by TR Cameron
An acknowledgment sounded from behind, and she surged into an attack. She realized she’d screwed up when one of them shot the ground in front of her and the ricochet bounced up under the imperfectly positioned shield and sliced into her leg. The limb collapsed beneath her and she rolled to the side in pain, barely managing to reposition the shield to catch the rounds that followed. When their guns clicked empty, one raced at her while the other started to reload.
She let the shield fade and dispatched a burst of force at the one with the weapon. It didn’t hit him but did explode a light over his head, and the falling glass drove him away. Great. Good aim, Cali. She pushed herself to her feet as the other man arrived and threw a punch at her head. A hop to the side with her weight on her good leg took her out of range, and he lashed out with a kick that knocked it out from under her. She fell again, and he stood over her with a mocking expression as he raised a foot to stamp on her face.
Fyre appeared to be angry because instead of freezing the man, he flew directly into him, dug his claws into the enemy’s shoulders, and lifted him. His roar overpowered the man’s scream of agony, and his strong wings flapped once, twice, then again as he rocketed toward the side of a building. The Draksa released the man and pulled up into a loop. His victim barely managed to curl to protect his head before he pounded into the structure and fell the dozen feet to the ground. He didn’t move at all.
Cali realized she’d watched instead of acting when she heard the click of a pistol being primed to shoot. She pushed the idea of protection to the front of her mind and whispered, “Aspida,” and a barrier sprung to life around her. She curled inside it to wait out the attack, felt the warmth of the blood flowing from her wounded leg into her boot, and hoped he’d fire fast enough that she could swallow a potion before she passed out.
Tanyith made it outside safely and landed on top of the eighteen-wheeler parked at the dock. He turned to face the ship, ready for the woman to make an appearance so he could blast her back into it and eliminate the other the Atlanteans. It’s cool. We’ve got this. The falsehood of his self-congratulation was revealed when the rear doors of the trailer opened and a flood of Atlanteans in matching hoodies and masks flooded out. His brain refused to accept what his eyes told him, and in the moment when he was distracted, an attack from inside the ship hurled him from his perch.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The thought flitted across Tanyith’s mind that he was really tired of being airborne because of others’ efforts. In the next moment, he twisted to protect himself from a painful landing on the street with a flexible bubble of force that absorbed the impact. He scrambled to his feet and stared at the people who flowed from the ship in military fatigues, body armor, and rifles. There were dozens more, at least, all looking like they were ready to form a beachhead to invade the city. What the hell is going on here?
He ran out of time to worry about the bigger picture when a trio of Atlantean warriors came around one side of the truck and two more around the other. While he fired force blasts as fast as he could, he backpedaled and dodged incoming bursts of shadow and fire. Lightning stabbed in and wreathed him in burning incandescence and his muscles spasmed when the energy surged into them. He screamed in rage and pain and launched himself upward to escape the follow-up assault, aiming for the roof of the terminal building. His trajectory was far from perfect and instead of landing cleanly, he collided with one of the skylights, fell through, and barely maintained the presence of mind to throw another force bubble to cushion his fall. When he landed, he blacked out.
Cali heard a loud noise from the direction of the cruise ship—like a whole group of people had screamed at once—but couldn’t focus her attention to find out what was going on. Fyre had disabled the man shooting at her with an ice blast and she’d drunk the healing potion, which had instantly tried to put her to sleep. She guzzled the blue energy liquid and stood unsteadily, trembling as her flesh knitted itself together and happy to discover she could now stand on her formerly wounded leg.
When her vision cleared, she initially thought she was hallucinating. The sheer number of people who streamed out of the ship made no sense, nor did the outfits they wore. She gaped as the men and women—who looked military—confronted the Atlantean gang members, some with the guns they carried, and others with fists and knives. She peered around to ensure no one was near enough to threaten her, then realized she didn’t know what to do.
Fyre screeched over her head and flew toward the terminal building, then turned and returned to her and repeated the process. Damn, we need telepathy. Or radios. She jogged after him and he seemed content. They’d covered only a few yards when something entirely unexpected happened. A helicopter swooped in and hovered over the docks, its blades barely clearing the high points on the terminal roof. Four figures leapt out clad in identical dark clothing and body armor. One, about half the size of the others, had shockingly purple hair in the spotlight that shone down from the aircraft. That one, together with two more, slid down black lines, while the fourth clearly used magic to slow their descent.
When they landed, the new arrivals immediately engaged the people in the camouflage uniforms. Cali pointed upward to tell Fyre to check the roof, then lost sight of the bigger battle when she crossed into the terminal building. In the center, Tanyith lay on his back with a number of enemies closing in on him. She attacked them from behind, blasted two with bursts of force that knocked them into the others, and raced in to stand beside her ally. “Get up.”
He shook his head and said groggily, “I can’t.”
She risked a look and saw nothing broken on his body. “Yes, you can. Stand your lazy ass up right now, Tanyith.”
