House of the Unwanted: A House of Frost Novel
Chapter 17
By Dabeagle
We crossed through a stand of trees and then through an overgrown bit of land with brush that was out of control. It made it easier to approach with less chance of being seen, but the intensifying snow helped with that as well. We made steady progress, even Matilda, who was wearing some kind of combat boots that made her look like a fairy tale gone wrong – puffy pants and a down coat with a faux-fur trimmed hood and boots an army ranger would like.
“Down,” Nick said, falling to one knee. We all dropped fairly quickly.
“What is it?” Matilda asked.
Nick's nostrils flared. “Someone is dead. Recently.”
“You can smell that?” I asked.
His lips curled into a joyless smile. “I'm affected by it. I'd say...less than an hour ago.”
I frowned. “I can't imagine who....”
“Some of what I read said that death mages in a situation where they have nested like this one likely has, may kill those around them for a variety of reasons; punishment, intimidation, as a power source. I'm...inclined to think this one is reasonably intelligent to keep this Moody enterprise running, so if it's killing family members...it must have a reason.”
Ty shook his head. “Probably doesn't matter for now. It's a reminder these people are ruthless, though. No hesitating.”
With that sobering thought, we crept forward. Soon the scrub gave way, and we were in an open area leading to the buildings. We passed a power pole that ran a line down to a green box, likely for a buried power line. Clearly it was a killing field, with clear lines of sight from both buildings. We adjusted our approach to shield us from the larger outbuilding, figuring our targets were probably in the smaller one anyway.
There was a shout from inside and then a wail of pure misery. We glanced at each other and had identical what the fuck expressions on our faces.
Nick held a hand up again. “Death magic is being cast. That house is...evil. And that death mage is killing – has killed – a lot recently. Like within the last six to eight hours. It may be getting ready to move on.”
I swallowed and then coughed lightly. “Okay. Let's get this started?”
Nick and Ty nodded, and I took a breath before touching Ty's arm to connect. I felt an immediate surge in my system, filled with the extra power I could channel. I quickly began stacking pointed ice projectiles by melting the snow a bit and freezing it. Once I had a little stockpile, I started gathering something larger together to knock a wall in or something, but a shot rang out and we were all on our faces in a heartbeat.
“I put up an angled shield,” Nick said as more shots could be heard. I wasn't sure if they were aimed at us or not, but I wasn't wanting to take chances.
Ty wasn't so cautious, and he sat up a bit to look at the house. “Those shots are inside,” he said quietly.
I looked at Nick. “Maybe give them a minute? Just in case they're killing each other?”
In that time, however, the shots had stopped. Okay, well...now what? We still had surprise on our side, but I'd be lying if I said my heart wasn't beating triple time at the sound of gunfire.
“Til? Til!” Keats was whispering fiercely, running low through the snow.
My eyes flew wide. “Keats? What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Guns going off? No idea what was happening?” he said sarcastically, his breath raspy from running through the deepening snow.
“Okay. Stay down,” Nick said. “I think-”
The sound of the shot being fired made me jerk in fear, even more so as Nick dropped awkwardly. He held a hand up as Ty reached for him. “I'm okay. Just hit my shield hard. Stay low”
“Private property!” someone yelled out.
“Full of assholes,” I yelled back without thinking. A burst of bullets hit the ground nearby.
“Must you antagonize them?” Matilda asked. “How about you just shove some of those icicles you made down their throats?”
I popped my head up just enough to get a bead on the gunman. I didn't see him right away, but then the gun barked again. I jerked reflexively but saw him by the side of the house.
“Get outta here or I'm going to bury you here!” he yelled.
I narrowed my eyes and tried to slow my breathing as my heart galloped wildly. It wasn't helping that I was filled with rage, given that Keats was near me and in danger from that asshole.
“Any time!” Matilda snapped. I was beginning to think she was a pain in the ass.
I popped my head up and flung three projectiles. One smashed into the side of the house, but the other two found home – one in his belly and another in his leg. He dropped the gun and screamed. Oh, he screamed like something I was going to hear in my nightmares for the rest of my life. The fear and pain was almost something you could touch. He almost masked the sound of more yelling and two guys appeared near him, one scanning for threats with a gun raised and another squatting down.
“We need them out of the way,” Ty said quietly.
Shuddering, I nodded and got ready to do just that, when there was a sudden hush and another voice carried to us – a woman. Her voice was fucking scary. The kind that makes you think of millipedes crawling down your throat, looking for a way out through your dick.
“A life mage? Could it be? How utterly...delicious,” the voice rasped.
“Now, Tilman,” Nick said.
After a moment to gather my nerve, I popped up and made theatrical motions with my hands to fling a barrage of, essentially, icicles at the building and the two remaining gunmen. I was aiming for windows, but my aim wasn't the best. I pummeled the side of the building, blowing out a door and three windows and taking out a support for the porch overhang; a ripple of disgust flowed through me as I heard screams from inside. The gunmen retreated, leaving the wounded man to scream in a voice that was growing hoarse. Parts of the wall were pitted, but it was still intact as the last of my missiles shattered. With a deep pull on Ty's talent, I threw the larger mass of ice, and it took one corner of the front wall down, collapsing part of the roof.
A scream from inside the house, one of pure terror, rent the air. Nick gasped. “You must have hit the mage. They're feeding on someone's life to fix themselves.”
“Then we go, now,” Matilda said firmly. “They're busy.”
