Page 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
For many years, Bone Lake was the home of an ancient creature called a kulshedra until a recent feud between werewolves led to its death. The upside of the monster’s sad fate was that the lake was now available to less deadly creatures.
Like Goran, the vodyanoy.
Standing at the shoreline, I cupped my hands around my mouth and called, “I summon thee, monster of the lake.” It occurred to me that I could accidentally summon the wrong creature with a statement like that. I quickly amended my request. “Hey, Goran. Are you here, buddy?”
The arc of a head emerged from the depths of the water, followed by two bulbous eyes.
I waved. “Come closer. I have big news.”
The vodyanoy paddled toward me. “It better be really good news. You interrupted an excellent nap.”
“Where’s Raina?” I’d introduced Goran to a vila named Raina who preferred her liaisons in the form of a swan.
“She’s at home, I expect. We agreed to keep things casual.”
“I see. How do you feel about that?” It had been my impression that Goran was lonely and appreciated the company.
“It was my idea. I’m not great with clingy women.” He shook his body, as though ruffling feathers he didn’t possess.
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
“Who said it didn’t work out? She likes me all the time, and I like her sometimes. So, what’s the big news?”
“What do you know about the Zorya?”
His bulbous eyes grew rounder. “You met them?”
“No.”
“Then why do you ask about them?”
“Because they’re goddesses who may be able to help you.”
Goran absorbed the news. “You think they have the power to break my curse?”
“They’re guardians of the universe. I’d say there’s a good chance that power is in their wheelhouse, don’t you think?”
He paddled closer to me. “I’m listening.”
“There are three of them.”
“There are always three of everything. It’s basically an unwritten rule.”
“What if you were to appeal to all three, basically wish upon their stars with the same request?”
“Midnight doesn’t have a star.”
I thought of my bargain with Lucifer. “Then make her an offer she can’t refuse.”
The water spirit contemplated my suggestion. “You don’t think that’s overly simplistic?”
“What do you have to lose? Get their attention. The worst they can do is ignore you.”
“The worst they can do is smite me for bothering them.” He paused. “But I’ve reached the point where I’m willing to take that risk.”
“Are you sure? You told me you were fine to stay in this condition. ”
“That’s called putting on a brave face, which would be easier if I still had a face with a satisfying reflection. The truth is, I’m miserable, Lorelei. I miss myself.” He rolled onto his back and spat a fountain of water in the air. It splashed across his chest as gravity pulled it back to the lake.
“Then make the wishes. See what happens.”
“Will you stay with me? It might be good to have a witness in case things take a dark turn.”
“I would if I could, you know that, but my presence is required elsewhere.”
Goran narrowed one bulbous eye. “What are you not telling me?”
“It’s nothing. I have to complete a series of trials for Lucifer in order to secure Kane’s freedom. I completed the first one, but the second one is…” I checked the clock on my phone. “In a couple hours.”
“How many trials?”
“Three.”
“Always three.” Goran scratched the side of his body with a webbed foot. “Then what are you doing here talking to me about my curse?”
“I’d asked for the research before all this happened with Lucifer.”
“Yes, but now you’re preoccupied with the sanctity of your own life, or at least you should be. I’m stuck in this form, but I’m alive. If you don’t focus on these trials and tribulations, you may not be so lucky.”
“You only need to refer to them as trials. The tribulations are implied.”
“Don’t try to distract me with language lessons.”
I flicked a spray of water at him. “I’m touched by your concern, Goran.”
“English doesn’t have to be my first language to detect sarcasm. ”
“No sarcasm, I promise. I am touched, but there’s no need to worry about me. I can handle myself.”
“What does the next trial involve?”
“No idea. I don’t get an agenda in advance.”
“I don’t like this.”
“Nobody likes this, except Lucifer.” And maybe Josie, a little.
“You care too much for others at the expense of yourself. It isn’t healthy.”
I almost laughed. “Since when isn’t it healthy to care about others?”
“That isn’t what I said. Listen carefully to the part where I say, “at the expense of yourself.””
“I can handle it.”
Goran padded his webbed feet, causing ripples in the shallow water.
“What?” I prompted.
“Nothing.”
“Just say it, Goran. You know you want to.”
“Fine. I think you feel you have something to prove, but I want you to know that isn’t true.”
I grunted a dismissal. “I don’t think that.”
“Yes, you do. You have a need to prove your worth to others. This is why you do so much for strangers like me.”
