Sorcerer’s Waltz: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (Scions of Magic Book 6)

by TR Cameron

  He shook his head. “Okay, then I guess the next question is whether this is good for the Zatoras or bad for them, and good for us or bad for us.” He paused to consider the angles. While he had no desire to see Usha hurt and would do what he could to make sure that didn’t occur, he didn’t have an issue with Grisham making a move. In fact, it would set up what came next very well with the proper evidence planted and the appropriate story told. “I can’t see a reason not to other than the fact that it’s sudden. Can you?”

  They exchanged glances and Dalton shrugged. “We couldn’t think of one either, except that we thought you might not want it to happen.”

  In the most neutral voice possible, he asked, “What do you mean?”

  She sighed. “Let’s put our cards on the table here. You’re with the Zatoras, but you’re not with them any more than we are. Not like we are with you. They’re only…a means to an end. And to be clear, we have no problem with that. We’ve made our choice and think you’ll bring us the most success.”

  Dalton nodded. “Yep. What you say, goes. We don’t need to know why if you don’t want to share, although you’re always welcome to bounce ideas off us. Working with you provides everything we want. And Grisham…well, he’s clearly unpredictable.”

  “We don’t like unpredictable,” his partner added. “Unpredictable gets people killed. There’s nothing wrong with seizing the moment, but this is something else entirely.” She shrugged. “Tell us what you want us to do and we’ll do it. Kill the woman, kill the Zatoras trying to kill the woman, whatever.”

  Ozahl considered them thoughtfully. Aside from Danna, he’d never had such a clear pledge of loyalty from anyone before and he discovered that he liked it.

  Maybe this is what it will be like when we’re a noble house. One can hope. He nodded. “We’ll let it play out. Try to think of a way to get yourself assigned to one of the least likely ones, though. Grisham underestimates our enemy time and time again. Whoever does draw the short straw will find themselves with a tiger by the tail.”

  I’ll make sure of it.

  He kept the clock running in his mind. It was down to three hours, which was more than enough time to accomplish what he needed to do. He portaled to his apartment and hurried to the walk-in closet. It would require either a magician of far greater skill than his or a truly accomplished architect to detect the hidden panel at the rear of the space. He deactivated the wards and used his telekinesis to slide it aside on its concealed tracks. Behind the false wall was what he thought of as his costume shop, an array of outfits for almost any occasion.

  His skill with illusion would be adequate to impersonate clothing but he liked to use what the movies called practical effects wherever possible so he could limit his use of magic to the essentials. It was less to control in his brain, which allowed him more space to deal with unexpected events. He transformed into the woman who had dined with Danna before and donned a blue suit, blouse, stockings, and heels. It was like putting on another skin as the items helped him remember to change his walk and his posture—all the things that simple illusion wouldn’t take care of.

  He could have sent a text to Danna but he wanted to be there in person to tell her and to give her a plausible excuse for leaving. They feared electronic interception more than the discovery of his ability to appear as several of her former partners. She’d provided him with her planned movements for the day, exactly as she always did and as he always did for her. They did their best to leave nothing to chance.

  But here comes Rion Damn Bastard Bloody Grisham to mess that up royally. He shook his head in annoyance and checked his appearance in the mirror. He snagged a pair of obnoxious hoop earrings, stuck them in his earlobes, and portaled to where he guessed she’d be.

  After searching the first club with growing irritation, he decided it was more likely she’d been and gone than that she’d not been there yet, so he headed to the next. It was an upscale bar that catered to the magical community and while nonmagicals were technically allowed, it was rare to see them in significant numbers. The venue had a vibe that tended to make them uncomfortable, an aura of power that set their teeth on edge as he’d heard it described.

  Ozahl had been there before on several occasions, and while the bouncer didn’t recognize him, the hundred-dollar bill he produced from his clutch purse and handed over was enough to get him in. The Atlantean contingent was immediately obvious—two young toughs in business suits with long, wild hair that no businessperson would ever wear. He made his way slowly across the room and made sure his stride was appropriate to his gender and his alleged status as a club-goer.

  A quick stop at the bar for a drink added a cosmopolitan to go with the image, and he carried it toward the group. When he moved closer, he located Danna in a booth, chatting up one of the wealthiest wizards in town—one who felt no need to bother with politics, the council, or anything other than his own pleasure. She’d mentioned that the man was trying to get her into bed with him and also that it would never, ever happen.

  The nearest guard, to his credit, tried to stop him as she approached. “Sorry, miss, this is a private gathering.”

  He shook his head and grinned. “I think once your boss sees me, she’ll decide that she and I should have a private gathering.” He added volume and flirtation to the last words, and those at the table turned to look at him. With a smile, he met Danna’s gaze and extended his arms. “Darling, so good to see you again.”

  She stood with a broad smile and hugged him. “And you. Would you care to join us? I could introduce you to my friend here.” She gestured toward the wizard.

  Ozahl shook his head. “I’m afraid I only have a few minutes to spend with you before I need to be off. Perhaps your handsome companion would let me borrow you for a moment?” They’d trapped him well, and the wizard nodded magnanimously. He drew Diana to a corner and whispered, “It’s tonight. Two and a half hours. In the car.”

