Lyle tapped LOS ANGELES EXPLOSION into his browser and clicked on the first link returned. A video on a local news site auto-played.
A square-jawed, dark-haired reporter stood in front of a massive crater with a serious look on his face. Men and women in FBI jackets and suited witches and wizards in PDA jackets, their wands out, combed the crater.
The chyron below read, PDA and FBI still investigating unexplained magical explosion in Sherman Oaks.
“This is going to work out better than I hoped,” Lyle murmured.
“The investigation continues into the recent unexplained explosion that was responsible for the confirmed death of at least fourteen people and the injury of eighteen others in Sherman Oaks,” the reporter explained. “At this time, the PDA has confirmed that the explosion was magical in nature and centered on the crater you see behind me, where previously a large luxury home stood. The owner of the home, businessman John Sarkazian, is currently unaccounted for and is believed to have been killed in the explosion. Due to the high level of magical background residue, the PDA is having trouble isolating the number of victims at this location, given all the other injuries and deaths in the nearby homes.”
The camera panned to the side to reveal several scorched houses, walls and roofs blown off.
“I am so impressive.” Lyle clapped and grinned. He never got tired of seeing the destruction he’d wrought.
After the camera returned to the reporter, he nodded in the direction of a nearby PDA witch who crouched near the edge of the crater, her glowing wand cycling through different colors and her face pinched in concentration.
“Although the PDA personnel are being tightlipped, an anonymous source has informed me that this explosion was likely the result of a highly dangerous and illegal magical item called an ‘elemental fusion crystal.’ The question of why one or more of these crystals would be present in this home remains open to investigation. The authorities are asking anyone who has any information about this incident to contact the local FBI. However, the authorities have made clear that they do not believe this incident represents a continuing threat to the public at large.”
Lyle leaned back in his chair with a huge smile on his face. He wasn’t sure how much the PDA would figure out, but it sounded like he was in the clear. After all, they’d have no reason to suspect someone like him. That was one advantage of coming into power only recently.
“I’m getting away with so much, and I didn’t even have to do much except flatten a neighborhood.” Lyle rubbed his hands together in excitement. “I really am a god.”
Complicated schemes involving controlling the mayor or chief of police would be the most practical, but they didn’t seem as fun. What was the point of being a god if you had to hide half the time?
Lyle sighed, his dreams crashing back to Earth in the shadow of practical details. He needed more money, more influence, and more power, and once he had that, LA would become the seat of his new kingdom.
No one’s going to be able to stop me because they don’t even know about me.
Shay yawned as she slipped into bed. James was already in bed on the other side reading a news article on his phone about the big explosion. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were moving back and forth.
“They find out anything new yet on that?” Shay set the alarm on her phone and laid it on the nightstand. “Definitely wasn’t a gas explosion. I can’t even believe they were suggesting it might be.”
“PDA confirmed it was those crystals.” James grunted. “The FBI is now saying they think Sarkazian might have been a member of New Veil.”
Shay snorted. “That’s some poetic justice, then. If he was one of those assholes, he was probably messing around with some crap he shouldn’t have and blew his ass up. The only shitty part is that he took innocent people with him. Fucking terrorist nut-jobs.”
James nodded. “I was wondering if this shit would lead to some big local bounty, but you’re right. It just sounds like some assholes who should have been more careful. No one’s left to hunt down since they’re all smears in that crater.”
“Big bounty?” Shay peered at him. “Oh, you wanted a level five to round out the summer?”
“It’s not a big deal. I’m not doing any special shit after the summer, so I can always take on bounties.” James shrugged. “It’s not about that.”
“Then what is it about?”
“Kicking those dust-dealers’ asses the other day was fun, but Whispy’s right. I need tougher enemies if I’m gonna get stronger. I need challenges for him and me.”
“Huh?” Shay blinked. “Since when do you care what that whiny-ass killing machine has to say? You could be throwing asteroids at guys and he’d still be bitching about you getting stronger.”
