Heart's Darkness

by H D A Roberts

  "I love you," she said with a wide grin, "Nobody has ever called her on her bullshit before."

  "It's a hobby of mine," I said with a genuine smile.

  We chatted for quite a while. She was an English Literature student, her sister was in Art and we both had a good laugh at that. She was funny, clever and insightful; I rather liked her. I explained Tom, and she had a very long laugh.

  "Oh! I've heard of him, everyone has. Talks a big game, but was a little short on... stamina, if you know what I mean?"

  "Don't know, don't want to know!" I said, aghast. She smiled again; I liked her smile.

  "So, what are you doing tonight?" she asked, her eyes shining.

  "No plans."

  "Do you know Centaur Hall? Just across the thoroughfare?"

  "I think so."

  "Big party there tonight," she replied, "You should come. It'll be fun."

  "Sure! Can I bring Tom? I think the poor fellow needs a pick me up."

  "The more the merrier, just... don't tell him to expect much."

  I sniggered, and she left.

  Huh. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all?

  I cast a rapid-detox spell on Tom and told him about our invitation. He seemed distinctly unenthusiastic, but agreed to come along.

  Centaur Hall was about three times the size of Naiad, wider and taller, but newer. It was built of white stone, barely stained, with a dark grey roof. There were wide doors in every wall and large windows over much of the surface. It was bright and cheerful and was already full to bursting when we turned up at about nine.

  There was loud music blaring from half a dozen sources, intermingling into a cacophony that gave me an almost instant headache. And good grief, there were a lot of people. It made me a little nervous; my interactions with crowds had largely been in the form of angry mobs and small armies...

  Tom led the way in and straight for a wide drinks table set up in the front hall. It was covered in a variety of horrors that would play merry havoc with my concentration if I ever introduced them to my bloodstream. Naturally Tom picked up a cup of something foul smelling and downed it in one.

  "Easy, I can't cast too many Detox Spells on you without it making you sick," I said.

  "You see how these girls are laughing at me? I need a drink!" he said before picking up another and staggering off.

  I couldn't say I'd noticed any girls even looking at him, but you can't argue with a persecution complex, I speak from experience. I wondered off, looking for Mila. The place was full and loud, already there was rubbish and passed-out people everywhere. Rooms were open and being used for... never you mind.

  After about an hour searching, and no sign of Mila, I was seriously thinking about leaving. In fact, I was heading for the door when I heard things that made me want to punch someone.

  "And that's when I threw him down and hit him with the lightning!" said a deep and preening voice from a nearby room.

  I peered through the doorway to see a student, tall and handsome, with slick-backed hair and a tiny goatee, wearing a dark suit without a tie, and highly polished shoes. I also saw that he was wearing the lapel pin of the Stonebridge Duelling Team. He was relaxing in a heavy recliner, a girl on either arm. He held a large cup in his hand as he bragged to about twenty other kids.

  There were 'ooh' and 'aah' sounds from the audience, a couple of who clapped enthusiastically.

  Mage Sight quickly revealed a Wizard-level Magician with an Air affinity. Unimpressive.

  Wow, was I becoming a Magical snob? Well, maybe a little. I didn't tend to think too much of duellists at the best of times, and even less of the braggarts... like this tool.

  "Hey, did you hear about that new guy?" one of the watchers asked, "You know, the one who won all those fights? There was that one against a Councillor, or something, right? He's in school now, isn't he?"

  "Pfft, that guy? Arianna Hellstrom is a housewife, what does she know about duelling?"

  "More than you ever will," some idiot muttered.

  Oh, right. Me. That idiot.

  Arianna Hellstrom was a... well, bitch was too mild a word, but every questionable thing she'd done to me was for her children, to keep them safe. She remained a thoroughly honourable woman. I respected her a hell of a lot, even if she'd nearly killed me a couple of times.

  The entire group, suddenly hostile, all turned to glare at me.

  "Oh yeah?" said the guy, standing up, weaving slightly.

  "Yes, but then that's hardly difficult, as most molluscs know more about Magic than duellists."

