The League of Illusion: Prophecy

by Vivi Anna

  Raja eyed him. “Ah, I see you are a serious man, Mr. Davenport, with serious business.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  Raja swept him arm toward a set of rickety stairs along one wall leading up to a balcony. “We can speak upstairs.”

  He led the way. The steps creaked and groaned as they mounted them. Halfway up, Rhys heard a distinctive crack and his foot broke through the wood.

  Raja glanced over his shoulder. “Watch your step, Mr. Davenport. These stairs are old.”

  After yanking his foot out of the hole, Rhys followed the rest of the way, albeit cautiously. At the top, Raja led them to a table and four chairs. It looked to be a perfect spot for secret dealings, a perfect place to parlay, as pirates were known to do. He wondered if that was what Raja truly was.

  “Sit. Sit.” Raja waved at the chair. “I will get us drinks.” He walked to the railing and yelled down at the crowd. “Lottie! Bring us drinks!”

  “There’s truly no need for that,” Rhys said, although his throat was quite dry.

  “If we are to talk business then we must drink. It is the way of things.” He sat and ran his fingers over his beard braids, watching each of them with equal measure.

  Corina sat on Rhys’s right. She met his gaze and gave him a worried look. He was about to reassure her when a plump woman, whom he assumed was Lottie, set a tray of ale mugs on the table, then waddled back down the stairs.

  Raja eagerly took a mug and gulped down the frothy brew. He grinned at Rhys. “What can Raja do for you, Mr. Davenport?”

  “We need passage to France.”

  “Who are we?”

  “Miss Stratton and I.”

  “When?”

  “Immediately.”

  Raja chuckled. “Impossible.”

  Rhys continued. “And we will need complete discretion.”

  “Ah, there is the rub, yes?” He guzzled more beer, burped and wiped his mouth.

  “I can pay you any amount.”

  “I have all the money I need.” Raja stroked his beard. “I am a maharaja, after all.”

  “What is it you need, then?”

  A ruckus downstairs drew their attention. There were several outraged shouts and the sound of many people wearing heavy boots entering the establishment at once.

  Then came an authoritative voice. “We’re here for the maharaja.”

  “Which one?” a man asked. “We’ve got plenty.”

  This caused a few guffaws to ring out.

  Raja slowly lowered his mug and his face paled.

  “Friends of yours?” Rhys asked, starting to understand exactly what this man needed.

  Raja’s gaze darted from left to right, likely looking for an escape route. As far as Rhys could tell there wasn’t one up here. The only way out was back down the stairs.

  “If you can get me out of here, Mr. Davenport, I will take you to France right now.”

  “Search the premises!” came the gruff voice again. Footfalls sounded on the stairs.

  “Agreed.” Rhys leaned forward in his chair and placed his hand on Raja’s chair. “Now hold very still.”

  Concentrating hard, Rhys gathered his magic and poured it into the chair. He needed the image of the chair to be the only thing the bobbies saw when they came upstairs. Raja would essentially be invisible. It was the same trick he did when he and Corina were trapped on the roof.

  “Act natural,” he murmured to Corina and Mrs. Chattoway.

  They both immediately snatched up a mug of ale and proceeded to drink just as two bobbies came up the stairs.

  “Good evening gentlemen.” Mrs. Chattoway lifted her mug in salute.

  “Good evening, ma’am.” The young constable, nodded. “Sir. Miss.”

  “Can we help you with something?” Corina asked.

  “Looking for Maharaja Ajeet Singh. Do you know him?”

  “A maharaja?” Mrs. Chattoway asked, her hand fluttering to her chest. “Surely not. Not in this kind of place.”

  Raja chuckled at that.

  Rhys’s eyes widened as did both women’s. The constables looked around, obviously hearing the sound.

  Corina coughed in her hand. “Excuse me.” She chuckled in a near perfect imitation of Raja. Rhys tried not to look at her, fearing his concentration would slip.

  Mrs. Chattoway patted Corina on the shoulder. “I apologize. My friend here is a little tipsy, I’m afraid.”

  The constable took a step closer, looked around once more then nodded. “Be sure to get home safely. These are bad parts around here.”

  “Right you are, Constable,” Mrs. Chattoway said. “Have a good night.”

  They both turned and rushed back down the steps. Rhys heard one of them say, “He’s not up there, sir.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Rhys dropped his hand and sat back in his chair. Sweat dotted his forehead and upper lip, and his head throbbed a little.

  Astonished, Raja gaped at him. “I am amazed, my friend. I don’t know how you did that, but a deal is a deal.”

  “Where’s your ship? We can meet you there.”

  Raja grinned. “Ship? Who said anything about a ship? Meet me at the last pier and I’ll show you something better than a ship.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Rhys, Corina and Mrs. Chattoway stood at the end of the pier and waited in the dark.

  “I say we’ve been duped,” Corina said.

  “Nonsense.” Mrs. Chattoway tsked. “I’ve known Raja for years. He may not be an honest man, per se, but he is honorable. A deal is a deal.”

