Chapter 8

O nce the coast was clear, not a flashing light to be seen or siren to be heard, Carter and I sneaked over to Mallow to retrieve our vehicles. The cashier was on her phone, her animated expression convincing me she was recounting the earlier incident to a friend and didn’t notice as we pulled out without using our headlights. A pang of remorse struck me for the girl, but I hadn’t exactly planned for my soul to get sucked from my body and sent on an East Coast beachside vacation.

With Carter leading the way back to the abduction site in her truck, I had a moment alone with Kierce.

“Dis Pater mentioned his home is warded with a god bone.” I flexed my foot. “A toe bone, I assume.”

“I’ve never met a god with all ten.”

The matter-of-fact way he stated it caused me to splutter a laugh. “Are you serious?”

“Sandals were on trend for thousands of years.” He raised his eyebrows. “I’ve seen a lot of feet.”

“They’re easier to hide too. Feet, I mean.” Much easier than hands. “Slap on socks and shoes, and no one would know how many of your toe bones have been used to fortify your home or other holdings. It’s clever, really.” A new thought struck me. “How common are osteokinetics?”

“Among the death god pantheons, it’s a common talent.”

“But it’s still unusual for Ankou to carry around a god bone, right?”

“Few are as exceptional at bone manipulation as Ankou, and his god enjoys flaunting it.”

To get a better grasp on him, I finally worked up the nerve to ask, “Who is his god?”

“I’m forbidden to speak the names of the gods. We’re not allowed to reveal who we serve.”

Good old plausible deniability. “The crow at the train shed called Dis Pater by name.”

“Yes.” His expression locked down tight. “I remember you told me that.”

Briefly, I considered thumping my forehead on the steering wheel. “Does it mean she was a god too?”

“For her to know how to mark a soul for Him, she’s either a goddess or a well-informed god blood.”

That would mean a third god had an interest in Thunderbolt.

Dis Pater. Ankou’s god. And an unknown.

“How is this my life?” It was nuts, or I was. “People talk to gods, pray to them, but they don’t talk back.”

And prayers, despite what I had been taught, usually went unanswered.

Not even when you were small and terrified of the creatures prowling the corridors in the night, dressed in their habits, masquerading as nuns. No god had ever stepped out of a stained glass window to protect me. I had to learn to protect myself, and my family. Even that hadn’t saved me when a god finally appeared to me. No. Dis Pater had focused his energy on me like sunlight through a magnifying glass, only ending the torment when my heart quit beating. Whether it had restarted or not, he hadn’t cared one whit.

“Gods have been a part of my life for so long I can’t recall a time when they weren’t as real to me as you are, but they prefer simpler existences.” Kierce angled his face away from me. “They meddle in the affairs of mortals for entertainment, which is well documented through myth and history, but even the kindest of gods aren’t benevolent. They don’t grant wishes or favors without cost.”

As Carter slowed ahead of us, pulling onto the side of the road, we got our first look at the bustling techs and handful of officers posted to continue their exploration of the woods. Traffic slowed down as drivers rubbernecked to catch a glimpse of what was causing the excitement. They probably expected a wreck. I had no doubt it would be reported as one to keep nosy locals off the scent. Hmm. Or a manhunt.

They had to explain the heavy police presence and blinding use of spotlights somehow.

Guiding the wagon off the road, I asked, “Can one god use another’s bone without their consent?”

“Yes.” He stared out his window. “But it would create a vulnerability to that god in their wards.”

“But another magic user could? Like a witch or fae?”

“The risk would still be there, but the odds of a minor practitioner drawing divine attention are minimal.”

“Okay, so if Alcheyvāhā are old gods, with no use for their bones, why weren’t theirs scavenged before now?”

“They’re protected by gods like Dis Pater to prevent other gods from using them for their own gain.”

Dead gods meant zero security risks. The bones could be used without fear of retribution.

“What were they?” Carter mentioned animal bones, and I wanted a mental picture. “The Alcheyvāhā?”

“Beast gods. Divine animals. Blessed creatures.” He furrowed his brow as he gazed out into the night. “Before the rise of man, they maintained the balance between animals and nature.”

Surely if so many gods were still bumping around, they should be too. “How did they die?”

“The gods of man hunted them to extinction.”

A grimace twisted my features. “That tracks.”

“Yes,” he said softly.

A rap on the glass drew my focus away from Kierce to find Carter standing outside my door.

No sooner had my head cleared the cab than she hung a lanyard with a laminated ID around my neck.

“Wear this at all times.” She tossed Kierce one over the wagon. “You too.”

“I take it SPD isn’t handling this?” I hadn’t noticed the wrapper on the patrol cars until now. “Are these a 514 kind of unit? They look too intent on their purpose to have no idea what’s really going on.”

“Chief Leer worked out a deal where our guys can borrow patrol cars in surrounding areas to investigate any suspected paranormal activity. Our range is limited by design. The 514 is too new to butt heads with the big dogs. For now. This deployment was trickier, crossing state lines always is, but it looks like he knew what he was doing.”

