Honorless

by Alex Steele

  Tea in hand, I headed upstairs to the office. There was one last thing to retrieve before we left. The slot where The Adventures of Hercules had sat was empty. I slipped my hand into the space and unlocked the door to the hidden room.

  The lights flared to life, illuminating Apollo’s bow and the chest. I stepped inside and grabbed the bow. There was no point in lingering here but my feet felt heavy as I walked out. The door shut behind me and the lock clicked back into place. I drained the last of my tea, then pulled on my jacket.

  The Manor’s wards let out a long chime. They’d been working just fine since Bootstrap had been taken. I’d happily tolerate the screeching and his inane questions again if it meant he was back here. Safe. A pang shot through my chest at the realization that even if we could get him and Bradley out, there was no coming back here. Not immediately, at least. Not with the Mage’s Guild searching for us.

  I’d been so reluctant to come back to this place, and now I didn’t want to leave.

  With a sigh, I tucked the bow under my arm and hurried down to meet the team. There was no time to linger and reminisce. I’d spent enough time doing that last night.

  I stumbled over the last step when I saw Hiroji was already inside. “How did you get in here?”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “The wards still recognize me.”

  “Oh.”

  “I let the others in as well. They’re raiding the kitchen.”

  I scowled at him. “Of course they are. Everyone is always stealing my food.”

  “It’s just going to go to waste if we don’t eat it now,” Swift said as she walked into the room, dusting crumbs off her hands.

  “It’s the principle of the thing,” I muttered.

  Danner, Lopez, and Viktor all trailed in after her. It was strange seeing Hiroji here with the others, like the past and the present crashing together.

  “We ready to go?” Lopez asked.

  I checked the time. “Yeah, just a few minutes until they activate the rune.”

  Swift led the way upstairs, reviewing the plan for after we escaped from Purgatory once again. Lopez and Viktor would be going with Bradley and Hiroji’s people to reunite Bradley with his family.

  With one minute left on the clock, we all gathered within the bounds of the rune. It was a bit of a tight fit.

  “You sure this is safe?” Lopez asked as she elbowed Danner into place.

  “I’ve done it twice and haven’t died yet,” I assured her.

  She didn’t look the least bit relieved.

  “No time to worry about it now,” Swift said with a shrug.

  The rune lit up beneath us, growing until it swallowed us whole. Electricity stuttered over my skin in uneven bursts. I wasn’t sure why, but the way the Awakened did this wasn’t nearly as smooth as the valkyrie teleporting us.

  We spun our way through a blinding rainbow of colors and magic. It squeezed all the air from my lungs. For a moment, I wondered if this time it would fail, then solid ground formed under my feet. The room spun wildly. It was the same one I’d woken up in last time.

  “I hate doing that, just for the record,” Lopez wheezed, her hands planted on her knees. “It’s unnatural.”

  “You’re not wrong about that.”

  We all looked up at and found Jebediah standing in the doorway, arms crossed, with a wide grin on his face. The room was empty otherwise, just like it had been last time. I wondered absently how many teleportation runes they had at this place.

  “Welcome back, Blackwell.” Jebediah gave a short bow to the others. “And to everyone else, welcome to the Awakened’s base of operations.”

  I gave him a short nod. “You our tour guide today?”

  “For now. Yamashita intended to meet you personally, but other matters have drawn her attention.” He stepped back, waving his hand toward the hallway. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the room we’ll be finalizing the plans in.”

  “Let’s do it,” Swift said, stepping out of the circle to follow him.

  The place was easily three times busier than when I’d last been here. Every other person we passed seemed to have a question for Jebediah as well. He handled them all efficiently, but it still took us almost ten minutes to reach our destination.

  Much like the room I’d spoken to Yamashita and Patterson in, it felt more like a temple than a conference room. Most of the light came from a large window that took up the majority of the wall to the left, which also kept the room from feeling quite as suffocating as the other.

  My feet sank into the carpet as we walked in. Danner wasted no time looking around. He plopped down in a chair at the long table in the center of the room.

