Storm Born Chapter Two

Wil Delaney was in his early twenties, with straw-yellow hair in need of a haircut. He had pasty white skin and wore wire-rimmed glasses. When I showed up at his house the next morning, he had to undo closely twenty locks before he could leave the door, and charge then, he would only peek out with the security chain in place.Yes? he asked suspiciously.I put on my business face. Im Odile. Lara set up our appointment?He studied me. Youre younger than I thought youd be. A moment later, he closed the door and undid the chain. The door opened again, and he us here(predicate)d me inside.I glanced nigh as I entered, ta magnate in stacks and stacks of books and newspapers and a definite lack of light. Kind of dark in here.Cant open the blinds, he explained. You never chouse wholl be watching.Oh. salutary. What about the lights?He shook his head. Youd be amazed how much radiation lights and other electrical devices emit. Its whats making cancer strickle to the woods rampant in our s ociety.Oh.We sat at his kitchen t up to(p), and he explained to me why he thought his sister had been abducted by the gentry. I had a hard time hide my skepticism. It wasnt ilk this kind of thing was unheard of, yet I was starting to pick up on Laras schizo vibe. It was highly possible that the gentry could simply pose been a figment of his imagination.This is her. He brought me a five-by-seven picture showing him and a pretty girl leaning into each other against a grassy backdrop. taken just before the abduction.Shes cute. And young. Does shedid shelive with you?He nodded. Our parents died about five years ago. I got custody of her. Not much different than how it used to be.What do you con none?Bitterness crossed that neurotic face, an odd juxtaposition. Our dad was forever and a day off on nigh business trip, and our mom kept sleeping or so on him. So its al mightily smarts just sort of been Jasmine and me.And what delivers you think she was taken by gen fairies?The ti ming, he explained. It happened on Halloween. Samhain Eve. Thats one of the biggest nights for abductions and hauntings, you know. Data supports it. The walls between the worlds open.He sounded like he was reciting from a textbook. Or the Internet. Sometimes I thought Internet access was like putting guns in the hands of toddlers. I tried not to cast my eyes as he rambled. I didnt actually need a layman explaining remedial in get toation to me.Yeah, I know all that. except a helping of scary people humans roam around on Halloween too. And lots of other times. I dont suppose you reported it to the police?I did. They werent able to turn up anything, not that I really require them. I knew what had happened because of the location. The place she runed. That was what make me know fairies did it.Where?This one park. She was at a party with nearly(prenominal) kids from school. They had a bonfire in the woods, and they maxim her wander off. The police traced her tracks to this cl earing, and then they just furloughped. And you know what was there? He gave me a dramatic look, evidently tack to impress me. I didnt give him the satisfaction of asking the obvious question, so he answered it for me. A fairy ring. A perfect circle of flowers growing in the grass.It happens. Flowers do that.He shot up from the table, incredulity all over his face. You dont believe meI worked hard to observe my face as blank as a new canvas. You could wee painted a picture on it.Its not that I dont believe what youre describing, but there are a lot more mundane explanations. A girl alone in the woods could confound been abducted by any number of things or people.They said you were the best, he told me, like it was well-nigh kind of argument. They said you kick paranormal ass all the time. Youre the real deal.What I can or cant do isnt relevant. I need to make sure were on the practiced track. Youre asking me to cross physically into the Otherworld. I almost never do that. It s dangerous.Wil sat back master, face desperate. Look, Ill do anything at all. I cant let her stay there with those with those things. Name your price. I can pay anything you hope.I glanced around curiously, taking in the books on UFOs and Bigfoot. Uhwhat exactly do you do for a living?I run a blog.I waited for more, but apparently that was it. Somehow I suspected that generated less money than even Tim made. Hmphf. Bloggers. I didnt get why everyone and their brother thought the world valued to read their thoughts onwell, nothing. If I wanted to be subjected to meaningless blather, Id watch realism television.He was still looking at me pleadingly, with big blue puppy dog eyes. I nearly groaned. When had I grown so soft? Didnt I want people to think of me as some cold and calculating shamanic mercenary? Id vanquished a keres yesterday. Why was this sob story getting to me?It was in reality because of the keres, I sort outd. That stupid sexual suggestion had been so revolting to me that I just couldnt erase the image of little Jasmine Delaney being some gentrys plaything. Because thats what she would be, though Id never insure Wil that. The gentry liked human women. A lot.Can you take me to the park she disappeared from? I asked at last. Ill get a better sense if fairies really were involved.Of course, it actually turned out that I took him because I quickly decided I wasnt going to let him drive me anywhere. Having him as a passenger taxed me enough. He fagged the first half of the ride slathering some really thick sunscreen all over him. I guess