Magic Revenge: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Spirit War Chronicles Book 2)

by Stephen Allan

  I gave a laugh with food in my mouth and playfully punched him when he came close enough.

  “Fuck you, I earned it,” I said, still laughing with my mouth full as I spoke. “It’s that or a salad. You go eat healthy here.”

  “I think I will,” DJ said.

  “What are you gonna do, buy the whole food cart? And make them make sausages with asparagus?”

  DJ shrugged, as if to say maybe he would. I rolled my eyes and then laughed harder when he turned around with the exact ham-and-cheese sandwich I had.

  “I suppose because you’re a man you can eat this?”

  “Sure, why not,” DJ said sarcastically. “No, it’s more because I’m a man, and men don’t eat salads. Most especially men in Australia.”

  “Oh, that’s the stereotype we’re going to use to excuse your eating habits, gotcha. Let’s just make sure we’re clear so that you can hunt with your hands for all of us in Berlin,” I said before shifting gears. “Is the train ride as boring for you as it is for me?”

  “I don’t think boring is the right word for you, the way you were squirming a few minutes ago,” he said, and I felt a nervous twitch in my stomach. Everyone had commented on it, but I really disliked how often it was coming up. Brady hadn’t looked that concerned on the flight—maybe the others just weren’t used to it, and I would be OK. “But yeah, pretty much. I could have put us all in different compartments. But the problem was first, I wanted to be with you alone. But then Brady would have raised hell, so I put the three of us together. But then I realized Nicholas and Richard would feel left out, and I didn’t want to do that. So basically, in order to keep the peace, I overcrowded the room.”

  He is a quick mover, isn’t he.

  Shame, really. I might have cuddled him, but I wasn’t going to kiss him.

  I swear.

  “Such a wise choice,” I said. Brady and DJ had made peace in Amsterdam despite some, uh, disagreements. I didn’t need something as stupid as who sat in what compartment on a train to ruin it.

  “Indeed. Nicholas keeps trying to lean over while I read my books.”

  “You read your own stuff?” I said. “Isn’t that like looking in the mirror as an athlete and admiring your muscles?”

  “No, no, darling, I should have said proofreading.”

  “Uh huh,” I said, believing him but overwhelmingly happy to have found an easy target. “You’re so vain, you buy your own books.”

  “I… actually do,” he said, and I nearly choked on my food. “The online sites do their sales ranks automatically. I like to buy mine as soon as it’s in the store so that I can kickstart the ranking process. Contrary to your laughter, you would find that all other authors do the same thing.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” I said, refusing to let this bit of information go to waste. “But it’s OK. I like you. You’re pretty cool for a vain, self-promoting guy.”

  “And you’re not too bad for someone who talks while they’re chewing their food.”

  “OK, you got me,” I said. “By the way, tell me about where we’re staying. I was told you’re taking charge of it, and I’ve always learned I need to verify what I’m told.”

  “Of course. We’re staying with some childhood friends of mine. I’ve got some friends who are studying abroad in Berlin at the moment, so we’re going to stay with them.”

  “Cool,” I said, but then two troubling thoughts came to mind. One, did this mean we were dragging more people into our battle? And two… “Studying abroad? How old—”

  “Early twenties, like 24 and 23, not like 19 or 20,” DJ said, which relieved me. The last thing I wanted to deal with was sleeping in a dorm room where beer pong, flip cup and other games would be played—ironic, considering I was at the age where most people would want to do that on a weekday. “I’m a couple years older than them, was always playing the role of big brother. A lesbian couple. It’s a small town love story.”

  “That is sweet,” I said. “But the living quarters will be tight?”

  “Yes,” DJ said. “The house is essentially two bedrooms, with one room converted into a work room, the main floor, which has your typical couch and TV and kitchen, and then the basement, which also functions as their garage, though I think they said the basement has an extra small room. So the five of us sprawled out…”

  “Damn, we’ll just have to cuddle,” I said without realizing what I’d said until DJ’s eyes narrowed. “Why are we doing this and not paying for an expensive hotel?”

