Six red dots moved into position in front of me, three on Delia, three on Karkov—all trailed at their chests. The snipers had followed Axel’s hand gesture and had targeted the crows.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“If you don’t step out of my way, I’m going to make sure not even your ghosts can escape my father’s wrath.”
Delia scowled at him. She then looked up at Karkov, and in an instant, they both took to the skies in a flurry of green light and black feathers. When I was confident they were out of earshot, I turned to look at Axel, and said. “That was pretty hot.”
Axel took a deep breath, sticking out his chest. “I’m pretty sure I just made an enemy of the crows.”
“Yeah, looks like it… also looks like they weren’t your friends to begin with.”
He opened the car door to let me in. “Probably not, but the last thing I need right now is more enemies.”
I stepped inside, but held the door open before he could close it. “Hey, why did you cancel your security?”
Axel grinned. “You’re my date for tonight. I didn’t want to have a bunch of other people involved.”
“Date, huh?”
“Yes, and we’re going to be late.”
I let go of the door, smiling to myself, and Axel shut it. A few moments later, we were on the road, sitting in the back of the car and watching the landscape roll quietly by. I loved New York at night. The whole city, even the outskirts, all seemed to come alive under the cover of darkness.
In all the excitement, I’d forgotten it was Halloween. It wasn’t until I started noticing the decorations sprinkled across the city that I remembered, tonight was a special night. Not because tonight the barrier between this world and the realm of the dead was at its thinnest. That was a myth, anyway. But because it was a night when people got together to celebrate change.
I didn’t think there was another holiday that better captured the essence of magic itself. Back in the day, Halloween had less to do with trick or treating, and more to do with bringing in those last few harvests before the weather started to change.
As the leaves browned and temperatures fell, it was the last chance farmers had to make sure they had enough food to last their families the winter. Some cultures believed the spirit of the world itself would die every fall, only to be reborn again in the spring. What was death, then, if not magic? And what was magic if not change?
Manhattan bloomed around us like a garden of lights. The entire city had given in to the spirit of Halloween. Everywhere I looked were TV displays and billboards covered in dancing pumpkins, falling brown flowers, and, of course, all of the spooky stuff you’d expect to find floating around. Ghosts, bats, zombies; that kind of thing.
The Atlantis, despite being owned by a mage, hadn’t been decorated at all. I found that a little strange, considering Halloween was the holiday most associated with magic. Maybe the Magister was making a statement? Maybe he was sick of the stereotypical witch with a broomstick deal and was forming some kind of protest I couldn’t understand.
Axel and I were escorted from the entrance of the Atlantis to the elevator without having to introduce ourselves. Karim signaled through my earpiece to tell me he’d seen us walk through, and that he’d see us again once we entered the ballroom. I kept my lips shut until the elevator door opened and we were let inside. The escort wanted to join us, but Axel put his hand up to stop him, and pressed the button himself.
The doors shut, and I breathed a little more easily. My heart was racing. It probably hadn’t taken a break for the last few hours. A heart attack was probably around the corner, but I kept it together.
“Alright,” I said, “We’re in the elevator. Can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear,” Danvers said.
“How’s the party looking?”
“Full. You guys are making a fashionably late entrance.”
“There really is no other way to attend a party. Is our barman enchanted?”
“Sure is.”
“Perfect. RJ, can you identify any of the Legionnaires in attendance?”
RJ’s voice buzzed in. “The Legionnaire at the door is McElroy,” he said, “He’s a Tempest, that’s why he’s at the door.”
“He’s the one scanning for magic objects and active spells…”
“Yeah. There’s another one, too. Hutchins. A Psionic.”
“… which means they’ll also be scanning our brains. They really did beef security up.”
“And you won’t be able to protect against it. Just chill, it’s nothing you can’t handle. Just think happy thoughts.”
“Got it. Stay at Nerve for now. I’m gonna need you to identify the others. Once we know who’s guarding the door to the vault, you can start on your part of the plan. Danvers, remember you’re our fall back. If something goes wrong, you’re up. And keep an eye out for whoever’s not meant to be at that party tonight. We need to be careful.”
“We’re ready,” she said.
I took another breath. I’d probably need to take a lot of those tonight.
“When were you gonna tell me RJ was a Legionnaire?” Axel asked. He turned his head slowly to the side, a quizzical look on his face.
“Used to be,” I said, “I didn’t know we had to share everything?”
Axel didn’t answer the question, but I did notice the way he seemed to stiffen up when I put it to him. Something was wrong. I’d been sensing it on and off for a while, but now it was like the tension was rising.
“Is there something you’re not telling me, Axel?”
He swallowed hard, but he never took his eyes off me. He shook his head. “Let’s just finish this so we can all go home.”
I nodded, and even though something still didn’t feel right, I had to put on my poker face and forge ahead. It was time to do what I’d come here to do.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The elevator door dinged open, spilling us into a small foyer where our only company were two of the Magistrate’s Legionnaires. I watched them as they scanned me, carefully eyeing me up as I approached. It didn’t take long before their magic filled the room.
