sam said he would have the team ready to leave in an hour,” Jarrett said.

Ian rose. “Mateo, you have the map, can you draw another one?”

“Yes, from memory at this point. Why?”

“I’m taking that map, so can you go draw another one for Sam and make sure they get to the right place.”

“No problem. I have a general idea of where the place is, so I’ll go with them.”

Carly looked like she was going to protest, but then just nodded at her husband.

“Ian, you can’t be meaning to go after her alone. Isn’t that what landed Fiona in trouble?” Anya said.

“She didn’t go off by herself. She wouldn’t. She is too damned smart for that. I think Bokor got her some other way. He’s already had her three hours. I can’t sit around and wait another one while everyone gets ready. I’m going now.” He said, determined.

“He’s right. She is too smart for that.” Jarrett agreed. “I’m coming with you.” He went to the back room and returned with a heavy black cloak and a sword. He slid the sword into the scabbard at his waist.

“It may be well past dawn before we return,” Ian said.

Jarrett grinned and held up the cloak. “That’s what this for.”

“Let’s go,” said Pinky, a cloak in his hand.

“Pinky, I’ve heard the stories, man. I know you can hold your own in a fight, which is why you need to stay here.” He cut his eyes to River and Anya as they talked to Carly and back to Pinky. “I know Anya can protect herself and River, but she is no match against this guy if he comes back here.”

Pinky sighed and tossed the cloak over a chair. “You are right. You just make sure you bring my little girl back to me,” he said to both Ian and Jarrett, his voice hard. “If you don’t, you may not want to come back yourselves.”

“Understood,” Ian said. If he couldn’t bring Fiona home safe and sound, he would welcome Pinky’s rage.

****

Ian and Jarrett went to the Blade Headquarters building first, but not to join the assembling team. They didn’t even go upstairs, instead they went into the stables to get horses. “Wait a minute,” Ian said, as a groom was on his way to saddle a horse for him. “Is Fiona Moon’s horse here?”

“Mal?” asked the groom. “Yes. But he won’t let you ride him, he won’t even let any of us gear him up.”

“You were right,” Jarrett said. “She doesn’t go anywhere outside the city without Mal. Ever.”

“I was afraid of that,” Ian replied. To the groom he said, “Take me to him. He’ll let me ride him.”

They reached the stall and the groom stood back as Ian entered. Mal snorted and pranced, not liking the intrusion. Ian walked right up to the horse, running his hand over his nose. “Remember me?” he asked.

Mal snorted.

“Fiona is in trouble. She is missing and I need you to help me find her. Do you understand?”

Snort. Stomp.

“I need you to let the groom get you all saddled up so I can ride you. Then we are going to go find Fiona and bring her home. Okay?”

Mal snorted and bobbed his head, then turned his head to look at the groom expectantly.

Ten minutes later the two men rode out of the stables, Jarrett on his horse, Davidson, and Ian on Mal.

Everything hurt. My face throbbed, my arms screamed, every part of me ached. I tried to open my eyes, but even my eyelids hurt, so I kept them closed. Fog swirled in my brain. What happened? I was at the library, but where was I now?

Something tickled my face, and I realized it was my own hair. I tried to bring my hand to my face to push the hair away, but when I did, my arm wouldn’t move. I tugged harder and a sharp pain shot through my wrist, radiating down my arm. I tried the other arm and got the same result. What the fuck?

I forced my eyes open, but for a moment I could see nothing, everything was a mass of dark blurs. Slowly my eyes began to focus. Little pinpricks of light appeared, then grew, until finally my eyes cleared, but all I could see was a dirty floor littered with…Oh, crap! Were those bones? I jerked my head up and instantly regretted it. Pain sliced through my head sending a wave of nausea into my stomach. My body jerked, but I couldn’t move. Slamming my eyes shut I took deep breaths to keep the dizziness at bay, but the putrid stench of the air around me made my stomach lurch even more. I gagged, and then coughed trying not to puke my guts up.

“Ahh, it seems our guest of honor is waking up, Amos,” said a creepy, high pitched, nasal voice. “Check her restraints and the amulet. We don’t want a repeat of what happened with our last visitor.”

“Yes, my lord,” came another voice.

