by Alex Steele
“Don’t kill anyone! It shouldn’t be doing that!” Bootstrap shouted from upstairs.
“Is that the delivery guy?” Swift asked, relaxing slightly.
Bootstrap flew down the stairs, almost tripping over his long robe. “Yeah, just the delivery guy. One second.”
I looked over my shoulder at Swift. “See? Every time he says he’s fixing it, something goes wrong.”
She snorted and shook her head. “You find the weirdest people.”
“You’re proof enough of that.”
“Shut up.”
Twenty-Five
Pounding on my bedroom door woke me up out of a dead sleep. I jolted upright and grabbed my katana before jumping out of bed. As adrenaline shot through me, I realized it was Bootstrap, and he was shouting something about being a genius.
I walked to my door and yanked it open. “What?” I demanded with a snarl, my eyes still blurry from having just woken up.
Bootstrap was bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I found something important.”
“Do not make me guess what it is,” I said, my grip tightening on my katana.
He finally registered the irritated expression on my face and the weapon in my hand, and scrambled to pull up whatever he had decided was important enough to come wake me up for. The bright screen was shoved in my face, wobbling slightly from his shaking hands.
I grabbed it and squinted at the tiny print. “What is this?”
“Yamashita showed up on a surveillance camera in London. Dude, she’s close by.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me that?” I shoved the tablet into his chest and hurried back into my room. “Do you have an address?” I yanked my closet doors open and grabbed a suit off the rack. “And call Swift. I want her to meet me there.”
“Yeah, you got it. Address sent. Calling the boss lady.”
I scrambled into my clothes and strapped on my katana. “Is Yamashita alone?”
There was a moment of silence, then a curse. “Not anymore.”
I sprinted out of the room.
A body flew past with a mace-shaped imprint on his chest. Swift had beat me here.
I skidded around the corner and immediately had to drop into a roll to avoid a blast of fire that rolled out of the alley like a backdraft. There were two mages I didn’t recognize dressed in all black, their faces obscured by some kind of spell. I couldn’t make out their features at all, they were simply a blur.
Another blast of fire billowed out from the hands of the taller of the faceless assassins. Swift, who stood in front of a prone Yamashita, blocked the attack with the head of her mace. The flames flowed around her, obscuring them both from view.
I charged in toward the second assassin who was busy tracing out runes that I recognized as some kind of blasting spell. That was not good. As soon as I was within range, I drew my katana. My mayhem magic flowed down the black blade like a whip and snapped out, catching the shorter assassin in the arm.
A feminine scream split the air as she was knocked back, the magic tearing off the limb. She lifted her other arm, swinging wildly at me. I cut through it and lunged toward her, bringing my katana down on her neck. The blade cut through muscle and bone without resistance, the mayhem magic that coated the sword aiding my blow.
I pressed my finger to the shield rune on the handle of my katana and spun around just in time to block a wall of darkness. It hit the shield, slithering around it. Long, finger-like tendrils probed at the shield, looking for a weakness.
With a grunt, I twisted the shield and shoved them away, then let it collapse. It wasn’t worth the energy to maintain it. Something swiped the back of my legs and I fell. The darkness attacked my face, blinding me as the magic covered my eyes.
I kept my grip on my sword, using it to ground me, and let the mayhem magic flare out from my body. The darkness shuddered and was thrown back, freeing me just enough to scramble to my feet.
A scream split the air. Yamashita clawed at the asphalt as she was dragged toward the end of the alley, leaving a trail of blood. A shadow, slightly darker than natural, was wrapped around her foot like a tether.
I ran for her, swiping my katana in front of me to cut through the magic trying to stop me. Swift cursed and charged at the other assassin with a yell. I’d have to trust her to take care of him. I couldn’t let these bastards take Yamashita.
With a running jump, I slid to a stop and brought my katana down on the dark tether dragging Yamashita away. The blow severed it and I bent down, getting one arm under her chest. Warm blood soaked through my jacket. She was bleeding out.
