The Phoenix Illusion

by Lisa Shearin

  31

  Marek Reigory had gotten away, for now. When Tam showed up, the other cabal members in the audience had activated their cuffs and vanished, leaving Marek to deal with the fallout by himself.

  We were off the roof and back in the hotel, the banshees had stopped screeching, and the fire department had deemed it to be a false alarm. According to the police onsite, a fire alarm had been pulled in the backstage area, but oddly enough, none of Keram Rei’s stage crew were around to be questioned.

  Rake had seen Isidor Silvanus in the theater, and the elf mage had activated his cuff and abandoned ship at the first sign of trouble.

  I grinned and linked one arm with Rake and the other with Ian. “Which reminds me. I have a present for both of you. At least I think I still do. Let’s go see.”

  We found Yasha when we got downstairs, and it took me a few minutes after that to find a way to access the theater’s lighting maintenance level. When we got there, I was delighted to see that the chair was still tucked under the closet’s door knob. Kicking and shouting in elven and English was coming from inside.

  I stood to one side of the door. “Ta-da!”

  A mischievous grin flitted across Ian’s mouth. “Is that who I think it is?”

  Rake chuckled. “Why yes, I believe it is.”

  Ian removed the chair, and Rake flung open the door to reveal Phaeon Silvanus cowering inside.

  Ian took a whiff. “What’s that smell?”

  Rake laughed outright. “Is that your—”

  “Perfume. Yes. I confused it with my pepper spray, okay? I sprayed him in the eyes, so it still worked.”

  Yasha took a deep sniff of his own, and I swear, it sounded like his werewolf snout sucked all the air out of the closet. “Umm, smells pretty.”

  Phaeon’s eyes went wide with terror as he plastered himself against the back wall.

  Ian was grinning at me. “Nice catch, Mac.”

  *

  Those of us who were human dropped our glamours to make getting around the hotel a little easier. Rake and Tam altered theirs and did the same for Yasha. Descriptions had been given to the police of a few of the more visible troublemakers, and we’d rather our contributions to this evening’s excitement go unrewarded.

  I hid in a ladies’ room stall while Kitty snuck backstage to get my clothes and purse, since the police really wanted to question the showgirl who’d broken a very expensive stage prop, and then had run off with part of it. Ian made arrangements with the Vegas SPI office to “appropriate” the broken magetech generator and have it shipped to our New York lab. Tam and Ben showed up with the shattered remnants of Marek’s cuffs. Once I was back in my little black jumpsuit, we returned to our suite at the Nobu Hotel via Kitty’s portal, prisoner in tow.

  Since Phaeon had no magic whatsoever, we just locked him in the suite’s steam room (without the steam), and asked Yasha to stand guard until arrangements could be made to get him on a SPI jet back to headquarters and a more secure confinement. Mr. Moreau had come into town after their unsuccessful taking of the cabal’s base. Well, the base taking was successful, just not the cabal capturing. They hadn’t found any sign that the buildings brought there had been occupied. Apparently, the Regor Regency incident had been their “people test.” Mr. Moreau and Ian questioned our prisoner with Rake and Tam listening in. Phaeon was less than cooperative until Ian threatened to let Yasha in the steam room with him to do all the sniffing he wanted.

  Between that and knowing his brother had abandoned him, Phaeon started talking. In fact, Ian and Mr. Moreau couldn’t shut him up.

  Isidor had done all the negotiating with Marek and the cabal. Phaeon had done his part of the partnership from his lab. To get the crystals, Isidor had to trade four of the second-generation magetech generators to Sandrina Ghalfari and the Khrynsani. As to the chest of smaller crystals she had given to Isidor, Phaeon claimed not to know anything about them. Tam made arrangements to get a message to his people in goblin intelligence back home about those four generators.

  The attack on the Regor Regency had been Isidor and Phaeon’s audition to get into the cabal as essentially their R&D department. When the Regency job had failed, the Phoenix was their last chance at redemption. Such a public attack was supposed to have been the cabal’s coming-out party on this world’s stage. We had rained all over their party.

  Oh yeah, Marek, Isidor, and their cabal friends would all be back.

  When the sun began to rise over the Las Vegas Strip, Yasha returned to his human form—his ravenous human form. Rake ordered vast quantities of food sent up. He told the hotel kitchen he was hosting breakfast for out-of-town clients. Many, many clients.

  We were exhausted, but were too keyed up to sleep, which was good because Vivienne Sagadraco had just landed in Vegas and was on her way to our hotel for a full report.

  *

  “Unlimited power in the hands of the last people who should have it,” Ms. Sagadraco said when we’d told her what had happened since we’d left New York. “Those already possessing vast power believe they and they alone can control any power regardless of its magnitude. They have all been wrong, dead wrong, and people have died because of their arrogance.” She poured herself a second cup of tea. “I have been keeping very close watch over my sister and Viktor Kain. When either one surfaced, I would know about it—especially if they were together. They have been cultivating influential allies in countries all over the world and are building a power base. It bodes ill if Tia has taken the Silvanus brothers under her wing. Though without Phaeon, the cabal’s ability to develop weapons such as the magetech generator has been dealt a severe blow.” Her eyes sparkled over the rim of her teacup. “Excellent work, Agent Fraser.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Phaeon said there are two additional completed generators in his lab,” Mr. Moreau told her. “He told us the location. We have a team going to retrieve them now—unless Isidor got to them first.”

