Gods and Swindlers (City of Eldrich Book 3) (24 page)

“Kady, what the hell—”

Jeff, Kady’s boyfriend, standing behind her, began shaking his head and waving his hands.

“Let’s get inside and I’ll tell you all about it,” Kady said. “Brian, help Jeff haul us to the door.”

Brian Cressley, Kady’s older brother, stepped to her side. “Her water broke about three hours ago,” he said to Meaghan. “We tried to take her to the clinic, but she insisted we had to come here.”

“The clinic?”

The fourth occupant of the snowplow stepped forward. “Patrice is running an emergency shelter there. The doc lives in Williamsport and the other nurse lives out in the boonies.”

Marnie
. Meaghan felt her face grow hot with shame. Marnie, who had survived so much more than Meaghan.

“Emergency shelter?” Meaghan asked.

“It’s bad out there,” Marnie said. “The roads are a mess. No power. People are scared.” She pointed at the sky. “This isn’t normal. Even for Eldrich.”

“Magic?” Meaghan hadn’t let herself consider that prospect before this moment.

Marnie nodded. “I think.”

“Where did you guys get the snowplow?” Meaghan asked. “Aren’t they all in use right now?”

“This one was in my shop,” Jeff said. “I did some quick-and-dirty repairs to get it running and here we are.”

“They pulled all the plows off the road to escort emergency vehicles, but even those aren’t moving now,” Brian said.

“You’re not on duty?”

Brian was an Eldrich cop and one of Meaghan’s more useful companions on Labor Day. It was Brian’s skill with a sniper rifle that had saved Meaghan from the balding wizard of her nightmares. “Got an emergency right here,” Brian said. “My cruiser is useless in this shit and my radio is fried along with the phone. No calls coming in or going out.”

Meaghan had been so focused on Kady, she’d forgotten about the occupants of Luka’s trucks. She turned and saw three enormous figures trudging toward the Donners’ house.

“Is that Buzz and the Millers?”

“Yeah.” Brian turned to Marnie. “You okay if I go with Buzz? I don’t want to be around . . . you know.”

Marnie smiled at him. “Go. I’ll see you in a bit.”

John nodded. “I’ll go with them. I think I can help more over there.”

Meaghan nodded, relieved to have John away from the elf in the basement. She kissed him and then turned her attention back to Marnie. “What’s going on with Kady?”

Marnie smiled. “She better tell you. It’s not bad, but it’s kind of weird.”

I’m plotting to scam malevolent elves with the help of a couple of would-be Norse gods so I can get the chance to fight a dragon. How much weirder can it get?

Meaghan shook her head and followed Marnie. “Great. Because we don’t have enough weird to go around already.”

Gretchen was waiting in the doorway. “Little bastard is showing up early, isn’t he?”

“Hey,” Jeff said with a relieved smile. “That’s my kid you’re talking about.”

“So, marry the girl and I’ll stop calling him that.”

“Gretchen,” Kady said with a smile. “Good to see you again.”

“Is that you or him?” Gretchen said.

“Him,” Kady said. “And I wish he’d shut up until I can break the news to Meaghan.”

“Sorry,” Kady said. “But I won’t be this version of me for much longer, and I’ve been away for a while.”

“Are you gonna mouth off like this once you’re born?” Kady asked.

“Probably,” Kady said. “Once I learn how to talk again.”

It can get weirder. Huh.
“Would somebody please tell me what’s going on?”

“Meg, sweetheart,” Kady said, “let Kady and me get settled upstairs, and then we can answer your questions.”

I heard Dad’s voice when I grabbed her arm.
The last time Meaghan had seen him, in the final moments before Fahraya had been destroyed, Matthew had told her that he’d had to call in some big favors and wouldn’t be able to see her for a while.

They’re naming the baby Matthew
 
.
 
.
 
.

The denial tried to rise in her mind, but she ignored it. What she now suspected wasn’t any more improbable than the dragon. “Dad?” she said in shaky voice. “Is that you?”

“I told you she’d figure it out,” Kady said, a look of pride on her face.

