Cloak Games: Rebel Fist

by Jonathan Moeller

  “An assassin lecturing me about the priceless value of human life?” said Morvilind. “An amusing irony.”

  “The Shadow Hunters deliver lawful writs of execution,” said Corvus. “We do not engage in wholescale butchery of…”

  “Lord Morvilind doesn’t care about Milwaukee,” I said. Both Morvilind and Corvus looked at me. “Not the city, anyway. But his mansion and library are here, and…”

  Corvus snorted. “You don’t care about the city, but all your possessions are here, is that it?”

  “Yes,” said Morvilind without rancor or shame. “There is also an opportunity in this attack. The Archons could not create so many stable gates on their own. Therefore they have help. Specifically, a potent magical relic able to generate and maintain the rift ways.”

  The pieces clicked together in my head. “And you want me to steal this relic away from the Archons.”

  “Precisely,” said Morvilind.

  “In five hours,” I said.

  “Less than that,” said Morvilind, “since we have wasted time on this irrelevant conversation.”

  “With less than five hours to prepare,” I said. “With no time to prepare.”

  That was the thing about high-level thefts, the sort of thefts Morvilind used me to execute. To pull them off properly took a lot of careful reconnaissance, planning, and specialized equipment. I preferred a couple of weeks, minimum, to scout a location, to learn the routines of its guards and inhabitants. Morvilind had given me jobs on short notice before…but five hours was madness.

  But I really didn’t have a choice, did I?

  “Given that if you fail to retrieve the relic,” said Morvilind, “your brother, his foster parents, and everyone you have ever met in Milwaukee shall die in nuclear fire, you have excellent motivation to succeed.”

  I closed my eyes to hide the helpless rage there. The bastard was right, and I knew it. He did this to me again and again, putting me in a situation where if I did not succeed and escape with my life, Russell would die.

  At least this time it wasn’t Morvilind’s fault. Even if he had done nothing, the Archons would still have attacked the city and the High Queen still would have unleashed her nuclear missiles. The only way out of the trap was to find this relic that powered the rift ways.

  “What is the relic,” I said, making myself open my eyes, “and where is it located?”

  “The relic is called a Cruciform Eye,” said Morvilind. “Properly employed, it can maintain between eight and sixteen rift ways simultaneously. Since the Archons are using it, they have so far only managed to open seven gates.” Again that venomous contempt bled into his voice. Nothing irritated him quite like incompetence. “The relic is presently located in a mall in the western suburbs…”

  “A mall?” I said, blinking with surprise. “You mean the Ducal Mall, my lord?”

  Morvilind’s lips thinned. “Yes. How did you know?”

  “Because I was there this afternoon when the Archons attacked,” I said, digging my phone from my pocket and unlocking it. “There was a group of Rebels there, guarding this…this thing. I didn’t know what it was.”

  “And you did not think to investigate further?” said Morvilind.

  “I just wanted to get out alive with my brother,” I said. “But I took a video.”

  I started the playback and angled the screen to show Morvilind. He had to stoop a little to see it. Like everyone else on the damned planet, he was taller than I was. Corvus and Nora leaned forward to look at the video as well.

  “Is that thing the Cruciform Eye?” said Nora. “It looks like a glowing bowling ball.”

  “It is about that size, yes,” said Morvilind, his eyes narrowed as he considered the video.

  “I am surprised that you even know what a bowling ball is,” said Nora.

  “That is it, then, my lord?” I said before Nora could irritate Morvilind into doing something lethal. “That is the Cruciform Eye?”

  “It is,” said Morvilind, straightening up. “Your work in discerning its location has been adequate.” That was the closest he would ever come to giving a compliment. “If you move the Eye from its location, the spells upon shall be disrupted, and the rift ways will collapse. Should we do so before the stroke of midnight, Milwaukee shall be saved.”

  “Ah,” said Corvus with derision. “And you’ll simply keep the Eye, correct? Another shiny toy for your collection. That’s what this is all about, is it not?”

  “I will claim the Eye,” said Morvilind. “If you object, Shadow Hunter, I shall kill you and your comrade right now.”

