The Awakened World Boxed Set

by William Stacey

  Angie saw the sudden recognition in Morgan's eyes and the stiffening of her back. Her fingers trailed over the hilt of her saber. Those soldiers who were close enough to hear Tavi stepped back in fear, their faces blanching as if Angie were a poisonous snake. Once more, rifles rose, the barrels shaking now.

  "Calm," Morgan ordered, stepping before Angie, shielding her with her own body. She raised both hands out to the side, her palms open. "Lower your weapons and trust me."

  They did so but were clearly unhappy. She heard the whisper "Angela de la Muerte" slip among them and felt the flush of shame heat her face. When had she become the boogeyman?

  Rowan and his siblings approached, escorted by a squad of soldiers.

  Tec, his cuffs gone, joined Morgan, rubbing his wrists. "Constance, I vouch for these people. They are friends. I have promised them sanctuary."

  The woman inhaled deeply, her eyes closed. "Not yours to offer, my friend."

  "Maybe, but I've done it anyway."

  She sighed and nodded. "I have my own masters to answer to, Jaguar Knight, but I will honor your offer of sanctuary. You've earned that much."

  To Angie's eye, the dour look on her face spoke volumes about the offer. The Seagraves stood beside Angie, their heads high, their postures unbowed despite the soldiers surrounding them.

  Morgan considered all of them, finally facing Angie. "Greetings, sister of magic, student of Grandmaster Chararah Succubus."

  Angie threw her shoulders back but had to look up at the other woman. "Greetings, sister of magic, student of Grandmaster Queen Elenaril Cloudborn."

  The final rider, dressed in the same caped uniform with his own hexed saber, was a strikingly handsome young man with jet-black curls of hair, a carefully maintained beard, and dark piercing eyes. He stepped forward, speaking softly to Morgan but warily watching the Seagraves. Angie only heard one word—werewolves. Morgan's eyes widened and darted to the Seagraves.

  He's just now recognized them, Angie realized. First, the hated Angel of Death, and now the infamous Seagrave werewolves. This situation just became that much more dangerous.

  To Morgan's credit, she kept her cool, saying nothing to the soldiers or their commander. "I understand. Thank you, Shane."

  The young man moved back, his hand on his sword hilt. Angie could tell he was superbly fit. Most mages were, and all three of these people were Brujas Fantasmas—Ghost Witches. Combat mages.

  Morgan faced Rowan. "Do you speak for your family?"

  "I do," he said without hesitation.

  "If you promise no harm to my people and to not attempt escape, I will extend to you the sanctuary Tec has promised."

  Rowan’s eyes narrowed as he considered the offer. "As long as we're treated fairly."

  She extended her hand, and he gripped her wrist as she gripped his, both squeezing forcefully with neither's face showing a hint of strain. "I welcome you and your family to Canyon City but must insist that you accompany my colleagues and I to our compound, where you will be our guests."

  "Guests?" Rowan carefully articulated the word.

  "Guests, not prisoners. Although there must be rules."

  "Agreed," he said, pumping her arm. "I give you my word."

  They let go of one another, and Morgan turned to Angie. "Will you give the same promise, Angela Ritter?"

  "Do I have a choice?"

  Morgan's ice-blue eyes considered her for long moments. The younger woman, Tavi, glared at her, her face reddening in anger. Immediately, Angie felt a flush of dislike for her.

  "There is always a choice," Morgan said. "If you won't give your word, you are free to go elsewhere."

  As if she could. Angie acknowledged the request with a bob of her head. "I give you my word."

  Morgan's thin, pale lips parted in what might have been a smile. She turned to the soldier with Nightfall, holding her hand out for the weapon. The man quickly gave it to her, hilt first. She took the weapon without even looking at it and handed it back to Angie. "Welcome to Canyon City, mage of the Commonwealth."

  The oppressive fear began to lift, the soldiers to relax.

  "Constance," said Tec softly. "There is much we need to talk of. Dark events in the Commonwealth."

  Angie saw the worried glances pass between the other two mages, Tavi and Shane. Something's wrong here.

  "And even darker events here and to the south, Jaguar Knight. But I'm glad you're here. Let's go to my home. We do need to talk."

