Chapter 8
EIGHT
ATLAS
The room I enter is dim, and thick with magic to the point that I cough as inhale deeply.
Kallis is placing the honey and pomegranates on an altar with two large sculptures of the goddesses perched on it. I stand behind her quietly, waiting for her to initiate the conversation.
“I’m most curious,” Kallis says, turning slowly toward me. “What could you possibly want from me?”
“I was told you can access knowledge that may be helpful to me.”
“I’m sure I can. Why would I want to?”
“My friend is in trouble. He’s being held captive somewhere, but I don’t know where. I was hoping maybe you could help me find him.”
“Hmm.” She studies my face again for a moment. “What do you know about me?”
Rune’s warnings bounce around my head, but I push them back. “You’re very powerful, you worship the goddesses Persephone and Hecate, and you may be my only hope.”
“Give me your hand.”
I do as she says, holding my left hand out. She takes it, her hands rough and cool to the touch as she runs a finger over my palm. I watch her face, noting it when her expression hardens and her eyes narrow.
“Who else have you dabbled with?”
“No one. Why?”
“Do not lie to me, gargoyle.”
“My name is Atlas and I’m not lying. I have a team of coworkers, friends, but none are magic users.”
“Then why do you have this?” She presses her finger into my palm and light blue light shoots from my fingertips, startling me. My chest tightens and warms at the same time, and the distinct feeling of knowing exactly where it came from spreads through me.
But how?
“Tell me the truth or leave. Don’t waste my time. If you have your own magic, why do you need me?”
“I… I don’t have magic. I don’t know where this is coming from.”
She tilts her head. “Interesting. I do sense the truth in your words. You must have interacted with magic users.”
“Yes. In New Orleans, to get a sleeping potion.”
She shakes her head. “No. This isn’t that magic. It’s different. Unique.”
I blink several times, wondering how to redirect and save this conversation. “I took the potion for sleep. Could that be it?”
Kallis steps closer, still holding my hand and smelling of the forest itself after a cleansing rain—earthy and green. “No.” She blinks slowly. “It’s familiar to me.”
Shit, shit, shit. Rune very specifically told me not to bring him up if I didn’t have to, and now I don’t know if admission or omission is the better play.
That question becomes moot, however, as Kallis visibly pulls away and drops my hand. “I know it now. How dare you come to me with that…that chaos gremlin’s magic in your veins. Go.”
“Wait. I don’t know what you mean. I didn’t do anything to take on anyone’s magic.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence. What is his name? Ruin, is it?”
“Rune,” I mumble, no longer able to hide the truth. “But I didn’t… His magic…” I shake my head, at a loss for words.
“What is he to you?”
“A friend. Sort of. Not really, actually. I got the sense that he needed help, and he does. Someone has captured him and disabled most of his magic.”
“Good. Are we done now?”
“No, Kallis, please. I just need a lead on where he might be. Physically. I ask for no other intervention. Just a lead.”
She continues to gaze at me with a look of contempt on her face. “Locked up is likely the safest place for him. Besides, I don’t like to interfere in events that are none of my concern.”
This isn’t going well. I rub my forehead, searching my mind for anything that might win her over. All I’ve got is empathy. Maybe this will work.
“Kallis, what if something like this happened to you? What if you were stolen in the night, your magic disabled, your friends and family having no idea where you were or how to help? Wouldn’t you hope that they’d move heaven and earth to find you?”
“Perhaps, but I would not expect it from my enemy.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t, but if that was the only thing that could help, wouldn’t you hope they tried?”
She scowls but doesn’t object, so I continue.
“You know Rune is powerful, right?”
She nods.
“Whoever has him mentioned a war. What if they use his powers against the greater good by force? What if your help could be the thing that prevents it?”
She perks up slightly. “What war?”
“I don’t know yet. His captor said the war is coming, and we can only assume that’s why he was taken. If there is a war, wouldn’t it be better to be with Rune rather than against him? I know my answer.”
“I could defeat him if I wanted to.”
“I’m sure you could, but at what cost? Who else could be hurt? What if there’s an attack on our entire existence?”
She exhales slowly. “You’ve made your point. I’ll help on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You will never bring that man here.”
“Deal. I don’t plan to return. No offense.”
“None taken.” She turns but pauses, glancing over her shoulder. “Actually, one more thing.”
“Okay.”