“Shut up,” Kady said as the pride morphed into a scowl. “I can’t wait until you’re just my baby again.” She glanced over at Meaghan. “He started talking to me in my head a month or so back. I thought I was going nuts, so I didn’t tell anybody but Gretchen. Then my water breaks and now he’s talking out loud. With my voice.”

Meaghan glanced around the crowded hallway. Her knees felt wobbly again. She leaned against the wall to steady herself.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this.

“Reincarnation? That’s a thing?”

Gretchen shrugged. “Reincarnation, yeah. You run into kids all the time who know stuff they shouldn’t, and who talk about when they were big. But I’ve never run into one who started talking about it while the bun was still in the oven.”

“Think of me as a precocious child,” Kady said.

“Are you gonna remember all this shit after you’re born?” Kady asked.

“Probably not,” Kady said. “At least I won’t be able to talk about it.”

“Thank God. Guys, I need to lie down before I fall down. Find me a bed.”

“Is my room still available?”

They led her up to Matthew’s old bedroom. Meaghan and Russ hadn’t really done anything with it since Matthew’s death. Meaghan grabbed some clean sheets from the hall closet and made up the bed.

“Sorry it’s so cold in here,” Meaghan said as she helped Kady onto the bed.

“I’m sweating like a pig,” Kady said. “It feels good.” She yelped. “Oh, shit. Jeff, honey, another contraction. Start timing, okay?”

Jeff, his face chalky in the dim candlelight, nodded, and pulled out his phone. “At least the timer still works.”

Meaghan took him by the arm and led him out into the hallway. His brown hair was sticking up in multiple directions from the ski cap he’d been wearing, and Meaghan was struck by how young he looked. They were both young, she reminded herself.

“How are you doing with this?” she asked him.

He looked at her, fear all over his face. “Which part? My girl having our baby a month early in your house or my son being your father?”

As the words came out his mouth, Meaghan began to laugh, the same nearly hysterical laughter that had been popping out of her since morning.

He smiled and began to laugh himself, quickly losing control. “Your dad is my kid,” he choked through the laughter. “Doesn’t that make me your grandpa?”

“Oh, shit. I don’t know.” She squeezed his arm. “Of all the people who could be Matthew’s parents, I’m glad it’s you guys.”

His laughter evaporated. “Are we gonna be okay? There’s big magic—bad magic— flying around, isn’t there?”

Meaghan nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then I’m glad we’re here. Promise me you’ll keep them safe.”

Meaghan’s heart sank.
I’m not your savior, kid. I’m barely keeping it together myself.

“I promise,” she said, hoping like hell it was a promise she could keep.

Gretchen stepped out of the bedroom. “The baby’s early, but he’s a good size, and he and Mom are healthy. Don’t worry, kid. I’ve helped deliver a lot of babies over the years. Nature does most of the work. Would you do me a favor and ask Russ to make some coffee?”

“Kady can’t drink coffee right now,” Jeff said.

“It’s not gonna make any difference at this point, hon,” Gretchen said. “Kady and I might have a long night ahead of us. We need to stay awake.”

“Hot water—do you need hot water?” Jeff stared at her, eyes wide. The fear was starting to set back in.

“Only in the movies.” Gretchen patted his arm. “Go find Russ.”

Jeff nodded and galloped down the stairs.

Gretchen let out a breath. “That’ll keep him out of the way for a few minutes. Russ will have to make the coffee the old-fashioned way.”

“Who’s downstairs with the elf?”

“Lynette went back downstairs. Don’t worry. Natalie being back perked her right up. I know more about babies so we agreed I should be up here right now.”

“Is Kady okay?” Meaghan didn’t like the look on Gretchen’s face.

“She’s young and as far as we know the baby is healthy, but he’s getting here early and stuff can go wrong.”

“But, you’re a midwife, right?”

Gretchen shook her head. “No, I’m not. I said that to make Jeff feel better. I’ve pushed out three of my own and helped deliver a couple more. I know the basics, but if things goes sideways—”

“Then we’ll use the snowplow to get her to the clinic,” Meaghan said. “Don’t worry.”