  Chapter 3

  With the morning sun now high overhead, Angie and the Seagraves followed Morgan, who walked with Tec alongside her horse, past the Norteno soldiers and through the gates into Canyon City. The other two Brujas mages, Tavi and Shane, followed behind, also walking their mounts.

  "Pretty—for a Brujas," Jay whispered to Casey, his gaze darting at the young woman behind them, the one called Tavi. She didn’t seem all that pretty to Angie; she had a bit of a resting bitch face if she were being honest.

  Casey snorted, scowling at the younger man. "Too skinny. I like ’em with a bit of meat on their bones."

  "You like anything with boobs," Erin shot back.

  Casey shrugged.

  As they walked, Angie kept her palm on the hilt of Nightfall, nowhere near at ease yet. To be fair, Angie couldn’t complain. If the situation had been reversed, any Brujas mage would have been disarmed and placed in cuffs before entering Sanwa City. Tec certainly didn't act as if he was worried. He treated Morgan as an equal. Who is he really? she wondered. He claims he's not affiliated with the Nortenos, but he's certainly very comfortable around them.

  Canyon City could easily have been Sanwa City. After days in the wilderness followed by the idyllic welcome of Char's jungle home in the Fresno Fey Enclave, the raw stench of so many people living cramped together in the walled town almost made Angie stagger. And the noise: people lined the streets, gossiping and staring as they passed, and vendors hawked their wares, children and dogs ran free. The dogs barked incessantly, and the children shrieked with laughter, many running alongside Morgan and Tec, staring at Angie and the half-naked Seagraves. It was as if the entire city's population, thousands of people, had dropped everything to come and watch them. The residents must have seen the Shrike land. Maybe they had even heard a rumor about its occupants.

  The citizens waved and yelled out greetings to Morgan, who smiled and waved in return. According to her dossier, Morgan's position within the city was much like Nathan's had been: commander of the armed forces. But while men and women had admired Nathan, Morgan commanded awe here. Nathan would have hated Morgan. He'd never have gotten past his petty jealousy, his need to be the best. As capable a leader as Nathan had been, he had also been deeply flawed and consumed by his hatred for the Fey. Worse, he could be abusive of subordinates, especially vulnerable women. She had loved him, and a part of her always would, but he had brought his end on himself.

  They followed a main street filled with open-air stalls and vendors selling wares, both newly fabricated essential supplies such as candles, soap, and lantern oil, as well as pre-Awakening items that must have been looted from the ruins of the old cities: working lighters, clothing, footwear—even firearms. The weapons were eye-opening; possessing a firearm in Sanwa City was an automatic banishment offense. Now, looking about, she noticed civilians openly carrying weapons, pistols in hip holsters, mostly, but there were also hunting rifles and shotguns slung over backs. Maybe this city wasn't like Sanwa City after all. This must be what the old Wild West was like, she thought, only with magic.

  They approached a large multistory compound surrounded by a ten-foot brick wall topped by rows of razor wire. This had to be the Brujas Fantasmas compound that Morgan had mentioned. It certainly had the look of a military installation. The Norteno soldiers on duty opened the gate for Morgan and the others, standing to attention and saluting her. She casually returned the salute, leading them all inside. The main building was a four-story Spanish-style hacienda, the walls built from pink bric
k and covered by dense hanging vines. The roof was flat, with bright red tiles running around its sloping rim. Soldiers with scoped rifles stood guard in towers along the wall. Dense green gardens with brightly colored flowers surrounded an open stone courtyard dominated by a large central well. Soldiers moved about in small groups. Less than fifty yards away, a platoon drilled on an open parade ground, the drill sergeant's commands echoing harshly. A massive stable stood at the rear of the compound, and several soldiers came forward to take the reins of the mounts from Morgan and her two mages.

  Morgan turned to address Angie and the Seagraves. "Welcome to Hacienda la Magia Fortaleza, headquarters of the Brujas Fantasmas and your home for the next few days—until we understand better why you are here. I give you the freedom of the compound, the stables, the grounds, cafeteria, and library. I ask, though, that you avoid the fourth floor and tactical operations center, the weapons lockup, or any other area marked as out of bounds, such as the mage study hall."

