Dead End (Ghosts & Magic Book 4)

by M. R. Forbes

  I could feel the magic blooming within me, the power of it amplified beyond my expectations. It was stirring me in a way I had never been stirred, and I wanted to laugh and cry and let out every raw emotion in me at the same time.

  But I didn’t. I focused it into a spell to break the hold Samedi had on the deadies. I held my hand out, my lips moving, syncing the words that Macha was singing. The undead closed in on us, four hundred strong. Frank prepared himself to crush them. Ash readied magic of his own. They didn’t need to do anything.

  I released the magic, a thousand lightning bolts of dark energy that coursed from my fingers, hitting the deadies and bouncing from one to another, taking Samedi’s link and tearing it to shreds. All around us the undead started to fall, tumbling to the earth, the souls released back to the afterlife.

  It only took a few seconds for the entire street to become filled with static corpses instead of walking dead. I lowered my hand at the same time Macha’s song trailed off. We stayed fixed in place, waiting for them to get back up.

  They didn’t.

  “Oh man, that was awesome!” Frank shouted.

  I had to admit; it was pretty cool. I turned to Macha at the same time she turned to me. Our eyes met. I could feel the energy pass between us. Whatever the hell was going on, we had made an instant connection through the death magic. It was better than sex.

  “I told you I had value,” she said.

  I nodded, momentarily speechless.

  “I thought banshees were supposed to scream?” Frank said.

  “We can,” Macha said, breaking our moment. “When we want to kill.”

  “Conor!”

  I spun around. Dannie was running toward us, waving her arm in greeting. Amos lumbered behind her at a more leisurely walk.

  “Dannie,” I said as she reached us. We embraced, gratefully to find one another in one piece.

  “You did this?” she said, motioning to the dead.

  “With help,” I replied.

  “Baldie,” Amos said. “I didn’t know you - where the fuck did Ride of the Valkyries come from?” He was staring at Macha, or more appropriately at her chest plate.

  “Did you see the crows?” I asked, ignoring him.

  Dannie nodded. “They came out of the Tower. Thousands and thousands of them. They split up, half heading north, the other half east.”

  “My sisters,” Macha said. “They’re going to start killing.”

  “What do you mean?” Amos asked. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Tarakona once told me there are worse things than him sleeping in the depths of the Earth,” I said. “Meet one-third of one of them.” I motioned to Macha. “Macha is one of the Morrigan, three sisters who also happen to be banshees.”

  “Are they all as hot as you?” Amos asked. “Because, sisters.” He whistled. “What do you say?”

  She stared at him with a stony expression.

  “You don’t seem evil to me,” Dannie said.

  “She isn’t,” I said. “But her sisters have this weird thing with Samedi. They’re on his side. He duped me into setting them all free.” I shook my head. Could I possibly make things any worse?

  “You mean by coming here we were actually helping him?” Dannie said.

  I nodded.

  “Fuck!” Amos shouted. “Geez, I can’t believe this shit. I knew I didn’t want to come.”

  “Conor, Samedi might have focused his attack here, but it was Yellow who suggested that we come,” Dannie said.

  I felt my heart stop. “Shit. Who has a cell?”

  Amos retrieved his first, tossing it to me. I found the number Prithi had given me and dialed it.

  “Hello,” Prithi said.

  “Prithi,” I said. “It’s Conor. Where are you?”

  “Back in the Machinery,” she said. “I can’t go in, but I can watch the others. I’ve been waiting to do something useful. What have you got?”

  “Have you seen Mr. Yellow?”

  “No. He was going to the wizard moot. He’s been gone for a while. How are things in London?”

  “Typical.”

  “How much worse did you make things?”

  “A lot. Look, I don’t want to scare you, but I think Yellow may be working with Samedi.”

  “What? That doesn’t make any sense. He was helping us.”

  “I’m not so sure. I don’t have time to go into details. You need to get out of there, okay?”

