The Silver Stag

  We were midway across the bridge when I felt one of the water elementals rear up, letting out a loud roar of anger. I started straight up, catching my breath.

  What’s wrong?” Herne asked, giving me a quick glance.

  “I’m not sure, but the water elementals are angry today. I just felt one let loose with a roar that shook my insides. I’ll see what I can find out. When we’re over the bridge, if you could pull off somewhere near the lake, it would help.” I glanced back at Viktor. “Can you bring up a maps app and see if there’s a park right near the lake?”

  Viktor was on it like white on rice. A few seconds later he said, “Yeah, Slater Park. The minute we hit Mercer Island, take the first exit, then turn right on Mercer Way, then right again on Twenty-eighth Street. After that, hang a left on Sixtieth, and we’ll be there in a block.”

  At that moment, we passed off the main part of the bridge onto Mercer Island. Herne quickly shifted into the right lane, following Viktor’s directions. Within less than five minutes, we were pulling into Slater Park.

  A small park, there were only room for a few cars, but we managed to find a parking space. We walked down the narrow path to the edge of the lake. Three stone steps took us to the edge of the water proper, and to our right was a long driftwood log to sit on.

  The park was small, probably the size of three lots, but it was a pretty place, with trees and benches, and geese wandering around by the water’s edge. I could see kayakers out on the lake, and I wondered how they were doing amid the choppy waves. To the right, a ways down the shore past several houses, was a small mooring for boats, and a pier on which people could walk out to sit and watch the water, or to fish.

  It would be easy for me to tune into the water elementals here. I knelt in the wet gravel and sand by the edge of the lake, reaching out to immerse my hand in the water. Herne and Viktor sat on the driftwood log, waiting for me.

  I closed my eyes, inhaling the fresh chill air, grateful that the rain had died away. As the icy water splashed across my fingers, once again, I felt the agitation of the water elementals who lived in the lake. I tried to tune into them, forming a question in my mind, trying to shape it into emotion rather than words. I zeroed in on their anger, expressing curiosity, essentially asking them what was wrong.

  One of the elementals—I believe it was the same one I had felt from the car—let out another roar and then came closer. I could feel it in the water. It rose from the waves, a frothy form frozen in spray, peeking from below the surface at me. As a tendril reached out through the waves to lap at my fingers, I felt it accept our common bond. A feeling of sadness and anger rushed over me. Anger at being used for something dark and dangerous, anger that something had crossed through it on the bottom of the lake, leaving a trail of sludge and slime behind.

  It felt like the water had been tainted where this creature had crossed, and the elementals were in an uproar about it. I tried to get the elemental to form an image of the creature, and a dark shadow rose up in my mind, the picture of a massive fox filling my thoughts. But it was no fox like I had ever seen. It was cloaked in shadow and flame, with multiple tails and teeth that were needle-sharp and gleaming like diamonds. Its hunger was insatiable. The energy hit me like a ton of bricks, knocking me back on my butt, dazed. I groaned, shaking my head as Herne ran over to help me up.

  “Are you all right?” He looked worried.

  “Yeah, I’m all right. I just got blasted with an image that I don’t quite understand. But the water elementals out there in the lake are furious. Something walked through the water, crossing across the lake, I guess on the bottom. Something that feels tainted and evil, and apparently it left a wake of that energy behind it. I’m pretty sure the elementals can clear it, but they’re so angry. The wind may be causing the whitecaps, but the water elementals are helping them along. They don’t like evil things in their home. And whatever this is, it feels invasive and hungry.”

  “Did you get a look at it? Were they able to give you a picture?” Herne asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, but I have no clue what we’re dealing with. It looked like a fox, but it had a number of tails, and teeth that reminded me of sewing needles. They looked like bone, rather than metal. Sound familiar?”

  He shook his head. “I have no idea. But we can do some research. Was there anything else?”

