by John Corwin
I thought about all the lives I'd taken. About what drove me and motivated me to stay alive. I would fight to the death for any of my friends, but…I traced Ambria's cheek with a finger. Tucked her hair behind her ear and looked into her warm hazel eyes. My thumb wandered the curve of lips grown full over the past few years. My Ambria had grown from a ragged little orphan into a fierce woman.
Her eyes held onto mine. A soft gasp rose from her throat.
"I heard him scream." I recognized the voice of the other lycan. "Something happened."
Ambria hissed and yanked me out into the alley. We sprinted to the street and cut around the corner to the left. Police lights flashed on the main road ahead. Ambria turned into an alley on the right. We followed it around a corner and out to the road a distance from the hotel. Curious eyes from passers-by drew my attention to the bloodstains on our torn clothes.
I tugged on Ambria's sleeve to divert her single-minded stride down the sidewalk and pulled her into a clothing shop. The girl who greeted us swept a dismayed look up and down our attire. Though she spoke in French, her disgust broke the language barrier.
"Sorry, English only," I said.
She frowned.
"Pick out something fast," I told Ambria.
I gathered a polo shirt, jeans, and underclothes, and met Ambria at the register. The girl took my Euros without hesitation and didn't seem to care when we changed into our new clothes in the changing rooms. I stuffed our ruined outfits into the bag and we left.
"What now?" Despite her disheveled hair and the bit of soot on her nose, Ambria looked cute in the blue cardigan and dark jeans she'd chosen.
I thought of how soft her cheek felt beneath my fingers. How her lips—
"Conrad?" Ambria snapped her fingers. "Did you hear me?"
I snapped from my thoughts. "Um, yes." I cleared my throat. "We need to make our way back to the train station and rejoin the others."
"Do we have enough money for the train?"
"I believe so." My stomach grumbled. "First, let's get some food."
She managed a smile. "That's a grand idea."
We stopped at a café and ordered by pointing at pictures on the menu. The waitress seemed amused by our attempts to pronounce the French words before answering us in lightly accented English.
Ambria huffed. "It's so frustrating trying to do even the tiniest things when you don't speak the language."
"Is that why you ordered snails?" I asked.
Her eyes widened. "I didn't order snails!"
"I'm sure they'll be delicious."
"Well, maybe I should order snails." She leaned forward. "There's a lot I haven't done. Maybe it's time to live a little."
I snorted. "Instead of surviving a little?"
"Precisely." Ambria leaned a cheek on her hand and stared wistfully through the window. "I'm nearly fifteen and hardly know a thing about the nom world out there. The orphanage didn't teach us much, and Arcane University certainly hasn't filled in the gaps."
The waitress brought us a platter with the escargot I'd ordered, bringing a grimace to Ambria's face. "You really did order it!"
I nodded. "Let's live a little. I'll go first." I picked up a shell and dug into it with a tiny fork. The snail was a small brown lump saturated in butter. I popped it in my mouth, chewed, swallowed. "It's actually quite good."
Ambria wrinkled her nose and uneasily put one in her mouth. Her look of disgust turned to a smile of pleasure. "You're right!" She ate another and another. "They're delicious."
Her enthusiasm lifted my heart. We should go back to the others immediately. But I didn't want to. I just wanted to forget the horrors of the day. To forget that we were on the run from bounty hunters and murderers.
For a short time, I did. Ambria and I feasted on wine-soaked hare and enjoyed eclairs for dessert. She looked a little sad when we left. We found the nearest bus stop. I deciphered the map with the help of my arcphone and figured out which route took us to the train station.
Ambria sat on the bench, staring down at the ground. "I don't know how we'll beat Victus now. The entire Night Watch is dead."
I sat next to her and covered her hand with mine. "Don't think about it."
She rested her head on my shoulder. "What else is there to think about? Now we have to stay in hiding until we can go to Seraphina."
