Eden's Pawn: Shadow Games Book 1

by C. B. Miller

  “My name is Alex, and while I’d hate for things to get ugly here, we need to see Megan. Everyone is in grave danger, including her. So, if you’d kindly give us permission to your beautiful home, we’d appreciate it.”

  “What do you want with her?”

  “She was involved in the murder of my circle. More importantly though, she’s one of my last leads that might know who ordered it.”

  “Murder? But, that’s not possible.”

  “Let me guess because she’s really sick, right?” I interjected.

  Gregory’s eyes flicked up to me, “How’d you know?”

  “Like my friend here was saying, she’s one of our last leads. We’ve been looking for her for a bit.”

  “You guys need to leave now before I get angry and turn you into newts! And then I’ll cage you and feed you to our cat, eventually! I mean it!” The woman yelled. She jabbed her wand in the air towards us and squared her shoulders.

  Something told me that if she had that kind of power, we’d be in a terrarium already or scrambling for our lives in the yard in tiny, scaly bodies.

  “That’s cute,” Alex grinned at me as her body shifted and rippled. Black feathers sprouted from her flesh, and her face elongated into a beak as she shrunk. A few moments later, her transformation to a crow was complete, and she zoomed off the porch and out of the yard.

  The man swore loudly as a stream of white splatted over his face and hair, drawing a harsh look from the woman. He was busying wiping it out of his hair when Alex appeared behind them, she extended her hands, preparing to cast a spell and froze. Her eyes locked on the contents of the stroller.

  Placing a foot on Gregory’s chest, I whistled at the couple. He was cursing and wiping as much of the bird shit out of his hair while she admonished him for swearing and that Gregory was in real trouble. They both looked up at me, finally noticing that the shotgun was pointed their direction and I gestured for them to turn around. They turned slowly to see Alex within arms reach and next to the stroller. Both of their bodies went rigid as she shook a clawed finger at them.

  “Is there anyone else inside Gregory?” I whispered to the fallen man.

  “Robert is taking care of Megan. She – She isn’t well. What do you want with her?” His voice was brittle as he whimpered.

  “We are here to talk to Megan. That is all. She’s friendly with some people that did my friend Alex, and myself, wrong. Here’s an opportunity to help the good guys. I know you are trying to help, that you all are trying to help Megan, and ultimately so are we. She was involved with some bad people, and we need to find them before they do more bad things.” I was trying to play the good cop to Alex’s bad cop, and doubt in his eyes wasn’t a surprise. I wouldn’t have believed me either if I was in his place. I pointed the shotgun away and emptied the shells out onto the floor.

  The woman squeaked, “How do we know –“

  Alex cut her off with a slashing motion, “You don’t. Just like we don’t know if you’re going to stab us in the back as soon as we get inside. We’re not here for revenge, we have larger problems that need to be dealt with first.” She looked down into the stroller and back at the couple. “Let us talk to her and we’ll be on our way.” She took two steps back and her hands returned to normal.

  I reached down with my freehand and pulled Gregory to his feet. He straightened his rumpled clothes and gave me a sidelong look, “You promise you are only here to talk to her?”

  “Right now, all we’rehere to do is talk. If we have to return...” I let the words hang there letting the not so veiled threat sink it.

  “Ok. You may enter my home.” He resigned.

  Inside, we were joined by a slight man with graying hair, dressed in a blue designer sweat suit that had seen better days. He was covered in green stains that looked more like blood than paint. Gregory whispered something to him, and his smile vanished, replaced by a scowl that distorted the lines in his face created from years of smiling. The man barged down the hallway and out of sight

  Introductions were made that did little to ease the tension in the air as we sat around Gregory’s dining room table.. Gregory and his husband, Robert, ran the safehouse for the wizard community, and Samantha and Tony were another part of their small circle. They too were a married couple, with a young daughter, Tabitha and together all w of the mage community who volunteered to help protect wizards that run afoul of the various powers that be. Nice enough people once the knives were put away.

