by TR Cameron
He released her and moved into a rising backpedal to avoid the blow, and she landed on her back to see the second Kilomea chopping down with a two-handed hatchet. It was more like something you’d use against a tree than a battle ax to use against a person, but the difference seemed largely irrelevant as the well-honed blade descended. She wrenched herself to the side and whipped an arm out to deflect it, managing to redirect it enough that it slammed into the concrete floor beside her head. The impact sent chips of stone flying, one of them carving a line across her cheek and narrowly missing her eye.
Her response was automatic, instinct taking the lead again. She extended the claws on her other hand and raked them down his arm, starting as far up as she could reach and ending at his wrist. They plowed a quartet of bloody furrows through his leather top and into his flesh. He jolted away with a shout of pain and surprise.
Time didn’t permit her to revel in her success, however. The first Kilomea stomped down and smashed her knee against the floor, her last-instant twist the only thing that kept the joint from shattering. As it was, something was at least damaged, based on the fiery anguish that washed up through her. She threw herself into a backward somersault, rising smoothly on her good leg, resting the other on the ground enough to see if it would support her weight. It did, with a blaze of agony, but she wouldn’t trust it. Instead, she extended the claws on her other hand, grinned around the blood trickling into her mouth from her torn cheek, and snarled, “Okay, playtime’s over. Bring it.”
Ruby’s options were decidedly limited. She turned and ran again, this time toward Idryll, who appeared to be injured. A dwarf interposed himself along her path, sending lightning crackling out at her, and she slapped her bracelets together to summon another shield without stopping. She wanted to portal away and cursed herself for not having made the time to set up a safe receiving area. First thing I’m going to do when I have any sort of gap in my schedule. Top priority.
As it stood, she doubted her ability to get through an escape rift without the others following her through it or at the very least identifying where she went. Worse, all the places she would choose to go to were not places she wanted enemies to know about. Sure, I could go out to the middle of the desert, to the collapsed motel or something. For all I know, that would be walking into a trap. No telling if they’ve been watching me, or for how long, or if they’re part of the attack from before. Too damn many unknowns.
She guessed it was an internal streak of conservatism that caused her to feel uncomfortable simply leaping into the unknown, even if it might turn out better than the current situation. At least not until I have to. She bowled the smaller figure over, ramming a knee into his chest when he tried to dodge. The blow stole her momentum, and she made a turning spin and dipped a hand toward the throwing dagger in her boot. The realization that she didn’t want to have to leave the weapon behind when an opportunity to break away arrived stopped her from drawing it, and she growled at her indecision. Quit being an idiot, Ruby. Do something.
She lifted her arm, pointed the dart gun at the nearest Kilomea, who was raising a wicked-looking ax over his head and hit the pad to launch it. The dart flew true and stabbed him in the cheek. He paused, blinked in seeming confusion, then crumpled to the floor. She whispered a quiet thank you to Margrave and continued moving toward her partner.
Idryll had noticed Ruby headed in her direction and had opted for delay rather than continued provocation. When the one with the hatchet went down though, she launched herself at the Kilomea who had damaged her knee. He got his arms up to defend his face, but that wasn’t her target. She transformed into her tiger form in mid-jump, her size increasing to something more appropriate for dealing with him, and slammed into the Kilomea with enough force to send them both flying.
She landed on top of him with a growl. He punched at her nose, and she grabbed the arm in her teeth and wrenched it, biting down. She stopped short of yanking and gnawing hard enough to sever the limb, but he definitely wouldn’t be able to use it again without some serious medical attention. She roared into his face, causing him to blink uncertainly. He was unprepared when she slammed her forehead down onto his, channeling all the strength in her back and neck into the strike, knocking him unconscious.
The transformation had lessened the pain in her knee, but she was still limping as she climbed off his still body and moved toward her partner. Ruby had drawn her pistol and held it extended as she backed slowly toward the door. She said, “I need you to have hands.”
Idryll smoothly transitioned back into her humanoid form and took the box. Ruby cast a force barrier in front of her, and when their enemies surged forward, fired the gun through a small hole in the shield. The anti-magic bullet passed through unhindered to slam into the leg of the nearest. She called, “That was a warning. Anyone who gets near us before we get out of here, dies. I guarantee I have enough bullets for all of you, not to mention what my partner’s carrying.”
From the staircase near the office, the Dark Elf’s laughter rang out. “Let them go.” He shifted his gaze down to them. “I wanted to see what you both were made of. Nice claws, cat lady.”
Idryll gave him a bloody smile. “Don’t forget the teeth.”
He nodded. “Indeed, very impressive. You’ve both proven you’re competent and thus dangerous. Consider what I said. Those qualities can protect the magicals in Ely if you choose to employ them properly. You should definitely do so.”
Idryll opened the exterior door and backed through it, slamming it closed after Ruby joined her outside. Her partner created a portal to a street Idryll recognized near the wreckage of the Mist casino, and they both jumped through. On the opposite side, a drone swooped down on them, and Idryll tensed her muscles to jump away if it started to shoot. Instead, it hovered there.
