“Well, to what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked.
“I wanted to talk to you,” she said. “Alone.”
Wade looked above her head at the small dome in the corner of the room that hid a surveillance camera. Asami just gave a smirk.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I already took care of it.”
“So what’s this all about?” asked Wade, sliding his legs off the cot and sitting upright. “I told Hill everything I know. Torturing me won’t help you one bit.
“I don’t give a crap about torturing you, fat boy,” said Asami. “I want to know more about these prophecies you told Elisa about.”
Wade scoffed. “Never figured you for a prophecy girl.”
“Normally, I couldn’t care less.”
Wade studied her face. “But this time is different? What changed?”
Asami leaned against the door, folding her arms. She looked down at the floor. The white reminded her of what she saw when she was in Hokkaido a few months ago. When she witnessed something that chilled her to the bone.
Wade noticed how she hesitated to answer. He could see the fear in her eyes. “You saw something, didn’t you?”
Asami’s head snapped up. “How do—I mean, I have no idea what you’re—”
“Oh enough,” said Wade, rolling his eyes. He stood off the cot and took a few steps closer to her. Appearances to the contrary, there was something strangely imposing about this small, large man. “I know you know something. I can practically smell the fear on you.”
Asami stared into his eyes, trying to maintain her composure. But she needed answers and she was afraid that Wade was the only one who had anything that could help her.
“I saw the Wild Hunt,” she said.
Wade took a step back, the color draining from his face. “You’re sure about that?”
Asami nodded. “Saw the big guy himself. Odin.”
Wade gasped. “The All-Father. Do you know what this means?”
“Harbinger of apocalyptic doom or some such, right?” she asked. “Yeah, I got that part.”
“And you think the Thule Society might be that doom.”
“Well…what do you think?” she asked. “I haven’t told Elisa about any of this. There was the whole thing with Clarke and Davalos, then she lost her job and now this. Just didn’t feel like the right time. But I need to know if these things are connected. Elisa said you told her that the legends of angels and demons come from ancient wars between the Aryans and the Naa’cal.”
“And?”
“So where do the rest of us fit in?”
“You mean where do you come from?” asked Wade.
“Something like that.”
Wade shrugged. “There’s a lot about the ancient world we don’t know, Asami. Gods, monsters, these are nothing more than convenient names humanity has thought up to explain them. Some draw their power from belief. Others find it in bloodshed. And others through corruption of mankind.
“Then there’s you.” He fixed his gaze on Asami and she felt her blood run cold. “What drives someone so powerful to serve someone so much weaker than her?”
“It’s got nothing to do with power.”
“Ao Jun certainly thought it had something to do with it.”
Asami’s mouth nearly dropped at the name of her former employer. “What do you know about Ao Jun?”
“Why do you think Ao Jun wanted you to stop Elisa from finding Lemuria?” asked Wade.
“He thought she was working with the Order. Wanted to stop you freaks from getting your hands on the secrets.”
Wade chortled. “Ao Jun knew about the prophecy. He knew if Lemuria was discovered, it would mean the return of the spear and the resurrection of the Aryans. Reigniting an ancient feud so dangerous it threatened to tear reality apart. Ao Jun and his brothers were just one of many deities who used the darkest magicks to banish both Atlantis and Lemuria to myth.”
Asami transformed into a state between fox and human, shoving Wade back with her great strength. He struck the wall of the cell, but before he could slump to the ground, Asami grabbed him by his shirt collar and hefted him off the ground. She placed a clawed finger at his throat.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“I’m telling you that Elisa Hill is a danger to the world as you know it. The only reason Odin let you live is as a warning,” said Wade. “Elisa’s actions have already led to this current problem. She won’t be able to stop what’s coming. In fact, she may actually bring it about herself.”
The door suddenly opened. Asami dropped Wade and turned to the door, transforming fully into her human form as she did. She saw Elisa standing in the doorway, staring at her, then looking down and noticing Wade on the floor.
“What the hell is going on here?” she asked.
“Nothing,” said Asami. “Just workin’ out some aggression.”
