This time it was different.
It didn’t feel like my insides were trying to escape my body.
I didn’t understand how my hellhound managed planewalking. I figured it was a feature with hellhounds, but Hades never took the time to explain those abilities or how they evolved as they matured. I think Hades wanted me to be pleasantly surprised as I discovered them…in the midst of breathtaking heart attacks. God humor seriously sucked.
I was still adjusting to the fact that Peaches was a puppy. Images of Cerberus flashed in my memory, and I realized that LD was right. Peaches was going to outgrow the Moscow at some point. Unlike Hades, we didn’t have access to unlimited space, unless we started knocking down some walls or created another Dex room in the office.
Olga would love that, right before she froze us solid.
As his bondmate, I needed to take a more proactive role in our relationship, aside from being his meat dealer. I really needed to study hellhounds and their abilities.
I’m sure if I sat down with Prof. Ziller, he could break down the quantum aspects of planewalking for me in simple language I could comprehend.
I reflexively shuddered at the thought. There wasn’t enough coffee in the world that could convince me that was a good idea. I was going to have to attempt another training session with Mori, if we managed to get out of this situation relatively unscathed.
The idea of facing a Darth Monty had my stomach tied in knots. I didn’t think he would actually try and hurt me: or worse, dust me. But a part of me—a small part of me—knew it was possible.
That small voice explained that I was in way over my head, dealing with forces I couldn’t comprehend, and confronting someone who may be operating with a radically altered mental state.
A lethal mental state.
I grabbed the voice by the neck, strangled it and kicked it out of my head. This needed to happen or Monty was going dark. If that happened, all bets were off.
The sense of velocity suddenly diminished, and I found myself outside, in a large, hazy, empty, stone courtyard. The sun blazed overhead, its light diffuse as a cloudy sky blocked most of it. I looked around, confused.
There was nothing here…except for a large structure I could barely make out at the far end of the courtyard. The Sanctuary at the Golden Circle was an exact replica of Angkor Wat, the latter being the actual replica.
This didn’t look like Angkor Wat, or any other place I knew for that matter.
Peaches sniffed the air and began walking away, heading to the other end of the large courtyard. At the other end, stood a large Torii gate. This one was made of black, rune-covered stone, and towered high above the granite walls that enclosed the space.
After closer examination, I noticed the wall was solid. There was no opening to exit the courtyard; the space was enclosed on four sides.
Sitting in the center of the gate, on the ground, was a figure.
It was Dex.
He was wearing a black robe with runes that matched the ones on the Torii gate. He opened his eyes as I approached, and stood with a grunt. He gestured and formed a large sausage, placing it on the ground in front of my shameless hellhound, who proceeded to chomp on it.
“Ach, took you long enough,” Dex said, bending backward and twisting his torso. “This is a young mage’s work. I’m getting too old for this shite.”
“Nice to see you, too?”
“Enough with the pleasantries,” Dex said, waving my words away. “We have work ahead of us—and by we, I mean you.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and nodded.
“Where are we?” I said, taking another look around and ending on the immense gate in front of us. It stood nearly forty feet in height and about half as wide. The black stone thrummed with power I could feel in my lower abdomen, like a bass beat. “Where is this place?”
“Everywhere and nowhere,” Dex said. “You understand the concept of a mind palace?”
“Vaguely?” I answered, fearing we were entering brain-melting territory. “Are we in your mind?”
“Don’t be daft,” Dex said. “This place is a construct, a doorway.”
I looked around, not seeing any doors leading anywhere.
“A doorway…right,” I said. “Shouldn’t a doorway contain—oh, I don’t know, a door?”
“This place is like a mind palace, in that it’s based on a mental construct,” Dex answered. “There is no time here.”
“We’re running out of time?” I asked, confused. “Where is Monty?”
“Not running out, boy,” Dex answered curtly. “Here, in this place, we are in stasis. It was the only way to hide Monty from Evers during his schism.”
“If there’s no time, that means my curse…?”
“Is inactive in here, yes,” Dex said. “For someone with your particular condition”—he glanced around—“a place like this can be fatal.”
That didn’t sound ominous at all. Dex was looking at me with a heavy dose of stink-eye. I figured he was upset about Monty and was having difficulty processing the schism. I know I was.
“Where’s Monty?” I asked, not exactly enjoying Dex’s tone of voice. “I don’t see him.”
“We’ll get to that in a second,” Dex said, his voice serious. “Tell me how you became untangled.”
I shared about my last meeting with Kali, and how she took matters “into her own hands” with my bonds the totem, and the enso pendant. I left out the exciting parts, like the excruciating, mind-numbing pain.
“Doesn’t sound like it was a pleasant experience.”
“It wasn’t,” I said. “She redefined the concept of pain and took it to new heights for me.”
“Pain is good for you,” he said. “Helps you focus.”
“Sounds like you two would get along just fine,” I said, before handing him the card. “I got your message. You wanted to see me?”
He glanced down at the ring on my finger.
“How many uses does the totem have?”
“Three.”
“That’ll do,” Dex said with a nod. “Do you know how to use it?”
