by HDA Roberts
"It wasn't that hard," I said. "Politicians may be tricky, but most of them do at least try to do the right thing, it's just a matter of convincing them of what that is."
"You infect people with nightmares and Magical STDs, you don't get to call anyone else tricky, Matty," Tethys said, sprawled rather attractively over the sofa.
I smirked and leant back in my chair.
All things considered, as long as Myrddin didn't make too big a mess, it might be nice to enjoy a bit of a respite from Conclave duties. And now that I wasn't going to school, I had a whole bunch of free time, which had been in rather short supply lately.
As my mind wandered to all those things I hadn’t had the time to do over the last few months, Cassandra took the opportunity to loom over me.
"Oh God, what did I do now?" I squeaked.
"Seriously? Am I that much of an ogre to you?"
"Answer my question, and I'll answer yours."
She harrumphed.
"By my calculation, it would appear that you have some free time on your hands," she said, her eyes narrowing.
"No, no! I have all sorts of deep, exciting research to do, a book that still needs translating, research into the Realm of Darkness..."
The eyes narrowed again. I cringed.
"Or whatever it is that you have planned, of course," I capitulated with a sigh.
"Training, oh so much training," she said.
"But... but I'm already..."
The eyebrow; that dreaded eyebrow...
"I'll be helping," Demise said brightly, her own terrifying smile in place.
"You realise I'm fragile, right? I can quite easily die from mistreatment."
Demise started rubbing her hands together in a most sinister fashion.
"Dee, you're scaring me."
"Good," she purred. Demise didn't purr, it was... disturbing.
Naturally Tethys was no help, she was laughing so hard that she couldn't breathe.
It took two weeks for Myrddin to implode, and I like to think that we put that time to good use. Tethys, in particular, outdid herself in the search for Myrddin’s assets.
Things might have turned out very differently if it weren’t for her...
Rather than do anything fancy, she simply selected the fifty Conclave Members most likely to have ties to Myrddin and all but threw forensic accountants at their records.
They were horribly expensive, as they included some form of Scrying Magic into the process, but they were absolutely worth every penny.
It only took them three days to find a thread they could pull on. They tracked that thread through four shell companies and more than a dozen dummy brokerage accounts to a small, but successful bank in Singapore of all places.
After that, it was a relatively simple matter to get some of Tethys' agents into place and gain access to their records. Tethys was actually quite impressed by what she found. Myrddin had a not insignificant fortune to his name, and every cent, penny, yen, and goodness knew what else, was very carefully and almost invisibly invested across a wide variety of financial markets and sectors, all of them profitable and none of them traceable back to him.
And it was a lot of money. Apparently selling the services of his Hyde monsters for the last three hundred years had been very lucrative. He must have used proxies to set up all of that, but we couldn’t find any trace of them. Knowing Myrddin and his methods, they were probably dead.
As soon as Tethys had her claws on the heart of Myrddin’s financial network, she began to squeeze... and tear.
You really would think that after making it one of the cornerstones of his case against me, Myrddin would have taken steps to make sure that his people were better prepared for Tethys' mischief, but it turned out that only a very small portion was protected with the kind of measures that could keep her away.
The rest, about eighty-five percent of his net worth, Tethys started to siphon off through the Singapore Credit Union Bank, which acted as Myrddin's financial hub. It was very unwise of him to centralise the control of his money like that. As soon as Tethys convinced Myrddin’s account manager that she was working on Myrddin's behalf (laughably easy when you have Illusionists on the payroll and access to the bank’s internal records for passwords and such), it didn’t take a week to drain every last drop of cash from our enemy’s accounts.
Of course, what we did was, by every definition, completely illegal, even more illegal than what we’d done to the Aurelia, but Tethys covered her tracks perfectly. Her experience against the Vampires had gone a long way towards preparing her for this, and it had only made her better. We were aided by the fact that Myrddin’s money was almost entirely generated by criminal activity. That meant that very few people kept track of it, and the few that did were very unlikely to report it being missing, as that would attract the attention of the authorities, and nobody wanted that.
Start to finish, the whole beautiful set-piece of thievery took ten days, at the end of which our rainy-day-slush fund received a nice little boost and Myrddin ended up nearly flat broke. What few accounts we couldn’t pilfer, we had frozen through a few carefully placed tips (and one rather monstrous bribe that none of us were really happy with. Damned Canary Islands and their banking laws...).
After that, it only took another four days for things to turn ugly at the Conclave.
When it all happened, I was curled up with Kandi, who was enjoying a day off herself. Tethys and Ross seemed to have gotten a bit better with one another in the last couple of weeks, and were once again submerged in carnal bliss, leaving Kandi without someone to sleep on.
She was using my chest as a pillow, covering the rest of me with the rest of her, watching the TV while I read a book suspended above her head by my Will. She had just showered and smelled of some sweet perfume that I found quite relaxing.
I found the stunning redhead lying on me less relaxing, but it wasn't like that was something to complain about.
She yawned prettily and nuzzled in a bit tighter to me.
"There’s no replacing a Succubus," she said, "but as a substitute Tethys, you aren't so bad."
