Alastair Stone Chronicles Box Set: Alastair Stone Chronicles, Books 1 through 4

by R. L. King

  “I’m guessing your friend back East wasn’t either, yeah?” Jason asked. “I mean, from what you said earlier, they went after David the driver specifically, but that doesn’t mean they went after David the mage specifically, right? Maybe they just decided they didn’t like his car. Those guys are fuckin’ psychos, even the ones that aren’t possessed.”

  Stone spread his hands. “I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine, and unfortunately the only people we could ask about it are both out of our reach.”

  “So why would the DMW want to kill mages?” Verity asked. “I mean, it makes sense that they’d want to kill us, since we’re messing up their plans. But why mages in general?”

  Jason stared at her. “You think the Evil’s just targeting mages on general principle?”

  She shrugged. “Well, we’re pretty sure it was the Evil who killed Eleanor. It doesn’t make sense that it was anything else, unless that security guy went temporarily crazy and then got over it that fast. We’re not positive it was for David, but we do know the DMW’s got a lot of them, right?” She looked at Stone. “So, is it?”

  Stone thought about it. “I don’t know,” he said after a time. “I’m not sure what they’d gain by it. I mean, we’ve seen that they can possess mages, though we’re still not sure whether they can do it without the mage’s consent, since the only ones we know about for sure presumably gave it. But it doesn’t make sense that they’d go after white mages, and so far they’re the only ones we know of who’ve been killed.”

  “Maybe white mages are easier to possess?” Verity suggested.

  “Good thought,” Stone said, “but no. To the contrary, actually. As a general rule, white mages tend to have stronger mental defenses—we have to, to keep us from being tempted to go over to the dark side, where things are a lot easier.”

  “So maybe they are possessing black mages—but we’re not hearing about it because they don’t object like the white ones do. It just seems like too much of a coincidence to be true, them killing two different mages this close together,” Jason said.

  ”It does,” Stone agreed. “Sorry—still not exactly firing on all cylinders right now.”

  “I’m not surprised, given how much you probably drank,” Jason said.

  Stone scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Why don’t you two go back and get yourselves settled in as much as you can, and we’ll meet up in an hour or so for dinner?”

  Stone looked sober—and pensive—when they met him at a nearby Chinese restaurant an hour and a half later. “I just found out that another mage was killed under odd circumstances yesterday. This one was in New Mexico.”

  “Holy crap.” Jason stared at him. “They really are going after mages.”

  “How many mages are there?” Verity asked. “In America, I mean. Do you have any idea?”

  “Not really,” Stone said. “It’s not like we’re an organization or anything. Some of us don’t reveal ourselves, even to other mages. And the—darker-inclined among us tend to be much more secretive and less social.”

  “Take a guess,” she pressed. “Fifty? A hundred? A thousand? More?”

  Stone shrugged. “If I had to guess—mind you, this is a very rough guess—I’d say perhaps a few hundred in the United States, mostly minor and untrained talents. Fully trained mages—possibly a few dozen, but I seriously doubt it. More in Europe. Not sure how many in the rest of the world.”

  “And they’re spread out all over the country?”

  “More or less. You’ll find larger concentrations in major urban areas, of course, but many are private sorts who prefer less populated locations.”

  “Like Eleanor,” Jason said.

  Stone nodded. “What exactly are you getting at, Verity?”

  “Nothing, really. I was just curious. So it would be pretty hard for the Evil to kill all the mages, even if that’s what they’re trying to do, it sounds like.”

  “I’d imagine so, yes. I still suspect that the Evil aren’t entrenched all over the country. If they were, I think we’d have far more of these alarming incidents than we’ve had so far.”

  “Well, anyway, Al—you should watch yourself,” Jason said. “If they’re after mages, you’re probably Public Enemy Number One, since you’re not only a powerful mage, but you’re one of the few people around who know about the Evil’s existence.”

