The Blade Mage

by Phillip Drayer Duncan

  One of the thugs was pretty much carrying his friend, whose whole upper half was covered in blood. It looked like gunshot wounds. Which aroused further suspicion. Was there a third party in addition to the gang and the demons? Or did the demons bring shooters?

  I doubted the gunshot man was conscious, but maybe the other would tell me something. Judging by the look on his face, whatever the hell was going down on the other side of the building was pretty bad, and he’d had enough.

  As they moved past me, I slipped in behind them. Unfortunately, two more of their brethren were just ahead and saw me. One charged toward me with a bat while the other waved his wand in the air and cast a spell.

  Black smoke circled all around me, blocking my view. It was a clever move intended to blind me until his buddy showed up to bash my head in with his baseball bat, which was likely enchanted with some minor spell.

  I aimed my staff toward where I’d last seen the slugger and fired a burst of raw energy into the shroud of darkness. There was a thump, then a cry of pain. Got him.

  I charged forward until I came out the other side and speared my staff into the forehead of the smoke caster. He went down like a brick.

  I did a full circle, looking for the two men I’d been following. I’d lost them.

  “Enough!” a voice commanded between gunshots. “Surrender or she dies!”

  I cursed.

  I had a nervous feeling about who ‘she’ was, and it wasn’t Torso-Lady I suspected.

  Chapter 17

  I started toward the middle of the room where I’d heard the voice come from. Peeking around a crate, my fears were realized.

  Standing in the center of the room was a grizzled man in a Marauder’s cut. Faith was with him and on her knees. In one hand the man held her blue hair, and in the other, he held a wand up against her temple.

  Shit.

  I dipped back into cover and thought through my options. I had no clue what kind of spell he had dialed up. Even if I attacked him quick, there was a good chance he’d kill Faith.

  I noticed then that the gunfire had finally stopped. Other than the sound of footfalls and shouted orders, the warehouse had become relatively quiet. Whoever they’d been fighting down on the other end, they were either hiding or the Marauders had won.

  I peeked around the corner again, this time noticing that several Marauders were in cover surrounding the man who held Faith captive. There was no way I could take them all.

  Shit.

  There was no telling what they might do. They looked scared and ready to blow the whole damned place to hell. I couldn’t say I blamed them. There was a scary, naked, half Torso-lady monster flying about killing their friends.

  “I ain’t playing, Blade Mage,” the man yelled. “I’ll fry this bitch’s skull.”

  Shit.

  I stepped around the corner and out into the open, my staff in one hand and Drynwyn in the other. It was my only play. I’d have to try to talk my way out of this.

  “Hi, there,” I said in my most friendly voice. I even added a smile for good measure. When the grumpy gang leader didn’t return my enthusiasm, I glanced at Faith. “I see you decided not to wait for me. Good call.”

  “I did wait,” she said, her gaze shifting from fear to anger. “They found me at the car and put a gun to my head. What was I supposed to do?”

  “Shut up,” the gang leader, yanking on her hair. His gaze turned back up to me.

  “So, interesting evening,” I said, turning my attention back to the gang’s spokesperson. “Would you believe me if I said I just came to talk?”

  “Is that why half my men are dead?” the man asked, then spat on the ground. His eyes were bloodshot and the look on his face was near manic.

  “Believe it or not,” I said, still trying to maintain a friendly demeanor, “but I haven’t killed any of your men. I may have hurt a few, but only when they attacked me. All the killing I’ve seen was done by the demons. They didn’t come with me.”

  “They just happened to show up at the same time?”

  “I’m the Blade Mage,” I replied, nodding toward the sword in my hand. “You think I palaver with demons? They were trying to kill me, too.”

  “That’s true, boss,” another of the Marauders yelled from cover. “I seen both of them attack him.”

  “Shut the fuck up, Ralph,” the leader said, not taking his eyes off me. He licked his lips and took a deep breath. “And the assault team on the other side of the warehouse? I guess they’re not with you either?”

