“No. She can’t willingly go to them.”
“How did you defeat them last night?” I asked Jayden. “There were about twenty of them against you, each of them is very strong.”
His shrug was his only answer.
I wanted to know more. I had questions. What did he see in my mind that changed his mind? What did he have that would allow us to defeat Craid? He was unquestionably powerful and his powers remained a grand mystery to me, but there were other powerful mages on Earth who would give everything for our survival. Why did Alice trust him? Alice told me everything about her, and yet she’d mentioned no one named Jayden Rik. If that was his actual name.
Liam was still getting mad at Jayden when I talked.
“We need to get rid of these Hells soldiers before we can go to the Armistice and stop Craid. If they follow us closely, they’ll let Craid know we’re coming and it’ll ruin everything. I’ll do it.”
Liam shut up, mouth open, stunned.
“Here’s the plan. We’ll lure them to a place we’ve chosen. I know an abandoned house, far from everything, that would be perfect for this. As soon as they arrive, Liam will trap them with a spell and I’ll use a magic stone to create a portal to the Hells where they come from.”
“Fine,” I said.
“No, it’s not fine. It is not. One, they’ll feel the ruse; they’re powerful, not stupid. Two, I’ll never be able to contain soldiers from the Hells. Slow them down like last night, yes, but to contain them inside a magic barrier is a lot to ask me, and three… It’s suicide! They’ll attack us and kill us before we even have time to say, ‘Oops.’ They’re soldiers and stop me if I’m wrong but it seems to me that none of us are soldiers. There will be many more than twenty now that the ones from last night have called for reinforcements.”
“Yes… It’s quite tricky,” Jayden replied, lost in his thoughts, staring down at the ground and scratching his chin.
“You think that going straight to our death is… tricky?” Liam asked, annoyed.
“We have as much chance of survival as you have a chance of finding a girlfriend.”
Liam’s jaw fell to the ground and Jayden smiled. The necromancer turned to me.
“Be reassured, dear. Based on Jayden’s odds, we have every chance of surviving,” he said with a broad smile.
He turned to Jayden and gave him a bland look. The mage’s smile grew.
“Things never go as planned. Everybody knows that. It’s suicide for Katy and for us,” Liam added.
He went to fill a glass with water and drank it all in one gulp. He repeated the operation three times. I smiled. Unlike Jayden, who was a wall most of the time, he showed all his emotions, he was an open book. Nervousness emanated from him.
“Do you have a better idea, Liam?” Jayden asked.
“Any idea would be better than this one… But no, I don’t have any in mind at the moment.”
Liam left the room shaking his head, displeased by the events.
“Do you want anything to eat this morning?”
I watched Liam go away, fully understanding his distress. I wondered what he was doing with us. He wasn’t involved; he could leave the ship anytime. And I must admit I was jealous of the chance he had.
I turned to Jayden, looking at me. I understood that his question was directed at me. After all, I was the last one in the room. Oh stupid…
“Uh… No thanks.”
Talking to him about things as simple as eating just seemed strange to me. It seemed more appropriate to talk about how I’d be used as bait. This role suited him better. Besides, he was surprisingly quiet that morning. The idea of sending me into the wolf’s mouth must have had a positive impact on his mood.
His eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms, which made his muscles even more voluminous. Masculinity and confidence emanated from him and teased the deepest impulses and desires inside me.
I came out of my thoughts abruptly. I was attracted to him, and I didn’t know him.
He wasn’t attractive at all, not at all.
Oh dammit. I was the only one in my head; I could be honest with myself.
I went to get a glass of water. Water would do the trick. It was clear that I couldn’t eat. Images of the night of the massacre came back to me far too often for me to have an appetite.
“You should eat; we’ll have a… rough night. Rest and healthy food are requirements. Besides, you look awful.”
I almost spit the water in my mouth. At least he said it. I was ready to compare him to a sexy living god, but he saw me as awful.
My life is fantastic. Who’s willing to trade with me?
I swallowed the water and grimaced. “You know how to charm a lady.” I headed for the exit with my drink.
“It’s not… You misunderstood,” he said, fairly embarrassed.
I turned to him. He frowned and his eyes narrowed as if he had to solve Schroeder’s complex mathematical equation.
“I meant that it’s obvious the last few days have been difficult for you, mentally difficult.”
“Get out of my head,” I scowled.
I was the only one who knew about my mental distress, me and no one else. I was handling it my way, alone.
He slowly approached me, stopping only when his big legs could no longer take another step. His perfume wafted over me, masculine and mysterious, like him. A blend of citrus fruits, sandalwood and other musky woody notes gave freshness and sensuality to his fragrance.
“I don’t need to be in your head to know that, and I respect your privacy. My house is safe; you finally have a moment to rest. Enjoy it while you can. Not eating, not sleeping won’t change what happened, but it can be decisive for the future. I don’t judge what you think is your vulnerability; I just wanted to mention that you need rest. The night would have shocked anyone. But you handle it perfectly.”
I stood there speechless. These last words were the most beautiful thing anyone could have said to me. It was exactly what I needed to hear. He had more than made up for his comment. I could kick those soldiers’ asses any time now, bring them to me.
