“Sure, but there’s only one Mage I know who’d have the balls to break someone out of Harrowgate.”
“Ahem,” I coughed, “I’m that Mage. Those are my balls you’re talking about, and even Becket didn’t know you were locked in Harrowgate.”
“Right…” Hugo said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean any offense.”
“Good. Now, can we please get inside? It’s freezing out.”
Becket stepped aside. Axel led Hugo inside, followed by RJ, Danvers, and Karim. I waited until they were all through to have a moment alone with Becket. I breathed deep. “We got him,” I said.
“I can see that,” Becket said. “And you’re all doing well?”
“I think we’re doing alright. Karim is a little fed up of all of this, but he’s still playing ball.”
“I’m sorry to learn about your father.” He paused. “The demons… they kept me informed as much as they could.”
I shrugged. “Don’t even mention it. I’m still reeling that he thought he could sweet talk me into a life of absolute assholery, just like that.”
“He clearly underestimated you. Something I learned not to do a very long time ago.”
“It wasn’t that long ago we met, was it?”
“I have to say, it feels like decades. I can’t seem to be able to get you out of my house,” he added, grinning. “Anyway, you have proved yourself not only an incredibly capable Mage, but also a great leader. We can all take a little inspiration from your actions.”
“I don’t think anyone would be saying that if I’d never met you. You’ve been a better role model for me than he ever was.”
Becket, nodding and smiling, gestured for me to enter his house, and I walked through ahead of him. The others had gathered in the living room, each looking more tired than the last except, of course, for RJ. He looked like he was still ready to pounce on enemies at a moment’s notice, and everybody was safer for it.
“Congratulations,” Becket said, “You successfully rescued this man from potentially being incarcerated for the rest of his life for the crime of having once worked for the Magistrate.”
“I’m eternally grateful,” Hugo said, “I may not be good at showing gratitude, but I’ve spent the past few…” he trailed off for a second. “I’m not sure how long I’ve been locked in there, you know.”
“We’ll help you figure that out later. Right now, there’s the matter of why you were rescued.”
“Ah, yes… Isabella mentioned something about Aetherglass. It’s not exactly an original request, if I do say so.”
“No, but it’s necessary for our work. Will you make it for us?”
Hugo scanned our faces, his eyes settling on RJ last. “It’s a little late for me to decline now,” he said, swallowing hard. “I have to admit, I had thought of cutting and running on the way over here. I could’ve gotten out of that car without too much of an issue, but I wanted to see how deep this rabbit hole went. Now that I’ve found you lurking in its belly, I find myself a little less hesitant. I still want to know what you’re going to do with the Aetherglass.”
“I’m not sure if we should tell you,” I said, “I think it’s probably better for everyone if you just do what you have to do for us, and then we make sure you get out of New York.”
“You know I can make that happen for you,” Becket said, “I have the means.”
“I’m sure you do,” Hugo said, “But I’ve just been through an ordeal also. It would be nice to have a little context, here.” He paused. “Are you trying to build some kind of weapon?”
“Nothing like that,” I said.
“A shield? Or maybe just something to enhance your powers?”
“Why is it important for you to know what we’re up to? You’ll be leaving as soon as this is done and we won’t have to see each other again.”
“Because if I’m sitting on some beach somewhere and I hear the world is on fire, I want to be able to know whether I should be guilty of having helped start that fire or not. Anyway, I can’t just create a piece of Aetherglass and hand it to you. It needs to be properly shaped and suited to its purpose. You don’t have to tell me what it’s for, exactly. All I need to know is its general purpose.”
I glanced over at Becket. Hugo had a point. It was important for him to know, finally, that we weren’t going to use the Aetherglass for anything nefarious. Not that we knew of, anyway. Becket didn’t object, so I decided to give Hugo something to work with.
“I need to be able to read something,” I said, “Something written on a scroll.”
“Fascinating… hidden text?”
“Something like that.”
“Yes… yes, I’ve come across that before. That’s old magic, but commonly used by Mages who want to pass secret notes around. I’ll need time to craft it. Possibly a few days.”
“RJ, would you mind showing our guest to his room?” Becket asked, “You will stay here while you work, as a guest, of course.”
RJ stood and helped Hugo up. “I would love a shower to begin with,” Hugo said, “And food. Real food. Sausages, eggs, toast—oh! A cup of coffee would be incredible. Wait, no, how about some sushi? I haven’t tasted real fish in months.”
“I’ll make him a full-English,” Karim said, standing. “None of us have the energy to go out and get sushi, and I certainly don’t know how to make it.”
“When did you get so hospitable?” Danvers asked.
Karim shrugged. “I need to do something menial to take my mind off the nonsense we went through tonight. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
“I’ll help,” Danvers said, following him in.
I smiled to myself as they walked off. They didn’t get along, not usually. It wasn’t uncommon to watch them bickering amongst each other. But I had a feeling they enjoyed each other’s company anyway. After all the crap we had just been through, this kind of camaraderie was a breath of fresh air.
Axel walked up beside me, breathing deeply. “So, now what?” he asked.
