Malignant Magic (Medicine and Magic Book 3)

by SA Magnusson

  “You brought another mage with you?”

  I stared at him, unblinking. “Are you going to let us in or would you like us to have this conversation here?”

  “I’m not exactly sure what sort of conversation you want to have, so I am hesitant to allow you anywhere.”

  “Just let me in, Darvish. I saved your life, remember?”

  “After you were the one who placed it in danger.”

  “You don’t get to blame me for that. You were the one who attacked me in the first place. Had you not, I would’ve had no reason to unleash the gorgon on you.”

  Darvish studied me for a moment, his dark eyes narrowing as he did. Magic built from him, and it washed over me and then Jen. I waited, half-expecting he would push out with his paralytic spell, prepared for the possibility I would have to fight it off. That had been the biggest thing I’d feared in coming here. It wasn’t so much I feared facing the dark mages; it was the effect of the paralytic. It left me helpless, and I hated that sensation. I hated feeling as if I couldn’t move. I hated the fact that they had complete control over me when the paralytic took hold.

  His spell faded and he took a step back. “You really are unprepared.”

  “Why is that?”

  “You brought someone without any magic here?”

  I moved closer to Jen. How did he know? “Are you so certain she doesn’t have any magic?”

  “We have ways of detecting it.”

  “Can you detect it from me?”

  Darvish stared at me. His magic washed over me again. I resisted the urge to lash out. When it faded, he shook his head. “We’ve never been able to detect it from you.”

  “How do you know she’s not like me, then?”

  He frowned. “There aren’t many like you.”

  He turned and headed down the hall. The comment was something of a compliment, but at the same time, it left me wondering whether there was something Darvish and the other dark mages knew about my magic. I hated the feeling that there were so many who understood my magic while I remained ignorant. Then again, it might be nothing more than his recognition that my magic was different than theirs.

  “How did you save him? Did he come into the ER?” Jen asked as we followed Darvish down the hallway.

  “Nothing like that. I just removed a magical sucking creature from him.”

  “There are creatures like that?”

  “There are creatures like you wouldn’t believe,” I said.

  We passed along the room where I’d seen the banks of computers the last time I was here, and Darvish continued on to the door at the far end. When he entered, I couldn’t help but pause before I followed. This new room looked nothing like the others. It could pass for the living room of any well-appointed house. For one thing, the entire room was carpeted, unlike the hard cement floor found throughout the rest of the warehouse. Walls were finished and painted rather than metal sheeting. Two rich chocolate-colored leather sofas faced each other in the center of the room. A fireplace crackling with warmth radiated heat into it. Bookshelves lined one wall, crammed with books.

  “Don’t just stand there. Enter, Kate Michaels. And friend.”

  Darvish had joined Barden on the left side of the room. Whereas Darvish continued to hold onto his magic, the spell from him remaining powerful, Barden held no sense of magic. Either he relied upon Darvish to protect him or he simply didn’t believe I was much of a threat.

  I glanced over to the door and realized there was another possibility. When I had been here before, they had placed protections around the room and it had been difficult for Derek and me to remove those protections to escape. They probably had something similar set now.

  “Who is he?” Jen whispered.

  Barden smiled. He strode forward, stretching out his hand and taking Jen’s in his. He leaned forward in a cordial bow and brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it.

  “I am Barden Leifan.”

  “Jen Stone.”

  “Ah, Ms. Stone. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

  I waited for Jen to correct him, but she didn’t. “It’s Dr. Stone,” I said.

  Barden released her hand and glanced over at me. “A colleague of yours, then?”

  “She is.”

  “Is she another… mage… much like you?”

  There was value in having them believe that Jen might be a mage, but at the same time, I didn’t need some reason for them to be antagonistic. “Jen isn’t without her talents.”

  Barden tipped his head toward her as he looked her over. He appeared no older than forty, but considering the magical power he possessed, I suspected he was double that. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”

  Gross.

  Jen was lapping up the attention, as she often did. Maybe bringing her with me was a mistake, but I hadn’t wanted to come alone and didn’t really think the Dark Council would harm me, though it was still possible they would. And if they did, I would have placed Jen in danger because of my foolishness.

  “Can we talk?” I asked.

  “Is that not what we’re doing?”

  “That’s what we’re doing, but I was hoping we could take a seat and have a real conversation.”

  Barden motioned for us to follow him to the two sofas. I sank into one. It was incredibly comfortable. With a sofa this comfortable, I might never make it back to my bed.

  “Why have you come here, Kate Michaels?”

  All hint of mirth had departed his tone, and he sat on the edge of the sofa, clearly aware that it would be too easy for him to sink back and be comfortable. I let out a heavy sigh and scooted to the end of the cushion, perching forward the same way he was. I needed to maintain my edge and not relax too much. “Like I told Darvish. I need your help.”

  “Interesting. What would you need my help with?”

  This was the part of my plan I was less certain of. Asking for help from the Dark Council was one thing, but revealing too much had different risks. But then, the Dark Council would understand the value of the Veil, especially after they had experienced what had nearly crossed. I still had my suspicions about the Dark Council and the source of their so-called dark magic and intended to have those answered in time, but for now, I believed we needed both the Dark Council and members of the mage council for us to be successful in saving Ariel.