“Thank you.”
His mouth moved as if he was trying to create a brief smile, but he turned before I could see it.
That was a surprise. Who did I talk to? It certainly wasn’t the Jayden ready to gut me from last night.
“Jay! I have an idea!” Liam exclaimed as he entered the room.
Jayden raised an eyebrow while waiting. Liam didn’t miss his bewilderment and frowned.
“Hide your joy,” he said, eyeing him from head to foot.
“Liam,” I said.
“Like a prince coming to save his princess, like a lion coming to rescue his lioness, like a bird flying to the rescue of his dove, like a shark—”
“Liam!”
He stopped dead then released a long breath. “Madil.”
“Madil?” I asked.
Jayden’s eyes widened and lit up under Liam’s great pride. “Madil,” he repeated, slowly articulating the two syllables.
And they both smiled.
“But who is this Madil?”
CHAPTER 8
The line to get into the nightclub was huge. Excited people were dancing outside. Others didn’t even pass the front door. The bouncer sent them back unceremoniously, not hesitating to use force.
I looked at the clothes—if you could still call them that—of the women. At this rate, they were no longer skirts or dresses; they were bits of fabric, nothing more. Waste fabric unused after making a real garment.
If I didn’t have creatures from the Hells on my tail, I would surely have worn a short black skirt, a top of the same color, and black stiletto boots. It was the way I dressed most of the time. But there was a line between sexy and vulgar that I never crossed. These women had jumped with both feet together into vulgarity.
Some were drunk before they entered the nightclub, vomiting on the side of the
road. And men who struggled to stand accompanied them. I suspected that they’d taken something other than alcohol, judging by the black magic that emanated from their mouths with every breath.
The debauchery was visible outside the nightclub; I didn’t want to see the inside.
“So, we go in…” Jayden started to say.
Oh yes, I forgot, my will wasn’t taken into account in this mission.
“Madil can detect lies, and he’ll ask me why I want the flower. If Katy’s here, it’ll save us time. Remember Katy, don’t lie, you tell the minimum of truths. Give evasive answers.”
My right leg twitched. “Okay.”
The magic cocktail in that nightclub and the abundance of black magic stressed me out. There was nothing to reassure me. I caught Jayden’s look on my leg.
He raised his gaze to meet mine. “You’ll handle it.”
“I don’t handle it as well as you thought.”
“Yeah… I don’t know what’s wrong with you. You’ve been tossed into an unfamiliar world for you, you find yourself with two strangers who attacked you at first to help you defeat a man who massacred everyone you know. You should dance the samba. What a strange mage you are.”
His sarcasm made me smile.
“Just because you’re afraid doesn’t mean you’re not dealing well with the situation. It’d be bad if that fear paralyzed you. But so far, you’ve done what you’ve been asked to do. The rest we deal with it together. You’re no longer alone and if there is a difficulty, we will face it together.”
“I have a hard time believing that when you were ready to turn my body into dust.”
“I was suspicious. I have to be. If you knew how many times Alice tried to take me back to the Armistice. She has tried everything by force. It wouldn’t be surprising if she changed her method, using an actress and a beautiful lie, for example. Now that we’re sure you’re telling the truth, it should be fine.”
“Should… conditional,” I pointed out.
“I only kill my enemies. It’s up to you to make sure you’re on the right side of the line.”
With my luck, being on the wrong side was very possible. I wasn’t at all reassured.
“Stop worrying, you have the best allies there are. It’s Craid who should be worried, not you.”
I nodded, putting on my mask of determination and concentration, ignoring sorrow and fear.
“Liam, you stay inside the club and, for heaven’s sake, stay focused! No distractions, you’re surveying the area. You make sure that if something goes wrong, we can get out of here as fast as possible.”
Liam put on hand on his heart. “You know I’m a professional.”
“Last time—”
“Oh, how long will you judge me? Even you couldn’t have resisted the charm of those triplets. Triplets! They were beautiful.”
Liam’s eyes shone as he stared into space.
“Try to avoid the company this time.”
“Triplets…” Liam whispered, recalling the sweet moments spent in the company of the young women.
“Let’s go.”
The interior of the nightclub was as horrible as I’d imagined. Liam disappeared behind me, being engulfed by the crowd. People were dancing, screaming and jumping. At first, this was the first image I had. But the details came up very quickly.
Some vomited blood in the corner of the nightclub; others shared a brutal sexual moment. The magic essences were all aggressive and it affected all my senses. I was pushed multiple times, the smell of alcohol, sweat, and other fluids made me want to vomit and the music was deafening.
We took a staircase that led to the upper floor. I noticed that a large tinted bay window gave from the first floor a stunning view of the nightclub.
We arrived in front of a guard or rather a steel wall. This man was the door’s armor.
“I want to see Madil,” Jayden said.
The man didn’t blink. He opened the door and let us in. Three bodyguards surrounded a man sitting at his desk. He got up when he saw us.
“My friend! What an unexpected visit!”
