Heart of the Hunter

by Alex Foster

  The helpful navigating voice led him around road construction and early evening traffic jams. It wouldn’t show him the final destination and several times he was tempted to ask like it was a living thing. He honestly couldn't tell if Ezekiel was trying to show off, warn him that he was outclassed in both information and raw power, or if he had just casually hijacked Dixon's car because his power and control of the area was complete.

  With archmages one never knew where they stood. Or what game they were playing with the people under their command. Expect chess and get backgammon. Prepare for both and end up playing Go.

  Dixon had always been at home in the courts, understanding magic law and politics on an instinctual level, but he hated dealing with archmages.

  The reveal to the world freed him from some of the responsibilities of holding court with them, but the reasons for calling were much more sensitive now.

  He traveled along State Street, past the areas of commerce and management for the capital. After a time the GPS told him to stop along an innocuous looking three story brownstone. "You have arrived at your destination, Consular Wood," the GPS happily said. "Please enjoy your stay."

  Dixon glanced over at its use of his name. That was not a standard feature.

  He pulled along side the curb and parked. There were no identifying signs or features of the small office building. Shades covered all the windows, even the large one facing the street. He couldn’t see them but knew there were cameras hidden around the area.

  The front door opened as he started up the walk and confirmed all his suspicions. Katie Jensen stood in the open doorway, older and thinner than the last time he’d seen her. She wore an oversized sweater that she hugged around herself against the evening chill.

  Her hair was pinned back and face freshly scrubbed and makeup free. A pang went through him thought of the last time he saw her. Before she learned just how dangerous it could be for spirit channelers and that being close to an archmage wasn't always enough to offer complete protection.

  Dixon didn't know what the archmage had done to those that hurt her but they were gone. Of that he had no question. Not just dead but gone. Memories, legacies, names wiped from existence as though they had never been. Their own mothers, if they had been spared the wrathful fire, wouldn't even remember them.

  "Please come in."

  He was expecting a standard office inside the brownstone, official and plain, but wood paneling, high ceilings, and soft recessed lighting caught him by surprise. A wall between the reception area and one of the larger offices was missing, creating a wide living space. Chairs and a sofa sat in a semi circle in the center of the great room. Three TVs hung on the wall and showed different news reports from around the world, all muted with closed captioning running along the bottom of their screens.

  Dixon stared for a moment.

  "Would you like something to drink?" Katie asked. "We have tap water, tea, and … well that’s it."

  "I’m fine, thank you." He gestured to the room, walking deeper inside. "This is…"

  "Home," Ezekiel provided, appearing from one of the dark offices. Under his arm he carried a computer tablet. "Or at least a getaway for those that need one."

  The archmage looked deceptively young. At full height he only came to Dixon's shoulder and that along with his smooth brown skin gave him the appearance of a young man still in his early twenties. Dixon's grandfather had known him. Wearing black pants and a white button down shirt open at the collar, he projected an air of relaxed calm. He was the most powerful person in the room. In every room.

  He walked up to them, briefly touched the small of Katie’s back affectionately, and then held out a hand. "Welcome, Consular Wood."

  "Call me Dixon." They shook hands and Ezekiel led him to the sofa.

  "I’m going to get ready," Katie said. "If you would excuse me?"

  "Of course." He was left alone with the archmage and recognized it as a setup. When she was gone, having ducked down a hall, Dixon helped himself to a seat. "So this is new."

  Ezekiel shrugged and sat across from him. He crossed his legs, resting a soft soled loafer on one knee. "I needed an out of the way space where I could put people up temporally if I had to. To the outside world, this is a branch of an investment firm out of Southeast Asia — explains the late night hours — but in actuality I have room to comfortably house over two dozen people."

  "As the region's archmage? Is this the start of your new fiefdom?"

  He shook his head, dark curls swaying. "Nothing so organized. Mages and nons come and go as they need to."