  Wait, I hadn't meant to say that!

  Why was I suddenly so combative?

  "You want to take this outside?" he slurred.

  "I doubt you could spell the word 'outside', right now, much less walk there," I pointed out.

  He glared and took a deliberate step forward... and simply fell over. It wasn't all him, I helped it along with a tiny jolt of Will. I also dropped a little Sleep Spell into his head that would keep him out for an hour or so. I felt like a bit of a prick, really. He was just a drunken idiot; he didn't deserve to be knocked out in front of his friends.

  What had made me so suddenly angry? It was gone now.

  I shook my head and backed away as the audience moved in to help out their hero, nobody noticed I'd left (apparently drunken nonsense was common enough that his collapse went largely uncommented, that should have been a warning sign right there). I walked deeper into the house, avoiding the scenes that I didn't need to see. Couples and... larger groups were barely concealed behind doors and screens, loud and amorous. I saw Tom amidst a crowd of women, smiling and flirting; they seemed to be heading towards an empty room as well and I figured that my duty was more or less done. I headed towards the back door, thinking to get some air and probably head back to Naiad. This sort of party had never been my scene, just leaving me feeling even lonelier.

  There was a small patch of grass behind the house, lit up with light spilled from the windows and doors. I walked down and onto the lawn, the grass soft under my shoes. I rubbed my eyes and head.

  That confrontation still bothered me. I thought I had my temper under control, or at least better control than that! What had set me off? And so suddenly? It was just like I'd suddenly been in the mood for a fight.

  Before I had any more time to think, strong arms were suddenly around my chest and neck, and a swift strike took my knees out from under me. There was hot breath at my left ear and the feel of a female body at my back. The grips were firm, but not dangerous.

  I knew who it was almost instantly, but that didn't stop a distinctly girly squeak from coming out of my mouth.

  "What do you want now, Maggie?" I asked after a moment calming down.

  "Maybe I'm here to kill you," she whispered in my ear.

  "If you were planning to do that, giving me this much warning would have prevented it. So it's not that. Why don't you tell me what you're really after?"

  "Men aren't as fun when they're smart," she said, releasing me and walking around to stand in front of me.

  "Well, not to toot my own horn, but I'm just about as smart as it gets. So I guess there's no further need for you to turn up and scare the crap out of me?"

  In response, she plucked the sunglasses off my face. Damn, she was fast...

  She smiled, "I like your eyes," she said, tracing her fingertips along my scarred cheek.

  "You're a very strange woman," I replied, and then my eyes narrowed as I realised something, "And you just used your powers to make me angry, didn't you?!"

  She grinned again, "And if I did?"

  I sighed, "What did you want, again?" I asked, keeping my frustration under control only by great effort.

  "The Champions are disbanded. Gone forever. The Vampire protested and has been dispatched. For you, my Lord."

  "You're not telling me you killed a man for me, are you?!"

  "No, I killed a Vampire because he wasn't being cooperative, and I wouldn't weep for him
if I were you. He murdered for centuries and enjoyed it, before my former master... reformed him. Now, where's my reward for my good service?" she asked, her voice becoming a little coquettish towards the end, which just confused me.

  "Reward?" I asked, still trying to catch up with the whole 'Champions are gone, and it's my fault' thing. They may have lost their way, but they had done a lot of good in their time, dealing with Demons and feral monsters all over the world. And now they were gone because of a stray comment I'd made to this lunatic.

  "Yes, I don't work for free," she said, moving in close to me.

  "I did not authorise anything you did!" I said, but that didn't do any good, she simply yanked me in close and planted a deep kiss on my lips. And she was not shy about it, either, the kiss was hard and toothy and a little desperate.

  I didn't really have the necessary social skills to deal with situations like that. Generally my experience with crazy women involves throwing Shadows at them. Also, I was not a fan of the sort of woman who liked you because you were a good fighter. I especially wasn't attracted to the sort who started dating you because you beat up (or blew up, I suppose) their boyfriend. That was not a good basis for long-term happiness.