Camouflage was always a good idea when you didn’t want to attract the attention of larger predators. Or, in this case, bigger organizations. Leer, as much as I was reluctant to admit it, was clever. But I didn’t appreciate his designs on me.

“Frankie.” Carter ruffled her hair, leaving powdery orange streaks. “About the chief.”

“You don’t have to apologize for him.” I bobbed a shoulder. “You and me? We’re cool.”

“Good.” She gusted out a breath. “He’s accomplished a lot with the 514 in a short time, but it’s because he never accepts the word no .” She appeared to admire that about him. “You’re going to be the first.”

“Yes.” I had more secrets to guard than ever. “I will be.”

“Hold on.” She stepped back then loosed a shrill whistle. “Officer Kim.”

A young woman with black hair in a tight French twist popped her head out of a patrol car. She located Carter and slid out with an orange bag on her shoulder. She lifted the strap over her head then offered it to Carter.

“Thanks.” She directed it to be given to Kierce. “There are basic supplies in there, if you need them.”

Kim’s gaze caught on him, her eyes widening, and she bowed at the waist.

For a split second, I questioned whether she could perceive his corona or some indicator of his status.

“Annyeonghaseyo.”

Her words sailed right over my head, but he awarded her a faint smile. “Ne, annyeonghaseyo.”

Upon hearing the word again, I realized it had a familiar ring. Korean. They were speaking Korean.

And, now that I was homed in on her, I couldn’t ignore that either Kim belonged to the local roller derby team, or a suspect had clocked her good. The curve of her cheek was mottled with bruising she had covered with concealer but sweated off in the Georgia heat.

A few minutes of conversation later, Kierce turned his head toward me. “Officer Kim is studying abroad.”

“Sorry, miss.” A flush climbed up Kim’s throat, and she bowed to me. “I apologize for my rudeness.”

“You’re fine.” I took the bag. “I thought I recognized a few words from watching K-dramas.”

“It’s not often I meet a fellow Korean in this part of the country.” She glanced between us before settling on him again. “You must be an overseas Korean. You barely have an accent.”

One more effusive word, no matter how well meant, would have shattered the brittle smile on his lips.

After helping Kierce into the backpack, I led him away. “It was nice meeting you, Officer Kim.”

As the night swallowed us whole, he shook off his unease, more comfortable in the dark.

“The skeletons were left intact as near as they can tell.” He plowed ahead. “Officer Kim told me.”

“Okay.” The distance in his voice made my stomach hurt. “That’s a good thing.”

He hummed an agreement and set out ahead of me without looking back. I let him get away with holding in whatever was bothering him, hoping quiet support would loosen his tongue. I worried prying too deep would read as obsession with Viduus lore rather than genuine concern for him.

Carter hadn’t given us directions, but we only had to follow the lights to locate the dig site.

As we stepped up to the lip of a large depression, I sucked in a gasp at what lay before us.

A skeleton that could have fooled me into believing it was a prehistoric herbivore curled into the fetal position. The scale was mind-blowing. The creature had been a hulking beast. Had there been even the slightest chance a fully intact dinosaur had taken a nap here millions of years ago and never woke from its slumber, I would have called in paleontologists myself to preserve this miraculous fossil from harm.

But whatever the Alcheyvāhā had been, whatever form they had taken, I couldn’t help but wonder what this site had to do with the abductions. Coincidence be damned, the two must be connected. Too bad I wasn’t in any way, shape, form, or fashion qualified to be here figuring out what was going on.

“I don’t know my nationality.”

Snapping my attention to Kierce, I wasn’t sure how to comfort his longing to know more about his past. I had gone out of my way to avoid learning about mine, which, in hindsight, hadn’t done me any favors.

“You don’t have to identify any particular way.” I believed that much. “People carve out their own paths rather than follow in their parents’ footsteps every day.” I returned my attention to the pit’s contents. “I have been called Nordic, Scandinavian, Finnish in coloring, but who knows? All I can tell you for certain is it was easier claiming to be a necromancer than admitting I had no idea why my powers were wonky.”

Even now, I didn’t have those answers. I might never learn the truth of my origins. I was okay with that.

“You and Matty and Josie.” He lowered his head. “You’ve all made your own way. Together.”

“They’re the family I chose.” I wormed a finger into his tight fist. “We don’t look alike, act alike, or hold the same views. Our powers are worlds away from each other. Josie and I represent life and death while Matty’s gifts lie in between. And that’s okay. We love one another, trust one another, and depend on one another.”

“They helped shape you into the person you are today.”

“Exactly.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “Every person we meet leaves their mark on us.”

“I don’t remember who shaped me. I don’t remember what those marks mean for me.”

“Our pasts are set in stone. We can’t change them, so why obsess over them?” I tilted my head to see him better. “Look to the future, Kierce. That’s where the opportunities lie. That’s where you have room to grow into the person you want to be.”