"You sweet-talker, you," I replied dryly.
She sniggered, which tickled, "You know what I mean; you're not like normal boys. You're more like a girlfriend."
Ouch. No, seriously... ouch! I've been kicked in the balls by an amorously-inclined Sasquatch (don't ask), but this was actually a harder shot to the manhood.
"Damn, Kandi, that's just mean!"
She giggled and kissed me right on the lips, taking her time to make it slow and wonderful.
"Still mean?" she whispered once she’d pulled back.
"Brain am not work good no more.”
She laughed and resumed her spot, "Still got it," she said proudly.
"Never lost it," I said, stroking her back.
"You say that, but..." she sighed.
"You're not still feeling pushed off, are you? I told you that it isn’t like that for Tethys, she's like a magpie for women; you know this."
"I do know. I can't help being a girl about this, Matty. You're just going to have to live with it."
"If it helps you at all, I wouldn't take a thousand Lexis for one of you," I said, squeezing her.
"You're just saying that so I'll kiss you again."
"Yes. Ow!"
"Arse!" she squeaked as she poked and pinched me, grinning all the while.
I laughed and she eventually subsided once she’d felt I’d learned my lesson.
"Seriously, though, you are and always will be quite irreplaceable, Carol Thornsby. To me, and to everyone that knows you. Tethys included."
She sighed again, theatrically this time, "I suppose. It's nice to hear it once in a while, though."
"You can hear it anytime you want," I said sincerely.
"Good," she said, leaning down to kiss me again... only for someone (who I would be sending into the Bermuda Triangle in a moment) to knock on the door.
"Every blood
y time," Kandi muttered as she hopped off me and pulled her t-shirt back into place. It took me a bit longer to rearrange myself into something respectable.
“Come in!” I eventually managed.
Cassandra opened the door.
She rolled her eyes at the faux-innocent look on Kandi's face and turned to me.
"She's back," Cassandra said.
"Which 'she'? I know a few."
"Hellstrom."
I checked my watch, "Ahead of schedule," I muttered.
"Smugness is not a good look on you," Cassandra replied with a scowl. "And she's brought friends with her, so you know."
"What sort of friends?" I asked, pulling a decent shirt and trousers out of the cupboard.
"Councillors, by the looks of them."
"Anyone we know?"
"You could say that. Mrs Bradley's one of them," Cassandra said, smirking a little.
"Buried the lead a little bit, didn't you?!"
She snorted. "They're waiting for you in the drawing room."
I finished dressing and Kandi stopped me before I left, giving me another little kiss, which made me blush, "Smugness is actually a very sexy look on you, just for the record," she whispered in my ear before patting my bum and pushing me towards the door.
I smiled back at her and left.
This should be an interesting meeting...
Chapter 52
Bradley, her weasely little assistant, Hellstrom, Glass and seven other distinguished men and women were waiting for me. Only Hellstrom, Glass and Bradley were relaxed or confident enough to sit down.
"Good evening," I said to them as I walked in. Cassandra came in behind me and took up a spot against the wall. Demise was already there, glaring at the Councillors as if she expected them to try to make off with the silverware.
Bradley, Glass and Hellstrom stood; the latter two coming over to shake my hand. Hellstrom introduced me to the Councillors I didn’t know, a process which seemed to take too long for the purposes of keeping Bradley calm. Her face only seemed to be getting redder as time went on.
"So, what can I do for you?" I asked when the introductions were complete.
Hellstrom turned to Bradley, nodding her forward. The woman looked irate, to say the least. Never had I seen a person packed with more concentrated frustration.
"We need your... help," she said, all but spitting out the last word as she glared at me.
"Really? What with," I asked innocently.
Cassandra looked like she was having trouble concealing a smirk; her eye was actually twitching from the effort.
"It's Chairman Myrddin," Bradley snarled, her face going bright red. "He's... he's gone mad!"
"My goodness," I said, taking a seat. "Won't you all sit down? You're making me nervous."
They did, and I looked over at Bradley, who looked like she was well on the way to some sort of episode.
"Why don't you tell me what happened?" I suggested.
Bradley seemed to deflate before my eyes, like actually having to give voice to what had transpired was draining her. Finally, she started to talk, though she wasn’t able to look at me, keeping her eyes downcast.
“It all started off so well. We put through some small changes to existing laws and introduced one or two amendments to the Code of Rights and Responsibilities, all as we’d agreed with Myrddin before we...”
She looked even further away from me.
“Deposed my Circle?” I suggested helpfully.
She winced, but nodded.
“But within days, things started to change. He was always so charming, always so patient, keen to listen and learn... but he started getting shorter with people, snarling at them, commanding instead of asking. He was supposed to be the Speaker. He wasn’t supposed to rule us; he was supposed to guide us.”
Bradley paused to rub her eyes.
“And then he started getting sicker. At first it just physically, bleeding, sores, coughs... but then he started to deteriorate in other ways. He’d forget conversations, or remember meetings that hadn’t even taken place. He would rave at an empty room or fall asleep in Council only to wake up screaming... something had gone horribly wrong with him.”
