F ive days earlier, the bell had jingled when Sergeant Park pushed his way into Death’s Door. I’d seen him enough lately to know the quick steps that led him to the counter weren’t indicative of a casual pace. I sat up a little straighter.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
Park glanced around the room before setting his palms flat against the countertop. I winced at the creaking squeal of the glass. “Is Frank here?”
I debated for a moment whether to tell him Frank was actually there, wondering if Frank had gotten himself into some kind of trouble. After considering Park’s stride and the anxious flashing of his eyes toward the back room, I decided I’d better get Frank.
“Yeah, sure. Wait here for just a second and I’ll grab him for you.”
Park nodded a little too quickly. I hopped off the stool behind the counter and headed through the saloon-style doors. I passed the grandfather clock and the Formica table before I came to the entrance to the cu siths’ lair.
I paused with my hand on the ornately carved doorway. Foster and Aideen had whittled the once ragged hole into a beautiful array of Celtic knots. I ducked through the entryway, following the sounds of a snoring cu sith.
“Frank,” I whispered, not wanting to wake Bubbles. I made my way farther down the sloping ramp that led into the basement.
Frank had his reading glasses on and was squinting at the runes on the wall. He held a book in one hand and was comparing the drawings inside to the sketches on the wall.
“Frank.”
He jumped, surprised when I said his name so close behind him. Frank spun around, raising the book in his right hand as if he expected to swat an overly large, overly annoying bug. “Damian!”
Frank hadn’t whispered. The cu sith startled awake, sucking her tongue in and flinging her massive furry form against the nearest wall. Unfortunately, I was between her and that wall. I grunted as the bristly fur smashed me into the stone. She bounced away, looked up, and then started snuffling at my shoes.
I gasped, trying to regain the breath Bubbles had smashed out of me.
“You okay?” Frank asked.
I nodded through a grimace and pointed up the ramp.
Bubbles understood just fine and ran right up the ramp to see what was waiting in the shop.
Frank, on the other hand, looked a bit more perplexed. “You need me to cover the shop?”
I took a deep breath and shook my head, my lungs finally recovering. “Park wants to see you. He’s waiting upstairs.” I took another glorious breath and gestured at Frank. “Still researching the runes?”
He glanced down at the book in his hand. “Yeah, with everything Calbach told us about the runes, I thought it might be interesting to see what else I could dig up.” He snapped the book closed. “Haven’t found much.”
“Were you expecting Park?” I asked, leading the way back up the stone ramp.
“No. I mean, he drops by fairly regularly, but I wasn’t expecting him today.”
Bubbles started barking, and Foster cursed above us. The fairy shouted, and I could hear the rattle of his armor. I suspected he was trying to wrestle Bubbles away from Park. I picked up the pace and pushed through the saloon-style doors a moment later.
Bubbles had her paws up on Park’s shoulders, licking and snorting, easily pulling away from Foster each time the fairy managed to free Park.
“Bubbles,” I said in a low voice.
She froze, slowly licked Park one more time, and then padded back to flop on the floor next to me.
“Sorry about that,” I said.
“Oh,” Foster said, turning to Bubbles. “So now you listen to the necromancer and not me? Your ancestors would be ashamed.”
Aideen glided over the swinging doors from the back of the shop and settled onto the cu sith’s ruff.
“Park?” Frank asked. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Park said, looking down at the cu sith before returning his gaze to Frank. “I think so.”
Frank eyed him, and the suspicion on Frank’s face was obvious. “Well, what do you need me for?”
“We lost a squad,” Park said. He crossed his arms and blew out a breath.
Frank grimaced. He glanced at me and then back to Park. “Who?”
“You don’t know them.”
Frank frowned slightly. “Okay. Then why are you here?”
“What is it?” Foster asked, clearly not missing Park’s distant stare.
Park hesitated, and then said, “It was a fairy by the old railroad bridge. Foster, when we played back footage from the scene, he looked like you.”
Foster frowned. “What do you mean, exactly? Like he had my face?”
Park shook his head. “No, I mean he had your wings. Huge wings like a moth.”
Foster squeezed the dagger sheathed on his belt.
I was about to interrupt when Aideen did it for me. “One of the queen’s spies?” She sidled up beside Foster, eyeing Park. “What else have you heard?”
Park shrugged. “Not much. Look, you already know some of the commanders in the area are concerned about the intelligence we have. I’ve heard rumors that some of them think it was you.”
“Think I impersonated myself?” Foster frowned at his own words. “Never mind, that was a stupid question. But come on, Damian. This is clearly a setup.”
“I’m not arguing that,” I said. “But what are we going to do about it?”
