by Alex Steele
I took a deep breath to calm myself. If I yelled at whoever this was, it reduced my chance of getting answers. I think this was called personal growth. “Who am I talking to?”
A sharp exhale sounded on the other line. “He told me you were smart, but if you need your hand held, I’m Zardoz.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Alright. And you’re sure Bootstrap has been taken to Purgatory already?”
“Sure as the nose on your face.”
“Shit.”
Zardoz chuckled. “Now you’re catching up. What are you gonna do about this dilemma?”
I looked at Swift. She nodded once, no hesitation.
“I’m going to get him out. They have two of my friends in there now, and that’s two too many.”
“You got a plan?”
“Sort of.”
“Alright, you’ve convinced me. I’ll find you when it’s time.”
“What? How are you going to find us—” I was interrupted by the dial tone as the call ended. I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it in confusion.
“What happened?” Swift asked.
“That was Zardoz. He said he’d find us when it was time, then hung up.”
Swift frowned and stared at my phone like it was at fault. “That’s...odd, but I’m not sure what I expected from someone Bootstrap considered a mentor.” She dropped her arms and straightened her shoulders. “You want to go to the Awakened, don’t you? Agree to help them in exchange for Bootstrap and Bradley.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go. I’ll text the others.”
We headed out, side by side. I’d never thought I’d be able to rely on someone to have my back like this — especially after Hiroji had disappointed me so thoroughly and my previous partner had been killed. Swift never hesitated to help, and she never shied away from a fight. She fought to win and she did it well.
Thirty-Two
Infierno wasn’t much different during the daylight hours. There were fewer people, and the thump of music was quieter, but like Moira, it was a city that never really slept. Moira — perpetually daytime, and Infierno — perpetually night.
If Bootstrap had figured out that teleportation rune, he hadn’t left the answers behind. The only way I knew of to get ahold of Talos and Yamashita was through Bound. If Talos wasn’t there, then someone that knew where he was must be.
We made our way to the front door where, this time, there was no line. A sign posted on the door read CLOSED. I stepped over the velvet rope we’d been let through last time and walked straight into something solid. The ripples of my impact highlighted a translucent shield that surrounded the entire club in a dome of magic.
“Shielded?” Swift asked at my abrupt stop.
“Yes.” I pressed a hand against it, feeling out the power level. “I could break it, though.”
“Go ahead. We don’t have time for this,” Swift said, looking over her shoulder. “But do it quickly. I think we’re being watched.”
I shut my eyes and focused on the gentle vibration of the shield against my hand. It was solid, but I could shatter it without effort. Mayhem magic surged into my palm. It was eager to come out and play, as usual.
“Definitely being watched. Hurry up,” Swift hissed behind me.
Opaque, black magic crept out from my fingers and dug into the shield. It cracked immediately under the assault, a spider web of cracks shooting out in every direction. Little sparks of white and gold erupted from the surface of the shield as I bored a hole directly through it. There was no finesse to what I was doing — just brute force with pure destructive power.
The hole doubled, then tripled in size. Within seconds it was big enough to walk through. I grabbed Swift and pushed her ahead of me, then rushed after her. The shield snapped back into place behind me as the door to Bound flew open.
Two mages stepped out, their magical signatures completely unsuppressed as they prepared for a fight. A quick glance over my shoulder told me that a few brave souls were standing in the streets watching the confrontation. I guess it wasn’t every day someone busted through Bound’s shield.
I held my hands up. “I’m just here to talk to Talos. Go get him and tell him Blackwell wants to talk to him.”
Swift’s magic crackled beside me as she eyed the two people in front of us.
Guard number one — a man with long, red hair stepped forward. Magic rippled through his muscles and they began growing in size. “Never heard of him. You should both leave. I’d hate to have to hurt you.”
“Wrong answer.” I charged before they had a chance to think and slammed into the redhead.
His feet came off the ground from the force of my blow. We hit the ground and he made a wheezing noise as all the air was forced from his lungs. Mayhem magic flowed out of me and wrapped around him, squeezing just enough to scare him. His eyes widened as he struggled instinctively against the magic trapping him, but resistance was futile.
“What the fu—”
“Someone here knows how to get ahold of Talos,” I said, wrapping a hand around his throat. “You find them, and you get me in touch. Trust me, he wants to talk to me.”
There was a crash behind me, then an unmanly shriek. “I’ll get him! I’ll get him, just let me go you crazy bitch!”
A loud thwack was followed by a thump as he hit the ground.
Swift walked over and stood next to my shoulder, looking down at my captive. Her eyes still burned with anger from the insult. “Your friend will be indisposed for a while. Can you get Talos?”
The redhead nodded frantically. “Yes, I can.” He paused for a beat, then added, “Ma’am.”
I backed off slowly and let him stand. “Lead the way.”
He scrambled to his feet, eyes darting to his asshole friend, who was still unconscious behind us. He didn’t waste any time checking on him. The guy’s priorities were clearly in the right order.
