Corrigan Rage (9 page)

Unable to help myself, I laughed. Mack spun round and began walking away.

‘You will tell me what you really are,’ I called out, making both her and me a promise, ‘and what is really going on sooner or later.’

Her back stiffened and she shook her head in mute denial as she padded away. I watched the swing of her hips and brushed my fingers against my mouth.

‘Sooner or later, kitten,’ I whispered after her.

‘It’s not been easy to dig up this information, my Lord,’ Staines informed me. ‘And I fail to see why it’s so important.’

‘I told you. A wraith appeared out of nowhere, thoroughly kicked my arse, and then vanished again. Chances are it’ll be back.’

He sniffed. ‘As much as it pains me to agree with Ms. Smith, it’s the vampires’ problem, not ours.’

‘When they have a problem, we have a problem.’ I gave him a hard look. ‘There’s nothing more dangerous than a cornered animal. A cornered vampire...’

‘Fine, fine. I take the point.’

‘So what have you found?’

He took a deep breath. ‘It’s old. The story goes that the Palladium held a prominent place in Troy.’

I raised my eyebrows. ‘As in the Trojan horse? That Troy?’

‘The one and the same. It passed down to the Romans. Cicero, apparently, was something of a collector. He gave it to a group of Italian vampires in return for some help with the Roman Senate.’

‘Why did they want it in the first place?’ I asked curiously.

Staines waved a dismissive hand in the air. ‘Because they’re greedy bastards. There is nothing, anywhere, to indicate that the Palladium has power. It’s just a piece of wood. At the turn of the century, this wraith person,’ his mouth downturned, ‘stole it along with a number of other objects. The vampires objected to the theft and tracked him down. He paid for his actions.’ He looked up from the file. ‘I can go into detail about what they did to him. It wasn’t pretty.’

I shook my head. ‘I can manage without that information, I think.’

‘Anyway, Trryl escaped several decades later. I have no clue where he’s been in the intervening years but...’

‘...now he’s back and he wants the Palladium,’ I finished. I rubbed my chin with the base of my thumb. ‘That has to beg the question of why.’

Staines shrugged. ‘Who knows why a damned wraith does anything?’

‘We need someone who was around during Roman times. If it was the Romans who had possession of it back then, they might know why it’s important.’

‘Well,’ he replied, rolling his eyes, ‘if you can find someone who’s over 1600 years old and happy to chat with us, then I’ll be impressed.’

I grinned. ‘You might be surprised.’

*

I
t was easier than I thought to track Beulah down. She had some well meaning followers on the Othernet who often spent their free time wandering after her. Their intention was to help out whichever poor unsuspecting human Beulah was targeting. Despite their Otherworldly nature, they still didn’t understand that the banshee wasn’t responsible for the forthcoming death – she was merely advertising it. Some people can never see what’s right in front of their faces.

Word was that she had been in the East End for the previous two evenings. Banshees would only shriek about an individual’s impending doom for three days. One more night and she’d be moving on so I had to find her before that happened and she ended up on the other side of the country. There was neither rhyme nor reason as to where Beulah decided to show up. If she was here in London now then I had to grab her while I could. Hoping that a woman’s touch might do the trick in persuading her to help, I dragged Leah along with me.

My sister was remarkably distracted, gnawing on her fingernails and frequently losing focus. Several times I had to snap my fingers in front of her face to bring her back to reality.

‘What’s going on with you?’ I asked, more concerned than annoyed.

‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

‘Did something happen in Russia?’ She’d been gone for less than three days but I’d rarely seen her so unfocused.

‘No.’

‘Then why...?’

‘Please, Corrigan. I really don’t want to talk about it.’

I watched her carefully. ‘I might be able to help.’

She laughed slightly, although it was without amusement. ‘Believe me, Corrigan. I’ve seen your lack of expertise already in matters like this. I don’t think you can do anything.’

‘Matters like what?’ She gave me an irritated look. I held up my hands. ‘Okay, okay. I won’t ask again.’

Leah sighed. ‘Thank you.’

A sudden scream ripped through the air. It was high-pitched, with a similar quality to that of raking fingernails down a blackboard. We exchanged glances.

‘There’s your banshee. Although I’m not sure how she’s going to be able to help.’

‘She communes with death,’ I told her, jogging off in the direction of the sound. ‘And I need someone to talk to a ghost for me.’

