“Show me how it works.”
Lady Wolf wasn’t the best at light magic, but even so she should be able to manage such a simple task. Focusing her will she opened a tiny portal to Heaven and let the magic pour out. The crystal soaked up the energy like a sponge and soon it burst to life. Golden light of near-blinding intensity filled the room.
She let the light burn for a few seconds then cut off the flow. The light dimmed then vanished. “There you are. So simple even a novice at light magic could make it work. The more power you put into it, the larger the area it protects. The crystal will drain anyone using it at a rapid pace. I recommend you swap wielders every hour or two.”
The czar nodded, clearly not paying her the least attention. He flicked open the case, removed the artifact fragment, and tossed it to her. It didn’t look like much even up close. A simple curved piece of metal, she didn’t even know what sort – no one did, it came from the elves’ home world. You wouldn’t have guessed it had the potential to change the world, but it did.
Lady Wolf bowed to the czar and handed him the crystal. “If you’ll excuse me, Majesty, I need to return to my order.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, not for a little while anyway. You’ll be joining me on my campaign against the vampires. It’s not that I don’t trust you regarding the crystal’s efficacy, but then again you might be lying to me. If the crystal doesn’t work as you claim, you’ll share the fate of my servants.”
Lady Wolf looked left and right for some means of escape. Three wind portals opened and a trio of witches emerged, including their leader, Anastasia. Had she been watching all the time while she and Lady Dragon fought the witches she sent against them? Unlikely, but not impossible.
Anastasia leaned against the czar’s scale-covered chest and smiled. “We’ll be glad to have you along. You can’t have too many wizards after all.”
She probably wanted another chance to reclaim the artifact fragment. Lady Wolf had no intention of giving it to her. She’d play along for now and bolt at the first opportunity. It wasn’t like someone could watch her every moment. There were bound to be opportunities during a war.
“I’d be delighted to offer whatever help I can.”
The czar bared his fangs. “I knew you would be.”
Conryu had barely emerged from the portal when Anya tackled him. He staggered a step then caught himself. They were still alone in the rest area. Whoever owned the cars hadn’t shown themselves. He looked over her head at Kai and nodded. She disappeared back into the border of Hell.
“I was so worried.” Anya finally let him go. “I feared it was a trap.”
“Nope, just two guys not much older than me with machine guns. After demons, dragons, and every other sort of magical threat I’ve dealt with over the past year they were kind of a letdown. On the other hand, it was nice to not have to fight for my life for a change.”
“Excuse me, young man.” Yarik gestured at the Cloak of Darkness still covering him and his wife. “Could you do something about this?”
“Sorry, I got distracted.” He waved a hand, releasing the spells.
“Thank you.” Yarik set his bag down and held Iliana. He murmured to her in their native language. Conryu didn’t understand what they were saying, but his tone seemed to indicate genuine concern.
“Kind of sweet, aren’t they?” Conryu asked.
“I’d be more gently inclined if he hadn’t kidnapped me a few hours ago. So what happens now?”
“If the Department team ever arrives, we turn this lot over to them and go back to the academy. I’m sure there’s plenty of cleaning up to do, though when regular classes will resume I have no idea.”
“I was thinking more about what was going to happen to me. I’m not sure if I even need a bodyguard now that the people hunting me have been captured.”
Conryu frowned. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it? I mean, it has to be a relief to know the czar’s agents are under lock and key.”
“It is, but now I’ll be all alone.” Anya hugged herself and walked a little ways away. “I don’t really know anyone in this country.”
“Just because I don’t have to protect you every moment doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. You’re welcome to come back with me for Christmas if you want to. Kelsie and I even worked out the sleeping arrangements.”
Prime flew over and hovered a few feet above the trapped dragon-blood. The man, creature, whatever the hell it was, snarled and snapped, trying to reach the scholomantic.
“Prime! Leave the monster alone.”
“Sorry, Master.” Prime flew back over to Conryu. “It’s just that the creature is fascinating. In all my centuries of my eternal life I’ve never studied such a thing up close. Do you suppose anyone would mind if we dissected it? I’d like to see if its internal structure is human or not.”
“I’d mind. We’re not gutting that thing on the side of the highway. Maybe if you ask nicely Malice will let you watch whatever they do to it.”
“Do you think so?” Prime seemed intrigued by the idea.
Anya stared, aghast, at the two of them. Conryu sighed. “Sorry. These are the sorts of conversations you have when you hang out with a demon.”
He cocked his head. In the distance the faint sounds of sirens were drawing closer. Finally, their backup. Fat lot of use they were.
Three black SUVs pulled into the rest area. Ten men with machine guns piled out along with a trio of women in gray robes. Conryu watched the men deploy with an indifferent eye. At least no one pointed a gun at him. After the day he’d had he might have gotten upset.
Two of the wizards he didn’t recognize, but the withered hag in the center he’d know anywhere, Malice Kincade. She stalked toward him, glaring at everything, especially Conryu.
She stopped and stood, knobby-knuckled hands on bony hips. “Well, what sort of trouble have you caused this time?”
