Again, the silence grew between us.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked. Then, realizing I wasn’t real clear on what I was referring to, I motioned around the room. “With any of this?”
He shook his head. “The Knights are caring for their own. My people are caring for the rest. I have a good relationship with the local authorities. There are a number who... Cater to our secret little community. Everyone who’s injured will be in good hands. The dead, though, that will take some work, but we’ll handle it.”
“Sounds like you’ve got things under control better than the Cabal.”
“In this city, yes,” he replied. After a time, he chuckled. “Well, at least I got to see the Blade Mage in action. You were something. And as much as I’d like to hire you to work for me, I see now why you can’t, and why you won’t.”
I didn’t reply.
He glanced over, his eyes meeting mine. “Looks like those stories about you weren’t just stories, after all.”
I shrugged again. “Maybe.”
He studied me for a few seconds and asked, “Would you care for some professional advice?”
“Sure.”
“It’s time to assert yourself, Wyatt Draven. You are the Blade Mage. Anyone who sees it differently is a fool. Stop waiting on someone to invite you to take your rightful place. Show them. It’s time for you to step up, manage the role, influence, and dictate your own destiny.”
One of his people approached then and they shared a few whispered words. He nodded at the man and started away, glancing back at me only briefly. “And stay alive, Blade Mage. I think we’re going to need you in the days to come.”
With that, he walked away.
I made my way back toward Axel. He still had a group of Knights babysitting him, but most of the tension had eased. Vittoria was at his side. That was still weird.
I noticed Hamish and Riley standing off to one side and headed their direction instead. I breathed a sigh of relief seeing that the old man was all right. I would’ve felt responsible if he got hurt in the mess.
As I approached, Hamish waved. “Hey, man, helluva job tonight.”
“Thanks,” I replied, then turned my attention on Riley and asked, “Are you all right?”
“A little shaken,” he admitted with a tight smile. “I’m okay, though.”
“Good,” I replied. I wanted to ask if he saw anyone that looked like the guy who went into Abner’s house that night, but there were too many people in proximity. I wasn’t ready for all of the Knights, especially Victor, to know I had someone who might’ve seen something. “We’ll get out of here shortly. I’m sure they’ll want us back in the safety of the compound.”
“No doubt,” Hamish said. “Victor has already given the order. He’s calling in everyone. A few of the injured are headed for the hospital. Everyone else is to be at the compound, no exceptions.”
“Good,” I replied. “If there’s another attack he’ll need them. Are all your siblings all right?”
“Yeah, none got caught on the wrong side of the bubble. Plenty others did, though.” He shook his head. “Kind of reminds me of when you visited the compound. I’m starting to think you’re not a safe person to be around.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Instead, I said, “I need to see to my friend. Stay close.”
“Yup,” he replied.
As I made my way over to Axel, I noticed Victor passing out orders to the Knights. He might’ve been an ass, but he was efficient. No one paused to question a word he said. They just did as they were told and the injured were being carted out in a hurry.
Nearby, Uriah was helping several other Knights get Tooter’s large form onto a gurney. As soon as he was loaded, the Knights began pushing him toward the door. I hadn’t even seen the big guy go down. He was wearing about as much blood as I was, so I couldn’t see the source of his injury, but he wasn’t conscious. It didn’t look good.
“They’ve been friends since childhood,” Chaplain Brother Webb said as he walked toward me. “Uriah will blame himself, no doubt, for his friend’s injuries.”
I nodded. “I’ve got a bit of that bug myself.”
“All good people do,” the older man said, forcing a smile. “And how are you holding up?”
“I’m all right,” I replied. “This isn’t the first time I’ve witnessed needless death and destruction.”
“No, I suppose it isn’t,” he said. “Would you be offended if I counted you in my prayers tonight?”
“Not at all,” I replied. “I could probably use a few.”
“Are you a man of faith, Blade Mage?”
I thought about my answer for a few seconds, then finally said, “I don’t know.”
“I understand,” he said, nodding briefly. “I’m concerned for your friend. It would be wise to get him out of here sooner than later.”
“You think Victor would go back on his word?”
Webb shook his head. “Normally... No. Victor is one of the most honest and straight forward men I’ve ever known, but he’s hurting now, too. Two of the people he loved most have been murdered by wizards. His trust is as limited as his patience.”
It occurred to me then that the Chaplain Brother probably had work he needed to do. He should’ve been with the injured or praying over the dead. Instead, he was hovering nearby to ensure Victor didn’t change his mind about Axel.
I nodded slowly. “I see. I hear you, Webb. I’ll get Axel out of here, now. Thank you.”
“That would be best,” he said. “I’ll visit with you more when we’re all safely back in the compound.”
“I look forward to it,” I replied and continued toward Axel.
He started to speak, but I held up my hand. “You’ve got to get out of town. Like now.”
“I know,” he said with a pouty face. “I heard the grumpy old fart. You should come too, though. This isn’t your mess, Wyatt. And if I’m not here, who’s going to watch your back?”
“I’ll be fine,” I replied.
