“It’s illegal because an old Magister declared it so, way back in the 1700s. All it would take would be a single word from me, and manipulation and control would be legal once again,” he said. “That’s the benefit of being in command. If I want something to be legal, then it’s legal. Simple as that.”
I stared hard at Magister Salvatore, barely believing my ears. Could this really be the same mage who tried to save the coven from Magister Dupont? The one who had rushed headfirst into danger. He’d never been perfect, but he’d turned out to be a hell of a lot better than what had come before. And it was impossible to believe he’d turn his back on one of the core principles of magic.
We couldn’t kill. We couldn’t torture. And we couldn’t control.
“You wouldn’t.” I shook my head. “I don’t believe it. As shitty as this entire thing is, you wouldn’t turn your back on our laws. If you were going to, you’ve already had a hell of a lot of opportunities to control me and all the Elders here.”
“Well, I suppose you have a few options.” He smiled. “You can call the bluff—if that’s what it is—and refuse to answer our call when we need a demon destroyed. Or you can cooperate.”
“And you’re just going to keep me down here until you want a demon killed,” I said slowly.
“I’d prefer to move you back to Boston,” he said. “We have a room in headquarters with your name on it, but our team is working to ensure that it’s secure. Don’t want any pesky shadows helping you escape. With the way you returned to Boston with Dorian, we know that you’ve mastered some sort of travel spell and all it takes is a few shadows.”
“Why are you here?” I asked, deciding the less I inform Magister Salvatore about my powers, the better. “Did you think it would be fun to come down here and taunt me? A little bored with your usual council work?”
“We need some information,” he said, reaching into his rucksack. “And you’re going to give it to us.”
It was hard not to laugh in his face. That was pretty rich coming from him. After everything he’d done—not only to me but to the sun mages and to my friends—he had a lot of guts coming down here and expecting me to help. I was his prisoner, for fuck’s sake. A little robot toy to be taken out every now and again whenever he deemed me useful. If he wanted my help, he’d have to do a lot better than this.
He pulled a blank page from his bag. A page I very much recognized. It was the one from Wagner’s collection, the one I’d been trying to interpret by the light of the blade. Somehow, Magister Salvatore had gotten his meaty little paws on it, and I rose from my perch on the bed.
“I see you recognize this,” he said, pushing the paper back into the bag. “Care to tell me what it is?”
“It’s a blank sheet of paper,” I said. “Why do you have it?”
“I found it when we were searching the sun mage headquarters,” Salvatore said. “It was in a bag among your things. I didn’t think much of it until I noticed the mark on the corner. It signals the Witch’s Blade, does it not? Which led me to the idea that this might be one of those papers that can only be read by its light.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t know anything about secret ink or a witch’s blade. Really, that thing just looks like a blank paper to me.”
“Then, you won’t mind if I burn it,” Magister Salvatore said as he nodded toward one of his bodyguards. As if on command, the Enforcer produced a ball of flaming light in his palm. He angled it toward the corner of the paper, the flickering flames only inches from the parchment. It would only take a moment for the entire sheet to disappear into a puff of acrid smoke, ashes sprinkling onto the cold steel floor.
“If it really is what you think it is, then maybe it’s not such a good idea to burn it,” I said, doing my best to think on my feet. “Did you try testing it?”
“I can’t get into the blade room,” Magister Salvatore said quietly. “It turns out that the Elders weren’t lying after all. Every single living one must be present in order to open the door. We’re waiting for them to return, and then we’ll be on our way. Once we have the blade, of course. And once we can read the writing on this sheet.”
I curled my hands into fists and fought against the rage that boiled in my stomach. “So, you killed all those innocent mages for what? Nothing?”
“They were far from innocent, Zoe, but I don’t expect you to understand.” He shook his head. “You always have been slow with the political side of our world.”
“You can blame it on politics all you want, but that doesn’t change the truth.” Pressing up against the side of the bars, I stared out at him, my anger seething out through my teeth. “You’re a murderer. You don’t deserve to be at the head of a coven any more than I do. And soon enough, the entire supernatural world will find that out. Then, we’ll see who ends up stuck behind bars for the rest of his miserable, goddess-forsaken life.”
“Luckily for me—and unfortunately for you—you’ll never be free to tell your side of the tale.” He gave me a vicious smile that reminded me of the Nosferatu back in Scotland. “And the second you try anything at all, just remember I know where your grandmother lives. She might be feeling better now, but it wouldn’t take much to tip her back over the edge.” His smile widened even more. “Enjoy your evening.”
I narrowed my eyes as he walked away, my magic coiling tight inside my body.
“You better watch your fucking back,” I muttered after him. Because no one—and I do mean no one—gets away with threatening my grandma.
Chapter 31
I wasn’t sure if another day passed or two, but the Magister had clearly gotten distracted from the idea of torturing me to get what he wanted. Time seemed to tick by in exaggerated slow motion, and the only way I was able to tell the difference between day and night was by the location of the sun in the sky.