  "As you need them to."

  Ezekiel stared at him with a serious expression. There was something unsettling about his eyes. Normals always said looking at a mage directly in the eye made them uncomfortable — for a mage it was uncomfortable looking directly into the eyes of an archamage. "This office space is very useful to me. The only ones that know I'm here are the ones that need to know. Those that I can help."

  Dixon leaned forward. "The Circle started the same way. Things have a tendency to spiral."

  "The Circle’s focus was mages, learning about powers, and keeping the world from knowing about them — I have a different view. We’re all in this together, Mr. Wood. Mages and nons have to figure out how to work together or neither of us are going to last. Something is coming, I know you feel it too, and it is going to try and divide all of us."

  "This isn’t my first recruitment speech, Ezekiel. Promises of togetherness and cooperation won’t work on me — it always ends up the same way between mages and nons."

  Ezekiel didn’t look surprised and shrugged again. "I wasn’t exactly offering a job. I know what the government has you doing these days. I was thinking more of a sharing of information between allies."

  "Such as?"

  "Not every mage is happy with the way of the world now; not every non thinks mages are here to destroy the world. Of those fewer still have the drive or ability to make others think the way they do. It’s those few I’d like to know more about."

  Dixon smiled in spite of himself. "For someone who isn’t trying to restart The Circle, you sound an awful lot like a couple of its original founders."

  Ezekiel set his computer tablet down. A glimpse of his real age slipped into his expression. "I can promise you that is exactly what I’m not. Partner with me and you’ll find that out."

  Every TV started showing video of a protest between two religious groups outside congressional hearings about mages.

  Dixon looked at each screen, thinking. "What exactly did you want to know?" he asked.

  Ezekiel smiled. "What can you tell me about the Church of the Nephilim?"

  ✽✽✽

  Dakota figured that the best thing for a head injury was alcohol and plenty of it. The bar was close enough to the motel but still a far enough walk away from where she left the stolen car to not have to worry about prison and keeping that bitch promise to Reina.

  She smiled as a stray dirty thought entered her mind.

  Plus it gave her something to do while waiting for Dixon. Sitting in the motel room while Callie and Reina played prisoner and guard just a few doors down didn’t sound like fun to her. She tried her very best to not think about what they would look or sound like.

  Dakota lined five peanuts up in a line on the bar, squinted at them for a moment, and then proceeded to zap them with a small jolt from each finger. They exploded into bits and left behind a burnt oily smell. She smiled at the result of her little game.

  Down the bar’s length from her, the bartender glanced her way and at the light show and immediately turned his back. Save for a couple of quiet drunks the place was empty. She doubted the bartender wanted anything to do with a mage in his establishment.

  She was about to call for him to actually do his job and pour her another when the door opened and Callie and Reina walked in from the night.

  Dakota turned slightly on the barstool, away from them, and cursed under her breath
. "Way to lay low, girls," she mumbled.

  Both were freshly showered, hair still wet, and clad in clean clothes. They stood in the entranceway for a moment, arms wrapped around each other, presenting an air of happiness and confidence.

  Dakota watched them out of the corner of her vision. She couldn't help but feel this was part of her punishment. She was suffering more in this second life than if she had stayed dead. Immediately she regretted that thought and took it back.

  They started for the bar, walking directly to where Dakota sat. She sighed. Did Calkitten not get the message earlier?

  Reina ponied up to the bar on one side, Callie the other, and Dakota felt them both press against her legs. Heat rolled off them and she felt a wave of confinement roll through her. She was not an animal that did well in confinement.

  "Didn’t think you two would come up for air so soon," Dakota said. "Is the magic gone?"

  Callie smiled and shared a glance with Reina. "We were missing something in the room and decided to head out to pick it up."

  "Batteries?"

  Instead of the joke making Callie back off like she planned, the other woman shrugged. "Something like that."

  Reina caught the bartender’s attention and waved him over to order a round of drinks.

