In the meantime though, he would need to bring that lesson to them himself, and it sounded like his latest students had just arrived in New York.
‘And who are the lucky Magi this time?’ he asked.
‘Their names are Amanda-Jane Page,’
‘Hah, sounds like some hippy bouzen obeah girl to me mon.’ Lucian scoffed.
‘Indeed Baal, then there’s Elizabeth Fox and Gentle Water,’ Aneurin finished.
‘Gentle Water? I’ve heard of this fuck, he’s a Legacy Magus right?’
‘I believe so, yes,’ said Aneurin.
‘Fuck, well I ain’t wasting time while they think they can walk in here, into my city like I’m some kind of qwenga! Find out where they are, it’s time I teach them a lesson.’
‘Like you have with Yoh?’ Ekua said, just loud enough for all to hear.
‘Fuck you.’ Said Lucian as he stood up, not even looking at his Coven mate.
Ekua knew that Yoh had been a constant source of frustration for him, as the one Arcadian Magi that had evaded Lucian’s justice in New York. But he had grown used to Ekua’s snide remarks about Yoh. Ekua couldn’t find Yoh either, so he was in no place to talk.
‘I’ll be in my quarters contacting our master, as soon as you know more about them and where they are, I want to know.’
Lucian noticed movement to one side and saw Ekua sit back in his chair and smile to himself, Lucian didn’t need to read his mind to know what his Coven mate must be thinking. Lucian knew for that fact that if Ekua ran this Coven, he would be contacting their master, Nymira with this news as well. Ekua no doubt thought that Lucian was about to run crying to his mommy, but the fact that Ekua never voiced this opinion spoke volumes about how Ekua knew that to be very thin ice.
Lucian ignored the hidden criticism from Ekua, one day the time would come and he would get his just deserts as well.
In the meantime, he knew what he needed to do and left the room as the meeting broke up. Striding along the dim corridor he passed through some double doors into his private apartment.
The space spread out before him in a very open plan design with each area or space running into each other, sometimes with furniture or screens to provide some delineation between one area and the next.
Lucian liked his private space to be sparse, minimalist, with modern furniture and muted colours, something that people found strange in a man like him.
Lucian stood a good 6 foot tall, his skin a deep dark Jamaican brown with strong defined features. His complexion had a slightly worn feel to it that spoke of the years of experience he had. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, and although he was much older and could, if he chose, look much younger, he liked the way he looked, he felt he hit a fine balance between handsome and experienced that fit his position well.
Lucian wore his black hair in long dreads that spilled over his shoulders and down his back. Jewelry and trinkets attached to his dreads caught the light as he moved while his dark sleeveless coat and trousers stood in stark contrast to the décor of his home. He also wore a pair of black wrap around shades that he never seemed to be without, even in the dark.
Closing the door behind him, he took one step into the room before realizing he wasn’t alone in here.
He stopped dead and kept still and silent weighing up the feeling and what he should do while at the same time fuelling his Aegis with power.
‘Don’t bother,’ came a feminine voice from around the corner in his seating area, ‘I came to talk, not to fight,’
Lucian knew that voice anywhere. He relaxed slightly, but not too much, the last time they had met she had ripped through his mind to find god knows what and caused all sorts of trouble in the process.
Stepping forward he moved into view of the intruder.
Yasmin sat in the middle of his couch, legs crossed, arms spread wide over the back of the seat looking like she owned the place.
She wore her usual shiny black once piece catsuit that covered everything apart from her head. Lucian knew from previous encounters that the garment had been created magically to fit her perfectly, hugging her every curve, while also acting like impenetrable armour.
At her neck, rather than it ending in a straight line, like any other collar would, it looked like it might be liquid with runnels of black ichor running up her neck into her jaw and hair line.
Yasmin wore her hair loose and combed back away from her face, letting it fall about her head in waves of dark brown and black with the occasional purple highlight catching the dim light.
