by Kal Aaron
“I see. That’s interesting.” Tristan looked down as if studying the floor. “And what was this evidence? You trust me enough to tell me about that?”
“Hell, no.” Lyssa laughed. “Not yet, anyway. I feel like we’re both dancing around the truth, and I need something a lot more solid, especially if this involves me covering for you going to Last Remnant and acting as your decoy. What’s Helga Strand have to do with any of this? Does she have some sort of relationship with you?”
“Why do you believe she would?” Tristan asked.
“I’m not ready to tell you that. Remember my ‘hell, no?’”
“You’re holding back far more than I’ve given you. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” Tristan sounded amused.
Lyssa shrugged. “I’m the one people have been trying to kill lately. It makes me bitchier and more selfish. Sorry. You’re the one who wants something big from me, and all I’m asking for is information. Convince me to trust you before I go to Samuel and spill everything. He’s not your biggest fan.”
“I could kill you,” Tristan remarked.
“You could try and end up half-dead.” Lyssa didn’t go for her guns. “But we both know you’re not going to do that for the same reason I couldn’t leave those people to die. We’re both ruthless when we need to be against our enemies, but we’re not monsters.” She took a single step back in case she was wrong. “You said yourself that you have a code. You don’t think I’m corrupt, so you have no reason to kill me.”
“Are you sure my tolerance extends that far, Torch?” Tristan replied. “I’ve been eliminating threats to the Society for over eighty years. I’m not an Elder who is content to sit back and send others to do my work. I’m a man who has dedicated his body and soul to become a weapon to destroy the cancer that threatens to eat the heart of the Illuminated Society.”
Her heart almost galloped out of her chest. She felt like she was close to truths that had eluded her for months, if not years. This man was one of the few telling her she wasn’t insane to be suspicious about her brother, but he was also threatening to kill her after throwing deadly spirits at her with innocent people around.
Helga’s name had never come up in any discussion with Lee or Samuel about Jofi. Lyssa had barely known who she was before she found the woman’s picture on the memory card. She’d prefer it if the conspiracies threatening her life converged into one, but there was no guarantee that would happen. Right now, she needed more evidence before Tristan disappeared into the world again on his purification mission.
“If you’re going to kill me, do it.” Lyssa stared at him. “I’ll make you pay for it, and it won’t do anything to help clean out the garbage we both know is out there. If you’re not going to kill me, tell me what the hell Helga has to do with any of this. That way, I can figure out if I should tell you more.”
Tristan stood in silence for a long while. He took so long that Lyssa moved to a wall to sit. It wasn’t like she had anything better to do that day other than buying more ice cream. The Eclipse in front of her held the keys to the mystery that might lead back to her brother. Even if her brother had nothing to do with the mysterious conspiracy targeting the Jofi-sealing Sorcerers, tracking down her brother was her next step once she’d cleared up the current incident.
“Helga…” Tristan began. He cleared his throat. “If you already know her name in connection with mine, you’ve stumbled upon more than I anticipated anyone investigating would find without more effort, especially if you’re being honest about how recent this all was.”
“It’s not like I haven’t been looking into my brother’s death for a while,” Lyssa said. “But yeah, all the other stuff is more recent, including finding out about Helga. So, there, I gave you some information after all.”
“I see.” Tristan lapsed back into silence.
Lyssa gave him ten more seconds before she made a circle in the air with her hand. “Let’s move it along. Same deal as before. You give me more, I give you more.”
“She’s another woman like you who noticed unusual and suspicious things,” Tristan replied. “She isn’t a Torch, so the things didn’t occur in the context of violent Society business. However, her career choice takes her all over the world, and she has far more contact with different types of people, both Illuminated and Shadow, than you might expect. That only increased after M-Day. As a public Sorceress and entertainer, she was sought-after. The Elders used that to their advantage.”
“I don’t get it.” Lyssa furrowed her brow. “You’re saying she was a spy?”
