Shadowborn's Terror: Book IV of 'The Magician's Brother' Series

by HDA Roberts

  They finalised the deal, which I thought was vastly skewed towards Ankiala, but nobody asked for my input. She would sit down with someone from the SCA and tell them everything she could remember, at which point she would be released and could lead whatever life she saw fit, as long as she didn't break any laws (I almost choked at the idea of a law-abiding Elder God, and got the Kron stink-eye for my trouble).

  Ankiala was placed securely in one of the bedrooms with a couple of Wardens while the rest of us went out and did what we could to clean up some of the mess, not that there was much left; the SCA had been very effective in their efforts while we were dealing with Ankiala.

  I spent most of my time healing injuries with Palmyra, barely managing to heal one person to her five or six, but it helped, and it felt... good, like the way Magic should be used. Human casualties had been relatively low, a few dozen people dead, a couple of thousand injured. After all, this was Gardenia; people who didn't know when to get under cover didn't tend to last long.

  The non-human casualties, though...

  They'd been horrific.

  There was no healing the damage to their brains, that spell had been ugly, effective and irreversible. What remained, the ravenous bodies, had needed to be put down the hard way.

  Thousands were dead.

  Many had been true monsters before the spell was cast, but many weren't. Thank God the children weren't affected. I was informed later that they were re-homed successfully with other packs and groups around the country, but what a mess...

  Afterwards, Killian took charge of Ankiala and secured her in his... I'm guessing 'lair' is the correct term, until she could be interviewed.

  I hoped I wouldn't be seeing her again in a hurry.

  Three long days after we'd turned up to sort out that wretched mess, I staggered back onto the Blackhold grounds through a portal Palmyra had opened for me, along with Demise and Cassandra. They'd been just as active as I had, and yet, they looked fresh as daisies, while I could have auditioned for an extra in a zombie movie without bothering with makeup. I was still far from recovered from the Life Siphon and I was badly weak after my poisoning, so the last few days had been immensely taxing, and I desperately needed to sleep for about a week.

  It was after eleven at night on a Friday, warm and humid. I yawned heavily as we walked up the stairs. I said hello to the guards on the front door, who looked tired as well, and walked into my reception room, I was heading for Tethys' office to check in before falling into bed.

  I asked Cassandra to put Mira in my Library for me; she'd been very useful the last few days, offering pertinent and useful advice. I was glad I'd pinched her.

  "There you are, you bastard!" Tethys said before I'd made it three steps, "You drop half a hundred vampires and other assorted creatures on me and just bugger off for three days?!"

  "I was busy?" I offered lamely.

  She pulled me into a hug and looked me over with a grimace.

  "You look like crap, have you been eating right? Sleeping enough?" she said, stroking my cheeks.

  "God no," I said with another stifled yawn.

  "Idiot," she admonished, "And you two were supposed to be taking care of him!"

  "What were we supposed to do? He's an Archon and he's tricky," Cassandra said with a glower.

  "That's why we normally leave him with Kandi," Tethys said, "She can handle him."

  "Hey," I complained half-heartedly, "And where is Kandi?"

  "Oh, she went into the East Wing to 'visit with the pretty vampires', I haven't seen her since, except to briefly emerge for food, with shaky legs."

  "Oh crap," I said, walking in that direction, "If she's been dosed with venom, I'm going to burn someone."

  "She's fine," Tethys said, "I'm keeping an eye on her, and ensured that wouldn't happen. I believe your Crystal's been doing a bang-up job of keeping her intact, so to speak."

  I sighed, rubbing my eyes.

  "Okay," I said, "Karina get out alright?"

  "Oh yes, she's in the East Wing, too," Tethys said with a grin.

  "Dare I ask what you've been doing?" I said.

  Tethys smiled naughtily.

  "That's what I thought," I said with a smile, "I'm going to take the world's longest shower, and then I'm going to sleep."

  I walked towards the stairs, Tethys in tow. I told her what had happened as we walked. I changed and showered, still talking while she waited outside the bathroom, before dropping into bed.