With a moan, he staggered to his feet and put a hand on her shoulder to steady himself. They were in the middle of an empty space and enemies surrounded them on three sides. As one, they retreated in the only possible direction, moving toward the large scaffolded storage area that ran through the center of the building and would prevent them from reaching the other side. The woman in the suit from the battle at the nightclub appeared behind their other enemies. Again, she was dressed impeccably, this time in a dark navy-blue suit and matching shirt and tie. all one color but attractive nonetheless. Her hair was slightly mussed, and Cali considered mentioning it but the woman spoke first.
“We’re here for him, Ms Leblanc. You’re free to go.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what you are all up to out there with all the chaos and guns and stuff, but there’s no way you’ll get to him without going through me first.”
The other woman frowned. “That’s inconvenient but acceptable.” A surprisingly gentle burst of force knocked Cali a step to the side and suddenly, she was trapped as four enemies placed walls of magical power around her. She could see them maintain the spells while the woman moved toward her target. The barrier didn’t prevent her from seeing or hearing clearly.
He snarled outrage. “What is it with you people?”
She shrugged. “You are a thorn in our side. From what I’m told, you always were.”
Tanyith shook his head. “When I was part of the gang, we cared about the Atlantean people.”
She gave a dismissive laugh. “You lacked vision and still do. When we’re done, the Atlantean people in New Orleans will be much better off.”
Cali called out a warning as the gang member behind the woman shifted position, but the leader raised her hand and stopped their motion. She looked over her shoulder and ordered them to back off. They complied and she held a palm out and the magical spear that was the only weapon they’d seen her use appeared in it. She nodded at Tanyith. “I will give you the honor of single combat in recognition of the fact that you were once one of us and, as deluded as you were and are, you still considered the future of our people as your chief concern. Do you accept?”
She wanted to tell him not to do it but there were really no other options. I’ll find a way out of here, and I’ll show her exac
tly how much I respect rules set by a gangster.
Tanyith drew his right-hand Sai and summoned a shield onto his left forearm. The woman’s subordinates pushed pallets aside magically to create a rough circle, similar to those used for ritual combat in both New and old Atlantis. She wove the spear in an eloquent figure of eight in front of her, and he was forced to acknowledge that every movement she made was incredibly graceful. Damn, maybe Sienna’s right and I was in prison for too long.
He laughed at himself. Sure, she wants to kill you, but maybe you could do an enemies to lovers thing, right? He shook his head at his own stupidity and pulled on his game face as he circled with her and pushed his aches and pains to the back of his brain. The spear licked out at his eyes and he leaned back. It stopped short when he positioned the shield in the way. She stepped in and twirled the other end up between his legs, and he caught it in the curved guard of his sai before it struck. He whipped the shield around, hoping she’d push in to try to force past his guard, but she backpedaled and circled again.
Dammit, she’s all cold logic and strategy. The look on her face reinforced the conclusion, as she didn’t seem particularly excited to fight him or even particularly annoyed. It wasn’t a reaction he usually engendered in people, as he tended to be polarizing. It would make forcing her into a mistake exceptionally difficult. Okay, let’s change it up then. He rushed at her and cursed the pain in his calves that stole some of his speed. With the shield, he hammered the weapon aside when she tried to impale him, then swung the sai in a feint. She opened slightly to block it, and he thrust forward, knees-first. Her eyes widened when he careened into her blocking arm and shoved her back.
She stumbled and went down and he landed on top of her. His initial attack was an elbow blow, but her raised arms blocked it. He pushed up and let his weight fall on her again, but she accepted the impact without reacting. It only became apparent that she’d locked his wrist out when his sai began to move toward his face. He dropped it, and she used the hand that had controlled the limb to punch him in the temple. The blow caused him to shift to one side, and a surge of motion from below threw him off in that direction. He scrambled to his feet in time to evade the point of the spear as it sought his heart.
Blood trickled down his cheek and his head was ringing. For the first time in the fight, he thought it was more likely that he’d lose than that he’d win, and he glanced around reflexively for ways to escape. When his brain began to function again, he remembered Cali was trapped nearby. There was no way he would abandon her. So, how do I beat this wench? She attacked and he blocked again, but his arms felt heavy as the pain in his skull increased.
A sudden shout shattered the moment and the enemies who had maintained the barrier around his partner scattered when Fyre bulldozed through their ranks. He froze one who had moved too slowly to evade his attack and grasped another in his claws. Cali appeared at a run from the side and his opponent dropped and rolled away to avoid the surprise attack. He expected the enemy leader to continue the fight but instead, she snarled and ran. A moment later, two dark-uniformed people he hadn’t seen before rushed into the room and engaged the half-dozen enemies who remained. The taller one—a woman with black hair—mixed magical attacks and punches that made loud snaps when they connected. The shorter one was a shockingly unexpected purple-haired troll. Equally surprising was the way he used two combat batons to disable his share of the Atlanteans.
In moments, the area was clear and the duo raced out through the opening that faced the docks. Fyre landed beside Cali with a fluttering of his wings, then folded them back carefully along his body. She reached out a hand and petted him absently.
Tanyith looked at her, and she stared at him. “So…uh, this turned out really different than I thought it would.”