  The bartender gave her a look. "I don’t want any mage trouble in here," he said. "One of you here is one thing, but three is pushing it. I don't want you freaks fighting and tearing this place apart. Maybe you should take your drinks and go."

  Dakota opened her mouth to protest, Callie next in line, but Reina beat them to the punch. "Oh you won’t have to worry about us staying long," she said. "Or spending much money. But you should really get your magdar checked because there are two mages standing in front of you and I’m not one of them."

  He looked over and Dakota let power crackle around one hand for emphasis. "Care to guess which one of us is the nice one?"

  The bartender paled and turned away to get their drinks.

  Reina shot Callie a wink and pushed from the bar. She walked to an old jukebox in the corner, drawing a couple of mistrustful stares along the way.

  "She is quite the girl," Callie said.

  "Yeah," Dakota agreed. She thought for a moment. "I made a move on her, you know. But she was thinking about you and wouldn’t cheat. Not in the slightest. She loves you."

  "I know ... all of it ... but thank you for telling me." The two mages shared a long glance — Dakota looked away first.

  Music filled the bar, old and sad and slow. Reina walked from the jukebox to the center of the room, holding both hands out.

  Callie took a sip of her drink. "I do believe I’ve been asked to dance," she said.

  Dakota smiled in spite of herself, oddly happy for her former friend. "Have fun, Kitten." She was making plans to return to the hotel early. Maybe with earplugs.

  "Oh, I intend to." Callie slipped an arm around Dakota’s waist and turned her around on the stool. "Let’s go."

  "Wait — what?"

  Callie pulled Dakota to her feet and led her to Reina. The taller woman took her hand and began dancing, forcing her body to follow. Dakota looked between the two, extremely confused. I’ve finally snapped, she thought. I always thought it would be different than this. Well, not really. Better music maybe.

  Callie moved alongside them, in time but separate save for a hand on Reina’s waist. "Who would have thought you’d be so uptight?" she said.

  "Who would have thought you wouldn’t be?" Dakota countered. "What the hell was in that drink?"

  "Nothing."

  Reina tightened her hold on Dakota and led their dance. "We’re being honest," she said, amused.

  Callie moved in close. "Are we out of line?"

  Dakota thought about it and eventually said, "I'm not sure."

  Callie kissed her. It was hesitant and exploratory at first, nothing like the demanding frenzy Dakota had fantasized about but it sent a charge through her just the same. She was mindful not to let too much of the power channel into Reina.

  Dakota pulled back, turned her head, and found Reina waiting next. The brunette ducked her head and caught Dakota’s mouth with hers. She was braver than Callie and let her tongue sweep along the mage’s bottom lip. Dakota opened her mouth and deepened the kiss.

  Hands rubbed along her back, slipping lower to rest just above her ass. Her head swimming, Dakota had no idea if that was Callie or Reina touching her.

  Callie was suddenly there and nipped at the corner of Reina’s mouth. Dakota turned slightly, bumped noses with them twice while trying to coordinate it properly, laughed, and kissed them both. It was sloppy and messy and scandalous enough for the health department to probably shut this small town bar down.

  Dakota loved every second of it.

  Reina hadn’t lied to the bartender—the three of them didn’t stay very long after that.

  ✽✽✽

  The atlas was old, its bindings frayed, and opened to a map of the tri-state area.

  Ezekiel had setup a small work area in one of the unused offices in the brownstone. There were maps of various cities from around the world, cups overflowing with tacks, and satellite photos down to the street level. There were cardboard file boxes stacked three high in the corner, filled no doubt with dossiers of those that had done something to catch the attention of an archmage.

  Dixon also noticed a fine layer of dust over everything. After the attack on Katie she had turned away from her powers. He didn't know the details but could guess. Archmages collected enemies and one of them had tried to get to Ezekiel through her, turning her gifts of the spirit against him and attempt to get around his wards. Before then her ability had been in full service to her master's agenda as he gathered power. It had been a long time since her ability belonged to her alone.