We tracked her down several narrow streets. Fortunately for us, Beulah’s voice was in full swing, screeching with incredible gusto. Within less than ten minutes, we saw her, floating above the pavement and peering into a dark, curtained window. She lapsed into silence for a moment or two, her eyes searching into the house as if she could see inside. When she opened her mouth to begin again, I rushed forward. I didn’t want my eardrums damaged.

‘Hey Beulah,’ I said conversationally.

She gave me a curious look. ‘Corrigan. Although it’s Lord these days, isn’t it?’

‘Yes,’ I answered distractedly. ‘Listen...’

‘I’m really busy.’ She pointed ahead. ‘Sixty three years old. Three children. Seven grandchildren. And sometime tomorrow morning he’s going to drop dead from an aneurysm.’

‘You know,’ I said quietly, ‘he can’t hear you.’

Her eyes narrowed.’Some humans can.’

‘Less than one percent of the population.’

‘If you only had a few hours left to live, wouldn’t you want to know so you could say goodbye to your family?’

I thought about it. I wasn’t sure I would. ‘Look,’ I said instead, ‘I really need your help.’

‘I told you I was busy.’

‘How long have you been here?’

‘Today? An hour or two.’

‘Then,’ I suggested gently, ‘you’ve given him fair warning as it is.’

‘Whatever,’ Leah snapped. ‘He’s going to die regardless. We need you to talk to a ghost.’

I stiffened but her direct manner seemed to appeal to the banshee. ‘Anyone interesting?’

‘Actually, yes,’ I interjected. ‘We just need to travel a short distance up north. I’ve got a mage waiting down at the river. He’ll open us a portal.’

‘Pah!’ Beulah scoffed. ‘I don’t need a mage. Tell me where we’re going and, if it’s interesting enough, I’ll transport you.’

This was going better than I’d hoped. ‘Birmingham,’ I said. Leah shot me a curious glance.

The banshee’s nose wrinkled. ‘I’ve been there before. I don’t need to go again. The people there talk funny.’

‘It’s not a Brummie I want you to speak to.’ I tilted up my chin. ‘I’d like to go to Parson’s Hill,’ I said quietly.

Beulah blinked. ‘Boudicca?’

I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn’t been sure if that was her real grave site – there had been numerous possibilities. I nodded.

Beulah grinned. ‘Then let’s do it!’

Leah leaned over to my ear and whispered. ‘Boudicca? The warrior Queen?’

I was prevented from answering when Beulah let out a sudden shriek. Both Leah and I winced, covering our ears. Off in the distance, several dogs joined in, their howling creating a discordant harmony.

‘I just wanted to give him one last chance,’ Beulah said, when she finally finished.

A light flicked on in the upstairs window and all three of us froze. Even Beulah seemed surprised. ‘It hardly ever works,’ she said.

A toilet flushed and the light went off again. I gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘Sorry.’

She tutted. ‘You’re right. A Queen will be far more interesting than here.’

We emerged from Beulah’s portal, which felt somewhat less stable than the Ministry ones I was used to travelling through but decided against mentioning, and found ourselves on a busy pavement.

Leah stared dubiously at the building in front of us, her eyes sweeping from the queue of cars at the drive-in to the plastic clown at the doorway and the golden arches on the top.

‘McDonald’s? You’ve got to be kidding me.’ She twisted her head first one way then another, as if expecting a leafy hill marked with a tomb to indicate’ancient burial ground’.

I shrugged. ‘It’s not like Queen Boudicca planned it. I’m sure she’d prefer Burger King.’

I received a punch on my arm for my efforts. Leah shook her head. ‘It’s just so ... so ... mundane. Do we have time to grab a takeaway?’

‘Knock yourself out.’

Beulah had a self-satisfied expression on her face. ‘This is good,’ she said. ‘Last time I came here, the portal opened up on the roof. I almost knocked over the M when I stumbled out.’

Unbelievably glad that hadn’t happened, I shot her a curious glance. ‘You come here often?’

The banshee’s eyes sparked. ‘Why, Lord Alpha, are you trying to chat me up?’

I felt far more embarrassed than I should have. ‘No, no. I, er...’

Beulah cackled. ‘Just teasing. And, yes, I’ve been here a few times. I like to hunt out the older spirits. We can learn a lot from them. Not many are around, you know. It’s only the ones who feel they didn’t deserve to die who still linger on.’

I thought about what Corux had said about living in history. I had to admit that even with the incongruous fast food restaurant right in front of me, I was excited to see Boudicca.

