Raven sat up to get a look at it, too.
“Wow.” Amanda gasped. “That’s really a golden book. And you found it in Egypt?”
“At a market stall. The trader seemed keen to get rid of it, so I bought it from him. But it didn’t look like this then. It was encased in a sandstone slab that was covered in carvings. There are photos on my phone, I’ll show you later,” he continued. “Anyway, it got dropped, and this is what was inside the stone.”
“Well, whatever it is, some powerful people are very interested in it. So, we need to get you somewhere safe. Somewhere where they can’t reach you quite as readily, and I’m afraid you won’t be able to keep the artifact. Not if you want to live beyond today,” Amanda explained.
Stephen looked offended and quite possessive over it.
“It’s okay, you keep it for now; we can talk about that later,” she said, with a gentle smile, knowing that he wasn’t going to give it up easily.
The train soon shot into the tunnel beneath the English Channel. As they talked, Amanda looked at the photos of the sandstone slab on Stephen’s phone before handing the device back. The rest of the trip was uneventful and they arrived in Paris without issue. On the train, they’d arranged for a car to be waiting for them at the station. Raven got into the driver's seat and soon they were on their way across Paris towards the Legacy Coven House.
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Amanda kept a lookout around them, scanning for any hint of danger or of any Magi close by, but saw nothing.
When a large flatbed truck shot out in front of them, they were too close to it to stop and rammed into the side of it with an almighty crunch. Another car slammed into their rear end with a second bang, shoving them up against the truck again. Amanda pumped more Essentia into her Aegis as the man in the truck leant out of the window holding an assault rifle and opened fire on their windscreen.
The front of the car erupted in explosions of glass, metal, and fabric as bullets rained down on herself and Raven.
Amanda yelped, panicking for a moment, terrified that the gunfire would rip her to shreds, but her Aegis held firm, stopping the metal slugs, dead.
Magic flared close by as more men surrounded the car. The rear passenger door flung itself open. Stephen, still gripping his backpack, yelled as he was ripped from the back seat by an invisible force.
The girls screamed. Too late, Amanda and Raven pushed their Aegises out to include the girls, two seconds before the men who had surrounded the vehicle opened fire.
The girls screamed again. Bullets slammed into the Aegis. Although it held, for now, Amanda knew right away that these shells were infused with Essentia and were damaging their shields.
“We gotta go,” Raven shouted, “this is too much.”
“Agreed. Go, let’s get out of here,” Amanda called out over the cacophony of gunfire and bullet hits. She looked back to see a man pulling Stephen away from the car. The thug grabbed the bag and handed it over to another man, who glowed with Essentia, marking him as a Magus. He was a Magus she recognised as well. It was the man from the airport who’d attempted to kidnap her. “Shit, I recognise him. It’s the Inquisition.”
The girls were screaming for Stephen in the back of the car. Fran went to climb out, but Liz held her back. Amanda grabbed her, too. Losing one was bad enough, she didn’t want to lose another.
“No, stay here,” Amanda called out, but she wasn’t sure Fran was listening. Raven’s Magic flared beside her as the car continued to be peppered with bullets. Looking forward, Amanda saw that the truck which had been blocking their exit was gone, having been lifted away by Raven’s Magic. Raven floored it and sped away, wheels spinning with a high-pitched squeal as he went. Looking back, Amanda watched the truck fall back to earth just behind them and land on the other car that had been blocking them in from behind.
As they sped through the streets, the girls were sobbing in the back, upset that Stephen was gone. Amanda leant towards them as the car bumped along the road.
“We’ll get him back. We’ll find him, I promise,” she reassured them.
“You promise?” Fran asked, sniffing back tears.
“You have my word.”
- An internal missive within the Disciples of the Cross.
Inquisitor de Luca,
Congratulations on retrieving the artifact from the apprentice Witches. Please be advised, I am in Paris and will meet you at the Gare de Bercy train station where we have an Inquisitorial car to ourselves. Please make all haste.