We took off at something simulating a run in the snow, not wanting to let Matilda get too far behind us. We were unexpectedly hit by a wave of energy, something I couldn't see coming but that left me on my ass, out of breath and with a feeling like a bird must feel when it gets stuck in an oil spill.
“That was a nasty trick,” Nick gasped. He touched Ty, and in moments I was feeling...cleaner.
“Ohhh, you're a tasty one,” the voice rasped. From the shattered door emerged a thin figure, barely recognizable as female. She was dragging a body in each hand by the collar; one looked an awful lot like Moody, and the other looked like the crazy sister I'd nearly killed before. “Tell me. What brings this happy little band of morsels to my door. Hmm? Just when I was thinking there was nothing to interest me here any longer.”
In the distance there was shouting – probably people in the outbuilding reacting to the gunfire – or maybe to that invisible wave of filth.
“It's the smell, mostly,” Nick said.
“Witty,” the death mage replied. “But also boring. I'll enjoy drinking you down.” Something dark and purple slithered down from her arm to one of the bodies she was dragging and plunged into the chest. The body stiffened and cried out weakly as something pulsed along the purple...whatever...and into the death mage.
I'll never be completely sure how everything went next. In my mind there is a jumble of yelling, movement, magic flying with deadly intent. I do know the reason for that was the death mage made a tremendous strike that shattered Nick's shield and knocked Matilda down. She gave a weak cry of surprise, and then we were hit with that broad, rolling feeling of sickness and crawling things over our skin. I channeled into the moisture around me, whipping the snow up to obscure us from the death mage while desperately flinging as much frozen weaponry as I could while Nick began flinging life magic at her.
“Til,” Keats said, his hand pressed to the ground. “There's a sprinkler system under the ground. Or some kind of...conduit.”
“I...okay? What can you do with that?” I gasped, feeling the strain of using more of my talent than I ever had.
“I'm going to try and spike it up under her,” he said grimly. “I'm just...struggling to reach it.”
“I need some help!” Nick cried out, and I saw the death mage getting closer despite my attempts to obscure us; the death mage had hundreds of tiny cuts and the cloth that had been their clothes was rent to so many rags. Keats had his head down, hand to the ground, and he was desperately trying to cast. Matilda was on her back, and Ty was behind Nick, touching him directly to strengthen their connection. Nick's attacks were splashing against the shield of the death mage, and as that happened something tickled in the back of my head.
It's odd, sometimes, how the mind works. I've heard about techniques to get the mind to remember things or to allow it to work on a problem. For instance, one technique is to focus elsewhere to let the subconscious work on the problem. I don't know if gibbering in fear as a death mage comes close enough to consider draining your life after she threw one corpse aside and drained another counts or not. Of course there was also the distant yelling from the house; presumably people from the outbuilding had gone into the house to see about the gunfire and were finding, I'd guess, a bunch of dead Moodys.
It was the shield, though, that my mind seized on. Shields, Nick had taught me, were shaped. Something like a bubble left you more open to kinetic feedback – essentially getting knocked on your ass, because the kinetic energy of a bullet, or something bigger, still had to go somewhere. But if the death mage was using a frontal facing shield...and if they were like vampires, in a way, maybe they didn't do well if they lost their body fluids, either.
I let go of the snow I'd been using to hide our position and focused on the ground, specifically where the death mage stood after dropping the second corpse. The idea was I needed a way in past her shield. I couldn't walk around her; she was too close. But if I could just get her off balance....
“Tilman!” Nick yelled in fear as the death mage got closer.
There was a pulse of...nothing. A void where her talent had manifested a shield - and her shield suddenly disappeared. She took an unsteady step forward, like you do when you think there is one more step on the stairs and there isn't. The place I'd been focusing on was glazed with ice and then...she slipped. The funny thing about slipping on ice is how fast it happens. People have this idea they'd be able to grab something or that they'd spread their feet wider to get stability, but the reality is that before you can register you're falling, you're down. With her down for a split second and her shield having vanished, I had a way in – and I grabbed everything. Blood poured from her pores, clear fluid mixed with blood as it flew from her ears, nose and mouth. I shook with the effort; she was fighting to hold onto her life as surely as I was trying to end it while Matilda strained to clamp down on her ability. She opened her mouth to scream, but there wasn't enough moisture to make it happen. She thrashed and climbed to her knees, but by then I knew I had dealt a major blow – but I was also spent, and she was still moving.
“Nick,” I gasped. “Finish her off.”
He nodded and stumbled forward, but Ty screamed out to him to get down, and thank goodness he just did it, because the smell of fire magic was in the air, and the death mage was suddenly engulfed in a stream of fire so strong the snow melted away for a dozen feet just like that, steam rising from the ground and humidity suddenly filling the air.
Michael.
“Michael, stop!” Nick cried out, rolling away with his clothes smoldering. I was breathing heavily, barely able to stand, and I desperately reached for my talent to do something, anything to help Nick.
“I'm the rightful heir!” Michael screamed and another plume of fire bloomed, almost as if from the mouth of a dragon.
I channeled with all I had left, and snow began swirling, but it was no use. As soon as I gathered something to throw at him it melted before it got within a few feet. I hurled one last icicle, a foot long and wrist-thick, and it merely hissed and evaporated into the afternoon sky. In defeated fear I turned to look for Keats to tell him to run, but he was frantically pulling at the frozen dirt with his hands.