She laughed. “Right? I guess we should be used to that by now or something.” She twisted her head to look in the direction the strangers had gone. “They came in by helicopter but I have no idea why. There were a couple more of them, though. That was a troll, right? I’ve never seen one in person.”
He nodded, then realized she wasn’t looking at him and replied, “Yeah. Definitely a troll.”
“I thought they were small. Or really big.”
“They can be many different sizes, according to what I’ve heard. But my knowledge is minimal.”
Cali shrugged. “I guess we should see what’s going on outside. I kind of don’t want to, though.”
He laughed. “I know how you feel. But we need to make sure that no one who wasn’t here to fight was hurt. Do you still have a healing potion left?”
“Nope. I used it.”
Tanyith grimaced. “Okay, I’ll hold on to mine, then, in case we find wounded. But if I collapse, you’ll have to carry me.”
“I’ve more or less carried you the whole time I’ve known you. Why should today be different?” She strode toward the door with the Draksa at her side, and he was fairly sure she walked faster than usual, doubtless only to tweak him. He sighed, shook his head, and followed.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cali stared in surprise when she exited the terminal building onto the docks. What had seemed like a chaotic battlefield when she went inside had transformed into a space of extreme order. Police cars flashed red and blue at each end of the lit-up area near the cruise ship, and a line of men and women bound with zip ties sat in the middle of the wide zone.
Weapons had been piled on the far side, presumably taken from the military-looking people. How long was I trapped for? Sheesh. Her review of the situation was interrupted by the appearance of a familiar face. Detective Barton grinned at her. “Well, look at that. Massive fighting involving gang members and who do I see but the perennially uninvolved Caliste Leblanc.”
She snorted at her. “Right. So surprising that I’m exactly where you told me to be. What a shocker.”
The other woman laughed. “I’m only messing with you. I’m glad to see you’re safe.” She looked past her with a smile. “That goes for you, too, but less, Shale.”
Tanyith sounded tired. “That is not my name anymore.”
“Are you both okay?”
Cali nodded. “Never better. What went on here?”
Barton shrugged. “I’m still trying to find out. What we know for sure is that the night started exactly like we all thought it would. The Atlantean gang came to meet some people who were clearly expecting to see them. My officers watched them all leave fairly quickly after the ship docked and followed.”
“Yeah, we were watching them too. But what’s with the rest?”
“It looks as if the human gang tried to intercept some of them—maybe to replace the ones who miraculously escaped.” She stared into Cali’s eyes and shrugged at the lack of confirmation. “Clearly, there were some small-scale skirmishes. Anyway, things went to hell when the mercenaries attacked the Atlantean gang, who had apparently brought more people than expected. I truly know zero about that, but my superiors will work hard to find answers.”
She grinned. “So you’ll tell us what you learn?”
The detective shook her head. “Not likely, unless you have something to trade for it.” She waved and walked off to intercept an officer who jogged across the space.
Tanyith quipped, “Why can’t you two get along?”
Cali shrugged. “Mainly because she’s so distracted by you that she’s not logical. Seriously, you two should simply date and be done with it.” Her heart wasn’t in the teasing, though, because she continued to scan the area. It wasn’t clear what she was looking for, but when she saw the troll and the woman who had been with him, she decided they were it. “Come on, you two.”
As they approached, it became clear that the two were talking to another person and the third member of the trio turned out to be Nylotte. Cali nudged Tanyith, and he glanced up and said, “Well, she did say she’d be nearby. Maybe she knows what the hell went on.”
When they arrived, the Drow stared at them and snappe
d at her partner, “Are you simply going to limp around all night or will you take your potion?” He looked like he wanted to reply but clearly thought better of it and sipped from the red cylinder.
The athletic-looking brunette laughed and extended her hand to Cali. “I saw your attack when the box fell. Nice job. I’m Diana Sheen. The half-pint next to me is Rath.”
The troll grinned at her and said, “We are the law.” His companion rolled her eyes.
“Cali Leblanc. The guy with me is Tanyith. The short one is Fyre.” Handshakes were exchanged, and Rath offered them fist-bumps in turn. “I guess you know Nylotte?”
Diana laughed. “Oh, you could say that. She’s a friend but more importantly, she’s my teacher in all things magic.”
Tanyith grinned. “So, are you being punished for something? What did you do wrong?”
The Drow rolled her eyes as Diana joined the laughter. “She’s much worse when you get to know her. She’s probably been on her best behavior with you. I take it you’re the one she rescued from Trevilsom?”
He nodded. “And I’ll owe her forever.”
The Drow waved it away. “That particular account is closed. And actually, Diana here owes both of you, now.”
Cali tilted her head. “Why?”
The woman twisted to face her, and Cali noticed that a hilt protruded over her shoulder. Okay, guns and a sword. That’s weird. “It would be a really long and ridiculously involved story, so I’ll summarize it. Basically, we had word that there was a human criminal organization that was looking to exterminate a group of magicals in New Orleans. When Nylotte mentioned that you were investigating a cruise ship that was of interest to a magical group in the city, it struck my team that maybe the things were related.”
