“Oh, give me a break,” Cora said.
Lucius’ reach and ability to shape the news never ceased to amaze her. The very notion that two vans loaded with fully outfitted Bauer soldiers in riot gear were wandering the streets of Paris late at night on a sightseeing tour was laughable. Even for the sheep out there that took the news at face value, that had to sound preposterous.
Two loud bangs and some cursing came from the lab, drawing Cora’s attention for a moment before shaking it off and turning back to the screen. A reporter in a suit stood outside the Louvre with a beefy guy in plain clothes and a military cut.
“I’m here with one of the heroes of tonight’s dramatic confrontation at the world’s most popular museum. Can you tell us, what’s going through your mind as you see this situation unfolding?”
Unable to take anymore, Cora told the screen what she thought of it and told the holovid AI where to stick it. The picture blanked off. Her Arcadia buzzed with a new message. She swiped the screen out to read it.
We’re being detained.
Cora sighed. Gideon always found a way. The news wasn’t much of a surprise. She already had a pretty good idea the rendezvous would be at gunpoint, judging by Julian’s tone. The fact that he was holding her friends in a cell somewhere on that cramped ship tied her stomach in knots. The man who would be king was starting to get on her last good nerve. She shook her head and typed back.
Sit tight. I’ll be there in the morning.
Cora busied herself over the next few hours by assisting Tesla between rants and repeated attempts to destroy his creation with blunt objects. Madeline emerged from her room as they were well underway, in the early hours of morning. Cora turned her right back around and sent her to bed for whatever short rest she could get. By four in the morning, crates and boxes stacked near an elevator on the opposite end of the bunker. Once the truck was loaded, it was a two hour drive to Amiens for the meet. Cora waited until the last possible minute to wake Madeline.
It took three trips for the girls to load up everything into a truck waiting outside the elevator doors. It opened into an desolate parking garage, Tesla’s truck the only vehicle anywhere in sight. Madeline wheeled a dolly stacked high with square plastic containers into the back. She hadn’t spoken much since waking. Cora finally broke the silence.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
Madeline focused on unloading as she replied. “Every year, like clockwork, I get my implants readjusted. I have to teach myself how to walk again for days while my brain adjusts. This is the same, only better. A woman that I admire has come to live with me, to tell me her heart. It is a gift from God like no other.”
Being a fan of history, Cora couldn’t help but pry. She leaned in, intimating, “What is she like?”
“Innocent. Strong. Her will is unshakable,” she replied, shaking her head. “Books did her no justice.”
“That’s high praise,” Cora said, awed. It was like meeting a celebrity, only more accessible. “From what I understand, Joan of Arc was one of the most studied figures of the Middle Ages.”
“No one realized what they had taken from the world until after she was gone,” Madeline explained with a disgusted curl of her lip. She pulled the dolly away from the boxes and dragged it behind her, down the ramp, and back to the elevator. Cora followed with a dolly of her own.
“Are you okay with this? Coming with me, I mean,” Cora asked.
Madeline raised a finger. “I have one purpose now - to use the light in me to destroy Lucius. If you bring me closer to that goal, I will walk beside you. Fail me, and I leave.”
“That sounds fair,” Cora replied.
She wasn’t so sure about ‘destroying’ Lucius, but putting an end to whatever war he had planned would suffice. She reflected on their last conversation, the words between his words. There was a hidden pain or sorrow, perhaps a regret for the monster he portrayed. It gnawed at her, as though he was trying to say the coming war wasn’t his choice. Cora couldn’t imagine what could hold the most powerful of the dragons to do something he didn’t want to, but that was a topic he refused to broach with her.
Madeline made the second artifact holder she’d met that would like to see Lucius dead. The dragon’s words turned in her head, that she’d someday hate him. She hoped it wasn’t true, but all the prophecies running around kept coming to pass. Perhaps it was fate that her heart would turn, too.
