Of Song and Shadow

by Phillip Drayer Duncan

  “I should kill you for this pathetic attempt at a rescue, Nicolo,” she said, shaking her head. “If not for these others, whom you’re so inclined to kill, I don’t think you would’ve succeeded. I wonder, even now, if you’re strong enough to see the job done.”

  “I am,” he replied, looking down again. “I’ll be happy to show you, my lady.”

  Eva croaked a hoarse laugh. “I think we should let them live. They deserve as much, seeing how they’re the ones who saved me.”

  “Is that sentiment I detect?” the Revenant asked.

  “Hardly.”

  “They’ve seen me,” the Revenant repeated. “They must perish.”

  “My dear,” she said, moving in close again. “Oh, how you must have missed me.” She motioned toward Nicolo. “With fools like this at your command, you’ve had no one with sense enough to challenge you, have you?”

  “No,” he admitted. “It’s been exhausting. Tell me, why do you believe we should let them live? Two are Blade Mages. It would be useful having them out of the way.”

  “Are they in the way?” Eva looked to where Byron was with the other injured, then toward me. She laughed again. “They are broken before us.”

  “Still, they know of me.”

  “That is good,” she said, wrapping her arm around him. “The Ozark Mountain Cabal and the Southern Circle will know that a being of great power was here either way. Let’s not let some other fool take the credit. Let them return to their masters, broken and beaten. Let them tell of how they met us, and how two Blade Mages weren’t enough to stop us. Let the fear sink into their hearts knowing there’s nothing they, nor their legions of mages, can do against us. Let them know of you, my love. And let them know fear.”

  The Revenant nodded slowly. “Yes, the time for hiding is nearly over. I agree.”

  “Then let us leave this place, my love,” Eva said. “As you have said, there is other work to be done.”

  The breeze picked up again, and a moment later, they were gone. The Revenant, Eva, Nicolo, and even all of his goons.

  It was just us, and the ashes left behind by the shadows.

  Chapter 26

  Axel plopped down next to me in the ashes.

  “So,” he said.

  “So,” I replied.

  “Okay, so maybe you were right about how we shouldn’t have gotten involved at the beginning.”

  “Thanks,” I replied, forcing a chuckle. “I like making this your fault. Even though it does feel like a bit of a repeat, doesn’t it?”

  “You mean the whole thing with Faith?” Axel asked. He shook his head. “No, that was different. In the end, Faith sacrificed herself to save us. She was a good person. Eva wasn’t.”

  I considered his words for a moment, then said, “I think Eva was a good person. That wasn’t Eva, though, was it? I think we got a glimpse of who she was before, or perhaps, who she might’ve been.”

  “Well,” Axel said, lying back into the ashes. He began moving his arms and legs, creating an ash angel. “I certainly like our Eva better. Shame we couldn’t save her.”

  “Yeah,” I replied. “I don’t know that we’re cut out for the whole ‘saving people’ thing.”

  “Oh, don’t start your self-deprecating bullshit, Wyatt.” The harshness in his voice surprised me. When I turned to meet his gaze he continued, “We did save her. Granted, we didn’t know she was really a super powerful B-word. We still did the right thing. Haven’t you figured that out by now? You’re a good guy. That’s why the sword chose you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

  I didn’t reply. He had a point. I was always rather hard on myself. It was hard for me to assess myself fairly sometimes, when I all could see was my own faults. But Axel was right, dammit. We’d done our best and we’d faced impossible odds, yet again, and we were still alive to tell about it.

  I sighed. There I was, taking life advice from a grown ass adult who was making ash angels in the dead bits of shadow monsters. Axel had his moments.

  A few of Byron’s remaining uninjured men ran outside to call for help. The rest of his folks hadn’t truly abandoned us and were only a short way down the road. They came back and started tending to the wounded immediately.

  When the trained experts took over, Paeter made his way over and sat down with a heavy sigh. “I can’t believe we are still alive.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “You know you saved us, right?”