As I was thinking of nothing more than trying to find a way to shield Keats to get away, Keats made a triumphant noise as he pressed his hand down. I could feel the magic move underground, and I looked on as metal leapt up from the ground, spiking wildly through the dirt in a trail. Fire bloomed toward Keats, and I grabbed all the steam I could, forcing it toward Michael's face. He screamed again, this time in pain. Fucker. How does it feel to have a parboiled face?
Metal surged from the ground and through Michael's upper thigh, exited from his upper chest and surged up through the bottom of his mouth only to exit again at the top of his head. It was like the metal was a snake, retreating and then thrusting out to punch through muscle and skin repeatedly. Random sparks drifted from various points. His body trembled and his teeth clattered for a moment; a small object dropped from his hand as his body slowly slid a foot or so down the spikes as their frenetic movement halted, and his body came to a stop.
“Jesus,” Keats said, his voice a whisper as he looked away and threw up. I moved to him as quickly as I could, holding him as we tried to push away the horrors we now had as memories.
I heard movement and looked around, but was relived it was only Nick getting Matilda back to her feet. She had a bleed on her head but looked okay other than that.
“That bitch,” Matilda grumbled. “Is there anything left of her? Even something I can piss on? A weak bladder should be good for something.”
I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Nick, Ty and Matilda joined us. “I think we should go. We're in no shape to take out anyone else, and I have a feeling whatever is left of humanity in that house is going to send the hired help running,” Ty said.
Nick shook his head. “There isn't anyone alive in there.”
Keats was also shaking his head. “Out here the cops won't be out soon. If there's drugs or anything else left to harm anyone, we have to finish it now.”
Keats spit and steadied himself beside me. I thought I spoke for both of us when I said, “I...yeah. I don't want to have to come back for any more of this shit.”
The others looked at each other, and then Nick nodded. “Let's finish what we started.”
We walked past the two very dead Moodys lying on the yellowed grass in front of the house. They were indeed the male Moody from school and his horrid sister, and this close the stink of death wasn't just something Nick had to deal with. I hadn't seen a corpse before, but it was the stuff of nightmares; the smell and sight will be with me forever. We carefully looked through the gaping wounds in the house, but as Nick had said, nothing was alive. It was an abattoir in the truest sense.
“Tilman. Can you bury this building, with Ty's help?”
I glanced around at what was left of the supports for the building and then nodded to Nick. Ty touched the back of my hand to open himself up, and I slowly struggled to form a four by four chunk of ice and used it like a wrecking ball to knock the rest of the house over. I was breathing hard when the last of it toppled over, my legs trembling like I'd gone three rounds with Keats topping me.
“Ty. Don't you get tired?” I asked, leaning to put my hands on my knees.
He smiled. “A little. Mostly things pass through me, so unless I'm dialing back what someone draws or preventing them from using me, it's not too bad. Today...I do feel kind of worn, though.”
“One more building,” Nick said. He formed a wedge shield, amplified by Ty, and we moved to the outbuilding. We saw a few people in the distance running for vehicles we hadn't seen before, yet we cautiously opened the door. The inside was filled with material that looked like it was set up for filming by the DEA for a bust.
Nick looked at Keats. “Feel like melting a steel building?”
“Uh. Sec.” I wandered around for a minute before returning to the group. “Okay.”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “What was that for?”
Sheepishly I said, “Just checking for money. No need to burn it.”
It took a few tries, but with Ty's help Keats reduced the building to slag, with all the material in it so much trash. The wreckage smoldered and small fires danced across the remains, electrical sparks flashing periodically.
Ty touched my arm, opening himself to me and asked me to obscure the path behind us to cover our exit. My body trembled with the effort, but I managed a miniature blizzard placed between us and the house, utilizing the fallen snow, and the continuous snowfall we were standing in. We decided to take the car in order to avoid any potential legal questions by the authorities should it be discovered so close to whatever they were going to say happened there.
Keats drove us back to the garage, and Matilda portaled us back to the House Frost grounds.
“Let's get to the pond. I'll have food sent,” Nick said to us.
“I'll have food sent,” Matilda corrected him. “You four go soak. You need it. All I did was get knocked on my ass.”
“I think...you cut off that death mage,” I said hesitantly.
She snorted. “Only for a bit, and not all the way. She was damnably strong, and I'm old. I managed to collapse her shield, but she was still fighting you when you took her down.” She swallowed and touched my cheek. “You did well. What had to be.” Then she turned and headed for the house.
We shambled tiredly to the beach and left our clothes on the ground, wading into the restorative waters. Keats started to cry hard, and my heart could feel the ache in his own as it echoed inside my chest. I held him, and he gripped me so tightly it hurt, but I said nothing of it. Instead, I told him over and over that I loved him and he'd saved us while I held him.
Seeing Michael ended was bad enough, but when I'd killed the gunman and then the death mage...I've never killed anyone. I've been angry, sure. Maybe angry enough to have seriously hurt someone. But this had been deliberate, and I'd felt the life draining out. I'd taken all that theoretical knowledge of how various fluids could exit the human body and I'd had to think of them as I'd focused on each fluid; breaking cells and membranes and removing what sustained her life – or at least some components she couldn't live without.
That was before the front row seat to the Michael shish kebab.
“I killed someone,” Keats whispered.
I heard the water ripple and Nick and Ty were beside us. “Keaton...you saved four people. I promise you, we will help you find peace,” Nick said softly, placing a hand on Keats's shoulder. I felt the rush of Nick's blessing, and between the pond and him, I started to feel muscles relaxing. Keats relaxed his grip on me, at least enough that it wasn't going to leave marks.
