“Will we have a chance to look around?” Maria asked.
“We should be able to take in a few sights between matches,” Mr. Kane said. “Conryu is going to have to sit the sightseeing out though. The teams are kept under close guard.”
Conryu sighed. So much for having a little fun. “Just like the gladiators in Ancient Rome. They’re probably afraid we’ll try to escape.”
The pilot’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Everyone please buckle up. We’re coming in for a landing.”
Conryu clicked his belt just as the plane banked to make its final approach. The buildings grew ever larger as they flew lower. London’s airport had nine runways and they landed at the one farthest from the terminal.
The plane jerked when they hit the tarmac and the tires squealed. The roar of the engines grew quieter as they powered down. When they came to a full stop, the flight attendant opened the door. Everyone started unbuckling and Malice made her way to the exit first.
At the bottom of the stairs, two women waited in flowing red robes marked with crown patches on the shoulders. Behind them a bus with tinted windows sat idling.
The women greeted Malice with bows of respect. The older of the two, assuming the gray streaks in her hair were any indication, said, “Welcome to London, Director Kincaid.”
Malice nodded. “Let’s keep the meet and greet short. I’d like to get settled in.”
“Of course. It’ll take a few minutes to transfer your luggage to the bus, but if you’d like to wait on board the air conditioning is running and I think you’ll find the seats quite comfortable.”
“I’ll take you up on that offer.” She nodded her withered head again and hobbled off toward the bus, her two toadies falling in behind her.
As soon as she was out of sight the atmosphere lightened and everyone appeared more relaxed. Mr. Kane and the younger woman shook hands. “It’s good to see you again, Jemma.”
“Likewise, Orin. I believe I owe you a scotch as thanks for getting the password from Ms. Kazakov. Though as it turned out less than three months after we got it decoded the Empire collapsed. All that effort and the data is useless.”
Mr. Kane shrugged. “Fortunes of war I guess. Conryu, come meet the London Ministry Chief. Jemma, this is Conryu Koda, he was generous enough to act as Anya’s bodyguard.”
They shook hands and he was surprised to notice she had a firm grip and calluses. “Mr. Koda, the Ministry owes you a debt as well. If there’s anything we can do to make your time in London more pleasant, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thanks. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I agree with Malice. After eight hours on a plane all I want is a hot shower and something to eat.”
Jemma laughed and looked over her shoulder. “Looks like they’re almost done transferring the luggage. Once everyone’s on board, we can be on our way.”
The bus pulled up to a fancy hotel and stopped. On the sign outside it said, “The Grand Regent.” The brakes hissed and the door slid open. Conryu climbed down the steps and stared up at the building. Gilded pillars supported a red velvet canopy and a matching rug ran up to a revolving door. Two doormen in fancy uniforms greeted them as they approached.
“I think this place is even more swanky than your family’s hotel in Central,” Conryu said.
Kelsie nodded but didn’t say anything. She’d been awfully quiet for the whole trip. Having her grandmother nearby probably made her uncomfortable. He tried to think of something he could do to make her feel better, but nothing came to mind. Maybe once Malice left to do official things, whatever those happened to be, she’d be able to relax.
Conryu pushed through the revolving door and found that the inside of the hotel was every bit as elaborate as the outside. Polished, gilded hardwood covered every surface. The lobby was empty except for a few workers behind the check-in desk.
Jemma made her way to the front of the gathering and raised her hands for quiet. “Okay everyone, Alliance team members and coaches please step to the left, everyone else please keep to the right. All team members will be staying on the top floor. Guests will be staying on the two floors below them. If you line up at the desk, you can collect your keys and head upstairs. Feel free to order anything you’d like from room service. Your luggage will be brought up shortly. Thank you.”
Coach Chort herded everyone towards the desk and Conryu lined up behind Crystal. When his turn came a pretty blond in a red-and-gold uniform handed him a piece of plastic that resembled a credit card. It had the number four on it.
He glanced at Crystal. “What room did you get?”
Crystal held up her card. “Seven, what about you?”
“I got four. What do you suppose the rooms will be like?”
“Nice.”
He grinned. Conryu had no doubt she was right about that.
When the last girl had collected her keys, they all fell in behind Jemma who guided them to the elevators. Conryu waved at Maria and Kelsie before he climbed into the car. They rode up to the twentieth floor and stepped out into the hall. Six young men in red-and-black uniforms stood at attention.
“These cadets will be serving as your personal bodyguards,” Jemma said. “Their duty is to keep you safe.”
Conryu eyed the cadets. None of them looked older than he was. They probably had at least as good a training as Jonny, but he wouldn’t want to depend on any of them in a real fight. He suspected their main function was ceremonial.
They paired off and he ended up with a young man named Grant.
“It’s an honor to be protecting you, sir,” Grant said.
“Don’t kid me,” Conryu said. “You drew the short straw getting stuck with me, right?”
Grant quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you mean, sir.”
Conryu stepped into his room and Grant followed. “Come on. There are five nice-looking girls on the team plus me. You telling me getting stuck protecting the only guy in the tournament isn’t bad luck?”
