***
A short time later, I was clean, fed, and wearing borrowed clothes. Uriah and his father had taken the safe-house business seriously. The way he’d described the clothing stash was something of an understatement. They had jeans in every common length and waist size. White and black t-shirts in every size. Brand new packs of socks and underwear. Tennis shoes in a variety of sizes.
I picked out a pair of jeans in my size, a black t-shirt, and the other necessaries, which I set to the side for the next day. Then I picked out another set which I put on. The only difference was set number two had sweat pants instead of jeans. I was hoping to sleep soon. There was business first, though. As Uriah had stated, we needed to palaver.
So, there we were, the five of us, huddled around the living room in silence. Each thinking our own dark thoughts. Uriah had his eyes closed, but I could see his lips moving, and surmised that he was praying. Eilidh sat in a recliner and stared at the floor, the sorrow plain on her face. She might not have got on well with the sisters, but their loss weighed on her still. Riley sat beside me on the couch, and the look on his face told me he felt very out of place and was probably wondering what the hell he’d gotten himself into. Hamish alone, seemed the least phased. Of course, he’d seen his own family turn on each other in an equally bloody mess, so I’m sure this was somewhat less impressive. He was dozing in and out, snoring on occasion.
It was Uriah who finally broke the silence. Opening his eyes, he glanced around at each of us until his gaze finally settled on me. “So, Wyatt, you’re the Blade Mage. What can you tell us about the dark wizards?”
“Not much,” I admitted, then flicked a glance toward Eilidh. “I’ll sum up what I do know. Feel free to add in.”
Eilidh gave me the briefest hint of a nod but didn’t make eye contact.
I turned back to Uriah. “From what we saw at your father’s house, and what we survived tonight, clearly they’re very powerful. Worse, they’re practicing forbidden magics. They’ve broken the Solemn Covenant. They’ve made themselves a sworn enemy to every guild, not just in the United States, but in the world. Once word gets out, they’ll be hunted to the edges of the Earth.”
“They don’t seem particularly worried about that,” Uriah said with a shrug.
“And that’s what scares me,” I said, glancing between everyone. “How much do you all know about the magic guilds? About my Cabal? Or Eilidh’s Coven?”
“Very little,” Hamish said. “You guys are like the bogeymen to most us non-mage types.”
“I know some,” Uriah said. “We’ve worked with the Kingsnakes enough. And others here and there, but you guys are a bit like the Illuminati or something. We know you’re around, and you’ll play nice, but most mages aren’t open about discussing your organizations as a whole. Like Hamish said, bogeymen.”
I nodded. “And to tell you the truth, I don’t know much about Eilidh’s Coven. That’s the way with wizards. We like to keep our secrets. But every one of the sanctioned guilds is sworn to uphold the Solemn Covenant. That’s why the Arcane Guardians exist. My guild has numerous teams dedicated to that cause. Strike teams that train like Navy Seals but for the purpose of hunting down dark wizards. Special investigators meant to tear through strange magics and uncover their dark purposes. Seekers who can track law breakers.”
“We’re the same,” Eilidh said, nodding. “Though, very different, I’m sure.”
“As I’m sure the other guilds are different as well,” I agreed. “The point is we’ve all got people dedicated to hunting down dark wizards. The fact they could exist and remain hidden this long is terrifying.”
“Is it because of the type of magic they do?” Uriah asked. “Is that harder to track?”
I shook my head. “Even though there are different practices of magic, all human mages basically work our craft the same way. We tap into the primordial energy around us and manipulate into our will. Now, different classifications of magic require the use of different energy sources, and every one of us is unique in which types come easiest, but essentially, we perform our magic the same.”
“You said ‘human’ mages,” Uriah pointed out. “So, there’s other types humans can’t use?”
