A Mage's Fall: Dark Manhattan (Malachi English Book 2)

by Andy Hyland

  We stopped to grab some coffee on the way downtown. I was starting to flag, but put on a cheerful face for the other two. “Keeping topped up,” I insisted. Arabella nodded and grinned, but the look in Zack’s eyes told me he wasn’t buying it, not for a minute. He pulled me back while Arabella walked on ahead.

  “How bad is it?”

  “I’m not running on empty, but it’s close. Caffeine can only keep me going for so long. And by the end I’ll be a jittery wreck, no good to anyone. We need to finish this quickly.”

  “I was thinking. We could bind you with that cord, knock you out and leave you in a dark room somewhere.”

  I nodded. “Not a bad plan. But if he’s going down, I want in on it. And without wanting to sound immodest, the more of us there are involved, the greater the chance of any of us coming out the other side alive.”

  “Can’t argue with that. If it gets too much, let me know. It’s not only caffeine that could help, you know?”

  “Hard drugs and magic. That would be interesting to say the least. I’ll stick to the milder stuff, I think.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Arabella called back. “Is it about me?”

  “Absolutely,” I told her.

  Mercy was waiting outside of her door, tapping her cane impatiently on the floor. “I would have appreciated you getting her sooner,” she hissed. “I’ve never had children, never been around them much.”

  “How is he?” I asked.

  “He is frustrating. Also angry, impatient and emotionally unstable.”

  “Exactly what we want in our latest recruit to the undead,” Zack joked. Mercy turned her gaze upon him and he looked away. “Sorry.”

  She led us in. The boy was wearing some hastily-acquired clothes which were a couple of sizes too large for him. He paced up and down relentlessly, wringing his hands. Julie was close but not too close. She looked over at me as we entered, raising her eyebrows. This wasn’t going well.

  “The process is painful and has until now been carried out on a willing recruit,” said Mercy quietly as we made our way over. “Charlie, on the other hand, woke in agony with no idea what was going on. I’ve tried to tell him, but…I admit I have been less than successful at conveying the necessary information. He’s taken to Julie, but while she is more empathetic, she doesn’t truly understand. Can’t relate.”

  “Has he told us what we need?” I asked.

  “Let’s say that he’s focused at the moment on demanding, not giving.”

  “Is this all as bad as it sounds?”

  “You wanted a quick result. It’s not good.”

  We stopped a few meters away. “Caleb,” said Mercy. “I’d like you to meet some friends. Malachi, Zack and Arabella. They’re here to help.”

  He looked over at us. Pupils dilated so far his eyes were nearly as black as Balam’s. Face unnaturally pale under a mop of black curled hair. “Are you here to take me home?”

  “That’s not possible,” I told him, figuring that we might as well start with the truth. I could always descend into outright lies later on if the situation required it. “Mercy’s explained, I understand. We stopped you dying, in a way. But there were consequences.”

  “You’re lying,” he spat. “I want to go home.”

  “So do I. So does Zack. And Arabella. We can’t. We’re not quite like you, but we’ve got that in common. It’s something that takes time to deal with.”

  “So you’re kidnapping me? What do you want?”

  I sighed and sat down. “We’re not kidnapping anyone. You were kidnapped by some really evil bastards – pardon my language, but let’s face it, you’ve heard worse at school. They left you for dead. We saved you in the only way that we could. And now you’re the only hope we’ve got of stopping them taking and hurting more children in the way they took and hurt you.”

  He stopped pacing and looked at me. “I want to go home.”

  “Are you not listening?” Arabella asked. “Do you want us to use smaller words?”

  “Not helping,” said Julie, taking her arm and leading her away.

  “I can’t take you home. Not like you are now. Not what you want to hear, I get that. If I was lying scum, I’d be telling you whatever you wanted to hear to get you to help us, but I’m doing you the favor of telling you the truth. We will help you. But there’s no going back to how life was.”

  Oh bloody hell. He was crying. Chin wobbling, tears starting, eyes closing.

