The Watchtower Page 3

  Chapter Three

  The rain pelted the windshield of the SUV as the vehicle darted between traffic on the QE2 freeway. Martin kept a close eye on Daniel from the passenger seat as the young man navigated his way through the traffic with an almost uncanny ability, and at speeds Martin wouldn’t push on a racetrack.

  “How much further?” Barb asked from the backseat. She sat next to the Scot, keeping her focus solely on him as he sat resting next to her.

  Martin looked back. They were in a race to save the Aslin’s life now, and it didn’t look like they were winning. Beads of sweat dotted the Scot’s forehead and chest. His long hair was damp from the wet cloth Barb dabbed around his face and neck. The worm might have been a newborn, but from the fevered state the Scot was in, it was still deadly.

  “Maybe another ten minutes,” Daniel said, keeping his focus ahead of him. “This rain is really clogging up traffic.”

  Martin glanced at Daniel, then back at the Scot. A pit of guilt gripped his stomach. “Is there anything I can do?”

  The Scot slowly opened his eyes. “I think you’ve done enough for one day.” He rubbed the bandage on his injured hand.

  Martin glanced at the tips of the Scot’s fingers. They were slightly darker than the rest of his hand and he wondered if it was caused by the flames. “I didn’t force that thing to bite you, and if you recall, I did try to warn you.”

  The Scot pushed himself forward. “You distracted me with your yelling.”

  Martin felt his own temper coming to a boil. “Hey, I was doing everything I could--”

  “You were hitting a dangerously, magical creature with a common custodial broom!” The Scot narrowed his eyes. “I’m amazed we’re all not dead after that little stunt.”

  “At least I was hurting it. Those flaming fingertips of yours just pissed it off!”

  “Gentlemen, please,” Barb said. “Arguing over who is to blame is pointless. What’s done is done. We have to focus on getting Aslin out of danger.”

  “He’s right, you know,” Daniel said, taking a quick glance in the rear view mirror. “It knew Jezryall wasn’t in the room and wanted to get out. That’s why it bit you. You were in the way.”

  Martin looked at Daniel. “How the hell do you know that?”

  The Scot collapsed backward, and rested his head on the seat and closed his eyes. Barb reached over and placed her hand on his forehead.

  “He’s getting warmer.”

  Daniel jerked the SUV through traffic. “We’re almost to the turnoff.”

  Martin sat forward in his seat. “I say we take him to the hospital. It’s only few blocks from the off ramp--”

  “And tell them what?” Barb said. “They’d never believe us, and it would only bring up questions we can’t answer.”

  Martin looked out the window as they crossed over a stone bridge. “We’re heading to Québec?”

  “The Gemini live in an old part of Hull,” Daniel said, turning down a street.

  Martin wasn’t paying attention as Daniel drove down one street after another. His mind was full of possibilities. Things he wished he’d done differently. So far, this was the worse first day of work he’d ever had.

  Rain pelted the road and sidewalk as they pulled up to a row of little storefronts. The buildings were old and made of grey limestone. With the cloud cover, everything looked washed out. Kind of the way he felt.

  Daniel pulled up to the curb and put the car in park. “We’re here.”

  The young man got out and ran around to Aslin’s side of the car, as Martin grabbed a black cloth bag from the floor in front of him before getting out.

  “Easy,” Daniel said, as the Scot stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Lean on me.”

  Martin looked up at the building. They were outside of an occult shop. Martin read the worn sign above the door. It was in French, but he knew enough of the language to understand it. “I thought we were going to visit this friend of yours, Gemini?”

  “We are,” Barb said as she slid over to the open door. “This whole block of buildings belongs to them.”

  Martin frowned. “Them?”

  The Scot leaned on Daniel as they walked up to the huge wooden door at the front of the shop. Barb stepped out of the car and grabbed a hold of Martin’s shirt.

  “About this place,” she said, as Daniel helped the Scot into the store. “Please try and keep an open mind. There are bound to be some things said that you might not understand.”

  Martin thought back to the workshop; the fireballs that streamed from the finger of the Scot, how Barb knew what was in the box, and that damn ugly worm, and gave her a sardonic look. “No kidding.”

