by Steve McHugh
“Nate, you got a second?” Fiona called from behind me.
I nodded and walked over. “What’s up?”
Fiona looked weak, and tired. But determined too. “When this is all over,” she said with a pause. I could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke, “you and I need to talk. I was looking into someone before I got attacked. Nothing to do with the Reavers . . . well I hope not, but it is something you have to know about. I can’t tell you now, too much going on, but before you leave Albion, promise you’ll come see me.”
“Of course,” I said, somewhat taken aback by the concern in Fiona’s voice. “Everything good?”
She forced a smile. “Sure, it’s just something you need to see. Good luck.”
I watched her walk away and then turned back to the motorcade that had been arranged, pushing the thoughts of Fiona’s words aside as I had another job to do. There were four black SUV-looking cars parked up outside the rear of the palace, each with thin red lights that went along the side of the bodywork. The lights pulsed slowly. I climbed into the car second from front, with Elaine right beside me. Lucie took the front car, with Tommy who’d decided to tag along.
“These are a bit different to the ones I normally see in Camelot,” I told Elaine as I sat down on the comfortable leather seats.
“They’re not on pre-set destinations. And they’re only used by dignitaries. I’ve been told they’re pretty much unstoppable short of an attack by a tank.”
We were soon off, and I sat back watching out of the tinted window as the weather outside turned to heavy rain. Rain would make things more difficult for those tracking Enfield, but it might make it more difficult for him to launch an attack.
After a few minutes of driving, Elaine caught my attention. “Do you think he’ll take the bait?”
“I hope so. He’s too dangerous to just leave out there.”
“I heard that he threatened you in front of the palace when you last saw me.”
“Yeah, he wasn’t too thrilled that I’d killed another Faceless.” I still didn’t have a clue who Reid’s master was. Which meant I had more enemies out there. That in itself was hardly a new position to be in, but not knowing their identities gave me an uncomfortable itch between my shoulder blades. It was not a fun feeling.
“Maybe the Faceless need to change. Too many are loyal to bad people.”
“Best of luck with that. I know people like yourself and Hades don’t like them, but far too many do. They won’t give them up willingly. Avalon was born out of an ideal, but over time that ideal has been corrupted and twisted so that those in power maintain their status quo, and to hell with anyone else. The few who do good, yourself included, are swamped by the shit from everyone else, creating a system that can work, but doesn’t always do what’s best for everyone. Avalon is too entrenched in its own self-absorbed existence to be able to change now. Not without massive, sweeping reforms, the kind that Merlin and his friends will never allow, let alone those who have a vested interest in keeping everything as it currently is.”
“That’s a very depressing view of our system.”
“It probably is,” I agreed. “But it’s about as honest a one as I can give.” I knew there was still good in Avalon. I knew there were still people who wanted what was best for people, but even so I still believed it was more corrupt than it had ever been in the past. I still wanted nothing to do with it. That sort of corruption spreads and you need a special sort of person to touch it and not be tainted. I wasn’t convinced I was one of those people.
“I still believe that we can do a lot of good.”
“I know. That’s why I admire what you do. But as I’ve told you before, there are not enough people who believe as you do. Too many want to use Avalon for their own aims.”
“You’ve become cynical in your old age.”
I laughed. “Possibly. Or more of a realist. Either way it’s a pretty depressing outlook.”
“We’re reaching the woods,” one of the other agents in the car told everyone. “Be ready.”
The cars continued to roll past the wood and the park where I’d fought a group of Reavers alongside my friends only a few days ago. A few minutes later we passed the field without incident.
“I guess Enfield decided not to risk it,” Elaine said. “Well, we’ll get to the safe house and then I’ll make sure he’s tracked down.”
“How long is it from here to there?” I asked.
“About half hour until we’re outside Camelot, another fifteen until the safe house,” one of the agents said. “Sit back and relax. It’s all open country from here on. He’d be insane to attack now.”
I did wonder whether I should point out that I didn’t think sanity was something that Enfield had in abundance, but decided not to break the slight relief that there hadn’t been an attack.
We left the city without incident, and large buildings populated by pieces of greenery changed to expansive plains and woodland, with the occasional outpost dotting the landscape.
“We’re just coming up to the compound,” another agent said and ten seconds later all hell broke loose.
Explosions sounded from under the car in front of us, and I saw it stagger to a halt. The same happened to us, and as I turned to look out of the rear window, I saw the same thing happening there too. It took all of five seconds for the entire motorcade to cease moving and create five very large targets.
There was a lot of shouting soon after, as agents exited the vehicles, demanding that Elaine stay inside as it was far too dangerous for her to be out and about. I wondered if telling them that Elaine was an accomplished sorcerer who would give Merlin a run for his money would change their minds, but it’s best not to interrupt agents when they’re doing their job.
I pushed open the door beside me.
“Nate, get back in the car,” Lucie shouted from outside.
I promptly ignored her and closed the door before getting on my knees and glancing under the car. The tires had all been blown out, along with a lot of electrical equipment that was usually attached to the underside of the car. The metal had been peeled back by one explosion and then a second had destroyed the car’s organs. Small craters marked the earth.