  “I did no more than any of the others.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “You gave me that coin. Did you know it would have that effect?”

  Paeter shook his head. “No, but it is, perhaps, a symbol for a Blade Mage. Perhaps that’s what Asaruludu really was.”

  “I wonder if there are more out there,” I said.

  “It’s totally possible,” Axel assured me. “The Cabal has a team who researches that kind of stuff, but they’d probably never tell you if they’ve found any other magic objects related to the Arcane Guardians.”

  “Right,” I said.

  “But your Cabal folks aren’t the only keepers of knowledge,” Paeter said. “Our people have some too. Many different orders throughout the world keep their own secrets.”

  “It’s certainly something worth looking into,” I said, rising to my feet. “But first I need to find the coin you gave me. It’s buried somewhere in the ash.”

  “You’d better hurry,” Paeter said. “Our allies said that representatives from the Cabal are coming.”

  “Damn,” I said, glancing at Axel. “I knew they’d come, but I just hoped we could go home first.”

  “Oh, goody,” Axel said. “I bet dear old daddy will want to say hello.”

  “And the Archmage,” I said. “You want to bet we’re going to end up at the main compound after all?”

  “Want to bet who they’re going to send to collect us?” Axel asked.

  Chapter 27

  It was, of course, Parker Grimm they sent to collect us. I’m not sure why it was always Parker. There were other shamuses, but for some reason, when it came to Axel and me, they always sent Parker.

  We gave him a brief overview of the situation, then, as expected, we were all hauled to the Castle. I hadn’t been there since my father’s funeral. I wasn’t excited to be back. Paeter, Mary Beth, Byron, and his whole team were brought in with us.

  I was asked to debrief with a few different shamuses, but afterward, they gave me a room, same as the last time I met the Archcouncil, and I crashed out. Also like before, I didn’t know where any of my companions were being held, not that we were ‘prisoners’ in the Cabal’s eyes. Just guests who weren’t allowed to leave without their blessing. Totally different.

  The next morning a servant woke me up to inform me that I’d be summoned to speak with the Archcouncil soon. Shock and awe. Fortunately, the servant had also brought me a tray of breakfast and a silver pot of fresh brewed coffee. They also supplied me with fresh clothes again. This time they didn’t bother with a fancy suit and instead surprised me with jeans, a black t-shirt, and brand new Chuck Taylors, all in the right size. They were learning.

  Rested, fed, showered, and finally wearing clean clothes, I was ready when the servant returned to inform me it was time.

  I wasn’t looking forward to this meeting any more than the last.

  Only this time it was different. In the Branson compound we’d met in an executive style boardroom and the leaders of the Cabal had dressed like business professionals. I’d felt like I was meeting the officers from a Fortune 500 corporation instead of a bunch of wise old wizards. Not this time.

  I was led into a room made of stone. The thing about the Castle is that from the outside it looks like a giant mansion. On the inside, it still looks like a mansion, at least in the common areas. However, much of the castle is off limits and underground, meaning that few knew how big the place actually was. And the portion beneath the earth took on the look of an actual castle. Sure, it was still swanky as hell, bu
t built like a stone bunker. My money said it would’ve survived a nuclear blast.

  Studying the room, I surmised that this was the official meeting place of the Archcouncil. The place where secrecy died and a different brand of formal was put on display. Rather than a large wooden conference table, the table here was made of dark marble and had a sheen to it, as though it were a reflection of the night sky. The chairs around it weren’t the posh style of the Branson conference room either, but rather had the same marble build of the table. And a great chandelier hung from the center of the room, bathing the area in a soft light.

  The Masters, Guardians, and the Archmage were already seated and waiting for me as I entered. Instead of business attire, they were all dressed in formal robes, the varying colors meant to represent their leg of the organization. The Archmage was in all white.

  There was one empty seat, which was conveniently seated across from the Archmage. I took this to be my intended spot and sat down.