Ruby snarled, “Invasion of privacy. It’s recording us.” She flipped it off. “See, this is why portals are a problem.” Idryll followed as her partner jogged down the road, confident that they’d soon be veiled and portaling home. After all that fighting, I need a snack.
Chapter Twenty-One
It wasn’t often anymore that Ruby visited her father’s office at Spirits, but every time she did, she was struck by how impressive the surroundings were. If I didn’t know him so well, I might even think he was impressive. She snorted inwardly. He’s amazing, a natural-born leader, and everybody knows it. How’s that for something to live up to?
Daphne also looked impressed. The witch’s introduction to her father had been down in one of the lower offices used for less important meetings. Her roommate seemed nervous, and Ruby poked her. “Chill out. It’ll be great, whatever you have to say.”
Daphne nodded, but her level of agitation didn’t change. She’d refused to share any information ahead of time, claiming the professional thing to do would be to let her employer know first. Ruby thought that was a little over-the-top, given that the woman was an insatiable gossip about most other things, but she wasn’t about to argue. It’s her show. However she wants to do it is fine.
Her father arrived and shook hands with Daphne on his way around the desk. He plopped into his chair and smiled at the two of them. “So, what do you have for me today?”
Her roommate straightened and squared her shoulders, then reached into the bag at her feet. She pulled out a flask, similar in size to the thing heart patients carried on their keychains filled with nitroglycerin pills. She handed it over, and he examined the object from several angles. “This is?”
She replied, “An energy potion with about twenty-five percent of the effectiveness of a full one, at one-sixth the size.”
He nodded with an expression of approval. “Does it scale up?”
“Only to about a hundred and ten percent of the original, for some reason. I managed some improvement there, but my efforts mostly focused on reducing the volume most effectively.”
He set it on the desk, rolling it slightly with a fingertip. “So, what market do you see
for this?”
She smiled and launched into an obviously rehearsed speech. “I think it’s broken down by demographic. For the eighteen to say thirty-five crowd, it can be something they carry around to extend whatever good time they’re having. It has no negative interactions with any other substance anyone’s reported, so if they’ve had a drink or two and need a little boost to keep going, no problem.”
She paused and waited for him to nod, then continued. “For the slightly older crowd, say, thirty-five to sixty, it can be a refresh during the workday, or later when it’s time to be with family. Finally, those sixty-plus can use it to enhance the day whenever they want. Obviously, it’ll be situational in all these cases, but who couldn’t use a little hit of energy now and again?”
Rayar smiled. “That sounds like a good marketing slogan to me. Is it addictive?”
Daphne shook her head, her smile gone. “Physically, no. Psychologically, no more so than a full potion, I would imagine. Although since this will be less expensive, there could be some concern there.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “That’s why we have lawyers. I could see a lot of applications for this in the military and law enforcement, too. I think you have a winner here. So, what do you want to do with it next?”
“I thought we could start marketing it to a test group at a discount, get their responses, that sort of thing. I don’t really know much about marketing.” She was almost apologetic.
Ruby’s father laughed. “Fortunately, since casinos are all about marketing, we have a ton of people who are experts in that discipline. We can use Spirits for distribution, maybe make a game or contest out of it.”
Ruby replied, “Or a comp for high rollers. Keep them at the tables a little longer.”
He nodded, then frowned as he reconsidered. “No, that seems like a great idea at first, but it opens us to accusations of artificially manipulating their spending. The legal team would never sign off on it.”
She laughed. “That’s what the whole comps program in every casino is about, isn’t it? But I get your point. This isn’t quite the same. Offer it to the employees? Give them a little bonus if they volunteer?”
“It’s worth thinking about.” He shifted his gaze to Daphne. “In any case, we’ll find a test group so we can get feedback for both marketing and other concerns. Have you had this examined by a medical professional?”
The witch shook her head. “No, but I totally agree that should be something we do.”
He rolled the cylinder to Ruby, who caught it as it plummeted off the table. “During your next shift, you can escape the casino and consult with our medical contractors.”
She nodded, and Daphne said, “Wait. You work here?”
Ruby chuckled. “A bit.”
“Where do you find the time?”
She shrugged but with a smile. “Here and there, wherever I can fit it in. Fortunately, the boss is pretty flexible on my schedule.” She gestured at her father, then put her hand in front of her mouth and whispered loudly, “He doesn’t know I only come here to sleep.”
Rayar asked, “You weren’t aware my daughter was working here one day a week?” Daphne shook her head. “Well, well, well. Interesting. I’ve been trying to get her to commit for ages, but it was only when I made it a condition of your gig that she agreed. So, even if you hadn’t come up with something so wonderful, I’d still be in your debt.”
Ruby grinned. “Now, Daphne, you’re in mine.” She said the last in a dark, evil tone, then broke into laughter at the concern on her roommate’s face. “No, seriously, it’s nothing to worry about. I negotiated a cut of the profits, so it’s all good.”
The other woman asked, “You’re sure?”
Ruby shrugged. “As long as the conditions of the arrangement don’t change, I’m fine with it, or I wouldn’t have signed on the dotted line.”
Daphne chuckled. “Figuratively, of course.”