  He fell into line, heading into the building behind Barb. The store reminded him of the corridor outside the office, with the same heavy incense and dim lighting. There were rows and rows of books, stands with carved stone images of ancient deities, candles, crystals, and other things he’d only seen in B-movies.

  A young woman stood behind a glass counter full of amulets, pendants and chains. She was in full Goth mode and didn’t even bat an eyelash when they walked in.

  Martin lagged behind as the group moved through the store, toward a beaded doorway into a back storage room. It was nothing out of the ordinary, except for a stone doorway on the back wall behind some boxes. There were strange markings etched in the stone, and as they passed through, Martin noticed one of the markings was the same as the one found on the sheet of paper inside the box.

  Martin stopped and touched them, pointing to one in particular, high on the arch. “Runes?”

  “Very good,” Barb smiled.

  He felt pleased with himself. “I think I’m catching on.”

  There were stairs leading in to a lower chamber underneath the store. Drippy candles were everywhere. It was a safe bet Jezryall got her supply from here.

  “That looks like the one that was on top of the egg.”

  “A protective Rune,” Daniel said. “Pretty powerful stuff.”

  Martin was the last to the bottom of the stairs and stood on the last step as the others waited by a wooden door. The chamber walls were made of limestone, stained with water seepage that trickled through the mortar between the stones.

  “What is this place?” he asked, squinting to get a better look at the marks around the archway. A musty odour mixed with the stale air tickled his nose, and Martin rubbed it quickly to get rid of the sensation.

  “This is the home of Gemini,” Jezryall said. “But we must wait here until invited.”

  Martin jumped. Jezryall was standing in front of a rapidly vanishing stone arch. Wisps of black smoke trailed off from the bottom portion of her body.

  “How did you get here?” he asked.

  She didn’t look at him as she walked past. “Through the Portal.”

  She stopped in front of the Scot and examined his wound. “He does not look well.”

  “I’m amazed he’s doing this good,” Daniel said. “That bite should have killed him.”

  “Do your friends know we’re here?” Martin asked, looking around.

  There was a gentle click of metal on metal, and the door in front of them creaked and released. Jezryall reached for the door and pulled it open all the way.

  A middle-aged woman with long black hair stood on the other side. Her gaze fell on Martin and she smiled. “We do.” She turned and walked down a dark corridor. “Quickly, bring Aslin inside!”

  Martin was the last to enter the corridor. The narrow passage was dark but thankfully short. It was musty and damp, and there were more of the drippy candles on the wall. Smoke from several incense holders drifted around the room. A large circular table sat right in the middle of the floor. Underneath it, the same intricate circle drawing like the one in Jezryall’s office. The room was furnished with a few high back chairs, wooden cupboards, and three more stone archways with heavy red velvet curtains draped across. The place felt too much like a funeral parlour.

  Martin shut
the door behind him and leaned up against the wall. Daniel and Barb helped the Scot sit down at the table as his new boss approached their host.

  The woman held out her arms. “Jezryall, it’s been a long time.”

  A tall middle-aged man walked out from a back room and went directly to the Scot’s side. Apart from the difference in their clothing and gender, both of their hosts were identical.

  Jezryall walked into the woman’s embrace. “Too long, I’m afraid.” She released her and faced Martin. “May I introduce our new Public Liaison officer, Martin Cunningham. Martin--” Jezryall motioned to the middle-aged man. “This is Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis.”

  Martin frowned. “Your parents named you after the Greek gods?”

  Artemis smiled and walked toward him. She cupped her hand around the one side of his face. “My son, we are the Greek gods.”

  Martin straightened up and took a few steps closer to the exit. “Okay. Whatever you say.”

  Apollo walked over to the Scot and examined his hand. “My friend, what happened?”

  Martin held up the bag and handed it to Artemis. “He was attacked by the creature that was in this egg. A Brosnie?”

  Their faces grew pale at the mention of the worm. Artemis took the bag and opened it, removing one of the egg fragments. She examined it carefully, turning it over and gently ran her fingertip along the edge. “There is powerful magic in this. This creature was created solely for one purpose.”

  Jezryall crossed her arms. “The package was addressed to me. To my home.”