James set his phone down. “I thought all this shit would be over when I dealt with that crazy alien bitch, but then her buddy showed up. I probably could have taken them out if I had gone into extended advanced mode, but they’d probably just send another guy or multiple ships. He likely wasn’t wrong when he said he could kill me by bombing me.”
“So what? Johnston did his thing, and now they’re leaving you alone. There’s no reason to trust the government, but I think they don’t want to let aliens do whatever the fuck they want either.”
James frowned. “Wait, I thought you were the one telling me not to trust the government?”
Shay nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think you should trust the government not to screw with you, but I think they’ll actually keep the Alliance off you for their own reasons. Don’t trust them. Use them.”
“I’m protected for now.” James frowned. “And how long will that last? Those fuckers think I’m a dangerous nuke that needs to taken out. How long will they stay away from me just because Johnston threatened them?”
Shay laughed. “You make him sound like he’s just some local mobster. The guy’s a senator, and you had a senator saying the country, and others, might toss nukes at the Alliance. You have to understand, James…it’s not that I think you should trust the government. That’d be stupid. But you do have to trust that the government is wetting their pants about the idea of the Alliance thinking they can show up and do whatever the fuck they want.”
“Yeah, for now, but what if the government decides I’m more trouble than I’m worth?” James’ hands curled into fists. “I’m not gonna let anyone fuck with me, but it’s like we talked about before. I’m not gonna fight the Army.”
“We’ll figure something out. Peyton and Heather are keeping an eye on things, so at the minimum, we won’t be surprised, but to be honest, I’m pretty sure the government knows not to screw with you.” Shay pointed to the amulet lying on his nightstand. “And as long as you have that, I think that’s gonna continue, whether or not they understand everything about it.”
James leaned over and picked up the amulet. “There’s also some other shit I wonder about. I wasn’t thinking about it much until recently when Alison was talking about the portals class she has at school.”
“What?”
“I went to Oriceran from my home planet through a long-range portal.” James set the amulet back down. “Everything that the alien bitch said made it sound like my people use only portals, not ships.”
Shay nodded. “What does that have to do with anything?”
James glared at the amulet. “I’m supposed to call the others, right? The other Vax?”
“Yeah, but you’re not going to.” Shay shrugged. “And obviously Whispy can’t do it himself, or he already would have.”
“Think it through. The Nine Systems assholes are obsessed with me doing it, but there’s another way this could go down.”
“I don’t understand.”
James looked over at her. “What do you think the government would do if they lost a nuke tomorrow?”
Shay winced. “Go look for it.”
“Exactly.” James narrowed his eyes.
“But you’ve been on Earth for over thir
ty years. If the Vax gave a shit, why not come already?”
“Maybe they’re still looking. It’s a big damned galaxy. Even with those recovered memories, I don’t understand everything that happened when my parents sent me away. But if you could open a portal once, why couldn’t you do it again?”
“That’s why you’re concerned about getting stronger?” Shay replied.
“I know that little shit has the potential to call them, but I’ve got him under control. But what would happen if they showed up tomorrow?” James stared into the distance. “Extended advanced mode is pretty badass, but I don’t think it would be enough. If the Vax can conquer planets, they’ve got more firepower than what I’ve used so far, which means Whispy’s right. I need to find tougher guys; guys who’ll push me to my limit, until the point where I’m not sure I can win. I need to become a Forerunner.”
Shay laid her head on her pillow. “They might never come, James. You can’t spend your whole life waiting for an alien invasion. And even if they do come, you’re just one man. Yes, one very badass man, but I’m sure the military could handle it.”
“That Nine Systems douchebag was ready to drop an antimatter torpedo on me, he was so scared. I don’t think a few Marines in exoskeletons will cut it.”
