Crown of the Queen (The Wardbreaker Book 3)

by Katerina Martinez

  This time, instead of landing, I used cleverly placed blasts of telekinetic magic to keep myself moving through the air, rapidly switching directions to try and throw the crow off balance. She, however, was a far better flier than I was. Keeping up wasn’t a problem for her. I, on the other hand, was moving so fast, taking sharp turns between alleys with such speed, I would’ve ended up eating a wall if I was off by even milliseconds.

  I ducked into an alley, springing from gantry, to wall, then into the air again, not once touching the ground, when I saw an opportunity. A building loomed up ahead, unfinished and hollowed out for the most part. If I could keep her grounded, I would eliminate one of her biggest advantages—her mobility.

  On the other hand, Vivimancers were no joke in a fist fight; and I was already injured.

  Dammit.

  I didn’t have any better ideas, so I headed for it, pushing myself through the air with my magic. Delia followed me closely; so closely, that when I reached the building and tumbled inside, she tumbled in right after me, not giving me even a single second of respite.

  I righted myself and turned to face her. Lightning flashed outside, elongating Delia’s shadow and deepening her features. “I don’t want to have to kill you,” I said.

  “Oh, but I do,” she said. “I’ve wanted this ever since the first night we caught you. We should’ve ended your life then and there, but Asmodius said he needed you, and then his son had to go and fall for you.”

  “Axel?”

  “He was always so weak, but his father never saw that because he was his son. The golden boy. The prodigy. Meanwhile, Karkov and I always got the shit jobs; the clean-up jobs.” She grinned. “Never again. When I kill you, I’m going to show your head to Asmodius—and then I’m going to kill him, too. Everyone will finally see my worth, and I will make Karkov proud to have ever called himself a crow.”

  “This isn’t about Karkov. It’s about Asmodius. You want to rub your success in his face; you want him to see you. I know what that’s like.”

  “You know nothing,” she shrieked, and then she launched herself at me in a flurry of vicious claw swipes.

  I blocked her attacks where I could, using magic to throw her footing off and give myself a little edge. I wasn’t as good a fighter as she was. Hand-to-hand combat had never been my thing, but just as I rolled away from one of her strikes, I caught sight of a monkey-wrench sitting on a stool. I reached for it with my hand and drew it to myself with my mind just as Delia came at me for another attack.

  I swiped at her with the monkey-wrench, striking her square in the jaw with a loud crack that resounded through the hollowed-out building. Blood splattered against the floor, and Delia turned her face away from me. Lightning flashed, illuminating her shoulder and the side of her head.

  Slowly, she turned to look at me. Blood poured out of her mouth and nose, but she was smiling like a wild animal. Worse, whatever damage I’d done was already healing—and fast. She grabbed hold of the monkey wrench and drew me to her with a single hand.

  The other, she drove into my gut.

  Pain flared for an instant, then it died, replaced by a sudden rush of warmth and blissful numbness. I could feel her fingers in my stomach, wriggling, filling me with nausea. She pulled her tongue up and along the side of my face, then brought her lips to my ears.

  “Gotcha,” she whispered.

  I pushed her away, but I couldn’t hold myself upright. I fell on my ass, then on my back, clutching my stomach with both hands. I was bleeding, and badly. I didn’t need Ifrit to tell me I’d be dead before long. Delia wasn’t going to let me just bleed out.

  Her claws dripped with my blood. She licked her fingers, tasting the crimson flow as it dribbled down her arm.

  I tried to scramble away from her, but I couldn’t pull my hands away from my stomach. I had to keep the pressure applied for as long as possible. The more blood I lost, the harder it would be to remain conscious.

  “What good is being conscious if you can’t fight?” Ifrit asked.

  “Not helpful!” I barked.

  “Any last words?” Delia asked, “I’ll be sure Axel gets them when I see him.”

