Eventide (Meratis Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Jayden frowned, and before he could repeat everything they’d already said, Cassie added, “I mean specifically you two. Why didn’t Jasmine come?”

  His brow cleared. “Oh! Well that’s easy. I want to kill Raul, and Brady wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to explore your world. He would have been furious if we couldn’t remember every last detail.”

  From the bathroom they heard the toilet flush three times in a row, and the taps turn on and off. Jayden stretched a hand to the closed door as if Brady had just proved his point.

  “You mention killing Raul as if it were just a regular Sunday chore,” said Cassie. Jeff watched closely for signs that this disturbed her, but her face was blank, clinical. As if she wanted to use Jayden’s experiences for her thesis paper. Social Work for the Fictionally Oriented.

  “I’ve been planning how I’ll do it every day for almost six years,” Jayden replied, without venom, as a matter of fact.

  “How satisfied do you think you’ll be if you succeed?”

  Before he had a chance to answer, Brady came out of the bathroom, awe on his face.

  Jeff stared at him with a similar expression. In his clothes, Brady looked no different than anyone else off the street. He didn’t know why this surprised him. Brady was still human despite being from another world, but Jeff would have expected a lingering sense of otherness.

  Then the scholar spoke.

  “Water inside! Light that doesn’t run on oil! You said you didn’t have magic in your world.”

  Cassie hid a smile behind her hand, and Jayden focused his stare on the ceiling, possibly mumbling something about promises to stay calm.

  Brady flipped the nearest light switch and frowned when nothing happened. He flicked it on and off a few more times, poking his head into the kitchen and bathroom to see if anything changed there. “Why does this one do nothing?”

  Jeff patted the wall. “Because for all the genius we have in this world, there’s always that one guy who leads his wires nowhere.”

  Brady’s face fell, and Jeff regretted he’d had to disappoint him.

  “Hey,” he rested his hand on his friend’s shoulder, feeling the need to re-establish his enthusiasm. “My building’s old and falling apart. I guarantee you’ll see some true examples of genius. Including something we call poutine, gift of the gods.”

  Unappeased, Brady rapped on the wall, following the possible path of wiring from the useless light switch into the kitchen. He reached the refrigerator door and opened it with a gasp of excitement.

  “Oh gods,” Jayden mumbled. He shoved away from the wall he’d been leaning against. He rolled his eyes and removed the sword, resting it gently against the wall next to the door. His dagger remained at his hip. “If we’re all ready, maybe we should get going?”

  Cassie led the way to the elevator, Brady in raptures as the buttons lit up, the door slid open, and the metal box fell slowly towards the ground floor. Jeff watched him with amusement, right until they stepped outside. Then the whole of Montreal stretched out like a very large haystack, and Raul just one small needle.

  Chapter Three

  Jeff released a dejected breath. “This is going to be impossible.”

  Turning left, he started towards Old Port, preferring to start where he was most familiar. He recognised it as a cop-out, a way to avoid the full daunting task ahead of them. Just like the sad man feeding the pigeons, he spent at least an hour on the quay every day trying to brainstorm a good story idea, and never in all that time had he seen Raul. Unless he was the sad man feeding the pigeons. Jeff considered and dismissed the idea. Raul would have been catching and eating the pigeons. But Brady had requested a nice view, so Jeff would take them to one of the best.

  He kept half an eye open for familiar faces as they walked the boardwalks around the boats, but most of his focus stayed on the breeze brushing against his face and filling his lungs, a medley scent of gasoline, fish, and hamburgers.

  Jayden and Brady went to poke around the benches on the promenade towards the clock tower, but Cassie stayed by his side as he rested against the railing.

  “You know he’s not here,” she said, leaning back, her ponytail whipping in the wind. The quay was probably the only place in the city to get away from the heat.

  “He could be.”

  She smiled, gaze fixed on the park, and eyed the faces as they passed. “The more effort we put in, the sooner we find him, the sooner they’ll go away. If you want them to. Imagine the adventures you could write about.”

