by J. P. Rice
She tapped the glass of the window with her pointer finger. “I saw him park two streets over.”
I scanned the block without the binoculars. “What? In that row of abandoned warehouses?”
“Yep. Third one from the right. That big gray one with peeling paint and busted-out windows is the one Warren went into,” revealed the Morrigan.
“Okay. I see his car out there on the street. Was he with anyone?” I asked, putting the binoculars to my eyes.
“All by his lonesome. But there’s no telling if there was somebody already inside. I’d like to believe this is the death card factory, but I can’t imagine why they would set up shop in Pittsburgh.” She sighed deeply. “Of all the places to hide something.”
“Hubris?” I guessed and shrugged my shoulders. Then I thought about the secret I was hiding in Pittsburgh. Was that a subliminal message for me to get my dragons to a safer place? “What are you thinking?”
The Morrigan squinted and pursed her lips. “I’m thinking we wait for this guy to come back out and then maybe we bust in and take a look. I’d love to kick the door in, magic blazing, but we don’t know who or what’s inside yet. It could just be a meeting place.”
“Play it by ear, then. Obviously, Brighid is involved, but I can’t wait to see who else is guiding this guy. There’s no way he’s doing it with only the blessing of Brighid. And I’m going to kill each and every one of them for my father,” I promised.
Mo stuffed her binoculars back inside her cloak. “They tried to make me look like a fool. It’ll be a race for the killings. I bet I beat you.”
Only the Morrigan could turn vengeful murder into sport. We staked out the warehouse for another hour and I started getting really bored. I hated waiting around.
The Morrigan tapped on the glass. “Oh, look. We got action.”
I raised the binoculars to my eyes and peered across two streets at the factory. Warren stood outside the front doorframe talking to somebody on the inside. He waved goodbye, turned and headed for his car.
Five seconds later, a tall, old man with a potbelly stepped out of the warehouse, followed by a dark-skinned woman with purple hair. Merlin and the Bounty Huntress. I could have guessed as much.
I waited for more people to spill out of the warehouse, but the Bounty Huntress locked the door. It didn’t make much sense because there were busted out windows in several places, making entry rather easy.
They started to walk away when Merlin turned around facing the warehouse and held his new staff in front of his chest. Fook. I knew exactly what he was doing. His specialty.
I watched bits of golden enchantment shower down from the sky, covering the warehouse, seeping into the foundation, then disappearing suddenly. That meant he’d locked in his defense ward. Unless we could break the spell, this mission just got extremely complicated.
I pulled my binoculars down and turned to the Morrigan. “If he set a protection or repellent threshold over the building, I would assume that nobody is left inside. It’s a long shot, but we should still try to bust in.”
“Agreed,” the Morrigan said and I could tell she was pissed too.
We walked over to the warehouse instead of driving in case someone showed up again. My banged-up Jeep was as good as an ID card. I shivered in the bitter chill of Pittsburgh that grew colder with each passing day.
As we neared the warehouse, I got a good look at the defense spell Merlin had set. Protection spells usually appeared to magic practitioners as a swirl of numbers and letters and you had to find an inconsistency in it. For instance, if a bunch of numbers were rolling by and a letter appeared, you could exploit that and break the spell. The strength of the spell established the coding and the speed at which it traveled.
Merlin was so advanced that he could use ancient rune symbols and other symbols that nobody could comprehend. He could even obscure some of the symbols, making everything mesh into each other. The coding for his spells streaked around so fast, they were almost impossible to break.
The Morrigan and I looked at each other, shaking our heads. If we tried to break the spell and failed, we would probably get blasted by a jolt of energy contained within the defense ward. Depending on the strength, it could kill us.
The Morrigan said, “You know what this means, right?”
I had a pretty good idea of where this train was headed. “I’m assuming we are going to wait for Merlin to break the spell. Since that’s the only way to gain entry. And we have to attack before he leaves and resets the spell. Fook.”
