The Raven's Shadow: The Aegis of Merlin Book 4

by James E. Wisher

  “From now on I’m going to need you on your game, so no napping. Right?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  They reached the doors and Terra pushed through. Inside was a lobby with a fat, middle-aged man sitting behind a desk sipping coffee. He looked up when they entered, his eyes bugging out when his gaze settled on Prime.

  “You lot aren’t residents, so you visiting someone?” His gaze darted to and from Prime, as though he feared the book might bite his face off.

  “We require access to your rooftop garden,” Terra said in that official tone that added a silent or else.

  The security man seemed to hear it, but he still said, “It’s against the rules for anyone but building residents to go up there.”

  Terra leaned in so their noses were almost touching. “I’m with the Department of Magic and this is a citywide security emergency. Pursuant to City Code Twenty-Three A, all city officials shall have access to any nonresidential space necessary to complete their duties. Anyone obstructing said activities will face a fine of not less than twenty thousand dollars or five years in prison.”

  “Okay, okay.” He dug through the drawer in his desk and came up with a key. “Here. This unlocks the roof door.”

  Terra snatched it out of his hand and marched towards a nearby bank of elevators. When everyone had gotten onboard and the doors closed Conryu said, “I’m impressed you had that law memorized. I’ve never even heard of it.”

  “Of course you haven’t. I made it up just now. I’ve discovered over the years that quoting a law, even one that doesn’t exist, will generally convince civilians to do what you want.”

  Conryu grinned. He didn’t think the uptight wizard had a sneaky bone in her body.

  “What happens if he looks it up?” Jonny asked.

  “Who cares? We’ll be on the roof already. Besides, have you ever tried to look something up on the government website? This will be settled before he can figure out for sure I was lying.”

  “He didn’t strike me as the type to go out of his way,” Kelsie said. “I bet he just closes his eyes and tries to pretend we were a dream.”

  The elevator chimed and the door opened revealing a hall that ended in a door labeled “roof access.” A pair of big sodium lights illuminated a rooftop garden consisting of a mixture of vegetables, flowers, and lawn. There was a picnic table with an umbrella where people could have lunch.

  Floating over the city, the island was a dark area blocking the stars. That’s where Mercia was headed. Conryu tried to orient himself. Which way would she be coming from? He turned left. That way, he was pretty sure.

  “I need to teach you a spell,” Terra said. “It’s a simple water spell that will enhance your vision so you can better aim at Mercia.”

  Terra spoke three words that sounded sort of gurgly, like she was trying to talk with a mouth full of water, and made a pass across her eyes with her left hand.

  Conryu mimicked her. His eyes tingled and when he looked at the sprawling city it was like looking through powerful binoculars. “Neat trick.”

  “The spell warps the water particles in the air, creating a magnification effect. Simple, but very useful in this line of work. Everyone pick a corner and keep your eyes open. If you see anything flying give a shout.”

  They had barely gotten in position when Kelsie shouted, “I see something!”

  Conryu ran over to her and squinted in the direction she was pointing. In response to his desire the spell zoomed in. There she was. Mercia and her two zombies riding in that flying chariot. “Are you up to giving me a boost?”

  Kelsie beamed, ducked around behind him, and put her hand on his back. Conryu raised his own arm and focused his will on Mercia, or more precisely, the chariot. “Break!”

  The globe of dark energy streaked out, guided by his will, tracking her like a heat-seeking missile.

  Lady Raven sensed a tingle from a spell an instant before it struck. The chariot disintegrated under her and she was falling.

  She tossed the boxes away and began the swirling gestures of a wind spell. The pavement was approaching rapidly when the spell kicked in and slowed her descent. Her feet slammed into the ground, sending pain running up her calves and into her thighs.

  A short ways away her guardians picked themselves up off the pavement looking none the worse for the fall. Short of powerful magic the undead were nearly indestructible. She took a limping step and winced. Pity she couldn’t say the same thing about herself.

  “Hey, are you alright?” A young man and his girlfriend came running towards her.