“But I still killed someone,” Keats said quietly.
“Taking a life...it's not an easy thing to do, or to live with, if you're a decent person,” Nick said quietly. “And you are a very decent person, Keaton. A fine man to whom I owe a great debt.”
Keats's grip slackened some more, and he turned to look at Nick. “You...killed someone?”
Nick nodded slightly. “In retrospect I'd say it was more of an execution. You'll recall Drost had driven Brad to the edge of death, leaving him to die on his own due to the damage Drost had inflicted. Brad likes to say I resurrected him, but in fact I used Drost's life to fuel Brad's spark, to give him what Drost had tried to take away.” Nick frowned lightly. “When we spoke of it before I may have...glossed over that part. I did wrestle with it, later. I believe in life, not an afterlife. While I did find the act itself...utterly devastating as a human being, it was balanced by the trade-off that a truly good human was saved.” He smiled tiredly. “But it took time to reach that mental space, that balance.”
Ty smiled tiredly. “I don't know if you'd consider us truly good humans, Keaton, but know the terrible price you paid saved us all. Michael has hurt a lot of people, killed a few. He was likely going to kill again. I know I was feeling kind of worn out, and I don't know how Tilman managed to channel through me at all to cover our exit.”
Keats put his cheek to mine. “I can understand all that rationally. But...emotionally?”
Nick nodded. “It will take time, and we are here for you. You're never alone, and we'll help you carry this burden.”
He sighed, and his hand began to stroke my back, and I did the same to him. “Maybe I should just live in this pond for a while.”
“It's yours at any time,” Nick said warmly. “In the meantime, I'll go check on that food and get you a new port key.”
Nick and Ty walked out of the pond and gathered their things. They didn't bother to dress, just walking back to the house as they air dried.
“He's right, you know,” I said softly. “You saved my life, you saved Nick's life – maybe all of us. I was...so exhausted, and I was actually trying to get enough energy up to cover your escape when you saved us all.”
He shook his head, and a fat tear fell down his cheek. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
I held him while he descended into tears again, and I did my best to let him know he wasn't alone, not ever. I recited to him that he'd saved me and I loved him over and over like a prayer, a promise, a truth. He wiped his eyes and took a few deep breaths.
“Sorry,” he said, his voice rough.
“Never apologize for letting me in and leaning on me.”
He shook his head. “You must feel as bad as I do. You killed that...thing. The guy with the gun. Plus the bond; I can feel that weight inside you.”
I sighed. “Yeah. I think...eventually I'll process some of it. I don't feel bad about what I did, but you're right. There's a part of me that feels damaged for being forced to cross that line. It makes me angry and sad and confused.”
He cupped my face and kissed me, slowly strengthening his grip and intensity before pulling back. “At least it's over now,” he said, his voice a whisper.
“Yes.”
We heard footsteps, and moments later Ty and Nick appeared, carrying some folding chairs. They were accompanied by the man who'd served us before, who was pushing a cart.
“Come on, let's eat,” Ty said.
We slowly emerged from the water, and I know I felt a little embarrassed being naked in front of someone besides Keats. With a thought I dried us off, and we pulled our underwear and pants on before sitting down.
The servant or whatever retreated, and my stomach growled as the smell hit my senses.
“So, I'd like you to think about something,” Nick said.
Keats glanced at me, and I decided to broach the question Keats and I had been talking about. “How does something like that...work?”
Nick blinked a few times and tilted his head. “How does what work?”
I paused. “What? What were you talking about?”
Nick smiled. “A project. What were you talking about?”
I moved my mouth a few times without being able to form words. Wow, wasn't I just assuming?
Keats saved me. “I think he – we – thought you were going to bring up the idea of...being part of your house.”
“Oh,” Nick said with a big smile. “No. I wasn't going to bring that up right way. I think we've been through a lot for one day.”
“Although,” Ty said with a small grin, “if you want to ask questions, it never hurts to talk.”
I let out a slow breath. “I don't know what it means to be part of a house. I don't know what you'd expect or demand and what it would mean to me and Keats.”
Nick nodded and leaned back in his chair. “I think the responsibilities, in both directions, may be different depending on the house and their goals. For instance, Drost seemed to be interested in increasing his power and whatever that translated to within the Magisterium.”
“But you don't care about that,” I said.
“About the Magisterium, I don't care to be a part of it. I do care about being aware of them, because they see me as a benign tumor; I'm there, but not bothering them. About power, I only care about it in two ways: defending my house and healing where I can.” He shook his head. “Amassing power for the sake of it is...I don't know. A waste? Antithetical to my beliefs?”
Keats leaned forward a bit. “So, what would be the, what, goals or mission of your house?”
“In simplest terms, to help,” Nick replied. “Yes, I'd owe my allegiance and protection to you, but that would go both ways. As the head of the house it's up to me to determine the direction of the house and for my house to follow where I lead. That is done through a binding rune similar to the one used for the interchange – a magical contract. There would be training to hone skills and teach each other, and of course benefits like the interchange, and over time, hopefully a familial type relationship.”
“But mainly, it'd be helping,” Ty said. “Like the project Nick was going to talk to you about. There's a town whose drinking water is being run through lead pipes, and it's making people sick. Given Nick can heal, Tilman can manipulate water, and you can do the same with metal – we could help those people.”
