Dreadnaught’s eyebrows rose as he looked at Vincent, but before he spoke, the restraints clicked and unlocked, releasing him from the wall and allowing him to move properly. The man stood up, rubbing his wrists as he nodded. “Thanks. Is he right, Dreamer? Is that what you’re planning?”
“Mm… possibly!” Dreamer said with a grin, and gestured him out of the van. “I’d also like to see what sort of powers aliens have, so it’s tempting. Finding the alien, though… that might be a bit tricky.”
“Well, we can discuss it later, I guess,” Dreadnaught said, jumping down out of the van with a grunt. “Let’s get out of here. The food in jail sucked, and I’m starving.”
“I see where your priorities are!” Dreamer said with a laugh, nodding to the minion. “Good work. Now, let’s leave before we have to destroy too much more, hm? Even if the coppers deserve it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the man acknowledged, and he quickly began moving away, with Dreamer a short distance behind him.
Other officers would be there soon enough, and while Dreamer would love to give them a warm welcome, it would only be a distraction for her, and there wasn’t a real point to it. She’d far rather plan her next scheme.
Black Emerald HQ, Wasatch Mountains
Black Emerald picked up a vial and swirled it, examining the glowing blue liquid with a critical eye, then nodded and popped the lid, opening the intake for her armor’s tank and pouring the contents in. The liquid swirled through several spiraling tubes, more there for ornamentation than anything else, and pumped into the tank itself, creating a cloud of blue in the clear liquid that slowly diffused outward.
Her armor was suspended in the liquid, the iridescent green outer shell shimmering with different subtle symbols, each carefully designed by Emerald personally, and she took a step forward to touch the tank, staring at her armor as she contemplated. Not that most people would consider it armor, she supposed. A symbiotic living creature, her armor wasn’t like almost any other type of armor on the planet, even ignoring how she’d designed multiple spells into it which the armor could activate with its own mana. An elegant solution to her ineptitude with magic, in her opinion, though it horrified many biologists and magi who’d gotten closer looks at her work.
The door hissed open behind her, but Emerald didn’t turn, simply waiting patiently. If anyone could get this deep into her complex without raising the alarm, they could kill her if they wanted. She didn’t really mind… but from the faint scent of lavender, Emerald suspected it was Wren.
“Lady Emerald, may I ask why you’re still working on your armor? I thought you were going inactive,” Wren asked in a mellow, diffident tone.
“I am. However, that doesn’t mean that heroes with grudges won’t come looking for me, nor does it mean I’ve lost my fascination of combining magic with biology. Why not work on it?” Emerald said, her tone absent as her thoughts whirred, wondering what she should try next. The armor was quite effective as it was, but she was certain she could make it into something much better. At the same time, she didn’t neglect Wren, either, and after a few seconds she turned to look at her assistant.
The lab was the very image of a mad scientist’s, and Emerald had taken pains to ensure it remained that way. Tanks along the walls held many of her creations, magic-infused creatures that could paralyze others, create shields, stealthily hunt down opponents and use attacks that might as well be energy cannons, and more. Most of them were sinister and insectile, mostly because she’d realized that would be the sort of thing that made people take her seriously. The tables in the room were covered with equipment, mostly beakers and the like filled with glowing liquids, while others were stacked with tomes, crystals, and the accoutrements associated with magic. They were mostly there for when another villain came to visit, as she liked impressing and terrifying them. Not that most of her work was done in the room… it was too messy for her to actually work in, most of the time. She had a far more practical lab elsewhere in the building.
Wren looked like she almost perfectly fit into the lab, in a nice lab coat and black slacks, and the woman held a tablet shaped to look like a clipboard. That had been a frivolous expense, but Emerald wasn’t about to tell the woman what to spend her money on. The attractive brunette had her hair pulled back in a bun and wore glasses as well. Not that she needed them, Emerald knew for certain. When Wren had asked to have all of her medical defects fixed as well as permanent cosmetic adjustments, Emerald had obliged. It was hard to get proper assistants, after all, and she met the woman’s gaze levelly, studying her warm brown eyes for flaws. She didn’t see any, which made Emerald happier.
