a cave, a mine, or even a basement.'
'The Elf Queen said that she saw him near water,' Milo added.
'Now if we lived in the desert that might help,' Sam said sardonically.
I leaned against the wall. I was not feeling very good. It was probably the stress. I closed my eyes. The pulse in my head was pounding, my heartbeat was elevating. My lungs constricted. I felt like I was going to be sick.
'Owen saw the Tattooed Man with Montgomery in the background. He's going to be looking for the Cursed One as well.' Harbinger waved his hand over the area representing central Alabama. 'But by now he could be anywhere… Owen, was he coming or going? And could you tell what direction? Owen?'
I could not answer. My mouth had suddenly dried up, leaving me unable to speak. My legs had gone numb, and I slid down the wall, flopping to the floor. My vision was fading.
'Owen!' Julie shouted.
'Aw hell.' Harbinger hurried to my side. Squatting down, he grabbed my head. 'Hey! Stay with me. That's an order.' He shook me. 'Owen!' Behind him I could see the blurry forms of the other Hunters rising to their feet in alarm.
I tried to apologize, but I was fast slipping into unconsciousness. I felt Julie's hands on my neck as she took my weakening pulse.
Chapter 25
'Sorry. Is best can do,' the Old Man whispered.
'Where are we?' I looked around, but our surroundings were pitch-black and revealed nothing. I could feel his presence standing besides me.
'Shhh.' His frail hand landed on my shoulder. 'You want him to hear us?'
'Okay.' Since I was not actually here, I could not really understand how whispering was supposed to help anything. 'I think I'm dying.'
'No, you be fine. Unless mess up I do. Then get dead for sure.'
'That's supposed to make me feel better?' It was discomforting to be in the darkness. There was an absence of sensation not limited to just vision. I could not hear anything other than my companion. There were no scents, not even the feeling of the air on my skin. I missed the battle-damaged village. In comparison to the sensory deprivation, the shelled-out bunch of rubble might as well have been a plush resort.
'Where are we?'
'Same as before, town was just last thing I see, so is what have to show in your head. Takes effort to make like real. And Cursed One found it. So now we sneak in for look. I promise to show Cursed One's place. Other way not work now. Cursed One has shielded his mind. Blocked his memory. We try this way. I think might work perhaps… maybe.'
'Mordechai, I swear that if you screw up and kill me, I'm going to be pissed. If I end up a ghost, I'm gonna be kicking your ghost ass for eternity.'
'Ooh. Tough talk for alive person. Haunting is much hard work. Kids today not work hard enough to do such things. Now be ready. Is much danger… I try to show. Then we go away before catches us he does. He knows about me now. He is ready to stop me. Ready to fight you.'
'What happens if he catches us?'
'You get stuck like me.'
'And what if he catches you?'
The Old Man did not answer. I felt his hand tighten on my shoulder.
'What happens if the Cursed One catches you?'
'Not know. But must try.' There was a slight trembling in his raspy voice.
'What are you going to do?'
'Like first time I show. You leave body. Go quick so nothing comes and lives in you. We take look. We get out. Hard to explain. If something bad happens, you go. Go away fast. Go back to self. Just wake up. Should be safe when wake.'
'We don't need to get so close. Can't we just float overhead or something? That's all I need. No need to get all up in his face, or tentacles, or whatever.'
'Not work like that again. Shielded. No. We go right in. Take you right to artifact I can. Then out. Out fast. No try to fight. Without body, you not have chance this time.'
'I did okay last time,' I lied. Even though I could not see him, I knew that he was shaking his head disapprovingly. Luckily he did not whack me with his cane.
'No, Boy. Not like that. You still not understand what you have done.' He sighed. 'Here, take these things.' I felt something bump against my arm. I fumbled around in the dark until I found his waiting hand. He placed several small objects into my palm and then squeezed my fingers shut. 'Maybe you can use.'
'What are they?'
'I promised more toys to you. I keep promise. If we not die in next few minutes, still very strong vampires to face you have. Sorry I not can give more, is best can do.'
'Thanks.' I put the little objects away. 'I don't know how they work, but they do a number on vampires.' I remembered the look of shock on Susan Shackleford's undead face after she had burst into flames. I would be glad to have more of the little killer toys.
'I not know really, but think maybe have idea. Long time ago, before I got calling, like you got short straw… before I hunt monsters. I was-how you say? — craftsman. I build… I build things with hands.' He sighed again, sounding very sad. 'I think now, the memory I have left, is all I have. I make things again. I know are rough, but has been long time for me. I send you back with them. I send back to real world with these things I create. Back you go to the world, with these little bits of me. Bits of who I was. Maybe even who I am still now.'
'I don't know if I understand.'
'Holy things when used by faithful person is much powerful. Why? Not because of little metal star or little wooden cross. No, because of belief. Belief that good beats evil, because of strength that is inside people. For me, not believe-know. These little things, they are all I have left to give.'
'Thank you,' I said, and I meant it. The toys were physical manifestations of the Old Man, created from his memory and translated into the real world through unknown means. The little objects were like bottled faith.
'Boy… glad I have been to be stuck in your head last little while. Gives me hope for future… if world not get destroyed of course. Then short future that would be. You are good boy. Proud. Stubborn. Sometimes stupid. But always try to be good. Heart means to be good. Makes me glad that other one chosen is good man. No matter what happens. Promise… promise you finish this. Even if I not there to help.'
'Of course. But don't talk like that. You aren't going anywhere.'
'Bah… is much danger in this thing. Promise me.'
'I promise I'll finish this.'
'Good. Now remember things you have seen. Remember things I have show you. Is up to you, many things which I not could tell, I have show you. Remember them, and all will be fine.' He patted me on the shoulder.
A grim feeling of dread hovered around us. I tried to steel myself in preparation for our raid. The odds were not in our favor.
'It's been an honor,' I stated solemnly.
'Me too, Boy. Me too… Now let us go and look. Make no sound. Try not to think so loud. As you say, let's do this thing.'
A sensation of sudden movement. An abrupt stop.
Dark. Cool. Damp. Musty.
I could sense the spirit that was the Old Man near at hand. There were other things in the dark as well. Not quite living, but refusing to be dead. The presence of the ancient and powerful vampires was thick in the cavern, as well as the oily taint of the Cursed One.
There was no light, but since I was not seeing through eyes, it did not matter. We were in a cave. A mammoth opening in the earth. Pillars of rock stretched from floor and ceiling, most of the stalactites and