  I spat blood at her. “Fuck you,” I snarled. “You can kill me if you want, but it won’t bring him back, and it won’t make you feel better.”

  Delia shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s going to make me feel a little better, I think.”

  She pounced on me, brought her arm up to swipe, and then a bolt of light struck her in the shoulder, sending her toppling off me like she’d just been hit with a wrecking ball. Another flash of light filled the hollowed out building, a smell like rotting eggs filling the air. My hands trembled even as I pressed down against the wound, but I had to pull one away.

  Someone had struck Delia down, but I couldn’t concentrate on that. I had to focus all of my energy on grabbing the healing potion I had strapped to my body and ripping it off me. I was so numb, tearing the duct tape off me didn’t hurt at all. It didn’t even sting.

  Fingers shaking, I brought the potion up to my lips, pulled the cap off with my teeth, and swallowed its contents. This was RJ’s magic; warm, and vital, like the kiss of the sun on a bright, summer’s day. My vision was swimming, but after a moment, my body started to hum with the magic coursing through me.

  The tingling sensation focused on the wound. I could feel the skin knitting back together, and as I slowly removed my hand, I saw it happen with my own eyes. Miraculous, efficient, and so fast. I was about to die, and now… I wasn’t.

  The person who had struck Delia down moved into view at my side. I turned my head and looked up.

  It was him.

  It was Walter.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  I scrambled to my feet and threw my arms around him. This was the first time I’d hugged Walter in years, and it felt… I wasn’t sure what it felt like. Not in that moment. But I was relieved, especially when I noticed Delia’s crumpled body lying about ten feet away from where we were standing.

  She wasn’t moving, and fingers of smoke were rising from different points of her body. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air, but a quick wave of Walter’s hand sent a breeze pushing through the hollowed-out structure that sucked the stench out in one fell swoop.

  I pulled away from him, then looked at my hands. They were soaked with blood. I’d gotten it all over him, too. But the wound on my stomach had just about healed, and my strength had returned.

  Was this what it felt like being a Vivimancer able to stitch their own wounds?

  “She’s dead?” I asked.

  Walter nodded. “Unless she’s superhuman,” he said.

  “She’s pretty tough… was pretty tough.”

  He craned his neck around and looked over at Delia. Sighed. “No… she’s dead. And you’re not.”

  “Thank you… she would’ve killed me.”

  “I could see that. She had you on the ropes.”

  I shook my head. “I wasn’t thinking straight. I was bleeding and… yeah.”

  “I also don’t think you wanted to kill her. Not really.”

  I sighed. “Yeah.” I paused, this time, surveying the scene. “Are the others safe?”

  “Axel and Hugo made it out. The prison is on high alert, the alarms are still blaring. They haven’t had a prison break in…” he shook his head, “I don’t know if they’ve ever had one.”

  “They got complacent, relied too much on inmates being too weak and unmotivated to want to escape.”

  “You probably shook that up a bit tonight. You also likely got yourself on the Coalition’s shitlist.”

  I shrugged. “I’ve been a thief for years. I’m used to being on people’s shitlists.”

  Walter grinned. “I know.”

  “You know?”

  “News of your adventures aren’t usually far from my ears.” He put his hands up. “No, I’m not keeping tabs on you. But information is currency out here, and I always like to keep a little spare ch
ange so I can ask about you.”

  “A little spare change…” I said, nodding along. I sighed. “You know what, for now, I’m not going to get into any of… all that old stuff. You saved my life, and I owe you one.”

  He stretched his arms out by his sides. “Hey, I’m your father, you don’t owe me anything.”

  I smiled at him, then I looked over at Delia again. “We should probably take care of her…”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll have someone come here and pick her up.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You aren’t going to have her dumped into a pool of acid or have her chopped up, or something, are you?”

  “No, nothing like that. We’re Mages, not savages. She’ll be buried with dignity.”

  “Good… thank you. I guess I should get going, then. We have Hugo, thanks to you. This is where we part ways.”

