The Impossible Wizard: The Aegis of Merlin Book 1

by James E. Wisher

“I trust you’ve cleaned up your mess,” Lady Tiger said.

  They didn’t seem to know about her most recent failed attempt to kill the boy. Thank heaven for that. “Yes, I’m now the only living person who knows where the shadow gems are hidden. We can activate them whenever you wish.”

  “You know better,” Lady Wolf said. “We can’t activate them until the floating island returns.”

  She had in fact only suspected that. Despite her efforts in enchanting the gems she hadn’t developed the spell, only cast it. “What of me? Do the Hierarchs have a task for me in the meantime?”

  “You will tend the gems,” Lady Lion said. “Watch over them and deploy defenses. We have come too far to risk failure now.”

  “I assure you the gems—”

  “You will guard them,” Lady Dragon said. “And you will not fail us in this.”

  She found her throat had gone dry. “As you command, I obey.”

  “Yes.” Lady Dragon severed the connection, leaving Mercia trembling all over.

  Terra stood, arms crossed, as they finally started digging in the ruin of the flophouse. A week had passed since the fight with the bikers and the bomb squad had finally given the go ahead. No one had seen any sign of Mercia after she left the airport. Lin had gone to search for her and found a note with the ticket he bought her. The note read, “Hope you can get a refund.” Terra’s fist clenched. When she finally got her hands on Mercia…

  She shook off her anger and focused. First the artifacts, then Mercia. The gauntlet at least had to be in there somewhere. Terra had no idea why she couldn’t sense it. Maybe some residual energy from her fire spell was interfering with the detection magic.

  A huge excavator with a claw on the arm grabbed some of the rubble and spread it out on the ground nearby. Terra examined it through the glasses and found nothing. She shook her head and the operator gathered up the debris and dropped it in a waiting container. For over two hours they repeated the procedure until they reached the concrete foundation. Someone had smashed a hole in it.

  Terra examined the hole and found a mixture of earth and dark magic in the dirt. She poked it and found the soil loose. Lin came over and crouched beside her. “Find something?”

  “There was a tunnel here, but it collapsed. The magic holding it together was negated. I’ll bet you our missing artifact is buried in that tunnel along with the biker from the hospital.”

  “That would still leave us one short based on the video Lacy, I mean Mercia, provided.”

  “True, and we still have no idea where those five cases ended up. What do you say we dig out this tunnel and see what we have left to find afterward?”

  Lin nodded and motioned the excavator over.

  Three tedious hours later they had two bodies and the fire gauntlet. The magical weapon was every bit as powerful as Terra had first thought. In the hands of someone that really knew how to use it, a lot of damage could be done. Not that the thug had been any slouch in the damage department, but in the hands of a fire wizard what he’d done amounted to nothing. She’d feel much better when it was locked up in the Department’s secure storage room.

  Though they’d stopped digging when they found the bodies, the tunnel clearly continued on to a garage a little ways away. Lin drew his pistol and the two of them eased over to the building. Terra spoke a short incantation and the door slid up out of the way. Lin lunged in, weapon leading. Five bikes, including the one from the hospital, sat in the middle of the dirt floor.

  While Lin searched the saddlebags Terra checked for magic. There was just a hint of dark energy around the bags, but that was it. “They must have transported the cases somewhere else.”

  “There’s nothing here but more guns and a dirty bandana. Shit! Another dead end. We’re running out of leads.”

  Terra chewed her thumbnail. “Where’s the other bike?”

  “What?”

  “There are six dead bikers. Did any of those guys strike you as the type that would ride double? Where’s the other bike?”

  “’Scuse me.”

  Lin spun and raised his pistol.

  A skinny guy with black, lanky hair and covered in tattoos raised his hands. “I surrender.”

  Lin lowered his gun. “This is a crime scene. You’re going to have to leave.”

  “Okay, but I had some information for you about the gang that lived over yonder.”

  “If you have some information for us, sir, we’d be most grateful if you passed it along,” Lin said.