“No,” I said, looking down at the ring. “I’m supposed to channel energy into it, but I missed that lesson, apparently.”
“What do you understand about it?” Dex asked. “This is important.”
Rey’s words came back to me: You have to invert that thought process. The source of energy is all around you. All you’re doing is aligning to the flow and channeling it, not storing it in your body.
“I’m not a mage,” I said after a few seconds of thought. “I have to view the energy around me differently.”
“So far so good. Differently, how?”
“The energy is all around me; all I’m doing is aligning to the flow and channeling it,” I said. “Like jumping in the ocean and splashing around. That last part is a little sketchy, though.”
“I don’t know about any ocean,” Dex said, “but the first part is close enough. You’ve done this. Remember Rene’s plane? The Strix?”
“You mean the one that ended up in little parts after the orb I made punched a hole in it?” I asked. “The orb you suggested I practice?”
“Yes, that one,” he said with a grimace. “You recall how you formed the orb?”
“Yes, you gave me a new word of power: ignis…”
“What are you doing?” he asked, cutting me off. “I didn’t say to form the damn thing.”
“You asked me how I formed the orb. I was showing you how.”
“I didn’t say show me this exact second,” Dex snapped. “You do remember the right word, right?”
“Yes, it’s…ignisvi…”
“Stop,” he said, suddenly, cutting me off again,
this time with more force. “Not yet, and that’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?” I asked. “That is the word.”
“I asked you how you formed the orb, not the word you used,” Dex said. “”Do you recall how you formed it? The orb…not the word.”
“No, I just said the word and it happened,” I said. “You were there. You said it tapped into my life force. Since I have an abundance, it appeared. Doesn’t make sense, but little does in my life.”
“Tapping into your life force isn’t the same as you having control over the energy,” Dex replied. “Don’t you understand that yet?”
“I’m starting to get it, yes,” I said, concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“My nephew is fighting for his life, and the only person who has a chance of helping him has no grasp of the basics of energy manipulation.”
“What are you talking about? You’re here,” I said, still confused. “You’re much better at this than I am.”
“You haven’t been paying attention,” Dex said. “I’m keeping hidden, not just my nephew, but the entire damned Golden Circle.”
“I’m hearing the words, but they aren’t making sense,” I said. “How are you hiding the entire Golden Circle?”
“The details would fry what little brain you have left,” he said. “Judging what you went through with Kali, that would leave you in a coma. Let’s just say, I can’t leave this place, at least not yet. You’re the best shot Tristan has.”
“I’m the best shot?” I asked. “What about the other sects? You’re running the Golden Circle now. Can’t you make some calls? Call in some favors?”
He stared at me like I had spit in his coffee.
“What part of ‘hidden’ is escaping that brain of yours, boy?” he asked, the frustration clear in his voice. “My nephew is blacklisted.”
“I thought that only happened if he went dark?”
“How would you deal with an impending threat?” he asked. “Wait until it becomes powerful enough to destroy you, or nip it in the bud?”
“They’re not waiting until Monty goes dark…Shit. It’s not just the Black Orchid. They’ve been waiting for this opportunity to take him out. Why?”
“Mostly my fault,” Dex admitted. “They can’t move against me directly, the bastards, so they go for the next best thing.”
“This is why you removed the Golden Circle.”
Dex tapped the side of his nose and pointed at me.
“Sharp as a brick you are,” he said with an undertone of anger. “Only one sect stood beside us, but even they can’t act. Best thing was to break the agreement.”
“Which sect?”
“White Phoenix. They can’t do anything without taking on the rest of the sects. It would start—”
“A mage war,” I finished. “Isn’t taking the Golden Circle out of the agreement a little rash?”
“A little rash?” Dex asked. “They want their vengeance by killing my nephew. I’d say I’m taking the high road here.”
“What’s the low road?”
“I go to each sect and reduce it to ashes,” Dex answered, his voice low. “Aye, maybe even bring Mo along. She always enjoys a good killing.”
I shuddered at the thought of a Dex-and-Morrigan team-up. Alone, each one was a force to be reckoned with. Together, the other sects wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Can we leave the ‘obliterate everything’ plan as the last option?” I asked. “It sounds extra homicidal.”
“Let me try to explain this to you in small words, so you can understand,” Dex answered after a short pause. “If you can’t help my nephew, it may be the only option.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” I asked, getting as frustrated as Dex sounded. “Do you have some rune you can give me? Some ‘step away from darkness and re-enter the light’ cast designed to help Monty before it’s too late?”
“No,” Dex said. “Even if I did, you couldn’t use it. I don’t have a few hundred years to teach you. If I leave this place, Tristan will be found inside the hour. I have to stay here, which means his shieldbearer must take on his primary function.”
“Which is?”
“What? Are you daft?” he yelled. “What do you mean ‘Which is’? You’re his shieldbearer.”
“I’m learning this as I go,” I said, offended by the tone of his voice. “This isn’t intuitive, and I didn’t study with Ziller for several thousand years like some people I know.”
