Phantom Stag (A King's Watch Story Book 1) by Mark Hayden

Author:Mark Hayden [Hayden, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Paw Press
Published: 2019-02-16T07:00:00+00:00

Before he felt it was safe enough to talk, we weren’t just off the premises, we’d gone into Henley in Arden and parked up at the little railway station .

‘We have a problem,’ he said.

‘Really? I’d never have guessed.’

‘The Countess of Stratford called Bridget while she was showing me the gardens.’

Countess of Stratford? Where have I heard that name before? He saw the look on my face. ‘Oma said that she’s a Fae: the most powerful noble in the court of Arden. After the Prince, of course.’

This did not sound good. The Fae are quite happy with modern technology, when it suits them, but for a Countess to make a personal call, something must be wrong.

Conrad drummed his fingers on the wheel. ‘Apparently, this has never happened before – an incomplete Hunt. Right now, there is an anointed Stag running round the forest. The Countess pointed out, politely but firmly, that the Hunters are still considered blessed, and the Prince expects them to finish the job. Tonight.’

‘Bugger me.’

‘Precisely. Can you help me see the forest?’

I could see where this was heading. ‘Perhaps. At night. With a suitable Artefact. And some practice.’

‘That would be a No, then.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Are you ready for this? On your own?’

‘Whaaat? You want me to go in there?’

‘You’re not a Watch Captain. You don’t have to.’

He left it there. Left it for me to come to my own decision. The Royal Hunt Part Two was tonight. We could probably get Rick James up here from Wells. He’d sort it out. If we didn’t, there could be further bloodshed, and the killer might get away with it.

‘Shall we call Rick?’ I said.

He shook his head. ‘Not an option, I’m afraid. The Circle don’t trust him, for some reason.’

Oh. Come on, Victoria, I said to myself. It’s not as if it’s underground, is it?

Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I imagine that Conrad has gone underground. Into the Old Network, down to a Dwarven Hall, something like that. And I imagine having to go down alone to rescue him, but I can’t. I literally can’t imagine putting one foot in front of the other and going through the opening.

‘Aye. I’ll do it. On one condition.’

‘You want me to cook you breakfast in the morning?’

‘Hell, no. That’s a given. I want you to give me your word. I want you to promise not to charge into the forest if you get worried. At night, with a Hunt on, the forest will be at its most powerful. For you, it would be like … running out of an Antarctic research station in your budgie smugglers. You’re gonna die, it’s just a question of how long it takes.’

‘I don’t possess any budgie smugglers. Is it really that bad?’

‘Worse. In Antarctica, it would be quick and fairly painless. In the forest...’

‘Really?’

‘Really.’

‘Mmm. So, what’s “joining out”?’

‘You wanna know that now?’

‘I want to know what’s at stake. Religious differences easily lead to violence, but I want the whole picture.’

I watched a pair of pensioners walking towards the

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