“You didn’t tell me that you knew Jolene,” I said as Oriel and I walked out to his car.
“We dated a few years ago,” he said. I made a note to ask Jolene about that. Neither of them had seemed entirely friendly toward the other.
On our way to Necropolis, Oriel mentioned that he had never been there.
“Not your sort of place?”
“Vampires hold no allure. The Fae hunt them for sport sometimes, but I’ve heard they aren’t good eating.” He said it with such a straight face that I wasn’t sure if he was joking.
“Sounds like you have one thing in common with the Knights.”
His response sounded like a growl.
I didn’t bother with the line outside the nightclub but simply walked up to the bouncer.
“I’m here to see Eileen,” I said, “She’s expecting me.”
He sneered at me, obviously assuming I was a blood whore. I smiled, fed ley line power to my hands, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled his face down to mine.
“Smell.”
His eyes widened as he realized I was a mage. I let go of him and he stood aside.
I walked past him, but he started to move in front of Oriel. Bad move. Oriel shifted to his Unseelie form, horns and all, and smiled at the bouncer. My boyfriend didn’t have a vampire’s canines, but his teeth were in some ways more impressive. Vampires didn’t blanch, being pale already, but the bouncer moved aside and let Oriel pass.
“Perhaps I should maintain this form,” Oriel said.
“It isn’t Halloween, and there are a lot of humans in here,” I replied.
He grinned and shifted back, but I could tell he did it only to please me.
Eileen was at her regular table on the mezzanine, and I headed for the stairs. I knew from past experience that her bartenders couldn’t mix a decent drink, so I didn’t bother stopping by the bar.
“Did you bring me a present?” Eileen asked when we reached the top of the stairs.
Oriel grinned at her, and the smile slid off her face.
“Michaela said you wanted to speak with me,” I said as I sat down.
She didn’t take her eyes off Oriel. “Yes. We’ve had a couple of incidents of these Knights coming around and harassing my customers. I’m hoping you might suggest a solution.”
We talked about finding some mages to augment her security force, and I told her I would put out the word at Rosie’s that she was hiring.
“I don’t know if you heard, but a club in Kansas City was torched a couple of nights ago,” she said. “It happened around four o’clock in the morning, and some humans were caught in the fire. I don’t need that sort of thing.”
“Something like that happened downtown,” I said.
“Yes, but it didn’t hit the national news. I’m afraid the Knights might be using that as a common tactic. They’ve already killed a couple of my staff, and I’ve told my people to travel in groups.”
“A witch I know said that she could mix something to fireproof your building, but it would be expensive. This place is pretty large.”
Eileen waved her hand. “Insurance is always expensive. Send her around to talk to me.”
When Oriel and I left the club, we saw a small crowd at the entrance to the parking lot and heard a lot of shouting. We walked over and found about twenty of Eileen’s security force blocking a dozen Knights from entering the property.
The Knights weren’t using any magical weapons, but they were using their swords. At least two vamps were down, although both still had their heads attached. The vamps were much quicker and stronger, and were trying to stay out of reach, but they weren’t able to do any damage to their opponents.
My major concern was the humans who were watching and recording the confrontation on their cell phones.
“What do you think?” Oriel asked.
“I think those guys are crazy.” I pointed out the picture-takers. “This is likely to be on the morning news.”
“I’ll take care of that,” he said. “I can zap all their phones, but what about this mess?”
“I’m open to suggestions. There are too many of them for you and me to take on.”
I walked up to a vamp I recognized as one of Eileen’s lieutenants and asked, “Have you called the cops?”
“Yeah. I called inside, and Eileen said she was going to call Shawna. So far they haven’t tried to torch us, but I don’t know how long that will last.”
“I think you should back off,” I said. “And get all those rubberneckers out of here.”
“And then what?”
Oriel stepped up beside us. “Let them come into the outer parking lot. Funnel them into that area over there.” He pointed to a part of the lot that was empty, Monday being a slow night. The lot on that side had a deep gulley for an outer boundary, and a six-foot wall separated it from the building.
“And how are we supposed to funnel them?” the vamp asked.
“Just retreat, and I’ll take care of that,” Oriel said.
I knew that all Fae had the gift of tongues, glamour and illusion, limited shape shifting, and some could fly. I had seen Oriel’s true form, and he didn’t have wings. His abilities with metals and mechanics were something unique. A Fae smith was honored among his kind. I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but I stood ready to back him up.
It took a few minutes, but the vamps had walkie-talkies, and soon they all retreated. The Knights pressed what they saw as an advantage and followed us. As they did, a wall of flame sprang up behind them and on their flank, moving toward the Knights and driving them into the parking lot Oriel had indicated.
That evoked a response, with fireballs and lightning bolts being hurled in the direction of the retreating vamps. Most of the magical assaults traveled close enough to me that I could use ley energy to deflect them. Soon, the Knights were trapped in the parking area, with the flames closing off their escape.
I wondered how long it would take them to realize the flames threatening them weren’t real.
