“You think he knows we’re following him?”
“I suspect as much. Perhaps his outwitting of the Widowmaker wasn’t due to chance, as we thought. He must have access to powerful magical allies.”
Reyal squinted. “There’s so much sun here, and no buildings to hide in. A plan to distract and weaken us.”
“By Brownstone?”
“Yes.”
Zavan dismissed that outright. “His plans are worthless unless they keep us away from him. We’re close now, so he’s failed, and he will suffer for his failure.”
Reyal glared at the sun as if she could frighten the star into setting. “Why couldn’t we have done this somewhere far from this wretched sun-soaked land?”
Zavan snorted. “If Brownstone came here thinking a minor inconvenience would allow him victory, he’s far more foolish than we realized. It doesn’t matter. We have the cloaks, and we are three. He is but one. Being powerful for a human still means he’s merely human.”
Kaella used her free hand to grab three dark cloaks from behind the front passenger seat and passed them to her fellow Drow. They slipped them on, which required some twisting in the tight seating of the sports car.
“I hope Brownstone resists,” Kaella murmured. “It won’t be as much fun if he doesn’t.”
Zavan frowned. “Remember our orders. We need to find the princess. That should be foremost in our minds.”
“We’ve wasted so much time waiting. We should have attacked him days ago.”
“Waiting has left Brownstone far from his seat of power and allies. This way if battle is necessary we won’t have outsiders interfering, and if he doesn’t resist questioning there won’t be others around to overhear.”
Kaella snorted. “Questioning him is unnecessary. We can trace her essence from his corpse.”
“Maybe. Such a spell isn’t certain, though, and his magical allies have already proven to have enough power to block our other tracking spells.” Zavan shook his head. “We won’t make the same mistake Widowmaker did. Our pleasures will come after our duty and mission. The princess is key to the future of the Drow. Take pleasure from completing the will of our Queen. Everything else is secondary.”
The Drow stepped out of the vehicle, their long dark hooded cloaks covering their features and protecting them from obnoxious rays of the sun.
Kaella grinned at the pulsing black orb, the magical compass guiding them straight to James Brownstone. “He’s so close now. If he knew we were following him, he should have kept running and prayed to whatever gods he worships that we would never find him.”
“Bravery,” Zavan suggested. “Respectable, but in this case, ultimately futile.”
“We’re thirty minutes out from the LZ,” the helicopter pilot announced.
Sergeant Mack wasn’t sure if the LAPD borrowing National Guard choppers to go after Oricerans was remotely legal, but he figured he’d leave that discussion to people far above his pay grade.
The thump and judder of the helicopter as it cut through the sky made conversation difficult. The AET officers were all strapped into their seats, their armor ready and their helmets in their lap. Some carried pensive expressions, while others were excited.
Sergeant Mack sat next to Lieutenant Hall. He lacked full AET armor, but he did have a bulletproof vest—not that he thought it’d do him much good against magic.
He leaned toward the AET team leader. “Thanks for letting me come along, Lieutenant.”
“I still don’t think you get how dangerous this shit is going to be, Mack.”
“I’ve been on plenty of scenes when AET took a guy down.”
“Yeah, but these Drow make someone like King Pyro look like nothing. Even with deflectors, many of my guys ended up in the hospital the last time we tangled with one. This time it’s a triple threat.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I only said yes because I didn’t need a bunch of drama right as we were taking off, but that changes nothing. You stay the hell behind us. You have a chance for a lucky shot, then be my fucking guest, but you try to be a hero out there against any of those three monsters? They’ll kill you like nothing. You got me?”
“Yeah, I got you. But last time you fought a Drow you didn’t have Brownstone helping you.”
“Even the Scourge of Harriken is just a man in the end, Mack.”
“And those Drow are just fancy elves. Magic may make you powerful, but it doesn’t make you immortal.”
Lieutenant Hall nodded. “Let’s damn well hope so, for everyone’s sake.”