I opened my eyes again, just in time to see a thin man with stringy brown hair dressed in a shapeless gray robe walk towards her. Amos, apparently. Her gaze followed him, still not able to completely focus, as he reached up and checked the iron shackles at her wrists. Iron. Damn. That would make pulling energy hard, but not impossible. But wait, the voice said “and amulet”. As I thought it Amos reached towards me, I looked down to see him grasp a large crystal wrapped in wire strung on a length of leather that hang between my breasts. He tugged it once, then let it go.

“She is secure,” Amos said, backing away from me.

Unfortunately, he was right. There was no doubt in my mind the crystal around my neck was charged with a null spell, like the one I used on mages for transport. Damn.

My vision was clear now and I could see the world around me. I immediately wished I couldn’t. I was in the largest room I’d ever seen before in my life. It was dark, only dimly lit by torches attached to large, crumbling stone columns that lined the cavernous room. I was chained to once such column. Across from me, beyond the columns were a row of cages. Some of the cages were empty, but some were inhabited by people. From the sounds coming behind me there were more cages behind me, and they were occupied.

My head swam. How many were here? How many had been here? I scanned the room, taking in the grisly scenery. Bones, littered the floor, like cast off trash, but I couldn’t tell if they were human or animal. I could tell that the skeletons hanging from the columns and propped up in various positions around the room were all human.

“How do you like my temple?” asked the nasal voice.

Temple? I had already figured out this was Bokor’s lair, I mean, why else would I be hanging here like human piñata? But, now that he said the word, I could really see, that was what it was. It was set up as some sort of strange place of worship. I was chained, my arms spread out above me, my legs bound together, my back against a stone column, about half way between the two ends of the room.

One end was empty, save the tallest double doors I’d ever seen. On the other end a massive statue stood. It was cracked and huge chunks were gone, but I could tell it was a woman. Her long, flowing dress and elaborate headdress were flaked with large spots of dull gold, as if they had once been painted that color. A huge disc was leaning against one leg, the top of it was broken, as was her arm. She’d apparently been holding the disk, a shield, I thought. The top of a thin spear was attached to her shoulder, but the base of it was broken and gone. The other arm was bent at the elbow extended outward, but also broken off between the elbow and wrist. This woman was a warrior that much I knew.

The warrior woman stood on a huge rectangular stone base, around her feet and round the bottom of the base were more skeletons. They were spaced out, leaning against the stone and between dozens of skulls filled with flickering tallow candles cast an eerie glow.

“My Goddess is beautiful, is she not?”

My attention was caught, again by the nasal voice that seemed to echo throughout the huge room, and realized its point of origin was right next to the warrior statue. I blinked, trying to adjust to the dim light.

“Goddess? I’m having a hard time seeing.” I said, making my voice sound as weak as possible. Which really just meant I talked with as much strength as I had. I vaguely remembered a feathered dart between my fingers.

This asshole drugged me.

“Bring more torches,” the voice called and instantly two gray robed figures bustled from behind the statue with large sticks of wood wrapped with some sort of cloth. They lit them in the other torches and then stuck them in holders attached to the four corners of the base. Within moments the entire statue was lit up with a golden glow.

That was when I saw him. It? A huge thrown that looked like it was build out of rock and bone sat on the side of the statues base that was furthest away from me. On the throne was a figure unlike anything I could imagine, even in my nightmares. It was a man, or had been once. Now, I didn’t have a name for the mass of gray-tinged flesh. My stomach roiled. This had to be Bokor. He was at least four or five times the size of Rangel, who had been a bear of a man. But Bokor wasn’t fat, it wasn’t like he’d just eaten too many honey cakes. It was more like his entire body was bloated, misshapen, mushy. His skin cascaded in folds and rolls and he was only covered by stripes of cloth across his groin. As I watched, his greasy gray skin twitched and shuddered as if something was crawling beneath it, pushing out, trying to get free.

“What are you?” I screamed, my voice shrill with anger, fear, and disgust.

Pain exploded in my cheek as Amos’s hand collided with my face. “How dare you speak to the master that way, you filth. Mind your manners in the presence of a God,” he spat.

“That’s enough, Amos. I said I want her unharmed.” Bokor’s voice boomed, echoing through the chamber.

