by Sean Stone
‘Okay, so I see a massive and catastrophic fight taking place. The very thing I thought you wanted to avoid?’
‘Yes,’ Dorian nodded slyly. ‘I thought that a battle in the streets might scare the people, but now I’ve come to see things differently. Scaring them is good, so long as I win. When they see what I am willing to do to put down those who would stand against me, nobody will ever stand against me again.’
I was pretty sure that people were standing against him now because of what they knew he was willing to do to keep control over them, but I opted to keep that to myself. There was a more pressing question on my mind. ’How will this help us find Magraval?’ I asked.
‘Because,’ Simon said pompously, turning my way. ‘When Magraval learns that we are slaughtering his followers, he will come to stop us.’
’No, he won’t,’ said Drew. His eyes were closed and he was pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘Have you learned nothing about this man? He doesn’t care about his followers. He’ll let them all die and he won’t bat an eyelid. You could fill the streets with the blood of every person in this city and he still wouldn’t come out of hiding.’
‘No, I strongly suspect that this time he will come,’ Dorian said, a cunning glint in his eye.
‘Why?’ I asked, eyes narrowed in curiosity.
‘Because, I’m going to be there. Now get dressed. You’ve got work to do.’
Chapter Thirty
Dorian and Simon left first, telling us to meet them outside the Hall in half an hour. Jeremy left right after them. He first gave me a quick once over just to be sure I was fit enough to go into a fight. He deduced that I was and then wished us luck. He had no intention of standing against his fellow Elders. His issue was with Magraval, not the Hall.
‘He knows a lot about poisons, potions, and healing for a librarian,’ I said once he was gone.
‘He knows a lot about everything. Being the Library Keeper involves doing a lot of reading, Jacob. Or are you implying that maybe he spiked your drink?’
‘No, of course not,’ I said quickly. How anybody could ever suspect Jeremy of anything was beyond me. He was one of the kindest people I knew.
‘Good. Dorian’s right about you needing to face Marcus. If you don’t he’ll keep coming for you and could potentially fuck up every plan we ever come up with. He needs to be dealt with now,’ Drew said, following me into my bedroom where I was planning on getting dressed.
‘I didn’t disagree with him. I fully intend to face Marcus. Ever since I realised he was gunning for me I’d been wanting to have it out with him.’ I pulled open my wardrobe doors and started getting dressed out of my uncle’s view. Not that he would’ve been trying to sneak a peek anyway. That would just be weird. ‘What do you think about Jeremy’s theory that Marcus wasn’t behind this?’
Drew rubbed his chin and looked off at the wall pensively. ‘I can’t think of any other candidates off the top of my head.’
‘I’m not sure this plan will work,’ I confessed. ‘I’ll need all my strength to fight Magraval. If I’m even a little lower than my absolute best then he will beat me. Fighting Marcus is not going to be easy and I’m one hundred percent certain that this confrontation will not remain verbal. I just…’ I trailed off as a new thought occurred to me. For the last few weeks Drew had been telling me he suspected Dorian was afraid of me. I didn’t see it myself, but my uncle was smarter than I was.
‘What is it?’
‘If you’re right and Dorian does want me out of the picture then this is the perfect way to do it. Marcus will weaken me for Magraval and I will lose, but he’s counting on me weakening Magraval enough so that Simon and his minions can flock in and finish Magraval off. Two birds, one stone.’ I pulled the final item of clothing on over my head, a plain black jumper, and stepped out from behind the wardrobe door. I wish I hadn’t. Drew’s face was creased with anxiety.
‘It seems likely,’ he said almost in a whisper. ‘But there really is no way out of this. Not unless you want to pack up and run.’
I shook my head decisively. ‘Not an option.’ I wasn’t running anywhere. This was my home and I was saying put.
Drew nodded in approval. ‘Good. Then we’re just going to have to be clever about this. Dorian may have shot himself in the foot this time and we can play that to our advantage.’