  Apollo walked over to one of the cupboards and opened it. He took down several vials and a large glass jar, placing them carefully on the counter underneath. His sister handed him the broken shell, and he snapped off a piece and placed it in the jar. Martin watched as the older man added a few drops from each of the vials and swished the contents around. The liquid turned dark red, then black, before settling on a mud-brown. He held up the jar. “Dark forces are behind this.”

  “How did something like this get to you?” Artemis asked.

  “It was delivered to the tower and given to my new employee.”

  Artemis walked toward Martin. The look she gave him made him feel like he’d done something wrong, and he focused his gaze down at the floor. She stopped right in front of him and waved her hand around his head. “I have always said Barbara has a talent for finding lost sheep.” She turned and faced the group. “So his arrival is no surprise. When did he come into your service?”

  “Just this morning,” Jezryall said.

  Artemis placed her finger under his chin and raised his head. Her eyes were a dark violet and her gaze felt like it pierced his soul. “You have a lot of learning ahead of you, young man, if you are to earn your place at your Mistress’ side.”

  Martin nodded. He didn’t think it was worth mentioning this was just a temporary job. “So what about this creature? We’re trying to find out who could have sent it.”

  Apollo carefully added a pinch of dry herbs and a few drops of red liquid. The tincture became clear and he handed it to Barb.

  “Brosnies are water creatures,” he said, as Barb brought it to the Scot’s lips. “For it to be fused with other elements takes skill in dark magic.” He turned to the group. “By someone who is willing to risk their soul to perverse the laws of nature.”

  Martin smirked. “Again with the dark magic. Are you kidding me?”

  Artemis encircled her arm around Martin’s and gently pulled him away from the door. “There are many things about this world mankind has no knowledge of. The vast population rises every morning blissfully unaware of the energies working all around them. Influencing their every move, their every thought.”

  “So someone sent Jezryall this worm to influence her?” Martin asked, trying to maneuver himself free. She seemed like a nice lady if it wasn’t for the fact she thought she was a Greek goddess.

  “No, Mr. Cunningham,” Jezryall said. “Because of the nature of the creature, I can only assume this was an attempt on my life.”

  Martin frowned. “Who would want to kill you?”

  Artemis gave her brother a concerned look. “That is the real question.”

  Apollo walked over to a large wooden bookcase and removed an atlas. It was then that Martin noticed the trail of white smoke that connected him to his twin.

  “Brosnie are rare creatures ruled by Water and Earth.” He placed the atlas on the table and let it fall open on its own. “They requires constant humidity and darkness during their incubation period. This is how they create their venom.” He held his hand open over the brightly coloured depictions of the countries. “This country is too far north to produce the proper amount of humidity.” He ran his finger along the pages until it rested on the northern tip of South America. “This is the river that flows into Victoria Lake,” he said to Jezryall. “And at the bottom of this lake is where you will find the eggs.”

  “Someone knew where to look for it?” Daniel said.

  Apollo closed the book. “Apparently so.”

  “But why would someone want to hurt her?” Barb asked. “Jezryall rarely leaves the building. Hardly anyone knows she’s there--”

  “But someone does,” Artemis interrupted, and wandered back over to Jezryall’s side.

  “Exactly,” Apollo said. “Learn who removed the egg from the lake, and you will have your answers to all of this.”

  “What exactly is a Brosnie, anyway?” Martin asked.

  “It is an ancient creature, created by the gods as a means of controlling mankind.” Artemis said. “A few drops into a village well would make the entire population sick.” She turned away from them and walked to her brother. “A full venom sack would kill them all.”

  Apollo rested his hand on his sister’s shoulder, gazing sympathetically at her.

  Martin motioned to the Scot. “He said its venom can kill instantly.” He looked over at the Scot. “So why is he still alive?”

  “Two reasons,” the Scot said, dabbing the wound on his hand. “First, it was just a hatchling, so its venom, although potent, is not yet deadly.”

  “And second?” Martin asked.

  The Scot sat forward, keeping his eyes focused on Martin. “I am a member of a very powerful family,” he said, removing the cloth to show a healed hand. “Druid magic runs through my veins.” He looked over at Artemis. “I believe the protection spell I was focusing on is the reason I did not die.”

  “Druidism,” Martin said. “Isn’t that some kind of new age folk belief?”

