With his hand pressing gently on her back, he guided her toward the group. At first glance they looked as bland as any people she’d have passed on the street, but the closer she came to them, Sage realized they weren’t people at all. Not in the normal definition, at least. None had moved nor made any visible attempts to alter their appearance. But as quick as blinking, their appearance shifted leaving something completely different sitting in their place, sipping coffee. Every one of them changed. By the time she made it to an empty seat, the group had become creatures she had not yet learned the names of. Sage had learned the name of this type of change, though: glamour. These were beings of active magic. Finally she might have a chance to see for herself what all the fuss was about.
One woman, who at first glance looked like a librarian, with a messy bun of dark brown hair and vintage-looking horn rimmed glasses, had shrunk down so much she hardly stood taller than her mug of coffee. “You’re new then.” The petite lady sprouted wings and flew up eye-level with Sage to greet her. Her skin gave off a luminescent rosy glow, but her eyes were pure amethyst. “I’m sure we’re all a sight to you, aren’t we?”
“You’re absolutely gorgeous,” Sage replied in earnest, admiring the way her delicate wings fluttered with the speed of a hummingbird at her back.
“Thank you.” The winged creature smiled and lowered herself in a bow. “Call me Nyx.”
Devon leaned into her ear and whispered, “She’s an Ethereal. You might know her kind as a pixie or a sprite. They can manifest things with magic.”
Sage made a mental note, comparing what she’d read to what sat right in front of her. Try as she might, there was no way to hide her excitement at being in the presence of real magic. It added much needed perspective to all that had happened over the last few days. She turned to her left, where a man with green-gray skin sat. He had an ageless quality to him that made it hard for her to guess how long he’d been around. Slits flapped at his neck – gills, perhaps – though they weren’t in water and his chest still rose and fell as if breathing.
She held out her hand in greeting. “I’m Sage. Nice to meet you.”
He took her hand with a curt nod. “Quarn.”
Sage leaned over to Devon. “Aqua man?”
Quarn responded. “If that makes it easier for you to understand, yes.”
Another woman – much taller than the pixie – with hair and skin that blended into the shadows floated rather than stood in front of her. The whites of her eyes contrasted so sharply, they demanded to be looked at. But as Sage tried to look at her, she flickered in and out of focus as if she were a hologram having bad reception.
“Silvia,” the woman introduced herself. Her image shifted form and settled on a black cloud. “Shadow runner.”
“Nyx,” Devon interrupted the introductions. “Can you set up a perimeter? I’d like to be alerted if anyone tries to magic their way into this meeting.”
The sprite flittered around the room. At each corner she threw out a handful of sparks, and glorious colors of shimmering specks joined together to form a wall of magic, like liquid made to stand up straight. Once all the pieces had formed, the occupants of the room were encased in their own personal bubble.
Sage’s mouth hung open stupidly, as she admired Nyx’s handiwork.
“You can see it all, can’t you?” Devon asked. He too looked around, but his expression didn’t hold the same level of wonder.
“Can’t you? It’s gorgeous.” She held her hand out and let a finger skim the edge of the magical barrier. Smooth to the touch, like the delicate skin of water on the surface of a lake, but when she penetrated it, found only air on the other side. She shoved her hand through and back again without popping the bubble encasing them all, nor causing so much as a ripple on the surface.
“You’re magic neutral, remember.” Devon came up and put his hand out, but where she was able to puncture the bubble, his hand stopped short, finding the barrier impenetrable. “You can see the magic as it is used, but none of it affects you.”
She nodded stupidly, still fingering the edges of the barrier.
Nyx fluttered by, giggling and tossed a shower of glittering magic around her. “Have you never truly seen magic used?”
Sage twirled as shimmers danced around her, falling as slowly as new snow at her feet. “What is this?”
“A parlor trick for you. Magic cannot hurt you.” Her tone sharpened. “But if I threw so much as a single speck at Devon, he’d be on his knees begging me to end his suffering.”