“Make sure he knows I’m the one who helped. Make sure he knows, Atlas.”
The prideful arrogance in her tone is obvious, but I nod. “I will.”
“Alright then. Give me a moment.”
Kallis moves to a small table and sits down, raising her hands, palms upward, and closing her eyes.
After a moment, she gestures with one finger for me to sit next to her.
When I do, she places one of her hands over mine.
Her skin warms and mine tingles in response, as if I can actually feel her clawing through my veins.
“America,” she mumbles as her eyes roll back, her gaze nothing but pure white now. Her body trembles. “Home. He’s home.”
“No, he’s not. He’s in a prison far from his home.”
Kallis shakes her head. “He’s home. Ah. Thank you,” she says softly. “New Orleans, Louisiana.”
“He’s in New Orleans? But I was there and… Wait. He’s hidden away?”
“A house. Burnt ocher. There’s a church across the way.” Suddenly she squeezes my hand.
“Ouch.” Pretty strong grip to affect a gargoyle.
“There you are, mage,” she whispers, rocking back and forth. “Spirits, show the way.”
Her hands warms again, sending rays of light through my arm and straight to my chest.
“Focus,” Kallis says. “Focus and you’ll find him.”
I close my eyes and do as directed, until Rune’s face is clear in my mind. I see him sitting on his cot, leaning against the wall, staring off into space, but I still have no indication of his location.
That is, until the room turns hazy around me and I feel myself slip between worlds.
“Don’t forget your promises,” Kallis says, sounding distant.
I open my mouth to reassure her, but I’m stunned silent by the journey I’m on. It feels different from my normal travels. The air is thicker, like it’s resisting me, pushing me back to prevent my entry, but then I break through and my feet land on a cool, damp dirt floor.
Rubbing my forehead to orient myself, I turn to take in my surroundings, then gasp when I see where I am.
“Rune.”
“How on earth did you find me?” He jumps up. “You’re really here.”
I reach out to touch the wall next to me. “I am. Whoa. I found you. Sort of. I have no idea where you actually are.”
“Great. So now we’re both in here.” He huffs. “Just freaking great.”
“But I can leave.”
Rune’s expression turns thoughtful. “Okay, that is helpful, but if they find you here…” His words trail off. “I don’t know what they’ll do.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll get you out of here.”
“How did you find me?”
“Kallis helped me.”
He scrunches his nose. “Only because she didn’t know about me.”
“Yeah, about that… There’s something else we need to discuss.”
“I’m all ears, Stone Boy.”
“Kallis knows it was you because… well, some of your magic is in me.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Come again?”
RUNE
“I don’t know how.” Atlas paces in front of me. Either his intentions are pure or the snare really doesn’t work worth a shit. “She touched my hand and she knew.”
“How would you have my magic when I don’t even have my magic?”
“It’s nothing to write home about. Some small flickers.”
I twist my lips, studying the gargoyle. This has never happened before, and I certainly didn’t initiate it. “I’ll figure that out later. Right now, you need to get us out of here.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s my whole reason for being here.” He scratches his beard as he notices the tiny, barred window.
I watch as he walks over to it, reaches up, and attempts to rip the bars off. Even as his muscles bulge and his skin turns to stone right before my eyes, the bars don’t budge. They barely rattle.
Atlas frowns, looking truly perplexed. “What the fuck?”
“Magic,” I state plainly. “Whoever has done this to me is using everything they’ve got to keep me inside.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll just teleport us out. Come here.”
I practically run into his arms, happy for any sliver of hope that I might break free so I can get my revenge. Atlas wraps his strong arms around me and closes his eyes. The air around us shimmers but then quickly fizzles.
“Shit,” I mutter.
Atlas frowns, then releases me. “Let me try something.”
He closes his eyes and I hold my breath. The air doesn’t shimmer this time and he doesn’t disappear. My heart sinks.
“Fuck.” I groan. “Now we’re both stuck here.”
“Apparently,” he agrees darkly.
“Brilliant plan, gargoyle,” I growl, raking my fingers through my hair and taking up the pacing in his place. There’s not enough space in here for us to both do it at the same time. And now we’re both fucking trapped in this tiny, cramped cell together sharing one shit bucket.
“I didn’t know I’d get stuck,” he says defensively.
I huff. “This was probably Kallis’s plan all along. I bet she’s having a good laugh about it, the old crone.”