“Just like you were earlier?” he asked, crossing his arms.
“You saved me,” I replied. “Don’t think I’m ungrateful, Axel. I have to see this through, though. I promised Uriah I would.”
“Yet, you’re telling me I have to leave.”
“He’s got a point,” Vittoria said from beside him. “You’re in over your head.”
“As is usually the case,” I replied, shrugging.
“Except usually I’m with you,” Axel said. “These Knights are sick, Wyatt. Can’t you sense it?”
“They just lost their leader.”
“It’s not just that,” he said in a low voice. “I think something else is wrong with them. There’s something rotten in the air and it isn’t just the corpses. Trying to be a good guy in a world of dark magic and monsters is hard enough, but then you consider the morale standard of the Knights, while also trying to be badass biker types. There’s a sickness here and I fear its spreading. It may be the very reason these dark mages are fucking with them. Or maybe they planted the seed. Either way, there’s something wrong here, Wyatt. I can feel it.”
“Really?” I asked. He wasn’t normally this insightful, but when he was, it often paid to listen.
“I don’t know. I might just be talking out my ass, but you should come home regardless. This isn’t your fight.”
“It is now.”
“Then it’s my fight too.”
“No, it isn’t,” I said. The weariness of the day’s events was really starting to set in. I didn’t have the strength to fight with him, but I pressed on anyway. “I need you to go to the Cabal. Find Parker and tell him what happened here. That’s the most important thing. The Cabal needs to know about this attack.”
“Then go and tell them yourself.”
“I can’t do that, Axel. I have a promise to keep. And now I want you to promise me that you’ll do this. You’ll make sure that the Cabal knows what happened.”
He glared at me for a few seconds then said, “Fine.”
“You’ll make sure the Cabal knows?”
“I’ll make sure the Cabal knows.”
“Promise?”
“What are we twelve years old again?” he asked, huffing.
“Axel…”
“Fine. I promise I’ll make sure the Cabal knows what happened here.”
“Good. Now, get out of here before Victor loses his patience. Go find Parker tonight and wake his ass up. Maybe the Archmage will know how to convince the Knights they need help. Until then, I’ll stay here and try to watch out for Uriah.”
“Then you better be about ready to go,” Uriah’s voice said from behind me.
I turned around and found him and Eilidh approaching. He continued, “I want to get out of here.”
“Back to the compound, then?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I need to go somewhere else. It’s clear they’re after me next. I don’t want to bring that into the compound if I can help it.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I replied. “If they try an attack like that again, I can’t protect you on my own.”
“There’s no use in trying to convince him,” Eilidh said, shaking her head. “He’s dead set.”
“That’s right,” Uriah said, meeting my gaze. “Whether you come with me or not, I’m not going to the compound. I won’t risk having those things come after me there. I have a safe place we can go.”
“Safe from dark mages and their demon pets?”
He nodded.
“And what does Victor say about this? I thought he ordered everyone back to the compound?”
Uriah’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t take orders from him. He’ll figure it out when he doesn’t see me there. Besides, if I have to speak to him again, we’re going to come to blows.”
“See,” Eilidh said. “He’s immovable.”
“And you’re coming too?” I asked her.
She gave me a weak shrug. “Not sure what else to do. I don’t trust the other Knights and I need to do something to keep my mind off...”
“Right,” I said. “I thought you might want to return home.”
She shook her head but didn’t elaborate.
I turned back to Uriah.
“So, it’s settled then?” he asked. “You’re coming?”
“I guess I am,” I replied. “If Victor didn’t like me before, he definitely won’t now.”
“We’ve gotten bigger problems to solve,” Uriah said.
“Speaking of which,” I said, pointing toward Hamish and Riley. “Those two are coming with us as well.”
“Who’s the old man?” Uriah asked.
I leaned in close and said, “He’s the homeless guy who was sitting outside of your dad’s house earlier.”
“And you brought him here?” Uriah asked, raising an eyebrow.
“He was sitting outside your dad’s house the night he was murdered.” I paused for dramatic effect. “He saw two men enter the house that night. One of them was your father. The other...”
“Who?” Uriah asked in raspy whisper.
“Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? He volunteered to tag along and try to help us spot someone who looked familiar. It’s a long shot but he’s the only thing close to a witness we have.”
“Good enough,” Uriah said, nodding. “Bring him.”
“All right,” I said and turned back to Axel. “Why are you still standing here?”
“Eavesdropping.”
“You have your own mission.”
“I know, but my mission is stupid.”
“Axel,” I said in a grown-up voice.
“But it is!” he protested. In full pout now, he said, “I want to stay and solve the mystery.”
“Not this time,” I replied. “We’ve already been through this. Besides, don’t you want to go home with Vittoria?”
“Yeah,” she said, giving him a smile. “Don’t you want to go home with me?”
He stared between us for a few seconds and said, “Can’t I do both?”
I turned to Vittoria. “Please get him out of here. It’s way past his bedtime.”
“Clearly,” she said, glaring at him. “Come along, Axel. Now.”
She turned and started for the door.