  “Please, make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be back with Talos soon.”

  A rack stood at the end of the table with a strange variety of weapons hanging from it. There was everything from a nail-studded baseball bat to heavy, two-handed swords.

  I nodded absently as Jebediah hurried away.

  “The bat is mine,” Lopez said, striding forward confidently. She picked it up off the rack and gave it a test swing, nodding in approval.

  Swift inspected the swords, eventually choosing one that was similar to her valkyrie sword. I spotted an electric baton. I preferred that sort of weapon if I couldn’t have a katana. Hopefully I’d be able to rely on my mayhem magic, but it was too risky to not have a backup plan.

  Six small packs sat on the table as well. I peeked in one and found a flashlight and a few other practical supplies. The Awakened were not messing around. We’d have everything we needed to compensate for the loss of our magic while in Purgatory.

  “What in the hell…” Lopez exclaimed as she peered out of the window.

  I joined her at the window and my jaw dropped in shock. Last time I’d been here, I hadn’t seen much of the place, and I hadn’t realized the scope of the Awakened’s operations.

  Swift stopped beside me. “They really do have an army.”

  “They’ve hidden this well. I doubt even the Mage’s Guild realizes how many people they have.” Hiroji tucked his hands in his pockets. “I certainly didn’t.”

  I leaned a shoulder against the glass. “They claim they’re preparing for a war against the gods, but I’m starting to have my doubts. This looks more like a simple rebellion.”

  Lopez crossed her arms. “We’re getting Bradley and Bootstrap back, then we’re getting the hell away from this until we can see whose side these people are really on.”

  “Ain’t no getting away from a war,” Danner muttered from the other side of the room.

  “Whatever happens next, we have to get them out.” I crossed my arms, staring out over the people milling around below us. “I have my doubts about this too, but we’ve come too far to turn back now. We have to go to Purgatory.”

  The door opened behind us. Talos and Jebediah walked in — he had returned quickly, just as promised. Talos’s formal robes had been replaced with black cargo pants and a long-sleeved shirt. The cult leader was looking more and more like a rebel every day.

  “Apologies for the wait. As you can see, we have our hands full with preparations,” Talos said with a winning smile.

  Jebediah set down his armful of scrolls at the end of the table. “Yamashita sent over the maps she recreated from memory for your team to study.” He unbound one and rolled it out, using paperweights to hold down the corners. “It’s likely they’ll be inaccurate, but it’s a starting point.”

  Talos looked at me and nodded his head toward the door. “Do you have a moment, Blackwell?”

  “Sure.” I followed him out into the hallway while the others gathered around Jebediah to study the maps.

  He led me a short way down, just out of earshot, then turned to face me. “I received your message, and everything is prepared as you requested. We are working with Hiroji’s people to ensure the young healer is under constant surveillance.”

  I nodded. “And the information on Prometheus? If we’re going to f
ree him, I want to know what we’re up against.”

  “Yamashita and Patterson will be arriving in a half hour to discuss that with you. A smaller team will be splitting off to find Prometheus after your friends have been found and released. How many of your people will you want for that?”

  I glanced over my shoulder through the open door. “Just two. Swift and Hiroji, if they’re willing to join us. They’ll be the strongest without magic.”

  Talos nodded. “I have high hopes for our success. Prometheus has given us everything we need to free him.”

  I bit down on what I wanted to say. “I really hope you’re right.”

  Yamashita turned the corner, carrying Patterson’s box. There were dark circles under her eyes, but her jaw was set with determination. “Good afternoon, Blackwell. Is everyone ready to finalize the plan?”

  “As ready as we’ll ever be,” I confirmed with a nod.

  “Then let’s get to work.”

  I followed her back into the room alongside Talos. This was it. Our best chance to save my friends was a cult, a zombie, and a trapped god. I took a deep breath and sat down next to Swift.

  Yamashita set Patterson’s box down and opened the lid so he could participate. “Now, we’ve narrowed down the best entry points into Purgatory. We’ll be going in through Stonehenge — the original pathway.”

