“Yes, Nosorova confirmed that the location you provided was hidden from their wards. You’ve done us a good service and we shall remember it.”
“I’m pleased to hear it. If I can be of any further use, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Roman nodded and brushed past her. He hadn’t figured her game out yet, but he would. And in the meantime he’d make use of her in any way possible.
It took Roman’s generals only twelve hours to come up with a plan to invade the vampires’ territory. He couldn’t suppress a toothy smile as he made his way to the war room. It never ceased to amaze him how well the threat of imminent death focused the minds of his subordinates. He slammed the door open and strode through. Nosorova had joined the meeting. At his command she was to stand at the vanguard of the invasion as punishment for earlier failures. Either she redeemed herself or she died for his cause.
A number of pins now decorated the map, most of them in the Black Sea near the port of Constanta. Roman looked to General Ivan. “Explain.”
“Majesty, we’ve consulted with Nosorova and we believe we hit upon a plan that will allow us to create a beachhead in the vampire’s land. We propose to erect a fortress protected by magic in a secure location. From there we can send out hunters to eradicate the creatures as they sleep. As we advance, new fortresses will be built thus expanding our reach. The process will take time, years if not decades to be honest, but ultimately we will eliminate the enemy.”
Roman had hoped for something flashier. A massive invasion that would sweep the enemy aside in weeks. He’d have demanded it if something like this had happened during the first century of his reign. Now he had learned patience. Slow but steady often won out in the long run.
“I approve. Requisition whatever supplies you need. I expect your mission to be underway by week’s end.”
The vampires would pay for interfering in his territory. Roman would see them all reduced to scorched bones.
3
The Academy
The train carrying all the sophomores, juniors, and seniors, along with a single freshman pulled into the academy platform. They’d arrived a little before dark and everyone hurried to reach the dorm before the last of the light faded, not that darkness presented much of an obstacle for this many wizards. Prime flew above it all with an expression of demonic disdain. At least he stayed quiet, which Conryu appreciated.
Unlike the first time he arrived, the crowd piling out of the train knew where they were going. Mrs. Saint wasn’t waiting to guide them to their dorm. That might be a problem for him, Conryu thought as he lugged his and Maria’s bags up the hill toward the dorm. He knew where he was staying, but had no idea what the plan was for Anya. You’d think if he was supposed to be her bodyguard someone might have filled him in.
Beside him Kelsie and Anya carried their own bags. He would have offered to carry them, but he only had so many hands. At least it wasn’t a long walk and he felt pretty sure there wouldn’t be anyone waiting to throw tomatoes at him this year, not with the Le Fay Sorority banned from campus.
“Conryu!” He spotted Crystal waving in the middle of the pack. It wasn’t difficult as she stood a head taller than most of the girls.
He nodded a greeting. Crystal was a senior this year and he didn’t know if she had any club plans. It would be nice to hang out, but with just the two of them, plus most likely Anya, it might be awkward.
“Who’s that?” Anya asked. Her nervous gaze darted all around as if she expected someone to leap out at her.
“A friend. Crystal and I were in the golem club together last year. She’s an earth wizard like you. I’ll introduce you sometime. She could probably give you some pointers later on.”
They reached the top of the hill and the academy campus spread out before them. If someone had asked Conryu a year ago if he’d be relieved to return he’d have laughed in their face, but after the chaos of the summer it was nice to be back. If anything happened here, there were lots of powerful wizards to help him deal with it.
Speaking of which… They’d barely started down the hill when the diminutive form of Dean Blane came charging towards them. You’d never guess it to look at her, but the dean was over fifty and one of the most powerful wizards in the world. She most closely resembled a grade school student in her droopy, oversized, pale-blue robe.
The dean reached them and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I missed you, Conryu. I read all about the fun you had this summer. Wish I could have gotten there in time to help.”
She looked up at him and smiled. An almost overwhelming desire to pat her on the head struck Conryu. Just as well he had his hands full.
