by TR Cameron
Her voice was soft when she spoke as the atmosphere seemed to require it of her. “The gang is ready to make its move.”
His breath hitched for a moment before he blew it out with a satisfied sound. “It’s about time.”
Danna gave a small but heartfelt laugh. “Right? I thought I would lose my mind.”
“What’s the plan?”
“It’s a good one. It would be, coming from Usha. First, we’ll begin to pull back the drug supplies, both the one for magicals and the one for humans. Word on the street will blame the Zatoras in general and Rion Grisham in particular.”
She felt him nod. “That’s a smart ploy, playing to public opinion. It’s a shame we can’t tell her what we’re up to and use that clever mind. We’ll make it up to her after, though.”
Danna was silent for almost a minute. If she hated anything about the plans she’d made with Ozahl, it was the knowledge that her boss and best friend would inevitably be hurt by them, potentially grievously. She’d accepted the necessity of it long before but it nonetheless still wounded her anew each time she realized what their ambitions might cost Usha.
But after, when we have our own noble house, she will see what we did was for the greater good. And we can take care of her for the rest of her life.
Her partner interrupted her train of thought. “So, what then?”
“The main objective is to remove one of Grisham’s lieutenants. It’s our guess he’ll feel the need for a funeral, something big and noticeable, if that were to occur. Does that agree with what you know about him?”
“Yeah.” He sounded thoughtful. “Especially if someone further down the chain dropped the suggestion in his ear. I can make that happen. How will you do it?”
She chuckled. “Well, that’s where you come in.”
Laughter accompanied his reply. “Oh, is it? Okay, I think I can come up with an idea or three. What’s Plan B?”
“Ugly. Plan B is ugly for everyone. Let’s not talk about that right now.”
His frown could be clearly felt in the way his body tensed under her. “Fine. Keep your secrets. But give me this, at least. Are you safe?”
Danna sighed. “Only time will tell, my love. Only time will tell.”
Chapter Four
Rion Grisham wasn’t at his best in the afternoon. Truly, he hit his stride at the start of the evening and held it into the early morning. But some things had to be done outside normal hours for the sake of secrecy. And today’s conversation had to remain entirely secret lest his complicated plan go awry.
He strode into the back room of a restaurant they’d never used before, where his three lieutenants awaited him. They all nodded a greeting, which he returned briskly. Colin Todd, the besuited man who most resembled a handsome accountant, was as immaculate as always. Ozahl, his pet mage, was even more sloppily dressed than usual in loose black jeans and an oversized blue denim work shirt. Despite the man’s appearance, he had complete confidence that the magical had searched for and eliminated any arcane surveillance, exactly as Todd would have done with the physical kind. His third underling wore an ill-fitting dark suit that his muscles distorted at the biceps and thighs.
The Zatora leader took his seat at the top of the table, with the humans on his left and the mage on his right. He noticed that the latter had a mole growing on his cheek and shook his head. He can look any way he likes, and this is what he chooses. Ozahl’s ability with illusion was unmatched in Grisham’s experience, not that he was an expert. He took what he could get, and the list of magicals willing to betray their own kind on behalf of a human criminal organization was as small as one would expect. He counted himself lucky to have the magical under his command.
It didn’t alter the fact that he disliked the man or that he had put feelers out for a possible replacement. While Ozahl met and sometimes exceeded expectations, there was something about him that made it difficult to trust him fully. His boss had long since developed a nagging instinct that the man would somehow betray him but until he’d found a way to resolve the situation, he intended to make full use of what the magical had to offer. And, of course, to watch him closely while he did so.
He paused when the food arrived. His underlings always handled the orders and knew his preferences. The lamb chop that appeared in front of him looked amazing, and he took the first mouthfuls with relish and enjoyed the simple pleasure of eating. He tried to take his time with at least one meal a day and to keep his obsessive mind from grinding over the same thoughts again and again. Today, though, it didn’t seem to work. It was far too big a day to permit distractions. He sampled the side dish of pasta, which was utterly average, and swallowed a few large sips of the red wine at his right hand. Finally, he put his utensils down and gazed at his people.
“So. The time has come. We will not wait any longer. The damn Atlanteans are squeezing us out of our own territory, and the doubly damned magical council has involved themselves more and more. We knew they were protecting the girl, but it appears they’re doing more than that. We have it on good authority that they intend to attack us.”
His people looked confused, and rightfully so. He’d made up the story to justify his desire to punch the magical community squarely in the teeth. But they don’t need to know that.
Ozahl asked, “What authority is that?” His tone was mild but Grisham still heard the challenge in it.
He replied with a grin. “You’re not the only one with sources, my friend. The little birds, they speak to me.” He gestured around him and the men on his left laughed. “In any case, I am convinced we need to deal with both of them—now and decisively.”
Jack Strang flexed his muscles, and his boss was certain the suit would surrender to the pressure. His voice was appropriately deep. “Hell yeah, boss. It’s about time.”
Todd nodded. “Past time, if you ask me.” Both of their heads swiveled to regard the mage, who replied with a sigh.