“Don’t be mad. Now you can kill Merlin once and for all. Maybe the Bounty Huntress too. And your mother, hopefully.” Leave it to the Morrigan to cheer me up with the prospect of murder.
There was little love lost between the two Celtic Goddesses. And now that Brighid was endangering the Morrigan’s livelihood as a Goddess, the hatred had reached a breaking point.
The Morrigan put her finger and thumb in her mouth and whistled. Ten seconds later, two black birds flew down from the sky and landed next to the Goddess.
She said, “I need you two to keep an eye on this warehouse. Make sure everyone knows about it. When someone shows up again, you need to alert me.”
The crows squawked in recognition of her order. The Morrigan snapped her fingers, and the crows started beating their wings. They took off and rose above the warehouse. They circled the top of the factory a few times before jetting off into the distance.
I was a bit jealous of her avian helpers and wondered if my dragons would turn out to be as loyal as her crows. We searched the perimeter for any clues, but the windows, including the broken ones, were covered with cardboard. We found nothing, which was expected with Merlin at the helm.
The Morrigan and I parted ways, but we were basically on call. As soon as her crows spotted someone at the factory, we had to spring into action. I couldn’t get drunk or get too involved with anything.
Chapter 28
I tried to steel my nerves on the way to the warehouse. The Morrigan had contacted me through the Raven’s Eye. Her watchers had reported that Merlin, the Bounty Huntress, Danu, Flidais and Warren had gone inside the factory thirty-seven minutes ago. We didn’t know how much battle magic Warren knew, but the other four were formidable foes.
I tried to figure out why two Celtic Goddesses were involved with this. Three, counting Brighid. I couldn’t fathom her not being involved. Her husband and best friend Merlin weren’t operating behind her back. Or were they?
Because of Merlin’s defense thresholds, we had no other choice than to strike while the building was occupied. We’d entertained the idea of burning down the building, but we needed to know how they were producing the death cards so we could end it for good.
Attacking while the warehouse was occupied wasn’t ideal, but nothing ever was in my life. I worried that a battle with Merlin or the Huntress would max out my magic and cause me to age greatly, thus weakening me and giving my opponents the upper hand.
Unfortunately, the grand dealer had already dealt my hand. I had to play the cards sitting in front of me. On the plus side, going into battle with the Morrigan was an organic confidence booster. I thought about using an illusion spell to make myself invisible, but I knew Merlin and the Goddesses had increased ocular capacities that would allow them to see me.
I arrived at the meeting spot two blocks over and saw the Morrigan near a dumpster. I removed my jacket and set it on the passenger seat. Plucking my phone out of the waistband of my pants, I remembered that I needed to get my golden locket back from the Huntress or Merlin. Dressed in a pair of black yoga pants and an Incredible Hulk long sleeve T-shirt, I got out of the car.
I approached the Morrigan and got ready for battle. Although there was one other option. I asked, “You wanna go in now or wait until maybe less people are in there?”
“Time is not our friend in this equation. And who knows, this might be the smallest gathering for the next few weeks. I don’t want to wait,” the Morr
igan said and cracked her knuckles. Her cloak was long and heavy from the nasty chill, but I knew it would suction to her body when it came time for battle.
Apparently, she’d forgotten that it had only been Merlin and the technomancer last time.
I didn’t want to start an argument with her right now. “Then it is time for some action.”
I’d never seen Danu or Flidais in a fight before, but I’d heard stories of their great powers. Danu was the Patroness of the Wizards and she had a well-established association with Merlin. Flidais was the wild card, literally. The Goddess of the Wyld hated me, but I didn’t know why she was involved with the cards.
I steeled my nerves again as we crossed the street, knowing this would be an epic battle. I set a protection spell around myself, but I knew it wouldn’t stop an attack from Gods and a legendary wizard.
As my shoe crunched down on some packed snow, a thought hit me like Thor’s hammer. What if there were more people inside the warehouse? Five against two we could do. Maybe. But what if there were more Gods inside?