Sage sucked in a breath and looked to her trainer. He didn’t flinch nor show any sign of fear. “Is that meant to scare me?” she asked the pixie.
Nyx giggled again and fluttered away.
“Pretty things are often the most deadly.” Devon answered.
She read the message loud and clear. Reining in her amusement, Sage set her jaw, pulling her lips tightly, and claimed one of the unused seats for her own.
“Are we ready to talk now?” Silvia asked. When she spoke, her form solidified for a brief moment and she looked every bit a woman ready to hit the runway in a flowing gown of ebony gauze. But the moment her words trailed off into silence, her form evaporated into the black cloud floating a few inches above the ground.
“Yes.” Devon returned to the group to claim his seat. “Whether they have affected you or your clans or not, I’m sure you’ve all heard the rumors floating around about ASSET.”
“Not rumors.” Silvia snapped into focus. “The vampire coven was directly attacked.”
“Too bad we don’t have one of their representatives here to respond to that,” Quarn replied. “Perhaps you should have called this meeting in the evening.”
“We don’t need them.” Silvia hovered around the group, circling slowly. Sage noted the unease that passed around in her wake. She remembered the dream she’d had and the floating shadows that killed by simply passing through their enemy. As Silvia floated toward her, Sage found herself holding her breath and praying her innate neutrality would protect her if need be. “I’m close with the vampire covens in North Town. They’re all but decimated. And those who have come forward say it was the ones bearing the mark who attacked them.”
Devon shook his head. He put a finger to his lips, but rather than shushing Silvia, it seemed as if he were stopping himself from saying something.
“To be clear,” Nyx asked, “the mark of a Terra? The tree of life?”
Silvia rounded on the pixie and they met each other at eye-level. “Is there any other race that bears a special mark?”
“Do you know what happened during the attack?” Devon blurted out the words roughly. “What weapons were used? Silver, stakes?”
“Stakes?” Nyx scoffed, fluttering lower to hover at Devon’s level.
“I’m trying to gather information. If the Terras were responsible, there would have to be a weapon.” Devon defended his words but remained calmly where he sat.
“Their magic was taken. And… they all died a final death,” Silva responded.
“Death is not the end. Nor is it final, even for the leeches who steal their magic. The Mother and Father bound us in their blood, and when spilled, it returns to the earth where it first granted life.” Quarn spoke as reverently as priest giving a sermon.
“Spare us your fervor for the Mother and Father.” Nyx flitted around above everyone’s heads. Soft snickering sounds made it seem as if she were laughing, but no one responded angrily to her. “They turned their back on us ages ago, leaving the precious Terras our keepers.”
Sage held her tongue. Responding to that bait would earn her no friends.
“Parents teach their young by allowing them mistakes and seeing if they learn. Never have they waivered in their care of us. The Terras were but another lesson. Have we learned? Perhaps not.” Quarn spoke his words looking directly at Sage, though they were clearly meant for Nyx.
“What exactly is this weapon rumored to be?” Devon asked.
“That we do not know,” Silvia replied. “Those who were there died.”
“And who is said to have used this weapon?” Devon continued his line of questioning.
“The Terras, of course.” Silvia threw the accusation like a dagger, slicing sharply in Sage’s direction.
“Terras only act in response to crimes,” Devon responded calmly.
“No crimes have been committed.” Silvia turned her deadly gaze to him. “Our city has been at peace.”
“Terras don’t need reasons to show off their muscle.” Nyx’s giggling had a sinister edge. Unnerving the way she sounded so sweet, yet at the same time Sage understood the pixie was as deadly as the Shadow looming at her back. “They only need targets.”
“You guys don’t like them very much, do you?” Sage asked.
“We don’t like others interfering in our affairs,” Nyx answered.
“Terras are the lesson from our great Mother: the folly of our ego. And a warning that should be heeded, lest we summon the gods back and invite their wrath.” Quarn was the only calm voice in the room. But his words felt as if they were stronger than anything the angry ladies had spoken. “ASSET, on the other hand, flexes their muscle with as much ego as our people. They must learn the lesson as well. The folly in their ego could someday too bring about the wrath of our great Mother.”
