Quan and Roxanne regarded me with the ‘I can’t believe you just said that’ look. So I just looked at Peaches and rubbed his head.
I suppressed a chuckle. “I think you have that one confused, boy,” I said under my breath and rubbed his ears. “No biting.”
“You have access to sub-level four?” Cassandra asked, surprised. “I thought only NYTF top-level clearance knew about this place?”
“I thought Ramirez shut this place down after they discovered it was a black site?” I remembered the last time I was here.
“They did,” Cassandra said as the elevator stopped moving. “He made sure it was decommissioned for NYTF use. I didn’t know it was still being used.” The doors remained closed until Roxanne placed a thumb on the panel. A bright light scanned her finger. That was new.
“Sub-level four is now a part of the Detention Center and is overseen by the Haven staff,” Roxanne said, inserting a key into the panel. “This level is meant to house the most dangerous magic-users. We have oversight now and regular visits from NYTF inspectors.”
“Who’s being housed here now?” I asked as the door opened.
“Only Tristan is on this level right now,” she said as she stepped out of the elevator and onto the floor. “No other magic-user in our Detention Center warrants this kind of containment.” The floor right outside the elevator was covered in runes, which flared bright yellow as we stepped on them. In fact, the entire floor leading to all of the cells was inscribed with runes.
The floor plan was unchanged. The level was a large rectangle with three massive cell doors in each of the four sides. A right turn at the end of the hallway put us facing another row of cells. Spotlights had been added, illuminating the center of each of the sides.
Quan looked down at the floor. “Devastation runes? Impressive,” she said with admiration.
“Along with a few others,” Roxanne said, continuing to walk down the hallway. “No one is escaping this level.”
I knew which cell she was leading us to and it made perfect sense. How do you contain a mage whose power is increasing? You place him in a cell designed to hold a being of great power. Monty was in Charon’s old cell.
TWENTY-NINE
“YOU KNOW WHAT is happening to Tristan?” Roxanne asked as we approached the door of his cell. “Can you explain it?”
Quan studied the runes on the door and stiffened. “No. I can’t. Can you explain the intricacies of sorcery to me?”
“I can explain theory—wait, how did you know I was a sorceress?”
“Who placed these runes on the door?” Quan said, her voice tight with anger. “They are only delaying the process.”
“They were part of the design of the room,” Roxanne snapped back, clearly upset. “This cell was created to hold beings of great power. It was the only place we could put him. I don’t care for your tone. I’m doing everything in my power to help Tristan and—”
“It’s not enough,” Quan whispered. She stepped close to the door and closed her eyes. “He isn’t going through an erasure, but the runes in this cell are preventing the power shift. He’s in stasis. I need to go inside.”
“You can’t,” Roxanne said, and Quan opened her eyes, leveling her gaze at her. Roxanne put her hands up. “It’s not that I won’t let you, we can’t open the door. It’s sealed from the inside.”
“Do you have an archive here?” Quan asked with urgency.
“A what?” Roxanne answered confused. “Our records are stored digitally. Why would you need to see our records?”
“Not records—a storehouse where you keep magical supplies. A vault?”
“Oh, yes, we do in the medical wing. We have the most extensive—”
“I need runed wood,” Quan said, cutting her off. “Do you have it?”
“Depends on the wood you need. But I’m sure we have it. Our warehouse is extensive,” Roxanne replied with a huff.
“Rowan, yew, and ash—about one meter of each. Do you have these?” Quan asked, giving an expectant look at Roxanne. “Oh, and one other…steel core bamboo. Can you get all of these?”
“You want me to procure runed specimens of the three woods and just…what—hand them to you? These are some of the most powerful ingredients in our possession.”
Quan gave her a tight smile. “Are you fond of Tristan?”
“I don’t see how that pertains to this or is any of your business,” Roxanne answered, looking flustered. “But yes, we are close, if you must know. Yes, yes, I’m quite fond of him.”
