Page 7 of Dead End (Crossroads Queen #9)

CHAPTER SEVEN

I crept closer to the head. The blonde hair was a clue, but the sparkly pink headband was the dead giveaway, no pun intended.

“Who is it?” Ray asked.

“Posy Martell.”

“That horrible siren?”

I nodded. That horrible siren had been unsuccessful in her rebellion, not that I was surprised. Although she’d had a few advantages in her favor, she’d still been one supernatural against a host of deities on their home turf. Even with Apep as a distraction, the odds were against her.

“I should’ve stayed and fought alongside her,” I said.

Ray pondered me. “Why would you have done that? She was the reason you ended up there in the first place.”

“She was a symptom of a larger problem.”

“Why send her head to you?”

“This is The Corporation’s warning shot.”

“They sure picked a gruesome one.”

“Yep.” Ziz hadn’t simply come to tear up my yard in retribution. He was acting as a harbinger of doom, delivering a message direct from The Corporation’s headquarters.

“What should we do with it?”

My gaze drifted to the cemetery. “We have space for her. I’ll get the shovel.”

“No,” Ray said. “I can do that for you.”

“I appreciate the offer, but this is my mess. I need to be the one to clean it up.”

“What should I tell Ingrid? I don’t want to freak her out.”

“Tell her the bad guys are closing in.”

“I said I don’t want to freak her out.”

“There’s no way to tiptoe around it. They’re coming, and we can’t pretend otherwise.”

I buried the head in the cemetery and said a few words in her honor. I knew the siren would’ve preferred a burial at sea, but I didn’t have the luxury of travel right now. Once I finished the unwelcome task, I tugged my phone from my pocket and sent an alert to the group chat.

Chief Garcia was the first to call. I gave her a brief overview of the situation.

“You’re sure this bird will come back?”

“Maybe not Ziz, but I’m sure something will be next for an encore.”

“Okay. How am I supposed to keep people indoors? I only just lifted the curfew.”

“Say whatever you have to. A chemical spill. Noxious fumes. Dozens of infected primates escaped from a nearby lab.”

“Sadly, that last one is the most believable these days.” She sighed. “I appreciate the update, Lorelei. It’s good to have you back.”

“It’s good to be back.”

“I understand Kane is with you.”

“Yes, he’s sleeping. The more he rests, the faster he heals. ”

“Tell him… Tell him we’re sorry we couldn’t do more.”

It seemed that guilt was in ample supply in Fairhaven. “He knows, but thank you for saying it.”

Gun was the next call. “How serious is this?”

“I said red alert. That’s the highest threat.”

“I thought purple was the highest.”

“Why would purple be higher than red? It goes from blue to red. Purple is the two colors combined.”

“But purple is the color of a bruise.”

I couldn’t fault his logic. “Okay, but you know what to do, right? Stay home. Don’t try to be a hero.”

“Have you met me? When do I ever act heroically?”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You have all the makings of a superhero.”

“I can rock a pair of tights better than most.” A moment of silence hung between us. “What aren’t you telling me?” he asked.

I should’ve known Gun could read between the lines. Steeling myself, I told him about Posy’s head.

“Gangster move,” Gun breathed. “Did you stick it on a pike at the Castle gate?”

I grimaced at the thought. “Yes, because that’s so me. I buried it in the cemetery.”

“You’re kinder than I am. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t owe that harpy anything. You should’ve left it for the vultures.”

“She was a siren.”

“Who acted like a harpy. What would you like me to do?”

“At the moment, stay vigilant. If you see anything suspicious, let me know and keep your cards accessible.”

“That’s it? What about a plan?”

“Working on it. I’ll let you know when I have one that’s fully formed. Talk soon.” I hung up and debated my next call. I knew I had to tell Kane eventually, but every time I had the chance, I chickened out. He’d just been through so much with Lucifer; I hated to tell him another immediate threat had reared its ugly head—literally.

My skin tickled as my phone buzzed. West’s name lit up my screen. “Hey.”

“Clay, I’ve been trying to call you, but I couldn’t get through.”

“You got through now. What’s up?”

“What’s up? How about that red alert you sent to the group chat.”

