Freedom (The Sorcerers' Scourge Book 4)

by Michael Arches

  I chased after him and tried to trip him with my hand, but he scooted away too quickly.

  Then he suddenly turned and kicked me in the chest, knocking me off balance backward.

  To keep from falling all the way to the main level, I grabbed one of the balusters. It stopped my fall, but I was spread out across the stairs.

  I couldn’t pull myself together in time. He caught me with a nasty kick to my breastbone.

  A stabbing pain raced through my chest, and I stretched out my left arm to catch his follow-up kick.

  That’s when I first heard all the other slaves cheering me. I’d blocked out everything but me and my opponent, like I always ignored the roar of the crowd at my fights. Here, though, these folks were all cheering for me.

  You can’t let them down, Moira.

  I panted, as though exhausted. It really was hard to breathe, but I exaggerated how much he’d hurt me.

  The bastard laughed. “Thought you could take me, twat?”

  He reared his leg back like he was going to kick me again, but I’d learned my lesson about his advantage over me.

  I gasped loudly, trying to convince him I was almost spent.

  He kicked at me again.

  I jerked backwards just enough to let his foot pass, and I grabbed the back of his shoe and pulled him forward. My yanking motion sent a stabbing pain through my chest, but I ignored it.

  He tumbled down, partially landing on me, and I pushed him toward the bottom of the staircase. For a couple of steps, he managed to maintain his footing as he headed down, but his body was rotating slowly as he descended. Maybe a ballet dancer could’ve pulled it off, but not Tanner.

  To make sure he couldn’t recover, I gave him an extra kick in the hip, just for the hell of it, when he moved past me. A solid shot, right when he was about to recover his balance. Damn, that felt good.

  He screamed like a little boy and tumbled down the last dozen steps. The son of a bitch splayed out on the floor of the main level, and his head kept twitching.

  He could still fight on, though, so I scrambled down the stairs after him.

  “This is for the ladies!” I yelled. My shoe stomped hard onto his groin. The squish under my foot, and his squeal, much higher pitched than any sound I’d heard him make before, was oh-so-satisfying.

  Bubbles of happiness burst inside of me. I lifted my foot for another stomp, but he coughed and gasped. “No more. I give up.”

  The reality was, though, this wasn’t a formal battle. He didn’t get to decide when it ended. I could keep pounding on him until I killed him, and only two days ago, he’d kept beating on me when I’d submitted and begged for mercy. This monster deserved more payback.

  I glanced at Ian for confirmation, but he gave me a slight shake of the head.

  Well, shit! Just when it was getting fun.

  I pouted a bit then kicked Tanner once more, right in the butt as consolation. Then I screamed my traditional victory phrase, “SHAZAM!”

  The slaves swarmed me and cheered.

  Chapter 2

  MOSTLY, I FELT relief, and not just for being free. I was still partly sick from the flu, and the son of a bitch had been a lot tougher than I’d expected. I’d almost humiliated myself in front of a dozen people. In addition to the slaves, Ian had brought in several witches to help with mop-up operations. They’d all no doubt wondered if I had the right stuff.

  A tall, beefy guy with short, spiky black hair was helping to load luggage on a bus outside, and he smirked at me. “Looks like Christmas came early for you, babe, then you barely pulled off a win.”

  He was right, but he seemed to be putting me down. “Why should I care what you think? You didn’t help save my ass earlier, did you?”

  He made a point of looking at my rear end, and I was glad that, thanks to the karate uniform, he couldn’t see much.

  “Nope,” the guy said. “Ian did all the fighting earlier. I’m just saying maybe you owe him, big time and ought to pay him back.”

  With what? “I’ve got nothing to pay with,” I said back and turned to Ian. At least, I could thank him.

  “I’m incredibly grateful for what you’ve done for all of us today, Mr. O’Rourke.”

  He grinned at me and so did an older, white-haired woman whose nametag from the Seabreeze Inn said, Gracie Heinz.