We headed inside. Without the eerie red lighting and the distant pounding of music, the place looked far less intimidating. In the club itself, the fire Talos had used for his strange sacrifice was still burning, but much lower than the night before. The flames stretched barely a foot into the air leaving the club a much more pleasant temperature.
The redhead went straight to the back and pressed his palm against a rune. It flashed twice, then held a steady white glow. “Dryas here. A mage named Blackwell and a mage with pink hair are at Bound demanding to see Talos. Shield compromised.” He held still as if listening to a reply. “Confirmed.”
Another beat passed, then he lowered his hand and looked back at us, swallowing nervously. “That’s all I can do. We just have to wait now.”
I crossed my arms. “For how long?”
The guy’s eyes flicked between us nervously. “Depends on if Talos recognizes your name, I guess. I can’t exactly make the leader of the Awakened rush.”
We stared silently at each other as the minutes ticked away. The guard’s eyes flicked from us to the stairs and back again as he picked at his fingers. I knew it wasn’t in his control when Talos turned up, but I had no one else to direct my ire at.
I glanced at my watch, but found it had only been five minutes.
“I’m sure he’ll come. Talos just has a lot of things to—”
“Blackwell, I wasn’t expecting to see you until later today,” Talos said, striding down the stairs.
I turned around, despite my impatience, I was surprised at just how quickly he’d come. They were more desperate for my help than I’d thought previously. That was good news considering just how desperate we were to get into Purgatory at this point.
“Something has come up. We need to…” I hesitated, glancing at the guard. I wasn’t sure how much people knew. “Have that conversation now, instead of later. With your...friends present.”
Talos looked between us, then nodded. “Good to see you as well, Swift. Please come with me.”
The guard’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened.
He stepped back and bowed awkwardly. “Sorry for the trouble before.”
“You should probably check on the other guy. I hit him pretty hard,” Swift said before following Talos. She looked a little guilty.
We headed up the stairs to the small apartment we’d talked to Talos in the first time. Once inside, I turned to Talos and crossed my arms.
“I want Yamashita here for this. Patterson too if he has a say in things still.”
“They are on their way. She couldn’t come immediately with me, but I didn’t want to leave you waiting. I assumed it had to be urgent if you’d shown up here and—” he wiggled his fingers with a grin. “Busted down the front door, so to speak.”
“You’re not wrong,” I agreed with a nod. “I’ll explain it once, when everyone is here, and your people are ready to negotiate.”
Talos spread his hands in acceptance. “Until then, can I get any of you tea? Or something stronger?”
“I’m not drinking anything you give me. Ever.” I hadn’t been able to enjoy an Oreo since I’d eaten that drugged one. Not even Yui had managed to ruin them for me.
Talos nodded his head, lips pressed together in a thin line. “Of course. That was in...bad taste.”
Swift snorted. “You’ve got that right.”
Her phone rang and she pulled it out. “Hello?” She paused. “Be right there.” With a tap she ended the call and put the phone back in her pocket. “The others are here. I’m going to go walk them in. Can you let the shield down partially?”
“Dryas can help you with that. He should be waiting at the bottom of the stairs,” Talos said with a nod.
Swift hurried out of the room, leaving me alone with Talos and his creepy smile.
“The news about the IMIB’s merger with the Mage’s Guild is unfortunate, if not expected,” he said, walking around the couch to take a seat. He waved at a chair, but I shook my head, not interested in relaxing here.
“Unfortunate is putting it a bit lightly.”
“The IMIB has barely been holding onto control for years now. Harland’s death simply accelerated the inevitable.” Talos slung an arm over the back of the couch, his fingers tapping out a rhythm against the cushion. “Are you being permitted to keep your current position?”
“No, not at all, but that doesn’t matter at this point.” I hesitated, but decided to go ahead and see what Talos knew. “Do you know of Marshal William Atticus?”
His eyes flicked up and his expression tightened. “I do.”
“Not a fan, I take it?”
“Many forms of magic are destructive, but his has no redeeming qualities. He feeds off of fear, suffering, and pain. That is why he was appointed as the warden of Purgatory, and it is a job he excels at.” A sneer twisted Talos’ mouth. “Atticus is powerful and smart, a dangerous combination.”
Atticus’ threat drifted through my mind once again. I’d suspected his magic was something along those lines, but this confirmation did nothing to reassure me. Bradley might be able to withstand Atticus’ attention, but Bootstrap was young. Too young. At nineteen, he was barely an adult. From a mage’s perspective, he was still a child. I should have protected him better. I should have made sure he knew not to try to run.
The door to the apartment opened and Swift, Viktor, Lopez, and Danner all filed in. The latter three looked around curiously, probably expecting an Awakened lair to be less...normal.
Talos rose, smoothing down his shirt. “Welcome to my home. My name is Talos. We have not met, but I am familiar with all of Blackwell’s friends. It is good to see you in person.”
Danner shook his head, muttering something about ‘spy bullshit’.