“We’re strangers now?” I blew out a dismissive breath. “Okay then.”
“I’m not intending to insult you. I have gratitude for your efforts on my behalf.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m only saying that you shouldn’t feel it necessary to help everyone in order to earn their love. You would deserve love even if you sat on the sofa all day and ate potato chips.”
I smiled. “Only if they’re barbecue flavored. Then I’d be living the dream. ”
“Potato chips are for people without tastebuds, but I digress.”
“English isn’t your first language, yet you use the word ‘digress?’”
“I can be smart in two languages. Anyhoo, my point is that Kane would love you even if you had refused Lucifer’s bargain.”
“I didn’t agree to do it to earn his love; I agreed because I didn’t want Kane to suffer for eternity.”
“So you say.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I say.” I bristled. “Can we get back to the reason for my visit?”
“I would not care for you any less if you weren’t able to restore me to my human form.”
“Give it a rest, Goran.” I stuck my hand in the water and splashed him. “When I get back from the trial, I expect to see you in all your princely glory.”
“I’m glad you said “when” and not “if.”” He snatched a fly from the air with his tongue. “All right. I’ll see what I can do with this information. Seems like a long shot, though.”
“These days, everything in life seems like a long shot. The only option is to keep playing the game and hope we score.”
“I have nothing to give the midnight goddess. And won’t the other two be jealous if I wish on their stars with no offering?”
“You’re smart in two languages,” I reminded him. “You’ll think of something.”
Goran angled his head to observe me. “I appreciate you, Lorelei.”
I patted his slick back. “I appreciate you, too, buddy.”
I replayed my conversation with Goran all the way home. What if my actions weren’t as selfless as I believed? What if, instead, I was motivated by my own need to be loved? It reminded me of Nana Pratt’s discussion with Gunther from months ago about whether true selflessness actually existed. Ultimately, did it even matter?
As I pushed open the gate to the Castle grounds, I let the thoughts go. There was no time for philosophical musings right now, not when I had a second trial to endure. I had to save my mental energy for outsmarting Lucifer.
Ray pounced the moment I reached the porch. “You have an unexpected visitor,” he said. “Ingrid let him in.”
In that case, it had to be someone I’d pre-approved.
Sure enough, West stood in the kitchen, holding a covered glass dish. “I brought a casserole.”
“Isn’t that what neighbors do when somebody dies?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you rejecting Bert’s grandma’s famous recipe?”
“Oh, well, if it’s his grandma’s recipe, how can I refuse?” I lifted the lid and smelled the contents. On cue, my mouth watered. That Pavlov knew what he was talking about.
“I thought you might appreciate a hearty meal before the next trial.”
“I told him I’d cooked a stew, but he can’t hear me,” Nana Pratt complained.
“I would absolutely appreciate a hearty meal, trial or no trial.” I took the dish and carried to the counter. “As it happens, now is the ideal time to enjoy it.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
“It should still be warm. I took it straight from the oven.”
I removed two plates from the shelf and scooped a generous serving onto each one. I brought the plates to the table, along with the forks.
I shoveled a forkful into my salivating mouth. “Bert’s grandma is a culinary genius, by the way. ”
“I’ll pass along your compliments to him. She’s been dead for twenty years, but her casserole will live on.”
In the corner of the room, Nana Pratt sniffed. “It’s good to know these things continue.”
“Did you have any recipes you passed on to Ashley and Steven?” I asked.
“Yes, but now you’ve got me thinking… There are so many more I could share with them. Dishes I stopped making for one reason or another. I’ll get started right now.” She whooshed away.
“Nana Pratt?” West asked.
I nodded. “She’s pleased that casseroles carry on after death.” I let the flavors roll around in my mouth. “Do I detect tarragon?”
“Couldn’t tell you. I’m not allowed to see the recipe.”
I gaped at him. “Are you telling me Bert made this?”
“Sure did.”
“You’ll have to thank him for me.”
“He knows what you’re up against. The whole pack knows.”
“I’m helping Kane, not the pack. Why do they care?”
“You help one of us, you help all of us. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”
“Listen, when I moved here, you and Kane barely acknowledged each other, so let’s not pretend you considered him part of your village.”
“Point taken.”
“Want a beer?” I offered.
He grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”
I grabbed a bottle from the fridge and returned to the table. “Would you like a glass?”
“I’m good with a bottle. Am I drinking alone?”