“I thought it was self-explanatory.”

“And I thought Lucifer and his demons were gone.”

“This isn’t Lucifer. It’s worse.”

He let that nugget sink in. “Should I send out a team?”

“No teams. I want everyone indoors. Anybody who steps foot outside is a target.” To be fair, everyone indoors was also a target, but I was trying my best to mitigate the risk.

“What about the crossroads?”

“Leave it. Whatever comes through, you won’t be equipped to deal with it, and I’m not saying that to be obnoxious.”

“I know. I’ll get Sage and Gran.”

“Use the underground tunnel. Better safe than sorry.”

“You’re singing my tune.” He hung up.

I knew in my gut something like this would happen the moment I fled Paradise, but my inner child desperately hoped for a different outcome. The same child who prayed her grandparents wouldn’t age so they could never leave her. The same child who wished upon star after endless star that her parents would one day appear at her door, alive and unharmed.

They say comparison is the thief of joy, but for me it was always disappointment. It got to the point where any moment of happiness or contentment left me waiting for the other shoe to drop, which prevented me from fully enjoying the experience while it was happening. Embarking on a relationship with Kane was the first time I started to believe that life could be different, but now…

I shook off the despair. There was too much to work to do. “Hey, Ray. I could use your help with something.”

The ghost was by my side in a fraction of a second. “Research?”

“Yes. When I was in Paradise, there were a couple references to Unas that seemed to strike terror in the hearts of the gods and supernaturals there. I want to know why.”

Ray wiggled his fingers over the computer keyboard as though preparing to play a concerto. “This sounds like the perfect project for me.”

“Thank you for that,” Nana Pratt said, as I exited the kitchen. “Now that the library’s finished, he’s been trying to mess around with my garden.”

“I hope you asserted your boundaries.”

She folded her arms. “Oh, I most certainly did. I told him the next time he touched one of my azaleas, he was going to find a clump of weeds on his grave.”

I bit back a smile. “And that was enough to dissuade him, was it?”

“It seemed to do the trick. He took an interest in the layer of pond scum on the moat.”

I cringed. “There’s scum on the water?”

“You won’t be floating around on your black swan anytime soon unless you want your fingers and toes tinted green.”

I cast a glance over my shoulder at Ray, typing away furiously on the computer. Hmm. Take down The Corporation or clean the moat? Decisions, decisions.

I opted to let Ray continue his research. There’d be no swan action this year if I didn’t survive what was coming .

Goran appeared at the top of the stairs. “Did I hear you mention there’s scum on the water?”

“There’s a layer on the moat, apparently.”

“And this is unacceptable to you?” He seemed uncertain why that would be. You could take the prince out of the vodyanoy, but you couldn’t take the vodyanoy out of the prince.

“I would like to float on my inflatable swan…” I nearly said, “when the weather warms up,” but the weather wasn’t my concern right now.

Goran descended the stairs. “Say no more. I’ll take care of the offensive substance while you battle good and evil.”

“I’m not battling good, only evil. More like shades of gray.”

“As you like. Leave the scum to me.”

Nana Pratt observed him with the keen of eye of a woman with toddler experience. “He’s going to eat it, isn’t he?”

“Honestly, at this point, I don’t care how it gets done.”

The ghost’s wrinkled lips melded together in disgust. “Why do I bother cooking for someone who prefers the taste of grime?”

I waited for Goran to leave the house before I responded. “He’s been eating the fruits of waterways for a very long time. Human food will take some getting used to, I imagine. Cut him some slack.”

“He has been asking questions about my recipes,” Nana Pratt said. “I write down the answers for him on a sheet of paper. Not the ideal system, but it seems to work for us.”

“That’s good. I’m glad he’s eager to learn.” It would certainly help him in the romance department, should the opportunity arise. After all those years he suffered unjustly under a curse, Goran deserved a good partner .

Clasping her hands in front of her, Nana Pratt gazed at me.

“Something else on your mind?” I asked.

“I don’t envy you, Lorelei.”

I had no idea where this was going. “Thank you?”

“When I was alive, there was no expectation of greatness from me. There were minor expectations, the kind that women of my generation had to contend with like cooking and cleaning, but I didn’t feel compelled to offer more of myself than I could safely give.”