Lucian thought she was a good, if severe, looking woman. She had strong definition in her face, her cheek bones sharp and proud, her eyes piercing and cruel.
Those eyes of hers followed him into the room, watching him like a cat studies its prey before the kill.
Lucian looked at her, then eyed his apartment before returning his gaze back to her.
‘You left a back door somewhere?’ He said, referring to the Aegis, the Magical shield that protected the Club stopping unwanted Magi from teleporting in. Most Aegises placed around buildings had back doors woven into them by their creators, in order to let those in the know through the barrier as if it wasn’t there. Somehow, Yasmin had done exactly that here.
‘If this is going to be a regular thing, should I have a bed made up?’
‘Cute.’ She said, in her unaccented clipped tone.
Lucian sighed. ‘Okay Yasmin, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?’ He said, putting emphasis on the “this”.
‘Straight down to business? No chit chat?’ She said, cocking her head to one side, her voice now playful.
‘Fuck you Yasmin, I haven’t time for your shit, tell me why you’re here so we can both get on with our day. I got things to do mon.’
All hints of playfulness dropped from her face as she looked at him in silence, her eyes boring deep into his, and he immediately regretted his little outburst. Yasmin, like his master Nymira, ranked as a powerful Arch Magus. Most people had never met her, but the stories and legends about her were very well known having been retold and embellished for hundreds of years.
All Nomads paid their allegiance to one of the Archons, they struck deals with them that granted them power, they rose faster through the levels of ability with Magic, becoming more powerful much quicker than an Arcadian did, they were granted boons and deals, powers and abilities or knowledge, given to them by the Archons in return for their service and their immortal soul, their Anima Mundi that, upon their death, would not pass into Sheol, the land of the dead, but instead into the Abyss, where it fed the Archons.
All Nomads that is, apart from Yasmin. Legend had it that somehow, Yasmin beat the Archons at their own game, made deals and bargains that gave her access to power from several of the Archons, but without giving up her Soul to them.
It took a singular mind, a brilliance that few possessed to deal with the devil and win, but somehow Yasmin, so it was said, had done it.
Today, to most Magi who had never met her, they believed her to be nothing more than an elaborate fiction, she had become something of a boogyman, something that mentors scared their apprentices with. They would tell them stories of her exploits, of how they knew Magi that knew other Magi that knew victims of hers. The stories would become elaborate and terrifying, but few knew if they were real.
Lucian had heard of these stories, but he also knew that the woman herself was quite real, and very dangerous.
You certainly didn’t tell master Magi to fuck off, not without knowing that such flippancy might just get you killed.
Lucian stood still, watching Yasmin, wondering if he had taken his last breath on this Earth, and hoping that she would be lenient.
‘You have just been informed that a small group of Arcadian Magi have arrived in New York. Amanda, Gentle Water and Elizabeth.’ Yasmin rose from her seat, as she spoke, and started to walk steadily towards Lucian, ‘Knowing how you have dealt with Arcadians that have come to New York befo
re, I am here to tell you that if you hurt them, if you so much as scratch Amanda, or tell Nymira I was here, I will kill you, slowly and painfully and I will take great pleasure in it.’ Yasmin reached Lucian, standing practically toe to toe with him, her nose inches from his. ‘Do you understand?’
Lucian gave one slow nod to her, watching her carefully the whole time.
Yasmin stayed where she stood for a moment, before taking a step back from him.
‘Good. Then we understand each other.’
Lucian looked at her, finding her slight smile as she spoke that last sentence an odd looking thing on her face, like it didn’t belong there.
The ramifications of what Yasmin had just said started to sink in, and the bottom of his stomach began to fall away. This would cause problems.
Normally he would go after Arcadian Magi in his territory without hesitation. He’d come down on them hard, attacking and killing them. He took no prisoners in this, it was all about shock and awe. But now, that had been removed in one fell swoop. If he couldn’t hurt them, how could he get rid of them?