CHAPTER 8
The Hofburg Palace was the former seat of imperial power in Austria, its curved structure conforming to the circular road in front of it. A statue of Archduke Charles on horseback stood in the center of that road and tourists wandered around the front, snapping photographs with cameras, cell phones, and tablets.
The Imperial Treasury of Vienna was located off to the side of the palace, and entrance was granted through the Swiss Courtyard. Elisa dressed the part of the tourist as she walked through the secular collection of the treasury. She saw the gold, jewel-encrusted Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, the silver-wrapped hilt of the Imperial Sword and its engraved, gold-plated scabbard. The Austrian Crown Jewels, but what surprised her most was seeing the Holy Lance on display.
Elisa touched the earbud to communicate with the rest of her team. “I thought we made arrangements to have it removed,” she whispered.
“We were stonewalled,” came Jason’s voice over the earbud. “Without a credible threat, the Austrian government said there was no cause for concern. They’ve beefed up security but that’s it.”
“Great.” Her job just got a whole lot more complicated. Now not only would she need to fight off the Thule Society if they showed, but she also had to protect the Habsburg Spear from falling into their hands. “Asami, you in position?”
“Yeah, right out front. Not picking up any familiar scents or seeing anything unusual, though.”
“Jason?”
“I’m with security, watching the cameras,” he said. “Same thing as Asami. No sign of Eckart or Jaeger.”
“We saw what they were able to do with vril magic in Antarctica, have to assume they might have a way to get around security,” said Elisa.
“Or maybe they’ll wait until everything’s closed down for the night,” said Asami.
“Would be smart,” said Jason. “Less security, fewer witnesses. We’ll stay all night if we have to.”
“They’ll come when it’s crowded,” said Elisa. “We both have the pages, Eckart will assume we know what he knows. A lot easier to get lost in a crowd, plus more potential hostages.”
“You positive about that?” asked Jason.
“Makes a whole lotta sense,” said Asami. “It’s what I would do, too.”
“Right, well let’s keep the chatter to a minimum,” said Jason. “Stay quiet unless you see something.”
“You mean we aren’t gonna start gossiping about what some of these tourists are wearing?” asked Asami, her voice sarcastically disappointed.
Both Elisa and Jason ignored Asami’s comment and the three returned to their posts. Elisa continued to mill around the area, using her phone to take pictures of the treasures. Out of the corner of her eye, she kept a vigilant watch on the spear.
“Excuse me, miss. Would you mind taking a photo of me?”
Elisa turned and instantly had a smile ready for the tourist who stood behind her. The smile vanished as soon as she saw who it was. A familiar face lined with stubble, shaggy, unkempt sand-colored hair with curls reaching as far down as his jawline. And green eyes that h
eld the promise of adventure.
“Lucas?” she whispered.
Lucas Davalos. Former partner. Occasional ally. Sometime enemy. All-around rogue. After he and Elisa defeated Sebastian Clarke, Lucas said he was going back into hiding. So why was he here now? Did the Thule Society hire him? Or the Order?
He flashed her a smile and then Elisa heard the sound of an alarm going off. She spun on her heel and saw Jaeger’s hand around the Habsburg Spear, having shattered the glass case with his fist. Guards drew their weapons, but the bullets had no effect on the Nazi. Jaeger charged into them, his great strength allowing him to easily snap their bones. Screams from the crowd erupted and the visitors scattered.
Elisa reached for one of her kukri but Lucas grabbed her wrist. She spun to face him, swinging her free hand in a punch. Lucas blocked it, then rammed his elbow into her chest. He released her wrist and Elisa felt the wind knocked out of her from a second blow against her chest.
She flew back, tumbling over the case that had held the spear. Elisa landed on the ground amidst the broken glass. Her vision was blurred, but she saw someone standing over her, slowly coming into focus. Just as her vision became clear, she realized a booted foot was crashing down on her.
Elisa grabbed Lucas’ foot, holding it at bay. She rolled from its path and got to her feet. Her body ached and she stared down her former partner. “Wh-what the hell are you doing here, Lucas?”