“There is one mark I will always remember.” His lips pressed against the top of my head. “Yours.”

Pushing up onto my tiptoes, I awarded him with a chaste kiss, marveling I had the right to do so whenever the urge struck me. That this godlike creature had decided he wanted to be mine.

“You’re thinking how cool I am again, aren’t you?” He traced the arch of my brow. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“I’ve got to work on that.” I sighed, but even that probably didn’t convince him. “You read me too well.”

I viewed his decision to stay with me as being equivalent to immigrating from one country to another. As far as acclimating to life full-time on Earth, he was light-years ahead of where I had anticipated. He adapted quickly, learned fast, and was always paying attention. Granted, he had spent time here on god business before we met, but still. I might never shake the awe of standing beside him. Of being welcome to touch him.

And I was losing my train of thought…

“God bones.” I straightened, tugging on the hem of my shirt. “What does Dis Pater expect from you?”

“An investigation.” The prospect sobered him. “And a resolution.”

“How am I the only person who keeps getting roped into things who isn’t a detective? I’m starting to feel like I need to buy a deerstalker hat and pipe to fit in.”

“How often were you pulled into these types of things prior to Duncan Phelps’s death?”

The night Lyle killed Phelps and framed my loaner for the murder, that was my first step down this road.

“Never.” I spluttered a laugh. “Josie and I were more part-time bounty hunters than investigators.”

“Do you think that would still be the case if Harrow hadn’t returned to Savannah?”

“Yes.” I didn’t have to think about it. “I wouldn’t have trusted the police to help if not for him.”

His knowledge of my talent and how I applied it had convinced me the only way forward was through aiding him in his case using my necromancy skills.

Hmm.

His hello, I’m back blackmail should have been a clue he and I were never going to work out.

“How is Harrow?”

The question shouldn’t have caught me off-guard, but it did. “Carter says he’s recovering well.”

“You don’t want to see him?”

“I was tempted to, I won’t lie, but he’s proven himself a threat to my family.”

“For what it’s worth, I think he loves you too much to ever harm them.”

His championing of Harrow knocked me off kilter the same as a physical shove in his direction.

“He’s lucky to be breathing after the stunt he pulled with Matty.”

A vague noise passed for his answer, and that didn’t make swallowing any easier.

“Are you trying to tell me something?” I fisted the back of his shirt. “You’re Harrow’s friend now?”

“Do you think you would have made up with him, eventually, if you hadn’t met me?”

As fair as it might be for him to ask, I didn’t want to consider his question for fear of my answer.

“Where is this coming from?” I tightened my hold on him. “Are you…breaking up with me?”

“What happened today, you visiting Dis Pater, inside his home, unnerves me.”

“I’m not afraid of him.” I eased back from Kierce. “I’m more afraid of losing you.”

One kiss didn’t mean he was mine, but it made me think he could be. That he might want that too.

“I had grown used to thinking of you in mortal terms, and mortals are no match for the gods.” Shadows darkened his gaze. “I know you’re stronger now, that you could defend yourself, but the worry lingers.”

“I get that.” A shiver tripped down my arms. “I remember being helpless as I watched you almost die.”

A low blow, maybe, but I wouldn’t give him up without a fight. Even if that fight was with him.

“I remember too.” He shut his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He opened them, and they were graveyard mist and the dark of the moon. “Can you forgive me? If I promise to do better going forward?”

“As long as you want to go forward.” I heard my voice crack. “You shouldn’t feel obligated to me.”

“Obligation isn’t what I feel when I look at you.”

A current ran through me until my toes curled. “Oh?”

An urgent caw from overhead ruined the moment as Badb sailed in for a landing on a nearby limb. A red string hung from her beak that she offered to me. I accepted it, and its familiar magic hit me hard.

Curling my fingers around it, I demanded, “Where did you find this?”

“She saw something shiny a mile away,” Kierce told me. “She went to investigate and noticed the string hanging from the…” He hesitated, their conversation heating up if her hops were any indication. “I believe she found the truck. She says there were no bodies. But that string had snagged on something. She sensed your magic in it, so she brought it back.”

“I need to check out the truck.” I waffled only a minute. “I’ll help you with the bones when I get back.”

“You’re not going alone.” His gaze drifted to the pit, cordoned off with police tape. “Your sister would kill me.”

“Just once, I want to be the one who inspires dread instead of relying on my sister to put the fear of God in people for me. How is it fair that a dryad is scarier than a necromancer? I’m embarrassed for me.”

“Your sister isn’t wholly a dryad,” he pointed out, like that made it any better.

“I’m not wholly a necromancer.”

“You’re adorable when you pout.” He brushed a fingertip over my bottom lip. “I’ll try harder to be terrified of you going forward.”

“Thank you.” I darted out my tongue, relishing the flash of silver in his eyes. “I would appreciate that.”

Given the green light, Badb launched into the night sky, flying low and slow to guide us to Pink Panic.

And, hopefully, to answers.