  It was a nice kiss, though. Well, it started that way. Her arms snaked around my neck, and then there was a leg around my waist... then I was on the grass with her on top. It started to get a little uncomfortable as the pressure started to mount. I thought that she was forgetting her own strength...

  Crack!

  A loud, nasty, wet one, accompanied by searing pain.

  Yes... broken collar bone.

  I yelped, and she leapt away, her face white with sudden anger as she looked down at me. I was shaking in pain, damn, but that hurt!

  Thankfully I was well practiced enough at Numbing Spells by then to get one cast. I groaned as the pain dimmed, and then vanished.

  "So fragile," she whispered, kneeling next to me, before looking at my shoulder "Broken."

  "Thank you, I'm quite aware!" I snapped. I called a little Magic and started casting the spell that would set the bone. My Mage Sight informed me that the break was clean, which meant easily fixed, but my shoulder would ache like a bitch for days after this...

  "Solomon wasn't fragile," she whispered again, looking away.

  "Solomon is a half-breed Celestial Being! I'm just a human with a few tricks up his sleeve," I said as I cast the spell, and the Flesh Magic went to work.

  She laid her hand very gently on my other arm... and then wrenched it horribly around to break it too.

  I screamed that time.

  In pain, and rage and betrayal.

  My Shadows came as she was lifting her hand to do something equally horrible to my leg. They arrived as a massive coil that tossed her off and away, smashing her through a nearby tree, out the other side and through a wooden wall into an empty lecture theatre. I knew that it wouldn't actually hurt the lunatic. Certainly it wouldn't break any of her bones.

  I expanded my numbing spell and stood on shaky legs, glaring at the hole in the building. She pulled herself out, staggering a little, bleeding from a light head-wound.

  She laughed, a high and nasty sound.

  "Yes! Punish me, hurt me as I hurt you!"

  "What is wrong with you?!" I asked, confused and hurt, and very angry.

  "I can't belong to the weak, I'd rather die!" she said, charging at me.

  My Shadows intercepted her long before she got anywhere near me, flinging her back as gently as I could manage.

  "Stop it, you don't belong to anyone!"

  "You accepted my surrender!" she said, "You claimed me, you let me touch you just now. I won't have it!"

  "Then walk away!"

  "I can't! I have to defeat you! I can't bear the shame!"

  See what I mean about the warrior types? Utterly bloody bonkers. The Demigod thing didn't help. They were big into all that 'code of honour', 'surrender is death' crap. Personally, I viewed surrender as a means of getting my enemy to turn his back long enough for me to do something unpleasant to him, but then I was a... oh, what's the polite word for 'complete bastard'? Crafty! I was crafty.

  "You can't win like this. And you don't even want to!" I said, thinking quickly, "If you wanted me dead you would have broken my neck, not my arm. Just stop, please!"

  "Never!" she snarled, running forward again, but she wasn't doing it with her all. She wanted me to hurt her, maybe even kill her.

  I couldn't think what else to do...

  So I released my Shadows and dropped to my knees, "I surrender!" I shouted, putting my one (mostly mended) arm out, cradling the other against my chest.

  She skidded to a halt right next to me, looking down.

  "What?" she asked, glaring at me.

  "I surrender," I repeated, casting the Spell that would repair the damage to my forearm.

  "It's a trick," she said, grabbing my chin, forcing my head up, I winced at the vice-like grip.

  "No trick. I can't be hurting any more people, Maggie, I've had enough. My pride isn't worth it," I said, looking in her eyes.

  She stared at me for what felt like a long time, but she eventually let my face go and backed away.

  "This isn't over," she hissed before darting away.

  I sagged to the ground, cradling my damaged limbs.

  Can't even go to a party without something bad happening to me. I swear, there are some days when it's just not worth getting out of bed!

  People were coming out to look at the commotion. I made myself invisible and staggered over to a patch of Shadow. I needed bed rest... lots of same, and maybe a transfer to a quieter school far, far away... I hear Outer Mongolia's nice this time of year.