  “Aw, shucks, ma’am. Happy to do it, and call me Ian. My main goal was to get rid of one of the assholes stinking up my territory. Saving you and your friends was just a happy side benefit. By the way, interesting fighting form you got there. I enjoyed the hell out of that show you put on.”

  I’d hardly noticed my injuries since the battle ended. “As a gladiator, I often played hurt.”

  He took my hand and led me toward a tall, willowy woman with long, sandy-brown hair and a sweet smile. “This is my wife, Laura Reynolds. She’s a terrific healer.”

  I introduced myself to her, and she took my hands in hers.

  “Let me help you,” she said. “I can sense that your chest is terribly painful.”

  Now that I’d started thinking about it again, it was.

  Laura took me to Tanner’s office and closed the door. She helped me remove my karate uniform’s jacket and the t-shirt I wore underneath. Then she sat next to me on a small sofa. Her soft fingertips barely touched the skin over my breastbone, and she spoke some foreign incantation. My mom was a Celtic witch, too, but I’d forgotten most of the language.

  A knot formed in my throat as I remembered how often she’d encouraged me to appreciate my Celtic heritage more.

  Soothing relief flowed from Laura’s touch. She was incredibly good at her job.

  Within minutes, she’d also healed my swollen cheeks and lips, plus she got rid of a bruise over my right eye I hadn’t even been aware of until she’d pointed it out.

  “By the gods, I’m so grateful,” I said. “You sure know how to put a girl back together.”

  “My pleasure.” Her beaming smile told me she meant it.

  And since we were talking about putting me back to right, I said, “Listen, a couple of days ago, he hit me hard with a leather riding crop, down on my thighs and butt. Would you mind taking a look?”

  “Of course not.” She helped me untie my pants, and I let them fall to the floor. I also slipped off my granny panties. I had no guy to impress, so why shouldn’t I be comfortable?

  She gasped when she saw the welts and bruises. “This is unbelievable. Tanner did this to you? No wonder you went after him with so much fury.”

  Laura fixed each wound and made me feel like a new woman. She even got rid of the last of my flu.

  When she finished, she said, “May Brigid bless you.”

  Her kindness comforted me. It felt surreal to know someone really cared for me. “I’m all better now. Don’t think I’ve felt this well since I turned eighteen.”

  She nodded as she helped me dress. “I’ve seen a lot of battered slaves, but few have been savaged worse than you.”

  These weren’t the nastiest injuries I’d endured over the years, but I didn’t say so. There was no point in letting her think I was a victim. I wasn’t, not most of the time. I was a warrior, and in a fair fight, I would give at least as good as I got.

  “Okay, let’s get on the bus,” she said.

  We left the room and caught up with Ian who was helping Tanner leave his mansion for the last time. I’d given the old asshole a pounding in the fight, and seeing him suffering still made me glow inside. I still wanted him to suffer though.

  Laura healed his worst injuries, and all the while, she chewed him out in the most unladylike language for being a worthless piece of shit. I had to admire her style.

  We walked outside, and the jerk who’d ragged on me earlier stood in the driveway and clapped. “Let’s get a move on. All stragglers onto the bus, including you Moira.”

  I scowled at him as I walked past.

  He whispered, “I lo
ve a feisty redhead above all things.”

  My hair was unnaturally red, blood red, colored with glamour to fit my professional name, Bloody Mary. My natural hair color was a light brown that my sisters had called dirty blonde when they’d wanted to tease me. I needed to get it back soon. “I’ll be happy to give you the same courtesy I gave Tanner.”

  He snickered at me and whispered, “Meow, you’re a pussycat compared to me.”

  I would’ve snapped back, but Ian said from behind me, “Knock off the sniping, please, kiddies.” To everyone else milling around, he said, “All aboard. Last call.”

  I shut up. It was the least I could do to show my respect and appreciation to Ian for making me the happiest person on the face of the Earth.

  -o-o-o-

  THE BUS DROVE us through Salinas to the clan’s compound, and Ian moved past the rows chatting with folks. I’d purposefully sat by myself, which gave me a chance to take stock of my amazingly good luck this day. The surreal feeling that I was living a dream continued, and I pinched myself hard several times to be sure.

