The only good news was that Hecate had retreated when I’d killed her Cyclops and had abandoned the trapped flesh eaters. There was a still a chance to save them. Talbot and Ambrose had been feeding them entrails and guts while Alex and Doc worked on the cure.
I was recuperating from the amputation but, even worse, I was drying out. No matter what I did, in the back of my mind, there was always the urge to reach for a bottle.
Doc had been going back and forth from our headquarters to Elizabeth’s lake house. I was still in bed when he came to check on me.
“It’s almost dinnertime,” he said. “Why are you still in bed?”
So much for the solicitous parent. “I’m not sleeping that well.” It was an understatement. My body ached for sleep, but it wouldn’t come. And when it did, it brought only nightmares. The screams of those who’d stood with the House of Fates still rang in my ears. My sleep was filled with visions of blood and pain. I’d wake up dripping sweat, screaming.
“The pain from your arm will disappear in time,” he replied. “I can give you some pain pills.”
“It’s not that,” I said. “I thought I’d try the sober thing for a while.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” he said. He nearly smiled, but settled for a slight upturn of his lips.
“How is Elizabeth?” I asked.
“Don’t worry,” Doc replied. “She’s safe. I have wards on that house that Zeus himself couldn’t break.”
“I want to see her,” I said.
“No way, Nyx,” he replied. “It’s better if you stay away. At least until we find the cure.”
“You’re sure she’s safe?” I wasn’t in love with Elizabeth, but I still cared about her. She’d stumbled into the middle of my aunts’ machinations and paid the price for it. I wanted her away from Minneapolis, for good this time.
“I should have never called Alex,” I muttered.
Doc cleared his throat. “Elizabeth did mention something that concerned me.”
“About what? Her safety?”
“She said you wanted to die,” Doc said. “Tell me why.”
“Nobody’s ever asked me that before,” I said.
“I’m curious.”
“I just got sick of it,” I told my father. “How have you managed all this time?”
He gave me a wry look. “I’d hardly say I managed, at least not very well. I screwed things up rather badly with Fortuna.”
His voice always softened when he said her name.
“Love trumps hate every time,” he said.
“Is that why you didn’t kill Deci?”
“She was the mother of my child,” he said. “Even though I didn’t love her, I could never hurt her.” He rubbed his scar. “But she didn’t feel the same way about me.”
I had no trouble believing that my aunt would be that ruthless.
Ambrose came into the room. “We’ve finally heard from Fitch. You have to leave now. You’re meeting him at the same location as before.”
“Him? What about Ruth?” We were screwed if anything had happened to the fortune-teller.
Ambrose shrugged. “Didn’t say. But the message did say to hurry.”
I floored the Caddy on the way to the bus station.
Fitch waited for me on a metal bench inside the station. He was reading a newspaper, but his eyes weren’t on the page. He scanned the crowd while he pretended to read.
Our eyes met, but he didn’t show any recognition. I didn’t see Ruth anywhere.
I circled around a few times and scanned the station for demons. I still needed time to get used to my missing limb. Even walking was different. I’d never noticed how much I swung my arms when I moved until one of them was missing.
There were a family of mortals waiting to board and a couple of homeless kids panhandling by the entrance, but I didn’t sense any demons.
I sidled up to Fitch. “Where’s Ruth?”
He didn’t even look up from his paper. “She’ll be along. There was something else I wanted to talk to you about first.”
“What happened to you?”
“We were waylaid by a couple of demons,” he replied. “That’s what I wanted to tell you. They were waiting for us outside Ruth’s store.”
“Did they hurt you?”
“Roughed us up some,” he said. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Someone knew we were meeting you.”
“Nobody knew except…” My voice trailed off. Luke was Fitch’s brother. He wouldn’t set demons on his own brother, would he?
“Except who?” Fitch asked.
I answered reluctantly. “I saw Luke on my way out. He asked what I was doing there.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I lied.”
“Did he believe you?”
“I thought so at the time, but now I’m not so sure.”
Fitch started to say something, but his attention was caught by a tourist. “There’s my lovely lady now.”
Ruth wore a wide-brimmed hat, Bermuda shorts with a bright orange shirt, and Birkenstocks. “Tony, my dear boy,” she said loudly. “It’s so good to see you.” She hugged me.
“Tony?” I whispered to Fitch.
“She thinks you look like a Tony,” he whispered back.
“I think I’m offended.” Tony was such a prosaic name.
I kissed Ruth’s cheek. “Hello, Aunt Edna,” I said. She led me to a bench.
She smiled, but her eyes were serious. “Give me your hand.”
I did as she asked. “Now concentrate on the item you are seeking.”
I tried to imagine what the silver harpy feather would look like.
“It is very close to someone you loved,” she said.
There were only a few people in this world I loved, and most of them were dead. Was it in a graveyard? “Where?”
“Red,” she said. “I can’t see anything but red.”
“Anything else?”
“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing.”
“It’s something,” I said. “I’ll think about it.” I kissed her cheek. “I’ve got to go, but thank you.”
“Be careful, Nyx,” Ruth said.
I nodded and left. I was almost at the front door when I sensed demons. I turned back. Fitch’s newspaper was on the bench, but he’d gone.
I ran through the depot, searching for him. Two demons held Fitch by each elbow, dangling him in the air. There was no sign of Ruth.
They threw him in front of an oncoming bus. The Greyhound screeched to a stop inches from Fitch’s face.
I grabbed Fitch’s hand and helped him up. “Where’s Ruth?”
“She left before they showed. Pretty sure she got away.”
“Go! Now.”
He did as I asked. I faced the demons, who stopped snickering when I pulled the hoodie off my face.
“You want me, not him.”
“He’ll do.” One of the demons started after Fitch, who moved pretty quickly for an old guy with a bad leg.
“What’s the matter? Too scared to take me on?” I taunted. The demon forgot about Fitch and came after me. His buddy came up behind me and somehow managed to pin my arm back. A perfect target for his buddy’s fist. Fighting one-handed was harder than I’d thought.
Ruth smashed a suitcase over his head. The demon crumpled, but his pal clawed at Ruth. He was quickly dispatched with Fitch’s cane. Black blood spurted as Fitch bashed the demon’s brains in.
“Thanks, Fitch,” I said. “But I thought you were Switzerland.”
He winked at me. “I am,” he said. “But those two were in need of mediation.”
We shook hands and went our separate ways.