I stood back up and brushed myself down. “Mines,” I said to no one in particular.
I glanced around and couldn’t see anything that would trigger concern. The sturdy front gate of the safe house was a thirty-second walk from the motorcade. There was no way Enfield could get to Elaine once she was in there. Runes adorned pretty much every surface, and I was certain that Kay wouldn’t order Enfield to use a nuclear weapon to get inside. Not much point in a murderous takeover if you’ve turned the place into a radioactive wasteland.
The agents appeared to be as confused as I was. Lucie walked over to me. “As you’re not doing as you’re told, do you at least see something helpful?”
“I don’t get this as a plan. Stop the cars just outside of one of the safest places in Albion. Doesn’t make much sense.”
We turned toward the sound of the gate’s motors groaning to life, and watched as the massive black structure slowly moved aside, giving free access to the courtyard just beyond. Enfield stepped around the corner, and every single agent and guard was suddenly very ready for a fight. Weapons, both magical and otherwise, were trained at Enfield as he stepped out of the compound and raised his hands.
“Don’t you fucking move,” Lucie shouted, her sidearm quickly out of its holster as she walked toward him.
Enfield raised his hands. “I’m not moving anywhere. But I’d stay where you are, if I were you.”
Lucie stopped walking.
“Smart girl,” Enfield said, managing to use as much of a patronizing tone as he could probably manage. He shrugged out of his coat, letting it fall to the ground before opening one of his hands to show a phone in his hand. “Those mines that stopped your cars, they aren’t really the biggest problem you have.”
Panic flashed in the eye
s of some of the agents.
“Don’t worry,” Enfield said; clearly he’d noticed it too. “You’re all safe. But you see, this phone here, it links to a massive number of bombs I’ve planted all around the hospital.”
He let everyone have a moment to take that in.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said finally. “Shoot me in the arm, and disarm the bomb.” He used his free hand to pull back the sleeve of his jumper. There were runes carved into his flesh, the blood still looked fresh.
“Blood magic,” I said.
“Give that man a cookie,” Enfield said with a chuckle. “The phone number is already programmed; these runes are all that’s stopping this technology from sending that call. If anything happens to them, the phone transmits. And then you have a lot more bodies to deal with.”
“What do you want?” Lucie asked.
“To talk to Elaine.”
“So you can kill her? I don’t think so.”
“I don’t want her dead,” Enfield said. “That was Kay’s plan.”
“You’re his Faceless,” I pointed out.
“Not even a little bit. Oh, I see where the confusion came from, what with me dressing like it. Well, that was just for show. You see a certain Nate Garrett killed Kay’s last Faceless. You remember Reid, yes?”
I nodded. “He worked for Kay? What about the person I spoke to on the phone when Reid was dying, was that you?”
“No, just an SOA agent who wanted very badly to impress Kay. He was dead about ten seconds after the call was ended. I buried him not too far from here, actually. I’ve had a key to this place for years. It helps that Kay was one of the people who helped design it. I used to use this place as a dumping ground for those who annoyed me. There are a few bodies around here.”
“So, what do you want then?” Lucie asked, ignoring his boast. There would be a time for questions later. Hopefully.
“I’ve already told you. I want to talk to Elaine. So, if you could run along, I’ll give you a few seconds to get it sorted.”
Lucie walked past me and opened the door to Elaine’s car. I didn’t hear the conversation that followed, but Elaine was soon beside me, radiating anger.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Kay wants you dead,” Enfield told her. “You probably know this. I really don’t care one way or another about the status of your breathing. I don’t work for Kay; if anything he works for me. I let him run with this stupid notion of using a bunch of untrained idiots to re-create the Reavers, but it was always doomed to fail. No, you see, you being alive is neither here nor there. The people I work for don’t consider you a threat; if they did they’d have executed you years ago. But I knew that if I just came to you in Camelot then some idiot who supported Kay would assume I was being a traitor and try to kill me. I can’t really have that.”
Elaine looked surprised. “And you think I won’t kill you?”
“Oh you will, but not until you’ve questioned me.”
“Do you work for Merlin?” I asked.
“Good question, Mister Garrett. No, I do not. Never have. Of course I worked with the Reavers, but that was more to extend other people’s plans rather than to help Merlin. I don’t want him dead or anything, but I’m not going to be jumping in front of a bullet for him either.”
“So whom do you work for?”
“My liege.” He smiled.
Lucie and I shared a look of concern. “That’s what the Vanguard who attacked Hades’s compound said last year,” she said. “They said they were doing it for their liege.”
“Lots of dots connecting are there?” Enfield asked. “I can’t actually tell you about any of the people I work for. Physically can’t. But they’re coming. And the person who leads that group has been waiting for such a long time for their revenge. They’re going to change the world.”
“So you can’t tell us anything, you can’t give us a single shred of information? What use are you?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m not going to give you a choice. You’re going to keep me alive and take me back with you to Camelot.”