Sage tried to recall the passage she’d read in Devon’s books. The Mother was supposed to have saved the last fruit from the tree of life. But before she could open her mouth to say as much, Silvia jumped in. “Terras ensure we are all aware of their power. Simply leaving them out of things can be seen as a crime.”
“Not true.” Grey’s voice startled the assembled group.
Nyx changed form, her pink tone burning brighter into a deep crimson as she grew twice her size. She held her hands out, and two glowing spheres of light began to form at her palms.
“Peace.” Grey held his hands up in surrender. “I come in peace.” He walked into the gym as if he owned the place, passing through the barrier Nyx had created as if it were nothing but air. “ASSET holds the fragile peace in our community together.”
“Who invited him?” Silvia shrieked. “This is a trap!”
Devon held up his hands, jumping to take position between himself and Silvia. “No trap. Grey, what are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to you about Sage, but I see you’ve already taken her underwing.” Grey kept his hands up, standing his ground. “I’m not here to attack. I’m trying to do as you are, and find out what caused the attack on ASSET.”
Devon and Sage exchanged glances. She’d already told him off once. Grey had revealed himself to be underhanded, using dirty methods to get his way. But, as she opened her mouth, Devon interrupted her. “Let him talk. Grey might have information useful to us. We should hear from the Terras if they’re being accused.”
“You can’t trust him. He used a vampire to trick me,” Sage protested.
“It was Zack.” Grey offered in defense. “We all know how harmless he is.”
Devon chuckled. “True.”
Grey strolled up beside Sage. “I’m not going to apologize for anything I’ve done. I had my reasons, so hate me all you want.”
Sage’s lip curled as she balled a fist ready to strike. He deserved at least that for the way he had manipulated her and put her in harm’s way.
“As to the rest of you,” Gray addressed the room. “I do want to know what is causing this uprising, because it puts all of our people at risk.”
How dare he pretend to be so noble to the others while showing her nothing but disrespect? Her knuckles went white with the strain of holding her hand clenched, but she couldn’t throw the punch, no matter how much she wanted to. It would only serve to make her look bad. She’d give him what he was owed soon enough.
Silvia floated toward Grey. “Your people have pushed too far this time.”
“What have we done?” he asked.
“You have a great weapon. You laid waste to an entire coven over nothing,” Silvia replied with spite.
“How?” Grey asked calmly meeting her eyes. “Where are the bodies? Where are the spent ammunition shells? Where were the signs of a fight? You say my people did it. What proof do you bring?”
“They were turned to ash,” Silvia replied.
“Fire, then?” Grey confirmed. “Why have I heard no reports of arson on the news?”
“Not fire – their light was extinguished. Their magic taken back, leaving them dust in the wind.”
That silenced the room.
“What you claim is a weapon of magical origin,” Gray answered back loudly and slowly, leaving no excuse for all in the room to say they didn’t hear his words. “If the weapon was of magical origin, my people couldn’t use it.” He held up his arm, bearing the symbol of the great tree of life. “If it were anything else, there would be evidence.”
Nyx fluttered around, shifting between colors as she circled the group.
Silvia too silently hovered, as if contemplating what she’d just learned.
“The boy speaks the truth,” Quarn broke the silence. “When the great gods created our people, we were all blessed with magic. But the Mother denied her children the Terras. They were created to oppose magic.”
“Then we have to ask ourselves two questions.” Devon collapsed back onto his chair. “What is this weapon supposed to be? And more importantly, who is using it?”
“Three,” Sage added, drawing attention from everyone in the room. “Why are the Terras being blamed for it?”
TWENTY-THREE
“Terras are the great weapon,” Quarn offered, pulling out a book from a satchel under his chair. He opened it and searched for something. “From the great tree, the Mother brought forth fruit that held within it the power to neutralize the magic-fueled war threatening to destroy the world she and the Father had created.”
