I t turned out Foster and Aideen had at least gotten some decent sleep at the hospital. That made me feel a little better, but I didn’t like the idea of our best healers being out of commission. One thing was for sure, neither one of them were sacrificing themselves to save anyone. After what Cara had done, I didn’t care what the reasons were, I wasn’t letting that happen ever again—a promise I knew I might not be able to keep.
“Ah’d take it all,” Zola said, answering my unspoken question.
I looked down at my backpack, half full of speed loaders for the pepperbox, and the extra rounds in my other hand. I shrugged and dumped the entire mess in my backpack. It was heavy, ridiculously heavy. I now had the pepperbox, the bandolier full of speed loaders, and about a dozen more speed loaders to boot.
It would’ve made more sense to strap the bandolier over my chest, but I didn’t think the police, or the commoners, would appreciate seeing a civilian walking around armed to the teeth. Another section of my backpack had the hand of Gaia and the blue obsidian disc from Nixie. There was a woefully small department dedicated to snacks, which I’d stuffed with Frank’s slightly less insane beef jerky. Zola, on the other hand, had Frank’s completely insane burn your face off jerky stashed in a satchel on her hip. I was pretty sure she’d be able to weaponize it.
“We should probably let the fairies sleep a little longer,” I said, glancing at the old grandfather clock.
“Agreed.”
I led the way to the front door. This would be the second day in a row the shop wasn’t open. I didn’t like that. We needed money from our regular customers, and staying closed was a crappy way to accomplish that; especially with foot traffic so low to begin with.
I was surprised to open the front door and find Aeros at his post on the street beside the parking lot. One of the local kids gestured at the Old God, and I wondered where his parents were. Aeros lightly tapped on the kid’s helmet and said, “Are you sure such a flimsy device can protect your head?”
The kid laughed.
Aeros raised his eyes to us as Zola and I started crossing the street. He turned his attention back to the kid. “I am afraid it is time for me to work.”
“You don’t work,” the kid said. “You’re always out here.”
“I am always out here working.”
The kid shook his head and hopped up onto his bike, wobbling a little bit before his balance was restored on the sidewalk.
Aeros watched him go before returning his gaze to us. “Good morning.”
“What’s he doing down here?” I asked.
“I do not believe some of the commoners understand the severity of the situation. The military has not evacuated them.”
“It should’ve been mandatory,” Zola said.
“To say the least,” I said. “Even with what happened to their base last night?”
“It was not Park’s decision,” Aeros said. “Or so Frank tells me.”
“How late did we sleep in?” I asked. “You’ve already talked to Frank? What about Sam?”
“Samantha was not with them. Frank seemed bothered by that.”
“That’s right,” I said, “she’s probably at the Pit still.”
“Foster and Aideen are resting,” Zola said. “If we do not return in the top of the hour, please awaken them.”
“And try not to knock down the shop,” I added with a smirk.
Aeros narrowed his eyes, his granite flesh crunching with the motion. “I will make every effort.”
Zola patted the Old God’s knee before we turned and headed south on Main Street.
It didn’t take long to see the military wasn’t sticking to Park’s plan. At the first intersection, I turned my gaze down toward the river and cursed. A small cluster of tents had been set up, tents not unlike those that had been torn to pieces and burned to the ground less than a day before. Uniformed men milled about, approaching the river and pointing downstream. I had little doubt they were talking about the Bone Sails. Graybeard’s ship was hard to miss.
“What the hell?” Zola’s grip tightened on her cane, and she cracked it against the ground in one sharp blow. “What the hell are they thinking?”
“Who knows,” I said. “Maybe it’s a ruse? Something not as obvious as standing on the riverfront and getting killed by undines?”
Zola barked out a humorless laugh. “Keep your eyes peeled for anyone we know, boy. Ah’d like to find out more, before one of these fools tangles with a creature they do not understand.”
We continued down Main, and I grew more uncomfortable with every step. The tourism had been light for a couple weeks, but now, outside of a few brave souls who remained behind in their homes on the old historic street, all that was left was military. Most of the restaurants were closed, and some of the gardens and dining areas outside were now swarming with soldiers. The presence of more soldiers than I’d expected made me uneasy.
“It’s like they moved an entire battalion in,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “I don’t know if this will deter the queen, or entice her.”
