Keys to the Demon Prison

Page 42

The old man scratched his shoulder. "There was risk involved for both of us. But if my hints were open violations, you would not have succeeded. I'm glad you survived. I hope the knowledge you gained will take you places."
Seth regarded his friends on the raft. "The first place it will take us is Canada."
Chapter 22 Mark
Kendra and Bracken earned plenty of stares as they strolled along the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. She had carefully draped her wolf-hide cloak to conceal her sword and crossbow, just as Bracken had hidden his weapons beneath his bearskin cape, but even with a number of odd dressers in the crowd and an unusual assortment of street performers pandering to the pedestrians, they stood out in their rugged clothes and armor.
A guy with dark eyeliner and a ring in his lip came up to Bracken. "What are you supposed to be?" the skinny stranger asked.
"The Santa Monica Seaside Players are putting on Henry V next weekend," Bracken replied warmly. "Sorry, I'm out of flyers."
"Sweet outfits," the guy muttered as Bracken and Kendra moved away.
Bracken had already employed a similar story several times. He had even sidestepped the suspicions of a police officer.
Up ahead, a ring of onlookers watched a man balance a chair on his chin while juggling rubber balls. A young woman kneeling beside him added live accompaniment to the spectacle on a small keyboard. Eyes roving high and low, Kendra and Bracken wandered through the crowd.
They were looking for a cat. Bracken had maintained contact with Niko, who had pinpointed the shape-shifter among these trendy blocks of shops and eateries near the Southern California coastline. Niko had no communication with his fellow shape-shifters, but his sense of their location remained precise, even though he had only just reached the East Coast. Niko could also discern that their current quarry-was at the moment inhabiting the form of a black cat with white markings.
Kendra passed a triceratops with a metal head and hedge body. She studied the street and glanced up at the surrounding rooftops, expecting to glimpse the cat at any moment. The descending sun gave everything a pink glow, and a gentle sea breeze kept the warm evening fresh. In an effort to suppress her raging hunger, Kendra tried to ignore the diners eating on a patio at small, round tables. Raxtus had recently dropped them off after three days of relentless flying, with irregular breaks for meals. They had left Europe with provisions, pausing on cargo ships and ocean liners to eat and rest. Kendra would have never imagined that she could fall asleep in the claws of a dragon while soaring over the ocean, but she had succeeded. Raxtus had kept up a grueling pace, with Kendra sharing energy with him through touch.
The dragon was currently circling above them, invisibly keeping watch. A day ago, Bracken had received a brief message from the Sphinx warning that an Eternal named Mark living in California would be the next target. The Sphinx had further cautioned Bracken that Nagi Luna had seen him, Kendra, and Raxtus in the Oculus. They had been constantly on edge since receiving that unwelcome news.
Warren had also contacted them. The healer had reluctantly released him early, and he was on a plane over the Atlantic headed to New York. The plan was for him to contact Bracken once he landed for guidance on where to fly next.
Seth had been in touch as well. He was working on an assignment Patton had laid out for him, along with Vanessa, Newel, Doren, and Hugo. Bracken had advised him to keep the particulars vague unless a time came when their paths needed to converge.
A striking redhead in her early twenties sauntered toward them, wearing tall sandals and a snug, stylish outfit. Her eyes lingered on Bracken, who ignored her attention as he scanned the rooftops. The girl shot Kendra a catty glare before she passed them. Kendra had already observed several women interested in Bracken for more than his outlandish apparel.
"There," Bracken murmured, nudging Kendra.
She followed his gaze to a narrow balcony above a restaurant. A cat stared down at them, black with a partly white face and a white chest. Bracken curled a beckoning finger at the animal. Looking away, the feline started licking a paw.
Bracken walked closer to the restaurant, eyes glued to the balcony. The cat continued licking obliviously. Bracken crouched to grab a pebble and tossed it. The little rock missed the cat but clanged against the wrought-iron railing.
The cat looked up, and Bracken waved it down. After a languid stretch and a toothy yawn, the cat sprang from the balcony to an awning, from there to a planter, and then took off along the street. Bracken ran after the darting feline, with Kendra close behind.
