Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Will nodded at the stairwell. “A simple tour of the Grimton. My bride had never seen those depths before.”

“Not a very romantic spot to take one’s bride,” Folcred mused. “Are you sure you weren’t trying to see if she could become a bride for someone else?”

“That’s a lie,” Father Silas spoke up as he climbed to his feet. “We no longer hold that ceremony.”

I snorted. “Try telling that to the dead guys down there. They acted like it was just a normal day of wooing for them.”

Folcred looked me over and even grasped one of my sleeves. The mummy had left the marks of its dirty hand on me. “Can you explain this very clear hand print, Father?”

Father Silas’ jaw bobbed up and down. “I-I am sure I cannot, but perhaps the young lady brushed against one of the residents.”

“And a hand happened to wrap around her arm perfectly?” Folcred countered.

Father Silas swallowed a lump in his throat. “I will answer no more questions.” He spun on his heels and marched through the tunnel to the left of the altar. The brothers scurried after him.

Folcred scowled at where the cowards had gone before he returned his attention to us. “Now I would like the truth as to what brought you here.”

Will lifted his chin. “If all you wish is to pronounce judgment on our touring choices then I think this conversation is over.” Will tried to guide me around the man but Folcred stepped in front of our path. Will stiffened and narrowed his eyes at the officer. “One would think you were stalking us, sir.”

Folcred eyed us with a sharp look. “And one would begin to believe you are here to start trouble. That is why I have been following you since we learned of your presence in the city.”

Will lifted an eyebrow. “‘We?’”

“The Corp to which I belong,” Folcred told us as he drew out a badge from his pocket. I had enough time to read the word ‘Prime’ on the top before he tucked it away.

Will didn’t look too pleased with this revelation. “Why is the Prime Corp watching us?”

“It’s not every day a dragon comes rolling into the city, even with Lord Torch being among our residents,” Folcred pointed out. “And you immortals have a bad habit of forgetting the mortals in the city and stirring up trouble which you can wait out after a decade or two.”

“And what trouble do you suspect us of?” Will challenged him.

Folcred nodded at the broken pew and altar around us. “Causing this much mess in the catacombs is a good place to start.”

My mouth dropped open. “But we were the ones who were attacked!” Will’s gentle hand squeezed mine and stifled more indignant words from me.

Folcred nodded. “That may be, but it wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t come here.”

“And you wouldn’t have known about the monk’s illegal marriages without us,” Will countered.

The officer scoffed. “We have suspected for months they were back to their old habits. A few women had disappeared after visiting the catacombs, no doubt whisked away with a bundle of cash and their new ‘betrothed.’”

My eyebrows crashed down. “And you didn’t do anything to stop it then?”

He curled his lips in a sneer at me. “Corp work must follow proper procedure in handling these delicate cases.”

“But we don’t,” Will interrupted as he nodded at the wagon in which the monks were being trundled off. “And if you mean to charge us with an offense then I suggest you stop wasting our time with accusations and make those charges known.”

Folcred narrowed his eyes at Will but I could see uncertainty in them. “I will not charge you today, but I would watch yourself if I were you. You can no longer swing your tail around and expect the mortals to step aside.”

A bemused smile slipped onto his lips. “I have only swept my tail twice in your fair city. One was to defend it and the other was for the children to play jump rope. Now if you’ll excuse us.”

He tightened his grip on my hand and pushed past Folcred. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the officer glared at us but some of his resolve was shaken.

We soon stepped out into the warm sunlight and back into the lively sounds of the city. Will was very quiet as he helped me into our awaiting carriage. He spoke only a single low word before climbing inside.

“Gottspake.”

I held on to the strap above my head as the carriage rolled forward. Will dropped into the seat beside me with a pensive and slightly annoyed expression on his face. A few questions danced around my mind that needed to be quenched.

I leaned forward the catch his eye. “Have you been followed before by the police?”

He shook his head. “Never, but as the officer mentioned, times have changed.”

“And what you told him was true about the tail? About being a jump rope?” I wondered.

A ghost of a smile touched the corners of his lips. “It is. The children were without and I provided them with one.”

“And the part about the other tail time?”

Will folded his arms over his chest and sighed. “That happened about five hundred years ago. The city was under siege and I offered my strength to them. They were desperate enough to accept.”

“Didn’t Torch help?” I wondered.

“He hadn’t yet made Mirum his permanent home and was away at that time,” Will revealed as he reached into his coat and drew out the strange card the father had given him.

I leaned over to study the strange man on the front. “It doesn’t look like it can do magic.”

Will grasped the card between two fingers and held it up in front of us. “Forthcoming.”

My eyes widened as a dark glow emanated from the card. The light focused into a string that shot forward two feet in front of the card and formed itself into a round portal. The soft edges of the portal hummed and the interior was as black as night.

Will continued to hold the magic as he scooted to the end of the seat. He stretched out his hand and his fingernail extended into a claw. His nail brushed against the interior of the portal and a sizzling noise emanated from the tip. He jerked his hand back and revealed the blackened end of his claw. Smoke rose from the burned area and he held his finger in front of his face to study the wound.

“Interesting. The portal contains unnatural fire that burns even my hardened flesh.”

“Is that bad?” I wondered.

He drew the card out of his hand and the portal and the glow vanished. “Father Silas is fortunate it didn’t remove his hand completely.”

My face drooped but that brought a fresh round of questions to my mind. “So what would it do to me? I mean, I’m your bride, but am I fireproof like you are?”

Will shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. You have all the frailties of your formerly mortal body but you will no longer age.”

I lifted one hand and studied my palm. “Are you sure about that?”

He turned his full attention to me. “What do you mean?”

I bit my lower lip as I sought the right words. “I, um, Silas trapped me near the stairs when I was trying to get out and a bunch of mummies almost got me. They would have if a sword hadn’t come out of my hand.”

Will’s eyebrows crashed down. “What kind of sword?”

“It was made of fire.”