When Harry Met Eve
Chapter 4
By Evelyn Raith
The idea was to get a good night sleep, but my dreams betrayed me. Not just the normal barrage of weird situations and old faces either.
I was dressed in Roman armor, holding a battered old sword. I was standing on the edge of a cliff and below me was fire and molten stone, rising, falling and churning. I could feel the heat on my skin and I stepped back. I heard a terrified scream behind me and turned to see a towering figure all in shadow with massive wings. At its feet lay the source of the sound.
A bound and naked Harry Dresden kneeled before the figure as a dark clawed foot seemed to crush him into the ground. I heard the harsh tones of a woman's laughter, it seemed familiar but twisted.
I rushed at the figure, my sword ready as I cried out in anger and in fear for Harry. It kicked Harry aside and faced me just in time for my battered blade to meet the dark shadow. There was a blinding flash of light and incredible pain and I was thrown backwards to the edge of the chasm.
I took one look down at the flame and heat and scrambled to my feet. The figure just sat there unmoving. I ran to Harry's side and cut his ropes. He looked up at me and said in a voice that seemed filled with gravel, "What are you waiting for? This is your chance."
I was puzzled for a moment, but when I looked up from where I was kneeling, I could see the gates that were just behind the large winged shadow. Heaven! It was so close! I was almost there!
Harry pushed at my arm. "Go!" he rasped.
I helped him to his feet. "I can't go. Not yet. Not without you."
As he kicked away ropes and finally stood at his full height, there was just enough time to see him smile at me before the shadow began to beat its large wings. It kicked dust up into our eyes and small rocks began to sting my skin. I stood between Harry and the shadow, trying to protect his bare, exposed body from the debris.
The shadow began to get larger and more misshapen. It spread out in the space between us and the gates. It became taller, curving towards us like a midnight wave. Harry reached around my waist and tossed his left arm over my shoulder. He held up his hand and threw up a shield of magic. The wave came crashing down upon us with the sound of deafening thunder…
I sat straight up in bed as the dream was shattered by the sound of someone beating on the front door. I jumped out of bed and pulled my cloak around me and grabbed up my sword. I rounded the hallway in time to have Michael fall into place behind me with an aluminum baseball bat.
I paused at the bottom of the stairs, sword at the ready as Michael hobbled down the last few stairs. "Who is it?" Michael's voice boomed.
"It's Harry, damn it!"
Michael made for the door and I grabbed his arm to stop him. I only had to look into his eyes to let him know my concern. To remind him that just because something sounds like Harry, or even looks like Harry, might not actually be Harry.
He nodded at me and continued to the door. I stood behind him, ready with my sword.
Michael opened the door and a rumpled Harry fell into the living room with an unceremonious FWUMP!
"It's Harry." I said.
Michael dropped the bat and picked up Harry like a rag doll and propped him up on the couch. I closed the door and sheathed my blade, then kneeled by Harry to try to assess the damage.
"What in the world…" Michael started.
"Definitely not this world." Harry corrected.
My hands moved over him as Michael looked over at me. "It looks like he's got a few small cuts on his hands and face." I said as Harry winced and hissed, his hands moved to his head to protect him from me prodding at it further. "And one heck of a goose egg."
Michael kneeled down next to Harry's arm and looked him straight in the eyes. "What did this to you?"
Harry leaned forward onto his knees and held his head in his hands like he was trying to keep it from splitting in two. "Nickelheads." He muttered.
I saw Charity out of the corner of my eye heading for the kitchen, she returned with a bag of frozen peas and handed it to me to apply it to Harry's bruised head.
"Nickelheads? What is a Nickelhead?" I asked as Harry took the bag from me and held it to the growing lump.
Michael tried to look serious as he explained, "It's Harry's term of endearment for the 'Order of the Blackened Denarius'."
I tried to choke down a laugh. I paused, looked at Harry as he sheepishly peeked up at me through his hands that were holding the bag to his head, then laughed loud and hard. "Nickelheads? I'm sure Anduriel just LOVES that one!"
I stopped laughing the moment I realized that Charity was standing behind me with her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping the floor. "I, uh, I mean, Denarians! Oh my! That's serious!" I cautioned a glance over my shoulder at Charity and offered a smile and she rolled her eyes at me and went back to the kitchen.
Damn that eyeroll thing.
I turned back to Harry and Michael and made an 'oopsie' face and shrugged my shoulders. Harry wasn't laughing either.
Harry continued, "It was Deirdre, and she was with someone else I didn't get to see really well. They ambushed me at a stop light."
"Right out in the open?" Asked Michael.
"Yeah, but I don't think killing me was on the menu." Harry looked up at me. "They were looking for you, Eve."
Disclaimer: Harry Dresden and all established characters, settings, etc. are the property of Jim Butcher and ROC publishers. The original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.