Page 21

Chapter twenty-one

O delle had never needed a boozy brunch more in her life. As soon as she got home and opened her laptop yesterday, she fell into an internet blackhole. Every local news channel and some national networks were talking about the incident with the Sears Tower antenna. Some reports claimed sabotage while others clung to the tale of inclement weather. All the reports had one element in common: they included Odelle’s name in conjunction with an unauthorized broadcast to all frequencies. There was no chance of applying for a job at any news station across the country without them knowing what she had done with a quick internet search. At least none of the reports seemed to realize that the signal had been sent from the roof of the Sears Tower, and instead suggested that Channel three temporarily controlled all broadcasts for a moment as the signal was coming back up. It sounded like a bit of a stretch, but probably less so than an immortal sorcerer partnering with a reporter to break onto the roof of a skyscraper.

After several hours of reading comments on the various articles, Odelle barely controlled the urge to throw her laptop across the room. Yes, she had made an unscheduled broadcast, but nothing about the situation was planned—not with an entire city plunging into chaos. She had just been thinking on her feet. Now she was publicly criticized for it, even by Amy Biderman on channel nine .

When Adam texted her on Antony’s behalf asking to meet for brunch, she jumped at the opportunity to take a break from scrolling through job openings. She had hoped taking action to improve her future would improve her mood, but looking at a future as a data entry clerk or an administrative assistant only reinforced how bleak her prospects were. So she headed to Millenium park to meet Antony and tried to focus on fizzy mimosas and flaky pastry.

If Odelle had thought people were staring when Antony met her at the park in a peplos , it paled in comparison to the crowd gathered around him now. As she edged through the throng of people to catch sight of Antony, her brain shorted out. He looked ordinary enough in a sweater and jeans—as ordinary as somebody with the bone structure of an angel can look. What drew so much attention was the brilliant peacock parading back and forth at the end of a silvery leash.

As Odelle approached, both Antony and the magnificent fowl caught sight of her. Antony opened his mouth with a smile as if to greet her, but the bird beat him to the punch. Pags shook himself, glorious plumage unfurling behind him. The movement made his tailfeathers shimmer, reflecting a dazzling rainbow of colors. The gathered crowd collectively gasped in wonder and phones leaped into hands to record the animal strutting across the sidewalk.

“Somebody has an admirer,” Antony commented as she slid up next to him, using an arm around her waist to pull her close and plant a kiss on her temple.

“I’m assuming you mean the bird,” Odelle commented drily, although she didn’t pull away, enjoying the casual show of affection. “What exactly is Pags doing here?”

Antony smiled proudly, as if this stunt were part of a brilliant plan. “I’ve seen people walking their dogs through the park every time I’ve visited. It made me think of how bored Pags must be walking around the same courtyards all the time. And I had Adam check the internet: the café we went to before is pet friendly.”

“ Lapachka, when they say pets, I’m pretty sure they mean dogs.” Odelle patted Antony’s chest affectionately. “Come to think of it, I’m not even sure having a pet peacock is legal.”

Antony looked crestfallen. “Why? Are dogs really the only animals people have as pets anymore?”

“Cats too,” Odelle admitted. “I myself am a cat person, but they don’t walk on leashes very well.”

“I guess Pags can go back to the Sanctuary then,” Antony conceded ruefully, watching the peacock basking in the attention of the small crowd. “I just really thought he’d enjoy the change in scenery.”

Odelle’s heart sank at Antony’s disappointment, and something about how much he cared for his pet made her belly tingle. She had absconded with a horse with Antony, so it was hardly more scandalous to walk a peacock down Michigan Avenue.

“How about we take him for a short walk, and then bring him back to the Sanctuary before brunch?” Odelle suggested, taking Antony by the elbow to lead him away from Pags’s new fan club. She opted to steer them deeper into the park, away from the busiest streets of shoppers or policemen who would stop them if keeping a peacock as a pet was illegal.

“Look how happy Pags looks!” Antony exclaimed as the bird picked its way along in front of them. Odelle didn’t know how to tell if he was pleased or not but decided to defer to Antony’s judgement on this one.

“He’s never even been outside the pocket dimension of the Sanctuary before,” Antony admitted.

“He was born there? ”

Antony nodded. “He’s the descendant of the peacock I had before the Defeat. His family has lived at the Sanctuary for generations, but Pags is getting older. I’ll have to find him a mate—or have Adam find him one—if I want to continue his line.”