“Despite what's happened today, my house isn't built on combat except to defend ourselves. I think that putting something good out into the world may also help to balance the scales we feel inside. Nothing can take away the feelings we have about our actions, no matter how justified or even impossible to have obtained a different outcome.” Nick smiled grimly. “I think that's a good thing. Being in the position of having to choose to sacrifice a life – to take one – should never be easy, however necessary.”
“I know Nick and I have been impressed with you both as people,” Ty said. “Believe me, after meeting people from the Magisterium, dealing with Michael the first time and Drost, I wasn't a fan of the magi – Nick and Matilda excepted. So many things about you guys mirror the journey Nick and I have been on, and if there was any question, you sure proved your character today.” He cleared his throat. “My own family – blood relation – isn't there anymore. I never fit with my father and brother, and my mother died when I was young. My brother tried to kill Nick, as did my father – in fact my father shot Nick right in front of me. That was how I learned about his being able to heal, because I thought he was dead in front of me.”
“Jesus Christ,” Keats said softly.
Ty nodded. “It was a lot. I had Nick to lean on and my friends, whom you've met. My brother and father are...well, Nick had to mix up their memories in order to keep us safe, and they're kind of...in care, I guess.” Ty gave us a sad smile. “It would be nice if there was something to mourn there, but there really wasn't. Even if Nick were to clear everything up for them to think clearly, they were trying to kill him. So.”
“But...why?” Keats asked. “I can't imagine a gulf like that between my dad and I, or any of my family.”
“The short version is they were lied to,” Nick said quietly. “There are always those that whisper half-truths or manipulate others for their own ends. Ty's brother and father thought my uncle was there to help them, and when he killed Ty's mother, he convinced them it was a 'rogue mage' and set them down a terrible path of hunting mages.”
I tilted my head. “That seems like dangerous work.”
“It can be,” Nick said, nodding in agreement. “But mages can be taken unaware, or may have abilities that aren't suited for combat, as a for instance. Either way, they were hunting people.”
“They would have killed Mr. Halstead, if they'd known about him,” Ty said quietly.
It was hard to think of someone harming the codger. How depraved did you have to be?
“Back to the original question,” Nick cleared his throat. “I think Ty's trying to say we're both fond of you, and we'd like you to consider making our relationship more formal. I think we should table the idea for now, but you should feel free to ask questions as they occur to you. Let's continue to get to know each other.”
I looked at Keats and gave him a small smile before looking back to Nick. “Did you have a plan for this town with bad water?”
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
After eating, Nick gave us each a port key, and then they withdrew to the house, while Keats and I went back into the pond. We mostly stood in the water holding each other, letting the water work its magic on us. We didn't talk much at all, maybe having overloaded for the moment or just needing the time to recover. It was really peaceful, and being pressed to each other so intimately, but not sexually, brought its own peculiar brand of calm.
I know some of Keats's earlier relationships had failed because they were only skin deep, people who cared more about his appearance than who he was. I cared about him as a whole, though. Yes, he was physically attractive, and feeling his soft cock pressed against me made my heart beat a little faster, though that was my only response. I loved the feel of his skin beneath my fingers, his unique scent and his passion when we were intimate.
But I also loved the unseen things: the strength of his heart, the sharp mind that diagnosed problems and figured out mechanical puzzles, his sense of humor. He was a teacher and shared his passions. His injured spirit that felt pain at doing what had to be done. These were things you couldn't see from across the room or reflected in a picture. I pulled his face down to mine to taste his lips and remind him I loved him as we allowed the water to soothe our injured souls.
Later we went back to the garage, only to find a very worried Leonard, Dorothy and Andrew. They demanded to know if we were all right and why we hadn't answered our phones. We were apologizing and trying to give them some idea of what had happened while locating our phones – both of which were simply dead. I would have to ask Nick, but maybe the amount of magic being thrown around had shorted something in them?
“The news is reporting a huge fight out on the Moody property. They said there were some casualties. Someone called in a report of gunfire, but there was also an electrical fire.”
Keats looked at me. “Maybe it wasn't a sprinkler I was feeling under the dirt? Might have been electrical conduit.”
“Maybe,” I agreed. Looking back to the group I said, “Look, I know you have questions, but...it was terrible.” My voice hitched at the word. “Keats and I have been trying to process it this afternoon, with some help, but...for now can we just leave it that we think the Moody and Michael problems are solved?”
Andrew was suddenly touching Keats's face, asking if he was okay in a gentle tone I'd never have thought he possessed. Dorothy wrapped me in her arms, and a wave of relief that I wouldn't have to talk about it anymore swept through me.
“Let's take you home to rest,” Dorothy said quietly. In less than an hour Keats and I were in his room, curled together, giving in to exhaustion.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
The rest of the week was surreal as we tried to go back to our normal routines. The school was abuzz as details and rumors swirled about what was found at the Moody's property; I honestly didn't want to talk or hear about any of it. Lewis, Jas and Sid would change the subject if the Moodys came up, and I suspected that was Keats's doing, as I hadn't given them anything in the way of information.
A week and a half later Leonard's 1964 International Harvester C-1000 pickup was reassembled and was going through final checks before Leonard could drive it home. At least that was the plan on paper, as the truck refused to start.
“What the fuck?” Leonard muttered while Dorothy looked on with some concern.
“Must be your bang up wiring job,” Andrew said.
Leonard narrowed his eyes. “What did you do, fuck wit?”