“I’m fond of him too,” Quan whispered and looked at Roxanne, searching her face. “We were close once long ago. Before I betrayed him, I loved him—as you do.”
“Then why are you doing this?” Roxanne asked, her face turning crimson.
Quan looked at the cell that contained Monty. “Because I need his help. I need a battle mage with all his power to fight a creature you can’t imagine in the worst of your nightmares”
“I don’t see how the three woods can help. They are inert and require treatment. That would take days—” Roxanne started.
Quan held up a hand, silencing her. “If I don’t form a focus and get inside in time to facilitate the power shift—Tristan will be overwhelmed by his power, lose his mind, and go dark,” Quan said matter-of-factly. “If he goes dark, I will have to kill him and most likely all of you, since you’ll try to defend him. I would prefer to avoid that outcome if possible.”
“You would destroy us all?” Cassandra asked, her voice trembling. “We would stop you.”
Quan fixed Cassandra with a stare. My stomach clenched tight at her expression. In that moment, I knew. Not only would she do it, she could.
“Every Ordaurum is given an umbra mortis—a shadow death. It’s a mage of equal or greater power from a separate sect who is chosen. They form an unbreakable pact. It binds them as long as they live. If either of the two goes dark, the other is tasked with elimination of the dark mage—with their life, if necessary. I am Tristan’s as he’s mine.”
“What happens if they both go dark?” Roxanne asked quietly. “Then what?”
“They are both destroyed by the combined might of their sects. I would like to prevent Tristan from going dark. To do that, I need the three woods—now, please.”
“I’ll be right back,” Roxanne answered, retrieving her key card. “I need to go to the other side of the facility. It may take a while.”
Cassandra shot a wary glance at Quan. “I’ll come with you. She creeps me the hell out.”
They headed off to the elevator, moving fast. I saw the runes flare as they got on and left.
“I’m sure you get that a lot,” I said, looking at the runes on the door. “I know Monty does. Can you really open it?”
“That mark on your hand…what does it do?” she asked while staring at it. “It radiates power, unlike the rest of you—which is strangely null.”
I considered lying for a brief second, but thought against it.
“It allows me to stop time,” I said while reaching for Grim Whisper. I turned and fired into the corner behind me. The entropy rounds punched into the darkness and a figure fell forward.
Quan walked over to the body. “A lurk.” It was featureless and looked like a long slug with two large slits for eyes. “You have a Negomancer watching you. Only they employ these creatures.”
“Beck,” I said, prodding the lurk with a toe. The entropy rounds dissolved it into nothingness a few seconds later. “He’s been after Monty since The Randy Rump.”
“He will be close and on his way. Negomancers are never far from their spies. If I open the door without the focus, it will accelerate the shift.” She examined the runes on the door again. “We must wait for the three woods.”
“Have you ever fought a Negomancer?” I asked as she faced away from me, examining the runes. I saw the elevator arrive and I unsheathed Ebonsoul. It was
way too soon for them to be back with the three woods.
“Once; they are difficult to dispatch. Negomancy is quite formidable and requires an immense amount of power to fight. It usually takes two to three mages to stop one Negomancer.” She traced some of the runes near the floor with her finger. “I don’t look forward to facing another one if I can avoid it.”
“About that… I don’t think we’re going to be able to avoid it,” I said as the elevator doors opened and Beck stepped out. “Do you think you can take on a Negomancer alone?”
She looked up as the runes flared around the elevator and then disappeared.
“Shite,” she said. She stood up slowly. “This is Beck?”
I nodded and began firing.
THIRTY
MY BULLETS MADE it about halfway to him before they fell to the floor in a pile of useless metal.
“I’m here for Tristan,” Beck said as he approached. “Just hand him over and I’ll be on my way.” The runes flared red under his feet for a few seconds and then went black. “How did you spot my lurk, by the way?”
“We may need to give him what he wants,” Quan whispered under her breath. “Keep him distracted.”
“What do you mean by give him what he wants? And distract him with what? Sharp wit?”