“I can safely give,” I insisted.

She pinned me with a hard look. “Can you?”

I flinched under the weight of her stare.

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you’re obligated. You will still be loved, Lorelei, whatever action you choose to take.”

“Even if this situation is my fault?”

“How is any of this your fault? That fact that you exist? You didn’t choose to be a natural born goddess, dear. This situation is the result of actions taken long before you were a twinkle in your mother’s eye.”

“But with great power…”

She cut me off with full-blown raspberry. “Nonsense. The only responsibility you have in terms of your power is to do no harm. There is no rule that says you have to stick your neck out for people every time there’s a crisis. Superman is a fictional character.”

“Actually, the quote is from Spider-Man.”

“I don’t care if it’s from the Bible.” Gasping, she reached for her imaginary string of pearls. “Goodness me. That’s not true at all. I would care very much.” She cast her eyes skyward, as though expecting immediate retribution for her off-the-cuff remark. “My point is you have every right to be yourself, no more and no less. Of course it would help if you figure out exactly who that is first.”

I looked at her askance. “I know who I am.” How could I not at this point?

“If you say so, dear.”

Ray materialized beside me. “We have a problem.”

“Unas?”

“Didn’t get that far. The internet isn’t working again.”

“I bet if people stopped paying every time they lost service, the company would find a way to resolve the issue.”

“Good luck with that particular revolution,” Ray said.

I mulled over the options. “Would you rather work in the library or the used bookstore?”

Ray’s brown eyes glimmered with hope. “Really?”

“In the name of research, yes.” The ghosts were tethered to the Castle grounds unless I commanded them to go elsewhere.

“I would send him to Jessie Talbot’s,” Nana Pratt said. “She’s got to be teetering on the edge of death by now. She’ll be more inclined to accept the presence of a ghost paging through her books.”

Ray snapped back. “Ingrid.”

“What? The woman was old when I was still alive.”

“Nana Pratt makes a good point,” I interjected. “Besides, Hailey has a hard enough time dealing with the living. I don’t think she’d handle a ghost patron with the finesse required.”

Ray expressed his delight with a giddy jig.

I glanced at Nana Pratt. “Would you like to join us?”

“No, thank you, dear. I would rather take the opportunity to enjoy a quiet house for a change.”

“Kane is asleep upstairs.”

“Oh, he’s quiet even when he’s awake, except when…” She trailed off, uncomfortable. “Never mind.”

“Will you check on him periodically? I promised him food when he woke up.” I grabbed my purse that hung on the coatrack.

“Of course, dear. Anything for you.”

“Thanks. You’re the best.”

“Good luck, Lorelei. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

I stifled a sigh. I already had, and now I was in danger of losing it all.

My first stop was to the used bookstore, Leather Bound. I was relieved to see the store was devoid of customers. Only the top of Jessie’s white head was visible behind the counter.

I cleared my throat so as not to frighten her. “Good afternoon,” I said.

Her head popped up. “Welcome back, Lorelei. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“How are you?”

“Not too bad. My joints are on the achy side today, so forgive me if I don’t stand.”

“No problem. No Helen today?”

“Afraid not. How can I help you today?”

I cast one more furtive glance around the store to confirm the absence of strangers. “I have a favor to ask.”

Curiosity brightened her eyes. “Of course.”

“Would you mind if a friend of mine rattles around your store for a few hours? He’s researching a topic for me.”

“Why on earth would you need to ask if someone can browse my books?”

“Because he’s a ghost.”

“I see.” She struggled to her feet and leaned on the counter for support. “I have the Sight, you know. I should be able to communicate with him.”

“Doesn’t work with ghosts. He’ll hear you, but you won’t be able to hear his responses. He can write, though, if it’s necessary.”

“He can write,” she repeated, almost trancelike. “Is he a poltergeist?”

“No, no. He’s perfectly harmless, except when you turn off his favorite song in order to have a conversation.” I learned that one the hard way.

“I would be delighted to have a ghost in my store. A haunted bookstore is every owner’s dream.”

