Chapter 5
I grumbled as I climbed down the metal rung ladder—with sticky spots I really didn’t want to think about. “I don’t see how hiding in the sewers is a good idea. Won’t that make it easier for demons to trap us?”
“This isn’t a sewer but an access point for the historic Beer Tunnel under Lebreton Flats,” explained Cedric, who’d chosen to ride Ulseere’s shoulder, his tail swishing.
I frowned. “The what tunnels?”
Trust Flo to know what Cedric spoke of. “The old Beer Tunnel was built ages ago for some train but somehow got forgotten. They rediscovered in the eighties if I remember correctly, but to ensure people couldn’t get in, they were supposed to have bricked it off.”
“They did. It’s since been reopened,” Cedric stated as we reached the bottom and clustered around the ladder.
“By who?” I asked, blinking as a dim bulb overhead suddenly turned on, showing a concrete tunnel that extended in two directions that proved slightly cleaner—and less shit-filled—than expected.
“Folks who prefer to avoid notice.”
I kept prodding, “And you know about this because…”
“Your grandmother used to visit from time to time.”
“What the hell for?” I asked as we began walking, blithely following a cat, which suddenly made me wonder if I was still drunk and high, maybe passed out at home, having a very vivid drug-induced dream.
“Because things like grave dirt and the skin of a leper peeled at midnight can be so easily ordered online.” Cedric layered on the sarcasm.
“Are you saying there’s a literal underground black market for spell ingredients?”
“Among other things.”
“Cool.” I mean, what else could I say? You think you know the city you grew up in, only to discover witches, talking cats, and a secret tunnel for illicit shopping existed.
“What makes you think this location will be secure?” A question posed by Ulseere, who remained at the rear of our single file.
“If the prince and his demons are tracking Charlotte’s magic, then the concentration of it in the market might muddle her trail.”
“Indicating other spell-casters and arcane-fueled objects,” Ulseere clarified.
“Among other things,” Cedric repeated, and it tickled my annoyance.
“That’s the second time you’ve said that. What exactly does that mean?”
“Let’s just say, a talking cat and demons won’t be the weirdest things you’ll encounter tonight.”
And that’s all Cedric would say on the matter.
We walked forever—according to my feet, which clomped along in my heavy combat boots.
Fatigue tugged at me. Between the late hour, my lingering hangover, and now a rumbly belly, I wanted nothing more than to curl up in my bed and sleep twelve hours.
Somehow, I didn’t see myself getting any kind of slumber soon.
I could also say with certainty that if someone didn’t feed me soon, demons were going to be the least of our problems.
We stopped when a brick wall blocked the tunnel we’d spent ages travelling. “Guess the city put an end to your underground magic market.” I couldn’t help but be disgruntled we’d walked all this way for nothing.
“Did you really think the market would be so easily accessible?” Cedric scoffed.
“I didn’t expect it to need a sledgehammer, smartyfurpants?” I snapped.
“No need to break anything. You must simply utter the correct phrase for entry.”
“Let me guess. Open Sesame.” My turn for sarcasm—which backfired. A grinding noise preceded the brick wall shifting aside. I blinked and guffawed. “Fuck off, that’s your secret password?”
Cedric managed to arch a furry brow, despite not actually having one. “You know a lot of people that would think to say it in front of a brick wall?”
Good point and… “Guess the demons won’t know how to get in then.”
“Demons will simply smash their way through.” Ulseere didn’t believe in being reassuring.
“Meaning this place isn’t any safer,” Flo countered, finally jumping in.
“It will be safer in the sense there are beings here that will not be afraid to fight monsters from the Infernal Dimension,” Cedric corrected.
“Maybe they’ll have something better for me to whack them with than a frying pan,” Flo muttered.
Which reminded me, I’d forgotten to grab the dagger from the kitchen, not that it did me much good.
“How’s holy water work against them?” I murmured.
“Nothing,” Cedric muttered with disgust. “Religion is a human belief and has no effect on beings from the Infernal, or this dimension either.”
“Except for vampires,” Flo countered.
“Vampires can only be killed by decapitation, fire, or sunlight.”
My mouth rounded. “Holy shit, you mean they’re real?”
Flo looked equally excited. “Oh, now we’re talking. Maybe I should be looking for an Edward to sweep me off my feet.”
“I assure you, if you ever meet a vampire, you’d do best to stab it and run before it heals because they are nothing like Hollywood’s romanticized version. They are killers,” Cedric noted.
“Until they meet the right woman,” Flo countered. “Like Edward turning into a softie when he fell for Bella.”
Cedric groaned, and Ulseere lost patience. “If you’re done nattering inanities, we should proceed.”
He indicated the open passage, and with a deep breath, I walked in and shivered. It seemed darker in this part of the tunnel. Probably because it lacked any stringed bulbs. The moment we all passed through, it turned pitch-black because the brick wall closed behind us.
Eep.
“I don’t like this,” I huffed in mild panic, imagining the walls closing in and monsters lurking.
Whoosh.
A sudden flickering light had me blinking, not just because of the sudden brightness. The ball of twitching fire hovered over Ulseere’s outstretched hand. A hand holding no lighter or candle or flashlight, so how to explain the floating orb of flame?
“Ooh. Magic.” I know, not very mature of me, but come on, how cool was that?
Apparently, not very, because Ulseere rolled his eyes. “A basic trick even a witch should be able to accomplish.”
That felt like a jab. “What you’re saying is I could make light too.” I held out my hand, but before I could even think of trying, Ulseere slapped it down.