  “We’ll take you to see them,” said Zack suddenly. I looked up at him sharply. He shrugged.

  It worked, though. Charlie brought himself back from the brink and stared at us. “Promise?”

  “Yes, I promise,” I said. What choice did I have at this point?

  “And I want to talk to them.”

  “That’s not -”

  “I want to talk to them,” he said, louder.

  “What you’re asking hasn’t been done before,” I told him. “But fine, we’ll try. We’ll do our best to arrange something.” Now it was Zack’s turn to look at me like I was crazy.

  “Promise?”

  “I promise that we will try. I can’t do more than that.”

  Caleb thought it over for a few seconds and nodded. “Okay. When?”

  The kid didn’t let up. Were they all like this? “When we’ve dealt with the people who took you. That’s got to come first. You understand that?”

  He pouted but nodded. “So what do you want?”

  “Mercy said you’re able to remember things in a different way,” said Zack. “We need you to think back to when you were being held. Did they ever say where they were taking you?”

  “To the master,” said Charlie without hesitation. “We were going to the master. Always to him.”

  “Got it,” I said. “But that would take a while. They were going to take you somewhere in Manhattan first, on your way to the master. They would have spoken freely around you, because you were…kind of drugged up, and they thought you’d never get away to talk. Think back. Walk it through. Take your time.”

  Caleb started pacing again, face pinched in concentration. Zack went to speak again, but I cut him off with a gesture. If it took time, it took time. At least we had the kid onside and working.

  “The depot,” Charlie said quietly after a couple of minutes. “They talked about a depot.”

  “Makes sense. Keep going,” I urged him. “Tell us anything. Everything.”

  More pacing, then he stopped. “There was a time when a man came. He was bigger than the rest. And he had black eyes.”

  “I know him.”

  “I was standing next to Emma. My friend, or she was two years ago when we were in the same form at school. I recognized her when I first arrived, but she was already…empty. She didn’t know me. Or anyone anymore. The man was there for a long time. They lined us up and he inspected the line, one by one. He pinched my arm, twisted my head to look in my ears. Did it to all the others as well. He didn’t like some of us and they took those ones away. He said they were second-grade. Emma was one of the ones they pulled off.” A long pause. “Do you know where she went? Did you find her as well?”

  “No,” I said quietly. “But we’ll keep looking.”

  He nodded, apparently satisfied. “We were being taken on route 3. The group before went on route 6 and it was important to vary things. That’s what he said. But we were all going to the same place.”

  “Where was that?” I tried to keep the urgency out of my voice, but I was sitting on the edge of the chair now.

  “West 52nd, over from the park.”

  “That’ll do. Thank you Caleb.”

  “Can I see my family now?”

  I paused. “Soon. Got to take care of this first.”

  “Soon.” He started pacing again. I looked at Mercy, who was frowning. This was a mess we could do without, but it got us where we needed to go.

  “Saddle up everyone.”

  “Will Julie be staying?” Mercy asked,
a tinge of desperation creeping into her tone.

  “Not this time. I need all the hands I can get.”

  “Plan?” asked Zack.

  “Get there. Check it out. Make it up as we go along. Same plan we always have, right?”

  I was halfway to the door when the seizure hit. Zack caught me before I face-planted onto the concrete and pressed his fingers into my mouth, keeping my teeth apart and the airway open. For thirty seconds I was out of control, spasming and shaking, the world growing dim. Then it was over and I collapsed, panting.

  “Was that…?” Julie asked as I struggled to get to my feet.

  “Probably,” I answered. “I’m getting tired. But I’ll hold out as long as it takes.”

  Julie took my arm as she walked out. I wouldn’t – couldn’t tell her that I’d made up my mind. That I’d die before I let Balam take me again.

  *

  We stood in the shade and cover of the trees and bushes of De Witt Clinton Park, looking over at the potential options for the depot on West 52nd. We were south of where they’d been dumping the bodies, but not as far from that area as I’d expected. Still, I suppose Balam had to take whatever was available, the same as every other businessman around.