  Chapter 10

  I woke the next morning feeling battered and bruised. I'd called Tethys before going to bed and she'd laughed her arse off for a solid ten minutes, the cow. She thought the idea of the first girl I'd kissed at University being a psycho who'd broken three of my bones was hilarious.

  I cast a few soothing Spells before going about my day, not that it helped much.

  My week was roughly divided between two courses. Monday through Wednesday was Magic, Thursday and Friday was for Physical Chemistry. As the weeks went on, the time would be more usefully booked, but the first week was light and introductory.

  That morning (Thursday), I went to my first 'normal' classes, which was full of very serious students, none of whom seemed inclined towards small talk, and more than a few who looked incapable of even basic human interaction.

  I wore sunglasses, but needn't have bothered. When those people saw my eyes and scars, they didn't seem to care at all; I found it quite refreshing, really. I must say I rather enjoyed the empirical normality of it all. It felt good.

  Thursday and Friday were very pleasant. I spent them studying for the sake of knowledge, not survival, which was a nice change. I went to the Union with Tom, got to know the school and started discovering all the good places to eat and relax.

  It was so wonderfully normal; I was wondering why I was even bothering with the painful Magic stuff when just being a regular student was so nice.

  I emerged from an Advanced Physics tutorial just after three in the afternoon on Friday, enjoying the afternoon sunlight as I walked back towards Naiad Hall, whistling happily, if tunelessly. The campus was quiet, if not empty, and I leafed through my notes as I made my way along the path.

  I was surprised to find a friend of mine standing outside the front doors of the Hall, looking grim.

  Agent Jeremy Braak of the SCA was tall and muscular, with dark hair and eyes; a solid, reliable man with a good sense of humour and a ready smile. He and I had fought together once. He hadn't exactly covered himself in glory, but he'd provided a useful decoy. He wore a heavy, loose jacket, black over dark trousers and combat boots. If I had to wager, I would have said that there was armour under that jacket.

  "Agent Braak!" I said with a smile, approaching from the side. He jumped and
turned to look towards me, his expression bleak, which made me instantly wary.

  "What's wrong?" I asked.

  "Mathew," he said, turning to offer his hand, which I shook, "I'm sorry to just show up like this. I've got to take you in for questioning."

  "Regarding?"

  "Like you don't know? Faust."

  I smiled evilly, he shook his head.

  "It was self defence. Mostly."

  "And in that 'mostly' lies the arrest warrant," he said, pulling out the piece of paper for me to read.

  "Have you spoken to Agent Kraab about this?"

  Kraab was the senior SCA Agent in Stonebridge; he knew I was an Archon, and thus quite immune to prosecution.

  "He's deep in an investigation, incommunicado; so is Knowles," who didn't know, "I have to bring you in."

  "If Kraab's out of town, who gave the order?"

  "The Primus himself," Braak said uncomfortably.

  "Faust has been busy. And are those other guys with you? Four Wizards and a Sorcerer over my left shoulder?"

  "Conclave Hunter Team."

  "I have a Chemistry class now, I'll come by the station house afterwards," I said, handing the paper back.

  He coughed, "Mathew, it isn't that sort of warrant. I have to bring you with me now; and if I don't, they will."

  "Well, they'll try."

  "Yeah, and I'll have to help. It's my duty, Mathew, I swore an oath. Please don't force me into a position where you have to do me a mischief."

  I harrumphed, "You don't play fair."

  "I learned from the best," he replied with a grin.

  "Okay. But the station is as far as I go. If you try to send me to the Farm, I'm leaving, agreed?"

  "Sure, Mathew," he said, with a released breath.

  "And I'm going to call someone first, alright?"

  "Um, I was told no calls," he said, looking shifty.

  "And that wasn't suspicious to you?"

  He swallowed, unzipping his jacket, "Orders, Matty."

  He was indeed wearing armour, and there was a short stave across his chest, which he pulled out of its holster.

  "I'm making my call first," I said, conjuring shields, which snapped into place within seconds.