  “We’ll see,” Rhys said.

  “Yes, you shall see, Mr. Davenport.”

  They all turned to see Raja in a small rowboat paddling to the end of the pier.

  “We’re not going in that, I hope,” Corina said.

  The prince chuckled. “Of course not, but I insist you get in regardless.” His voice was hurried and his eyes were wide.

  Rhys glanced over his shoulder to see the bobbies heading their way. “In the boat.” He nudged Corina forward. “Looks like you’re coming with us, Mrs. Chattoway, I apologize for that.”

  She patted him on the cheek as he helped her down into the boat. “Nonsense. I haven’t been on a real adventure in years. This will be fun.”

  The police were closing in on the pier. Mrs. Chattoway reached into her bag and came away with a small round metal orb. “Duck, darling, I don’t want to hit you.”

  Rhys squatted just as she pulled out a pin and tossed it toward the advancing mob of bobbies. There was an explosion of smoke, and all they could hear as they pushed off the dock was fits of coughing.

  “What was that?” Corina asked.

  “A smoke grenade. Something I’ve been working on for a time. Worked quite nice, I think.”

  Raja handed Rhys an oar and the two of them rowed the boat downstream. Then Raja tossed the anchor overboard.

  “What now?” Rhys asked.

  Without answering, Raja took up a metal pot and metal ladle that had been lying inside the boat. He dipped them into the water.

  “What are you doing?” Rhys asked, legitimately nervous.

  “Sending a message.” He banged the pot with the ladle in the water. He counted to five then did it again. “Now we wait.”

  “For what?” Rhys asked.

  Raja just grinned, instead of answering.

  It didn’t take long for the “for what” to happen. The water below the boat and around them star
ted to bubble, then churn, until small waves rocked the boat precariously. All four of them held the sides so as to not be cast overboard.

  Rhys peered down into the turbulent water. “What is that?”

  “Your ride to France.”

  A round metal tube broke the water’s surface. Following it came more burnished metal, in the form of what looked like a small whale. Except this whale had windows for eyes. Once fully out of the water, the top of the whale opened by a hatch and a human head popped out from within.

  “Hello there,” the man said with a big wide smile.

  “Perfect timing, Sanjay,” Raja said, as he gripped a metal rung on the side of the whale spout and pulled the rowboat closer.

  “What is this vessel?” Corina asked Raja.

  “It is called a submersible.”

  She frowned. “It moves underwater?”

  “Yes, and quickly too.” Raja climbed the external ladder to the hatch. “Come, my friends.”

  Mrs. Chattoway went up, then Corina. Rhys came last. They climbed down the metal rungs and into the submersible. Inside the vessel, there was a bustle of activity and noise as several crewmen ran about checking this gauge and that.

  “Welcome to the Marinus.” Raja patted the metal bulkhead. “My glorious baby.”

  “When did you finish construction?” Mrs. Chattoway walked at his side. “When you showed me the design, I didn’t think it would be done so soon.”

  “Only a month ago.”

  Raja led them through the undersea ship. Each crewmember they passed stopped and saluted Raja, saying “Captain.” The ship was surprisingly large and opulently furnished. Each compartment was lavishly decorated with rich tapestries of blues and greens and golds, rugs of the same vibrant hues, and gold-toned sofas and chairs. One cabin even held a billiard table and a card table.

  “As you can see, I like to travel in style.” Raja led them to the control room, where several instruments and strange machines beeped and hummed. He positioned himself at a series of levers. A metal funnel hung just overhead. “Prepare to dive,” he commanded into the funnel. His booming voice echoed around the room.

  The crew jumped to life, pushing buttons and pulling chains. The room filled with the chugging sound of steam and a long piercing whistle that made Rhys cringe. Raja pushed a lever forward, and the ship lurched and began to sink.

  Rhys could feel it in his gut. He had to reach out and grab hold of the cabin wall so he didn’t pitch forward. Corina did the same.

  After about five minutes of the uncomfortable sucking sensation in his stomach and the punishing pressure on his head, Raja turned to him with a big grin. “Let’s eat.”

  The dining room was a spectacular marvel. A Persian rug lined the floor. On top of it sat a polished teak table, heavy and ornate. The plush high-backed chairs were upholstered with burgundy silk. Corina ran her fingers over the fabric before she sat. Hanging above it all was a huge gold and crystal chandelier, bathing them in soft yellow light.

  Raja rang the small dinner bell and a barrage of people swarmed in. The meal was just as lavish as the salon and the Raja himself. A parade of potatoes, rice, chicken, avocadoes and other meats and vegetables was served by a steady stream of servants. Each dish was as spicy and delectable as the one before it. Drink was also poured copiously. Rhys’s glass was never empty.

  Raja was a man with a certain charm. He was quick to smile and laugh and he regaled them with many stories of his misadventures, as he called them, across the seas. One story about a monkey, a lady in waiting and his bare arse made Mrs. Chattoway blush and Corina howl with laughter.

