by HDA Roberts
Francois stood and walked into the office after a brief knock. He came out again and gestured for me to go in.
Vivian Price's office was lavishly decorated, with expensive paintings on the wall and rich furnishings in silk and gold. Her desk was an antique, wide and impressive. She stood as I entered, smiling widely, showing fang (vampire, in case you hadn't guessed). She was a strikingly beautiful woman, tall and toned with a spectacular figure and a mischievous smile.
"Milord Shadow," she said with an elegant curtsey, "How may I be of service?"
I blinked hard.
If I'd had any doubts as to her effectiveness as an information gatherer, they were gone right then and there. She knew me on sight. That was bloody impressive.
"Excuse my surprise," I said at last, "I'm obviously nowhere near as sneaky as I thought I was."
She smiled and waved me towards a seat, "Don't feel too bad, I make it my business to know the people in power. You were harder to discover than most, if that's any consolation."
"A little."
"So, what can I do for you?" she asked.
"I need to know where Source comes from," I said without preamble.
Her expression became very calm.
"That is... not a good idea, my lord. With the greatest respect, there are some people whom you simply do not bother."
"These people..." I replied, and then stopped.
I felt something... odd. I still had Mage Sight cast and I looked towards the source of the mystical disturbance. Walls didn't mean an awful lot to someone who could cast Mage Sight, so I could see what was coming just fine. I must say that I was a little surprised (and more than a little terrified, but mostly surprised).
"Any particular reason why there would be an eighteen foot tall Frankenstein's minotaur coming this way at a great rate of knots?" I asked.
"What?" she asked, her voice going a little wobbly.
I stood, casting shields.
"You may want to get behind me," I suggested as the creature smashed into the side of the house.
Price was no slouch. She put me between her and the sudden ragged hole in the wall faster than I could blink. The creature on the other side of the hole was clearly dead and had been for quite some time. Well, bits of it. It was a patchwork of things. I would imagine that a lot of it was ogre. I could see crude stitching and a massive animating spell. It was clearly after Price; its red eyes (in a bull's head) were locked on her.
And it wasn't alone, though at least the others were smaller, but no less gruesome for that; combinations of dead animal and human parts, revolting constructs that made me want to start throwing fire.
They were all leaping for the hole in the wall. Price reached for a panel and flipped a switch. Alarms started blaring and I felt people start running. I called my Shadows and punched them straight through the big one's face as it tried to reach for Price. I expanded the coil and the monster's skull exploded messily, spilling necrotic brain all over the place and nearly making me throw up from the sheer, awful stench.
"If you have a safe place, I suggest you run there," I said over my shoulder.
"I'd rather not, if it's all the same."
I shrugged and started smashing the dead things as they jumped for us, scrambling up the wall on torn nails and claws. I opened a hole in my shields behind me.
"Come close and stay at my back," I said. She obeyed and I felt strong hands on my jacket.
"What the hell are these things?" I asked.
"The Hyde," she replied, "Monster makers; murder for hire."
"You have such a lovely town," I said as another wave of the smaller ones were crushed under my Shadows, the animating power destroyed after so much damage.
These weren't true Necromantic constructs, not really. Real Necromancy involved spirits and possessions, really ugly stuff that needn't detain us right this minute. What I was seeing was Fleshcraft, the combining of disparate parts into a whole greater than the sum, reanimated by Flesh Magic, not Death. That made them less robust, but more versatile. I suppose, in the end, a zombie is a zombie, but these ones were more disgusting than the ones I'd dealt with before.
I stepped to the hole, letting my Shadows flow out and attack incoming creatures. There were dozens more of them, including two more of the big ones. A force that size would have made a mess of the Red Carpet.
But it was laughably inadequate for the purposes of dealing with me...
I let my Shadows spread far and wide, enveloping every last one of them, focusing hard as I sent them out. And then I clenched my fists, and the Shadows compressed, hard and sharp. There was a rolling wet crack, and suddenly there was nothing left of the Hyde's creatures but a vast pile of mangled (and very smelly) meat.
I looked around carefully, but there weren't any more of them. I saw a smashed sewer grate on the street opposite me; there was blood and fur on it. Maybe that's where they came from?
Something still seemed off. There was active magic around somewhere...
"What's going on?" Price asked.
"I'm not sure yet."
There!
A portal opened and a man stepped out. This one was quite alive, but his aura was all wrong, like it was decaying before my eyes. He wore dark robes and his face was hooded. I saw sharp teeth, and flickers of Space Magic.
He seemed to stare right at me for a long moment. Then he lifted his hand and a ball of Space Magic came right at us. I recalled my Shadows and a wall intercepted the attack. I felt a wrench as a whole mess of my constructs were compressed through a field and torn apart. That would not have been pleasant if it had hit us, I'd seen Hopkins use something similar to pull someone's brains out of their skull...
I retaliated, drawing in Force while my Shadows went for him. They arrived and he popped out of existence. I felt his Magic reappear behind me, far too close. I spun and half my shields were ripped away as another of those attack spells hit them. Another pop and he was gone again, reappearing on the lawn, where he took a face full of force.