I chased away the self-doubt and focused on the mission. Anxiety always seemed to hit me right before a big confrontation. But I wasn’t having that shit. Despite the freezing temperature, my skin sizzled with fiery magic bubbling just below the surface, waiting to come out and wreck somebody’s day.
As we walked up to the front of the building, I heard some noise coming from a boarded-up window on the right side of the warehouse. I tapped the Morrigan and pointed toward the window. Keeping alert, we tiptoed over to the busted-out window covered by a piece of plywood.
I listened for a few moments and heard hints of female voices. Heightening my hearing didn’t work as the women had lowered their voices to a whisper. Titania had wanted to come, but I had told her it was too dangerous. She could have eavesdropped on the conversation and reported back to us.
The Morrigan held up one finger, and as her cloak began to tighten around her figure, I knew it was time for action. She put up another finger, and I bounced up and down in anticipation. As soon as the Morrigan raised a third finger, she closed her fist and punched a huge hole in the plywood. She drew her arm back through the splintered wood and dove through the opening.
I followed her and dove headfirst through the busted wood. I tucked my head and performed a front somersault as I crashed to the floor, awkwardly popping up on my feet. In a flash, the Morrigan was across the room, standing behind Danu. The former had one hand on Danu’s chin and the other on her forehead, ready to break her neck.
Standing three feet away from the Morrigan and Danu, Flidais, the Bounty Huntress and Warren put their hands up. Where was Merlin? I walked over to the Morrigan and called on my lightning skills. I held up my hands, little blue pulses surging through them to alert my opponents not to try anything foolish.
The Morrigan said, “Someone better start talking about what is going on here. Or all of you will get to hear Danu’s neck snap.”
I peered around the room, trying to take everything in so I was familiar with the surroundings. The expansive room with beat up walls and a dusty floor had tables scattered around with the printers on top.
The shiny black printers were about the size of a window-unit air conditioner with little dials and buttons on the side facing me.
Checking for exits, there were two doors in the room and the window we’d just come in through. The table closest to us had death cards covering the top. As I zeroed in, I saw my name printed across the top of one. My picture was missing.
Danu mumbled as she spoke with her mouth closed, “Now, now. I’m sure we can talk this out.” Surrounded by the Morrigan’s man hands, Danu’s head looked tiny, her stringy blond hair poking through Mo’s fingers. A pale blue gown belted by thick golden ties covered the Goddess of Wizards’ long slender body.
“Get talking. Why are you infringing on my status as a Goddess?” the Morrigan demanded to know.
Flidais answered for her, “We just found out what was happening here. We came to shut this down. We were about to punish this man for going rogue on Brighid and the rest of us.” She pointed a long, bony finger at Brighid’s husband. Her fingers contrasted with her body as she stood taller and wider than the Morrigan. Dressed in an outfit made from beaver pelts, she had her blond hair tied in a ponytail and seemed ready for a fight, unlike Danu in her dress.
So they planned to pin it on this guy. Classic fall guy maneuver.
“Bullshit,” said the Morrigan, who also saw through that feeble attempt to lay blame on Warren. “I see you reaching into the folds of your shirt, Flidais. Don’t be stupid. You know I have no problem killing her.”
Flidais pulled her hand out and held it up in front of her chest. She warned, “Be careful of your actions. If the Gods found out you killed one of our own, there will be dire consequences.”
The Morrigan smirked, her red pupils growing fierce. “How about this? I kill her, then I kill you. Then I tell the Gods about your evil plan. And guess what, neither of you will be alive to dispute my version of events. Just let me know when you want to start. For instance, the next time your hand dives into that hideous shirt of beaver pelts, she’s dead and the blood is on your hands.”
Danu objected, “Wait now. I’m sure we can come to an amicable resolution here.”
Why was Flidais stalling? She had to be planning something, but I wasn’t sure of her exact intentions. I kept my electric hands at the ready, in case Flidais made a sudden move.
Merlin’s voice sounded from the other room, “Why don’t I hear work being done?”
