“Not that. Do you know Jemma St. Simon’s demonic agent?”
“No, but I can find them. Why?”
“I want to arrange a meeting, not in London. There’s a bar in Tokyo called The Blowfish. Tell her to meet me there in two days at nine local time. Okay?”
“The Blowfish in Tokyo at nine local time in two days. No problem.” The Dark Lady turned to leave then spun back. “Be careful, Master. Whatever danger you believe you’re in, double it.”
With that last warning she took off. Cerberus whined and Conryu offered a reassuring pat to his flank. Whatever the crystal was, it really scared the Dark Lady and there wasn’t much capable of doing that.
“Do you not trust Jemma?” Kai asked. “I thought you two had a good working relationship.”
“We’re happy to use each other for our own purposes,” Conryu said. “But she always has the best interests of her country in mind. If that coincides with my best interests then great, but if it doesn’t you can guess who’ll get the short end of the stick. She sent me after something that scares the Dark Lady and I’m not sure if she did it knowingly or otherwise. Until I figure out her game, I’m taking precautions.”
“So what now?” Kai asked.
Conryu rubbed his tired eyes. “What time would you say it is at the Academy right now?”
Kai cocked her head as she thought. “Eight, nine o’clock maybe.”
“I need you to take a message to Maria. Have her meet me in the library and tell her to bring Dean Blane with her.”
Chapter 6
Maria sat on her bed, propped up by four pillows. It was just after nine and her roommate was already snoring softly. She had the right idea, but Maria had to finish the book she was reading. It was a text discussing the theory of light magic healing in a way she’d never considered. And given how much time she spent thinking about stuff like that, it was saying something.
She’d only been back to school for a few days and she already missed Conryu terribly. She sighed and marked her page. Her train of thought had run off the rails. Might as well go to sleep and try again in the morning before first period.
A faint chill filled the air before a hand clamped over her mouth. “I didn’t wish you to call out,” Kai whispered in her ear.
The hand eased and Maria asked, “Is Conryu okay?”
“He’s fine and waiting for you in the library. A mystery has come up and he needs help unraveling it. He also requested that you bring Dean Blane with you.”
If Conryu wanted to involve the dean, it must be serious. Maria slipped out of bed and tossed her white robe over her pajamas. Dean Blane stayed in rooms on the ground floor at the rear of the dorm. Hopefully she wasn’t still in her office.
“I’m ready,” Maria said, but Kai was already gone. “Ninjas.”
She glanced at her roommate, but the girl hadn’t even stirred. Thank goodness for heavy sleepers.
The halls were empty as she made her way downstairs to the lobby. Maria didn’t dare summon a light, so she enhanced her vision instead. The stairs and furniture appeared in clear black and white. A partially hidden door led to the dean’s rooms. It wasn’t locked so Maria went down a short hall to another closed door.
She knocked and half a minute later the door opened revealing the youthful form of Dean Blane. She looked about twelve thanks to transformation magic and her pink pajamas did nothing to undercut the impression. Dean Blane brushed her dark hair aside and rubbed her eyes.
“Maria? What on earth are you doing here at this time of night?”
Maria smiled. “What else? Conryu’s here and he needs to see us.”
“What’s that boy gotten himself into now?” Dean Blane cocked her head. “And why can’t I sense him?”
“Kai said he was waiting in the library. I assumed she meant our library, but maybe she meant his. Conryu wouldn’t want to announce the fact that he was here to the entire staff.”
“Good point.” Dean Blane snapped her fingers and her slippers transformed into comfortable shoes. “Well, let’s go see what he wants.”
They crossed the campus surrounded by an invisibility spell so they wouldn’t draw the eye of anyone staring out a window. Dean Blane asked no questions which was just as well since Maria knew only a little more than she did.
The library was dark and silent at this time of night. A large table where once upon a time she caught Conryu trying to research elf artifacts sat empty. Maria was just starting to wonder if Conryu had been playing a prank on them when a door appeared out of nowhere. It opened and there he was waiting for them in jeans, a t-shirt, and scuffed biker boots. The only thing that separated him from the standard biker was the glowing staff in his right hand.
“Thanks for meeting me. Come on in.” He stepped aside so Maria and Dean Blane could enter. “I think I’ve gotten mixed up in a mess.”
“What else is new?” Maria said. “I thought you were going to fix bikes and stay out of trouble.”
“That was the plan, but Jemma needed my help.”
“Jemma’s involved?” Dean Blane asked. “If this is an official matter involving the Kingdom of the Isles I may have to let someone know.”
“It’s not,” Conryu said. “She came to me because her government couldn’t, or at least felt like they couldn’t, get involved directly.”
He filled them in on the details and when they were caught up took a crystal out of his pocket. “The Dark Lady knows what it is but is forbidden to speak by the Reaper’s decree. Jemma claimed not to know what the cultists were using, but I’m not sure if I trust her.”
Dean Blane took the crystal and muttered a spell. She frowned and cast another, this time in a louder, more strident tone. Her frown deepened and she looked up at him. “I’ve never encountered anything like this and I’ve studied the artifacts in the national archive. You may very well have discovered an entirely new sort of magic. Assuming it is magic.”