When he closed the door Grant sighed. “We didn’t draw straws. We put each of your names in a hat and everyone drew one. I went first and still got you. No offense.”
“None taken. I wouldn’t have wanted to protect me either in your position. Did they even tell you how many people have tried to kill me over the years?”
“No, sir.”
“Probably just as well. I’m not sure how I feel about having someone with such bad luck watching my back.”
“I may not be the luckiest person in the world, but I know how to fight.”
“Good. So what now, you sleep outside my door?” Conryu asked.
Grant barked a laugh. It was the first break in his stony expression Conryu had seen. “Hardly. They’ve got us all jammed into two rooms nearby. We’re only responsible for you during the day when you’re out and about. At night you’re on your own.”
“That’s good to know. Now go away. I am going to take a shower.”
Grant laughed and ducked out the door. Seemed like a nice enough guy, but Kai wasn’t in any danger of losing her job.
Conryu sighed and pushed the room service cart out into the hall. After the bellhop finally brought his suitcase, he changed into his pajamas and ordered dinner. They were on their own until nine the next morning and he intended to enjoy his downtime.
The food at the hotel was every bit as nice as the decor. He hadn’t had a steak that tender in a long time. The only problem was they didn’t serve pizza, not that it would’ve compared to Giovanni’s anyway. Oh well, he’d have something to look forward to when he got home.
He tossed aside the covers and ran his fingers along the soft sheets. They made the bedding at the Academy feel like sandpaper. He needed to be careful not to get too used to the luxury since he’d probably never have another chance to enjoy a place like this.
“Prime, you ready?”
“Yes, Master.”
Something must be wrong; the scholomantic hadn’t issued a complaint all day. Not
that he intended to complain. It was probably having so many people around that made Prime uncomfortable. He’d complained about it before after all.
Conryu checked his phone one last time, flipped off the light, and slid between the sheets. It’d been a long day and he intended to sleep well tonight.
He’d started to doze, when a creak came from the door. There was a flash of light from the hall that quickly vanished. Who could be visiting him at this time of night? He doubted it would be Maria or Kelsie, they’d both looked exhausted when they got off the plane. Besides, they’d have knocked. Conryu frowned. He’d locked the door, he was sure of it.
Well whoever they were, he had a nasty surprise for them. He focused his will and released a light spell. He closed his eyes an instant before the spell burst, and when he opened them he found Heather James standing there in a thin red silk robe blinking and peering around.
“What do you want now?” he asked.
She rubbed her eyes one last time and finally focused on him. “I wanted to apologize. I didn’t think you’d be so upset about that little kiss.”
“Little kiss? You examined my tonsils with your tongue.”
“I may have got a little carried away.” She came closer to the bed, giving him a good look at her long legs. “Like I said, I wanted to say I was sorry.”
“Apology accepted.” He needed to get her out of his room. Like, yesterday. “Anything else?”
She loosed the tie at the front of her robe and let it hang open. “I thought I’d try to make it up to you.”
She shrugged and the robe fell to the floor. Heather James in all her naked glory was a sight to behold. Any questions he may have had—and he didn’t have many — about why pretty much everyone considered her the most beautiful woman in the world were answered in that moment.
“No cameras, no reporters.” She climbed on the foot of the bed and slid toward him. “Just you and me.”
“Stop! Just stop. I got mad at you for kissing me and you imagine this is the way to make me feel better?”
She froze halfway to him and stared as if not entirely certain what he was saying. “You’re turning me down?”
The incredulity in her voice almost made him laugh. “Yes. Now get your robe and go away.”
She knelt in the middle of his bed, seeming unable to move. “No one’s ever turned me down before.”
That he believed. “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”
She sniffed and a tear ran down her face. “You don’t understand. If we don’t do this I stand to lose everything.”
Now it was Conryu’s turn to be confused. “Maybe you’d better explain.”
She broke down in sobs, her whole body shaking. Since she didn’t have any clothes on it was very distracting. Conryu got out of bed, grabbed her robe, and slung it around her shoulders.
When she got herself under control, Heather said, “It’s Malice. She wants your genetic material and told me if I didn’t get it she’d arrange for me to lose my modeling contract.”
“So that’s the real reason you joined the team?” It certainly made more sense than having her advise them about combat strategy.
“It’s not the only reason, but it is part of it. The Department did think having me on the team would improve the ratings. When Malice found out, she made her threat.”
Conryu massaged the bridge of his nose. “Even if we did what you wanted, how would you collect the… sample?”
Heather wiped a tear off her cheek. “She implanted a device in me before I came here. It will collect the sample and keep it secure. I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do.”
She started crying again and Conryu found he felt bad for her. Malice seemed to have a knack for ruining the lives of everyone around her, first Kelsie and now Heather. He sat beside her and squeezed her arm. “Couldn’t you just tell her you tried, but it didn’t work?”
“I don’t think she’d go for that. Either I succeeded or I failed, there are no excuses with her.”
Heather lunged at him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him again.
Conryu pulled away and sent her sprawling on the floor. “And here I was starting to feel bad for you. Get dressed and get out. You and Malice deserve each other.”