“Why do I have a feeling that Adam has been absconding with peacocks to bring to the Sanctuary to breed into the family line every few decades?”

“Because you know us,” Antony claimed proudly, “and the peacocks we…reappropriate live long happy lives being spoiled out of their tiny bird minds, so I like to think it’s justified.”

By now, they had made it to the lakefront and Odelle turned them North towards Navy Pier. Besides the scandalized stares of passing joggers, the whole situation struck Odelle as remarkably domestic. While she had never been one to picture getting a big dog and going for long walks with her sweetheart, walking arm in arm with Antony down the lakefront stirred something in her. Perhaps it was because the golden retriever in the idyllic image had been replaced by a strutting peacock, adding just enough je ne sais quoi to satisfy her craving for flair.

Pags immediately trampled the moment by releasing an earsplitting squawk and leaping forward, yanking the leash from Antony’s hand. A cacophony of squawking and hissing filled the air as the peacock dashed down the trail in hot pursuit of a Canadian goose. Antony chased after the bird, grabbing at the leash fluttering in his wake to no avail, as Odelle trailed behind. Pags quickly widened the distance between them in an odd cross between running and gliding, not really taking flight although his feet only periodically touched the ground. The goose, while clearly capable of flying away, seemed to relish taunting Pags, fluttering just out of reach and hissing madly .

By the time the fighting fowl came to a halt in a wide swath of snowy grass, they were far ahead of Odelle and Antony.

“I don’t understand, Pags has always been friendly with other birds.” Antony panted as they struggled to catch up. The birds now circled each other, flapping their wings and posturing.

Odelle didn’t have enough breath to point out that Pags was likely not extremely experienced with other birds if he never left the Sanctuary. Instead, she settled for saying “Chicago geese aren’t just any birds.”

As they reached the open patch where Pags and the goose had landed, Odelle and Antony were forced to push through a gaggle of runners and pedestrians who had paused to spectate the unusual standoff, phones in hand.

“Pags! Pags!” Antony shouted, waving his arms as if to draw the birds’ attention away from each other to no avail. He moved forward, about to physically insert himself between the animals, but Odelle grabbed his arm.

“Are you crazy? They’ll pluck your eyes out!” Odelle admonished.

“Pags would never hurt me,” Antony argued, tugging lightly against her grip, but she held fast.

“Maybe he wouldn’t, but I wouldn’t assume the same for the goose.”

As if to prove her point, the black and gray bird coiled back its long neck before lunging with a snap of its bill, pulling out a tuft of Pags feathers in a viper-like strike. The gathered crowd gasped collectively.

Odelle glanced around and saw a fallen tree branch on the ground. She darted over and picked it up, finding it to have many twigs fanning out from the larger branch, a handful of shriveling stubborn leaves clinging on despite fall having long since passed. Satisfied, she inched towards the birds, branch in tow. When she saw an opening, she shoved the branch between Pags and the goose, forming a twiggy barrier and forcing both to back away a few inches. Antony took the opportunity to leap forward, grabbing Pags under the wings and hauling him away.

Odelle had to give Antony credit, the peacock was quite domesticated, as it allowed him to tuck him under his arm with minimal fussing. As the goose turned its beady gaze on Odelle, she froze. She would have thought that facing down the Shadow creatures would make an angry bird seem far less intimidating by comparison. Something about the black glassy eyed stare the goose fixed her with though made her heart hammer.

She lowered the stick she held to the ground, taking pains to avoid any jerky or sudden movements. The goose hissed once more, revealing a red tongue, bright against its black bill, but it didn’t advance. Once she dropped the branch, Odelle began to inch away, trying to exude as non-threatening an aura as possible. She wanted to turn and run, but she knew better than to show her back to an angry animal. The last time she had retreated from an angry lakeshore goose that way, it had chased her off the path and into the water, much to the amusement of onlookers.

When she was a few steps away, the goose gave one final honk, as if to celebrate its show of dominance and turned away to pluck at the withered grass poking out from the frozen snow. Odelle’s shoulders slumped with relief. Antony stepped up beside her, Pags still held firmly at his side, tailfeathers so long that they nearly dragged on the ground.

“The geese are so lovely, I had no idea they could be so vicious,” he said mournfully.

“You have no idea,” Odelle said as she led them back to the paved path. “They’re the bane of all lakeshore runners.”

