Page 69 of Professor and the Seer
As for me… I couldn’t see what would happen next.
21
John
When John woke alone just after dawn, he assumed Frieda had gone to the washroom. That was until he entered the hall and saw the body on the floor.
His body, to be exact.
It took John a stunned second to realize that: A) that wasn’t him, which involved slapping himself and making sure he had a reflection in the mirror, B) given the sword wound, this appeared to be what Frieda had seen in her vision, and C) the dead body probably had much to do with why he couldn’t find her.
He crouched by the corpse, the waxy-in-death features uncanny because he saw this face every day in the mirror. A poke at the cheek led to the simulacrum disintegrating into mud. Even the blood staining the floor turned to dirt. He reeled back on his heels at the realization someone had made a golem of him. The question being, why?
Had it been meant to lure Frieda? If so, why kill it?
It made no sense. He hurried downstairs, only to pause as he saw his Grams making coffee in the kitchen.
“Grams? You’re here early.”
“Figured you’d need someone to keep you from being rash.”
“Frieda’s gone, but you already knew that,” he accused.
“She left as part of the bargain.” Grams spoke matter-of-factly, and yet he couldn’t help but explode.
“What bargain?”
“The one she made to save your life on campus yesterday. Or did you not find it odd she could suddenly wield lightning?”
He’d actually not thought much of it at all. In his relief they’d survived, he’d been more focused on making love to Frieda and basking in the fact she loved him too. “Who did she make the bargain with?”
“Use that head for something other than a hat rack and it will come to you.”
He flipped through possibilities. Someone strong in magic. Her sister came to mind, but Dina hadn’t been present. It had only been them, although… “Reaper.”
Rather than confirm, Grams chirped, “They’re here.”
“Who’s here?”
A pounding at the door led to him answering and being shoved aside by Enyo, who stalked in bellowing, “Frieda!”
Dina followed, loudly complaining, “Must you yell?”
“Don’t you pull that tone with me. You want to see her as much as I do, so yes, I am going to yell. It’s what caring sisters do when some stranger calls and tells you to come at once because your sister is in danger.”
“Who called?” John asked, snapping out of his daze.
Bane replied as he entered, “Your great-grandmother. She called us yesterday evening and told us to get our asses to your house. So here we are.”
He whipped around and growled, “What the hell, Grams?”
“Language,” she pertly said. “And you should say thank you for getting them to come.”
“I am not going to thank you for letting Frieda be taken in the first place!” He couldn’t hold on to his temper.
“Who took my sister? Where is she?” Dina didn’t keep her tone low or nice.
“I don’t know.” The truth. “I woke up to find her gone,” John admitted sullenly, utterly demoralized he’d slept through it all.