The Glass Gargoyle (The Lost Ancients Book 1) (29 page)

Chapter 33

I’d paced my living room exactly seventeen times when a knock rattled my door. Thinking it was Harlan, I almost opened it without thinking.

Luckily, thanks to all of the mayhem in my life, I’d become extremely paranoid.

I looked out my peek hole only to find two representatives of Beccia’s finest. Good for me, they’d both been looking down the hall and not at the door. I pulled away from the peek hole silently and waited.

Another door rattling knock echoed around my home. Then the welcome sound of boots striding off.

With a sigh I forced myself to sit down. Had they found the jinns already?

Another knock almost sent me flying into the rafters, but a quick peek told me this one was Harlan.

“Get in quickly.” I tugged him in with as much force as I could, then looked outside for any watchers, and shut the door.

“Whatever is wrong? I’ll have you know, I was in the middle of digging out what could be more elven flanges…”

“This, Harlan. This is what’s wrong.” I waved the newspaper cutting in front of his face. “And the fact that someone destroyed the dig this person and I were working on, most likely him. Plus he may or may not have killed the jinn brothers, and Marcos, well, they are the same actually, and plus the guards are looking for me.”

Harlan had started to read the article but stopped when my babbling reached apparently hysterical levels. He didn’t slap me, but he did lick the side of my face and tucked me back into my chair.

“Better?” He watched me from over the article as he skimmed it.

“You licked me!”

“It is what one does with hysterical kittens. I believe it got through to you, yes?”

Concern darkened his eyes. “This was your patron?”

Realizing that my earlier tirade had probably made no sense at all, I slowed down and filled him in. Explaining about Marcos, the jinns, and the scrolls took the longest.

“So the jinns were your lover—”

“Almost. Almost lover. We had one date. Nothing more.”

“And this scroll may have prophesy of the fate of the world?”

“Yes. All of it yes.” I looked at his hands. He had the scroll and the newspaper…I’d forgotten to give him the chataling document. “Oh and this, this was really why I called you.”

“Of course, because what you’ve told me isn’t enough to…” His voice faded and his eyes grew huge as he grabbed the third paper from me. “Where did this come from?” He was clearly reading the document, but it must have been an odd dialect because he was moving his lips.

He also kept glancing at the damaged scroll.

“Where did this come from, Taryn?”

If the extreme calmness in his voice didn’t terrify me, the look in his eyes would have. In all the years I’ve known Harlan, I’ve seen a lot of emotions on that broad furry face.

But I’d never seen terror.

“The purple faery gave it to me, same as the others.” Part of me didn’t want to know, but I knew I was past having a choice. “What does it say?”

Harlan’s hand was shaking as he handed the document back to me. “If what the scribe who wrote that said is true, the scrolls are a key to end time. A storm of destruction that will move all non-believers out of time, the wielder will control everything to his whim. There are three scrolls and all must be read in order by one who knows the tongue. The scribe knew enough to translate what it did, but he also added notes that indicate he had gone mad. From trying to translate the scrolls.”

“Does it say anything about a gargoyle made of glass?” I didn’t want to ask, but I had to keep doing it. I might or might not believe in things like prophesies, but clearly someone did. Someone who didn’t mind how many bodies got racked up in the process to make one happen.

Harlan gave me all of the papers back and wiped his hands off on his vest. “Yes. A gargoyle made of the light of night will activate the key to let forth the storm. And a sacrifice, one who will be found to be pure…something. The rest of the line just rambles off. There were also a lot of clues that would lead to the prophecy but they were gibberish.” He shook his head and started licking his paw mindlessly. “This is real, Taryn. I have enough magic to feel it. That thing is real. We have to find this glass gargoyle and destroy it.”

“I know where it is.” A horrific feeling began to grow in my gut. Was Alric the creature behind all of this? I knew he was obsessed with the gargoyle, and had pretty much figured he was the mysterious man in black who’d questioned me about it a few days ago. I had a bad feeling it may have been the reason he was in Beccia in the first place. And there was no question he was dangerous. But part of me had really been hoping he wasn’t one of the growing list of bad guys.

“And? Taryn, we don’t have time. Where is it?” Harlan had stopped his comfort licking and was heading for the door.

“I gave it to Alric.”

