by David Petrie
This time Corvin’s face went blank, clearly not expecting an apology in return. “Oh, it’s okay. I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you the answer you wanted.”
“‘Cause that would be illegal.” Kegan added, getting a glower from Piper.
She growled as they boarded the lift to take them to the upper decks. “Laws are dumb.”
“You should see the tax laws.” Seven let out a laugh at her own joke when it failed to get a chuckle. “Sorry, accountant humor. But in all seriousness, sometimes laws keep you from making mistakes.”
“Still.” Piper made a point to maintain eye contact with Corvin. “I still like you. I understand that I’m not an option for you, and there’s no chance of you saying yes. But I want my feelings to be clear. At least that way I can move on.”
“That’s fair.” Corvin braced like he was about to rip off a Band-Aid. “Can we go back to being friends?”
“I guess–”
“Oh, thank god.” Kegan interrupted. “Now you kids can put this all behind you and get back to normal. Seriously, you two have no idea how difficult tonight has been for me.”
“Kids?” Piper and Corvin said in unison along with a glower.
“What? I’m over forty. I can call you babies whatever I want.”
“That’s true.” Piper smirked. “You are wicked old.”
That was when the lift came to a stop on the top level. Max and Ginger stood at the entrance of the lift shaft in a small room with a door to the main deck.
“And speaking of old.” Piper gestured toward her mother with her head, getting a dirty look in response.
“Wow.” Max leaned against the wall of the lift bay. “That is one hell of a bomb.” A flash of anger swept across his face when he noticed Aawil, but washed away just as fast. He seemed to be making an effort to hold in his feelings, like he didn’t want to tip his hand.
“Yes, it is an impressive bomb.” Piper’s mother approached the chest with a covetous twinkle in her eyes. “I’m actually pretty jealous. Kind of want to blow something up with it now.”
Behind them, Echo mimed an explosion, pulling her arms in close to her chest and then throwing them out and jumping. The word ‘boom’ was clearly mouthed. Afterward, she sunk to the floor like a fading cloud of smoke, making jazz hands the whole way down.
“Anyway.” Ginger ignored the imitation fairy and gestured to the bomb. “We can toss this thing overboard nearby, just need to carry it another hundred feet or so across the deck.” She immediately spun on her heel and began walking toward a door. “Just this way.”
Piper shrugged, and pushed her improvised bomb squad to follow her mother. She gasped as soon as she stepped into the open air of the Night Queen’s main deck. A crowd, made up of the auction’s attendees, had gathered in front of the lift bay. Grindstone stood in the middle, fidgeting in place while Dalliance ran around.
“Give them room, give them room.” The elf pranced back and forth, making sure there was a clear path to the side of the ship. “We don’t all want to explode, now do we?”
“You’re doing great, Aawil!” Nix thrust out a thumbs up from one side then leaned to a random player standing nearby. “The faunus is with me.”
Piper noticed Max’s jaw tighten.
The crowd began to follow them as they moved toward the side of the ship, ramping up the tension.
Aawil turned her head. “You all are making me nervous.” She glared daggers at the onlookers. “Clear out.”
Dalliance froze like he had just been scolded for peeing on the carpet. “Yes, yes.” He turned and began shooing the crowd back toward the theater. Only Nix remained, though she kept her distance, watching for a minute longer before turning back with the others.
Eventually, they reached the ship’s railing where a row of lifeboats hung over the side in case of a water landing. Max opened an entry gate and hopped onboard to help load the chest into a stable position. Once it was safely stowed, everyone but Aawil and Piper jumped back aboard the Night Queen.
For a moment, Piper wondered if she could get to safety and release the lifeboat while Aawil was still touching the bomb. Sure, the faunus hadn’t tried to kill her in a while, but that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t at the first opportunity.
“Okay, so now we just drop it?” She raised an eyebrow at her mother.
“Yes… sort of.”
“What do you mean sort of?” Piper narrowed her eyes.