you had to take precautions when you lived in a undermine and finally emerged into the light.Skin cancers on the rise, he explained. Especially with the depletion of the ozone layer. Tanning salons are killing people. No one should go outside without some kind of bulwark especially here.That I actually agreed with. Yeah. I wear sunscreen too.He eyed my light tan askance. Are you sure?Well, hey, its Arizon a. Hard not to get some sun. I mean, sometimes I manner of walking to the mailbox without sunscreen, but most of the time I try to put it on.Try, he scoffed. Does it defend against UVB rays?Um, I dont know. I mean, I guess. I never burn. It smells pretty good too.Not good enough. Most sunscreens go forth protect from UVA rays only. barely even if you dont burn, the UVB rays will still get through. Those are the real killers. Without adequate protection, you can probably expect an early death from melanoma or some other form of skin cancer.Oh. I hoped we got to the park soon.When wed almost reached it, a traffic light stopped us under an overpass. I didnt think anything of it, but Wil shifted nervously.I unceasingly hate being stopped under these. You never know what could happen in an earthquake.I again schooled myself to neutrality. Wellits been awhile since our last earthquake around here. Yeah. Like, never.You just never know, he warned ominously.Our arrival couldnt have com e a moment too soon. The park was green and woodsy, someones idiotic attempt to defy the laws of gray Arizonas climate. It probably cost the city a fortune in water. He led me along the trail that went to Jasmines abduction spot. As we approached it, I saw something that suddenly made me put more credence in his story. The trail intersected another one at a perfect cross. A crossroads, often a gate to the Otherworld. No circle of flowers grew here now, but as I approached that junction, I could feel a slight thinness between this world and the other one.Who knew? I murmured, mentally testing the walls. It wasnt a very strong spot, truthfully. I doubted much could pass here from either world right now. alone on a witches Sabbath like Samhainwell, this place could very well be an open doorway. Id have to let Roland know so we could apprehension it when the next sabbat rolled around.Well? Wil asked.This is a hot spot, I admitted, stressful to figure out how to proceed. It appeared I was zero for two in gauging the credibility of these last two clients, but when 90 percent of my queries were false leads, I tended to keep a healthy dose of skepticism on hand.Will you help me then?Like I said, this really isnt my thing. And even if we decide she was taken to the Otherworld, I have no idea where to look for her. Its as big as ours.Shes being held by a king named Aeson.I spun around from where Id been staring at the crossroads. How the hell do you know that?A sprite told me.A sprite.Yeah. He used to work for this guy Aeson. He ran remote and wanted revenge. So he sold the information to me.Sold it?He needed money to put down a deposit on an apartment in Scottsdale.It sounded ludicrous, but it wasnt the first time Id heard of Otherworldly creatures trying to set up shop in the human world. Or of groundless people who wanted to live in Scottsdale.When did this happen?Oh, a a couple of(prenominal) days ago. He made it sound like a visit from the UPS guy.So. You wer e gravely approached by a sprite and only now thought to mention it?Wil shrugged. Some of the sunscreen hed missed rubbing in showed on his chin. It kind of reminded me of kindergarten paste. Well, Id already cognize she was taken by fairies. This just sort of confirmed it. He was actually the one who mentioned you. Said you killed one of his cousins. Then I found some locals that backed up the story.I studied Wil. If he hadnt look intomed so hapless, I almost wouldnt have believed any of this. nevertheless it smacked too much of truth for him to be making it up. What did he call me?Huh?When he told you about me. What name did he give you?Wellyour name. Odile. But there was something else tooEunice?Eugenie?Yeah, that was it. I paced irritably around the clearing. The second of two Otherworldly denizens to know my name in as many days. That was not good. Not good at all. And now one of them was trying to get Wil to lure me into the Otherworld. Or was it truly a lure? Sprites were nt really known for being criminal masterminds. If Id killed his cousin, I suppose he qualification hope some other motivated creature would take me down.So what? Are you going to help me now?I dont know. Ive got to think on it, check up on some stuff.But but Ive shown you and told you everything Dont you see how real this is? You have to help me Shes only fifteen, for Gods sake.Wil, I said calmly, I believe you. But its not that simple.I meant it. It wasnt so simple, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I hated Otherworldly inference more than I hated anything else. Taking a teenage girl was the ultimate violation. I wanted to make the guilty party pay for this. I wanted to make them suffer. But I couldnt cross over with guns blazing. Getting myself killed would do none of us any good. I needed more information before I could proceed.You have to No, I snapped, and this time my voice wasnt so neutral. I do not have to do anything, do you understand? I make my own choices and ta ke my own jobs. Now, Im very sorry about your sister, but Im not jumping into this just yet. As Lara told you, I dont generally do jobs that take me into the