Skin Game
Page 13
Jesus.
Killed one Warden, back before my time. Shes put three more in the hospital over the years.
Wizards trained to hunt rogue wizards, and she took them out?
Pretty much. Probably why she doesnt look worried about walking in there right now.
Neither will we when we go in, Karrin said.
No, we wont, I said.
Here comes the driver.
The drivers-side door opened and a bald, blocky man of medium height in an expensive black suit got out. Even before he reached up to take off his sunglasses to reveal eyes like little green agates, I recognized him. Karrin did too, and let out a little growling sound. He put the sunglasses away in a pocket, checked what was probably a gun in a shoulder holster, and hurried to catch up to Ascher, an annoyed expression on his blunt-featured face.
Binder, she said.
Ernest Armand Tinwhistle, I said. Name that goofy, dont blame him for wanting to use an alias.
Though, honestly, he hadnt chosen it. The Wardens had given it to him when theyd realized how hed somehow managed to bind an entire clan of entities out of the Nevernever into his service. He could whistle up a modest horde of humanoid creatures who apparently felt nothing remotely like pain or fear, and who were willing to sacrifice themselves without hesitation. Binder was a one-man army, and Id told the little jerk that if I saw him in my town again, Id end him. Id told him to stay out, and yet here he was.
For about three seconds, I couldnt think about anything but ending him. Id have to make it fast, take him out before he could call up any of his buddies, something quick, like breaking his neck. Open the car door. Call up a flash of light as I got out, something to dazzle his newly unshaded eyes. A dozen sprinting steps to get to him, then grab him by the jaw and the back of the head and twist sharply up and to one side, then bring up a shield around myself in case his brain stayed alive long enough to drop a death curse on me.
Harry, Karrin said, quiet and sharp.
I realized that I was breathing hard and that my breath was pluming into frost on the exhale as the mantle of power of the Winter Knight had begun informing my instincts in accord with the primal desire to defend my territory against an intruder. The temperature in the car had dropped as if shed turned the AC up full blast. Water was condensing into droplets on the windows.
I closed my eyes as the Winter rose up in me and I fought it down. Id done it often enough over the past year on the island that it was almost routine. You cant stave off the howling, primitive need for violence that came with the Winter mantle with the usual deep-breathing techniques. There was only one way that Id found that worked. I had to assert my more rational mind. So I ran through my basic multiplication tables in my head, half a dozen mathematical theorems, which took several seconds, then hammered out ruthless logic against the need to murder Binder in the street.
One, witnesses, I muttered. Even deserted, this is still Chicago, and there could be witnesses and that would get their attention. Two, Aschers out there, and if she takes his side, she could hit me from behind before I could defend myself. Three, if hes savvy enough to avoid the grab, Id be out there with two of them on either side of me.
The Winter mantle snarled and spat its disappointment, somewhere in my chest, but it receded and flowed back out of my thoughts, leaving me feeling suddenly more tired and fragile than beforebut my breathing and body temperature returned to normal.
I watched as Binder broke into a slow jog until he caught up with Ascher. The two spoke quietly to each other as they entered the old slaughterhouse.
Four, I said quietly, killing people is wrong.
I became conscious of Karrins eyes on me. I glanced at her face. Her expression was tough to read.
She put her hand on mine and said, Harry? Are you all right?
I didnt move or respond.
Mab, Karrin said. This is about Mab, isnt it? This is what shes done to you.
Its Winter, I said. Its power, but its . . . all primitive. Violent. It doesnt think. Its pure instinct, feeling, emotion. And when its inside you, if you let your emotions control you, it . . .
It makes you like Lloyd Slate, Karrin said. Or that bitch Maeve.
I pulled my hand away from hers and said, Like I said. This is not the time to get in touch with my feelings.
She regarded me for several seconds before saying, Well. That is all kinds of f**ked-up.
I huffed out half a breath in a little laugh, which threatened to bring some tears to my eyes, which made the recently roused Winter start stirring down inside me again.
I chanced a quick look at Karrins eyes and said, I dont want to be like this.
So get out of it, she said.
The only way out is feetfirst, I said.
She shook her head. I dont believe that, she said. Theres always a way out. A way to make things better.
Oh, man.
I wanted to believe that.
Outside, the sun set. Sunset isnt just a star orbiting below the relative horizon of the planet. Its a shift in supernatural energy. Dont believe me? Go out far away from the lights of civilization sometime, and sit down, all by yourself, where there arent any buildings or cars or telephones or crowds of people. Go sit down, quietly, and wait for the light to fade. Feel the shadows lengthening. Feel the creatures that stay quiet during the day start to stir and come out. Feel that low instinct of nervous trepidation rising up in your gut. Thats how your body translates that energy to your senses. To a wizard like me, sundown is like a single beat on some unimaginably enormous drum.