  She laughed as if he’d made a joke, but her eyes were cold and hard. “Any change in plan?” They’d agreed that they would do whatever they could to keep Usha safe, as long as it didn’t endanger their larger goal. He was reasonably sure that Danna would ignore the last part of the agreement if push came to shove, and it was likely that he would too.

  Burning it all down by force is always an option but not a preferable one.

  He nodded. “Of course not, darling.” He offered her a sip of the drink, and she took it to cover his next words. “I’ll need to be visible elsewhere to avoid suspicion. And she has to be in the car or we’ll be outed. Have her take route three.”

  Danna smiled. “I have it covered. Now, come over and let me introduce you.” He followed her and marveled at the way she turned the interruption into a bonus for her client, the opportunity to meet one more person he could try unsuccessfully to convince to share his bed. He waved his goodbyes a few moments later and portaled home to change again. It would require a few conversations to ensure that neither he nor his dedicated followers were present for the fight that was about to break out between the Zatoras and the Atlantean gang.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  In order to avoid revealing her inside knowledge, Danna had been forced to move less quickly than she would have liked once she extracted herself from the club. She feigned exhaustion and ordered her driver to take them to the Shark Nightclub, closed her eyes, and reclined in the leather back seat to consider how best to respond to the Zatora leader’s gambit.

  Avoiding it entirely wasn’t an option. That would betray the existence of a source near Grisham, which absolutely needed to remain a secret until the very last moments of the game. With that off the table, precious few additional choices remained that would keep Usha safe but also give the impression that they’d been taken by surprise.

  It was up to her to choose the right one and if she screwed it up, she and Usha would both likely lose their lives before the end of the night. That Ozahl would destroy Grisham and all his people immediate
ly after provided little consolation.

  By the time they pulled into the garage next door to the club, she thought she had found a solution. The hardest part would be lying to Usha, something she’d never been all that good at. The woman had an uncanny ability to read her—and, in fact, to read anyone. It was one of the things that had made her so formidable during her rise to champion. That and her complete unwillingness to give up.

  Her escorts activated the staircase that led to the underground tunnel and a few moments later, she was in the office waiting for her boss to arrive. She busied herself at the bar cart mixing two strong drinks of dark rum and pineapple juice and counted off the seconds it would take for the man she’d sent to reach the main room and convince the Atlantean leader to join her. The clock ticked in her head beneath the louder countdown to the time that Usha usually left the club.

  Everything has to seem normal, even though it is anything but. She took a seat on the couch, perched on the edge of the cushion with her spine straight and her mind racing, and waited.

  The other woman arrived more quickly than she’d expected. She sat across from her and took the drink, and Danna ordered, “Out,” to the helper who had lingered. He shut the door softly behind him as he exited.

  “Okay, what?” Usha asked. “You look like you’re ready to snap.”

  She nodded. “Grisham’s planning to kill you tonight.”

  The news had a visible impact. The leader lifted her drink to her lips with a slightly trembling grasp and drank half of it. After a moment, she mastered herself and dispatched whatever weakness had momentarily influenced her. “Okay. I presume we have time to plan since there’s no running and screaming going on.” She managed a wry smile.

  Danna laughed. “Leave it to you to make a joke out of something so important. Yes, there’s time to plan.”

  Usha shrugged. “Sometimes, things need to be put in the proper perspective. Humor helps.” She frowned. “First question—when and how?”

  Her leader’s tone made her feel like a new recruit called upon to report. “On your drive home. They intend to hit you in the car on the way. I don’t know any more than that.”

  “Second question—how do you know any of this?”

  This was the tricky part. She needed to sell the answer so the woman would believe her. This was the only way the information would be trusted and proper precautions could be taken. She’d rehearsed it several times, but it still sounded rough in her ears. “I’ve cultivated a source inside their gang. I didn’t want to mention it until I was sure about him and honestly, I’m still not completely positive. But acting on this material doesn’t hurt us if he’s wrong.”

  She stopped and took a sip, then gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I know I’m all over the place. This has me a little shaken up. Anyway, he’s an addict, and it was a simple matter to have one of the girls get him hooked on Shine.” The Atlanteans had several women and men willing to pretend romantic interest if it helped the gang compromise a target. “So we have him both ways—we can either cut off his supply or burn him to his boss.” She cringed inwardly at so many lies but they were reasonable ones. She waited as the other woman considered her words.

  Finally, Usha nodded. “Okay. You’re right. Whether the intel is correct or not doesn’t matter. We should plan as if it is. But if it turns out to be good, you need to protect this source. Having someone on the inside would be invaluable.”

  Successfully deceiving her friend cut Danna deeply but far less than watching her die would. She exhaled in relief. “Great. Yes. Okay, so I thought we could handle it this way…”

  They’d selected the most heavily armored car they owned for the run, an old Crown Victoria that had been gutted and rebuilt for strength. It guzzled gas like a drunk downed whiskey, but it was still one of the three Usha commonly used for the trip home. Each of them had tinted windows, which would work in their favor tonight.