Mary Damask
***
- An internal message within the Black Knights Coven.
Baal Yasmin, it’s come to my attention that High Inquisitor Damask has commandeered a train carriage in Paris to guard the transportation of some kind of artifact. I thought this might be of interest to you.
Your loyal servant, Raphaella Tanzi
***
- London, England
Angel opened the mental Link that she could sense in her mind.
~Xander,~ she sent through it. ~What can I do for you?~
~Nothing really. Not right now, anyway. It’s more about what I can do for you,~ Xander replied.
~Really. Do you have some information for me by any chance?~
~Yasmin, it appears, has boarded a train heading south from Paris with her Apprentice, Nate. As best as I can find out, there’s something on the train that they want.~
Angel smiled as Xander’s report matched some intel that her coven had obtained from their contacts in the Vatican.
~Do you know what it might be?~ Xander asked.
~Yes,~ she said and closed the Link. “I do,” she finished out loud, pulling on the Magical energies around her.
Boarding Action
Paris, France
Amanda led the girls down into the basement level of the Legacy House and into a large room. There were several people already there including Raven, Gentle Water, Royston, and two others she wasn’t familiar with.
The girls looked a little nervous, but at least they’d calmed down. Amanda had taken the girls off to get them cleaned up and left Raven to explain the events of the last few hours to Royston.
It had taken Amanda a while to get the girls to relax a little and to reassure them they were doing everything that they could. The Inquisition would be taking the gold book to the Vatican and would be unable to Port it there, which meant they had time. Once the girls understood this, it seemed to help their mood and they showered while Amanda conjured up some new clothes for them.
It wasn’t long after that when Royston called her down to the operations room in the basement of the house. Like all the rooms in the Legacy Mansion, it was a large affair with banks of computers and oversized screens on one wall with a table at the back.
It looked like something out of a science-fiction movie with floating holograms of light hanging above the table showing maps and other data. The girls were awestruck.
“Ah, welcome,” Royston greeted her. “I trust we’re all cleaned up now?”
Amanda nodded. “We are. So, has there been any progress?”
“Actually, yes,” Royston revealed. “Ekkehardt Möller is our resident hacker. He’s been in touch with his contacts on the Dark Web as well as monitoring the transport hubs, and we think we’ve found them.”
Amanda glanced over at the man sitting in front of a huge bank of computer monitors. She hadn’t met Möller before or heard of the Dark Web, whatever that might be, but she understood what hacking was and that was good enough for her.
“So, where is he?” Fran blurted out the second Royston had finished his sentence.
Royston smiled, ignoring the lack of manners. “We think he’s on a train. That train, to be precise,” he said, pointing to a screen on the wall. It showed a top-down view of a train speeding through the countryside.
“A train? Okay, not what I expected,” Amanda commented.
“The Inquisitors have the rear-most car all to themselves,” Ro
yston continued. “It’s protected by an Aegis, of course, but the golden book you described is frustrating our attempts at scrying anyway. The closest we can scry, and the nearest anyone Porting in can get, would be two or three carriages away up the train from the Inquisitor's car.”
“It’s heading south?” Amanda asked.
“All the way to Rome, yes.”
Amanda nodded. “So, what is this golden book? What does it do that makes it so valuable?”
“Maybe I can answer that.” The other man in the room she hadn’t met before stepped forward. He looked to be in his fifties, maybe, with greying hair, dusky skin, and a heavily lined face, but Amanda could feel the raw Magical power flowing out from him. He wasn’t hiding his Magical strength at all.
“This is Israel Roth, one of the Arch Masters affiliated with this coven,” Royston introduced him.
“Greetings,” Israel said to Amanda. He had a slight Middle Eastern accent, which gave him a cultured air. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Roy here speaks highly of you. It seems you have impressed everyone with your ability, young lady. I’m looking forward to watching you grow into your power.”