The look on Harlan’s face was akin to a pet cat with a really bad hair ball.

“You did what?”

“I didn’t know for sure what it was. We knew it was in a prophesy, but didn’t know in what regard. There was no way I could have protected it.” I didn’t add that had I tried to keep it, I couldn’t have stopped Alric from taking it.

“Come on.” Harlan grabbed my arm and pulled me toward my door.

“Where are we going?” I struggled to keep to my feet at the same time I stuffed the papers back into my inner pocket.

“We need Covey.”

***

That was about the last thing he said until we reached Covey’s home. Harlan was clearly thinking through some important, the-world-might-be-ending things in his feline head and I certainly didn’t want to hinder him.

However I should have been paying more attention to where he was going. I smashed my face into his back when he slammed to a halt.

“Dang it, Harlan that hurt my no…” The rest of my complaint died at what had brought him to a halt.

Covey’s house had been ransacked. Actually, it looked like the entire inside had been taken out, flipped, and tossed on the front lawn.

“Covey!” I ran forward without even thinking. Too many people were ending up dead around me and I couldn’t stand it if this trend extended to my friends.

Harlan grabbed me. “They may still be in there.”

I pried his hand off and shook my head. “We’re here now, we need to help her.” I led the way inside shaking my head at the damage. What few things hadn’t been taken outside had been thoroughly taken apart. I walked over to Covey’s secret hidey lock box. Or rather what was left of it. It was nothing more than a pile of metal splinters.

“The scrolls.”

Harlan closed his eyes when he saw the container. “She had the other two.”

“We still have the third one though.” I stepped over the metal remains of the lock box, and my gut twisted. A thin trail of light green blood marked the kitchen floor.

Chapter 34

“I think he took Covey.” I grabbed Harlan’s vest as the truth of it hit me. “Alric attacked and kidnapped Covey.”

“Easy there, child.” Harlan carefully pried my fingers off his clothing. “We don’t know for sure it was that man, nor do we know Covey was taken. One of the hooligans may have been of the same blood type. We need to check the university.” He paused and squinted out of a window. “Oh dear. Did you say the constables were looking for you?”

I swore. They were following me on my trail of death and destruction. Not all of which I caused but all of which I seemed to be involved in. “Quick, we can sneak out the back. We have to get to the university and see if Covey is there.”

I snuck a look out the window, and sure enough it was the same two officers who had been at my door. I didn’t think they were going to lock me back up for Nirtha’s murder, but I couldn’t take that chance. And I sure as hell didn’t want to answer any questions about bodies that were in the ruins.

I took side streets and back roads to get to the university, even going so far as to cross the campus the long way. I wasn’t sure how things were all pulling together, but so far I wasn’t liking it. I’d even gone so far as to flag down another messenger kid and scribbled a note for the faeries. If I wasn’t home in an hour, they needed to get help and find me. Harlan said it was over the top, but he ponied up the coins to pay for it fast enough.

We’d just started down the corridor leading to Covey’s office when the guards caught us.

“Taryn St. Giles?” The man’s voice could have identified me to people back at the dig site.

I debated making a run for it. Neither guard had taken out their weapons, but both were fine human examples that you didn’t have to be a minotaur to intimidate the hell out of people.

Harlan was too far away to be a help, besides, he was far too honest to help me escape from the law.

Dropping my head and sticking out my hands for the cuffs I was sure were coming, I stepped forward. “Yes, you caught me.”

“Now see here, her legal counsel should be here.” Harlan caught up to us and puffed himself up. He might not be willing to help me break the law, but he would try to use it to delay them.

The first guard pulled back with a large crease in his forehead. “Counsel? What for?”

The second one stepped forward, reaching for my extended wrists. This was it. I was going into the slammer for good.

“Here.” He slapped a packet of papers into my hand. “You’ve been removed as a suspect in the death of Nirtha Youghthen.” He looked at both Harlan and me. “What did you expect?”

Before I could come up with something stupid, Harlan smoothly took the papers from me. “We were just wondering why you were following us, officers.”

“Like we said, she’s free. Some guy came in a few hours ago with proof that Nirtha’s cousin did it. The cousin hightailed it out of town. We have to assume she’s guilty.”