  She hopped in with me and curled up against my side, her arm around me.

  "The next time those bothersome Liaisons show up, let's refer them to another Archon," Tethys said.

  I held her close and relaxed.

  "Agreed," I said, "This whole 'doing good' thing is a pain in the arse. I want to go back to selfish, mean-spirited sneakery. It's easier."

  "Maybe, but there are fifty-four people in this house and countless others in Gardenia who would be dead if not for what you did."

  "What we did," I said, "All of us; team effort, all around. You being the team, I being the effort."

  She snorted and tweaked my nose.

  "So, these vampires..."

  "Yes?"

  "Can I keep them?" Tethys asked.

  I groaned.

  Chapter 31

  And you'd think that would be the end of it, wouldn't you?

  But nooo. That wretched Demon had to come back and have a good gloat.

  I must admit, though, I did like the way she'd taken to waking me up; that soft, building movement that culminates in a fantastic kiss. Naturally it all happened while I was too groggy to really appreciate it. There was something softer in her gestures this time, though, something just a little more indirect and teasing than before.

  I woke up and Gabrielle pulled away to sit straddling me, her hands on my chest. Rose was perched on the bed next to us, and Tethys was fast asleep next to me.

  "Still don't know how to use a phone, I see?" I said, rubbing my eyes.

  "I can use other things," the Demon said, moving her hips just a little.

  "Haven't we done this dance before?" I asked.

  "Oh yes," she replied, leaning down again, "We both know all the steps now. And we both know how this ends."

  "Rose, can you control your friend?" I asked.

  "Would if I could," she said, "But she's your business, now."

  "How does that compute?" I asked, a little exasperated.

  "You... opened a loophole in the rules when you fed her," Rose said, "Willingly at that. I'd be able to stop her if it was involuntary, but alas..."

  "Do I have to Shadow you or something? I'm knackered and I can't promise precision," I said to Gabrielle.

  "If you are so determined for me to get off you, then why are your hands on my bottom?" she whispered.

  I pulled my hands away and the Demon laughed as I blushed.

  "What can I do for you two?" I asked with as much dignity as I could manage.

  "This is your debriefing," Gabrielle said, her eyes dancing with mischief, "so to speak."

  "A double entendre from a single track mind, how interesting," I said deadpan.

  "Careful, Magician," Gabrielle said, "You'd be amazed at how easily I can take offence."

  "You can imagine my terror," I said.

  "Keep talking," Gabrielle said, "I enjoy your defiance in the face of defeat."

  "I swear, everyone I meet these days is so dramatic," I said, "they can never just say hello or show up with a cake. It's always, 'you're facing defeat', and 'here's this bucket of drugs you have to deal with'."

  Rose chuckled. Gabrielle rolled her eyes and made a disgusted sound. That's me, exasperating even creatures bred to exasperate.

  "Can I ask a question now that I have you here?" I asked.

  "You can always ask," Rose said, "But that doesn't necessarily mean we'll answer."

  I rolled my eyes; see what I mean about the 'dramatic' thing?

  "Well, I was thinking, a great many
things had to go right for all of this to turn out without the world ending, and I was wondering... how much was... well..."

  "Divine intervention?" Rose asked.

  "Essentially."

  "That's a complicated question," Rose replied.

  What a surprise.

  Rose scrunched her pretty nose, thinking.

  "There's no such thing as fate, or destiny, Vanessa Kron would tell you that. Time is a colossal web of infinite potential futures, some of which are more likely than others. The number of potential futures where Sutton and Ankiala didn't cause an apocalypse were... few, to say the least. Most of those ended with you dead and the next apocalyptic event largely unopposed."

  The next one?! I barely survived this one!

  "In a situation like that, where the human race faces its end, and only in such a situation, we are allowed to prod, just a little, enough to get the right people into the right place. Whether or not they do the right thing must always be up to them. To you."

  I let out a puff of air.

  "So, I did the right thing, then?" I asked, hesitantly; there sure were a lot of dead non-humans in Gardenia, if that was the case.