  “Welcome, Wyatt,” The Archmage said with a warm smile. “I hope that you’ve found your accommodations pleasant. After this ordeal, I’m sure you need some rest.”

  “Yes, thank you,” I said.

  His smile remained and he said, “I’m sure you understand why we wished to speak with you, and I don’t want to keep you long, but if you’d be so kind, we’d like a retelling of this ordeal from your perspective.”

  And so I told them, and this time I left out very few details. I didn’t have anything to hide, really. Just a few bits better left unmentioned. For example, I didn’t think they needed to hear about Axel’s phallus-shaped rocket. Nor did I want them to know about Mary Beth’s magical ability, if it could be helped. I could only hope that Byron and his gaggle had remained quiet about it, and that they hadn’t dragged it from Paeter or Mary Beth themselves.

  When I finished my tale, the leaders of the Cabal were silent for a time, each mulling over what I’d said and perhaps considering which pieces they’d like to scrutinize. What questions they’d like to squeeze out of me and what feedback to pelt me with.

  “Thank you, Wyatt,” the Archmage said, finally breaking the silence. “Given the circumstances, it sounds as though you handled the situation as best you could. The others have sung your praise, including Blade Mage Byron Walker. That’s no small compliment, coming from him. He’s well respected in the Southern Circle.”

  I couldn’t help feeling that was something of a backhanded compliment. Still, we were off to a better start than the last go-around. I wasn’t ready to let my guard down, though.

  The Archmage continued, “If I were to challenge your actions, the first question that comes to mind is why you didn’t make a break for the Castle on that first night, after your conversation with the alleged Revenant.”

  “Alleged?” I said, raising an eyebrow. “I met the guy in person. He’s real.”

  The Archmage held up his hand. “I’m not discounting your claim, nor that of the others. I say alleged as we have not yet confirmed. It is possible the being you encountered may have been something else entirely, only claiming to be a Revenant.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off, “And yes, Wyatt, before you say it, I understand you all witnessed his magical prowess. I’m not attempting to discredit that, either. Clearly, the beings involved in this ordeal were very powerful. This includes the alleged Valravn, as well. There is no question of their shows of strength, only in whether they’ve been properly identified.”

  He had a point, and there wasn’t much of an argument to be made. Instead, I answered his question. “My initial plan was to make a dash for the Castle. However, the being I spoke to on the phone unnerved me. How could he have pinpointed us, intercepted my call, faked Parker’s voice so well, and then remotely blown out the lights around me? I know there are mages strong enough to pull off something like that, surely you all could with preparation, but on the fly? No one knew where we were going. Hell, I didn’t even know I intended to stop at the motel until I pulled into the parking lot. So, how could he have done all of that?”

  The Council was mostly silent. A few had curious looks on their faces, while others remained impassive. A few even shared furtive glances with each other.

  “I’ll take the silence to mean you don’t know,” I said.

  “Not necessarily,” Grand Enchanter Marius Gunner said, speaking for the first time. Our last encounter hadn’t gone so well, but since he was practically like an uncle to me, I wasn’t sure whether he bore a grudge. He wasn’t outright hostile, so that was something. “There are a number of ways I could think to pull off a scam like that. It’s also possible you were followed. And you should consider the possibility that Eva could’ve been involved. It is possible she was never truly as confused as she let on. Don’t rule that out.”

  My initial thought was to argue, but I held my tongue again. It occurred to me then that perhaps they were baiting me to do just that. To show my ass a little, just like last time. Or maybe not. Maybe it was me reading too much into the situation. Maybe they were genuinely asking these questions with no hidden motive. These thoughts swirled in my head while they all stared at me.

  Finally, I said, “Well, at any rate, Axel mentioned that perhaps the wards at my cabin would protect us. At the time, I thought it reasonable that the shadow monsters might only attack at night. So, if we could survive behind my wards until morning, we could easily make the trip in the daylight.”