  Jeff rested his head in his palms and tried not to groan.

  Boots crunched over leaves and gravel as the others returned.

  “He’s not here,” said Jayden.

  “Think rationally,” Cassie said. “If he’s been here for six months, how has he survived? It’s not like Andvellian funds—if he had any—would be useful here. He would have no place to go. We should start with the shelters.”

  Jeff, Jayden, and Brady exchanged glances, each one recognising the “why didn’t I think of that” expressions on the others.

  Cassie sighed. “This is why Jasmine should have come.” She turned on her heel and started in the other direction, the men trailing after her. “There’s a soup kitchen nearby. We’ll start there.”

  Jayden walked ahead with Cassie and Brady fell into step with Jeff.

  After a few minutes’ silence, the scholar said, “We raided what was left of Treevale Fortress after we were sure Raul was gone. Talfyr’s made himself at home, but we waited until he went hunting, went in, scavenged through the rubble.”

  “You don’t need to fill me in on the local gossip. You know I’m not writing about you guys anymore.”

  “You’re not interested?”

  Jeff caught himself, realised he did want to know. These people weren’t his characters anymore, but they were still his friends.

  “Did Talfyr do a lot of damage?”

  “Demolished the place,” Brady replied, much to Jeff’s satisfaction. He hoped the dragon enjoyed it as much as Jeff would have. “Everything on the east side of the fortress is gone, the west mostly rubble. Except for Raul’s library of all things. We took as many books as we could back to the Keep. Maggie’s been going through them, looking for any spells that might be useful if Raul finds his way back.”

  Jeff felt his throat close at the memory of the walking corpses of Raul’s victims, drained of blood for his spells.

  “Those books are evil,” he said.

  Brady nodded. “Most of them. But they also have some good defensive spells, counter attacks that might help arm us against whatever Raul throws at us next. Maggie knows what she’s doing.”

  Jeff pictured the enchantress the last time he’d seen her, her plump frame squished into her corset, with blond curls and bright blue eyes. How sweet she seemed. On the surface. Jeff knew first hand how strong and tough and scary she could be.

  “What about Jasmine?” Jeff asked, hoping to move onto safer, lighter ground. “Have either of you professed your undying love?”

  Any hopes he had were dashed as Brady’s skin flushed to blend with his ginger hair. “No. She hasn’t coped as well as the family would like. After you left, once the excitement of those few weeks wore off, I think the reality of what happened to Corey hit her. She spends most of her time locked in her office or out riding Corsa.”

  Corsa, Corey’s white stallion.

  “I’m sorry,” said Jeff. He knew how Brady felt about Jasmine, even if those feelings weren’t reciprocated. He asked Brady once why he didn’t try to make a move in spite of Corey. It was obvious to Jeff that Jasmine did have feelings for both men, even if she chose not to admit any thought of the scholar. Brady had explained that Corey gave Jasmine strength. His anger was the iron spine that kept her going after the violent death of her father by Raul’s hand, and the passing of her mother. She had an entire village to run, and he gave her the courage to do it.

  Jeff suspected Brady was just afraid of getti
ng hurt, like Jeff had been with Cassie. And still was.

  Brady smiled. “It’s all right. She’ll find her way back. And when she does, if she wants, I’ll be there. There’s no one else for me, and I’m a patient man.”

  Jeff watched Cassie’s ponytail sway with each step, her face turned up towards Jayden as they chatted. Whatever subject they had chosen made her laugh.

  “I’ve been doing some research on dragons,” Brady said in an abrupt change in subject, interrupting Jeff’s thoughts.

  “Why?” Jeff asked, happy to oblige. “Is Talfyr causing problems?”

  “Quite the opposite,” said Brady, which didn’t come as a surprise. Jeff had started Evensong with the dragon as the villain. He never imagined Talfyr would become their ally in bringing down Raul. “He’s been a huge help clearing the forest around Treevale. Raul’s creatures are mostly dead, and any survivors have gone into hiding.”