She got to her feet and glared at him, still naked. Conryu glared right back, so angry he was able to overlook her body.
He pointed at the door. “Now!”
“What if I say no?”
“Then I’ll throw you into the hall naked.”
For a moment he feared she might actually make him do it, then she shrugged into her robe and stomped over to the door. “This isn’t over.”
She slammed the door behind her as she left.
When she’d gone, Conryu turned to Prime. “How about a little warning next time?”
“Sorry, Master. I was asleep and by the time I realized someone was there you’d already dealt with her.”
“You’ve been in one of those trances like when we were hunting Lady Raven?”
“Yes. So many people, Master. If I maintain full awareness, I’m on the verge of biting someone every moment.”
“Just remember I count on you to warn me about this sort of thing. If you’re not on your game, I’m more vulnerable.”
“Understood, Master. I’ll try to do better.”
“Good.”
At least Kai hadn’t appeared and accidentally killed her. That would have been really hard to explain. This time, before Conryu went to sleep, he placed a dark ward in front of the door. If anyone else was stupid enough to sneak in, they’d regret it.
At night on the London streets, even in the bad part of the city, it never got truly dark. Lady Tiger appreciated that fact as she stepped over a puddle that stank far worse than water had a right to. This wretched alley served as a miserable counterpoint to the opulent gathering she’d left only hours ago.
She’d been invited as Lady Tish to attend a cocktail party with the other wealthy donors who were helping fund the elf artifact exhibit. Wealthy idiots that wouldn’t know a relic if someone shoved it up their nose. The whole affair was simply an excuse to put on their most expensive gowns and jewels and preen for their peers. She hated that sort of thing, but Lady Tish was expected to attend so she did. Anything that brought her cover into question needed to be avoided until she’d secured the artifact fragment. After that they could all burn.
The alley opened up into a large industrial area full of rundown warehouses. It didn’t look like this part of the city had seen much of the economic revival the government had been boasting about.
Lady Tiger looked from one dilapidated building to the next. Not the most inspiring base of operations, but what could you expect when dealing with anarchists and madmen? She turned left and strode over to the second building. The priest, Father Salvador, said the building served as their command center. No sound escaped the walls and no light filtered out through the filthy windows. At least they were doing a good job not advertising their presence.
Ignoring the large main entrance, she went to a side door and knocked.
After a short wait the door opened and an unshaven face appeared in the gap. “What the bloody hell do you want?” he asked.
“I’m an acquaintance of the priest. He’s expecting me.”
The filthy little man eyed her for a moment before slamming the door in her face. She grimaced at the rude treatment. Under other circumstances she’d have been delighted to teach him proper manners, but these weren’t normal circumstances.
After a nearly five-minute wait, the door opened again, this time all the way. Father Salvador stood just inside in his black uniform. The lines of his face had deepened and his hard, suspicious eyes burned with excitement.
“I wouldn’t have your foul presence corrupt this holy place on the night before battle, but the Archbishop commands us to work with you and we obey. Come inside before you’re seen.”
She stepped through the door
and into the warehouse. Instantly, the overwhelming stench of gasoline mixed with too many unwashed bodies nearly made her gag. Thank goodness her mask hid her revulsion. He called this rat hole a holy place? The priest was madder than she’d thought.
A large group of men worked on various projects throughout the space. Many of the weapons they had she recognized, plenty she didn’t. Wizards had no need for such crude items. With a thought she activated a magic-detection spell. A few items glowed, but nothing of real power revealed itself.
Lady Tiger turned to the priest. “It seems your preparations are coming along well.”
“When the time comes, we will be ready to do our part. For the glory of God we will send the wizard lovers to Hell.”
She grimaced behind her mask. He really was a lunatic. They strode together through the gathered warriors, if you wanted to call them that. The powers that be would designate them terrorists. Most looked at her with suspicion if not outright hatred. She paused in front of one man who was gently stroking a ball that looked like it was made of leather. The sphere gave off one of the more potent auras she’d seen.
“What is that?” she asked.
“A last gift from a fallen ally.” The man giggled and stared at her with bright, insane eyes.
That told her little, but she doubted the man had the wherewithal to elaborate. Leaving the lunatic behind they continued their inspection. Thirty men toiled at a long table, making improvised bombs, loading clips, and polishing weapons. The guns and knives were the only clean things she’d seen since entering the building.
When they reached the far side of the space Father Salvador said, “Each building contains a group like this. My holy soldiers have allied with the anarchists and together we’ll burn this wretched city to the ground.”
Lady Tiger seriously doubted that, but she only nodded. Once she got the artifact, they could do whatever they wanted. She intended to be long gone by then.
7
Opening Ceremony
After Heather’s visit, Conryu had a hard time getting back to sleep. It wasn’t that he expected her to return and try again, more that he couldn’t get his heart to stop hammering a thousand miles an hour. He loved Maria, more than anything, but he was only human and Heather, whatever else you might say about her, was a stunning woman.
The Four Nations Tournament: The Aegis of Merlin Book 6 Page 9
