by Steve McHugh
The guard kicked out at Mordred, forcing him back.
“Nice technique,” Mordred said, smiling under the mask. “Good snap, too. Human, yes?”
He nodded.
“I figured all you guys would be. Can’t trust a nonhuman with all these artifacts. That’s what you’re guarding. Old weapons, supposed lost manuscripts, and the occasional piece of jewelry. Nothing you need to get someone with actual power to guard.”
The guard threw a punch, but Mordred ducked under it, punching the guard in the jaw with an uppercut. The guard staggered back. Mordred caught his shirt and slammed his forearm into the guard’s face. He let the unconscious guard drop, then began humming again.
“Will you cut it out?” Morgan snapped. “Are they all alive?”
“I was told not to kill them, and no one is dead,” Mordred told her. “Hurt, though.”
“The item you seek is in the room to the far left of your position,” the second female said.
Mordred nodded and made his way there, where he opened the door and stood in wonder at the contents. There were row after row of shelves, all with metal trays, each one labeled with several numbers.
“You want six-four-nine-nine-one,” the woman told him.
It took Mordred thirty seconds to find it, open the tray, and remove the tablet from inside. He placed it inside his jacket and left the floor the way he’d arrived, avoiding the guards once again on the level below until he could climb back out of the window and, with his magic restored, lower himself to the ground.
It took him three minutes from grabbing the tablet to sprinting toward the pickup area: a small nearby car park.
Morgan was leaning on a red Nissan Navara, a smile on her face. “You enjoyed yourself.”
“You know what? You’re right. I did,” Mordred told her, as a second woman left the truck and held out her hand for the tablet.
“You think that doing this job will finally convince certain people that you’re no longer insane?”
“It’s a start,” the second woman told her as she left the pickup.
“Olivia,” Mordred said. “I forgot to ask earlier, but I assume Nate doesn’t know of our meeting here?”
“I don’t want Nate involved in this,” Olivia told him. “Not until we know who is and isn’t coming after us. Arthur’s revival has changed things. Things that shouldn’t necessarily be changed.”
“You don’t trust Arthur.”
“I don’t know Arthur. People keep telling me he’s the second coming, that he’s going to fix things, but so far, I have no evidence to back that up.”
“He’s not the man everyone thinks,” Mordred said.
“You’ve said that before. Care to elaborate?”
Mordred shook his head. He was certain no one in Avalon would believe him, certain that people would think he was crazy. And maybe he was; maybe his addled brain had made him see things that weren’t real. But something bothered him, and it bothered Morgan, too, so maybe it wasn’t just Mordred’s brain. Either way, he wasn’t saying anything until he knew more. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“You don’t trust Avalon?” Morgan asked Olivia. “You work for them. Shouldn’t you be slightly more trusting?”
“Olivia doesn’t trust anyone,” Tommy said, leaving the pickup, and nodding thank you to Mordred. “And no, Nate must not know that we stole this back. Those people in there were experimenting on it, trying to figure out how to make more. Hera was seen leaving this facility on several occasions.”
“Couldn’t you have just taken it yourself?” Mordred asked.
“Not without a paper trail, or tipping off someone that we’re looking into their activities. This had to be done quietly. That’s more your territory, Mordred.”
He beamed. “You want me to go steal more of her stuff?”
Tommy shook his head. “I’m surprised you got in and out of there so easily. It’s meant to be high-security. I thought the tablet would be better protected.”
“Hera doesn’t think anyone will ever go after her,” Morgan said. “She’s always been that way.”
“We’ll contact you if we need you again,” Olivia said.
Mordred bowed his head. “Of course. But I’m not an assassin for hire. Don’t ever think I will kill for you. If you do, we’re done.”
Olivia climbed back into the pickup, and Tommy waited outside. “Mordred. Stay safe.”
Mordred gave the thumbs up, but inside his mind was racing. Avalon was breaking apart, just like he always knew it would. Hera and her people would take control one piece at a time, and Arthur’s appearance would only speed that up. The war was going to start, too; he could feel it. And then everything about himself and about Nate would come out in the open, exposing those who had a hand in the misery that had befallen them both. The people responsible for what had been done to them both would feel their wrath, even if it meant sacrificing himself to achieve it.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
So, here we are at the end of another book, and it’s time to thank all of those people who helped make this possible.
As always, a big thank you to my wife, Vanessa, and our children, who continue to support and inspire me in equal measure. I wouldn’t be finishing my sixth book without their backing, or Vanessa keeping the children busy so I can work. There’s not enough wine and coffee in the world that I can give her in gratitude.
To my parents, for always believing in me, and telling me to hurry up and finish the book.
My friends and family, who have always stood beside me (and in some cases behind me giving me a shove to get on with it): you have my unending gratitude.
A lot of people say they have the best agent, but they’re wrong, because I do. Thanks to Paul Lucas for his help and friendship.
To Jenni Gaynor, my editor, who sifted through the book to help make it gleam. Without her, this book wouldn’t be close to what it currently is. Also it’s nice to have a fellow geek as an editor who gets all of the video-game references I made in the book.
Eamon O’Donoghue, cover artist extraordinaire: Thanks, dude. It means a lot that you’ve done all of my Hellequin covers to date.
D.B. Reynolds and Michelle Muto. Two of the finest people I know, and both amazing writers. They’ve beta-read my stuff for years now and have always been nothing but amazing.
A big thanks to everyone at 47North who helped put this book together. There are too many people to list here, but each and every one of them knows how awesome they are.
And last, but by no means least, you guys who read this book and then decided to read the acknowledgements too. You get a special mention. Thank you so much for giving me any kind of success I’ve had, and for any I might have in the future. Thank you for taking time out of your day to leave amazing reviews, or email me to tell me what you thought about the books. Without you, I’m still writing for myself. You’re awesome.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2013 Sally Beard
Steve McHugh is the author of the popular Hellequin Chronicles. He lives in Southampton on the south coast of England with his wife and three young daughters. When not writing or spending time with his kids, he enjoys watching movies, reading books and comics, and playing video games.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
CONTENTS
LIST OF CHARACTERS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
C
HAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