“Well, remember when I said there was a fifteen second delay on the deadman’s switch?” Ginger clicked her tongue. “That was a bit of a lie. It will go off the instant Aawil’s hand leaves that plate.”
Aawil narrowed her eyes in response while Max took over.
“So unless you want to blow up the ship, stop the auction, and kill Nix, you’re going to have to keep your hand right where it is until this here chest is out of range.”
“Sorry,” Ginger added along with a smug smile.
Aawil sat motionless on the lifeboat for a few seconds, silently staring at Ginger before finally shaking her head and breaking her silence. “You suck. I can’t believe you’re going to blow me up again.”
“Yeah, it’s probably getting old, huh?” Ginger placed her hands together in an apologetic gesture that somehow seemed sarcastic. “But I thank you for helping my daughter to defuse this difficult situation. I’d say you’ll be missed, but… well, you know.”
“She didn’t need help.” Aawil shook her head. “Your daughter, I mean. She’s far more capable than you know.”
Piper stopped for a second, wondering what that could mean. Then she nodded to her enemy and awkwardly backed up toward the Night Queen’s deck.
“True, she makes me proud every day.” Ginger held out a hand to help Piper off the lifeboat.
“But, you still suck.” Aawil turned to Piper, then added, “Your mum sucks, you know?”
“Sometimes.” She laughed and gave her mother a warm smile. “But she’s my mom.”
“And?” Ginger leaned closer.
“And I guess I love her.” Piper grumbled.
“That’s right.” Ginger reached for the lever to release the lifeboat. “Now let’s throw this henchwoman, ah, I mean bomb, overboard.”
Aawil rolled her eyes. “You really do suc–”
Max pulled the lever before she could finish, getting a questioning look from the rest of the group.
“What?”
Piper leaned over the edge, waiting for the inevitable explosion. The rest of her house joined her, each waiting in silence longer than what seemed. “Maybe it was a dud?”
“No, Larkin cares too much about his craft.” Ginger gripped the railing just as the ground below ignited in a burst of light and flame a few hundred feet wide, enough to rip the lifeboat in half. “Ah, there it is. And wow, that was larger than I expected. Pretty glad that didn’t go off up here.”
“Aawil must have kept her hand on the plate the whole way down.” Piper watched the ground burn, surprised by the henchwoman’s dedication. She could have just let go after a few seconds rather than waiting until she hit the ground.
“That’s that, then.” Max pushed off from the rail. “Now we can get back to the auction and get what we came here for.”
Piper watched him walk away. Her mother gave her a smile before joining him. Kegan and Seven followed close behind.
“Come on.” Piper glanced to Corvin before joining the rest of her house. “They’ll need backup.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“You ready for this?” Max pulled Ginger close behind the curtain of the theater’s box seats, his heart beating faster.
“I’ve been waiting all night.” She pressed in close and kissed him on the cheek before pulling away to stare up into his eyes.
“Can you two not?” Piper spoke up from behind them.
“Yeah, that’s plenty of canoodling.” Kegan folded his arms. “You’re making Corvin uncomfortable.”
“What? No, they ar
en’t.” The reynard remained surprisingly calm. “My parents have always been affectionate with each other. It’s not anything to feel weird about.”
“Ha!” Farn pointed at them. “Corvin just compared you two to his parents.”
Echo laughed silently by her side.
“Deal with it.” Max held Ginger’s hand. “I’m in a good mood. We just got Aawil out of the picture. And the auction is about to start. Things are starting to look up.”
“Plus, I like kissing.” Ginger grinned at her daughter, giving her a wink. Piper shuddered as Max turned around and pulled open the curtain.
“I have a good feeling about this.”
The lights in what was left of the theater dimmed, plunging the wreckage of the seating area below into darkness, as if it had never happened. Then Ginger’s bidding tile began to glow. The same light could be seen from the rest of the balcony seats spread out around the walls of the theater. The lords of Noctem’s top houses stood waiting, one in each box, almost the entirety of the world’s rulers. Nix leaned against the railing directly across the room.
