by Tara Lain
Anastasia and Kitty followed him. The three of them stood tight against the wall. Hillebrand had said to work as a team. Nobody had died and made him leader, but they had to get busy. Dash whispered, “Reconnaissance. You two go that way, I’ll go this, okay? Check for gates, doors, openings, and other potential points of entry.” He glanced around but didn’t see the other two at all. He shrugged.
Anastasia nodded, and she and Kitty took off opposite to Dash’s trajectory. Dash began a fast, soft-footed run along the boundary of the wall.
Suddenly, Mabel appeared beside him. “Hi. Are you checking out the wall?”
Dash wanted to sigh, but he nodded instead. He whispered, “Where’s what’s-his-face? Anders?”
She shrugged.
That was worrisome since the dude could show up at any inopportune moment. Dash glanced around and saw Anders lurking behind a tree in what had to be full view of the gun turret. Dash swiped an arm, waving Anders over to where he and Mabel stood.
For a second, Anders frowned, but then he sort of stuck out his chin and slouched over to them.
Dash said, “You were visible to the tower.”
Anders barked a rude sound. “For fuck’s sake, this isn’t real.”
“It may be fake dead, but it’s still dead, I imagine.” Dash gave him a wry smile. “At least as far as our future in the club.”
Anders said, “This is just so much playacting. I don’t get it.”
“Would you rather you were practicing against real guns? Mages who really want to destroy you?”
Anders tried to look nonchalant. “At least it’d be real.”
“You think anything in Arcantaria is real?” Dash laughed. “Anyway, I haven’t got time to argue. Come or don’t. I don’t care, but stay the hell out of line of sight.” He took off, pressed close against the wall, slightly crouched and hurrying. Still, he used every sense to try to detect a way in.
After ten minutes of solid nothing, Anastasia and Kitty came rushing around the edge of the wall. They both looked shocked at seeing Mabel and Anders, but Anastasia lowered her eyebrows and whispered, “Around the corner, there’s a seam in the wall. It looks like a door.”
Dash nodded and waved a hand to go back the way they’d come. He followed, trying to ignore whether Mabel and Anders came too. They did.
Anastasia stopped and ran a hand along a seam in the wall. Yeah, it was good. So slight the naked eye could barely see it since it had been disguised with mud. Dash gave her a thumbs-up and slid his fingertips along the faint seam as well, then pressed his ear against it.
Nothing.
With a fingertip to his ear, he focused his energy beyond the wall. Sounds of footsteps and faint voices drifted into his head. “There are people in there. If we open the door, they may be waiting.”
Anders didn’t even try to lower his voice. “As if we can even open the frigging door. This is stupid.”
Kitty whirled on him. “Mr. Anders, is there some reason you’re in the Olympus Club? You don’t seem to have a single skill that I can perceive.”
Anastasia’s eyes widened at Kitty’s dis of Anders. Kitty, the kindest of people.
Kitty frowned. “If you don’t plan to help, why don’t you go away and let us continue.” She waved a hand toward the forest.
Anders frowned back and kind of shook himself like a dog, but he didn’t say anything and didn’t leave.
Dash made a gathering motion, and when everyone, including Anders, was huddled, he whispered, “Does anyone have a better plan than to wait until the voices are gone and then enter through this door?”
They all glanced at each other. Anders didn’t meet anyone’s eyes, and he had no alternative suggestion.
Dash sank down to the ground and leaned his head against the wall. As the others did the same, Dash stuck that finger against his ear and listened.
Chapter Thirteen
“IT’S QUIET,” Dash whispered and rolled up to a crouch.
“What if they’re just pretending?” Anastasia voiced the concern.
“Could be true, but I don’t know if we have a choice. We don’t have an alternate plan—unless someone has skills for disarming the gun towers?” He looked around.
Anders snarled, “Aren’t you the big battler?”
Dash flashed a crease between his eyes. “Where’d you hear that?”
