A Company of Monsters (The Sorcerers of Verdun Book 2)

by Shami Stovall

  Abomination Soldiers. The German equivalent to the Ethereal Squadron. They operated with a brutal efficiency, and Geist had fought enough of their sorcerers to know they would be walking into a carnage if they weren’t careful.

  “You need to keep me appraised,” Geist commanded. “Even the slightest detail could make the difference, you understand me?”

  Victory nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  He sat back in his seat and stared at his lap. On several occasions he spoke about how his magic was both a blessing and a curse. Witnessing death and pain on a near-daily basis, especially during a war, could wear a man down, and sometimes Victory had a melancholy expression unlike anyone else Geist had ever seen.

  Had he seen something terrible just then? More than what he reported?

  Heinrich picked up his operation notes and glared at the pages. “Eyes?” he muttered. “What an odd thing to worry about.”

  The ship docked at Riga just as the sun was rising into the sky. The grand city, the third largest in the Russian Empire, rivaled Paris and London. Three-story buildings, painted an ivory white, shone in the new daylight. Wide streets allowed for hundreds of people, horses, and Russo-Balt automobiles. The hustle and bustle of a war-time nation meant everything was crowded. They had to ship materials, men, and medical supplies 24/7.

  Geist and her team walked down the gangplank and headed across the port through the massive crowds. Horns sounded as ships finished packing supplies and leaving harbor. A thick smell of fish wafted through the air. In every way, Geist’s heightened senses were assaulted.

  “This is my first time in the Russian Empire,” Battery muttered as he shifted closer to Geist. “Our family technically has a branch here, but my father and his Russian cousins had a major disagreement over a decade ago. They haven’t spoken since.”

  Geist had never been to the Russian Empire. Her father hated slavs and insisted they were lesser peoples. With no evidence one way or another, Geist could never protest, but after one glance around Riga, she knew he had to be wrong.

  “I wonder what it’ll be like in Petrograd,” Geist said.

  Battery pointed to a tall building in the distance, one with pillars and a massive statue holding a fountain. “That must be the opera house. I heard it was built for the Germans some fifty years ago. Ironic, isn’t it? That the Germans are marching toward Riga as we speak.”

  Although Geist would’ve enjoyed seeing the culture of a foreign city, she shook the thought from her head. They had to find their contact and head straight to House Kott. Victory has never been wrong in the past. We’ll have to hurry.

  “There you are,” a large man said as he pushed himself through the crowds of Riga. “I vas beginning to think you vouldn’t make it.” He patted his bulging shoulder and approached with a wide smile.

  Blick and Vergess stepped forward, both smaller than the Russian, though neither could be described as a small man.

  “Do you have business with us?” Vergess asked.

  The Russian nodded. “I do. I’m your correspondent. I need to speak vith someone named Geist.”

  He wore a guard’s officer uniform, complete with a long brown trench coat and ridged cap. Like most Russian soldiers Geist had seen, he kept facial hair—a bushy mustache and goatee.

  “You may call me Varnish,” the Russian said. “I’m your guide through the empire. Anyvhere you need to go, just say so.”

  Heinrich stepped forward and sneered. “Varnish is your codename? Out of anything you could’ve possibly chosen?”

  Varnish smiled wide. “Alcohol is prohibited in the empire, my friend. It has been enforced for several years now. That doesn’t mean ve’ve stopped drinking, though. This is Russia, after all.”

  Battery paled. “Wait. Are you saying you… drink varnish? Does varnish even have alcohol in it?”

  “Of course! A buddy of mine bet fifteen rubles I vouldn’t drink it. So I did. Then another buddy didn’t believe the first guy, so I had to do it again for forty rubles. Easy fifty-five rubles, if you ask me.” He waved a hand into the air. “And now I have nickname. Excellent for Ethereal Squadron.”