  Master Elementalist Thibault Washington asked, “But the next day you stopped at the Private Investigator’s office first. Why not come straight here?”

  That question caused me to pause. I sure as hell wasn’t going to mention that Axel really wanted to hit on Valerie. But that wasn’t the truth around why I’d agreed to it anyway. “Axel suggested that Valerie might be able to provide some valuable input. Based on my interactions with her, I thought this to be a reasonable pursuit. I didn’t consider we’d be attacked in a public place.”

  Marius sighed. “When are you going to learn not to listen to my son’s ridiculous ideas?”

  “When he stops being right most of the time,” I said, meeting his gaze. “The last time we had one of these little shindigs, I said that Axel was a hero for his actions. I say it again now. If not for him, I’d be dead. A lot of other people would be as well.”

  “Tell me, Wyatt,” Marius said, rubbing his temples. “Is it true that my son called upon his years of training and study in the arcane arts to perform a working that involved a giant rocket?”

  I didn’t like where this was going.

  I cleared my throat and said, “That’s correct. A rocket that took down a giant shadow bird. His spell also weakened the entire enemy line, preventing us from simply being stampeded.”

  “Mhmm,” Marius said impatiently. “What was the shape of the rocket, Wyatt? What was it meant to look like?”

  “Uh, it was…rocket shaped.” I provided an innocent shrug along with my dialogue.

  “It was meant to look like a penis, was it not?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Huh,” I said, forcing a thoughtful expression. “Now that you mention it, I suppose it may have had that general shape.”

  “You suppose?” He rasped out a harsh laugh. “There’s no reason to play coy. Axel told us. Bragged about it, even. He was quite proud of himself.”

  There were a few chuckles from among the Masters, but a harsh look from the Grand Enchanter silenced them immediately.

  “Look,” I said, putting up my hands. “Axel has a certain mischievous personality. We all know that. Doesn’t change the fact he saved the day.”

  “He used magic to create a giant penis!”

  “Which fucked the shadow bird that was trying to kill us,” I replied.

  This got a reaction out of all them, save the Archmage. A few chuckled openly at the remark. A few more pretended to cover the giggles with surprise coughing fits. Others looked genuinely abashed. Marius Gunner looked like
he was ready to kill me again.

  “Perhaps,” the Archmage said, “we can discuss Axel’s conduct at another time. For the moment, let us return to the subject we were originally discussing.”

  “Yes,” Master Battle Mage Zephyrine Castillo said, butting in. Her scowl turned my way. “I can respect your logic in seeking additional council before heading to the Castle. However, the question I’d like to ask you is this…Why not reach out to the local constables? Did you even consider this?”

  I didn’t have a good answer for that one, and she knew it.

  “You didn’t,” she said. “I can read as much on your face. So, you believed this third party to be of more value in your time of need than our very own local Cabal representatives. Do you hold our constables in such low esteem, Blade Mage?”

  “No,” I said, trying to think of a good answer. There wasn’t one. I was caught in a snare. “In truth, you’re correct, I didn’t even think of it. Perhaps I should’ve.”

  “Perhaps,” Grand Shaman Naomi Nguyen repeated. She stared at me for a moment, though I didn’t sense any hostility or disdain. “If you’d be willing to take council from a fellow Arcane Guardian, I would say this… It may be wise for you to take that away and consider it. Why didn’t you think of utilizing the available resource? And were you right to do so? Challenge yourself on it.”

  I nodded at her. “Yeah. I will.”

  “From that point forward,” the Archmage said, dragging the conversation back on track once more, “it seemed you were sliding on the ice. Driven forward by events. Among our own Council here, some of us feel you did the best you could given the circumstances. Some of us would challenge other decisions you made. I’m curious, though, Wyatt. What do you think?”

  I stared at him for several moments before I replied. “Undoubtedly mistakes were made, but yes, I think we all handled the situation as best as we could.” Gritting my teeth, I added, “I’d gladly receive your feedback, though.”