“Cool. If it’s time, it’s time. What’s the plan?”
The Zatora leader showed his teeth in a grin. “First, we gather intel. I want to know everything about the witch who leads the Atlanteans. Where she eats, where she sleeps, and if she has friends or family. The same applies to the one who’s not sure if she’s a boy or a girl.” The humans laughed at the reference, but the mage merely maintained the same expression, locked somewhere between doubt and acceptance. “Todd, Strang, that’s your task. Ozahl, you find out who our easiest target on the council is—the higher the better. Obviously, you’ll lead that part of it.”
The magical sat straighter and took a sip from the wine in front of him, then deliberately cut and ate a piece of his steak before he replied. “Obviously, but it’s probably best if I’m there for both, don’t you think? It would be a huge mistake to underestimate the Atlanteans because they’re women.”
Grisham stared at him. “I don’t underestimate anyone, Ozahl. But thanks for the advice.” The rebuke had no effect and simply slid off the man like everything else seemed to. But the others would receive a lesson, both about their boss’s unwillingness to accept backtalk and about their fellow’s weak efforts to confront him. “Now, let’s finish our meal, have dessert, and talk about how we’ll destroy these bastards for good.”
Ozahl was in an uncharacteristic rage, although he hid it behind an illusion of normality, this one physical discipline rather than magical talent. In his head, he screamed at the memory of Grisham before he launched a wall of blades at the man.
Too bad it’s only a dream. For the moment.
He’d said his farewells to the others outside the restaurant doors and found a nearby vacant alley. A portal took him to another part of the city, where he emerged from the shadows across from one of the nightclubs his most trusted helpers frequented.
His text had brought no response, which was usually the case when they were at the Rexy. It was arguably a dance club, with the requisite go-go girls dancing in cages mounted on pedestals above the dangerously packed
dance floor. The large bar that filled the entry area was seven-deep, and the music throbbed and the hip-hop drums made his teeth ache.
After a moment, he decided his quarry would be on the upper level, and he threaded his way through the dancers to reach the stairs. They were guarded by two men in tight t-shirts and jeans. Their heavy boots looked like they had seen action already that night, to judge by the drops of red that glistened on them. He inclined his head toward the second floor, and the nearest guard stared at him. With a sigh, the mage slid a hand into his back pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. He trickled power into the man that made him see it as a hundred and suddenly, the path was open before him.
As he climbed the staircase slowly, he let his senses stretch ahead to seek any anomalies or dangers that might await him. Nothing returned to him and he mounted the top step with a sense of satisfaction. The music was muted there, reflected away by suspended panels that bounced the sound waves in different directions. To the left and the right were service bars, and private booths lined the walls that led toward the front of the room. Red leather and black wood, they were filled with the club’s more affluent patrons who were served by go-go dancers awaiting their shift in the cages.
None of that mattered to him. A search in both directions revealed his quarry at the far end of the right side. Ozahl strode to their table, which they shared with four others. An open bottle of Gray Goose and numerous shot glasses littered the surface before them. He waved as he arrived and the duo sent their guests away.
Once they were gone, he slid into the booth beside the man. He was in his usual business casual look, with straight hair swept carefully to the side, an expensive watch, khakis, and a button-down. As long as you didn’t look into his eyes, you might even buy it. The blonde woman stared at him with the look she sometimes got as if she considered making a move on him but realized it was a bad idea. He had no interest in anyone other than Danna at the moment and couldn’t be bothered to pretend, even though Lila’s flawless good looks drew attention to one degree or another
“So, any success?” he asked.
She shrugged. “We broke up a couple of Atlantean drug deals but they faded rather than fought.”
The man nodded. “It’s become boring. They’re all about the long game, apparently.”
“Yeah, well, it turns out Grisham isn’t. We need to work on some stuff.”
Both gazes swiveled to stare at him. Dalton said, “We’ll finally attack the Atlanteans,?”
The mage nodded. “But not only them. Our friend Rion has decided it’s time to take on everyone, all at once.”
The woman turned her laugh into a cough. “That’s…unsound.”
“Yeah, but it’s what the boss wants.”
She shook her head. “What do you need us to do?”
“Two things, both more important than anything you have going. When this is over, I’ll cover any losses you incur and add extra.” While the Zatora crime syndicate paid its soldiers, these two were in it for the bigger scores, usually whatever was removed from a beaten or killed target. They nodded in agreement. “The first thing is that one of you needs to keep an eye on the enemy leader whenever she’s awake. Her name is Usha. Do whatever you can to make sure you track her movements. We need to put together a picture of her life.”
“So we plan to hit her?” Dalton asked,
Ozahl sighed. “That’s Grisham’s plan. I’m not sure it’s a great idea, even if aiming for the head holds some appeal. Eliminating her support and negotiating with her might be the better play. We’ll see how it develops. For now, though, for sixteen hours a day or so, you stick with her. Once we have a sense of her routine, we can bring in lower-level people to take over.”
The woman laughed. “And in the wide swath of free time you’ve left us?”