  She didn’t know if they witnessed her fall from the sky, but her limp was pretty hard to miss. The pair paused a short ways away, frowning with concern.

  She took another step and stumbled. The man reached out to steady her. The moment he made contact she said, “Your soul is mine, Lifetaker!”

  He shriveled up to nothing and the woman screamed.

  Lady Raven winced. She needed to draw more attention like she needed a hole in the head. She gave the nearest undead a mental command and it caved the woman’s head in with a single blow from its massive fist.

  Lady Raven straightened and took a pain-free step. Much better. Now to collect the boxes. The necroplasma coating would have protected them from any damage, the trick would be discovering where they’d landed. They shouldn’t be too far away at least.

  She had to hurry. Only one person was strong enough to cast a Dispel that powerful. It seemed her hunters had recovered and were once more on her trail.

  Conryu and the others rushed back to the elevator. The security guard looked up at their approach, but they just waved, tossed him back his key, and kept going. When his Dispel blast had twisted and followed Mercia’s chariot just like he wanted it to Conryu had been so excited he almost lost his focus.

  Terra hadn’t allowed them a moment to celebrate, insisting the fall would at most inconvenience their prey and slow her down a little. They made a rough note of where she should’ve landed and ran for the elevator.

  Outside, Clair and Mrs. Kane were leaning against the car. Clair still looked pale, but she no longer had any visible injuries. Hopefully her magic was restored as well. They’d need everyone to hunt down the elusive Mercia.

  “Get in!” Terra shouted. “She’s down, but not out.”

  Jonny leapt behind the wheel and started the engine. This time Conryu got stuck between Clair and Kelsie. Also not terrible if you overlooked Clair’s scowl.

  Tires squealed as Jonny pulled away from the curb and accelerated down the street. Conryu estimated they were two miles from where Mercia went down, but that was as the crow flies. Taking the streets it might be double that.

  Conryu glanced at Clair. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Shizuku said you carried me out, thanks.”

  “She’s being modest. I only carried you as far as the ladder. Mrs. Kane lifted you out with wind magic then Jonny carried you to the car for healing. It was a total group effort.”

  “You’re supposed to say ‘you’re welcome’ and shut up.”

  “Oh, you’re welcome.” He shut up which brought a giggle from Kelsie. He turned her way. “Thanks for the power boost up there. Was it me or did it feel stronger than during the finals?”

  “I thought so too, but I feared I was imagining things so I didn’t want to say anything.”

  “You’re getting closer to your full potential. That can only be a good thing.”

  Jonny took a hard corner, throwing them together and making him wish they had four seat belts in the back instead of just three.

  “And she says I drive too fast,” Clair muttered around a faint smile.

  “Slow down, we’re getting close.” Terra had donned a pair of wire-rimmed glasses that would have looked right at home in a picture from a hundred years ago.

  Jonny eased off the gas. A horrible shriek of crushed steel grated in Conryu’s ears a moment before the car went tumbling sideways.

  Metal cr
unched and he just managed to grab a hold of Kelsie’s shoulder strap. Conryu braced himself enough to keep from bashing his head in. The car rolled twice before settling on its crumpled roof.

  Upside down and dazed, Conryu tried to figure out what just hit them. A dull roar was followed by the opposite side door being ripped off its hinges. A big man with black eyes and a slack expression appeared in the opening.

  Conryu thrust his hand at it. “All things burn to ash, Inferno Blast!”

  The flames shot past Mrs. Kane and struck the undead monster square in the chest, forcing it back. They used the momentary respite to pile out of the car on the side farthest from the creature.

  Conryu peeked over the wreck. His blast had burned the shirt off the ugly thing and nothing more. The undead grabbed the car, crumpling the steel with its bare hands, and pushed it toward them.

  Clair laid a finger on the car and spoke a short phrase. The car stopped and despite its moaning efforts the monster couldn’t budge it.