‘You won’t see her,’ Beulah said, reading my mind. ‘You probably wouldn’t want to either. Her battle wounds are,’ she paused, ‘bloody.’

Swallowing down my disappointment, I nodded. ‘Will I be able to hear her?’

She smiled. ‘In a manner of speaking.’ She raised her arms up until they were perfectly perpendicular to her body and started to chant. Whatever language she was speaking, it wasn’t one I was familiar with.

A family of four, obviously heading into the restaurant, walked past with saucer-like eyes. The mother gave Beulah a wide berth but the two kids trailing behind were far more curious. The girl, a cute six year old with blonde piglets, stared at the banshee. ‘Why is that woman singing to us?’ she asked.

‘Hush!’ her mother said, throwing me a nervous glance. They hurried inside.

I watched them go, for the first time ever feeling an odd tug of wistfulness for my own family. I wondered what my own kids would look like and how they would act. Instead of blonde hair, my daughter would have bright red fiery locks, I decided. My son would have strange almond shaped eyes with flecks of yellow...

‘Hey! What gives? ‘ Leah was standing in front of me holding up two large bags.

I coughed. ‘Nothing. Beulah’s doing her thing.’ I waved an arm at the banshee who was continuing her strange singsong mutter.

‘I got you a few Big Macs.’ Leah said, still looking at me oddly.

I peered inside the bag. There had to be at least five. I quirked up an eyebrow and she shrugged. ‘You gotta eat.’

I grinned. I
was
hungry. I took one out and unwrapped it, raising it to my mouth.

‘You cannot eat that,’ Beulah said, her chant abruptly halting.

I turned to her. Her eyes were flat and hard and the look in them would have quelled many a man. ‘Excuse me?’

‘Honestly,’ she snapped, ‘you’d be far better off with a wild boar cooked slowly over a spit. Or even a squirrel. But that?’ She sniffed.

‘I like the burgers,’ Leah said.

‘Live with the smell for years and you’ll change your mind quickly enough,’ Beulah huffed.

I blinked curiously. ‘Queen Boudicca?’

‘Who else? You were looking for me, weren’t you?’

Leah gaped. ‘You’ve possessed Beulah?’

‘I have to communicate somehow, don’t I?’

‘Your English is very good.’ It was also oddly tinged with a modern Birmingham accent.

She gave me a disdainful look. ‘Of course it’s good. What else do I have to do all day but to learn the latest lingo?’

I coughed. ‘Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be rude.’

‘I’ll let it go, young man.’ She frowned at me. ‘But you’re not a man, are you? You’re a shifter.’

I inclined my head. ‘I am. My name is Corrigan. I’m the Lord Alpha of the Brethren.’

She laughed uproariously. ‘Of course you are!’

‘Is that funny?’ I frowned.

‘No,’ she said, wiping her eyes, ‘it’s just you don’t seem the type.’

My eyes narrowed. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Corrigan.’ Leah touched my arm.

I nodded. She was right. We weren’t here to discuss me. I took a deep breath and changed the subject, bowing slightly to indicate my respect. ‘I am here to request knowledge.’

‘I’d suspected as much.’ She leaned over and looked at the bag of burgers which Leah was still holding. ‘Can I have one of those?’

‘I thought you didn’t like them.’

She patted her stomach. ‘It’s not my body, is it? In the absence of any stuffed dormice, they’ll have to do. Besides, I’m rather partial to the gherkins.’

I was beginning to get the impression that the old Queen was rather mercurial. I’d have to tread carefully. In my experience, the more changeable a person was, the more likely they were to take unbridled offence at an innocuous comment. ‘Please,’ I said, offering her the one I was holding, ‘have mine.’

Without a word, she took it from me and began stuffing it into her mouth. It disappeared in three bites. It took almost everything I had to keep my expression bland. When she was done, she let out a loud belch. ‘That’s better,’ Boudicca said. ‘Now tell me, what is it you wish to know?’

I got to the point. ‘There’s an object that’s causing some problems. We are aware it was in the Romans’ possession for some time and thought you might be able to shed some light on it.’

‘Romans? Hah! I showed them, didn’t I? Where are the Romans now? Eh?’

Leah stared at her. ‘In Rome.’

I jabbed her with my elbow. ‘You did indeed show them,’ I said. ‘You were an esteemed warrior who lives on even now. Many a young girl nowadays wishes they could have your strength and wisdom.’