My skin started to vibrate as they searched for a way through my natural defenses. Even though it went against every instinct in my body, I relaxed, allowing them to scan me as much as they wanted. It was an invasive practice akin to being stripped naked, but it didn’t last long, the vibrations stopping as soon as they willed their magic away. If they’d sensed something, they would’ve said something by now. Instead, McElroy asked, “Name?”
“Axel Barlow. This is my date, Isabella Warden,” Axel said.
The Legionnaire looked at Axel, then at me, his eyes slipping down the cut of my dress, then at his tablet. A quick search later, he found Axel’s name and ticked it off the list. Hutchins opened the door, and then we were over the first hurdle, and deep in the heart of the party.
The ballroom was the first room beyond the front door. Soft jazz touched my ears as soon as the doors had opened, piano heavy with strings to accompany it. I walked through the crowd of mages and their guests, my arm linked with Axel’s. Their voices were low, allowing the music enough space to breathe, but the conversations were many. I’d never seen so many mages gathered in one place before.
Already I could feel the pull of magic in this place, like I’d walked into wall of static electricity. It was much bigger than I’d been able to see through the camera feeds, the dimensions inside the penthouse far exceeding what the building itself allowed.
“Oh good,” came Karim’s voice, “So, the Legionnaires didn’t kill you on sight.”
“I guess not,” I said, keeping my voice low. “How are all the feeds looking?”
“Everything’s green across the board over here,” Danvers said. “Talk to the young barman with the black hair. Ask him what the raven quothed.”
“Pretty sure quothed isn’t a real word.”
“Just ask him, okay? No need for smart-assery around he
re.”
Axel tugged on my arm and nodded across the room. Asmodius was already here, a beautiful blond in a skimpy number at his side. He was talking to the Magister himself, though there were at least three or four feet between them. Eliphas really did have a thing about personal space. It was a good thing I’d already taken what I needed from him to get past his most complicated wards.
“Just how close are the Magister and your father?” I asked.
“Close,” Axel said, “Eliphas and my father were good friends even before he became Magister.”
“I don’t like that the head of our government is so chummy with the head of a crime family.”
“That could be because you see things in black and white. Life isn’t as simple as that. There are places in the city even the Magister’s own Legionnaires won’t go, people they won’t touch. My family keeps those people in check, it keeps those places from falling into anarchy.”
“So, you think your father provides a service.”
“I don’t think. I know. But right now isn’t the time to be talking about this.”
I nodded, then pulled Axel over to the bar. I had no idea who the people around me were, even the ones that stared long enough to imprint my face into their brains. The only comforting thing about this place was the total lack of magic coming from anywhere except where it was supposed to come from.
That was likely to level the playing field a little if things went south. Not that they were going to. We had this totally under control.
I waited at the bar until the young guy with the black hair was free, then I called him over—but subtly. Gone were the days where I’d yell across the counter to get attention from the booze peddlers of New York. The barman noticed my polite wave and walked over.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
“I’ll have a bourbon on the rocks,” I said, “He’ll have it neat.”
Nodding, the barman turned around and started working on my order.
“Why didn’t you ask him for the bag?” Axel asked.
I turned around, scanned the room, and pointed discreetly at the women walking around. “What do you see when you look at them?” I asked.
“I didn’t want to go right into it. Just cover me.”
I turned to face the bar while Axel stood behind me, keeping his eyes on the ballroom. The barman didn’t take long to finish our drinks. When he set them on the counter in front of me, I held his eyes, and asked, “What does the raven quoth?”
The barman blinked hard, swallowed, and glanced nervously around. “N-Nevermore,” he said, and then he reached beneath the bar to produce a little black clutch. It had barely touched my hand, the transaction complete for less than a second, when a familiar voice made my entire spine crawl.
“There you are,” Asmodius said to his son, “I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”
“I wouldn’t miss one of the Magister’s parties,” he said.
The mob boss’ eyes fell upon me like weights. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your stunning date?”
“Of course,” Axel said, “This is Isabella. Isabella Warden.”
Asmodius took my offered hand, brought it to his lips… and kissed it. My entire body trembled, a sudden surge of revulsion rushing through me. I stared at him, my eyes wide, but I couldn’t pull my hand away. I’d have had to jerk it back, but from across his shoulder I realized the Magister was watching intently.
I rode the moment out, waiting for Asmodius to release my hand. “It’s an absolute pleasure,” he said, his voice a low growl in his throat.
Axel’s jaw clenched. He wanted to say something, I could see it in his eyes, but he held himself. Maybe, I hoped, it was because he wouldn’t have had anything good to say to his father. Maybe, I hoped, because he would demand his father let go of my hand.
“All mine,” I purred, summoning Kandi’s brand of sensual politeness.
Asmodius let my hand slide out of his, turned, and gestured over to the Magister. “Magister Eliphas, you know my son, yes?”
“Of course,” the Magister said. He hadn’t moved any closer to us than he’d been during his conversation with Asmodius. That would work to my advantage. I knew I looked entirely different now than I had the other night, but there was every chance he’d remember my voice. That, RJ’s spell hadn’t managed to change.