  My emotions bounced all over. Waves of chills ran through me. At times, I had to fight back giggles. I never giggled, but now it seemed as easy as breathing. Every so often, I glanced at Tanner, who was sitting by himself a few rows ahead of me. The cut over his eyebrow reminded me more vividly than anything that I was free. No slave could turn on their master like that.

  Ian had given me the chance of a lifetime, and now it was up to me to give that same opportunity to Mom, Dana, and Cara. How could I find them?

  I was still wondering about that when Ian plopped down in the empty seat next to me.

  “So,” he asked, “you feeling better now that you kicked Tanner’s ass, literally and figuratively?”

  I fought to hide my grin. “He deserved a lot worse, but yeah, it was a good start.”

  “I like the way to kept your composure when he turned the tables on you. How long you been fighting?”

  I didn’t want to give him too many details. I’d learned to keep my secrets, so I simply said, “Since I became an adult. My father bred me and my sisters to fight. He thought my mother would produce strong warriors, and it turned out, he was right. All three of us girls were forced to train, starting at an early age, and when we each turned eighteen, he sold us as gladiators to the highest bidders. If I ever get a chance for payback against my old man, you can bet I’ll take care of him much worse than Tanner.”

  “Do you know where your mom and sisters are?” Ian asked.

  “I haven’t heard a word about my mom in over six years. My sisters are working the gladiator circuit, and I’ve occasionally heard about them. Plus, a year ago, I got a chance to talk briefly with Dana. She’s a year younger. We met in a prep room in Atlanta before a match. God, that was an amazing day.”

  The memory choked me up again, and I fought to keep tears from welling in my eyes. I’d never, been so weepy before, not even on the day I was first sold. That experience was far too painful to wash away with tears.

  “Did she tell you where she lived,” Ian asked.

  I nodded. “At the time, she belonged to a guy named Suarez, who lived in Sacramento. I’ll start searching there.”

  He stared out the window for a minute, seeming to find something fascinating in a field of artichokes. “Not to rush you into any decisions, but I surely could use a fighter like you. And I might be able to teach you a thing or two. In any case, you’re welcome to stay with our clan for weeks. We’ll help you get back on your feet again, no obligations.”

  I didn’t want to give him any false sense of hope. “Thanks, but I plan to spend all my time searching for Dana and the others.”

  He shrugged. “Take your time figuring things out. If you were raised in a sorcerer family, you might find that real world America is a very different place than you’re used to.”

  That was ridiculous. “I know what it’s like. I’ve seen plenty of movies and reality shows. Plus, I’ve spent lots of time online. I’m not an idiot.”

  He held his hands up as though giving up then stood. “Of course not. Just keep my offer in mind. I’m going to pick two more disciples in the coming weeks. Until I’ve filled both slots, the offer stands open.”

  Although he’d said I shouldn’t feel obligated, I couldn’t help it. He’d just given me the biggest break of my life. But mom and my sisters were in a horrible jam. Why couldn’t I help them first then Ian?

  The bus wove its way through an older part of Monterey and turned into the grounds of an old hotel. It’d been closed the last time I’d passed here, about a year ago, but now, the building’s weathered outside had received a fresh coat of pale pink paint. The once dry lawn filled with weeds had been transformed into a deep green and freshly mown lawn. A black chain-link fence surrounded the property, unlike before, and a small sign on the fence said Seabreeze Inn, Invited Guests Only, please.

  An ornate, wrought iron gate swung open before us, and a guard wearing a blue blazer waved at us. Not being the sociable type, I didn’t wave back.

  The bus continued up the drive to the main entrance of the hotel, which was styled like an old Spanish hacienda. The covered portico was decorated with a number of large planters filled with exotic flowers and shrubs.

  The bus stopped, and several people were waiting for us to help us unload our luggage onto carts. I certainly appreciated the hospitality.

  I asked Gracie, the wiry elderly woman I’d met earlier, “Can you tell me where I should go?”