  Megan was currently their only charge, and while there normally isn’t much need for their services, her state is dire. They offered us coffee and both of us politely refused. The memories of her coven having been drugged and then sacrificed hung in our minds. Robert didn’t take the rejection of his hospitality well and left the room, seething at our presence. Burning down her haven and the death of everyone except Megan had rattled the hedge mages of Chicago as whole. In another day or two and they were going to move her out of Chicago but currently she wasn’t well enough to move.

  A tense silence fell over the room as we stared at each other.

  I nodded towards Alex to lead the conversation. Even though there was a vast gulf between mages and wizards, they were her people. At least in part. Alex had a better chance of reaching them than I did as a wight. Nothing my patron taught prepared me for wizard politics. We needed as much information as possible before it came out that I was the one that killed Bertha and the others, and that Megan initially ran from me. All of that would come out in good time, but they needed the full story before emotions twisted things.

  Alex cleared her throat and Gregory motioned for her to speak from the opposite side of the dining table. Looked down the long wooden dining table at the assembled group of hedge wizards. When it was clear she was ready to speak, all eyes turned to her except for mine. I was watching their body language. I wasn’t ready to trust their pledge of hospitality yet. If they were going to jump us I wanted as much of a warning as possible.

  “It is always good to see how our communities rallies to each others’ aid in times of need.” She began. “I will not mince words. I am not positive that Megan warrants your protection. Indeed, it appears she is apart of a plot that destroyed The Black Oryx, my coven. If it wasn’t for Kaedin here, it is likely that I would be dead. My power stolen.” She pasued to gestured towards me. Samantha tossed me a withering glare full of anger. If she could wield even a portion of Alex’s might I am sure that those daggers would have materialized and cut me to shreds.

  “For those that haven’t put it together completely, Kaedin killed Bertha, destroyed her sanctuary, and decimated her coven. Megan is the lone survivor. We are not here to finish the deed however, we believe someone influenced Bertha and the rest to commit heinous acts against my coven and Kaedin’s 1bliviou. If any of you know anything about this person, tell us what you know please, and we will be on our way.”

  The wizards shifted uncomfortably in their chairs and their eyes wandered about the room for a few seconds.

  “I don’t enjoy killing. I really don’t want to kill fellow wizards either, but Megan’s coven got my coven killed and attempted to kill me. Whatever she is involved with, you do not want to be near ground zero when things go bad. Eight mages, seven of which are laying dead at our sanctum, waiting to be buried. If you don’t have the answers we seek, then she is the only person that may have the answers of who did it and why.”

  Alex ignored my looked when she lied about Mercedes death.

  “You can’t possibly believe that Megan had anything to do with all of that? I can’t believe it, I won’t believe it!” Tony blurted out. His nasally voice piereced the uncomfortable silence and grated on my nerves.

  “Umm yeah. They definitely played the part as they ambushed and killed several of Eden’s brood.” I interjected. This would be so much easier if I still had my phone. Even a video with a bad lighting and a poor angle would be better than trying to convince them I had no intention on harmi
ng Megan.

  Deep inside, I was willing – almost itching for that fight, but something about how the Aezzai built a cult-like following had me wondering how much of this was Megan. And how much of this was brainwashing or magical influence. I’ve seen enough people’s minds bent by vampires that it’s entirely possible that none of this was of her choosing.

  The tension in the room thickened as Alex and the rest of the wizards started talking over each other. Stern words, turned into yelling, until I thougth violence was imminent when they stood and began to shout.

  Alex held out her hands, palms facing up and with a flourish brought them swiftly down to her sides. All three wizards dropped into their chairs, arms at their sides, and mouths clamped shut. Her jaw was set, and eyes full of rage as she glowered at them. “And I’m done being polite.”

  I placed a hand on her shoulder, and her head whipped around. For a split-second, I thought she was going to lash out, and I could see her actively holding back the urge to unleash her fury. I held up one finger, and she mouthed, “what?”

