by TR Cameron
Fyre laughed. Thinking loud again. And it is bizarre and stupid. Draksa would never do something like that.
She chuckled. No, you’d flap around playing chase and demonstrating your lack of maturity.”
You’re one to talk.
Yeah, yeah. She was too tense to continue the conversation and focused on making her way to the appointed place at the appointed time. Her partner kept her updated on her enemy’s progress, and she changed her speed as needed. When she stepped onto the palace grounds, she exchanged nods with Invel. The Drow was her backup plan but she’d be too distant for him to protect her from any kind of sneak attack.
The Malniet patriarch came into view, as did the underling who stood roughly at the same distance from the meeting point as Invel did. She and Styrris locked gazes and maintained their connection until they stopped a couple of feet away from each other. He was all in black with silver trim and looked like a freshly made zombie or vampire with his severe cheekbones and sunken eyes.
Cali nodded. “Patriarch Malniet.”
“Leblanc.” He replied,
He’s trying to provoke you. Let it pass. “Have you considered my offer?”
“I have.”
She desperately wanted to slap his face but restrained herself. “And?” Do you want to be a conversational minimalist, scumbag? Two can play that game.
Let me ice him, Fyre suggested mentally. We can end this right here. He’ll never see me coming.
But we won’t get what we need from him then, she replied. So, no. Now shush.
“One battle, Styrris answered. “Three on three. There’s no reason for any of your other allies to die because of your foolishness.”
Which means he doesn’t have all that many people he can rely on, Fyre observed.
Cali agreed with and ignored the Draksa’s comment. “Accepted. When?”
The patriarch sighed as if discussing the details was exhausting or irritating for him. She hoped it was both. “Saturday night.”
“Well, give me a second. I have to check my social calendar.” She looked up and pretended to think, and Fyre’s laugh echoed in her mind. After a moment, she returned her gaze to her enemy and said, “I’ll have to move some things around but it’s doable.”
“Until Saturday, then.” He turned on his heel and strode back the way he’d come.
“You know,” she called, “you could simply give me the information I need and we can skip the part where people bleed and die and your house is humiliated.”
He didn’t reply. She hadn’t expected him to and simply shook her head and retraced her steps, collecting Invel as she passed. Fyre continued to fly high above and kept an eye out for any dangers that might await them. Emalia opened the door as they approached, and Fyre swooped through it behind them.
When it closed and they were all safe again, Cali sighed with relief. “Well, that sucked.”
“I hate that guy,” Fyre growled.
The older woman laughed. “Styrris Malniet has evoked that reaction in many people before you and will doubtless continue to do so for the rest of his life.”
“Which might not be that long,” Invel added.
Cali shook her head. “He won’t fight himself. Surely he understands his limitations better than that.”
The Dark Elf shrugged. “For you, this is a means to an end—getting what you need to free your brother. But from his perspective, it’s a literal existential crisis. If House Malniet loses, it will be seen as weak. If it’s seen as weak, others will challenge it. It might take a week or a month, but the family won’t survive a loss for long. And whoever defeats them won’t want the displaced patriarch hanging around.”
She considered that information, which she hadn’t understood before. It cast Styrris’s actions in a fresh light, one she could better understand. It also held implications for what was to come. “So…if he thinks it’s life or death, he’ll do everything he can to ensure that we don’t make it to the fight on Saturday.”
Emalia nodded. “Yes, that seems logical.”
Cali sighed. “Okay. We stay in the house except for essential things. No one travels alone. Use some of those gems Tanyith found and hire guards for the grounds. Fyre and I will go back to New Orleans and let Tanyith and Zeb know what’s up. From here on out, we’re in battle mode.”
Chapter Fifteen
When Kendra had called and offered to buy him lunch, Tanyith had jumped at the chance to see her. While her responsibilities had slowed a little lately, Cali’s absence meant he spent more time at the tavern than he’d expected to. If it was merely a job, he wouldn’t have made it such a priority, but he owed Zeb more than only the minimum.