  “Does he have any colleagues who are capable of replicating his work?”

  “No, Madame. Isidor insisted that he work alone to ensure secrecy.”

  “I do love it when our adversaries do our work for us.”

  “They also still have that chest of Nidaar crystals Sandrina gave to Isidor,” Rake added.

  Ms. Sagadraco took a sip of her tea. “I have no doubt they’re still capable of mischief.”

  I guess it took being a multi-millennia-old dragon to consider a cabal of evil mages bent on world domination as “capable of mischief.”

  “Why do they want to do the whole take-over-the-world thing?” I asked. “I mean, they’re already rich and powerful. I’ve always thought world domination would be too much work and not worth the trouble.”

  “My sister and Viktor’s need for self-glorification for themselves, and subjugation for any they consider beneath them, overrides any inconvenience they may encounter in the meeting of those needs. They believe it is their rightful place and think humans incapable of ruling this world. They believe that humans will ultimately destroy this world, and they have been preparing to step in to prevent that.”

  She paused at the disconcerted looks she was getting.

  “Seven of these cabal mages were in New York when Viktor Kain had the Dragon Eggs on display at the Metropolitan,” she reminded us. “Had they succeeded in acquiring those diamonds they would have magnified their powers to near godlike. There would have been little we could have done to stop them. Such individuals would rise to the top of any new world order that would be established.

  “SPI is a worldwide organization,” she continued, “and I have alerted all of our national directors of the new danger we will be facing. Tiamat, Viktor, and their minions will be less able to operate without being discovered and hounded.”

  I wondered how Marek would take to being called a minion.

  “If their larger plans are thwarted, they may content themselves with causin
g chaos by exposing elements of the supernatural world to humans. If they can’t have control, they’ll settle for chaos.”

  “Are we talking Salem witch trials, but on a frenzied, global scale?” I asked.

  Ms. Sagadraco nodded. “Just so.”

  “When it comes down to it, we humans are panicky, primitive, basically stupid, herd animals,” I admitted. “Spook a few, and before you know it, you’ve got a stampede on your hands. Some humans are open-minded and would think that supernatural beings living next door would be unspeakably cool. But most would reach for the modern equivalent of torches and pitchforks. If you’re different from them, you need to go—one way or another. They don’t want their narrow minds expanded.”

  “Knowing that supernaturals can disguise themselves would simply spread the killing to any humans they didn’t like or trust,” Ian said. “It would be the Salem witch trials or even the Inquisition on a global scale, except without any trial. They would go straight to execution. Blood would run in the streets, and a lot of that blood would be human, because supernaturals would fight back. They’d protect their families just as humans would. And when you have supernatural strength and sometimes even magic, you’ll come out at the top of the food chain. It would be carnage.”

  Tam nodded. “Even a mage of average talent is faster than your human guns, both in shielding and retaliatory strikes. Mages of exceptional skill can obliterate a battlefield full of soldiers in a single strike.”

  The room went silent at that.

  When I’d first started working at SPI, about two years ago, Ian had told me SPI believed a powerful supernatural entity was planning a major event, and that it’d take a seer to expose it. Three my predecessors had been killed to keep it from being discovered.

  I didn’t know if plucking a hotel off the Las Vegas Strip with everyone inside while TV cameras recorded it, and thousands of witnesses watched, qualified as the major event. If it wasn’t, I didn’t want to think about what their next target could be. But that was our job, to not only think about it, but stop it from happening.

  As far as we could tell, we’d gotten through tonight without major exposure. Only in Vegas could two “vampire” mages duke it out, complete with fireballs and lightning coming from their fingertips, and the people in the audience would take to social media calling it the best show ever.

  The public had been entertained this time, but how long would we be able to keep fact disguised as fiction?

  32

  Rake and I were having brunch in bed.

  We had just finished the best bubble bath I’d ever had in the biggest tub I’d ever seen.

  Ms. Sagadraco had given all of us the next few days off, and we’d decided to spend it right here. Rake was having Kylie and Caera flown in from New York, making Ian and Ben very happy. The girls would also be bringing clothes for the guys. Rake had made himself happy having more clothes bought for me. I was completely fine with not going shopping. I was part of the reason why malls were going out of business. I loved online shopping. Gethen was happy that Rake was staying put.

  Cassi du Vien had been very impressed with Tam’s performance last night, and when she found out he was a nightclub and casino owner on his home world, she’d insisted on showing him her town. Tam had a date tonight with the vampire queen of Las Vegas. When Mr. Moreau had found out, he did something rare—he laughed.

  “Should we warn Tam?” I asked Rake.

  “Oh, he knows. Don’t worry, my cousin can handle Cassi du Vien.”

  Rake took a bite of scone, a spot of butter remaining on his upper lip. With a lascivious glance at me, the tip of his tongue darted out and smoothly licked the butter away.

  I met his lick and raised him a seductively eaten, chocolate-covered strawberry.