  Swift looked up sharply. “Stonehenge?”

  “Yes.” Yamashita pulled out a drawing of the site. “We’ll have to do a little...remodeling to get everything back in its proper place, but we have what we need to activate the portal there.”

  As much as I disliked working with them, the Awakened had been telling the truth when they’d said we needed them to get in and out of Purgatory.

  Four hours later, with an argument-induced headache, we had as good a plan as we’d ever get. Purgatory was a big unknown even with Yamashita’s maps.

  I rubbed my temples as I surveyed the gathering. The Awakened were throwing a feast that would last well into the night, though we’d be leaving to raid Purgatory in a little less than an hour. I didn’t often get nervous before a fight, but this was different. This was an enemy unlike any we’d faced before.

  Hiroji had disappeared at some point to deal with ‘business’. The others were taking advantage of the food on the other side of the room, but even the smell of it turned my stomach.

  Swift stepped out of the crowd, heading my way, as the already too loud music increased in volume. A mass of people were dancing near the front of the room. Their chants of ierí fotiá began to drown out the music as Talos took his place on the stage. It was just like the club, minus the sacrifice.

  The frenetic energy of the celebration increased with the pounding of the drums. They weren’t just celebrating, they were preparing these people to die.

  Talos stood on the stage above them with his arms spread wide. He had to know what he was asking of them. Perhaps he intended to throw his life away for someone else’s war too.

  Swift stopped beside me and held out a cup of mystery liquid. It smelled strongly of alcohol. “One last toast to our partnership before we’re both jobless wanted criminals?”

  That startled a laugh out of me. I took the cup and lifted it toward her. “To chaos and bad ideas.”

  She clinked her cup to mine. “Our specialties.”

  I downed the drink, regretting it as soon as it passed my lips. It tasted like someone had mixed the dregs of five different cocktails.

  Thirty-Seven

  The moon was nearly full. It cast a silver wash over the towering stones and the snow that blanketed the ground. I turned in a slow circle, taking it all in. This looked exactly like the sort of place you’d perform a mystical ritual to enter another realm. Too bad we were headed into Purgatory and not somewhere more inviting.

  Swift paused near one of the stones, looking back at me. “This is a little ominous, isn’t it?”

  “Just a little,” I agreed.

  The roar of an engine grew suddenly loud as a motorcycle crested over the hill. The motorcycle made a beeline for us. Music followed, pounding out the invigorating beat of Born to Be Wild. The back wheel kicked up dirt and snow as the bike slid to a stop, throwing down the kickstand in a well-practiced motion.

  A man stepped off the motorcycle. He wore a sleeveless American flag shirt, aviators, and sported a thick gray mustache. He had to be cold but he looked perfectly comfortable. The music cut off, and he walked toward the group with a confidence that implied he had no doubt he was in the right place.

  I met him halfway.

  He held out his hand with an easy smile. “Told you I’d find ya.”

  My brows pulled together. This was not how I pictured Bootstrap’s runehacking mentor. “Well, you showed up just in time. Are you planning on coming with us?”

  He shook his head. “No, sir. My Annie is waiting on me back home. I’m just here to help y’all get in.”

  Yamashita walked up behind me.

  “This is the runehacker I was telling you about. Bootstrap’s mentor,” I said, making my introductions.

  Zardoz held out his hand with a friendly smile. “The one and only Masako Yamashita. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person. I’ve always admired your creativity from afar.”

  She looked confused as she shook his hand. “Thank...you?”

  “Now, I do have a suggestion to slightly alter your approach to this set up.”

  Yamashita’s eyebrows joined her hairline. “Oh? In what way?”

  “Well, you’re about to kick down their door, but you don’t have to.”

  “Teleportation can bypass any ward or protection,” she argued with a frown.

  “Not all of them, ma’am. This particular barrier is different. Try to teleport through without making an opening...” He shook his head. “Might as well hire a marching band to announce your presence. If you want to buy yourself a chance to surprise them, I can get through that barrier in a more subtle way. It’s your call.”