Amanda smiled with gratitude and humility. “Ah, well, thank you, it’s not a bother. I hope I don’t disappoint you, to be sure.”
“I seriously doubt that,” he answered with a friendly smile. “The book you seek is an ancient Magical artifact, that is well known amongst Magi scholars, but it has not been seen in centuries. It’s last known location was in Constantinople, in 1204. It went missing during the fourth crusades sack of that city. Incidentally, that was also the last time and place anyone saw Horlack before he attacked you in New York.”
“Interesting,” Amanda answered. It seemed like the two things were linked somehow, given that the book was found in the tomb Horlack had been released from. She didn’t know how they were connected through and returned to her earlier question. “And the book? What can it do?”
“The book grants the reader the ability to turn any Riven human into a Magus.”
“It turns people into Magi?” Amanda asked, stunned.
Israel nodded. “Which is why we cannot allow it to fall into the hands of the Nomads, or the Inquisition.”
“They would swell their ranks within days, and turn the tide of the war,” Royston explained.
Amanda now understood the stakes and knew they had to get that book back. “I agree, we have to get it back.”
“And Stephen,” Fran added.
Amanda smiled at the young woman. “Of course.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Fran asked.
“We go and get him, of course,” Raven answered, stepping into the discussion. “Myself, Gentle Water, and, if you’re feeling up to it, you,” he directed this last word to Amanda, “will Port over there and take on the Inquisitors.”
Amanda allowed herself a slight smile. She felt quite flattered that they’d included her in another mission. “After what they did to us in the car? I’m in.”
“Excellent,” Raven exclaimed. “My thoughts exactly.”
“Are you sure us three can do this?” Amanda asked. “What about Xain, Orion, and the others?”
“They’re on another mission currently, but the Inquisitors have a limited grasp of Magic. Given how they view it as a gift from God, they tend to use it sparingly and fight with more conventional weapons. You should be able to take them on,” Royston reassured her.
“Any Nomads on the train?” Amanda asked.
“Not that we can see,” Royston replied.
“That’s not a no,” Amanda commented.
“No, it isn’t, so watch your back.”
“Are you ready?” Raven asked.
“We’re coming, too,” Fran cut in, stepping forward with Liz on her heels.
“Excuse me?” Raven asked in surprise.
“He’s our friend, we need to be there,” Fran continued.
Amanda turned towards them. “Look,” she began, taking hold of Fran’s hands, “that’s not a great idea. This will be a dangerous fight…”
“And not our first. We’re going with you,” Fran cut in, fierce determination in her eyes and face.
Amanda straightened up and looked at the girls. Fran was the more confident of the pair, but she could see they were both set on this idea. She had to admit, if she were in their position, she’d want to go along as well. How could she stop them from doing whatever they possibly could to save their friend, when being passive and not using her magic to save her friend, not doing whatever she possibly could, had lost her Georgina? Besides, they were old enough to choose for themselves.
“Okay, sure, you can come,” she relented.
“What?” Raven yelled. “Are you crazy?”
Amanda turned to him. “Possibly, but I can see it from their point of view. They’re sixteen, Raven, they can make this decision for themselves. If they want to come, that’s their choice, not ours. They know how dangerous it will be.”
“And you’re only nineteen, I’m not sure you should be…”
“Amanda is right,” Gentle Water cut in.
“I agree,” Royston added.
Raven backed off and raised his hands. “Okay, sure, but we’re not babysitting them. They’ll have to take care of themselves.”
“Agreed.” Amanda turned to the twins. “This is your choice, you’re old enough to make your own decisions, okay? It will be dangerous, so keep your distance and let us do what we do best, got it?”
Both girls nodded, Fran with more enthusiasm than Liz.
“Okay, so, you ready?” Amanda asked.
The twins looked at each other and then back at Amanda.
“Yes,” they said at once.
“Then let’s go and kick some arse,” Amanda enthused. “So, um, how are we doing this?”