He portaled into an alley next to the small restaurant. It was almost literally a hole in the wall. The businesses on either side had gobbled part of what should have been this one’s space, so the tiny eatery had only enough room for a row of two-seater tables along the right-hand side and a walkway up to the counter at the back. Kendra was already inside and waited at a table near the middle. She was dressed in detective casual, a neutral blue blouse under a brown leather jacket. Diners occupied every other chair except the one opposite her, and several people stood in line to order food for takeout.
He kissed her cheek and sat. She pushed two hot dogs loaded with toppings across to him. The first was a Chicago dog adorned with the hottest sport peppers he’d ever tasted. It was his favorite item on the menu. The other was a local “gumbo dog,” which was andouille sausage with a dark gravy that carried all the flavors of the traditional New Orleans dish. That was his second favorite.
She’d selected the same and was halfway through her first already but paused to gesture with her chin. “Eat. We’ll talk after.”
Tanyith laughed and complied. If nothing else, his girlfriend was practical. He assumed her experiences as a police officer made her that way and he’d been told by friends with military experience that eating whenever possible was an absolute rule. She leaned back with a sigh when her food had vanished. “That was good stuff.”
“Absolutely. The perfect choice for a lunch date.”
“We live together now. We’re not dating anymore.”
“So, the glamor’s gone that quickly, huh? How disappointing.”
They laughed and Kendra’s smile faded. “Will you need to fight again? In New Atlantis?” When he’d told her the story of the battle against the Atlantean gang, she’d seemed more worried than usual. Maybe cohabitating is deepening both her feelings and her concern.
He shrugged, ran a napkin over his lips, and used it to brush crumbs out his goatee. “I’m not sure but it’s likely.”
“Will it be more dangerous than the last one?”
“There’s no way to tell, honestly. On the one hand, we’ll fight the best of the best again. But on the other, they won’t be able to choose a battleground filled with traps. So it’s kind of a wash, at worst, with the possibility that it’ll be better.” He stretched across the table and touched her knuckles to stop the continuous drumming of her fingers. “What’s up, Kendra?”
She sighed and pulled her hand out from under his. Leaning back, she folded her arms and shook her head. “It bugs me that I can’t help you. I mean…helping is what I do, you know? And for you, who’s more important than the average person to me, I can’t do a damned thing.” She managed a crooked smile as she delivered the understatement. At least he hoped it was an understatement of his importance to her.
“Which irritates you because you’re my girlfriend or because you’re a detective?”
“Some of each. More of the former. Probably.”
“I wish I could say or do something to make that better but you know I can’t. I gave my promise that I’d back Cali—”
“I’m not asking you to do anything in particular,” she interrupted. “I only wanted you to know why I’m being…well, the way I’m being.”
“I hadn’t noticed any change.” He had time to pull away before her
open palm slapped on his arm but decided she needed the outlet. Still, the blow hurt. He laughed. “I always forget how strong you are.”
Kendra shook her head but a smile began to form on her face. “Perhaps you need more regular lessons.” She stiffened suddenly and looked over his shoulder, and he twisted to look at the doorway, wondering what had tweaked her instincts.
A person he recognized stood there—a man he had last seen in the Zatora mansion. Aiden Walsh raised his hands to show they were empty and said, “There’s no need to get angsty. I come in peace.”
Tanyith shook his head. “Yeah, sure you do. What do you want?” He was ready to cast defensive magic and even jump up and attack the mage if necessary.
“Only to talk.” He hadn’t left the doorway and was half in and half out of the restaurant.
“Not here,” Kendra replied sharply.
He nodded. “Go to the bar two doors down. They’ll be open. I’ll be there in a minute.”
The other man gave a sharp nod and headed out the door. He rose and turned to say goodbye to Kendra, but she was already striding past him. “Are you coming, Tay? I’d like to hear whatever story this chucklehead has to tell. He’s the one you were searching for, right?”