Sure, he could ignore Yasmin and do as he usually did, and risk her wrath, it might be that Nymira could protect him, for a short while, but he felt sure that Yasmin would get him at some point, after all, she stood not three foot from him right now. He also knew that Nymira would not take kindly to being forced into a confrontation with Yasmin. He knew Nymira to be powerful, but could she be strong enough to best Yasmin? He didn’t know, and he didn’t want to find out.
It wouldn’t do to have two Arch Magi after his head.
Stepping away from the Arch Magus, he thought about her words. She had been a little vague about who he could and could not hurt. In one sentence saying any of them, and in another mentioning just Amanda. So which was it? And what about any Mortals or other people associated with them?
Thinking of his Coven now, he thought about Ekua who would jump on this change of heart in a second, seeing any leniency towards these Arcadians as a sign of weakness. Maybe he’d even try to take control of the Coven away from Lucian, use this as an opportunity to make his power play, something that he had tried before and would likely try again when the chance presented itself.
Telling Ekua about Yasmin was out of the question, if word about that got back to Nymira he would be in trouble again. Nymira might not have anything against Yasmin personally, but like any powerful Magus, she wouldn’t take kindly to Yasmin muscling in on her territory. This might then lead to any number of problems that didn’t end well for Lucian. She’d ask questions such as, why didn’t he ignore Yasmin? Why didn’t he fight her? Why had he had dealings with her before and not told his master? All of which had the same answer, he valued his life and his position. He also believed in himself and felt sure he could navigate his way through this without Nymira’s help.
More clarification on what he could and could not do would be nice though, so he turned back to Yasmin, only to find his quarters empty. Yasmin had gone.
Annoyed, he cursed to himself, he would just have to interpret her words to him as best he could.
Also, he’d need to act fast and work quickly to get things in place to misdirect Ekua. After a moment’s thought, he used his mental connection with Raal, Lex and Aneurin to summon them to his quarters, asking them to approach quietly and not alert Ekua to their little meeting.
Within a few minutes his three Coven mates sat before him on his sofas and waited for him to speak. Lucian sat forward, his elbows on his knees and stared at the floor while he gathered his thoughts.
‘We have a problem,’ he said, without looking up.
‘Go on, said Lex, anticipation in her voice.
‘I’m sure you all remember Yasmin’s little visit a couple of years ago?’ he said, and looked up to see their reactions to his statement, all of them cautiously intrigued.
‘Do I ever!’ Said Lex, remembering her little encounter with her.
Raal grunted in consternation.
‘Well, she’s back. She just met with me, here after the meeting. I didn’t get chance to contact Nymira, and now I don’t think I can as it seems like Amanda and her friends are under Yasmin’s protection.’
‘What?’ Lex asked, surprised.
‘But they’re Arcadian’s.’ Aneurin stated, almost spitting out the statement in hatred. ‘Why the fuckin’ hell would she do that?’
‘I don’t know mon, I have no idea why that Mambo would want to protect them, and she didn’t give me any chance to question her either. So now all I can use to get them to leave is some fuckin’ harsh language.’
‘Fuck me,’ said Lex, sitting back in her chair. ‘Ekua can’t find this out.’
‘They were my first thoughts. The same goes for Nymira, we have to keep this to ourselves.’
‘Understood,’ she said, and looked at Aneurin, who nodded in agreement. ‘So what’s the plan? What do we do first?’
‘First I need to speak with that fuckweasel Shaun and have him find Amanda and set up some round the clock monitoring of her and her friends.’
‘And what about us?’
‘Keep a low profile and just keep doing what you’re doing. I’m sure we’ll be off to find these Arcadians soon enough.
The entire Pit club had been built underground, even the top floor sat in the basement of a fairly empty and run down tenement block, accessed from a door on street level.
Each public level beyond that had been named after one of the seven deadly sins. Starting with Sloth as the first level under the tenement block, this floor only had the entrance kiosk, security and coat check, before you descended into the club proper.
