Page 39 of Corvus and the Broken God

His chuckle accompanied me down the hall.

Sleep well, Corvus.

The next few days passed quickly. Camazotz didn’t need to warn me that my flying human form would bring unwanted attention to our mountain, so I was careful the time I flew my old laptop and some clothing over to the cabin, carrying everything before sunrise. Afternoons and evenings were spent reading, either in the den or in my Monster’s room. We had even started eating dinner together, when I would quiz him on his knowledge of current technological advances. He seemed to know more than he had pretended to in front of Chaac, which didn’t surprise me; he was surprisingly canny. But then why did he need me? Despite having more questions than answers, I was content. We had a clearly defined purpose, and as long as I didn’t focus too hard on the uncertainty surrounding our trip, because I refused to be left behind, I was happy.

The outlet Mindy had discovered in the guest room plus a few others used mainly for lighting were powered by a single solar panel on the roof. It was an old model and not reliable. Since I was able to charge my phone and computer at the cabin, I set up autopay for my cell phone service and the cabin's electricity. The property tax bill wasn’t due for a few months, but I would pay that too. My savings wouldn’t last forever, but my expenses had shrunk down so much that I had a year or two before I needed to figure something out. Maybe my Monster needed a carrier pigeon.

I sent Mindy an email, thanking her for advocating for me. She replied instantly, volunteering nothing new about my job but wanting to know more about my days on the mountain. I was still so uncertain about what my life would look like after the summit, I kept my responses simple. And something held me back from asking for information about the proposal, about Cassandra claiming my work as her own. I promised to call her when we returned and then figure out a way for her to visit if I wasn’t moving back to D.C. I couldn’t put off the worries about my job forever, but a few more weeks wouldn’t matter. I hoped. The deeper I sank into my new way of life, the harder it was to imagine ever going back.

Though the cabin needed a lot of work, my first efforts went toward securing it. If Darryl came up here, I wanted to make sure he couldn’t get inside easily. It didn’t make sense to carry my computer back and forth, but I couldn’t afford for him to find it either, so I left everything in the hidden tool cabinet every evening. I parked the Jeep out front but moved it regularly, a sign someone lived there, and, as long as the home looked maintained and somewhat inhabited, he shouldn’t have a reason to barge in.

So far, I hadn’t noticed any signs that anyone else was visiting the cabin. Up at the big house, we weren’t so lucky.

I was returning later than usual, the sun balancing on the horizon, when I felt my Monster’s agitation. I flapped my black-feathered wings as fast as I could, heading straight toward him. I located him in the den with Darryl.

Come in through the courtyard, Corvus. I need you.

I wriggled back out of the small hole in the roof and flew in through the open doors of his room. The room leading down the hallway was shut, and I had no choice but to change back to human. I had no intention of being caught by either man in only my bare skin, so I opened a giant armoire in search of clothing. The heavy door swung open, showcasing a row of neatly hung shirts and pants. He didn’t create his clothing from thin air, after all. And he owned something besides flannel shirts, although I had yet to see him wear anything else in his human form. In his natural form, he only wore kilts, which didn’t interfere with his wings. A crisp white shirt hung in the armoire, and I pulled it from its hanger. It looked relatively new, and due to its size, it was more than long enough to cover my girl parts.

I buttoned up and headed out to face Darryl. I slowed in front of my room. Would it be better to wear something less suggestive? Or would my scant dress help convince Darryl I was here for the right reasons? Whatever those were.

I kept walking, shoring up my confidence. When I reached the den, it was quiet. But as I opened the door, Darryl’s voice hammered into the normally silent space.

“I don’t see any official documentation granting you rights to live here.”

I stepped inside, where the men stood facing one another in the center of the room. Darryl wore a suit, and a dark suitcase sat on the ground next to him. Camazotz wore his human skin, choosing a blue plaid flannel in place of the red one he wore the other day. The jeans may have been the same. His body language showed no signs of stress, muscles lax in direct contrast to Darryl’s aggressive stance. Daryl looked ready to pounce on the older, momentarily subservient man. He couldn’t know his eyes didn’t show him the truth.

I was more worried about how relaxed my Monster looked, because it couldn’t bode well for Darryl when he finally reached the end of his patience.

“I don’t see how this is any of your business. The owners of this estate have appointed me as the groundskeeper. They do not need your permission.” His hands hung loosely at his sides, and he stood back on his heels.

Darryl glanced at me as I approached. “I’ve done some digging, and everything I’ve found says you don’t belong up here. Freya, how long have you known this man?”

I rolled my eyes because Freya? Really? Instead of answering, I slid a hand under Camazotz's left arm and wound it around his waist. I rolled onto my tiptoes and gave him a sweet kiss on his cheek. My Monster smiled. I turned to face the intruder with a matching smile on my face.

“What’s wrong, Darryl? How have we angered you today?”

“Where have you been, Freya? I’ve been asking to see you, and Benjamin refused to get you.”

“Are you one of those politician types who believes simply repeating a lie makes it true?”

“What?”

“Why do you keep calling me Freya? I don’t get it.”

Darryl let out an exasperated groan as Camazotz chuckled, a rich, sinful sound more like his true self than his human one.

“Look, I’m not going to repeat myself, so listen up.” He leaned down to pick up his briefcase. “Your years of squatting up here illegally are over. I am filing paperwork to evict you from this land. The sheriff’s office will be out in the next few days to make sure you comply. We don’t need your kind around these parts. We’re good folk, and our tolerance has come to an end.”

Camazotz slipped from my grip. He moved swiftly, grabbing the briefcase and tossing it into the fireplace where a hearty fire burned. Darryl and I stood glued to the ground, too surprised to move. By the time Darryl recovered, Camazotz was up in his face, staring down at the much smaller man.

“I wouldn’t recommend threats.” His voice was deep, barely human, but Darryl was too stupid to realize the danger he was in.

He pulled a handgun from somewhere under his jacket and pointed it at my face. I took a step back, eyes riveted on the black hole at the end of the barrel.

“You just destroyed my property, you freak. Take a step back, or I will kill your little toy.”

Camazotz looked over at me. Don’t worry, Corvus, I won’t let him hurt you. He turned back to the stupid man. I didn’t acknowledge his silent promise, having more faith in him than I’d ever had before in anyone else.