I spotted a bus coming toward us and checked the route number. It wasn't the right one for the train station, but on a whim, I took Ambria's hand and pulled her onto the bus with me. She took a seat and stared out of the window, eyes shimmering with sadness. The bus drove across a bridge. Ambria's eyes grew huge when she saw the sight ahead of us.
"It's the Eiffel Tower!" Her gaze filled with wonder. "It's beautiful."
We debarked the bus and joined the throngs of people walking beneath the huge structure. Ambria craned her neck skyward, mouth gaping. "It's so tall!"
I saw a group of tourists milling near stairs and nodded toward them. "Want to climb to the top?"
She nodded eagerly. "Absolutely."
In that moment, her face looked radiant, no longer filled with dejection and sadness. Ambria looked beautiful and my heart grew so full I could hardly speak. Was it happiness? Hope? Whatever it was, it felt so good, I didn't want to let go.
We went up the stairs, animatedly talking about the sights and sounds just like the other tourists. For all intents and purposes, we were no longer wizards on the run from wandslingers, but ordinary noms on an adventure.
Tired and panting, but ecstatic, we reached the second floor at the top of the stairs. From there, we had to take the lift to the top.
"Oh, my." Ambria leaned against the railing and looked down at the lush green mall stretching into the distance where it met a stately old building at the far end. It reminded me a little of Queens Gate.
"It's beautiful."
"It's magical." Ambria hugged my arm and leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'm so glad you brought me here."
As I looked upon her happy, glowing smile, my heart swelled until I thought it might burst. "Breathtaking."
Big brown eyes looked up at me. "Yes, it is."
I shook my head. "No, I mean you."
Ambria blinked. "Conrad—"
I couldn't help myself. I leaned down and kissed her. Ambria wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her soft lips against mine until we both had to come up for air.
A tear pooled in Ambria's eye, clinging to her lashes and slowly trickling down her cheek. "I thought you and Ivy—"
I shook my head. "I don't think I realized until this moment that there's no one in this world for me except you, Ambria. Ever since our escape from the orphanage, I grew to think of you as family."
"Am I?" she asked in a small voice.
I brushed away her tears. "Yes, and so much more. I just didn't know what I was feeling. It wasn't until Ivy that I realized how she pales in every way compared to you."
"Oh, Conrad." A radiant smile burned beneath more tears. "I've loved you ever since the day you saved me. I never said anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship." She looked out at the horizon. "You just always seemed too distant, so detached. I didn't know if you felt emotions the same after what your parents did to you."
"Maybe I didn't at first." Tears blurred my vision. "But now I do."
Ambria giggled and kissed me again. "Does this mean I can kiss you whenever I want?"
I chuckled. "As long as we're not fighting bounty hunters or evil wizards."
"You two are so cute!" A woman with an American accent beamed at us. "My god, I wish I could recapture the feeling of that first love." She elbowed a tall skinny man next to her. "Right, George?"
George lowered a camera from his eye and nodded. "Yes, honey."
The woman clasped her hands. "Adorable."
George rolled his eyes and went back to taking pictures of the mall.
Ambria and I giggled and walked around the observation platform hand-in-hand to tak
e in the sights. After a while, we took the elevator back down and toured the mall until our feet ached.
"It's been a wonderful day, Conrad." Ambria leaned against me and sighed. "I suppose we should go back to Italy."
I watched the sun falling lower in the sky and nodded sadly. "I suppose we should."
"Where do you think Galfandor is now?"
I shrugged. "There's no telling, but I'll call Max and let him know everything."
Ambria winced. "We should have done that hours ago."
My finger stroked her cheek. "I think we got a little distracted."
"Shame on us." She kissed my hand and giggled, but her smile slowly faded. "It helped me forget, at least for a little while what we're facing."
"Yes, it did."
Her gaze took in the surroundings. "You know what's amazing?"
"Besides kissing you?" I asked.
Ambria nipped on my finger playfully. "Yes, besides that."
"What?"
"After everything we've seen—Queens Gate, the Grotto, Obsidian Arches, the Glimmer—you'd think a place like Paris wouldn't be that impressive." Ambria shook her head. "But it's every bit as beautiful and amazing, just in a different way."