Israel will Port you all over there, as close to the Inquisitor's car as he can.”
“Indeed,” Israel added. “So, let’s not delay this mission any further. Are you ready?”
Everyone nodded or agreed, and within moments, there was a snap of air and she found herself stood on the train. They were in one of the vestibule areas at the end of a carriage where it attached to the next wagon with a flexible joint. There were exit doors on either side of the compartment leading off the train, and sliding doors at either end of the chamber that led into each train car. No one else was in here, even the toilet stalls were empty.
“Wow, that was insane,” Fran exclaimed. Amanda looked over at the girls and the expression of wonder and excitement that had appeared on their previously sullen faces. It was the first time they’d experienced Porting, and it seemed to have distracted them. Leaving them to their moment of excitement, Amanda turned to Raven and Gentle Water.
“Looks like we made it,” Amanda observed.
“Yep, and our target is two carriage lengths that way,” Raven replied, looking towards the back of the train.
“Do you think they noticed us arrive?” she asked as she looked through the windows set in each door, up the centre of the carriages towards the Inquisitorial car.
“Only one way to find out,” Raven answered opening the door to the carriage. Amanda followed Gentle Water, who was following Raven, and made sure the girls stayed close to her. The train wasn’t busy, but it wasn’t empty, either. She walked past people of all ages, sitting in their seats and enjoying the ride. She didn’t like the idea of them getting hurt and hoped what they were about to do wouldn’t put any of them into the hospital. Or worse.
The walk up the length of the two train cars was uneventful, and there were no apparent Magical effects between where they appeared and the end carriage, which glowed with an Aegis of Essentia all around it.
Amanda sent a pulse of energy through the Link to Gentle Water and Raven, signalling to them that she wanted to talk. The communal Link opened up.
~So, how do we do this?~ she asked as they walked. ~We have an Aegis to break through up here.~
; ~I say we synchronise our attack on their Aegis and go in hard and fast. We need to break that Aegis as quickly as we can,~ Raven stated.
~That sounds like good plan to me,~ Gentle Water answered, his voice loud and clear in her mind.
~Agreed.~ Amanda started to pull in Essentia, drawing it into her body, ready to use in their attack. Her Aegis was already at full strength and she was as prepared as she would ever be for the fight that was about to happen.
Finally, they walked through the sliding door that led to the adjoining compartment between this and the Inquisitor's car. The compartment was empty and the door at the far side of the vestibule was blacked out. A sign on it proclaimed it to be strictly for authorised persons only. The Aegis barrier was just outside that door and glowed gold in Amanda’s vision.
She felt the twins press into the compartment behind her and turned to face them, remembering they were there. She looked back into the previous carriage and saw empty seats. “Girls, I need you to go and sit in there. This is about to get dangerous and I don’t want you getting hurt, okay?”
“But, we can help,” Fran protested.
“I know you think you can, but honestly, just let us do our job,” Amanda pleaded.
Fran sighed, but agreed, leading Liz back out of the compartment and into the first free seats they could find.
Satisfied they were safe, Amanda turned back and stepped up next to her two friends.
“Ready?” Raven asked.
“As I’ll ever be,” Amanda answered. Gentle Water nodded.
Raven counted down. “Okay, then, three, two, one, now,” A massive rush of energy flooded out of all three of them. Essentia blasted the Inquisitors’ Aegis, hammering against its shell, trying to overload it and break it down.
It took a few heart-pounding seconds, but it faltered and then shattered entirely, disappearing from their Aetheric Sight.
Raven didn’t seem to take a breath before striding forward and giving the door a solid kick. Like most Magi, Raven’s strength was enhanced, and the door flew off its hinges into the well-lit interior of the Inquisitors' car, banging to the floor before a small crowd of men and women in black fatigues, padding, armour, and webbing, holding various weapons, but mainly swords. They looked like a SWAT team with a fetish for medieval weaponry.
Magi Legend Page 18