  “Don’t you hate it when you just want some alone time at home and then everyone you know shows up all at once?” I asked. I could tell he didn’t appreciate my making light of the situation, so I switched tactics and asked a question instead. “Were they using magic?”

  “What?”

  “Whoever you were fighting on the other side. Were they using magic?”

  “No, just guns and explosives as far as we could tell,” he admitted. “Couldn’t even see how many of the bastards there were, but they’ve taken down a lot of our guys.”

  “Do you think the Cabal would send in an assault strike team without mages to take on mages?”

  He stared at me for a moment, then flicked his gaze to Faith. “What about her?”

  “She is with me,” I admitted. “Just a civilian who was supposed to wait in the car. Really wishing I tied her up now.”

  He grunted and asked, “So, what the hell did you want to talk about, Blade Mage?”

  “I’m investigating a murder,” I said. “Kyle Allen.”

  “I heard that’s already solved,” the man said, shrugging his shoulders. “Heard that weird little prick Axel Gunner killed him.”

  “That’s what everyone keeps telling me. Including Axel himself.”

  “Then what’s there to investigate?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” I said, glancing around the room. “Maybe demons showing up and trying to kill me, then when I come to talk to you, they show up and start killing everyone here. I just want to know what the hell is going on.”

  “Nah, bullshit,” he said, pulling a little tighter on Faith’s hair. “The Cabal just wants a reason to take us down. It won’t be easy.”

  “That’s the Cabal’s business. Not mine. I only want to know if Axel Gunner is guilty.”

  “What makes you think we’d know?”

  “Just before Kyle Allen was killed, he was looking into a kidnapping. The name of your gang came up.”

  “That don’t mean shit.”

  “Okay,” I said, forcing a smile. “During the melee a few minutes ago, I heard one of your men yell something about someone betraying you. What does that mean?”

  “That’s none of your fucking business.”

  “If it involves those demons, then it is my business,” I said, again nodding toward my sword. “Demons are exactly my business. I’m guessing you had some kind of arrangement with whoever sent them after me, but now they’re trying to tie up loose ends. Sound about right?”

  “So, it is your fault those bastards attacked us,” he said and spat again. “You’re the reason my men are dead.”

  “That’s not what I said,” I replied, shaking my head. “I feel like this conversation just spiraled in weird direction…”

  He yanked on Faith’s hair, causing her to cry out, but his eyes stayed on me. “I always wanted to kill your father when he was the Blade Mage. I guess I’ll have to settle for you.”

  Several things happened in the next few moments.

  There was the distinct crack of gunfire and the leader’s head exploded.

  Brain matter and blood sprayed in every direction.

  Faith started screaming.

  The Marauders started screaming.

  Magic started flying in every direction.

  A man in black combat armor stepped out of the darkness with a military style M4 assault rifle equipped with a short scope, a hundred round drum, and a goddamned grenade launcher attachment, whi
ch he fired into the catwalk.

  There was a boom and a flash of light and I saw several men go down.

  The man with the gun dropped down behind an old piece of metal equipment, but immediately leaned out, picked a target, and shot another Marauder through the head.

  And then… I realized I was still standing in the middle of the room like a jackass.

  I started toward Faith, but a lightning bolt struck the ground beside me and I had to veer off course. Then a fireball slammed into the ground just in front of me and I dove for cover. I was getting worn down and I didn’t know how well my shield would hold up.

  I glanced up at the shooter, trying to make sure it was who I thought it was. It was hard to tell from this distance, and the piece of machinery he was tucked behind had so much magic being hurled at it that it looked like a fireworks display.

  Then he popped his head up and casually lobbed a grenade out toward the center of the room. I saw his face, only for a moment before I had to drop back into cover myself, but I knew who it was. There was no mistaking him.

  Shain Stone.