“So you can’t tell me anything about it?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not yet. Can I keep this? I’d like to study it closer, maybe have some of the other teachers take a look as well.”
“Sure, go ahead. I’m going to ask a few of Kai’s associates to keep an eye on the Academy. After the incident with the dragons, I’ll feel better knowing someone is here to help if you guys need it.”
“Sure, sure.” Dean Blane was focused on the crystal again, having seemingly forgotten he was even there.
“How are the girls you rescued?” Maria asked.
“Safe but shaken. I mean, who moves into an empty city in a nation of vampires and finds it safer than home? Talk about screwed up. Anya and the White Witches will get them settled in and Lord Talon will protect them. I hate to leave so soon, but I need to sleep before I meet with Jemma. If it’s a setup I want to be at my best.”
Maria shook her head. “I can’t believe she’d betray you after everything you’ve done for the Kingdom. Still, I’m glad you’re taking precautions. Be careful.”
She kissed him and they embraced. Conryu sighed and let her and Dean Blane out of the library then let Kai in. Why did his life have to be so bloody complicated?
The village square looked to Merik like a tornado had touched down and shredded the grass in a near perfect circle. He’d never seen anything like it. Magic had to have been involved. It was impossible to think that the fanatics could go on killing potential wizards forever without bringing down some sort of retribution on their heads. At the very least, the wizard’s outburst should have helped smooth his path to gaining the bishop’s help.
None of the locals appeared willing to enter the circle of damage. They stared at Merik as he looked around as though expecting his flesh to start melting at any moment. The villagers probably thought the earth cursed now that magic had touched it. That was the sort of foolish notion the priests taught their followers. Some of them were even stupid enough to believe it.
Merik shrugged and marched out of the square. He’d
seen a collection of tents on his way into town. That was where he’d find his contact.
His original plan had been to simply send another dupe to Stonehenge to activate the pillar, but now that he’d had time to consider his options, it was clear that his original plan had little hope of success. However, where a single errand boy might fail, a squad of armed fanatics might have better luck.
He would have altered his plans in the first place, but he’d never considered the possibility that the wizard assassin would be waiting. A foolish oversight. She had to have known where the key to Atlantis’s return was hidden. Oh well. Merik was still learning to think strategically and not like a traveling salesman.
Outside the tents, a pair of heavily muscled thugs dressed in priestly black complete with white collars stood with their arms crossed outside the largest white canvas tent. They stared hard at Merik as he approached. A less determined man might have turned aside under the glare of those harsh eyes.
The guard on the right raised his hand palm out. “The bishop is indisposed. Get lost.”
“Tell the bishop that Merik is here to see him. Considering your recent encounter, I assure you he’ll want to speak with me.”
The lead guard nodded toward the tent flap and his companion ducked inside. Merik couldn’t make out what the voices were saying, but a minute later the guard returned and held the flap open. “He will see you.”
Merik ducked into the cool, dim interior. The bishop sat on one of two camp stools behind a folding desk. He wore a formal white cassock and gold cross even in the privacy of his tent. The tent was as spare as anything Merik had ever seen. The only nod to rank was the fact that he apparently didn’t have to share his lodgings. Merik had never cared for camping as a boy and he liked it even less as a grown man. Unfortunately, since beginning his new life as a Child of Atlantis he’d found himself in primitive surroundings more often than he’d prefer.
The bishop looked up from whatever he was working on. “Merik. I assumed we wouldn’t see you again after you gifted us with those remarkable crystals. They worked wonderfully by the way. At least until that goddamned wizard arrived and stole them. The man came at us like Satan himself. Dare I hope you’ve come with replacements?”
“No. There are no replacements outside of Atlantis. In fact, that is what brings me to you. I have met greater resistance in my quest than I anticipated. I need reinforcements. A single wizard stands between me and the completion of my mission. If you could loan me some soldiers to deal with her, I’m sure the people of Atlantis would be very grateful. In fact, there are few more sympathetic to the cause of killing wizards. It was the wizards that nearly wiped Atlantis off the map forever after all.”
The bishop stroked his chin whiskers. “It is becoming clear to me that if we are to complete God’s holy mission, we will need allies. If the Atlanteans were to convert to the worship of the True Face of God, I’m certain His Grace would permit me to lend whatever aid you needed.”
Promise the fool whatever you must. Once we’re free it won’t matter.
“I don’t believe your church existed before the fall of Atlantis,” Merik said. “But once you explain your beliefs to them, I’m certain the True Face of God will be very popular.”
The bishop’s smile was so arrogant Merik wanted to punch his face in. “Then for our future brothers and sisters in God, my men and I will join you in your noble quest.”
Merik forced himself to bow. “Thank you very much, your eminence.”
“Where does our crusade take us?”
“Stonehenge.”
Tokyo made Sentinel City look like a backwater village. It sprawled over nearly a third of the island of Honshu and its towering skyscrapers cast the lower reaches of the city in perpetual twilight. The noise from millions of cars filled the air along with the fumes from their exhaust. It was like home, but different.