"It's so wonderfully normal." I shrugged. "I mean, I love magic, but it's nice to take a break, isn't it?"
"Especially with the one you love." Ambria hugged me and leaned her head on my chest. "I love you, Conrad."
My body tingled, and my heart filled with joy. "I love you too, Ambria." I kissed the top of her head. "I love you more than words can say."
I called Max and told him about our adventures, but left out the part about me and Ambria. I wanted to tell him the good news in person.
"What a bleeding disaster!" His horrified face filled my phone screen. "I haven't heard a thing from Galfandor. Are you sure he's okay?"
"I certainly hope so," Ambria said.
I glanced at the time. "We won't be back to Italy until early in the morning. Someone will have to pick us up."
"Just call me and I'll ask Granddad Stan." Max blew out a breath. "My god, I can't believe we're right back to square one. Even with Ivy and Nightliss, I don't know if we can win against Victus."
Ambria's eyebrows rose. "I thought Ivy was the answer to all our problems."
"Well, she's strong, but how are we supposed to fight an enemy when we don't even know who's on our side?" Max ran a hand through his hair. "One traitor just helped wipe out the entire Night Watch. Someone else could stab us in the back at any time."
"We need Kanaan," I said. "I don't know what he's been up to all this time, but I'm going to drag him back."
"Completely agree," Max said. "We need our entire team online if we plan to survive and win."
We said our goodbyes. Once Max's face flicked off, I called Kanaan. The phone rang several times before going to voicemail. "Kanaan, call me back immediately. It's important." I ended the call.
"I'm truly worried about Galfandor," Ambria said. "I put him from my mind all day, and I feel terrible about it."
"Do you think we should return to the hotel and ask around?"
She shook her head. "Too risky. I don't know what to do except go back to the others and hope he contacts us. Maybe he's already on a train to Italy."
"Unfortunately, the nom police are probably all over the scene by now." I wondered how they'd explain the half-morphed lycans in the ballroom. "Going back also means we might expose ourselves to Talbot and Delilah again. I'm sure they have people watching the area in case we turn up."
"You're right." Ambria deflated a little. "Let's go to the train station."
As we headed back across the mall, I felt a twinge of regret that our brief respite was over. If we survived, I would make it a point to travel to more of these nom tourist traps so we could enjoy what we'd fought for.
Ambria jerked to a halt and pulled on my arm. "Conrad, look."
At first, I didn't know what she pointed at, but then I saw the tall, muscular man standing a distance from us, his nose raised, nostrils flaring. It's the lycan!
"He must have followed our scent." Ambria pulled me behind an information booth. "My god, don't those bastards ever give up?"
It suddenly occurred to me that the lycan wasn't even making an effort to conceal himself. Surely he had to know we'd see him standing there, nearly a head taller than anyone around him and a crescent moon tattoo on his neck. I scanned the area and saw the trap already swinging shut. Talbot and Delilah flanked us.
We couldn't go forward, and we couldn't go back.
Chapter 20
The crowds around the Eiffel Tower had dwindled, but plenty of noms still wandered the premises. I wondered if the wandslingers would stay their hands or use magic for all the world to see.
Delilah met my gaze and grinned. She shook her head and patted the wand at her side. I guess that answers my question.
I was so sick and tired of dodging these people, but I couldn't confront them in my current state. I spotted police patrolling at the edge of the mall—too far away to hear us if we yelled for help.
"I can't fight all three of them." Ambria clenched my hand. "We have to run."
"Run where?" I saw a couple of openings, but that wouldn't prevent the wandslingers from shooting us.
"We'll angle that way." She nodded her head toward the gap between Delilah and the lycan.
"Hang on." I looked at the police in the distance. "Remember that sound spell you used to make it sound like Max farted?"
Her confused gaze flicked to me. "Shall I frighten everyone with fake farts?"
I shook my head. "This isn't about fighting. It's about getting help." I pointed to the police. "How loud can you make that spell?"