  “And try to find somewhere else that’s safe? I don’t know if you noticed, Conor, but Yellow’s house is in the middle of fucking Siberia. There’s nowhere for me to go.”

  “Damn. You’re right. Just hang tight. I’m working on it.”

  “I swear, Conor. If I die, I’m going to haunt the fuck out of you.”

  I hung up on her and tossed Amos his phone. “If Yellow sided with Samedi, there could be other Houses he’s convinced to join him.”

  “How?” Amos said. “He was awake for what, five hours before we got moving on this?”

  “How long does it take to make a few phone calls?” I replied. “Black wanted to reverse the reversal, to get rid of magic again. For himself, but also to try to prevent this. Not all of the Houses want that, and if Samedi is telling them that’s the endgame if they don’t fall in line, they might fall in line.”

  “Geez, I hope not.”

  “Me, too.”

  “So what do we do?” Amos said. “We picked up an opera singer but reenacted the opening scene of the Birds. I’d say we’re down a few.”

  “The wizard moot,” Ashiira said. “It would be a good place for a surprise attack. If Samedi takes out the wizards who aren’t on his side, it’ll make it that much easier for him to get what he wants.”

  “Good thought,” I said. “Do we know where the wizard moot was taking place?”

  “I don’t think Yellow said,” Dannie replied. “Maybe Cecil knows?” She looked around. “Where is Cecil?”

  “Dead,” I replied.

  “Oh. Damn.”

  “Amos, give me your phone again,” I said.

  “He dug into his pocket and handed it back.

  “Hello?” Prithi said.

  “Prithi, I have a job for you.”

  “Didn’t you just tell me to hang tight?”

  “I know. Sorry, but we need you.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Mr. Yellow was going to a wizard moot. I need to know where it is.”

  “How would I know where it is?”

  “Go hack his computer or ask his secretary or something. Hurry, we don’t have a lot of time.”

  “Ugh. Okay. I’m going. I’ll call you back when I have it.”

  “Thanks, Prithi.”

  “Yeah, sure. Hang tight.”

  She hung up on me this time, leaving me standing in the middle of a street of corpses, surrounded by the craziest collection of accomplices I could think of.

  We were so screwed.

  29

  Lost and found.

  Ashiira gave us the express ride to Vegas, transporting us in the blink of an eye for the third, or was it fourth, time. He looked tired when we appeared outside Caesar’s Palace, and he immediately took a seat in the street, clutching his suddenly sweaty head at the same time the mark on my back started to burn.

  “Ash?” I said, kneeling down next to him. A car swerved around us, horn blaring.

  “Are you fucking crazy?” the driver shouted on the way past.

  “Go fuck yourself,” Amos shouted back, giving him the finger and laughing.

  “Ash?” I repeated.

  He looked up at me. “I’m okay. Between Amos and you, it’s getting hard to make the transport. I don’t know if I can do it again.”

  Death had told me time would restore my general immunity to magic, and I guess enough time had passed to make it start to happen, which was both good and bad. Considering I was about to walk into a wizard moot with the intention of accusing Mr. Yellow of siding with Sam
edi, I was sure it would come in handy. Then again, these quick trips across the world were going to become impossible, and we might still need to jump to who knew where to finish this damn job.

  Not to mention, if the innate end of my abilities were returning, so were Samedi’s.

  I held out my hand, helping him back to his feet. “Thanks for the ride,” I said. “I don’t want to complain, but this is Caesar’s Palace. We were going for the MGM Grand.”

  He laughed at the comment, his snicker reminding me of Tarakona’s haughty growl.

  I returned his smile. “Amos, can you get us a cab?”

  “Cab?” he replied. “What the fuck is a cab? Do you keep up with current events on anything?” He dug his phone out of his pocket again.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Getting us a swank ride. Geez, Skeletor. Why don’t you go back under the rock?”

  “I wish I could.”