  “You just follow me, dearie,” she said. “I hear you’ve had a tough time of it for a long while. We’ll put you back to right, although Laura did a lot of that work already.”

  Gracie seemed goodhearted, so I smiled back, but I’d learned to keep my distance from strangers.

  I followed her, rolling my footlocker through one of three large archways. The old California theme continued inside, with red floor tiles, exposed beams in the ceiling, and a large fountain with bronze burros drinking the water.

  A reception area existed on one side of the large, airy room, but no one stood behind the long redwood desk. Gracie took me there and grabbed a key lying on the desk. We took a wire cage elevator to the third floor and walked down a hallway that led us outside onto a walkway surrounding an open courtyard.

  Gracie stopped in front of one door and opened it. Then she handed me the key.

  “This will be your new home for the time being. If you accept Ian’s offer to join our version of the Garda Síochána, our clan police, you’ll find that their accommodations are much nicer. But this will hopefully suit you for now.”

  It certainly did. While I’d worked the gladiator circuit, I’d spent too much time in hotel rooms across the country. My owners had tended to stay in fancy suites, and I was usually assigned one of the rooms there. This room was as richly furnished as any I could remember, with a black leather sofa, a huge flat screen TV, and a vibrating recliner. And the room was spacious. I supposed, back when this old hotel was designed, they’d attempted to attract the rich and famous.

  I felt a pang of regret as I remembered that my mom and siblings wouldn’t be enjoying this place with me. “It’s lovely.”

  “As you’re new here, you’ll no doubt have many questions about how to find our various amenities. Let me give you my cell phone number. Call anytime.”

  She was treating me more like a famous politician or a hotshot business executive than a former slave. I had to wonder why. “Are you really this nice to every stranger who washes up on your shore?”

  She laughed, a pleasing melody. “We try to be, but it doesn’t hurt that Ian was impressed with you. He’s not easy to please. And we do love to pamper those who protect us.”

  In other words, they were trying to recruit me for their Garda. I shrugged. I wasn’t playing hard to get. “You’re wasting your time on me.”

  “Relax. You’ve endured a helluva tough life so far, dearie
. Enjoy a few days of rest and relaxation, and don’t feel obligated. A sewer rat shouldn’t have been treated as badly as you were.”

  There was that word again, obligated. If my family wasn’t in a terrible situation, I’d accept their request for help instantly. Instead, I asked, “You wouldn’t happen to have a computer I could use for Internet searches, would you?”

  “Of course.” She beamed at me like I’d offered her a box of chocolates. “Be right back.”

  True to her word, she returned within minutes carrying a box containing a fancy laptop computer. She set it up, right then and there, complete with a Wi-Fi connection and my own email account on the clan’s network.

  It wasn’t until she’d left me alone and I’d grabbed a Harp from the fully stocked fridge I realized one key point. These folks were worried as hell about sorcerers. They seemed plenty sharp, so they no doubt had good reason to be freaked out. I couldn’t rid myself of the guilty feelings that welled deep inside me at not helping them, but family came first.

  -o-o-o-

  THE COURTYARD BELOW my room was about an acre in size, with a large gazebo sat in the center. Through skylights in the roof, I spotted a pool, several hot tubs, a bar, and lots of tables and chairs.

  A lush garden filled with a variety of bright flowers surrounded the gazebo. The blooms were unnatural this early in the year. They had to be due to magic. The garden included several large oaks, and a large, dark brown bird sat in one of them, seemingly undisturbed by dozens of people walking below him.

  Soon, a loud party got underway in the gazebo. I ignored it. Nothing freaked me out more than mingling with groups of strangers, and it wasn’t just because I was introverted. I’d been forced to attend too many sorcerers’ parties.

  The biggest problem was that the most powerful men tended to take what they wanted, right in front of everyone. The harem slaves got abused the worst, but some assholes were turned on by lady gladiators. Too many times to count, I’d been bent over a table or the back of a sofa while a crowd had watched and laughed at my humiliation. Never again!

  My bitter thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.