Iron Crowned Page 0,9

here for me. He won't hurt anyone else."

"Phantom-infested subdivision."

"On a graveyard?"

"Yup."

"Schedule it, and make sure the builder's charged double. Their own stupid fault."

"Will do. Then you've got the usual weirdness. Lights in the sky. Possible UFO."

"Was that Wil again?"

"Yes."

"Damn it! Did you tell him it's just the military?"

"Yes. He also said there's been some Bigfoot sightings - "

I froze. "Bigfoot? Where?"

"I didn't get the details. I thought it was his usual craziness. And didn't you say they don't live in Arizona?"

"They don't. Has there been anything weird in the news? Deaths?"

There was a pause, and I heard the rustling of papers. "Two hikers died over in Coronado, near the Rappel Rock trail. The report stated that they fell. Took a couple days to find their bodies. Nasty stuff. Some animals got to them."

I was up and out of my chair in a flash, making the dishes on the kitchen table rattle. Tim, leafing through a magazine, looked up in alarm.

"Call Wil," I told her, trying to tug on one of my boots while balancing the phone. "Find out where he heard about these Bigfoot sightings. If it's not Coronado, give me a call back. If it is, no need to call." Wil was Jasmine's half brother, and I avoided speaking to him when I could. One reason was that he always asked me about her. The other was that he was a crazy, paranoid conspiracy theorist. This time, he might be on to something.

Lara was understandably startled. "But you said Bigfoot - "

"It's not Bigfoot."

"Don't forget your other job tonight!"

"I won't."

I disconnected and managed to get on the other boot. Tim regarded me warily. "I don't like it when you get that look."

"That makes two of us."

He watched as I went to our hallway closet and produced a little-worn leather coat. "You're going to Coronado?"

"Yup."

"High?"

"Yup."

He sighed and gestured to where we hung our keys near the door. "Take my car. It'll handle better if you run into snow."

I slung my satchel over my shoulder and flashed him a grateful smile. He warned me to be careful, but I was already out the door with the keys, heading for his Subaru.

My eyes barely saw the road as I drove toward Coronado State Park. Bigfoot. No, you wouldn't find Bigfoot out here, not even in the Catalinas. Now, tell me there'd been a sighting in the Pacific Northwest? Or anywhere in Canada? Yeah, it'd be Bigfoot hunting time. But it wouldn't be a priority. They were generally harmless.

Here? When you got a Bigfoot sighting in Tucson, it was a demon bear. Yeah - I know. It was a ridiculous name, but it got the point across - and really, there was nothing funny about them. They came from the Underworld and were utterly lethal. With their tall and furry appearance, it was easy to understand why the untrained eye would mistake them for popular images of Bigfoot. Demon bears didn't fuck around either. If only two people were dead, then this one hadn't been in the area long. We were lucky - even if the hikers weren't. No rodents or foxes had fed on those bodies.

In Tucson proper, we were enjoying our typically mild winter weather - mid-seventies today, if I had to guess. As I drove higher into the mountains, the temperature dropped rapidly. I soon saw snow on the ground and signs for Mt. Lemmon's ski resorts. Other signs directed me toward popular hiking and climbing areas - including Rappel Rock. In and of itself, it was a popular area for outdoorsmen. With its proximity to the ski areas, the demon bear's presence was doubly dangerous this time of year.

I finally reached the trailhead and parked in a gravel lot. Only a couple other cars were there, which was a small blessing. I stepped out of the Subaru, shocked by the blast of cold air that hit me. I was not used to these temperatures. I hadn't been bred for them. Give me monsters and ghosts? No problem. But cold weather? That was a weakness. I could've used magic to adjust the air but needed to conserve my power. Instead, as I stuffed my arsenal into my belt - not comfortable but ready for easy access - I used my magic for a summoning. I spoke the ritual words, and a few moments later, a small implike creature appeared before me. He had pointed ears, smooth night-black skin, and red slits for eyes.

"My mistress calls," he said in a flat