Andrew held a hand to his chest. “Me? I want this embarrassment out of my shop! Why would I stop you?”
Keats raised the hood and leaned in, then back out. “I don't smell any gas at the carb. Is there any in the tank?”
Leonard and Andrew looked at each other. Leonard swore, and Andrew grinned. A few minutes later, with gas in the tank, the truck fired off and started. Leonard's face lit up, and his wife smiled at him, as did Andrew and Keats. Me as well. It was nice to feel satisfied at contributing to the accomplishment.
Wednesday we finally put Keats's water pump in, and Keats got to practice some of his talent by removing corroded bolts without needing to heat them or, worse, snap them off. It was impressive to see, even though the truth was he'd only scratched the surface of what he may be able to do. The longer he worked with metal, the better he'd understand the nuances of his new craft.
We spent a few nights hanging out with Lewis, Jas and Sid. Gary and Gomez didn't know everything, but those three seemed to be making an effort to accept us – and I think effort should be recognized; Talk is cheap. Once more demonstrating his trust in his cousin, Keats revealed his own talent to him at the shop.
It was a little bit by chance, but I suppose it was a foregone conclusion that Keats would tell Lewis, considering how close they are. Lewis came down to the shop and was struggling with the screws holding down his tail light. Apparently one was rusted in tight, and he needed to get the lens off to access a rusted bulb socket.
“Think you can drill it out for me?” Lewis asked Keats.
Keats scratched his chin and looked at me slyly before saying to Lewis, “Grab me a drill bit?”
Lewis chattered as he went to get the bit, “I got a ticket last night for the light being out, and when I tried to pull the socket out, it was crunchy. So I figured I'd need to reseal the lens, and I tried taking the screws out, but the head stripped.”
“Not sure what you mean. Where's the screw, Lewis?” Keats asked.
Lewis frowned. “What do you mean? It's right...what the hell?” Lewis stared at the lens in Keats' hand. “How did you do that?”
Evading a direct answer Keats asked, “Did you get a new socket for this already?”
Lewis shook his head. “I was hoping to find something here that would work.”
Keats looked down at the socket. “Hmm. Take the other side off? Let's see what this is supposed to look like.”
I grabbed a screw driver and popped the other lens off, and Lewis released the bulb. With a squeeze of plastic tabs, the socket popped forward, this one in much better shape.
Keats made a few noises as he looked from good socket to bad.
“Think you have something that'll work?” Lewis asked.
Keats grunted. “I think so.” He walked out of the bay, saying he'd be right back.
Lewis turned to look at me. “Things are going to be so much quieter with no more Moodys. I mean, who will you make mess themselves now?”
“Depends. Are you into that sort of thing?”
He quickly put a hand over his crotch. “No!” Then he laughed and I joined him. Relaxing a bit he continued. “So. When you got your hand cut at school in that fight. You said...you had a friend?”
I nodded. “His name's Nick Frost. His bonded is Ty Flexen. They have a really nice space; you should go sometime.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean...yeah. If they're your friends, that'd be cool. Do they dance?”
“They mentioned going to one once, but I'm sure you can show them how it's done.”
“Is Nick...is he, like, a healer? Or something?”
I nodded. “He's what you call a life mage.”
He cleared his throat. “Are they chill?”
“Yeah, very.” Thinking of how Nick said his friends essentially acted as gatekeepers for people meeting him, I said, “I think they'd like you. Plus, you know, you're family.”
Keats reappeared with a small piece of steel in his hand, likely a scrap from working on the truck. “Okay, Lewis, pay attention.”
“To what? Snipping some wires?” he asked, teasing.
Keats grinned. “Lewis.” Whatever he might have added, he simply didn't say. Instead he gently pulled on the socket and fed his talent into the rusted metal, causing a small shower of rust flakes. Then, using the scrap metal, he reformed the socket as a copy of the one on the other side.
“That should work,” he said with satisfaction.
“Bro. What the actual fuck?” Lewis asked.
Keats turned to him. “Sometimes, through the bond, a normal guy like me will develop a talent. I did, and this is it.”
Lewis looked from Keats to me and to the socket before looking back to Keats. “So. Um. Like you're going to start making custom cock rings or something?”
There was a pause before we started to laugh.
Keats put a hand on Lewis's shoulder. “I'm still me, bro.”
Lewis shook his head. “Well, that's disappointing.”
Keats punched Lewis's shoulder, and Lewis laughed as they pushed and shoved much as they had the first day I'd met them at the shop. We made plans to go out soon, and Lewis left shortly afterward.
We spent more time at House Frost, some of it with Nick and Ty, as we tried to get to know them on a more personal level as opposed to getting ready to fight alongside them. We took advantage of the interchange to find out more about metallurgists and the crafting side of that talent.
“There isn't a ton in here,” Ty said. “Nick, is there a way to find out more? To load more information for Keaton?”
Nick nodded. “There are places you can go to exchange knowledge, certain places where it's hoarded like gold.” He thought for a moment. “There may even be some old or abandoned places where we might be able to get new information.”
“Abandoned?” I asked. “Why would anyone abandon an interchange?”
“Wars between houses, entities that tried to rival or defy the Magisterium,” Nick said and shrugged.
“Do you want that kind of target on your back?” I asked.
Nick frowned lightly and looked away for a brief moment before turning his gaze back to us. “I think a certain amount of conflict will be inevitable. The goal is to stay under whatever that threshold may be. There is also the fact that information can also be a form of currency, which may help us later. Also...knowledge is good. Having the ability to study as the need arises seems like a good, long term plan.”