The dean turned her attention on Anya. “Ms. Kazakov, isn’t it? I read all about your adventures as well. My most sincere congratulations on your survival. Rest assured we’ll do everything possible to keep you safe.”
“Thank you, um…”
“Anya, this is Dean Blane,” Maria said.
Conryu grinned at Anya’s wide-eyed expression. Dean Blane probably got that a lot. “Can we walk and talk? These bags are getting heavy.”
The dean whispered something and the bags flew out of his grasp. His hovered beside him and Maria’s flew over to her.
“There.” Dean Blane nodded once. “Maria, you’ll be staying in the sophomore wing on the top floor. The monitor will get you settled. Conryu, Anya, Kelsie, come with me. I’ll show you what we’ve come up with.”
“See you later,” Conryu said.
Maria nodded and set off alone for the dorm. He felt a little bad, watching her striding off all by herself. He needn’t have worried. Maria had barely taken ten steps when a pair of girls fell in beside her and they set to talking.
Dean Blane led the way inside and down the stairs to the basement. Conryu’s room was the first door they came to, but she kept going to the next one. Conryu frowned. Had there been a room there last year? He didn’t remember it.
The dean pushed it open and flicked on the light. It was a twin to Conryu’s room, same bed, same dresser, same small bathroom.
“When did you build this?” he asked.
“Yesterday. Chief Kane called and told us the situation.” The dean grinned. “It’s amazing what you can accomplish with magic. We even added a connecting door just in case.”
Kelsie muttered something behind him that sounded like, “She’d better not use it.”
It seemed no one trusted him. He took another quick glance at Anya. Not that he blamed them.
“This is perfect, thank you.” Anya had a charming smile.
“Great,” Dean Blane said. “When you’re ready, there’s food in the cafeteria. Conryu, see me tomorrow morning and we’ll discuss your lesson plan for this year. I think you’ll be pleased with what Angeline and I came up with.”
The dean took her leave as did Kelsie. The sophomore dorm room was right across the hall from the freshmen so it shouldn’t take her long to get settled.
“I’m going to unpack and wash up before dinner,” Anya said.
“Okay. I’ll be right next door if you have any problems.”
Conryu stepped out into the hall and closed her door.
“I’m not sure your females like the new addition, Master,” Prime said.
Conryu could only shake his head. On the bright side, not liking Anya gave Kelsie and Maria something else to agree on. As he made the short walk to his room, it occurred to Conryu that no one had mentioned exactly how long they expected him to guard Anya. She seemed like a nice girl, but he wasn’t looking for a new career.
He stepped inside and closed the door. A hot shower was going to feel so good.
“Show me the Reaper’s Mark or die where you stand, pretender.”
Conryu stared at the figure in black that seemed to appear out of nowhere. She, and there was no doubt it was a she, wore a skintight black outfit and a head wrap that covered her hair and the lower half of her face. Only her eyes were visible and they were dark and
hard and ready to kill.
Remarkable as the eyes were, it was the sword she held at her side in a quick-draw pose he focused on. He knew that stance. Skilled swordsmen used it to draw and kill in a single move. The woman had been well trained somewhere.
“The mark!” she said in a harsh whisper.
Conryu raised his hand and turned it so the top faced the intruder. The scythe mark the Reaper had left on his hand seemed to have a life of its own. Sometimes it was small and black, other times it covered half his forearm and had a silver blade. Conryu had yet to find a rhyme or reason for it.
The intruder gasped and fell to her knees. Her forehead touched the floor. “Forgive me, Chosen, I believed you to be an imposter claiming the master’s favor for yourself. If you wish to take my life I accept it as just punishment for my behavior.”
Conryu and Prime shared a look. This girl was clearly off her meds. “I don’t think that will be necessary. Maybe you could stand up, introduce yourself, and explain why you’re hiding in my room.”
