Amanda had quickly come to the conclusion that she wanted to live in Manhattan after the events on the train. She loved Paris, and Tibet was beautiful, but none of them really felt like home. She loved Ireland as well, and would always have a strong connection to Donegal, but after growing up there, she needed to be somewhere else, and only one place felt right.
New York.
There was just something about it. She just knew she needed to be there, that it was home. Maria had told her about Lucian months ago, and when she’d told Gentle Water, she’d expected resistance. She’d expected him to say it was suicide, but he hadn’t.
He warned her. He made sure she was in no doubt of the risks of trying to set up a coven in a Nomad city, but he didn’t try to stop her. In fact, he supported her from day one, as did Royston. They seemed to just accept that this was where she needed to be.
Amanda wasn’t stupid, nor was she suicidal. So, there had been a lot of preparation in regards to security and secrecy, but she was under no illusions when it came to that. She knew that Lucian probably had spies and informants in the ranks of the Arcadians. He might already know of her plans and come knocking on her door one day. But Amanda hated bullies and had a healthy disrespect for authority figures. Lucian seemed very much like a bully to her, which made her all the more determined.
Besides, she’d fought and bested a couple of Nomads on her missions with Xain and Orion. True, none of them were of Lucian’s skill when it came to Magic, but then, life in general could be dangerous, and you never got anywhere without taking a few risks.
“Good feeling or not, he won’t hesitate to kill you. All of you.” Victoria looked pointedly at all three of them. “But we’ve been through this before, haven’t we? And I know there’s no dissuading you.”
Amanda nodded. They had spoken many times leading up to this day, with Victoria always trying to persuade Amanda to change her mind. But Amanda was certain that this was what she wanted to do.
“Has no one else objected to me moving to New York?” Amanda asked.
“Yes. They all think you’re a dead woman walking. Sure, if you were setting up a Legacy outpost in Texas or somewhere in the Midwest, they might put up a fight, but not New York. They don’t think you’ll last a week.”
Amanda half-smiled. Maybe they were right. Maybe she would be dead in a few days, but deep down, she knew this was the right thing to do.
“If you need anything, you can call me anytime,” Victoria offered. “I’m not sure how much I can do for you in New York, and you know how slow things move when Magi politics comes into play, but I will do whatever I can.”
“Why haven’t you ever tried to take New York back?”
“Oh, we have, but Lucian has the backing of the Arch Magus, Nymira in Haiti. So whenever we’ve tried, I mean seriously tried, things have always turned ugly when Nymira arrives.”
“I see, no bother then.”
“Look, I can give you some help. I’ve mentioned before, that there’s an Arcadian Magi that has lived in New York beneath Lucian’s radar for several years now.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, he’s waiting at your house in Manhattan as we speak. He’ll be able to help you settle in.”
“That’s awfully generous, thank you.”
“No problem. My pleasure. So you’re heading straight there?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Okay, very well. Miss Evans will take you to the Portal.” Victoria stood and smiled warmly, although Amanda detected a hint of sadness in her eyes, as though she were saying goodbye forever. She offered her hand. “Good luck.”
Amanda took the proffered hand in both of hers. “I’ll be fine, trust me.”
***
The air snapped and the trio appeared in a partially furnished room. The mid-sized room had been carpeted and decorated, and the power was on judging from the light just above them, but other than that, the room sat empty.
“We’re here, in my house!” Amanda said, excitement making her voice squeak as she smiled from ear to ear.
“Hai. Yes, you are,” said a male voice with a Japanese accent that she didn’t recognise. A well-built, broad-shouldered, tall Japanese man walked into the room. “I’m Yoh, welcome to New York.”
Liz ran to the window and looked out into the street. “Wow!” she gasped as she took in the view before charging off through the house.
Amanda walked over to Yoh and offered her hand. “I’m Amanda, lovely to meet you. Victoria told me all about you.”
