by Matt Gross
“Joshua Dorne, is it?” It was a simple question that demanded an answer.
He didn't know what to make of her. He began to sweat, and he had to concentrate not to tremble. “Y...” he swallowed, “yes.”
She smiled. She was mere inches from his face. She smelled of rosemary. Her eyes were big blue orbs. Under different circumstances he might have flirted with her, but something told him that that would be a horrible idea. She sniffed him and her nose wrinkled.
“Did you see my sister?”
Sister? What sister? I don't even know who you are. “Uh...” he swallowed again.
“Yes...sister. Red hair. Tattoos like mine. My sister, did you see her?” She started to rub his groin.
What is she doing? Shit! If I wasn't so terrified I'd be getting aroused. Wait, shit, no.
She smiled again. “Glad I have your attention now.” She reached under the blanket and took him in her hand. “Did you see my sister?” she repeated.
“Y...yes.” He was terrified and turned on at the same time. His body trembled. “She attacked our caravan. Her and a couple of ogres.”
“Hmm...Ogres you say. Interesting.” She continued to massage him.
“They were trying to rescue Khayin.” A wave of pleasure shot through his body.
“Trying? I think she succeeded.” She breathed heavily, her hot breath on his face. “What did she do? Her magic, I mean. How did she accomplish the rescue?”
“Some kind of telekinesis. She was quite powerful. We had no defense for it. She lifted our wagons away from the fight with the ogres and took on the occupants of the wagon by herself.” He was panting. “She made short work of us, despite being shot by me. She lifted me in the air and threw me to the ogres. I barely made it out of there alive.” He was having difficulty talking as the sensations increased.
“Was that all you saw?” she purred.
“Yes, I swear,” he managed to say. She stopped abruptly.
His panting ceased. She withdrew her hand and pulled away from him. His interrogator walked over to another table filled with medical tools. Dorne couldn't see what she was doing. He heard the sound of metal on metal; it sounded like she was inspecting the tools then laying them back down. She turned to face him.
“I hear you are quite the accomplished torturer,” she said with a wicked grin.
Dorne wasn't sure if it was the encounter he had just had or the lighting, but he was enraptured by her. “My methods produce results,” he said with all the bravado he could muster.
She approached him. She walked like a dancer--deliberate, precise and elegant. Her eyes entranced him. And if she wasn't as captivating as she was he probably would have noticed the long dagger she had pulled from her belt. In one swift movement she plunged the knife into his chest and through the heart. He heard the tip of the blade hit the metal table on which he lay.
“I also heard you tortured a young woman recently. I'm sure she wasn't the only one.” He could barely hear her now. He felt his life flowing from him and into a pool beneath him. “You don't get to do that to women, you sick fuck.”
That was the last thing he heard.
Chapter 28 The Mom
Khayin awoke to shouting.
“No, Mom. I will not come stay with you. Everything is fine here. I have Khayin and Kira with me and Tao is not far away. I'll be fine. I just wanted to be sure you were OK... No, nothing happened... No, I'm not into Kira, she doesn't even swing that way. Geez, can't I just have friends over without you psychoanalyzing everything? Gosh, mom, why do you have to be like this? I wanted friends to stay over. My city was attacked. Why can't I have friends stay the night?... No. Tao had to check on her employees... Of course, I care for her. I asked her, and she said she was fine. Now all of a sudden you recognize our relationship. UGH! You are sooo frustrating.” Codex stomped around the room. Her face was red and turned an even brighter shade when she saw Khayin. “Yep...yep...yep, I...yep...yep, I...yep...yep...I love you too.” The phone made a crisp snap noise when she shut it, ending the conversation.
“Good morning,” Khayin said with the cheesiest grin he could muster.
“Shut up,” Codex spat as she walked by, giving him a light shoulder bump.
“You know, I don't think I ever met your mother. What's her name?”
“Nope.” She walked to the kitchen and to the coffee she had made earlier.
“Nope what?”
