Ichabod Crowley series 3 The Thorn Tree

Chapter 13

Somewhere in Southern Oregon
A small idyllic American town called Pinto Valley

Faldecto stomped across the lawn, crushing the freshly cut grass under his large, heavy, metal boots. The severed blades flung from the mower, making a faint ping noise as they bounced off of the curved plate armor that made up his body. Suzie, the next door neighbor waved to him as they passed close, finishing the circuit and nearing the completion of their yard work. They both paused, Suzie to take a deep relieving breath and Faldecto simply to be polite, inviting the conversation.

"Scorch of day aint it," she laughed, taking a deep tug from a water bottle at her hip, "Makes you wish you had a rider."

"I wouldn't know ma'am," Fal bowed politely, a bit of smoke gently wafting from his empty helmet.

"Suppose not," she replaced the water bottle's lid, "Can you actually 'feel' anything?"

"Extreme heat, and sound," he placed a hand against his chest, "A touch makes a noise, and I can tell where I've been attacked."

"Mm, good to know," she nodded, looking away nervously, "Are you going to bring Lisandra over for dinner tonight? We're making lasagna, Catherine and I would love to have you."

"Apologies, but no," Faldecto dipped his head again, "She has a game tonight..."

"Right, the Lacrosse thing, forgot about that," she put her hands on the lawn mower and started it up again, "Well, tomorrow is sushi from Fei Long's, think about it."

"Indeed ma'am," raising his head, he turned back to his own machine and paused, seeing Laurie leaning over the engine with an impish grin on her lips, his arms dropped limply, so stunned he could only back away, muttering, "...you..."

"Oh, man," the dryad let out an amused chuckle, "She so wants you, what'd you save her cat from a tree or something?"

"Daughter...drunk driver..." he stammered his response, shaking his head, "What are you doing here?"

"Finish up champ," she tapped the gas cap, pushing herself up to saunter into the house, "We need to talk."

Within the Depths of Xibalba

Oriko grabbed hold of Ichabod's wrist while Cindy tugged at his sleeve together they pulled him up to a safe culvert in the side of the mountain and he collapsed. They had been climbing for little more than an hour but the effort had nothing at all to do with his exhaustion. The pain had never subsided, continuing to ebb and flow at seeming random. Now even paler than usual, sweating and shaking, he crawled into the ledge, placing his head against a rock and nearly passing out.

"You look sick," Oriko noted.

"I'm well aware," Ichabod responded while Cindy placed a comforting hand on his brow.

"We should rest here," the Gorgon insisted, "At least for a bit..."