The Myth Manifestation

by Lisa Shearin

  Fit in, yes. Blend in? Never. The sight of Mago Benares strolling down any New York street was going to cause traffic accidents—and people walking into lightposts and each other.

  The elf smiled in a flash of white teeth, his eyes glittering. “Lady Sagadraco has promised to take me on a tour of this great city’s financial district.”

  Oh boy.

  Rake had told me that the Benares family didn’t get all their money from the business end of a cannon. Before he was an ambassador, Mago was a banker to kings and the equivalent of Citicorp’s CFO.

  “I like new challenges,” Mago was saying.

  Mago Benares was a gentleman adventurer who could change identities like a custom-made jacket. A banker and a pirate.

  I grinned and leaned toward the boss. “Is the financial district ready for him?”

  She laughed. “Most assuredly not. That will be the fun of it. And for the most fun of all, tomorrow Lord Danescu and I will take the ambassador on a visit to the New York Stock Exchange. Rake has arranged for us to be present at the ringing of the opening bell.”

  At least the elf banker/pirate would be supervised. If anyone could keep Mago Benares out of trouble, it would be the boss. Maybe. Then again . . .

  I shook my head. “Mago and Rake at the Stock Exchange? Someone should tell those people to be afraid—very, very afraid.”

  Ms. Sagadraco traded a secretive smile with Mago Benares. “I think Lord Danescu’s life is about to be more disrupted than those of this city’s financial titans.”

  I froze. “Excuse me?”

  She stood. “If you will accompany us, Agent Fraser, all will be made clear.”

  Mago offered one arm to Ms. Sagadraco, the other to me.

  “Have I told you about my cousin Raine?” he asked me as we left the garden. “I believe the two of you have much in common.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Rake was deep in conversation with Dakarai Enric, and could only glance at me and raise an eyebrow to see me arrive in the elevator with Mago and Ms. Sagadraco. I pointed at the boss and shrugged to let him know it was her idea, and that I was clueless as to why I was here.

  The furniture had been cleared from the center of the penthouse’s sitting room. What had looked to be merely part of a pattern in the carpet was a large circle, at least ten feet in diameter. I looked closer, and the circle was more than silver colored; that part of the carpet had been inlaid with actual silver.

  A conjuring circle.

  In the center was a huge, ornately framed standing mirror. The setup was amazingly similar to the now-destroyed portal in the hotel’s basement. Intricate runes had been carved into the dark wood. It was a travel mirror. Now that the magetech generator had been destroyed, it could be used.

  I didn’t know Rake had one, but considering his position in goblin intelligence, having his own mirror to travel between our world and his made sense.

  Mago walked slowly to one of the penthouse’s floor-to-ceiling windows, which were now clear of the pocket dimension’s distortion. His eyes were gleaming, like a hawk seeing a whole world of squirrels.

  The Regor Regency was only thirteen stories tall, but to an elf who had never seen anything except Renaissance-era-sized cities, it must have been overwhelming. Though if it’d been me in his polished designer shoes, the view of Lower Manhattan would’ve made me run and hide in a closet.

  Mago didn’t look like he wanted to either run or hide. He wanted to explore and conquer.

  “Wondrous,” the elven banker turned ambassador breathed. “I cannot wait to go out.”

  “Come, Agent Fraser.” Ms. Sagadraco gestured for me to go with her into Rake’s study. “We can see and hear what transpires in complete anonymity.”

  “Can you at least give me a clue?” I asked.

  “The goblin colonial governor is about to be taken into custody and sent home under guard. The elven governor was sent home this morning before we had breakfast. SPI enforces the law in the supernatural communities on this world, but these are elf and goblin colonies. We prefer that their home governments police their own. If they did not, we would step in by necessity.” She paused. “I need to witness both transfers, but not be seen. This is an elf and goblin matter.”

  “Then why am I here?”

  Vivienne gave me the smallest of smiles. “For what comes after.”