“That implies and suggests too much,” Tristan protested. “You’ve been far too engrossed in the Torch lifestyle all your life. I don’t think you appreciate how the other Illuminated exist in the Society, including their relationship with the Elders.”
“Okay, then make it clear to my short-sighted Torch self.” Lyssa shrugged.
“Elders collect information in a variety of ways via different people and means. Making sure your Elder is aware of things is important for having them favorably inclined toward you, even if you aren’t their sword as a Torch.”
“Okay.” Lyssa nodded. “I get it. Helga picked up on something suspicious, the same kind of thing worrying you.”
“Yes.” Tristan gestured at Lyssa. “Like you, she ended up in an incident in which she was targeted. She was almost a victim, but because I was already investigating the incident, I was able to intervene.”
“I’ve never heard anything about that,” Lyssa replied. “One of the big, high-profile public Sorceresses almost got taken out, and the Elders didn’t think that was worth mentioning to the rest of us? Or at least the Torches?”
“Politics, both internal and external, rule everything for them.” Tristan curled his hand into a fist. “If it were truly an independent operation, they might have been more public in their displeasure. My elimination of the people involved along with the capture of several to turn over for interrogation eliminated the immediate threat, but unfortunately, the prisoners killed themselves before they could be questioned.”
Lyssa nodded. “How did they kill themselves?”
“Does it matter?” Tristan asked.
“I don’t know.” Lyssa shrugged. “During the mine incident, the guy behind it all had a weird spell to stop him from being healed. It’s obvious nobody wanted someone with a mind or truth essence messing around with him. It’s not like I run into that kind of thing all the time, but it’s also not the first time I’ve seen it. I’m assuming the same for you.”
Tristan nodded. “I was suspicious of the deaths and other strange occurrences around the time of the incident. I always suspected she was targeted by an Elder, but suspicion isn’t proof.”
“Tell me about it.” Lyssa sighed. “My life would be a lot easier if it were. But if the people involved died, why didn’t Helga get attacked again?”
“Because of the ruthlessness with which I dealt with the perpetrators and my clear indication through certain channels that I would avenge the death of Helga Strand.” Tristan's voice was ice-cold. “She did her best to retreat from anything that might put her at further risk, but I continued to follow up on the incident.”
“When was this?” Lyssa asked. “It sounds like it was after M-Day.”
“Yes, it was. About two years ago. As I’ve noted, the incidents of concern have considerably increased in recent years.” Tristan crossed the room and stood over Lyssa. “I’ve given you information, and it’s time for you to grant me the same favor. Why did you bring her up?”
Lyssa considered her options. Tristan wasn’t interested in killing her, but using her as cover to get to Last Remnant might be more about setting up a passive assassination than protecting her. Even if he thought he was justified, she couldn’t risk the Elders or Tribunal deciding she was a rogue who needed to be eliminated. Not everyone could scare people off like Tristan St. James.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” she replied. “I’m hiding in LA for a c
ouple of reasons. One is that I anticipated I might need someone here to help me out. I’m willing to tell you some important things that might help you and me both, but I need to make sure you’re telling the truth.”
Tristan nodded. “How do you intend to do that?”
“I want you to agree to lie detection by Caroline Malley,” Lyssa replied.
“I will not sit there while you take every truth from me,” Tristan objected. “You and she are not prepared for that, and I have no reason to trust my safety that far.”
“I don’t want all your secrets.” Lyssa held up two fingers. “I only want answers to two questions so I can be sure before spilling my guts to you.”
“You still don’t believe me?” Tristan asked, surprised.
“Believing isn’t the same as knowing,” Lyssa replied. “If you’d agree to that, I’d make you answer every question I could imagine. However, in the interests of moving this along, I figure I’ll pare down the possibilities.” She shrugged. “That’s my demand. You let Caroline verify the answers to my questions, and we can talk about where we go from here.”
“Very well, then.” Tristan nodded. “I agree to your conditions.”