  “So what sort of research?”

  Brady kicked at a pop can on the ground. “Mostly just histories and people’s memoires. They’re wonderfully varied. As you and Jayden experienced that day in the woods.” He paused to clear his throat as he stumbled over the reference to Corey’s death. “As you learned, dragons will attack if antagonised. Some of them are probably as cruel and malevolent as we believed them to be, but it sounds as if most behave like Talfyr did, happy to be left alone. One story stood out. Do you remember the history in the tapestry—the one about the founding of House Feldall?”

  “The one with the dragon that looked like a fish?”

  Brady smirked. “That’s the one.”

  “You said it was about Aenfeld, the first of the Feldall name. He earned his title by helping the country get rid of Talfyr the last time he was awake, but no one really knew how.”

  “Right.” Brady sounded surprised Jeff remembered so many details, but Jeff couldn’t help it. Everything he’d learned and seen was seared into his memory. “Well, one source I’ve found—and only one, so I’m not sure how much credence to give it—suggests Aenfeld found a way to communicate with the dragon.”

  “So he convinced Talfyr to leave by asking nicely?” Jeff asked.

  “I know it sounds ridiculous, but this writer goes into a lot of specific detail. He even gives some thoughts on how Aenfeld might have done it, dropping into a trance-like state and allowing his mind to travel.”

  “Are you going to give it a try?”

  “I already have,” Brady said, looking a little embarrassed. He squared his jaw. “How could I not? Imagine what I could learn, being able to communicate directly with a creature hundreds if not thousands of years old.”

  The scholar’s eyes lit up with excitement, but Jeff cringed at the word “imagine” and wondered why everyone felt the need to use it so often.

  “I wish you luck figuring it out. If anyone can, it’s you.”

  Up ahead, Cassie ducked into the doorway of a grim-looking building. It boasted a cold cement exterior, which didn’t match the loud energy that struck them as they opened the door.

  Jeff and Brady caught up with Cassie and Jayden as they approached one of the volunteers. Jeff was still trying to figure out what story they would use when Cassie started.

  “Excuse me, I’m hoping you could help us.” She flashed her teeth in one of her warmest smiles, and the man smiled back, in a way that implied he would be very interested to help. “We’re looking for my uncle. I don’t know if you’ve seen him. His name is Raul, and he might have come in about six months ago. Salt and pepper beard, short hair, about six feet tall.”

  Red eyes, desire to kill people.

  The volunteer’s smile faded into ruefulness. “I’m sorry, but that could be many of our visitors. You’re welcome to take a walk through the cafeteria to look for yourselves.”

  Cassie thanked the man and they headed into the busy room. Navigating the long tables, Jeff’s gaze jumped from face to face. Lots of dirty people, many with grey hair, quite a few that looked like they wanted to kill someone, but none of them Raul. As they walked back towards the door, Cassie nudged Jeff and jerked her head towards a man in a full business suit leaning against the front desk.

  Jeff sniffed. “Someone’s trying too hard.”

  “My guess is first day on the job. Looks pretty snappy.”

  “I’m sure everyone appreciates the overdress when they can barely afford the decently dressed.”

  As much as the man attracted their attention with his attire, Jeff couldn’t shake the feeling that they attracted his attention for some unknown reason. He felt the stranger’s gaze on them until they got back outside.

  For the next four hours, the results were the same. They walked another fifteen minutes to the next shelter, and when that failed they hopped on a bus to the next one a half hour away. It would have been easier with a photograph—or a painted portrait, Jeff suggested—but with the four of them searching, no one worried that they would overlook him.

  Jeff had one brief flash of hope when they stopped at a café between shelters, taking a short break to reset their thinking and introduce Brady and Jayden to the wonders of caffeine. While there, they spoke of Raul and where else they might try if the shelters failed. At the next table, a man in a mint green cashmere sweater inched his chair closer and set down his paper to pull out his phone. A regular thing for a person to do these days, but Jeff noticed the way he leaned into their conversation as if to hear better. The man sent a text and left.