Before the first light of day, Cora was driving north, squeezed tight beside Tesla and Madeline. Vincent passed contentment across their empathic link, enjoying the wind in his feathers from the roof. Her map took her through roads and highways she’d never been on before. There was a childish glee as the sun rose, showing the French countryside as if she were on a road trip. Cora tried to enjoy it, even as anxiety crept in that she was only taking the highway so Julian’s men could jam her in a cell on his metal coffin under the ocean.
Two hours of driving dropped her in Amiens. Lush green leaves reflected off a sparkling canal as they arrived. Beyond the waters, an ancient cathedral stood above the simple homes dotting the farmlands. She wanted so badly to get out and explore, but her route took her off the main roads. She ended up on a dirt road, tucked west of the cathedral. Forest grew thick the further she went. By a mile in, the trees on both sides of the road formed a canopy above, conspiring to block out the sun. The road ended a little further down, in a clearing with an abandoned farmhouse. With all the empty fields of green surrounded by forest, it was a wonderful place to get shot.
Beside the remnants of a barn, a truck sat parked. Even larger than the glorified moving van Cora took to get there, she imagined it more of a troop transport with its olive coloring and armor plating. One soldier leaned against the front grill, waiting for her.
“Alright, everyone out,” Cora sighed. “I’ll make some introductions and see what happens next.”
“What happen next, Cora?” Tesla asked.
She turned, uncertain how to answer. She met Tesla’s eyes, then Madeline. “Trust me, please. No matter what happens, I will ensure your safety. I promise.”
Cora got out and offered a hand to help Tesla out. Madeline came around from the other door to assist. The doctor became frustrated and waved them off.
“I’m old and slow, not cripple,” he grumbled.
Cora raised her hands and stepped back, letting him get out himself. She glanced at Madeline, the first chance she’d had to see her whole outfit. It was a change to see her in normal clothes. She wore a shirt off one shoulder with a stenciled potato and French words on it, probably some meme Cora was too old or too foreign to understand. Her dark blue pants disappeared into knee-high black boots.
“I love your boots,” she said. “Really stylish.”
Madeline crossed her arms, uninterested in discussing fashion. “I can hide more knives in them.”
“Oh. Well, good,” Cora said with a heavy breath.
“Thank you, though,” she said begrudgingly. “I...like yours, too.”
Cora smiled. At least Madeline was trying. The girl was pretty rough around the edges, but it was obvious there was more similar about them than different. She didn’t have the chance to be a kid, grew up too fast, and somehow became a player in a war she never asked for, fought in the shadows.
Tesla finally crept to the ground and walked alongside them, crossing over the dirt path to the soldier awaiting their arrival. Cora had only made it halfway before the passenger door of the truck opened. Julian stepped out and walked a few steps to meet her.
“Caw,” Vincent squawked as he circled above. Something bothered him.
The click of metal and the rustle of grass marked the arrival of six men on either side of the clearing popping up from cover. Rifles drawn, every weapon pointed at Cora. She froze mid-step, looked about and put her attention to Julian. She shook her head and put her hands on her hips.
“I thought we were past this, Julian,” she said.
“So did I,�
�� he replied, stepping within a few feet of her. He looked behind her at Madeline and Tesla. “You have nothing to fear, neither of you. This is between myself and Cora. We will talk shortly.”
Madeline opened her mouth to speak, but Cora raised a finger to silence her. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “It’s okay. I promised.”
Back to Julian, she said, “What’s this about now?”
“Don’t play dumb,” Julian snapped. “The second we breach, two vans full of Bauer trash descend on us like locusts. They just happened to be in the neighborhood?”
Cora pressed a hand to her chest. “You think I’m a mole, is that it?”
Julian stepped dangerously close to Cora, until she could feel his breath on her face. “Anything interesting happen over breakfast yesterday? A detail you might have neglected to share?”
Her eyes shut. She knew how it must have looked, even if she knew better. Either Julian had her followed, or he’d extracted the information from Gideon. Now was not the time ask which one it was. Cora tried to find the right words to say.
