The portal to the landing room had worked well, as always, but as he stepped through, a plethora of defenses activated. The wicked spells sought not only to end him but also to maintain the connection he’d created so that if he did escape, he could be followed. It had required most of his impressive skills in magic to break free of the trap, and the battle had taken longer than it had seemed, which made him late to this meeting.
Ahead, the other four were already gathered and each offered their companions an almost identical sour look. If the situation hadn’t been so unpleasant, it would have been funny. But after their recent failures, mirth was far beyond him. Even Iressa’s beauty—which he ordinarily would have taken great pleasure in—seemed simply one more threat to add to the growing list.
He nodded at the others as he stepped into the leadership position. Dreven raised his arm and drew the cross in the sky that would summon the sight and sound barrier to protect their conversation from all kinds of potential surveillance. Their plans were safe within it, except from one another. He had a strong feeling that the common cause which had previously bound them was frayed, possibly to the point of breaking. It might be that only the threat of his own superior would be enough to keep the group on task.
Rather than listen to their complaints, he spoke first. “The humans have achieved a foothold on Oriceran.”
The Dwarf, Jarkko, snarled his reply. “How could this happen? My target, the man in their capital city, has been taken off the board as planned.”
Pesharn nodded. The Kilomea looked smug. “I did my part to set up the prison break, as did Ushev.” She gestured at the underground gnome on her right, who declined to communicate.
If those two are in accord, times truly are as dangerous as they seem.
It was the darkly beautiful witch’s turn to speak, and the grin on her face told him she’d seen what he had planned and was about to turn it on his head. “My own plans were flawlessly executed, save for one tiny detail. Dreven’s target pulled mine away before the trap was sprung.” She twisted to challenge him directly. “How did your people fail to preserve our secrecy?” Her words were calm and seemingly innocent, but the betrayal they carried struck deep.
Not because he hadn’t expected it—and had even counted on it—but because he’d hoped for more time to accomplish his own betrayal of her first. He held his arms wide to suggest he was hiding nothing. “The attack on the leader of the group defending the prison was unsuccessful in that it did not eliminate the woman. It was, however, successful in that it did delay the deployment of the team long enough for our most important people to escape.” An exaggeration, but they wouldn’t know that.
Iressa spoke out of turn, a deep violation of the compact that bound them together. “So, what you’re saying is that you failed and brought the entire plan down with you.” Never had her sharp features seemed so threatening, despite his frequent desire to abandon caution and risk being cut by them.
“Another view would be that you delayed too long in taking care of your target, and his presence turned the tables in the effort to eliminate mine.” She opened her mouth to retort and he interrupted her when he turned to the others. “In any case, the details of the past are irrelevant. We must focus on the future, and I have news of great concern about that.”
Jarkko nodded. “Begin with the humans’ foothold on this planet.” The other two signaled their agreement, and the woman simply stared at him, her arms folded across her chest and a twist to her lips that promised his destruction. He raised his gaze in the hope that he might see something in her eyes he could exploit, but she was as sane and controlled as always. In many ways, the witch was the female version of him, or he the male version of her. That similarity would bring them to blows one day. He had always known it and imagined that behind her seductive words, she had as well.
He cleared his throat and pushed those worries back for a later time. “There is a bunker hidden deep within the Dark Forest. The humans have taken it as their own. How they found it is unknown.” They found it because Nehlan was a fool, and I equally a fool to trust him. “The defenses they have placed on it are formidable. Working together we could, perhaps, assault it, but that is not necessary. The fact that they have claimed it, though, suggests they may be here for a reason. They might be seeking Rhazdon’s Vengeance.”
The dwarf scowled. Beside him, the Kilomea’s desire for the weapons was palpable in her expression and the way her fists repeatedly clenched and unclenched. She managed to keep most of the emotion out of her words. “We cannot risk such powerful artifacts falling into the hands of our enemies, be they human or anything else.”
Ushev scowled. “How did the humans obtain this insight? How can they be aware of the items?”
Iressa inserted herself smoothly into the silence that followed his question. “Somehow, somewhere, there must be someone from this planet working with them. An individual with knowledge beyond that carried by most.”
Dreven barked a laugh. “Surely you aren’t suggesting that one of us or one of our people is to blame?” The others were quick to shake their heads, and she shrugged. “Good. I really am glad our paranoia has not reached that level yet. Clearly, we now have two priorities. First, we must continue to cause trouble for these humans on their own planet to keep them off balance and distract them from their pursuit of the weapons. Second, we must seek the items ourselves.”
Jarkko nodded. “I am not one for treasure hunts. I am, however, one for causing trouble.”
The Kilomea laughed. “As am I. But I require assurance that once found, the distribution of the weapons will be discussed fairly among us. If they are to be rewards for those who find them, I choose to hunt instead.”
Ushev shrugged. “I am good at finding lost things, and I have no problem with deciding as a group how they are bestowed thereafter.”
Iressa grinned. “I feel the same as he does.”
Dreven was sure the woman would take the discovery of the weapons as an opportunity to break with the rest and steal them for herself. Because that is one of my potential plans, also. “I will join the hunt as well and agree that we should decide their subsequent owners by consensus here in the circle in the same way that we have made all the decisions that led us to this point.”