  A man who embodied the very idea of rage and fury. Stone was a killer. If you asked him, he’d tell you it was the only thing he was good at. I don’t know if that’s true, but one thing was for sure: he gave everyone in the Cabal the shudders. The man wasn’t even a mage. The only thing magical about him was the fact he healed faster than a normal human. Otherwise, he was just a man. Yet he was one of the most feared individuals in the supernatural community. If kids were afraid there were monsters under their bed, well, the monsters were afraid that Shain Stone was under theirs.

  I planted my face against floor, expecting the boom from the grenade. Instead, I heard more gunfire and magic. When I peeked back up, I realized why. The whole room was filling with smoke. The sneaky bastard had hurled a smoke grenade into the crowd.

  Using it for cover, I darted out and headed toward Faith. Only, she wasn’t there anymore. Waving smoke from my face I glanced around, looking for any sign of her. I caught one fleeting glimpse as Stone dragged her around a corner, headed back the way he’d come from.

  I took off after them, not sure what to expect. Stone had worked for my father for years and I’d known him since I was kid. That didn’t make me feel any better. He’d always been kind to me when I was growing up, but he hadn’t garnished his reputation by being friendly out in the field. No, Shain Stone hunted monsters with ruthless and unrelenting brutality.

  And according to Bacon, he was out of his mind since my father had passed. This was going to be interesting.

  The back half of the warehouse was eerily silent. Of course it was, I thought. Stone had already purged it. My suspicions were confirmed when I rounded the next corner and saw Marauder corpses scattered about.

  There wasn’t a whole strike team. It was just him. How the hell does one man without magic manage to kill a bunch of mages and their armed gang buddies solo? More importantly, were we going to be friends or foes?

  I got an answer to my question a moment later when I heard him say, “You’re going to tell me what you know or I’m going to kill you.”

  He didn’t shout it, or force any bravado, he just said it like he was asking Faith what her favorite color was. Yet, even speaking in a normal tone, his voice sounded tight like a coiled snake, ready to strike. Like a man constantly on the cusp of rage and violence.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Faith replied, her voice shaky.

  I eased my head around the corner. Faith was on the ground staring up at him, and Stone stood over her, the barrel of his rifle pointed at her face.

  “Wrong answer,” he said in a quiet voice. “Let’s try again, or I’m going pull the trigger.”

  Before I knew what I was doing, my instincts kicked in and I fired a burst of energy from my staff. I aimed for the rifle instead of the man and knocked it away from Faith’s head.

  “Shain!” I said, running toward him and hoping he’d recognize me. Either he didn’t, or he did and didn’t care. He went for another M4 that was strapped over his back and I fired another blast of raw energy that knocked him from his feet.

  Unfortunately, I was too close to him then and he kicked my foot out from underneath me. I went down hard, striking my already tender tailbone again. I dropped my sword as well, but managed to hold onto my staff.

  I gritted my teeth and rolled back up to my feet, only to get spear tackled around the waist and driven into a stack of pallets behind me. The whole pile went over, Stone and I with it, both landing awkwardly on top.

  Shain wasn’t a particularly big man, but he’d landed a hit on me like an NFL linebacker. Once again, my tailbone was not pleased.

  I tried to raise my staff to summon another blast of energy, but before I could Stone grabbed a hold of it as well. It turned out that he was much stronger than I was, which I figured out when he started bashing my staff against my forehead, despite me still having a hold on it.

  “I just saved your life, you little shit,” he said, whacking me again and again. Luckily, he wasn’t striking me hard enough to do any real damage, but it still hurt like hell.

  Over his shoulder, I saw Faith charge in from behind. In a single motion, Stone ripped my staff from my hands and turned to shove Faith back down to the floor.

  I tried to use the opening to free myself, but Stone drew a stainless steel 1911 from a holster on his hip and put the barrel to my forehead. This was the part in the movies where the guy pulls back the hammer for dramatic effect, but Stone didn’t give a shit about dramatic effect, and the gun was already cocked in the holster.