“Swift, we need to go!” I shouted, struggling to lift her while keeping ahold of my weapon.
There was a loud crash, then a yell that was abruptly cut off. Swift appeared next to me, scooping Yamashita up like she weighed nothing.
“Cover us,” Swift said before turning and sprinting out of the alley.
I raced after them, staying between them and the direction the darkness had come from. The mage that Swift had knocked out of the alley was nowhere to be seen, but I knew they were watching us, waiting for a chance to strike.
Yamashita’s head lolled to the side, her eyes rolling back. My car was parked at the end of the street, still running, the doors flung open for an easy escape. Swift leapt into the backseat.
I slid over the hood of the car and jumped into the driver’s seat, letting the force of my acceleration shut all the doors.
“Give her first aid, stop the bleeding!” I shouted as I skidded around a turn.
“I am, but she is seriously hurt. That isn’t going to be enough,” Swift said, her voice tight with worry.
I yanked out my phone, tapping my most recent number to call Bootstrap. We needed a healer, but a hospital was not an option. That left me only one choice. I didn’t like it, but we needed help, and he was the only person I could trust. Yui wasn’t reliable and only ever seemed willing to help me.
Twenty-Six
“Where is he?” Swift asked, adjusting her hands on Yamashita’s stomach. The woman groaned in pain, her eyelids fluttering weakly. Her skin was white as a sheet.
“I don’t know.” I continued pacing, glancing at the old-fashioned clock on the wall impatiently.
Bootstrap barreled into the room. “He’s pulling in the driveway. I’m tracking his phone.”
I ran toward the front door, wanting to meet him outside to explain before he saw her, and give him an out. This put him in danger and I wouldn’t let him get involved until he understood the risk.
As I opened the front door, a giant, jacked-up truck slid to a stop, spraying loose gravel. Billy hopped down and ran over, clutching a black, leather bag in his hand.
“Wait, you aren’t hurt?” he asked, looking me over like he expected my guts to be trailing the floor.
“No, what did Bootstrap tell you–– You know what, never mind. It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “Before we go in there, I have to warn you that getting involved in this could make you a target for the Mage’s Guild. It’s corrupt, and I think someone with them tried to kill this woman, and I can’t––”
“Where is she?” Billy asked, his face set in determination. “I’m a healer. I’m not turning my back on anyone, no matter the risk.”
His back was straight and I recognized that glint in his eye. He wasn’t afraid, and he wasn’t going to leave without healing Yamashita.
“Come on then, she’s in bad shape.” I stepped back and waved him inside.
We ran back through the Manor to the sitting room and Billy immediately went to Yamashita’s side.
Swift moved out of his way, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank God you’re here.”
Soft, golden magic leapt from Billy’s hands as he stretched them out over her. “Cut off her shirt. Scissors in my bag.”
Swift grabbed the bag and dug through it, coming up with the shears. She cut the shirt and pulled it away, giving Billy more room to work.
“Why can’t you take her t
o a hospital?” Billy asked, the flow of his healing magic never stopping.
“Someone is trying to kill her. If we put her in a hospital, they’ll find her, and we may not be able to stop them again.” I dragged my hands down my face then realized they were still covered in dried blood. Grimacing, I crossed my arms behind my back.
Bringing Billy into this made me nervous. He was young and not much of a fighter. I’d never forgive myself if he got hurt.
Bootstrap craned his neck trying to see over Billy’s shoulder as he worked. His face paled when he caught a glimpse of her injuries and he scurried back to the corner of the room.
Yamashita groaned as she came back to consciousness and jerked away from Billy.
“Ma’am, you need to hold still.” Billy’s voice was comforting and perfectly calm. He had a confidence doing this that I hadn’t ever seen before.
I crouched down on the other side of her. “I’ve brought you back to my house. You’re safe for now.”