  “I realize your pissed and they are in the way, but they are not the enemy. Not really. I have an idea. I’ll be right back.”

  She gave me a curd nod, and I rushed out of the house back to my car. I returned a minute later, and skidded to halt as I entered the dining room. Alex was still standing in front of the dining room table and laying behind her was Robert’s crumpled form. The other three sat silent, rigid in their chairs. A small jolt of relief struck me as I approached when I noticed that Robert was still breathing. He was clutching a butcher’s knife in his hand and I hoped it was more than blind luck that he hadn’t fallen on the blade when Alex paralyzed him.

  I reached into my backpack and pulled out the necromancer’s grimoire. I let it fall from my hands and its heavy thud against the table echoed loudly through the room. Started out of her sleep, Tabitha wailed in her carrier. I cringed and gave everyone an apologetic look.

  “Sorry about that. I’ll make this quick. This is a little bit of collateral, something to prove to you that we’re hear to talk. Just talk. Now, there’s a lot going on here and I know everyone’s on edge – but let’s take a deep breath and realize that finding the Aezzai is more important than our current gripes. I’m willing to let you hang on to this grimoire until we peacefully leave. Do we have a deal?” I gestured for Alex to released them and paid special attention to Robert as he slowly rose to his feet.

  Tony jumped up from his seat to comfort his daughter. She immediately started to settle as he and Samantha soothed her. Gregory remained in his chair with his face tightened and placed his hands on the table.

  “What’s to stop you from just killing us anyway. She obviously can whenever she wants to.” Gregory growled. There was an icy edge in his voice as he pointed at Alex.

  “Look man, I’m trying here.”

  “It’s ok Kaedin. He’s right, there is nothing they can do to stop me without getting the jump on me.” Alex said quietly. She leaned in and stared down Gregory. Through clenched teeth, she hissed, “rescind my invitation.”

  “With pleasure. Alex of the Black Oryx, you are no longer welcome in this home.”

  Soft blue bands of light wrapped around Alex, and she bit her lip, eyes still locked on Gregory. They faded away a few heartbeats later and she shook like dog getting out of water. Her face drew back faintly, and she twitched as she sat down in her chair.

  The four wizards visibly relaxed and I looked around in confusion.

  “Anyone care to explain what just happened?”

  Robert slid his knife back into the butcher block and leaned up against the counter. “We might lack the flash and raw power of mages, but we’ve got one huge upside going for us. Wards. Alex here is suffering the effects of our most effective defense. Anyone trespassing losses access to their magic, and it’s not a pleasant experience.” His gaze shifted to Alex.

  “What about me? You didn’t uninvite me.”

  Gregory shrugged.

  Tony looked up from his daughter and snorted. “Would it matter?”

  “I feel vaguely insulted.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Robert led us down the stairs into a finished basement. Our feet sank into the red and gray carpet at the bottom, and the room opened up to our left. A bar stretched the length of the far wall, while the rest of the room was dominated by a movie theater setup. Two, plush leather recliners, complete with personal beverage coolers, and an oversized couch faced a white wall. Behind the bar were a rich selection of scotches, bourbons, Irish and Japanese whiskeys that lined the built-in display cases . Speakers and a projector were mounted in the ceiling. Through an open doorway across from the movie screen wall, warm light bounced off the gleaming white bathroom floor tiles. Robert lead us to a closed door next to it and signaled for us to wait as he approached it.

  Dim runes lit up green and purple, and grew brighter until it forced me to shield my eyes. The blinding lights disappeared, leaving colors spots in my vision as my sight readjusted. Robert held the door open and nodded his head once toward the room beyond..

  “She’s in there.” He whispered.

  Alex turned to me with a wry smile on her face. “Those runes simply alert the presence of magic and other supernatural creatures. Other than they look pretty they don’t do a thing.”

  “Blinding light is a form of defense.”

  “I guess if you are dumb enough to keep staring into them.”

  “Not all of us know the difference between a glowing detect-y rune and a face-melty type of rune, ya know.”

