River: The Suicide Forest Part 14

Roy hung his head. "I guess," he said, feeling defeated. "I'm bushed."

Steven had to agree with Roy about being wiped out. The loss of June, Robbie, and the officer was weighing heavily on him, and part of him felt the need to keep in motion to avoid the pain of thinking of them. Roy, on the other hand, looked tired and ready to sleep.

"Alright," Steven said. "We'll go tomorrow. I'll pick you up at 9."

Steven drove Roy home and asked to borrow Roy's book for the evening.

Back as his place, Steven began reading through the book, looking for information on his markings. He had brought two other books back from Eximere, and he hadn't the time to go through them yet. He drank the rest of the coffee and continued reading, searching for anything that might help him understand the red diamonds on his hands.

He thought once or twice about calling Jason, but he never got around to picking up the phone. He really didn't want to have any conversation with Jason about the gift, not right now. What he'd just seen occur between a mother and her son, both of whom had the gift, turned him off the idea of sharing with Jason. I'll call him later, when I've got a better att.i.tude about it, Steven thought, returning to his reading.

Before he knew it, sun was streaming through the kitchen windows. He'd fallen asleep with the books, and it was morning. He checked his watch 8 a.m. Just enough time to get cleaned up and over to Roy's for the trip to Gig Harbor.

Roy seemed cranky the next morning, getting into Steven's car and not saying much.

"We need to discuss Evie," Steven said.

"I have nothing to offer," Roy said. "We'll have to listen to the old windbag once again."

"I wish you'd be nicer to her," Steven said. "She's helping us out."

"She tricked me into stripping naked for her," Roy said. "You won't change my mind."

"At least civil, then."

"I've been civil!" Roy said, getting upset. "Look, you're dragging your feet with Jason, you're making me track down Evie, now I have to spend more time with this snooty b.i.t.c.h and her G.o.dd.a.m.n cuc.u.mbers. I don't like any of it, and I have a right to be crabby about it."

Steven pulled into a drive thru for some coffee. This is about the cops, Steven thought. He blames himself for what happened to them. Steven decided to let the rest of the drive occur in silence.

"I fear you do not have a good report for me," Judith said as they walked into her sitting room. She was staring out the window at the water. The hair piled on her head had slipped a little.

"No, we don't," Steven said. "Robbie killed June. Two police officers shot each other; one died. The demon ripped Robbie open and took his hands. How it could have been worse, I don't know."

"Mmm," she said, still looking out the window, as though she'd heard it a million times.

"Evie was there," Steven said. "She told us the process had started, and we couldn't stop it."

"If she said that, then apparently Aka Manah tricked her too," Judith said, "into thinking he was the demon to whom the debt was owed. The debt remains unpaid, and her mate is no doubt being taunted by Aka Manah as we speak."

"What will happen?" Steven asked.

"He'd take her instead," Judith said, "but she's nothing compared to the power of the marked hands of gifted demon sp.a.w.n. That's what he really wants. He may force her to get them from Aka Manah, but she's no match for him. She'll die trying."

"What can we do?" Steven asked. "We feel responsible."

"Robbie's fate was sealed the day he was conceived," Judith said. "There's little you or anyone could have done. The grandmother, that's another story. She must have intervened, tried to stop it. Aka Manah would have made Robbie think that attacking his grandmother was the right thing to do."

"Same with the police officers," Roy said. "He made them believe that shooting each other was correct."

"People want to do what they think is right," Judith said. "Once you convince them that something is right, they will do it regardless of how horrible it is. It's what makes Aka Manah one of the most powerful demons. He doesn't force them into anything he uses their own free will against them. The child chose to kill his grandmother."

"Can we hunt down Evie?" Steven asked.

"And do what?" Judith said. "I suppose you could. What would you do, kill her?"

"I guess," Steven said. "Make her pay for Robbie and June's death."

"And her father's," Judith said. "Don't forget that. She probably had a hand in his death, too, based on what you've told me."

"Yes," Steven said. "For all those reasons."

"Well," Judith said, "she should be easy enough to kill. But keep in mind, she's got the police and a powerful demon against her. I doubt you'll get to her before they do."

Her pessimism bothered Steven. "Are you suggesting we just leave it like this?" Steven asked. "Really?"

"For all you know, the demon has already killed her, or enjoined her to recover the hands, which is a death sentence in and of itself."

"Perhaps the rival demon let Aka Manah have the boy," Roy said, "as part of a deal between the two of them. This father demon has been mysteriously absent."

"Surprisingly keen observation," Judith said. "Usually brains and brawn are rare companions but in you I see they are happily married."

Roy blushed.

"There must be something we can do," Steven asked.

"Unless you know how to kill a powerful demon like Aka Manah, I don't see how there's much you can do."

"What about Aka Manah's rival, Robbie's father?" Steven said. "Is there a way to take him out?"

