I braced myself and pulled the energy up again, trembling a bit with the effort. The polestar remained disturbingly dim and I hoped it had enough juice left to push the worms out again if they swarmed me.
I opened my channels, and the magic slithered in. I fought the urge to block it and felt the power wriggle up my arm.
“Make sure you send it through without touching any important organs or things. Just to be on the safe side.” Kai said quietly. I turned to him with one eye open.
My eyes grew wide and he shrugged. I had a feeling he was enjoying my discomfort. I shut down the current and focused on herding the magic through my body in the most direct path from one arm to the other, skirting around my shoulders and pushing it toward the polestar. I watched as the stone flared with multicolored lights, setting off a few sparks that floated around the room in a rainbow of glittering color while the stone itself glowed and shimmered from within.
Kai coached me on how to pull the magic back out. I gasped as clean, pure power surged through me, lighting my channels ablaze in a way that felt like a bracing winter breeze was blowing snow flurries over my bare skin. I shuddered as I felt the icy crystals of magic melt into my reserves.
“Holy cow,” I whispered, opening glazed eyes to look at Kai. He’d moved closer and put his hands on my knees.
He slid his eyes toward the polestar, and he plucked it out of my hand. “That’s enough of that. For the record, I would have earned way more than a holy cow had we chosen to work on other pursuits.” He tossed the stone into the air and caught it in his other hand, and grinned at me. “Now, what does your fancy education and of all your pretty theories say about that little experiment?”
I thought about that and tried to look at the whole picture. Dread skittered up my spine like a spider, making me shiver. “The Chanson has also found a way around the lamp, and that’s why they’re trying to annex Italy now.”
“And in local news…”
“La Gilda has at least a few members tapping into personal jinn to give themselves a little boost. There’s more, though, and I don’t even want to tell you about that.” I wasn’t sure if I was right or not, but I didn’t think Kai was going to take my guess about Kinston and Evan’s involvement any better than I had. Once again, my face must have given it away. Betrayal felt the same, no matter when, or where, or why it happened.
He gave a slight shake of his head and his eyes held something that looked like sympathy. “I was wondering how long that would take. I think The Alliance would have gladly handled this situation if they thought they could. You met with the Guild. Was that a group of people who would listen to reason?”
I shook my head.
“Independence is a great thing, Ari. As the leader of the C.C.O., you can do what’s right to maintain balance. But it won’t always be an easy decision for you because everyone else will try to manipulate you to their definition of balance.”
I dropped my gaze so he wouldn’t see how much being used by my supposed friends hurt my feelings. That’s why Majeedah had called me; to make sure the Chanson didn’t get any new members.
Chapter 18
Kai sat against the headboard and patted the side mattress next to him. “So, where is this magical lamp?” He asked as I flopped down, laying my head on his shoulder.
“The most likely place would have been inside the eternal flame in the temple of Vesta, but Theodosius already tried that. There’s no other place I can think of that hasn’t been disturbed in thousands of years.”
“We know what’s happening because the lamp is still burning out there, but what would happen if it was found?” Kai asked.
I looked at him and shook my head. “Common sense and politics make putting it out a terrible idea at the moment.”
He nodded, looking thoughtful. Each of us contemplated the situation, and I knew we couldn’t let chance determine what happened to the lamp.
“Crap,” I whispered as a thought crystallized in my head. I needed to find the lamp, but it would be up to the Guild to decide what to do after that. My job was just to keep it away from the Chanson and maybe find out who had been using the power of the jinn without pre-approval. There were dirty little secrets all over Rome.
“How did Majeedah pick your name out of her Rolodex?” Kai asked, changing topics and sounding like he didn’t have the answer for once.
“Paolina Serafini. She stalked me into the catacombs and told me she called Majeedah and asked for someone with a ‘particular skill set.’” I waved away his concerned look, “I have a sneaking suspicion someone we know very well suggested the Guild hire an arcane archaeologist. I didn’t even know that’s what I’d become, but apparently I have changed careers yet again.” I gave him a crooked smile. “Some members of the Guild were furious when I showed up, though, so either they hate needing outside assistance, or there’s dissension in the ranks.”
Kai snorted. “Infighting is exactly what the Chanson needs.”
I nodded and stood up, feeling energized and exhausted at the same time. Physically, I hadn’t felt so good since we’d landed at Leonardo DaVinci airport, thanks to the polestar. And Kai suggested he could do better? Holy cow!
How I felt mentally was another matter entirely. I crawled off the bed and grabbed the notebook Kai had bought me. I laid it on the table, flipping through the pages, looking for any clues about the location of the lamp that I might have missed. I jabbed my finger down on the chart I’d drawn of my theory and turned it toward Kai. Silently, I filled in some gaps in my theory as he read through my notes.
When Julian brought the lamp back, magic went dark. The Guild might be divided into factions, but they all knew magic was an issue in Rome. Some of them probably believed in the Benedicaria, but at least a few of them had to realize that the current state of the world meant their broken magic made them vulnerable. Granted, the problem was so old that I was pretty sure nobody realized when it started or which ancient artifact was causing the trouble.