I smiled sympathetically, but the evil little imp that lives in my head and loves it when a plan comes together was doing tiny cartwheels and dancing the can-can.
“I went to him and gave him an ultimatum: submit to medical care or be removed from office.”
I winced. He wouldn’t have liked that.
“He arrested me! When my Scholars protested, he arrested them, too. Only he didn’t send us to a jail, he locked us in the Duelling Circle under the Conclave. Then, when we were all gathered, he started taking us away from there, one by one, and I haven’t seen those he took since. If we hadn’t escaped when we had...”
She looked down, her eyes moist.
“How did you get away?” I asked, always wary of a Trojan Horse, though she seemed genuine enough, and my subtle probes hadn’t detected any trace of intrusion.
“Internal Security had been replaced with men loyal to Myrddin, one of my people overheard them say that they were from the African territories or thereabouts; mercenaries in other words. They were powerful, more than a match for us, but then, late this afternoon, they just vanished. We heard some of them talking about money, but I can’t confirm that.”
I nodded, “I probably can.”
“What do you mean?” Bradley asked.
"A few friends of mine arranged for Myrddin to have some... financial concerns," I said with a smile.
"I knew that part of the evidence was true," Hellstrom muttered, shaking her head, but grinning a little.
"In my defence, both the Vampires and the evil Sorcerer started it.”
Hellstrom rolled her eyes, Bradley looked like she was now on the verge of a small stroke.
"As soon as we got clear,” she continued, “we called in the Hunters. We were going to arrest him, only..."
Bradley stopped again, looking sheepish.
"Only he’d got to them first?" I offered.
She nodded, “He set them on us. They captured or killed eight of us before we fought them off and got away."
"How many of you got out?" I asked.
"Thirty-eight," she said with a wince, "the rest are either working for him, or, I suspect, are under his Telepathic influence."
“Where do you get that from?” I asked.
“We met one of my people on the way out, previously one of my most loyal supporters. He attacked us on sight and didn’t even answer to his name. Going by what Myrddin is famous for, I’m just assuming.”
I nodded.
"So we have to assume that he has one hundred and twenty or so Councillors backing him up... that's not good," I said.
"Also at least thirty-two Hunters," Hellstrom pointed out.
I grunted at that. Hunters were all either strong Wizards or Sorcerers, every one combat trained to a horrific degree. Councillors tended to be a spread of different power levels and specialities, though each had at least some basic combat training.
“Where do you two come in?” I asked, nodding at Hellstrom and Glass.
“Who else would have taken in that many fugitives? I suppose she could have come to you, but for all she knew your Wardens had been given instructions to shoot her on sight,” Hellstrom replied with another roll of her eyes, nearly making me laugh.
“And my Crows were already guests of her Grace,” Glass added. “Strength in numbers and all that.”
I nodded and turned back to Bradley.
"And you expect me to...?" I asked.
Bradley's expression turned dark.
"We need the Archons. We need you to help us take back control of our government before the Pureborn realise that something's gone wrong and start another pogrom."
I took a moment to enjoy that. I did my best to conceal it, but I may not have been entirely successful.
"You have to appreciate the hypocrisy
in that request, right?"
"Of course I do! You don't need to hammer it home, you little bastard! I made a mistake; a big one! I trusted the wrong man, and I gave my people over to a monster, are you happy now?!"
"No, I'm not happy!” I snapped back. “Your political tantrum cost me and the people I love a very great deal! You infiltrated my home, you violated the mind of someone truly precious to me, and you put a man who wants to murder me into a position of power! Am I happy?! Do I bloody look happy?!"
Bradley turned away. I got my temper under control and took a breath.
"But of course I'll help you," I said, rubbing my eyes. "As I said before, this is my home."
Bradley nodded, some of the tension draining from her posture.
"When this is over, you're going to have to sit down with Lady Kron and Lord Killian and sort through the mess you made," I said. "Someone is going to have to answer for it, especially now that people have died."
Bradley nodded, looking a little shaken at that idea.
"Give me a minute to make some calls," I said, standing up. "We'll see what we can do."
I nodded to my allies in the room and left, Cassandra came with me. Tethys sidled up beside me as I came through the door.
"Can you imagine what would have happened if you hadn't cursed him?" Cassandra whispered, looking a little pale. "Can you conceive of what this city would have looked like in a month? A year? If they hadn’t had the warning, hadn’t moved when they had..."
Tethys nodded, taking my hand, "That was good thinking, Matty. You gave them enough of an opening to get out of there before they could be... I don’t know what, but I’m guessing enslaved? Is that the term? Put in Mental Shackles, certainly.”
“Probably something like that,” I agreed. “But we got really lucky with this one. I figured that he'd suffer from a reverse-coup eventually, and I wanted to speed that up, but that's all I planned for. I didn't anticipate him trying to create a dictatorship and I certainly didn’t anticipate any such attempt to work.”
Cassandra looked troubled, but Tethys looked vindicated, happy almost.
“I’m just glad that enough of our preparations overlapped in time to take some of Myrddin’s power base off the board before he had a chance to fully convert those Councillors.”