  “Because I like being in close quarters, call it a quirk. Besides, I really want to see these girls. I haven’t had the chance since we were all teenagers.”

  “I suppose,” I said, but I could see the benefit of it. It would be shady if I got a hotel room with DJ and no one else, at least from the perspective of keeping the peace. Now we were all in the same space, and there was no chance of being put in a risky spot.

  OK, that was not true. Every moment with this guy presented some risk.

  “In any case, I just wanted to chat with you for a bit. That room gets so stuffy it’s ridiculous.”

  “True,” I said. “Have fun indulging your ego.”

  “Believe it or not, I do have legitimate work to do right now.”

  “Fine,” I said, mock rolling my eyes followed by a friendly smile.

  But the mocking ended when he stood up and came over to me, placing a hand on my cheek. He leaned down and I braced myself. For real? A kiss here, in the diner cabin of a train? That’s—

  But he just kissed me on top of the head, leaving me visibly flustered.

  “See you in the cabin,” he said with a wink.

  He was at the doorstep when I called out a question that just entered my mind.

  “What’s the book about?”

  He turned and gave a smirk I couldn’t quite place.

  “A memoir.”

  With that, he turned and disappeared. I looked down at my sandwich, and with just one bite to go, I quickly killed it. I ordered a bottle of water before heading back to the cabin. I made a pit stop at the restroom on the way back, locking the door behind me.

  I heard a hissing sound, followed by red smoke. I sighed.

  “Really, Tyrus, the women’s bathroom?”

  Chapter 2

  Having been called by name, Tyrus, with his slicked black hair, pointed nose, dark red coat and pants and bright red tie, did not waste any further time appearing. Because of the space we were in, I had to sit on the toilet—albeit with my clothes all on—while he stood over me. To describe the scene as an embarrassment was an understatement.

  “There was no other place where I could meet with you without attracting unwanted attention,” he said, that same fucking smirk on his face that there always was. I hated that smirk. Tyrus had a way of saying things that would help me, yet also bind me to him. It was the classic demon’s ploy, I knew it. The demon offers you help, and you think you’ve got it made. But then the demon reveals the catch, and you realize the tradeoff you’ve made was too lopsided to ever be worth it. “And you know as well as I do that the last thing we want is to bring attention to ourselves.”

  “Please, is that why you dress as you do?”

  “What, this? Oh, heavens—or should I say, hell no. I just like looking the part. You never know who you will have to charm to get your way.”

  I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arm and tried to stand, but the positioning of the room still left me crouching, below Tyrus’ eye level.

  “And I know you, least of all, want to attract attention to the fact that you are a half-demon. The world is not ready for demons, period. What would happen if they discovered someone who was half-demon? What would happen to your career? To your family?”

  I didn’t answer his hypothetical questions, even as he seemed to give me several beats to answer. He didn’t care if I answered—he just wanted the thought to stick in my mind. When I didn’t reply, he shrugged.

  “In any case, such questions
do not matter now, though we will find out the answer soon enough. Right now, I owe you much thanks, Sonya. You defeated Nuforsa and have made life in hell for us at the top much easier. I am grateful, more than you can possibly imagine.”

  “I wouldn’t put too much faith in that,” I said. “Mundus messaged me himself and said that Nuforsa would return.”

  “Did he,” Tyrus said. “Interesting. Well, it depends on how you define ‘would return.’ Humans can never be truly rid of their demons. Nuforsa’s demon form was destroyed, but you, even as a half-demon, cannot destroy a soul. You might say it’s like one of the laws of physics, the one that says matter cannot be destroyed or created, it can only change form. Similarly, for us, we cannot create or destroy souls. However, you can certainly leave a soul hurting. Nuforsa’s soul will take quite a while to recover, and even when it has, it will take her some time to earn the good graces of Mundus.”

  It was the first thing Tyrus said that had brought a victorious smile to my face since he entered.