For a moment, Max felt the urge to gloat. However, the small weight of the silver knife on his belt reminded him of what he still had to do. Before he had time to think about it further, a spotlight shined down on the stage.
Dalliance stood at its center.
“Hey hey hey!” The elf threw his hands out wide. “After all of the surprises tonight has thrown our way, we have pulled through, with only minimal casualties. I apologize for separating you all into the box seats. But we have no more seats available down here and, let’s be honest, after tonight, I don’t trust any of you to be anywhere near each other.” He clicked his heels together. “But that is neither here nor there, because right now, it is finally the time you have all been waiting for. The very reason you all have joined us here on the fabulous Night Queen. So, without further ado, I am proud to present to you… the Auction of Souls!”
As the last word left his mouth, the entire stage lit up, revealing several tables, each with a single ornate box sitting on top. Max leaned forward. Ginger did the same beside him. Dalliance strutted his way across the stage to the first table.
“It seems only fitting that our first contract item up for bids should come from the first of Noctem’s Nightmares, Rasputin, the embodiment of destruction. The boss that taught our world fear.”
Max felt a chill run down his body at the memory of his own fight against the Nightmare. It had been his and Kira’s first, and in all their years of gaming, they had never faced a challenge like it. Rasputin had really put them through their paces but, in the end, it made them stronger. Max had learned to dual wield back then, for the simple fact that they needed more damage. He smiled. Those were good times.
Dalliance reached into the box on the first table and pulled off the lid to reveal a single white arrow resting on a velvet pillow. He took it gently in his hands and raised for the bidders to see.
“The Star Burst.” Dalliance remained silent to let the name sink in. “This arrow can be charged by any mage by sacrificing a portion of their mana pool, to create a miniature star when fired. The size of the star is limited only by the amount of mana supplied, equaling one inch in diameter for every single point of mana sacrificed. And by sacrifice, I mean the amount will be permanently subtracted from the mage’s mana pool, decreasing their total capacity.”
The room went silent as each of the lords contemplated what that would mean. Even Max caught himself doing the math.
A high-level mage could have anywhere between 1000 to close to 3000. At one inch per mana point, that could potentially create a star 250 feet wide. That could destroy an airship or part of a palace easily, even guarantee an assassination. From the looks on the faces of the Lords across the room, they were all coming to the same conclusion. Granted, they would be nerfing one of their mages down to the point of uselessness in the process. They would practically need to start over with a new class at that point. Not to mention that the arrow would need a skilled archer to use it.
The bidding started at ten thousand dollars and immediately jumped up to thirty thousand.
“That’s tempting.” Ginger leaned back to the Leaf. “Right, Kegan?”
“Meh.” The elf shrugged. “It’s powerful, but it feels like more trouble than it’s worth. Probably let someone else have it.”
“He’s right.” Max nodded. “Plus, we might need the money later for something that will work against Nix. Not counting what we’ve set aside for Piper and Drakes’ college funds and what we’ve spent already, we have a little over seven million to work with here. I can’t imagine spending that much, but you never know.”
“Damn, when you say that number out loud it’s hard to wrap my mind around it.” Ginger’s eyes widened.
“You sent money aside for me?” Piper leaned forward.
“Of course we did.” Ginger gave her daughter a squeeze. “I paid off the house too.”
“And don’t think we’ve forgotten about your tuition, Corvin.” Max leaned back to him. “Your next semester is on us.”
“What?” The reynard’s ears stood straight up in surprise.
“We’re not going to leave you out.” Max slapped him on the back.
“Yeah, we couldn’t have done any of this without you.” Ginger added.
“I don’t know what to say.” Corvin lowered his head.
Kegan cleared his throat. “I think ‘thanks’ is probably the word you’re looking for.”
“Oh, ah, thanks.” He shoved his hands into his pockets as the last bid on the Star Burst was called out.