  Angie and the others voiced their agreement. Not at all unreasonable, Angie thought, once again underscoring how differently Brujas mages would be treated in Sanwa City.

  "Regrettably," Morgan continued, "I cannot offer you freedom of the city." Her eyes flicked to Angie. "It wouldn't be safe."

  "We need to speak," Tec said in a grave tone, repeating his earlier words.

  "All of us," added Rowan. "I want some answers myself."

  Morgan ran her palm over her hair, sighing and smiling. "The cafeteria, then. Perhaps some tea."

  Once Angie and the others were seated inside the spacious cafeteria, Morgan waited while kitchen servers brought tea. As the servers gave each a cup of pungent-smelling mint tea, Morgan formally introduced her two mages, and Rowan did the same with his family. Angie, parched from the battle only a couple of hours earlier, had to force herself to sip her scalding tea. Her thirst battled with exhaustion, her energy and emotions entirely spent.

  The young brunette mage, Tavi, was Morgan's second-in-command, her Mago Diputado, Octavia Maria Navarro. Tavi sat next to Morgan, watching Angie with thinly concealed distrust. She was of Hispanic descent, with large hazel eyes and long, beautiful brown hair. She was a small woman, close to Angie in size and age, and looked too young for such a position of authority. Do I still look that young? Angie wondered.

  The kitchen staff brought loaves of delicious-smelling and still-warm baked bread, jams, and even apples, and placed it all on the table. All the Seagraves, especially Casey, began to devour the food, behaving as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. It was the recent forced change to their werewolf forms, she knew. Erin had been just as hungry after Char had used her dream-catcher talisman to force her to change in order to heal her blinding. Angie took a hunk of warm bread and scooped jam onto it, stuffing the food down her throat. Apparently, she was just as ravenous. Battle and its resulting hormonal flush took its toll on a body.

  The young, handsome, bearded mage was Morgan's third-in-command, her operations officer, Mago Adepto Shane Harper. He, at least, tried to be pleasant with Angie, making small talk and treating her with the same respect that mages afforded one another, even enemies. He wasn't tall, being of medium height and weight, but like all mages, he had a swordsman’s arms and shoulders and a trim waist. When Angie finished her tea, it was Shane who refilled it for her, gifting her an easy smile. She returned his smile but then thought of Nathan dying at the end of her sword only hours earlier, and her smile faltered.

  "Well," said Morgan, turning to Tec, "now that we know one another, what news from the west coast?"

  Tec cleared his throat and leaned forward. Then he went into detail, explaining the events of the last few days: his mission to Sanwa City to discover why a feared Tzitzime blood mage like Rayan Zar Davi was in the Commonwealth city and why she was so interested in the Seagrave family. When he described her secret partnership with Nathan, the commander of the Home Guard, and Nathan's plans to execute Marshal and carry out a coup, Morgan became very attentive. Tavi and Harper exchanged nervous glances. All three clearly already knew about the Tzitzime, a clearly not-so-secret Aztalan blood-cult.

  Six months earlier, Angie had been the Home Guard's intel officer, and she hadn’t even heard of the cult before a few days ago. How could we all be so naive?

  When Tec described Nathan’s attack on the Fresno Fey Enclave, Morgan's already-pale face became ghost white. "They attacked the Enclave?" she asked in disbelief.

  "With the aid of a demon they had summoned by sacrificing one of the prisoners," Tec added.

  "Oh my god!" Tavi said, her hand flying to her mouth, her brown eyes wide with horror.

  "It gets worse," Tec said with a heavy sigh. "The demon murdered Chararah Succubus."

  This time, Morgan gasped in horror while Tavi looked as if she wanted to throw up. "What of the Concord?" Morgan said so softly it was almost a whisper.

  Angie understood Morgan's fear perfectly. When the dragons had broken the Fey Sleep, forcing the Fey into the open, terrified humans had turned on them, slaughtering them by the thousands. But the Fey were far from helpless, and almost as many humans died at the talons and magic of the supernatural races. Only the Concord had stopped the growing war between humanity and Fey. For years, the Concord had kept an uneasy peace between the new human nation-states of North America and the Fey Enclaves. But that peace was fragile. If the Concord failed in any single nation-state, it would fail in all the new North American nation-states.

