An instant later the glowing sword hammered into her side, sending her stumbling away even though it didn’t penetrate.
The swordsman followed, his blade a darting serpent, never coming from the same place twice. It skipped off her hardened skin, once, twice, three times. Without her defenses any of the strikes would have crippled if not killed her outright. As it was they were just annoyances.
The sword descended toward her head.
Lady Dragon caught it and summoned fire, reducing the weapon to nothing but a puddle of slag.
Her free hand shot out and fire burst forth. The light barrier held the attack back for half a second then it shattered. A lance of fire burned through his chest, leaving a hole as big around as her arm.
“Sho!” the light magic user screamed.
Lady Dragon faced her. “You’ll be joining him soon enough.”
She raised both hands and let the flames swirl around them.
A blinding flash forced her to close her eyes. When her vision cleared the wizard was gone.
“AWWW!” Lady Dragon’s rage took the form of a huge pillar of fire that consumed the wounded and burned up through the building before bursting out the roof. She’d hunt that light magic user down if it took her the rest of her life.
The time has come. Morgana’s voice echoed in her mind.
With a final growl, Lady Dragon leapt into the air. Once Morgana finished punishing the city, she’d resume her search. No one made a fool of Lady Dragon and lived to speak of it.
Orin had never entered a portal with Shizuku. Heaven wasn’t at all what he’d imagined. No clouds, angels, or cherubs playing harps. Instead it was mostly white light with the occasional flash of gold streaking through it like lightning. It smelled like the summer air before a thunderstorm. The silence was what really unnerved him. His breath rasped in his throat and his heart pounded in his ears.
Shizuku kept a death grip on his hand, whether for comfort or to keep him from drifting off into white oblivion he wasn’t sure. He suspected the former given the tears streaking down her poor, torn-up face. Seeing Sho cut down like that had shocked him as well, but he wasn’t as close to the grandmaster as Shizuku. They’d known each other since childhood.
“It’s my fault,” Shizuku whispered. “I wasn’t strong enough to protect him. What am I going to tell Connie and Conryu?”
Orin squeezed her hand. “Tell them the truth. Sho died trying to protect us and a hospital full of innocent people. We weren’t close. I’m not certain if Sho was truly close to anyone, but I believe if he had to die, doing it while trying to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves would have been how he’d choose to go.”
“I think you’re right, but that doesn’t make it any easier. At least if we knew where Conryu was it would soften the blow to Connie.”
A force, unseen but powerful, grabbed Orin and dragged him and Shizuku from their position. He knew they were moving even though the scenery didn’t change.
“What’s going on?” Orin asked.
“I don’t know, but it’s not me. Something’s got a hold of us.”
“Something friendly?”
“As far as I know I’m on good terms with the spirits living here, so I’m going to say yes.” Shizuku shrugged. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
Considerably less than reassured, Orin’s gaze darted around for something, anything that might give a hint as to their final destination.
Time didn’t mean much in the spirit realms, or so Shizuku claimed, so he had no idea how long they’d been traveling when the gold fence appeared. It was three times his height and jutted out of a cloud bank. A gate big enough to allow a pair of semis to pass through side by side was guarded by a pair of golden lion statues.
“Is that…?”
“The Gates of Heaven,” Shizuku said, awe in her voice. “I’ve never been here, though I’ve read about it. Beyond that gate live the higher angels and the souls of those deemed worthy.”
“We’re still alive right? I mean the powers that run this place didn’t make a mistake and bring us here thinking we died.”
“No, Orin, that isn’t the sort of mistake the angels make. Though I do wonder what prompted them to bring us here.”
The force dragging them along vanished and Orin dropped down to the clouds’ surface. It reminded him of walking on the beach, far more solid than water vapor should be. He took a step toward the gates and one of the lion statues shifted to look at him. It bared fangs as long as his middle finger.
Orin froze. “Those aren’t statues, are they?”
“The Golden Lions are the guardians of Heaven’s Gate. I suggest we hold our position and remain very still.”
Orin doubted he could move if he wanted to, not with the gaze of that giant beast skewering him. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long for something to happen.
A glow appeared in front of the gate and transformed into a giant female form wearing a white robe and carrying a golden spear.
Shizuku lowered her gaze and whispered, “Goddess.”
Orin stared back and forth between his wife and the spirit. “Do you know her?”
“All light-aligned wizards know her, at least by reputation. The Goddess is the most powerful angel in Heaven. I never dreamed I’d be in her presence.”
“Raise your head, child,” the Goddess said.
Shizuku obeyed, her eyes wide.
“You wonder why I’ve brought you here.”
“Yes, Goddess.”
Orin had never seen Shizuku so overwhelmed. He wasn’t sure if he should be afraid or happy for her.
“I have a message for you. Conryu Koda is safe and well.”
A thousand-pound weight lifted off Orin’s shoulders. At last some good news.
“He is completing a ritual that will grant him great power. Power he and your world desperately need if you’re to survive the half-elf. I pity him, having to shoulder the burden of our blessing. It is as much curse as blessing. I have looked in his eyes and heart; he has the strength.” The Goddess started to fade away. “Hold on a little longer. He will return soon.”
