Winter Knights

 “Heyla Queerdo, where the hell have you been? We missed you.” Jake Rollins turned to see their friend Kris a beaming smile on his still youthful looking and handsome face, though he was now pushing towards 50 much like Jake. “Heyla Vampiro, taken over the World of Darkness yet?” Kris just laughed “Next Tuesday. Seriously man, missed you, plus there was a pretty sweet gig we could’ve used your mad drummer skillz on.” Jake sighed “Yeah, sorry about that man, there was a bunch of family issues a few months ago. I just needed to get away and get my head screwed back on right.” Kris nodded “I hear ya man, Sandi’s family is a bit uptight like yours.” He switched his voice over to a falsetto “Alexandra you’ll never reach your full potential married to that musician.”

They both shook their heads each having been on the receiving end of the ‘What are you doing with your life/why are you wasting your life away with that hobby/phase…’ conversation with family, friends and lovers. Neither were unaware of the realities of the entertainment industry, especially after this long. So how do you convey to the people you care about that what their asking is for you to rip your own heart out when they ask you to stop being creative and get a ‘real’ job. That’s what made The Annual Atonal Atomic Shindig and Christmas Capriccio Party so important to the local musicians guild. Being able to hang out with people who just ‘got it’ was an invaluable gift that Jake felt a lot of gratitude for.

However, Jake wasn’t there just to get their groove on and catch up with old pals. A few months ago Jake had had a family trauma. What most of the people in this part of Jake’s life didn’t know, with the exception of the Rollins' (Jake's adoptive family) and a few close friends, was that Jake had been born in another reality to a very prestigious family of Mages.

Born Jacqueline Knight and then left in Mundus with the Rollins family, Jackie had been discovered by a member of the Mages Guild passing through Mundus, her reality, when she had cast a spell on her brother to turn him into a toad (it only sorta worked and the mage was able to undo it). The mage had seen great potential in the 9 year old Jackie Rollins, as most children didn’t show the Talent until the start of puberty, and had set up a means for her to got to school in Elsewhere, his reality. She went to school most of the year coming back holidays and summers to be with her family. To keep her in touch with her reality there was a golem to take her place that would transfer it’s memories to her. She didn't find out about her birth family until years later when they wanted to take her back as she was making a name for herself as a mage.

Jake had been called by the Knight family solicitor. Agatha, the first friend they made at Mage School, one they considered a sister, had been brutalized, raped and murdered. A taunting letter was left with the body indicating that Jake had met the murderer, it was someone from Mundus and Jake would never guess who it was. The clues left there were three roses, one black (mourning) one yellow (friendship) and one red (love). The next body, Jessica, was a woman the golem had been best friends with throughout school. They had drifted apart in high school and Jessica had moved in their last year, but they had kept in touch with letters and Christmas cards through the years. Both knights from a chess set had been found there, along with another taunting letter. The last body, Eleanora, was Jake’s first love and first lover. An angel Christmas tree topper found near the body along with a riddle, that Jake had recently figured out was an invitation to the annual musicians party.

All three had been posed in a kneeling position, heads bowed and hands clasped as if in prayer.

Jake was certain that the murderer was a guy who had been a rival for Eleanora’s affection, in what was their last year of high school. Lucas, was smart, resourceful and handsome, plus a talented singer and musician. They had been in mage school in the same year group, and had both left Elsewhere to pursue music in Mundus. Though neither had ended up with Eleanora the rivalry had continued through the years. What had puzzled Jake was they were under the impression that it had turned into an amiable rivalry over the last decade. Plus, while Lucas might not be their favorite person he seemed to be a very decent, warm and personable guy.

“Hey Kris, have you seen Lucas around tonight, do ya know where he is?” Kris shrugged glancing around “Dunno, he was hangin’ out with his usual circle of admirers. He’s probably around, you know he likes to be one of the last to leave.” Jake nodded “Yup, can ya point me to where this circle jerk/ love fest was.” Kris grinned nodding in the direction of a group of couches near the sliding glass door to the back patio. Saluting Jake with his drink, Kris wandered off towards the buffet table.