Otherworld. If I take this one, itll be after careful deliberation and question-asking. And if I dont take it, then I dont take it. End of story. Got it?He swallowed and nodded, cowed by the fierce tone in my voice. It was not unlike the one I used on spirits, but I felt only a little bit bad about scaring Wil with it. He had to prepare himself for the highly likely possibility that I would not do this for him, no matter how much we some(prenominal) wanted it.On the way infrastructure, I swung by my moms place, wanting to talk to Roland. Sunset threw reddish-orange light onto their house, and the scent of her flower garden filled the air. It was the familiar smell of safety and childhood. When I walked into the kitchen, I didnt see her anywhere, which was probably just as well. She tended to get upset when Roland and I talke d shop.He sat at the table working on a exemplar airplane. Id laughed when he picked up this hobby after retiring from shamanism, but it had recently occurred to me it wasnt so different from working puzzles. God only knew what stuff Id find to keep me busy when I retired. I had the uneasy feeling Id make a good candidate for cross-stitching.His face broke into a smile when he saw me, making laugh lines appear around the eyes of the weathered face I loved. His hair was a bright silver-white, and hed managed to keep most of it. I was five-eight, and he was only a little taller than me. But despite that height, he was solidly built and hadnt lost muscle with age. He might be pushing sixty, but I had a feeling he could still do some serious damage.Roland took one look at my face and gestured me to a chair. Youre not here to ask about Idaho. I hadnt really understood their recent vacation choice, but whatever.Giving him a quick kiss, I held my arms around him for a moment. I didnt love many people in this world or any other but him I would have died for. No. Im not. But how was it besides?Fine. Its not important. Whats wrong?I smiled. That was Roland. Always ready for business. If my mom would have let him, I suspected hed still be out there fighting, right by my side.Just got a job offer. A spiritual one.I proceeded to tell him all about Wil and Jasmine, about the evidence Id found for her abduction. I alike added in Wils bit of information about this Aeson guy.Ive heard of him, said Roland.What do you know?Not a lot. Never met him, never fought him. But hes strong, I know that much.This gets better and better.He eyed me carefully. Are you thinking about doing it?I eyed him back. Maybe.Thats a bad idea, Eugenie. A very bad idea.There was a dark tone in his voice that surprised me. Id never known him to back down from any danger, especially one where an innocent was involved.Shes just a kid, Roland.I know, and we both know that the gentry get away with takin g women every year. Most dont ever get recovered. The dangers too high. Thats the way it is.I felt my ire rising. Funny how someone telling you not to do something can talk you into it. Well, heres one we can get back. We know where she is.He rub have sex his eyes a little, flashing the tattoos that marked his arms. My tattoos depicted goddesses his were of whirls, crosses, and fish. He had his own set of gods to appeal to or in this case, God. We all invoked the divine differently.This isnt a drop-in and drop-out thing, he warned. Itll take you right into the heart of their society. Youve never been that deep. You dont know what its like.And you do? I asked sarcastically. When he didnt answer, I felt my eyes widen. When?He waved a hand of dismissal. That doesnt matter. What matters is that if you go over in body, youll get yourself killed or captured. I wont let you do that.You wont let me? Come on. You cant send me to my room anymore. Besides, Ive gone over lots of times before.I n spirit. Your substance time over in bodys probably been less than ten minutes. He shook his head in a wise, condescending way. That irked me. The young never realize how foolish something is.And the old never realize when they need to step aside and let the younger and stronger do their jobs. The words came out before I could stop them, and I immediately felt mean. Roland merely regarded me with a level look.You think youre stronger than me now?I didnt even hesitate. We both know I am.Yes, he agreed. But that doesnt give you the right to go get yourself killed over a girl you dont even know.I stared at him in surprise. We werent exactly fighting, but this attitude was weird for him. Hed married my mom when I was three and adopted me shortly thereafter. The father-daughter bond burned in both of us, obliterating any longing I might have had for the birth father Id never known. My mom almost never spoke about him. Theyd had some sort of whirlwind romance, I knew, but in the end, he didnt want to stick it out not for her, not for me.Roland would have done anything for me, kept me away from any harm that he could except when it came to my job. When hed realized I could walk worlds and cast out spirits, hed started training me, and my mother hated him for it. They were the most loving couple Id ever met, but that choice had nearly broken them apart. Theyd stayed together in the end, but shed never been happy about what I did. Roland, however, saw it as a duty. Destiny, even. I wasnt like one of those silly people in the movies who could see dead people and go crazy from it. I easily could have ignored my abilities. But as far as Roland was concerned, that was a sin. To neglect ones commerce was a