  She sat cross-legged in the center of the room, the atlas before her, rolling a tack between her thumb and forefinger.

  Ezekiel dropped to his haunches next to her. "Ready?"

  Dixon stayed back in the doorway, letting the two have as much privacy as possible.

  She took a deep breath, released it, and drew another. Eyes closed, her head rolled until her chin touched her chest.

  Dixon had seen her use her ability before, seen others with the same power, and knew it was usually quick and without flash. He could feel it in the air, the pinch of it along his skin, but there was no sparks of power jumping free or arcs of lightning. Power of the spirit was inward, dealing with the soul, and possessed far more range than any of the more obvious signs of magic.

  Seconds stretched and Katie didn’t move. He traded a glance with Ezekiel and the archmage could only shrug.

  Her hand started moving, the tack’s point sliding along the map, and both Dixon and Ezekiel breathed a sigh of relief.

  Katie’s eyelids began to flutter, slow at first, and then with increased ferocity. Her hand twitched and jumped between counties on the map. She stabbed the tack down, cutting through several pages at once.

  "Are—?"

  Still lost in her power, she jerked away from Ezekiel and lunged for one of the cups filled with tacks. It toppled over sending them spilling across the floor. Scooping up a handful, Katie returned to the atlas and began jabbing them into the map.

  Ezekiel looked up. "Grab her!"

  Dixon rushed forward and dropped to his knees. "Katie! Snap out of it."

  She didn’t seem to hear and kept working on the atlas.

  Ezekiel reached to stop her, but she savagely pushed him away with both hands. He stumbled back and landed among spilled tacks.

  Dixon grabbed her arms from behind and pinned them to her body. He stood and dragged her up, not letting her get enough leverage to break free.

  Ezekiel climbed to his feet and began calling her name. He took her face in his hands and made her look at him.

  Eventually the spell broke and she stopped fighting. Dixon let her go. "What happened? Did he see you?"

  "I don’t know.
I don’t think so." She sounded dazed, not yet fully back in just one place.

  Ezekiel hugged her. "It’s okay — you’re okay. You are okay."

  Dixon turned his back on them and looked down at the atlas.

  "It was like there was more than just one of him," Katie finally said.

  There were at least a dozen tacks sticking out of the map, all centered on the town where he had left Callie.

  "Kane is everywhere."

  Chapter Eleven

  It was still dark outside when Dakota woke up. For a long while she lay in the dim quiet and listened as her companions slept. She liked being the first one awake. Warm breath brushed her chin as Callie breathed evenly in and out. Gently, Dakota traced a finger along the side of Callie’s face. On her other side was Reina. The taller of their trio snuggled against Callie’s back and kept an arm protectively over Callie and a hand on Dakota’s hip.

  Dakota didn’t know what to make of all this — it was still processing in her mind. What she did know was that for the first time in a long while, she hadn’t woken from a nightmare. Her sleep had been thankfully dreamless.

  Careful not to disturb the two women, Dakota slipped from the bed and reached for her pants. Padding barefoot to the door, she grabbed a shirt from the floor and slipped it on. Judging by the fit, it wasn’t the top she started the evening in but she didn’t bother to find the correct one.

  Outside the air was cool and damp and there was a fresh coat of dew over the walkway. Callie and Reina’s room was on the second floor; Dakota leaned against the railing and looked down at the scenic view of the lodge’s parking lot. She took several deep breaths and felt a strange sort of peace settle over her.

  She was going to kill Nicholas Kane today.

  That wasn’t why she was relaxed though. There were other reasons…

  Dakota looked up and thought about what it would mean when this was over. Where she would go. Above her the stars were starting to fade with the slow brightening of the coming day. Maybe Dixon would even help her kill Kane once he knew Callie was safe. Maybe.