“I’d say yes, but it seems you lack that, so try that blade of yours—it looks dangerous.” She crouched down to examine the runes on the door to Monty’s cell. “I need a few moments to get this door open. Go introduce yourself.”
Beck looked like a university professor who had lost his way to class. He wore a brown jacket, a beige shirt, and a complementing rust- colored tie. Khaki dress slacks finished off the ensemble. He looked normal except for his hands being covered in black energy and the black tears—the black tears were still unsettling.
“This one you can bite,” I whispered to Peaches as we walked down the hallway to head Beck off. “Be careful. He’s nasty.”
Peaches bounded off and leaped, disappearing mid-jump. I unsheathed Ebonsoul and slid forward as Beck released a black orb at me. With nowhere to dodge, I raised Ebonsoul in front of me. It absorbed the orb and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“What kind of blade is that?” he asked squinting at Ebonsoul. “Where did you get this weapon?”
I took a step back into a defensive stance. “Do you need a tissue or something? I mean, really, the black tears don’t work with the professor-look. Maybe a trench coat? Even a holocaust cloak would work.”
He pulled out a blade in response. “Fine, you seem to be immune to my magic. I’ll erase you the old way,” he said and lunged.
“Cut first, cut fast, or die.” Master Yat’s words came to me as Beck’s blade closed. I parried the lunge and sliced across, aiming for his thumb. He released his blade and caught it with the other hand, avoiding my slash. He bent forward and shot out a leg behind him, catching the reappearing Peaches in mid-air in the chest with the back-kick. A sickening crunch filled my ears and stole my breath. My heart lurched as Peaches tumbled down the hallway and landed in front of the elevator. He didn’t move.
“You’d better pray you didn’t kill him, Beck,” I said, my voice full of emotion as I advanced menacingly towards him.
“I’m a Negomancer. You can’t sneak up on me. I sense and negate energy—all energy. You should have kept that creature away from me.” He smirked. “But don’t worry if he isn’t dead. I’ll put him out of his misery after I’m done with you.”
He jumped back, formed another black orb, and slammed it into the floor. Any time Monty slammed magic into the floor it usually meant some earth-shattering event was about to happen. The devastation runes flared to life. A wave of light radiated outward from where he had slammed it down. I punched Beck in the face, knocking him on his back, and ran for Peaches. Beck began to laugh. The runes glowed brighter as I scooped up Peaches and dived into the elevator.
The devastation runes triggered and the world exploded.
THIRTY-ONE
I LAY SPRAWLED out in the elevator, partially covering Peaches. He was still breathing. The elevator was wrecked, along with my body, which was aching in new and unfamiliar places.
I slowly got to my feet and staggered out of the elevator into a right cross that spun me clockwise and slammed my face into the wall. I slid down it, barely conscious, as the floor tilted beneath me. Darkness filled the edges of my vision and crept in as Beck came into focus.
“No one said you can’t punch and kick in a knife fight,” he said as he leaned in close to my face. “I’d take the extra time to kill you and your little dog, but I have orders. You aren’t the target, Tristan is, and I have to deliver him to the Council. Dead or alive. I’m thinking he put up a struggle and had to be subdued—with lethal force.”
“Fuck you, Beck,” I managed, spitting out some blood. “Just give me a moment so I can kick your ass.”
“Oh, you won’t be healing anytime soon,” he said and laughed as he stood. “I laced my energy into the devastation runes in the floor. Your immortality and your healing are on hold for a little while.”
I glared at him as I tried to sit up properly but failed. He was right. My body wasn’t reacting normally. None of the wounds closed and my head still rang from the punch.
“How did you; what happened, no…I mean, what did you do?” I stammered as my vision swam and the floor tilted under me again.
“If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles,” he whispered, crouching down next to me. “I do my homework, Strong. I saw your performance at the butcher shop. Granted, Tristan did all of the heavy lifting, but there was something off about you. I dug and found out all about the ‘chosen of Kali.’ It was sparse, but enough to neutralize you.”