“And sold, for one hundred sixty thousand.” Dalliance placed the arrow back in its box and closed the lid. “You may claim your contract after the auction, once we confirm your transaction. Although, I trust that you’re good for it.” Dalliance smiled up at the top bidder.
Alastair, of all people, lowered a glowing auction tile and gave a slight bow down at the stage.
“He must be trying to keep the more dangerous items out of the wrong hands.” Ginger gave the head of Checkpoint Systems an approving nod.
“Good.” Max rested his hands on the railing. “I don’t think I like the idea of something like that being out there.”
Dalliance approached the next box, this time revealing a strange metal spike that seemed to have a number of articulated points running down its length. Everyone in the balconies leaned forward with puzzled expressions. Well, everyone but Ginger who immediately grabbed Max’s arm with excitement.
“What is it?” He stared down at the contract as Dalliance held it high.
“From Dorian, the Nightmare of Temptation, we have a piece of equipment exclusively for the Coin class. It is, appropriately, named Yoink.” As the word left his mouth, the item snapped open with a metallic clink to resemble a simple claw similar to one that might be found in one of those prize machines at an arcade. The item then snapped back together into a triangular spike.
“That’s right, this little guy here is a one of a kind grappling hook.” Dalliance tossed it in his hand a few times. “Except it isn’t just for swinging around, oh no no no. This handy little tool is also for grabbing. That’s right, with this equipped to your wrist launcher, you may steal an object from range. No need to get in close when you see something you want, no sir. You can just fire it in the direction of what you covet and it will do the rest.
“See something shiny? Yoink! Want to disarm an enemy? Yoink. Feel like you want something more than the person that has it? Well then, you guessed it, yoink. Of course, it can’t transfer the ownership of equipped gear if you manage to claim something that doesn’t belong to you, but it can at least stop something from being used against you for a moment. Also, it does take quite a bit of practice and timing to use successfully, but still, what Coin could resist this little fella?”
Max felt Ginger squeeze his arm tighter. “You’re gonna bid on that, aren’t you?”
Ginger
responded with an excited nod. “I’m going to steal so much crap with that. I’ll even take things I don’t need.”
“Okay, calm down. Just don’t spend too much on it.” Max smiled and placed a hand on her back.
“Shall we start the bidding a little higher? Say, fifty thousand?” Dalliance shot a wry smile up toward Max’s balcony as if he knew there was an interest.
Ginger immediately raised her bidding tile high above her head. Unfortunately, so did Lord Murph a few boxes over. His Knight was a Coin, come to think of it. Seven raised her tile as well, but dropped her hand back down the moment she noticed Ginger bidding.
“We have 50, now 60.” Dalliance pointed at up at each of them. “Can I get 80?”
Ginger raised her tile higher.
“That’s 80, can I get 100–”
Lord Murph raised his tile before Dalliance had finished his sentence. Ginger didn’t let up. Bidding again and again, to stay in the lead.
Max watched as her breathing increased and her skin flushed. There was something endearing about her enthusiasm that made him glad she’d made the first move six months ago. If she hadn’t, he would have let his chance slip by. Sure, nothing had happened between them since then, but with everything going on, that wasn’t a surprise. He just wished he wasn’t so awkward around her.
“And sold! For one hundred ninety thousand.” Dalliance clutched the contract item to his chest. “Thank you, Lady Ginger, may you steal many shiny things.”
Ginger smiled wide, clearly feeling the joys of a shopping high. Then suddenly, her face fell. “Oh god, that cost more than my house!” She turned to Max. “I spent almost two hundred thousand dollars on a grappling hook, am I insane?” She grabbed his shirt. “Why did you let me do that?”
“Gah.” Max pulled back. “What did you want me to do?”
“Talk some sense into me.” She shook him. “You know I can’t be trusted.”
Dalliance didn’t give her any more time to dwell on her buyer’s remorse as he headed for the next box and pulled out a pretty badass coat. “The Nightfall.” He swept it around himself and draped it across his shoulders.