“Truth is, I don’t know how Lucius knew what hotel I was at,” she said. “He called the hotel and was already waiting at the cafe across the street.”
Julian shoved a finger in her face, raising his voice. “You need to explain this. How is it he’s trying to kill you one minute and split a tart with you the next?”
Cora held out her hands. “I don’t know, okay? It’s so hard to explain unless you’ve been there from the beginning. We sit down, we talk, we leave. We know each one of us is going back and plotting against the other, but somehow...we can still talk. I don’t even understand it myself.”
“Are you even listening to yourself?” Julian yelled. “It’s just a spot of tea, a quick chat, and ‘Good show at the last battle. Hope I kill you next time, love.’”
Cora clamped her mouth shut and choked down a chuckle. It was that Marine Drill Sergeant trainer all over again.
“Is it true?” Madeline asked from behind her.
Cora talked over her shoulder. “That I sat down and talked face-to-face with Lucius? Yes. That I’m working for him? No, Julian has this all wrong.”
“To hell with that,” Julian snapped. His men took a step forward, closing in on all sides. “You show up and all of the sudden the dragon knows where I’m going to be?”
Cora sighed. “I get how it looks. I’d even agree with you, there might be a mole, but it isn’t me.”
“Swear to me,” Madeline said.
“I’m sorry, who is this child?” Julian motioned to her annoyed.
Cora raised an eyebrow. “She’s the ninja that’s been kicking your men’s asses,” she said, turning to Madeline. She placed a hand on her heart and looked her right in the eye. “I swear on the spirit of my father, Still River, I am not conspiring with Lucius at all.”
Madeline swayed, staring into her eyes from every angle. Satisfied, she turned her attention to Julian. “I believe her. Tell your men to stand down. She’s not lying to you.”
“Are you giving the orders now, then?” Julian scoffed.
“Take those weapons off Cora, now,” Madeline warned.
Cora held up her hands. “Madeline, you don’t need-”
“One,” she said.
“Two,” Julian challenged, putting his hand over a holster at his hip.
In a blur, Madeline swooped under Cora’s arms and twirled. By the time Cora or Julian could see her clearly again, one hand rested on Julian’s weapon arm, the other pressed a knife to his throat. Julian’s back straightened. Two guards adjusted their aim from Cora to Madeline. Julian raised his free hand to halt them.
“Oh, shit,” Cora said. She thought she was bad at first impressions.
“You do not point gun at girl!” Tesla yelled, extending his arm.
In his hand, he gripped a metallic ball. Wires wrapped around the outside of it, some of them duct-taped flush. Cora had no idea what kind of contraption she was looking at until he removed a grenade pin from the top of it.
“Oh, God, what the hell is that?” Cora yelled.
“Bad men try to take machine, I need to destroy,” he replied, staring daggers at Julian. “So I invent plasma grenade to melt metal.”
“Christ, man!” Julian shouted, eyes wide.
Cora kept her hands raised and motioned with her head to Tesla. “Julian, we’ve gone from a misunderstanding to a crazy grandpa with a homemade grenade. Can we dial this back a touch?”
Julian’s eyes shifted from the blade at his neck to the old man. “He’s bluffing.”
“Are you kidding me?” Cora shouted.
“Enough!” a voice yelled out. It was commanding, loud, and seemed to come from all around them at once. Soldiers startled. Cora felt her heart in her throat, praying her new friends didn’t do something dumb.
Her eyes moved behind Julian. An old man approached from the truck, walking with a cane.
“Merlin?” Cora said in disbelief. She turned to Julian for answers.
He rolled his eyes. “How did you get here, old man?”
Merlin walked up beside Julian, his brow furrowed. In a three-piece brown suit, he looked like he was ready to go to a show. He struck Julian in ankle with his cane, drawing a wince from the normally stoic commander.
“Last I checked, I’m still a damn wizard,” Merlin replied. “I wouldn’t have to be skulking around the back of your truck as house cat, but you knew. You knew damn well if you told me what you were doing coming out here I’d call you a fool and tell you to stop.”