Viktor nodded in greeting. “Your people speak highly of you.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Talos said, bowing his head in acknowledgement. “Their loyalty is the only reason we might have a chance of succeeding against the mage’s Guild and Fate.”
Talos looked toward the back of the room. “Please look in my direction. It will be very bright behind you.”
We all turned toward him just as a light flared up behind us. He blocked the glare with his hand, clenching his eyes tightly shut.
After a moment, the light vanished.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Yamashita said. She held Patterson’s box in her arms, the lid open so he could peer out.
Lopez stared at him in open horror.
“Yeah, I’m a severed head,” Patterson snapped, glaring at her. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
Viktor tilted his head to the side, seemingly fascinated rather than horrified. Which was his job, to be fair. “You seem to have improved, rather than decayed, since the last time I saw you.”
Patterson half nodded, the motion knocking him a bit off center. “We’ve been working on the magic that powers it and improving it, bit by bit. You can get in on the project if you want. Can always use more necromancers.”
“While interesting, I find the whole project morally reprehensible. I decline,” Viktor said without a hint of the anger his words implied. His poker face was scary good.
“Suit yourself,” Patterson said. “Now, what’s the big rush to have this little chat?”
“I was wondering the same,” Yamashita said. “Did something happen?”
“Another of my friends has been taken to Purgatory by the Mage’s Guild. He was arrested earlier today, but I don’t like his odds in there. He’s young.”
“The runehacker?” Yamashita asked with a frown.
I nodded. “Yes. We need to get into Purgatory as quickly as possible. I’m still not sure I trust any of you, or that I support whatever your endgame is, but I think we can work together on this. On a few conditions.”
Talos folded his hands in front of himself. “What conditions are those?”
“We get both Bradley and Bootstrap out first, then I will help you get Prometheus. I think you have the resources to keep Bradley and his family away from the Mage’s Guild. I want them protected and kept comfortable, given whatever they need.” I looked to Swift. “You have anything to add?”
She pursed her lips, then asked, “Are you planning on attacking Moira once Prometheus is free?”
Yamashita took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for a hard conversation. “We are not, but another attack is inevitable. War is coming and we cannot stop it, only prepare to fight back.”
I looked back at the others, but only Lopez spoke up.
“The only thing I’m concerned about right now is our plan to get in and out. Blackwell said we won’t be able to use magic in there. Will I be able to shift?”
Yamashita shook her head. “You won’t be able to. The reason Purgatory is so effective is because no one can use magic within it except for the Warden. We’re still not sure how he can, though I suspected he keeps something on his person that protects him from the prison’s effects.”
“Without magic, how will we be able to get out once we’re in there?” Lopez pressed, crossing her arms.
“The teleportation runes are tethered together. It can be activated from either side. We will draw out the rune inside of Purgatory, then at a predetermined time, we will have to be standing within it. One of my people will activate it from the base Blackwell visited to bring us back to safety.”
Swift shook her head in disbelief. “Anything could happen in there. What if we don’t get back in time?”
Yamashita shrugged. “Then they’ll keep trying to summon us. My people are loyal, they won’t give up just because we are delayed.”
“Hell of a risk,” Lopez muttered.
“It is,” I agreed with a nod. “I won’t blame anyone that doesn’t want to come. It might be a suicide mission.”
Lopez shook her head immediately. “No way I’m letting you two knuckle-heads go in there without proper backup. You need someone smart in there.”
Viktor simply nodded in agreement.
I glanced at Danner, who was gnawing on another toothpick.
I turned back to Yamashita. “When can we do this?”
“In two days.”
Part of me wanted to rush in tonight, before I had a chance to think about it. Before Atticus had a chance to hurt Bootstrap. But I knew we couldn’t. If we went in unprepared, then we’d just die in there, and that wouldn’t help anyone.
“I need a better way to get a hold of you until then.”
Talos nodded. “I will send our messenger crows to the Manor. They require only minimal feeding, and they will carry whatever message you need.”
My eyebrows shot up. “You cannot be ser—”
Patterson busted out laughing. “He totally fell for it. Talos, quit dicking around and give him your number. Yamashita’s too, just in case.”
Talos held back silent laughter as he grabbed a notepad and pen. “I could not resist.”
I snatched the offered paper out of his hand with a scowl. “Try harder next time.”
Thirty-Three
I parked the car in front of the shed where Master Hiko kept his motorcycles as the sun crested the horizon. Swift had shown up at the manor this morning and demanded we come here, without any explanation. We were supposed to infiltrate Purgatory tomorrow. There was no time for this crap.
I turned to my partner. “Why are we here?”
She climbed out of the car without answering and started walking toward the house. Left with no other option, I got out and followed her, slamming the door behind me for good measure.
“This is getting ridiculous, Swift,” I said as I jogged to catch up.
Instead of going to the front door, she opened a side gate that led into the garden.
“Do Sakura and Hiko know we’re here today?” I asked, confused.
Swift nodded.
My frustration grew with every step, but she remained resolutely silent. We arrived at the dojo and she opened the door, waving me ahead of her.