“Did you enjoy your drink last night?” Eliphas discreetly asked.
Asmodius cocked an eyebrow and examined his son’s face.
“I did,” Axel said, “You were right, it really was special. Definitely a drink to savor.”
Eliphas grinned. “Excellent. I’m looking forward to enjoying another taste myself.”
“Well, then.” Asmodius said, ending the interaction and removing himself from where we were standing. “We will let you two enjoy each other’s company. Try not to get into trouble.”
Axel said nothing. I didn’t speak, either. Asmodius walked away from us, and the Magister followed him like… well, kind of like a puppy. They were both incredibly powerful mages, both of them leaders of their empires. But it was clear to me who the alpha of that little duo was. It became increasingly clear to me, it wasn’t the Magister or even the Magistrate I had to be worried about, but Asmodius.
“That was tough to watch,” Karim said, his voice in my ear making my insides jump.
“It was tough to endure, too,” I said, quietly. “RJ, have you been able to identify the Legionnaires we have to get past?”
“There’s one posted at every door out of the room,” RJ said, “But there’s two at the door to the corridor you all need to get into.”
“Dammit. One I could deal with, but two is a problem.”
“You’re gonna have to deal with them both at the same time, but be careful. These guys ain’t punks. The one on the left is Praefecti, and he’s a Vivimancer.”
“Pre…what?” Danvers asked over the comms.
“Praefecti,” RJ repeated. “It means he’s a Lieutenant. It means he’s put a whole bunch of people away before. It means he’s armed. Be careful with him, and don’t go against him head on.”
“What about the Legio Prime?” I asked, “Is she here?”
“I ain’t seen her around. Legio Prime wouldn’t let herself get pulled into security for a party, anyway—she’s got shit to do.”
“Alright, get started on our escape route. You have seven minutes to get to the roof.”
“About damn time. That urn was starting to give me the creeps.”
“And what was I supposed to do with it?” Karim said through the comms, “It’s not like I could’ve buried it in the backyard.”
“Alright, radio silence for now,” Axel said. “Seven minutes doesn’t get us a lot of time.”
I nodded. “Create a distraction.”
“Distraction? How?”
“You’re a Psionic. Figure it out.”
He took a moment to consider his options, looking across at the Legionnaires and then back at the partygoers. “I know what to do. Give me the bag.”
I handed the clutch over to him and he opened it. Danvers had explained, all you had to do to retrieve something from inside the bag was to picture it in your mind. Axel pulled his hand out a second later with a little bag filled with glittering purple powder.
“You may want to stand back.”
“Wait, tell me what you’re gonna do before you do it. We need to be subtle, remember?”
“Oh, we’re going to be subtle as hell. He’s the one about to make a fool of himself.”
Axel slid over to a guy deeply rooted in a conversation with two other people. It looked casual enough. Each of them had a drink in one hand, they were all smiling, and chatting. That was until Axel opened the little bag and blew a soft, glittering cloud of purple dust against the back of the only woman in the group.
A second passed, maybe two. She turned her head to the side, venom in her eyes, and jabbed a finger at the guy next to her. “Did you jus
t grab my ass?” she asked.
The guy gave her a gross, suggestive little smirk right in front of his date. “Depends,” he said, “Did you like it?”
She tossed her drink into his face, forcing him to back away from her in such a hurry that he knocked into a waiter walking around with a tray of drinks. He went down, his tray went down, and so did all the champagne he’d been ferrying around the room. Voices started to rise as the altercation between the grabber, his date, and the grabee heated up.
The argument, as well as the sudden smashing of glasses, drew the attention of our Parafecti. He abandoned his post to investigate, making sure to tell the other Legionnaire to hold his position. With my heart hammering against my chest, my hand rummaging around inside my clutch, and a spell very much held in my mind, I marched toward him.
He stared at me as I approached, frowning. “You’re not allowed to go back here,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “I just got a whole bunch of champagne dumped on my legs. Look.”
The Legionnaire turned his eyes on my feet just as I pulled the little bag out of my clutch and opened it. I’d decided to go with one of Axel’s spells for this one. Elemancy wasn’t exactly a subtle art. Psionic magic, however, was perfect for what I wanted to do for him.
I blew the powder into the Legionnaire’s face. He sniffed, blinked hard, then he kept blinking, as his brain struggled to try and process… well, anything. Axel joined me just as I snuck around the Legionnaire and opened the door.
“My confusion spell?” he asked, nodding his approval. “Elegant.”
“I know, right?” I said, “Now, c’mon. We’ve got six minutes to get out of here.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
There it was; the door to Eliphas’ vault. I almost couldn’t believe we’d made it here at all. This had been such a bat-shit crazy idea, I thought for sure we’d have gotten captured or killed by now. But as it stood, Axel and I were alone in a quiet corridor, standing before the door protecting an untold amount of treasures.
We’d really made it. Of course, now there was the little issue of the ward standing between me and the door. I’d been able to feel it ever since I’d set foot in the ballroom, just as Danvers had earlier. Now that I was in front of it, the ward’s edge was starting to feel more like a solid wall even though it was invisible, even to me.
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