  Geist exchanged a questioning glance with Vergess before following the lumbering Russian. As far as she was concerned, actual varnish was toxic, but Varnish, the man, didn’t seem the least bit fazed. Or perhaps he started as a genius and this is all that’s left, Geist joked to herself, a slight smile creeping at the corner of her lips.

  Dreamer chortled. “Fascinating. You must have an iron stomach. Or perhaps you have a unique sorcery that allows for perfect digestion?”

  “You’re close, my British friend.”

  Dreamer’s posh accent clashed with Varnish’s unrefined English.

  “Ve have a long trek to House Kott,” Varnish said. “But first you all need rooms.”

  “No,” Geist stated. “We need to visit House Kott right away. No delays.”

  Varnish pointed to the far road. “I have a vehicle. I can take you.”

  Five

  House Kott

  Geist hung her legs out the back of the supply truck as it sped south down the earthen road. The slightest divot shook the automobile, and Geist found herself wishing for a horse-drawn carriage. Unfortunately, horses weren’t the fastest option, and since Varnish offered a military vehicle, they had to accept.

  Vergess sat next to her, his gaze on the dust cloud kicked up by the tires. He hadn’t spoken since they began their trek.

  “You okay?” Geist said.

  The others sat nearby, but the rumble of the engine and muttered conversations made everything difficult to hear.

  Vergess nodded, though he didn’t look up from the dirt. “Victory said I was yelling in his visions. Something about eyes. I’m trying to figure out what could be waiting for us. I must know if I’m the one trying to warn everyone.”

  “You have no ideas based on Victory’s description?”

  “It’s… difficult to concentrate at the moment.”

  He offered nothing else.

  His troubled expression ate Geist’s confidence. As a commander, she needed all her soldiers at their best, especially on the eve of a fight. As someone who cared for Vergess more than a typical brother-in-arms, she wanted to ease his doubts and assure him that everything would be fine. But she could think of no way to improve his focus, and she refused to allow her affection to dictate her actions. They were a military unit first and a couple second.

  It had been so long since they shared any intimacy that Geist almost found it possible to forget they once had experienced loving moments. War tarnished the beauties of the world, stripping humanity of its best parts.

  She wanted nothing more than to end it.

  Varnish, driving the supply truck with one hand on the wheel, turned to Heinrich in the passenger seat. He smiled wide. “So, you’re German, yeah?”

  Heinrich pushed up his glasses. “Don’t speak to me.”

  “Why don’t you enlighten me about the Russian Empire’s logistics?” Dreamer interjected with a smile, so smooth with his delivery Heinrich’s insult almost went undetected. “I would love to hear about supply routes, especially those connecting to the ports. My information may be out of date.”

  Dreamer opened a book titled Howards End and readied his pencil. Once upon a time, Geist thought Dreamer kept a book or two for entertainment, but she knew better now. He took notes on everything and hid them in plain sight. His spy tricks came in handy. Geist had given serious thought to imitating his practices.

  “Railvays,” Varnish said. “They are the heart of our operation.”

  “And you know all the major routes?”

  “I do.” Varnish hardened his expression and turned away. “But the trains never deliver enough food.”

  Major Reese had already commented on the Tsar’s incompetence. Geist took note of Varnish’s harsh tone and shift to a dour attitude. Was the Russian Empire even capable of holding on in the war? Twelve years earlier, they had lost to th
e tiny island nation of Japan, and now they had lost battle after battle—to the point morale was obviously low.

  Geist scooted back in the truck until she reached Victory. “Have you heard much about the Russian Empire?” she asked.

  He shook his head.

  “What about you?” Geist asked Blick.

  He scoffed. “I haven’t heard word from the Russians since my father got angry at our uncle.”

  She turned to Battery, but he replied with a shake of his head.

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered.

  Much to Geist’s surprise, Heinrich turned in his seat and glared. “The Russian Empire has been steady on decline for some time. And the Austro-Hungarians and Germans know it.”

  Varnish lifted both his bushy eyebrows, but said nothing.

  “What do you know?” Geist asked.