Chapter Nineteen
An hour later, Lyssa stood across from Tristan in one of Caroline’s painting-covered receiving rooms. The falsity Sorceress stood between the two of them with a soft smile. Now that Caroline was in the same room with Tristan and Lyssa, it was hard to ignore the contrast between the near-pure blackness of the Night Goddess when contrasted with the white of Tristan’s Snow Ghost and Caroline’s Wronged Innocent. Tristan’s loose pants and shirt were more functional than Caroline’s kimono-like regalia, but the convergence of the aesthetic made Lyssa question what it implied about their essences and their souls.
“Thank you for agreeing to this on such short notice,” Lyssa told Caroline.
The Sorceress smiled at Lyssa. “I do this only because you are the one asking.” Her smile twitched into a frown. “But I don’t like this man being here.” She raised her chin. “And know this, Mr. St. James. This room is surrounded by my security staff, all armed with shards. They aren’t privy to this conversation, but I need only say but one word for them to flood this room and kill you.”
“He’s not here for you, Caroline,” Lyssa said. “I’m the one who insisted he come. I owe you one for this, but I wouldn’t tell anyone we were here. It’s for your safety. Once I’ve asked my two questions, we’ll get the hell out of here and leave you alone.”
Caroline nodded. “Secrets protect in different ways.” She held out her hands. “Take my hands, Mr. St. James. We’ll find out if you’re lying. From there, I’ll leave it up to Lyssa.”
Tristan offered his hands with a nod as he looked at Lyssa. “Only the two questions. I’ll refuse to answer any others, no matter what.”
“Fair enough,” Lyssa replied. “Okay, first question. Are you planning to kill me when this is all over?”
“No,” Tristan said firmly, “I have no intention of killing you unless I discover that you are serving corrupt powers that threaten the Society.”
Caroline nodded at Lyssa. “He speaks the truth.”
“See?” Lyssa chuckled. “That wasn’t so hard. Now, let’s move onto the second question. Were you involved in the assassination of Lee and the attempts on me and the others, with the exception of the man we already talked about?”
“No,” Tristan replied.
Caroline sucked in a breath. Lyssa wasn’t sure how much Samuel let people know about the assassinations, but he hadn’t ordered her to keep the incident secret from other Illuminated.
“He’s telling the truth,” Caroline said. She pulled her hands away. “I apologize for being rude, but I must insist you both leave immediately. I don’t want any further part in whatever dark web you’re both ensnared in.”
“Thanks, Caroline.” Lyssa inclined her head at the door. “Just have one of your men take us back to the car.”
“Back to the house?” Lyssa asked as she passed through the gate of Caroline’s mansion and willed her regalia into a normal-looking white t-shirt-and-leather-jacket combination. Tristan’s Snow Ghost became gray sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He pulled off his veil and looked like an old man on his way to jog in the park. They reached the car.
Lyssa missed her bike. There was something confining about a four-wheeled vehicle. Next time she had to run for her life, she’d bring it with her, flashiness be damned.
“Drive where you wish,” Tristan replied, sliding into the passenger seat. “That was merely a place of opportunity. I have no special link to it.”
“Fine.” Lyssa started the engine. “We’ll drive and talk. The assassin might get lucky and take us both out in the car. If I’m going to die, it might as well be efficiently.”
“I’ve answered your questions,” Tristan said, looking straight ahead. “Now I want to know about where you got Helga’s name.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t demand Caroline do lie detection on me.”
Tristan smiled. “I have no way of knowing if she’d lie about it to protect you. You have a preexisting relationship. I’m merely a bogeyman most Illuminated would rather never see in the flesh.”
“Okay.” Lyssa pulled into the street. “When I took out Adrien Allard, he gave me the address of a storage unit. I found a bunch of shards there, which I turned over to the EAA, and I also found a memory card containing pictures of a lot of different Sorcerers and Sorceresses in and out of regalia.”
Tristan nodded. “Where is this card now?”
