Lycans and Legends

Chapter 10: Of Pain au Chocolat, Peanuts, and Bones

I slid into the auto, smiling at Jericho who was sitting in the back seat.

“My grand-mère sent these,” I said, passing back a basket of pain au chocolat to the boy whose mood instantly brightened. He took the basket greedily, dipping into it at once.

“Jericho,” Lionheart called lightly in reminder.

“Oh! Right. Thank you, Clemeny,” the boy said. From the sound of his muffled voice, he was already a bite too late.

“You’re welcome,” I said with a chuckle then smiled at Lionheart who was grinning in spite of himself.

“I hope you saved one for us,” Lionheart said then pulled the auto onto the London street.

I patted my satchel.

“For you, pain au chocolat. For me, these,” I said, pulling out my pack of ginger.

“You know, if the packs ever learn you actually have a weakness…” he said teasingly.

“Weakness? Did you know I flew in an airship—with Lily Stargazer—and managed to hold down my breakfast? A little nausea won’t stop me.”

At that, Lionheart laughed. “No doubt.”

I grinned.

“You flew with Lily Stargazer?”

I nodded.

Lionheart harrumphed, impressed.

“I know, right?”

He reached across the seat and took my hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

“So, today we are looking to find druids who don’t want to be found. Where to begin?” Lionheart asked.

“Salisbury.”

“Stonehenge?”

I nodded. “It’s a start.”

“You aren’t going to find any druids there,” Jericho said absently between munches.

I looked back. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “If you’re looking for someone who doesn’t want to be found, why would they be where you expect to find them?”

I chuckled. “You have a point. Have a better suggestion?”

Jericho shrugged. “No.”

I looked at Lionheart. “How about you, professor?”

He shook his head. “I’ll leave this to you.”

“Then to Salisbury.”

It sounded like a joke. A lycan, a werewolf, and a werewolf hunter set out on a road trip to track down druids and smoke out evil faeries. What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

It took the entire day to reach the windy flats of Salisbury where Stonehenge was located. Given we had to stop twice to get Jericho something to eat, and three more times for the child to make a toilette out of the high weeds growing at the side of the road, I was almost relieved when the ancient stone monolith came into sight.

Almost.

Somehow, I had conjured an image in my mind that Stonehenge was a place of worship for the druids, a solemn, empty spot where the mist wove around the stones, and the druids chanted their ancient Celtic wizardry.

What I hadn’t expected were the picnickers.

And croquet matches.

And drink and food carts to replenish the same.

No druids.

A small parking area was situated not far from the ancient monoliths. Lionheart pulled up alongside another steamauto, three carriages, a steamcycle, and a very large wagon painted with the colors of Trinity College on the side.

When we got out of the auto, I stared across the green.

There, the ancient stone circle sat in all her glory. The ring of ancient stones buzzed with energy. The ground below my feet pulsed with life. Every hair on my head tingled.

And all around the stones, gaily dressed revelers, ladies with parasols, and gentlemen in beautiful suits, picnicked and frolicked. Someone had spread out a full afternoon tea service on one of the fallen capstones. Ladies giggled and fanned themselves under the warm spring sun as they leaned against the ancient stones. Not far away, a group of children were playing croquet. A boy and his father toyed with a kite. On the other side of the stones, I spotted what looked like an excavation. There, gentlemen in Trinity College colors were digging into one of the burial mounds not far from the stones.

No druids.

No answers.

“Nothing,” I whispered.

“Look,” Jericho said, pointing as he tugged on my sleeve.

Hoping for some good news, I followed his lead. He was pointing to a vendor cart from which I caught the scent of roasting peanuts.

“Clemeny, Sir Richard, I’m starving. May I have a parcel?” he asked as sweetly as possible.

Swallowing my disappointment, I smiled at the boy. He really was a sweet thing. His golden hair shimmered in the warm sunlight, his dark eyes wide and innocent.

“Of course,” I told Jericho then took the child’s hand. We headed to the vendor.

As we made our way, I debated what to do. It was a bad idea to bring Lionheart here. I hated it when a case didn’t go well. I didn’t want him to see me struggle, not with this. I needed Richard to see me as his equal. Failing to find any clues was just…embarrassing.

“How many, miss?” the vendor asked.

I looked over my shoulder at Lionheart who was studying the excavation.

“One, please,” I said then smiled down at Jericho. “A large one. And a lemonade.”