Jake sauntered over to the couches, boppin’ along with the music like they hadn’t a care in the world. Lucas wasn’t there but his best mate Saul was hanging out chatting up some blond who looked a little too sober to be buyin’ his bs and a little too drunk to care about moving away. “Yo, Saul, you know where Lucas is man?” Saul glanced over “Yuh, Luke got a call about…” he looked at his watch “five minutes ago-ish. Took off out the back like a man on a mission. Probably still out there.” He pointed to the glass door and the covered patio beyond. “Thanks, dude.” Saul just nodded and shooed Jake away already focusing back on the blond.

The patio was a semi outdoor venue. There were large space heaters set up around the area with smokers congregating around each. The screen window that were usually open during the warmer months had heavy canvas shades pulled down over them. The tables and chairs were set up haphazardly looking very much like the guest had pulled them off their stacks and set them up as needed. Looking around Jake didn’t see Lucas, asking around someone said they’d seen Lucas going out the side door.

Though there was a sign saying 'Emergency Exit Only, Alarm will sound.’ anyone who’d worked there (which was most of the musicians) knew that the door had been broken for well over two decades. Jake pushed open the door, glancing out they noticed that the snow had been shoveled creating small hills on either side of the walk. Though a recent flurry had covered the sidewalk in a couple of inches and Jake could see the boot prints left behind by Lucas. He probably saw Jake enter and pretended to answer his phone knowing that Jake would come looking for him. The thought that Lucas wanted to get them alone, most likely to kill them, sent chills down their spine.

Jake walked along the edge of the sidewalk still trying to puzzle out what could have happened to bring about this psychotic break in someone who could have been a good friend under other circumstances. How could they have been so wrong about Lucas? If Jake had been hurrying along, instead of staring at their shoes trying to understand this conundrum, they would have missed the smear of blood and half finished cigarette buried in the snow. The corner of the building was a few feet away. Past that the side walk ended at the edge of the secondary parking lot.

To Jake’s right was a cinder-block wall that surrounded the parts warehouse for an auto-body shop that sat on the corner on the other side of the warehouse. To the left the rest of the block was taken up by the tavern/music hall that belong to the guild. Now that Jake was paying attention they noticed the drag marks and the drips of blood that had been hastily covered up. The tracks went around the corner to the front of the warehouse. Passing a hand in front of their eyes Jake mumbled the spell for seeing what was hidden. Through the now transparent wall Jake saw someone standing out of sight around the corner holding a gun, a person bound and gagged laying on the side walk. The street lamps near there having been broken. The person was getting antsy having heard them stop, preparing to look around the corner. As this would probably lead to them getting shot Jake decided to keep walking. Though they walked in place for a few steps to buy a little more time.

When Jake got near the corner they dropped to their knees, spinning towards the gunman and sent a stunning bolt at them, the body hit the ground with a dull thud. Casting light at the nearest broken lamp, making it seem to have come back on it’s own, Jake got a look at the killer. Though the face looked familiar Jake couldn’t remember right off hand where they’d seen him.

Jake checked on Lucas, finding that most of the blood had come from a shallow head wound. Healing that Jake saw that his wrists and ankles had been bound with zip ties. Checking their would be murderer Jake found a multi-tool and a pack of zip-strips. Binding the killer, Jake unbound Lucas then fished their cellphone out calling emergency. After that, calling Kris to grab someone and come help carry Lucas and the killer inside to the patio.

The killer once revived proceeded to try and convince the cops and everyone else that he was on a mission from God to kill the Evil Witches and Warlocks and avenge having to kill his lost True Love, Eleanora, who had been corrupted by their evil ways. For it could only be that Jake and Lucas had enchanted her that she never accepted that he was her one and only True Love. He set them up so it would have seemed like a murder suicide for a decades long grudge that had finally boiled over.

Jake finally remembered during this rant, that Eleanora had been seeing this guy, Edward, before they’d met. He’d broken into Jake’s parents house looking for her. They’d found him passed out near the golem. Believing it to be Jake at the time he attempted to kill them. The last Jake had heard the guy was in prison for attempted murder. Jake realized that Richard must’ve had some kind of latent gift and seen some of the golem’s memories, which scrambled his brains. They let the cops know that this guy had attempted to murder them before.

The paramedics took Lucas to the hospital for overnight observation. The last Jake saw of him he was flirting with the medic. Jake left the party around midnight, the band playing a parody of The Twelve Days of Christmas. 

The next morning while chasing their hangover with ibuprofen and water Jake remembered that even with a latent talent Edward would have needed someone to let him into Elsewhere... "Well, shit."