  I felt the mirror activate, the surface rippling. The ripple turned into a swirl. Then the swirl began to rotate, faster and faster.

  My stomach tried to do the same thing, and I had to look away.

  The first goblin came through.

  He wore matte black armor, and was heavily armed with a pair of curved goblin sabers in a harness over his shoulders, plus daggers wherever his armor allowed room. He looked like he’d just stepped off the cover of a fantasy novel.

  Five more identically armed and armored goblins followed.

  The penthouse doors opened, and Gethen Nazar and his mage security team escorted Gremien Pivaine and Dagara Jakome inside. The goblin colonial governor saw the guards and the mirror, and balked. Gethen gripped one arm, and one of his men took the other. They had to half drag, half carry the governor to the mirror and whatever fate awaited him on the other side. From his reaction, his fate wasn’t going to be pretty.

  Dagara Jakome stood straight and tall. Other than a slight hesitancy in her step, she betrayed no emotion. Unlike the governor, Dagara was wearing what Rake had once told me were magic-blocking manacles. They knew who was dangerous.

  The first words that passed between the disgraced governor and the goblin ambassador were too quiet for me to hear.

  Dakarai then raised his voice to be heard by everyone in the room. “You have disgraced our king and abused our people for the last time, Gremien.”

  “You will address me as Your Excellency. I am the rightful—”

  “You were the rightful governor of this colony. You are no longer.” Dakarai Enric smiled and pulled a roll of parchment from somewhere in his robes. It was bound by a black ribbon held in place by a blood-red wax seal. The design pressed into the seal looked like a snake, making that piece of parchment look not only official, but bad news for the recipient.

  He handed it to Gremien. “A royal decree from our king, Chigaru Mal’Salin, revoking your charter and your title.” The goblin paused for dramatic effect. “As well as your right to live on this world. You are an embarrassment to the crown and the goblin people.”

  Gremien Pivaine read the decree, then drew himself up haughtily. “And if I refuse?”

  “There is nothing for you to refuse. If you resist, I have been authorized to revoke not only your right to live on this world, but your right to live.” He paused once more. “Effective immediately.”

  The ex-governor raised his chin. I couldn’t help but notice that it quivered a little. “Will you carry out the usurper’s decree?”

  Usurper? Oh, now he’s done it.

  “There’ll be a line,” I muttered.

  “My Lord Enric,” Rake intoned solemnly. “I would consider it an honor to dispatch the traitor.”

  “With all due respect, Lord Danescu,” Gethen said. “You should not sully your hands with a traitor to our people and king. As your security chief, it is my duty, and would be my pleasure, to carry out the king’s command in your stead.”

  Good grief, there was a line.

  Dakarai spread his hands. “I find myself flush with offers, Gremien.” The goblin closed the distance between them. Gremien wasn’t handcuffed, and his guards were no longer holding his arms, but Dakarai didn’t care. His eyes bored into the ex-governor. “Do you wish to resist and defy the king’s command? Then we shall end your miserable existence here and now.” The ambassador turned to Rake. “Since you are our host, I must point out the mess dispatching this one may cause.”

  Rake almost smiled and graciously inclined his head. “Into every execution a little blood must fall. Do not concern yourself with the carpets.
They can be cleaned.”

  Dagara Jakome stepped forward and shoved Gremien toward the mirror. “He will not resist. Nor will I.” She glanced at Rake. “I assume that is why I was brought here?”

  “It was,” Rake replied.

  “May I ask what will happen to the governor’s staff?”

  “The senior staff is being taken into custody, to be sent back to Regor as soon as possible.”

  Dagara’s smile was slow and dangerous. “Have a care, Rake. Many of them have bite to go with their barks.” She cast a dismissive glance at Gremien. “Unlike this miserable specimen.”

  “If they cannot be cannot be taken into custody without undue danger,” Rake said, “my people have instructions to kill them and return their corpses to Regor for identification and disposal. The roundup has already begun, and I am confident that what is necessary is being done.”

