Dead of Night (Chapter 3)
A cloud of dust followed in our wake as we drove along an unmarked gravel road that wound its way up Maryland Heights.
The truck sputtered as Erica drove, and I wondered how much longer it would be before I had to find something equally awful. The truck was from the fifties, but I could still barely keep it running. Hell, I could barely keep the toaster running, and that thing wasn't almost thirty years old. My mother had told me when I was little that it was because of how strong I was at magic, but I was pretty sure that the truck and the electronics in the house were just crap.
We arrived at the path that led to the Grove around noon, and began our ascent.
"Try extending your senses," I told Erica as we hiked, "the rattlesnakes are still out and about this time of year; it would be best if we knew our surroundings."
She nodded and closed her eyes, no longer straining with the effort as she had. I had to give it to her; Erica was becoming a force to be reckoned with. "Two eastern diamondbacks fifteen yards to the west, and one twenty-two yards to the southeast. There's also a black bear and her two cubs roughly one hundred yards to the south, and two hundred yards down."
"Nicely done," I said, genuinely impressed. I hadn't expected that. Sensing something from that far away took more skill than I realized she had. I made a note of it and kept walking.
We reached the Grove after only a few minutes of scaling the path and climbing through a cave. The mouth of the cave let out into a small clearing, no more than twenty feet in diameter, that looked over the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers to the south. In the middle of the grove, sat three large oak trees. A doe with silver fur sat between the trees, looking out to the river; I fell to my knees at once, in awe of its presence.
What brings you and your student here, wizard? came a voice from inside my head. The doe turned to face me.
"I didn't mean to intrude," I managed to stammer; "I merely came seeking the knowledge of the dryads."
Fear does not befit you, child. A Chosen should know respect of his betters but not fear.
I blinked. That was certainly new. "I do not understand."
You will, in time. My sister will make her presence in your life known when she so chooses. Walk the path before you, and all shall be made clear. The doe turned away and walked to the edge of the cliff. Learn what you must from the dryads, child; a time is coming when forces will deny you knowledge to make you a pawn. With that, she jumped from the edge, shimmering into silver light before disappearing from view.
"What was that?" Erica asked softly.
"That," I breathed, "was Artemis."
I heard her sharp intake of air as I rose to my feet. "I seek knowledge of the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Pennington, in addition to the disappearances in the area lately," I announced clearly. Three figures emerged from the trees with serene grace. They were all mesmerizing, wearing nothing but ethereal beauty.
"What do you offer in return?" came a sonorous voice. I forced myself to remember that these were ancient fae, masters of deceit and manipulation. My loins, as usual, disagreed with the sound logic, but I ignored them.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out an acorn. It was a bright gold and felt like stone, and as I held it for them it to see, it seemed to give off a light.
They gasped. "Where came you of this?" one of the dryads demanded. Their expressions were a dangerous mix of confusion and anger.
"A grove to the north that was destroyed," I answered. "The dryad there asked me to bring it to this grove."
"You will have the knowledge you seek," one whispered, "and in return you will plant the ἀστερίσκος."
"Agreed," I said, "under the condition that you also tell me the significance of this object." I was certain that I was going to regret this. The nymph in the center narrowed her eyes at me and I felt a pressure in the back of my skull, accompanied by a sudden, crushing despair. I pushed it aside with a monumental effort and brought a spell to my mind, and fire to my hand. "This is the price," I said through gritted teeth, "and if you attack me again, I will burn this place to the ground."
"Impertinent fool!" the dryad to the right screeched.
"I'm glad you understand," I growled. The dryad on the left raised her hand, and a wave of calm swept over the clearing.
She studied me for a second. "We agree to your terms. Please plant the ἀστερίσκος in the center of the Grove." I obliged her, making a small indent in the soft soil of the clearing and dropping the acorn in the hole and covering it up. "The ἀστερίσκος, in your tongue, the little star, is a piece of creation itself."
My jaw dropped. That was certainly not what I had expected. The dryad smiled. "Now," she continued, "what do you want to know about the disappearances and deaths?"
I started with a hunch. "Are they related?" She looked at me curiously, and slightly bemused.
"All things are related, wizard," she said sweetly, like a teacher speaking to a kindergarten student. "Though, these two are only related through your actions, and will only interact by your hand."
Trying to get a straight answer from the fae was more difficult than trying to hammer a nail with a noodle, and twice as frustrating. "Then, what forces are behind each?"
The dryad smiled and my legs wobbled a little. "In the night, a predator grows its pack, and a creature of the dark serves its masters." She was clearly enjoying this. "What else do you need to know?"
I sighed. "Where should I start looking?" I had a lot of work in front of me, and I didn't feel like wasting time chasing down dead ends. Hell, I might even get valuable information from the dryads that could keep me from running in circles. It was a long shot.
She laughed. "If you want to know about a predator, simply ask its prey." The three dryads turned and disappeared into their trees, the one who had spoken to me pausing before she did. She turned back to me for a second. "Good hunting, γόης." With that, she faded into the tree.
"Son of a bitch." It made sense. Why the hell hadn't I thought of that? I got to my feet and began the hike back to the truck.
"What's the matter?" Erica was still in shock from our meeting, and hadn't made the connection.
"If you were a predator that ate people, who would you go after first?" She looked at me with wide eyes. "Let me rephrase that; what are the biggest deterrents for the things that go bump in the night?"
I could see the wheels spinning in her head. "Um. Thresholds?" "That's one," I said, "but the big one is the herd instinct of people. When a serial killer is on the loose, people stop going out at night." Erica nodded, and I could see that she was keeping up. "So what kind of people would be the easiest prey?"
She chewed it over for a second as we walked, my pace quickening in excitement, and hers in response to mine. "People who wouldn't be noticed if they went missing."
"Precisely!" I said, clapping her on the shoulder.
"So where are we going then?" she asked.
"First, I'm going to talk to Sarah Oris' family. Tonight, I'm going to stop by the C&O canal." For once, something about this whole mess seemed to make sense.
Erica fell behind my train of thought. "Why are you going there?"
I smiled, pulling the keys out of my pocket as we reached the truck. "I'm going there," I said as I turned to face her again, "because the homeless in the area use it as a highway."
I saw it click in her eyes. "Do you think they're being preyed on?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Meanwhile, I want you to practice your shield spells. Also, a little practice with your throwing knives couldn't hurt."
She only deflated a little, but I saw it.
"I'll tell you what," I said, "practice whatever you want. Just make sure that it's magic and not my brother." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement, and a raven that had been sitting on the truck took off. That wasn't at all ominous.
"Thanks, Ryan," Erica said, audibly blushing through the words. Her voice brought me out of my brief reverie, and I unlocked the truck.
"No problem, kid." I opened the door and slid inside. "Let's get out of here before anything else weird happens."
"Yeah, right," Erica laughed.
My apprentice has a bad habit of being right.
