Chapter 7

I don't know what I expected of the Fallen. The first one I'd met, whom Michael had named Ursiel, had quite obviously started with a bear motif, and branched out from there. I guess the encounter had biased my opinion, as I'd been expecting the rest to be similarly formed.

The thing coming at me was nothing like what I'd faced before. First off, it was humanoid, save for a pair of legs that were jointed more like a cat's. The rest of it was decidedly feminine in shape, but any attractive qualities were mitigated by the olive-toned metallic scales that made up her skin.

The tendrils of sharpened metal that shot toward me emanated from the top of her scalp, the metallic hair weaving back and forth under her control. With her hands clenched as they reached for me, I could clearly make out the claws of steel that glinted in the sunlight seeping around her.

About the only things she had in common with the first Denarian was the sigil burning on her forehead, and the two pairs of glowing eyes, one above the other. Both of those were fixated on me as those deadly hairs shot forward, looking to skewer me.

Reflexively, I channeled power into the shield bracelet on my left wrist. My old one had been destroyed eight months prior, but its destruction had allowed me to work on improving the design. With plenty of resources available to me, I'd crafted a work of art, one that was better than the old design a hundred times over.

"Defendarius!" I shouted, a translucent wall of magical energy forming between myself and the demon. The outer edge was coated in frost, the power from the mantle adding to my own.

The dozens of blades all struck at once, causing the shield to reverberate. I could see where the ice coating had been penetrated by the steel, as fae-magicked armor typically failed to stop the material. But the magical wall behind it remained intact, preventing me from dying right there on the spot.

Rather than simply coming to a dead stop, the steel hairs all lashed across the shield, shaving the ice away as they looked for a weakness. I'd taken care to extend it to the walls of the stairwell, so they couldn't slither their way past. It bought me a moment to study the demon.

"What are you supposed to be, a demonic weed whacker?" I asked, staring up at the two pairs of glowing eyes.

After maybe two seconds, the Denarian realized that it wasn't going to find a gap. Instead, its tractable hairs of steel shot towards the walls and floor. I heard the crunch of wood and fiberglass as they punched through, intent on circling around the defensive barrier.

"Hey, that's cheating!" I exclaimed.

A determined hiss escaped the feminine steel face of the demon as it smiled at me through the shield. I took a step back, trying to adjust the location of the shield. But with my staff and the lock-box in hand, it wasn't as easy as it should have been.

"Forzare!" I shouted, thrusting my staff forward as I unleashed a powerful kinetic spell at the demon.

The steel tips of the hairs had just burst through the walls, ready to skewer me in place, when the spell hit the Denarian. She and her blades disappeared as she was thrown back, hurtling up the stairwell and out onto the deck. I heard her crash down, the tendrils slashing across the wood flooring as she tried to right herself.

I was up the stairs in a flash, and sent another blast at the demon. But she surprised me with her speed, the steel tendrils snapping down into the deck to leverage a side-step that narrowly avoided the blast. The Denarian's body swung out over the edge of the boat, her hairs clinging to the deck and allowing her to swing back toward me at speed.

I flung my left arm around, another hasty shield forming as she closed in. I kept my arm moving, willing the shield to spin with me. Doing so made it feel as if I were moving through quicksand, but the shield deflected her, adjusting her trajectory and sending her back toward the front of the boat. I saw her tendrils snap down to the deck again, gouging lines into the surface as she slowed herself down. She ended up in a crouch, her metallic lips bent into a snarl as her four eyes narrowed.

With the lock-box in one hand, I was limited as to what I could do. It wasn't terribly heavy, but nor was it something I'd care to run with. Not when being chased by something with the speed of the demon.

Still, standing still was doing me no good. Keeping an eye on the creature, I turned and leapt off the side of the boat, jumping across the small gap to the dock.

The demon shadowed my movements, and as I landed, the Denarian thumped onto the wooden planks further up, remaining between me and dry land. As I turned to face her, the hairs began weaving through the air in front of her, a never-ending swirl of steel that lashed at the dock as she slowly moved toward me.

I sent another blast of air at her, enough that she should have been sent flying. But as soon as she saw my staff moving, she braced herself, dropping down to all fours on the deck. Her steel fingers and toes clutched at the wood, before the sight of her disappeared behind a solid wall of sheet metal.

With her hair punching into the dock and flattening out, my spell just rolled over and around it. I saw the make-shift wall shudder under the blow, but then the spell was gone, and she was advancing again, her hairs once more whisking about in a cyclone of steel.

I backed my way down the dock, knowing that I only had so much further to go before I ran out of space.