  I shook my head. “No, just the anger over having their water tainted.” Shivering, suddenly feeling exposed, I added, “Can we leave now? I don’t think I can get anything else out of them.”

  Herne nodded. “I appreciate what you were able to find out. Come on, let’s get back to the car.”

  As we headed back to the parking lot, I glanced back over my shoulder. One of the water elementals rose up again, looking like a clear statue atop the water. I realized that only I could only see it, but I raised my hand and waved, and it waved back. A gentle energy washed over me, almost like an apology. I smiled faintly, wishing I could connect with them easier. In my heart, I realized that I loved the water elementals. And I wished my mother was still alive to teach me her heritage. As we climbed into the car, I fastened my seatbelt and locked my doors. The day had grown darker, in more ways than one.

  “SO WHERE WAS the body found?” Viktor asked from the backseat.

  Herne turned the heat up. “I hope you don’t mind, it’s a little cold in here.”

  Neither Viktor nor I objected. I warmed my hands over the welcome blast of heat coming out of the side vents.

  “We’re not far from where they found the boy,” Herne said. “We just continue on Mercer Way until we reach Groveland Beach Park. He was found in the park, down near the water.”

  I pulled out my phone and looked up the park on the maps. “That’s directly across from Seward Park. Something crossed through the water that disturbed the elementals. Want to make a bet it was our monster?”

  “If so, then we know whatever this is can travel from the Eastside through the water to Seattle proper. Which means it’s not stationary. And that’s a problem.” Herne’s brow furrowed, and he shook his head. “Whatever it is, it has to be relatively new to the area. Otherwise, we would have seen victims like this for a long time now. Its hunger seems insatiable.”

  “Either that, or it just woke up,” Viktor said. “There are a number of creatures that are asleep in the depths. Whether it be the depths of the water, or the earth, or even an interdimensional space.”

  “It might have come in off the astral,” I said. “Wherever its origin, we have to find it and send it back, or better yet, defeat it. Trouble is, we have no idea how strong it is, or what its vulnerabilities are.”

  “Yeah, I thought about that.” Herne nodded to a fork in the road ahead. “We turn here, onto Fifty-seventh Street. From there, it’s a jog to the left and we pull into the parking lot at Groveland Beach Park.”

  Mercer Island was a haven to the rich, mostly human, population. The houses were kept in pristine shape, and gated communities were standard. As we passed through the streets, there seemed to be an odd superficial feel to the place. Oh, it was pretty, but it felt very chrome and glass, almost stark even among all of the trees. The lawns were perfectly manicured, the hedges smooth and even, and nothing stood out of place as unique or different. All in all, it was a cookie-cutter community.

  We pulled into the park, which was a little bigger than the one we’d been at before. Herne eased into a parking spot, and we set out on the trail, headed down to the beach.

  The trail led through a small stand of trees, opening out onto the shoreline. Across the lake, we could see the hilly knoll of Seward Park, and to the northwest, the more distant shoreline of Seattle. Here, patchy grass offered a place to spread out a blanket for a picnic, and a compacted sand shore looked out into the water, complete with a walkway onto a pier. Ladders dipped into the water for swimmers to hold onto. There was a small bathhouse a few hundred yards away, as well as park benches every few hundred yar
ds.

  Near the bathhouse, a man in uniform was waiting. He looked like a cop.

  “Don’t say anything when we meet him. Let me do the talking,” Herne warned us.

  Viktor nodded, looking used to this.

  We walked over to the man, who was leaning against the blue brick building. He straightened up when he saw us, and gave Herne a slow nod.

  “Nice day,” Herne said. “Any news today?”

  “Yeah. Found it on the body. Check your stash.” And with that, the cop cut through the trees to head up the trail.

  Herne walked over to the trashcan and pushed back the flap, reaching in to pull out a small plastic bag. He waited until the cop was out of sight, then opened it. Inside, there was what looked like a computer jump drive. Slipping it into his pocket, he motioned to us.