“Why are we going to do that?” Elaine asked. “Because of the bombs?”
“Nope. They were just to get your attention. Just to make sure you play by the rules.”
“What rules?” Elaine snapped, her temper beginning to show.
Enfield dropped to his knees. “I invoke the Accords.”
CHAPTER 35
The hours that followed Enfield’s surrender were somewhat surreal. He gave the location of every single one of the dozen bombs he’d planted in the hospital, although no one trusted him, and a telepath was brought in to see if he was lying. Unfortunately, the telepath also tried to gain information about whom Enfield worked for and the backlash knocked him out for several hours.
I decided to leave everyone to it and go for a walk around the gardens that sat at the rear of the palace. I found an empty bench beside a large pond and sat down, watching the fish come to the surface as if they expected me to throw them some food.
“I wondered where you’d gotten to,” Tommy said as he sat beside me. “Elaine wants to talk to you.”
“About Enfield, I assume.”
“That’s my guess. She told Olivia to find you, Olivia found me first. I know nothing more than that.”
“This trip didn’t exactly turn out how you’d expect, eh?”
“No, I can’t lie; this wasn’t what I had in mind.”
“Any thoughts about postponing the naming ceremony? There are still people out there we haven’t found.”
Tommy’s response was immediate. “Not a chance. Not only would Kasey tear a chunk out of anyone who suggested it. Neither Olivia nor Elaine will allow anyone to stop a naming ceremony because of outside threats. It’s going to be the single best-guarded ceremony in history.”
That was good to know. “How is Kasey doing, anyway? I hope all of this hasn’t put too much of a downer on her time here.”
“She’s more interested in her naming ceremony than the Reavers. Ellie is keeping her occupied. I’m due back there once I fetch you. We’ve scheduled it for tomorrow, by the way. It’ll be here, at the palace. Noon. Don’t be late.”
“I’ll be there,” I promised. “Best not keep Elaine waiting; I’m sure she has bad news for me.”
“You think Enfield wants to fight you, don’t you?”
“I imagine so.”
The Accords were designed centuries ago to stop wars between disputing groups. Instead of armies killing one another, the Accords provide for one-on-one fights where the person invoking the Accords gets to pick their opponent, while the opponent gets to pick the stipulations, such as weapons allowed, or when the fight will stop. The only thing that’s constant is that there’s no magic or special abilities allowed, and if anyone interferes then the group cheating is immediately declared the loser and the winning group gets to decide their fate.
Once declared, the Accords have to be seen through to the end. The last person who had used them against me had died from a gunshot wound to the throat a few seconds later. I don’t think I’d be able to get away with such an act in Camelot though. Not without forfeiting my own life in the process.
“I don’t understand why he would want to use the Accords anyway,” Tommy said as we walked toward the palace entrance. “I mean, I know whoever uses it has to have a trial by combat and everything, but what does he think is going to happen if he wins? They’re not just going to let him go. He’s playing a game here.”
“Of course he is, but I’m not sure they have a choice. I guess we’ll find out.”
We found Elaine inside the chambers sitting alone at her desk. “Tommy, can you leave Nate and me alone?” she asked.
Tommy patted me on the shoulder. “Best of luck.”
“I don’t think he completely trusts me,” Elaine said when we were alone.
“He worked for Avalon for a long time. I think he’s just cautious about you. I
t took a long time for you to get to the position you’re in, a long time when Merlin wasn’t exactly running things to any great degree. I think he hopes you don’t go the same way.”
“And he doesn’t know why I asked for you. His loyalty is obvious.”
“It goes both ways,” I assured her.
“You inspire loyalty in a lot of people. Lucie, Olivia, Alan, Tommy, all of them would fight for you if need be, not to mention Hades and several members of his family.”
“I am a wonderful person.”
Elaine laughed. “Do you know why you’re here?”
“Enfield wants to fight me as part of the Accords?”
Elaine walked toward me. “Nope. Not you.”
That was a bit of a surprise. “Who then?”
“Fiona.”
That was an even bigger surprise. “What? That’s insane. For a start she’s injured. She can’t do anything until she’s healed. That could take days or weeks.”
“Enfield has said he’ll wait until she’s recovered.”
“I know Fiona can take care of herself, but even if she were fully fit, Enfield will kill her. No matter the stipulations for winning, he’ll make sure she dies. When I fought him in 1888, he was formidable. Fiona stands no chance of defeating him.”
“We’ve agreed that it will be until someone submits or is rendered unconscious, but I don’t think Enfield will let her quit easily. In fact, that’s exactly what Alan and Fiona said. She also couldn’t come up with a way to avoid it. If Fiona forfeits the fight, then Enfield is automatically declared the winner.”
“What does he want for winning?”
“You.”
“Well, that’s shit. Surely there’s something in the Accords that means Enfield can’t ask for the death of his enemy as a reward?”
“And that’s very true. But he doesn’t want your death, he wants you to be the one to walk him through Camelot to the realm gate and then take him to a place of his choosing. A place he won’t reveal until he’s out of this realm.”