  Terra took advantage of the distraction to point her still glove-covered hand at the undead and chant. A fist made of flame as tall as Conryu hammered the monster and sent it flying back across the street. It crashed into the side of an apartment building, taking a chunk out of the concrete.

  A skinny bald man stepped out onto the stoop. “What’s going on out here? People are trying to sleep.”

  The undead ripped a chunk of cement the size of Conryu’s head out of the side of the building and drew back like it planned to throw it. Conryu pointed. “Shatter!”

  The stone collapsed to dust.

  “Get back inside!” Jonny waved his hands as though shooing an animal the direction he wanted it to go.

  The man didn’t need any more encouraging. He rushed back in, slamming the door behind him. With any luck he’d warn the other tenants and keep them out of harm’s way.

  The undead tried to climb back to its feet, but Terra’s flaming fist smashed down on it again. It didn’t look like it was doing much damage, but at least the thing wasn’t trying to rip them apart. The undead struggled yet again to rise and yet again the fist came crashing down, this time smashing a piece out of the side of the building on its way down.

  “This isn’t going to work,” Conryu said. “If you keep it up you’ll bring the building down.”

  “I doubt even that would stop it.” Clair had ended whatever spell she’d used to keep the car from moving.

  “Yeah, I imagine the people living inside wouldn’t appreciate it either.” Conryu moved around in front of the car. “Let it up for a second. Cloak of Darkness.”

  As the protective magic settled over him, Terra’s flaming fist went up into the sky. This time the undead clambered to its feet without interference.

  Conryu pointed at its head. “Shatter!”

  Flesh and blood disintegrated, leaving only the bare skull. That got its attention. The monster charged, its heavy tread cracking the pavement with each stride.

  When it was in the middle of the street Conryu said, “Now!”

  The fist came crashing down. The undead dodged at the last second and kept coming. A fist like a Christmas ham came for Conryu’s head far faster than it had any right to. He dodged left and struck the passing forearm with a double palm thrust. His bare-fisted blow didn’t do any damage, but the force of the impact launched him clear of the undead and gave him breathing room.

  Instead of punching, Terra’s fist opened and wrapped around the undead’s torso, pinning its arms to its sides. A lightning bolt lanced in, staggering the monster a step. The pavement at its feet turned into a pair of hands that grasped its ankles.

  They had it immobilized, but that wouldn’t last. As if to prove it the monster shrugged massive shoulders and ripped the flaming fist apart. It punched the first stone hand to gravel and reared back for the second one.

  “Reveal the way through infinite darkness. Open the path, Hell Portal!” Conryu opened a gate directly under the undead’s feet. At the same moment Clair released it from the remaining stone hand, sending the monster tumbling out of sight.

  “Mercia can just call it back to her with a portal of her own,” Terra said. “We’ll end up fighting it a second time.”

  “Cerberus! Tear it apart!” Conryu let the portal close. “If she can make any use of the scraps of flesh left over when Cerberus finishes, she’s a better wizard than I thought.”

  Terra didn’t comment, instead turning her gaze up the street. “The boxes are on the move. This way.”

  With no other options, they jogged after her.

  Lady Raven felt the Faceless One she’d sent to ambush Terra and her companions vanish. She’d hoped the powerful undead would have lasted longer, at least long enough for her to reach the shadow. Regardless, it had done enough. She had a sufficient lead that there was no way for her pursuers to catch her before she activated the first artifact.

  She ducked down a garbage-strewn alley and glanced up at the island. The base of the island was so dark she could make it out more by the absence of stars than anything. Light from the apartments above filtered down into the alley. It wasn’t much, but the meager glow allowed her to save her magic and at this point every speck of power she could hold back was precious.

  Only a few hundred more yards. Her last guardian thumped along beside her, the three boxes tucked under its massive arm, as impassive as a moving statue. That was the best thing about working with undead. They didn’t care if one of their comrades was destroyed. In fact she wasn’t even sure if the dim-witted creature was aware of its fellow’s demise.

  At the end of the alley she paused, trying to figure out the best location for the first point of the triangle. The wall beside her exploded, showering her with stones.

