by Kal Aaron
“It’s fine.” Aisha managed a weak smile. “I’m merely badly wounded, not dead.” She grimaced. “They were nothing more than lucky fools with shard bullets.”
“I’m not sure about that.” Lyssa glanced at a body. “I kept feeling mild sorcery, but it might have been from the shard knife the commander had. None of the other bodies are giving any off, except the big pulse I felt in Lubon’s direction. I don’t think I would have noticed it if we weren’t sitting in an abandoned ghost town with nothing else distracting me. Something’s off about this battle.”
“The bullets passed through my heat shield,” Aisha replied. “They must have some sort of anti-sorcery enchantment.”
“But there’s no such thing. Even my luck’s not so bad that they’d suddenly invent anti-sorcery rounds after ten thousand years to kill me and anyone around me. If someone’s out there with an anti-sorcery essence, we’d know about it, and there would be a lot more dead Torches. If the bullets were shards, someone probably put a heat resistance spell on them. The commander seemed…”
She felt more sorcery in the distance. It was surprisingly powerful and again came from the hill.
Aisha glowered. “It’s the enemy. Lubon must be engaging him. That explains why he didn’t come.” She raised a shaking arm. “Go help him. Don’t let him take all the glory, especially after his refusal to aid us against the enemy’s minions.”
“What about you?” Lyssa asked. “You’re not in great shape. I’m not all that comfortable with the idea of leaving you here alone.”
“I’m not going to die between the Flame Goddess and your herbs, and there’s no one left but the rogue.” Aisha gritted her teeth and took a shuddering breath. “If the rogue gets away, this exercise becomes nothing but a painful practice session. We can’t be assured we’ll gain useful intelligence from any of the mercenaries. Remember what happened with the Shadow at the mine?”
“Damn it. You’re right.” Lyssa grimaced.
“Then go, Hecate!” Aisha shouted.
Lyssa pulled out her guns. She only had half a penetrator magazine and one explosive magazine left but plenty of ablative and conventional magazines. Her gaze dipped to the pocket in which she kept the showstoppers.
“You should use them if necessary to end the threat,” Jofi said, knowing where her gaze now rested. “A rogue will be much more dangerous than Shadows.”
“I’ll do what I need to, no more, no less,” Lyssa muttered, again disappearing into the night with a spell before jogging toward the hill. She kicked into a sprint after a few yards. Each step jarred her wounds, but she didn’t want to take a painkiller herb until she was sure the battle was over and there was no risk of her reaction time being slowed or her mind clouded. A split second in a battle could be the difference between being gut-shot and standing over somebody else who’d been gut-shot.
Lyssa looked up as something small and round came into view. She pointed her guns at it, then slowed. “Oh, crap. That’s not good.”
She continued forward to confirm what she was seeing, then glared at the decapitated head of Alexander Lubon.
A screech sounded in the distance. One of the SUVs pulled away. She didn’t bother to fire. There was no way she was going to hit it from here.
“Looks like someone got lucky,” Lyssa said. “And this whole thing just became a big damned waste of time.”
Chapter Twelve
Between the Traveling Club and invisible parking spots in the park, it felt quaint the next day when Lyssa met Samuel at her home. After the battle was over, she further stabilized Aisha and sent a message to Samuel. A van radiating sorcery arrived, with the driver not revealing himself. Two Shadows offered her Samuel’s confirmation phrase before helping Aisha onto a stretcher in the back, along with the surviving prisoners.
Lyssa returned home after that, half-expecting to be shot at along the way. That didn’t happen, but she remained sore from her injuries. She took a moment to set up extra alarm spells before downing more herbs and going to sleep. When she awoke to her alarm spells going off the next morning, it wasn’t an enemy ambushing her but Samuel in disguise. She appreciated his promptness despite not getting to sleep in. They had a lot to discuss.
He now sat on her couch in his true white-haired and white-suited appearance, deep bags underneath his eyes. Even great Elders got tired during stressful times. He hadn’t said much, instead staring down at the floor, his face tight. Lyssa didn’t need to have a mind essence to know what he was thinking.