  “So the worst of her is over.”

  “For all practical purposes, yes. There is always the chance that she rises back up, using the skills that she has, but such a thing, I suspect, will not happen for years, if not past your lifetime.”

  Then he added a disclaimer that made me recoil, one I knew he added to fuck with me.

  “Typically.”

  I would take my chances, though. If I never saw Nuforsa again, I’d be all the much better for it. And if I did, I already knew how to kill her.

  “So, with Nuforsa gone, that just leaves me as Mundus’ right-hand man. Or left, I’m not quite sure. In any case, Sonya, though I said that there was no catch in our deal, I am here to offer you a new deal—”

  Shocking! Who saw that coming!

  “And this time, I do want something that may not necessarily align with your ambitions, but I am convinced after you hear me out, you will strongly consider what I offer.”

  I gave a mocking short laugh and came forward. I was surprised to see Tyrus give me the space I needed to stand without crouching or slouching—perhaps a psychological trick. I remained cautious.

  “I have my doubts,” I said. “You’re going to say if I go to Mundus, he’ll spare my friends, and I can have whatever I want, and so on. I’ve already heard that bargain from just about every demon I’ve ever spoken to.”

  Tyrus just smiled and laughed at my statement.

  “Clever girl. I will not say that, at the core of things, you are wrong. But you should listen to what a man has to say before dismissing him. You never know what nugget of information you will find that will interest you. I thought you would’ve learned that in your line of work. Didn’t anyone teach you?”

  “And if I don’t want to listen to you?” I snapped, refusing to allow him to go down that conversational path.

  “It’s going to look mighty interesting to your brother and friends when you walk out of here and they see me.”

  Fucking bastard.

  “Now then, I shall continue. Please do not interrupt me. Your greatest concern, I take it, is that if you side with Mundus, you will help contribute to the destruction of the world and that his demons will mutilate, rape, murder, and commit all sorts of atrocities against humankind, am I right? And that if you take his side, you will join a losing battle for when Yevon joins, am I right?”

  I refused to answer. If I had to listen, I wasn’t going to give Tyrus the benefit of knowing things.

  “I’ll take your silence as an answer for now. I understand. I can see that even though you are a spy by nature, you are also incredibly compassionate and empathic for humanity. Given your past, that is nothing short of astonishing. You, I daresay, even have sympathy for your enemies, though that does not stop you from carrying out your mission. Usually.”

  His smile flickered and his eyes widened at his last word. I knew exactly what he was referring to, and I was not going to go down that road if I could help it.

  “So, I have spoken to Mundus since last night, when you managed to kill Nuforsa—or kill her as much as you can, in reference to our earlier conversation—and he recognizes you as a force to be reckoned with. He believed that you could be broken, placed in chains, and made a slave for him. But Mundus underestimated you, and he apologizes for that.”

  Yeah, the devil apologizing to a human. Put that on the CNN ticker for Breaking News.

  “He apologizes for that?” I said, sarcasm dripping from my words.

  Tyrus held a hand up and waved, forming a small portal. It looked like something from the past, for it showed his vision facing the blood portal from which Mundus had spoken before.

  “Nuforsa is dead,” the Tyrus in the portal said.

  “At the hands of the girl. I am surprised. I underestimated her skills.”

  “I told you as much, my Lord. Nuforsa… she was determined to a fault to break the girl.”

  “So it seems. I apologize for assuming the girl was weak. She is one of the strongest humans I have encountered.”

  And just like that, the portal vanished, and the current Tyrus stood over me.

  “Do you still doubt me?”

  “Yes,” I said reactively, but honestly, everything about the image seemed in line with what I had experienced with Mundus. Still, I reminded myself what was standing before me, and it wasn’t human.

  “This is good, we need those who are willing to not just take things blindly. It creates a dialogue, and contrary to belief, Mundus is not a dictator.”

  Stockholm Syndrome. Classic.

