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

by James E. Wisher

  Her grandmother gave a short explanation of the hunt for the spy. “We’re hoping his arrival will draw the spy’s attention so we can take her by surprise. Either that or she attempts to murder him and we can catch her in the act. Our hunters are in motion as we speak.”

  Conryu emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white robe. He shook his head, sending drops of water flying. “The faucets are plated in gold, the shower head too. Did you two have a nice chat?”

  “Wonderful.” Grandmother went to the door. “I’ll see you at the ceremony.”

  When the door had closed Conryu settled on the bed across from her. “So what’s this about getting me into bed?”

  Kelsie almost choked. “How could you have heard?”

  His bag thrashed around. Conryu unzipped it and Prime flew out. “Isn’t spying one of the things a familiar is supposed to be used for?”

  She’d forgotten all about the scholomantic. “Did you go off on purpose to find out what we’d talk about?”

  “No, I really needed a shower. Though I trust your grandmother about as far as I can throw Cerberus, so a little spying seemed in order. Now stop trying to change the subject.”

  She sighed. There was no way around it short of telling him it was none of his business which it clearly was. “Mother had the brilliant idea that I should convince you to sleep with me so we could add your genetics to the family bloodline. It’s something of a Kincade obsession, constant improvement through selective breeding. Mother selected my father after exhaustive genetic research. Adding the DNA of a male wizard is simply irresistible to her.”

  “So she ordered you to sleep with me in hopes of getting it.” He shook his head, disgust twisting his features. “I know I’ve said this before, but your family sucks. It’ll be interesting to see how dinner goes.”

  “You mean you’ll go?” She couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice.

  “Sure. It’s my fault you’re in trouble for disobeying. I’ll do the best I can to get you out of it, short of sleeping with you that is.”

  “Would it be so terrible?”

  He shook his head. “No, I’m sure it would be fantastic. Then I think of the look on Maria’s face when she found out.” He shrugged as if there was nothing more to say.

  And there wasn’t. She realized that. No matter her silly fantasies, he loved Maria and would never do anything that might hurt her.

  Maybe one day she’d find someone that loved her that much.

  Terra’s consciousness drifted as she sought the connection between the three masks. She held Mercia’s in her hands and across from her Clair held the battered mask recovered from the academy. The link between them was weak despite their proximity. That meant finding one even further away would be that much harder.

  She needed to focus. She breathed deep of the sweet scent of the trees then blocked it out. Clair’s chanting of the ritual spell faded until she was completely unaware of it. The hard ground under her and the pebble poking her thigh vanished from her perception.

  All that existed for her was the magic connecting the masks. She constructed an astral avatar and set it loose from her body. With her consciousness now fully freed from its physical host she turned her attention to the thin trail leading up and away from the clump of trees and into the city.

  She brushed it with her invisible hand, willing the energy to glow brighter. Under her coaxing the link grew stronger, strong enough to follow. Her avatar flew along beside the tendril of magic. It took all her skill to keep the flow of energy smooth and unbroken. Time was of the essence, but if she rushed it would require her to return to her body and try again, which would take even longer.

  So she was forced to creep along. She lost all awareness of time, her entire being focused on maintaining the trail. Eventually it led her to a tall apartment building. When Terra tried to follow the energy inside she hit an invisible ward and was unable to pass.

  That shouldn’t have surprised her. Many buildings, certainly all the ones in the better parts of the city, had barriers to prevent supernatural entities from entering. It was a basic security precaution in the capital.

  Unable to continue pursuit in her incorporeal form, she flew down and hovered in front of the entrance. She memorized the address and willed her spirit to return to her body.

  She blinked and opened her eyes. “I found her, or her mask at any rate. How long was I gone?”

  Clair fell silent and checked her watch. Her eyes widened. “It’s nine-thirty. Half an hour to the speech.”

  Terra scrambled to her feet, the stiff muscles in her legs complaining about the rough treatment. “The spy’s apartment is halfway across town. This is going to be close.”

  They left the spruce grove and hurried to the sidewalk. Clair raised her hand and let out a shrill whistle when a cab appeared. The yellow car pulled over and the women got in.

  “The Sky Bride complex and step on it,” Terra said.

  The cabbie squealed his tires when he pulled away from the curb and they raced down the street. They hadn’t gone more than a hundred yards when they hit the first red light. Terra glared up at the indifferent street light wishing she knew a spell to control electronics. Not that there wasn’t one, she just didn’t know it.

  The light changed and they were off. They hit three more red lights before reaching midtown. Clair checked her watch. “Fifteen minutes.”

  “Come on, come on.” Terra tapped her finger on the window in rhythm to her racing heart. She did not want to have to rely on plan B which was hoping the spy tried to kill Conryu and thus reveal herself.

  With five minutes to spare the cab pulled up in front of the building Terra had visited in her astral state. She threw the cabby a fifty and they raced into the building without waiting for change.

  When they entered the lobby a middle-aged man in a uniform sitting behind a desk to their right said, “Can I help you ladies?”

  “We’re looking for someone. It’s Department of Magic business.” Terra pulled the raven mask out of her bag.

