The Sword of Elseerian: The White Mage Saga #2 (The Chronicles of Lumineia)

by Ben Hale

  Below her, Pearson and his remaining men unleashed a devastating volley of rounds, only pausing to reload. Wallace triggered his underslung grenade launcher and took out two in the ensuing blast, but they kept coming.

  Screaming and firing from the hip, they advanced at the marines. In her heart, Kate knew the truth. There were too many. They would overrun the marines, and then come for her. She loaded another round with regret in her heart.

  The thumping of rotor blades was faint at first, but quickly rose in volume—and the terrorists heard it. Most of them turned and fled, undoubtedly familiar with what it heralded. The marines and Kate made short work of the remainder. Relief and exhaustion flooded her as she lifted her head to watch.

  Zwalik's men reached their vehicles at the same time the AH-1 Supercobra did. White smoke engulfed its stubby wings as it launched a quartet of missiles, obliterating their vehicles in fireballs. Sweeping down the line, its 20mm cannon stitched a lethal line through the trucks. Several exploded as their gas tanks were hit. Some of the men knelt and returned fire, screaming as death was rained down upon them. Their bullets only sparked off the surface of the armored attack helicopter. Large retaliating rounds tore them to shreds.

  The remainder of the terrorists fled to the APC. As the chopper was busy it began to accelerate away, bumping over Zwalik's body in its haste. The Supercobra swiveled in midair and released another pair of rockets at the APC. Metal screeched and rent as the personnel carrier exploded.

  Alone, the chopper hunted through the wreckage and billowing smoke, seeking any surviving terrorists. As it did Kate heard another chopper approaching, a bigger one. It landed next to the mosque tower and medics piled out. A moment later a shuffling footfall came up the stairs behind her. Her heart leapt into her throat and she drew her service pistol from her hip. Then Pearson came into view.

  He grinned at the sight of her pistol. "You did good, Marks," he said. There was a grudging respect in his eyes.

  She lowered her gun. "Is a force recon thanking a woman, sir?"

  He grunted. "Thanking a marine sniper," he corrected.

  He stooped and helped her to her feet. She sucked in her breath as the pain in her shoulder and back spiked. Together, they limped their way to the chopper and climbed aboard. A medic attached a field dressing to her shoulder as the helicopter lifted into the air.

  She looked at the smoking destruction they were leaving behind, already fighting to forget the carnage.

  Chapter 36: Sister

  Kate fell silent, and Tess didn't speak. Her mind was a jumble of confusion. Who was this woman? How had she hidden herself for so long? Could she even call her mother?

  "Why tell me now?" Tess found herself saying.

  Kate met her gaze. "I wanted you to understand—to understand me. I have accepted that I am not your mother by birth, so I want to be your mother by choice. I couldn't be that if you didn't know who I was."

  "How many . . ."

  "Did I kill?" Kate finished. "Sometimes I wish I knew. Thirty or so in that battle, a few others in previous engagements. What I do know is that seven good marines died that day, but five lived because of me."

  She stood and stepped to the wall, where a long barreled rife hung. She rubbed her thumb on its stock, and said, "This is the rifle I used in the service. They let me keep it after what happened."

  Tess didn't know what to think. She stared at the weapon that had been used to kill in the Libyan Desert. Part of her felt enormous pride in her mom, but part of her wondered if their relationship would ever be the same.

  "So how does Dad fit into this?" she asked.

  Kate smiled. "Our CIA contact for that fight was a man named Jason. I suspected it was a cover ID, and I was right. When I got back Jack told me the truth, and we have been together ever since. A couple of months later he proposed, and we got married soon after."

  "And your . . . daughter?" It felt weird to be talking about it like that, but Tess couldn't very well say it was her anymore.

  Kate released a deep sigh. "I had three miscarriages over the next few years, and when we got pregnant I was told to stay in bed. The marines allowed me to stay home for the duration of my pregnancy, which was very difficult. There were several times that I thought you—our daughter, wouldn't make it. Then she was born with lung problems and we were told to prepare ourselves for her death."

