by R. L. King
She gnawed on a rib, not meeting his gaze.
“So…” he ventured. “What happened with Hank? Did you find him before he took off?”
“Yeah.” She wiped her hands on a napkin. “Found him at his place when I got back. He was waiting for a call from the mage about the handoff.” She sighed, rubbing her face. “It sucks, Jason. You think you know a guy, you know? I mean, Hank was kind of an ass, but he could be fun too, when he wasn’t acting like a jealous prick. And all along…I wonder how many other jobs like this he’s had his fingers in.”
“I’m sorry, Amber.” Surprisingly, he genuinely was. It was never easy to find out that somebody you thought was a friend had betrayed you. “So he’s in jail now?”
“Yeah, him and those other two guys. They spilled the whole thing when the cops found them—well, all except the magic, of course. The cops are still looking for the mastermind, but…”
“…but they’re never gonna find him. Yeah.” The blood they’d found seeping from the wall hadn’t been enough to notice easily, and even if the police found it and made a DNA match, they’d still never know the truth of what had happened. “Did they say anything about us?”
“Not from what I understand—not enough to worry about, anyway. They probably didn’t want the cops thinking they were crazy, talking about magic and stuff.”
“Well, that’s good anyway.” He leaned back, taking a long drink from his beer, and smiled. “I have to admit, I wasn’t sure you’d go for the dinner.”
“Why not?” She mirrored his smile, though hers was sly. “Actually, I didn’t think you’d call.”
“Come on—I’d be an idiot not to.” He shrugged, then indicated their bone-littered plates. “Besides, how often does a northern California guy find a woman with a proper appreciation for good barbecue?”
“Damn right.” She picked up her last rib and bit off a healthy shred. “So…you do this kind of stuff a lot?”
“What, chow down on ribs and cornbread?” He grinned. “Nah—I have to keep my girlish figure, after all. If I ate like this all the time I’d never catch anybody.”
She mimed throwing the bone at him. “No, you goof. The magic.”
“Not as often as I used to when my sister was my friend’s apprentice and she lived with me. But…often enough, I guess.”
“Do you like it?”
He thought about it. “That’s a hard question to answer. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish sometimes that my life was just normal, and I’d never even found out about all this supernatural stuff. But…”
“But?” Her eyes glittered a challenge.
“But…” he said with a shrug, “a lot of good things have happened in my life because of it. I got my sister back from some pretty bad stuff. I met my best friend, even if he does drive me batshit sometimes with how his curiosity gets him into trouble. And my life’s in a lot better place than it was a few years back. So I guess all in all I gotta say it was good for me.” He hesitated, not sure whether saying anything else was a good idea or a really bad one. “And...” he added, meeting her gaze with a clear, steady one of his own, “Maybe it’s still good for me. Or at least I hope it might be.”
Something in her smile changed. “Yeah, I hope so too. I’d like to see you again, Jason. But I want to take things slow. You’re in San Jose, I’m here, and after Hank, I think I need some time to get my head together, you know?”
“Yeah. I get it. That’s cool. I’ve got a lot going on with the agency, so it’s not like I’m not staying busy. Maybe we can…do barbecue again. And if you’re ever back in the Bay Area, I know a really good steak house.”
She grinned. “There’s more to me than meat, you know.”
“It’s got good beer, too.”
The grin widened. “Well, hey, that covers the basics, anyway.” She paused, wiped her hands again, and shrugged. “You said you have to go back tomorrow?”
“Yeah, helping V haul some stuff up to SF.”
She leaned forward. “What about tonight?”
“What…about tonight?” he asked carefully. He hoped she didn’t notice how his heart just started to hammer, but then remembered what she was and figured she could probably read him like a book. Ah, well—it wasn’t as if his reaction was any kind of surprise.
She chuckled. “If we’re going to get along, Jason, you need to figure out fast that I’m not one of those types who drops hints. Bears aren’t good with hints. So…you want to go back to my place and…see what happens?” She leaned in closer, and her sly grin was back. “That means sex, by the way. I’m talking about sex.”
“Uh…” He swiped his napkin across his mouth and tossed it aside. “Does a bear—”
“Do not go there,” she said firmly, but the smile never left her face, or her eyes.
37
Sunday
Stone was half-sitting, half-lying on the sofa in his living room, Raider curled on his chest and the stereo playing softly, when a knock on his door jolted him from his doze.
He jerked fully awake, startling the cat, and glanced at his watch. After ten-thirty. Who would be coming to his door that late? He’d locked the gate for the night, and wasn’t expecting anyone—Verity was in San Francisco, Jason was off on a case somewhere, and he’d just gotten a text a few days ago that Ian was in Monte Carlo.
As he hauled himself off the sofa, straightened his T-shirt, and ran a hand through his hair, he realized the wards hadn’t buzzed. That shouldn’t have been possible; anyone approaching the house would have to pass through his wards, which were normally tuned to alert him to any mundane presence and stop anything unfamiliar that wasn’t mundane.
They’d done neither, and that wasn’t good.
Tensing, he put up his shield and walked to the front door, but didn’t open it. “Who’s there?” he called.