Shay snorted. “Then nukes, or strategic-level magic. It’s not your damned responsibility to protect the entire world. You’re a bounty hunter. Go after bounties, or help me out on tomb raids, but you’re not the Army. Let the guys in fancy uniforms worry about an alien invasion.”
“I just want to make sure I clean up my own shit.” James rested his head in his linked hands on the pillow. “That’s the one thing I keep thinking about. How maybe I should be going around and taking down level fives or sixes wherever I can find them.”
Shay scoffed. “We don’t know if that’d be helpful, and trust me, there’s not going to be a nice barbeque place everywhere you go. If you care so much, maybe you can come with me on my next tomb raid. I’m sure there will be something annoying and challenging. Smite-Williams contacted Peyton and wants to meet with me tomorrow to discuss it.”
“I’m going to that musical with Alison tomorrow.” James grunted. “I promised her, and it’s the last big thing I’m doing with her before she goes back to school.”
“It’s fine.” Shay turned to smile at him. “It’s not like I need you there for the briefing. If it’s something Whispy can have a little fun on, I’ll bring you along. If I don’t need you, I won’t.”
“What about Lily?”
Shay narrowed her eyes. “She’s still looking into that thing in Trinidad.”
James glanced at Shay. “You sure she’s not just taking a little vacation?”
Shay grinned. “Maybe, but she’s earned it. And Alison’s not the only one running out of summer. I do want to get in one last job. If it’s a good job, you can come along, kill some evil wizard or some shit, and get closer to growing a super-cannon or whatever when you’re pissed. Maybe by the time we get back to LA, there will be a rampaging army of Drow for you to cut through.”
“That might be fun.”
“That might be fun?” Shay snickered. “Enjoy your show with Alison tomorrow.”
James made a face. “I enjoy spending time with her. Not gonna enjoy the show.”
Shay stared at him. “So you’re a man who looks forward to fighting an entire warehouse filled with criminals, but you worry about a musical?”
James sighed. “The fucking criminals didn’t sing at me.”
Chapter Nine
Shay frowned as she sat down across from the Professor at the Leanan Sidhe. His reddened face suggested that Father O’Banion had already come out to play, which didn’t speak well for having a decent meeting about tomb raiding opportunities. Even Smite-Williams had his limits.
Come on. You were the one who told me to come, and you end up drunk off your ass before I even show up? That’s bullshit.
The Professor held up a half-empty frosted mug. “A very good afternoon to you, Miz Carson. I haven’t seen you in a couple of months. I miss the light your beauty shines on my day.”
“Damn, you really are drunk.” Shay realized a few seconds later her back was to the door.
Shit. Does it even matter? If I’m gonna get taken out, it probably won’t be in this place. I don’t know all the tricks Smite-Williams has set up here, but I get the feeling it’d be a sad fucking day if anyone ever went after the Leanan Sidhe, and that’s not even taking into account what James might do.
“Your assistant was overly eager,” the Professor explained. “Which suggests that you’re overly eager. I’m not one to tell you your business, but desperation doesn’t make for a good position in a negotiation. Something to keep in mind.”
Shay snorted. “You’re not gonna start fucking me over now after working together for years, especially when I’m marrying James. You’re not the kind of guy who likes to screw over people in negotiations anyway.”
The Professor chuckled. “Aye, that’s true. But why the sudden interest in a high-end job? I’ve not heard anything to suggest either you or James would need an infusion of cash.” He eyed her. “Unless you’re trying to get him to buy you a large island or something for the wedding. You don’t seem the type, I must admit.”
“It’s nothing like that.” Shay shrugged. “Just wanted to go out on a good job before I take a few months off is all. I wanted a job that would actually challenge me and keep me satisfied for a few months until the next big job.”
“I see. That makes perfect sense. In that case…” The Professor gulped down some beer. “Cursed cobza.”
“Huh?” Shay blinked. “How drunk are you? You’re just stringing words together now. This is a serious request, Smite-Williams. I’m not here to play around with Father O’Banion. You told Peyton you had something, which was why I bothered to come.”
