The Raven's Shadow: The Aegis of Merlin Book 4

by James E. Wisher

  “Why would anyone see my son as a threat?” Dad asked.

  “Because he’s an unknown. And when something is unknown the default is to assume it’s dangerous until proven otherwise. And, frankly, Conryu is dangerous, all wizards are. There’s no way around that. But a dangerous hero, in the end, is better than the alternative. This isn’t optional. The ceremony’s tomorrow and the mayor expects him there, the Kincade girl as well. They’re to be the stars of our little show. Please convince him, for everyone’s sake.”

  A chair pushed back and a moment later Mr. Kane walked to the door and left. Fortunately he never looked Conryu’s way.

  “You can come out now, son.” Of course Dad knew he was there.

  Conryu nodded to Kelsie and walked around the corner. She sat up and smiled. “Morning.”

  “Afternoon actually, but whatever.” He yawned and headed for the fridge.

  “How much did you hear?” his mother asked.

  “An awards ceremony, making me a hero so people won’t be afraid of me.” He emerged with cold pizza and two sodas. “Mr. Kane was right about one thing, I am dangerous. Did I tell you I took out a whole SWAT team with little more than a wave of my hand? If someone could tell me how to turn it off I’d take them up on it in a heartbeat.”

  Kelsie came over and joined them at the table. Her clothes were rumpled from sleeping in them. He handed her a slice of pizza and a soda.

  “So will you do what the mayor wants?” Mom’s eyebrows had drawn together and her worry wrinkle was twitching.

  “Depends on exactly what he wants. And that business about the president is bullshit.”

  “Conryu!”

  “It is. How much do you want to bet they want me to flush out anyone else that wormed their way into the Department in Central? I can imagine the argument now. ‘You’ve already almost been killed a dozen times, why not be bait one more time? It’ll save us all sorts of bother.’”

  “You’re too young to be so bitter.” Mom gave his arm a squeeze. “Maybe it won’t be that bad.”

  “Last time they had a gathering like this I was almost stabbed, so the bar is pretty low.”

  Conryu sat in the front while his mother drove and Kelsie rode in the back. Dad wanted nothing to do with the whole affair and went to the dojo this morning instead. If it had been up to Conryu he’d have gone with his father, but that might have been more trouble than it was worth.

  He’d offered to let Kelsie sit up front, but she’d insisted she was used to riding in the back. Traffic was light as they made their way to the government plaza. He suspected everyone was still trying to come to terms with what had happened two days ago.

  They pulled into the parking lot, but instead of going to the Department of Magic building they headed to the government offices. It made sense that they’d have the ceremony there considering the damage to the Department and the fact that the lobby was still full of injured people.

  Jonny hadn’t come out of his healing ward. His parents had called Conryu last night to let him know. They’d sounded pretty calm considering.

  The parking lot of the government offices was packed, mainly with news vans. An elaborate stage with red-and-blue banners hanging from it had been built off to the right on a stretch of lawn. Cameramen were busy setting up while some poor worker attached the mayoral seal to the podium.

  Mom found a parking spot and the three of them climbed out. Conryu stretched and yawned. He wouldn’t have minded a little more rest, but the worst of the after effects had passed. Prime flew out beside him and spun around, taking in all the activities. Unless it was an emergency, Prime was under strict instructions not to talk any more than necessary.

  They walked to the front doors, trying not to draw any attention. The circus would start soon enough, no sense in rushing things.

  “Do you think I can get my cellphone back today? Maria said the cops took it when they came to our apartment.” He scratched his head. “Maybe I should threaten not to go through with the ceremony unless they find it for me.”

  “Don’t make trouble, Conryu. Let’s just get this over with and go home,” his mother said.

  “If you play your cards right maybe they’ll buy you a new one,” Kelsie added.

  Conryu did a quickstep and held the door for the ladies. “That’s not a bad idea. They always talk about rewards at these things, a new phone is the least the mayor could do after he sicced the cops on me.”

  Mom went through first followed by Kelsie. He let the door shut and spun around. He hadn’t been in this building since he took his driver’s test two years ago. Nothing had changed. The floor had the same drab, white-and-black tiles, and the beige walls had faded to dirty white. The only thing missing was the bored woman that sat in the little kiosk and gave visitors directions to their department of choice. It looked like they’d shut the place down for today’s carnival.

  “Connie, Conryu!” Mr. Kane came around the corner from the elevators. “I’m glad you decided to come. Ms. Kincade, good to see you too.”

  “So how many hoops do I need to jump through before I can leave?” Conryu asked.

  Mr. Kane winced. “It would be nice if you at least pretended to care about receiving the key to the city.”

  “I’ll do my best. I’d be in a better mood if the cops would return my phone. It’s probably sitting in an evidence locker somewhere, the battery getting lower all the time.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. Now let’s go. We need to get you two properly dressed and then there’s the interview.”

  “What interview? No one said anything about an interview.”