  There was nothing to do but tell the truth.

  “I need you, and you,” I started, flickering my gaze to Darvish, “for help in rescuing the shifter alpha Ariel from a challenger that poses great danger to those of us on this side of the Veil.”

  Barden looked at me before barking out a laugh. “That’s not at all what I expected.” His laughter died out. “And why should I be willing to help?”

  “You need the Veil maintained the same way the mage council does. You don’t want what exists on the other side to come across.”

  Barden leaned forward, his smile spreading playfully across his mouth. “And what makes you think we don’t? As you have seen, there are members of the Dark Council who are willing to summon beings from the other side.”

  “You told me you weren’t with her.”

  Barden leaned back, spreading his hands out to either side. “Weren’t we?”

  I had come here under the belief that Barden hadn’t been a part of that, that he didn’t want to have conflict with the mage council, and that the peace that had existed in the months since our last encounter had been somewhat my doing, forced by the need for some semblance of peace and an interest on both parties for it.

  What if I had been wrong?

  I didn’t think that I was, just as I didn’t think I was in any danger. No magic built from Barden or Darvish, and regardless of the protections that were placed around this room, they would be using magic if they really intended something. I wasn’t in any immediate danger, and so didn’t need to fear what they might do.

  Their unwillingness to help might be more about self-preservation than anything els
e. The Dark Council had feared the mage council for so long, fearing the possibility of burning off their abilities, and as far as I knew, that had ceased since the last battle.

  Or hadn’t it?

  “I don’t think you were. And I think you recognize the mage council has stopped their attacks on the Dark Council. If they hadn’t, you would have moved your headquarters.” This was a headquarters of some sort, though I wasn’t entirely certain how they used it. The computers were important somehow, as was the fact that they had established such a presence here. If they were more afraid of the mage council, they would have moved after their discovery, but they hadn’t. They had stayed, which meant that the truce between the mage council and the Dark Council had held, if nothing else.

  “My business dealings require us to remain here.”

  “What sort of business dealings?”

  Barden smiled. “Nothing that need bother you. While the mage council might acquire wealth over generations, those of us on the Dark Council aren’t quite so lucky. We have other ways.”

  Jen barked out a laugh before glancing at me. “What? He’s a mob boss, Kate.”

  I blinked, expecting Barden to deny it, but he didn’t. “Is that what you are?”

  “I might have some less scrupulous business dealings. We all have to earn a living, don’t we, Dr. Michaels?”

  The idea of the Dark Council running some sort of underworld made me laugh. The mage council didn’t care for them because of their magic, not because of their business. “

  “The council has left you alone. And now they need your help.”

  “We will see, won’t we?” Barden asked. “If that’s all, I will have to ask you to leave. We have no intention of helping the mage council maintain their position of authority over the Veil. While they might include the shifters and the vampires, they have decided the Dark Council is an unnecessary part of the protections. Little do they know.”

  I couldn’t leave yet. Was there anything I could say to keep Barden involved?

  There was something Solera had shared. Something that might be useful to Barden.

  “Do you even understand the source of your power?” I asked, staring at him.

  Barden watched me. He said nothing for a long moment. “The source of our power is different than that of the mage council. Is that what you’re trying to get me to acknowledge?”

  “It’s not just that it’s different. It’s how it’s different.”

  Barden studied me. “And what would you have me believe that you know, Kate Michaels?”

  “I know of the Seelie connection to the mage council.” When he frowned, I smiled. “Which means that I understand the Unseelie connection to the Dark Council.”

  Barden glanced over his shoulder at Darvish, who ducked out of the room. “You know nothing, Dr. Michaels.”

  “I know your magic is different. That’s the reason the dark mages were targeted by the gorgon. Someone targeted you, the same way someone targeted the mage council. And now they’re targeting the shifters. Will you help?”

  Barden steepled his fingers together. “I will consider.”

  I hadn’t expected him to leap at the chance, but I had hoped he would be willing to send people north with us. His comment made it clear that wouldn’t happen.

  “We need more than what we have, Barden. With this attack—”

  “Were you under the belief that this would be a discussion? I’ve said I will consider. Be thankful about that.”

  I glanced at Jen before nodding. “We’re going north soon. We could use your help.”

  “If it’s soon, then I’m afraid you will not have our help. Leaving the city poses certain challenges for us these days.”

  “What sort of challenges?”

  “The kind you aren’t privy to, Dr. Michaels. Now, if that’s all, I think it’s time for you to be going. It’s getting late and you never know what might be out in the night.”

  11

  When we returned, I entered the condo to find everyone sitting in the kitchen, a somber sort of silence hanging over everything. Gran and Gramps both gripped a glass of wine, but it didn’t look as if they had drunk any of it. Aron sat with his back to the wall, his entire body tense. Only John remained somewhat at ease, but I didn’t know how much of that was from the injury and his inability to shift and use his magic and how much of that was because he truly was relaxed. He didn’t share the others’ concern for me and my sudden disappearance.