“Just nope.” She turned in his direction. “I love you, Snuggly Bear. Too much to subject you to my mother.” She turned back around and grabbed some mugs.
“Can I at least have her name?”
“Nope,” she said in a short clip. “I know how good of a tracker you are and you have tracked down people with less. Sorry, Snuggly Bear. This is one subject that is off limits.”
“Fair enough.” Khayin took a seat at the kitchen table, completely amused by the spectacle he had just witnessed. “What's for breakfast?”
“There's fruit on the table in front of you. And behind you on the counter I have some bread and jam,” she said as she carried over the coffee.
“So...you're not going to serve me?” he asked with a grin.
“You're cute. Now unless you want to lose some teeth, I suggest you get your own damn breakfast,” she said with an even bigger grin.
“I was only kidding,” he said half-heartedly.
“I wasn't.”
“What did I miss?” asked a sleepy-eyed Kira. She stretched as she entered the room. She sat down across from Khayin and Codex slid her a cup of hot coffee. Codex gestured to the sugar and Kira waved her off. “Black is good.”
“Codex is trying to get back some semblance of control after getting yelled at by her mother this morning. So, she's taking it out on me. Though I probably did ask for it.” He looked at Codex. “I'm only trying to help. I figure if you're barking at me it might make you feel better.”
“Did you just say I was 'barking'?” she asked.
Khayin couldn't tell how upset she was by that remark. “In the cutest way possible, of course.”
“Anyway,” she smiled at him, “today is the day we assault Chicago.”
“I don't know if 'assault' would be the word I'd choose,” said Khayin. “Maybe infiltrate?”
“Sure, whatever.” She rolled her eyes.
“Can you get us in there, or do we have to get there on horseback?” He sipped his coffee. “It's quite a trip.”
“No, silly, I can port you to just outside the city. There's some kinda interference that keeps me from porting directly into the city. It'll be up to you to get inside. That shouldn't be too hard. You've been there plenty of times; it ain't like the city has walls.” She grabbed some melon that she had cut earlier. “Your biggest problem are your faces. We could try a glamour, but if the Boss truly is a god, she'll see right through it, and maybe even have a counter spell prepped for her lackeys to see through it too.” She paused. “Your best bet is to just go as you are. Wear some hoodies or just try to blend in.”
“But where do we go when we get inside the city?” Kira asked.
“The Nueden Corporation building. The building itself has only two stories made up of offices, which is where you'll find the boss's office. It'll be somewhere on the second floor. The building also has many sub-levels. I’m not sure how many, but that is where they do all their nasty stuff.” Codex's phone beeped. She looked down at it then looked at Khayin. “I have to take this, it's Tao.”
“Go ahead,” he said.
She flipped open the phone and put it to her ear. “Hi, Pookie. How is everything? Everybody OK? How are you? Do you need me to come by? I can be there before you can blink... OK, but we can get together later? Yay... Oh... Yeah, they're here. They stayed the night. I'm about to port them to Chicago. We have to put a stop to this. I can't have Chi-Town come into my home and wreak havoc... What? No. Just them. It will be easier and I can stay and defend here just in case they get stupid enough to attack me twice... No
, no, they have yet to see what the two of them can do together, I...” Her words cut off when she entered another room and shut the door.
“Well, this is it. Are you ready to face your sister?” Khayin was nervous for her and he noticed her tattoos jump radically for a second before calming to their usual mesmerizing pattern.
“Physically and magically I am at my best. Emotionally? I don't know.” Her eyes were little slits and her tattoos swirled slowly.
“Hey, I'm there for you. We'll tackle this thing together,” he said warmly as he reached across the table to lightly touch her hand.
“Lilith mentioned you had the means to kill gods.” She took a sip of her coffee.