  I wanted to ask what had just happened, but Viktor wasn’t saying a word, and I decided to keep my mouth shut until I knew it was okay to speak. For all I knew, cops had the park bugged or something.

  Once we reached the car, Herne pulled out a mini-computer and powered it up. He plugged in the jump drive and a document appeared, along with a number of files.

  “Well, what do have we here?”

  “What is it?” I asked craning my neck, trying to see.

  “Our informant found this on the body, and it looks like some interesting information here.” He glanced up as Viktor leaned forward to look over the backseat. “By the way, our victim’s name is Kevin Mason. Was…Kevin. Poor kid. But it looks like he’s been doing some snooping around. There’s a file labeled ‘TirNaNog,’ and a file labeled ‘UnderLake,’ and several others. We need to take this back and have Yutani analyze it. I want to know what this kid got himself into. Unfortunately, I have the feeling whatever it was, also got him killed.”

  YUTANI POCKETED THE jump drive when Herne handed it to him, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Always happy to help,” he said, heading off toward his office.

  Angel was wrapped up reading through the office email, and Talia was nowhere to be seen. Viktor excused himself, leaving Herne and me in the reception room.

  Herne glanced at me. “Come in my office and have a talk?”

  I followed him back to his office, wondering what it would look like. I got a surprise when we entered the room. I had expected form and function, but this was nothing like what I had anticipated.

  The room was fairly large, the walls pale sky blue, with a white ceiling. It was filled with plants, all of which looked healthy and lush, and a pair of massive antlers was mounted on the far wall. They were polished to a high sheen. A large case against one wall held a number of weapons behind locked glass doors. I saw at least four handheld cross bows, a regular bow, a number of blades—including a sword—and some various hand-to-hand combat weapons.

  To one side sat a mini fridge, and next to it, a table holding a microwave. The desk was walnut, the dark wood shone under the light, and the accompanying leather chair was black. They both sat beneath the antlers. To the right, a cot was made up with two thick pillows and a microfiber blanket. To the left, a pair of wingback chairs sat kitty-corner next to a small end table. In front of the desk was another pair of wingback chairs.

  “Nice digs.” I looked around, but saw no pictures of any kind other than a couple paintings on the wall that were autumn landscapes.

  Herne moved around behind the desk, taking his seat. He motioned to one of the chairs opposite. “Sit down. Do you want something to drink? More coffee, or maybe some juice?”

  “Water, if you have it.” I wanted more coffee but I knew my body could use some water, and I felt jarred. Maybe it was the interaction of the water elementals, or the knowledge that we were looking into a fourteen-year-old’s death. Whatever the case, my nerves felt on edge.

  “Flavored or plain? I have lemon and berry flavors.” He moved to the small refrigerator.

  “Berry is good.” I accepted the bottle of water and leaned back in the chair. The leather was so soft it reminded me of a baby’s butt. I let out a sigh as I opened the water and swigged it back.

  “Feeling overwhelmed?” Herne returned to his seat, bringing his feet up to rest on his desk. I cringed when I saw his boots touched the pristine wood. He must have noticed because he slipped his feet back on the floor and sat up, dusting off the desk.

  I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I suppose ‘overwhelmed’ is a good word for it. So much has happened the past couple of days that I think I’m still in mild shock.” I hesitated for a moment.

  “What is it? I’d rather you come out and say it than hide any resentment or worry.”

  “It’s not resentment. In fact, I think this is going to be a good gig. It sure beats scrounging up clients on my own, even though I do like working for myself.”

  I tried to find the right words. Finally, I said, “I think that dealing with this much death is taking a toll on me. I’ll adapt, but I’m not used to dealing with murders. The last time I had to face anything so gruesome was when I found my parents. I’ve killed goblins and the like, but innocent victims, I haven’t dealt with very much. Usually the goblins are thieves or they’re causing a ruckus. They aren’t supposed to be here anyway.”