“Yeah, that didn’t go down how we planned, did it?” she asked. “It was a complete mess, and we were damned close to losing Aisha on top of Lubon.”
“This rogue now has two dead Illuminated to answer for,” Samuel replied. “And I fear his kill count will increase before this incident is over.”
“I don’t know if it was a rogue who took out Lubon.” Lyssa shrugged. “I was thinking that at first, but on the way home, something else occurred to me. The commander had a shard knife. He might have had a sniper with something similar. Someone like that might have gotten the drop on Lubon.”
“I’m speaking of the person responsible for all these incidents.” Samuel lifted his head and cast a baleful look at Lyssa’s innocent wall. “This isn’t a series of well-connected mercenaries and killers with shards deciding to conveniently attack different Illuminated with an important connection. It doesn’t matter if the man wielded the weapon himself; he’s still responsible for who he sent and their targets.”
Lyssa chuckled. “Now you’re starting to sound like me. Paranoia all the way down.” Her smile vanished. “What about Aisha? How she’s doing? She seemed okay, but we both know how stubborn she can be.”
“Miss Khatri is stable,” Samuel replied. “We have her in a secure location, though she insists on returning to her own home soon. Although I don’t believe she was targeted other than her involvement with you, there is no reason not to take extra precautions until she can defend herself at full strength.” He frowned. “The Tribunal is troubled by this unusual level of threat.” He stroked his beard. “But I can answer one mystery based on your initial report to me last night and the accompanying concerns. The bullets used to down Miss Khatri were not shards.”
“They went right through her shield like it was nothing. You sure they weren’t shards?”
Samuel nodded. “Yes, they did accomplish what you describe, but for a far more banal reason. They were constructed out of a tungsten alloy with an extremely high melting point. I’m no expert on such things, but from what I’ve been told, they are used in some military applications, but they are not standard issue for reasons both financial and practical.”
Lyssa sighed and laid her head back on the couch. “Tungsten and flares. It’s like the guy said; they did their research. They knew what to expect and tried to counter with conventional gear. You don’t always need shards to threaten a Sorceress.”
“Indeed,” Samuel replied. “But that doesn’t change the reality that these men were merely pawns of someone far greater than them. A Shadow, no matter how wealthy or connected, would have no reason to care about the subject of interest.”
Lyssa glanced toward her bedroom. She’d almost forgotten Jofi was there. Talking about all of this without him being around was going to get increasingly annoying.
“The thing that keeps bothering me is why take out the Eclipse but not follow up and finish me off?” she asked. “I’m the primary target. The merc commander made it clear that’s what they were there to do, and he gave no indication he even knew about Lubon. Instead, they lost almost all their men and took out one unrelated guy who was not in their contract. The more dead mercs that pile up, the fewer who will risk these kinds of contracts.”
Samuel threaded his fingers together. “That all remains to be seen. Our interrogations haven’t revealed much that you already don’t know. They were an elite group of mercenaries who are often involved in dangerous underworld operations for private persons rather than governm
ents, but they have no known links to the Society or the Illuminated. Thus far, our investigation suggests they were paid anonymously and electronically and given the parameters of their target in the same manner.”
“Then if I died…” Lyssa sighed. This was one time they should have met in the Traveling Club.
“A Sorcerer might have been there,” Samuel said. “I doubt that a shard killed Lubon. I think the Sorcerer was watching and waiting for the mercenaries to weaken you before moving in for the kill. When that opportunity failed to present itself, he took another course of action to weaken your allies for a future attempt.”
He gave her a strange look, which she interpreted as suggesting the actual plan was to kill her and take Jofi from her body for whatever reason. For all they knew, the plan was nothing more than his release.
Lyssa rubbed her temples. “So, we don’t know any more than before. We took out a few mercs, but we lost an Eclipse and learned nothing. It was not a good trade for our side.”
“That’s a painfully succinct but accurate summary,” Samuel replied. “We can’t justify another operation like this. The Tribunal is extremely displeased that we’ve lost another Illuminated.”