“There’s debates around that,” I replied. “Most mages would tell you there’s only one true method to performing magic. There was a time when I believed that myself, but I’ve changed my tune. I think there’s a lot we still don’t understand. Magics that are still beyond us. Think of it like this… Imagine you went back to the Eighteen Hundreds and tried to explain to someone what a motorcycle was. They’d think you were mad. It’s beyond their comprehension. I knew a witch who cast her magic directly from her hands, a feat that virtually every mage would tell you is impossible. For her, it wasn’t. Her magic was different. But that’s digressing from the point. These dark mages weren’t doing anything particularly unique, just forbidden. In fact, it’s the exact magic we have people trained to hunt for. Once Axel reports what he’s seen to the Cabal, there will be seekers trying to find them.”
“Same with the Coven,” Eilidh said. “They can’t stay hidden.”
“And yet, they struck us in the open,” Uriah said, rubbing his chin. “Which suggests they don’t think your guilds are a threat.”
“Bingo,” I replied.
“So, what kind of magic are they using?” he asked.
“Well,” I said, thinking over my words carefully. “The sigils in your father’s house were not only made in blood, but the spells woven into them were powered by it, so, I’d guess the asshole in the red cloak is a blood mage. I’ve never seen blood magic up close and personal. Few people are foolish enough to dabble, but still, I think that’s what it was. Eilidh?”
“Agree,” she said.
“The mages we faced tonight were clearly summoners. If their pets were in fact demons, which I surmise they were, that makes them diabolists of some kind or other.”
“Those were demons?” Riley asked, speaking for the first time. His eyes were wide with fear. “As in, from hell?”
“Not exactly,” I replied, then glanced over at Uriah. “You might be more qualified to answer this one.”
“Not all demons are from Hell,” Uriah said, shrugging. “It’s hard to explain. No one seems to know where they come from, exactly. Could be they are from Hell in the way we believe, or another Hell altogether, or someplace else. I can’t say. But there seems to be different forms of demons that come from different places. The Knights have kept vigilant records over the years, always striving to document each encounter to create some kind of bestiary. I don’t remember ever learning about lesser demons of this particular variety. Sort of like the strange magics Wyatt mentioned, I suppose there’s still all kinds of beings roaming through the darkness we don’t know of, or understand.”
“Right,” I said. “And the wizard in the black robes... He was a necromancer. No question about it.”
Uriah’s jaw hardened but he nodded again and said, “Death magic. That’s even worse than the other two.”
“You’d have a hard time finding a wizard who’d disagree. There hasn’t been a necromancer in... Gods even longer than there’s been a blood mage. I don’t think the Cabal’s found one in my lifetime, though, I guess if they had there’s a good chance they wouldn’t have shared with the group.”
“But you don’t have any idea who they could be?” Uriah asked. “Or what group they could be associated with? Or their purpose?”
I was about to speak, then paused, remembering what the Valravn had said to me. I’d nearly forgotten about his appearance in all the excitement. I thought over my answer carefully, then said, “I don’t know who they could be associated with, but I believe something is stirring out there. Something unseen. Supernatural crime is up all over the Cabal. I hear it’s the same with the other guilds. And I’ve seen beings that were thought to be extinct. Mere legends. I’ve seen them in the flesh, and I’ve come to suspect it’s all related.”
“Any idea what that has to do with the Knights?” Uriah asked.
I shook my head. “Aside from the fact you’re demon hunters and they keep demons as pets. Maybe that’s reason enough. Maybe they just want the Knights out of the way for whatever they’re planning next. There’s a bigger concern too. An elephant in the room we haven’t addressed.”
“What’s that?” Uriah asked.
“All those mages tonight wore gray cloaks. I saw them all summoning demons. Which means the one in the center was likely they’re master. They’re teacher. Does the blood mage have a horde of students learning under him? And the necromancer? If you multiplied their numbers tonight by three, that’s a small army, and I seriously doubt they came at us full force.”
“Like their own coven,” Eilidh said, her eyes widening. She finally looked up at me. “You don’t really think there could be that many?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “But that’s not all...”