“The people in your class whose asses you kicked on the obstacle course.”
Dash said, “Which is where we are now. I’m making the assumption that the gun towers are guarded by magic. Since we don’t know what kind, I’d judge this as the safer alternative. Do you disagree?” He looked at Anders, then the others. No one shook their head. “Okay, stand back from the door in case they start blasting the minute it’s open.”
Anders literally sneered, lip and all. “And who’s going to open it?”
“I am, unless you want to.”
“Fuck no.” Anders stepped way back from the door.
Dash took a breath, glanced at the others, then waved a hand. The door creaked, and some dried mud fell away. Interesting. It hadn’t been opened in a long time. Was there a chance the opposition, whoever they were, wouldn’t be waiting for them to come through that door? Of course it could be a ruse.
He shrugged mentally and cast another wave of energy at the door, stronger this time. The door moved, and Kitty grabbed his arm.
“It’s working.”
He smiled but said, “Shh.” One more spell cast and the door opened a few inches. Dash threw some pebbles in the opening. Nothing. No response. He crept up beside the door, moved quickly, and glanced in at a dark, narrow corridor——with no one in it.
Dash stepped into the gap, looked both ways, closed his eyes, and decided to go left. Not telling anyone to come with me. It’s up to them.
Moving swiftly, he scampered down the hall where not a door or window marred the blank walls. Footsteps behind him said the others were following, or some of the others. He glanced back but could only see Anastasia and Kitty because of a bend in the hall.
He lifted his foot to take another step and froze—voices. Anastasia bumped into his back. Oh, she can’t hear them. He raised a finger, and she paused behind him. Kitty came next and around the corner tiptoed Mabel. Anders might be behind her.
Dash touched his ear to boost the frequency on his distance hearing—a skill he’d always had.
A male voice said, “Are you feeding the prisoner?”
“Yes.” The replying voice was female. “I’m going to the kitchen soon to fetch his food.”
The male laughed raucously with a bit too much of the melodramatic villain to it. Apparently he took his role seriously. “Feeding’s too good for that a-hole. We should let him starve and save ourselves a bunch of dough.”
“You know we can’t do that.”
“Ha. When we take over magery, a lot more things will be possible.”
“Yes. Power to the true coalition.” The female said it militantly. They were both overacting, but the script gave Dash a queasy stomach. Were the leaders of the club suggesting that someone was trying to take over magery? Some kind of coup?
Footsteps sounded, and then it went quiet.
Dash turned to Anastasia and Kitty. “They’re about to feed the prisoner.”
Mabel blurted, “How do you—”
The other two women shushed her.
Kitty said, “If I could get into the kitchen, maybe I could concoct something that would take out the guard.”
Anastasia said, “But the food’s for the prisoner.” She chewed her lip. “What if you gave the prisoner something that made him get sick or pass out? The guard would come running.”
“We’d have to carry the prisoner, which would slow us way down.” Dash gave Anastasia an apologetic smile.
Mabel said, “If Kitty and I both went to the kitchen, she could make a potion to knock out the guard. I could transfigure myself to resemble whoever the person is who’s taking the food t
o the prisoner so the guard wouldn’t be suspicious if I brought him a treat too.” She grinned and fluttered her lashes.
Dash stared at her. “I thought transmutation was your thing.”
“Transmutation and transfiguration are related. I’m, uh, only able to sustain the change for a short time, so we’d have to move fast.” She grinned nervously.
“How fast is fast?”
“I’m not totally sure. It varies. I can probably maintain another appearance for a few minutes.”
Kitty said, “A few like fifteen?”
Anastasia looked unconvinced. “Or a few like three?”
“Somewhere between those two.”
Dash looked around. “Where’s Anders?”
The squat guy stepped around the corner. He sounded kind of sulky. “I’m here, but I think your plan is nuts.”
“You got better?”
Anders shrugged.