"I bet you go through a lot of combs," I said, while trying to come up with a new idea. "And hats. Hoo-boy, I bet you're hard on hats."

The demon snarled as I glanced over my shoulder, confirming I only had another dozen yards or so. But as I turned my attention back to her, it was to find the steel-skinned demon leaping, her longer hairs swooping down like daggers as she tried to turn me into a pin-cushion.

Once again I raised my shield, blocking the attack. I leapt backwards as she landed, putting as much space between her and myself as possible. The Denarian remained crouched, her whirlwind of blades continuing to provide a spinning barrier that I couldn't get past.

As I whispered up a spell, motion behind the demon caught my attention. When I looked, I saw that the two women from the boat were making their way down the gangplank. The brunette seemed to be supporting the blond, but neither was doing all that well.

Something I saw startled me, and frost flew across my vision in a flash. As the ice twisted and shifted, magnifying my sight once again, I focused on the wrapped package beneath the dark-haired woman's arm.

"Barnacles," I muttered, realizing that I'd made a stupid mistake.

In my haste, I'd assumed the women would keep the Shroud in a safe. But as I thought about it, I realized that the lock-box would be the most obvious place for it. Anyone that came on board would assume it was there, and focus their attention on it.

Which meant the best place to keep it was somewhere else entirely. Like the basket of laundry that had been sitting on the stacked laundry machines. The ones that had been directly behind me, where Valmont had started toward rather than checking the false fridge.

The Denarian didn't look back, so she had no clue that the prize was escaping.

"Rexus mundus!" I shouted as I finished my spell. The Denarian leapt as soon as she heard it. When she left her feet, her hair biting into the dock in a rolling wave to keep her from being blown away by another blast, I leapt backwards, well off the end of the dock.

The demon snarled as she slammed onto the last boards, her four eyes narrowing as she watched me land on the floating glacier that had formed behind me.

As I bobed on top of the lake, the Denarian studied me, considering her options. Based on the stench of lake water I'd smelled in the cabin, I had no doubt she could manage to stay afloat, despite being made of steel. She looked like she was considering a leap at the glacier, but knew that I could knock her off course once she hit the air.

"Sorry. There's not room on here for the both of us," I called out to her. "But I promise my heart will go on. Near, far, wherever you are."

Not bothering to wait and see what she did, I prepared two more spells. The first I unleashed with a swing of my staff, swiping the length of scorched wood across my front. The motion accompanied the force spell that cut through the four posts holding up the deck segment beneath the Denarian.

As the ground gave way beneath her, the demon thrashed, caught off-guard. Her body hit the water at the same time I unleashed the second spell. "Rexus mundus!"

She screamed as her body was encased in ice, the weight of her steel form and the deck trapped with it enough to cause the glacier to dip below the surface.

I saw some of her hairs still thrashing in the air as she disappeared, trying to catch onto the dock that remained intact. Another air spell knocked them away, and then the glacier was adrift, floating away from the coastline.

Watching it depart, I sent power into the water between me and the dock. As I started walking forward, the glacier grew, becoming a path of ice only a few inches deep that formed just before my feet touched down.

When I reached the dock, I stepped up onto the wood planks, and sent more cold power into the lock of the box.

When the steel was frozen, I tore at the lid, wrenching it free.

The lock-box was empty.

Cursing, I tossed it into the water, and made my way back up the dock, leaving the Denarian to drown.


It was clear that the women were long gone, and the Shroud with them. I wasn't too worried, seeing as I had a good idea of where they'd be that night. But just in case I was wrong, I made a quick pit-stop back on the boat.

Down in the cabin, I looked to where the two women had fallen. I'd struck Valmont on the forehead, and my guess was that she'd have a nasty lump within a few hours. The blow to Garcia's temple was more fortunate; it might not have kept her out for long, but it'd broken the skin.

I was careful to take a generous sample of the sanguine fluid on the floor. The moisture from the shower was almost enough to make it worthless for magic, but I was confident it could still help me track Garcia down.

That was my intention as I made my way back toward dry land. With some luck, I'd be able to catch up with the women before any other Denarians showed up.

But as I was waiting for a cab to show up, the communication ring vibrated against my finger, indicating that Lacuna was trying to get in touch with me.

What's up? I thought while channeling power into the ring.

Your presence is required at home, my lord, Lacuna replied. A cab slowed down, and I made my way toward the door.

Why? I replied. I'm kind of in the middle of something.

The intermediary for the duel has arrived, she informed me. If you do not return to meet with her, she will interpret it as an admission of guilt, and will rule against you.