Nods of agreement followed, and they disbanded. Dreven watched the witch as she sauntered away. The tight dress no longer evoked any desire in him other than a need for shelter from her machinations. Once they had departed, he jogged to his departure position and conjured a portal, then stepped through it to his personal place of safety.
He had always considered Nehlan’s choice of a bunker in the middle of nowhere to be overly dramatic. While it did enjoy the protection of anonymity, hidden as it was among the forbidding trees, it was a very obvious target once one knew its location. As events had shown, it was also at risk of being captured and used by the enemy.
His secure room was different. It had neither doors nor windows and could only be reached by portal or by breaking through the wall that separated it from his public home in the middle of the sprawling city. It was the proverbial grain of sand in a dune, obscured by the teeming activity that surrounded it. His landing location was in an empty corner. Across the room, in the opposite corner, a trio of plants grew in large pots to clean the air and impart a semblance of life to the space.
In the third corner, across from the plants, a leather wingback chair stood beside a small table. A lamp was perfectly positioned for reading, and a warming pot rested beside it. When necessary, a modest expenditure of magic to heat the stone at its center would radiate warmth through the pot and into the room beyond. The vessel was imbued with a scent he particularly enjoyed, floral and subtle. The final corner held a stand for his robes and a narrow wardrobe with several outfits appropriate for a variety of occasions.
A writing table with a chair stood in the middle of the chamber. It had been a gift from Nehlan and was shaped from the mind-damaging wood that
made up the forest surrounding the bunker. He spun a magic tendril at it to confirm that his protections were still in place. The item was too beautiful to part with but too potentially dangerous to allow himself to become complacent. Much like Iressa.
Dreven removed his outer robe and hung it on a hook, then sank gratefully into the chair. He activated the warmer and inhaled deeply, eased by the luxurious scent it generated. There was enough time for a nap before another obligation required his attention. He made a gentle motion with his wand and a footstool slid from the wall to its proper position under his feet.
As he slipped into sleep, one single thought accompanied him. What will that clever witch do next?
Chapter Seventeen
Cara had slept like the dead after the events at the factory thanks to the healing potion. When she’d finally awoken after almost twenty-four hours in dreamland, she’d been running late for her meeting with Diana. She texted an apology, rushed through her morning routine, and abandoned the idea of drying her hair in favor of an extra cup of coffee to get her moving.
She dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, plus her own set of the boots Kayleigh had initially made only for herself and Diana. After the pathetic knife throw in the last battle, she was determined to spend some time working on that skill. Among others. She slipped on her black motorcycle jacket, zipped it to the neck, and retrieved her black helmet.
She wove her Arch KRGT-1 through the back streets of the small neighborhoods closest to the city’s warehouse district. Riding was the most Zen thing she did, and her mind was free to wander while she navigated the turns and stop signs. She’d been aware all along of the rage and anger inside her since the battle at the Cube but had lacked a plan to deal with it. During the last battle, she’d had the first inkling of an idea, and it gelled during the ride to the restaurant.
Pamela’s Diner was at the edge of the strip district, and everything they made was fantastic. They alternated between it and Deluca’s, which was closer to the city’s downtown, for their breakfast meetings. This one had more space and more comfortable seating. The other had a kind of eternal feel that put you immediately at ease like you were a part of a history that reached back through the years.
She parked and brought the helmet with her. Her boss was already seated and sipped her coffee with an irritated expression on her face. Cara sat opposite her and twisted to hang her headgear over the chair. She gave her breakfast partner a falsely happy grin. “S’up, boss woman?”
Diana didn’t raise her head and merely swiveled her eyes upward to glare. “What are you so chipper about? You’ve been a sad sack for an eternity.”
“Ouch. Harsh. True, but damn. You’re not pulling any punches today, huh?”
Her superior sighed. “I’ll say something personal, and after I have, will deny ever having said it.” She paused, then like she released a burden, exhaled slowly. “Bryant is an asshole for making me miss him this much.” Her head remained lowered in either conscious or subconscious self-defense.
At another time, when she hadn’t been a “sad sack” for so long herself, she might have played it off as a joke or used it as a way to tease. But she felt the pain and felt its echo inside her. Different causes, similar results.
She put her hand on top of Diana’s. The other woman didn’t react but didn’t pull away either. They stayed like that for more than a minute until the overly perky waiter arrived to take their order. When he left, Cara shook her head. “I have literally never wanted to shoot anyone as much as I want to shoot him for being so happy.”
Diana laughed. “I hear you, sister. So, how goes the recovery?”
“Well, I’m still tired.” She shrugged. “You know how those potions sap your energy.”
“Yeah. And you took serious damage.”
“Which really is a key part of the job description.”
Her boss shook her head sharply. “No, it isn’t, and that’s something we all have to remember. Taking care of yourself is important. We’re not here to sacrifice ourselves for short-term gains. If there’s one thing Nylotte has beaten into me—repeatedly—it’s the need to maintain a stable foundation at all times.”