As it turned out, it didn’t matter. Sirens in the distance grew louder, and police cars began to arrive. Dan Bailey got out of one of the cars, looked around, and spotted me.
“What’s going on?” he asked when he reached my side.
I explained, and he studied the scene for about a minute.
“Who’s the illusionist?” he asked.
I hooked my thumb toward Oriel, and Bailey nodded. He walked over to the end of the wall enclosing the parking lot, and cast a spell, then turned back to us.
“I have them sealed in,” he said. “You can drop the illusion now.”
Oriel grinned and the flames disappeared. He turned and walked toward the area where the vamps had herded the humans and their cell phones. He walked through the small crowd, then came back to where I waited.
“The phone stores will do land-office business in the morning. I’m hungry. Let’s go get a burger or something,” he said.
Chapter 15
I called Jolene the following morning and asked her to go by Necropolis and speak with Eileen. Then Oriel and I went to breakfast at Rosie’s, where I talked with Sam and told him what Jolene had explained to me about fireproofing.
“I don’t think we need that here,” Sam said, “but I might be interested in other charms to protect the place. I’ll catch her next time she comes in.”
Lighting a brick building on fire might be difficult, but the vampire club that burned had been cast concrete. I said as much and asked, “What about the roof? Or tossing fireballs through the entrance?”
Sam chuckled. “After I talked to your friend Shawna, I cast some additional spells here. We might have some water damage if the spells are triggered, but nothing is going to burn.” Sam was an aeromancer with a secondary affinity for water. I just hoped no one drowned if his spells were set off.
I also told him about the humans and their cell phones at Necropolis. “I’m wondering how far the Knights will go as far as revealin
g the shadow world to humans,” I said.
“And that is the big question,” he replied. “The Council has discussed that, and paranormal communities across the country are very concerned about it. A friend of mine in Dublin thinks the Knights in Europe are preparing to blow the whole shadow world wide open.”
I posted signs announcing the possible jobs. Ian McGregor approached me while I was doing that.
“Security jobs? Who with?” he asked.
“The vamps and shifters in town are looking for mages and witches to protect their businesses and homes from the Knights. Interested?”
“I might be. Where do I apply?”
“Probably the best-paying gig would be with Eileen Montgomery at Necropolis. It’s a vampire nightclub on the north side of the river. A group of Knights tried to get in there last night. Other employers looking for people are Gabriel Laurent, the Master of the City, Dan Thompson, who owns a shifter strip club called the Wolf’s Den, and Michaela Gallagher, who owns the local trash-hauling company. The alphas of the local packs are also hiring, but I haven’t talked to them. You might want to talk to Michaela. She’s a dhampir, so she’s active during the day.”
I gestured to the sign I was posting. “The phone numbers are there. You’ll have to wait until dark to talk to the vamps.”
He nodded. “I have some money stashed away, but I’m not rich, and I’m getting bored. Thanks.”
Although I had no doubt about McGregor’s skills, and I could feel the strength of his magic, the disruptions in the ley lines would disable him just as they would any mage. If he was going to go up against any Knights during one of the ley line storms, he would be dead in short order.
Reaching in my pocket, I pulled out one of the star rubies Roisin had given me.
“Have you noticed these on the Knights’ swords?” I asked.
“Uh huh. They had them in England as well.”
I held it out to him, and he took it. His expression showed surprise, and I knew he felt the magic.
“It nullifies the chaos in the ley lines,” I said. Pulling out the pendant from under my shirt, I held it up. “Have a ring or a pendant or something made with it. It may save your life.”
He studied it, then turned his eyes up to me. “Thank you. And where did you get it?”
“The Knight who carried it didn’t have a use for it anymore. If you collect any, make sure they go to someone trustworthy.”
McGregor smiled. “And if I don’t know anyone else like that, should I give it to you?”
“I would appreciate it.”
The ambush came when we drove into my parking lot. A fireball hit Oriel’s car but splashed and ran off the way it would if it hit my personal shield. Oriel accelerated, passing my building and driving to the far end of the compound.
“Get ready to jump,” he said, slamming on the brakes and skidding around to face back the way we had come. He killed the engine and opened his door. I followed his lead, rolling out my side of the car onto the pavement, protected by my personal shield.
The first thing I saw was a Knight with his sword drawn less than fifteen feet away from me. I pushed ley energy at him and followed it with a ley missile, staggering him.
While drawing my own sword, I looked around and saw Knights emerging from between several of the buildings. They had us surrounded. What I didn’t see was Oriel, but I didn’t have time to wonder about him.
Rushing toward the closest Knight, I got close enough that our shields touched. I drew power from his shield as I delivered an overhead blow. He managed to parry my sword but stepped back off-balance. I thrust toward his chest, and he parried again, but my backhand cut penetrated his shield and gashed his sword arm above the elbow, causing him to drop his weapon. Pushing my advantage, I slashed low and took his leg off at the knee.
Spinning about, I faced two more Knights, almost within reach. I hit the one on my left with a ley missile, halting him, while parrying the overhand cut from the other man. Backing away from them, I hit the man closest to me with another ley missile. He gasped and swayed, his sword tip drooping toward the ground. I hit him with another ley missile, and he disappeared, leaving only one opponent in front of me.