  “Got any ID?” the guard asked. “Cause if you don’t I can’t let you through.”

  Terra glared at him. “Winds rage and howl, crush all who stand in my way, Gale Burst!”

  A focused gust of wind picked the guard up and slammed him into the wall behind his desk. He slumped to the floor with a groan and didn’t move.

  “That may have been rash,” Clair said.

  “We’re in a hurry.” Terra reestablished her psychic link with the mask. The moment she did the line of magical energy appeared, thicker and stronger than before. “This way.”

  Terra ran to the elevator and hit the button for the top floor. As they rode up she watched the line of energy. When it went horizontal she hit the emergency stop. “This floor.”

  Clair muttered a spell and flicked her wrist. The elevator doors slammed open. They were a foot above the floor, but Terra just hopped down. Happily there were no tenants out in the hall to witness the two crazy women leaping from the stopped elevator.

  She resumed following the line of magic. It led to a closed door sealed with a light magic ward. A quick analysis revealed that it was cast by a different wizard than the one that did the spirit ward surrounding the building. “This has to be it. Do you want to break the ward?”

  “The spy will know we’re coming.”

  “Do you have another plan? If you don’t we’re out of time.”

  “Okay.” Clair broke the ward and blasted the door off its hinges.

  Terra rushed in to the immaculate apartment. No one attacked them and she didn’t sense any other magic. She followed the mask’s link to a table beside the bed. In the drawer was an identical mask done in blue feathers.

  “I’ll call it in,” Terra said. “Look for anything with her name on it.”

  Clair set about searching while Terra dug her phone out. She dialed the Central division’s number and after three rings a secretary answered. “Department of Magic, how may
I direct your call?”

  “I need to speak to Director Kincade immediately, it’s an emergency. My name is Terra Pane, ID number six three one one two. She’s expecting me.”

  Faint tapping like on a keyboard was followed by, “I’m sorry, the director isn’t in her office and her cell phone is turned off. Would you like her voicemail?”

  Leaving a message wouldn’t do any good. By the time the director checked it the event would be over. “That’s not going to work. I need you to run this to her yourself.”

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Pane, but we’re operating on a skeleton crew right now since everyone has gathered in the briefing room to listen to the president’s speech. I can’t leave my desk.”

  Terra wanted to scream. Clair came into the room and handed her a paper with a name on it. “Listen to me. Alyssa Warren is a spy and may attempt to kill Conryu Koda during the address. If you want to accept responsibility for not alerting the director, that’s up to you, but I suggest you think hard about it.”

  The sound of a receiver hitting the desk was followed by silence. She’d done everything she could. Terra hoped it would be enough.

  They called the area where the president intended to give his speech “the briefing room” and it was the only one in the building big enough to hold everyone. Conryu looked out over all the faces staring back at him and wondered if one or more wanted him dead. No one had told him anything about the spy getting captured and judging by the extra tightness in her face, Malice hadn’t heard anything either.

  In addition to the audience watching, there were two cameras trained on the podium. When the ceremony began they’d broadcast the speeches live all over the world. He dearly hoped that this would be the last time he had to be on tv for a while.

  Malice sat beside Kelsie in one of the three chairs set behind the podium facing the room. They were waiting for the president to arrive. Apparently he was behind schedule. When you were president you could run late without worrying about anyone complaining. Must be nice.

  He glanced to his right. Prime flew near the ceiling just out of sight. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. Whatever was going to happen, he’d be ready to deal with it.

  Beside him Kelsie was chewing her lip and twisting a ring on her finger. She’d been horrified when she realized he’d listened to her conversation with Malice and he regretted, at least a little, that he’d spied on them, but he needed to know what was going on around him too. The fact that she hadn’t done anything to further her mother’s plan made him inclined to keep trusting her.

  Music blared and a voice said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the North American Alliance.”

  Everyone rose and offered polite applause. A moment later the president entered stage left. He was a fit man with steel-gray hair and dressed in a crisp blue suit. He walked straight up to Conryu and held out his hand. Conryu gave it a firm shake. He met the sharp green eyes without flinching.

  The president offered the hint of a smile. “Nice to meet you, young man. Malice tells me I have you to thank for saving one of my cities.”

  “Me and many others, sir.”

  He broke into a full smile. “Yes, I caught your speech along with Tom’s complaints. I trust you won’t feel the need to register your feelings a second time.”

  “No, sir.”

  “Excellent.” The president clapped him on the back and stepped up to the microphone.

  He raised his hands and the room fell silent. “Thank you everyone, please take your seats.”

  Everyone sat save one woman, a slender wizard wearing a billowing gray robe. He guessed she was in her mid thirties. Her eyes glared at the stage, hard and cold as ice.

  The president cocked his head. “Did you want something?”

  Conryu got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  “Yes.” The wizard raised her hand and something flashed. “Your head.”

  He tried to cast a protective spell, but he was too slow. A blinding flash scrambled his brain and sent him crashing to the floor along with everyone else in the room save the spy.