  Mr. Kane couldn’t look him in the eye. “It’s not a big deal. Just a few questions from Kat Gabel.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Conryu raised his arms, sending the billowing black sleeves of the robe they told him to put on waving around. It had nonsense runes embroidered in silver thread on the cuffs and hem, a high collar, and gold buttons. It looked like a comic book version of a wizard’s robe. “You want me to wear this ridiculous getup on national television?”

  The slender, blond production assistant that presented him with the god awful thing shrank back. They were alone in a small, empty office that now served as a dressing room.

  “Isn’t that the sort of formal robe you guys wear?”

  “No. I’ve never seen anyone wear anything like this outside of a low-budget movie.” He pulled the robe off and handed it to her. “She can interview me in my regular clothes or we can skip the whole thing.”

  “Kat’s not going to like this.” The girl peeked at him from behind the robe.

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” He maneuvered around the girl, grabbed the door, and yanked it open.

  He stepped into the hall and blew out a sigh. Kelsie was in a different dressing room two doors up. Did they have her trying on something equally stupid or was this Kat’s way of getting back at him for not doing an interview with her earlier? If it was the latter he was going to fry her cameras and microphone the moment he stepped into the interview room. Let’s see her conduct her precious interview then.

  He sensed Prime’s annoyance coming from the room behind him. The blond girl had taken one look at his scholomantic and insisted he stay out of sight until after. Conryu opened the door and Prime flew out.

  “If this is how they treat their heroes I’d hate to find out how they treat their villains,” Prime said.

  “I hear you, pal. It’s only half a day here and another day in Central, then everything gets back to normal. Or at least what passes for normal in my life these days. If you’d told me last fall I’d be anxious to return to the academy I’d have said you were nuts. Now…”

  The door to Kelsie’s dressing room opened and she emerged wearing an outfit made up of thin black silk and gold chains. The outfit exposed both her legs to the hip, her flat stomach, and both arms. It was hot, but what on earth had they said to Kelsie to convince her to put on such a ridiculo
us outfit in the first place?

  She spotted him standing there, looking at her, and Kelsie’s face turned bright red. Conryu raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the harem girl outfit?”

  “They said it would look good with your robe. Um, where is your robe?”

  “I informed the nervous young woman I wasn’t wearing the gaudy thing and that if she didn’t like it they could do the interview without me.”

  “And that worked?” She put her hands behind her back which pushed her boobs out tight against the material. She realized it at once and clasped her hands in the front.

  Conryu looked down at his jeans and boots then back at Kelsie. “Looks like it.”

  “What if Kat has a fit? In my experience she likes things just so when she does a sit-down interview.”

  “You can’t even begin to imagine how little I care what Kat thinks.”

  Kelsie frowned and marched back into the dressing room. Five minutes later she reemerged wearing the red dress she’d arrived in. “Better?”

  “There wasn’t anything wrong with the other one, I’m just not sure it was appropriate for national tv.”

  Their conversation came to an end when the door between the dressing rooms opened and Kat emerged wearing, he noted, a nice, professional blue suit. She looked them over and scowled. “Where are your costumes?”

  “Hopefully on their way to the incinerator,” Conryu said.

  Kat rubbed her face. “Look, don’t you know the news has to have an element of the dramatic if you want people to pay attention? We’re trying to turn you two into something larger than life here. Think of it like being superheroes. Those are your costumes.”

  “Those are a variation on clown suits. I looked like a fool and Kelsie looked like someone dragged her out of A Thousand and One Nights. I’m through arguing. We can either do this as is or not at all.”

  Kat pursed her lips. “I was told you’d be cooperative. And what’s that ugly book doing out of the conference room?”

  Prime bared his fangs and Conryu was dearly tempted to tell him to bite her face off. “So you don’t want to do the interview after all? That’s fine.”

  He turned to leave and Kelsie hurried to join him. “This is an excellent bluff,” she whispered.

  “I’m not bluffing.”

  “Wait! Fine. You can wear your street clothes if you promise to answer all my questions.”

  “No deal.” He kept walking. “I’ll answer what I want or nothing at all.”

  He had almost reached the elevator when she said, “Okay.”

  Conryu winked at Kelsie and turned around. They rejoined Kat by the interview room door. “How long is this interview supposed to be anyway?” he asked.

  “As long as it takes for me to ask all my questions. We’ll edit it before it goes on the air tonight. Have a seat on the couch.”

  They went in and found Joe the cameraman fiddling with his tripod and pretending he hadn’t been listening to the argument out in the hall.

  “How’s the leg?” Conryu sat on the left side of the couch so he’d be closest to the door.

  “All healed up. I never got a chance to thank you for saving my life.”

  “No problem, though I’ll admit sometimes I wish I’d let the snake eat Kat.”

  Joe’s laugh drew a quick glare from Kat which shut him up. Kelsie sat beside him and Joe adjusted his camera.

  “Is that any way for a couple to sit?” Kat motioned with her hands. “Snuggle up closer. Conryu, put your arm around her.”

  “We’re not dating. Kelsie’s my friend and if you suggest otherwise my actual girlfriend is likely to get pissed.”

  Kat stared at him for a moment as if trying to decide if he was serious. “I was told you were dating. My whole angle for this interview is you two as the new power couple in wizard circles. I mean the heir to the Kincade fortune and the only male wizard, how perfect is that?”