“No,” he barked
“What do you mean, no? You’re the one that basically dared me to.”
“Now is not the time for you to be playing with your power. Or do you want to advertise your presence to demons?”
“Fine.” I wouldn’t play with fire right yet, but soon as the demon problem was handled, I’d be seeing if I could pyro. Wouldn’t that make for an interesting meet-cute? I mean guy goes to light his cigarette—or doobie—I flick my fingers and instant conversation starter.
As we began walking again, Flo sidled close and, of a similar mindset, murmured, “I see a weekend gig as a fire-breathing belly dancer in your future. Imagine the tips if you shot flames from your cooch.”
I’d have sworn I heard Ulseere choke.
To my delight—which came with an easing of my fear of the dark—Ulseere could throw the rippling ball of fire ahead of us to light our path.
Not that we needed it for long. Our first sign we approached our destination appeared.
A set of twinkling, multicolored Christmas lights.
They’d been strung from the ceiling and remained overhead as we entered a wider section of the tunnel.
Much wider. A vast cavern filled not only with people and noise, but also thousands of suspended lights.
Despite using electricity, the effect proved magical.
As for the market, first off, it should have been called bazaar, given the stalls had been built with varied colored fabric and scraps of wood painted vivid shades.
Tables sat out in front of most, with their wares displayed atop or behind.
Jars, many like the ones in Grams’ basement, layered the tabletops and shelves behind.
Other vendors sold implements, of which many I recognized from Grams’ basement, plus some that I didn’t—unless they were in the locked cabinets.
A few drew the gaze and held it, their shape and purpose mysterious and intriguing.
Smells assailed me, a few quite savory and mouthwatering.
I glanced at the nearest food vendor, who roasted hunks of meat over a barbecue fabricated out of a shopping cart.
“Mmm. That smells so good,” I murmured.
“Jim knows how to cook a rat to perfection,” Cedric stated.
“Fuck off, no way that’s rat,” I exclaimed, only to spot the cages in the shadowy back corner of the stall containing squirming furry bodies with beady red eyes.
“Don’t be so judgy. Meat is meat,” Cedric declared. “If you want dessert afterwards, you should try Lester’s chocolate.”
“Which contains what, ants? Crickets?”
“Both. How’d you guess?”
I lost my appetite. Mock me for my North American sensibilities all you want. To me, some things shouldn’t be eaten. Vermin and bugs topped that list.
As we strolled, I took note of the people—and non-people. While Cedric had warned me, it still jolted to see the man with tufted ears and dog-like nose. Or the lady with hooves for feet. Where did they come from, would it be rude to ask?
When Flo nudged me and whispered, “Look up. I think that’s a mythical Caladrius,” I peeked overhead to see a large white bird perched overhead. I walked faster, lest it drop a shit on my head. With the way my luck had been running these past twenty-four hours, it would happen.
“So what are we supposed to do? Window shop endlessly?” I asked as we reached the end of the stalls.
“We’re going to check in with Beatrice. She more or less runs the place. With any luck, she’ll allow us to stay with her until dawn,” Cedric stated.
“What happens at dawn?” I asked.
“The demons go into hiding.” Ulseere surprisingly answered.
“They’re afraid of the sun?”
“Your Earth’s rays hits differently than ours,” Ulseere explained. “They burn demon skin. A lucky reprieve for you. Hopefully, I’ll be able to track them to their lair and eliminate them before sunset, leaving Gryvak defenseless and easier to capture.”
“And what happens once you’d done that?”
“Then I leave this wretched place.”
“Can’t happen soon enough,” I agreed. I’d known the man barely two hours, and I couldn’t wait to ditch him.
Especially since his departure meant the demon problem had been handled without me having to become some kind of super-fighting Buffy.
Don’t get me wrong. Buffy was awesome. Stylish.
Effective. Cute as a button while she kicked ass.
But me? I lacked the proper skills or mindset to be a fighter.
It turned out Beatrice lived just past the market in an abandoned train, an antique any museum would have creamed itself to own.
The three boxcars had been repurposed into homes.
Cedric walked to the last one and sat in front of the step, flanked by flowerpots that somehow bloomed in this gloomy place.
The door swung open, and a woman a touch younger than me peeked out.
Her strawberry-blonde hair had been loosely braided, and she wore a forest-green Algonquin College sweatshirt and bright pink, flared yoga pants.
“Who is it?” She glanced down. “Oh hello, Cedric. It’s been a while. Where’s the old battleaxe?”
“Dame Miller is dead,” he announced. “I’ve brought her granddaughter, though, as well as two other companions who require sanctuary for the night.”
The woman, who had to be Beatrice, lifted her brows. “I smell a story, seeing as how you’re in the company of a shadow elf. Rather I imagine he got caught by the portal that appeared last night.”
“You know about it?” I couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Anyone with a lick of power felt it open.”
“I passed through voluntarily on the hunt for one who would cause havoc on this plane.”
Beatrice’s lips pinched. “Which would explain why my cards keep predicting doom and gloom today. Come inside. I want to hear everything.”
Unlike Cedric and Ulseere, she didn’t roll her eyes or chastise me as I told my story of using a summoning spell to find true love.
She did arch a brow at hearing Flo bashed an imp with a frying pan.
Frowned when Ulseere explained Gryvak had entered our world with an unknown number of demons and seemed to be hunting me.
Beatrice’s gaze settled on me before she murmured, “He plans to use Charlie to open another portal so he can bring over reinforcements.”
“What would he need a demon army for?” I blurted out.
“World domination of course.”