His words caused the Morrigan to spring into action and she twisted her hands violently as bits of silver enchantment circled Danu’s head. The resulting crunching sound turned my stomach as Danu’s soft blue eyes rolled back in her head.
Unsatisfied, Mo kept twisting until Danu’s head turned around completely, facing backward. The Morrigan released her and the dead Goddess fell face first to the ground, the silver enchantment mingling with the kicked-up dust mites.
Before the body went still, Flidais extended her arms toward the Morrigan, so I blasted her with lightning, sending her flying backward into the wall. I watched black smoke plume from Flidais’ body as she writhed around in pain. Someone grabbed me by the hair from behind and swung me to the ground.
The attacker was wise because the dead cells of my hair didn’t carry the electricity and the harsh impact with the floor chased that magic out of me. I smacked my left hip when I landed and saw a pair of shiny purple boots leading into elk skin pants.
I lunged at the Bounty Huntress’s legs and wrapped my arms around her calves. Lowering my arms toward her feet, I drove my shoulder into the front of her shins, right above her ankles. Nobody could remain on his or her feet with this move, and like all the rest, the Huntress toppled onto her backside.
I released my grip as she hit the ground and pounced on her, my knee landing on the middle of her chest. I closed my right hand into a white-knuckled fist and unleashed four punches. The first two landed firmly, but the Huntress blocked the last two, covering her face with her hands, so I switched up my attack and started choking her.
Warren ran past me, heading for the exit. I’d been so caught up with the Bounty Huntress that I’d almost forgotten about him. Apparently, he didn’t know battle magic. Quickly, I conjured an invisible rectangle of dense mass.
With one hand still choking the Huntress as she clawed at my face, I used the other to launch the attack. Before Warren reached the door, I heaved the magic at him. The invisible block smacked into his back. The object, which was about two feet wide shoved him forward. He tried to fight against it, but his chest and forehead smashed into the wall. I heard the empty thud of his skull smacking the wall and he collapsed to the ground, knocked out. I peeked over at the Morrigan, who was locked in an intense lightning battle with Merlin and Flidais.
I went to focus on the Huntress, but as soon as I turned back to her, she drove her thumb into my
eye. Fighting against the excruciating pain, I had to act quick or lose an eye. Her palm was right in front of my mouth, so I chomped down on her meaty flesh, my sharp incisors digging through several layers of skin. She yanked her hand back, but my teeth were still clenched, and a big chunk of her palm ended up in my mouth.
She rolled onto her side, squealing in pain. I spit the piece of bloody flesh at her, hitting her right below her left eye. I felt proud of myself until she reached for the gun on her hip. Oh, shit. With blood dripping from her hand, she drew the weapon and aimed at me. Her hand was trembling from the injury and intensity of the moment, but she managed to pull the trigger.
A projectile that resembled a green paintball charged out of the gun barrel and raced toward my midsection. I turned, and as I sucked in my gut and slid off to the side, the portal ball barely missed me. She fired another round, this time her shaky hand sending the pellet to my left, where it splattered harmlessly against the wall.
I took a quick peek at the Morrigan, who was being overpowered by the combination of a Goddess and one of the most powerful wizards of all time. The Bounty Huntress got to her knees. Thinking fast, I positioned myself with the Morrigan, Merlin and Flidais behind me.
The Bounty Huntress set the barrel of the gun on her left forearm to steady the shot. Standing on my toes, I waited for her to fire. After a few tense moments, she pulled the trigger, sending a portal ball screaming at my belly.
I shifted to the left and turned my body. The paint ball missed me narrowly and kept flying across the room. I watched with bated breath as my plan would be either a crowning achievement, or a death sentence. If the ball hit Merlin or Flidais, it could save the Morrigan’s life.
But if it hit the Morrigan, that would send her to the Lair of Justice and leave me alone with three powerful entities. Effectively committing suicide. I called magic to my hands in case it turned out for the worse. I ground my teeth together, knowing I had sealed my fate.