Despite the fact that my mouth wanted to eat, my stomach had ridden far too long in the auto to justify the risk. It was bad enough that I had botched my case. Throwing up would add to the embarrassment.

The man handed the parcel and drink to Jericho while I dug in my pocket for some coin.

“Thank you, Clemeny,” Jericho whispered.

I ruffled his hair, then the two of us joined Lionheart.

“Let’s speak to them,” Lionheart said, motioning to the men working at the dig. “Will you pardon me in asking to take—as you say in the agency—the lead on this one?”

I chuckled. “Considering your service to the crown far outranks mine in tenure, be my guest.”

“Ah, the age jokes never grow old.”

“Are you certain?”

Lionheart winked at me.

Lionheart took my arm, and we crossed to the site of the dig. The men were busy excavating one of the burial mounds that dotted the landscape around the circle of stones. The sight unnerved me. This was a tomb, not a historical curiosity. And lay people didn’t know what lingered on the other side of that doorway they were shoveling into.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” Lionheart said. Alpha of the Templars no more, Professor Richard Spencer was on the case.

One of the workers jostled a man wearing tan trousers and matching hat; the man was dressed as if he were on a dig in Egypt.

“Sir, there is a gentleman here,” the worker told the man.

The stranger turned around. He eyed Lionheart over. “Good afternoon, sir. May I help you?”

“Sir Richard Spencer. King’s College.”

“Oh, very good, very good,” he said, extending his hand to Lionheart. “Professor Eckhart. Trinity College. A pleasure to meet you.”

Lionheart gave me a sidelong glance then said, “My wife and I were passing through and noticed your dig. I say, quite an impressive project you have underway.”

“Indeed, indeed,” the man agreed. He looped his thumbs in his belt loops then tipped forward, extending his stomach proudly. “We’ve unearthed two torcs already this morning. I believe we are getting close to the body.”

“Whose body?” I asked.

“Someone of great importance. A chieftain. Maybe even a druid.”

“Ah, there are the druids you were looking for,” Lionheart said, giving me a playful wink.

I rolled my eyes at him.

“We were hoping we might catch sight of the druids, in fact. No luck it seems,” Lionheart said.

“Well,” Professor Eckhart mused, “they do come around at midsummer, I’m told. But you won’t be seeing one today unless you’d like to dig.”

“I’ll dig,” Jericho offered.

“Ah, that’s a good lad,” the professor said good-naturedly. “Lucas, grab that boy a shovel and set him to work. We can’t find the owner of all this treasure,” the man said, motioning to the table where some artifacts lay. “Maybe your son will bring us some luck. Would you really like to try, young man?”

Jericho nodded vehemently.

Professor Eckhart looked at Lionheart who nodded in approval.

The worker, Lucas, handed Jericho a small shovel and led him to the mound.

“Come, see what I’ve found,” Professor Eckhart said, motioning us to a table where the dig finds had been laid out. “What’s your specialty, Professor Spencer? I’m a Celtic scholar. Not fashionable, I know. I should join my colleagues in Greece, but I’m something of a nationalist.”

Lionheart chuckled. “Then you are among friends.”

“My husband is an expert on the Templars,” I interjected, giving Lionheart a playful look.

He smirked in reply.

“Oh, good. Good,” Professor Eckhart exclaimed.

“Any chance you’ve uncovered a goblet?” Lionheart asked.

The professor laughed. “Still hunting the grail, eh? Unfortunately, no,” the man said then lifted a silver wrist torc. The piece was beautifully crafted. “Fine Celtic smithwork, though. And some Roman coins. Dagger, though it’s much corroded,” he said as he lifted each piece, showing it to Lionheart and me.

The discoveries were fascinating, but I had a distinct feeling that they should have been left where they were found.

Lionheart lifted the coin. “Do you think it was contemporary to the other pieces?”

“No. The rest of the artifacts suggest the body was laid in the ground after the retreat of the Romans…” the Professor continued, but I got distracted as my skin rose in goosebumps.

A soft breeze blew across the windy plane, ruffling my hair.

Clemeny.

Clemeny Louvel.

I turned and looked all around.

First to the stones.

Then to the mounds.

Clemeny.

Clemeny, come.

Come home.

I turned and scanned the landscape, narrowing my gaze, looking past all the revelers and eyeing the land with my mooneye. There was magic everywhere. And everyone was missing it. The stones shimmered with opalescent light, and there was a strange aura around them. The monoliths wavered. They had one foot in this world, one foot in the Otherworld.