  “I’m also expecting them,” Stone reminded him. His gaze hardened. “If they come after me, they’ll be in for some surprises. And I intend to build in a few more protections to the wards around my place tomorrow. I’ll come by and do yours as well. Verity, you can watch me—good a time as any to get you started on learning how.”

  They ate in silence for a while, each focusing on his or her own thoughts. As they finished up, Verity asked, “I almost hate to ask this because I know you’ve had a lot on your mind, but you didn’t get a chance to figure out why I can’t use the portals, did you?”

  “Sorry, no. I started to work on that the other night, but the only thing I came up with is that I wanted to test to see if there’s anything in common between your difficulty and Jason’s. I thought perhaps it might be something hereditary.”

  “Did our mom have any trouble with it?”

  “I don’t believe so. I only traveled with her once, but she seemed completely at ease.”

  She sighed. “I guess it’s not really a big deal now, but I sure hope we can get it figured out at some point. It’s gonna be pretty embarrassing if you have to knock me out every time we go somewhere. And Sharra told me I could come visit her sometime—she doesn’t live too far from one of the portals, so I thought we could—”

  “We’ll get it sorted,” Stone said. “I promise.”

  “And anyway, V, you’re not going anywhere until you’re eighteen,” Jason reminded her. “After that you’re on your own, but until then, I’m still responsible for you.”

  “And after that, I am,” Stone added. “Apprentice, remember?”

  She mock-glared at both of them, then focused on Stone. “You’d better watch out, O Mystic Master. If you don’t treat me right, I’ll—drop a cheeseburger in your lap. And Jason knows I can do it, too.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  There were no further reports of mage killings over the next few days, nor any other incidents beyond David’s murder indicating that the Bay Area chapter of the Evil was reorganizing enough to start committing mayhem again. Stone, Jason, and Verity used the slow time to settle in at their respective new homes, and Stone resumed Verity’s magical training as soon as he got the attic in order. She continued to be a quick study, and found it amusing when she was able to show him some application of a spell that hadn’t occurred to him.

  Surprisingly, Jason’s unemployment problem solved itself in an unexpected way. All three of them attended David’s funeral, a somber but elegant occasion that included many of the restaurant’s regular customers, as well as a small contingent of west coast mages who were regular users of the portal. After it was over, Marta surprised Jason by taking him aside. She still looked devastated, but already showed signs that she was moving forward with what she knew she had to do.

  “I’ve been thinking,” she said. “I told Alastair I wasn’t sure I wanted to reopen the restaurant, but it wouldn’t be fair to my employees to put them out of their jobs with the economy the way it is now. Most of them have been with us for years, and they’re like family. Besides, I can’t exactly sell the place with what’s in the basement, can I? It won’t be easy, but I’ll manage. Alastair was telling me that you’re good with your hands and pick new things up quickly, and that you need a job. With David gone—I could use another person I can trust to help me.”

  He stared at her, not sure he’d heard her right. “I—I appreciate it, Marta. But—I’ve never waited tables before, and believe me, you don’t want me to cook. If you want a dishwasher or somebody to clean up, though—”

  She smiled faintly. “I know about your circumstances, Jaso
n. I know you might have to take unexpected time off. I’m fine with that. I understand. And as for the job—I thought I might start you out as a waiter during the lunch shift and general handyman when needed, and then if things work out you can work up to helping me manage the place. I trust Alastair’s judgment, and he said you learn fast.”

  He could still only stare at her for several seconds. “I—Thank you,” he finally got out, relief evident on his face. “I have been trying to figure out something I can do where they won’t have a problem with me bugging out occasionally.” The job boards at Stanford had been stubbornly unhelpful, full of either positions requiring the kind of education he didn’t have, or those where they wouldn’t look kindly on an employee whose availability was as variable as his was. “Um—you’ll have to teach me about Indian food, though. That first time I came in with Al? That was the first time I’d ever had it.” He couldn’t help chuckling. “And then I lost it all over Al’s floor in England after we went through the portal.”