Dash turned to Kitty and Mabel. “How will you explain who you are and why you’re in the kitchen?”
Anastasia smiled grimly. “I can probably get people out of the kitchen.”
“How?” Dash cocked his head.
“Warding. The opposite of summoning. After Mabel takes a look at the person who carries the food, I’ll try and get everyone to leave the kitchen through compulsion.” She inhaled. “I think I can do it.”
“Okay. Group effort. Let’s go.”
Anders said, “What do I do?”
“Oh, are you coming with us?” Dash asked. Anders shrugged and nodded at the same time. “So what do you want to do?”
“I’ll be backup.”
That made Dash uneasy, but he gave one nod, then started quietly down the hall toward where the sound of the voices had come from.
Dash peeked around the second corner and held up a hand. He sensed the others lining up behind him. Damn, the room where they kept the hostage was between them and the kitchen, which had to be somewhere beyond. The guard stood at the door to what must be a holding chamber of some kind. He held a submachine gun. What the hell?
Dash stepped back and murmured, “He’s got a gun. What kind of a magician carries a weapon?”
Kitty peeped, “A very careful magician?”
Dash leaned back. “Get ready to run past him.”
Kitty’s eyes got huge, but she nodded and passed back the instruction.
Have to be careful not to hurt him badly. After all, the poor dude was merely a player in this game like the rest of them. Dash focused his mind, gathered energy, and sent a wave toward the guard. It rolled out, shimmering through the air.
When it got to the guard, it threw him back against the wall. He lost his footing, slid, and fell flat. Quickly, Dash cast a darkening spell and waved the others to run.
After Mabel had passed, he ran behind them, maintaining the wave of dark power. He sensed Anders running after him.
The guard was trying to get to his feet, but the darkness was confusing him. As soon as Dash was around the corner, he flicked the spell away. Instant light. In less than a second, everything was restored to normal. The guard shook his head like he was trying to clear it and lifted his gun, defending against an invisible enemy. The guy stalked around looking scary for no one in particular, and Dash would have laughed except the other guy held the gun. Presumably it wasn’t loaded, but if Dash got fake shot, he’d fail the test.
Anders stood behind Dash, breathing hard. Dash gave him a glance, then watched the three women steal around the next corner. Dash touched his ear and listened while he stayed close to the corner so he could watch the guard, whose expression was beginning to look a little embarrassed. He glanced around, and it seemed like he’d quit looking for attackers and was now checking to be sure no one saw him make a fool of himself.
Dash’s ear tingled as one of the women drew in a sharp breath and said softly, “Yes!” Hopefully that meant they’d found the kitchen. Various voices sounded in the background and then faded away. Holy crap did Anastasia make it happen? Did they leave?
He kept listening, peering occasionally at the guard who had slipped into a stalwart, attentive pose as if he’d never fallen on his butt. There was a lot of rustling and a bit of clanking from the kitchen. Kitty whispered, “I found it.”
Anastasia asked, “What else do you need?”
“I’ve got valerian root. I need passionflower.”
“What’s it look like?”
More clunking. Then Anastasia said, “What shall we put it in?”
“Something he can’t resist.”
Mabel said, “Oh look. Chocolate chip.”
There was a bit of chuckling and more rustling, then footsteps.
Kitty gasped, “Oh my God, that’s amazing.”
Someone moved toward the guard. Around the corner came a fair-haired woman carrying a tray with food on it, including a separate plate on which perched what looked like a muffin or a cupcake.
The woman, presumably a transfigured Mabel, which was freaking amazing, walked to the guard. “Hi. I’ve got the food, and I brought something for you.”
The guard frowned. “You did?”
“Mm-hum. A chocolate-chip cupcake. Go on. Take it.”
He took the cupcake but still didn’t smile. “You okay? You sound different than yourself.”
“Oh yes, I have a cold. It came on real sudden after I saw you earlier.”
