“Now I won’t get that smell out of here for a week,” LD grumbled. “She does this every time.”
“She totally went upscale Roman Coliseum on the remodel. What’s that smell?”
“Dahvina’s favorite scent, Karmic Lotus.”
“At least the marble is a nice touch.” I looked around at the Danger Room.
“Right, because marble is a great fighting surface. You ever fall on marble? Get thrown on marble?”
I winced. “A few times, yes.”
“How’d that feel? Was it good times? Did you enjoy the bounce?”
“Not so much. Right up there with the wonderful sensation of road rash from sliding on concrete bare-chested.”
“Exactly. Wordweavers, powerful as they are, tend to choose form over function. Excuse me a moment.”
LD walked over to the dais and motioned to Dahvina, who approached warily. Clearly, he wasn’t in awe of her position or power. I wondered who the Ten really were to command such respect, even from the Wordweavers.
I looked around the newly transformed Danger Room, but I didn’t see TK. I knew Monty had been taken into an adjoining room until the formalities were over. They must have done the same with her.
LD strolled over with a smile on his face.
“Did she listen to your suggestion?”
“I reminded her that this was a Danger Room, not her lobby in London, and that we’re about to start a Reckoning, not a fashion show. In addition, as upscale as it looks, a marble floor is damn slippery for actual combat.”
“So it’s going to be wood again?”
“We came to a compromise.”
I saw Dahvina gesture again. Another shift in energy filled the room. The center of the floor transformed from marble to a large rectangle of fine pink sand, bordered and separated from the main floor by rune-covered black marble. Two raised, semi-circular areas formed the center of the longest legs of the rectangle. She gave LD a short nod, which he returned.
“Is that going to be large enough?” I looked at what I assumed was the fighting area. It was about twice the size of a tennis court. “Pink sand? Really?”
LD shrugged. “That’s plenty of room. I told her she could make it any color she wanted. She said something about aesthetics. I stopped paying attention after she agreed.”
I looked back at the dais. “Who are the other two?”
“You don’t recognize the woman?” LD asked with a smile. “You should. That’s Badb Catha, the Boiling One.”
The woman wore a black flowing gown and a headdress that partially covered her face. Red energy flowed around her body in tight circles.
“Bob who?”
“Look closer, but not too close. I don’t feel like cleaning up a mess.”
“A mess?” I turned to face the woman. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I let my senses expand and focused on her. Immediately, a sense of dread clutched my chest, making it hard to breathe. The dread was stomped on and kicked to the side by the overwhelming fear that took its place.
“Easy, hombre.” LD grabbed my arm, steadying me. “I said not too close.”
I was still looking at her when she turned her head slightly in my direction and gave me a Mona Lisa smile. Her smile was the promise of death and glory, victory and sacrifice, agony and mind-numbing pain. It made me want to claw my eyes out and run, screaming, out of the room.
LD yanked me back and turned me away from her. I heard Peaches whine and rumble by my side.
“That’s the…the Morrigan,” I said, my voice trembling.
“One aspect of the three, the super scary one.” He gestured, and I saw gray runes cascade on my face and head. “I told you not to look too closely, and you think it’s a staring contest? That’s a good way to get your brain fried.”
“That’s not the Morrigan I usually see with Dex,” I said after catching my breath. “That one is just moderately nightmarish. This one is in full-blown apocalypse mode.”
“She’s the immortal of TK’s Triad. They go back a few centuries. A very dark, scary part of TK’s past I’d rather not get into.”
“TK knows her?”
LD nodded. “They sort of worked together for a while. I can’t really go into detail, and, trust me, you don’t want to know. TK’s the reason Dex is with the Morrigan. Well, not this aspect of her, but you know what I mean.”
“What the hell was Monty thinking, trying to tether a Smith Bridge to TK?”
“He wasn’t thinking. I know he was concerned, his father being involved and all, but he’s lucky Dex is his uncle. If anyone else had tried that with TK, we would be burying the remains. TK doesn’t like it when I ask her where she’s going…inside the boutique. He was trying to tether a Smith Bridge to her. There’s a word for that where I come from.”
“Reckless? Idiotic?”
“Suicidal.”
“How can the Morrigan look like this and the other way the way she is with Dex? You know, nightmare lite?”
“The Morrigan is a triune goddess. She’s made up of three aspects: Morrigan, Badb, and Macha. Sometimes the names change, but she’s always had three aspects.”
“Why is she here like that?” My hands were still shaking. “This isn’t a battlefield.”
“This is a Reckoning, and that aspect is the one she uses for battles. That’s why it’s called Badb Catha, the battle crow. She strikes fear and confusion in her enemies. Think of this as her dressing up for the affair.”
“Her formal wear is a fear-inducing monster version of herself?” I kept my voice low while crouching down next to Peaches.
“Something like that. Just keep your distance, and don’t try to gauge her energy signature. Even Dex gives her space when she’s like this, and they have a ‘thing’ going on.”
“He must really be insane.” I rubbed Peaches’ head. His rumble-whine was still going.
