Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

  “What are you going to do?” Amanda asked.

  “What I should’ve done a long time ago.” His voice remained flat and unemotional as he crouched down over the body, one foot on either side. Placing his hand over the mouth of the woman, he raised the dagger and brought it down hard, plunging the blade into her skull with a cracking sound that made Amanda wince.

  The body jerked once before going limp.

  “Bleedin’ hell!” Amanda gasped, covering her mouth, but unable to look away.

  “Oh, God,” Liz whimpered and backed away from Yoh. Maya however, remained unfazed by the killing and continued to watch.

  He removed the dagger and pulled the hood from the assassin’s face before standing up and dropping the blade to the floor.

  The assassin looked Japanese, with long black hair tied back in a ponytail and if it weren’t for the stab wound at the top of her forehead, she may have been pretty.

  As the Magic on her clothing faded, her catsuit changed from pure black, to a black and white design of stylised lotus flowers.

  “Who was she? Anyone you know?” Liz asked.

  “Yes,” Yoh replied. “She was Black Lotus. Her real name was Kimi Takahashi, and she was my sister.”

  Amanda felt her eyebrows rise. That was not the answer she’d expected. Yoh had just killed his own sister by stabbing her in the head. To be fair, she had killed him first.

  “I take it you didn’t get along,” Amanda said incredulously.

  “That would be an understatement. I escaped my family many years ago. They have never forgiven me and have hunted me ever since. You don’t leave my father’s organisation and live, even if you are family.”

  “That’s fecked up.”

  “Indeed, it is. But the question remains. How did she find me?”

  Amanda’s heart sank, as the truth dawned on her.

  “Lucian,” said Amanda and Yoh in unison, looking at each other.

  “Has to be,” she said. “He knows where I live, I presume he either knows, or at least suspects you and I have some contact, and although he won’t hurt me directly, doesn’t mean he won’t hurt those I care about.”

  “Makes sense,” Yoh agreed.

  “But he didn’t do anything to me the other day on the pier,” Liz said.

  “True. But I was with you, and you came here to New York with me. Maybe you’re safe, too.”

  “I, however, have been a thorn in Lucian’s side for a long time,” explained Yoh.

  “How did he know about her, though?” Amanda asked, pointing at Yoh’s sister.

  “My father didn’t exactly keep it a secret that he wanted me dead. Lucian could have found out about my family’s vendetta against me without too much trouble. I doubt he knows I’m related to them, though.”

  The realisation that Lucian had set this up made Amanda’s blood boil. She wasn’t surprised. She’d expected something like this to happen at some point. But the reality of it, seeing her friend bleeding and dying before being turned into a Scion, felt much worse than just the threat of it.

  Lucian had crossed a line. This time, he’d gone too far.

  - Harlem, New York

  David pulled his wife closer to him and kissed her. They enjoyed the moment for a few seconds before pulling apart and looking at each other.

  “Are you sure he didn’t mind?” Susan asked.

  “Babe, he must have so many people in his congregation, I doubt Father Noah even notices how often we attend church.”

  “I just feel bad, like we’ve taken advantage of him.”

  “I doubt he feels like that. He probably does christenings for loads of couples who don’t really attend church,” David answered.

  “Yeah, maybe.”

  “It went well, though, didn’t it?”

  “It did, thanks for a great day. Hey, I have that lingerie on you like, you wanna get an early night?” she purred.

  He pulled her in close, grabbing a butt cheek in each hand, feeling the garter belts beneath the fabric of her dress.

  Their baby started to cry upstairs.

  “God damn it. He has impeccable timing, I’ll give him that. One moment, babe, I’ll be right back,” he said as he ran upstairs, his mind full of images of what he’d do with his wife. Halfway up the stairs, the crying stopped. David paused, but thought he should pop his head in to check on Oscar anyway. He reached the door, quietly opened it, and looked inside.

  Something felt wrong. There was a cold breeze, but he didn’t remember leaving the window open. Easing the door wider to let more light in, he looked at the empty cot and then over to the wide-open window. His mouth dropped open in shock as his stomach did a summersault. He felt sick.

