“Know me? Don’t play coy with me, Fräulein. It’s not been that long. Surely, you have not forgotten ze last meeting we had on ze battlefield?”
“Well, that all sounds grand, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never met you before. I’m sure I would remember you if I had.”
“Really? I suppose 1944 is quite a long time ago, but still…” he mused.
“Fifty years?” Amanda sputtered. What was he talking about? This could only be a case of mistaken identity because she had certainly not been alive for that long. “I’m sorry, but I’m only twenty-one years old. You must have me mixed up with someone else.”
Trenchcoat narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“No… I am quite sure you are ze woman I am after, and I don’t appreciate zese games you are playing, Fräulein. You are trying to take me for ze fool, and I will not stand for it.”
A spike of Essentia flew at her. That attack was powerful, but nowhere near what Nymira had been wielding. The energy struck her Aegis, but it held firm and deflected the energy.
“Now, that’s not nice,” Amanda quipped, not at all fazed by the cheap shot.
The man’s own Aegis benefitted from a boost while another of his minds reached out to telekinetically kick some glass up at her that only smashed harmlessly off her Aegis. It did make her flinch, though.
“Hey, quit it, yeh ejit,” she called, still hoping she could defuse things.
Suit followed Trenchcoat’s lead with a similar attack of Magical energy, but to no avail. Amanda’s Aegis weathered it easily. The effects from her fight with Nymira were still active, and she healed the damage to her Aegis with a thought.
Nearby, Red Laces and Bleached Hair lifted a pair of high-powered revolvers and fired at her. The Essentia-infused rounds bounced off her Aegis and buried themselves in the back wall.
“Right, that’s it,” Amanda spat. Her Magic surged, slamming Red Laces and Bleach sideways into the wall. Their Aegises flared in protest and then failed and they dropped to the floor in a heap.
Magic flared from Trenchcoat and a sword appeared in his hand. He rushed forward, roaring at her as Essentia blasts tore out of him, smashing into Amanda’s Aegis.
Her Aegis held fast as Amanda raised her arm to block the sword. It hit her hard. Essentia burst forth, ripping over her defences.
Behind her, Suit released withering bolts of Lightning that exploded from his hands and lanced into Amanda’s Aegis.
Trenchcoat swung his sword again.
Catching it in her left hand, her Aegis protecting her from the cutting edge, she twisted the weapon, freeing it from his grip. She flung the weapon behind her, where it embedded itself into the wall.
Momentarily distracted by the loss of his sword, Amanda backhanded him. He doubled over, spitting blood on the floor as his Aegis flared. She kneed him in the chest before bringing her Magic to bear and throwing him across the room.
Turning her attention to Suit, she leapt at him. Her Magic burned and tore at his Aegis. His Shield sparked and crackled in protest, fighting against Amanda’s Magic.
Throwing her weight behind her punch, Essentia ripped out of her and shattered his Aegis in a shower of glittering sparks in her Aetheric Sight.
Spinning, she kicked him clean across the face. He dropped to the floor, out cold from the kick. Amanda turned to Trenchcoat who was picking himself up with a look of hate and rage on his.
With a smirk, Amanda Ported across the room, appearing right next to Trenchcoat and delivered an Essentia-filled uppercut.
“Shoryuken,” she shouted as she hit him, lamenting that none of her friends were here to appreciate the joke. Her hit destroyed the Nomad’s Aegis and slammed him into the wall. He stumbled, but she caught him by the scruff of the neck and pushing him into the wall again.
Trenchcoat grunted. “But do you have zee guts to finish what you have started, Fräulein?” he asked with a sneer. “You Arcadians wiz your ethics and codes of honour, you’re weak, and et iz zee reason we will win in zee end.”
“Weak? I’m weak? You’re aware that I just knocked the stuffing out of your entire coven, right?”
“It is no matter, you are nothing to our masters. Zey will crush you…”
Gripping his shirt, she slammed him into the wall again. “Shut yeh feckin’ mouth, shitehawk,” she spat. “I’ve killed your kind before, and I’d do it again. Have no doubt about that.”