‘How so?’ I located the golden weapons that Natalie had made for me and began returning them to their rightful places on my person. Magic was the ultimate weapon but you never knew when a less sophisticated weapon might come in handy. Sometimes a bullet in the head was the easiest way to put somebody down.
‘Dorian is using himself as the bait to lure Magraval in. That means Magraval will make a beeline for him. All we have to do is stay out of the way and Dorian’s own people will be forced to fight Magraval themselves and hopefully they’ll weaken him. Then by the time we get there he’ll be as depleted as you.’
‘A good plan, but there is no we. I have to fight Magraval. Alone. No offence, but you’re not up to it.’
‘Jacob, we’ve had this discussion before. You’re not benching me. End of.’
I stayed silent, but that was not a sign of agreement. It was merely acceptance that I couldn’t win the argument. I was just going to have to find another way to stop him from fighting Magraval with me.
‘Here,’ I said passing him one of my golden guns. It was unlikely that I was going to need more than one. Hell, it was unlikely I was going to need even one. I was armed with guns, daggers, shurikens, an extendable spear, and a hell of a lot of magic. I could afford to give up one gun. ‘Just in case.’
Drew was smart enough not to argue. He took the gun and tucked into the waistband of his jeans. ‘I’ve got plenty of my own weapons, but thanks. Ready to go?’
‘Ready as I’ll ever be,’ I said and followed my uncle out of my apartment. As I closed the door behind me I looked back at the place I called home and wondered if I would ever be coming back to it.
The police were in full force standing in neat military-style rows on the road outside the Hall. Magic-resistant riot shields were held by those at the front forming a protective barrier against any attacks from the wizards inside. I’d expected to see Orchids all over the place but not the police. I didn’t expect Dorian to be so blatant in his control over the city’s police force.
Floodlights had been put up and down the street so that every millimetre of space was filled with brilliant white. There were no shadows to hide inside tonight.
Dorian was standing well behind all of the police officers with plenty of Orchids surrounding him. There was no way anybody was going to get near the boss. Simon was at his side, his usual smug expression temporarily replaced by one of utmost concentration. If tonight went wrong plenty of heads would be rolling by morning. Technically, the same was true if it went well. Either way, heads would roll. I just had to make sure mine wasn’t one of them.
Maybe when all this was over I should leave the city and find a nice quiet village to retire in. I had enough money to never work another day in my life, and I would certainly love not having to fight for my life so often.
The wooden doors of the Hall stood firmly shut now and not a single member of the institution was present. They were all still cowering inside.
‘They’re never going to come out when all this lot’s standing at the bottom of the steps,’ Drew growled, quite rightly. Dorian had not thought things through fully. Unless there was another aspect of the plan that I was not yet privy to. It would have been better if I’d been on my own to draw them out and then Dorian and the Orchids arrived. Then I remembered my conversation with Agatha and realised that wouldn’t work either. The Elders were expecting this attack.
I said nothing. There was nothing to say. Not to Drew at least. I walked in Dorian’s direction and was surprised to see the ranks of minions parting to let me through.
‘Jacob, right on time!’ Dorian said, smiling as if he’d already won.
>
‘I’m nothing if not punctual. However, if you want anybody to come out of that building you’re going to need to clear the street. Nobody is going to come out to face an entire army,’ I told him.
Dorian shook his head as if I’d said something silly. His perfect hair bounced lightly. ‘I would’ve thought you’d be more familiar with Hall rules. No Elder can refuse a challenge from one of the Hall’s members. All you have to do is stand on those steps and challenge Marcus and he will be honour bound to come out and face you.’
I shared a look with my uncle who nodded. ‘Despite all your run-ins they still haven’t expelled you from the Hall so the rules still apply.’
Despite being a hot-headed dick, Marcus was a man of honour. If Dorian was correct about that particular rule, and my uncle seemed to think he was, then Marcus would come out. ‘Unless they have special wartime rules that let them off having to come out to face me.’