He said nothing but sprung forward with a kick that Elisa blocked. She grabbed his leg and used his momentum to swing him into one of the other displays. Elisa drew her kukri from the sheaths hidden beneath her brown leather jacket. Lucas stood and reached for a holster beneath his own jacket, drawing a Walther PPK.
Elisa eyed the weapon with curiosity. Davalos tended to favor Serbian firearms. So why would he be using that weapon?
“Hill, get down!”
The voice was Jason’s. Elisa suddenly recalled what was going on and she dropped just as Lucas fired the gun.
“Jaeger has the spear!” said Elisa. She stayed low and sprang at Lucas’s legs, grabbing them and causing him to topple. He struggled against her, aiming his gun until there was another shot fired from nearby, causing him to cringe.
Jason stood not far from them, his gun aimed at Lucas. “Drop it.”
Lucas grinned and held up his hands, the gun falling from his grasp. Jason watched in confusion as Lucas’ green eyes flashed, changing to a bright blue. Jason was thrown across the room by an invisible force, crashing into the case holding the Imperial Crown, Orb, and Sceptre of Austria.
Elisa’s jaw hung open in surprise. Lucas got to his feet and held out his hand. The Walther flew into his grip and he aimed the barrel at Elisa’s face. “You’ve been most entertaining today, I almost don’t want to kill you.”
“You’re the one with the gun,” said Elisa. His voice was like Lucas’, but the style of speech was strange.
“True, and though it might be entertaining to see where this ends, I’ve learned it’s best not to leave anything to chance. So goodbye.”
Jason snuck up behind Lucas with the Imperial Sceptre in hand. He swung with all his might, bashing the gold and jewel-encrusted top against Lucas’ head. Lucas fell, dropping the gun. Elisa moved forward, kicking the weapon away and holding one of her blades to his neck.
Lucas looked up at her and the image of his face distorted briefly. Like what she saw wasn’t real. His eyes flashed again and Elisa and Jason were thrown. Lucas stood and ran off.
Elisa groaned and got to her feet. “Shroud, you okay?”
“Yeah…” he muttered as he stood. He looked down at the sceptre, which was still in his hand. “Hope they don’t mind me borrowing this for a minute.” He set it back on the shattered display case. “Who was that?”
“Lucas Davalos,” said Elisa.
“What?”
“I mean…at least it looked like him.”
“Elisa, what the hell are you talking about?” asked Jason, stepping closer to her. “I’ve seen Davalos’ picture. That guy looked nothing like him.”
Elisa furrowed her brow. “What? It was him down to every detail. The hair, the voice, the eyes—” She paused. “His eyes…they changed.”
“Yeah, you’re right. They changed and then he threw me across the room. Changed just like—”
“Eckart.” Elisa scoffed. “He must have been able to use his vril powers to cloud my mind, make me think he was Lucas.”
“Wasn’t Eckart,” said Jason. “It was…”
“Who?”
Jason shook his head. “I need to be sure. The important thing is we know vril-users can Jedi mind-trick us. That’s not good.”
“No shit,” said Elisa. “Wait, Jaeger!”
“I told Asami to go after him,” said Jason. “C’mon, we should try and catch up.”
***
As soon as Asami received Jason’s message, she watched the front entrance of the Imperial Treasury, waiting for any sign of the tattooed man. There was already a crowd of people running in fear, which meant Elisa and Jason must still be inside contending with Eckart or whoever else the Thule Society sent here.
Then she witnessed the towering frame. A man in a long coat, charging amidst the screaming tourists, with large sunglasses over his face and a fedora.
“Hey, the fedora’s my schtick!” she muttered.
Asami pounced, flying over the crowd of people and extending her leg. Her foot connected with Jaeger’s nose, throwing him through the crowd and he fell on his back. Asami’s lithe form landed near him in a graceful crouch. She was back into a fighting stance by the time the lumbering brute stood. He looked at the shattered remains of his sunglasses and tossed them on the ground, removing his hat as well and opening his coat. Asami could see the Habsburg Spear in his grasp.