“They certainly gave Pags a thorough scare,” Antony agreed, stroking the cerulean feathers on the side of the peacock’s face with his free hand. Pags seemed to relish in the attention, leaning into the touch and letting out a soft trill .

“Why don’t we get him back to the Sanctuary?” Odelle suggested. If she had thought she could use a mimosa when she first met Antony in the park, now she was dying for one.

When Odelle’s phone buzzed with a message from Nora a while later, she was extraordinarily glad to have a fizzy beverage in her hand.

Looks like you did get on the news again, if not in the way you hoped for .

Below the message was a link to a video clip.

Odelle opened it and turned her phone so Antony could see it also as they ate their brunch. Antony was once again demolishing a plate of waffles, but he had now discovered they could be made with chocolate chips. The satisfaction on his face indicated that his world had been forever changed.

“Today, lakefront runners witnessed a shocking occurrence, documented in this video from one of our viewers,” Amy Biderman’s voice played through Odelle’s phone as a jerky phone video showed on the screen. The clip may not have been as high quality as a field camera, but the garish coloring of the peacock was unmistakable. The footage showed Pags and the goose circling around each other and posturing like feathery gladiators. Thankfully, the video cut off just as Odelle and Antony stepped into the frame, recognizable only from the bright glints of copper and platinum hair.

“Viewers are speculating on how a peacock came to be loose in the city,” Amy Biderman continued, image changing to a wide polished news desk. “Lincoln Park Zoo has confirmed that none of their animals are on the loose, although we are still awaiting confirmation from several other zoos. What a surprise for those runners!” Biderman commented, turning towards her co-anchor as the short special-interest piece ended.

Odelle set down her phone and shoveled a too-large bite of eggs benedict into her mouth.

“Not quite what I hoped for when I said I wanted to get back into television,” she griped around a mouthful of hollandaise sauce. “Seems like a stupid end segment for a national news channel too. I know it’s filmed locally, but still.”

“Isn’t that the same lady from the broadcast during the signal outage?” Antony asked, gesturing to her phone with a syrupy forkful.

“Amy Biderman,” Odelle confirmed, “She’s been my professional idol for years, but it’s been hard to like her recently. Kicking me when I’m down with this clip, although she wouldn’t know that. But also the way she handled all the local broadcasts going down. Saying it was a cyber terrorist attack, it’s almost like she wanted people to…”

Odelle froze, mind whirring for a few moments before she realized she had stopped chewing. Swallowing her mouthful, she mused, “It seems odd that the television signals were sabotaged in a way that her channel was the only Chicago-based station still on the air. And she acted so out of character. I’ve been watching her broadcasts for years and she’s never been a fearmonger. In fact, I’ve always admired her for her level-headedness.”

“You don’t think—” Antony started but broke off as Odelle could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“Not to mention that the Shadow knew that I was on to them, and the signal going out was something that I specifically would notice,” Odelle pressed on. “And it’s kept me from tracking the Shadow’s movements now, since it cost me my job. ”

“It couldn’t have known things were going to play out in a way that got you fired though,” Antony pointed out.

“I wouldn’t have needed to get fired if it succeeded in killing us.”

Antony paled. “You have me there.”

“Am I being paranoid though? Grasping at straws?” Odelle questioned, part of her hoping that Antony would tell her she was being silly. That the evidence of Amy Biderman being corrupted by the Shadow was circumstantial at best.

“Do we have any other leads?” Antony asked instead. “The crisis caused by the Shadow made Biderman temporarily the most influential person in the city, and she used that sway for fear and panic. It’s exactly what the Shadow would want.”

They sat in silence for a moment, only the clinking of silverware at the surrounding tables interrupting their thoughts.

“So, what do we do?” Odelle asked finally.

Antony drummed his fingers on the table in thought. “We need to confirm that she has the crown or is at least being used by the Shadow. Attacking people without proof helps the Shadow more than it helps us.”

“But if we alert the Shadow that we are onto it, we’ll miss our window of opportunity.”

Antony nodded. “We will have to plan for that. Be well coordinated.”

“I’ll call my sister and Adam and have them meet us at the Sanctuary after work to plan. We’re not making the mistake of going in without support again,” Odelle said resolutely.

The group gathered around the table was an odd one. Thad and Seraphina wore bright green peplos, exposing bare shoulders to the persistent sunlight of the Sanctuary. The sweaters worn by Antony and Nora and Adam’s tweed blazer seemed stuffy by comparison. Even Drew was present, long white coat pulled on over rumpled scrubs.