  “I was there when the Kaiser paid to have anarchists and Bolshevik agitators delivered into the heartland of Russia. He shipped them nothing but radicals—anyone the Russian Empire had exiled, the Kaiser had them smuggled back into the country—including Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik leader himself. He hoped they would stir up anti-war protests.”

  “And they’ve been causing problems?”

  Varnish laughed out loud, his deep voice rumbling louder than the engine. Blick joined him with a look of amusement and shock.

  “Stop the vehicle!” Victory shouted.

  The sudden application of brakes sent everyone tumbling forward. Battery and Dreamer slammed into the divider between the truck bed and the cab. Blick held onto the wood panel sides, his hands bleeding afterward. Geist and Vergess, both with apex sorcery, managed to brace themselves in time.

  The supply truck skidded across the dirt road for a foot before stopping. Varnish tapped on the steering wheel and then chuckled to himself.

  “Nothing is ever slow with your group, is it? Hurry here. Stop there. Make up your minds.”

  Heinrich snatched his glasses off the floor before turning back to the truck bed with a glare. He motioned to their surroundings. The empty Russian countryside had a yellow-green glow from the midafternoon sun. The grass swayed with the winds, the trees rustled, and the cloud of dirt kicked up by the tires wafted over them.

  Not a soul in sight.

  “Is there a reason you turned banshee?” Heinrich asked with a straight face.

  “I saw something,” Victory muttered. He wiped sweat from his forehead, his hand shaky. “We can’t drive up. We… we have to approach the house on foot. They have someone watching the main road.”

  Leaving the truck would add time to their travel, but maintaining the element of surprise was an advantage they couldn’t forsake. Geist exhaled and leapt out the back of the truck.

  “Heinrich, you wait here with Varnish,” she said. “The rest of us will approach House Kott.”

  Heinrich gave his Russian companion a sidelong glance.

  “Don’t vorry,” Varnish said. “I’ll protect you like a knight protects a princess in a castle.”

  That didn’t seem to help Heinrich’s mood. He sneered as he turned away. “Life has a cruel sense of humor,” he muttered in German. “Perhaps this is punishment for all my past works.”

  No one else argued. Although Heinrich had access to anti-magic powers thanks to his nullis sorcery, Geist had seen his feeble attempts at combat. He struggled to use his own luger, for Pete’s sake. And he was much too valuable to lose in a skirmish over a small sorcerer house.

  Hopefully Varnish will take his duty of protection seriously.

  Geist’s team exited the vehicle and brushed themselves off, each with a hardened, almost worried, expression. Even if they had stealth on their side, they didn’t understand their opponents. What sorcerers would be waiting for them? Was anyone from House Kott still alive? Geist rubbed her sweaty palms along the bottom of her khaki tunic.

  They had to act fast.

  Varnish leaned back in his seat, withdrew a pack of cigarettes, and lit one up. After exhaling a line of smoke, he said, “Hurry back. I don’t think me and the prissy German vill play nice for long.”

  The long road to House Kott had large trees planted on either side, creating a natural canopy of shade. There wasn’t much else. The open fields of grass didn’t offer any places for hiding, and the modest mansion kept statues and ponds rather than flourishing gardens. Geist and her team made their way around the edge of the property until they came across a training field for horses. A hay barn, several jumping posts, and a stable, dotted the estate.

  And a small path led from the servants’ homes to the mansion from the back.

  As the sun set, casting harsher shadows across the grass, Geist turned to the others.

  “I’ll scout first,” she said. Then she turned to Victory. “Unless you see something?”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry. Normally I can sense more, but… I don’t feel right.”

  Geist hesitated a moment. None of her team seemed ill, yet Victory was the second one to report he didn’t feel well. Perhaps the stress was too much? Or perhaps sorcery was involved. She didn’t have enough facts to determine anything one way or the other.

  Vergess motioned to the main Kott mansion. “I’ll go with you.”