  I wondered if he’d think I was weak and reconsider having taken me on. But he just gave me a long, considered look.

  “It always takes time to adapt. I’d be worried if you didn’t feel some sort of reaction. Angel’s having a harder time of it, I can tell. She and I talked earlier on. She’s definitely not used to this sort of activity. I suspect the fact that we had to relocate her brother to safer territory is also eating at her. But there’s not much we can do about it. I’ll arrange for her to talk to him on the phone soon, and that should help ease her concerns.”

  “I appreciate it. Angel’s my blood, even though we don’t have an actual family connection. And DJ’s a good kid. I guess looking into a teenager’s death hit home today. I keep thinking about DJ and how close he came to being killed.” I paused. “In the woods, how did you happen to be around when I was tracking DJ?”

  Herne leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I was following you. As I said, we’ve been watching you for a while now. My mother contacted me and told me to get out there and track you down. I’m not sure how she knew what was going on, but I don’t question her. And I certainly don’t question my father. I learned the hard way that neither one appreciates it.” With a laugh, Herne picked up the stack of papers on his desk and glanced at them. “Angel certainly does her job thoroughly.”

  I wasn’t sure what else to say. I wanted to stay, to talk to him, but I wasn’t certain what to talk about. I was feeling extremely awkward, when Herne looked up at me.

  “After work today, do you want to grab a burger with me?”

  I blinked. I hadn’t been expecting that. “Do you mean, with Angel?”

  “I was sort of hoping just you and me. You could give her the keys to your car and I can drop you off after we eat. That is, if you’re interested.”

  “I’d love to.” My words came out so forcefully that I blushed. I sounded like an overenthusiastic teenager.

  Herne just grinned. “I’d love to as well. All right, let’s go see what Yutani’s found out for us. He is brilliant, you know? The man’s IQ is off the charts. And he’s not just a computer geek, he’s really good at seeing patterns. But he can’t spell worth a damn.”

  As he escorted me out of his office, all I could think about was that we were going on a date. Herne smelled so damn good when he passed by me that I wanted to just climb up him and lick him like a lollipop. Right then Talia swung around the corner, and the look she gave me made me blush even harder. I knew right then that she had caught my thoughts and all I could hope for was that she would keep them to herself.

  Chapter 11

  WE GATHERED IN the break room again. Angel brought her notebook, and settled down at the table. She looked like she was feeling more comf
ortable, although I detected an aura of sadness in her eyes. It didn’t surprise me, since I think we all felt the same way.

  Yutani was the last to join us, and he was carrying several printouts as well as a laptop. He opened it up and tapped away at the keyboard for a moment, pushed it back on the table, then cleared his throat.

  “All right, I’ve been through his files. There are a number of them that will take me a while to go through, but I made a cursory examination of everything. This kid was brilliant. He was also one hell of a good hacker, and I’m not sure how he was able to snoop his way into the information that he did, but he had his finger on the pulse of a lot of things. If anybody suspected what he knew, it’s no wonder he was set up as a target.”

  “Like what?” Herne frowned. “Honestly, sometimes I wonder how kids make it to adulthood. Especially the smart ones. The dumb ones can rely on luck a lot of times.”

  “Well, first and probably foremost, he stumbled onto the Dark Fae during a summoning ritual. In fact, he recorded some of it on his phone. I have the video here. I think I know who—what—our killer is.” Yutani hit a key on the laptop, then turned it so we could all see the screen.

  Splashed across it was the image of a demonic-looking fox, with multiple tails. Its eyes gleamed with a cunning light, and there was something otherworldly about the creature. Other than the fact that it was obviously no ordinary fox. I caught my breath as I realized it was a photograph and not a drawing. And then I realized that was what the water elemental had been trying to show me.

  “Is that a picture that he took? That’s what crossed through the water.” As I stared at it harder, I realized that the fox was standing next to a bench, making it at least as tall as Viktor. The thing was huge.