  He finished manipulating his phone. He didn’t call anyone.

  “Can I help you?” the Caesar’s Palace attendant asked. He must have seen us materialize out of nowhere, but this was Vegas. He was probably used to it.

  “Nope,” Amos replied. “Just waiting for our ride.”

  The attendant looked at him sideways. I could almost see his brain churning, wondering why we had popped in here but didn’t want to be here.

  “And there it is,” Amos said, pointing. A long stretch Hummer was rumbling around the corner.

  “You used my card to pay for that?” Ash said.

  “Don’t get your scales ruffled, Smaug,” Amos said. “I used my own cash, thank you very much.”

  “I haven’t been to Vegas before,” Macha said, spinning in a circle to take it in. “It’s very-” she paused, trying to come up with a word.

  “Disgusting,” I said.

  “Exciting,” Amos said.

  “Fun,” Frank said.

  “Typical,” Ash said.

  “All of the above,” Dannie finished.

  Macha smiled. “Yes.”

  The Hummer limo pulled to a stop beside us, the driver hopping out.

  “Which one of you is Amy?”

  “That’s Amos, dipshit,” Amos said. “I know you don’t need much education to drive a limo, but reading comprehension skills typically help.”

  The driver lowered his head to hide his I-want-to-kill-you expression, straightening up a moment later with a smile. “Of course, sir. My apologies.”

  “You probably typed it in wrong with those sausage fingers of yours,” I said.

  “Heh. These hamhocks don’t make mistakes.”

  The driver opened the door. We piled in. As soon as he closed the door, I took Macha’s hand.

  “Aww, ain’t that cute,” Amos said.

  “Shut up,” I replied. “Can you give me a little boost?”

  “What for?” Dannie asked.

  “Last time we were in Vegas our ride got blasted by a user. I’d prefer that didn’t happen again.”

  Macha started to sing again, keeping her voice to a near-whisper. The driver got behind the wheel, looking back at her with fear. Was he Sensitive?

  “Where- Where to?” he asked.

  “MGM Grand,” Amos said. “I’ma gonna get me some high-rollin’ horsey girls.”

  He said it with a Texas drawl. Why? I have no idea. I didn’t give it much thought, concentrating on capturing the death magic and casting a shell around the vehicle, hopefully protecting it from other magic.

  We rode the mile and a half across town without incident. Macha’s eyes were wide the entire time, taking it all in. Her wonder reminded me of Kirin. What exactly had Death done with her, and was she okay? I had a vested interest considering what it had cost to free her from Black’s prison.

  “MGM Grand,” he said.

  We all climbed out of the limo. We were in front of the main hotel. The Mansion was its own structure elsewhere on the grounds.

  “I know the way from here,” Amos said. “Follow me.”

  We did, trailing him as he led us through a garden and around to the back of the hotel. He stopped about halfway there, shaking his head.

  “This ain’t right,” he said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Look ahead of us, Baldie. What do you see?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Exactly. That’s where the fucking Mansion is supposed to be.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “Uh-uh. That’s where it should be.”

  I knew the Houses had the mojo to move entire buildings to new locations. I hadn’t expected they would use it here.

  “It may be hidden,” I said. “Not gone.”

  “Could be. I hope you’re right.”

  We kept going, reaching the space where it should have been, and where only a large, square pit remained. If the building hadn’t been moved, it had been magicked in a way I had never experienced before.

  “Damn it,” I said. “Prithi said there were a lot of House wizards gathering here. They probably changed latitude and longitude to put them all back on even footing.”

  “It’s not even if Samedi’s turncoats outnumber the good guys,” Frank said.

  “No, it isn’t,” I agreed.

  “There has to be a way to get there,” Dannie said. “If any of the heads were late, they wouldn’t appreciate getting shut out.”

  “What do you suggest?” I asked.

  “We can go ask the manager?” Frank said.