It wasn't a very strong spell, I'd thrown a wave of Force in the hopes of catching some part of him, but it was enough to disorient him, and allow my Shadows to catch him. They hit hard enough to break bones, lots of bones. He screamed once, briefly, and then he was out like a light. The malignant power seemed to drain away now that he was down, and I allowed myself to relax a little.
"I think we're good," I said, releasing my shields and letting Price step away from me. I reached out with my Shadows and grabbed the downed Space Mage by the torso, dragging him up through the hole in the wall. I set him down on the carpet and nearly threw up again.
"Bloody hell, what's wrong with his face?!" I asked.
The entire thing was perfectly smooth grey flesh but for a wide and gaping mouth filled with needle-sharp teeth.
"Hyde-Prime," Price said with distaste, "They make them from Magicians, to control the others. They're not supposed to fight. They must really have wanted me dead."
"Bloody hell," I repeated, pulling the hood back into place before dropping a coma-hex into its head, "That's just not right."
"Welcome to Gomorrah," she said slyly, "Would you mind waiting here a moment? I need to check on my people."
"Sure," I said, taking a few steps away from the faceless thing.
"Thank you," she said, and then she was gone, moving with awful speed.
I strolled about a bit, looking at the artwork, trying to calm down. Minotaur zombies? Faceless assassins? God, what a town!
"Hello?" said a small voice, breaking into my reverie, "is anyone there?"
"Hello?" I answered back, walking in the direction of the voice.
"Can you help? I'm stuck!" she said.
The door was smacked open, and the room was dark, not that that's a problem for yours truly...
The girl was stunning. They all were in that place, but she was something else. She had light blonde hair that was long and curly, a wonderful face with full lips. She was a vampire, wit
h pale blue eyes and short, rather cute, fangs. She was also naked and strapped to a bed in a very compromising position.
It took me a moment to restore my wits and move to lend her a hand. The shackles were heavy metal and bound her to the headboard; both the hand-set and the feet-set if you catch my drift. Certainly the young lady was very flexible.
"Is there a key, Miss?" I asked, trying to keep my blush under control.
"On the bedside table," she said. I put a convenient dressing gown over her... everything as I went rummaging. The key had fallen behind the bed.
I undid the shackles and nearly got a foot to the face as she was released.
"Sorry!" she said as I went around the other side and repeated the action.
"Quite alright. Are you hurt?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.
"Pulled muscle," she said with a coquettish smile on her red lips, "part of the job, I'm afraid, it's already healing."
"Good," I said, "You got left behind?"
"Mm hm," she said, standing, slipping the robe I'd provided over herself and moving to a pile of lingerie, which she pulled on while I turned my back and left the room.
Oh, I was learning far too much on this outing...
"Never seeing that guy again. It's one thing to chain me up, quite another to leave me that way when bad things are happening. I'm Crystal, by the way," she said, coming into the corridor and extending her hand.
"Mathew," I replied, shaking it gently.
"What brings you by, Mathew?" she said with another naughty smile.
"A chat with the lady of the house," I said, indicating the nearby office, "We were interrupted."
"So I see. By Hydes? Oh dear."
"Not a nice bunch," I agreed, heading back that way.
"You see what happened?" she asked as she peeked out the hole in the wall, her cute nose wrinkling at the smell.
"Magician of some sort, I think," I replied, "Splat, problem solved."
"Magicians? Bleuch," she said, waving her hand, "Can't trust the bastards. I mean, they're creepy guys, always cursing this or fire-balling that. Creep me out. Useful in a pinch, I suppose, but can you trust someone who can get into your brain?"
I smiled and flopped down in a comfortable seat, stretching out.
"Aren't Vampires Telepathic?" I asked.
"That's different," she said, sitting next to me.
"How?"
"Well..." she started and then stopped, "It just is."
"If you say so."
"You ever come here before?" she asked, laying her hand gently on my own.
"No, not really my scene. My girlfriend wouldn't approve," I said pointedly.
Didn't faze her at all.
"Girlfriends can be a drag that way. They don't want big, strong men to have the fun they deserve," she said, her voice low and throaty.
I snorted.
"Crystal, I am neither big nor strong, and as for what I deserve... I would deserve nothing more than what those creatures outside got if I was willing to trade the feelings of the girl I love for a few moments' pleasure."
"Hours, Darling. Hours of pleasure," she purred, her hand stroking mine now.
"Crystal, stop trying to get into my head, it's not nice," I said as I felt her brush up against my defences.
She blinked.
"Ah, so when you said 'some sort of Magician'... you meant you. Now who's not being nice? Letting me carry on like that!"
She swatted my arm playfully before tracing the line of my jaw with a finger, which disturbed the Illusion over my cheek and eyes, making her recoil as she saw my real appearance.
Illusions couldn't be maintained if someone other than the caster touched them; it was a conflict of Auras and Will, which caused the Illusion to shatter.
"My God! What happened to you?!"
I winced at her reaction, quickly recasting the Illusion.
"Bad people," I replied.
"Sorry. I was surprised."
"You're not the first. Hence the Illusion."