  A brief smile crossed her downcast face. “I’ve heard that can happen sometimes,” she said. “Give me a call tomorrow, and we’ll discuss details, all right?”

  “I’ll do that. Thank you,” he said again, patting her arm. A big load off his mind, he headed back over to where Stone and Verity chatted with the group of mages.

  “Did you tell them what was going on?” he asked on the way back to the car, after he’d given Stone and Verity the details about his new job.

  “Sort of,” Stone said. “Same as I did for the lot back East—told them to be on guard for possible danger, mental influence, that sort of thing. Asked them to let me know if they spotted anything unusual.”

  “Were they suspicious?”

  “Not really. Bit frightened, but I don’t think they suspected I knew more than I was telling. As long as they know they might be in danger, they should be able to keep themselves safe, though.” He sighed, his expression bitter and frustrated. “Should have done it before. I’ll need to make some more calls, I think. If this is happening all over, best to get the word out as soon as possible.”

  Jason nodded. They’d reached the car; he was about to get in when the roar of a motorcycle startled him. Glancing quickly in that direction, he spotted the bike disappearing into traffic. The rider wore a leather jacket with the black-and-red symbol of the DMW on the back. He gripped Stone’s arm and pointed it out.

  “I’ll make those calls today,” Stone said grimly.

  Verity did her best to keep quiet about her upcoming birthday, but it would have been obvious to a blind man that she was excited about it. Stone said nothing about it beyond a quick “Happy birthday” that morning when she showed up for her training, but Jason had told her the night before that the mage had asked him to come over to the townhouse when his lunch shift at the restaurant was over.

  “So, apprentice,” Stone said when Jason arrived and the three of them met up in the kitchen, “It seems you’re an adult now. Feel any different?”

  She grinned. “You mean aside from the fact that I don’t have to ask Dad—I mean Jason—for permission when I want to go somewhere...not really.”

  “Well, just see to it that your impending wild adult life doesn’t interfere with your studies,” he told her.

  “Are you kidding? You think I’m gonna let parties get in the way of learning how to blow things up?”

  He rolled his eyes; it was a standing joke. “I told you, the ‘blowing things up’ lessons don’t start until next year.”

  “We’ll see,” she said, eyes twinkling. “I’ve been reading ahead in the textbook, Teach.”

  “She always was a teacher’s pet when she was little,” Jason said, grinning.

  “Anyway,” Stone said with a sigh, before he lost complete control of the conversation, “Unless you’ve got plans for the evening, I thought we might go up to San Francisco. I’ve got reservations at Castagnola’s.”

  “And,” Jason said, “after that, I’ve got a couple of tickets to see that band you like—the one with the gloomy chick in too much makeup—at the Warfield.”

  Her eyes widened. “You got tickets to see Shadowsbane? I thought that show was sold out!”

  “Hey, Al isn’t the only one around here who can pull strings.”

  She glanced at the mage. “A couple of tickets? You aren’t going, Dr. Stone?”

  Stone shook his head. “We can take BART up. We can either drive up separately or go together, and I’ll catch a cab home from the station in Millbrae. Not exactly my crowd. Besides, you need to spend more time with people your own age. You don’t need an old bloke like me cramping your style.”

  Verity grinned. Stone was about as far from an “old bloke” as anybody his age she’d ever met, but still, she was clearly pleased with the idea of this new adventure. “Thanks, guys,” she said. “Beats a cake and party hats.”

  “Who says there won’t be party hats?” Jason asked.

  “Damn,” Stone muttered. “Jason, remind me to call and cancel the pony rides.”