She vanished and the sensation of movement returned. When they stopped again Shizuku cast a spell that created a window revealing the Department parking lot. They were back where they started.
The view shifted. Nothing remained of the government complex but rubble. Beyond the complex, the city burned. It looked like someone had set off a nuclear bomb.
Shizuku chanted and a portal opened. Back in the real world a charred smell filled the air and smoke drifted everywhere. How were they ever going to fix all this?
A loud crash came from the ruins to their left. Rubble shifted and Shizuku stepped in front of him. What was going to try and kill them now?
Seconds later a long cylinder punched out of the debris followed by a massive steel body mounted on six legs. The machine clattered over the stone and twisted metal like it was nothing.
“Is that…” Shizuku trailed off.
“The fire tank.” Orin let out a sigh.
The tank clattered over toward them, stopped, and lowered itself to the ground. A hatch on the roof opened and Connie Koda popped up.
“Are you guys okay? When the building started to collapse I feared the worst. Where’s Sho?”
Orin shared a look with his wife then said, “I’ll tell her.”
Connie climbed down and dusted off her greasy coveralls. Her hair stuck out in at least five directions and more grease smeared her face. “I was putting some finishing touches on the tank when the building fell. I made it inside by the skin of my teeth, but the rest of my team got crushed. I’m so glad you guys are okay.”
“We’re glad to see you too. Connie, there’s no easy way to say this so I’m just going to say it. Sho’s dead. The wizard that brought down the buildings killed him.”
Connie trembled and Orin caught her as her knees gave out. “Dead?”
“He tried to protect the injured,
” Shizuku said. “He defeated one wizard, but the second was too strong. I’m so sorry.”
She sobbed into Orin’s shoulder and he held her until the worst of it passed.
“We do have some good news,” Orin said. “According to a spirit we spoke to, Conryu is alive and well and hopefully on his way soon.”
“Thank god,” Connie whispered. “If I’d lost them both…”
She didn’t need to say any more. If anything happened to Maria and Shizuku it would have destroyed Orin. He didn’t know how Connie would cope, but he swore to himself that he’d do everything within his power to help her.
“She’s coming,” Malice said. She had rejoined the president in his office after watching the destruction of Sentinel City on the feed from the city’s camera network. Even the emperor’s elite guard couldn’t do more than hold her off for five minutes. Those women were far stronger than all but a handful of the Alliance’s wizards. If they couldn’t do it, no one could.
Well, maybe one person, but no one knew where the hell he was.
The president stared at her. “And?”
“And we need to find a more secure location. I suggest the survival bunker under your residence.”
“She won’t be able to reach us there?” He sounded both optimistic and terrified.
“If Morgana is determined to kill us, there’s nowhere she can’t reach us. I’m hoping she’ll be content to destroy the city and move on.”
“Destroy the city. Nearly ten million people live in Central. We can’t abandon them to her mercy.”
Malice dearly wanted to swat him upside the head, but if she did he might not let her come along to the bunker. “There’s nothing else we can do. Every wizard in the city will fight, including the students and teachers from the Academy. They’ll do their best, just as they did in Sentinel, but it won’t matter. She’s simply too strong.”
“You’re in charge of these things, think of something. Come up with a plan.”
Malice shook her head. “I did. We hide in the bunker and after she leaves come out to oversee the rebuilding. You need to stop thinking of Morgana as a person and think of her as a natural disaster. You can’t fight an earthquake. It does what it’s going to do and you pick up the pieces.”
“What’s to keep her from coming back as soon as I show my face?”
“Nothing. The only hope we have is that at some point she expends her anger. Assuming anyone’s still alive, we can worry about the future then.”
He stood up straight behind his desk. “As head of state it’s my duty to survive. As head of the Department of Magic, it’s your job to deal with magical threats. I’ll be in my bunker. I look forward to hearing of your successful defense of the city.”
Son of a bitch! She knew he’d always resented the power she wielded in her official position and as a Kincade, but Malice had always doubted he had the guts to do anything about it. Still, he hadn’t become president by missing an opportunity. When Malice failed, he’d blame the destruction on her, then step in to oversee the rebuilding.
His intentions were very clear and clever. “You can’t run the government without me. You’ll need Kincade Industries to handle the rebuilding.”
A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “And you imagine your daughter will refuse to do the work if you’re not here? I’ve met her several times and I’m confident she won’t turn down the contracts on behalf of a dead woman.”
He came around the desk, nodded, and said. “Best of luck, Malice.”
The president left her standing stupidly in his office as he and his guards hustled off to the bunker. Malice clenched her fist. She’d show him. She’d show them all. One way or another she’d survive what was coming and emerge even stronger. And when she did, her betrayer would suffer like he couldn’t imagine.
9
Master of the Library
Conryu had been following the naiad for some time when she stopped and pointed. In the distance a wavering light flashed. He squinted, trying to bring it into focus, but the warping of the water made it impossible.