  "You did very well, Mathew," Rose said, "Far better than we anticipated."

  "Are you sure? I'm not sure I could have made a bigger mess of that," I replied, "aside from the whole... no-end-of-the-world bit."

  Tethys was still asleep by the way; they must have enchanted her, or be doing something with Time again.

  "Are you sure? Think it through, you destroyed the labs, which forced Sutton into a precipitous action months before she was ready with either the correct enchantments, research or a proper host body for Ankiala," Rose said, "You made ultimate success possible, and acted in accordance with your conscience; in effect, the right way, in the right time. Things shouldn't have worked out this well. Not even slightly. It was expected that you would be more... conservative in your actions."

  "You mean cowardly," I said, "It's alright; I understand why you'd think that."

  "I like cowards," Gabrielle purred, "So much easier to manipulate."

  "I never thought you were a coward, Mathew," Rose said, "I just thought you were too... innocent for things to turn out this way."

  Gabrielle snorted, "Not that innocent. He fed us some lovely drug-makers after all," she said nastily.

  "Nobody's ever letting that go, are they?" I asked.

  "Embrace your dark side, Archon. Admit that you enjoyed feeding those people to demons; go on, I won't tell anyone," she whispered in my ear.

  "I'm finding you less attractive the more time I spend with in your presence."

  She stuck out her tongue. It was almost cute. Almost.

  "Anyway, you have the thanks of our masters for maintaining the balance, and preventing any further atrocities," Rose said, "We look forward to a long and productive relationship."

  "This last little job of yours cost me in ways I can barely calculate," I said, "Please don't make it too often."

  "I'm sorry for what it cost you, Mathew," Rose said, "I would end that pain for you if I could. But you sacrificed so that others could be safe. Cathy would have given her life for that, if that helps."

  "It doesn't," I said quietly.

  "Well, you know what they say... nothing gets you over the last one like the next one," Gabrielle said.

  I raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed before hopping off me, "I'll get you."

  "Why?" I asked, "You can't seriously believe I'm worth it on any level? Is it a 'notch' thing, just to say you have?"

  "Must you make it sound so tawdry?" she asked, "So clinical?"

  "So it's a corruption thing?" I asked slyly.

  She snorted irately.

  I rolled my eyes and sat up so I could rub them.

  "I'm not interested in that sort of relationship," I said, "But you knew that. You are tempting beyond all reason, and one of the most attractive creatures I've ever laid eyes on, which is precisely why you can't get to me. I have no interest in being with someone who isn't really interested in me. And you may be attracted to the challenge, but you're not attracted to me. Am I wrong?"

  "Very," she said, turning those red eyes on me, "Once correct. Now very, very wrong."

  "Well, you would say that," I said, flopping back onto my pillow.

  Rose laughed; a high, lovely sound that startled the Demon and made her scowl.

  "We'll see you around, Mathew," the Angel said. She leant in and kissed my cheek and then they were gone.

  Tethys stirred and wrapped herself back around me. I smiled, held her, and drifted back off to sleep.

  The door creaked open at about three in the morning as Kandi staggered in, none too quietly. Thankfully Tethys slept like a log, because she did not enjoy being woken up. Kandi flopped onto the bed on my other side, quite exhausted.

  "Shame on you for bringing those vampires in here, Matty. Do you have any idea what they know how to do? All I had to say was, 'Matty's a friend of mine', and my legs haven't worked right since."

  I pulled the duvet out from under her and tucked it around her, pulling her in to me.

  "You smell awful," I said.

  She snorted and nuzzled my neck.

  "Glad you're home," she whispered.

  "Me too."

  I slept for fifteen hours after that. I woke up feeling slightly better; Kandi sitting next to me with a bag of frozen peas between her legs, playing with my phone again.

  "What happened to you?" I asked.

  "I don't want to talk about it," she said with a blush.

  "Want me to fix it?" I asked.

  "God, would you? I can't sit down on anything other than this bed!"