She leapt to her feet, slid her sword into a pair of loops on the back of her outfit, and bowed. “My name is Kai and I’m a Daughter of the Reaper. My master sent me to serve our lord’s chosen, you. When word reached us that our lord had marked a male on the opposite side of the world I believed it a joke played on us by the demons. Why would the Reaper choose you when we have served him loyally for centuries?”
Kai fell to the floor again. “Forgive me. I did not mean to question.”
Conryu restrained a groan. Another crazy woman in his life, great. At least this one didn’t want to kill him… anymore.
Conryu slumped on the edge of his bed and stared at the top of Kai’s head. How was he supposed to handle this? If he reported her to the teachers, they would arrest her at best and given her personality, he suspected it would come to a fight. He hardly needed to cause yet more turmoil. Better to deal with her himself.
“You don’t need to kowtow every time you say something you think I might not like. Why don’t you sit down and we can talk like normal people?”
“Yes, Chosen.” Kai lifted herself with her hands, folded her legs under her, and sat facing him in the lotus position. “What do you wish to talk about?”
“Let’s start with who are the Daughters of the Reaper? Sounds like a death cult.”
“We’re assassins. Since before the coming of the elves we’ve sold our services to the rich and powerful. Twice we have been called to the service of a bearer of the mark, a Chosen of Death. You are the third to be granted the gift.”
Conryu looked at the scythe on the back of his hand and heard the cold voice of the Reaper. It didn’t seem like much of a gift to him, but he chose not to say anything for fear of upsetting the volatile young woman facing him.
“What did the other Chosen have you do?”
“Slaughter her enemies, serve as guards and concubines.” She shrugged. “Basically whatever she wanted.”
“She?”
Kai nodded. “You are the first male to receive the mark. It’s one of the reasons I believed it was a joke. When the news reached us we dismissed the possibility of a male wizard existing. I hope you won’t take my lack of imagination personally.”
Conryu got up and opened his suitcase. “So are you a wizard?”
“Not like you, but all Daughters have a low dark-magic potential. We focus on using that potential to power our abilities.”
“I didn’t sense your presence,” Prime said.
“No. By infusing our bodies with dark energy we can suppress our life force so enemies don’t detect us.”
Conryu took a black robe out of his top drawer and pulled it over his head. “What else can you do?”
“I can charge my blade with the same energy and use it to cut through magical defenses. Throughout our order’s history we have often served as wizard slayers. Our unique abilities make us well suited to the task. My last and strongest skill is the ability to enter the border of Hell. In that timeless place I can keep watch over you and travel quickly anywhere your enemies might hide.” Kai bowed her head again. “I hope my meager skills will be of some use to you, Chosen.”
Someone knocked on the door. “Conryu? Are you ready? I’m starving.”
It was Kelsie. Good, maybe he could buy a couple more minutes.
“I don’t think Anya’s ready yet. Why don’t you go ahead and we’ll catch up.”
A moment of silence then she said, “Okay. Don’t take too long.”
He gave her a moment to leave then turned to Kai. “We’ll have to continue this conversation later.”
She got up and bowed. “As you command, Chosen. I will watch over you from Hell.”
“Wait!”
Too slow. She’d already faded away.
A second later she reappeared, sprawled on the floor, her head wrap loose and her dark hair poking out. “What in the Reaper’s name was that creature?”
“I tried to warn you. My guardian demon, Cerberus, inhabits the borderland near me. I’ll need to introduce you and make sure he understands you’re not an enemy. You can hide in the bathroom until I get back, then we’ll handle introductions.”
He held out a hand and after a moment Kai let him help her up. She bowed. “Forgive my reaction. I’ve never encountered such a beast before. I fear my sword would have done me little good against it.”
Conryu gave her a squeeze on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Everyone has that reaction the first time they meet Cerberus. Well, maybe not Mrs. Umbra, but most people.”
“I doubt Lucifer himself would concern that terrifying woman,” Prime said.