  “Do I detect my mother’s hand in this?” Kelsie asked.

  “No, I swear. My information came from a source in the Department.”

  “If this is the same source that said I’d wear that stupid robe, you’re going to have to find a better one.”

  “Ready when you are, Kat,” Joe said.

  She held her head in her hands. “I need a minute. All my questions are apparently based on horse shit.”

  Conryu and Kelsie left the pleasantly short interview and headed downstairs where they were supposed to wait for the ceremony to begin. It was a little strange walking through the empty hallways. He assumed all the workers were busy helping put the finishing touches on the platform.

  “Who do you suppose told her we were dating?” Conryu had been thinking about it ever since Kat told them and he couldn’t come up with anyone.

  “If Kat’s source is in the Department I’d bet my grandmother had something to do with it. What I can’t figure out is why she’d bother. It’s not like starting a rumor will turn it into reality.”

  “Why would she care in the first place?”

  Kelsie shrugged and looked away from him. He frowned. She knew something, but apparently wasn’t willing to share. He wouldn’t push her. If she wanted to tell him eventually, fine, if not, well, that was her business.

  “If it’s any consolation, Master, I don’t understand most of the things you mortals do.”

  “That makes two of us, Prime. It’s not a good sign when demons start making more sense than people.”

  They reached the lobby and found a large group gathered. Conryu didn’t know most of them, but he spotted Maria right away. She was standing with her parents looking out the doors and tapping her toe. She had on his favorite black dress and the silver jewelry she favored.

  “Maria.”

  Her toe stopped and she spun around. “Where have you been?”

  “Upstairs getting interviewed by my stalker. How’s Jonny?”

  “Still healing. My ward hasn’t broken yet so he still has a ways to go. Mercia really drained a lot of his life force. He was very lucky to survive.”

  “I should have been quicker with that spell. Damn it!”

  She took his hands. “It’s not your fault. You did the best you could and I’m sure Jonny knows that.”

  Conryu pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Thanks.”

  Over the top of her head he spotted Terra watching them with a strange twist to her lips. He couldn’t read the expression, but it was one he’d never seen on her before. He put Terra’s odd look out of his mind. Seeing her reminded him that he still had questions.

  He sighed and released Maria. “Excuse me a minute.”

  Conryu caught Terra’s gaze, and nodded off to the side.

  She started moving away from the group and Conryu joined her. “So where’d you end up sticking Mercia?”

  “She’s in a temporary cell at the police station up the road. We put a spell canceller on so if she wakes up she won’t be able to cast. She’s going to be transported to the Lonely Rock at the end of the week.”

  “About the time we return from Central?”

  “Just about then.” Terra grinned. “When did you figure out we had problems in Central as well?”

  “About the time I learned the succubus came from there.”

  Terra nodded. “Just to be safe let’s discuss it when there are fewer people about.”

  “Alright, just one more question. Am I the bait or the distraction?”

  “Distraction.”

  Well, that was better than being bait.

  Conryu sat beside Kelsie on the over-decorated platform and listened to the mayor ramble on about what a close call it was and how they all had to pull together now, and blah, blah, blah. He leaned over and whispered, “You notice he didn’t mention getting controlled by a demon and ordering the police to arrest an innocent man.”

  Kelsie swatted his shoulder, probably something she’d picked up from Maria, and held a finger to her lips. He sighed. He doubted any of the cameras were pointe
d his way at the moment, and certainly the microphones were unlikely to pick up his quiet comment. God, even being bait would be better than listening to this idiot for five more minutes.

  “It is my pleasure to introduce the person most directly responsible for our victory two nights ago. Conryu Koda. Conryu, come up here and say a few words.”

  There was a smattering of cheers when he stood and walked over to the mayor like they’d told him. He shook the proffered clammy hand and restrained a grimace of distaste.

  “Just stick to the script,” the mayor said before taking his seat directly behind the podium.

  He stepped up to the microphone and looked out over the faces and cameras staring at him. An overwhelming urge to turn and run hit him in the gut. He fought it down, squeezing the sides of the podium until his knuckles turned white.

  They’d left a prewritten speech for him. He glanced at the paper. It opened with him thanking the mayor for his brave leadership and became stupider from there. No mention was made of all the efforts his friends had made or that Jonny had almost died.

  He couldn’t read it, not if he wanted to be able to look at himself in the mirror in the morning. “Thank you for the warm welcome. I’m sure one of the mayor’s fine speechwriters worked really hard to get this ready for me, so I want to apologize in advance for ignoring it.” That drew a nervous laugh from the crowd.

  “Anyway, you’ve all heard a lot about what I did and how Kelsie helped me, and she did, I couldn’t have succeeded without her. What you haven’t heard about is all the other people I couldn’t have succeeded without. Most of them are right here in the front row. First and foremost is Terra Pain and Clair Tines, they’re the Department wizards assigned to this city. The two of them, along with Detective Lin Chang have worked for a year on this case. Without them I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do, so give them a round of applause, they certainly earned it.”