  “I thought you might be. One of them badasses paid me two hundred bucks to give you guys an address on the off chance there was a fight at the house. I thought he was nuts, but it’s three weeks later and I assume he’s dead and you’re here.”

  Lin and Terra shared a look. “What address?” Lin took out his notepad.

  The informant rattled off a warehouse number on the docks. “He said you’d find what you were looking for.”

  “Why did you follow through?” Lin asked. “He’s dead. You could have kept the money and not said a word with no one the wiser.”

  “Hey, man, when Tito gives his word and takes your money, he does the job.”

  The sun was low in the crimson sky when Tito wandered off the way he’d come. Lin and Terra headed back to the cars. Terra stretched and yawned as they walked.

  “It’s getting late,” Lin said. “What do you say we head out to the docks in the morning?”

  “Good call. If there was trouble I wouldn’t be much use, tired as I am.”

  “I’ll pick you up at your office at eight. Okay?”

  Terra nodded, climbed into her car, and headed home. She’d be glad when this case was closed and she could return to her regular work. Being a policewoman exhausted her and she didn’t even have to do the paperwork. She’d miss seeing Detective Lin Chang. A faint smile curved her lips. She should do something about that, assuming she found the courage.

  The cry of gulls and the stink of a mixture of salt and rotten fish assaulted Lin the moment he stepped out of his car. He put his hand over his nose, but it didn’t help. At all. From her grimace Terra wasn’t any more pleased with the odor than Lin. She muttered something and swirled her finger around. The stink vanished, replaced by a sweet, cinnamon odor.

  “I don’t know what you did, but thanks.”

  “My pleasure, believe me.”

  They’d parked in an empty lot beside warehouse thirty-two, a rusted-out metal building with three condemned signs nailed to the walls. He sighed. Why couldn’t these thugs ever do their dirty work somewhere nice. Then again, if they ran into trouble he was just as glad the nearest people were the longshoremen working a quarter mile up the dock unloading a cargo ship.

  Further out to sea another pair of the huge container ships waited their turn to dock and unload. One of them sounded a horn that echoed across the waterfront and sent the birds scattering.

  Lin and Terra headed toward the warehouse. The main doors were covered in rust and bird shit. It didn’t look like anyone had opened them in a while.

  “I think Tito sent us on a wild goose chase.” Lin shook his head.

  Terra raised her hand, closed her eyes, and cast another spell. “No, there’s something in there. It looks like the missing motorcycle. There are two more doors on the back side of the warehouse. We can get in that way.”

  It was a short walk to the rear of the building. The back doors were every bit as rusty as the front but scratch marks and a few scuffed areas indicated they’d been moved recently. Scattered shafts of light pierced the darkness inside. Lin grabbed the door and yanked it open enough for them to squeeze through.

  A light switch hung on the wall a little ways to the left of the door. Lin weighed the chances of getting electrocuted then flipped it. Not so much as a spark.

  “I’ll handle the lights.” Terra held out her hands and spoke a spell. Six glowing pebbles appeared on her palm. She blew a puff of air over them and they flew up to the roof and grew bright eno
ugh to reveal everything in the vast space.

  Not that there was much beyond the mix of empty beer cans, rotten scraps of food, and a torn mattress stained with god only knew what littering the floor. A little ways further on a black chopper rested on its kickstand. The bike had skull-embroidered saddlebags. Whatever they were supposed to find would be in those.

  “Don’t touch anything.” Lin worked his way over to the bike, careful to follow his own advice.

  Lin reached the bike and flipped open the first bag. Another gun, terrific. How many weapons did these guys have? The next bag yielded an envelope labeled “pig.”

  “I guess it’s for me.”

  While Lin studied the letter Terra crouched and carefully reached inside the bag. “I found one.” She spoke so softly Lin barely heard her.

  A black coffer identical to the ones from the videos rested in Terra’s hand. It shined in the magical light. At first glance there appeared to be no seam. “Can we open it?”