The cat raced into a narrow alley between some shops. Jostling through a group of boisterous high school kids, Bracken tried to keep up. Kendra followed less forcefully, overhearing comments like "Take it easy, Robin Hood," and "I think that dude had a sword."
Shouldering through the amused group, Kendra stumbled and fell. A pair of hands helped her up. It was a husky boy with red hair. "What's with the outfit?" he asked.
"I'm helping advertise for some play," Kendra said. "Seven bucks an hour. Worst job ever."
Several of the high school kids were listening. "Is that a real crossbow?" the redhead asked.
After the fall, Kendra had failed to keep it hidden. "I wish," she said. "I'd shoot my boss. I have to go."
Kendra hurried to the alleyway. When she arrived, she found Bracken edging toward the cat with his palms up. "I really am a friend," Bracken was saying. The cat watched him warily, coiled, ready to bolt. "I've been talking to your leader, who goes by the name Niko. Three of the Eternals have perished. We need to talk."
"What about the girl?" the cat asked suspiciously. "She's no unicorn."
"She's fairykind," Bracken explained. "We're on your side. But bad people are heading this way. We need to find Mark."
"Follow me," the cat sighed.
Kendra and Bracken walked down the alley with the cat, and then along a different street, until they reached a parking lot. The cat led them to a corner of the lot, where they found a bench beside a low hedge. The cat leapt up to the bench. Kendra and Bracken sat down.
"Is Mark nearby?" Bracken asked, looking around.
"Not too far," the cat replied. "A few blocks. I've learned to give him some space. We don't really get along anymore."
"But you're sworn to protect him," Bracken said.
"I do my job," the cat replied. "It's become a little complicated. Look, I can tell you're a unicorn, and the girl has a peculiar aura, but before I take you to him, I need to hear your whole story."
Bracken told the shape-shifter about Graulas, the Sphinx, and the Oculus. He recounted what they had found when they had tried to warn Roon Osricson. He explained about the recent warning from the Sphinx, and told how a dragon sanctuary might offer protection.
"So we have assassins closing in as we speak?" the cat asked.
"We don't know exactly when," Bracken said. "Could be now, could be tomorrow, but soon."
"Mark is fine at the moment," the cat said. "I can clearly sense his location and his mood, but I have no way of anticipating trouble. I'll know only when it arrives. I should have stayed closer to him. Come with me. I'll explain our problem on the way. Don't say more than necessary. Wearing armor makes you conspicuous enough. Talking to a cat on top of that might be too much, even for Santa Monica."
The cat led them down a street toward the beach. "You can call me Tux, by the way. This is my favorite shape. The name started as a joke, but now it's all he calls me. He thinks I hate it, but I actually don't mind. He's called me much worse things.
"Marcus began his journey as an Eternal with a clear sense of purpose and commitment. Despite all that has happened since, I still look back on those early years fondly. We enjoyed many good decades. But the centuries gradually eroded his character. He began to regret his long life and the commitments he had made. His dedication wavered. Then it floundered.
"Mark has tried to kill himself many times. To tell you the truth, I don't know how much he really wants to end his life. He might just like pretending to die. He has never sought out anything that could actually kill him. Instead he jumps off bridges or drives motorcycles into oncoming traffic. He ends up injured, but he heals rapidly, and I watch over him. I've had to fish him out of the sea more than once. He has come to blame me for his immortal state, even though I'm just doing my job. Wouldn't you rather be miserable on dry land than miserable bobbing around in the ocean?"
"So he might not listen to us," Kendra said.
"I'm not sure," Tux replied. "Maybe the prospect of assassins who truly know how to kill his kind will snap him out of his depression. Or maybe he'll run to them with open arms. If we're lucky, a couple of new faces and voices might help rekindle a sense of duty."
"The danger is real," Bracken said. "We could all lose our lives. Dozens of men defended Roon, and high walls, and he wanted to live, but they got him."