“That does make some sense, Lady Emerald,” Wren agreed, glancing down at her tablet as she continued. “I’ve received a message from Destruction Corps, via the AI Melzi. They would like to purchase any data you’ve extracted from the genetic samples from the alien craft, assuming that you’ve learned anything from them.”
Emerald couldn’t help a giggle at that, amused that the AI didn’t even consider the possibility that she hadn’t acquired a sample yet. It likely had its reasons for that, but it still amused her. She did consider saying no briefly, but shrugged it off after a moment more. It wasn’t as though the information she’d extracted would do anyone much good in the end. The creators of the cloned samples had been very careful to sanitize the genes of anything too sensitive, so all she knew was what sort of atmospheric mix the species breathed, what foods they ate, and what sort of star they’d evolved under.
“Sell it to them. It’s useless to me either way,” Emerald said, smiling more broadly at Wren. “Choose a price that makes sense, though it doesn’t really matter to me. You can take the funds for yourself if you’d like.”
“Thank you, but no. I don’t trust myself to keep that amount of money secret. Besides, I make enough money officially to have a quite comfortable lifestyle,” Wren said, making a note on the tablet carefully.
“As you like,” Emerald said, pausing, then she asked curiously, “What about the thrall program?”
Wren stopped, remaining almost perfectly still for a second, then let out a soft breath before looking up at Emerald, adjusting her glasses nervously.
“The program is proceeding at the expected pace, Lady Emerald,” Wren said, licking her lips. “Restoring their memories from before they were captured is proving easier than expected, but overwriting the ones while they were here is challenging. Suppressing them is simple, but erasing them is difficult.”
“Mm… in that case, I want you to suppress their memories and only erase information which is particularly vital. Passwords, formulae, my businesses… that sort of thing,” Emerald said, a hint of self-loathing welling up inside her. No, not a hint of self-loathing, she corrected herself. It was pure loathing for what she’d done over the years, even though the part of her that felt that was oddly detached.
“As you wish,” Wren acquiesced, inclining her head. The woman didn’t turn away, though, obviously trying to find words to ask something.
“Go ahead, Wren. I suspect I know what you want to ask, but I’d rather hear you say it,” Emerald said, grinning as she leaned back against the tank, feeling the slow pulsing of magic through the glass.
“Why are you restoring them? I mean, the thralls were all people who were particularly caustic about you, usually in public, but now you’re sending them back, and even making certain that physically, it’ll be like they haven’t aged a day,” Wren said, gesturing upward, likely toward the lab where the process was being carried out. “When they reappear, people will notice, especially when you leave them with so much money! They’re going to examine their minds, and when they do, you—”
“That’s enough,” Emerald interrupted, the ever so slight edge to her voice cutting off Wren instantly.
Wren paused, her cheeks flushing as she looked down. “I’m sorry, Lady Emerald.”
“No, you simply care about me. More than I care about myself, for that matte
r,” Emerald replied, idly picking up a vial and swirling it. “That flatters me, and I’m happy that you and so many others are loyal. It’s why I’m getting rid of all those who I forced into service. My goal… is done. Shadowmind dealt with the last of my old enemies, so I don’t have a need for the thralls anymore.”
“I’m worried, though. What if the heroes come after you?” Wren asked, her voice tiny.
Emerald smiled broadly at that, laughing, then replied gently. “They won’t. Plenty of them know exactly where I am, and they’re too afraid of the consequences to do anything to me.”
“If… if you say so, Lady Emerald,” Wren said, taking a deep breath as she straightened again.
“Good. Now, how’s the attempt to get a sample of the actual alien’s body going? I’ve heard it left some blood behind in the fight this morning,” Emerald said, setting the vial back down gently.
“I’m afraid not. Either it’s not on the market, or it was all gathered by the heroes,” Wren said, perking up a little. “I’ll keep searching, though.”