“It’ll be fine,” Atlas says in an irritatingly sure voice.
“How? How will this be fine?”
“I told Cassius I was going to talk to Kallis, so that will give him a lead. And with me missing too, they’ll have to tell Auri. He’s not going to let one of his prized possessions stay missing. They’ll find us.”
“But you still don’t know where we even are? Kallis didn’t know exactly?”
“Only a rough idea,” he admits. “She said you were ‘home’ and she mentioned New Orleans.”
My jaw drops. “What?”
“Does that mean something to you? I told her you didn’t live in New Orleans, but she insisted.”
“I was born here. My entire family comes from here.”
“Oh, that’s right. I remember Cassius mentioning that. Do you still have family—” He stops speaking abruptly. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s not something I hide. Everyone in the magic community knows my history, which is also why they know not to fuck with me. Imagine my curiosity as to who has been brave enough.”
“Yeah.” He peeks out the window. “My friends will find us.”
“We need a plan for when Elvira comes.”
“Who’s Elvira?”
“The guard. She brings food.”
“No worries. She won’t see me.”
I don’t see how she could miss a massive hunk of muscle standing in my room, but okay. “I think she’s dead.”
“Who?”
“Elvira. She’s dead. Or rather, reanimated. The person or thing behind my capture may be a necromancer. I was able to conjure a bit of magic, and she was completely immune to it. She smells off, too.”
“Know any necromancers who have a bone to pick with you?”
“I mean, sure, but none who are strong enough to overpower me.”
“We’ll figure it out, Rune. Promise.”
Heavy steps break the silence around us, and before I even have time to panic and tell Atlas to hide, he’s gone, though I have no idea how he got out. My chest feels hollow again, but now I know he’ll be back. At least, I believe he will be.
As the keys rattle in the lock, I feel a soft poke on my arm and turn my head. Big eyes blink back at me, startling me for a moment until I realize what I’m looking at. Atlas.
The big lug can blend into the stone walls. Clever, and very useful at the moment.
The door swings open and Elvira appears carrying a fresh bucket. She sets it down, glancing around briefly before taking my empty food tray.
“Where are we?” I ask. “I swear I can smell the best gumbo outside my window.”
Elvira glances up. “Impossible. We are underground.”
Underground? That’s a clue. That means the window is an illusion too, right? Is the entire prison an illusion?
“Man, I miss gumbo. Any chance your boss will hook me up with some?”
Elvira stands to her full impressive height, pausing and stiffly tilting her head. “What is gumbo?”
“It’s food. A dish very popular in New Orleans. Do you know New Orleans?”
She blinks awkwardly and hurries to the door. “Rest.”
Then she’s gone.
“I think I hit a nerve.”
Atlas steps away from the wall, still covered in stone colored flesh that slowly fades away. “I agree. I think Kallis was right and we’re in NOLA. Hopefully, the guys will start there. Any other connections to this city you can think of?”
About a million, but none that seem relevant. I haven’t lived here in years, haven’t been involved in any goings-on. I don’t have a clue who would be behind this.
“No.”
He nods. “I guess we should get comfortable, then. If you think of anything, let me know. Maybe it’ll help us figure something out.”
“Where will you sleep? There’s only this tiny cot.”
“I can sleep on the floor. I’m a gargoyle.”
“Right.” I’m still not sure why he’s so intent on helping me, especially since our last meeting didn’t exactly go well, but I won’t question it. I’m not quite ready to thank him, but hopefully he knows I’m grateful.
“Did Kallis help you without a fee?”
Atlas settles on the floor near the cot. “I had to make her a couple of promises.”
“Are you at liberty to share?”
His brow creases, but he shrugs. “Uh, she said not to bring you to her.”
“Rude.”
“And to make sure you knew it was her who helped.”
I scoff. “As arrogant as ever, I see.”
“What happened between you two?”
“I told you.”
“Seems like a small reason to hold such a grudge.”
“Oh, my dear, magic users can hold a grudge over the tiniest slight. I humiliated her. The fact that you got her to help once she knew it was me is a feat.”
“Maybe she’s not as mad as you think.”
I shrug, sitting on the cot. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”
“Try to sleep, Rune. We’ll come up with some way to get out of here. You have my word.”
Nodding, I settle back. I never thought I’d say this but thank fuck my path crossed with Atlas and his rowdy group of friends.