  Kate spoke with a detached air, just like she had described the firefight, but the hollow ache in her eyes was evident.

  "I slept in the hallway," Kate continued. "I pulled a chair from a waiting room so I could look into the NICU. Jack stayed with me, and used his credentials to keep them from removing us." Kate broke off and looked away. "She was so tiny, so . . . fragile. I watched her throughout the night. I was afraid if I fell asleep she would be dead when I woke up." She turned away, visually fighting to rein in her emotions.

  Tess was stunned. With everything that she'd been dealing with, she'd never considered what her mom had been going through. Kate had learned that not only was her daughter not her own, but that her real daughter had died. Tess's throat tightened as she understood what her mother had been enduring in silence.

  Tess rose to her feet and hesitantly approached her mom. Kate turned to face her with tears welling in her eyes.

  "If motherhood was decided by deeds, than you have proven yourself a hundred times over."

  Tears cascaded down both their cheeks as they embraced. Kate whispered into Tess's ear, "They never let me hold her."

  Tess tightened her grip as they both cried, and was surprised to realize that they were the same height. In her arms, her steely mother wept for the daughter she had never known. Her body shook with wracking sobs as she was overcome by mounting grief.

  "I'm sorry I'm not her," Tess murmured. The tightness in her throat made the words difficult to say.

  Her mom squeezed her but didn't respond, and for a long moment they just held each other. When her grief had faded her mom finally separated.

  "Please forgive me," she said. "I didn't mean to break down like that."

  Tess wiped the moisture from her own face. "I think it's okay to cry at least once a decade."

  Kate laughed and shook herself, regaining the resolve that Tess had known so well.

  "So what happened to Pearson?" Tess asked.

  "He retired a few years ago," Kate said, "and we're still friends. He won't admit it, but in his after-action report he said that I was 'worthy of being a recon sniper'." She laughed to herself. "Jack told me what it said."

  "Can I meet him?" Tess asked.

  "I would like that," Kate replied.

  Her mother's smile was tentative, as if she was unsure where their relationship stood. Tess felt as if everything that she'd counted on had been stripped away to reveal a more brutal reality. Deep down she recognized that there was no going back, that Kate would never be the same mother.

  But Tess was a different daughter. Kate the mom had been perfect for Tess the unsuspecting girl. Now that Tess was a mage, maybe Kate the soldier would be the mom she needed. She smiled to herself as she felt something shift inside her. Their relationship hadn't been broken, it had just been reforged into a stronger bond.

  Then an idea crossed her mind, and Tess said, "Hang on."

  Ignoring Kate's curious expression, Tess donned her omni-glasses and sent a message to Hawk, hoping he would respond. To her surprise she got a reply within a minute. She nodded to herself and activated the compass that would take her where she wanted to go.

  "Would you like to see the grave of your daughter?" Tess asked.

  Kate swallowed hard and blinked at the sudden moisture in her eyes. She nodded. "Do you know where it is?"

  Tess smiled. "Hawk said it's just outside the city. I can take you to it."

  "Can we go now?" Kate asked.

  Together, they left the armament behind and stepped outside. Tess waited for Kate to re-arm the door and then they headed to the car. Once they were on the
road, Tess guided her through the traffic until they reached a cemetery north of the city. When they got out Kate took Tess's hand. She squeezed it and nodded.

  "I'm ready."

  "This way," Tess said, and led the way up the stone path.

  Gravestones dotted the hillside on either side of them, their white surfaces shaded by the protective canopy of great oak trees. The midday sun filtered through the branches, lighting the cemetery and giving an almost hopeful air to the hillside. Collectively it made the November chill almost warm.

  With the magic of her glasses guiding her, Tess led them to a quiet gravestone next to a small tree. On its surface she was surprised to find her own name.

  Tess Oliver

  Beloved Daughter

  Indomitable Spirit

  Kate knelt and touched it. "Did you know about this?" She gestured to the name.