  Rhys watched her now, her glass in her hand, enraptured by Raja as he told yet another tale, and he wondered how he’d ever thought she’d be interested in him. He was too serious and intense, so Jovan told him incessantly, compared to this larger-than-life bejeweled king. Even he was intrigued by the man. So how could she not be?

  Raja slapped his hand on the table, rattling several dishes. “Enough about me. What is so important in France, my new friends?”

  Rhys wondered how much to tell this man. The sting of Genevieve’s betrayal at Stonehenge still lingered. But Mrs. Chattoway was a longtime trusted friend who would never betray the Davenports, and she’d trusted the Raja with their lives.

  “A way to find my brother,” he finally said.

  “Sebastian Davenport. He is your brother, yes?”

  “You know Sebastian?”

  “I met him once. I heard of this great magician who could vanish women, so I went to one of his shows in London.”

  “And what did you think?”

  Raja laughed. “I think he has very powerful magic. It takes a great man to show a person magic and make them believe it is only a trick.”

  “You believe in magic, Raja?” Corina asked.

  “Of course. It is all around us. It is in everything both mechanical—” he gestured to his ship, “—and natural.” He grinned at Corina.

  She giggled and finished her drink, which was her fourth by Rhys’s count.

  “And you, Mr. Davenport? You have magic, yes? You used it at the Rusty Anchor.”

  He shrugged. “I am not as talented as my brother.”

  “Hogwash,” Corina blurted. “You’re extremely gifted. In fact, you’re one of the most gifted men I’ve ever met.”

  Her compliment pleased him more than he wanted to admit.

  “Show me.” Raja gestured.

  It was a challenge to be sure. Sitting forward, Rhys folded his hands on the table and concentrated. Within seconds, a shape wavered into view. He pushed a little more, molded with his magic, until there was a Rhesus monkey sitting on the table in the bowl of potatoes, wearing a pair of orange pants and a hat just like in Raja’s story.

  Mrs. Chattoway, Corina and Raja laughed out loud. Raja clapped his hands in delight. “That is marvelous, my friend.”

  The monkey picked up a piece of potato and threw it at Raja. It hit him in the cheek. This made him laugh even harder.

  Rhys had been practicing with his illusions. Before, they were simply pictures, vivid certainly, but they couldn’t interact with the physical world around them. Until now. Like the second piece of potato that had just struck Raja in the turban.

  “Oh, you are indeed gifted, just as Miss Stratton has boasted. Can you go bigger?”

  Smiling, Rhys squeezed his hands together, channeling his power, manipulating and changing the particles of his magic. The monkey wavered and flickered in and out of view, then it shifted shape. Expanding and elongating. The picture changed until a two hundred and fifty pound Bengal tiger was standing on the table, its tail flicking back and forth in annoyance.

  Raja jumped to his feet, excitement dancing in his dark brown eyes. “Oh, that is magnificent.” He moved to the side of the table so he could study the tiger. “Can I touch it?”

  “You can try. I’m still working on solidification.”

  Eyes wide, Raja reached out and tried to pet the animal, but his hand went right through and he banged the table below. The disappointment was instant. Rhys lost control and the tiger dissipated from view.

  “You, my friend, you are extraordinary.”

  Mrs. Chattoway nodded. “His mother and I have always told him so, but he never listened.”

  Humbly, Rhys nodded his thanks. He appreciated the Raja’s respect, and Mrs. Chattoway’s, but it was Corina’s he so very much wanted.

  He glanced at her and saw she’d been
watching him. And there was something in her eyes that told him he had that respect, and so much more if he wanted it.

  Chapter Seventeen

  After Raja showed Corina and Rhys their staterooms, Mrs. Chattoway preferring to stay with the captain, Corina had resorted to pacing hers. Although it was well past midnight and she should sleep, she wasn’t tired one bit. In fact, she’d never felt more alive than she did right now. Her body thrummed with energy. It might have been the alcohol she’d consumed at dinner or the fact that she was planning to seduce Rhys. Maybe the alcohol had given her the courage to even consider it. But she had no idea how to do it.

  She took off her hat and jacket, stood in front of the wall mirror and studied herself. The color of the dress was radiant and it seemed to bring out the color of her eyes. The corset did an admirable job of lifting up her breasts to shoulder level. She’d always been curvy, and the dress definitely accentuated those curves.

  “If I still had physical form, I’d do more than just wear a pretty dress.”

  “Mother, I don’t want your advice.” She sighed.

  “A fortnight after I met your father, he had yet to ask me for a walk in the countryside. His family was rich and stuck-up, you see. His father was pushing him toward Becky Havendish, the daughter of a parish priest. She was no way near as pretty as I was.”

  Corina shook her head.

  “Anyway, one afternoon I walked naked as the dawn through the village to his home and knocked on his door. Needless to say, I was pregnant within a month. It was too bad he wasn’t gentleman enough to marry me.”

  “Please don’t tell me how you seduced my father. That is information a child just doesn’t need to know.”