“Zen do et, Fräulein! Kill me and have done wiz et,” he taunted.
Frowning, she tightened her grip, only to sense another burst of Magic and a presence, and a signature within the Essentia that she recognised.
Looking left, Amanda saw Yasmin leant against the wall watching them, her face blank and unreadable.
“Are you sure you want to do that, Amanda?” she asked.
Amanda glanced between Yasmin and the man she held by the neck. Rolling her eyes she sighed and let go. Staggering on weak legs, Trenchcoat finally found his balance and stood up again.
“No, I guess not.” Amanda backed off.
Yasmin stepped away from the wall and approached the blond man, turning her back on Amanda. He looked up at Yasmin in undisguised fear.
“Had enough fun for one day, Demitriov?” she asked.
“Fuck off,” he said from where he leant against the wall.
Yasmin stiffened briefly, apparently offended by his comment, before she visibly calmed and unclenched her fists.
“Leave this place, Demitriov. Take your coven with you, and don’t try this again, understand?”
Demitriov frowned at her for a moment, his eyes narrowing suspiciously and glancing at Amanda. With a frown, he Ported away with his coven.
Amanda stared at Yasmin’s back and her rather enticing behind. The thought of squeezing her bum cheeks creating an enjoyable feeling of arousal. Was it the rush of battle making her feel this way, or the feeling that Yasmin had her best interests in mind when she stopped her from killing this Demitriov? Did Yasmin actually care for her?
“You know him?” Amanda asked.
“Demitriov?” Yasmin asked, turning to face Amanda and walking towards her. Was she swinging her hips a little more? Amanda wasn’t sure. “We have a bit of a history, yes, but we parted ways a while back.”
“He seemed to think that he knew me from over fifty years ago. Which was a bit odd,” Amanda said.
“How strange. A case of mistaken identity, perhaps?”
“He knew my name,” Amanda interjected.
“Who doesn’t?” Yasmin shrugged, coming a little closer.
She had a point. The rumours about her and obviously, recent events had put a bit of a spotlight on her these past few weeks, after all. She sighed. Her recent fame in the Magi community was always going to bring the freaks out of the woodwork. She looked over at the mess that the fight had created. It wasn’t as bad as what Nymira had done, but she would still need to clean and fix what had been broken.
“You handled yourself well,” Yasmin complimented her.
Amanda looked up. Yasmin stood quite close. The dark-haired seductress smiled at her, an expression that spoke of passionate nights and naughty promises, and Amanda couldn’t help but smile back.
She thought about what it would be like to take this clearly dangerous woman to bed and got the feeling that Yasmin would be something of a devil between the sheets. The idea of that forbidden fruit only made her arousal burn stronger.
Yasmin moved closer, her movements fluid and feline, like a cat hunting her prey.
“See something you like?” Yasmin asked as she stepped up to Amanda, only inches away from her now, and languidly licked her lips.
“That’s a very forward question,” Amanda replied coyly.
“What’s the point in beating around the bush? Life’s too short, my dear. Everything is there for the taking, for those brave enough. We live a dangerous life, and for many, one that is all too short. I intend to live mine doing what I want when I want. It’s the only way th
at makes any sense, don’t you think?”
Yasmin’s words sounded so similar to Maria’s and yet, seemed to come from a very different place. But the sentiment behind them was essentially the same. With the recent attacks on her, today and in days gone by, the idea of living each day to its fullest had been hitting her harder than ever before.
Yasmin reached up, taking Amanda’s chin in her fingers. Lifting her face, Yasmin pressed in, her lips an inch away. Her warm sweet breath caressing her skin as her body pressed into hers.
“Don’t you agree, Amanda?” Yasmin asked.
“I do… I do agree.”
Looking deep into Yasmin’s eyes, she felt like she could lose herself in them all too easily. The depths that path led scared her, but in a very enticing way.
“But… not today, I think,” Yasmin said, and stepped away before her Magic whipped about her and she was gone again.