“If I knew there was gonna be a show, I would’ve brought some singles,” she said.
The vril burned brightly in Jaeger’s eyes, contrasting with the black tattoo over his face. He let out a cry and stampeded towards her. Asami jumped over him, bouncing off the top of his bald head and flipping in the air. She landed again and turned to face him.
Jaeger stomped the ground, clearly angered at having missed his target. He looked ready for another attempt, but then he turned and ran away from the Hofburg Palace. Asami watched him in disappointment.
“What, over so soon? I feel so cheap.”
She ran after him. Jaeger’s supernatural enhancements made him extremely fast but unfortunately for him, Asami was no slouch in the speed department. At a stoplight, Jaeger pulled a man off his motorcycle, casually tossing him aside. He climbed on and revved the bike, firing off into the busy intersection.
Cars screeched and swerved to avoid him, careening and crashing into each other, a cacophony of horns filling the streets. Asami leapt onto the vehicles piled up in the center, jumping for one of the traffic lights. She pulled herself up and ran across the length, jumping to climb up on the buildings.
Asami transformed into her fox form as she darted across the rooftops. In this form, her senses were enhanced and she could even detect Jaeger’s vril signature. She moved from roof to roof, feeling his presence growing stronger and pumping her legs as fast as she could.
She looked down as she made the leap from one building to the next. On the road right below her was Jaeger, still on his bike. He was taking almost every single turn he could, making it nearly impossible for anyone chasing him to follow.
Unless they were a kitsune.
Asami moved quickly after him, watching as he came to the riverfront. She jumped from the building and tackled him from behind, her claws tearing at the flesh of his back. They tumbled from the bike and the vehicle toppled onto its side and skidded along the street.
Jaeger wielded the spear like a dagger. Asami jumped back to avoid the blade. Even though it was old, it looked sharp enough. That plus Jaeger’s strength behind it meant she didn’t want to be on the other end. She saw an opening
and went for his neck, clamping her jaw on the thick, muscled flesh.
The Thule screamed and wrapped one meaty arm around Asami’s fox body, then jammed the spear into her side. She yelped in pain, releasing her grip on his neck and he threw her off.
Jaeger touched his neck and looked at his hand, seeing his own blood running down his fingers. He growled and stalked towards Asami, who limped to a standing position. Her lips curled back and she bared her teeth, a deep growl emanating from her throat.
The sound of a car honking drew their eyes to the street. A vehicle barreled directly at Jaeger, slamming into him before stopping. Jaeger hit the barricade along the river, the wounds on his back adding to the pain of the impact.
Jason and Elisa both emerged from the car with Jason opening fire on Jaeger with his twin Berettas. Elisa instantly ran to Asami’s side and checked her friend’s wound. She carefully lifted the fox in her arms and carried her back to the car.
Jaeger’s vril abilities were beginning to fade. He’d exerted himself too much and it wouldn’t be long before Jason’s bullets would be capable of piercing his skin. But before that happened, a helicopter appeared overhead.
The Freemason looked up and began firing at the chopper. The side door opened and a rope ladder was dropped. When Jason got a look at the man inside the chopper, he completely froze in horror.
Jaeger got in one more shot, crossing the distance between him and Jason and uppercutting the Freemason. He retreated to the ladder and quickly began scaling it as the chopper rose up in the air.
CHAPTER 9
With the Habsburg Spear now in possession of the Thule Society, the group could do nothing more than retreat to a Freemason lodge in Vienna and plan their next move. Elisa helped the resident doctor patch up Asami while Jason went straight to the books, flipping through pages to find what he was searching for.
The infirmary wasn’t very big. Asami had reverted to her human form so the doctor could better bandage her up. She pulled her burgundy shirt back on and buttoned it, leaving the tails hanging out. With every movement, the kitsune cringed a bit. Elisa placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at her friend with a concerned gaze. Asami just gave her a look out of the corner of her eye.
Spear of Destiny (The Myth Hunter Book 4) Page 6