The room was stifling. Hot and sticky and thick with hot air. If I spread myself out on the floor, I was able to keep myself cool enough to get me through the day, but I didn’t know how much longer I could go on like this. Magister Salvatore was the only living person I’d spoken to in at least a week, and his words had been so full of hidden meanings that the conversation hadn’t really helped me feel any less delirious.
So, when the door shuddered down the hallway once again, I was to the barred window in less than a beat. At this rate, I would probably end up going out on a demon-hunting mission just to get some fresh air. Anything to get out of this hellhole. Anything to see the top of the earth again. But even though I chanted those words in my mind, I knew I wouldn’t want to do it if he asked. I would because I’d do whatever it took to take down the demons. But I’d have to make the Magister’s life as miserable as my own in the process.
“Zoe!” a voice called out down the hallway. Something about the woman’s tone sounded familiar, though I couldn’t quite place it. When she finally came into view, it clicked together. It was Elder Sarah, the sun mage who had been there on the first day here. The mage who had found us and led us to the Elders. If it weren’t for her, we might never had gotten an audience.
“Sarah?” I pressed my nose up against the bars and breathed in the sight of another person. “What are you doing down here? How did you get inside?”
“I’ve been watching things these past few days,” she said in a whisper. “Tracking the changing of the guards. Timing their movements. Waiting for the perfect moment. I’m here to break you out.”
My heartbeat began to race as she lifted her dagger from her belt.
“I can’t believe it,” I whispered. “I was starting to think I’d be trapped down here forever.”
“We weren’t going to let that happen,” she said. “There’s a few of us who managed to get away to a nearby safe house. We knew we couldn’t sit by while you rot in here. Not after what you did for us.”
“What about Dorian?” I asked. “Have you been able to get him out, too?”
> “They’re keeping him somewhere else,” she said. “We aren’t sure where, but we’ll figure out how to get him out next. It might take some time, but we’re going to take back our home. And we’re going to keep that dagger from getting into their hands. You won’t be forced to use it. Not unless you want to.”
“Of course I want to use it. I just don’t want to be some kind of weaponized mage, only let out of her cage when she’s needed,” I whispered as she tapped her blade against the door. Light sparked at the lock, and a heavy clang echoed through the room. The door swung open, and Sarah motioned me behind her as she led the way back down the hall.
“No one would want that,” she said as we reached the door that would lead us outside. My lungs ached for fresh air. My eyes were desperate for the relief of a night sky. And my body, it ached for Dorian’s touch, though I knew it might be a little while longer before I could feel that sweet relief. “We don’t want that either. For years, the Blood Coven has been trying to control us and our powers. There are spells we can cast that they aren’t capable of doing themselves. It’s their way of harnessing our power for their own end. Trap us, threaten us, break us. Control us. They might not be using the spell, but they’re controlling us all the same. And it all stops now.”
But when we pushed open the door, a bright flash hit my eyes. Shielding my face, I stumbled back and squinted my eyes against the light. Sarah did the same, even though her body was far more used to this kind of light than mine. A rustling sounded around us, but it was impossible to see what it was. In only seconds, we were surrounded, and my arms were being trapped tight against my back.
“Motherfuckers,” Sarah said as she stomped on the Enforcer’s foot. The mage yelled in pain, and slammed her up against the wall, pushing her face into the rough concrete.
“We don’t want to hurt you,” the Enforcer said. I recognized his voice. One of the Magister’s own personal bodyguards. “But we will if you force us to.”
“What are you going to do, huh?” Sarah asked as she spit at their feet. “Lock me up like you’ve done to Zoe? Force me to swing a blade every couple of weeks? Because if you think that’s going to happen, then you’ve got another think coming.”
Once again, she kicked their shins, and they knocked her to the floor. Grunting, she crawled toward them, whipping a hidden blade from her boot. She launched to her feet and took a swing. My heart went wild in my chest, and I reached out to stop her just a second too late. Her blade slammed into the bodyguard’s side, and the Enforcers around her reacted in the blink of an eye.
She was dead within seconds, and the Enforcer’s body was being carried off by a group of others who descended from nearby. We’d been surrounded all this time. Surely she had known that. And yet, she’d given her all to fight.
“Are you going to make us do the same to you?” the Enforcer asked, pointing his dagger at my heart. “Or are you going to quietly return to your cell?”
“You wouldn’t do that to me,” I said. “Magister Salvatore needs my powers. I’m his only hope of actually using the blade.”
“You’re right,” The Enforcer said. “He does need you. But if you make a move against us, we’ll have no choice but to take you out. You’re not the only shadow mage in the world, Zoe. If we have to find another, we will.”
Chapter 32
So, I was back in that damn cell again. I tried to count the minutes I’d been free. Maybe ten minutes of fresh air, possibly less. The fight had happened so quickly, and they’d ushered me back inside just as fast, clearly worried that I might find access to shadows if I was left out in the world for too long.
“I’m disappointed,” called out the Magister’s voice. “I thought we’d come to an understanding, Zoe.”
I cocked my head and frowned at the door. “Since when? The last time you were here, you threatened not only me, but you set your sights on Grams. If you thought I’d just let you get away with that, then you were sorely mistaken.”
“Yes, you’ve really shown me who’s boss, haven’t you? Getting caught again and put right back into the cell is really teaching me a lesson.”