waste, especially when it meant others would suffer. So he tried to treat me as objectively as he would any other apprentice, fighting his personal feelings.Yet, for some reason now, he wanted to hold me back. Weird. Id come here for strategy and ended up on the defe nsive.I changed the subject abruptly, telling him about how the keres had known my name. He cut me a look, not wanting to drop the Jasmine topic. My moms car pulled in just then, giving me a temporary victory. With a sigh and a look of warning, he told me not to worry about the name. It happened sometimes. His had eventually gotten out too, and little had come of it.My mom came into the kitchen, and shamanic business disappeared. Her face so like mine, down to the shape and high cheekbones put on a smile as warm as Rolands. Only hers was tinged with something a little different. She always carried a unadulterated concern for me. Sometimes I thought it simply had to do with what I did for a living. Yet, shed had that worry ever since I was little, like I might disappear on her at any moment. Maybe it was just a mom thing.She placed a paper bag on the counter and began putting away groceries. I knew she knew what I was doing there, but she chose to ignore it.You going to stay for d inner? she asked. I think youve lost weight.She has not, said Roland.Shes too skinny, complained my mom. Not that Id mind a little of that.I smiled. My mom looked amazing.You need to eat more, she continued.I eat, like, three candy bars a day. Im not depriving myself of calories. I walked over and poked her in the arm. find out it, youre being all momlike. Smart, professional moms arent supposed to be that way.She cut me a look. Im a therapist. I have to be twice as momlike.In the end, I stayed for dinner. Tim was a great cook, but nothing could ever really replace my moms food. While we ate, we talked about their vacation in Idaho. Neither Jasmine nor the keres ever came up.When I finally got back home, I found Tim getting ready to go out with a gaggle of giggling girls. He was in full pseudo-Indian regalia, complete with a bead head wrap and buckskin vest.Greetings, Sister Eugenie, he said, holding up a palm like he was in some sort of Old west movie. Join us. Were going to a co ncert over in Davidson Park, so that we may commune with the Great Spirits gift of springtime whilst letting the sacred measuring stick of the music course through our souls.No thanks, I said, brushing past him and going straight to my room.A moment later, he followed sans girls.Oh, come on, Eug. Its gonna be a blast. Weve got a cooler of beer and everything.Sorry, Tim. I dont really feel like being a squaw tonight.Thats a derogatory term.I know it is. Very much so. But your bleach-blond posse out there doesnt deserve much better. I eyed him askance. Dont even think about bringing any of them back here tonight.Yeah, yeah, I know the rules. He flounced into my wicker chair. So what are you going to do instead? Shop on the Internet? Work puzzles?Id actually been thinking of doing both those things, but I wasnt about to tell him that.Hey, Ive got stuff to do.Fuck, Eugenie. Youre becoming a hermit. I almost miss Dean. He was an asshole, but at least he got you out of the house.I made a face. Dean was my last boyfriend wed broken up six months ago. The split had been kind of unexpected for both of us. I hadnt expected to find him screwing his real estate agent, and he hadnt expected to get caught. I knew now I was better off without him, but some niggling part always wondered what about me had made him lose interest. Not exciting enough? Pretty enough? Good enough in bed?Some things are worse than staying home alone, I muttered. Dean is one of them.Timothy? one of the girls called from the living room. Are you coming?One moment, gentle flower, he hollered back. To me he said, You sure you wanna hole up here all night? It isnt really healthy to be away from people so much.Im fine. Go applaud your flowers.He shrugged and left. Once by myself, I fixed a sandwich and shopped on the Internet, exactly as hed predicted. It was followed by a puzzle depicting an M. C. Escher drawing. A bit harder than the kitten.Halfway through, I found myself staring at the puzzle pieces without seeing them. Rolands quiet, fierce words played over in my head. Let Jasmine Delaney go. Everything hed told me had been true. move this was the smart thing to do. The safe thing to do. I knew I should listen to himyet some part of me kept thinking of the young, smiling face Wil had shown me. Angrily, I shoved some of the puzzle pieces aside. This job wasnt supposed to be about gray moral decisions. It was black and white. Find the bad guys. Kill or banish. Go home at the end of the day.I stood up, suddenly no longer wanting to be alone. I didnt want to be left with my own thoughts. I wanted to be out with people. Clarification I didnt want to talk to people, I just wanted to be around them. Lost in the crowd. I needed to see my own kind warm, living and breathing humans, not undead spirits or magic-infused gentry. I wanted to remember which side of the fence I was on. to a greater extent important, I wanted to forget Jasmine Delaney. At least for tonightI threw on some j eans and the first bra and shirt I could find. My rings and bracelets always stayed on me, but I added a moonstone necklace that hung low in the shirts V-neck. I brushed my long hair into a high ponytail, missing a few strands. A dab of lipstick, and I was ready to go. Ready to lose myself. Ready to forget.