“I suppose now we wait for Hugo to do what he’s been tasked with doing,” Becket said. “I should thank you both for what you’ve done… this was no simple feat you’ve accomplished together.”
“I have a crack team,” I said, “And a pretty decent boss.”
“Boss?” Becket shook his head. “I’m no one’s boss. I’m merely a facilitator. If anyone’s in charge here, it’s you, Izzy. You know that.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. They handle themselves pretty well. Anyway, if we’re all under control down here, I think I need to get myself to bed.”
“Of course,” Becket said, bowing slightly. “I’ll let you both get some rest. With any luck, in a few days, we’ll be on our way to learning the truth.”
“The truth?”
“The truth about all of this… whether it’s all real or not.”
“I sure hope it’s real. Otherwise all this has been for nothing.”
Becket grinned, perhaps a little knowingly. “Not for nothing.”
He walked away, heading upstairs to either his bedroom or his study. Once he was gone, I headed up the stairs; stopping, turning, and looking across at Axel. I didn’t ask him any questions, didn’t speak. I stretched my hand out toward him, and he took it. Silently, I led him to my room, my heart hammering harder than it had at any point during the past couple of days.
Axel stepped into my room with me and shut the door. Slowly, I turned around to face him. I was tired. He was tired. We’d been through hell tonight, but none of that mattered. I wanted to tell him how brave I thought he’d been, how proud of him I was, how infuriatingly hot I thought he was. I didn’t do any of those things. I didn’t want to ruin this with words.
Instead, I stepped up to him and lightly brushed his face with my fingertips. Axel placed a hand on my hip. I thought he was about to speak, but before he could, I pressed my lips against his, silencing him. His lips were warm and soft, his tongue playful against mine. My body trembled, shuddering with anticip
ation.
But Axel was tender, and gentle, and in absolutely no rush.
His touch was soft, and caring, his fingertips gently gliding across my hips and around my back like explorers charting new land. I felt his hands crawl up and along my ribs, then lock under my arms. He picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around him, not once breaking the kiss.
Carefully, he guided me over to the bed and let me lay on my back. This wasn’t the quick, rough tussle between the sheets we’d almost had the night Becket’s place was destroyed. This was different. Better.
He trailed kisses down my cheek, my neck, my collarbone. Frantic, eager, I pulled my top over my head and tossed it aside, encouraging Axel to continue exploring my body. I shut my eyes, surrendering to the moment, gripping the bedsheets as each kiss triggered an explosion of tingles to ripple through me.
His fingers reached the hem of my jeans, and my breath hitched as they worked to undo the button… the zipper. I wriggled out of them, settled back down on the bed, and opened myself up to him. Axel knelt by the edge of the bed, leaving a trail of kisses down my inner thigh as he inched toward my aching center.
My breath caught for a second time, and this time, I held it for what felt like an eternity. My body ignited; my heart was hammering so hard I couldn’t think. Finally, I exhaled, releasing every ounce of tension and frustration I’d soaked up during the course of the day. I didn’t need it anymore, hadn’t wanted it to begin with.
Climax came hard and fast. That man knew exactly what to do to me with only a little encouragement. Then again, I had wanted him for so long, he could’ve breathed on me and it would’ve been enough.
It wasn’t long before neither of us could take the wait any longer. He furiously ripped off his clothes, and I drew him to me, wrapping my legs around him and exulting in the blissful release that followed. We rocked together, swayed together, killed hours together… and when we were both spent, we slept together.
For the first time, I spent a night in Becket’s house and didn’t feel the cold.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
It was the break we all needed, even if it wasn’t quite the vacation Karim had wanted. Still, things had been calm over the last few days. Quiet—at least, as quiet as New York could be. Quiet where it counted. No sign of Asmodius, or Coalition thugs come to kill us for defying their rule, or even dead Crows coming to haunt us.
It was bliss, and that was to say nothing about Axel and me.
We’d spent the last few days seeing each other in an entirely different light, and figuring out how we fit together—if at all. I liked to think we did fit. He did, too. But we had spent months basically living together, months of being around each other, breathing the same air, eating at the same table.
Sometimes I wondered if, were the situation any different than what it was, if we’d be… whatever the hell we were right now? Just as quickly as the thoughts drifted in, though, I swatted them away. I was enjoying myself. I was enjoying Axel. Nothing was going to get between that.
When Becket summoned us into the living room one afternoon, I knew, it was because Hugo was ready. I hadn’t watched him go through the process of drawing Aetherglass out of the Tempest and then working it into something usable by a Mage. The process happened behind closed doors. But we’d hardly seen Hugo the whole time we’d been here. He didn’t socialize much, didn’t eat with us, and barely left his room.
Seeing him now, clean shaven and wearing a decent clothes instead of a prison jumpsuit, I almost didn’t recognize him. He had a smug grin on his face, too; the face of a man who knew he was about to be carted off somewhere sunny, where his reputation wouldn’t follow him.
RJ, Danvers, and Karim joined Axel and me downstairs. When we were all ready, Becket gestured at Hugo, who produced something… curious. It was a tube, short and metallic, with a small lens on one end of it. Is that a spyglass?
“Here it is,” Hugo said, presenting the spyglass to me, “All yours.”