Damn detective instincts. She remembered his description. “Yeah, right.”
“Good. Finally, some answers. Let’s go beat him until he talks.” At that moment, he couldn’t be sure she was kidding so he followed more quickly than he otherwise might have.
The bar was a dive but was still about twice the size of the hot dog restaurant. Its door opened onto the narrow side of the rectangular bar, two silver stools with red vinyl padded seats only a foot away as they stepped in. The guy they sought sat at a rickety table in the back corner, a bottle of expensive bourbon and three shot glasses on the surface in front of him. His hands were also visible in what was doubtless another show of his harmlessness.
As if I’d be so stupid as to consider this man harmless after what he’s done. Tanyith knew about his actions at the mansion and the way he’d killed the Zatora lieutenant and tried to frame Cali for it. He imagined Walsh had been involved in far more nefarious activities too but had only his instincts as proof. Still, it wasn’t a gigantic leap.
He sat across from him, and Kendra took a seat at the next table at enough of an angle that a single gun couldn’t cover them both. It would have been an excellent plan, except that the third person in their triangle was able to attack with a word and a gesture with both hands simultaneously. Still, it did ensure that one strike wouldn’t suffice.
Walsh spoke first. “Okay, so I know you don’t trust me. You have every reason not to. But I’ll tell you that you should and explain why.”
Tanyith shook his head. “Back up. Tell us why you were with the Zatoras. Oh, and since I doubt that Aiden Walsh is your real name, how about you share that with us, too?”
He nodded. “My name is Ozahl. I am from New Atlantis, that part was true. But when I got here, I didn’t want to use my real name in case things went wrong with the gang.”
“In case you burned too many bridges and ticked off too many people.”
The other man chuckled. “That is…accurate. I wasn’t as savvy then as I am now.”
Kendra growled with open displeasure. “Oh, you’re still ticking off folks left and right as far as I can see.”
Aiden—Ozahl—glanced at her with a smile Tanyith remembered from the old days. “It’s good to know I haven’t lost my touch.” He turned back and said, “So, I was with the Zatoras because it served my purpose to be with them. I was never interested in acquiring power here, even though I played the game on both sides. I went solo for a while in between. But all along, what I’ve really worked on is a way to accomplish things in New Atlantis.”
He shrugged. “Well, nice catching up with you then. Good luck down there.”
The man grimaced. “Okay…look, I get it. You have no reason to trust me. I’m very sure I said that already.” He paused, looked annoyed, and blew a breath out. “The moment has come where our purposes intersect. You have interests in New Atlantis. So do I. We should work together.”
Kendra snorted. “That’s rich. What could you possibly offer?”
Ozahl didn’t look at her and stared directly ahead. “Right now, Styrris Malniet is looking for ways to cheat. I have it on good authority he’ll accept Leblanc’s challenge for one decisive battle. So, he’ll seek the best champions he can buy and work at eliminating her, her friends, and any potential allies he knows about or finds out about. And, last time I checked, House Leblanc didn’t have an abundance of resources down there.”
Tanyith scowled. Unfortunately, he’s not wrong. “Let’s say, for the sake of conversation, that you’re at least partially correct. Where are those ‘intersections of purpose’ or whatever you called them, exactly?”
Ozahl leaned forward and put his forearms at the edge of the table. “Here’s the thing. My goal requires the fall of a noble house. I don’t particularly care which one. So, right now, I could be having this conversation with Styrris Malniet.”
Kendra bristled and interjected, “That sounded like the kind of threat that might get you thrown in jail.”
“I know.” He nodded. “So that’s one more assurance of my genuine desire to work with you. Anyway, I think Styrris is a scumbag and the head of a family of equally reprehensible scumbags. In fact, the only person in New Atlantis I admire less than him is the Empress. So, we have a common goal. The defeat of Malniet.”