"Shit," I said as I settled into the back of the cab. The driver turned, either looking for a destination, or wondering at my outburst. I gave him the former. "Eight eighty-eight Ralston."

I'll be there shortly, I told Lacuna as the cab started moving.

The fairy acknowledged that, and the connection between us dropped. I spent the ride home cursing my luck, and worrying that the distraction caused by Bianca's meddling was going to cost me the Shroud.


A light snowfall had begun by the time I arrived. There was a car waiting in the driveway when the cab dropped me off. As I made my way toward the townhouse, the driver's door opened, discharging a large man only slightly shorter than myself, but sporting a physique more like Michael's.

He wore a black driver's cap, although he didn't look like any chauffeur I'd ever seen. The rest of his outfit was more casual, although the lump of an underarm holster confirmed he wasn't some hired driver. I noted some paperwork in one gloved hand.

There was something about him that felt like danger, even though he showed no outward sign of hostility. If anything he looked bored, but still managed to look me over with professional scrutiny as I approached.

"You Dresden?" he asked, his gunmetal gray eyes expressionless as he eyed my staff. Which would sound bad if I were anyone but me.

"I tend to get his mail," I replied, my eyes shifting to the car. The windows were tinted, preventing me from seeing anything of the woman Lacuna had mentioned. "What do I call you, Jeeves?"

"I'm Kincaid," he replied, holding some paperwork out for me to review. "Our documents."

"Kincaid?" I asked, casting him a dubious look. "Nah, I'm think I'm going to stick with Jeeves."

"Then why'd you ask?" the man replied, an almost amused curl appearing at one corner of his lips.

"Kincaid sounds cool," I replied. "Maybe I would have let you use that name if not for the hat."

The man's eyes drifted up, catching sight of the short brim. "She prefers when I wear it."

"Uh huh. Whatever you say, Jeeves." I looked over the papers, although it didn't do me much good. I'd read over the Accords once or twice, but I was no expert. They looked to be in order, but for all I knew they were forgeries. "Alright, what do you need from me to get this over with?"

Kincaid's eyes narrowed slightly. "I think it'd be best to finish the conversation inside."

"That's not going to happen," I replied with a firm shake of my head. "No way am I letting strangers past my wards."

The driver's gaze narrowed further. "We would pledge to abide by the laws of hospitality during this visit."

"And if that were enough to ensure someone's intentions, we wouldn't be in this mess, would we?" I shot back. "Unless you're willing to concede that guests are completely restrained from acting against their hosts. In which case my innocence is proven, and we can all go about our day."

Kincaid sighed, a sound that seemed to imply he would rather just kill me and get on with his business. But instead, he just shook his head slightly. "Fine."

The man turned, although I noted he kept me in his peripheral vision. Points for him. I watched as he opened the door for the passenger, and waited to see who I was dealing with.

What I was not expecting was a girl of about seven to pop out of the back, her snow boots stepping careful onto the precipitation gathering on the drive.

She was a tiny slip of a thing, bundled up against the harsh weather in a bright pink puffy coat and ski pants. Matching gloves and a knit cap completed the outfit. As she exited, she extended a small pink parasol, which she held above her head to ward off the snow.

"What the hell?" I said aloud, not bothering to hide my surprise. "Who are you?"

"I am the Archive, Mr. Dresden," the girl replied softly, her voice as bland as the man's expression. "I have been chosen to act as intermediary in your dispute with Margravine St. Claire and Duke Paolo Ortega of the Red Court."

I shot her a dubious look. "Aren't you a little short for a librarian?"

If she got the reference, she didn't let it show. "I am not a librarian. I am the Archive," she repeated. "I possess the accumulated knowledge of humanity." She turned to look at the house. "Are we not going to step inside?"

"No," I told her. "No offense."

The girl nodded. "None taken."

"This is ridiculous," Kincaid said, his eyes turning about. "We should at least get in the car. Standing out in the open is reckless."

"If you're worried about it, don't be," I told him. "You're on my property. You're safe."

While most of my wards had been placed on the house itself, there were still more around the perimeter. Other than a pair of small gates at the front and rear, and the larger opening for the driveway that could be closed with a rolling gate, the entire property was enclosed in an eight foot iron fence.

With a sub-vocalized spell, the driveway gate began to close. Kincaid glanced quickly to it, and then back to me. He didn't seem to like the idea of being trapped anywhere, but recognized the necessity for his own peace of mind.