‘They don’t,’ Dorian informed me curtly.
‘So, after Magraval’s dead and this is all over, we go our separate ways?’ I said, wanting the confirmation from Dorian before I went ahead with the plan.
‘Well, no,’ he said shaking his head, a small frown line creasing his forehead. ‘That’s not really how war works. When a general falls another takes his place. When Magraval is defeated somebody else will lead whatever is left of his supporters. This war will continue until I have stamped out all those who are foolish enough to stand against me. Granted, there aren’t many who fit that criteria. I’d say once Magraval, the Elders loyal to him, and maybe a few vampires are extinguished, then the war will be over.’
‘I didn’t sign up for any of that. You hired me to kill Magraval and that is all I’m going to do. I’m not fighting in your war.’ Standing up to Dorian was perhaps not the smartest thing to do, but I needed to make my intentions clear before I got roped into a full-scale war. To my surprise, Dorian simply smiled.
‘I wouldn’t ask any more of you, Jacob. Once Magraval is dead, I will send the remainder of your fee and you will be free to go on with your life and have no further part in this matter.’ He extended his hand to me. I looked down at it, trying to figure out if there was some kind of trick up his sleeve. The only trick I could think of was the one Drew had already thought of, that Dorian was hoping I died in tonight’s battle. But I could hardly accuse him of that. It wasn’t like I could prove it.
I took the immortal’s hand and shook it firmly. When our hands parted he nodded in the direction of the Hall. ‘Good luck,’ he said as I turned and walked away.
‘I really hope this works, otherwise the city will be in turmoil by morning,’ Drew said as the crowd parted to let us through.
The walk up the tall stone steps seemed to take longer than it ever had before. Maybe because I knew that this time I was going to be challenging a man who had every chance of killing me. He was the best fighter the Hall had to offer. He was responsible for most of the combat training inside the walls and they didn’t give that position to just anybody.
We stopped halfway up the steps. The lights cast my shadow, long and spindly, up the steps and over the wooden doors. The Wraith had come for an Elder. I laughed at the thought.
I was worrying about facing Marcus because he was an Elder, but it wasn’t as if I was your average wizard. I knew a thing or two about fighting myself. In fact, I’d probably killed considerably more people than Marcus had. I’d probably killed more than most of the people standing behind me.
‘Marcus Noble!’ I shouted, knowing that my voice would be carried into the Hall easily. The building was imbued with spells for exactly this kind of thing. ‘My name is Jacob Graves and I challenge you to a duel on the grounds that you have attempted to assassinate me on two occasions. Come out and face me or forever have your honour stained.’ I tried to make it sound as formal as possible without making myself look too pompous. I wasn’t convinced that I’d achieved my goal.
The silence that followed was heavy. It stretched on for several minutes and soon I heard the tittering starting up behind me as the police began whispering among themselves.
‘What do I—’ I started to say to Drew but then a loud thud signalled the opening of the double doors above us. They swung inward slowly as if they had all the time in the world. They didn’t open all the way like they usually would, they stopped diagonally creating a space just big enough for a single person to pass through. Only nobody came out.
‘You have got to be joking,’ Drew muttered.
‘Come in and state your case,’ said a voice from within the Hall. The person spoke softly but with plenty of menace. The warning was clear, go inside at my own risk.
This was not part of the plan. I was supposed to draw them out, not walk into a trap. I turned around and looked over at Dorian who had not moved from his sheltered position across the road. His eyes met mine and he nodded his consent. He wanted me to go inside.
‘Don’t worry. You’ve got this,’ Drew said, in a rare moment of reassurance. ‘It’s a formal challenge, remember? Nobody but Marcus will be allowed to lay a hand on you. When you’ve defeated him the rules state that you will be allowed safe passage out of the Hall again. Well, unless they have evidence of some other crime you’ve committed against the institution.’
‘A crime like attacking and possessing an Elder?’