  “The Firstborn would take exception to our deaths,” said Corvus.

  Morvilind’s smile was cold. “You found yourself caught in an unexpected Archon attack. Alas, you were both taken off guard and surprised. So very tragic, but accidents do happen…and the Firstborn is welcome to take his vengeance upon the Archons.”

  Again Corvus and Morvilind stared at each other.

  “Very well,” said Corvus at last.

  “How splendid it is that you can occasionally see reason,” said Morvilind. “Nadia Moran, come. There is work to be done. The Shadow Hunters can transport themselves to the mall.”

  “No,” said Corvus. “Miss Moran shall ride with us. We will meet you there.”

  “Do not be absurd,” said Morvilind. “You wish to ask her a question. Fine. Ask the question and depart.”

  “That was not our deal,” Corvus said.

  I hesitated. I wanted to tell Corvus and Nora to get the hell out of here. Enough people had died today, and if Morvilind wanted me to steal the Cruciform Eye from under Rogomil’s nose, more people were going to get killed.

  But if I failed to get the Eye, way more people were going to die, Russell among them. I had seen Corvus’s skill firsthand, and likely Nora was just as capable. If they could help me succeed…

  “My lord,” I said, and Morvilind’s irritated gaze shifted to me. “The Shadow Hunters are skilled. Their help would be useful, as you said.”

  “This is not their concern,” said Morvilind. “The Firstborn should know better than to meddle in my business. Perhaps this failure will teach him that.”

  “I promised Miss Moran that I would see her brother to safety before I asked the question,” said Corvus. “Given that the city is about to burn to radioactive ashes, I can hardly claim to have kept my word. One the Cruciform Eye is secured and the rift ways are closed, then her brother will be safe and I can ask my question.”

  “Your personal animus towards me is clouding your reason,” said Morvilind.

  “My head has never felt clearer,” said Corvus.

  “Fine,” said Morvilind with disgust. “Then upon your own head be it. I would like to obtain the Cruciform Eye, but it is not vital to my plans. If we should fail and you should see Milwaukee consumed by nuclear fire, you can take a moment to contemplate your folly before the flesh is burned from your bones. Make for the eastern parking lot of the Ducal Mall with all haste. I will await you there.”

  Without another word he walked towards his van, the mercenaries hastening to open the door for him.

  “We’d better hurry,” I said.

  “I’ll drive,” said Nora, and we jogged to the Shadow Hunters’ van. Nora swung into the driver’s seat and started the engine. I got into the middle seats, expecting Corvus to take the front passenger seat, but instead he followed me. For a moment he climbed past me, and I stiffened, my mind flashing back to that kiss in Paul McCade’s mansion. God, but that was a stupid thing to think about now. Even if he had been really good at it, and…

  He went past me, into the back seat, and started opening the metal cases.

  Nora put the van into drive, following Morvilind’s vehicle.

  “So,” I said. “Let’s have a little chat to pass the time. Why do you and Morvilind hate each other so much?”

  Corvus said nothing, and began taking ammunition from the metal cases, tucking the magazines into his harn
ess.

  “Riordan,” said Nora. “She deserves to know. If you don’t tell her, I will.”

  “My brother,” said Corvus, not looking up as he produced a pair of handguns and began loading them.

  “Oh,” I said. “He was sick, and Morvilind offered to cure him in exchange…”

  “No,” said Corvus. “It was a century ago. My sister was sick. A rare magical disease from the Shadowlands called soulblight. Morvilind knew how to cure it, but in exchange my brother Aidan had to take service with Morvilind. He learned magic and other skills, and Morvilind used him to steal valuable things. Morvilind was less concerned about secrecy back then, so my sister and I knew what Aidan had done for us.” He shook his head. “I tried to save him. I joined the men-at-arms of Duke Tarmegon of Houston, and I fought in the Shadowlands. My magical talent manifested, and I was taken into the Wizard’s Legion. I thought if I gained enough influence, enough prestige, I could find a way to get my brother out of Morvilind’s grasp and save my sister.”