Tux sped up. They crossed Ocean Avenue to a narrow park with paved paths, green lawns, and lots of palm trees. The cat approached a long-limbed man sleeping on the lawn in a filthy green army jacket and frayed jeans. He had long hair and an unkempt beard. His odor made it clear that he had not bathed in many days.
"Wake up, Mark," Tux ordered.
The man shifted his position and smacked his lips. "Lay off, Tux. What's the idea?"
"We have visitors."
The man sat up, eyes flicking between Kendra and Bracken. "What is this? Circus come to town?"
"We know who you are," Bracken said gently.
"You have no idea," the man replied. "You want me to move along? I'll move along. Leave me alone."
"You're Mark, one of the Eternals," Kendra said.
He started, naked surprise flashing across his face, then took a swipe at Tux, who avoided the swat smoothly. "What've you been blabbing?" he accused the cat.
"Tux told us nothing," Bracken said. "Only two Eternals remain alive. Your enemies have the Oculus. They're coming."
Mark grunted. "About time."
"Don't be a fool," Tux said.
Mark brushed greasy hair away from his eyes. "You think we can do anything if somebody with the Oculus wants to find me? Catching me here will be the same as catching me down the street, or a couple of towns over."
"We need to move," Bracken said. "If we stay in motion, changing course unpredictably, we can shuttle you to a safe haven, like Wyrmroost."
"A dragon sanctuary?" Mark scoffed. "You want me to hide out in a dragon sanctuary? Isn't my life pathetic enough?"
"This is bigger than you," Bracken said, trying to stay patient. "We are two Eternals away from seeing Zzyzx opened."
"Had to happen eventually," Mark said, rising. He stood half a head taller than Bracken. "I can see where this is heading. Listen, I'm tired, guys, really tired. Weary in every way. Mind, body, soul--everything that can wear out wore out long ago. You don't spend years getting mugged by hoboes and chased off park benches until you're pretty close to gone. Might be wiser to go focus on that last Eternal."
"We may not make it to the last one in time," Kendra said.
"Look, Mark," Bracken said, starting to lose his cool. "I've been around a long while myself. Longer than you. Quitting is not an option. The commitment you undertook doesn't fade away once you're no longer in the mood. You need to man up. The struggle between light and darkness hinges on this. Billions of lives are at stake. If you want to rest, live simple, why not do it at a dragon sanctuary?"
"He's stubborn," Tux warned in a singsong tone.
"Stay out of this," Mark spat.
"And touchy," Tux added.
Mark kicked at the cat. Tux scampered back to a safer distance.
"We have a dragon with us," Bracken said. "A little one. He can fly you to Wyrmroost. He can take a circuitous route, alter his heading a lot. It's your best chance."
Mark put his hands in his pockets. "What's your name, stranger?"
"Bracken."
"I'm Marcus. Mark to most people. How about the girl?"
"Kendra."
"Is she a person?" Mark asked. "A human?"
"Yes." Bracken said. "You're not."
"I'm a unicorn."
Mark chuckled. "Perfect," he muttered, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. "How am I supposed to know whether I'm insane? My only friend is a talking cat, and here I've got a unicorn dressed like a Viking who wants me to come live with the dragons?"
"You're not insane," Bracken said evenly. "Take my hand."
Mark stepped away. "No, no. So sorry. All I have left is my free will."
"I wasn't--"
"Don't try to convince me you don't want to manipulate my emotions," Mark said. "I know what you're after. Same thing the cat wants. You want me to pay for my mistake forever."
"What mistake?" Kendra asked.
"The mistake of agreeing to become a lock!" Mark snarled. He closed his eyes and took a breath, regaining his composure. "It was for a good cause, I know. You two have honorable intentions. I take no issue with the cause. Nobody lied to me. I simply didn't understand the cost. Not really, not fully. The exacting toll of existing, and existing, and existing, long after you want to stop, long after all meaning has died. That price is much too high. My intentions were pure. I remember why I volunteered. I simply lacked the vision to see myself ending up this way. I'm just not cut out for this much living. Becoming an Eternal was a mistake, and nobody will let me off the hook."