As soon as the gate closed, the perimeter wards activated. With them in place, nothing short of a major supernatural power was getting through. In addition, it had a distortion spell similar to the one on my hat worked into it, which prevented anyone outside from being able to clearly see or hear us as we stood in the driveway. There'd be no eavesdropping, either by magical or mundane means.

On top of that, I activated the shield bracelet on my left wrist. The braid of five different metals glinted briefly, the magic illuminating the microscopic spells the svartalves had laid into them and the five shields that dangled from the chain. They winked out after only a moment, leaving no visible sign that it was in use.

Rather than forming a solid barrier in front of or around just me, the spell extended outward, casting a thin sphere of energy that encompassed all three of us, the car included. The light snow around us slowly faded as it slid off the surface of the shield, even as I allowed the air within to warm somewhat.

The Archive looked around at the castings before nodding slightly. "That will be sufficient."

I'd been hoping for something more along the lines of amazement, but it seemed the Archive wasn't easily impressed. She simply closed her parasol and shook it out, before looking up to me. "Shall we begin?"

"Sure," I said, leaning against my staff. "How do we get this duel thing over with?"

"First, I will need contact information for your second," the Archive said.

"That'd be Lacuna," I replied. "Does she need to be here?"

"No need," the girl replied, turning slightly to Kincaid. The man withdrew a card which he passed to her, which she in turn passed to me. "Have her contact me there, and I will tell her where and when we will meet."

"Can't you just tell me know?" I replied, growing frustrated with the pomp and circumstance that always seemed to accompany matters of the Accords.

"No," the Archive replied simply. And with that matter settled, she moved on to the next. "Second, I will need to know your choice of weapon for the duel."

"Give me a second," I said, as I considered the options.

In my eight months as the Winter Knight, I'd participated in several duels already, mostly stemming from petty grievances drummed up as an excuse for the two Sidhe Courts to fight. At least one had been because of something Maeve had done, with her choosing me as her champion. As such, I'd gained some experience in the different types of duels available.

The first and second options were a fight with melee weapons or hand-to-hand. The former might be iffy if I wasn't allowed to use my magical tools. I'd been practicing with bo staff and sword, but wasn't terribly proficient with either. My guess was that Ortega had been around long enough to learn how to use several weapons, and would likely be my better.

Not to mention that either of those choices would be risky. The strength and speed offered me by the mantle would be more than negated by Ortega's own. I was fast, but not as fast as White Court vampire, much less the superior Red breed.

The third option was to wield energy. Seeing as I was a wizard, that'd be the best choice. But I knew that Ortega would get to decline one method, and he'd most assuredly do that.

The fourth option was to fight with wills, something that I might have an advantage at, but might not. Without knowing how much power Ortega had accumulated over his extended lifespan, I couldn't begin to guess at what I'd be dealing with.

"I'll go with magic. Energy."

The Archive nodded. "You understand that he will most likely decline in that venue, and you will be forced to deal with another."

"Probably," I said with a shrug. "I'll worry about that if and when it happens."

The girl nodded. "Very well. That is all we need for now." She turned to head back to the car, but paused before stepping inside. "Mr. Dresden, there is one other thing."

"What's that?" I asked, noting the detached tone of her voice.

The Archive looked up at me, so tiny compared to the hulking towers surrounding her. "I would strongly urge you to not violate the rules of the challenge in any way. Doing so would be construed as an admission of guilt, and would be treated as such."

"Why would you think I'd cheat?" I asked, growing somewhat offended.

"I have heard about you," she replied, her eyes flat. "And my predecessors have known yours."

I assumed she meant the Archives before her, as well as the Winter Knights before me. The mantle of Winter's champion was known to be borne by viciously cruel men that would rather stab someone in the back than face them on fair footing.

"I'm getting tired of everyone assuming the worst of me," I growled out, the air temperature dropping again. "I'll play by the rules."

The girl wasn't put off by my tone, although I noted that Kincaid shifted his weight. "Very well. Have your second get in touch," she replied, before slipping back into the vehicle.

Kincaid was quick to close the door, and then made for the driver's. He kept his eyes on me, which irritated me even more. So much so that I collapsed the shield around us before he made it back inside. Somehow the shield seemed to have gathered snow at the top, which then somehow got funneled down into the exact spot he was standing as the shield blinked out.

The driver glowered at me as he brushed snow off of his shoulders. I showed how little that meant to me by turning my back on him, while simultaneously firing off the spell to open the gate.

By the time I'd made it up the steps, the dark car was pulling out onto the street. I spared one last look at it, before heading inside.

It seemed I had things to do.