“Neutralize, but not annihilate,” Grey countered.
“Balance. Yes,” Quarn responded mechanically, as he continued to page through his book.
“ASSET is not about balance. It is control and manipulation.” Nyx landed on her chair in a huff. “Who’s to say they haven’t employed others to do their dirty work?”
“ASSET does have many magical employees.” Silvia planted a hand on her hip and glared at Devon. “Lackeys who do their bidding willingly.”
Sage hadn’t considered that. Terras might not have been able to use magic, but if they employed people like her trainer, who was to say they didn’t have other magical creatures in tactical positions?
“We don’t have lackeys. We work with the magical community. We’re peacekeepers.” Grey tensed. Twitchy muscles flexed as he brought his hand up to his coat as if preparing for a fight. Sage knew he used machete-length blades; and he hadn’t bothered to sit down since arriving. Chances were he had them under that stupid leather duster, along with who knew what else. Blades were the weapon of choice for the Terras, and Grey had certainly shown his proficiency with them when beheading her mother. How quickly could he unsheathe them if things went sour? She’d seen enough blood to last a lifetime, and prayed to whatever gods might be listening that this meeting wouldn’t end with more deaths.
“Peacekeepers,” Nyx scoffed. Her open hostility toward Grey spoke volumes about the interaction she’d had with the Terras, or perhaps just with ASSET. “The man reaching for a weapon wants me to believe he is no threat.” She fluttered up, eye level with Grey, and her skin shifted color again, glowing vibrant blue. “Violence at the core of your being.”
To his credit, Grey remained still, and kept his blades sheathed, even as the blue pixie creature hovered close enough to strike him. “Terras are no better than any of us,” Nyx sneered. “And yet somehow they gained dominion.”
“Balance.” Quarn shocked everyone with the sudden volume of his reply. “Not dominion. They have iron and steel where we have magic.” His voice held power. Sage imagined him like a great wiz
ened wizard, speaking truth to the masses, with no hint of animosity to either side.
Nyx’s side remained quite clear in her haughty retort. “Too bad we can’t hurt them.”
“Punch him,” Devon replied. “He’ll feel the blow.” Devon moved to Grey’s side, as if he wished to act as a spotter. Sage didn’t like the direction things were taking – openly inviting violence. Devon, however, gave no indication of worry. “Cut him. He’ll bleed. A great deal more than you, I’d wager.”
Sylvia floated up alongside Grey too. Two on two, each within striking distance, it if they were chess pieces moving in for a checkmate. Sage held her breath as Sylvia’s body turned to vapor. She sent her wispy smoke-like form through Grey’s chest.
Grey sucked in a breath, as if expecting pain, and squeezed his eyes shut. Sylvia passed through him as his breath released, and her body again took its human shape. Grey remained standing, his breathing a little quicker, but no worse for wear.
Sage waited in stunned silence, knowing how deadly and quick Grey could be. Sylvia had stepped over the line with her demonstration. He would be well within rights to react, yet to his credit, he didn’t. With tension mounting, how much more would he allow before retaliating?
“He’s immune to my natural abilities.” Sylvia turned her anger back at Devon. “Therefore not equal. There’s no balance.”
“You can steal someone’s life with a touch, and you want to argue that someone being immune is not balance?” Devon asked. “I’m not immune. I could easily be bent to your will with the mere threat of your power, as many were, in the dawn of time. Powerful magic required a powerful solution.” He jabbed a finger at Grey. “And all his people got was immunity.”
Silvia evaporated and for a moment Sage thought she had left the conversation, but a moment later she reappeared across the room, floating in a circular pattern as if pacing.
Nyx still hovered close enough to pose a threat, but her skin had cooled, turning a light shade of lavender. It was probably best to keep her on the lighter side of the spectrum. Sage and Grey might be immune to magic’s touch, but they were the only two.
A Weapon Of Magical Destruction Page 17