“Good enough,” Emerald murmured, just a bit disappointed. She’d love to examine a proper sample from an alien.
“On the other hand, we did get several hairs from Lilith Carpenter. None with a follicle attached, but even so…” Wren’s tone was much brighter, and Emerald stood upright, grinning broadly.
“Is that so? Well, I’ll just have to see what I can figure out about her!” Emerald said, rolling up her sleeves as she murmured, “I’m curious just what Shadowmind did.”
“Ah, I’m afraid that you’re going to have to wait an hour or two before getting started,” Wren interrupted delicately. “The samples aren’t here yet.”
“Well, drat,” Emerald said, wrinkling her nose in frustration as her mood fell, then bounced back almost immediately. “Well, in that case I suppose I’ll have to find something else to do. Care to join me for an early dinner?”
“Well… let me check the time,” Wren said, tapping her tablet, then smiled and nodded. “Certainly! I have a movie date tonight, but I have time for a meal.”
“Oh? Boy or girl?” Emerald asked, her eyebrows rising a little. She knew Wren was picky, so hearing that she was going on a date at all was a bit of a surprise.
“Boy,” Wren said, smiling as she turned away. “He seems like a fun guy, and makes me laugh, so…”
They headed for the door together, chatting amiably as they went. Emerald just had to suppress the ravening, jealous monster in her subconscious that hated to let anyone draw attention away from her.
Some days it was harder than others.
Chapter 25
Tuesday, April 30th, 2031
Eden Manor, Glendale
The doorbell rang, and Lilith swallowed a curse, then asked, “They’re here already? I thought you said they’d be late!”
“They usually are!” Rachel said, her eyes widening as she looked up. “Circe, is that my family?”
“Unless someone has chosen to impersonate them with astounding detail, which is an extremely miniscule but non-zero possibility, it is,” Circe replied, pausing before she continued. “They have two bottles of wine with them, as well as a gift basket of fruit. Your sister appears to have recording software pulled up on her phone, which is running.”
“Of course she does. Why wouldn’t she?” Rachel muttered, growling softly as she set aside her knife, glancing over as she asked, “Gina, would you finish the salad while I get the door?”
“Sure!” Gina said, standing up as Rachel stepped over to the sink and quickly washed her hands, then hurried toward the front of the house. Gina picked up the knife Rachel had set down, cutting the carrots as she added in amusement. “It just figures that the one time you thought they’d be late, they show up early!”
“You said it,” Rachel said, and sighed in aggravation as the doorbell rang again. “Halley has no patience.”
“Then go get the door. Maybe flick water in her face, if it’ll make you feel better,” Lilith suggested, amused at Rachel’s reaction.
“I would, but there are going to be cameras, and I don’t want to ruin my reputation. I’ll be right back,” Rachel said tartly, prompting a laugh from Gina.
“How’s the dough coming?” Gina asked as Rachel’s footsteps echoed through the house.
“I think it’s ready for me to roll out,” Lilith said, poking the cloth covering the dough balls speculatively, then nodded. “Yes, I think it is.”
They’d decided on a simple meal for dinner, one that Lilith was certain she couldn’t mess up and that Rachel’s family liked, pizza. While Lilith might not like all of the toppings that the others did on a pizza, the one advantage to them was that it was relatively easy to let each person customize half of a pizza for themselves.
She uncovered the dough balls and moved one over to the counter space she’d already prepared with flour across the surface. She glanced over at the dining area, giving it a critical examination just to be safe. Nice plates had already been set, and the crystal positively gleamed in the light. Gina had even hung some of her paintings on the walls, which gave the room a far more lived-in appearance.
The front door opened, and Rachel spoke brightly. “You’re early! You caught me in the middle of fixing food!”
“Rachel!” a woman exclaimed, prompting Rachel’s laughter to echo through the house.
“Considering the circumstances, we certainly didn’t want to be late!” a man replied in amusement, though Lilith thought she heard a touch of wariness in his voice. “Plus, with how traffic can be between here and our house, I was afraid we’d be stuck for another twenty minutes.”