"I've seen worse," she said, "I once had a man, he carved himself up from forehead to toe and made sure the cuts scarred. Weird fellow."
I chuckled again.
"The red eyes are new for me though. Make you look a little dangerous. I like that," she said, now rubbing my shoulder.
I was saved from needing a response when Price came back. I stood (manners you know).
"Would you come with me?" she asked politely, "This office is a little draughty."
I laughed a little and followed her, Crystal hot on my heels for some reason.
"Crystal, dear, why don't you go make yourself useful?" Price said.
"I thought that Mathew might get lonely," she said, her voice high and sensuous (and distracting).
"He'll be just fine," Price said.
Crystal sighed.
"Come back soon, Mathew," she said, leaning up to plant a kiss on my cheek, "I'll give you the friends and family discount."
"Shoo, Crystal," Price said indulgently and the girl bounced away with a smile.
We resumed our walk through the house, which was now refilling with girls and irritated looking men (and some women) being led by the hand back to rooms.
"She likes you," Price said, "Perhaps you'd be willing to let her spend a little time with you? As my way of saying thank you?"
"Really not my thing," I said blushing again.
She snorted, "You have a Y-chromosome, she's your thing. Even gay men like Crystal."
"I mean that I'm attached."
I'd had that conversation at least three times since I got there; did everyone in that building assume that I was some sort of rutting monkey? Having said that, I would imagine that a lot of their clientele is of that basic persuasion, so I couldn't really blame them, even if it creeped me out no bloody end.
"If you say so," she said, leading me into another office and closing the door behind me, "so, before we were interrupted, you useful man, you, we were talking about Source."
"I need to know where it's being made, with as much detail as you feel you can safely gather, but that as a bare minimum," I replied.
She bit her lip, tapping her fingers on the table.
"That may not be simple. The trade in that is managed by a select few dealers in the High-rises with the Magicians, even getting to one will be difficult. It will take time, money and effort to cultivate the sort of contacts that provide that information."
"I have limited time. I was informed that there would be a large-scale negative consequence if the sale of Source is allowed to continue. I was given months as a time frame, probably no more than four, I would guess."
"'Large-scale negative consequence'? What does that mean?"
"Given my source, apocalyptic would be my guess."
She tapped her chin again.
"Would you let me see your mind?"
"Why?" I asked, wary.
"If I am to do as you ask, it will be dangerous. I need to know that what you're saying is true. I need to know that you believe it."
I thought about it.
"Alright," I said, "but if you stray off topic, I'll know. And I'll be annoyed."
She nodded and I lowered my shields and thought of Rose and Gabrielle's instructions, making sure to keep any details about them fuzzy.
I felt her mind slide gently into mine. I'd been mind-prodded by a Vampire before, but she was far more gentle about it, and she kept her probe where it was supposed to be.
Who are these two? she asked.
You don't want to know. Do you believe me?
I do, she replied, God only knows why.
"You must do nothing to provoke or startle them," I said aloud once she'd pulled away from my mind, "We can't risk them vanishing on us."
"I understand the stakes, Lord Shadow," she said, "Now, let's talk terms."
"Alright," I said, leaning back.
We talked money for a while. In the end, I was going to have to part with a lot of it.
> "I can be here rapidly if required," I said, handing contact details to her on a slip of paper.
"I'll work as fast as I can, but don't expect anything instantly."
"Okay," I replied, "Are you going to be alright? Hyde-wise, I mean."
"I have a few favours of my own to call in now that I know they're after me. I'm just lucky you happened to be here when they came."
"Rather convenient, wasn't it?"
"Meaning?" she replied.
"Nothing in particular, just wondering if someone's playing a game here. Or if someone wanted to prevent your helping me."
"Well, if they are, it's going to be a very costly mistake," she said, her eyes suddenly sharp and flinty, "I do not intimidate."
I decided I quite liked Vivian Price.
We shook hands and she offered me a complimentary anything I wanted, which I politely declined before opening a Gate and making my way back to the hotel.
I fell out of the Shadow Realm and into Cassandra's bathroom, where I tripped over her bath mat and went face first into her loo, barely avoiding the water while swearing profusely, only to discover that she wasn't even there. I went to my room and found her tense and irate, the remains of three dinners on the dining table.
"What took you so long?" she snapped.
I explained, and she calmed down once I told her that we could get the hell out of town first thing in the morning. I offered to Shadow-Walk us home, but she hit me and told me that I wasn't to even suggest that again. So I resigned myself to car-hovercraft (vomit)-car.
I'd been quiet throughout the return trip, thinking back on the sort of place Gomorrah was. Simply, it was a hell-hole. People were suffering there, locked into lives of pain and degradation. Even the police tried to kill strangers.
Cassie held my hand, understanding what I was going through. I was going to have to do something, and I couldn't do it alone. I'd need my brother and sisters, but would they help? Could they?
Bah. One problem at a time. Deal with the drugs first, clean up an entire city later.
Tethys was glad to see us and wrapped me in a hug I desperately needed after three days in that heap. I didn't let her go for a while and she just stayed there, making me feel better.
"Told you you'd hate it," she whispered in my ear.