“It is I,” said a familiar voice.
Bloody hell. Stone tensed. Kolinsky? Here? In all the time they’d known each other, the black mage had never come to his home. He’d visited Kolinsky’s once—or one of them, at least—but otherwise the two had always confined their visits to either the shop in East Palo Alto or some local restaurant.
He still didn’t open the door. “What…can I do for you, Stefan? Bit late for dropping by, isn’t it?”
“May I come in?” Kolinsky’s voice sounded steady and calm.
“That depends.” Was Kolinsky in league with the man from Wyoming? Had the man told him what had happened, and now he was here to finish the job?
“Alastair, we must talk. I give you my word, I mean you no harm. To the contrary—I am taking a risk merely by coming here. Please let me in.”
Stone frowned. Taking a risk? What kind of risk? Still, Kolinsky had always been a man of his word. “Fine, then.” He opened the door.
Kolinsky stood there, dressed in the same old-fashioned, meticulously crisp sort of black suit he always wore, along with a dark gray overcoat. His expression was serious, almost grave. “Thank you.”
Stone stepped aside, realizing as he did that he wasn’t sure he’d ever given Kolinsky his new address. If that was the weirdest thing about tonight, though, he’d be surprised. “Come on in, and let me take your coat. Would you like something to drink?”
“Thank you, no.”
Stone led him into the sitting room, using magic to flip off the stereo and gather the remains of his earlier takeout meal into a neat pile on the coffee table. “Sit down. What can I do for you, Stefan? You did a bit of a runner the other day—I couldn’t help taking it personally. I also can’t help wondering if you warned Madame Huan that I might be coming her way, so she could clear out too.”
“I did, yes.” Kolinsky sounded unapologetic, and met Stone’s gaze with a steady one of his own. He leaned back in his chair, steepling his hands in his lap.
Stone hadn’t expected him to admit it quite so readily. “You did. So it’s not just your fingers in this little pie—it’s hers as well?”
“There are…many things you don’t understand, Alastair.”
“Stefan, I can’t begin to describe how bloody sick I am of hearing that. If that’s all you’ve come here to say, please go. I’m tired and I’ve had enough game-playing for the night.”
“I heard about what occurred in Wyoming.”
“Did you? So then, whoever tried to stop me there is a member of your little secret club too?”
“You bested him in magical combat. That…should not have been possible, even if you caught him by surprise.”
“Why not?” Stone glared at him. “Like I told him—perhaps he shared this with you as well—you lot aren’t the only ones who have secrets. He was a powerful mage, yes. But so am I. Maybe more so than you know, these days.”
“Yes. I am beginning to see that. And I am also beginning to see that no matter the warnings you are given, you have no intention of giving up your crusade to locate and close the rifts.”
“Damn right. And I don’t have to locate them. I already know where they are. I also know they were here before.”
Kolinsky tilted his head. “Indeed?”
“And you know it too, so don’t play dumb with me. It doesn’t suit you, Stefan.”
The black mage’s eyes flashed briefly, but then he inclined his head. “As I said, I am putting myself at some risk by coming here, but I have come to the conclusion that the risk would be far greater if I did not.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you planning to stop me somehow? To kill me?” Stone concentrated for a second, and a shield flared around him. “That might be harder than you thought, if you do—especially on my home ground.”
He expected Kolinsky’s face to contort in anger, or even for him to attack, but neither happened. Instead, the black mage settled back in his chair and made a dismissive gesture. “You do not need a shield, Alastair. I have already given you my word that I have not come here to harm you.”
Stone pondered for just a moment, then dropped the shield. “Fine, then. Why are you here? I’m tired of puzzles, and I’m tired of being treated like a child who can’t handle the truth. Let’s get right to it, then: if you want me to give this up, then you’ll have to tell me why. That’s not negotiable. No other bargains, no other transactions. That’s it: either you tell me why, you take your best shot at killing me, or you get the hell out of here and let me get on with my plans.”
He hadn’t sat down yet; he’d been pacing as he spoke, but now he stopped in front of Kolinsky’s chair, nearly looming over the black mage. He noticed peripherally that Raider had made himself scarce. He’s smart. I probably should have done that too.
Kolinsky remained calmly seated, meeting Stone’s gaze steadily as the seconds stretched out. “I should not be here,” he said at last. “When…certain others discover I visited you, there will be…consequences.”
“What kind of consequences? Who are these ‘others’? How many of them are there, other than Madame Huan and whoever came to Wyoming and Pennsylvania? Those weren’t you, or someone you sent, were they?”
“No. They were not. And as for how many others…that I cannot tell you. It does not concern you, nor does it relate directly to this situation.”
“Is this some kind of cabal of powerful mages? Why have I never heard of it? I’m not exactly a slouch these days, and between my family and Desmond, I’ve had access to some fairly high-powered people.”
Kolinsky held up his hand. “Alastair, stop, please. You have asked me to tell you why you should not interfere with the rifts. You also said you offer no other bargain for this information, but I must insist on one nonetheless.”