This man’s excitement puzzled me. If I believed those who called Jayden “my friend,” this man was far from his friend but rather the opposite.
There were only a black glass desk and a bookcase to his right, a simple but elegant design. Paintings showing stunning views of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world decorated the walls.
The floor-to-ceiling window in his office allowed him to contemplate his nightclub. From his office, he could see everyone without being noticed. It was on the edge of the businessman and the pervert.
“I need an object you’re the only one to possess,” Jayden said in his powerful, deep voice.
And here he was again, the Jayden I had met.
Madil laughed. “Always direct. You aren’t a businessman, Jayden. A businessman has to pretend he’s interested in the person in front of him before asking him anything.”
“I’m not a businessman but a man of action, you know that. You have your strong suit, I have mine.”
“You’re right, we need men like you.”
The slightly-built man was dressed in a gray suit, and his salt-and-pepper hair was pulled back. His six o’clock shadow and neat mustache revealed a man who paid attention to his physique and image.
“To do your dirty work,” Jayden said, calmly putting his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket.
Calm wasn’t at all my condition at the moment. Not only did Madil’s men stink of black magic, but they were armed to the teeth.
Black magic frightened the supernatural, and the guns frightened humans. Smart.
“Exactly,” Madil replied, laughing. “Who is the lovely girl with you?”
“A woman who has a serious problem on her hands.”
“And you have discovered yourself a knight of a damsel in distress.” Madil’s eyes sparkled with amusement and malice.
“Let’s say we share a connection.”
This time Madil couldn’t hold back his laugh. Jayden hadn’t lied. Now that he could get into my head, we shared a connection.
“Jayden Rik has a girlfriend,” he said, but the sentence sounded more like a question.
Jayden didn’t answer.
“I’m now intrigued. How on earth did you win Jayden Rik’s heart?”
The question disturbed me; I hadn’t conquered Jayden at all.
“Oh, because he has one?”
Madil laughed.
“That’s what I thought,” he said with a broad smile. “Let me guess, the danger excites you, you seduce Mr. Devil here, then you realize that you can’t handle the consequences. Now you’re looking for protection. Typical.” He shook his head, mimicking exasperation while an amused smile refused to leave his face. “Don’t be surprised when problems knock on your door, for once you share your roof with the devil, his door is also yours.”
“No, I didn’t need him to get into trouble.”
He raised his eyebrows, surprised, then sat down in his seat and placed his hands entwined on the desk, visibly interested.
“What happened?” he asked in a calm voice, like a psychologist.
“I’ve seen things…”
I had to choose my words carefully.
“That you shouldn’t have seen.”
“Apparently, since now I’m being pursued.”
He turned to Jayden. “And you need the August flower for her. To hide her.”
Jayden nodded.
“We have already established this, Jayden, I’m a businessman. What do I gain from it?” he asked nonchalantly.
“A favor.”
The man resumed his smile and enthusiasm.
“A favor from Jayden Rik!” he exclaimed. “Oh yes, it’s interesting. But not enough. These flowers are rare in this season. I only have a few and they’re reserved. My clients are loyal to me because I return the favor. If one of
them were to be disappointed, it would be bad for business.”
Jayden smiled; a smile halfway between childish happiness and diabolical malice. “Or… I’m reducing this nightclub to dust with everyone in it.”
He kept his smile as Madil lost his.
“How dare you come to my nightclub to threaten me?” Pure fury flooded him, his neck’s vein pulsated, his eyes became murderous and his hands trembled.
“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise. As I said earlier, I’m a man of action.”
“You won’t have time to move before my men would have already neutralized you.”
Madil’s men created a ball of red energy in their hands. The smell of their black magic was intoxicating. Every breath burned my throat and damaged my lungs.
“Madil, I won’t leave without the flower. By force or by contract. It’s up to you.”
One man pointed his ball of energy at me.
He could do it if he wanted to, I was loaded. If one of them attacked me, my force field would spread faster than a wildfire.
“You just made a mistake,” Jayden said to the guard.
Silence took over the place. Everything went into slow motion. Madil’s eyes widened. The guards released their ball of red energy on us.
I released my force field to protect both of us. The balls exploded against my protection, causing a deafening noise and a powerful shock wave. Madil’s men were thrown a few meters away, but they quickly got up. They stood before us, their eyes black and determined.
Jayden didn’t move either. The air was charged with energy. Jayden’s magic and the combined magic of the three guards clashed. Jayden raised his right hand and a blue flame surrounded it. The guards’ eyes widened. The flames spread through the room toward them.
The three of them ignited. They screamed and struggled, their bodies surrounded by devastating blue flames. They touched the wall paintings and the desk in their panic, but they were the only ones to catch fire. The fire belonged to them and didn’t spread.
I felt a powerful heat from where I was. Extreme and stifling heat. With this flame temperature, the men soon disappeared. I understood that the temperature I’d felt had nothing to do with the proper temperature of the flames because there wasn’t the slightest ash. They’d disappeared as if they’d never existed. Jayden’s magic prevented us from experiencing the correct temperature of his destructive flames.
Hells Magic (The Armistice Book 1) Page 5