“Not everything, I hope. Your things have arrived from Paris, by the way. They’re in the other room.” Yoh shook her hand and gave her a quick, shallow bow in return.
“That’s great, thank you.” She smiled at Yoh, warmth spreading down her temples and a sense of shyness passing over her. He was handsome and tall. She quite liked the look of him.
“May I have my hand back, please?” he said.
“Ah, sorry,” she answered, letting go of his large hand. He had a good firm grip.
“Nice to meet you,” said Gentle Water, stepping forward and bowing. Yoh answered in kind, before Gentle Water excused himself, smiling at Amanda as he left the room.
Amanda caught the smile and opened the Link between them. ~Don’t give me that look.~ Gentle Water didn’t answer as he walked out of sight, still smiling.
“I’ll be in the kitchen,” Yoh said. “Have a look around and see what you think of the place. I know you haven’t actually seen it in person before. We’ll head out soon.”
“No bother, I’ve been looking forward to this.”
Amanda practically bounced out of the room to explore her new home. The place was a large Brownstone on the corner of an intersection. It had a basement and three floors above that, plus a roof terrace. The place was big, and Amanda knew she had to have it the moment she saw it for sale. And now that she was here, she loved it. She’d already chosen her bedroom on the first floor and was looking forward to her first night in her new home.
Gentle Water had retreated to the roof terrace, where Amanda eventually found him meditating.
She left him be and walked to the railing and looked out over the city. That familiar skyline sang to her heart and filled her with a sense of belonging. Yes, she was home. Finally.
***
Gentle Water opened one eye and looked over at Amanda. She stood at the railing, drinking in the view and taking in a deep breath of New York’s air. She seemed happy—very happy—and that made this risky move feel just a touch easier. New York, for Arcadian Magi, was dangerous. This, to his mind, was a slightly foolish move, but according to those in the coven who knew better, it was the right move. He trusted their council and reluctantly agreed to support Amanda in this.
Only time would tell, he supposed.
***
Two floors below, Liz sat on her bed and looked at her newly rearranged room. She felt happy with it, for now at least. Her gaze returned to the large window that looked out onto New York’s awe-inspiring streets, and as she watched the hustle and bustle, her mind wandered. She wondered what Fran, Ben, and Stephan would have thought about all this. She thought about them often and missed her family and friends dearly. It got easier every day, and Mandy helped as much as she could, but she knew it was something, that ultimately, she had to get through herself.
If only they could see me now. See how far I’ve come.
They would be amazed at what she could do now and where she’d been. She wiped a single tear from her cheek, took a deep breath, and turned her attention to the suitcase on the floor beside her bed. She had a lot of unpacking to do.
- Columbia.
Diego Alverez passed the envelope to the man standing on the other side of his ornate oak desk with its gold-plated pens and priceless ornaments. The paper envelope bulged with cash that threatened the seams.
“Make sure this reaches Governor Diaz tonight. The address is on the letter. Go.”
The man left the roo
m as quick as he could, no doubt thankful to be out of Diego’s presence. The last man to skim off the top of a bribe was dead, his head sitting on Diego’s desk as a reminder of who was in charge.
“Clean that up,” he said to the two other men in the room, pointing to the head and then the corpse on the floor.
A short time later, Diego entered his private office and froze upon seeing the figure standing on the other side of the room.
The man wore combat trousers and looked like a scruffy Jamaican, but Diego knew him to be a Voodoo Priest. He’d seen the curses this man could cast. Immediately on recognising him, Diego dropped to his knees.
“Master Deon, I had no idea you were here, had I known…”
“Quiet. Tell me, has the bribe been made? What about the sacrifices?”
***
Deon stood before Marcus, head bowed in deference to his superior. A short distance away, Nymira was talking with other members of Marcus’ coven, one of Nymira’s inner circle of covens in central America.
“Speak, Deon mon, we don’t have all day,” Marcus snapped.