"I don't know," Judith said, "he wasn't in the gla.s.s. I have no idea how powerful he is. If he's a contemporary of Aka Manah, he'll be similarly powerful."

Steven felt fl.u.s.tered. No approach seemed like a good one.

"What can you tell me about these?" Steven said, holding out his hands.

"Your hands?" Judith said.

"The markings," Steven said. "The double diamonds."

"I told you before, they're a warning," Judith said.

"A warning of what?" Steven said. "What exactly can I do?"

"This falls in your area of responsibility," Judith said, turning to Roy, "if you're his tutor."

"I have no idea what they do," Roy said dismissively. "I didn't even know he had the markings until you showed them to him."

"You're jealous," Judith said. "Aren't you? Why would a strong, virile man like you feel jealous of your son? It's some kind of masculine one-upmanship, isn't it? I've never understood males, always seeing battles where there are none, or inventing them if they're bored."

"No, it's not that," Roy said.

"Oh you needn't lie to me," Judith said, "it's written all over your face."

"I have no idea what to say to him about it," Roy said. "I've never see it before, I have no idea what it does."

"There's been no history of it in your family?" Judith asked.

"Not that I know of," Roy said. "Nothing about it in my father's books, either."

"That's rare," Judith said, "it's usually inherited."

"Not in this case," Roy said.

She turned back to Steven. "It's different for everyone," she said. "The exact ability is unique to each person. But in general, it'll be something that's dangerous to them."

"How do I find out?" Steven asked.

"Experimentation," she said. "I know of no test. Are you a man of your word?"

"What do you mean?" Steven asked.

"Nevermind, I want a thousand dollar deposit," she said, and pointed to her shelf.

"What?" Steven asked.

"Over there," she said, "in the bookcase. A thin volume, old blue spine, 'Varieties of Demonic Repression,' or something like that. Find it."

Steven stepped over to the bookcase and scanned the t.i.tles, looking for the book she described. He found it, pulled it from the shelf, and returned to her.

"I don't care if you're trustworthy or not," she said. "I want a thousand dollar deposit and I'll loan you the book. You can have the money back when you return it. People have the worst habits with books and I don't want that one to walk off on me. You'll want that book. Read it. It'll answer your questions."

"I don't have a thousand dollars on me," Steven said.

"Of course you don't, you'd be crazy to walk around with that much cash. There's plenty of banks in town. Come back with the money and I'll let you take it, but listen to me young man," she said, raising a bony finger at him. "I expect that book back, do you understand?"

"I understand," Steven said.

"And don't go thinking you can skip on the deposit," Judith said. "If I don't get it back in a few days, I'm going to issue a nasty curse you'll have a hard time getting rid of. Understood?"

"Understood," Steven said.

"Very well then," she said. "Take it and read. There's more in there than I can tell you."

Steven's phone rang. He pulled it from his jacket pocket. "I apologize," he said, looking at the phone. Then he looked up at Roy. "The caller ID says it's Bill Williamson."

"Take the call," Roy said.

"Pardon me," Steven said to Judith, and turned to walk to the far end of the room. He spoke in hushed tones and Roy couldn't hear everything he was saying. Roy was left, uncomfortably, alone with Judith. She eyed him.

"You're not married?" she said, observing his hands.

"I was," Roy said. "She died, a couple of years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Judith said. "She must have been an impressive woman to be able to handle all of you."

Roy wasn't sure what she meant, so he remained silent.

"You know," she said, raising a hand to adjust her hair slightly, "after this is over, you should come visit me without your son. Just the two of us."

"Well, that's a kind offer," Roy said, "I'll consider it." He looked back at Steven, wishing he'd hurry up.

"You have a mysterious quality about you," she said. "I'd enjoy finding out more about what makes you tick. Lift up your hood and check your engine."

Roy cleared his throat, and Steven pocketed his phone, rejoining them.

"He wants us to stop by," Steven said. "He says it's important."

"Alright, we'd better leave then," Roy said, smiling.

"Let me get that deposit you wanted," Steven said, handing the book to Judith. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

They drove to Bill Williamson's house. A deluge had hit, and the roads were wet and slick. It was slow going. They arrived at the house just after noon. Bill welcomed them in.

"I think you're going to be surprised," he said, leading them to a room in the back of his house. "Look who showed up."

He opened the door to the bedroom, and inside was Evie. She was cleaned up.

"Whoa," Steven said. "I'm not going in there with her."

"Why don't we all go out to the living room," Bill said. "She says she has something important to tell you."

They retraced their steps, and Evie followed them. They all sat in the furniture in Bill's living room.

"Just so you know," Roy said, looking at Bill, "the last time we saw her, she had pinned the corpse of your sister-in-law to the wall, and she was covered in her blood."

"I didn't kill her," Evie said.

"You sure didn't have a problem swinging her b.l.o.o.d.y corpse around," Roy said.

"She wasn't the greatest mother," Evie said defensively.