  “What happened?” I said.

  “I found the Shadow Hunters,” said Corvus. He loaded one of the guns and stared at it. “Or they found me, rather. I survived the trials of initiation and become one the family. I thought I could recruit Aidan into the Shadow Hunters. Once he was bonded to a Shadowmorph, he would no longer be subject to Morvilind’s commands…but it was too late. He died on one of Morvilind’s missions to steal some magical bauble or another.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. He had just described my own likely fate. “Morvilind let your sister die, didn’t he?”

  “Actually, no,” said Corvus. “The man is a cold bastard, but he keeps his word. He cast the final cure spell upon my sister while Aidan was away on his mission. She survived.” He stared at the loaded gun. “If he had reneged on his word, I would have killed him.”

  “You would have tried, and you would have died,” said Nora from the front. “He is too powerful and he is as cunning as the devil himself. Not even the Firstborn will cross Morvilind. If he had known that Nadia worked for Morvilind, he never would have sent us.”

  “We are here now,” said Corvus.

  I frowned. “So you had no idea I worked for Morvilind?”

  “None,” said Corvus. “It should have been obvious in hindsight. A magic-using thief? Yet Morvilind almost always coerced men into becoming his agents. He’s been at this for centuries, almost since the Conquest. As far as I know, he’s only picked one or two women.”

  “The first day I met Morvilind,” I said, my voice distant with the memory, “he said that he would have preferred to recruit Russell, but Russell had frostfever and I was immune to it.”

  “That matches what I have learned of his patterns,” said Corvus. “I would not have expected him to coerce a woman into his service, and certainly not one so…”

  His mouth snapped shut, and Nora laughed.

  “So what?” I said. “So young? So short? So smart-mouthed?”

  “The last one certainly seems to be true,” said Corvus.

  I wondered what he had meant to say, and decided not to push it.

  “If you didn’t think I was working for Morvilind,” I said, “then who did you think it was?”

  “I thought,” said Corvus, “that you had been coerced by a cult of the Dark Ones.”

  “What?” I said. “That’s ridiculous. I had never even heard of the Dark Ones before we found that Void Codex in Paul McCade’s dumb little temple…”

  “Cults of the Dark Ones have operated that way before,” said Corvus. “If they wish to secure the services of a talented individual, they will commonly kidnap a relative or a loved one, or obtain some other method of blackmail. Given how secretive you were, I suspected you were in thrall to a Dark One cult. The Shadow Hunters have opposed the servants of the Dark Ones since our founding…”

  “Ah,” I said. “You thought I could lead you to a Dark One cult.”

  “That was the plan,” said Corvus.

  I shrugged. “Sorry to disappoint you. Guess that was your question, huh?”

  “No,” said Corvus. “The question was something else.”

  “Well, you had better ask it now,” I said. “I’m probably going to die in the next five hours. If I somehow live through this, Morvilind is going to kill me.”

  “Why?” said Corvus.

  I scoffed. “Haven’t you been paying attention? He said he would kill me if I ever told anyone about him. You know about me. Nora knows about me. Russell and James and Lucy figured out the truth by now.”

  “I’m certainly not going to tell anyone,” said Nora. “A girl needs to know how to keep a confidence. What about you, Riordan?”

  “No,” said Corvus. “Morvilind is less concerned about secrecy and more about betrayal. You didn’t betray him, Miss Moran. If he decided that you had betrayed him, he would have killed you already. He took a vial of heart’s blood from you, did he not?” I nodded. “The man is cruel and cold, but logical. If you had betrayed him, he would have killed you from a distance and given the matter no further thought. It’s not your fault the Archons decided to attack Milwaukee today.”

  I couldn’t claim to know Kaethran Morvilind well. But I had been observing him for over three-quarters of my life, and I knew how he usually acted, how he usually responded to things. Corvus’s logic rang true.

  “He’s going to kill me anyway,” I said in a quiet voice, watching Morvilind’s van. “Assuming we somehow don’t get killed today, he’ll find a reason to do it.” I raked a hand through my hair. It felt sweaty and in need of a wash. “Six more years. That’s how many more cure spells Russell has. Six more years…I just have to hang on for six more years. Somehow.”