I paused for a moment, again collecting my thoughts. No one seemed inclined to rush me. When I was good and ready, I said, “When I hunted down that last mage. The one who ran. He opened a portal, which, I suspect, is magic way above his pay grade. Still, he somehow managed it. On the other side, I could see the three dark mages. And there were others with them. One looked an awful lot like the Revenant I met a while back.”
“You’re serious?” Uriah asked, leaning forward. “Then there’s even more than just the three and their underlings.”
“Seems that way,” I said, shrugging. “A real gathering of assholes.”
An awkward silence fell between us then as we each weighed the words I’d spoken. The news I’d just delivered did not bode well for anyone.
Finally, Uriah broke the silence again. “All right, I think we’re too far in the weeds. Let’s focus on what’s in front of us. Our immediate problem. We need to find out who betrayed us.”
His gaze shifted to Riley and the old man seemed to shrink in his seat.
Uriah said, “I understand you were outside my father’s house the night he was killed?”
Riley forced a nod.
“Did anyone you saw tonight look like the man who went into the house?”
Riley chewed on his lip for several seconds before he finally answered, “I can’t rightly say.”
“None of the guests looked familiar?” Uriah asked, a slight tension in his voice. It was clear he was trying to maintain his cool. “Not one?”
“Uh,” Riley said, glancing around at the rest of us, as though he expected one of us to throw him a life preserver. “No, I don’t think so.”
Uriah’s intense eyes were locked on the older man. It was like he was trying to glare the truth out of him. “What do you remember from that night?”
“I saw two men go in the house,” Riley said confidently. He was on familiar ground now. “Then I saw one come out later. I didn’t pay a lot of attention because I didn’t think anything strange about it.”
“But you saw both men,” Uriah said. “Did they go in together?”
“No, no,” Riley said, shaking his head. “One went in, then a few minutes later, the other came.”
“And you can’t remember what they looked like? Any details?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
Uriah gritted his teeth and pressed on. “Tonight. You saw that man I was arguing with?”
“Yeah,” Riley agreed.
“Was he one of the men?”
“You can’t be serious,” Hamish said, staring at Uriah with wide eyes. “You think Victor betrayed your father?”
“I’m leaning real heavy in that direction,” Uriah said, his eyes still on Riley. The anger he’d been working to hold back broke free. “I think it was him, yeah. I think he killed my father to try and restore the Knights to their ‘former’ glory. To get rid of problems like Tooter.”
“Victor has a problem with Tooter?” I asked. That was news to me.
Hamish and Uriah shared a look, then finally Uriah turned back to me. “The old ways, Wyatt. That’s what Victor is about. For years he’s accused the order of falling into the trap of sin. Many agree with him. That’s why he was talking shit tonight.”
“And what does that have to do with your Tail Gunner?”
“Tooter’s gay, Wyatt.” He choked out a bitter laugh. “A man shouldn’t lay with another man and all that. Victor and some of the others were shocked when they found out. More shocked still that his holy sword didn’t seem to care. He passed his test, same as the rest of us. He is a Knight. And that’s a fact that gives Victor a sour stomach.”
“Oh,” I said, nodding. “That makes sense. I was meaning to talk to you... Earlier I saw him talking to a man through the fence at the compound. Back behind the garden. I thought it was suspicious.”
“Yeah, that’d be Ralph,” Uriah said, shaking his head. “Tooter gets mad because he won’t stay away. They’re always meeting like that. If Victor found out...”
“It’s always seemed a bit silly to me,” Hamish said, not quite looking directly at Uriah. He wasn’t a Knight himself, so perhaps he was reluctant to speak. “You’ve got killers and criminals who’ve turned around and became Knights. Why does he care?”
“Because some Christians think it’s a sin,” Uriah said, shaking his head. “Victor and the old guard think it’s wrong for a gay man to be a Knight. If it were up to him, Tooter would be out. Along with anyone else who doesn’t fit his perfect mold of what a Knight should be. The drinkers, the recovering addicts, and the others with assorted pasts. My father didn’t care where they came from, what their vices were, or who they were fucking, so long as the sword found them true.”