Blood from my lip trickled down my chin and I felt a strange, giddiness start in my stomach and boil up into an almost insane laughter. “A God? That is what all of this is about? You are kidnapping and murdering because you want to be worshiped?”

“My sweet, Fiona,” he crooned in a tone you would use with a petulant child. “This isn’t about what I want, it is about my calling, my duty to the world. I walk among the unclean, consuming and purifying worthy souls.”

I snorted. “I doubt you’ve walked anywhere in a very long time on those jelly legs.”

My remark didn’t seem to have any effect on him. He just serenely replied, “It is true, my mortal body has its limitations. But I cannot be contained by this shell. My spirit can walk in any shell I choose.”

“Really? Is that why I’m here? You wanna take my body out for a test drive?” I taunted, even though the thought made my blood run cold.

“No mere woman’s shell would be strong enough to hold my energy,” he scoffed. Then he added, “Though yours might come close. But no, I have no need for your body, delectable as it is.”

“Oh, and what do you have planned for me?” I didn’t really want to know, I had enough imagination without hearing the words. But I needed to keep him talking. I didn’t know how long I’d been out, but surely someone had noticed me missing by now. Sam would send a team of Blades after me. Ian would come after me. I just had to hold out for a little while longer.

“You are as curious as a kitten. Very well, I have a few minutes before the ceremony begins. You see, my sweet Fiona, my avatars don’t last very long. They are fragile, human. I can only use one for a short time before it depletes my energy and I must return to this body. As long as I am tied to this corporeal body, as long as I must come back to it to recharge, I am only a demigod. A half God still bound to the mortal world.”

“Unchain me and give me back my hanbo, I’ll cut those mortal ties for you really quickly.” I jibed.

He chuckled and the sound made me want to scrub my brain out. “I love how feisty you are. But, of course you would be. No one with your power, with your state of grace would be anything but. You are going to be the one to help me break my bonds, but you won’t kill me. Not even you have that power.”

“So, how am I going to help you become the God you always wanted to be? Is there a secret handshake or are we talking full on virgin sacrifice here? Cause, I gotta tell you, the ship has sailed on that one…”

“Through no real effort of your own. I shall consume you, and with your power to consume the energy of the world, I will no longer be forced to feed on the unclean. I shall consume the energy of the world, and I shall ascend and finally be with my Goddess as her equal. As her King.”

This guy was completely off his rocker. He thought he was a God and was going to eat me? No, he was going to consume me. Oh, fuck! He planned to suck the life out of me. I looked around at the skeletons and realized he would probably eat me after he sucked out my spirit. Then a sudden, gruesome thought occurred. More gruesome that being eaten, strangely enough. The way his skin crawled and pulsed, what if it was the spirits he’d pulled into his body and never let go? He had hundreds, maybe thousands of people’s life energy swimming around in his skin.

I was no religion expert, but nothing about anything he’d said, nothing about anything I’d seen in this temple, or whatever it was, sounded like the Voodoo religion I’d researched and learned so much about.

“So, Bokor,” I said, conversationally. “Why do you call yourself Bokor? You don’t seem like any Voodoo Priest I’ve heard of.”

He sneered. “Religion is a construct of mortals that have never been in contact with true divinity. I am the truest priest of my religion, because I know the truth of the universe. I once lived with a gypsy tribe. I was born into it through my mortal mother. We practiced Voodoo, and I was the loyal apprentice to the Priest, until I was cast out of the tribe for being unclean and evil after I consumed my first soul. I tried to tell them I was divine, but they did not listen. Not until I consumed the priest and every elder in the clan. I formed my own tribe of worshipers who could see the truth of my divinity. I became their leader, their Bokor. When I found this temple, found my Goddess, I knew this was where I would ascend. And now, it is time.”

I opened my mouth again, but was silenced by the huge doors at the end of the room opening. Twenty or thirty grey robe clad figures marched in. They silently strode across the dirty, bone littered floor and knelt several feet away from the statue’s base and Bokor’s throne.

Amos went to stand in front of them. He cleared his throat, then in a loud, carrying voice declared, “The Ascension ceremony will now begin. Bring in the girls.”