  Yasha’s voice boomed from the living room. “We should rent beach house together. Go on vacation.”

  “If we all went to the beach together, there’d be a kraken offshore within the hour,” Ian told him.

  I snorted a laugh. “Glad to hear Ian’s being the voice of reason.”

  “Is true.” Yasha sounded crestfallen. “I know! We go to mountains.”

  “I’ve got two words for you, buddy: rabid yeti.”

  There was laughter, with Yasha’s being the loudest, then our friends’ voices lowered. Or maybe they’d adjourned to the terrace. Now that he was human again, and at least a little less hairy, Yasha wanted to get in the hot tub again. He’d found his happy place.

  I nestled back on the pillows. I felt safe now, but I knew it wouldn’t last. “I’ll gladly take krakens and rabid yetis over what’s gonna be coming at us.”

  “They’ve always been coming at us,” Rake told me. “That’s why they’re on Vivienne’s most-watched list. Though after last night, I imagine she’s had them all upgraded to the most-wanted list. Tia and Vik are in this for the long game. It may be years before they make their next move.”

  “Or next week.”

  “Unlikely, but possible.”

  “Their game is evil.”

  “Yes, it’s evil. It’s also part of a bigger game, and this is how the game is played.”

  “Then we need to do something about changin’ the rules. We got lucky last night. Next time we might be findin’ ourselves gettin’ the short end of the stick.”

  The edge of smile appeared. “Your Southern is showing.”

  “Bite me.”

  He gave a low growl. “I’d love to.” He did—and oh so much more.

  *

  I dragged myself reluctantly out of the deepest sleep I’d had in weeks.

  Rake was watching me with his dark and wonderfully mysterious eyes.

  “I haven’t given you your birthday present yet,” he said.

  “Oh yeah. I completely forgot.” I smiled. “Though what you just gave me certainly qualifies as a present.”

  “I haven’t forgotten, but on your birthday, my house dropped out of the sky and burst into flames.”

  “Then you tried to incinerate yourself by running inside.” I held up a hand to stop any protest. “You had a good reason.”

  “A very good reason.” Rake snuggled closer. “Then that night in the desert, looking up at the stars. It was very romantic…”

  “Until I sensed Marek.”

  “Yes, that was a mood killer. Then yesterday when we were here in bed… You had a lot on your mind and needed to focus. And last night, I almost lost you.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  “I figure I need to give you this before anything else happens.” He reached over to his duffel bag next to the bed and pulled out a small velvet box.

  I froze. “Oh, my God. Are you—”

  “Not yet. Not unless you want me to.”

  “I…I have no words.”

  “I have some. Makenna, you know I love you, and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you, but I know you’re not quite there yet. I’m willing to wait, if that’s what you want. I intend to inform your mother of my intentions when we’re there next month.”

  My mouth moved a little, and I think some sounds came out, but none of them could remotely be called words.

  “If you’re gonna be doing that, don’t leave out Grandma Fraser,” I eventually managed. “If you do, she’s likely to—”

  “I can only imagine.”

  “And imagine is all you want to do, believe me.”

  Rake opened the box.

  I blinked. “A locket?”

  “Open it,” he whispered.

  I did.

  My mouth fell open. “That’s the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen that’s not cursed.” I quickly looked up at him. “It’s not cursed, is it?”

  “If it is, I’m taking it back.” He took the locket out of the box. “May I?”

  I smiled and bit my bottom lip. “Yes.”

  Rake fastened the chain around my neck and it fell to right where I’d be able to see it e
very time I looked down. Rake’s eyes were doing the same thing, though his attention was on the pale, freckled setting, not the stone.

  “When you decide the time is right, let me know and I’ll have it set in a ring. But until then, you can wear it in the locket.” He grinned. “Or…” His fingers were warm on my chest. “You can remove the locket like this…” With a snap the locket came off to reveal the contents. “You can wear the diamond as a pendant for everyone to see. Private for you and to show any friends you want, or public for the world to see. Your choice. Your timing.”

  I took a shaky breath. “This is a surprise.”

  “And I know you don’t like surprises.”

  “I like this one,” I said softly.

  “I have one more present for you, though you won’t be able to see it until you get home. It’ll be parked outside your building. Or across the street if it’s street-cleaning day.”

  “The Jeep?!”

  “Yes, the Jeep. And you won’t need to worry about moving it. I have someone doing that for you.”

  I couldn’t help it, I squealed.

  “Is that for the diamond or the Jeep?”

  “Uh…yes?”

  “It’s more for the Jeep, isn’t it?”

  “Well, sweetie, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not a sparkly things kind of girl.”

  Rake kissed me and pulled me down on top of him. “I noticed.”

  “I don’t care about your money.”

  “I noticed that, too.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “It’s one of the reasons I love you. You love me, not my money.”

  “I do love you, you know.”

  “I know.” Then he made a show of pondering something.

  I pulled back a little. “What is it? I know that look.”

  “While we’re here… It’d almost be a waste not to.”

  “Not to what?”

  His eyes started to sparkle. “Since you don’t like going to a lot of trouble, and since we are in Las Vegas…”