Page 53 of Midnight Auto Parts

With the brochure fresh on my mind, I plugged the GWC into the search bar on my phone.

Aside from their nationwide meeting schedule, each chapter operating out of a local community center, they didn’t offer much information to lure in prospective members. I checked the time. It was too late to hope for more than an informative voicemailbox, but I might as well try.

Much to my surprise, a woman answered the phone on the fifth ring in a voice as soothing as aloe after a day at the beach without sunscreen. “Grandview Women’s Club. This is Cora. How can I help you?”

“A friend gave me one of your brochures.”

“Do you need help?”

“What kind of help?”

Silence filled the connection before Cora lost the gentle tone. “You said a friend gave you a brochure?”

Scrunching up my face, I forced out, “Yes.”

“Then you know what kind of assistance GWC offers our members.”

“I think I made a mistake in calling.”

“Speak to your friend.” Her voice softened a bit. “Maybe come to a meeting?”

“Yeah.” I examined the brochure for an indication of what services they provided, but the photos only showed happy women engaging in a variety of activities, and the text wasn’t helpful either. “Maybe.”

“There’s one tomorrow night. Seven o’clock at the Talahi Island community center.”

“Talahi Island?” A ringing started in my ears. “Thanks.”

A commotion outside the door ended with a shriek and a thump, and I shot out onto the landing.

“Franie,” Matty slurred behind me. “You’f always been…my favrit smister.”

“Oh God.” I sniffed his breath and recoiled from the stink. “How much did you two drink?”

“Giddyup,” Josie cheered from somewhere below us. “Ride ’em, cowgirl.” She giggled. “It’s me. I’m the cowgirl. Yeehaw!”

Peering over the railing, I spotted her riding Carter piggyback. That explained the thump. Josie had leapt onto my back more than once using the stairs to give her a boost. Theredcap carried her with ease to her pickup and dumped her, not in the cab, but in the bed of the truck.

“They have homebrew in Matty’s bathtub,” Carter called out the warning. “I heard strawberry wine and something about watermelon sugar.”

“Pretty sure those are both song titles,” I yelled back, “but I’ll drain it, whatever it is.”

When I checked on Matty, he had slumped over Kierce’s shoulder and was drooling down his back.

All in all, I was impressed with Carter and Kierce. They handled drunken Marys almost as well as I did.

Powerful spotlights illuminatedthe god bones where they rested in a pit deep enough for me to stand in without the top of my head giving me away. The scene was veryJurassic Park, with the massive bones in their mostly half-buried state. The techs had left sometime during my nap, but a few guards remained to keep away the curious.

After seeing the paw prints for myself, I had to ask, “Do you think it’s possible the gods missed one?”

“An Alcheyvaha?” Kierce crouched, caressing the nearest bone with his fingertips. “The one certainty in this world is there are no certainties.”

“It struck me one might have been left behind to guard the others’ remains.” I squatted next to him. “It’s crazy to think the other gods left all this power up for grabs with no one to watch over it.” A zing raced up my arm. “They’re still humming with energy.” I slung out the sensation. “They must have been fierce once.”

“Yes.” A frown gathered across his forehead. “I think they must have been.”

“Who would have known about this place?” I rubbed the tingles from my fingers. “Only god adjacents?”

“No one outside the gods should be aware this place exists. Master spoke freely because the site had been discovered and requires divine intervention to ensure none of the bones are stolen and misused.”

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