“The queen lost witches,” Zola said. “That fact should at least give her pause. Unless she’s gone as far off her rocker as Nudd.”
We passed one of the bars and one of the few open restaurants. It looked like they were drumming up quite the business. I didn’t think I’d ever seen them serving breakfast, but a clapboard outside had “Omelets & Bacon” written in bold letters.
My eyes trailed back toward the sign, and Zola chuckled.
“Ah’m sure we can find time to stop for food later.”
“I feel like maybe I should’ve had more than a Pop-Tart.” I took a deep breath and blew it out in exasperation. “But bacon, Zola.”
“Oh my God, boy. I just flashed back fifteen years.”
I paused at the next intersection and frowned at the personnel carriers parked along the cobblestone side streets.
“Well, that’s an awful sight.”
“Look to the river,” Zola said.
I followed her gaze and cursed. Some of the wrought iron fence had been torn down or flattened. Two tanks were maneuvering on the neatly trimmed riverfront, one angling its main barrel upriver, and the other downriver.
“What in the hell do they expect to do with those?” I asked. “Don’t they realize those guns, no matter how large, aren’t going to do shit to a water witch?”
Zola slowly nodded her head. “Ah do wonder, though. If one of those tank shells exploded next to a water witch? Would it at least disorient them? Leave an opening, perhaps?”
“You let me know how that goes,” I said. “I’ll be the one in the back with the bacon.”
Zola smiled, the skin around her eyes crinkling in the bright morning light. This was a place that had not seen much in the way of war. Many ghosts lingered, but they were not those unnervingly bound to their souls, rooted to a battlefield for God knows how long. But there were other things here like the werewolves, and other Fae that we saw on occasion. It made me wonder what else lurked behind the walls and stones of some of the older buildings.
We eventually reached a tent city where I suspected we’d find Park. Several tents lined the common area, with more under construction. It was obvious where the command center was, as that tent was at least twice as long and three times as wide as the others.
Zola paused while the sounds of men and women driving stakes into the ground with hammers echoed around us. She put her hand over her heart and watched as one pair repositioned a stake after they hit a large stone in the ground, and then drove it in at another angle.
“You okay?” I asked.
“If these tents were linen, and heavier cloth, you could mistake this for an encampment from the Civil War. It’s … Ah didn’t expect to see that. It caught me off guard.” She shook her head and nodded to herself. “Let’s find Park.”
We wound our way between the tents, and around the third or fourth corner, I realized that they had been placed in a very specific pattern. It would make it hard to for anyone to charge blindly through their base camp. It was defensive, and I suspected a sound strategy, but I didn’t think it would slow the deadly arts of the water witches. It was a much greater distance from the river though, so I supposed they’d learned something.
We reached the command tent a minute later, and the MP stationed outside the door was the first to question our presence.
“What’s your business here?”
Zola gave him her best old woman smile and leaned heavily on her cane. I’d seen her do it before, and it was damned effective at eliciting sympathy. “Ah was told my friend Master Sergeant Park was here. Do you know if that’s true?”
“He’s inside …” The soldier frowned, as if realizing he shouldn’t have given that information away so freely. He studied Zola for a moment and seemed to relax.
I managed to keep my composure.
“Could you give him a message for me?” Zola asked. “Ah don’t want to interrupt if he’s busy. Although it is mighty hot out today. And Ah could use some shade.”
“Let me see if he’s done,” the MP said. “Just wait a moment, and I’ll get you a chair.”
The MP vanished into the tent, and I wondered just how fresh out of boot camp he was. I was afraid Zola might’ve gotten him a good punishment.
“Ah do like him,” Zola said.
“I bet.” I gave her a half smile, and turned my attention back to the opening flap of the tent.
Park appeared a moment later. “I would appreciate it if, in the future, you would refrain from manipulating my MPs.”
“Manipulating?” Zola asked. “Ah have never been accused of such deception.”
Park crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. Zola flashed a knowing smile.
“It won’t happen again,” she said. “Certainly not today.”
“It’s a little warm out,” I said. “That rain really helped the humidity.”
“That’s all Missouri is sometimes,” Park said. “Trees, hills, and humidity.”
Zola dropped her pretense. “What are the tents and men doing down by the river?”
Park frowned. “Let’s not talk about that here.”
“Why don’t you walk with us for a moment?” Zola asked.
Park hesitated, clearly weighing his options for a moment before nodding.