  “Perhaps I have misjudged you,” she said. “Perhaps you are as ruthless as I had hoped.”

  “And you are precisely what I have always known you to be.”

  Dakarai nodded to the first goblin guard who had come through the mirror. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  The goblin gestured silently, and two of the royal guards stepped through the mirror. Another guard took Gremien Pivaine by the arm and walked the clearly reluctant ex-governor through. They were followed by Dagara Jakome and her guard, and the final two goblins brought up the rear.

  “You may come out now, Vivienne and Makenna,” Rake said.

  “Well, that was satisfying, yet borderline unpleasant,” I noted.

  Dakarai smiled at Mago. “Speaking of potential unpleasantness, this arrived for you via mirror from your queen while you were gone.” He took another roll of parchment from his robes and passed it to the elf ambassador. It was sealed with wax like the goblin warrant had been, but the seal was green, not blood red, and was pressed with a non-snake coat of arms. Hopefully, it was better news.

  Mago broke the seal and read the letter. “Oh dear.”

  “Oh dear, what?” I asked.

  “She regrets that she cannot spare a cabinet member to assume the governorship at this time. She says that Lord Sevelien has told her that my ‘unique skills and background will be perfect for the position.’”

  Rake laughed. “Meaning you’re a crafty bastard who’s also not afraid to get his hands dirty.”

  I grinned. “You’re the new elf colonial governor?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Are congratulations or condolences in order?”

  “I’ll gratefully accept either one.” Mago skimmed the rest of the scroll. “The good news is, she has authorized me to dispense with my alias and use my real name. I’ve grown weary of using names that aren’t my own. And if I’m to build a new government here, I think it’s only sporting to let them know their new governor is Ryn Benares’s eldest son.”

  “Rest easy, Mago,” Dakarai told him “The elven people here love the Benares family. They know they only steal from the rich, and spread the wealth around through their crews and philanthropy.”

  I laughed. “I love it!”

  Mago shrugged. “And should I ever need to resort to veiled threats to get things done, they will know that I am entirely serious. My family has a reputation, and it’s well deserved. It’s rare that my father or little brother need to resort to violence. Run up the family colors, and ships can’t surrender fast enough.”

  Rake congratulated Mago, shaking his hand and promising him any help he needed. Then he turned to Ms. Sagadraco. “Vivienne, you have my heartfelt apology for all that has transpired. I take full responsibility and blame. If Isidor and Phaeon didn’t hate me so much—”

  The boss waved a dismissive hand. “They would not have been able to resist testing their device at the summit. That it was being held in your hotel was merely a bonus to them.”

  “Then allow me to apologize for luring the governor here to arrest—”

  “In the parlance of today’s humans, ‘oh please.’” She glanced from Rake to Dakarai. “You’re goblins.” She looked to Mago. “And you’re a Benares and protégé of Markus Sevelien. The summit was the perfect excuse to get the governors into a place of your choosing.” She smiled slowly. “Limiting the size of their entourages was my way of helping.”

  Rake laughed. “I should have known.”

  “Yes, you should have. We all had our little secrets.”

  “You are not angry at my deception?”

  “You did what you believed needed to be done for the protection of your people here on this world. Goblins were being abused who had no way to communicate with the government in the Seven Kingdoms. You risked your personal safety and professional standing here to remove Gremien Pivaine and his band of villains. Your concern was for your people, not yourself.”

  At each “your people,” Dakarai’s smile grew a little wider. “Gremien must be replaced immediately, you know. My top choice knows the people and their needs, and he already has their respect and trust. They know him as a man of integrity and honor.”

  “And who is this paragon of goblin virtue?” Mago asked with mock solemnness. Then he grinned.

  Rake’s eyes went wide, and his face paled. “No,” he said. “Absolutely not.”

  Dakarai spread his hands. “It is the only solution we have available to us at this time.”

