Page 46 of Claimed By Night

“Oh, that,” I say an’ get to start thinkin’ ‘bout it. “Wells, you could set up a payment plan.”

She laugh. “Once I have some money, it’s yours.”

Then she get real quiet while I start thinkin’ ‘bout bein’ rich. Then I realize we basically all alone. “You got left with the wrong guy to stay awake an’ protect you,” I say ‘cause I’m the only one left awake, seems like. Thoradin disappeared with Dragan when he went off ta take him a nice ripe stone shit.

“We’ll be safe tonight,” she tells me in her low voice. I eye her like I ain’t buyin’ what she sellin’.

“How’s you so sure?”

She opens her mouth like she’s gonna say somethin’, then stops. A second later, she says, “I trust Dragan.”

“Wish I did, too,” I grumble. Then I remember something. “What’d ya mean, when you said you was more’n just an angel?”

“I said that?” she asks, surprised.

“You don’t remember?” I ask, and she shake her head. “When Cambion was doin’ theEnchantment of True Seeingon ya, he asked if you was angel an’ you said yes, but you was more.”

“I don’t remember,” she say an’ look like she lost in her thoughts for a while. “I don’t remember any of it, actually.”

“Well, you looked like you was in a lot o’ pain, so can’t say I blame ya.” Then I look at her closer. “I gotta wonder what else you is, though. I’m hopin’ it ain’t some demon that’s gonna show up when them shadow dicks are out playin’ in the forest an’ that elf king got his eyes rolled back in his head.”

She laughs and it sounds like the tinklin’ o’ a bell. Real nice-like. Then she look real tired again. “I don’t know what I meant by that, Flumph,” she says an’ sound frustrated ‘bout it. Then she take a real deep breath. “Tell me about Anona,” she say, changing the subject. “And the precincts.”

Hearin’ the bitch’s name makes me feel like some o’ that fire is burnin’ inside me. My wings start goin’ an’ I feel myself lift up off the forest floor.

“Well, we ain’t got enough firewood for me to tell ya all the names I got for Anona. But the precincts are easy ‘nough. Hundred years ago—way before I was born—when Variant took control, he divided the kingdom, light an’ dark, into seven precincts an’ picked seven lords to watch over ‘em. People who were loyal an’ what not. Most o’ them are rough places. Filled with all the forgotten junk the mortals left behind. It’s good for the lords, though, ‘cause all they gotta do is follow all Variant’s edicts. ‘Course, they don’t. Anona’s been in trouble more’n once for disobeyin’ King Variant.”

“How did Variant win?” she asks as she look over at Cambion. “One king against two…”

“Three,” I correct her. “Baron.”

“Baron?” she repeat.

I nod. “Yessiree. Vampire king. Two kings o’ dark. Two kings o’ light. He’s dead now, though.”

“Dead?”

“Oh, that’s right—you was passed out when we was talkin’ ‘bout it. Accordin’ to Cambion, Variant killed Baron—don’t go sayin’ that out loud, mind ya. Round here, you’d get demons sent after ya for talkin’ heresy like that.”

Eilish is quiet for a long time, as if her mind is workin’ real hard on somethin’.

“Baron was his name?” she ask finally.

“You got dirt in your ears? That’s what I said, ain’t it?”

“And you’re sure he’s dead?”

She actin’ real dumb an’ I’m figurin’ everythin’ she just went through is fuckin’ with her head. “Cambion seemed real sure.”

“Hmm,” she says an’ drums her fingers on her thigh before she look up at me agin. “What if he’s not?” she ask, her voice all thoughtful-like.

“Not what?” Girlhasfinally lost it, she’s once again makin’ no sense. It happen sometimes with addicts, when they go past the point o’ no return. Senseless babble. But I’m lookin’ at her veins, an’ I don’t see no green. Maybe the cold worked its way up to her brain an’ is, like, short circuitin’ it or some shit.

“Not dead,” she say. “My memory… I don’t know… Flumph. But I have a feeling I came here for… a reason.” She’s strugglin’ to speak. “And we need all of them. Dragan and Cambion… and Baron.”

“I told you, Baron’s dead. Dead as they get. Floppy dick, worms in his eyes, bone snacks for the dogs, D-E-D, dead.”

She shake her head again. “Maybe he was, yes, but…” She look all confused. “I have this feeling that… that he’s not dead.”

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