I looked at his face and shook my head.
“Dex was never right in the head, but he’s family to us,” LD said after a moment. “I’m glad TK picked blood and power.” He raised a hand quickly. “I mean, I’m not looking forward to Tristan’s pounding, but if it has to happen, blood and power is better than death.”
“Blood and power.” I glanced up at the dais. “I know those are the conditions, but what does it mean?”
“No weapons, conventional or otherwise. Blood can be spilled, but no lethal wounds. They can use only their inherent power, no assists from anything or anyone.”
“Monty’s in trouble, isn’t he? A creative mage can make and unmake any attack he comes up with.”
“Let’s just say TK is a lot older than Tristan. She has actual combat experience, like he does. She’s fought very scary people, creatures, and…things. She’s come out on the other side, harder and more dangerous.”
“So, Monty’s in trouble.”
LD nodded. “Out of the Ten, she took the hardest, most insane missions. Facing off against a horde of angry demons looking to tear you to pieces? Call TK. Have an ogre or troll problem? Even better, have an ogre and troll situation? Call TK. We started calling her the Kamikaze.”
“Which definition? Divine wind or suicidal bomber?”
“Elements of both. If she felt slighted or the target had acted unjustly, she was a divine wind of retribution. Other times, she would just rush into certain death without thinking. She’s mellowed a bit with time.”
“She’s mellowed now?” I thought back to how she handled the Ghosts in this same room. If that was mellowed, I’d hate to see her being harsh.
LD nodded. “I’m just glad this Reckoning isn’t to t
he death.”
“I agree, because I’m pretty sure Monty would be on the losing end of that fight.” I felt better and managed to glance at the dais. The third figure had to be the mage.
LD shook his head. “I don’t know. Montagues are powerful mages. Tristan hasn’t even tapped a fourth of his potential, and he’s still young.” He looked at the dais. “Dex could easily have joined the Ten if he wanted to.”
“Who’s the third figure?” I looked at the mage with the pupil-less eyes. “Is he another one of the Ten?”
LD’s face darkened, as he grabbed my arm and squeezed. “Listen to me, Simon. If you think Badb Catha is scary, he makes her look like a Girl Scout—she’s a homicidal, battle-crazy, blood-lusting, fear-inducing, psychotic battlefield goddess of war. I would still prefer to deal with her than him.”
I heard real fear in LD’s voice. He shook my arm as I started to glance at the dais. I stared at him, and he stared back, hard.
“He’s bad news. I got it.” I tried to pry my arm away from his vise-like grip and failed. “Can I have my arm back?”
“No, he’s not ‘bad news,’ he’s the worst news. He’s one of the Soul Renderers and, no, he’s not one of the Ten.”
“Soul Renderer? That sounds friendly. I’m guessing dark mage?”
“Exactly. His name is Mahnes, and you stay away from him, no matter what. Do you understand?”
“Why is he here? I mean, I know why he’s here, but how is he connected to TK? How is he the mage of her Triad?”
“A long time ago when Mahnes was more human than…whatever he is now, he and TK fought. She beat him and spared his life, even though she didn’t have to.”
“So he owes her.” I glanced over at the dais again.
“A life debt.” LD nodded and looked over at the dais too. “He went on to mess with dark magic that transformed him. He’s a powerful mage and remembers that she spared him. You ask me, she should have dusted him when she had the chance.”
“Why didn’t she? He sounds like a real threat.”
“It’s complicated. TK is complicated. She felt it would be unfair. Now he’s a Soul Renderer. They are almost impossible to kill.”
“Does that make him immortal?”
“It makes him lethal.” He finally let go of my arm, and the circulation returned to my fingers. “Stay away from him.”
Dahvina finished redecorating the Danger Room. She whispered something and clapped her hands together. The sound of the clap reverberated throughout the room, making the floor vibrate around us.
“Commence the Reckoning.” Dahvina’s voice had the same effect as the clap, bouncing off the walls in mini echoes.
Two Master Weavers entered the Danger Room from archways on opposite sides of the room.
“I don’t remember there being other entrances into the Danger Room the last time I was here.”
“There weren’t, and for good reason. I designed the room with one entrance and one exit to contain any dangerous artifact or ancient magic I might unleash.”
“That makes sense. The archways look pretty, though.”
“They’re pointless and add nothing to a ‘Danger Room’ except liability.” He shook his head. “Typical Wordweaver. The runes are useless now. They operated with the integrity of a contained space. Not”—he waved his hand around—“all of this.”
“You can change it back, right? After the Reckoning?”
“Yes, but the balance of the room is off now. Any spells they cast will be affected.”
“Affected how?”
“That would take me several hours to explain. Just be alert, and duck when needed.”
“You’d think Dahvina would take that into account when she made the changes, right?”
He stared at me with a look that said ‘can you really be that dense?’
“Have you been paying attention to anything I’ve said about Wordweavers? Form over function? Just keep your eyes open. As a shieldbearer, you have to—”
“Have to what? I’m not a mage, and you’ve seen my ‘magic.’”