“We have a bloody mole!” Julian shouted, his eyes glancing down to Madeline.
Merlin huffed and put his cane in the crook of his arm. With his other hand, he held it flat at shoulder level, then moved it toward the ground. Every soldier around them lowered their guns in spite of themselves. The men grunted as they resisted, but it proved a pointless endeavor. The wizard bowed his head to Cora.
“My apologies, my dear,” he said. He nodded at Madeline and Tesla. “And to you, our new guests. Let us put this ugliness aside and get back to our base. Don’t you think that’s a wonderful idea, young man?”
“Tip-top,” Julian replied through gritted teeth.
Cora rested her hand on Madeline’s shoulder. The girl relaxed, releasing her knife from Julian’s throat. Tesla pushed the pin back into his grenade. Cora pointed at the unassuming horror he’d created.
“We are going to have a long talk about that later,” she said.
“First,” Merlin said, raising a finger. “We shall ride separate. You follow us. It will give both sides a chance to calm down and talk a bit.”
“I have plenty I can’t wait to say, old man,” Julian said with a scowl.
Merlin stared a hole into Julian and continued, “When we reach the base, I want to speak with the two of you. Alone. This will not happen again.”
“Understood,” Cora replied. She waved Madeline and Tesla to follow her to the truck before Julian opened his fat, pompous mouth and started another standoff.
Madeline was kind enough to keep her trap shut until they were in the cab. “He’s an ass.”
“Yes. Yes, he is,” Cora replied, letting out a long sigh. “But he’s our ass.”
The Pendragon Codex
Cora despised the clank of metal her boots made with every step along the floors of the submarine. She hated the artificial light, the soldiers every ten feet pretending to be statues, but most of all, she hated the recycled air she breathed. Man was never meant to live like this. She pushed open the door to the secondary mess hall flanked by two guards. Inside, Johnny, Gideon, and Giovanna rose from their lunch.
“Oh, they released you guys already?” Cora said. “I’m so glad.”
“That Merlin guy ordered it before Julian left the base,” Johnny replied. He looked her up and down. “Damn. Looks like you pulled an all-nighter.”
Giovanna waved a hand in front of her face. “You smell like it, too, patatina. Is th
at vodka and sweat?”
“Both,” Cora replied, touching her nose. “Must be those fancy implants. Are you guys alright?”
Johnny smiled and waved her off. “Don’t worry about us, they’re kittens. They look tough, but a lot of these kids are green as grass.”
“I’m going to have a little talk with our fearless leader in there,” Cora said, cracking her neck. “I’m expecting a lot of my words to be loud. This won’t be happening again.”
Gideon raised a finger, saying, “Yeah, about that. If we’re staying on to do this jailbreak, I really have to talk to you about the logistics. Julian wasn’t exaggerating when he said it was suicide.”
Cora nodded. “I know. I also know I’m going to pull it off.”
“Another prophecy?” Giovanna asked with a raised eyebrow. She didn’t buy it, but she’d never seen it in action herself.
A loud knock at the door served as a warning only a second before it opened. One of Julian’s soldiers came in, his Royal Army fatigues and buzzcut making him indistinguishable from every other man on the ship.
“Yes?” Cora asked.
“The Sergeant is ready for you, mum,” he said.
Cora scoffed and shook her head, looking at Giovanna in disbelief. “Do I really look like a mum? I’m too young for mum, aren’t I?”
“Brits,” Giovanna replied. She waved to Cora. “Have fun with your talk. If you’re losing, just get close enough for him to smell you.”
Cora followed the soldier out the door, flipping the bird to Giovanna over her shoulder. She trudged down another featureless metal hall, clanging the whole way. It wasn’t until the guard rested beside an open door that she realized it was Merlin’s office again. The wizard sat behind his desk. Julian already occupied one chair at her left, an empty one beside him at her right. She shut the door behind her and took a seat. Julian kept a tight jaw, but the vibe she got from him was smoldering flames.
The Pendragon Codex Page 14