The shadows shrouding the streets suited Conryu fine. He wasn’t looking to draw attention, which was why he chose a city he’d never visited for this meeting. The odds of running into someone he knew were so small as to be nonexistent. It was also why he had Prime hidden in a shoulder bag.
Not that any of the fifty million residents he’d encountered showed the least interest in him as he made his way through the throngs to the working-class district which was home to The Blowfish. He’d exited the library half a mile from his rendezvous in the hopes of spotting an ambush.
Not that he really expected one. He was being overly cautious, but that weird crystal that was magic but didn’t read as magic had him spooked. The Dark Lady’s reaction to it had done nothing to ease his nerves. Hopefully Maria and Dean Blane would have some answers for him next time he checked in.
He probably should have done a quick search to make sure The Blowfish was still open since his father’s stories were twenty years old. The name had just popped into his head and he blurted it out. His Japanese was rusty, but good enough to let him find the street he wanted.
Relief flooded through him when he spotted a round, spiky fish drawn in flickering neon over the entrance to a hole-in-the-wall bar. Looked like it was still open.
Conryu checked his phone. He was ten minutes early. He ducked through the doorway and looked over the tiny bar. There were only six tables and eight stools. No servers patrolled the floor. A single wrinkled woman stood behind the bar, her eyes half closed as she watched the lone customer, an equally ancient man, nurse his beer.
He crossed the room, offered his best smile, and said, “Two beers, Obasan.”
Her wrinkles nearly swallowed her face when she smiled. “Your accent is appalling, young man.” She spoke English with only a faint accent.
“I’m out of practice. My dad was from the Empire. He came here once with a friend of his back in the day. Figured I’d check it out while I was in town.”
She pulled two bottles of frosty beer out from under the counter and handed them to him. “Meeting someone?”
“Yeah, she should be along soon. How much?”
“Do you have Imperial yen?”
Conryu winced. “All I’ve got are Kingdom pounds.”
She shrugged. “A five will do it.”
He dug the bill out of his wallet and slid it across the bar to her. “Thanks.”
Conryu grabbed a corner table that gave him a clear view of the entrance. If Jemma was following standard protocol, she should arrive early to have a look around. He’d actually expected to find her waiting.
He popped the cap and took a sip of the beer. How did people drink that stuff on a regular basis? He’d tried it once before in high school at a party with Jonny and couldn’t get over the bitter taste. Thankfully, Jemma stepped through the entrance before he had to try another swallow. She was dressed in civilian clothes, red sundress, black shoes, and a leather purse. She actually looked like a regular tourist.
She spotted him at once and stalked over, her face like a thundercloud. Jemma dropped into the chair opposite him. Before she could speak, Conryu willed a wind barrier in place to stop their voices from reaching the rest of the bar.
“What’s the big idea dragging me all the way here?” Jemma asked. “Our spies said you rescued a bunch of the girls. Did you find what they were using to determine who to kill?”
Jemma seemed sincere. Maybe he’d read too much into her sending him on this job.
“Here.” Conryu slid the clear crystal across the table to her. “This is why I was being so careful. It’s like no magic I’ve ever encountered. I did a little digging and my contacts either don’t know what it is, or they aren’t able to talk about it.”
Her palm covered the crystal and she concentrated. After a minute of silence, she said, “I see what you mean. Something like this, if word got out, could change the world. Still, you could have brought it to me in London.”
“I wasn’t sure you weren’t setting me up. Plus, the crystal itself rattled me. What are you going to do with it?”
“Give it to the r
esearch department, see what they can make of it. What did you mean when you said your contacts couldn’t talk about the crystal?”
Conryu told her about the Dark Lady. “The demons at least know what it is. I suspect the other spirits do as well and I further suspect they’ll have been banned from speaking about it by their various masters. Whatever this thing is, they very badly want to keep it a secret.”
“Does that scare you as much as it does me?”
“Yeah, it scares the hell out of me.”
Chapter 7
Jonny Salazar stood at ease, hands clasped behind his back, outside the commander’s office. The door was shut and the small waiting room empty. There weren’t even chairs. Having to stand while you waited was probably part of the punishment when you were called to the office. But as far as he knew, he hadn’t done anything wrong.
He hadn’t encountered any more zombies since those two the other day. Turned out, undead washing up on the beach happened far less often than he’d thought. The other teams reported only one other incident over the base’s entire sector. Since he hadn’t done anything but walk up and down the water’s edge, Jonny couldn’t imagine why his commanding officer had called him in, especially without his trainer.
There was a sound beyond the door and a moment later it opened. Major Evans, the base commander, waved him in. Jonny stepped inside and the major stepped out, closing the door behind him. Seated behind the painfully neat desk was an older man in a green uniform, his chest covered with about ten pounds of medals. Two gold stars shone on his collar.
Bloody hell, what did a general want with him?
Jonny saluted. “Reporting as ordered, sir.”
“At ease, Private. I imagine you’re curious why you’re here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Would it surprise you to learn it’s because of your friend the wizard?”
Jonny’s heart skipped a beat. “Conryu? Is he okay?”
Atlantis Rising Page 6