“I’m pissed, too!” Lyssa threw up her hands. “And Aisha came damned close to dying. If they’d nailed her in the head, she’d be dead. We need to find this guy. Maybe we can do it again, but this time just me. There won’t be any collateral damage that way. I’m willing to take the risk. I want this bastard.”
“That’s pointless and foolish, Miss Corti,” Samuel said with a frown. “If they come again, and you’re by yourself, all that will happen is you’ll be killed. Further losses aren’t acceptable.”
“I agree,” Jofi interjected. “It remains unclear to me why you’re being targeted, but risking your life unnecessarily won’t accomplish anything.”
They were dancing close to the truth. She needed to finish this situation so she wouldn’t have to worry every day about keeping important information from Jofi.
“We need a better plan,” Lyssa said. “This is ridiculous. How the hell is someone targeting so many Illuminated? Are we sure it’s not a Shadow government?”
“That’s a useful and insightful question,” Samuel replied. “Our contacts in major governments don’t suggest any major operations against our people. At this point, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that not only is one of our kind behind this, but it’s most likely someone of experience, skill, and resources.”
“You’re talking about an Elder?”
Samuel nodded, “Or someone with the equivalent age and experience. Not all who desire to become Elders are successful. At this point, given our losses, I think a more extreme defensive posture is necessary.”
“Meaning what?” Lyssa asked.
“I wish to revisit my original suggestion.” Samuel gestured around her living room. “You’re too vulnerable here, and you’ll be too vulnerable on jobs. I and some of the other targets are minimizing our travel and appearances. I suggest you do the same. Spend time reflecting on your situation somewhere far, far from here, and ensure you take measures to block tracking spells.”
Lyssa shook her head. That wasn’t a plan. That was running away.
“For how long?” she asked.
“As long as it takes for us to get control of this situation. As of right now, the Society doesn’t have a full understanding of what’s going on, and we’d prefer they didn’t anytime soon.” Samuel stood and walked over to her window. His form wavered and settled into one of his bland disguises before he parted the slats of her blinds and peered through. “This is unusually challenging, and our lack of understanding about the true nature of the threat only compounds that.”
Hiding forever didn’t suit Lyssa, especially when she had other things she needed to investigate. There was one place in the world with higher security for Illuminated.
“What about me going to Last Remnant?” she asked.
Samuel turned back to her with a shocked expression. “You are still concerned about going to Last Remnant?”
“It took me a lot of effort to earn my ticket there.” Lyssa shrugged. “It’s not that long before I’m supposed to go. Has the Tribunal retracted my permission?”
“Not in so many words.” Samuel frowned. “But don’t you think that is unwise?”
“What? You think the assassin would be waiting for me there?” Lyssa nodded at her door. “If assassins can take people out on Last Remnant and get away with it, we’ve got more serious problems than we thought.”
“Not there, but before. There aren’t a lot of places to escape when you’re on a ship,” Samuel said. “And it’s a long way to the bottom of the ocean.” He narrowed his eyes. “Though given what the assassin’s goal is, killing you on Last Remnant might be part of their plan, despite the difficulties involved.”
Lyssa scoffed. “Are you serious? If we can’t even go to Last Remnant, we’ve lost control.”
Samuel gave her a cool look. “You’ve expressed similar paranoia in the past.”
“Let me put it this way: I’m willing to take the risk. At least on Last Remnant, I’m guaranteed to have a lot of Illuminated nearby to help. Even I’m not so crazy as to think the entire Society’s against me.”
“Keep in mind the most recent moves didn’t begin until after you were granted permission,” Samuel replied. “I don’t know what that means, but it’s not as if travel to and from Last Remnant is communicated to a large group of people. The tight-knit nature of our kind is useful under normal circumstances but dangerous in others. It’s important to consider the larger picture in such matters.”
His irritation was evident in his voice. Lyssa tried to read between the lines.