“Oh, that’s simple,” Foster said. “I’m going to cut pieces off him and feed him the chunks before he dies.”
I couldn’t suppress a small smile. “Sure, but we don’t even know who he is. Which means we don’t know how to find him.”
“You kill enough enemies, you get the right one eventually.” Foster massaged the hilt of his sword, and it was particularly menacing.
Aideen laid a hand on his shoulder. The murderous gleam in his eyes receded, but it didn’t leave entirely.
“This isn’t a time to be brash,” Aideen said.
Foster nodded once. “The patrol was attacked at the bridge below the highway. That’s where we buried Lewis. You think they dug him up?”
I blinked at the fairy, not quite sure where that question had come from. “No, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a message. Someone telling us they know where we’ve been. They know where our skeletons are buried.”
“Literally.” Frank put his hand on the countertop and leaned toward Park. “Come on, man. You had to have noticed something. Something different? Something unusual about the scene?”
Park frowned slightly at Frank. “I understand what you’re saying.”
“What about the light?” Foster asked.
“Everything looked green,” Park said. “Like they were bleeding green.”
Foster’s expression turned stony. “Green poison.”
“Poison?” Park asked.
“The queen is back,” Aideen said.
My fingers tightened around the blue obsidian coin on the counter.
Frank rapidly waved his hands, cutting off the conversation. “We need a witness.”
“Were there any survivors?” I asked.
Frank looked to Park, who frowned for a moment and then nodded slowly.
“Casper,” Park said.
I raised an eyebrow. “Is that a ghost joke?”
Park glanced at me, his brow furrowing. It gave me the distinct impression it hadn’t been a ghost joke.
“Casper is a sniper,” Park said, the mild look of confusion still not leaving his face. “She’s in the infirmary, and I’m not sure if she’s conscious.”
“You call her Casper because she’s pale?” Frank asked.
“What?” Park asked. “Why does everyone think that? No, we call her that because she’s a goddamn ghost.”
I raised my other eyebrow.
“No.” Park shook his head rapidly. “Not that kind of ghost. I mean she’s a ghost on the battlefield. No one sees her coming.” Park paused as if contemplating telling us something more. The look passed, but Foster didn’t let it go.
“What is it?” the fairy asked.
“She’s an assassin,” Park said. “Casper is one of our best snipers. She’s a master of camouflage. But the Fae saw her coming.”
“Is she in a military infirmary?” Aideen asked. “Or is she in the hospital a few blocks over?”
Park opened his phone and texted someone. “I’ll find out.” He’d just finished typing when his phone buzzed. “She’s at the hospital.”
“That’s where we need to be,” Frank said.
“She’ll be guarded,” Park said.
I shrugged. “Makes sense.” I exchanged a look with Foster. “I’ll go with Park,” I said. “The last thing we need is for them to see Foster and mistake him for an enemy.”
“I’m coming with you,” Foster said.
“No,” Aideen said, resting her hand on Foster’s wrist. “Damian’s right. It’s too risky. I’ll go. They’re looking for a male fairy, are they not?” She looked to Park.
Park nodded.
“Then you have no argument,” Aideen said.
Foster clearly didn’t like the idea, but he said no more. His hand fell to his side, and he nodded once to Park. He turned to me and said, “Don’t let her kill everyone. Leave some for me.”
“I’m really hoping we don’t have to kill anyone,” I said.
Frank looked at the wide-eyed Park before glancing between me and Foster. Frank barked out a short laugh. “It’s like you don’t even know yourself.”
“Give me a little credit. We usually don’t kill people in a public place.”
“Okay,” Park said. “Okay okay okay. Now I know you’re just screwing with me.”
I smiled at Park. “Well, it’s either that or bury you in the backyard. We prefer not to do that.”
“When did we start burying them in the backyard?” Foster asked.
“Right,” I said. “We just turn them into deadbolts now.”
Park blinked.
“Long story,” I said.
Park narrowed his eyes. “You only intend to talk to Casper, right?”
Aideen sighed. “Of course. We need information, and it appears she’s the only source at our disposal.”
“Right,” Park said. “Let’s un-ass.”
That was apparently all the motivation any of us needed. Aideen glided to my shoulder as I made for the door. Frank followed us out, and Park’s posture relaxed a fraction when he saw Frank coming with us. I suspected the two of them had become closer, or at least more trusting of each other, but this was the first time I’d seen it so clearly on display.
“It’ll be fine,” Frank said.
Park nodded.
“I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true,” Frank said. “Eventually you’ll learn to trust this bunch as much as I do.”
“They’ve saved your life before,” Park said.
“They’ve saved yours, too,” Frank said.
Park gave one sharp nod, and we started up the block, closing on the hospital in relative silence.