  Conryu blinked, trying to clear the spots from his eyes. The president lay on the floor a little ways away, twitching.

  He sensed Prime getting ready to attack, but sent negative thoughts. The scholomantic wouldn’t have a chance against a wizard.

  Conryu managed to roll onto his back and found himself staring up into the twisted face of the spy.

  “So you can still move a little,” she said. “I’d heard the reports of your power, but I assumed they were exaggerated to make the failures of others more palatable. You just lie there. Once I deal with the president, you’re next.”

  She turned away and Conryu racked his brain, trying to force his thoughts into some kind of order. The spy chanted and a shining white blade appeared in her hand.

  “No.” He gasped the word out.

  She turned to look at him, her lip curling in a sneer.

  Conryu turned his full will on the spell in his mind. “Shroud of all things ending. Cowl of nightmares born. Dark wrap that looks upon all things’ doom, Reaper’s Cloak!”

  “No!” She shrieked and lunged, thrusting the blade at him.

  The bright weapon shattered when it struck the billowing darkness that settled around him.

  Conryu scrambled up, reached back, and pulled the cowl into place. When he did the world turned black and white save for little blue flames just above everyone’s navel.

  “You see their souls,” said the cold voice of the Reaper.

  The spy chanted and hurled a bolt of lightning at him. He didn’t even feel it when the spell fizzled against his protection.

  “All their souls are yours for the taking,” the voice of Death said.

  Conryu found his gaze drawn to the blue glow in the spy’s torso. The knowledge of how to snuff it out appeared in his mind. He need only reach out with his mind and speak the Reaper’s true name.

  It would be so easy. She’d tried to kill him once already. Her friends had tried it on a regular basis. It would be justified self-defense.

  A second lightning bolt, stronger than the first, crackled in before fizzling. The spy’s arrogant sneer had turned to a tremble of fear.

  “Take her,” the cold voice said. “Send her to me and I promise I’ll give her an eternity of torment. It’s no less than she deserves.”

  It was no less than she deserved, but it wasn’t for him to decide. The woman, whoever she was, posed no threat to him. He hadn’t killed Mercia when she was at his mercy and he wouldn’t kill this one either.

  Conryu darted in and hit her in the gut with an uppercut. Some magical protection broke when he struck it, but it didn’t slow his blow.

  The air rushed out of her and she doubled over. He stepped back and delivered an ax kick to the back of her head, dropping her to the floor and knocking her cold.

  A quick scan of the room revealed no other threat. He willed the spell to end, but the magic lingered.

  “Eventually you will have to use my power, boy. You won’t be able to resist forever. If you won’t kill for yourself, then you’ll do it for someone else. I have all the time in the universe and once you use it the first time, the second becomes oh so easy.”

  The cloak vanished in a burst of chill black mist. He sighed in relief when the Reaper’s presence disappeared. Prime flew over and hovered beside him. “Are you alright, Master?”

  “Yeah.” Conryu was surprised to find he meant it.

  He was surrounded by unconscious, but unharmed, people. It appeared this business was settled and he was free to return to what passed for his normal life. All in all not a bad result.

  13

  The End

  Conryu stared at the Kincade mansion as the limo pulled up beside the front steps. It was bathed in orange light from the sunset. He’d never imagined visiting a place like this. It was the sort of home you saw on tv, not the sort of place someone like him got invited to for dinner. H
e had to remind himself that no matter how nice the exterior, the inside was rotten.

  After everyone recovered from the spy’s surprise attack, the president’s security detail had hustled him out of the room and for all Conryu knew out of the building. It probably wasn’t going to look good on their resume that their charge had been rescued by a teenager. Well, at least he didn’t end up having to give the speech. That was a small consolation.

  He’d been forced to hang around the Department building while Malice dealt with the fallout from the failed attack. She’d barked orders and waved people here and there for hours. No one had offered him so much as a bottle of water, much less lunch.

  The limo stopped and the driver opened the door for them. Conryu climbed out followed by Kelsie and Malice.

  Prime flew up beside him. “This place has impressive protections.”

  “Indeed.” Malice started up the steps. “Every generation adds a new layer to the wards. After all these years I doubt even you could break them.”

  Conryu raised an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”

  Malice glanced back. “An observation. Please refrain from attempting to dispel our wards. If by some miracle you should succeed it would be inconvenient for me.”

  She continued up the steps and Conryu looked at Kelsie and rolled his eyes. She smiled and stifled a laugh. It was good to find her smiling again. She’d been pretty shaken up by the attack.

  At the top of the stairs the doors opened of their own accord. An old man in a servant’s uniform bowed to Malice. “Welcome home, madam. Lady Kincade is waiting for you in the lounge. Dinner will be served in half an hour.”

  Malice nodded, barely looking at the servant. Conryu had never dealt with a servant before so he just smiled and followed Malice deeper into the mansion. Art covered the walls, but the paintings were the ugliest he’d ever seen. They looked like nothing but random blobs of color.

  After a short hike they came to a room filled with soft leather chairs, a chess board on a hardwood table, and a full bar. The lounge was bigger than his whole apartment.