“So...how do we find one of these...abandoned interchanges?” Keats asked.
Nick crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. “I think we start with finding out about warring factions, see who lost...some data, though out of date, may be in the interchange, but perhaps a bargain can be struck with some mages who've approached me since I became head of house.”
“What kind of bargains are we talking about?” I asked.
Nick sighed. “Hard to say. I don't want to let on what my goal is, but I may have been...naive.” He looked from one of us to the other. “I'm new at leading a house. I'm not always adept at spotting people trying to deceive me.”
“I'm better at it. I had more socialization with assholes than Nick did, growing up,” Ty volunteered.
Nick nodded. “Certain mages were less forceful about their intentions. Some simply offered conversation, which of course could be a deception all on its own.”
After a moment of silence Keats asked, “Is it really worth the risk?”
Nick nodded. “There will have to be calculated risks. We'll need information on the mages we may meet with. I won't know who may be worthy of a certain level of trust until I know more.”
I thought for a moment. “What about killing that death mage? Will anyone kind of know about that?”
“Yeah, good point. That was a ton of magic being tossed around,” Ty said. “Would anyone notice?”
Nick shook his head. “Hard to say. I'd be more inclined to think someone knew about that death mage and may check up on them periodically, just to know where someone so dangerous was. But that presupposes they had any interest in keeping tabs. I just don't know.”
We agreed to coordinate our efforts and planning; it made sense to include Matilda, since she knew far more about the magi than we did.
We also spent a lot of time in the pond, trying to regain peace from what we'd seen and been forced to experience. It was also perfect for relaxing after spending time brainstorming and experimenting on how to help the people with the lead pipes, since the government wouldn't. We had to figure out how to filter the water, how to change the lead or somehow line it with something else besides Nick trying to heal people that were being affected by lead poisoning. Some days it felt hopeless, but the pond helped to get us ready to try again.
At the garage, with the truck done and the owner of the turd bird deciding it wasn't worth the price to fix up, Keats and I worked on his wagon to replace the corroded parts utilizing his talent. Also, his personal work bay was far enough away that we could make out as the need arose. He was fairly insistent we stop at that point though, making a big deal of me being too loud. Sometimes his sense of humor sucks.
The following week Andrew pulled me into his office, and Keats trailed behind me in curiosity.
“Winter's a quiet time for us, usually,” his dad said. “In a month or so we'll have people wanting to pull their projects out and then calling us because they can't remember where they left off or things have simply gotten too big for their skills or tools or both. I have interviews starting up to fill out the shop and find some talent, but in the meantime, we have a bit of a gap to work with.”
I looked at him in confusion. “A gap for what?”
Getting up from his chair he dropped his hand on my shoulder and steered me out the door and toward the side of the garage that led to the lot of his cars to be restored. “I know this summer is going to be a crazy one for you guys. Keats wants to do this big road trip, you're going to graduate, and...you know, life happens.”
“Yeah. I'm not sure I can afford the road trip the way I wanted to,” Keats said.
Andrew nodded. “Good. You know your mother is terrified about you being out there like that.”
Keats rolled his eyes. “Yeah. I'm sure it's all Mom.”
Putting his hand to his chest Andrew said, “I'm a stoic; you know that.”
We both chuckled, and Andrew called us jerks.
“In any case, given that we're family – even though there has to be a wedding at some point – Leonard and Dorothy came over to sit down with your mom and me, and we think we have a plan.” He sighed. “I don't like not telling your mom about what you guys can do and what your actual status is right now, but I know it's complicated.”
Keats crossed his arms. “I...do you think we should tell her?”
Andrew rubbed his forehead. “Well, she's more emotional than I am – stop laughing! Jesus you two are so mean!” He glared at us as we both tried to master our laughter. “Now...I think your mom would need time to adjust, but at the same time...maybe we let it lie for right now? The only real important thing is that you guys are 'for life' and that might help her to know, but I think there's value in letting her see you guys getting stronger over time.” He looked directly at Keats. “And while I'm proud of you son, you really got a loud one there.”
Keats blushed and smiled as he looked at me. “Told ya.”
I blushed and rolled my eyes at them both. “That's your fault, Keats.”
“Prowess runs in the family,” Andrew said, grinning broadly. “Now. More importantly, Keats informed us it's your birthday, and I think you're a dick for not telling us; you get that from your grandfather.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Well, it's not a huge deal,” I said.
“Of course it is! You're eighteen and part of the family,” he said, grinning. “We can negotiate the being related to Leonard part later.”
I chuckled. “I'm not letting go of my grandparents.”
“Well, I'm sure Leonard will be glad to help,” Andrew said, leading the way out into the rows of cars. “Now I wanted this to go to my son, but you know he's stubborn. But I figure it going to a son-in-law works too.”
“This isn't about the Valiant again, is it?” Keats teased his dad.
“Hey! You can start fixing that now! Hell, nothing is shot with you around, huh? Wise guy?”
“There's no metal left on that thing! It's nothing but rust holding a memory of its shape!” Keats said with a laugh.
He stopped in front of the '65 Galaxie. “So, I figure you guys can work on this for now, but you'll have to switch off when we start getting work in a month or so. When summer comes, I'm going to suggest maybe shorter road trips?”
Keats tilted his head. “Dad.”