She laughed humorlessly, but it turned into a cough halfway through. Billy pressed a hand to her shoulder reminding her to stay still.
“Safe?” Yamashita asked, speaking in Japanese. I wasn’t sure if she was doing that because she was disoriented or didn’t want the others to understand her. “Have you learned nothing today?”
“Did you know Henry Patterson?” I asked, speaking in English to try and keep Swift in the loop. She already looked annoyed enough.
Yamashita gave a short nod, glancing at Billy like she expected to be chastised. “Is he dead?”
“Yes.”
She took a short breath, grief flashing across her face. “I told him to keep a phone with him so I could contact him, but he wouldn’t.”
“Did you know they were coming for you that day?” I asked.
“I suspected it.”
I rose from my crouch and began pacing again. “Why do they want to kill you? And answer that in English, please, so my partner can understand.”
“Perhaps they think I found a way around my geas. I don’t know why they chose now to strike,” Yamashita said, in English as I’d requested. She glanced at Billy, who was now massaging her abdomen, little sparks of magic shooting under her skin every few seconds.
I didn’t disagree, so I nodded. “Billy, how much longer?”
He scowled at me. “At least a half hour, and then she needs to rest. She also needs to eat to regain her strength.”
“Is steak good?” I asked, already walking toward the door.
“Yes,” Billy confirmed with a sharp nod.
“I’ll cook something for her. Swift, you have a minute? Bootstrap, stay here and make sure nothing happens to them.”
“What am I supposed to do if––” Swift cut off Bootstrap’s complaint as she pulled the door shut behind her.
When we were far enough away to not be overheard, Swift asked, “What did she tell you?”
“She knew Henry Patterson and had wanted to stay in contact with him to keep him safe, but he refused.” I paused near the entryway to the kitchen. “As soon as she’s healed enough to talk, we need to find out what that box she mentioned on her note is.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Twenty-Seven
Color had returned to Yamashita’s face after eating and another round of healing. Swift was talking with her in the kitchen, and I’d come back to the sitting room to clean up the mess.
Billy looked exhausted as he packed up his bag.
“You should stay the night. There’s at least thirty spare bedrooms,” I said as he yawned for a second time in two minutes.
He glanced at his watch. “I guess I might as well. It won’t take any longer to get to work in the morning from here than it would from home. I just need to text Sarah.”
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Is that the girl from the unicorn incident?”
A blush spread across his cheeks. “She is. We moved in together. I know it’s fast, but she’s perfect. I’m working on saving up for a ring.”
I clapped my hand on his shoulder. Some people had all the luck. I’d never met a woman I wanted to spend that much time with, and my last serious date...well, it ended in a hostage situation. “That’s great, Billy.”
Bootstrap appeared at my shoulder, practically vibrating with energy, as usual. “I can show him around.”
I got the impression the runehacker didn’t get out much. “Alright, but let him actually get some rest.”
“Obviously,” Bootstrap replied with a roll of his eyes. He wrapped his arm around Billy’s shoulders and led him toward the door. “This place is baller. The room you should stay in has a bathtub the size of my last living room.”
I shook my head but smiled. If you took away all the terrible memories, I suppose the Manor was ‘baller’. My parents had updated it extensively during their lifetime, removing the stuffy feel some older houses had. It was modern for something built in the mid eighteen-hundreds. The bedrooms were meant to be luxurious. They were always hosting someone, or having a party, when they weren’t working at least.
My mind strayed to the chest sitting upstairs in my father’s office. I had dozens of questions for Yamashita, but that was one I wanted answered first. When Swift had first brought it up, I’d been ready to dismiss it out of hand, but if there was even the slightest chance the chest was related to these attacks somehow, I had to know.
Gathering up the last of the trash, I made my way back to the kitchen. Yamashita was chugging a bottle of water –– as instructed by Billy –– to rehydrate herself after the extensive blood loss. I’d given her a t-shirt to replace her torn blouse but I didn’t have any pants that would fit her, so she’d had to keep on the blood-stained jeans she wore during the attack.