"Ah." Her eyes widened. "I see where you're going with this." She flicked her wand and aimed it diagonally up and toward the police. Explosions thundered. People screamed and scattered.
The lycan and the wandslingers stopped and stared, startled and uncertain. Ambria set off another boom and the police ran toward the sound. Delilah's lip curled into a snarl. She drew her wand and raced toward us. Talbot hesitated then dashed forward. The lycan strode from the other direction, cutting off our retreat.
"Run!" I pushed Ambria toward the police and we sprinted away. Delilah and the lycan angled from opposite sides to cut us off. Talbot, at least, was behind us and would have to catch up.
A magic bullet smashed into a rubbish bin. Ambria cast a shield to protect our right side from Delilah, but the lycan blurred our way in human form, eating up fifty yards in seconds. There was no way we'd outrun him.
The police were still some distance away, rifles drawn and moving cautiously. I hoped we didn't draw fire from them. Delilah fired another salvo. Ambria's shield shimmered and rippled with impacts.
One of the police shouted in French and pointed at Delilah. The wandslinger ignored them and aimed her wand at us. Shots rang out. Bullets smashed into the small trees lining the path. Delilah whipped her wand around and fired a magic missile toward the police. The ethereal projectile left a trail of billowing smoke as it zipped toward them.
The police unleashed a hail of bullets. Delilah screamed. Metal slugs ripped into her chest. Blood sprayed from the back of her head and she dropped like a stone. The lycan broke off pursuit and veered away. The police scattered, but the missile followed a lone target. He dove behind a car, but it did him no good. The missile curved around. He screamed. The explosion rocked the cars parked on the street.
"Delilah!" Talbot screamed his sister's name again. His furious gaze met mine. He roared and charged us. A squad of police in body armor rushed out of cover from behind a building, shouting in French.
Talbot conjured more magic missiles. The police opened fire. Bullets zinged against an invisible shield. The police put up riot shields, but the explosions from the magic missiles flung bodies through the air. The other police charged his position. Talbot wove his wand through the air, hurling magic bullets. "Die, you nom pi
gs!"
Ambria jerked me to the right. "Run!" We dodged down a street bordering the mall. The police were too busy with Talbot to pay us any mind. People gathered nearby, phones aimed toward the carnage.
One of them stopped us and asked questions in French.
"I don't understand," Ambria said. The man replied in broken English, but Ambria didn't pause and pulled me after her down the street.
We vanished into the crowd and took shelter, this time in an underground metro station. We pushed through the throng, mingling our scent with strangers in the hopes that the lycan wouldn't be able to follow us again.
Ambria pulled me onto the metro and sat down. "Should we take the metro to the train station?"
"Where does this one go?" I consulted the map, but couldn't decipher the tangle of lines. I dropped into the seat next to Ambria and groaned with weariness. "Delilah is dead. I can't believe it."
Ambria bared her teeth. "I hope they kill Talbot too."
I wouldn't shed a tear if they did.
We finally got off the metro in a quaint area somewhere in the southeast part of Paris. Ambria located a hotel and we went inside. The woman behind the counter gave us dubious looks when I asked for a room. She narrowed her eyes and replied in French.
I took out my arcphone. "Phone, can you translate?"
"Yes," it replied.
I repeated my request for a room, and the phone relayed it in French. The woman's eyebrows rose. She replied.
"I need your identification," the phone translated. "You look too young to be wandering around by yourselves."
I shook my head. "I don't have an ID." The phone translated for her.
She frowned and spoke.
"I'm afraid I can't help you then," the arcphone said.
I held up some money. "Please, how much?"
She listened to the translation and shook her head.
Ambria growled. "Forget it, Conrad."
"But—"
"If she won't take our money, then we'll just take a room without asking." Ambria took out one of Max's potion bombs and smiled sweetly at the woman before blowing on it three times and tossing it.
The woman shrieked. Vapors puffed in her face and she went quiet. Ambria pulled me into the lift while the woman was disoriented. We rode up to the second floor and got off.