  “No,” Blick interjected. “Let me go.” His eyes glowed with an inner golden light, showcasing his ability to pierce through any illusion or shroud of invisibly. “I’m better for a scouting run.”

  His all-seeing sight would come in handy.

  “I’m the better fighter,” Vergess said.

  “I can hold my own.”

  “You heard Victory. There’s death inside.”

  Geist held up a hand. “Enough. It’s a scouting mission first, then we attack. Blick, you’re with me. The rest of you take defensive positions around this field. If I give the signal from the window, you’re to move in. Otherwise, you stay put until we get back.”

  Vergess and the others nodded.

  Battery held out his hand. “Wait. Don’t go without me empowering you.”

  “Empower Blick,” she said. “If he can spot something crucial, that’s more important right now.”

  The brothers exchanged a quick glance. Battery held out his hand, and Blick took it. After a short second, Blick let go and shifted closer to Geist’s side.

  Satisfied with their arrangement, Geist allowed her specter sorcery to permeate her being. The process of becoming a ghost always gave her a rush of raw power. Incorporeal and invisible, she could move around, free from the concerns of solid objects and spying eyes. Sometimes, whenever she pushed her magic too far, she would slip a foot into the ground, still drawn by gravity, but free from the earth. Those moments had startled her enough to break her concentration and end her sorcery.

  The others in her team—all but Blick—stared at her last location, their eyes searching. The moment Geist made her way for the mansion, Blick hefted his SMLE rifle and followed, staying a short distance behind her, all the way until they reached the stable. The snorting and neighing of horses echoed from within.

  Geist slid along the backside of the building.

  “It’s odd,” Blick murmured.

  “What?”

  “We haven’t seen any people. Not one.”

  The agitation of the horses became more apparent.

  It’s just like House Watson, Geist realized. They don’t care if they leave corpses. They just don’t want any witnesses.

  “We need to know how many there are,” Geist whispered.

  Blick leaned around the corner, his gold eyes shining in the low light. He pulled back and shook his head. “The curtains are drawn on all the windows. I can’t see anything inside.”

  “Are there any signs of a struggle outside?”

  Blick took another second to chance a glance. “No. Nothing looks out of place. Just deserted. But…”

  “But what?”

  “After Battery empowered me, I can see a lot of magic in the air. Like a dust. It’s everywhere.
I hadn’t noticed it before. I hadn’t even felt it.”

  Geist lifted her tunic to cover her mouth, but she knew without a gas mask it wouldn’t make much difference if she were breathing something toxic. They had already been through the thick of it.

  “Do you know what it does?” she asked.

  “My sorcery doesn’t give me hard data.” He offered half a smile. “It’s just hanging in the air as far as I can see. All around the estate and a little beyond. We must have been in it for a few hours now.”

  We shouldn’t stay here longer than necessary then. A quick scouting mission. In and out.

  After a moment of shallow breathing, Geist crept around the corner and ran to the mansion. She kept low, just in case the enemy had someone with Blick’s style of all-seeing sorcery. Once against the wall, she crept to the back door, plunged her hand through the handle, and unfastened the lock.

  She motioned for Blick to join her.

  The darkness of night settled over the estate as Blick ran across the yard, his rifle held close. He stopped once he reached her side and then waited.

  He exhaled and closed his eyes. “I, uh…”

  Geist placed the back of her hand on his chest. “It can wait.”

  “You don’t understand,” he whispered. “I’ve been practicing a new sorcery.”

  “You?”

  Blick stifled a laugh. “Don’t sound too shocked.”

  “Sorry. I suppose we could use a little more of what Battery and Victory have.”

  “Yeah, well, I can’t… learn sorceries like those. I’ve tried. They’re too complicated.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “And you wondered why I was shocked.”

  “Don’t give me that look. Those aren’t easy sorceries.”

  He was right. Some sorcery required more of the sorcerer than others. Geist couldn’t even imagine learning Victory’s destiny magic. How did someone go about looking into the future?