Lilith took the rolling pin and set to work on the dough as she listened, working to make the crust round. She was sure she’d make it a little oblong instead, since she wasn’t incredibly skilled with the rolling pin, but she thought she could come close. Closer than her first few attempts, certainly. Meanwhile, Gina was efficiently chopping up celery, now, having finished with the carrots. The pieces weren’t as precise as Lilith liked making them, but there wasn’t really a need for precision in a salad.
“Ah, that explains it. It’s good to see you three!” Rachel said, sounding amused. There was a momentary pause, and she asked, “How’re you doing, Halley?”
“Oh, well enough… school’s been decent, though we did have a fun time on Monday. Lots of classes got canceled,” the younger woman replied, her tone carefully casual. “Couldn’t you have stopped them before they did so much damage?”
The door closed, and Lilith glanced over at Gina, who rolled her eyes and whispered, “Easy for her to say, I think.”
“Agreed,” Lilith said, resisting the urge to sigh. Fortunately, Rachel seemed to agree.
“Maybe, if most of it hadn’t occurred before we even got there. Getting called out of bed in the middle of the night isn’t exactly pleasant,” Rachel said, her voice a touch tart as she continued. “Also, you aren’t going to get any real questions answered while your phone’s recording us, you know. The house systems picked that up before I got to the door.”
“Halley!” the other woman exclaimed, sounding scandalized.
“What? But, I…” the younger woman sputtered, then growled. “Fine, I’ll shut it off. I just wanted to have something to listen to later!”
“Or to show off to your friends,” Rachel replied, and paused for a minute before speaking. “Now, let’s go meet the others. Gina’s finishing the salad, while it sounds like Lilith’s rolling out the crusts.”
“She’s cooking?” Halley asked, sounding almost scandalized.
“Why, yes… it’s almost as if she has to eat, too,” Rachel said dryly.
Footsteps echoed again, and a few seconds later Rachel returned, wiping her hands off, and with a trio behind her. Lilith looked up and smiled warmly at them, studying her guests as they stopped and stared at her, obviously stunned.
Arthur Moore wasn’t the sort of man to stand out in a crowd, though he w
asn’t plain, either. He was taller than his wife or daughters, with white-speckled brown hair and normal brown eyes, and was relatively handsome for his age. He wasn’t overweight, but neither was he thin, and what Lilith could see of his arms showed a fair amount of muscle. He wore a blue polo shirt and slacks, and looked ever so slightly uncomfortable.
Conversely, Loretta Moore was petite and all smiles, with dark hair and bright blue eyes which Rachel had obviously inherited, and the woman was a bit shorter than her daughter, but also seemed surrounded by an air of near-endless energy. She was wearing a simple brown dress, and her eyes lit up even more as she saw Lilith. She also had a basket and bag in her hands, which she set on a counter a moment later, the bag containing a couple of bottles of wine from the look of things, while the basket had what looked like a variety of chocolates to Lilith.
Last was Halley, and the sight of her nearly gave Lilith pause, as she looked little like she had in the picture that Rachel had shown her during their time in hiding. The young woman was wearing jeans that practically looked painted on, as well as a shirt that had a logo for a band that Lilith hadn’t heard of, but she suspected was hard rock based on the style. She was a little shorter than Rachel, and had the same near-black hair and blue eyes, but her hair had been styled very differently, with cornrows along the left side of her head while the hair on the right was allowed to flow freely, almost obscuring her right eye. Her left ear had multiple piercings along the outer edge, and the young woman had a stud above her right nostril. It was a far cry from how much she’d resembled Rachel in the picture, but Lilith supposed that might be the point.
“Hello!” Lilith said, smiling at them as she paused her rolling, nodding toward the table. “Sorry that I’m busy, but I was trying to have this ready for when you arrived. Why don’t you have a seat? The pizzas should be ready for you to put toppings on in just a few minutes.”
Queen's Move (Lilith's Shadow Book 3) Page 20