  Without my staff, there was no way I could summon a magical shield to defend myself. If he pulled the trigger, I was dead. At least I’d be murdered by a badass-looking gun.

  “Now,” he said, his voice still on edge. “Let’s have a quick chat before those two-bit mages come looking for us, yeah?”

  “Sure,” I replied. “I’m finding myself in an agreeable position.”

  “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked.

  “Trying to figure out if Axel really killed Kyle, and looking for her missing little sister,” I said, trying to keep it simple. It was best to be straight to the point with Stone. He’d never been a fan of bullshit. “You?”

  He stared at me for a few moments and his expression gave no indication of his thoughts. He could’ve been perusing the TV guide. Finally, he said, “Same.”

  “Oh,” I replied, feeling a glimmer of hope. “So, we’re on the same side.”

  “Don’t get comfortable. I haven’t seen you since your father’s funeral, and that’s been a while.”

  I remained silent while he stared at me for a few more seconds. Faith stayed on the ground, but kept her eyes glued to the scene.

  Finally, Stone said, “I didn’t think you were working. Everyone made it sound like the Blade Mage didn’t want anything to do with the Cabal.”

  “I don’t,” I said. “Parker Grimm came and found me. They want me to execute Axel. I wanted to make sure he was guilty before I killed my best friend.”

  “Is that the sword?” he asked, motioning toward Drynwyn.

  “It is,” I replied.

  “Looks like a fucking katana,” he said. “When your father carried it, it was always a big bastard sword.”

  “Well, it’s usually a katana for me,” I said. “Sometimes it takes on other forms when it feels the urge.”

  “And why are you with her?” he said, nodding toward Faith.

  “She says Axel was trying to help her track down her little sister, who was taken by a witch. Then Kyle ended up dead.”

  “Right,” Stone said, scoffing over his shoulder. He looked back and locked his eyes on mine. “Just tell me one thing. Are you still your father’s son?”

  I almost responded immediately, as it seemed an obvious question, but I paused as I understood what he’d really asked. After a moment I said, “I’m trying to be.”

&
nbsp; “All right,” Stone said. He pulled the gun from my head and re-holstered it, then took a step back and offered me a hand up. “It’s good to see you, Wyatt.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, taking my staff from his outstretched hand. “You too.”

  He turned and looked at Faith and said, “I don’t trust her.”

  “What did I do?” she asked, also rising to her feet. “I don’t even know you.”

  I watched Stone’s face, looking for any indication of what he thought. All I learned was I never wanted to play poker with him. I asked, “What do you know?”

  “Axel left me a message,” he replied, his gaze still on Faith. “I’ll play it for you when we get out of here.”

  “All right,” I said, glancing between the two of them. “Let’s go.”

  Just as we made to leave, the Marauders finally caught up to us and started firing spells in our general direction. I hurled a blast of energy back at them and Stone fired a few rounds from his assault rifle, then we ran.

  “This way,” Stone said, taking the lead. “There’s a door up head.”

  Having not been to this side of the warehouse, I decided our best bet was to follow his lead. Once he’d decided not to kill me, I knew we were good. That was the kind of guy Shain Stone was. I didn’t have to worry about him shooting me in the back or leading me into some kind of trap. That wasn’t his style. He was blunt, to the point, and didn’t have time for bullshit.

  Whether or not he’d shoot Faith was a different story. I wondered what that was about. I’d had my own reservations about her, yet in the past day she’d grown on me. I tried to convince myself I wasn’t falling for her, but, well, I kind of was. Either way, whatever Stone thought of her would have to wait until we escaped with our necks still attached.

  We rounded another corner in between some pallet stacks and found three Marauders just ahead. Stone raised his rifle and two of the men dropped to the floor. The third was smart enough to summon his shield, but Stone didn’t fire. There was no point in letting the rest of them know exactly where we were.