“Did she now?” It was more of a statement than a question. “I've been avoiding those beings for the majority of my existence. Luckily they tend to mind their own business. They are lazy and usually stay in their own territory. The gods try to stay clear of conflict with other gods. They are powerful and they don't need worshipers, though they are a big boost to their egos, which make them all the more dangerous. You can't kill them by conventional means. They heal too quickly.” He drank the last of his coffee.
Kira leaned forward, holding her cup with both hands.
“I acquired a dagger in my travels. It's said that it holds special properties. The legends say it was used to kill a god of death. Now the dagger has that god’s blood infused with the blade, which gives it a darker hue. And they say it is indestructible. I've never really tested that theory, the indestructible part.” He tapped the blade sheathed in his boot against the leg of the table.
“So...you've killed a god before?” She almost appeared to be shy asking the question.
“A few.”
Her eyes went wide. “You say that like it's no big deal. People worship those beings for a reason. They...”
“They what? Have the power to control weather, make crops grow, blah, blah, blah.” He shook his head and slammed his fist on the table. “They are no different than you or me. They just discovered magic that they're not willing to share. Some are good, some are assholes, and believe me, I didn't kill any that didn't deserve it. People should have free will, control over their own destinies. Most of these beings can't live without mucking around in other peoples’ affairs. And that includes Lilith and Muma.” He hated the gods, and his face was starting to flush as a bead of sweat formed on his brow.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean...” Kira reached across and grabbed his hand.
“No, it's my fault. I get worked up over it. I don't know all the details, but it's because of the gods that I am what I am. It's because of them that I can't die. It's because of them that I am forced to outlive my friends. My world is death, Kira. You know how hard it is to fall in love when you know you're going to watch the one you love die of old age?” He fought back a tear. “Balls,” he whispered. She squeezed his hand.
“OK, let's change the subject. How do you suppose we get into the city?” She attempted to sound cheerful. Khayin appreciated it.
“We walk in,” he said plainly. “We'll stay in the shadows as much as possible. I don't think they'll be expecting us. Getting into the Nueden building is going to prove a little more problematic, but I won't be able to form a plan until I see the place. We're assuming your sister is going to be with this Boss. Fighting the two of them together may prove difficult. You may have to fight your sister while I take on the Boss. Again, something else that we'll have to wait and see.” He chuckled. “What a great plan.”
The sound of a door shutting and the shuffle of feet came from behind Khayin. “What plan? You made a plan? Let me hear it. How could you make a plan without me? I wasn't going to be long on the phone. Tao was just checking in, making sure everyone was good. She's good, by the way. I know were wondering. But really, how can anyone be good after the attack? It's like being violated. At least that's how I feel. You feel that way? Even if you don't, you must feel something, ‘cause you ran off like a bat out of hell. But that was probably ‘cause you thought they had me. That was really sweet. I always knew you were a sweet man. You only act tough and non-approachable. You even got a woman who grew up hating men to like you. I think the two of you would be perfect for each other. Scratch that, you two are perfect for each other. Don't fuck it up, Khayin.” Codex poked him in his shoulder, and her sharp pointed nail nearly broke the skin, even with his shirt on.
“What?!” Khayin was confused. “How'd that become about me and... Never mind.”
“So, about this plan?” Codex asked, returning to the original subject.
“You mean the plan that there is no plan,” Kira replied.
“Now it's my turn to be confused,” said Codex.
“We don't have enough intel to make a definitive plan. We'll have to finalize when we're there. Make decisions on the fly.” Khayin sat back. “I find I work better without a plan anyway.”
“You're just going to wing it?” Codex asked a little annoyed. “You're going to face a powerful witch and a god, and you're going to wing it? You can't die Khayin, I get it, but Kira can. You need to think about her.”
“What do you think I've been doing since I met her? I haven't been able to think straight with her constantly invading my thoughts. What else are we going to do?” He stood up. “Do I put her in danger by following a plan, a concept completely foreign to me? Or do I put her in danger by not having a plan?” He let out a sigh of frustration. “We’ll have the element of surprise. They're not going to expect us to just walk in. Besides, we have a powerful witch too,” he said, as if that was enough to settle the dispute.