  “Do not mock him,” Artemis said. “His devotion to his ancestry has made him very powerful. His family has practiced Druidism since before Romans came to the Highlands.”

  Martin scratched his head. This conversation just went off the deep end. “So someone sends a worm with deadly venom to Jezryall to kill her?”

  No one replied. It didn’t seem that far-fetched of a question, did it? Yet he caught a few passing glances, and Martin got the distinct impression he was still missing a big piece of the puzzle.

  “The venom would only have killed her human side.” Artemis said.

  Martin frowned. “Wait--her what?”

  Artemis tilted her head to one side. “Jezryall is a Cambion.”

  “Campion?” Martin’s eyes glanced over at his boss. “Is that some kind of secret pagan religion too?”

  Quick glances between the twins caused Martin to think otherwise. “What? What did I miss?”

  Apollo gave Jezryall a scornful look. “You did not tell him?”

  Jezryall exhaled deeply. “I have not had the time.”

  Martin’s glance darted around the room, but everyone noticeably avoided his gaze.

  “You must find out who sent this creature,” Apollo said. “Find the person and you will find the reason.”

  I will stay here.” Jezryall walked over to Aslin’s side. “You three continue the search. See if Barbara’s friend has found something.”

  Th
e rain had changed into a mist as Barb, Daniel and Martin walked out of the occult shop. No one said anything as they left. Martin wasn’t even upset that no one answered his question. Didn’t matter anyway. He didn’t care what was a Campion was, but it was looking more and more like this was going to be the job week from hell. He pulled his jacket tight around his body. He wished he’d walked out at the first sign of weirdness that morning.

  They climbed into the SUV, with Barb behind the wheel this time. Martin climbed into the passenger side and clicked his seatbelt. It bugged him that someone would try to kill Jezryall. She didn’t come across as a horrible person, and Barb did say he would love working for her. So maybe this some kind of disgruntled employee revenge plot?

  Barb opened her cell phone and pressed one of the buttons. Martin stared out the window, watching beads of water drip down the windshield.

  “Hey, it’s me. Did you find anything about that parcel? Really? Okay, thanks.” From the dejected tone in her voice, it didn’t sound good.

  She closed the phone and puts it back in her purse, as Daniel leaned forward.

  Martin broke the silence. “Any luck?”

  “Dead end,” she said. “Brian tracked down the delivery guy but it was given to his company anonymously. No name and they paid with cash.”

  “What about a description? Did they get any kind of look at the guy?”

  Barb shook her head. “Just that he was well dressed and had a Russian accent.”

  “That’s a start,” Martin said.

  Barb scrunched up her face. “How is an accent something to go on?”

  Martin turned and leaned against the door. “Are you kidding me? We don’t have just the accent. Look at everything else.” He counted down on his fingers. “An egg from a different country and a guy with an accent.”

  A smile lit up Daniel’s face. “A foreign courier!”

  Barb pursed her lips. “That doesn’t fit. International couriers have to screen all their parcels. If Customs saw the egg, they would have pulled it.”

  “So the egg got into this country by different means.”

  Daniel’s eyes lit up again. “A diplomat?”

  Martin straightened up and pointed his finger at Daniel. “Exactly, or someone who could get diplomatic status. They’re not questioned as strictly as regular passengers. Someone with forged diplomatic papers could easily smuggle the egg into the country.”

  Barb shook her head, looking confused. “So you’re saying someone from the Russian Embassy smuggled this in?”

  “Can you think of another explanation?”

  “But we can’t go running off to the Russian embassy and accuse them of smuggling in a dangerous creature. Let alone a magical one.”

  Daniel turned to her. “You could touch stuff there and find the person we’re looking for.”

  Barb rolled her eyes. “Daniel, it’s an embassy and considered foreign territory. They’re not going to let us waltz in for no reason.”

  Martin smiled. “Maybe not at the Embassy, but isn’t there a certain terminal used only for diplomats at the airport?”

  “Yeah, it’s for dignitaries, celebrities--” Her eyes grew wide. “I see where you’re going with this!”

  “Only if you’re up for it,” Martin said. “It didn’t look like you enjoyed the experience back at the office.”

  Barb gave him a wicked smile as she turned the key in the ignition. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll just owe me big time.”