Rayar shook his head. “Oh no. There’s a contract. Ruby’s too smart to trust anyone’s word in a business deal.”
Her housemate lifted an eyebrow. “Really? You’re more of a shark than I thought.”
More like a dragon, but sure. She shrugged. “I learned from the best. Now, tell me what you’re going to do next to make us all some money.”
Daphne replied, “Well, since I’ve figured out how to do it for energy potions, I thought it shouldn’t be too tough to do the same thing for healing. The question is, volume first, or effectiveness?”
Morrigan finished her shift overseeing the high rollers area and rode the elevator up to her office to change. It had been a long day, most of it spent on her feet, and she looked forward to relaxing over a meal at the new restaurant at the gnome casino Invention with her best work friend, Stacia. She slipped out of the professional black dress she’d been wearing and into a pair of tight leather pants, high boots, and a flowing red silk top. She checked herself in the mirror and said, “You look like an interesting person. Doubtless, everyone will want to get your number.” She snorted at her reflection and headed for the door.
She met up with Stacia on the casino floor, and they walked together out the front doors. Dusk was falling, and the casinos were like miniature suns. Light radiated out in all colors and directions, from the almost garish displays meant to lure people into the gaming area to the pale illumination of the hotel rooms in the high towers.
Stacia had changed as well, out of her pit boss uniform and into a little black dress that was definitely on the social side of the professional-social continuum. Morrigan said, “Damn, you’re hot.”
The other woman laughed and slapped her arm. “You’re only complimenting me because you’re trying to get out of paying for dinner.”
Morrigan laughed. “Well, you’re half-right. I always speak the truth, but I’m also trying to get out of paying for dinner.”
Stacia shook her head. “Nope. You lost the bet, fair and square. I told you he’d be back.” One of their high rollers had endured an impressive stretch of lucklessness the day before, and Morrigan had predicted he’d end his vacation early. To the casino’s lasting benefit, she’d been wrong, but she owed Stacia a debt of honor in the form of an expensive dinner.
They moved to the far side of the Strip, close to the casinos along that edge, but not too near. Street crime wasn’t frequent in Magic City, but when it happened, it was generally on the side streets that led to the town beyond the casinos. Her roving gaze caught sight of several drones overflying the area, the size and shape of Paranormal Defense Agency units. She scowled, then quickly banished the look and smiled at her friend. “What are you going to get?”
Stacia replied immediately. “Steak, the best cut they have since you’re paying.”
“Wench.”
The other woman laughed at the insult and replied, “Jerkface.”
A pair of guys in jeans and polo shirts who stopped at the sight of them interrupted their banter. The first, dark-haired one spoke to her. “Hey, Red. We’re looking for an adventure. Want to join us?”
Morrigan shook her head. “Got plans already, thanks.”
His companion, a blond with short spiky hair sticking out in all directions, aimed his comments at Stacia. “Aww, come on. Whatever you’re doing, we can do it together.”
Her friend laughed. “Probably a little rich for your blood, boys.”
The first one smirked with an edge of ill humor. “Trust me, we’re men, and we can handle any entertainment you might care to propose.”
The blond stepped directly in front of Stacia, and she stopped short to avoid colliding with him. He urged, “Come on, let’s talk about this.”
Morrigan replied, “No means no, boys,” stressing the last word.
Stacia grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the edge of the street. She said, “We can go in the employee entrance. I’ll call someone to let us in.” The men continued to stand there staring at them, and Morrigan considered whether she should beat them down as a matter of princi
ple. Still, the Dark Elf’s comments from the alleyway rang in her memory, and she couldn’t. They’re scumbags, but words don’t deserve violence in response. Instead, she allowed Stacia to drag her onto the side street. The men followed, but at enough of a distance that they were no longer a factor beyond keeping them from veering back to the Strip.
Morrigan realized what that behavior indicated a moment too late. A trio of Kilomea appeared out of nowhere, and fists pummeled her into unconsciousness before she had time to summon a shield.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ruby opened a portal directly into Demetrius’s bedroom and pulled Margrave through when the older man didn’t move fast enough to satisfy her. She snapped, “Did you find her?”
Demetrius shook his head and continued staring at his screens. His urgency was evident as his hands flew over the keyboards. Even if it had been the most intense concern he’d felt in his life, she was positive it wouldn’t begin to match hers. The idea that someone had taken her sister caused her vision to go white and her temples to pound every time she thought about it. She was as angry as she’d ever been, the emotion tinged with fear, worry, and guilt.
Margrave asked, “Do you see the other locators?”
The infomancer pointed at the leftmost of his three screens, where tiny dots pulsed on a map. Ruby had injected the devices into herself, Morrigan, her brother, and her parents. Idryll had demurred, unwilling to have anything implanted into her. Ruby hadn’t argued, figuring the shapeshifter knew her physiology best.
Margrave scratched his chin. “Obviously, the locators and tracker are working. The only logical conclusions, then, are that they got the locator out and destroyed it since we don’t see it anywhere, or they have her in a place that’s shielded from signals and magic. In that case, the emanations might be limited enough that we can’t detect it from this distance.”