  We sat in silence for a moment.

  “Anyway,” I said. “Um…thanks for saving me from the anthrophages. And Russell. I don’t care what happens to me, but if the anthrophages killed him because of something stupid I did…”

  “If we are victorious,” said Corvus, “I will teach you a spell. The anthrophages possess low-level telepathy, and have been tracking you through the telepathic spoor you leave behind.”

  “Telepathic spoor?” I said. “That sounds ridiculous. I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Nevertheless, it is real,” said Corvus, “and as unique as a fingerprint or a strand of DNA. Certain creatures of the Shadowlands can sense it, and the anthrophages are one of them. That is how they have been following you. I can teach you a spell that will block the spoor for twenty-four hours. You will have to cast the spell every day, but if you do so consistently, it will make it much, much harder for the anthrophages to track you.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “Anyway, you had better ask your question now. We might not live through this, and God knows what else might try to kill me.”

  “No,” said Corvus. “Our deal was that you would answer the question once your brother was safe. Your brother is still not safe.”

  “For God’s sake,” I said without rancor. “Are you always this pedantic?”

  “Oh, he is,” said Nora. “But the sun will burn out before that man doesn’t keep his word.”

  “All right,” I said. “Fine.”

  “If it would make you feel better,” said Corvus, pulling another pair of handguns from the case, “I cannot in good conscience let the High Queen murder two million people. Should you require a baser motive, I hate Lord Morvilind as much as you do…and the thought of keeping you alive to spite him pleases me immensely.”

  “Hey, you know what?” I said. “It pleases me, too.”

  “We shall have to be cautious,” said Corvus. “Whatever this Cruciform Eye is, I suspect Morvilind is quite willing to sacrifice you in order to obtain it.”

  “Yes,” I said. I held out a hand.

  He looked at the gun. “Do you know how to use one of these?”

  “Really?” I said. Corvus snorted and handed over the handgun and several extra clips. I pocked them, making sure the gun’s safety was on.
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  Unlike Corvus, at the moment I didn’t care if I survived or not. If I didn’t get the Cruciform Eye for Morvilind, Russell was going to die. Morvilind, in his usual cruel, logical way, had simplified the world down to two possible choices. Either I succeeded and Russell lived, or I failed and Russell died.

  I would do whatever it took, even accept the help of the Shadow Hunters.

  And if stealing the Cruciform Eye saved the rest of Milwaukee’s population…well, it was just their lucky day, wasn’t it?

  Chapter 10: Full Throttle

  From a distance I thought the Ducal Mall was burning.

  Fire seemed to blaze from its windows as Nora pulled into the eastern parking lot. The parking lot was a wreck, with burned-out cars and debris scattered everywhere, and Nora eased the van forward, avoiding the patches of broken glass. I saw quite a few corpses scattered among the wrecked cars, shoppers gunned down as they tried to flee the mall.

  Damn the Archons. Damn the Rebels. And damn the High Queen for being willing to nuke the city rather than save it.

  As we drew nearer, I realized something about the fire.

  It was outside the mall.

  A huge ringed of fire encircled the entire Ducal Mall, ringing the vast structure. The flames were about thirty or forty feet tall, changing in height as they flickered, and I wondered how the hell the Archons had managed that. Then I worked the spell to sense the presence of magical force.

  The flames were magical. The ring of fire surrounding the mall was a single immense spell of magical power.

  “Elemental fire,” said Corvus. “The Archon wizards must be maintaining it from within.”

  “Swell,” I muttered. “Maybe we can steal a helicopter and come in from the rooftop.”

  “Bad idea, dear,” said Nora. “Spotted a Rebel with a surface-to-air missile launcher up there.” I remembered the Homeland Security helicopter I had seen shot down a few hours ago. “The best you’d be able to manage is a crash landing.”

  “We might not have to,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I…have a spell to resist elemental force. I think I can hold it long enough to get through the wall of fire.”