‘You’ve already answered for that. They’ll have to come up with something new.’
‘I’m sure that won’t be too difficult for them. I’ll tell you what though, I’ve been to this bloody place more times over the last month than I have in the last decade. After tonight, I never want to set foot in there again.’
To that Drew chuckled. Then we both let out a heavy sigh before approaching the crack in the doors.
Chapter Thirty-One
Our footsteps echoed around the vast and empty lobby. The lights had been dimmed, probably so that nobody from outside could get a good look inside. Not that there was anything to conceal. There was literally not a person in sight. Last time I’d been here the lobby had been filled with rows of wizards and witches eager to defend the institution.
‘Where the hell is everyone?’ I said in a hushed tone to my uncle. The doors shut behind us with a thud and we both looked over our shoulders. There was nobody there, it had been done magically. Despite the fact that nobody was in the lobby, I was certain somebody was watching all the same.
‘Your guess is as good as mine,’ Drew said. ‘Actually, scrap that. My guess is probably better.’
‘And what is your guess?’
Drew glanced around, his face betraying the smallest signs of worry. ‘That we’ve been led into a trap.’ Our eyes met and my uncle’s worry transferred across to me. ‘Come on.’
Drew headed off toward the hearing room that I was becoming all too familiar with. The entire way there we did not encounter a single other person. It was unprecedented. Even before all this war business it was unlikely to walk these halls at any time without running into at least one other person. My uncle was right, something was afoot. It was hardly surprising, as Agatha had told me last night, they were expecting an attack. Thanks to my incapacitation our plan had been delayed giving Magraval and the Elders extra time to prepare. It was looking like they’d used that extra time to their advantage.
We didn’t stop to exchange words before entering the room in which the Elders would be waiting. They would definitely hear us. Radio silence had to be maintained when in enemy territory. I threw the doors open and strode in as if I owned the place. My brazen attitude drew looks of weary annoyance from both Marcus and Agatha. Paul on the other hand looked like he was barely awake.
‘Your council gets smaller every time I visit,’ I said jovially as I stopped before their, now unnecessarily, long table. Only three of the five Elders remained. Magraval was off hiding somewhere and Jeremy had abandoned his colleagues. Neil was probably with Magraval, or the Prime had killed him having got all the use out of him that he
could.
‘I’ll hear your challenge now, boy. And then I’ll kill you,’ Marcus growled. He stood up and walked around the table, coming down to the same level as me so we could face each other. Agatha pursed her lips and brought her hands together, interlacing her fingers. I noticed that her knuckles had turned white where she was holding her hands together so hard.
‘You sent a dullahan after me and when you realised it wasn’t going to get the job done you poisoned me instead,’ I said, enjoying the look of outrage on his face as I delivered each word.
‘Poison? The coward’s method? You think I would ever act so dishonourably?’ he spat.
‘In revenge for what I did to you, yes.’
Marcus spat viciously on the floor at my feet. ‘You’re an idiot, boy. If I was going to get revenge on you I’d do it to your face in fair combat like I was taught to. Summoning dullahans and sending poisons is what cowards and rats do.’
‘You expect me to believe that after I attacked and possessed you, you have no desire for revenge?’
‘Of course I want revenge!’ he shouted, his face turning as red as the colour of his department. ‘I tried to get it when I summoned you to answer for you attacks on me but the Prime saw fit to steal that revenge from me. But now, here you stand before me, challenging me openly. I’d say fate has given me another opportunity and this time Magraval won’t snatch it away from me.’
‘Hold on, if you didn’t try to kill him, then who did?’ Drew asked. But I already knew the answer to the question, I’d started to snap the pieces together back at my apartment and now, having spoken to Marcus, I was certain.
‘I did,’ Agatha said, her voice displaying a rare note of anger. She planted her small hands on the table and pushed herself to her feet. She stood, shoulders hunched, glowering down at me, the dim lights casting shadows around her eyes that made her look truly menacing.