Lyssa reached into her pocket and pulled out the card. It was cracked and missing chunks. She tossed it to Tristan. “Your little spirit stunt earlier killed the card. You’re one of the few people I’ve told about this because I don’t know what it means and who I can trust with the information.”
Tristan pursed his lips and frowned at the card. “It was necessary to test you. I won’t apologize for what I did.”
“You could just say, ‘My bad.’” Lyssa rolled her eyes. “Helga was on the card, along with pictures of my brother from three years ago. Theodora’s on there too, and so are you. There’s a few dozen Illuminated.” She rattled off the names she could remember, about three-quarters. “I’ve been trying to figure out what the pictures mean, but I can’t establish a relationship between anyone in the pictures other than they’re all our kind. The essence patterns, locations, ages, all of those are random.” She looked at Tristan. “So, we got Helga and you and Theodora. That’s three people it sounds like you’re not interested in killing, and you don’t know much about my brother, so that’s four.” She shrugged. “What about the others? I have the names on whiteboards hidden at my place, the total list, but I’m curious if what I’ve said tells you something.”
Tristan furrowed his brow in deep thought, murmuring names underneath his breath. Lyssa didn’t bother him and let him work through the information dump.
“None of the people you’ve mentioned needs special handling or is on my list,” he offered.
Lyssa blew out a breath. “It’s not a list of conspirators?”
“If it is, it’s not one that overlaps with any of my investigations, which have been rather thorough.”
“It’s a list of targets or victims or enemies of whatever conspiracy you’re investigating?” Lyssa asked. “That would fit with Helga being on the list, based on what you told me earlier.”
“Perhaps.” Tristan turned the damaged card over in his fingers. “I left out some details about the incident with Helga.”
“I’m listening.” Lyssa headed toward an on-ramp. She wasn’t sure where she wanted to go but figured they’d be safer on the highway than tooling around surface streets.
“It wasn’t a simple assassination attempt,” Tristan replied. “It was more of a kidnapping attempt.”
“Why did they want to kidnap her?”
“I presume because they thought she had useful information and w
anted to know who she’d shared it with. Based on what she’d overheard, that’s my best guess.”
Lyssa merged onto the highway, jealous when she spotted a motorcycle behind her. “But you took out everyone except the ones who killed themselves.”
Tristan set the broken memory card in a cup holder. “The kidnapping wasn’t what was important, or even the perpetrators. They were like those involved with your incident, overly well-equipped Shadows. What was important was their tactics.”
“Did they prepare themselves for Helga’s essence? That’s what they did with Aisha and me. They used specialized equipment to try to exploit weaknesses in our tactics.”
Tristan looked angry. “Spirits were heavily used during the kidnapping attempt. They had shards to control spirits. That, you see, is the link that originally got me interested in my side investigations. All of them directly or indirectly involve spirit sorcery.”
“What about the ghost town?” Lyssa asked. “Was there a spirit involved? Jofi didn’t mention it, but he was able to sense you gathering your spirits at the motel.”
Jofi had remained quiet at Lyssa’s suggestion. She was grateful for that, but she worried about what he was thinking.
“Lubon had a shard that let him block spirits,” Tristan said, looking uneasy.
“Maybe he was expecting you in particular to show up,” Lyssa replied.
“Perhaps. It has a limited range. I realized it right away with spirit perception, but he could only block spirits, not sense them. I made sure I was out of range. If he was expecting me, he knew I don’t have to be close to kill someone.”
“Again, the Society hasn’t advertised any of this. And what about my brother’s incident? Where does he fit into all this? His essence is illusion, not spirit.” Lyssa frowned at Tristan. “If you’re holding something back, don’t. This is about my brother, and I’ve been looking for him for fifteen years.”
Tristan’s eyes flicked in her direction before returning forward. “Even I don’t know all the details of that incident, but the rogue I eliminated who might be linked to the incident also had access to sorcerous spirit shards.”