Cara ran her hands through her hair. The moment she’d dreaded for a while had arrived. Her internal arguments had vacillated wildly from the moment when she’d failed to stop the prisoners from escaping the Cube, but she always returned to the same thing. Saying the words, however, turned out to be much harder than thinking them. She’d spent so many years building up a resistance to the idea and had focused on developing her skills in other areas to make up for it. But it was time—maybe past time—to become whole.
She blurted the truth before she could stop herself. “I want you to teach me to be better at my magic.”
Diana’s head snapped up in surprise. “What did you say?”
“You. Magic. Teach me.”
“Where did this come from?”
While she’d hoped there wouldn’t be questions, she had also been sure that merely accepting things instead of badgering them to death wasn’t a part of Diana’s personality. “I need to be able to use it without having it knock me out. It’s always been a last resort for me. But it would have been really useful during the battle at the Cube and again at the factory. I’ve watched you become better with yours and thought maybe you could help me improve.”
Her boss narrowed her eyes at her. “Let’s put a pin in that for a second. While we’re being honest, what the hell is up with you and Anik? Because I see some stress there.”
Cara rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t realize we were having girlfriend time.” She sighed. “Okay, there’s no deal between Anik and me. I think there was about to be, but then Hank arrived and everything froze. It’s my carefully considered guess that our demolitions man thinks the new guy and I are a thing—or were a thing, maybe, since I’m the one who brought him in.”
“Are you or were you?”
She laughed. “If you really knew him, you’d realize what a ridiculous question that is. But, no, we’re not a thing, nor were we ever. Nor will we be.”
Diana shrugged. “So what’s the issue?”
“Performance anxiety? Who the hell knows? Anik probably has his own issues like all of us. If he stepped up, I’d be willing to see where it goes. But I won’t chase him. Life is not a rom-com, and I don’t need anyone to complete me.” She grinned. “But it’s fine that you do.”
The curse words in response went unsaid as their server delivered their meals, and once he’d left, they broke into laughter together. They took a few bites without further conversation before her boss answered the initial question. “No, I won’t train you. I’m not equipped to do so. But what I will do is ask Nylotte if she’ll teach us both.”
Cara groaned. “Nope, no way. Forget I asked. It’s totally good.”
Diana laughed. “Too late. I’m your boss. You’ll do it.”
“I’ll resign.”
“I’ll shoot you.”
The woman pointed a finger at her. “That’s coercion. I don’t think boss-types like you are supposed to do that.”
She raised an eyebrow at the extended digit. “I’m somewhat old-school with none of this touchy-feely empowerment nonsense. If I say jump, you jump.”
“Or you’ll use force magic to throw me across the room anyway. Yeah, I get it.” Well, it probably won’t be a total disaster, right? “Sure. Let’s do it.”
Her boss grinned. “It just so happens I was headed there after this. We’ll go together.”
Cara put a smile on her face and cursed silently at having said anything.
Diana had a moment of reservation about what she was about to do, then shrugged. If it’s a bad idea, she’ll refuse. It never hurts to ask, right? Nylotte was waiting as they stepped through the portal and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the extra person. She spoke before the Drow had a chance to say something unkind. “Cara is interested in
learning to use her magic better. I thought you might be willing to take her on if she trained with me, as I’d be able to learn different things that way.”
The Dark Elf laughed. “Oh, very persuasive, my student.” Her sarcasm was not masked in the least. She shifted her gaze to Cara and studied her from head to toe with a look of mild distaste. “You ask a lot.”
Her second-in-command bristled but didn’t reply. Nylotte raised an elegant eyebrow and looked at Diana. “Are you aware that she is different?”
“Different than what? We’re all different. You’re a Drow. I’m an elf. She’s an elf.” Her teacher shook her head slowly. She couldn’t imagine what she was talking about. “Do you mean that she’s not as powerful or something? Or that her magic is unique?”
Nylotte sighed, motioned toward the center of the space, and summoned three cushions this time. She disappeared for a moment and returned with an unusual tea set Diana hadn’t seen before with two cups the color of ivory and one of deep jade. She poured and extended the two matching cups to Diana, who selected the rightmost, as always, and sniffed it. It’s not the brain-bending-brew. Thank God. Her teacher reserved the other white one for herself and handed the green one to Cara.
It struck her like a punch between the eyes. Two white. One green. Her mind refused to acknowledge it and immediately babbled a denial. She felt her teacher’s eyes upon her and vaguely noticed Cara’s confusion. Finally, her inner voice spoke in the most soothing tones it had ever used.
“Okay, don’t panic. It doesn’t matter. But you need to say the words in order to accept it.”
No, no, I don’t. I don’t want to. It can’t be.
“It doesn’t matter. You are who you are. So reach deep, suck it up, and say it.”
She raised her gaze from her cup to her teacher’s matching one. “I’m…Drow and Cara is not.”
For once, Nylotte did not take the opportunity to mock her. “Correct, my student.”
Cara’s mouth had dropped open and the teacher stretched out a long finger and tapped her on the chin. Her teeth clicked as she jerked it closed, and she gave an incredulous laugh. “Wow. Damn, boss. That’s a major brain-twister.” She snapped her fingers. “I always sensed you were evil. Can I call you dark boss now?”
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