Then came Gluttony, where you found the clubs first bar area, as well as the clubs kitchens and dining area. Below that came Greed, where a small casino area could be found. Next came Lust where visitors could relax in one of the chill out zones, get intimate in a private cushioned alcove or get a Lap Dance from one of the resident dancers. These first three main floors in the club had a rectangular shape, and at one end of this rectangle floor, a gallery surrounded a square opening of maybe fifteen meters across, where you could look over the balcony and see down to the main dance floor known as Wrath on the level below Lust.
VIP visitors could then descend once more to Pride, where the small VIP Dancefloor could be found, or go one more floor down to Envy, the VIP Lounge and Bar.
Wide easy stairs linked all the floors, and those who walked on them found they didn’t tire as much as they might otherwise have done elsewhere walking up seven flights of stairs. For the lazy however, there were three pairs of lifts between Wrath and Gluttony. Each pair set into three of the four walls of the club.
Beneath the VIP Lounge were the private areas used by the Harbingers Coven, including meeting rooms and private quarters for Luican and each Coven member. Passage ways and stair cases and ladders led off deeper and wider into the network of hidden tunnels and spaces deep beneath New York from the Coven’s living area. Since the earliest settlers on Manhattan Island, dark and dangerous things had made their homes here, deep underground. Scions and Magi and worse always followed the crowds, and Manhattan had been no different. As the city expanded and the subways were built, the hidden city beneath the streets grew.
Below the Coven’s main living areas, two individuals made their home. Bull lived down here inside the main complex of the Club, in dark rooms and passage ways with his Scion Dogs. Shaun, a Coven member and Scion, kept his lair away from the Club’s main structure, preferring to have some separation from the Coven he did a lot of work for. You could still walk between the Club and Shaun’s Lair, through access passages and Subway tunnels though.
Lucian only came down here occasionally, usually preferring to send Lex unless the matter required his personal attention. Shaun had proved himself to be trust worthy so far and also very useful. Like Aneurin, Shaun had an affinity for technology, but Shaun’s skills were far and above Aneurins.
Shaun had always been a hack
er, a malcontent who hated authority and government, but also something of a conspiracy theorist, and through his investigations into the shadows of the world, he came to the attention of his creator who turned him into the Scion he is today.
Lucian passed through a series of dark corridors barely lit at all in parts. Water dripped and pooled on the floor while rats and insects skittered and crawled in the darkness and silence of this subterranean world.
But Lucian didn’t need eyes to see down here, his Magic showed him everything he needed to see, even through the ever present Shades that he wore everywhere.
After a few minutes, he reached a thick iron door, pitted and rusted like something from a world war two submarine.
Lucian’s Magic turned the wheel in the center of the door, it spun easily and clanged as the bolts slid home. With a metallic squeal the door swung open, spilling light into the darkness of the corridor Lucian stood in.
Warm electric bulbs glowed inside, throwing splashes of orange light and cooler shadows all around the large room.
Shaun lived in a forgotten subway access platform, complete with a section of curved track opposite the door Lucian stood within, with a rusted old train car sat next to the platform, ready to disappear into the darkness of the tunnel ahead of it.
Between this train and Lucian, on the platform itself, sat Shaun’s living area. To Lucian’s left there were tables and notice boards pinned to the walls where monitors and computer towers sat amongst snaking cables humming away to themselves.
To the right were the beds, kitchenette and other detritus of life, as Shaun lived here with two assistants, two initiated humans, Gary and Vanessa who helped Shaun with his work for Lucian.
All three of the occupants sat near the computers, Gary and Vanessa were both tapping and clicking away on their respective workstations while Shaun sat back in his chair, deep in thought, his eyes on the door to see who would be coming to visit.
Shaun had been one of the less lucky Scions as the change into a creature of the night had deformed him, giving him a white and waxy palour, warts and poor skin and a ridge of bone that started in the middle of his forehead and passed over the top of his head all the way down his back. He also had no hair on him what so ever.
Magi Saga 2: Shadows of Darkness Page 4