Conryu gave her the condensed version. When he reached the part about going to the Empire to fetch Iliana her eyes about bugged out of her head.
“You entered a sovereign nation without permission and brought one of their citizens here? Do you have any idea what sort of a diplomatic blunder that was?”
“Considering they sent Yarik to kidnap Anya and attack the academy I can’t see that they’re in any position to complain. Besides, no one knows I was there.”
“That’s not the point! You can’t just stumble along doing whatever you want without consulting with the government in Central.”
“It was the right thing to do,” Conryu said. As far as he was concerned nothing else mattered. “Besides, now that his wife is safe, Yarik has agreed to tell you everything he knows about the Empire. Surely a security agent can provide more information than Anya or the rebels. I also captured you a pair of dragon-men for you to play with. You should thank me.”
Malice growled and waved at the still vainly struggling dragon-blood. “Bind that thing and load it in the car.”
“They’re resistant to magic,” Conryu said.
“I don’t need advice from you!” Malice glared at her subordinates who hurried over to the dragon-blood.
“Are you still mad because I wouldn’t share my genetics with you?”
“Yes and don’t think we’ve given up. Once a Kincade has made up her mind to get something, she gets it.”
“Thanks for the warning. If you’re done yelling at me, we need to get back to the academy.”
Anya had moved a few feet away and was eavesdropping on Yarik and his wife.
“Hey, you ready to go?” Conryu asked.
“Just a second.” Anya moved closer to Yarik and his wife. She asked something in Russian and Iliana responded in that language. Whatever she said caused Anya to take a step back. “Are you sure?”
“It’s only a rumor,” Yarik said. “The Empire is full of them.”
Anya nodded and came to join Conryu who’d watched the exchange with growing confusion. “What was that about?
”
“Iliana mentioned something about an invasion of the Land of the Night Princes. My mother’s there.”
Roman led his army through Frost Wolf Pass and into vampire country. The traveling was easy in the summer and no predator would be stupid enough to attack an army twenty thousand strong. A light breeze blew and swirled the scent of evergreen around him. Far too long had passed since Roman marched to battle with his army. He felt like a young man again, a soldier off to war.
His gaze flicked right, to the masked wizard struggling along beside him. Lady Wolf was clearly not used to walking long distances. She probably preferred to fly, but he suspected if he let her into the air, he’d never see her again. And while Roman wasn’t overly concerned with the woman betraying him, he also didn’t intend to die alone if the orb didn’t work the way she claimed.
Speaking of the orb, at the center of the column Anastasia and her cohorts had been studying the device for the past week of their journey. She claimed to have mastered it, but the narrow-eyed looks she gave the artifact when she didn’t think he was paying attention gave him pause. One way or the other they would find out soon enough. Someone had to have seen them crossing over. Word would reach Talon, and if they weren’t attacked tonight, they would be tomorrow.
The army continued to march throughout the day, pausing only to eat at noon. About an hour before sunset they reached a large meadow with a brook running along the edge. It would be a perfect place to camp for the night, a perfect place to set a trap.
At Roman’s command the soldiers set to work putting up their tents and lighting fires for cooking. The officers had all been briefed on their situations and tents were erected as close together as possible to minimize the area the crystal had to cover.
Lady Wolf slumped to the ground beside him drawing a chuckle from Roman. “You look weary. Perhaps marching isn’t to your liking.”
She turned her masked face in his direction. “I’m not one of your soldiers and marching is beneath the dignity of a wizard of my stature.”
He laughed outright at that. “It’s good exercise, though it would probably be easier on you if you took that mask off.”
“A Society Hierarch never removes her mask when there are people around.”
Roman grunted at the stupidity of that, but left the woman alone. All around the clearing everything was happening in a coordinated and efficient manner. A burst of pride struck him at the skill and professionalism of his army. The vampires would soon regret interfering in his Empire.
Before the sun even touched the horizon, the camp was nearly done. Food sizzled in pots over the flames, filling the clearing with delightful aromas. Perhaps the enemy would allow them a nice meal before attacking.
After the meal Roman was too eager to rest. He paced for a while before finally entering his tent and lying down. It wasn’t that he wanted to sleep, more that the pacing seemed to make the guards nervous and hurt their focus. They needed to be sharp, especially the witches on duty.
So Roman laid awake and stared at the roof of his tent, his enhanced senses straining for any sign of the enemy’s approach. The darkness presented no obstacle to his sight, not that he had much to look at.
Finally, after he knew not how long, the scuff of approaching steps reached him. Roman leapt out of bed before Anastasia even stepped through the flap.
“What is it?” he asked in a harsh whisper.
“They’re coming. I can sense multiple dark auras getting closer by the moment. Shall I activate the orb?”
“Not until they’re within range of its effects. This is our one chance to use it with surprise. Let’s make the most of it.”
“We may lose some sentries,” she said.
Roman snorted. A soldier’s purpose was to die for his commander. He’d gladly trade a few men for each dead vampire. “Get as many as you can.”
“Understood, Majesty.” Anastasia bowed and withdrew.
Now for the real test. Roman reached for the silver-coated sword sitting in the rack beside his bed. It had a wide, curved blade, perfect for chopping the heads off vampires. He’d only killed three of the undead in his long life. The time had come to add to his count.