  “Mercia!” Terra and her group stood at the far end of the alley. The bitch was wearing the gauntlet Lady Raven had provided for Iron Skull when the biker still lived. It would have been a delightful irony if she wasn’t the one getting hit with it. “Surrender now and I’ll do my best to make sure you aren’t executed.”

  “Ha. That’ll be the day.” Lady Raven pointed and wiggled her fingers. “Threads from the deepest pit bind my enemies and crush them to nothing, Black Tentacles!”

  Dozens of black, amorphous threads like worms a foot in diameter rushed down the alley. Halfway to Terra a monstrous burst of dark magic consumed them all. When the midnight energy cleared the abomination appeared, standing beside Terra.

  He was too strong for her to fight head on and anyway she only needed two or three more minutes. She turned to her guardian. “Give me those and stop them.”

  She took the boxes and ran, leaving her final protector to buy her time.

  “Why’d you give her a chance to surrender?” Conryu asked Terra as Mercia disappeared around the end of the alley. He wasn’t a bloodthirsty person, but with everything on the line even Conryu recognized Mercia had to be stopped regardless of what it took.

  The undead thing turned to face them and charged. He was really getting to hate those monsters. Lucky for him this was the last one she had with her.

  “Reveal the way through infinite darkness. Open the path, Hell Portal!” The disk opened in front of the monster, but it leapt over the portal and kept coming.

  That was new. The ugly thing hadn’t even seen him cast that spell before. He closed the portal and Terra sent a flaming fist roaring at the monster. The undead brought its hands together and smashed the magic aside like it was nothing.

  Ten feet from them hands of stone sprang up and grasped its ankles. It hit the ground hard, sending vibrations through the soles of Conryu’s boots. A second later golden chains wrapped around the monster, holding it down.

  “Go after her!” Clair said. “We’ll deal with this one.”

  Conryu shared a look with Terra, who nodded. They ran down the alley and hooked a left. Mercia couldn’t have gotten that far ahead of them.

  Outside the alley the street was pitch black. No light shone f
rom the streetlights and the island blotted out the moon and stars. Jonny and Kelsie pounded up behind them.

  “Which way?” Conryu asked.

  Terra peered left and right through her old-fashioned glasses.

  “Can you even see anything?” Conryu could barely make out Jonny’s silhouette against the light from the alley.

  “Don’t distract her,” Kelsie said. “She’s searching for magical energy, not footprints. No extra light needed.”

  A crash sounded from behind them. He hoped Clair and Mrs. Kane could handle the undead on their own.

  A pair of flame globes sprang into being. Conryu squinted against the sudden glare.

  “She went right.” At Terra’s gesture the globes drifted off down the street.

  They ran after the globes, Conryu straining to hear anything that might be an attack, but the area was silent.

  They hadn’t gone far when the already cool night grew even colder.

  “No!” Terra picked up her pace.

  A hundred yards up the street was a small park, not much more than a patch of grass with a small fountain and a pair of benches. A figure in black stood beside the fountain, on its lip rested a dark, rectangular object that radiated dark magic so strong he could sense it without using the detection spell.

  Terra threw her hand forward. “Flames of destruction incinerate my enemy, Fire Blast!”

  A line of flames streaked toward Mercia, but struck a dark magic barrier a foot short of their target. “Mercia! Don’t!”

  There was just enough light to allow Conryu to catch her smile as she opened the lid.

  10

  The Portal Opens

  Maria tapped her toe and stared out the huge window in her father’s office. It was almost midnight, but thousands of windows, headlights and streetlights lit the city below. The tiny dots of brightness soothed her and filled her with hope, like each one represented a life out in the emptiness of the night.

  Conryu’s parents sat together in the guest chairs. Sho had his arm around his wife and while his face remained impassive the tightness at the corners of his eyes betrayed his worry. Conryu’s mom, on the other hand, was a bundle of nerves, alternating between rocking back and forth, kneading her head, and rubbing her bloodshot eyes.