Kai breathed a snort of disgust as he finished reading. “Nusku would fit with old magic.”
“But none of that explains why the Chanson has been using their jinn to blast into vaults all over the city. It doesn’t make sense that they’re looking for the lamp, because they’re not blasting into the ruins; they’re hitting the tunnels under modern buildings.” Kai and I exchanged a glance that let me know he suspected the same (and much worse) possibility: the Chanson was trying to round up an army of Sand Fire Jinn.
I thought about the big picture and grimaced. “I didn’t agree to take on the Chanson.”
“The Guild didn’t hire you to. They think the problem is a rampaging jinn; they don’t know they have a problem with magic itself. Maybe the arcane archaeologist and the leader of the C.C.O. would do two different things?” Kai suggested.
I paced around the room, rolling over the possibilities. “But we can’t ignore the fact that the Chanson is still looking for something. They might accidentally find the lamp while they’re looking for something else.”
“That would be very bad, so we can’t leave that lamp here without making sure it’s well protected.” Kai offered.
I gave a frustrated groan. “We’re going to need a better plan.”
Kai nodded. “I don’t think I ever truly appreciated archaeology until I met you. Could the Chanson be after something besides collecting stray jinn or finding Nusku's Lamp?”
“There are probably thousands of magical relics in this city. I wouldn’t even know where to start.” I opened my laptop, sat in the half-lotus position on the bed, and patted the seat next to me. Kai grinned and joined me on one side, Ka’Tehm on the other, and Basir perched on my shoulder as I laid out all of the threads Basir and I had been following through our research.
“Then I stumbled on the lamp in the library.” I stopped and thought about that for a second before I held up a finger, grabbed my cell phone, and dialed a number.
“I need to know where the Chanson
has a foothold in Europe,” I said when the call was answered.
“I’m going to hang up now. When you figure out how to start a friendly conversation, call me back.” The line disconnected.
I heard Kai laugh. “People skills. I thought those were better than negotiating and planning but I stand corrected.”
I sighed and hit redial. “I’m a little angry with him right now,” I muttered while I waited for the call to connect.
“As he so richly deserves.” Kai kissed my cheek. “But revenge is better when it’s served as a surprise, like an ice cream cake with exploding candles on top.”
I was laughing when the line connected. “Hi, Evan. I’m sorry, you’re completely right. I was excited about something, but that’s no excuse for being rude. How are you?” I didn’t mean a word of it.
“Arienne? Is that you? The connection’s bad.” He said, but I could hear the sarcastic tone and figured he’d make me pay as much as he could. Oh, he had no idea...
“Evan? Can you hear me now? It’s Ari! I was apologizing for my excitement. How are things going over there? Is everything okay with you? I’ve been worried since I’m out of town at the moment, and we haven’t talked in ages.” My voice was chipper and charming, even though I was gritting my teeth and making vulgar hand gestures at the phone.
“You’re a terrible liar.” Evan teased.
I looked at Kai and rolled my eyes, “I mean it, Evan. Is everything okay?”
“You never call. You don’t write.”
“I’m working, or did you forget that I have a new job as an arcane archaeologist?” I waited for a second, but Evan didn’t take the bait. “It doesn’t seem like you could have forgotten since you’re the one who talked me into it.” For reasons I’m sure we’ll be discussing soon. I added the last part silently.
“I remember. I also remember that was one of two things you seemed to jump into without a lot of thought that night.”
“Get over it Kia:se,” Kai said, calling Evan cousin in the Mohawk language.
Evan laughed. “I don’t need to get over it yet. I just need to be patient.”
I rolled my eyes and bit the inside of my cheek. It was flattering when they pretended to fight over me, but it really was pretend. The brutal realization of that was going to be an adjustment once my ego recovered.
“I need your help, Evan. Can I tap you for some information or not?” Kai made an easy gesture with his hands at my snippy tone.
“It depends. Is this an official call from the leader of the resistance or a friendly call from the woman who still plans to leave her dog in the kennel and have dinner with me?”
I thought about that for a minute. “Does it make a difference?”
“I can’t give classified information to the resistance. I’d hate to lose my job and wind up pruning rose bushes for a living because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut and follow the rules.”
Kai made an irritated noise and glared at the phone. I bit back my venomous reply.
“At least your employer is stable enough that you still have a job,” I said, knowing the Alliance had been in chaos and Evan and Kingston were struggling to put it back together after the London incident, which I was partly responsible for. Along with Evan.
“It’s stable enough. For now. What do you need?” His voice was weary.
“How much of Europe does the Chanson control right now?” I asked.
“It’s still a pretty small piece. Mostly they’re active in Eastern Europe, but we’ve been hearing they’re making inroads in Germany and Spain. Naturally, France is completely theirs, and Great Britain is amazingly still ours, so it’s pretty much a tie right now.”
“Italy’s secure, though, right?”
Evan seemed to think about how to respond to that. “Italy’s never been a big source of power. It’s well controlled by the families over there. We don’t even have a satellite office because there’s not much point.”