“Water only. I need to keep my wits about me.”
“Fair point.” West gave me an appraising look. “This must be rough for you. How are you feeling?”
“I’m not.”
West grunted. “That’s your plan? Numb your way through the trials?”
“If I intend to survive them, yes.”
“Feelings are feedback,” West said. “You should let yourself experience them.”
I washed down the last bite of casserole with water. “What does that mean?”
“It means not to resist them. They’re emotions. They can’t actually hurt you.”
“I say that about fear, but not all of them. Grief is painful.” I had so much experience with it, I felt like I’d earned a PhD in the subject.
“It’s painful because of the meaning you give to it, not because of the feelings themselves. Next time you find yourself getting swept up by your emotions, try observing them instead.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Is this another life lesson from Tony Robbins?”
West released a sigh. “I’m trying to help, Clay. Stop resisting that, too.”
Time for a redirect. “How’s Sage?”
His cheeks colored. “Still working on that.”
“Sneaking around together isn’t going to solve the problem. You need to decide what the relationship is worth to you and then commit to your answer.”
“You make it sound simple.”
I aimed the pointy end of my fork at him. “Do you love her?”
“I’d rather be with her than anyone else.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“Isn’t that love? ”
My mind returned to Kumbhakara, to our discussion on the nature of love. “Not to me.”
West swilled his beer. “I can love Sage and not want to sacrifice the future of the pack for her. That kind of love is for romance novels.”
I scraped the remnants of the casserole from my plate. “Have you ever read a romance novel, West?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
“Does Sage read them?”
“No, but Gran keeps a bookshelf full of them in her bedroom. Has the shelf warded so Sage can’t touch them.” He chuckled. “Gran’s possessive when it comes to her bodice rippers.”
“That tracks.” I smiled, thinking of the elderly fae. “Anyway, my point is that you’re torn between love and duty, West.”
“What am I supposed to do about it?”
“Love is a verb. An action, so I guess the question is—are you a man of action, Weston Davies?”
He offered a wan smile. “What ever happened to patience is a virtue?”
“You’re not exercising patience. You’re waffling. They’re not the same, and it isn’t fair to Sage.”
West polished off his beer. “You’re right.” He tapped his plate. “I’ll wash and you dry?”
“Leave them for now, thanks. I need to decide on weapons for the next trial. I’ll wash the casserole dish and bring it back to you later.”
“No rush. We’ve got plenty of them. That’s one of the upsides of so many pack gatherings. You end up with a collection of useful containers.”
I walked him to the front door. “Thanks for thinking of me. ”
He gave my arm a gentle squeeze. “Take care of yourself, Clay. This town needs you in one piece.”
“One piece is my preference, too.” I hugged myself as I watched him leave.
“Chilly?” Ray asked, appearing beside me.
“Scared.”
He gave me solemn nod. “Will it help if I tell you the library will be finished by the time you complete the third trial?”
My head jerked toward him. “Are you serious?”
“We’ll need books to fill the shelves, of course, but otherwise, yes.”
My spirits soared. A library of my very own. “Next time I see Hailey, I’ll ask her about castoffs.”
“You don’t want just any books, Lorelei. Space is limited. Be choosy.”
I was already imagining the array of pretty spines that would greet me every time I entered the room. The idea was more thrilling than any painting on the wall.
“Thanks, Ray. You’ve given me yet another reason to live.”
“You needed another reason?”
My excitement evaporated when I noticed an unwelcome figure outside the gate. “It isn’t time yet,” I shouted.
Lucifer said nothing, forcing my hand. I lowered the ward and let him through the gate.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
“I thought we might have this discussion inside.”
“You aren’t welcome in my home,” I said.
“No cup of tea? I didn’t peg you as inhospitable.”
“It isn’t inhospitality,” I said. “It’s spite.”
He laughed. “I appreciate your candor.”
“I thought we were meeting at the crossroads.”
“Change of plans. ”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “We’re in the middle of the trials. You can’t change the rules now.”
“This will only benefit you, I promise. Tell you what, as a show of good faith, I’ll even give you an extra hour or two to prepare. Trust me, you’ll be grateful for it.”
“Why would you offer me assistance?”
“All will become clear when I explain the task ahead.”
I folded my arms. “Fine, but whatever you have to tell me, you can say it out here. My house is off limits.”
Lucifer slid his hands into his trouser pockets. “Very well then. First thing’s first. Do you happen to own any scuba gear?”