Amanda blinked. “Shite.”
With a sigh, she dropped into the nearest seat and took a breath. What the hell was that? Did Yasmin fancy her? Jeez, it felt strange to look at someone like Yasmin and feel that powerful need to ravish them. She was, by all accounts, a Nomad, and yet everything she had ever seen of her ran contrary to that idea. She was dangerous, sure, but so were most Magi, herself included.
She wondered, if that day came, would she go through with it? Would she take a walk on the wild side? Only time would tell. In the meantime, she had some cleaning up to do before she returned home to get some rest.
***
“Sounds like you had something of a crazy night,” Maya commented. “Thank you for cleaning up. I’m sure Yoh will be pleased.”
Amanda sat in her living room opposite Maya, who had listened intently to her slightly edited version of events at The Jade Palace last night. She left out the visit by Yasmin, thinking that she would be better off keeping that to herself.
“It was certainly one of my stranger nights, that’s for sure.”
“And this Demitriov said he knew you from years ago?” Maya asked.
“Yeah, like sixty or seventy years ago or something. I have no idea what he was talking about. It’s probably just one more crazy person with an axe to grind, and I made a convenient target.”
“That sounds like the most likely scenario,” Maya agreed. “So, why did you call me over? Shouldn’t you have called Yoh, seeing as it was his property?”
“Maybe, but there was something else that happened that made it necessary for us to meet today,” Amanda explained.
“Go on.”
“Horlack asked me for a favour. He wants to meet with you. I said I would pass the message on.”
“Horlack? I’m not surprised. We have something of a shared history, I suppose.”
“He said the same thing.” Amanda was curious about what that shared history was, but felt it rude to ask.
“Did he say anything else?” Maya asked.
“Not that I remember, only that he seemed to know you from somewhere.”
“Indeed,” Maya said.
Maya was being elusive but Amanda respected her privacy. The world of the Magi was getting ever more interconnected as the histories and relationships between those she knew, drew closer together.
“Sooo… will you meet him?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I think you should,” Amanda suggested.
“Oh, really, and why’s that?”
“Well, I think maybe he’s turned a corner. He’s trying to prove himself to you, and I don’t think it would hurt to meet with him.”
“Are you sure? It might hurt a lot.”
“I don’t think so. He’s not out for blood. Leave it with me, I’ll sort it out, get a date and time. I’m thinking on the roof of The Jade Palace one night? He’d behave himself around me.”
“Oh really?”
“But of course, he wouldn’t dare disobey me.”
Maya raised her eyebrows. “You’re being a bit presumptuous Amanda. I’ve not agreed to this yet…”
“But you will, this’ll be good for both of you.”
“What?”
“Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
“You have no idea of the history I have with him, no idea at all,” Maya protested.
“I know what I’m doing, this’ll work. I’m only doing what’s best for you.”
Maya stood up. “Sure you are. But I think that maybe you should take a look at yourself sometime.”
“Is that so?”
“I don’t have time for this,” Maya snapped and left the room. Amanda sat and watched her go, slumping back into her chair. First Liz was all confrontational with her, and now Maya. What had gotten into these people? Everyone seemed to be so touchy at the moment. She couldn’t say anything right. But before she could think any more about it, she felt the telepathic presence of someone contacting her.
She recognised Shaun’s signature within the surge of Essentia and opened the Link.
~Amanda, can you come downstairs for a moment? I have some urgent information for you,~ he sent.
~Of course,~ she answered and stood up from her chair. Curious about what Shaun had for her that needed her immediate attention, she made her way into the basement as quickly as she could.
Moments later, she sat on the opposite side of Shaun’s desk.
“You asked me to find someone for you recently who goes by the online name of Edge, correct?”
Amanda nodded.
“Well, we found him, and we think he’s walking into trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” Amanda asked.
“He’s been in online correspondence with Angel Alergeri, who’s been telling him about the world of the Magi. They’re meeting today for the first time.”
“Where?” Amanda asked.