James stood in the center of the dried lakebed, waiting as the dark cloaked figures closed on him. He doubted he’d survive the next hour.
Fuck, should have brought a water bottle with me. I’m thirsty.
The amulet whispered in his mind, but he was back to not being able to understand it.
I wonder if you actually say anything useful.
He pulled out his phone. No cell signal. The AET had depended on his phone to track him. He hoped they could at least spot his truck and follow his trail from there.
What the fuck does it matter? They aren’t here now, and the Drow are. Thanks, Lieutenant Hall. At least you tried, but somehow I knew this shit would come down to me and these sonsabitches.
There was still the chance he was wrong and the Drow didn’t want to fight him, or have anything to do with Alison. Maybe they were just Oriceran fans of his. A man could always hope.
James let his hands drop to his sides and waited for the Drow to move nearer. They closed to ten yards, and he frowned.
He’d been expecting dark skin, white hair, and red eyes, but instead, he saw three normal-looking humans. Almost too normal. Bland humans in suits with no distinguishing characteristics other than the dark cloaks they were wearing.
“Shapeshifting?” James called.
The tallest, a man, shook his head. “A simple illusion spell. It lacks the depth of modification used by Widowmaker.”
“Widowmaker? Who the fuck is that?”
The man chuckled. “Ah, the Drow assassin you had your allies eliminate.”
James grimaced. “A nickname. Of course she had a fucking nickname, and who are you supposed to be, the Terrible Trio?”
One of the women glared at him. “Watch your tongue, human, or I’ll remove it.”
The man silenced her with a raised arm. “His attitude is amusing. Let’s respect his bravery, Kaella.”
“As you say, Zavan.”
James looked between the two of them. “Actual names. Nice.” He nodded toward the other woman. “And her?”
“I am Reyal,” she declared.
“Guess you know who I am, already, huh?”
Zavan nodded. “James Brownstone, a man they sometimes call the Granite Ghost and the Scourge of Harriken. You’ve earned many impressive victories and titles, Brownstone.”
“Not my fault. People keep fucking with me. I just try to mind my own business.” He shrugged. “Speaking of which, why are you all so interested in me?”
Zavan smiled. “We bear you no ill will, Brownstone. We simply seek to recover that which belongs to our people, and to do that we must find the Princess of the Shadow Forged. We know she’s on Earth. We know she was in Los Angeles, and we know you were in contact with her.”
James grunted. The next part was going to be more than a little awkward.
“First of all,” he began, “and let me make this shit clear—I didn’t kill her, but she’s dead. Those Harriken guys, the ones I’m the scourge of, they tortured her. But you don’t have to worry, I’ve destroyed almost all the Harriken. They’re done as a group. I got her revenge.”
Zavan, Reyal, and Kaella exchanged glances.
The Drow man chuckled and shook his head, still in his bland human disguise. “No, not the last princess. When her mother died, the title passed to the daughter. Where is the girl?”
James' hands tightened into fists and his heart beat faster. The amulet whispered in his mind. This time he
could somewhat understand it. It wanted to fight. It wanted to test itself against the new foes.
You’re just a masochist, huh? Do you even give a shit that we might not be able to win?
The amulet whispered something—a denial, perhaps.
“Why do you even want her?” James countered.
Pretending he didn’t even know about Alison seemed pointless. The Drow had traveled all the way from Oriceran and tracked him down. Magic or simple investigation, they obviously already knew he was in contact with her.
Zavan shrugged. “It’s as I said—she’s the new Princess of the Shadow Forged. Her destiny and duty lie with her people.” He pointed to his heart. “With us. Among other things, we suspect that her magical education has been neglected. Can you claim that you can offer that?”
“Me? Fuck no, but I know people who can, and she’s with them now.”
“I see. That would explain why we’ve had such trouble tracking her down.”