“Are you ready?” Swift asked.
I nodded. “Yamashita, in your note you mentioned a box that should be destroyed. What were you talking about?”
She set the bottle down, fiddling with the label which was peeling off on one corner. “I thought you already knew.”
Swift crossed her arms. “This isn’t the time to clam up. We can help you, but we need to know what we’re dealing with.”
Yamashita sighed, rubbing her temples. “Fine, but you can’t take this back to your superiors. It’s not safe. Though, all the most dangerous people already know, so I suppose the harm is already done. This information will put anyone who knows it at risk.”
“I think I already took on that risk by visiting you, and then bringing you to my home.”
She finally nodded. “Alright. The box is something we found in Moira, before the city was built. It radiated magic. You could barely look at it, much less touch it. The Mage’s Guild took it and we ran all sorts of experiments on it.” She dragged her hands through her hair and sighed. “We called it Pandora’s Box, but we have no idea what it is except for some kind of magical battery.”
Swift’s expression was a mix of excitement and irritation, probably at not having heard of it before now. “What is the Mage’s Guild using it for?”
“It powers the Rune Rail.”
Swift’s jaw dropped and I could see the wheels turning in her mind. She lived for this kind of stuff.
I looked at Yamashita in confusion. “Then why would you want us to destroy it?”
She clasped her hands together so tight her knuckles went white. “We shouldn’t be in Moira. It’s not meant for us. Whatever these attacks are, I think they’re meant to drive us out, or exterminate us. Moira should be evacuated and Pandora’s Box should be destroyed.”
“What is Moira, exactly?” Swift asked.
Yamashita shook her head. “I don’t know. Some kind of higher realm. We used to joke that it was Valhalla.”
“That actually makes sense considering the valkyrie seem to live there,” Swift said with a shrug.
“Have the valkyrie ever been seen outside of the Rune Rail system?” I asked, remembering the glimpse of a wing and a face at the scene of the attack.
Yamashita nodded. “A few times, but it’s rare, and there’s never any proof.”
I dragged a hand down my face, the exhaustion of the last few days hitting me hard. The corruption grew more apparent all the time, and there seemed to be nothing we could do about it. “Does the Mage’s Guild still have Pandora’s Box?”
“Yes, it sits at the center of Moira. It’s heavily guarded, and a well-kept secret. One of many.”
Swift’s face paled slightly. “Could this creature be after Pandora’s Box? You said the magical signature is crazy, perhaps the creature can feel it?”
Yamashita’s brow creased. “I hadn’t considered that. If not even the Mage’s Guild seems to know what the creature is or where it came from, anything is possible. The things it has done show it’s smart and powerful. The fact that it killed a valkyrie...” She shook her head.
“There’s another thing that’s been bothering us,” I said, crossing my arms. “Someone or something has been cutting the camera feeds right before the attacks. Do you know who could be doing that?”
Yamashita frowned. “Not anyone specifically. Could be interference by a hacker, though…” she paused for a moment. “If there was a big enough blast of magical energy, it would be possible to disrupt technology. It would have to be very, very big though.”
“Something that can kill a valkyrie might very well be capable of that,” Swift said, pulling out a notebook and jotting something down.
The energy from the healing seemed to have faded from Yamashita’s eyes. Her shoulders were drooping and she looked like she needed to sleep.
“One last question. Why does the Mage’s Guild want you dead? Assuming they’re the ones that sent the assassins today, and killed Patterson,” I asked.
Yamashita looked away, her shoulders drooping farther. “My position with the Mage’s Guild isn’t one you are allowed to leave, not really. I was told my absence was considered a temporary thing, and that I would be expected to return. They either decided I wasn’t worth the risk anymore after the attacks, or thought I was going to spill secrets. You weren’t the only people to contact me recently, and I assume they must have contacted Patterson as well, or tried to.”