“He’s trying to be smart about it. He’s chosen a café in London, somewhere public, but I think we both know what Angel is capable of.”
“Damn right,” Amanda agreed. “What’s the address?”
***
Walking through the small tree-lined area of grass and winding paths in London, Amanda approached the café on the other side of the road at the edge of the park. She suppressed her Magical signature, doing her best to blend in with the crowds. The weather was pleasant, and several people were sitting at the tables outside. She paused at the edge of the park close to one of the exits and quickly spotted Angel seated at a table, looking like any other businesswoman taking a break from her hectic day, her bright red handbag placed on the table before her.
She was reading a newspaper, sipping at her coffee, apparently oblivious to the world around her, until a man walked up to her.
“Seraphim?” he asked. Amanda’s enhanced hearing picking up his voice easily.
Angel looked up. “And you must be Edge, a pleasure to meet you. Please, sit down.”
“Thank you. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” he said, as Amanda started to approach them. The man, clearly a Riven mortal, looked to be in his forties and wore jeans, a coat, and carried a bag over his shoulder. He had a mop of dark hair and wore a pair of glasses. Amanda had never seen him before, and the idea that he would know more about her past than she did bemused her somewhat.
But, appearances could be deceiving.
The apparently harmless, yet sexy and appealing look Angel had was a cover for a very dangerous woman. Her appearance was no doubt having the desired effect on Edge right now.
The pair continued to exchange some polite conversation as Amanda made her final approach to the table. There were no major revelations so far.
“So, err, what do you want to talk about?” Edge asked. “Oh, and do I call you Seraphim?”
“Call her Angel,” Amanda said as she pulled the free chair out and sat herself down. Amanda smiled at the Nomad, who only frowned back.
“Hey, who are…” Edge started to say, but stopped as soon as he got a good look at her. “Holy shit,” he said, his eyes wide with shock.
“Sophia?” he whispered, in a shocked voice.
Amanda’s body tensed as she fought to make no outward sign that she recognised the name. Inwardly, however, she wanted to scream with joy.
Sophia had been the name that Mr Black had used for her mother, and now this man also said it when he saw her. The link was clear, but he was still in danger. He needed to leave and quickly. Amanda considered Porting him away, but she had no idea how much he knew about Magic. She’d already impacted Howie’s life with a forceful introduction to the world of the Magi, no doubt changing his life forever. She wasn’t keen on doing it again in such a short time.
She needed an alternative plan.
“Edge,” Amanda said, keeping her eyes locked on Angel, “I want you to get up from this table and leave. Go home, I will find you shortly.”
“But I just…”
“GO! Now,” she ordered and opened her Link to Shaun. ~Sending him out on foot. Can you follow him on CCTV?~
~I’ll see what I can do,~ Shaun answered.
Without further argument, Edge rose from his seat and walked off down the sidewalk glancing back as he went. Amanda watched him go with a second set of senses but kept her eyes on Angel the whole time. Angel looked back at her, and she could almost feel the simmering rage that bubbled away beneath the surface of Angel’s otherwise calm exterior.
“I wasn’t going to hurt him,” she said.
“Maybe, maybe not, but you will leave him alone,” Amanda said.
“Special to you, is he?”
“No. But I am monitoring you, and I will frustrate your plans, whatever they are.”
“How lovely, so I have a secret admirer?”
Amanda sensed Angel’s Magic stir. She was opening a Link, but with a thought, Amanda countered the Magic and stopped it in its tracks.
“Oh, no, you don’t.”
“So, you get to use your Magic, but I don’t, is that it?”
“You’re going to sit there and finish your coffee and not make any false moves, understood?”
Angel smiled and shrugged. “Understood,” she said.
Amanda wasn’t sure if she could take Angel in a fight or not. She was a powerful Magus who had bested her before. Amanda suspected they would be more evenly matched now, but this was a public space and she hoped that Angel wanted to keep this as calm and cordial as much as she did. She observed Angel for any Magic use, wanting to give Edge as much of a head start as possible.
Magi Legend Page 85