But I saw more.

As I looked, I saw shimmering silver light trailing away from the henge. Lines of energy moved through the ground. They traveled to the mounds and then beyond, spreading like a web across the land.

I had seen this once before. Lily Stargazer had used it to make her airship speed over the land.

A group of children cheered as one of the players whacked their ball through a wicket. Ladies gossiped and laughed as they drank tea. Everyone was so oblivious to the magic around them.

I stared at—and into—the stones. For a brief moment, the image in front of me shifted. For just a brief moment, a woman appeared at the center of the stones. She wore long blue robes. I could not see her face clearly, but I knew her gaze was on me. She beckoned to me.

I stared at her, then past her. There, on the rise in the distance, I saw great Glastonbury Tor, which was dozens of miles from here. I saw a silver line of energy running from the ancient henge to a place of legend: Glastonbury. Just like I’d dreamed when I’d stayed at Cabell Manor.

“…I’d place it well after Boudicca’s rebellion, but—” Professor Eckhart was saying when his worker, Lucas, called out to him.

“Professor Eckhart. Sir, come look,” Lucas shouted.

Worried about Jericho, I turned from the vision.

“What is it?” Professor Eckhart called.

“The boy,” Lucas answered.

Oh, damn.

I turned to Lionheart, both of us wearing panicked expressions. We rushed to the dig.

There, Jericho stood with his hands on his hips, his small shovel in one hand, a smile on his face. In the dirt in front of him, one could make out what looked like a bone.

“You found it!” Professor Eckhart exclaimed, giving Jericho a clap on the back.

Jericho smiled up at Lionheart then to me.

I returned his happy gaze.

“Well done,” Lionheart told the boy who beamed at him.

They exchanged a warm glance.

My heart did a little dance.

“Your son has a nose for archeology,” Professor Eckhart said, smiling back at me. “Just like his father.”

I opened my mouth then closed it again. What could I say?

“Well done, Jericho,” I told him, giving him a hug.

“You’ll need to dine with us tonight. We have a club in Salisbury. Join us,” Professor Eckhart said.

“I’m afraid we can’t,” I said. “We’re on our way to Glastonbury.”

“Shame. Shame,” Professor Eckhart said. He removed his fancy explorer’s hat and set it on Jericho’s head. “Well, maybe one day you’ll join my crew again, young man. In the meantime, keep that as a memento of your success on the expedition.”

Jericho touched the rim of the cap. “Thank you, sir.”

“We should be off? To Glastonbury?” Lionheart asked me, a quizzical expression on his face.

I nodded.

Lionheart nodded then turned back to the professor. “It was a pleasure to meet you, sir.” He gave the man a short bow.

“The pleasure was mine, Sir Richard. Your son saved me a week’s work,” he added with a laugh. “Madame,” he said then nodded to me.

I inclined my head to him, then the three of us headed away from the stones, back toward the auto.

“Well done,” I told Jericho. “However did you know where to dig?”

“It was easy,” Jericho told me.

“Easy? How?”

“I could smell the bones in the earth,” he explained simply. “I just…dug them up.”

At that, I looked at Lionheart. After a moment, we both laughed.

“Well, I think you’ve earned another lemonade,” Lionheart told the boy.

“And more peanuts?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Yay,” Jericho called merrily then ran off ahead of us.

Lionheart extended his arm to me. “Well, wife, we’re headed to Glastonbury?”

I chuckled. “So we are, husband.”

“And why is that?”

I nodded. “Let’s just say I have a hunch.”

“Then I guess we’d better follow it.”

“Clemeny?” Jericho called. He was standing at the vendor’s cart once more. “Clemeny, the man needs money,” he yelled then looked at Lionheart. “Please.”

I giggled then turned to Lionheart. “You really are doing a wonderful job with him. He was a broken child when I found him.”

Lionheart sighed. “It isn’t easy, but I’m trying. I care for the boy. Much more than I ever thought I could.”

“Well, you are lion-hearted, after all,” I said with a grin.

“Clemeny!” Jericho called again. The child’s hunger outweighed his patience. It was a trouble I understood well.

Lionheart squeezed my hand. He turned toward Jericho. “Patience and manners, Jericho. My wife and I are coming,” he said, winking at me.

At that moment, I thought my heart might burst with joy.