  “And you’re a crafty bastard,” Mago chimed in, “who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.”

  “The position comes with a title,” Dakarai added.

  “I don’t want it,” Rake told him.

  “And a commensurate salary.”

  “I don’t need it.”

  “It’s a royal command.”

  “Make me.”

  “I’ve been authorized to do just that.”

  Rake blew out his breath and bowed his head. “Dammit,” he muttered.

  “I knew you were a bright boy,” Dakarai said. “It’s only temporary.”

  “Damn right, it is.”

  “Though ‘temporary’ could be quite a while,” he murmured. “Admit it, Rake. No one is more qualified to oversee our people here. From what I’ve heard of your activities, you’re essentially doing the job already. You might as well be compensated for your fine work.”

  “I hardly need the money.”

  “Then donate it to your people,” I told him. “Set up scholarships or something. You said that Gremien had been dipping into the tax till for way too long. I imagine your people would appreciate getting those ill-gotten gains returned to them.”

  Dakarai smiled. “She is wise, resourceful, and beautiful, my boy. You will never do better.”

  Rake’s gaze softened as he searched my face. “I know.”

  “Shall I inform their majesties that you will accept?”

  “Yes, but with conditions.”

  “Whatever they are, they are acceptable.”

  “Don’t you need to ask?”

  “I have been empowered to do as I see best.” The crafty old goblin stuck out his hand. “Congratulations, Governor Danescu, on your new colony. May she grow and prosper.”

  Rake growled, but smiled. “Why do I think I’ve been had?”

  “Because you have been,” I said.

  “And you, Lady Makenna, are now being courted by a goblin duke and colonial governor.”

  Yikes.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  The Regor Regency had yet another surprise—a private rooftop garden.

  Rake and I had just finished an equally private dinner there, and were now sitting on a cushy and comfy loveseat.

  Somehow he had decreased the traffic noise from below, but whatever magic he had used didn’t extend to muting the occasional plane or helicopter overhead. Still, with the trees and actual grass, I felt like we were in our own little grove.

  I sighed in complete contentment, scooching closer to Rake as he put his arm around me.

  “Well done,” I told him.

  “T
he dinner or this?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re not still angry with me?”

  Here we go. We’d promised not to discuss our “point of contention” during dinner. Dinner was over, and so was our ceasefire.

  “What I’m angry about is that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me what you were doing. You could’ve told me you were plotting to bring down the goblin governor.”

  “It wasn’t about trust; it was about not endangering you. Gremien and his people already knew too much about you. Would you have wanted Gremien or Dagara paying you a visit?”

  I didn’t even have to think about that one. “I’d rather have baby demons hatching in my bathtub.”

  “That’s what I thought. It was necessary to keep you away from me. If they had even suspected my plan, no one close to me would have been safe—especially you.”

  “So, you being ‘busy’ was to keep me away.”

  “To protect you.”

  “Plausible deniability and all that.”

  “Yes.”

  “Normally that’d be kind of insulting, like you thought I couldn’t take care of myself. Though I can see where you’re coming from. Some kinds of trouble I’d rather not have show up on my doorstep. Good call.”

  “I thought so.”

  “But you could have told me the reason. I would’ve understood. You’ve got irons in the fire. You’re a super-secret goblin spy master. You live by a fire with irons in it. Though I’d never have suspected you were plotting to overthrow a couple of governments. I can see that being time-consuming, but you still could’ve told me something.”

  “Next time, I promise I will.”

  “Next time? You’re planning to overthrow more governments?”

  Rake raised the hand that wasn’t around my shoulders. “Never again.” He came close to rolling his eyes. “Though who knows what will come up, now that I’m governor.”

  “But you’ll tell me the reason if we need to ‘take a break’ again, so to speak, right?”

  Rake gathered me close and gently kissed me on the forehead. “We won’t be taking any more breaks. Between myself and Vivienne, we will protect you. If you need it,” he quickly amended.