I wasn’t sure about every owner, but I was glad Jessie fell into that camp. “His name is Ray Bauer. He’s researching a creature called Unas. I don’t know much beyond the name.”

“I remember Ray.” Jessie’s gaze skimmed my shoulder. “Is he with you now?”

“Not yet. He’s in the truck. I wanted to check with you first before I invited him in.” ‘Invited’ sounded better than ‘commanded.’

“As long as he treats the books with the respect they deserve, I’m happy to have the company.”

“Oh, he definitely will. He loves books. He still reads in his spare time.”

She chortled. “I would think all his time is spare now.”

It would be, if he didn’t live with me.

I ventured out to the truck and ordered Ray into the bookstore. He drifted from one shelf to the next to ogle the books, like a kid in a candy store. For once I was glad the internet service was wonky.

“I’ll leave Ray in your capable hands,” I said to Jessie.

“Wonderful. I remember you well, Ray. Glad to have you with me today.”

“Great to be here,” Ray said.

Jessie held up a pen and paper. “I know I won’t be able to hear you, so I’ve got these ready in case you need to communicate. ”

Ray cut a glance at me. “I don’t know what Ingrid was talking about. This lady is as spry as Alicia.”

I silently agreed.

“Good luck, Ray. I’ll be back in a couple hours.”

Ray was already fixated on a book he’d pulled from the shelf. “Take all the time you need. You know I’m not going anywhere.”

On my way out, I stopped in my tracks at a display table with books by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice , Sense and Sensibility , Persuasion , Mansfield Park , Emma , and Northanger Abbey . They were leather bound with beautiful watercolor illustrations of the characters.

“Wow,” I said.

“I know,” Jessie replied. “Aren’t they gorgeous?”

I didn’t bother to ask the price. The leather alone put them out of my reach.

“They’d look good on your empty shelves,” Ray said. “That new library deserves to be filled with beautiful books.”

“Oh, I agree with you, but these aren’t going to be remotely in my price range.” Especially when my price range was zero dollars.

I exited the bookstore and drove straight to the public library. While Ray was busy perusing secondhand books, I’d tap my other reliable source of information, librarian Hailey Jones and her army of elementary school students.

I stood outside on the walkway and contemplated the concrete building. I knew the inside was more important than the outside, especially in the case of a library, but I still wished the government had spared a little extra cash for a more welcoming exterior. Every time I walked toward the building, I worried I was about to accidentally wander into a Soviet prison.

The door opened automatically, and I nearly collided with a young woman dressed in a white broad-shouldered shirt and a full skirt.

“Hey, Vic. How are you?” I hadn’t seen her in months. I’d assumed Vic stood for Victoria, only to find out later the nickname was the result of her penchant for Victorian-style clothes, hence the reason I also initially mistook her for a ghost.

“I’m good. You’re the queen of the Castle, right?” She curtsied.

“No need for formalities. Mine is a democratic castle.”

Vic’s smile was endearingly crooked. “I don’t mind. It isn’t every day I get the chance to curtsy. Besides, I want to keep my skills sharp in case I get transported to the mid1800s.”

“Is that likely?”

She shrugged. “One can only hope.”

“Well, you’ll be dressed for the occasion.”

“That’s the idea.” She patted her purse. “And I always keep a spare pouch of silver coins, just in case. Wouldn’t want to go to all this trouble and end up a lady’s maid.”

I could imagine worse things, but I bit my tongue. “Good luck with the time travel,” I said, and continued inside. I wasn’t sure what was so enticing about a time period when women weren’t allowed to vote, required escorts in public, and lost their autonomy upon marriage, but maybe that was just me.

Hailey wasn’t in her office. It took me almost a full circuit of the perimeter to find her sandwiched between two trolleys of books.

“Hiding again?” I asked. Hailey routinely found ways to dodge her patrons.

“Can you blame me? There’ve been all sorts of weird occurrences lately. It isn’t every day Fairhaven issues a curfew. I’m a homebody, but even I get tired of microwave dinners and reruns of The Golden Girls .” She squinted. “What am I saying? Nobody can get tired of The Golden Girls . That show holds up.”

“You weren’t tempted to pick up a book?” I teased.