  Alex stifled a giggle and nudged me toward the room.

  An overpowering mix of lavender, mint, cinnamon, and other herbs I couldn’t immediate identify assaulted my nose as I entered the room and snapped me back into the present. It barely concealed the smell of rotting flesh and infection that poured out from the woman laying on the bed. When I had last seen Megan, she had been healthy, having run out way with the Umbra conduit while I dealt with the rest of her circle. I barely recognized the woman on the bed as her. I had a feeling that the dark magics and powers she was playing with came at a cost and that debt was being called due. Her face was a purple, blue, green, and gray mask of bruises. One cheek was so swollen and discolored that she couldn’t open that eye if she wanted to. Her lips were swollen and cracked. A thin sheet with dark blood stains covered her bodyand her breathing was ragged and uneven.. .

  She opened her good eye as we entered and it widened further in recognition when she saw me. I could see her attempt to lift her right hand, her forefinger trembling as she tried to straighten it, but she was barely able to lift her arm. It made it half-way up in the air towards us and fell helplessly to her side. Her veins bludged, showing black underneath her tanned skin. Several of her fingernails were missing and one was torn in half. Thick blackish blood dripped slowly like syrup from the tiny wound.

  “They are not here to hurt you, Megan. You are not in any more danger. They need to know more about what Bertha was doing and who she was working with my dear. We all do. It will help us with your... situation.” Robert said gently.. He kneeled beside her and tenderly placed her arm back under the thin sheet. She was drenched in sweat, and settled at his touch and words.

  “Do you know who I am Megan?” Alex’s voice was hard as she worked to contain her fury and pain . .

  “Alex Cunningham. A member of the Black Oryx. The only surviving member, as well Despite her condition,Megan’s voice was strong and clearthrough her swollen mouth and face. She couldn’t hide her pain as her body spasms for a moment.

  Alex and I shared a look, before she turned back to Megan.

  “Correct. So, you can guess what I want to know then?”

  “Why you? Why your covern?” Megan shifted in the bed to look directly at Alex. She broke into a faint smile. “Because you were easy marks and unworthy of your Awakening. All of you.”

  Alex clenched her hand into a fist and tightened her jaw
. I placed my hand on her shoulder, and she shook me off.

  “Not exactly what I was looking for.”

  “Oh, just kill me quick and get it over with already.”

  “Megan!” Robert placed his hand on her. “They promised to help you.”

  She chuckled dryly, “I’ve heard a lot of broken promises recently.”

  I stepped forward, forcing Megan to look at me as I partially blocked her view of Alex. “I take it your benefactor wasn’t all that pleased that you abandoned Bertha back there and did this to you?”

  She weakly gestured to herself, “He did this to all of us. It made us ready for the True Awakening. Of course, there’s risks in everything worth doing. You met Rebecca. She wasn’t worthy of his gift, and it destroyed her mind.”

  “What do you mean True Awakening?” Alex growled.

  “For one circle to rise, another must fall,” Megan laughed. It was a hollow, empty sound, devoid of compassion.

  I blocked Alex with my arm and shook my head. Malice gleamed in Megan’s eye as she watched Alex fume, and she smiled, grinding her teeth as another wave of pain rippled through her. Tiny little bumps moved underneath her skin as she struggled to hold her eye open.

  “Why didn’t you kill Alex along with the rest of her circle then? Why snag her before killing them.”

  “Needs of the ritual. They weren’t sure when we’d be able to acquire the final piece.”

  “Ekurzakir’s Judgment.”

  Megan nodded.

  Alex’s words cut like knives through the air, “You said ‘they’ earlier, not we.”

  Megan looked to Robert, “You said they were here to help me.” Her hand feebly gripped his arm. “But they just want the secrets for themselves, can’t you see. We have to stick together.” She seethed.

  Robert patted her hand, “They’re here to help you.” He soothed. She closed her eye and sank into the bed, relaxing as Robert stroked her hair with his other hand. He shot us a desperate look over his shoulder.