  “Oscar?” he called, in the desperate hope that their baby who couldn’t walk yet might have somehow hidden himself somewhere in the room

  “Everything okay, babe?” Susan shouted up the stairs. “This dress won’t remove itself.”

  “Susan, you’d better get up here!”

  Hostile Takeover

  The Pit Club, Manhattan.

  Lucian stalked along the corridor of his coven’s Sepulchre where they made their home, hidden deep beneath The Pit Nightclub in Harlem. It had been one day since Black Lotus had started watching Amanda’s house in Greenwich Village, a day since she’d left Shaun to supposedly stakeout the house and wait for Yoh. And yet, they’d heard nothing. Shaun’s reports had said Yoh visited the house most days. Shouldn’t they have heard something from the assassin by now?

  This whole thing with Amanda had been dragging on for far too long and was making a mockery of his leadership. How could he be the King of New York if he couldn’t keep his kingdom in line?

  Ekua had been nipping at his heels the whole time, dogged in his determination to discredit him and his leadership in the eyes of the other coven members. He knew he could count on the support of Raal, Lex, and Aneurin. They knew of his predicament, the threat he’d been under, and the stress it had caused him.

  No amount of backstabbing comments could change their minds, or at least he hoped not. So far, they’d been at his side the entire time. They were trusted associates who he could call on whenever he needed them.

  Ekua had fostered some support from Joaquin, Lucian’s man in Columbia who visited from time to time, and in Bull, but that wasn’t difficult. The simple-minded Beast Master followed whoever paid him enough attention. Something Lucian hadn’t done over the past few weeks due to recent events.

  Ekua also had some support in the ranks of the coven’s Initiated, but again, Lucian knew he could swing them back any time he wished.

  Still, Ekua could not be underestimated. Lucian had to be on his guard.

  Lucian planned to hold another meeting this morning with his close supporters to go over recent events and plan their next move, before dealing with his other business interests.

  As he walked up the corridor towards a T-junction, he felt a tingle in his Aetheric senses, a sense of foreboding that warned him something potentially dangerous lay ahead.

  Looking up, he saw one of Bull’s Scions stalk around the corner. They were huge, wolf-like creatures, their dark, raw-looking skin covered in patches of unkempt black hair. Its yellow eyes were locked on Lucian as it bared its teeth and uttered a low, guttural growl that rumbled along the corridor.

  Behind it, Ekua strolled into view, his large frame relaxed and a look of superiority on his scarred face. He wore only a stained white vest top with baggy jeans and trainers, his only visible weapon a keen-looking knife in his fist.

  Bull stood in the shadows behind Ekua twisting the blood-stained rubber apron he wore in his large hands.

  Lucian stopped walking and waited to see what Ekua might do next, while his Multitasking mind worked overtime to shore up his already robust defences and prepare for the fight he felt must be inevitable.

  He noted a second of Bull’s wolves closing in behind him, ready to pounce just like the first.

  “Whaa gwaa
n, Ekua?” Lucian asked.

  “Don’t play coy with me, guy,” Ekua said, pointing at Lucian. “This has gone on for long enough. Your incompetence has made us look weak, mon. Nymira needs to know what you be doin’.”

  “You think she don’ know ‘bout all dis? She knows every-ting, mon.”

  “Bullshit. She don’ know shit. I’m here to make you an offer.”

  “Really?” Lucian asked, incredulously.

  “Step down now, name me coven leader, and dis ting will be ended. No more will be said.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Do I really need to spell it out for you?” Ekua said, indicating the two wolves who had inched closer to Lucian.

  “I think if you want leadership of dis coven, you need to come and take it, pussy.”

  Ekua cocked his head to one side and let out a breath.

  Lucian sensed the subtle Essentia pulse that came from Ekua at that moment, a simple discrete message sent to the two Scion wolves on either side of him. A heartbeat later the two attack dogs launched themselves at Lucian—their fanged maws gaping and drool flying as they attacked.

  But they never made it. Two huge blocks of concrete, each over a meter cubed, launched themselves from the walls into each of the two wolves, slamming into their sides and crushing them against the opposite walls. Blood exploded from the two creatures, catching everyone in its spray as the two beasts whimpered once, before dropping silent forever.

