Bloodfire (Blood Destiny 1) - Helen Harper Page 0,61
wafting off me was not pleasant. There was nothing I could do about it, however. If the remaining Brethren stayed away from me because of my unwashed reek then it was probably all for the better. I gently rubbed the lotion all over, taking care to cover every inch of my skin. I’d been lucky with it so far, but didn’t want to leave any part of me uncovered. Even with Corrigan gone, there was still the danger that the remaining Brethren would work out what I was, and the longer they stayed, the more real that danger became. I could leave nothing to chance.
With that done, I pulled on a clean pair of black leggings and a snug dark button up shirt. I turned up the sleeves and ran a brush through my hair before tying it back into a high ponytail. It was still strange to see myself in the mirror without my usual shiny red. At least I could let the dye grow out quickly now that the truth about that part of me was out. I tried not to think about Corrigan’s comment that he wanted to see my natural colour.
I cleaned up behind myself then tiptoed out of the dorm. I had several avenues to cover. I now knew who had killed John, but didn’t know who or what Iabartu actually was. And then there was the wichtlein’s assertion that it had been my fault, along with the Draco Wyr details, and a few loose ends such as the black cloth I’d found next to the clearing and the mystery of the electric screwdriver. I also had no idea what had happened over the last twelve hours that I’d been asleep for, although there wasn’t much I could do about that until the rest of the keep awoke.
I weighed up my options and decided that I could worry about motives later – Iabartu and her whereabouts had to take priority. With that resolve, I headed for the library and the communal computer. It was high time I saw what the Othernet could offer.
The silence that hung around the keep was a pleasant welcome after the incessant buzz that the Brethren’s presence had caused over the last few days. I made a quick detour for the kitchen to make myself some strong coffee and then I let myself into the library and stood for a quiet moment, inhaling the musty scent of the books that surrounded the walls. It was possible that I could try researching the old fashioned way, using the library’s offerings to find any mentions of Iabartu in the books, but I was pretty sure that the Othernet would allow me to do the same but quicker.
Moving over to the computer, I turned it on and waited for it to boot up. The Othernet was an electronic gateway to the otherworld. The human internet was great, but the Othernet was our very own specialised version and covered discussions, forums and websites on every conceivable magical aspect of the world that was kept hidden from most people. When the computer was ready, I clicked onto the search engine and typed in Iabartu. Instantly, several answers appeared.
I clicked on the first one and started reading. It turned out that the bitch was one of seven daughters of Anu, a Messopotanian sky god, and his human consort. I frowned. There was that number again – seven. Not only that but a half breed goddess would be difficult to beat. It did explain the floating above the dunes part, however. If Anu was her father, then she’d possess the ability to control the air currents and appear as if she was flying – or hovering. According to the Othernet page, she lived in an otherworld realm and didn’t bother herself with our earthly plane. Well that information was certainly out of date. I opened up several other sites but couldn’t find any details on how to defeat her or disable her. No matter. I’d work it out.
I had still had over an hour until dawn and the keep began to stir awake, so it was time to start on the Draco Wyr. I was nervous about what I might find with this one. I didn’t want any confirmation that it had anything to do with me, that my own human blunderings by inadvertently killing one of them had caused them to take their revenge and kill John in return.