The logical assumption was that Jofi was the primary target. Nothing linked Lyssa, Samuel, Lee, and the others who’d been attacked other than the spirit. Killing her was most likely incidental to the goal of capturing or eliminating Jofi.
Although Jofi’s pistol form was useful, it wasn’t as if he were a uniquely powerful weapon compared to other spirit weapons and shards throughout history. The showstoppers were powerful but limited in their area of effect. She couldn’t take down a skyscraper if she used every last one.
The careful moves and gathered intelligence suggested someone of experience, skill, and resources. They could get more powerful individual weapons. That all suggested the goal wasn’t Jofi in pistol form but rather his unsealed form as a grand emptiness spirit.
Lyssa looked puzzled. That didn’t make sense. An unbound Jofi would be most likely to eat the soul and body of any Sorcerer nearby, not give him power. They’d sealed him with Lyssa’s help because they had no choice other than sacrificing Illuminated lives.
What other possibilities could there be? Was it some sort of complicated attempt to make a spirit bomb for use against Last Remnant?
It wasn’t impossible, but it felt far too convoluted. Involving Lyssa in Jofi’s sealing had been a result of her being the closest Sorceress with a compatible essence and regalia. There were skilled spirit Sorcerers on Last Remnant, including a member of the Tribunal, along with the most powerful shards created by the Society. It’d make more sense to smuggle a nuclear weapon there and set it off rather than anything relying on sorcery.
The other possibility was a spirit bomb targeting another location. In that case, it made even more sense to travel to the island.
“Okay.” Lyssa nodded. She could go around and around thinking about it, but she didn’t know anything for certain other than someone was coming for her. “I can hide for a while.” She pointed at Samuel. “But I’m still going to Last Remnant when all this is over. If I end up solving this crap, that’s only more of a reason I deserve to go.”
“I can’t disagree with you there, Miss Corti,” Samuel replied. “But you need to survive until then. I’m in daily contact with the Tribunal on this matter. This is a matter of unusual concern, and it might be a threat to the entire Soci
ety.”
Lyssa groaned. “When you put it like that, I don’t have any choice but to hide out in some seedy motel.”
“Good.” Samuel gave a nod. “Now that you’ve agreed, I have a few details we need to go over.”
One advantage of being a biker was being used to traveling light. Lyssa stuffed a couple of Kawatsu-chan shirts into her backpack. She couldn’t risk leaving the memory card, but she didn’t care about her whiteboards. Whoever was trying to kill her might be related to the earlier incident. Even if they weren’t, it didn’t matter if they stumbled upon another conspiracy.
Her gaze flicked to the two pistols housing Jofi lying on her bed. She almost laughed aloud at the idea of two different conspiracies targeting her. There were different grand paranoid theories she could string together, but a theory without proof wasn’t a good way to predict the future and react to the world around her.
“What do you think is going on?” Jofi asked.
“Huh?” Lyssa frowned. “I know what’s going on. Someone’s trying to kill me.”
“But they are also trying to kill Elder Samuel and others,” Jofi replied. “And they’ve succeeded at two assassinations. Your link to the others remains unclear to me.”
Lyssa forced a weak smile. The last thing she needed was Jofi questioning everything and becoming suspicious. She’d need his power to stop anyone coming to take him.
She was surprised the Tribunal hadn’t demanded she come to Last Remnant for some painful, soul-risking ritual involving the spirit. It confirmed what she’d always suspected, despite what Lee had told her. They’d barely known what they were doing before and weren’t sure what to do if the seal broke other than encourage Lyssa to offer her soul.
“If we kill the guy, his reasons don’t matter.” Lyssa shrugged.
“And you don’t think it has to do with your brother?” Jofi asked.
Lyssa shook her head. “I can’t be sure, but I doubt it. None of the people on the card are the targets. If there was the least bit of overlap, I’d think there was a link, but this is one time where I think it’s just a coincidence. I’ve worked a lot of jobs as a Torch, most of those for Samuel. It’s not crazy that I’ve pissed someone off. I figure it doesn’t matter as long as they find the guy and take him out.”