My face must have still looked contorted because both guards backed away and gave us a wide berth.

I finally recovered when they were out of earshot.

“What are those papers?” I reached for them but Harlan was still pouring over them.

“Interesting. It says here your patron provided these documents. Everything except a written admission of guilt from your new landlady.”

“Thaddeus? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Harlan had his thinking look on his face when he finally faced me. “No. The man who got you released a few days ago. An old gent by the name of Parker.”

I didn’t know a Parker, but I sure knew who got me out of prison. “Alric.” Damn it, I wish he would decide which side he was on. He’s gone between being bad and good so many times that I was getting a strain in my neck.

“It appears we may be wrong about him.”

Harlan handed me the papers and I stuffed them into my now very full secret inner pocket. Even though the pocket ran the length of my side, at the rate it kept growing it wasn’t going to be secret for long.

“Perhaps. I’m not sure we’ve seen all the sides of Alric yet.”

Swearing at myself for letting him annoy me even when he wasn’t there, I stalked toward Covey’s office.

At first I didn’t think she was there. The door was shut and I couldn’t see any light under the door. But I had to be sure. If Alric was torturing my best friend somewhere I needed to start after him now.

“Covey?” The door pushed open easily, not a good sign. “Are you in here?”

A shape in the dim room shook, then flipped on a glow light. “Taryn? Don’t you knock?”

She was uninjured but rattled looking. As if she had no idea why she’d just found herself sitting alone in her office. In the dark.

“Harlan? I think she’s okay, but…”

Harlan stepped through the door at the same instant a spell bomb flew over his head and crashed at my feet. Burning liquid shot up and hit my arms and face. Two of Cirocco’s goons stood in the hallway. A surge of anger hit me and I tried to run for them but the bomb was too potent. I lost consciousness before I got two steps.

***

A pounding in my head woke me up. Rather a pounding against my head. I opened one eye and slammed it shut again. A single glow was hovering at eye level, a shadowed form right beyond it. It hit me again. This time I realized whoever it was was hitting me with his finger.

“I tried you know. I brought in all the best crime lords to help me find it. But none of them found a stupid piece of glass. Can you imagine the incompetence? Then I hired more to keep you out of the situation when it looked like you were involved. Zirtha was inspired, I will miss her.”

I knew that voice. It was Thaddeus. Or rather whatever was pretending to be the late real Thaddeus. The light against my eyes eased up, so I opened them. It was him. That cheerful dwarven face was more demonic now, but it was him. I didn’t know what he wanted me to say, so I grunted in response. I tried to pull forward and only then realized I was tied to a chair. I would have freaked out more if I could focus on anything without my head swimming.

“But, they all failed. They won’t get another chance at that.” His laugh was cold and dark. “Sammy was possibly my biggest mistake, I’d underestimated the minor crime elements, and by the time we realized what he’d stolen from Perallan, he’d lost it to a pack of squirrels.” He took a step back and shook his head as if Sammy had been a misbehaving student. “Rodents. He lost major artifacts to rodents. Never send a cherub to do, well, anyone’s job.” His shrug was so much like the dwarf I’d known it made me sick. “You see how that makes me look don’t you?”

I wasn’t sure what response would save me, so I just nodded.

Thaddeus’s frown grew deeper. “And you have caused some problems for me, young lady, you have. I was counting on that overwhelming curiosity you have to take care of both you and the dig. I’d thought I didn’t need either of you anymore. But you failed me too. Luckily, the jinn’s had also failed me, but were greedy enough to help me out in the end.”

He came closer and rustled some papers in my face. “I do wonder who gave you these though. They were mine you see. Someone stole them.” He peered closely. “I was planning on asking if it was you, but I don’t think you’re that good. Perhaps, Alric, he is a rebellious sort. But how did you get them?”

My face must have given something away, but to be honest I couldn’t feel enough of it to know. Whatever they’d used in the spell bomb really did a number on me. “You don’t want to tell me, do you?” This laugh was cold enough to freeze a haunch of beef in under two minutes. “That’s why we’re here, you and I. We’re going to have a nice discussion. About stolen artifacts, your friends, and anything else that might help me.” He stepped back and my heart stopped. Behind him was a well-used rack of knives, hammers, picks, and things I wasn’t going to try and identify.