Hailey shuddered. “I swear I have nightmares where books are chasing me. Every once in a blue moon, one of them catches me and swallows me whole.”

I laughed. “I think Freud would have a few things to say about that.”

Hailey used one of the trolleys to hoist herself to her feet. “I haven’t seen you in a few weeks. I guess you stayed locked behind closed doors in that giant Castle of yours.”

“I was locked away, for sure.” No need to delve into the details.

“You know I’m always interested in whatever you’ve got going on. What’s this week’s project?”

“I’m researching someone or something named Unas. Spelling could be u-n-a-s or u-n-i-s. I’m not sure.”

“Any cultural context?”

I shook my head. “Sorry, no. That’s all I’ve got. Text me with any information you find.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks. I owe you.”

“You owe me nothing. Your visits keep me sane.”

“That’s good to hear. My presence usually has the opposite effect.”

I exited the library and sat in the truck for a couple minutes to collect my thoughts. A text message popped up from Kane. He was awake and showered, and Nana Pratt had cooked him an omelette. Bless her helpful heart. I replied with a thumbs up emoji and nothing else. I preferred to tell him about Ziz in person, unless Goran beat me to it.

I drove to the grocery store and stocked up on extra food. With two man-sized appetites in the house, my food budget would be stretched beyond capacity. Kane had ample funds, but now didn’t seem to be the right time to discuss finances.

I left the groceries in the back of the truck and returned to Leather Bound to check on Ray.

Jessie glanced up from behind the counter. “I think I heard him rustling the books in the astronomy section.”

Sure enough, I found him in the astronomy aisle with a stack of books. “There’s so much left to learn,” he said. “If I lived a thousand years, I’d never manage it all.”

“That’s what makes life so interesting. It’s up to you how to spend the time you’re given.”

Ray returned the books to the shelves. “You ready?”

“If you are.”

He nodded. I commanded him to return to the truck, then I thanked Jessie.

“My pleasure,” the older woman said. “See you next time.”

I sat in the driver’s seat of the truck to find Ray’s head in the flatbed, investigating the contents of the grocery bags.

His head returned to the cab. “You forgot trash bags.”

“I didn’t know I needed them.”

“Goran generates a lot of garbage.”

“Good to know.”

Ray turned to face front. “Unas is an Egyptian god, by the way. I probably should’ve led with that.”

I wasn’t expecting that. “I’m surprised I haven’t heard of him.”

“He devours other gods. Consumes their words and their power, right down to their very spirits.”

My hands gripped the steering wheel. “He obliterates them.” If what Ray discovered was true, then Hestia was wrong; obliteration was a possibility.

“Sounds like it if he’s chowing down on their souls.”

Had my parents been consumed by Unas? Was he a god The Corporation unleashed when they decided to cut the immortal thread?

“He’s a picky eater, though. The gods have to be deemed worthy of his consumption or he rejects them.”

“Lucky them. How big is he?” Unas had to be impressively large to devour gods whole.

“Didn’t say. There was a lot of talk of cutting throats and removing intestines, if that paints a pretty picture for you.”

I cringed. “It paints a picture. I wouldn’t categorize it as pretty. Does he get stronger the more gods he eats?”

“Yes, but the strength is temporary, like one of those video games where the character gets a power boost by eating a berry, or whatever. Alicia could tell you.” He fell silent.

“She isn’t dying, Ray. She’s moving.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to minimize your grief. Loss is loss.”

Ray’s anemic smile tugged at my heartstrings. “You’re under a lot of stress, and you’re right. In the grand scheme of things, Alicia moving with her reunited parents is a good thing.”

“Where can we find Unas?”

“The books didn’t mention that. Any ideas?”

“Based on what I know, The Corporation has access to him, but I doubt he’s anywhere near Paradise. Too risky.” I bet they called upon him only as a last resort. No god no matter how powerful would feel comfortable in his presence, knowing his specialized appetite.

“If the internet is working, I’ll keep looking,” Ray offered.

I tapped my thumbs on the wheel as I parked the truck outside the gate to the Castle. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” If there was a way to summon Unas and put an end to the threat of The Corporation, I was determined to figure it out.