  "When did you even do this?" I asked, casting Mage Sight and adjusting it so I could look at her physiology.

  "After breakfast," she said, "I was eager to get back, so I rushed things, and now my bits hurt."

  "Ohhh," I said as I looked her over, "Kandi, you have to slow down. I'm seeing more than a dozen pulled muscles, three sprains and some pretty badly wrenched ligaments, and that's in addition to the... downstairs damage."

  "I know, I know, I've learned my lesson, take it easy with the supernatural creatures. I suggested that they just slip me a little blood, but they refused to do that under your roof, the pansies."

  I went to work repairing her self-inflicted injuries one by one until she slumped back against the headboard and tossed the peas onto the floor.

  She kissed my cheek and leant against me, "Oh, thank you. I was not in a good way."

  "Nitwit," I said, kissing the side of her head, "What would I ever do if you did yourself a mischief I couldn't fix?"

  "You're Mathew Graves, you can fix anything," she said, taking my hand.

  "Silly girl," I said, "I can't tell you how much I wish that were true."

  "You can't call me a silly girl, I'm older that you!" she protested.

  "By fifteen minutes-"

  "Eight months," she interrupted.

  "There's a difference between age and maturity, you know," I replied.

  "If you hadn't just put out the fire in my ladybits, I'd be kicking your arse right now," she replied with a glare, ruined by the grin peeking its way out.

  "Damn, I'm used to freezing ladybits on sight, but now I went and did it on purpose?" I said with a long-suffering sigh.

  Kandi squeaked and clubbed me in the side.

  "Arse!" she said, having wrestled me onto my back.

  "Hey, I'm not well; the doctor said no rough stuff!" I complained.

  "You're objecting to a spicy redhead lying on you?" she asked softly, brushing her nose against mine.

  "God no, not when it's you, certainly," I said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

  "Careful you, my bits may have broken down from slight overuse, but keep up that kind of look and I'll crank them right back up again," she said.

  I laughed and hugged her.

  "You know, sometimes, I truly despair at the
horrible things people can do to each other, but then I come here and I spend time with you and Tethys and the others... and I'm hopeful again. I just wanted you to know that."

  "You're such a big girl," she said, smiling down at me.

  "It's been said."

  "It's okay, you know I can make do with that."

  I laughed again and she looked in my eyes. She stroked my cheek gently...

  And the door opened, killing the moment stone dead.

  Kandi let out a frustrated sound as she looked at the figure in the doorway, which turned out to be Tethys.

  "Matty," she said softly, "You have a visitor."

  "Dare I ask?"

  "Cathy, Matty. It's Cathy," Tethys said.

  "Okay," I said, sitting up, "Is it too late to get rid of her?"

  "What do you think?" Tethys said wryly.

  "Kandi, upsie, I need to hide in the- I mean get dressed," I said.

  "We'll give you a minute to get dressed," Tethys said pointedly, all but commanding me not to hide, "Come on Kandi."

  Kandi stood and followed Tethys.

  "I was this close!" she said after they were out of sight.

  "Really? Damn it, that girl has been a pain in my arse since he started dating her," Tethys replied.

  "I can hear you!" I said.

  "Stop eavesdropping!" Tethys barked, making me smile for a moment.

  Okay.

  Okay.

  Alright.

  It's fine... I could do this. I'd just faced down an immeasurable horror, I could meet my ex-girlfriend.

  I pulled fresh clothes on and marched firmly towards the door. I had my hand on the handle, I was determined!

  For about a second.

  Nope.

  Couldn't do it.

  I shut the curtains and moved to switch off the light.

  The door opened, it was Crystal.

  "You were taking too long, Tethys sent me to check on you. Your ex is waiting in the drawing roo-"

  She saw where my hand was poised and immediately twigged that I was planning to escape through the Shadow Realm.

  "Really?" she asked, raising her pretty eyebrow.

  "Oh yes," I said, reaching forward again.

  She captured my hand in one of hers and very elegantly pulled it to the small of her back, sliding up against me.