Stone spun away with a snort. “There it is—I knew we’d get back to that again. What do you want, Stefan? At this point, I don’t know if I’ll give it to you. You had your chance before, and you chose to hide from me.” He turned back, tense and ready to act if necessary. “You can tell me what it is, but no promises.”
Still, Kolinsky did not react to his agitation. “It is simple: I require an oath.”
“An oath?” That hadn’t been what he was expecting. “You mean a magical oath?”
Kolinsky inclined his head.
“What kind of oath? What do you want me to swear to? And why? Is my word not good enough for you? You expect me to respect yours, but you won’t honor mine?”
“I respect your word. This is more for your own protection than my own. There are those who seek this information and must not be permitted to obtain it.”
“Who?”
“Again, I cannot say. It may be that they are not yet aware of the situation. It is even possible that they no longer exist. But if they do, there are those among them who might have the capability of wresting the information from you, should proper precautions not be taken.”
“Let them try,” Stone snapped. “I’m not the same mage you knew ten years ago, Stefan. Not even one year ago.”
“I am aware of that, and I make no secret of the fact that I am curious as to how you have attained this power—although I have a better idea now than perhaps I did before.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Kolinsky waved his question off. “That is my condition, Alastair. If you will swear a magical oath that you will not reveal the information to anyone else, I will help you to satisfy your curiosity.”
Stone took a long, slow breath. He held Kolinsky’s gaze for a few more seconds, then paced away, staring into the unlit fireplace. His mind whirled with uncharacteristic indecision, warring between desire to finally know why these powerful forces seemed suddenly aligned to thwart what seemed to be a logical course of action, and a deep reluctance to swear such an oath, to Kolinsky or anyone else. Magical oaths, especially one set by someone with the black mage’s power, were irrevocably binding. If he agreed, he would be physically unable to reveal anything to anyone else—so if what he found out required action, he’d either have to take it on his own…or not take it at all, and accept the consequences for inaction.
Without turning, he said in a dull tone, “Tell me the specifics of the oath. What would I be agreeing to, and what would happen if I failed to observe the terms?”
“As I said, you would swear never to reveal anything I tell you about the nature of the rifts and why you should not interfere with them. This also covers any inferences you might reach as a result of information I provide you. I suspect that, once you have divined the truth, you will not wish to share it. But this will prevent you from doing so.”
“And if I do?”
“There is no ‘if.’ The oath will prevent you from speaking of it, or from having it forcibly removed from your mind by any magical means.”
Stone shuddered, just a bit. The thought of anyone mucking around in his mind, hunting for bits of data, terrified him. “Do you expect anyone will do that? Some other member of your little cabal, for instance?”
“There is no ‘cabal,’ Alastair. That much I can tell you.”
“So you don’t belong to some organization of powerful mages?”
“No. There are…certain individuals whose goals coincide in this case. In all honesty, that rarely occurs. And aside from them, I do not believe any others are aware of this situation at this time.”
“What happens if I don’t agree? If I decide to continue as I have, tracking the rifts and closing them? Will you get in my way? Will others?”
“I cannot speak for any others, but I suspect they will continue to impede you.”
“The one in Wyoming said he couldn’t attack me unprovoked. Something about ‘protocols.’ What’s that about? What protocols?”
“That is something I also cannot speak of. Once again, it is not directly related to the rifts.”
“And I suppose that means you won’t tell me what this ‘scion’ rubbish is about, either, will you? Is that why he wasn’t allowed to hurt me, but he could kill others? He threatened Verity and her friend. I think he would have killed them if I hadn’t stopped him.”
“You are quite likely correct. And I can do nothing to protect them. As for the protocols—you have made a powerful enemy, Alastair, I can tell you that much.”
Something inside Stone chilled. “Brilliant. Does that mean he’ll be coming after me now?”
“He might, if you persist in seeking the rifts. I do not think he will do so otherwise. He does respect strength, and your power surprised him.”
“So—what—you two got together for tea and discussed this?”
“No. I have not spoken with him directly, but I have heard from those who have.”
Stone sighed and went back to the sofa, where he dropped down. “So that’s it, then. I agree to this oath, and you tell me what’s going on with the rifts?”
“I will…assist you in deriving your own conclusions. It is the best I am permitted to do, without incurring more consequences than I am willing to accept. I value our association—our friendship—but even that has its limits.”
Again, Stone hesitated. “Are you sure you don’t want a drink? Because I need one.”
“No, thank you.”
He levitated a bottle and a glass over to him, poured, and took a healthy swallow. Glancing toward the doorway, he spotted Raider lurking there, peering around the corner with wide eyes.
“Fine,” he said at last. “I suppose you’ve never given me cause not to trust you. As long as this oath concerns only the nature of the rifts, and my inability to reveal anything to others won’t put the world in danger, I accept. I’ll agree to your oath. Let’s get on with it.” He stood. “Do we need to use my circle?”
Kolinsky rose as well. “There is no need. We can do it here.”
“Oh?” That was a surprise. Normally, magical oaths required a circle at minimum—but not for the first time, Stone suspected Kolinsky wasn’t entirely bound by the rules of normal magic. “What, then?”