  Lucian wasted no time, part of his mind had reached out to his two most combat-ready allies, Raal and Lex, the moment the wolves had pounced. Sprinting forward, his black cloak and dreadlocks flapping out behind him, he sailed over the concrete block between him and Ekua. Lucian landed deftly before his coven mate just as his two allies Ported into the corridor. Raal stood next to where Lucian landed, while Lex appeared next to Bull and immediately grabbed him, putting him into a painful neck hold to immobilise him.

  Before doing anything else, Lucian conjured an Aegis around the entire scene to keep Ekua from escaping. Lucian would finish this today, no matter what.

  Magic poured out of Raal, flooding Ekua’s Aegis with disruptive energy to try and break it down. Lucian did the same, his Multitasking mind working several effects at once.

  Essentia lashed out, striking Ekua’s Aegis, pushing it to its breaking point. At the same time, Essentia poured into a dagger that Lucian pulled from his belt. Still another part of his mind flung large chunks of concrete at Ekua that weren’t deflected by his Aegis, hitting his body hard and knocking him back, while Lucian advanced.

  Ekua did his best. He pulled in Essentia to keep his shield in place, his biggest defence against Lucian’s attack and his best chance of staying alive. But it wouldn’t be enough. With Raal there, Lucian knew he couldn’t resist both of them for long.

  Sure enough, seconds later, with a snap of magical energy, Ekua’s Aegis fell apart. Lucian moved in quickly, dagger in hand, and punched his coven mate. He struck him several more times, smashing his fist into the other man’s face. Ekua defended himself well, getting in a punch and a slash with his own dagger, while he struggled to work his Magic.

  Lucian wouldn’t let up, though. Every time Ekua tried to work his Magic, Lucian blocked him. He threw two or three of his minds at each effect to dissipate the Essentia quickly, stopping Ekua’s Magic before it even started. Lucian’s other minds threw rocks and debris along the corridor at Ekua, distracting him and keeping his Multitasking mind as busy as possible.

  Lucian kept the pressure on Ekua and a few moments later, Ekua messed up, leaving a gap in his defences. Lucian’s kick connected heavily with Ekua’s jaw, breaking it with a loud crack, and slamming his head against the wall.

  Ekua dropped to the floor, his defences down, as he tried to recover from the brain-rattling kick.

  Lucian didn’t wait. He reached down, grabbed Ekua by the scruff of the neck, and hauled him up off the ground before slamming him against the wall. Lucian’s other hand moved like lightning, the dagger’s blade flashing as he brought it across Ekua’s stomach.

  Blood and ropey intestines spilt from Ekua’s gut and splashed to the floor, his insides uncurling into a red puddle at Lucian’s feet.

  Ekua gurgled as blood rose up into his mouth, but Lucian hadn’t finished with him yet.

  “Nice try, Ekua. I respect your loyalty to our mentor, and it’s for that reason alone I grant you this,” Lucian said, holding Ekua up.

  In one swift movement, Lucian jammed his dagger up under Ekua’s jaw, into his brain, killing him, and granting him a quick death.

  After holding him there for a second, Lucian withdrew the blade and dropped the body to the floor. He stood there for a moment, looking down at the bloody mess at his feet. He knew this had been coming. Ekua had always been brash and often did things a little too soon or without enough preparation. He also underestimated the loyalty of the other coven members to Lucian, no doubt thinking that the fight would be one-on-one. But Lucian had been prepared, he’d had Raal and Lex on alert for days now, knowing that he’d need to call them at a moment’s notice should Ekua try to kill him.

  Even knowing this, knowing that Ekua would try to kill him, he still felt angry. Ekua’s death, as inevitable as it had been, felt like a waste to him. Surely, as Nomads, they shouldn’t be bickering amongst themselves, but instead, be working together against their mutual enemies. He could have used him in the coming fight with the Arcadians. Ekua had been a skilled and competent Magus, a match or better for the redhead.

  His harassment of Amanda and her friends would probably come to a boiling point sooner or later, and when that time came, Lucian would defend himself and if need be, kill her. Yasmin be damned.