“Baal Marcus, of course. The sacrifices are being made ready. They will be delivered in a few days. The bribe is on its way to the Governor, we have some new FBI agents under our control, and the assassins are in place and ready to take out the cartel leaders if needed. The drug war will continue unabated, you have my word.”
Death Sentence
The Pit Club, Manhattan
“What you plan on doing now, mon?” Ekua asked, the contempt clear in his Jamaican-accented voice.
Lucian sat at the head of the large, wooden, oval table, the padded office chair he sat in creaking slightly as he shifted his position. He leant back, feigning a relaxed attitude as he eyed his coven mate through the haze of cannabis smoke that hung in the air. Ekua leant forward, arms on the table, hands clasped as he stared at Lucian. Ekua’s bright eyes bore into him, waiting for his answer, and for a sign of weakness.
No love was lost between them, and it had been that way since Lucian had taken control of this coven many years ago.
Lucian’s gaze passed over the faces of the other members of the Harbingers of Darkness Coven as they waited for his answer.
“If you’re thinkin’ I’m gonna just roll over for these Legacy fucks, Ekua, you couldn’t be more wrong. We’re following up on some leads to get some local help. The delivery will happen, don’t you worry.” Lucian added some sarcasm into those last few words, annoyed at Ekua’s latest barb. “So, any other business?”
The dimly lit room had only one light right above the table that seeped through the mist and haze, lighting the seven other people with an ominous glow.
Next to him on either side sat his two most loyal supporters, Raal and Lex. Raal sat to his right, his black robes almost disappearing in the gloom, his arms crossed, his tattooed face neutral. He rarely spoke at these meetings, preferring to listen and watch.
Lex, to his left, sat forward, listening intently to everything that happened. As usual, her large leather-bound journal sat open in front of her, its pages covered in her handwriting. She often took notes or referred back to it during these meetings. Whereas Raal played the role of the strong silent type, Lex took a far more active part, speaking often and making sure the meeting didn’t move off-topic.
Tattooed from head to toe in runic script, even over her face, Lex certainly made an impression. She lifted her head to look over the faces of the other coven members who sat at the table, waiting to see if anyone would speak. Beyond Ekua, sat Bull, Noah, and Shaun, all of whom shook their heads or made gestures to indicate they had nothing further to say.
Bull wasn’t terribly bright anyway and rarely said much at their meetings unless it related to his pack of rabid Scion dogs down in the basement. Shaun and Noah, both of whom were Scions, also preferred to remain silent.
Sitting between Lex and Shaun, Aneurin seemed to be ignoring Lucian’s question and was reading something on the glowing screen of his tablet. Lucian looked at him for a moment, waiting to see if he had anything to add.
Aneurin couldn’t have been more different to Raal or Ekua, being relatively small and thin-looking, but Aneurin’s strengths lay in other areas, rather than in his fighting ability.
Lucian waited a few more seconds, but with no motion from Aneurin, he took a breath and went to speak.
Only to be silenced by a raised finger from Aneurin. Lucian paused and waited until his coven mate looked up, a look of slight concern on his face.
Lucian scowled at Aneurin. He did not like being silenced like that, and the moment Aneurin looked up, he knew he’d made an error.
“Apologies, Baal Lucian,” he said meekly, “but I believe you will be interested in this.”
“Go on,” Lucian urged, withholding judgement until he knew why Aneurin had been so presumptuous.
“I’ve just had word from Washington, it seems that we have Arcadian visitors in Manhattan. Three Magi have moved from Europe to New York, intending to settle here in the city.”
Lucian raised his eyebrows and promptly forgot the momentary loss of respect that Aneurin had displayed a few seconds before.
It had been a while since the last Arcadian had tried to move into the city, and after he and Nymira had made an example of the previous lot, he had hoped that there would be no further attempts for a while.
New York had been Nomad territory since he’d been an apprentice, and now that he had risen to the head of the Nomad coven in this city, he had worked hard to solidify that position.