The older man laughed and shook his head. “No, no. A cobza. It’s a stringed instrument used in folk music, particularly Hungarian and Romanian folk music. It’s kind of like a lute.”
Shay blinked. “Okay, so you weren’t just stringing words together. You’re talking about an instrument?
“Aye.”
“You want me to find a cursed instrument?”
The Professor set his mug down. “I supposed ‘cursed’ is a bit misleading, since it’s not cursed in the traditional sense that it creates a negative situation for the user. It works completely as intended, which makes it more an incredibly dangerous magical instrument rather than a cursed artifact.”
Shay frowned. “And what does this cobza do, exactly? Blow shit up? Turn people into stone or weird statues?”
“If only it were so straightforward.” The Professor’s smile dimmed but didn’t disappear. “It drives listeners insane when played the appropriate way and fed the necessary magical energy to sustain the inherent spell, and with the help of a little amplification, it could easily drive tens of thousands into madness, if not more.”
“Does this shit work if you hear the music over the radio or on a recording?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” The Professor offered her a sheepish smile. “Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the last time it was used was in a village that lacked any such technology in the early 20th century. At that time, though, it resulted in a lethal riot that killed over half the people in the village, and it’s been associated with several other dangerous incidents in Romanian history. It’s usually only limited location that has prevented it from creating worse disasters.”
Huh. I did ask for a major job, and this sounds like one.
Shay shook her head. “I don’t get it. Who makes an instrument that drives people nuts? What good is that? They’re just doing something for evil shits and giggles?”
“It’s less evil for amusement’s sake and more for revenge if the stories are to be believed. I’m not a hundred percent certain, but my research suggests its origins lie in a musician wiz
ard whose wife caught the eye of a corrupt nobleman.” The Professor took another drink. “The woman was dragged off to be the nobleman’s plaything, and when the musician tried to recover her, he was beaten within an inch of his life, and he found out shortly after that his wife had committed suicide.”
Shay grimaced. “Shit, that’s depressing, but I suppose I shouldn’t have expected that a legend about a cobza of madness was going to be full of sweetness and light.”
“Indeed. The legend states that upon learning what happened, the musician flew into a rage and sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for vengeance. He crafted the instrument and imbued it with its strange and deadly power before inciting madness in the castle of the nobleman who’d taken his wife. The musician blamed everyone inside for failing to save her.”
“Is it true?”
The Professor shrugged. “There was an unexplained historical episode of deadly mass insanity in the Banat region that might be related. Historians previously attributed it to ergot poisoning, but it’s like many incidents of the past, in that it needs to be re-examined in the context of Oriceran.” He sighed. “It’s hard to ignore that there might be a deeper truth. I’m dubious it’s the result of an infernal pact as opposed to basic applied magic, but we’ve both seen many odd and bizarrely evil things in our careers so I won’t say it’s impossible.”
Every lecture Shay gave at UCLA reinforced that concept. She was the last person to ever question if magic might have been involved in an incident, and if not magic, perhaps non-Oriceran aliens. The truth of Oriceran’s existence didn’t clear up every single mystery for humanity. In many cases, it had created new ones.
“That shit sounds like bad news,” Shay observed. “Any random terrorist or dictator could play his way to a slaughter, and if it works over the radio or internet?” She shuddered.
The Professor shook his head. “This is one time where at least the world has smiled at us, at least in a small way. As I noted, it requires that magic be fed into it, which means a magical of some sort needs to be the one using it. Now, this wouldn’t preclude a wizard or Oriceran helping some random terrorist or dictator, as you point out, but at least it’s not something any random person can use. That said, dark wizard factions have been increasing their activities in recent years, so it’s best to be careful—which is why I’m so keen on its quick recovery. We don’t want to give them any opportunities.”
Shadow Of The Ring: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone Book 16) Page 8