“Oh, just you wait,” I said with a smile that reflected the intense hatred I’d built up for this warlock. He was far worse than I’d originally thought, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When he’d first taken over the coven, he’d presented himself as the kinder, gentler, more intelligent version of a leader. The other one had been pretty shitty, but at least he’d been upfront about how terrible he was.
A boom crashed down around us and shook the floor beneath my feet. I grabbed ahold of the wall to keep myself steady, glancing around as chunks of rock rained down from above. Cracks cut through the concrete and steel and the door almost split in two.
The Magister’s eyes widened as he whirled toward the hallway, debris blocking his pathway out of here. “What the hell have you done now, Zoe? Is this some kind of spell in order to trick me into believing we’re being attacked?”
Another boom cut through the building. More chunks of rock fell around us.
“No,” I said as I jumped out of the way of a particularly large and heavy rock. “Pretty sure this isn’t a pretend attack, and we’re going to get smothered down here if you don’t let me out.”
The Magister stared hard at me through the barred window, his eyes flickering with distrust. “You say it isn’t a trick, but you’re trying to use it to get me to let you out of the cell. Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“Well, if you’re asking, then yes. I do think you’re an idiot, but not because of this.” The world tipped sideways as another boom hit, the ground breaking all around me. “If I were going to cast a spell to get me out of here, then I wouldn’t put my own life in danger, would I?”
“Okay,” he finally said with a nod. “I’ll let you out, but you’ll do exactly as I say. One wrong move in my direction, and you’ll go right back into that cell.”
“Sure thing, Magister,” I said.
He unlocked the door, and the first thing I did was swing my fist at his face. It landed with a satisfying crunch right in the center of his mouth. Blood spurted onto my hands as his eyes widened. He stumbled back, covering his mouth with trembling hands.
“You hit me,” he said. “You just assaulted the Magister of the Bone Coven. Do you know what kind of sentence that gives? Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?”
I shrugged and stepped over the debris to make my way down the hallway to the door. “Can’t be a worse sentence than the one you’ve already given me. Besides, it’s just a flesh wound. You’ll live.”
I left him in the hallway to stare after me in shock while I pushed open the door to step into the next corridor. Before me were two long rows of cells, all empty save for the one at the end. Dorian jumped up when he saw me sidestep another pile of fallen debris, but his door was already open. An unconscious guard lay at his feet, and his hands were splattered with blood.
“Looks like we had the same idea,” Dorian said, raising his eyebrows when he saw the slick red that painted my knuckles.
“Yeah, I left a pretty angry Magister back there, and he’s not knocked out like yours is. Turns out he can take a punch pretty well, though he did get pretty pissed off.” I nodded toward the exit door. “We’re probably safer out there where the action is than in here with that asshole. Do you know who he threatened, Dorian? My grandmother.”
“Ah,” Dorian said with a smile. “And that’s where he made his fatal mistake. If he hadn’t done that, maybe he would have gotten away with everything.”
“Make fun all you want,” I said. “No one hurts my Grams.”
“And it’s one of the things I love most about you.”
At the word love, I froze, and so did Dorian. His face held as much shock as I felt, almost as though the word popped out before he realized it was on the tip of his tongue. Swallowing hard, I glanced away and tried to focus on the task before us. We needed to get the hell out of here and find ou
t what was going on outside. Someone or something was attacking, and by the loudness of the booms, I had no idea what it was. The Blood Coven? Possibly, though it didn’t make much fucking sense. If they were going to make a move, they’d wait for the night.
Still, it was impossible to get Dorian’s words out of my mind. Did he mean what it sounded like he meant? Or was it just a turn of phrase? An innocent little saying that didn’t mean that much at all. Hell, there were a lot of things I loved about a lot of people, including my very platonic friends. Just because he loved something about me didn’t mean he was necessarily in love with me.
Sighing, I shook the words out of my head. This was a mental conversation that would have to wait. As I turned toward the door, Dorian stepped in close and took my hand. Our bond flickered between us, our emotions rising up to crash into each other. My thoughts and emotions flowed out of me and into his mind, betraying exactly what I was feeling deep inside.
“Come on,” I whispered before he could interpret exactly what my feelings meant. “Let’s go.”
Together, we pushed open the door. Bright blinding light spilled across our faces, and I had to squint to see the chaos raging all around us. Warlocks clashed with warlocks, fists raised and daggers swinging. Another boom shook the earth as a large explosion spit out a fist of fire.
One of the sun mages ran up to the two of us, waving the blank sheet of paper in his hands, the one that could be read by the light of the Witch’s Blade. As he came closer, I realized I’d met him once before. He was the old man from the night we arrived, when we’d help fight the demons.
“What’s going on?” I asked him. “Who’s attacking this compound?”
“No one.” He smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “The rebels are finally here to save us. They’re attacking the Bone and Blood Coven Enforcers, and we’ve managed to get this page back from the Magister’s room. The two remaining Elders are back and they’re waiting for us by the blade room. There’s something far too important about this page. And we need to go. Now.”
The Bone Coven Chronicles: The Complete Series Page 59