Arcadians, he thought with disgust, it made him sick to think of their sentimental love for the Riven masses of the world. One day, the Archons would teach them the true meaning of their birthright as Magi, the ultimate masters of humanity.
In the meantime, though, he would need to bring that lesson to them himself, and it sounded like his latest students had just arrived in New York.
“And who are the lucky Magi this time?” he asked.
“Their names are Amanda-Jane Page,” Aneurin began.
“Hah, sounds like some hippy bouzen obeah girl to me, mon.” Lucian scoffed.
“Indeed, Baal. Then there’s Elizabeth Fox and Gentle Water,” Aneurin finished.
“Gentle Water? I’ve heard of that fuck. He’s a Legacy Magus, right?”
“I believe so, yes,” Aneurin replied.
“Fuck. They think they can walk in here, into my city like I’m some kind of qwenga? Find out where they are. It’s time I teach them a lesson.”
“Like you have with Yoh?” Ekua asked.
“Fuck you,” said Lucian as he stood up, not even looking at his coven mate.
Ekua knew that Yoh had been a constant source of frustration for him, as the one Arcadian Magi that had evaded Lucian’s justice in New York. But he had grown used to Ekua’s snide remarks about Yoh. Ekua couldn’t find Yoh, either, so he no room to talk.
“I’ll be in my quarters contacting our master. As soon as you know more about them and where they are, I want to know.”
Lucian watched Ekua sit back in his chair and smile to himself. Lucian didn’t need to read his mind to know what his coven mate must be thinking. Lucian knew that if Ekua ran this coven, he would be contacting their master, Nymira, with this news as well. Ekua no doubt believed that Lucian was about to run crying to his mommy, but the fact that Ekua never voiced this opinion spoke volumes. Ekua knew that was very thin ice.
Lucian ignored the hidden criticism from Ekua. One day, the time would come, and he would get his just deserts as well.
In the meantime, he knew what he needed to do and left the room as the meeting broke up. Striding along the dim corridor, he passed through a set of double doors and into his apartment.
Lucian preferred a minimalist, open-plan look to his private quarters, with modern furniture and muted colours, something that people found strange in a man like him.
Standing over six feet tall, Lucian had dark Jamaican skin with st
rongly defined features. His complexion had a slightly worn feel to it that spoke to the years of experience he had. Lucian appeared to be in his mid-thirties, wore his black hair in long dreads that spilled over his shoulders and down his back. Jewellery and trinkets attached to his dreads caught the light as he moved while his dark sleeveless coat and trousers stood in stark contrast to the décor of his home. He also wore a pair of black wraparound shades that he never seemed to be without, even in the dark.
Closing the door behind him, he took one step into the room before realising he wasn’t alone.
He froze, keeping still and silent, weighing up the feeling and what he should do, while at the same time fuelling his Aegis with power.
“Don’t bother,” said a feminine voice from his seating area. “I came to talk, not to fight.”
Lucian knew that voice anywhere. He relaxed slightly, but not too much. The last time they’d met, she’d ripped through his mind to find God knows what and caused all sorts of trouble in the process.
Stepping forward, he moved into view of the intruder.
If he survived this little meeting, then he’d count himself very lucky.
***
The entirety of The Pit Club had been built underground, even the top floor sat in the basement of a fairly empty and rundown tenement block, accessed from a door on street level.
Each public level beyond that had been named after one of the seven deadly sins. Starting with Sloth, as the first level under the tenement block, it held the entrance kiosk, security, and coat check before you descended into the club proper.
Then came Gluttony, where you found the club’s first bar area, as well as the club’s kitchens and dining area. Below that came Greed, where a small casino could be found. Next came Lust, where visitors could relax in one of the chill-out zones, get intimate in a private, cushioned alcove, or get a lap dance from one of the resident dancers. These first three main floors in the club had a rectangular shape, and at one end of this rectangle floor, a gallery surrounded a square opening of maybe fifteen meters across, where one could look out over the balcony and see down to the main dance floor, known as Wrath.
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