Cautiously, I walked over to him and touched it, but the spyglass gave me a little jolt. I pulled my hand back. “Ouch,” I said.
“Don’t worry, that happens the first time you touch it. Go ahead, take it.”
I took the spyglass out of his hand—no shock this time—and examined it. It was black, with golden rings where the little contraption no doubt extended. I pulled it open, turning the little tube into a long one. I wasn’t sure, but I thought the spyglass was vibrating in my hand; like a kitten purring after being picked up and petted.
“This is it?” I asked.
“What were you expecting?” Hugo asked.
“I don’t know…”
“This will allow you to read what’s written on the scroll. Becket allowed me a chance to see it, and I have to say, you just don’t come across magic like that anymore.”
“You saw it?” I looked over at Becket. “You let him read it?”
“I can assure you Hugo didn’t read the scroll. He has no interest in it, but he needed to get a feel for what kind of magic obfuscation he was trying to overcome. I’m sure you can relate given your unique talent.”
“If I hadn’t seen it,” Hugo added, “I would’ve had to create a much more elaborate piece of art. Such as it is, I think this will suffice.”
“Thank you,” I said, looking around at the others. “I guess it’s probably time we checked this thing out, right?”
“I’m ready when you are,” Axel said.
“Well,” Hugo said, “That sounds like my cue to get out of here. I don’t want to be present whenever you do… whatever you’re going to do. The less I know about it, the better it will be for everyone.”
Becket turned to Hugo. “My associate is waiting to take you to JFK airport. There, you’ll board a private plane which will send you off to your final destination.”
Hugo picked up a suitcase filled with essentials Becket had undoubtedly provided. “Thank you. Of course, if anything goes wrong, you know I’ll come back and kill you all.”
A tense moment passed through the room like the specter of anxiety itself. Becket suddenly cracked up laughing. It was the first time I’d heard that sound, and it was incredible. It made us all instantly start laughing with him.
Becket patted Hugo on the shoulder. “It’s been good to see you, old friend. Take care of yourself out there.”
“And you,” Hugo said, “Whatever you’re doing, don’t get yourself killed.”
“I’ll consider it.”
Nodding at the rest of us, Hugo made his exit from Becket’s place. Jones was waiting for him outside, standing by Becket’s black sedan. The front door shut, leaving the six of us standing in the living room—me holding an honest to God spyglass. I’d never used one before in my life.
“Who’s the pirate now?” Karim asked, beaming.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Alright. Anyway, we should get this show on the road. I don’t know if I can go another second not knowing what’s written on that damn thing.”
“Seconded,” Danvers said, “The sooner we know, the better.”
Becket nodded. “It is for that reason exactly that I have the box right here.” He picked the box up from the coffee table and opened it. Inside was the scroll. Axel took it and set it down on the dining table. I followed, spyglass in hand.
“Someone should grab a notepad,” I said, “I’ll dictate what I see.”
Becket handed a notepad over to Karim, who sat on the other end of the table, ready to write. Ifrit popped to life on my shoulder just as I neared the map. He wanted a front row seat, and I was glad to have him there, just in case reading the map made my brain explode, like the prison had tried to do.
“If anything happens to me…” I started to say.
“Oh, just read the bloody thing,” Karim said.
I licked my lips, hesitating. “Right.” I peered over the map, bringing my eye level with the spyglass and looking through it. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. Looking at the scroll without th
e spyglass brought only confusion and questions. No one could make heads nor tails of what was actually on it. We’d been calling it a map this whole time because, sometimes, that’s kind of what it looked like.
Lines, arrows, glyphs, these were the kinds of shapes anyone would see when they looked upon the scroll. But those same shapes were never quite in the same place twice, so it was impossible to get a clear picture of what was written on it. But now, looking at the scroll through the spyglass…
“Holy shit,” I said, squinting.
“What do you see?” Becket asked.
“Everything… all of it. You guys, I’ve been calling this a map all this time, but I don’t think that’s what it is.”
“Then, what is it?”
“There are glyphs on this thing; runes, sigils, text. A lot of it. I don’t think I’m going to be able to sound any of this out—it doesn’t look English; it doesn’t look like any language I’ve ever seen written down.”
“Draconian,” Becket said, his voice soft, and low. “Of course.”
“Draconian?” I asked.
“A dead language not spoken today, and rarely seen except for on the oldest of magical documents. The most famous example being the Magus Codice itself; our book of laws.”
“That was written in Draconian?”
“Indeed, it was.”
“So, is it a magic language?”
“Draconian in and of itself isn’t a magic language,” Becket said, “Though it predates Latin and any other form of written language, it has no magical properties of its own, but it was widely used until about a millennia ago.”
“Why did they stop using it?” Danvers asked.
“Because of the drowned Queen’s hubris. She notoriously forbade Mages from speaking or writing in any other language while they were within her city’s walls. Some even say she enacted profane rituals using the Draconian language. Mages saw the destruction of her city as an act of retribution from the Gods, so they banned its use, except for on already written texts.”
“I’ve seen it before,” RJ said. “When I was sworn in. I had to put my hand on the Codice and swear an oath to the Gods in Draconian.”
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