  “It’s empty.”

  “How can you tell?” Lin moved in for a better look. He reached out to touch it.

  “Stop!”

  Too late.

  His finger brushed the smooth wood and darkness descended on the warehouse.

  The scream of a bird filled the air. Terra grabbed him by the collar and began to chant.

  A bubble of white energy surrounded them and pushed back the darkness. Movement flickered here and there.

  Lin pulled his automatic, but couldn’t find anything to shoot.

  “Put that away. Those are shadow beasts. Your bullets won’t do anything.”

  Lin holstered his weapon. “What should I do?”

  “There’s nothing you can do. This is my fight.”

  Lin hunkered down behind Terra. His gaze darted back and forth, trying to figure out what sort of creature they were dealing with.

  The answer came a moment later when a huge black raven slammed into the barrier and disintegrated. Terra flinched and her barrier wavered for a moment.

  She chanted another spell, this one in the hissing language of fire. A dome of flame appeared over the white one already in place.

  Lin hated feeling so useless. There was more stuff in the bag and it was within her barrier. Even if he couldn’t fight he could still investigate.

  He reached into the open bag. Inside was another envelope, a big manila one stuffed to the top and unlabeled.

  “We have to make a break for it,” Terra said. “Be ready to run.”

  Lin snatched the envelope and tucked it inside his jacket. “Where to?”

  “Outside. If we can make it to the sunlight it will weaken the shadow beasts enough for me to destroy them.”

  “I like the sound of that. Say when.”

  She snapped her fingers and the flame dome exploded outward. Lin caught a glimpse of dozens of ravens swirling around. It looked like they were made of living darkness.

  “Now!”

  They ran for the open door.

  Terra stumbled on a pizza box.

  The light barrier wavered as she struggled to catch her balance.

  Lin grabbed her by the elbow and around the waist and they ran on. The flames holding off the ravens flickered and began to die.

  Only a few strides to go.

  He put his head down and pushed Terra along as fast as he dared.

  A raven slipped through the flames and slammed into the barrier. It burst and cracks appeared in their protection.

  Two more strides.

  Another raven flew at them. Lin pushed Terra out the door and into the sunshine a step ahead of it. He staggered and spun around. A cloud of shadowy birds swirled around the warehouse. There had to be hundreds of them.

  Beside him Terra began another spell. A ball of flame appeared above her head and continued to grow as she chanted.

  “Can you really destroy all those monsters?”

  She ignored him and kept casting, her voice getting louder as the fireball grew. With a final shout she hurled the sphere at the collection of shadow beasts. It detonated in the center of the group.

  Lin looked away from the blinding explosion. When he turned back the ravens and most of the warehouse roof were gone.

  Terra fell to her knees and wheezed, her bloodshot eyes leaking tears. Her skin had turned ashen and her lips pale blue. Lin had seen drowning victims that looked healthier.

  “You okay?”

  She offered a weak nod. “Used too much power with that last spell. This is the backlash. Give me some time.”

  “Can you make it back to the car? This is no place for a rest.”

  “Hurts everywhere. You go ahead. I’ll be along as soon as I can.”

  “I’m not leaving you alone in your condition. I can read standing up.”

  “Thanks.” She fell over on her side and curled up in a ball.

  Lin didn’t have a lot of experience working with wizards, but he’d never heard of one collapsing after using magic. Not that it was probably something they advertised.

  Lady Raven sat at her desk, a tome bound in black leather open in front of her. Two crimson, blood candles burned on either side of the book, shedding a flickering glow over the twisted Infernal script. Her workshop apartment was the only place her enemies hadn’t discovered yet.

  It was rented in the name of another persona that had no connection to Lacy Winn or Mercia Bottomley, so she had no reason to think she’d be discovered. Still, her hunters had proven disconcertingly adept and determined. She would have to be careful for the next year. One more mistake could jeopardize the project, not to mention her life.