James’ gaze flicked between the three. No one’s hands were tensed and ready to go for a weapon or throw off a magical bolt. That could be a good thing in that they weren’t ready to fight, or a bad thing in that they held him in such contempt they didn’t think they needed to be ready to do so.
How do I know they are even bad? They might just be assholes. It’s all rumors. Maybe they are just misunderstood.
The amulet hissed in his mind, urging him toward battle.
“Maybe we could talk about you meeting her,” James suggested. “With some rules and limits, and if she agrees to it.”
“Agrees to it? Her queen demands it. There is no ‘agreeing to it.’”
James snorted. “See, that just shows that you don’t know her. I’m not gonna force a traumatized girl to be jerked around by a bunch of adults for political shit.”
“Political shit?” Kaella sneered. “Brownstone just wants the legacy. Greedy, like all of his kind.”
“That’s bullshit. That’s not even mine. That’s hers.”
The Drow woman smiled. “So he does know of the legacy.”
Shit. That probably didn’t help things.
Zavan took a single step forward, his smile disappearing. “We have our orders. The princess’ opinion is irrelevant. She will return to Oriceran and rejoin the Drow. She will not be polluted by further manipulations by humans and other weak races.”
James grunted. “Fuck, Zavan. I thought we had a good discussion going, and now you have to go and be a little magical Nazi.”
He snorted. “I’ve read about your Nazis. They were weak humans in uniforms. We are Drow. We are all strong.”
Reyal fingers twitched.
Yeah, almost go time.
The amulet all but shouted in James’ mind.
Kaella spat on the ground. “This is a waste. You’re nothing, Brownstone—a pathetic and weak human who has lucked into victories against pathetic and weak opponents. You know of the legacy, and it is your greed that motivates you, not care for the princess. You think you can use that wish, human?”
James pointed at Kaella. “I don’t want or need her fucking wish. I didn’t even ask to be the caretaker of it. Her mom made me. I’ve told the girl about it, but she hasn’t made up her mind about what she wants to use it for.”
Kaella’s eyes bulged. “It’s not hers to use on frivolous matters. It is for our people, to be used at the discretion of the queen.”
The three Drow spread out, their legs bent and their hands up.
“This is your last chance, Brownstone,” Zavan announced. “Tell us where the princess is. If you don’t, you won’t even be given the dignity of a quick death. We will assure your death is slow and painful.”
James sighed and shook his head. “You’re a real fucked-up piece of shit. If this is what the Drow are like, I don’t want Alison anywhere near them.”
“Alison? That’s her name. Interesting. You won’t win, Brownstone. You think because Widowmaker was beaten, you’ll win? She was an assassin. She struck best when the target was unaware. We’re not assassins. We are warriors.”
Kaella lifted her hands, and a cloud of black energy enveloped them. “It’s time we beat the stupid human.” A nimbus of dark energy surrounded her body. “After we torture you and get the information we need, I will enjoy feeding on your soul.”
James gestured for her to attack. “Let’s see what you got.”
The Drow charged with a sick grin on her face. James met her with a full-force punch in the chest. Kaella flew back several yards and hit the ground, rolling to a stop a few feet away. She growled and pushed herself off the ground.
James gave her a polite nod. “If I’d hit a human that hard, he’d probably be dead now. You’re tough.” He cracked his knuckles. “But I’m beginning to wonder if I’m tougher.”
The amulet’s joy spilled into his mind.
Yeah, you’re gonna get your ass-kicking time, you sick piece of shit.
The Drow all whipped their cloaks off and tossed them to the ground, squinting under the sun’s ray. They shimmered for a moment, and the three bland humans in suits vanished, replaced by three dark-skinned, white-haired, red-eyed Drow with long pointed ears. They all wore tight-fitting armor composed of tightly overlapping dark scales with an almost carapace-like appearance. Dark energy fields surrounded all three, and blades of pure shadow extended from their arms.
