Chapter 10

 

 

 

We stepped onto the sidewalk before McManus’ Pub and Grill, the sun shining above our heads. With each passing day, the weather got warmer and warmer. I was glad we would go into the cool and air conditioned pub. It would be refreshing. I pushed past the protective ward and the familiar pull of giddiness and tingling assaulted my senses.

“Your boss’ spell always makes me smile,” Raphael told me as we arrived in the pub. The main room was deserted; only Andrew, the boss’ son, hung out at the bar, perched on a stool and reading something on his phone.

“Hey, Andrew, how are you, buddy?” I greeted him. He didn’t respond to me; he never responded to anyone. He barely acknowledged my presence, but I knew him well enough to know that behind his distracted look and apparent disinterest, he was listening to every word of mine.

“Look, I and a few friends will occupy the smaller room for some time. Just don’t let anyone in, okay? In case someone wants to come in.” I winked at him and he took a cloth and started cleaning the counter surface.

“Good, first step done,” I said.

That was more to myself than to Raphael, but he asked, “Did he understand you? Are you sure?”

“Oh, yeah, he did listen to me. Wanna come and see the smaller room? We might need to haul in a few chairs. And since you’re a gentleman, I’ll leave it to you.” I patted his back and he forced a smile.

The smaller room’s door stood ajar and I heaved a sigh of relief. Andrew had pragmatically opened it to let in cleaner air. Not many guys hung out here, but dudes would always come to play darts, foosball, and smoke tobacco and even weed. Jeff was pretty tolerant of recreational drugs, but mostly marijuana. He never permitted hard drugs in his pub.

“A cozy room,” Raphael noted as he took a good look at it. The darts on the dartboard were all pinned into the bullseye, the foosball station stood pressed against the left corner, tempting you to let loose and play the game. And most probably I would have, if it weren’t for our meeting with the council members.

“I like it,” Raphael stated proudly as he stood in the center of the room.

“If you like it so much, I can talk to Jeff and negotiate for you to move in here. I’m afraid you won’t be able to fall asleep until after 2 am and it’ll stink of cigar smoke.”

He chuckled and I ushered him to take several chairs. The council members would need them to sit on over the meeting.

“Here, arrange them in a circle. Yes, perfect,” I said as he finished the task. Now, we’d wait for the council members. I decided to slide onto one of the chairs while we waited.

“Do you think the druid’s spell will help us in some way?” I asked Raphael as my thoughts drifted to the past events of the day: the beautiful valley, the mountaintops and the druid’s peculiar persona.

“Druids are very special and powerful, but make no mistake, they can be extremely dangerous. Better not make an enemy out of a druid,” he said. Suddenly he stiffened, his brows knitted together. “She’s here, in front of the pub. I’m going to meet her. Be right back.” He dashed for the exit door, and pretty soon he came back, Durga following him closely. Next was Shiva, then archangel Michael, and Loki trotted in last.

“Wow, this is…great!” Loki exclaimed upon entering the room. “Cool idea, bro, to make the meeting in the pub.” Loki’s eyes gleamed with delight and slapped Raphael on the back.

“You have her to thank.” He pointed at me. “It was her idea.”

“Oh, well, thanks then,” Loki sheepishly muttered to me, surprise glowing on his face.

“Can I have your attention, please?” Durga’s voice boomed in the relatively small room when all the council members had entered the room, and Loki closed the wooden door behind him. Raphael pointed at the chairs placed in a circle and everyone took a seat. Except Durga, who stood upright, her glittering hair alone more magnificent than a royal scepter. She was dressed pretty casually, in an orange flowing tunic, white jeans, and a denim jacket. I’d expected to see her in a sari.

Once she sensed she had all of our attention, she continued, “I know this is a strange place for a meeting—”

“Oh, no, it’s perfect. I concur, we should make all our annual meetings here,” Loki said.

The goddess snapped at him, “Loki! Silence.” Anger oozed in her voice.

He pursed his lips and bowed down his head as if he were a kid punished for bad behavior.

“Now, where was I before I was so rudely interrupted?” She threw Loki a dirty look, but he pretended he didn’t see her. “Ah, I recalled.” A splendid smile danced on her face and somehow the whole room got illuminated, warmer and cozier than before. No, I wasn’t imagining it, there was a definite glow in the atmosphere. “Yes, we’re in the smoking room of a local pub, but I couldn’t risk having the meeting in our usual place.”

“Because of the time difference?” I spoke out and almost instantly regretted it. Durga hated when others cut her off.

“No, not only about that. It’d be suspicious if more and more supernaturals were to see you repeatedly in Angels’ City. Anyway, the current events that Raphael briefed me about are concerning and alarming.” She glanced at him. They were sitting opposite of each other; I was facing Lord Shiva and Loki faced Michael. “Three crystal skulls were recently stolen from the Louvre in Paris, and you are all aware how strictly the police protect them. It wasn’t a human theft—high-level supernaturals were involved. But what’s worse is that those people are now after Aiyana’s own crystal skull, which she keeps safe in her basement.”

“Leia,” I muttered feebly.

“Yes, darling? Did you say something?” Durga asked me.

I cleared my throat and added, “The name of my skull is Leia.”

Durga flashed me a benevolent smile and continued, “Aiyana’s skull, Leia, was so kind to explain to us that Drogo Rothstein intends to destroy all four skulls and launch a new disaster on earth. Most probably, a supernatural war or something.”

