“Yes, but where is it within the Annwyn?” Jackaby said. “Arawn’s finest soldiers couldn’t find this place, but it hardly seems hidden.”
“Heh.” Pavel smiled. “That’s because Arawn is an idiot. His own castle is beyond the trees there, not more than a few miles away. We’re right under his nose. We’re on his lands, technically. None of his subjects are allowed to hunt or travel these parts—not that they would, what with all the superstitions. This was Hafgan’s Hold. Anyone loyal to Hafgan was killed or driven away after the last war, and then Arawn set his dogs to guarding the perimeter so they could never come back. It’s supposed to be impossible to breach.”
“But I see the Dire King managed to breach it.”
“He didn’t bother at first. Ten years ago, he tried to build a machine on the earthly side instead. After that one failed, I guess he opted for this old hold. The veil-gate here had been sealed after the war, of course, but the seam was still there. The church rests right on top of it. The Dire King didn’t want to risk drawing too much attention, so he couldn’t just destroy the church outright. We weren’t even allowed to kill the clergyman. We broke through a couple of years ago and secured the rend right under his feet, though.”
“The rend has been here for years?” Jackaby took a heavy breath. “Douglas and I scoured the church from top to bottom, but we never found anything. Arawn’s not the only idiot. You’ve been under my nose this whole time, too.”
Pavel giggled in a manner completely unbefitting an undead menace. “I know! Oh, you’re fun. This has been fun. I’m going to miss this. Anyway, the Dire King’s machine is in the center of the castle. The keep. See that tower with the domed top? That’s it. You’ll find sentries on every corner—every corner save this one, obviously. You’re welcome, by the way.” He leaned down and plucked one of the curved daggers from a fallen guard. He felt the grip and weighed it in his hands. “Waste not, want not,” he mumbled. And then he paused and gave me a lascivious look that made my skin crawl.
“We would fare better with more of your help along the way,” Jackaby said.
“Yeah, you would,” Pavel agreed. “That’s too bad for you.” He was breathing heavily.
“I can see it rising in you,” said Jackaby. “You don’t have to be the monster.”
Pavel dragged his eyes slowly off me and up to Jackaby. “I’ll have that last vial of blood, and then I’ll be on my merry way. Have fun making a nuisance of yourself, Detective.”
Jackaby hesitated. He pursed his lips and drew out the vial.
“Thank you, Detective. Give her here.” Jackaby did not toss it to him right away. His expression was clouded. Something was wrong.
“Come away from Miss Rook first, if you don’t mind.”
Pavel’s eyes slowly crept back to me, crawling their way from my shoes up to not quite my face. It was a gaze I wanted to scrub off myself.
“You’ve gotten us in,” Jenny said, sliding between us protectively. “You can collect your bloody payment and leave.” She pulled out the wooden stake Jackaby had given her and let the bottomless satchel slip from her shoulder and drop to the ground.
“I know, I know,” Pavel said. “But I have such a long way to go, and they are such small snacks. And, really, Mr. Jackaby doesn’t need so much help, does he?” He leveled the dagger at Jenny.
She was not impressed. “And what exactly are you hoping to do with that?” she asked, pressing forward so that the dagger slid halfway through her chest. “You can’t frighten the dead.” She readied the stake, pressing it firmly against Pavel’s chest. He did not flinch.
“Where will you go, I wonder?” Pavel asked, cocking his head to the side and smirking arrogantly.
“I—I’m not going anywhere,” Jenny replied.
Jackaby slid his own stake out of the lining of his coat.
“If we were on earth, you would snap right back to that quaint old house of yours, wouldn’t you?” Pavel continued. “But we’ve crossed a boundary. Will you make it all the way back there from here? Get lost somewhere in between? Or will you finally go where you should have gone all those years ago?”
“What are you talking—” Jenny began.
Pavel flicked his wrist, and the fine chain hanging around her neck snapped.
Jenny realized what was happening a moment too late. She made a desperate grab to catch the little pewter locket as it spun through the air, but her hand was already dissolving into wisps. Her wooden stake clattered to the ground at Pavel’s feet, and beside it the locket struck the stones and clicked open, brick dust scattering across the top of the wall and blowing away in the breeze. Jenny’s silver eyes flashed to Jackaby as she faded, frantic, desperate, pleading. And then Jenny Cavanaugh was gone.
Jackaby’s eyes were iron. The stake in his hand whipped through the air, but Pavel dodged it easily.
Before I could even reach for my own, there was a blur of tattered rags and I felt icy steel against my neck.
My blood ran cold. No. We were here, on the brink of an actual victory against the Dire King. This was all wrong! Pavel’s knife pressed against my skin.
“Wait!” Jackaby yelled. “Stop! Take it.” He tossed the vial and Pavel caught it without letting up on the knife. “There. You can go. You don’t have to do this!”
“I don’t have to,” said Pavel, casually. “But what did you say, Miss Rook?” He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, his breath cold and clammy. “It’s my nature.”
“Do you really think he’ll still help you if you murder me?” I said, horrified.
Pavel snorted. “Do you really think he’ll let the world burn just because you’ve died?” Pavel said.
“Try me,” Jackaby growled.
“You’ll finish what you’ve started,” Pavel told him, “because the alternative is too much for you to stomach. Me? I win either way. I’ve sent your ghost friend scattering in the wind, and now I’m going to drain your lovely assistant right in front of you. After they’re gone, if you die in a futile attempt to save your little world, then I’ll have gotten my revenge on all of you. If you somehow succeed, I’ll have gotten my revenge on the Dire King. Everybody wins. And by everybody, I mean me. I win. I’m pretty much the only one who wins.”
“I gave you my blood so you wouldn’t have to do this!” Jackaby yelled. “We struck a deal!”