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Lara and I walked hand-in-hand through the sprawling gardens of Weybridge Manor. She had peppered me with questions all the way home from Panama. It felt good to be able to share everything with her.
Panama had changed things. For both of us. I’d always been afraid to bring her into this part of my life. Sure, I was afraid of being rejected, but more than that, it was dangerous. Skulking about in ancient ruins, pursuing dangerous and powerful relics, being an arcanologist was an occupation with a short life expectancy.
Risking my own life was one thing, risking Lara’s was another. If I didn’t find answers, my curse was going to kill me. I had less to lose.
Feeling Lara’s hand in mine, I knew that was no longer true. She had her foot in the door now. There was no way she was going to be left behind.
I slowed my pace, “You know, I would have never taken the mask, Lara, but for this. I wanted to share all of this with you. That’s pretty hard to do when you know it’s all going to be taken away.”
Lara’s grip tightened to something that threatened to break my fingers. “That’s quitter talk. I won’t have it.”
“Oww. Not a quitter; just frustrated, I guess. Panama was my best shot at curing this thing. Now the temple is in ruin and the evidence that might have helped me was obliterated by a demon and a pair of hand grenades. I was hoping for so much more.”
I was trying not to complain, but it was hard not to be disappointed.
We’d gone toe to toe with a demon and lived. I ought to be counting my blessings.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, taking both of Lara’s hands in mine.
“For what?”
I smiled. “For being so glum. We’re alive and you still haven’t shot me. Life’s pretty good, when you think about it.”
“Seth, your father’s almost sixty. No matter what happens, you can have a long full life. Curse or no curse. But you can’t spend your whole life running away from what you might lose. You’ll trade the life you have for fear and regret. I won’t live like that. If you are serious about this, about us, you need to be all in.”
I nodded. It was an argument I’d had with myself many times. Could I make the most of my life, living every day to the fullest, knowing that one day the curse would take me? True, my father had lived longer than most, but he was an anomaly. He had done far better than many of our forebears. There was no guarantee the curse would spare me for that long. I’d had Aleida in my mind for a few minutes and it was maddening. I needed to fix this thing, and Lara was right. Self-pity wasn’t going to do it.
“Oh, I’m all in,” I replied. “I’ve robbed the CIA, traded favors with a crime lord, and knocked off one of the Inquisition’s senior members. All in a little over twenty-four hours.”
Lara shook her head. “See what happens when we don’t talk. You’re not going to make that mistake again, are you?”
I hesitated and Lara shoved me.
“I feel like no is the right answer,“ I replied, cocking my head like I was thinking about it.
“Good.” She continued walking. “I don’t think you can afford to make any more enemies.”
“What can I say; it’s a talent. Your boss tried to make contact yet?” I asked, falling into step beside her.
“Nope,” Lara replied. “Pretty sure they think the whole team died in Panama. I’m happy to let them believe that’s the case. Gives us some time to sort things out.”
Her words brought a smile to my lips. “Us?”
“Yep, you’re probably going to get me fired. So I’m going to need to crash with you for a bit. Besides, I’ve never stayed in a castle.”
“Manor,” I corrected, raising a finger as I recognized the bait. “You can’t just move in.”
Lara’s eyes glimmered with amusement. “Yes, I can. Your mother invited me. Unless you don’t want me to, of course.”
My mouth opened and closed as I did my best not to stick my foot in it. “What I meant was I don’t even live here.”
“Your mother mentioned that. She’s quite bright. I can see where you get it. On your good days, anyway.”
Mother was cunning. I had to give her that. “I suppose she figured if you were here, I’d want to stay.”
Lara pushed her hair back behind her ear. “Like I said, she’s very bright.”
We walked along the paved path as it wound through the estate. My mood lightened with every step. Lara wanted to stay here, with me. It was more than I’d hoped for. Life was actually starting to turn around for me.
“So,” Lara began, “now we have the ritual knife and photos of an altar covered in runes we don’t understand, and we know that the curse has its origin in blood sacrifice. More importantly, it was your ancestor, Aleida, who drove the curse.”
“Yes,” I replied. I’d left out the part about hearing her voice in the inner sanctum. I didn’t know why. Perhaps I wondered if I had really heard anything at all. Perhaps I’d simply imagined it.
That was the dangerous part about the supernatural world. It was so easy to rationalize the bizarre occurrence away. It made the unusual easier to stomach when we allowed ourselves to believe there was a simpler explanation.
Before I went talking about something that might land me in a padded cell, I figured it was worth having a good chat with my father to compare notes.
“Yes. It’s far more than I knew yesterday. It gives us somewhere to start.”
We arrived at a small lake, with a tiny rowboat tied up at a small fishing pier. As a child, I’d always loved exploring the insects and creatures that lived at the edge of the pond.
I picked up a stone. It was smooth and round and fit neatly in the palm of my hand. I drew back and threw it at the surface of the pond. The stone skipped across the surface of the lake. On the fourth skip, it hit the water and sank into its depths.
“I had to trade a lot of favors just to get to the temple, though. People are going to come looking to collect on those favors. I have obligations, the kind you can’t say no to.”
Lara swept her hand around her. “You have all this; wealth, power, and influence.”
“But there is always someone who has more,” I replied. “More power, like the demon creature in the temple. More influence, like the man who prevented the Director from shooting me out of the sky, and more money. Well, there aren’t so many of those out there.”
“The mining business is going well then?” Lara asked.