He gave her a thin grin. “Investigate the magical council. I’ll do the same and I’ll share whatever I find with you. We’re looking for the weak link, either the person whose removal will cause the most chaos or the one who’s easiest to get alone. Hell, both, actually. The more we can discover, the better.”
Lila stared at him for a long minute. “You’re on board with this, are you?”
The mage chuckled. “You know me too well. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure yet. There are pluses and minuses. My concerns are the same as they’ve always been—how we can get the most reward for the least risk. A big strike has the potential for the right ratio but only if we totally control the scenario. That’s why I need you both on the job.”
With another faint smile, he stood. “Tomorrow’s soon enough, though. Enjoy your evening.” He passed the other four people as they returned laughing to the table and shook his head. The two were skilled, dependable, and entirely hedonistic in their downtime. They were as far as could be from the discipline and control he and Danna displayed.
For the moment. Eventually, our time will come, and our new lives will make everyone around us envious.
As he stepped onto the street, Ozahl sighed and muttered under his breath. “Now all I need to do is decide which of the boss’s helpers needs to die and how best to do it. Easy-peasy.” He strode into the darkness, deep in thought.
Chapter Five
A giant yawn escaped Cali as she stepped off the final stair that separated her second-floor bedroom from the level that held the all-important coffee maker. She padded down the hall with her arms stretched high overhead and winced at the snap from her back. “Ow.”
A voice from the kitchen asked, “Ow, what?” and she entered with a smile for her great aunt. Emalia was seated at the rectangular table with a teapot and mug nearby. In front of her was the coded book her parents had left in their bunker. The sight of it sparked hope but she pushed it down and headed to the cupboard.
A minute later, she sank into the chair across from the older woman and sipped from the delightfully bitter brew in her cup. With a frown, her companion suggested, “You should really drink tea. It replenishes your power.”
She laughed. “It already feels like it might burst out of me at any moment. I don’t think I can handle any more right now.”
“We’ll add that to the list of things to work on during our training session,” Emalia replied. “But first, we need to talk about information I’ve uncovered.”
“Will I be happy?”
“A little yes, a little no. Such is life, Caliste.”
The sudden formality suggested it would likely be more no than yes. Her great aunt tended to rely on distance when forced to deliver bad news. She, on the other hand, was a rip-off-the-Band-Aid-fast kind of person.
Fyre padded into the room and looked at them both before he chose a place under the table without speaking. He bumped her legs repeatedly, and she pictured him turning like a cat to find the right place to lay down in as if one section of the floor was somehow different from the other. The image dispatched her worry.
As long as I have amazing friends like Emalia, Fyre, Zeb, and Tanyith in my life, everything will be fine. Her internal voice prodded her as to why Wymarc wasn’t on that list. Shut up, you. Me. Whatever.
“So, spill it, woman.” Her grin rendered the comment playful instead of demanding.
Emalia nodded. “The good news first. I’ve discovered the location of another shard and have a line on yet one more.”
Instantly, her smile widened and her words tumbled out in a rush. “That’s fantastic! Where is it? How did you find it? Where’s the other piece?”
Her great aunt chuckled. “Settle down, Caliste. The first is on Earth, in a museum.”
Cali slapped her palms on the table. “All right. Road trip, Fyre.” The Draksa snorted from below but an enthusiasm that matched hers flowed across the connection between them.
The older woman shook her head. “Where you’re going, you can’t use roads. Well, not all the way. It’s in France but I’m not positive where yet. That will require research I’m not able to do here.”
Cali nodded.
The Internet had not reached New Atlantis. Sometimes, technologies would work inside the city—like the coffee maker or the lanterns outside—but she generally assumed they were magicked somehow. Privately, she found the overlaps of magic and technology entirely disconcerting, probably because she didn’t fully understand either side of the equation. “I’ll ask Scoppic for an assist. I’m sure he can help me find the right location.”
“Yes. That is a good plan. Okay…now, the bad news. The book has comments about each of the other houses in here. Certainly, there might be more that I haven’t yet decoded, but long story short, you shouldn’t trust any of them. Your parents sought alliances when their troubles began and discovered that none of the Nine could be relied upon. They had a little more confidence in some rather than others but overall, the sense is that each is solely out for themselves. A house at risk of defeat and dissolution is more likely to bring them as attackers than defenders.”
A chill swept through her, and she forced out the words she really didn’t want to say. “Even House Jehenel?”
Emalia offered her a sympathetic smile. “Even House Jehenel. For what it’s worth, they were not identified as enemies, only as non-allies. And there’s every possibility that things could have changed since then.”
“But no guarantee. I get it. Not a problem. What else?”
Her great aunt winced slightly. “The Empress also cannot be trusted.”
Cali laughed. “That one’s easy. I already don’t trust her.”
“It’s more than that. You should consider her your enemy until she proves not to be, according to your parents’ notes.”
She took a large sip of her cooling coffee and sighed. “So, basically, assume everyone in New Atlantis wants to destroy me.” The woman nodded. “Got it.” Her good mood had evaporated, so the next words from her companion’s mouth were both a positive and a negative.
“Okay. That’s done. Let’s go train.”