  But now, Ekua would be no use to anyone, except as food for the remaining three wolves living in the levels below.

  Remembering Bull, where he stood with Lex, her left arm around his neck and his right arm held behind his back, he walked over to the pair and watched as Bull struggled against Lex’s hold.

  “Lucian, I’m sorry. He made me do it. He made me. He hurt me, Lucian. He did terrible things to me, to my babies.” Bull looked over at the crushed remains his wolves and sniffed.

  “Let him go,” he ordered Lex. She released her hold on Bull, who dropped to his knees.

  He clasped his hands together and looked up at Lucian through his tears.

  “You know I’m loyal to you, Lucian, always. I’m sorry, I had no choice.”

  Lucian actually kind of felt sorry for this simpleton, who Ekua had no doubt manipulated easily into helping him. The wolves were his life. They called him Beast Master because that’s all he did. He looked after these creatures, turned them into the killing machines that Lucian needed them to be.

  The death of two of them would be punishment enough; nothing else would even come close to hurting him in the same way. So Lucian crouched down in front of Bull and put one hand on his shoulder. Bull went quiet, probably unsure of what Lucian would do next.

  “I know, Bull. You’re a loyal and valued member of this coven. We’ll clean up this mess for you.”

  “No!” Bull blurted out.

  Lucian raised his eyebrows at the outburst.

  “Sorry, but no. I’ll do it,” Bull pressed on. “They were my babies, let me. Please.”

  “Of course, Bull, of course,” said Lucian. He stood up and looked at Raal and Lex. “A meeting, now, in the main meeting room. Bring Aneurin and Joaquin. I’ll bring the others. Go, now.”

  With that, Lucian walked down the corridor to the stairs and ascended two floors to the topmost private level, just below The Pitt Club. As he did so, his Multitasking mind hunted down Shaun, who he found in his lair with Ben. He reached out and broadcast his voice to the room.

  “It’s Lucian, drop your Aegis and let me Port you both to the meeting room.”

  He watched them stop in their tracks, listening to the voice that sounded like an unusually crisp and clear speaker.

&nbs
p; Shaun hesitated for a moment but then nodded. “Done,” he said.

  Lucian Ported them both to the meeting room.

  His other minds found his biker gang of Initiated in the garage around the rear of the club. They had no Aegises to worry about, so he Ported them all into the meeting room without warning, just as he stepped into the room. Seconds later, Lex, Raal, Aneurin, and Joaquin all Ported into the room in a succession of whips and cracks of displaced air.

  Apart from Raal and Lex, they all looked at Lucian with a mixture of curiosity and horror at his blood-soaked clothes.

  “Ekua is dead. He tried to take leadership of dis coven from me, and he paid da price. Anyone else care to join him?” Lucian bellowed, wanting to make it absolutely clear what would happen to those who might try to usurp him.

  The room remained silent as Lucian looked over the stoic faces that surrounded him. No one dared move.

  “Good,” he said, satisfied for the moment even though his blood still ran hot. “Shaun, an update on Black Lotus, please.”

  Shaun shifted on the spot, clearly uncomfortable.

  “Ur, sir, is this the best place…?”

  “Now, Shaun!” Lucian demanded, turning away to stalk around the room.

  “It’s not good news, sir,” said Shaun quickly. “She attacked Yoh, and from what we can see, she did manage to kill him, but…”

  “But?” Lucian asked, rounding on the Scion. “But what?”

  “But, he seems to have been turned into a Scion. We saw a woman who we’re unfamiliar with turn him in the doorway at the rear of the house.”

  Lucian closed his eyes, feeling his anger rise to the surface.

  “And Black Lotus?” he asked through gritted teeth.

  “She made it into the house, evading Amanda, which is where she killed Yoh before the Scion arrived, but she never came out again.”

  Lucian let out a long, strained breath as he prepared for the answer to his next question. “Is she dead?”

  “That is my assumption.”

  “Fuck,” he hissed. Pulling the gun from his belt he raised it and fired at Ben who stood next to Shaun. He blew a three-inch hole out the back of his head that covered the side of Shaun’s face in brains and blood.