“Oh.” He stepped back and glanced at the dessert in his hand.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t make it. Never touched it, but I had one. Oh boy is it good. Try it.”
He finally grinned and took a big bite of the cupcake. “Wow, that is good. Has some different kind of spice in there.” He chomped the other half in another bite.
The woman stepped back sort of half behind the guard. “Open up for me, okay. I need to take this in to him.”
“Oh sure, right.”
The woman made a funny face and the outline of her body got fuzzy. Damn, she’s changing back.
Dash held his breath.
The guard passed some kind of silver object in front of the door, and it made a click. Funny. So the guard wasn’t using his own magic. The guard turned around, and his mouth fell open as he encountered Mabel. “Who the hell—” But then his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped to the floor. Good job, Kitty!
Wonder of wonders, Anders ran out from behind Dash, grabbed the guy’s handcuffs from his belt, and secured his hands behind his back.
Dash abandoned his hiding place, shaking his head.
Anders gave that typical shrug. “Used to work for the sheriff’s department.”
Dash laughed as he slowly opened the cell door and looked inside. The man who’d been identified as the hostage, the great man the world needed, sat on the bed inside. Dash walked up and flicked the man’s tie. It was a dummy.
With a snort, he captured the figure under his arm and carried it out to the hall.
The others looked confused for a second, then Anastasia got a disgusted look. “This is what we had to rescue?”
Dash raised his head, listening. Footsteps. Soft but very much there, and coming fast. “We haven’t rescued him yet. Come on.” Dash took off at a jog, away from the source of the footsteps, back down the hall they’d entered through. With the others running behind him, it was tough to hear if anyone else was chasing, but Dash assumed they were and moved at top speed on the straightaways. When he got to corners, he stopped, took a quick look around, and then ran.
Something about the next corner stopped him dead about halfway down the hall, the dummy dangling under his arm. He held a hand out to stop the others like a squad leader in the army, then half turned and put a finger to his lips.
Dash slid along the wall until he got to the edge and listened. No voices but listening closely he could hear breathing. Ha! Tricky devils.
He glanced toward the group and made a motion around the corner, then the shushing sound again. Kitty nodded and Anastasia picked it up.
He nee
ded to know how many were positioned in front of them, lying in wait. Dash touched his ear and focused, eyes closed. Sounded like two.
He signaled the others to come closer. Directly in Anastasia’s ear, he asked, “Can you battle? Project power?”
She whispered back, “A little.”
He mouthed, “Ask the others.”
Anastasia pointed at Kitty and shook her head, then went on to Mabel. Mabel nodded and made a so-so motion with her hand. Anastasia leaned over to Anders. He frowned and nodded.
Dash motioned Anastasia, Anders, and Mabel to the spot where he was standing.
They each nodded. Dash pantomimed one, two, three with his fingers, then extended his palm to show they shouldn’t go yet. He needed to know about the opposition behind them. Quickly he ran to the other end of the hall. Oh yeah, he could hear the enemy gathering there. In a few seconds, they’d be on them. So he’d take that gang while the others tried to hold off the ones in front.
Okay, fingers up.
One.
Two.
Three.
Chapter Fourteen
DASH STEPPED around the corner, power already flying, and this time he barely mitigated the force. Hell, they were supposed to be the best of the best. Time to prove it.
In an instant, he was pouring energy onto a gang of five adversaries. He was glad to see Hillebrand wasn’t among them. That gave him a shiver, because if he was up against the others, they were in trouble. Hillebrand was good.
These five weren’t that good. Two, a woman and a man, hit the floor as the first wave smashed into them. The other three staggered back. Dash gathered a huge ball of pulsing power and sent it flying at the three, and that fast they were on their asses, one probably down for the count.
Quickly, he raced back to the others and saw Anders doing a mediocre job, but Mabel was better than she’d said. And he’d been wrong. There were three mages behind that wall in front of them. One had been really quiet. Both Mabel and Anders were still standing, although they looked worse for the experience.
