“He was excommunicated.”
“Ah. I like him better already,” he says. “So you’re the great wizard.”
“I’m Stark. Just Stark.”
I put out my hand. He takes it in his surprisingly large, callused mitt and shakes.
“I’m Arawn. Leader of this lost, buggered band.”
“Thanks for getting me out of there. Did you leave any Shoggots standing?”
“A few. Though not enough to trouble a church mouse, much less a grand wizard such as yourself.”
He can barely get it out without laughing.
“Fuck them. No one is going to miss them.”
He points to my midsection with his knife.
“You’re recovering well from your wounds.”
“I heal fast.”
“That’s good. Not always, though, is it? I heard of a vampire back in the old country. They’re fast healers too, you know. This parish father got ahold of one, don’t know how, but he did. Kept it in the basement of the church for weeks. Tortured it horribly. Said he was trying to understand the beast so he could conquer them for God. I think he was just having fun. Just goes to show you that healing fast isn’t always a good thing. Torture him all night. Let him heal all day and then start again. I think that’s what your friend back there had in mind for you.”
“Interesting story. A little bird told me that you Grays don’t like vampires.”
He cuts off and swallows another piece of the Power Bar.
“Just the ones that make bargains they don’t keep.”
I’ll have to ask Tykho about that sometime. Assuming she didn’t send whoever is following us. Then I’ll probably have to kill her.
I feel around for my coat.
“So, you’re satisfied with our services?” says Arawn.
“Yeah. I think I owe you a favor now.”
I take out a Malediction and light it. Instantly I feel better.
“Indeed you do.”
“What do you want?”
“What can you do?”
I take a long drag off the smoke. Wonder if the smoke is going to leak out through damaged lungs and fill my gut. I guess we’ll know if I start farting smoke rings.
“To tell you the truth, most of the hoodoo I’ve done over the last few years has been about killing or stealing things. I’m rusty at pretty much everything else, but I’m willing to give it a try.”
“That’s not what I was hoping to hear.”
“Sorry. Let’s try it this way. Tell me the first thing that comes into your head. The first thing you want.”
He sets down the knife and Power Bar.
“I’d like this century and the Sub Rosa that rose up in it to disappear like dust on the wind.”