  Amos laughed. “I can imagine that conversation. Hey, do you know where all the most powerful wizards in the universe that you aren’t supposed to know exist went?”

  “To move a fixed structure from one location to another requires a magical link to the original location,” Macha said. “Dragon, can you not trace it? You should have a suitable ability.”

  Ash moved forward, putting his hand out toward the empty space. He turned his head slightly as if listening to something. Then he nodded. “I can carry most of us there.” He looked at me apologetically.

  “Forget it,” I said. “Macha, what happens if the link is broken?”

  “It depends on how the fixture was moved. If it is a temporary relocation, it will return to its original position. Otherwise, it will remain in its present location until it is linked again.”

  “In other words, there’s a fifty-fifty chance I can bring it back, and even if I can’t, Ash can take most of you to it?”

  “Yes.”

  I reached out with the death magic. I couldn’t see or hear or feel the link, but it didn’t matter. I carpeted the area with it, slipping it across the pit where it had once sat. I noticed the slight pressure when it encountered the link, pushing a little harder to cut through.

  I was expecting the Mansion to either fade back into view or not return at all. It didn’t happen like that. Instead, the building snapped violently back into place, shaking hard enough that it broke some of the stone veneer off the facades and rumbled the ground around us. I dropped to a knee, staring at it as it settled into place before lowering my head to cough some blood on the grass.

  “Option A,” Frank said. “At least something went our way for once.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Amos said.

  I followed his head jerk to the front steps of the building, to the corpses resting there. Two were burned so thoroughly that nothing but bone remained, and it was pretty well charred. The other looked like it had been fed through a meat grinder with dull blades.

  “It’s already started,” Dannie said.

  “Fucking late, as usual,” Amos agreed.

  We both took a step back as bolts of lightning flashed through the windows, shattering them.

  I glanced at Macha. She had already started to sing.

  “Stay close,” I said, walking toward the steps.

  I had made it almost a dozen before I realized that for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t afraid.

  For the first time in a long
time, I was in control.

  30

  Jokers wild.

  “I’m getting a little tired of this,” Frank said, walking behind me. “It’s like a really boring video game. Go somewhere. Kill something. Go somewhere. Kill something. When do we get to the Boss battle?”

  “Maybe you’re looking forward to it,” I said. “I’m not.”

  Or maybe I was. Between my growing power and Macha’s amplification, I was starting to feel pretty invincible.

  “Don’t let it go to your head, Conor,” Dannie said, sensing my growing confidence. “That’s the surest way to fuck up.”

  She was right, but damn it felt good to have the power for once. To be walking toward the Houses, instead of running and hiding from them.

  We reached the steps. The users had gone down and stayed down. Because Samedi hadn’t noticed they were dead? Because he couldn’t raise them? Or was there another reason? Either way, I was grateful for it. I didn’t try to raise them either, though. I wanted to conserve my energy. The real test was going to come inside.

  “Stay alert,” Amos said. “Especially you, Frank. You lost all your puss balls. No healing for you.”

  “I’ll manage,” Frank said. “What I really want is a nap.”

  “Beauty sleep?” Amos said.

  Frank smiled. “Something like that.”

  We made it to the front doors. I kept Macha close, wondering how Samedi could believe that bringing me to her was an even trade for her sisters? I was beyond powerful. I was unstoppable. The House wizards could create as much magic as they wanted. I could destroy it. Break it down to nothing. Render it useless.

  I reached out with my hand, pulling the door open and revealing the lobby ahead. There were a few more dead wizards there in various states of horrible demise. Magical warfare was messy, and this was no exception. I kept going forward, into the open area. I could hear shouting all around us. I could hear groaning and grunting, whooshing and sizzling and cracking. I made it two steps when the wall exploded ahead of us, a body carried through it and landing on the floor.

  Mr. Yellow.

  He didn’t stay down, magic lifting him to his feet. He faced the newly made hole, prepared to attack or defend. He never even noticed us there.