Gretchen gave her a small forced smile. “You better get back in there. She—
they
—want to talk to you. I’ll go help Russ with that coffee and distract Jeff for as long as I can.”

Meaghan nodded.

It was time to talk to her father.

Chapter Thirty

K
ADY SMILED AS
Meaghan walked through the door. “There you are.” She patted the bed. “Have a seat.”

“Hey, this isn’t weird. Not at all.” Meaghan sat on the edge of bed. “Who am I speaking with?”

Kady laughed loudly. “I’m not exactly myself today.”

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

Kady sighed, looking annoyed. “As if labor isn’t bad enough, now I’m channeling the dead.”

“I’m not dead,” Kady replied. “Not anymore.”

“Whatever,” Kady said. “You better be a quiet baby after putting me through this. I’m checking out for a few minutes. Have a nice chat with your daughter.”

She smiled at Meaghan. “Poor kid. I’m sure this isn’t what she was expecting childbirth to be like. I’m arriving early, but it couldn’t be helped. I need to talk to you and this is my only chance. Once I’m born, I won’t be the same person. I won’t be your father anymore.”

Maybe I should shut my eyes. Then at least he’d only sound like Kady.
“Which is a relief, I have to say.” Meaghan smiled. “I offered to babysit and I’m not sure I could manage it if I knew it was still you in there.”

Kady—
Matthew
, Meaghan corrected herself—leaned back against the pillow. “I guess you know about Natalie.”

Meaghan nodded. “For a while now.”

“I never meant for it to happen. Vivian and I were both lonely and . . . I loved your mother. I hope you know that.”

Meaghan raised her hand. “It’s okay. I’m not upset.”

Matthew raised Kady’s eyebrow.

“Fine, I was pissed off when I first found out, furious even, but . . .” Meaghan said. She shrugged. “Mom left you. It was stupid of me to think you’d spend the rest of your life alone.”

“Natalie didn’t replace you, you know that.”

Natalie, you blabbermouth.
“She told Kady?”

“I had to pry it out of her in case you were wondering.”

“Was that you or Kady talking?”

“Kady.” Matthew said. “Who’s supposed to be napping.”

“I’m not trying to eavesdrop, but you’re using my vocal cords,” Kady said. “How am I supposed to nap like this?”

“Sorry,” Meaghan and—she supposed—Matthew said at the same time.

Meaghan added, “Kady, seriously, I need you to shut up. It’s too weird listening to the both of you at the same time.”

“Unbelievable. Shutting up now.” Kady closed her eyes.

When they reopened, Meaghan knew Matthew was looking back at her.

“You know about the Donners?” Matthew asked. “And Luka Volkhov?”

Meaghan nodded. “I do now. Terry’s lightning is back.”

Matthew stared at Meaghan in shock. “Can he control it?”

“Too soon to tell, but Steph and Luka think he could now that he’s sober.”

“When did this happen?”

“This afternoon. We think Cooper, the wizard who leads the Order, made it happen.”

Matthew’s eyes narrowed. “The Order’s involved? What makes you think that?”

“Eamon O’Malley. The leprechaun. He was masquerading as a monk. Said he was working for a wizard who told him a great warrior was under a spell and Eamon could help release him by locking up the archive for a few hours.”

“When Dustin couldn’t get in this afternoon.” Matthew nodded.

“Luka tweaked the dampening magic around Terry to make it stop interfering with Dustin’s hex bag and down came the lightning.”

“How much?”

“Big bolt,” Meaghan said. “If Terry and Luka hadn’t realized what was happening, we could have been fried.”

“He couldn’t control it?”

“No, but he had enough time to shove us out of the way. And he did some nifty stuff right before you got here tonight, with a holly bush in his front yard. Minimal damage and what appeared to be precise control. He seemed pretty excited about it.”

Matthew frowned. “How’s his sobriety holding up?”

“John’s with him and it seems to be helping.”

“Good. Let’s hope they keep reinforcing good behavior in each other.” Matthew nodded. “Last thing we need right now is either of them drinking.”

“The elf in the basement took a run at John this morning,” Meaghan said. “Made him feel his wings and spun a lie about the missing Fahrayans still being alive.”