Strange Omens by Jim Stein

Author:Jim Stein [Stein, Jim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781733562904
Publisher: Jagged Sky Books
Published: 2019-01-10T22:00:00+00:00

17. No Good Rhythm

“W

HAT HAVE you learned?” Koko looked up from his game board.

“Let me get my bearings. I just laid down a second ago.”

Evergreens and hardwoods again reached out over the sandy ground of the forest clearing, same as before, except now a rough wood table and chair sat alongside the roaring fire. Koko ignored the chair and leaned heavily on the table’s edge to study the figures on his board. I had glimpsed the setup several times now.

The variegated wooden board boasted irregularly shaped patches rather than the neat square rows of a chessboard. The areas were connected with swirling symbols and sweeping arcs like a stylized map. I could never quite focus on the game pieces themselves, which stood perhaps three inches tall. The hint of an arm, some sort of animal, a building—all just impressions that vanished the instant they registered.

“Did you know a pile of your kids are following the band?”

“Is that so?” His wizened smile tried to touch his eyes. “What about the man who saw wind-runners in the storm?”

“Manfred? Nothing new, although he has been hanging out with the Grims.” He arched an eyebrow, so I explained. “Grims are the troublesome, brooding fans, way different from your children, the Brights.”

The explanation got a chuckle, a little of Koko’s former joviality showing through.

“He’s been causing trouble?”

“No.” Manfred was still an ass, but hadn’t done anything nefarious unless you counted a little gambling. “He actually helped me with a girl drugged by two Grims. Pina says magic was involved. Some of them must be spies. Maybe for that skinwalker you fought?”

“Perhaps she is involved, though never is there a dearth of dark creatures.” Koko let out a dusty sigh. “Is the girl a sibling, one of your Brights?”

The lines around his eyes and mouth were more pronounced, and weariness dragged at his coppery skin. Pina worried about Koko’s health. I could see why, though it was difficult to comprehend an overwrought god.

“Anna?” I nodded. “She was with Cindy Baldwin, who latched on to the tour in Montana. Cindy’s still missing.”

“Ah, brash Karen the town treasurer.” Fond remembrance pulled up the corners of his thin lips, washing away some of the fatigue and returning an ageless quality to his craggy features.

“Cindy’s mom is the mayor now.” I supposed it was good he remembered them all, but a little bit of my sanity died as I imagined the competent leader of Bridleville with the old man. Someday, I would get up the nerve to ask if he wooed them in some other guise. I mean he would have to, wouldn’t he? “You keep telling me there are forces at work that don’t want to see the human race recover. If we’re the last hope, isn’t it a bad thing for us to come together? It makes the Brights a big old target for your enemies.”

“Gathering is necessary. You will keep an eye on them.”

“Me?” I threw my hands up and paced around the blazing fire, counting to ten.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.