He considered the man’s words for a moment, then replied, “And how do I know you’re not playing double agent on his behalf already? It seems like it would be much safer to lock you up.”
Ozahl sighed and raised his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “There’s no way for me to prove that to you except by my actions. And to get there, you’ll have to agree to work with me.”
“What do you propose? Specifically, that is. The Aiden Walsh I used to know was capable of being specific.”
The other man grinned at him and again, it was the familiar smile he remembered. “Well, I think we start by getting as many people as we can to watch out for trouble against Leblanc and to locate those who Styrris might select as champions. We counter those who could target her and we detain the potential hirelings until after the fight.”
“That’s kidnapping,” Kendra observed mildly.
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “But it’s better than the alternative—and better than letting the top people fight your girl, right?”
Tanyith nodded. “You make sense. I agree. We do share interests here. But if you step out of line, history or not, I’ll kill you myself.”
“That’s only fair.” The man extended a hand and he shook it. “So, shall we get started? I know where two of the most likely candidates for Styrris’s team live.”
Chapter Sixteen
The Vimana’s training room was amazing. No other word sufficed. Copper-colored metal made up all the surfaces, and lights set in the peaked ceiling cast odd shadows on the areas below. Cali had seen most of the other rooms on her last visit but this one was only for combat drill and had been omitted from that tour.
She had chosen to wear her black uniform with the sheath for Defender strapped across her back, her knives at her waist, and her bracelets on her forearms. She and her opponents formed a diamond with each at a point. On her left stood Cara Binot, who wore “agent casual”—faded blue jeans and a khaki military t-shirt with combat boots. Casually, she flipped and twirled her daggers, Angel and Demon. Diana’s second in command had recently cut her hair almost to the scalp, and it gave her kind of an Ellen Ripley from Alien 3 look.
Nylotte’s lips were twisted in one of her familiar sardonic smiles, which always seemed to judge and find no end of lack. The Drow wore black leather, as usual, but had traded her jacket for a tight-fitting tunic. Her white hair was bound in a high ponytail barely visible over the top of her head. She had similar weapons in
similar positions to Cali’s.
At the fourth point of the shape stood Diana Sheen. Her outfit mostly matched Cara’s, only she’d selected black jeans instead of blue. She also wielded a sentient sword, Fury. In the hours since Cali’s arrival, the four of them had discussed the benefits and pitfalls of dealing with willed weapons.
Now, it was time for practice. Atop a pedestal in the corner of the room, up about six feet in the air, Rath the troll sat with his legs crossed and a smile on his face. He was about three feet tall and his most notable features were his wide grin and the purple hair sticking up in all directions from his scalp. She hadn’t seen Max yet but looked forward to renewing her acquaintance with the troll’s canine companion.
Nylotte was Diana’s mentor and had also agreed to teach both Cara and Cali at different times. The Drow had naturally taken control of the group as soon as she’d arrived at the ARES Agents’ base, and the current session was her idea. “We’ll give Cali some practice dealing with attacks from multiple vectors.” The Dark Elf locked eyes with her. “We’ll go slow at first. All of us are skilled enough that if we cut you, it won’t be anything we can’t fix with a healing potion. Rath has a supply up there so you shouldn’t worry about that. What you need to concentrate on is deepening your connection to your sword. Time’s running out for you to build your bond before your big fight.”
She scowled. “I wish you’d quit calling it a big fight. It sounds like I’m about to break up a relationship rather than battle for the existence of a noble house.”
Cara laughed. “She’s right. It kind of does.”
The Dark Elf shook her head. “Focus, people. Let’s begin. Only weapons at first, no other magic.”
Cali couldn’t allow them all to attack her at once, so she’d need to stay in motion and use one to block the others as best she could. She darted to her left and drew the sword with her right hand and the dagger with her left, and Cara advanced to meet her. The agent swung at her face with one dagger and drove the other forward in an attempt to stab her in the chest.