  Another pause. “Does it have to be?” he asked, his voice echoing lightly through the building.

  “I can’t take you with me. This is too important for me to bring anyone else in, and I can’t trust you.”

  “I can see why. I left you without so much as a goodbye, and now I show up again out of the blue. I wouldn’t trust me either.” Walter fell silent for a moment, looking at his feet. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t a good dad to you. I didn’t handle the situation the way that I should’ve. There are probably a million reasons I could give you to try and justify my actions, but none of them matter. I left… but now I’ve been given another chance to make it right, and that’s what I want to do.”

  “I really want to believe you, but I’m having trouble seeing how you can fix this.”

  He turned his eyes up at me again. “Aetherglass.”

  I frowned. “What about it?”

  “I know what you’re planning on doing with it…” he approached, warmth and optimism in his eyes. “The drowned Queen… her treasures… you know what the two of us could do if we found it?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about you and me. I’m talking about taking everything we ever wanted to take, living the life we’re owed.”

  “Owed… that’s a pretty strong word, don’t you think?”

  “You don’t understand. My whole life, I lived for one purpose. To provide the best possible life I could for me and my family. Every deal I ever made, every scam I ever pulled, every con job I ever ran; every hustle. It was all for you and your mother.”

  “And for you,” I added.

  “Yes, and for me. But I was never going to live a good, happy life if I couldn’t bring you with me. I know that’s probably hard to believe right now, but I’m telling you the truth about my intentions.”

  I sighed. “You know what they say about the road to hell.”

  He scoffed. “The road to hell isn’t paved at all; it’s made of barbs, and spikes, and razor wire. I’ve paid for my sins; I’ve given more than my dues. It’s time for us, for you and me, to take back the life we could’ve had, and now we have that opportunity.”

  I turned around to look at him, but my heart was already starting to sink. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Think about it. You and me, at the top, getting everything we ever dreamed of having. We’re the best crooks in town… stealing the drowned Queen’s treasures is the biggest job of our lives, and the two of us, together—we can’t fail.”

  “So…” I approached him. “What you’re saying is, you want me to double cross my friends and team up with you?”

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I want you to have the best life you could possibly have. You deserve to be showered in riches, waited on hand and foot. Your friends, too, if they’re important to you. With my help, there won’t be anyone who can stand in our way.”

  My chest tightened, not out of anger, but out of sadness. He didn’t realize how deeply his words were cutting me. Your friends, too, if they’re important to you. Abandon my friends the way he abandoned me? Is that what he was asking me to do? And all this talk about having everything I want, and how not even the Magistrate could stand up to us?

  Walter was already a lot of things. I guess I could now also add power hungry to that list.

  I shook my head. “Why did you have to do that?” I asked.

  “Do what?”

  “Remind me what an asshole you really are?”

  “That’s not what I want to do. Christ, you’re not listening to me.”

  “I am. I’m listening loud and clear. You’re trying to manipulate me, promising me the world when really all you want is to use me for your own selfish ends.”

  “That’s… Izzy, no, I’m not doing that.”

  “Do you know I’ve spent my whole life fighting predators like you off? Do you have any idea how often men think they can sweet talk me into doing what they want me to do?”

  “No…”

  “Do you want to know how often that kind of shit has ever worked on me? Only once, and never again.” I turned around and moved to the edge of the building again. “You saved my life… for once in as long as I can remember, you did something good for me. You could’ve walked away on a high note, and maybe sometime down the line, we could’ve built on that. But you had to go and ruin it.”

  “Izzy, please. Listen to me.”

  “Why?” I snapped, eyes stinging. “Why should I listen to you? What could you possibly have to tell me that would make me change my mind?”

  Silence. His head fell.

  I turned my head again. “That’s what I thought.”

  “He’ll kill me if I don’t give him the box and the Aetherglass.”