Kira looked at him, and her tattoos moved in a hypnotic pattern. He liked the new look; he was definitely falling for her. “You can't stop thinking about me? What are you thinking about?” Kira was boring holes into him.
Those eyes. Khayin looked away, ignoring her questions.
“You're insane.” Codex crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Khayin walked over to his bags and rummaged through them for his weapons, starting to put them on. Kira got up and did the same. He eyed a couple of oversized hoodies and decided not to take one, but he did throw one at Kira.
“Put this on and pull the hood over your head.” She looked at him quizzically. “You're going to stick out like a sore thumb.” Khayin finished, answering her obvious question.
“What about you?” She held up the hoodie and gave it a quick once-over.
“Then again it probably won't matter. If they recognize me, they are going to know you are with me and I don't want to wear anything that is going to interfere with me reaching my weapons.” He sighed. “Alright then, let's do this.” He was nervous--not for himself, but for Kira. He looked at her and smiled. He wanted to be strong for her and he was, but he wasn't confidant that she would come out of this alive.
Codex smiled. “OK, now the port will drop you in the backyard of an old house of mine. The back door should be unlocked. Now you two hold hands.” Their palms touched and their fingers slowly laced together.
I could get used to this.
“Ahh...aren't the two of you cute.”
“Codex...” He didn't get to finish.
Chapter 29 The Photo
It was mid-afternoon on a Friday and they were about a mile out of Chicago. The seventy degree weather was perfect with no humidity. Kira and Khayin both carried a backpack. Kira had just thought it was a weird looking bag until Codex showed her how to wear it. The port put them in a suburban town, in the backyard of a large house. All the houses were large to Kira and in pretty good condition.
“The success of Chi-Town attracts. People kept these homes in good shape.” Khayin motioned toward the house. “Let's go take a look.”
Kira followed Khayin to the back door of Codex's house. The entrance seemed to be two large glass doors that slid along on rails. Khayin tried one and it was locked, so he knocked. Why did he knock? When there was no answer, Khayin grunted and knelt down, pulling his bag off h
is shoulder. He rummaged through and found a little folded piece of leather that had tiny metal tools inside. He grabbed a couple and then proceeded to put them into a hole on the handle. After a few moments there was a small click and he slid the door open.
“Ta-da,” he said with a broad smile. “I know magic, too.”
Kira shook her head and brushed past him into the house. She found herself in the kitchen; she recognized the stove and other appliances. The counters were cleared off and the refrigerator was empty. Making her way into the main living area, she noticed a long couch and two cushioned chairs.
“They put a computer screen on the wall?” Kira said pointing to the large screen.
Khayin chuckled. “No, that was a TV, or television. People used to put on elaborate plays and record them for other people to watch on screens like those.” She thought about that a moment. “When we are done and we have defeated your sister and her master, I'll take you to a place that has an even larger screen.”
“For that Star Wars play?” She said hesitantly, not entirely sure if she had the name right. She was pleased when she saw him smile.
“Exactly.” He put his bag down on one of the chairs. “We should probably lay low until night. We'll be less likely to be seen. I'm going to take a look around upstairs.” He left the room and climbed a set of stairs by the front door.
Kira followed suit, she set her bag down and explored the floor she was on. There were two fully furnished bedrooms along with a bathroom. Other than a complete lack of dust, it didn’t seem that anyone had lived there in quite some time. Kira found two other doors, one that led to a large empty room that Khayin later explained was called an attached garage, where people kept their vehicles, and another door that led to another set of stairs leading down to the cellar.
The stairs down creaked. They were made of wood and had been replaced several times over the years. The cellar was dark, save for daylight that trickled in through block glass windows. She felt a powerful magic in the cellar. Several tables lined the walls. All had different wizard tools laid out in neat rows. In the corners of the cellar stood candelabras atop tall stands. The setup was similar to Lilith's work room.