“The Coral City,” she said. “I told you I could find it.”
“I never doubted it.”
He said that, but the truth was he doubted the trip would be this simple. Find my city, the spirit said. Well, he’d found it. Hopefully using a guide wasn’t against the rules. Conryu really didn’t want to be stuck in the library with Angus for the rest of eternity.
“Shall we complete our journey?” she asked.
“Lead on.”
They swam on, if you called willing yourself through water that provided no resistance swimming. Eventually the city grew bigger and the details of towers connected by bridges came into focus. Everything appeared to be made of coral, no surprise given the city’s name.
They reached the outskirts and a forest of coral that separated the city from the rest of the realm. “Is there a path?”
“It’s constantly shifting. The coral forest serves to keep the less intelligent predators from bothering the citizens. Don’t worry, as we move through it, the path will form for us. Just concentrate on reaching the city.”
Maybe this was the test, to discover if he had the mental focus to make it through the forest. He followed the naiad in, still nervous about the water spirit’s intentions. If the maze was the test he could have just appeared here. There had to be more to it.
A shrill scream from his guide snapped him out of his musings. A pair of monsters, like ten-foot-tall humanoid sharks, one resembling a hammerhead and the other a tiger shark, blocked their path. One of them had grabbed the naiad and held her in one hand.
Conryu readied a spell, but the second monster raised its hand. “Conflict is unnecessary. You may pass in exchange for this sacrifice.”
This was the test. Did he have the determination to sacrifice his companion to complete the mission?
He locked gazes with the terrified naiad. If he left her behind, he’d never be able to face himself, much less her sister.
Right or wrong he made his choice. “Freeze!”
Magic lashed out, transforming the shark creatures to ice. Conryu smashed the fingers holding his guide.
“Are you okay?”
She hugged him, her whole body trembling. “Why did you save me? You could have completed your task and received the spirit’s blessing without taking that chance.”
“You don’t leave your friends behind. Not ever. We came this far together and we’ll go the rest of the way together.”
She let go and smiled. “Shall we?”
The remainder of their journey through the coral forest took only a few minutes. They emerged at the edge of the city where the water tornado waited. The naiad fell to her knees and bowed her head.
“You attacked my guards to rescue this little one. Why? I ordered them to let you pass.”
“They said they wanted her for a sacrifice. I wasn’t willing to give her up.”
It wasn’t possible to read the emotions of a tornado, but the spirit’s glowing eyes blinked a couple times. “She’s just a naiad. There are millions of them in the realm of water.”
Conryu crouched down and stroked her hair. “I don’t care how many there are. This one answered my call and guided me here, asking nothing in exchange. She deserved my protection, earned it with her loyalty. I wouldn’t have changed anything about what happened.”
“Even if it costs you my blessing?”
Conryu straightened and looked right into the spirit’s eyes. “Even—”
The naiad leapt up between them. “No! It’s not right. Conryu shouldn’t be punished for my carelessness. Destroy me if you wish, but don’t deny him what he’s earned.”
“So be it.”
Power gathered around the spirit. A beam of pale-blue energy lanced toward the naiad.
“Break!” A sphere of dark magic streaked from Conryu’s outstretched hand and negated the attack.
“How dare you!” The water vibrated with the
spirit’s anger.
“I defended her from your guards and I will protect her from you.”
The naiad grabbed his arm. “You mustn’t.”
“Master, this isn’t a good idea,” Prime said.
Conryu ignored them both. He’d jumped through all the hoops he was going to. He played the spirits’ games, answered their questions, but damned if he was going to let an innocent die for him.
“You will not harm her.”
“I’ll deny you my blessing!” the spirit roared.
“I don’t want the blessing of anyone willing to kill an innocent just to prove how strong he is. You will not harm her, not while I have life in me.”
“Then rot in the library for eternity.” The giant spirit vanished, leaving them alone at the edge of the city.
The naiad cried. “Why did you do that? I’m nobody, a minor spirit of little value. You sacrificed everything to save me. Why?”
He brushed her tears away. A tricky thing when you were completely surrounded by water. “It was the right thing to do. I’ll take the blessing of the weakest spirit before I’d take anything from a bully like that.”
The naiad smiled and kissed his cheek. “Then I grant you my blessing.”
He watched in silent awe as she expanded in size and presence until she towered over him. “I am Neptunia and you have passed the final test. Congratulations, Chosen of all Elements. The staff is yours to wield and the library will obey your will. I know you shall use them well.”
He blinked and found himself back in the library, the staff in his hand, freed from its frozen position. The Librarian smiled. “Well done, Master of the Library.”
Maria looked up from her books. “Do we have to leave?”
“I thought you wanted to try the ring.”
Her eyes widened. “Of course I do.”
She rushed around the table to join him, pausing halfway over to glare at the Librarian. “Don’t move my books.”
The ghost ignored her and looked at Conryu. “Master?”
Death Incarnate: Aegis of Merlin Book 7 (The Aegis of Merlin) Page 12