  “Do you think we should follow him?” Jeff asked, keeping his voice low in case the sweater man was still within earshot.

  Jayden watched him walk away. “Because he carries that magical box thing? I’ve seen them everywhere.”

  “Me too,” said Brady, leaning in with interest. “What are they?”

  “Cellular telephones,” Jeff answered with a pensive frown, distracted by what he’d seen. “They make for quick and easy communication. Like when you overhear something interesting at the next table in a café and need to relay the information to someone.”

  Cassie looked from the now empty table to Jeff. “You think he was spying on us? Why?”

  “He looked awfully interested when we mentioned Raul’s name. I think it would have been worth it to go after him.”

  By the way the others focused their stares anywhere other than on Jeff, he could tell they didn’t share his opinion.

  Cassie smiled. “We’ve been at this for hours. We’re all a little jumpy and paranoid. You probably just imagined it.”

  Not likely, Jeff wanted to say, but kept his mouth shut.

  The sun started to set, the orange sky reflecting off the old stone buildings of McGill University, and they wound down their search.

  “Well that was a bust,” Jeff said.

  “You have a lovely city,” Brady replied.

  “The bastard really could be anywhere.” Jayden slammed his hand down on the metal fence around the campus yard.

  Cassie rested her hand on his elbow. “So we didn’t find him today. We’ll try again tomorrow. Search every day until we track him down. If these witch women say he’s here, then he has to be, right? There’s no way they could be wrong?”

  Jayden and Brady shook their heads; Jeff stared into the emerald grass at his feet.

  “Then there are only so many places he could hide. He’s not the Invisible Man. How about we grab some food? Maybe we’ll come up with more ideas on full stomachs.”

  “Always with the words of wisdom,” said Jeff, brushing a stray hair back from her face.

  Cassie grinned and slid her hand in his. Jeff cleared his throat and hoped she didn’t notice the way his palms immediately turned clammy at her touch.

  “Come on, I know a great place.”

  They walked past the university and finally ended up in the basement of a cozy pub. Students milled about, excited about their first days back on campus, complaining about professors and schedules. Mundane normal problems that Jeff would have given his pinky finger to
enjoy again.

  Cassie ordered appetizers and beer for the table, and she and Jeff derived great entertainment from watching Brady and Jayden try to wrap their heads around the concept of a menu.

  The food was good, the beer light, frothy, and much better than the garbage Jeff kept in his fridge these days. After a half hour, he was willing to forget this was anything other than a friendly get-together, celebrating life and friendship, and a Sunday evening. No one pointed out when they caught the others searching for Raul, inspecting each new arrival for his familiar features.

  As one group of students cleared out, Jeff caught a glimpse of a man in a mint green cashmere sweater previously hidden behind them.

  He didn’t want to ruin their dinner and the first moment of peace any of them had all day, but he felt the need to vindicate himself and point the man out. “There, that’s him again.”

  With a lack of subtlety, both Jayden and Brady looked over their shoulders, and Cassie raised her chin to see past Jayden. “Who?”

  “The guy from the café. The one who was eavesdropping.”

  “Are you sure? I didn’t really notice him before, but I don’t think that’s him. Wasn’t that guy blond?”

  Jeff didn’t think so, but at the lack of recognition from anyone else, he started to doubt his senses.

  Paranoid, Jeff thought. I’ve officially gone insane.

  By the time the servers announced last call, the group was full, exhausted, and ready to call it a night.

  Jayden stretched with a loud yawn, and Jeff clued in to one more challenge.

  “Where are you two going to sleep?” He crossed his arms on the table. “No way you’re sharing the bed with me.”

  The Andvellians exchanged a glance, and Jeff suspected the need for accommodation had never crossed their minds.

  “Don’t worry about it,” said Cassie, after gauging their reactions. “You guys can crash with me.”

  “I certainly wouldn’t mind,” Jayden said, waggling his eyebrows at the same time Jeff said, “What?”