“What about the other countries in the Mediterranean and the Middle East? Is the Chanson active there?”
“We have intel that they’ve been trying, but those regions have always been a pretty closed market.”
I took a screenshot of a map and sent it to Evan. “Tell me if this looks about right?”
Kai and I waited in silence while Evan studied the map. “What is this?” He asked.
“The way the world looked after the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Byzantine Empire.”
Evan chuckled faintly. “I’ll send you something through a secure connection in about an hour. You now owe me two dinners. No pets are allowed, but I’ll allow you to bring Kai a doggy bag. From breakfast.”
Kai snorted, “You’re delusional.”
Evan took a deep breath before he continued in a more serious tone, “I don’t know what you’re involved with,” He trailed off like he was debating something, and I waited for him to word whatever he wanted to say. Evan’s voice was cautious when he finally continued, “The core tenant of your organization is about to come into play if you’re doing what I think you are. London hurt us more than you know. Keep that in mind, and Kia:se, you’d better watch her back.” Without another word, the line disconnected.
“That was ominous,” I said, “but I still smell a rat.”
Kai nodded. “I’m sure Majeedah was told the C.C.-TWO-point-O was equipped to handle this whole mess, not just the fires.”
I looked at Kai and grimaced. “It sounds like we’d better be, even though we’re here under false pretenses.”
Kai nodded.
“The jinn is one tiny piece of a much larger problem,” I said, sounding exasperated.
“Welcome to politics.”
“We need to figure out every angle of the broken magic. Maybe that there’s more of a power struggle at play than just the territorial issue. There might even be a possibility that the Chanson has someone on the inside.”
His nod was short, but he didn’t meet my eyes, and I watched him debate something for a few minutes. “It’s a perfect storm. What happens if you’re right on all fronts?”
I blew out a big sigh. That was why the Crux Crucio Orbis had those core tenants that Evan reminded me of. So I wasn’t tempted to do anything that wasn’t in the best interest of balance or outside the boundaries of my very limited contract with the Guild.
Evan’s email came through as promised, and when I opened the document, the intelligence map of the Chanson du Bastille’s activity clearly indicated they’d been operating around the outer edges of Italy, working their way slowly toward Rome.
“What does that mean?” Kai asked, sounding genuinely perplexed.
“I hope it means not only does the Guild have weaker magic because of the lamp, but the Chanson is compromised, too.”
Kai’s amber eyes were bleary, and he looked exhausted. My experiment with the polestar had erased every trace of weariness from my body, so I was stuck on go-mode, and my companions were fading fast. “You should all get some sleep,” I said, laying my hand against Kai’s cheek. “I have boring research to do, so there’s no point in you looking over my shoulder. If I find something exciting, I’ll either wake you up or save it for the morning.”
He nodded.
I worked for hours, piecing the stories together, and a sense of foreboding began to grow as I filled in some of the gaps. My two archaeologist colleagues had emailed me information on the rock I’d found from the catacombs, and their report confirmed my theory.
The serpent rocks were similar to ancient Assyrian artifacts assumed to be symbolic and used in religious ceremonies. Ceremonies that involved summoning jinn.
I returned to the map Evan had sent. The Chanson had started at the outer limits of the Roman empire to either round up as many jinn as possible or to give themselves time to master the weaker magic. Either way, their intent to roll right over the Guild and conquer Italy was evident. I checked the newspaper accounts of the explosions and the tampering with religious artifact
s and the problem was clearly gaining in speed and severity.
It was clear to me that the Chanson had found a way around the lamp, and they were starting to make an earnest run at the heart of Italian magic. I found the last piece of information that gave me a solid plan just as dawn began to break over the city.
I stepped out onto the balcony, feeling the chill brush against me and listening to Rome wake up. The sun was painting streaks of pink and orange across the sky, and my mind was sketching out all of the possible routes I could take to help a group of people I didn’t even know existed last week. Mainstream archaeology had been simple in the sense that my job was to search, to discover, and to place into context all of the wonderful finds. Arcane archaeology didn’t fit those parameters quite as neatly.
I turned and looked at my team. Ka’Tehm was stretched out on a towel at the bottom of the bed, shedding blue droplets of moisture into the air. Basir was motionless except for the feathers on his chest, which rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm. Kai was curled on his side, a muscle in his shoulder twitching and sending tiny shivers down his arm. I switched off the lamp, and joined them, wrapping my arm around Kai’s waist and burrowing into the covers behind him. I just wanted a few moments of peace before I rocked the foundations of magic in the Eternal City and took my life in yet another new direction.
Chapter 19
Room service delivered steaming coffee, a platter of potatoes with grilled cherry tomatoes, parma ham, and eggs florentine that were to die for. I laid out my theory, watching the concerned looks grow as I tied the magical blackouts together with the maps of ancient Rome.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re looking for jinn to add to their army or if they’re looking for magical artifacts. The Chanson is tearing Italy up and endangering people, so that has to stop.” I said.
“So what’s your plan?” Kai asked, absentmindedly holding a piece of ham up for Basir.
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