  Tess shook her head. "I didn't know it existed until I sent Hawk the message in your storage unit." She didn't add that it was creepy to find a tombstone with her own name on it. But she figured it wasn't for her anyway.

  They remained by the gravestone for over an hour, talking about what the girl might have been like. At one point Tess called her a sister, and the description stuck. Like concrete had shifted, she settled into her new place within her family. The thought brought a smile to her lips.

  When they left for lunch Tess noticed that her mother's step was lighter than before. Her smile came easier, and the steel that Tess had known for so long seemed to have returned to her eyes. When it did, it reminded Tess that Kate had avoided talking about her own role since their house had been destroyed. She asked about it as they ate lunch.

  "Let's eat outside, shall we?" her mom replied.

  They gathered their food and moved to a shaded spot under a tree. Tess found a seat on a picnic table and watched the kids climb through the bright blue tubes. Her mother sat beside her.

  "So what have you been doing?" Tess asked again.

  Kate gave a small smile. "What I do best."

  "Teaching the second grade?" Her comment elicited a laugh.

  "No," Kate replied. "I should say what I did best before you were born."

  "You're back in the military?"

  "I joined a task force that your father's office put together."

  "What does a task force do?"

  Kate chewed and swallowed before answering. "We are a response team in case the MIO needs one. If we have a mage that's a threat, it's our job to go in and neutralize it."

  "You mean kill," Tess said flatly.

  "If necessary."

  "How many threats have you neutralized? And who were they?" Tess didn't like the turn in the conversation. Was her mom attacking innocent mages? Or Harbingers?

  "We spent a month just training and working together as a team, but in the last two weeks we have eliminated two. Both were killed by the entry team. And before you worry, Jack has privately confirmed each with Breaker before we did anything. If they weren't with the Magtherian, then we knew they were Harbingers."

  Tess was relieved to realize Breaker had been involved. There was no way the man would allow anyone to wantonly go after mages. He worked for the mage military after all.

  "How did you get onto the team?" She wondered if it included a resume like a normal job.

  "Hawk."

  "He transferred you from elementary school teacher to CIA sniper?"

  She laughed. "Not exactly. He had the connections to give me a shot, which is like a tryout in sports. I had to make the team on my own. At first the team leader was skeptical, but after a few hours on the 1000 yard range he had no choice. I shot way better than the other guys."

  Tess grinned at the mental image of her mother out shooting a bunch of jocks. "Was that all?"

  "There was also a written exam, a psychological evaluation, and a physical combat test."

  "Like karate?"

  "Something like that," she said with a smile. "My bruises lasted for a week, but I managed to pass it—barely." She sighed. "I should have kept up my training like I did with my rifle."

  "When did you practice shooting?"

  "After you were born I managed to get a job at the CIA with Jack. While you were little I shot every day, but that proved difficult after a while." She grinned. "You were quite perceptive for a five-year old, and began to ask questions that were difficult to answer. I decided a career change was in order, and found a job as a teacher. I'm afraid I let my skills slip by the time you were a teenager."

  Tess recalled when the Harbingers had sought to kill them. "You reacted well enough when they attacked our home."

  Kate's eyes darkened with anger. It was a look Tess had seen before, but had never realized that a skilled marksman lay behind it. It gave her an oddly comforting chill to realize that her mom was going after the Harbingers.

  They finished their meal and returned home, and Tess was grateful that their conversation shifted to easier topics. Tess took the opportunity to share everything about Tryton's, including friends, classes, and her personal training. Kate absorbed it all. Her father arrived as Tess was describing Iris, who was surprisingly difficult to explain.

  "What's so funny?" he asked as he hung his jacket.

  "Iris," Kate said.

  Tess laughed, and her mom joined in. Jack just shook his head. "Did you girls have fun today?"

  Tess and Kate locked eyes, and Tess said, "I think we did."

  "So you liked her bunker?"

  "You know about it?" Tess was surprised. For some reason she'd gotten the impression that it was a secret.