  She rubbed her eyes and refocused on the text. The black magic book had been her reward when she achieved the rank of Sub-Hierarch two years ago. Lady Wolf had delivered it herself, a great honor indeed. If—when her current mission succeeded, Lady Dragon would grant Mercia the privilege of joining the true Hierarchs. That would be an even rarer honor, as few ever met the secretive leader of the Society face to face.

  Lady Raven’s head popped up when a distant ward triggered. Had one of the shadow gems been discovered? No, that was impossible. They were too well hidden.

  A full-length, black glass mirror hung on the wall and Mercia walked over to it. It was vastly better suited to scrying than the simple bathroom mirror she’d been forced to use at the motel. She focused on the tingle in the back of her mind and spoke the words of activation. “Show me what lies beyond my sight, Spirit Vision!”

  The glass grew cloudy then resolved into an image of the docks.

  Her shadow ravens swirled around a decrepit warehouse. Lady Raven frowned. She hadn’t hidden one of the shadow gems there, in fact she’d never even seen the building before.

  What in the world was going on?

  “Closer.” The image zoomed in. Detective Chang and Terra staggered out of the warehouse and onto the docks. What was she holding?

  The image zoomed further. How had Terra gotten ahold of one of the coffers? Wait, that wasn’t one of the ones she hid, that was the sixth that had held the gem she’d used at the carnival to try and kill Conryu. That should have been consumed along with the gem when the spell ran its course.

  Goddamn useless bikers.

  They must have kept it after removing the gem instead of leaving them together like she told them. But why? Iron Skull would never have disobeyed her. Lady Raven had had the great dumb thug wrapped around her finger. Not the other one though. What was his name, Bone? He’d always looked at her with suspicion. He had to be the one that betrayed her.

  Back on the docks Terra cast a spell that destroyed her ravens along with a good-sized chunk of the warehouse. Perhaps she’d underestimated the quiet wizard.

  Even if Terra was stronger than Lady Raven had thought, the wards she’d placed around the hidden gems were far stronger than the one she just bested and judging from Terra’s condition that effort had about killed her.

  If Terra continued to interfere she would finish the job her raven
s started.

  Lin draped his suit coat over Terra as she lay moaning softly on the ground. The warehouse still smoldered and every once in a while a steel rafter would come crashing down. He’d called in the incident then turned his attention to the envelope marked “pig.” Clearly whichever biker had left it here expected a member of the police to find Tito and eventually track the letter down. That spoke to a level of planning Lin wouldn’t have expected from one of the brutal gang members.

  He tore open the envelope and pulled out a single folded sheet of paper. A note written in flowing script said:

  Dear Pig. If you’re reading this the bitch wizard has betrayed us. I knew she would, but Iron Skull refused to listen. She looked at us the way I look at roaches. I’ve set up this somewhat elaborate treasure hunt both to conceal my work from Lady Raven and to see if you have the brains and determination to carry out my revenge. Since you’re reading this I assume you do.

  Lady Raven had one major job for the gang and that was to place five boxes like the one you found throughout the city. We each took one to a specific location. After we placed it she must have cast a spell on us, because I can’t remember any details. I’ve spoken to the others, all except Iron Skull, and pieced together as much as I could. It’s all gathered in the second envelope.

  I don’t know what the witch has planned, but I’m certain it’s nothing good. Not that I care, you understand, but no one betrays the Black Skulls and gets away with it. One of our boys already died doing the wizard’s errands. Stop the bitch and avenge my brothers, Pig.

  It was signed “Bone” and beside the name was the image of a stylized skull. It seemed Mercia wasn’t as well loved as she might have hoped. Whichever of the dead bikers was Bone Skull, Lin owed him a thank you.

  Terra groaned behind him and he turned to find her struggling to her feet. Sirens in the distance heralded the approach of the police and fire departments. The area would be crawling with people soon. Once Lin gave his report he’d leave the cleanup to others. Terra staggered over and returned his jacket. Her lips were pink again and she’d stopped crying.

  “You good?” he asked.