“Yes, we still discuss your magic missile,” he said with a tight smile. “Anyway, as shieldbearer, you have to maintain the integrity of the combat area.”
“What exactly does that mean, ‘maintain the integrity’ of the combat area?”
“It means no one else can be in the combat area while TK and Tristan are fighting. No one except us two, and we won’t really be inside of it. Not even your hellhound can step on the sand. Make sure he stays out.”
I looked down at Peaches.
He chuffed and sat on his haunches, looking alert.
“He won’t go in. What happens if someone else gets in the combat area?” I asked, not wanting to hear the answer. “Do they call a time out?”
“This isn’t a basketball game, Simon. If anyone or anything violates the combat area, the Triads are free to act.” He looked over at the dais. “Imagine those six going head to head on the floor.”
“There wouldn’t be much floor, boutique, or anything left.” I glanced quickly at the dais. “Can’t you or Dahvina put a barrier or something around the combat area?”
“Yes, that’s us. We’re the shieldbearers. Now, stay alert. Here they come.”
FOUR
TWO MORE WORDWEAVERS appeared in the new archways on the sides of the room. They stepped into the Danger Room and moved to the side. Behind them stood Monty and TK in their respective archways.
Dahvina motioned, and they both entered the Danger Room in silence. She pointed at us, and LD nudged me. We walked to the center of the floor and stood in front of Monty and TK.
TK had her black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, and I noticed small arcs of black energy jumping off her body. Monty was wearing a black pressed Zegna suit with a crisp white shirt and no tie. This was what I liked to call his mage uniform. White and violet runes floated around him in lazy orbits. The energy coursing through the room between the two of them set my teeth on edge.
I noticed TK’s black combat armor was covered in violet runes that crackled with power with every step she took. I was about to point out how this may be unfair when I saw Monty’s suit do the same thing.
LD looked at me. “No unfair advantages,” he said under his breath. “Both garments are laced with dragonscale and are runically enhanced.”
We faced the dais. Dahvina had returned to her center seat and, with a hand, beckoned for us to step closer.
“Who bears their shields?”
I looked around, and LD stepped forward, extending a hand to indicate me. “We do.” He reached into his shirt and pulled out an exact replica to the enso pendant I wore. His gave off a faint gray light. I reached under my shirt and pulled out the one given to me by Nana. It gave off a faint violet light. It felt heavier somehow. I looked up and saw Dahvina nod and gesture. A white rune floated over from her hand. It landed on the floor, causing all of the runes in the Danger Room to flare.
“The conditions of this Reckoning are blood and power. If those conditions are violated, the Reckoning will be declared void, and the offending mage or mages responsible will face the consequences, as determined by this body. Do any object?”
The silence expanded to fill the room.
“Very well, if no one—” Dahvina started.
“A word.” It was Badb. Her voice carried surprisingly well across the danger-room floor. She sounded just like the Morrigan, which I should have expected. What I didn’t expect was the cold grip of fear that followed her words. “May I?”
Dahvina gave Badb a
short nod and pointed, allowing her to stand in the center of the dais. The temperature of the room dropped enough for me to see my breath on every exhalation.
“This battle pleases me.” Badb nodded at Monty and TK. “If this Reckoning is violated in any way by any entity” —she paused to look at those seated on the dais—“they will experience the full force of my displeasure.”
I don’t know what was scarier. The goddess of battle endorsing the Reckoning, or her subtly threatening everyone on the dais. Badb returned to her seat with a nod to Dahvina. The leader of the Wordweavers walked over to Badb and spoke in a low whisper.
“I’ve always been told to judge someone by their friends,” I said under my breath. “TK has some insanely scary friends.”
“I know, right?” LD said with a grin. “Who are you bondmates with again? Oh right, a hellhound that manages to grow to the size of a small bus and that fires beams from his eyes, and a mage who unleashes world-ending spells in a city—not scary at all.”
“That’s different. The scary came with the package.”
“What? You think those six”—he nodded to the dais—“had to learn how to be scary?”
I felt the room temperature return to normal. Dahvina sat in her chair and looked at us. “Shieldbearers, to the combat area.”
“I’m going to be standing on the opposite side.” LD pointed across the floor. “Do exactly as I do. The pendants are primed to serve their functions. All you have to do is focus on the shield.”
I nodded without understanding what he meant. I saw LD cross the combat area and step up onto the raised section. He placed a hand on his pendant and spread his arms wide. I did the same.
I placed a hand on my pendant and energy rushed through my body, forcing my arms to the side, keeping them rigid. I imagined this was what electrocution felt like, only with magic. I couldn’t lower my arms or move my body. I felt the energy expand and travel down my arms. The runes in the black marble pulsed with violet light.
I saw the same thing happening across from me with LD. His face tensed as the energy flowed from his body, traveling along the edges of the combat area and meeting in the center, forming a barrier.
Dragons & Demigods: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel (Montague & Strong Case Files Book 6) Page 3