  “That one,” said Julie, pointing.

  It would have been my guess as well. The street had a long row of industrial units and shops. If you discounted the ones with too many windows or a retail space out front, not many were left. Some of the premises we could rule out by the signs outside, like the bike hire place. Too many people walking in unexpectedly, too many excuses that you’d have to make as to why there weren’t any sodding bikes. But next to the bike shop there was a closed off unit. One door, with one tiny window next to it. No signage. And a light was on inside. Bit of a giveaway at 2am when nearly every other business was blacked out.

  “Julie, you’re up,” I whispered. She nodded. Up until recently I’d have avoided sending her into any dangerous situation, but she’d shown herself to be as competent and daring as any of the rest of us. And her immunity to magic gave her a certain advantage over any illusions or mesmers that were being thrown around.

  She trotted across the road and came up to the unit from the left, already putting on a little-girl-lost face. She knocked, waited, hopping from foot to foot, then knocked again. The door opened, barely, and a face appeared. Too far away from us to see clearly. She spoke, he answered, and the door was slammed before she’d finished turning away. She walked up the street a bit before crossing over and doubling back to us.

  “That’s them,” she said. “Either he’s a disguised demon or he got beaten over the head with the ugly stick when he was born.”

  “Any noise? Anyone else around?”

  “No idea. You saw as much as I did – the door wasn’t open more than three inches.”

  “Still, we’re all agreed this is it then?”

  I started nodding. Suddenly Arabella grabbed my arm and squeezed tight. “Don’t look now,” she whispered, “but we have a visitor.”

  “Two, maybe three,” said Zack, a strained look on his face as he flung his senses out.

  The park was mostly taken up with sports facilities. We were at the edge of the baseball diamond, with a row of trees preventing us from being seen by anyone on the street who wasn’t looking very carefully. I knew that whatever gave us cover would provide it just as easily to anyone or anything else, but a quick sweep when we arrived hadn’t revealed anything problematic. Since then we’d had our attention elsewhere, making ourselves vulnerable to a sneak attack.

  “Where are they?” I said, taking a deep breath and relaxing into a casting stance, fingers twitching.

  “I don’t see anything,” Julie said, looking round casually.

  “They’re above us,” said Zack.

  “Oh shit.”

  They dropped simultaneously from the high branches. The air whistled as they fell. My ward went up as a dome just in time, and three paid up members of the ratten horde bounced off and scuttled to the side, where they regrouped. One blocked us from making it to the road and the other two positioned themselves behind.

  “Julie, get in the middle,” I instructed as we shifted positions to match their strategy. Three magic users versus three hugely dangerous and highly skilled demons. Not the odds I’d have gone for, but it was mildly troubling me that we weren’t facing far worse.

  “Quick lesson,” I said, as the battle temporarily settled into a staring contest. “The armor on their backs is stronger than anything we can throw at it. Their tails have got a poisoned tip. It won’t kill you, but you’ll be paralyzed in seconds and you’ll have a front row seat as they eat your intestines.”

  “I’m waiting for the good news,” said Zack.

  “The underbelly, and the throat. It’s the only chance you’ve got.”

  “That’s how you’ve killed them before?” asked Arabella.

  “Not exactly.”

  “You haven’t killed one, have you?” said Zack grimly.

  “No, but I’ve seen it done. Admittedly it was Balam that did it. Making an example. Still, if he can do it, why can’t we?”

  “You want a full list, or shall I simply state the bloody obvious?” spat Arabella.

  The rats started circling clockwise. We matched them. They snarled and bared their yellowed fangs, saliva dripping onto the ground with a hiss. I poked my tongue out. Childish, but what the hell.

  “I’ve got an idea,” I said. “Get your knives out. Remember what I said about the weak areas. Julie, that goes for you too. And I need you to switch places with me.”