“How does Aiya’s skull know Drogo’s plans?” Michael asked, his voice coming hoarse.

Durga glanced at me and I picked up the hint. I cleared my throat and replied, “Leia has access to the Akashic Records. Moreover, she’s directly involved in this; someone working for Drogo already tried to steal her.”

Hushed voices broke out, speaking and commenting and the noise mounted.

Realizing the bomb I'd just dropped, I continued, “Drogo’s obsessed with me and my demise. He sent me a virus that destroyed my laptop about a week ago. It set the machine on fire and then the laptop combusted in flames.”

“I’m so sorry, dear, for all the shit that prick puts you though,” Durga said, compassion lacing her voice, and for a moment she sounded like my mother. God, I missed her. “Drogo and you share a unique bond, and this might explain why your skull picked up the information from the Akashic Records. At least, this is my explanation.”

I didn’t correct her that Leia had access to all the information, not only what related or was linked to me.

Michael’s brows furrowed as he contemplated the new information and confusion brewed on his handsome face. I bet he hadn’t heard about these Akashic Records. If it hadn't been for my friendship with Leia, I wouldn’t have known about them either. But he didn’t ask any questions, so Durga turned to us.

“It’s clear that we have yet another attempt at a magical apocalypse. And of course, it’s committed by our usual suspect, Drogo Rothstein. I don’t need to remind you how dangerous and deranged he is. This time he’s involved in abducting two senior members of the Magic Council. It’s unclear if they’re still alive or dead.”

Dread coiled at the pit of my stomach and cold sweat broke out on my neck. I didn’t want to imagine the shifters dead.

Durga went on, “Before anyone asks me what to do to prevent Drogo’s malicious plans, Raphael and Aiyana have contacted a druid, one who will try to remove the blocking spell placed on the missing shifters. I’ll ask you all to think of contacts, spells, or other means to combat Drogo and his minions. For example, Loki has provided Aiyana with two of his hellhound friends. They’re protecting her house and skull.”

“I can give her a magical pendant. It’ll push away curses and spells,” Michael offered. His suggestion came as too much of a surprise for me to be able to react.

“Good, I think she’ll like it, right, Aiyana?” Durga asked me.

I nodded and she went on, “I wish and pray that the two missing shifters return to their families. Unfortunately, until the blocking spell is lifted we can’t do much about finding them.”

“What is the old champ Neil Murdoch doing? He must have come up with some unique idea,” Shiva suddenly intervened in the conversation.

“He’s tasked two of the best investigators at the Magic Council,” Durga replied instantly with a gloomy voice. “I don’t think he can do much about his colleagues, either. Loki and Raphael told me sorcery’s involved.”

“Peculiar,” Shiva added. Durga nodded in confirmation.

I was listening to the gods’ conversation, and something struck me as odd. Were they talking about the Neil Murdoch I’d encountered? The guy that had reacted super crankily the last time we’d met him—that same guy who’d demanded he protect my skull? That same primordial alpha shifter who'd confessed the disappearances had made him super nervous and anxious? I doubted he could be of much help even to himself. I entertained these thoughts when Durga must have somehow picked up on them, because she turned to me.

“Yes? What is it, dear? Do you want to share something with us?”

“Oh, nothing. I was thinking about that Neil Murdoch shifter.”

“Yes…? The Magic Council CEO said he’s remarkable, isn’t he?”

I stifled a chuckle. “Well, I wouldn’t put it that way.”

“It seems he can’t take stress in a good way,” Raphael intervened, coming to my rescue. I shot him a “thank you” glance.

“Hmm, very unusual of him. What did he do?” Durga asked with genuine curiosity.

“Well, he first scolded us for coming late even though we teleported immediately. Then he smeared Aiya. His behavior was awful. At least he apologized at the end, confessing he couldn’t take the pressure of his missing council shifters,” Raphael said.

“Yeah, he was hardly holding on. He even had to pour himself whiskey for strength, you know,” I added.

“Pardon?” Durga turned to me, her voice raising in pitch. “What did you just say?”

My heart skipped a beat at her sudden shift. Had I said something wrong? “Umm,” I said, “he had to drink whiskey, and an expensive one at that. As a bartender I notice these things.”

I forced a weak smile, but Durga’s face hardened, her eyes gleaming in darker shades. A realization was dawning on her face. “Neil never drinks alcohol,” she said simply, matter-of-fact with no emotion in her statement.

“Well, I don’t know about before, but now he certainly drinks. A lot of people who are not into drinking turn to it when they feel pressured or experience emotional distress. As a bartender—”

“No, Aiya, you don’t catch my point,” Durga cut me off. “For the past two hundred years he hasn’t taken a single sip of alcohol, not even beer. I can’t imagine him drinking whiskey, let alone in his office, on duty. It’s impossible for him.”

“But why doesn’t he drink alcohol, though?” Loki intervened, curiosity lacing his voice. Folks who didn’t drink had to appear super weird to him.

“It’s a long story, but he vowed not to drink alcohol ever again. And he has kept his promise. Even during WWI and II he didn't break it.”

I arched my brows and locked eyes with Raphael. He had the same puzzled look that I was sure I wore on my face. What was she aiming at?

Shiva turned to Durga. “What are you trying to tell us, dear?”

“Something fishy is going on. Neil isn’t in his right mind. I’m afraid he might have been killed, too.”