  Jack smiled and kissed his wife on the head. "There is very little I don't know about her."

  "Or I about him," Kate said.

  He laughed easily. "True, which reminds me of something. Tess, I wanted to remind you not to share the information about my job. Strictly speaking it's highly classified. I don't fancy a decade or two in prison, hmm?"

  "I promise," Tess said.

  "Good," Jack said. "Now, what's for dinner?"

  Tess and Kate looked at each other, and then back to him. In unison they said, "Pizza?" They laughed together, and thirty minutes later there were enjoying a large pepperoni pizza.

  The night devolved into stories, laughter, and the sharing of secrets. Tess demonstrated what magic she could within the confines of the apartment, and her parents continued to divulge information that was either classified, or previously kept from her.

  Throughout the evening Tess got the distinct impression that all three of them avoided speaking of the building conflict. Talk of Hawk, the Harbingers, and the battle at Brokins went unspoken. For one night they were just a family, together and happy.

  But that happiness faded as she stared at her bedroom ceiling. Four weeks remained until Draeken's portal could be reopened, and they still had no idea where the Sword lay hidden. It felt to her that despite their efforts the conflict was escalating.

  An hour passed, and then two. Tess continued to stare at her ceiling, unwilling to fall asleep. She couldn't tell if it was her oracle insight or just her intuition, but she felt like once she did the calm would be over.

  When she did sleep she slept uneasily, and her mood prevailed in her dreams. Upon waking she was disheartened to see that the frivolity of their family had abated. They talked about the Harbingers over breakfast, and her mom took her to a private training facility so they could practice together. By tacit agreement none of them spoke of Tess's sister, or the previous night's levity.

  The week passed quickly, and Tess did her best to stay focused. By Sunday night she was anxious to return to Tryton's and continue her training, yet she wished she could remain. In many respects the week with her parents was the most real of any she could think of.

  As she said goodbye a deep regret settled into her core, instilling a fear unlike any she had experienced except when the Dark had assailed her. The foreboding was cold and hard, and gradually overtook her hope, unshaken by her efforts to dislodge i
t. It felt like the last time she would see her parents.

  If felt like the storm had begun.

  Chapter 37: The Vaults

  While all the students were home for the school break, the Swordsman began his mission. After much effort he found a vantage point from which he could plan his assault. Then he waited. Fourteen hours passed after he maneuvered himself into position, and he hardly moved throughout that time. From his hide he could see all the way to the bottom floor of the Spirus Vaults.

  Unlike the other levels of the tower, the subterranean floors were not accessible to the public. In place of gravity lifts, the routes into and out of the guarded levels were older style wind lifts.

  Shaped like a massive cyclone, white vapor spun in a tight corkscrew all the way to the bottom of a massive shaft. On the outside edge of the swirling air, one could stand and be carried gradually to the six levels. The closer one moved to the center the tighter the air spun, and the faster one descended. Adjacent to the down lift, a secondary shaft swirled in the opposite direction, lifting mages to the main floor of the Spirus.

  The wind lifts themselves were the Swordsman's first obstacle, as they could be deactivated or reversed in case of need. If he were discovered the battlemages would turn both columns downward, preventing him from escaping while allowing soldiers to flood in.

  The first of the underground floors housed the bulk of the battlemage corps, and was involved primarily with training. Two thousand mages rotated through the level on a daily basis, training, receiving orders, and reporting missions.

  Staffed with mages from every school, the battlemages represented both the army and the police force of the mage world. The soldiers within would be skilled, but not as formidable as the mages that were stationed on the next level.

  Level two was comprised of the elite branch of the battlemages, the Rayths. Named for the legendary cats that roamed the Evermist swamps, the modern soldiers were just as lethal. Few were appointed into their ranks without at least two level twelve masteries.

  Below their headquarters was the Shield of Auroraq Office. Tasked with protecting the floating city, specially trained mages controlled the cloudwall and the height of the city. Due to the importance of their work, a separate contingent of battlemages guarded them at all times.