Conryu grinned. The Head of Dark Magic was the only person Prime seemed genuinely frightened of. He thought Mrs. Umbra was a great teacher, but she did have an intimidating way about her sometimes.
Kai slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her while Conryu went to the door connecting his room to Anya’s. He knocked then asked, “Are you ready?”
A faint rustling then the door opened. She’d changed into one of the outfits Maria picked out for her, a white blouse and jeans. He tried not to focus on how amazing she looked in them.
“I couldn’t find a robe,” Anya said.
“They’ll get you one tomorrow, after the welcoming ceremony. Technically no one is supposed to know a freshman’s aligned element until The Choosing. You’re a bit of a special case. I hope you don’t mind playing along.”
“Not at all. Shall we go to dinner?” She reached for his arm, paused, and lowered her hands.
He sighed in relief. She must have noticed the look Maria gave her at the mall. Besides, it was hard to protect someone when one of his arms was unusable.
As they made the short walk to the cafeteria, Anya looked left and right, seeming impressed by everything she saw. “Everything’s so bright and shiny. Back home it seemed the whole world was drab.”
“You don’t miss it at all?”
“I miss my mom, but other than her, I don’t miss much about the Empire.”
“Mr. Kane said she didn’t survive the journey out. I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what I’d do if anything happened to my parents.” Conryu pushed the cafeteria door open. Almost a thousand girls in a multitude of different robes turned to stare at them. For the first time since he started at the academy Conryu wasn’t sure if everyone was staring at him or Anya.
“My mom’s only sort of dead.”
They headed toward the kitchen to get trays. “What does sort of dead mean? It seems like kind of an all-or-nothing thing.”
“Mom got shot in the Land of the Night Princes. Their leader, Lord Talon, offered to transform her into a vampire. I accepted on her behalf.”
Conryu got roast beef, mashed potatoes, beans, and a roll. Anya got the same and he searched the tables for Maria. She wasn’t in their usual spot.
“Undeath is a fascinating state,” Prime said. “There are many advantages. It’s as close to being a demon as a human
can get.”
Conryu finally spotted Maria and Kelsie. “You say that like being close in nature to a demon is a good thing.”
“Of course, Master. Demons are vastly superior to mortals in most ways.”
Anya’s nervous frown finally vanished. “You two certainly like to argue.”
They crossed the room and Conryu sat beside Maria while Anya sat across from him. “Did you get settled in okay?”
Maria nodded. She’d already finished her dinner. “What about you two?”
“Yeah, we’re good. They actually built a new room adjoining mine for Anya.” Conryu decided not to mention Kai until he better understood his relationship with her.
“How nice for her.”
“Please, please, don’t start again. You and Kelsie get along now, can’t you skip the angry bit and go right to liking Anya?”
Maria’s lip quirked as she fought a smile. “We’ll see, assuming you behave yourself.”
Dinner didn’t last long since everyone was tired. Maria left first, fighting a yawn as he kissed her goodnight. When Conryu returned his tray, he fixed a sandwich from the leftovers and wrapped them up in a napkin. He grabbed a bottle of water as well before he rejoined Anya and Kelsie for the walk back to the dark magic floor.
“What’s that for?” Kelsie asked.
“Midnight snack. Want half?”
Kelsie darted a look at Anya then shook her head. “I’ll pass. Do you know what we’re supposed to do tomorrow before the freshmen arrive?”
“No clue. I’m supposed to meet Dean Blane in the morning about my study plan for the year, but after that…” He shrugged.
“I suppose someone will tell us when we need to know.” Kelsie paused when they reached Conryu’s door. “Good night.”
“Sleep well.”
She continued on down to the sophomore room.
“I’m all in.” Anya stretched, prompting Conryu to avert his gaze. “See you in the morning.”
Conryu nodded and waited until she closed the door behind her. He sighed. This was going to be a long year. He opened his door and Prime flew in ahead of him.
Wrath of the Dragon Czar: Aegis of Merlin Book 5 Page 3