“How are you going to help Tristan?” Dex asked, as I felt the shift in the air around us. He was gathering energy around him. “You can’t even help yourself.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, taking a step back. “Dex, where is Monty?”
“You’re useless, do you know that? This was a mistake. You…are a mistake.”
“Excuse me?” I said, feeling my own anger rise. He wasn’t joking. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a—”
“I’m not a mage. I’m not a mage,” he mocked. “How long are you going to cling to that poor crutch of an excuse? Why are you even here, boy?”
Now I was confused.
“What are you talking about? You sent for me.”
“No, I sent for the shieldbearer, not the diaper-wearer,” he snapped. “If you’re going to bemoan how unfair things are, just go back. I have no use for you.”
“I am the shieldbearer.”
“No,” Dex said, stepping close and putting a finger in my face. “You’re a shieldbearer, and a bloody bad one at that. I’d feel safer holding up toilet paper for protection, than depending on your ability.”
“What?” I asked, barely controlling the anger now. “I didn’t ask to be anyone’s shieldbearer. No one asked me.”
“I didn’t ask…no one asked me,” Dex scoffed, raising his voice. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. Were you not consulted? No one asked your permission? Oh, woe is me. No wonder my nephew is in a schism! You were supposed to watch out for him, and what did you do when it mattered? You ran.”
“You…need…to…stop. Now.”
“Coward,” Dex spat and he stepped closer. “When he needed you, where were you? How long did it take before you ran with your tail tucked between your legs? Worthless”—he threw up a hand—“you’re a worthless waste of space. Do you know what I have to do now?”
“Besides back the hell up away from me?” I said, letting my hand drift to Grim Whisper. “You need to stop. You don’t want to do this.”
“I’m quaking in fear, boy,” Dex said with a short laugh. “I now have to go kill my nephew, because you are clueless, and worse, spineless.”
“No, I won’t let—”
“You won’t let me?” Dex cut me off. “The time for you to act has long passed. You think you can stop me? You think I want to do this?”
“No, I don’t think—”
“Exactly,” he said, cutting me off again. “You…don’t…think, and when you do, it’s all about you. The universe revolves around you, doesn’t it, you myopic, egocentric, little shite.”
“I know you’re upset,” I said, raising a hand in surrender, while keeping the other close to my weapon. “I don’t want this either. Let’s stay calm. Monty needs us.”
All around us, the energy level kept increasing at a steady pace. Dex always had a scary edge; right now that edge was exposed, and it was sharp.
Sharp enough to cut…sharp enough to kill.
“Monty needed us—needed you. It’s too late now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“How dense are you?” he asked, his voice laced with venom. “I have to destroy my own flesh and blood, because you, his supposed shieldbearer, were too weak. I now have to do the unthinkable, because you…you…are a poor excuse of a friend and brother. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. I’ll do you the favor of killing you, once I’m done with Tristan.”
I heard Peaches whine, and then saw him crumple over on his side.
�
��Peaches! What did you do to him?” I asked as the anger surged. “What did you do?”
“I put a little something in his sausage,” Dex said, stepping back as I ran to Peaches’ side. “Even something as simple as feeding your bondmate, even in that, you’re incompetent. Removing you will be doing the world a favor.”
“I take care of him just fine,” I said, checking Peaches. “C’mon, boy.”
“Ignorance in the world is a bad thing. Willful ignorance with power…well, that’s a dangerous and lethal thing, and should be destroyed whenever encountered.”
“Destroyed?”
“Even now, boy,” he said, looking down at me and shaking his head. “You don’t understand. Some people are truly too stupid to live.”
“What did you do?” I asked again, focusing on my hellhound. Peaches was still breathing, but he was knocked out cold. “You drugged him?”
“I removed him from the equation,” Dex answered, his voice grim. “I don’t need him trying to rescue you when you’re undone. After your bond is broken, sadly, I’ll have to put him down, too. He’s too dangerous to leave alive. A shame, really. At least he was honorable; he knew what it meant to protect his own, unlike the bloody Chosen Victim of Kali.”
“You know what, old man?” I said, standing slowly and shaking out my hands as the anger took over. “Let’s not wait. I’m here now. You want to ‘remove’ me? Do it.”
I never saw the blast.
That’s how fast he was. One moment I was standing up and daring him to remove me, and the next, I was sailing across the courtyard. I hit the far wall hard and fell to the ground, with the wind knocked out of me.
“You think you can challenge me, boy?” Dex called out as he walked toward me. “I’m not old because I’m lucky; I’m old because I fight dirty. No rules and no quarter given. You may not be a mage, but at least you can die like one.”
“No quarter asked,” I said, getting into a crouch, drawing Grim Whisper and firing in one smooth motion. Ever since the attack at Haven, I was using entropy rounds. I wasn’t going to waste time trying to persuade someone out to kill me.
He waved his hand, creating a wall of green light and deflecting the rounds.
“That’s the best you have?” he jeered. “No wonder you failed Tristan. Just quit, accept your fate and end it, boy. You’re outclassed, outmatched, and outwitted. You have no hope…it’s over.”
Walking The Razor: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel Page 17