  Jen stopped at the kitchen counter, grabbed a bottle of wine, and headed back to the living room. “Good luck with this.” She looked down at Lucy, who sauntered across the floor, and scooped her up, stroking the fur on her back. “Maybe the two of us should go out and have a little drink. I’m sure we can find something entertaining on TV at this time of night.”

  When Jen was gone, Gran looked over at me with the dark expression in her eyes I recognized from times when I’d been in trouble as a child. “Where have you been? And why did you bring her with you?”

  “First of all, Jen is my friend. And second, I’m an adult so I don’t really need to answer to you.”

  There wasn’t much that I had to say, anyway. My visit with the Dark Council hadn’t gone as I had hoped, and after leaving Barden, I had no assurances they would even help. I had nothing, not even a confirmation of what I had asked.

  “Katie, we’re just concerned about you. Where did you go?” Gramps touched Gran’s shoulder, but she shook him off.

  “I went to meet with Barden.”

  I looked over at Aron, making a point of ignoring Gran and Gramps. I could deal with them, though I knew there would be some issues. It was Aron who I worried about the most. He would be angry at the fact that I had gone to Barden without him, and there was a part of me that still wondered if I should have asked him to accompany me. He might’ve disagreed, but I had a hard time thinking Aron would have come had I asked.

  “Why?” Gran asked.

  She was the highest-ranking mage, and since she sat on the council, I understood why Aron wouldn’t say anything, but to me, she was still just my grandmother.

  “If we intend to go help Ariel,” I started, looking over at John and wishing he would say something—anything—but he remained silent, “we need more than the five of us.”

  “You thought bringing the Dark Council into this would somehow make your plan better?” Gran asked.

  “I thought there was a truce between the councils.”

  “There’s a truce, but that doesn’t mean we can work with them,” Gran said.

  “Actually, that’s why I thought you could.” Was now the time to share with them my belief that they had a connection to the Unseelie fae? It probably wasn’t, especially as most mages I met might recognize the power on the other side of the Veil, but I doubted they believed their power stemmed from the fae. “It doesn’t matter. Barden didn’t agree to cooperate.”

  “Of course he didn’t. Anything he thinks might benefit the mage council, he will refuse to participate in.”

  She wasn’t wrong about that. “When will we go?” I asked.

  “There will be some preparations we must make,” Gran said.

  “We don’t have time for preparations,” John said. When everyone turned their attention to him, he surveyed the table. “There is only so much time before Ariel is sent across Veil.”

  “How much time?” I asked.

  “Three days.”

  Three days. I tried to think about how long it had been. John had come in injured, and I had summoned Aron, going after Ariel. That had been one day. Today was the second day.

  That meant tomorrow was the third day.

  We really didn’t have much time.

  “Why didn’t you tell us this before?” I asked.

  “It didn’t matter when it was only me going back for her.”

  “And now that it’s more?” John didn’t say anything. “We need to get going, then.”

  “Katie…”

 
; I turned to Gramps, thinking that if nothing else, he might be the most reasonable of my grandparents, but I would need to convince him in a way different from what I would use to convince Gran.

  “Have you given any thought about what’s been going on? We’ve had the demon king summoned. We’ve had gorgons attempt to cross over the Veil. And now we have an alpha shifter attacked by Great Ones. Doesn’t any of this make you uncomfortable?”

  “All of it makes me uncomfortable,” Gran said. “It’s not your responsibility to resolve these issues. You don’t sit on the council.“

  And the council wasn’t going to do anything, not when it came to the shifters, but we’d already been through that.

  “I don’t have to sit on the council to know what needs to be done.” I nodded at Aron. “And I don’t need to be a mage to recognize that these things are connected, somehow. Tell me, Aron, do you think all of this is connected?”

  “Kate—”

  I shook my head. “Just answer the question, Aron.”

  “The Veil is often threatened. There are rarely times when we don’t have issues with it. Why do you think archers exist?”

  “So this isn’t unusual?” As much as I hated to admit it, I really was inexperienced when it came to magic. In this, I was still more like a student—and not even a good one—not an intern or resident, and my ignorance might end up getting us into trouble. At the same time, even medical students could make a diagnosis when they recognized patterns. Sometimes, those learning weren’t so close to the work.

  “Perhaps it’s a little unusual,” Aron said.

  “A little. It seems to me that everything that’s happening is incredibly unusual. When was the last time there was an attempt to summon a demon king?” He didn’t need to answer. We had talked about that before. I knew it had been years, probably decades, since anyone had attempted to summon one. “And none of you really knew about gorgons, not enough to know that one of them would have slipped across the Veil.”

  “Because of a user of dark magic,” Gran said softly. It was her angry voice.

  “But it wasn’t a user of dark magic,” I said. “The gorgon was summoned by an inexperienced kid, someone who didn’t know any better, and his magic backfired, attacking members of the Dark Council. They weren’t dark magic users.” I took a breath to steady myself, making a conscious effort to lower my voice. Yelling at my grandparents wasn’t going to get me anywhere. “Aron, you were there. You saw the same things I did. You know this wasn’t dark magic. Even Lexy wasn’t a dark mage.”