“Someone shared information they shouldn’t have with you. Who was it?” I croaked and coughed up more blood. Every word felt like sandpaper with bits of broken glass massaging my throat as I tried to get the words out.
“Does it matter? It doesn’t look like you’re leaving this place—alive, at least.”
He made a move to stand up. I shifted my weight and buried Ebonsoul in his thigh. I was aiming for his neck, but my current state of equilibrium made objects appear closer than they really were.
He fell back and screamed. I actually smiled. It was the best sound I’d heard all day. Black orbs formed in his hands as he whirled and homed in on me.
“Appear weak when you are strong and strong when you are weak,” I said, standing shakily. “As far as magic-users go, Negomancers are amateurs.”
He clenched his jaw, pulled out Ebonsoul and tossed it to one side with a grunt.
“I wasn’t going to kill you, but you just became collateral damage.” He launched the orbs at me. “Time to die.”
The orbs froze mid-flight and evaporated. I looked over to Monty’s cell and saw the door open and Quan casting a spell. I picked up Ebonsoul and scrambled over to the elevator, scooping up Peaches, and felt my body scream at me. I wasn’t healing yet. When I stepped out of the elevator, Monty was walking toward us.
All around him, tendrils of violet energy bled off his body in a haze of flickering, purple flame, that was flecked throughout with shimmering specks of gold giving him the appearance of being on fire.
He gestured and a wall of energy materialized between us as Beck unleashed several orbs of black energy. They hit the wall with enough force to create tremors around us, but it held. I gave Monty a short nod as I passed him on my way to Quan.
“Where I come from, calling someone’s heritage into question is a sign of poor breeding,” Monty said and formed a flame orb in his hand.
“What the hell is that?” I asked Quan as I looked at the mini-sun in Monty’s hand. “He’s never created anything that bright.”
After a few seconds, I had to look away.
“In the room—now!” Sh
e shoved me into the room and gestured with her hand, covering the doorway with semi-opaque energy. We fell in a pile as flames filled the entire sub-level.
“Did he just incinerate the entire sub-level? What is happening to him?” I asked as I grabbed the stunned Quan by the shoulder.
“A corsolis,” she whispered in awe. “He unleashed a sun’s heart, with just a thought.”
“Why does that sound like a bad thing? It is a bad thing, right?”
“He shouldn’t be able to cast that spell for at least another fifty years. The power shift is accelerating too fast—it will consume him,” she said, her voice grim. I was about to step outside when she grabbed my arm.
“What?” I said, trying to pull away. “Beck might still be out there. I need to help Monty.” She clamped down hard with a vise-grip and held me in place.
“Not yet, I need to undo Beck’s attack or you will die if the corsolis is still active,” she said and muttered some words under her breath.
Golden light shot down her arm and into mine. The light surrounded me as my body vibrated. Her hand trembled and I could tell it was a major effort for her to hold on. When she let go, I was launched into the nearest wall hard enough to make me gasp.
“A little warning next time would be great,” I wheezed and then realized I felt better. The impact should have bruised and battered me but I was feeling better with each passing second. “I think it worked. Can you fix Peaches?”
She placed her hands on the side of Peaches’ body and the same golden light cascaded over him. When she removed them, he slid a few feet and stopped.
“He should be fine,” she said, shaking out her hands. “We need to see to Tristan.”
“I’m curious. How come Peaches got a gentle nudge and I get the body-slam treatment?” I said as I peeked out of the doorway. I saw Monty lying face down in the hallway. Beck was near the elevator, unconscious. The same violet flames from before were filling the area around him.
“Because Peaches is a gentle, majestic creature, and you’re not,” she said as she stepped up next to me. She gestured and the wall of energy dissipated. A blast of power rushed into the room and nearly knocked me down. The airflow around us increased.
Montague & Strong Detective Novels Box Set: Montague & Strong Detective Novels Books, 1 through 3 (Montague & Strong Case Files) Page 33