  Three guards entered the car with them. One drove while another rode shotgun, and the third sat between her and Usha in the back. Each was a proficient caster but also adept with mundane weapons. They carried rifles, which were the heaviest weapons Usha had thought they could have inside and still maintain deniability. Danna would have preferred that someone already be holding the grenade launcher stored in the trunk, but she’d had to agree it would look wrong.

  Since she didn’t normally ride home with Usha, a disguise was required. Her ever-present suit was gone, replaced by the standard jeans and hoodie uniform of the gang. Spikes crowned her head, her short hair arranged in a style she’d never before worn. A little makeup changed the lines of her face and made her seem heavier than her true weight, an illusion reinforced by the baggy clothes. Unless someone got close, her identity should remain undetected.

  And if they do get that close, they’ll have to die. It was a simple deduction and she had no problem with it. They’d known there would be casualties on the way to their goals. The only hard and fast rule was that she, Ozahl, and Usha wouldn’t be among them.

  The guard between them appeared nervous. He grasped and released the barrel of his rifle with his off-hand as they neared the place where the ambush would most likely occur. She hadn’t received word of the final positions of the enemy forces but it didn’t matter. When it came, they would be ready for it. They’d judged the likelihood highest that it would happen during the longest straight stretch of buildings on the drive since it would prevent them from being able to turn off.

  “Thirty seconds until we’re in the tube,” the driver said,

  Usha nodded. “Good. Keep your eyes open, and if you see anything at all, you gun it.” After much discussion, they’d decided that their foes would expect them to stop in surprise or try to flee in reverse. The heavy body of the Crown Vic would win a collision with most other vehicles, especially if it was something that rode high like an SUV. That would be their foes’ first shock. The second would be far more surprising for an opponent expecting a quick victory.

  They made a turn and the driver warned them, “It could be any time now.” In the next moment, they lurched forward and a loud crash behind them indicated that whatever explosive device the enemy had launched at the car had missed. Danna twisted to look over her shoulder and saw a black Escalade pull into the street behind them.

  The guard in the passenger seat yelled, “Trouble,” and she whipped her head around to see a matching vehicle ahead.

  Her boss’s voice was calm. “Okay. Stop and bail.” The Crown Vic had reached the position they’d selected, where walkways into the recessed entries of the surrounding buildings would give them cover on either side. Tires squealed as they came to a halt, thrust the doors open, and sprinted into safety.

  As planned, Usha and Danna turned as soon as they’d found something to hide behind and hurled fireballs at the enemies in the rear. The SUV swerved to the side to evade the magic but wasn’t fast enough. The enemy vehicle caught fire and the Zatora soldiers fled. Their guard cut them down methodically with his rifle, while Usha hurled more magic at those who had launched the failed attack on the car.

  Danna turned to check the front, where Zatoras fired from behind the SUV that had stopped sideways across the road. A bullet ripped through the magical shield the driver held and spun him to land heavily on the hood. The rounds that followed felled him completely.

  “Anti-magic bullets,” she yelled. They’d assumed the enemies would have them and had planned accordingly. The guard who’d been in the rear with them raced to the trunk, retrieved the launcher, and distributed smoke grenades in a circle around the Atlantean position. Usha, Danna, and the remaining guards flung fireballs in every direction and fell back to Usha’s side. Under cover of the drifting fog and the protection of the flames, she summoned a portal and everyone else stepped through.

  Danna’s last act before she left was to discharge a fireball into the Crown Vic and it exploded magnificently.

  Let’s see how you like that, Rion Grisham, you scum
bag. No evidence that we were aware in advance, only proof we’re better than your people. With a wide grin, she followed the others into the portal to safety.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  When the Empress had refused to commune with her magically, Usha had immediately set out for New Atlantis. The docks at midday were filled with a bustle of activity. She surveyed the area automatically and searched for threats and for those who might want to take a shot at the champion even now, years after she’d last been in the city’s limelight.

  With a shake of her head, she ascended the stairs to the city. Empress Shenni’s choice to meet in person wasn’t unusual but it was inconvenient. It was impossible to know what Grisham was up to on the surface while she was down there. On the plus side, arguably, she’d be safe from any follow-up attacks.

  From the Zatoras, anyway. She searched constantly for Caliste Leblanc, who might have discovered cause to throw the rulebook away and attack her. There was no way to tell when the information that the girl’s parents had died at her hand would come out and no way to predict the result when it did. Usha had been equal parts amused and distrustful when their newest enemy had requested a meeting.

  One challenge at a time. Save that for later. She crossed into the part of the city that held the noble houses but didn’t spare them any of her attention. Her eyes were on the palace and on the people who might be a threat. She’d never be one of the Nine and had no family line to offer. Only herself, and her loyalty, which was owned by the Empress she served.

  The guards at the outer circle of the royal grounds permitted her to pass without challenge, as did those closer in. Clearly, word of her impending arrival had spread. Thus, she wasn’t surprised to see Gwyn waiting for her at the entrance. The Empress’s seneschal was in formal clothes, robes that reached the floor and hid her shoes in a black and scarlet wave pattern.