“But Victor doesn’t see it that way,” I said, nodding. I was finally starting to see the problem. And why Tooter was adamantly against Victor taking the crown. I gave Uriah a hard look. “And you think that’s enough proof to indicate he’s the traitor?”
“Not just that,” Uriah said. “Think about it. He’s the one who has forbidden any other wizards from helping resolve this. He’s the one who wouldn’t cancel Love’s party. It’s because of him we were all there.”
“You can’t be serious,” Hamish said. “I’ve only been working for you guys for a while now, but you can’t really think Victor betrayed the order.”
“Oh, think about it, Hamish,” Uriah said, rising to his feet. His face was flushed red. “No one gains more from my father’s death. And who’s been preaching that we were headed down the path of sin? Who’s been whining that the order has lost its way?”
“Careful, Uriah,” I said in a calming voice. “Our foe would like nothing more than to see your order tear itself apart from the inside.”
Uriah ignored me and turned back to Riley. “Was it him? Was he one of the ones you saw?”
Riley looked to the floor, unable to meet the burning gaze of the Knight. “I don’t remember.”
“How can you not remember?” Uriah asked. “How? You saw two men, but you remember nothing of what they looked like? How is that possible?”
There was a pause.
Finally, Riley said, “Because I was drunk.”
He looked up at Uriah and shrugged. “That’s my poison, you see? That’s how I ended up like this in the first place. I can’t put the sauce down.”
“You didn’t mention that when I asked you to come with us,” I said, feeling my own temper start to rise.
Riley shrugged again. “I got swept up in it. Thought about a warm bed and a hot meal. Thought it’d be nice.”
“But you knew all along that you wouldn’t be able to help us identify the man you saw go into the house.”
“Yeah,” Riley said, looking at the glass in his hands. “That’s about right, kid. I’m just an old alky, what can I say? You didn’t stop to think there was a reason I was homeless? Why I don’t have any friends or family to take me in? I’m a deadbeat drunk.”
That didn’t do much to sate my anger. I wanted to punch
the old bugger.
Uriah regained his composure, though. With a defeated sigh, he said, “It’s all right. We all make mistakes.”
Uriah sat back down on the couch and hung his head in his hands.
I glanced around. Everyone looked beaten down. I said, “Look, it’s been a long day for everyone. I think we all need some rest and clearly, we aren’t going to find answers like this. Let’s pick it back up tomorrow.”
No one bothered to argue.
After a few moments, Hamish rose to his feet. “I’m gonna hit the hay. What’s the sleeping arrangement?”
“I’ll take the couch,” I said. “I believe that leaves enough beds for everyone else.”
“That’s right,” Uriah said. “I’m going to call Allistair and check on Tooter. Then I may try to get some sleep myself.”
“Uriah,” Riley said, still not quite looking at the Knight. “I know I’ve let you all down, but I wondered if...”
“What?” Uriah asked.
“I just wondered if you’d care to pray with me. It’s little, I know, but it’s what I can offer.”
The Knight stared at the old man for a few moments before he spoke. “It’d be my honor. Prayer is never a little thing, or so my father always told me.”
“Would anyone else care to join us?” Riley asked.
Hamish was already disappearing into the hall. Neither Eilidh or I bothered to respond.
Riley turned his gaze on me. “Prayer can help lighten your load.”
“So can honesty,” I replied, immediately regretting my words. I shook my head. “Save your prayers for someone who needs them, Riley. I’m a patron of evil magics, haven’t you heard?”
“I’ll say a prayer for you just the same,” he said, then turned toward Eilidh. “And you as well.”
Then he followed Uriah into another room.
Chapter 30
Eilidh and I were the only ones left in the living room, but I might as well have been alone. Her eyes were glued to the carpet. I would’ve thought she was dead if not for the occasional breath.
The Memphis Knights Page 21