Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, #6)

by Jim Butcher

The building was on fire, and it wasn’t my fault.

‘Jobs are a part of life. Maybe you’ve heard of the concept. It’s called work? See, what happens is that you suffer through doing annoying and humiliating things until you get paid not enough money. Like those Japanese game shows, only without all the glory.’

Thomas was an annoying wiseass who tended to make everyone he met want to kill him, and when I have that much in common with someone, I can’t help but like him a little.

It’s not everyone who can teach you something about faith without saying a word to do it.

Arturo Genosa, this is Harry Dresden, the man I told you about.’ Arturo looked me up and down. ‘Tall son of a bitch, huh?’ ‘I ate my Wheaties,’ I said.

Bob’s eyelights flickered with interest. ‘Neat. So the usual drill? Wait for them to try again so you can backtrack the attackers to Mavra?’ ‘Not this time. I’m going to find them first, kick down their door, and kill them all in their sleep.’ ‘Wow. That’s an atypically vicious plan, Harry.’ ‘Yeah. I liked it too.’

Chocolate fends off all kinds of nasty stuff. And if you get hungry while warding off evil, you have a snack. It’s multipurpose equipment.

Better to have the magical arsenal and not need it, than to not have it and get killed to death.

‘Who the hell are you?’ he growled. ‘I the hell am Harry,’ I said. He pulled out his own gym bag and slammed the car door closed. ‘You always a wiseass?’ ‘No. Sometimes I’m asleep.’

For most people it would be a desperate situation. But most people hadn’t been through them as many times as I had. My worry and tension slowly grew, and as they did I took a perverse comfort in the familiar emotions. It actually felt good to feel my survival instincts put me on guard against premature mortality.

But I’ve noticed that people got the most irrational whenever family was around – while simultaneously losing their ability to distinguish reason from insanity. I call it familial dementia.

‘Trite but true – you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. People change. The world changes. And sooner or later you lose people you care about. If you don’t mind some advice from someone who doesn’t know much about families, I can tell you this: Don’t take yours for granted. It might feel like all of them will always be there. But they won’t.’

‘You’ve met Inari?’ Arturo asked. ‘Bumped into her already,’ I said. The girl smiled and nodded. ‘I like him. He’s funny.’ ‘Looks aren’t everything,’ I said.

I’d been in hairier situations than this one. Actually, it’s sort of depressing, thinking how many times I’d been in them. But if experience had taught me anything, it was this: No matter how screwed up things are, they can get a whole lot worse.

Since I’d begun my career as a wizard, I’d always believed that magic came from life, but that it was only potential energy, like electricity or natural gas or uranium. And while it may have come from positive origins, only its application would prove it good or evil. That there was no such thing as truly evil, malevolent, black magic. I’d been wrong.

I was holding the symbol of what I believed in. The five-pointed star of the pentacle represented the five forces of the universe, those of air, fire, water, earth, and of spiritual energy, laid into patterns of order and life and bound within a circle of human thought, human will. I believed that magic was fundamentally a force of life, of good, something meant to protect and preserve. I believed that those who wielded it therefore had a responsibility to use that power in the way it was meant to be used – and that was belief enough to tap into the vast power of faith, and to direct it against One-ear.

Raith whipped his head around to stare daggers at me. His voice was cold enough to merit the use of a Kelvin scale. ‘I do not respond well to demands.’ I ground my teeth and said, ‘Both of you shut your mouth and help them. Please.’ And they say I can’t be diplomatic.

‘You can have everything in the world, but if you don’t have love, none of it means crap,’ he said promptly. ‘Love is patient. Love is kind. Love always forgives, trusts, supports, and endures. Love never fails. When every star in the heavens grows cold, and when silence lies once more on the face of the deep, three things will endure: faith, hope, and love.’

The eyes reveal a lot about a person. They express emotions and give clues to what thoughts are lurking behind them. One of the first things we all learn to recognize, as infants, are the eyes of whoever is taking care of us. We know from the cradle how important they are.

The Hunger hissed more words at Thomas. ‘What is it saying?’ I asked. ‘It’s telling him to give up. That there’s no point in fighting anymore. That it will never leave him in peace.’ ‘Is it true?’ ‘Perhaps,’ she said. ‘But he’s fighting anyway,’ I said. ‘Yes.’ Her eyes focused on mine, sad and proud. ‘It may destroy him, but he will not surrender himself to it. He is of my blood.’

You don’t gain knowledge without a little pain.

‘All right. May fortune smile on your efforts, Mister Dresden.’ ‘Don’t know why she’d start now,’

‘Money’s new,’ I answered. ‘Power’s old. Power is the real deal. Money, voters, oil, SUVs – they’re just stand-ins for power.’

Over the years I’ve learned that ignorance is more than just bliss. It’s freaking orgasmic ecstasy.

Mrs Murphy. I don’t know if you’re aware of how dangerous her job can be. The kinds of things she faces in Special Investigations can be especially difficult. And disturbing. Your daughter saves lives. There are people who would be dead right now if she hadn’t been there. I’m several of them.’

‘So I can change,’ Murphy said, her voice tight. Kincaid shook his head. ‘You got nothing everyone here hasn’t seen before, Lieutenant,’ he said. After a moment he glanced at me and said, ‘Unless . . .’ ‘Yes,’ I said through clenched teeth. ‘I’ve seen that sort of thing. It’s been a while, but I dimly remember.’ ‘Just checking,’ Kincaid said.

Justin DuMorne had taught me how to do magic. But it was Ebenezar who had taught me why. That magic came from the heart, from the essence of what the wizard believed – from who and what he chose to be. That the power born into any wizard carried with it the responsibility to use it to help his fellow man. That there were things worth protecting, defending, and that the world could be more than a jungle where the strong thrived and the weak were devoured.

I looked from the gadget-readied spear and body armor to my slender staff of plain old wood and leather duster. ‘My dick is bigger than your dick,’ I said. ‘Heh,’ Kincaid said.

‘Okay,’ Kincaid said. ‘Anyone have any questions?’ ‘Why do they sell hot dogs in packages of ten but hot dog buns in packages of eight?’ I said. Everyone glared at me. I should probably leave off wizarding and chase my dream of becoming a standup comedian. Instead, I put the toy gun in my right hand, my staff in my left, and said, ‘Let’s go.’

I had time to think about it later, but . . . I wanted to believe you’d done what was right.’ ‘There’s what’s right,’ the old man said, ‘and then there’s what’s necessary. They ain’t always the same.’

‘The hardest lesson a wizard has to learn is that even with so much power, there are some things you can’t control. No matter how much you want to.’

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. The world might be vicious and treacherous and deadly, but it couldn’t kill laughter. Laughter, like love, has power to survive the worst things life has to offer. And to do it with style.

She purred again. ‘My. I am not yet sure if you are truly that formidable or simply a vast and mighty fool, but for the time being I am finding you an extremely exciting man.’ ‘All the girls tell me that.’

‘Come on,’ she said. ‘Let’s move before I start thinking about this.’ ‘Moving before I think is my specialty,’ I said.

‘Hey!’ I shouted. ‘You! You demented U.S. Army surplus blow-up doll! I’m talking to you. So say something!’ She didn’t, but her eyes glittered with annoyance, the first emotion I’d seen there. What can I say, inspiring anger is my gift. I have a responsibility to use it wisely.