  Tec shook his head. "I don't know. Ephix Lamia is in charge now. She helped us defeat the demon and rescue the Seagraves. What she'll do now..." He raised his hands, a look of profound weariness on his face.

  "Ephix Lamia," Morgan said in a deflated tone. "God help us all."

  Angie leaned forward. "Nathan—Colonel Case—acted on his own by attacking the Enclave. It had nothing to do with First Councilor Marshal. Marshal doesn't want a war. And I think ... I hope Ephix will keep the peace. At least she promised Char she would."

  Morgan watched her, a look of sorrow in her eyes. "Chararah Succubus was your adopted mother, wasn't she? I'm so sorry for your loss."

  "The Tzitzime have plans in motion," Tec said. "At best, we have only delayed those plans." He glanced at Erin. "Let's assume they won't stop trying to get their claws on you, Erin."

  "Let 'em try," Casey growled, sending a chill down Angie's spine.

  "They've had their one shot at us," Rowan said with steely resolve. "Those people are going to pay for what they've done to my family." Each of the Seagraves nodded.

  "She's safe here," said Shane. "I promise you those cultists won't attempt anything here. We can—"

  Morgan raised her palm, cutting him off. "Don't underestimate what they'll attempt if they feel they must. Even here, we are not invincible. And the Aztalans are mustering armed forces on our southern border." She glanced to Tec. "There's been trouble, skirmishes. Presidente Carter is holding firm now with reinforced garrisons along the border, but if the Aztalans push north in force..."

  "There's too many of them," Tec said, and Morgan nodded.

  Morgan ran her hands back through her short hair, stretching her weary face, and sighed. "I must send a messenger to Queen Elenaril Cloudborn in the Coronado Fey Enclave. She needs to know we had no part in this madness in Fresno nor in the death of Chararah Succubus."

  "That might be a good idea," Tec said. "If the Aztalans invade, will she..."

  "No," Morgan said curtly. "She's been clear about this. Her elves will have no part of a human war."

  "Explain her lack of choice. The Tzitzime are behind the Aztalan Boy Emperor," Tec said. "They do not care about the Concord. There is power in the blood of Fey, particularly elves."

  "She will not fight," Morgan repeated. "She does not believe this is her war."

  "Make her believe it."

  Morgan snorted in derision. "I could sooner make myself an elf than make Elenaril Cloudborn do anything. No, we'll need to stop the Aztalans at the border oursel
ves, and that will prove challenging enough if they have even half the forces our spies report."

  "They have them," Tec said. "You'll need allies to stop them when they come."

  Rowan cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for your difficulties, but this has nothing to do with my family."

  "Not necessarily," Morgan said, "but I understand your reluctance to get involved. I'm so sorry for your brother Lewis. We in the south have long known and tried to prepare for the evil that is the Aztalan Empire and the blood-cult called the Tzitzime, the Children of the Star Eater. At first, all we heard was rumors coming from the south, a great power rising, the resumption of human sacrifices—on a disturbingly large scale. All too soon, we learned the rumors were far worse than we had suspected. Your brother is one of many thousands who have found themselves sacrificed for the gain of the Tzitzime and its high priestess, Rayan Zar Davi—Mother Smoke Heart. There is power in blood magic."

  That was true, Angie knew. The Tzitzime used spells she had never even heard of. No other human mage knew more than two spells: Shockwave and Shutter. Shockwave could knock down enemies or break through doors, and Shutter could move a mage several feet in any direction. Both were powerful spells, but the Tzitzime could burn people with magical fire, turn corpses into biting clouds of blood insects, or weaken you with a touch. The Tzitzime mages were much more dangerous than any Fey-trained human mage.

  And sadly, there were no human grandmaster mages like Char and Queen Elenaril. And then a disturbing thought struck her—was Rayan Zar Davi a grandmaster mage? God help us if she is.

  "At any rate," Morgan continued, "it seems we have made the right choice." She smiled at all of them. "You have sanctuary here for as long as you wish. Shane will see to your quarters—and perhaps find you all some clean clothing. There are showers on the second floor, with hot water."

  Hot water? Angie sat straighter and shared a smile with Erin. She hadn't had a hot shower in six months. If she had been a cat, she would have purred.