That man was gawking at the place where his buddy had stood only seconds before, and as I squared off against him, he stumbled backward. When I didn’t advance on him, he turned and ran.
A lightning bolt hit my shield, and I instinctively ducked and whirled about. A Knight stood about fifty feet away from me, beyond the range of my magic. He held out his hand as though to cast another spell at me, but suddenly, the expression on his face changed from anger to shock, his back arched, and he fell on his face. One reflexive jerk, and he lay still.
Casting about, I saw the bodies of three more Knights lying on the ground. I didn’t know how many men comprised the attacking force, so I didn’t relax my guard. A short sprint took me around the corner of the closest building, where I stopped to take a breath.
Nothing moved in the parking lot, or as far as I could see, around the five buildings that made up the apartment complex.
“I think two of them got away,” Oriel’s voice sounded behind me, causing my heart to stop for a moment even as I instinctively leaped away from him and raised my sword. The air shimmered as he became visible.
“Don’t ever do that again!” I shouted at him.
He smirked. Holding up the bloody Hunter’s main gauche, he said, “This knife you gave me is quite handy. Slides right through mage shields.”
Looking around, I saw four bodies. “There were seven of them?”
“Six. I killed three, and you killed one.”
I shook my head. “I killed two.”
He raised an eyebrow, swiveling his head as he obviously counted four bodies.
“One of them got vaporized,” I said, and watched both eyebrows shoot up. “His shields weren’t very strong.” I took a few steps toward Oriel’s car. “You can shield your car but not yourself?”
“It’s not a shield, it’s a ward.”
“And you can’t ward my car?”
“I can if I’m in it.” I briefly thought about locking him in my trunk, then dismissed it. I’d have to feed him, and he ate a lot.
I called Jordan Blair and told him what happened.
“And you’re calling me because?” he asked.
“You’re the police. I thought you’d like to know. I mean, someone needs to clean up these bodies.”
I heard him sigh. “That’s what I thought. I’ll send some people over right away.”
I saw people staring out of windows all around the complex. Three or four people had come out of the buildings. The fight, although quick, had been very public. I cringed at having to face Eleanor. I was sure she hadn’t had mage battles in her parking lot before I moved in, and it had happened several times since then.
Blair surprised me by showing up himself. Since his promotion to captain, I saw a lot less of him. The other surprise was Sam, who drove in and parked in front of the office at the same time as Blair did.
Sam briefly spoke with Eleanor, then walked over to where I was standing in front of my building.
“Is she going to kick me out?” I asked.
He gave me a startled look. “No, I don’t think so. Why? Did you invite these fools to attack you?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. Sometimes I think I have a target painted on my forehead.”
“You hang out with demons,” Oriel said and winked at me.
Blair approached us. Surveying the area, he said, “I’m counting four bodies. Is that all of them?”
“Yeah,” I said. “There were six of them, and one got away.”
He started to open his mouth, then closed it and surveyed the scene again. “Okay. I’m not even going to ask. What happened?”
Oriel and I explained the situation to him while the police forensics team took pictures and gathered up the bodies to take them away.
“I notice that none of t
heir swords have those rubies,” Blair said.
I started to say something, but Oriel smirked at me. I closed my mouth and just shrugged.
Blair finished taking our statements, then turned to Sam. “We’re seeing a lot more blatant attacks—in broad daylight, and in front of witnesses.”
“Well, at least these witnesses won’t be talking to any reporters,” Sam said.
Shaking his head, Blair asked, “Aren’t there any normal humans living here?”
Sam snorted. “The landlady is selective about her tenants. But, yeah, I’m hearing about more open magical activity in other cities, especially in Europe.”
“Worse than that scene in Atlanta?” Blair asked.
“Using magic to blow up a building in downtown London is pretty blatant,” Sam said. “My source says that the government security forces in England are working on contingency planning for when they can’t hide us anymore.”
Blair nodded. “That’s your and Frankie’s table. I’m just trying to contain things as long as I can.”
I spoke up. “What are you doing with the Knights you’re arresting?”
“Holding them as long as we can. One of the judges here is a witch, so we obstruct the Knights and the Church as much as we can, but they’re watching us too closely and we can’t just ship their bad boys off in the middle of the night. They appeal our judge’s rulings, and eventually they get out on bond.” Blair fixed me with a stern look. “One of the tactics they’ll use if we ever get them to trial is that they are the victims. You and the vampires attacked them. And they’re pushing for public jury trials.”
After the police finished photographing the scene and removed the bodies, Oriel was allowed to move his car over to my building, and we went upstairs to my place.
“Pack some clothes. You’ll be staying at my place,” Oriel said as soon as we entered my apartment. “It’s too dangerous in Westport for you.”
“What?” I shook my head. “I have to work. I wasn’t born with a pot of gold. I’ll be okay here. My wards are strong.”
Well of Magic: An Urban Fantasy (Rosie O'Grady's Paranormal Bar and Grill Book 4) Page 12