Killed one Warden, back before my time. Shes put three more in the hospital over the years.
Wizards trained to hunt rogue wizards, and she took them out?
Pretty much. Probably why she doesnt look worried about walking in there right now.
Neither will we when we go in, Karrin said.
No, we wont, I said.
Here comes the driver.
The drivers-side door opened and a bald, blocky man of medium height in an expensive black suit got out. Even before he reached up to take off his sunglasses to reveal eyes like little green agates, I recognized him. Karrin did too, and let out a little growling sound. He put the sunglasses away in a pocket, checked what was probably a gun in a shoulder holster, and hurried to catch up to Ascher, an annoyed expression on his blunt-featured face.
Binder, she said.
Ernest Armand Tinwhistle, I said. Name that goofy, dont blame him for wanting to use an alias.
Though, honestly, he hadnt chosen it. The Wardens had given it to him when theyd realized how hed somehow managed to bind an entire clan of entities out of the Nevernever into his service. He could whistle up a modest horde of humanoid creatures who apparently felt nothing remotely like pain or fear, and who were willing to sacrifice themselves without hesitation. Binder was a one-man army, and Id told the little jerk that if I saw him in my town again, Id end him. Id told him to stay out, and yet here he was.
For about three seconds, I couldnt think about anything but ending him. Id have to make it fast, take him out before he could call up any of his buddies, something quick, like breaking his neck. Open the car door. Call up a flash of light as I got out, something to dazzle his newly unshaded eyes. A dozen sprinting steps to get to him, then grab him by the jaw and the back of the head and twist sharply up and to one side, then bring up a shield around myself in case his brain stayed alive long enough to drop a death curse on me.
Harry, Karrin said, quiet and sharp.
I realized that I was breathing hard and that my breath was pluming into frost on the exhale as the mantle of power of the Winter Knight had begun informing my instincts in accord with the primal desire to defend my territory against an intruder. The temperature in the car had dropped as if shed turned the AC up full blast. Water was condensing into droplets on the windows.
I closed my eyes as the Winter rose up in me and I fought it down. Id done it often enough over the past year on the island that it was almost routine. You cant stave off the howling, primitive need for violence that came with the Winter mantle with the usual deep-breathing techniques. There was only one way that Id found that worked. I had to assert my more rational mind. So I ran through my basic multiplication tables in my head, half a dozen mathematical theorems, which took several seconds, then hammered out ruthless logic against the need to murder Binder in the street.
One, witnesses, I muttered. Even deserted, this is still Chicago, and there could be witnesses and that would get their attention. Two, Aschers out there, and if she takes his side, she could hit me from behind before I could defend myself. Three, if hes savvy enough to avoid the grab, Id be out there with two of them on either side of me.
The Winter mantle snarled and spat its disappointment, somewhere in my chest, but it receded and flowed back out of my thoughts, leaving me feeling suddenly more tired and fragile than beforebut my breathing and body temperature returned to normal.
I watched as Binder broke into a slow jog until he caught up with Ascher. The two spoke quietly to each other as they entered the old slaughterhouse.
Four, I said quietly, killing people is wrong.
I became conscious of Karrins eyes on me. I glanced at her face. Her expression was tough to read.
She put her hand on mine and said, Harry? Are you all right?
I didnt move or respond.
Mab, Karrin said. This is about Mab, isnt it? This is what shes done to you.
Its Winter, I said. Its power, but its . . . all primitive. Violent. It doesnt think. Its pure instinct, feeling, emotion. And when its inside you, if you let your emotions control you, it . . .
It makes you like Lloyd Slate, Karrin said. Or that bitch Maeve.
I pulled my hand away from hers and said, Like I said. This is not the time to get in touch with my feelings.
She regarded me for several seconds before saying, Well. That is all kinds of f**ked-up.
I huffed out half a breath in a little laugh, which threatened to bring some tears to my eyes, which made the recently roused Winter start stirring down inside me again.
I chanced a quick look at Karrins eyes and said, I dont want to be like this.
So get out of it, she said.
The only way out is feetfirst, I said.
She shook her head. I dont believe that, she said. Theres always a way out. A way to make things better.
Oh, man.
I wanted to believe that.
Outside, the sun set. Sunset isnt just a star orbiting below the relative horizon of the planet. Its a shift in supernatural energy. Dont believe me? Go out far away from the lights of civilization sometime, and sit down, all by yourself, where there arent any buildings or cars or telephones or crowds of people. Go sit down, quietly, and wait for the light to fade. Feel the shadows lengthening. Feel the creatures that stay quiet during the day start to stir and come out. Feel that low instinct of nervous trepidation rising up in your gut. Thats how your body translates that energy to your senses. To a wizard like me, sundown is like a single beat on some unimaginably enormous drum.