I screamed. But nothing came out. “What?” Now that came out, but another scream did nothing. Thaddeus’s laugh warmed up a few degrees which I now realized wasn’t a good thing.

“I’m a spell user. Surprise. No one can hear you in here, and no one will find you in here. Ever.” He turned around to his collection of metal and rubbed his hands. “I haven’t been able to practice my art in a long time, what shall we start with?”

I was just wondering if I could will myself unconscious when a pounding rattled the metal door.

“I told you not to disturb me.” He didn’t even look up.

“There be someone attacking your home, they got in, and we can’t get ‘em out.” From the voice, the thug sounded huge and nasty. And someone I would much rather face than the insane dwarf in front of me. My heart was pounding so loudly I was surprised my chest hadn’t cracked open.

Thaddeus swore and covered the metal tools. “Never fear, I’ll be back.” He patted me on the head even though I tried to dodge. “But for now, sleep.”

I blinked at him once, then everything went black.

***

“Taryn? Wake up.” Harlan’s voice was low, but I couldn’t figure out why he was in my bedroom.

“Go away, I wanna sleep.” I tried to turn and found myself immobile.

“I wouldn’t twist so hard you’ll just knock your chair over.” Covey’s voice came from the other side. Since when had I started crawling into bed with Covey and Harlan?

“Open your eyes slowly,” Harlan said an instant before I flung my lids open then slammed them shut as a barrage of pain stabbed into my brain. “It was one of Largen’s flunkies and that weasely Grimwold who works with Cirocco. They must have hit you hard when you fought back.” He frowned. “Although you weren’t with us until just now. We’ve been here for hours.” He was clearly looking me over for injuries, but Thaddeus hadn’t gotten that far.

That popped my eyes open again, but it didn’t hurt as much this time. Wait, what did he say? “I don’t remember fighting back. We went to see Covey and someone lobbed a spell bomb in the room.” I tried to shrug but my ropes wouldn’t even let me do that. “I blacked out then, we all did, right?” I wasn’t up to talking about my near death with Thaddeus. If I spoke about it right now, I might shatter.

“Oh, but you did! The spell bomb dropped Covey and I, however we were only immobilized, not unconscious. You however, dropped to one knee, then shook off the spell like a rat shakes off water. It was quite inspiring. For a moment I thought you might be able to save us all. I never knew you had such skills of combat, my dear.”

I studied his face through my still slightly bleary eyes, then switched to look at Covey. Her lean reptilian face was far too serious for this to be a bad joke.

“But I can’t fight. Not like that anyway…how many people did I take down?” And why the hell couldn’t I tap into that when an insane dwarf was going to torture me?

“At least five, and two may not ever get back up. If it weren’t that your dryad lineage precludes such a thing, I’d say it was a berserker rage. They sprayed you with some vile liquid which was what brought you down. It blinded you until one of their bruisers could knock you out.”

My head was starting to pound. Whether it was from the beating it obviously took, or from the thinking about the impossible things Harlan was telling me I wasn’t sure. Now that I knew about it though, I did notice something odd. Something I’d felt each time I’d been exposed to whisky, but something more than that. I felt a burning and a feeling of invincibility when the spell hit. “Did either of you notice anything about their spell bomb? Did it have whisky in it?”

“Dragon bane in a spell bomb?” Harlan let out a chuckle. “That might make those things less nasty, but I can’t see why one would put it in there. Besides, I didn’t think you turned into a champion fighter during those…events.”

Now it was Covey’s turn to chortle. I glared at both of them.

“No. I don’t. However I sort of feel like the morning after. Did either of you hear anything about what was in the spell bomb?”

Harlan started to say no, but Covey cut him off.

“Yes, as they were loading us into a carriage trunk. They were mad that it didn’t take you down, that it had been designed for all of our physiologies specifically.”

That raised things to a whole new level. “So they were after the three of us? Only the three of us?” Who would want to make a highly targeted spell bomb for us? Alric was the only one I could think of who would connect the three of us together.

“Why would they grab all of us though? They didn’t even torture us, or ask any real questions when they brought us here. But you were away, are you sure they didn’t hurt you? Oh, they took all of your papers, Taryn.” Harlan shook his head. “They didn’t seem to find anything else on any of us.”