I looked at her, and she raised her hands.
“What? You’ve told me almost nothing about your family. I’m curious.”
“You could say that,” I replied.
Bending down, I plucked three narrow reeds from the edge of the lake.
Lara took a step closer. “What are you doing?”
“Patience, my young padawan,” I replied, my heart beating a little faster as I worked the reeds between my fingers. I was out of practice, and my work was a little clumsy but after a minute or two I held up a small circlet formed by interlocking woven layers of reeds.
“I didn’t know you were so handy,” she said, admiring my work.
I held the reeds between my thumb and index finger, closed my eyes, and cleared my mind. Focusing wholly on the image of the reeds, I opened my eyes and channeled my will into it and whispered a word of power. The reeds began to glow. Lara stepped back, as if they were going to burst into flames.
Instead, the reeds flared brightly and began to change. In a matter of seconds, the small circlet was solid gold. My heart pounded in my chest but there was no turning back now.
Lara’s eyes bulged. “Seth, what the—?”
“I told you, no more secrets,” I whispered. “This is who I am. This is the bloodline gift of the Brujas de Sangre. Few people have ever seen it done, and it’s the most closely guarded secret of the Caldwell family. My ancestors came from that temple in Panama. The wealth the Inquisition were after, was simply a byproduct of that gift. It’s my birthright. It’s a blessing and a curse that may well kill me one day.”
Lara went to protest but I held up a hand. “But until then, I want to spend whatever life I have with you.”
I dropped to one knee.
Lara’s eyes grew wide.
“If you’ll still have me. Lara Stiel, will you marry me?” I asked, slipping the ring onto her finger.
“Pretty sure you’re not allowed to marry your apprentice?” Lara said, her voice stern.
I looked down. “I’m an arcanologist, not a Jedi. Our rules are far more flexible.”
“Hmmm.” She looked down at me.
I started to panic, a knitted feeling forming in my stomach. Had I read things wrong? Or pushed too quickly?
“I, uh...” I stammered, not sure what to do.
“I’m kidding. Yes!” Lara exclaimed, dragging me back to my feet and throwing her arms around me.
“That’s cruel and unusual punishment,” I replied, taking her hand in mine as I led her back toward the house.
She leaned close. “I can’t believe you can do that, and still opted for the ring in the dessert the first time round.”
“What can I say? I was a chicken.”
“Don’t think you’re getting off that easily,” Lara replied. “You still owe me dinner. A nice one.”
“I think I can arrange that,” I said, making my way down the path. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t in a hurry. My car was parked out front, an Aston Martin DB5. Being a Caldwell had its perks.
I took out my phone to make a reservation. There wasn’t anywhere in London that would say no to the Caldwell name, but I knew just the place I wanted to take Lara. Italian, like our first date. I went to search for the number but my phone rang.
I looked down at the screen. Unknown number.
There was no one on earth that should have this number that wasn’t already in it. I took a deep breath. My hands were getting a little clammy.
Lifting the phone to my ear, I answered it but said nothing.
“Seth, my boy, how are you?”
The accent was hard to place. American, perhaps, but not very strong, almost neutral.
“Who is this?” I asked.
“Why, Seth, it’s Andrew Lynch. I thought you’d be expecting my call.”
I came to an abrupt halt, the gravel on the driveway grinding beneath my feet.
The Brotherhood was calling in its debt.
I pulled out my keys and unlocked the car.
“What do you want, Lynch?” I asked.
Lynch laughed. “I see your father wasn’t exaggerating. Certainly are a stubborn one, but clearly it works for you. Congratulations on your little outing in Panama. Glad you didn’t get yourself killed, which is more than I can say for those Section 9 scoundrels the Director sent in. How is Miss Stiel, by the way? Is she well?”
The question was asked with the distinct tone of a man who already knew the answer. Lynch knew Lara had survived the temple. I looked around me, wondering if someone was watching us.
Could Lynch have a man in my father’s estate?
“You leave her out of this,” I said.
Lara moved closer, in the practiced subtlety of a trained agent trying to listen in.
“This?” Lynch replied, his voice maintaining its calm note. “There is no this, Seth. Your father made a deal. We accepted in good faith. Truth be told, there was always the expectation you would take your place in our ranks. I entertained your father’s stalling out of respect for our history.”
“Such a gentleman,” I replied. “Boundless generosity. You’re a real man of the people.”
Lynch chuckled. “I’m glad you can see things as they truly are, Seth. I’m your friend, a powerful one, but also the unyielding hand of Justice if you choose to forsake your obligations. We both know the price you pay for your forebear forsaking hers. Do not make the same mistake she did. You’re either with us or against us.”
I led Lara toward the car.
“I need time,” I replied, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. “This curse is going to kill me if I don’t do something about it. What good am I to the Brotherhood if I’m dead?”
There was a pause at the end of the phone. Lynch seemed to consider that for a moment. “Don’t take too long, Seth. I am a man of very finite patience.”
As if to make his point, the phone went dead.
I slipped it back into my pocket as we crossed the driveway. I’d hoped for more time; weeks or months, anything would have been good. But no, the Brotherhood was already beating down the door.
Lara looked me in the eye. “Who was that?”
I opened my mouth to answer her.
My car, resting barely twenty feet from where we stood, exploded in a billowing blast of fire and glass.
The End...For Now
Seth has made a deal with a deadly foe and payment is about to fall due. For more magic, mischief and mythological foes join him in Half-Blood’s Bargain.
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