  “Seriously?” asked Zack. “She’ll get sliced and diced.”

  “No she won’t. Not if you’re all quick.”

  To her credit, Julie trusted me without saying a word in protest. I edged back while she stepped around me, leaving me in the center.

  “They’re going for it,” said Arabella. As one, the rats sank back on their rear legs, haunches quivering as the muscles tensed.

  “I’m counting on it,” I muttered.

  They jumped at the same instant. That’s the trouble with being used to fighting in large groups – you don’t develop any surprising maneuvers. As they flew through the air I flung my hands wide like I was casting a ward, but they’d be expecting that and would counter accordingly. So I did something else instead.

  Zack flung his knife hand out and threw the other arm instinctively across his face. Then took it away as he realized his rat wasn’t moving. That it was paddling frantically in mid-air. As were the other two, held in place. For now.

  “If you don’t mind,” I said through gritted teeth. “You’ve got about five seconds.”

  Team Malachi did the job. Julie surprised me with how viciously she jammed the knife again and again into the gut, before drawing it upwards across the belly, letting the gray jelly and slop fall out over her hands and onto the ground. By the time I released the rats it was all over and the lifeless bodies hit the earth with a jolt.

  “You okay?” Zack asked. I nodded. “That wasn’t too bad,” he said, kicking one of the bodies to be absolutely sure. “I was expecting worse.”

  “So was I,” I said when I caught my breath. “That’s the problem. They’re unstoppable because they’re vicious little freaks and they attack in numbers. Vast numbers. If this is the right place…”

  “Then why were there only three on guard?” said Julie, completing my thought. “Not that I’m complaining. But still.”

  “Think the kid gave us the wrong address?” Arabella asked.

  “I doubt it.” I walked over to the edge of the trees, staring at what we thought was the depot. “It’s shielded. I can’t make anything out. You reckon there’s only one way in?”

  “No harm in looking,” said Zack.

  There was an alley to the side of the unit, but no side door or any other form of access. We circled the block, coming at it from the other direction, on 51st Street. Another alley here gave us acces
s to the roof space of the adjoining building. Quiet night, so we got up without attracting any attention. A minute later we were on the unit’s roof. A small skylight led down to what looked like an enclosed office area. One desk light on, no sign of anyone.

  “I’m going in,” said Arabella.

  “You’re bloody not,” said Zack, but she shook his arm away and started easing the frame upwards.

  I wasn’t keen on her going in alone, but she was the smallest and lightest, and had probably done this more often than the rest of us put together. We watched her drop onto the floor, regain her balance and swiftly move to the door. Less than a minute later, she was back, hopping onto a desk as Zack and I grabbed her arms and pulled her up.

  “Well?” I demanded.

  “It all looks right. One big open area, multiple rooms round the side. At least one of those rooms looks like it’s packed with food and water.”

  “Sounds promising,” said Zack.

  “But it’s empty,” she said. “Completely empty. If this was the depot, then this slave run already left. It’s over.”

  We sat on the roof, dejected. “On the plus side,” said Arabella, “it looks like he gave up trying to get you.”

  I looked at her. “Except that’s the one thing he’d never do. His…pride wouldn’t let him. I think I have an idea, but let me check something out first.” I took out my phone and dialed Larry Dialgo. Thankfully he picked up on the first ring. “Don’t talk, listen,” I said, and gave him the address. “Has anything been called in, anything at all, from around this locality?”

  “Let me check. Hold on.” He must have put his hand over the phone. The voices became muffled as he shouted out a question. A few seconds later he was back on, talking quietly, the sound of a door closing behind him. “I’m getting strange looks here. At a guess, I’d say you’ve stumbled on a no-go zone as far as we’re concerned.”

  “No-go?”

  “As in, we studiously ignore anything called in to do with that area. Nothing gets logged. All traces disappear. People get visits and told to shut the hell up. You onto something?”

  “I think so. This might be the missing piece of the puzzle.”

  “Great. What do you need me to do?”