“Have you ever flayed a man, Brownstone?” Zavan asked, his wide smile revealing gleaming white teeth. “Slowly, surely, you can peel away the man’s skin and his will. I wonder how long it’ll take with you. Hours? Days? Weeks? Do you have the will to last months, even?”
“I think we should start with his manhood,” Kaella suggested.
Reyal shook her head. “Blind him first. The anticipation of pain as he hears us near him will make it hurt worse.”
James grimaced. “You are some sick fucks, but are you going to boast, or you just going to toast out here in the sun?”
23
Reyal charged this time, ducking James’ fist and slashing with a shadow blade extending from her arm. Despite the ephemeral appearance, it sliced open his shirt and chest like any other solid blade and burned, not from heat, but from intense cold.
The amulet’s joy flooded his mind, unnerving him.
Fucking masochist. It’s my damned body getting shredded.
James hissed and jumped back, whipping out his .45. He pulled the trigger several times. Reyal jerked back and stumbled, but no actual holes appeared in her armor or body.
The bounty hunter kept firing, backpedaling until his gun clicked empty. He ejected the magazine and loaded a new one. The Drow had gotten the better of him in that exchange.
Zavan and Kaella continued to watch and not intervene, faint smiles on their faces.
You fuckers think I’m so weak that you don’t need to gang up on me?
James unloaded his new magazine into Reyal. Each strike seemed to land, but when his gun finally clicked empty a second time, only a few spots of blood marred the ground. A single hole in her armor and flesh sealed itself within seconds.
James ejected the magazine and reloaded again. “That’s fucking annoying.”
Reyal grinned and circled him. “Do you not yet understand, Brownstone? Mere strength is insufficient. You’re powerful for a human, but nothing against a Drow.”
James snorted. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard a variation of that fucking speech?”
“I don’t care. You’ve not faced us before.”
Reyal rushed forward and slashed again.
The bounty hunter brought up his arm to block on instinct.
Shit, this isn’t some Harriken katana. Guess I’ll find out if a healing potion can grow my arm back.
The blade sliced into his sleeve but bounced off his skin like he’d expect from any metal sword.
Reyal frowned and stabbed for her next attack. It stung, but didn’t leave more than a scratch. James put two rounds into her and bac
khanded her when she was recovering from the shots. The Drow flew through the air with a groan.
Overjoyed. That’s what the amulet felt. That was what it was whispering about. He was sure of it.
James holstered his pistol and chuckled, his stomach unknotting itself as his confidence returned. “Fuck, and I was even starting to let myself get worried.” He winced. The original slice still ached, but the other blows had barely scratched him. “Guess you should have cut my head off when you had the chance, assholes.”
Reyal hopped off the ground, her nimbus darkening around her. She wiped the blood off her face as her cuts sealed themselves.
Zavan thrust out his arm and an inky bolt of darkness flew toward James. The bounty hunter didn’t even bother to dodge, convinced his amulet could take the hit.
The bolt tore through his left shoulder and knocked him back. He grunted as he hit the ground, pain shooting through his arm and shoulder. He hissed and forced himself back to his feet.
Would you make up your fucking mind?
The amulet’s whispers grew loud and insistent.
The Drow smiled. “Arrogance has felled much greater warriors than you, James Brownstone. You should also understand that we’re restraining ourselves.”
“What, am I supposed to give you a fucking medal or something?”
“We still have need of something from you. Otherwise, this farce would have already ended with your body in shreds.” Zavan shook his head. “Cease your arrogant resistance. I no longer find it amusing.”
With a grimace, James inspected his shoulder wound. The hole went all the way through and burned, but no blood dripped from it. A thin layer of ice coated the damage.
“Fuck you,” offered James. “You’ve got no business bitching about me being arrogant, you sonofabitch.”
Something thumped in the distance, but James kept his attention on the Drow. He took several steps back and grabbed a grenade. He tossed it toward Zavan but not directly at the ground before yanking out a K-Bar and sprinting forward.
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