“Well, come on! The whole summer? Maybe a few weeks here and a few weeks there, maybe just long weekends? Right? You see the appeal.”
Keats shook his head and smiled. “Dad. I want to explore. My plan is to road trip wherever until the money gets tight and then come back.”
Andrew bit his lip and looked to me. “You'll be with him though, right?”
“I go where he goes,” I said with a smile. “But if it makes you feel better, we can get to Nick really fast if we need to or even come home. Nick is going to teach us to port.”
Andrew bobbed his head from side to side. “Still. Rather you were home.” He cleared his throat. “So, you work on the car and your graduation gift – from all of us – will be gas money to help you guys do this thing.”
Keats's jaw dropped. “Seriously?”
“I'm not happy about it!” Andrew said, throwing a finger in the air before slowly lowering it. “But...you're growing up, much as I hate that. I think...maybe you need this.”
I gave Andrew a fierce hug. “Thank you, Dad.”
“If it's gonna be Dad, you need to put a ring on his finger,” he said to me, giving me a quick hug. Keats replaced me as I stepped back, and Andrew's eyes grew wet holding his son.
“Okay. Okay,” Andrew said, his voice shaky. “I'll go get a clipboard. You two see about getting this inside, and we'll see what it needs.”
He headed back inside, and I looked at the car. Keats wrapped his arms around me from behind and put his chin on my shoulder. “You're going to look great behind the wheel.”
“I can't believe I own a car,” I said. I tried to look back at him over my shoulder. “Why do I detect your influence on this?”
He just squeezed me and kissed the side of my neck.
“You must know all about this car, right?”
“A little.”
“Well?”
I could feel him smile. “This is a Galaxie 500 XL with a 352 cubic inch V8 that it needs 'cause it's a boat. '65 is the only year for this front end; they changed a bit the following year and were gone by '67. It's a coupe, so leans a bit more to the muscle car look – and I'm sure we can get this car to sit up and talk.”
I shook my head. “How long would you have held out on your dad about this car?”
“Oh, Babe,” he said with a chuckle. “That van? The one you wanted to fuck in the first time we kissed?”
“Yeah?” I asked, my voice laced with suspicion.
“I've been stashing parts for this thing in there as I come across them,” he said with a little laugh.
We spent the rest of the afternoon getting the car inside and walking through the assessment the way Andrew had taught me with the thunder turd. The list was extensive – the tires were dry rotted, the paint was shot. The rear quarters were rusted as were the wheel arches, plus a hole in the trunk. Two of the wheels were locked in place from rust, and the interior wasn't quite as bad as the thunder turd, but it had clearly been a rodent motel at some point. At the end of the day Andrew said he'd see us at home and to make sure the gate was locked when we left.
“Have you thought any more about the whole House Frost thing?” Keats asked.
“Not much,” I admitted. “It sounds like a good thing, but I don't really know. Maybe everything I thought I knew about houses and how they work doesn't apply – after all, I was never in one. But...I like the idea of helping. Of going on quests, I guess, to find more knowledge. I'd like to learn how to control my own talent better, to see what I can really do. I'd love for you to feel comfortable and develop your craftsmanship.”
“It does sound like there are some real opportunities,” he agreed. “But I'm a little concerned about these other mages and what they might do when they find out Nick has a few more on his side.”
“Yeah, you're right,” I said. “Let's talk about it later?”
He nodded. We washed our hands and started walking back toward his bay, where his wagon was parked.
“I like the idea of what he's offering. What do you think if we work with him a little? Maybe do some projects like the help we're doing with that town's drinking water and see how things go?” Keats asked.
I nodded. “I like that idea.”
Instead of getting into his car, he walked to the back and opened the funky tailgate, glass top up and the solid lower door down. Inside a blanket was spread out and a cooler wedged to one side. He pulled the cooler closer and popped the top. “I have some picnic stuff here; thought it might be romantic for your birthday,” he said. “Kind of cold though. Oh, there's this, too.”
He pulled a ring from the cooler and held it up to me. “I, uh, made it. Kind of experimenting with metal.” He smiled softly. “We don't have to announce an engagement, but you know my dad is dying to have a wedding, right?”
I was shocked and overjoyed. “Even though we're bonded,” I said, holding my hand out. “Yes, I will marry you.”
He blushed as he smiled and put the ring on my finger, then he adjusted its size while I was wearing it. He leaned back a bit to look at it. “I like that on you. I'll have to practice to make our wedding bands, though.”
“They should be fancy. Etched with runes.”
He put his hands on my hips. “Huh. Like magical weapons almost? I wonder if I could do that?”
I kissed him, and that led to clothes coming off and us making use of the blanket. He hit that spot inside me, making my muscles tremble, and pleasure moved through me like a physical wave. I called out his name, and he thrust harder, swirling his hips as he did. I moved to meet his thrusts, loudly demanding he go harder, to stop holding back.
Afterward we lay in the back, breathing heavily, and a feeling of bliss spread slowly through my body, as if I were being warmed a bit at a time by a rising sun. I pushed my face against his chest and inhaled his scent as his hand trailed across the skin of my back, first dragging his fingertips and then using his hand to pull me closer.
“I thought you said no fucking in the garage?” I teased him, running my fingers along his hip.
He smiled. “It's empty. I figured you could be as loud as you want.”
“But it feels so good!” I said with a laugh and rolled on top of him. “I want more.”
His eyes sparkled. “Yeah? Well it is your birthday.”
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