Roman stepped into the meadow. He had no trouble making out all the tents along with the guards beyond them. The enemy was another matter. Anastasia said she sensed them approaching, but Roman saw and felt nothing. Granted, he wasn’t as sensitive to magical energy as his witches, but he should have seen an outline or figure or something.
A scream pierced the night followed by another and another. Whether he saw them or not, it appeared the enemy had arrived.
Moments after the first pained shout a blinding light filled the clearing. Roman winced, but his eyes adjusted in seconds. He strode toward the source of the first scream.
One of his men lay bleeding out in the grass, a rigid vampire on either side of him. Eyes like glowing coals stared up at the night sky. Roman moved so the undead could see him.
“You thought you could attack me? Kill my men? No one can resist the might of the Dragon Czar. Today you die, again.”
The silver sword went up and crashed down upon the vampire’s neck. Driven by Roman’s immense strength it cleaved through flesh and bone like it was tissue paper. The vampire turned into black dust and blew away. He repeated the process with the second monster and his now-dead soldier as well, just to be safe.
From somewhere on the opposite side of the camp came a wet thunk. One of his men must have found a target of his own. Roman bared his fangs. Let them have a bit of fun. He didn’t want to hog it all.
“I trust you’re satisfied with the artifact now?” Roman had been so distracted by his victory he hadn’t even noticed Lady Wolf’s approach.
“It met my expectations. As I said, I really never doubted you, but better safe than sorry.”
“May I leave now?”
“Leave? What if something goes wrong with the orb?” Roman shook his head. “I must insist you remain until the vampire’s leader is dead, just to be sure.”
“How long will that take?” she asked.
Roman shrugged. He was immortal, time meant little to him. Talon’s head would be his, even if it took until the end of the world.
Talon licked the last of the blood from his lips and sent the elk on its way. He hadn’t been able to find a boar to hunt tonight, but elk made a nice change of pace. Grazers had a mineral quality to their blood that omnivores lacked. He didn’t favor it, but it wasn’t unpalatable either.
He looked up at the clear, moonlit night. What should he do for amusement? Perhaps check in on the new converts. The two most recent additions to the family seemed to be settling in well, but there were always rough patches and he liked to smooth them out as much as possible. It built goodwill between him and his new subjects.
Talon smiled. Calling beings as powerful and fierce-minded as vampires his subjects might be a bit of a stretch. Perhaps first among equals would be a better description of his position. He started to dissolve into a mist when he sensed someone approaching. One of his kind rather than one of the local humans.
He solidified just as the approaching vampire arrived. Emile was a slender whip of a man, with short, slicked-back hair and narrow red eyes. “Talon. Imperials have crossed the border, an army of them. We thought to deal with them ourselves, but they have a device. It makes sunlight. We didn’t stand a chance. Marius, Sveta, they killed them. I didn’t know what to do.”
“Slow down, Emile. The czar sent an army across the mountains? How many men?”
“A lot, fifteen, maybe twenty thousand including witches and dragon-bloods. That’s not all, the czar is leading them himself. I saw Roman take Marius’s head with my own eyes. If I hadn’t arrived late to the battle, they would have gotten me as well.”
Rage nearly choked Talon. How dare Roman enter his lands and kill his people? “Show me where.”
“We can’t get too close,” Emile said. “The light.”
Emile turned into mist and led Talon north and west. They flew like the wind and after only a few minutes solidified behind a crumbled windmill well away from the gathered army.
Talon barely assumed physical form when lethargy and weakness settled over him. A hundred yards away a blinding, unnatural light revealed the sprawling enemy camp. Even so far from the source, whatever magic Roman had brought struck Talon like a physical weight.
He squinted against the glare. In half a minute Talon counted twenty witches and a hundred and fifty dragon-blood warriors. No sign of Roman. He was probably near the center of the camp. Talon had no intention of getting closer. He shuddered to think what that light might do to him if he took so much as another step nearer.
“I’ve seen enough,” Talon said. “Let’s put some distance between us and them.”
Emile turned into mist before the last word fell from Talon’s lips. When they’d gone twenty miles Talon resumed his physical form.
“What are we going to do?” Emile asked.
That was a good question. They couldn’t confront Roman directly, not with that device protecting him. Talon racked his brain, but came up with no good options beyond avoiding the army and hoping Roman got bored and took his people home. He couldn’t field an army forever, right?
Talon closed his eyes and concentrated. There weren’t many of his brothers and sisters in the area, probably because Roman had already killed everyone that lived nearby. There was a small human settlement about three hours from the Imperials’ position. They’d need to be evacuated before morning.
“Do you know the humans in that village?” Talon asked.
“Of course, I’ve whiled away many a night dancing in their tavern.” Emile’s narrow eyes widened. “Do you think they’re in danger?”
“I’m sure of it. If Roman can’t find vampires to kill, he’ll certainly settle for regular people. I need you to go warn them, get the people out of there by morning and get yourself into the deepest, darkest hole you can find when the sun rises.”
Wrath of the Dragon Czar Page 11