  My whole body went cold. It was as if I’d been hit with grave chill, but worse. Much, much worse. I had to turn around and face him. Not because I wanted to look at him, but because I was worried. Worried he was going to attack before I got the chance to jump away. Worried he was going to do to me what he’d done to Delia.

  Then something, somewhere in the back of my mind, clicked. A puzzle piece fell into place and sent a question racing to the forefront of my mind. We had been attacked at Becket’s mansion by an Elemancer; and not just any Elemancer, but a skilled one, too. Whoever it was had been quick, efficient, and sent by Asmodius.

  “Was it you?” I asked, staring at him, my entire body trembling.

  He licked his lips. “I didn’t know you’d be inside the house,” he said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You have to believe me. I wouldn’t have burned that house down if I’d known. It was just a job.”

  The cold wash went away, taking the tightness in my chest and the sting in my eyes with it. I exhaled lightly. “Bye, dad,” I said, and then I turned, and leapt off the edge of the building, hurling myself into the night.

  Walter didn’t follow me. At least, it didn’t look like he had followed me. Good. I wasn’t sure what would happen the next time we crossed paths, but I definitely wasn’t going to be hugging him anytime soon. Part of me couldn’t believe he’d been working for Asmodius. The other part of me, though, knew this wasn’t only entirely possible; it was the most natural combination in the world.

  Axel had picked my psychic signature up once I had gotten into range. He’d created a telepathic bridge for us to speak, but I hadn’t said much except to wait for me on the roof, and get the others to pack up. It was time to go.

  I found him there, his hands in his pockets, warm puffs of breath pushing from his lips. I landed before him, my body still buzzing from the magic, but I didn’t get too close to him. I needed space, not just from him, but from everyone.

  “I’m sorry,” he simply said.

  “I’m not,” I said. “Is everyone ready?”

  Axel nodded. “We can leave whenever you want.”

  “I want to leave.”

  He stepped aside, and I walked past him, stopping as I reached him. “You did good today…”

  A grin played across his lips. “You weren’t so bad yourself.”

  I walked away from him
, a half-grin on my face. We had Hugo, and we had the map. All we needed now was the Aetherglass, and we’d be able to see where this journey was going to take us next.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  I spent the ride back to Becket’s place in relative silence. I didn’t want to talk, not really. Not more than I needed to. I certainly didn’t want to tell Axel about Walter allying himself with Asmodius. That was probably going to come out eventually, but right now wasn’t the time. Now was the time to reflect.

  Delia was dead. I couldn’t get the image of her body lying, smoking on the floor. Another couple of seconds, and it would’ve been me lying dead on the concrete. Walter had saved my life by killing the last of the Crows, but only because he wanted to use me.

  Oh, what I would’ve given to be in the room when Walter returned to tell Asmodius that, a, he didn’t have me, and b, he’d killed his last pet Crow.

  Feels like justice.

  It also felt like we were one step closer to wherever we were supposed to be going. The drowned Queen had been dominating my thoughts lately, just like she’d dominated my life ever since Axel showed me one of the coins that proved the existence of her city.

  I couldn’t tell what the end of this road looked like, or what I’d feel like when I got there. If I ever made it there. The road was long, still. We had Hugo, and he was going to make the Aetherglass we needed. But what if we just found another hurdle to jump over? Another puzzle to solve? I wasn’t sure I had the energy, but I sure as hell was going to give it my best shot.

  Becket was waiting for us at his place, standing sentry at his front door as we pulled up. Hugo stiffened up in his seat the moment he saw the Demonologist with the red eyes. Becket was something of a celebrity in New York—an infernal allowed to operate freely within the Magistrate. I wasn’t surprised to find Hugo knew who he was.

  “It’s good to see you again, old friend,” Becket said to Hugo as we approached.

  “They didn’t tell me you were behind this,” Hugo said, “I suppose I should’ve known.”

  “I don’t see how. My machinations are usually kept secret.”