  Dinner was excellent—clearly Stone had greased a few palms, because they had one of the best tables available, with a beautiful view of the marina. Jason was glad the mage hadn’t picked an overly fancy place with snobbish waiters and a dress code, because he and Verity were both dressed for the club later that night. Verity had gone all out with leather jacket, miniskirt, ripped fishnets, combat boots and spiked hair; Jason, as usual, kept things much more understated. He didn’t like standing out in crowds. He’d thought about bringing along his pistol, which he’d finally had a chance to retrieve during the trip to Ventura, but reluctantly decided against it. Still, he didn’t think he was the only one among the three of them who had glanced around looking for Forgotten symbols and DMW gangers near the restaurant, and who was relieved when he didn’t see any of either.

  They finished up the last course around ten, Jason and Verity splitting an enormous, decadent slice of chocolate cake while Stone opted for an after-dinner liqueur. “You know where you’re going, right?” Stone asked.

  Jason nodded. “Yeah. We’re gonna take a cab over there, and the BART station’s only a couple blocks from the theater.”

  “Good, good.” He reached into the pocket of his overcoat, which he’d slung over the chair next to him. “Verity, I have something for you before you go.” He handed her a small, elegantly wrapped package.

  She stared at it, then up at him. “You didn’t have to get me anything, Dr. Stone. You’ve already done so much for us—”

  Stone waved her off and put it down in front of her. “Just open it.”

  She looked at Jason, who shrugged, and then she carefully removed the paper from the small box and lifted off the lid. Her eyes widened. “It’s—beautiful.”

  Inside the box, the silver bird skull amulet Stone had retrieved from his home in England rested on black velvet. Its red gem eyes glowed with eerie life in the restaurant’s indirect overhead lighting. She pulled it out by its silver chain and held it up—it looked like it would go very well with her current outfit. She clasped it around her neck, where it hung below her leather dog collar choker like it belonged there. “Thank you.”

  He smiled. “You’re quite welcome. And as you might suspect, there’s a bit more to it than simple aesthetics.”

  Judging by her expression, it was obvious she hadn’t suspected that. “There—is?” Her hand came up to touch it gently.

  “It’s attuned to you. I know you don’t know much magic yet, but should you need to use any of it, that will help you do it without as much psychic aftereffect, similar to my ring.” He held up his hand, where his familiar silver ring with the blocky purple stone glimmered. “I still need to have you practice with Jason to see if that amazing ability of his works with you as well, but he won’t always be around, and it’s never a bad idea to be cautious, especially in light of recent events. That confusion spell we went over the other day should serve you well if anyone bothers you.”


  She was clearly affected by the gift, but covered it with a grin. “You’re not so bad as a master after all, Teach. Thanks for this—and dinner, too. This is way better than a party hat and pony rides.” She glanced at her watch and looked rueful. “We should probably get going, though, if we’re gonna make it. I think the doors open at eleven.”

  “Go, go,” Stone said, making a ‘shoo’ gesture. “I plan to finish my drink and then I’ll be off. Should be home in a couple of hours—but do try not to get into trouble for once.”

  Jason grinned. “Don’t worry, Al. I’ll take good care of your apprentice.”

  Stone lingered over his drink for another twenty minutes or so, looking out the window over the lights of the marina and letting his thoughts wander. He hadn’t been enthusiastic when Jason had told him about scoring the tickets to the show. Normally he wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but with evidence that the Evil was still operating in the area (even at only a fraction of their former level of organization) he couldn’t help but be concerned that something would go wrong.

  While Verity surpassed all of his expectations with the speed at which she was picking up magical concepts and techniques—not that he would tell her that, of course—she was still a novice, and would be for quite some time to come. Being able to cast a decent levitation spell and do a fair-to-middling mental confusion under ideal conditions would not prepare her to stand up to a determined attacker, mage or otherwise. He was glad Jason was with her; his friend might be about as magical as the fork currently resting on his plate, but he was strong and fast and good in a fight. Sometimes a solid right hook was every bit as effective as a lightning bolt to the face.

  He paid the check and left the restaurant, pulling on his heavy wool overcoat against the chill of the night. It would be winter soon, and the wind coming off the bay sliced through him uncomfortably. He pulled up his collar and waved down a cab, instructing the driver to take him to the nearest BART station.