  Yamashita looked back at Talos, who nodded, then me. I also nodded. Bootstrap had trusted Zardoz, so I did too. Trust by proxy, like the kid had said.

  “Alright, but we have to be quick about it,” she agreed with a sigh.

  “I have to work my magic right alongside y’all. No need to delay things,” Zardoz reassured us with an easy grin.

  “Excellent.” Yamashita turned back to Talos. “Please get everyone in position. We can’t delay any further.”

  “Everyone please get into place,” Talos shouted from the other side.

  I followed them back, but hesitated near the edge of the circle. Crossing this threshold would change everything. Part of me wanted to turn around and run, but I knew it wasn’t an option. I didn’t back down from a fight no matter how much the odds were stacked against me. It just wasn’t in my blood.

  Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to walk forward. A chill passed over my skin as I moved inside the circle. It was done. My fate was sealed, but at least it was one I was choosing for myself.

  The towering stones of the outer ring cast long shadows that danced with the wavering light of the fire Talos had lit in the center. The Awakened had brought more people for this mission than I had expected. There were at least twenty of them.

  We arranged ourselves in the inner ring. Swift stood on my left, Hiroji on my right. Viktor, Lopez, and Danner were on the opposite side of the circle. Despite the late winter chill, sweat rolled down my forehead. The fire seemed hotter than it should be, as if fueled by magic.

  Yamashita and Zardoz approached the altar stone that lay before the fire. She brushed away the snow and knelt before it, then traced a series of runes onto the surface. The magic in them glowed brightly as they sank into the surface of the stone.

  The fire leapt up toward the sky. As the flames took on a blue-ish hue, they began to twist into a funnel. They spun faster and faster as they reached toward the heavens.

  Yamashita turned to face it and drew another r
une in the air. It shuddered, then shot toward the flames. It collided with them and the blue flames turned icy white. A metallic shriek rent the air as the force of the flames was directed suddenly downward.

  The ground shook beneath our feet. A groan rose up from somewhere deep beneath us. An answering thrum rang out from the smaller upright stones. The sound echoed around us strangely.

  Zardoz circled the fire. His hands moved in a blur, accelerating to inhuman speeds as the runes flowed from him, forming rotating bands of pure magic. They moved in concentric circles around the flames until they were hardly visible in the center. Where Swift’s magic was bright and hot, Zardoz’s was bright and almost...zingy. I was pretty sure my hair was standing on end like I’d been electrocuted.

  The ground lit up under our feet as the teleportation rune activated. Zardoz’s magic and the fire plunged into the center of the circle. With a crack, something shifted and gave way. A sharp tug in the middle of my gut wrenched me forward, and then I was falling.

  Thirty-Eight

  When Alruna, the valkyrie killed by Fear, had taken us to Moira with her portal it had been a fairly smooth ride. This was anything but.

  Magic careened over and through me like a cleansing fire. My body ached as pressure mounted around me, building each moment we were trapped in limbo. I had no idea how much time passed. The mayhem magic stayed dormant, which was the only thing that reassured me. If I was truly in danger I thought — hoped — that it would do something.

  Abruptly, the swirl of the portal ended and I was really falling. I threw my hands out, sending mayhem magic ahead of me in a broad swathe to soften the fall for myself and anyone else nearby. Black fog curled up from the ground, slowing my momentum.

  My shoulder slammed into the rock first, sending a shock of pain through me. Splashes and grunts echoed around me as the rest of the group hit the ground. Cold water seeped through my clothes. I pushed into a squat to get away from it, but couldn’t shake the chill it left creeping through me.

  It wasn’t the only thing sending a chill through me. My magic was wrong, just like it had been in the alley when Jacobs had attacked us. The emptiness threw everything off-kilter. It made the mayhem magic angry. I ground my teeth together and pushed down the storm growing in my chest. We’d be fighting soon enough, there was no reason to rush it.