“Last time we were all sitting around a table plotting, it was because Odelle was captured,” Nora commented. “I have to say, I much prefer having you here with us.”

“Which makes me wonder, what exactly are we plotting?” Thad chimed in.

“We know where the crown is.” Odelle cut to the chase. “At least, we think we do.”

“More like who has it,” Antony corrected.

“Amy Biderman,” Odelle declared. “The way she fearmongered during the signal outage was completely out of character. We just have to figure out if she has it and then…What do we do with the crown once we have it? Bring it back here?”

Antony shook his head. “I’m going to have to destroy it. The Shadow has corrupted it. Holding onto it would just be risking the Shadow’s influence.”

Odelle wilted at the idea of such an exquisite piece of craftmanship being demolished but nodded. “We just need to figure out how to track Biderman down and get it then.”

“You know where she works right?” Thad asked. “Couldn’t you track her down there?”

“I think attacking another broadcaster at work wouldn’t help Odelle’s current situation,” Adam chimed in.

Odelle shot him a look of gratitude.

“Then follow her home from work?” Thad suggested .

“I’m not sure facing down the Shadow on her home turf would be the best idea either,” Antony argued. “It didn’t go so well when we tried to steal it from the Whitehall’s collection.”

Odelle twirled a lock of hair in thought. “Biderman might be a national anchor, but she still likes getting out into the field for the more glamorous gigs like galas and fundraisers. She was at Nora’s gala at the Field Museum last year. Come to think of it, I seem to see her at all the museum events in the city.”

“The Celestial Ball at the planetarium!” Adam cut in, slapping his hand down on the table. “It’s next weekend and I already have tickets for Nora and me.”

Everyone at the table turned to look at him.

“What?” Adam shrugged. “I like stars.”

“It’s sort of a long shot to hope that she’ll be at a specific party and plan around it.” Antony drummed his fingers on the table. “Although maybe if it is a ball, she’ll be wearing the crown and it will be easier to get.”

“I’ll get ahold of the guest list to make sure she’ll be there,” Odelle volunteered.

“You don’t have a press pass anymore,” Nora pointed out reasonably, although her tone was gentle.

“Batting my eyelashes and flashing the event organizers a smile was always more likely to get me the guest list than a press pass, anyway. Besides, my inside sources are still mine even though I’ve lost my job.” Odelle had worked too hard on building rapport with event workers and personal assistants throughout the city to give up her contacts just because she had been fired.

“Ok, but even if Biderman is there, we’ll need to lure her away from the rest of the party,” Adam said. If she is corrupted by the Shadow though, she’ll be able to recognize the Light in any of the Eteria members. Odelle is recognizable to the Shadow too, after being involved in the first attempt to steal the crown.”

“I’ll do it.”

Everybody turned to look at Drew in surprise. The set of his square jaw was resolute.

“I want to help too, and we’ve learned the hard way that having an emergency medicine doctor handy is key,” Drew explained.

Thad, sitting next to him, clapped a hand on his shoulder. “As long as you know you don’t have to do it, we’re happy to have your help. Just know that things might get a little bit dicey. Last time, as soon as we touched the crown, dozens of Shadows appeared.”

“That’s why we’ll be ready,” Adam said. “Drew will lure Biderman away and then Antony and Odelle will grab and destroy the crown. Nora, Thad, and I will be on crowd control.”

“And me,” Seraphina said from the end of the table, breaking her silence thus far.

Nora’s eyebrows shot up in an incredulous expression. “You? I didn’t think you liked to get your hands dirty in this type of thing.”

“I’m peaceful, not harmless,” Seraphina snapped. “Besides, somebody has to be in control of minimizing collateral damage.”

Nora opened her mouth, looking ready to pounce, but Odelle cut in.

“And we are happy to have all the help we can get.”

The two women continued to glare at each other, but Odelle would settle for them not hijacking the entire meeting to lob insults at each other. She honestly wasn’t sure how she managed to get along with both of them, considering that she could practically smell the distaste in the air every time they spoke. Then again, they were probably more similar than either of them cared to admit—both utterly committed to their friends and the Eteria, even if Nora preferred to have a spear in her hand.

“Then I guess we all have our work cut out for us,” Antony declared. “Look sharp everybody, it looks like we’re going to a ball.”