  “He does not do things his way against the advice of those who serve him. He just dislikes time that is wasted. It is a part of why I suspect Nuforsa will not reach his graces for some time, for how she wasted time trying to break you when such a thing did not matter. You can be that girl, Sonya. You can be the one who pushes him to make better choices.”

  I waited for Tyrus to laugh mockingly and then present the real deal. Instead, he just wore his smirk like it was part of his job, an unchanging expression that left me agape that he’d probably told the truth. Or at least, the essence of truth. I sighed, took half a second to consider the deal, and then put my hands near my guns as I looked into his eyes.

  “Thanks, but as much as the opportunity to play devil’s advocate to the devil sounds enticing, I’m going to pass. You haven’t told me anything about why I would actually want to take up this offer.”

  “Oh, right, of course, silly me,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “You worry that the demons will commit horrifying crimes against humanity. I am here to tell you that if you join Mundus, that will not happen.”

  I laughed, even removing my hands from my guns. I would have thought that if Tyrus would lie to me, he’d at least make it somewhat believable. Tyrus might as well have said “you worry the snake will kill the rat. I am here to tell you if you pay me, that won’t happen.” There was no way he could control that.

  “See, Earth is just a means to an end—the end being the complete conquering of the spiritual realm, up to and including heaven. Of course, should Mundus never kill a human, technically, Yevon should not strike, but we all know the Dark Lord does not have the patience to slowly bite all seven billion humans on Earth. However, with multiple advisors keeping him patient—reminding him that to go nuclear would only spell his own doom at the hand of Yevon—humanity will become shifters, but they will not suffer any harm.”

  I wasn’t about to give him any credibility or any acknowledgment, but I had stopped laughing. For whatever reason, Tyrus spoke with just enough confidence that I wanted to at least hear him out.

  “Right now, our demons are amassing forces by turning humans into shifters. For the most part, this is done without harm, and the human barely notices. You might say it is the equivalent of putting a pet under anesthesia so you can neuter them. Except here, instead of taking powers, we are adding them.”

  “That’s a hell—”

  “May I remind you, S
onya, you agreed to let me finish,” he said.

  I crossed my arms but went silent.

  “Thank you. The plan has worked relatively well. In addition to Amsterdam, we have forces spread out across the globe. Las Vegas, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Macau, Moscow—just to name a few.”

  The image of demons sneaking around the entire world terrified me. It would make my haste to undo the shifter virus that much more urgent. I had enough trouble pushing them out of Amsterdam—doing it across the globe just wasn’t feasible.

  “And Yevon still doesn’t interfere.”

  “My strongest suspicion is that Yevon saw that you were on the case and would handle it, as a bastion of human action,” Tyrus said, carrying disgusting amounts of mocking for God. “Although frankly, I do not pretend to understand what the ruler of heaven does. He works in rather mysterious ways. In any case, though, there are two ways the war for the spiritual realm is going to go. One is as I described. Mundus will eventually grow impatient, he will attack the human world, and while perhaps heaven will emerge victorious, it will come at the cost of millions, if not billions, of lives. The other is what I am offering you. We will peacefully and quietly turn humans into shifters to do our bidding. They will not suffer, and you will not suffer. You will not become a shifter, and your friends will not either if you choose. It would seem an easy choice.”

  My immediate reaction was to say no, to tell Tyrus to crawl back to hell and tell Mundus I would do anything before giving my word, let alone my soul, to him. There was always some unforeseen outcome that would result from accepting a deal with a demon. Hell, already, I was having to deal with Tyrus more because I’d defeated Nuforsa. Though he’s certainly preferable to her. I’m not having my mind destroyed, just confused.

  But, damn my rational, critical side, I had to give some thought to it. The only way to prevent that from happening was for me to strike at Mundus with my friends, and the idea of fighting the devil in his realm just seemed… I was ballsy, I was confident, and I was daring. But the stoic realist in me knew, at best, I needed weeks of training, and at worst, I could never pull such a move off.