Axel stared at her for a moment then looked back at me, confusion spread across his features. “Did I do something wrong?”
“See you later, buddy,” I replied, slapping him on the shoulder.
Axel reluctantly turned and followed Vittoria.
We left a few moments later, and finally put the gruesome scene behind us.
Chapter 29
I dozed in the Hamish’s Jeep and woke up in front of an abandoned apartment complex. The place looked like it hadn’t been used for years and was in desperate need of a demo. Still, if the demons found us and murdered us inside, there was a chance the whole place might collapse on their heads.
Uriah rode his bike around behind the building through a small alleyway. Hamish followed.
Around back there was an old loading bay with a garage door. Much to my surprise, it was electronic and actually opened.
Uriah drove inside and we followed. The door dropped behind us.
We parked in what appeared to be an old maintenance area. It was hard to tell since the only light was shining from above the garage door. My guess was even that light would shut off in a minute or so.
We got out of the Jeep and Uriah led us around a corner with a flashlight, through a locked security door, and into the basement.
I felt the wards as soon as we crossed them and paused, glancing over at Eilidh.
The look on her face told me she noticed them, too.
These weren’t some amateur’s half-assed attempts at defensive workings. These were the real deal. They were created by a mage who know what they were doing. These were even stronger than the ones at my cabin, though they felt rather familiar, actually. Like seeing an old acquaintance for the first time in years, I felt like I knew the magic. Weird.
Uriah noticed the look on my face, and for the first time that evening, he smiled. “What’s wrong, Blade Mage? Don’t approve of my wards?”
“They’re fine,” I replied. “Better than fine, actually. They’re masterworks.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he replied. “Your father made them.”
He turned then and unlocked another door.
Uriah led us into another room and flicked on a light. We found ourselves in small living room with an open kitchen on one side. The living space was furnished with a couple of old couches and recliners. There was even a TV in one corner. Other than that, it was sparse, like a corporate apartment. Better than a hotel, but not quite a home.
A small archway led into a hall, where I guessed there were bedrooms.
“Welcome to my safe-house,” Uriah said over his shoulder. “Make yourself at home. There’s four rooms and four beds, but someone can crash out on one of the couches.”
“I didn’t know about this place,” Hamish said, glancing around.
“That’s kind of the point,” Uriah said. “No one does. Only my dad and me. As far as I know, none of the other Knights even know about this safehouse.”
“You said my father made the wards?” I asked.
Uriah nodded. “Back in the day, your old man and mine did some work together. My Dad got a line on this place and scooped it up cheap. Turned out there’s a bunch of lead paint upstairs and other shit. Would’ve cost him more than it was worth to actually tear the shit hole down. So, he decided to make a safe house beneath it. Got your old man to help him set up some wards.”
“Wow,” was all I could manage to say. I reached out to sense the wards again. It should’ve been obvious to me. My father’s magic. Like catching a scent of his after shave or looking at an old picture. For a moment, it was like he was there, and a flood of memories came back to me.
“So, we’re safe here?” Eilidh as
ked. I realized she was looking at me. “The wards are strong enough to hide us from the dark mages?”
I shrugged. “Hard to say. These wards a stronger than the ones he put at the cabin where I live. I think we’re as safe here as we would be anywhere, except maybe a Cabal stronghold.”
“Hidden from Knights, demons, and dark wizards,” Uriah said, then let his gaze shift to Riley. “A safe place for us to palaver.”
The old man nodded.
Uriah pointed toward the kitchen. “Food wise, most of what I have stashed here is canned goods, nuts, and MRE’s. Stuff that’ll last. I only come by once a month or so, whenever I can get away. There’s also some beers and soda in the fridge. Help yourselves. There’s two bathrooms in the hall. Both have a shower. On the far end of the hall, there’s a room that’s used primarily for storage. There’s a big closet with a random assortment of clothes in various sizes. Some of it’s from the nineties. Sorry about that.”
He turned and headed into the hall.
The rest of us stared at each other in that awkward, house guest sort of way. Then I headed into the kitchen. Demons and dark wizards, murder and mayhem aside, I was hungry. I found a box full of MRE’s and began rummaging. Had a tough time deciding between the spaghetti or beef stew.
Behind me, Hamish said, “You know, Wyatt, you can use the shower first if you want.”
“I’m cool,” I replied, deciding to give the beef stew a go.
“There are two showers,” Eilidh added.
I paused and glanced back at them. “Do I smell that bad?”
“No,” Eilidh said. “But you might want to look in the mirror. There’s dried blood all over your face.”
Riley nodded. “You look worse than me before you guys picked me up.”
“Oh,” I replied, unsure what else to say. I’d genuinely forgotten. Had I already become so calloused that wearing another man’s blood on my face was an afterthought? I shuddered. What sort of monster was I turning into?
“Right,” I said, and started to set down the MRE. On second thought, I decided to take it with me. I could eat it cold. I grabbed a beer from the fridge and smiled at them. “I’ll just head straight to the shower, then.”
The Memphis Knights Page 20