by Kal Aaron
“Something big is about to go down.” Lyssa punctuated the sentence by spreading her arms wide. “There are too many things adding up for this to be a simple rogue having fun. It’s a war or a terror machine designed to inflict maximum pain on a lot of people.”
“Why are you so sure it’s not a simple rogue paid to assassinate Mr. Colmes and Mr. Nardi?” Samuel’s brow lifted in challenge. “Using our gifts for paid murder is hardly unknown. Elaborate murders also aren’t unknown among our kind. It could be a game to a rogue.”
Lyssa laughed. “You’re so out of touch with popular culture that you don’t get how ridiculous that sounds. These guys were minor internet personalities, not big-time celebrities. Going to the expense of finding and hiring a rogue to kill them would be insane.” She shook her head. “Their houses are in their videos. Someone could have walked up to them and shot them without spending a lot of time making a monster army. If it were a game, I don’t think it’d involve so much sorcery.”
“Then what do you think?” Samuel asked.
“Between the email, the effort spent to cover it up, and the special shard, I think this is about a lot more than killing two college kids who liked to prank people.”
“That’s a possibility. I’ll accept that.” Samuel nodded.
“A possibility?” Lyssa frowned at him. “No offense, Samuel, but that wasn’t exactly a couple of angry chickens in the mine. The level of sorcery involved has to be tremendous. Someone powerful spent a lot of preparation time getting those monsters ready for something nasty.”
“We don’t know that,” Samuel replied.
“We don’t?” Lyssa stared at him, looking for a smile. “Is this your idea of a joke? You know me, and I’m the one who came to you to ask for backup. That’s how seriously I’m taking it.”
“The monsters might not be stable,” Samuel replied with a dismissive flick of his wrist. “There are ways to rapidly create armies if one doesn’t care about them lasting. You already found they have one significant weakness.”
“What about the Lemurian line in the email?” Lyssa asked. “There’s a possibility that not only is this a rogue, but they might even be targeting a Torch.”
“As I said, a game of sorts.” Samuel offered a thin smile. “It might have been a mocking statement with implied antiauthority intent.”
Lyssa shook her head. “I’m also worried that some of the other parts of the email were specific to me.”
“Depending on interpretation, yes.” Samuel sounded disappointed in her. “But there’s no certainty of that.”
She didn’t care. It made no sense for him to drag his feet after he’d gone to the trouble of bringing Antoine in to help her. Jofi was right. The reasons didn’t matter. Whether the monsters would die early or not, they represented a threat.
Lyssa scrubbed a hand over her face. “I don’t get it. I thought we were on the same page on this. I’m trying to be responsible and reasonable. We need to clear out the mine, which means I need help other than Antoine. With most of the closest Torches unavailable, it makes sense to bring in outside help, and I offered a suggestion. Someone we both know can fight.”
“Aisha Khatri,” Samuel stated.
Lyssa nodded. “I thought I made that clear in my message. If you want to send someone else too, that’s fine, but I’ve worked with her recently and trust her, and she’s got an essence that’s good for killing monsters.”
Samuel let out a long sigh. “Is that what this is really about?”
“Yeah.” Lyssa spread her arms. “You want to join us in the muck dungeon from hell filled with snake-roaches? Be my guest. I’d love to see your nice white suit stained with all that crap, and I’ll take anyone’s help to clear out that mine.”
“Requesting Miss Khatri’s assistance will require coordination with Elder Theodora,” Samuel replied. “That complicates matters.”
“So what?” Lyssa frowned. “You had Aisha help me not all that long ago. What’s the big deal?”
Samuel pinned her with his gaze. His mouth tightened. “I suspect this is only partially about wanting Miss Khatri’s assistance. It is also about testing Elder Theodora, for whom you’ve repeatedly expressed distrust.”
Lyssa stared at Samuel. In all her paranoid mental scenarios, she’d imagined all sorts of people targeting her, but ironically, she’d not associated Theodora with this case.
Now that Samuel mentioned her, the idea didn’t seem crazy. It’d make sense that an Elder could find someone with the skill and resources to pull off something like this. Taking down the smuggler might have disrupted her plans and influence webs and given her a reason to double down on targeting Lyssa.
“I wasn’t,” Lyssa replied, her voice low. “I have my issues, but I do get that not everything is about me. And I’m not asking for anything unreasonable here. If you’d given me more assignments recently, we wouldn’t be down as many Torches now. All I want to do is kill monsters and take down a rogue.”
“If I’d given you more assignments, you might be injured and recovering.” Samuel scoffed. “You should tread carefully, Miss Corti, if you want to be able to go to Last Remnant.”
Lyssa glared at him. “I took out a shard-smuggling ring and a rogue. I’m about to help take down a monster army, and I cleared out a decent-sized one already. I’ve been playing nice with the local cops and the EAA. I do want to go to Last Remnant, but this isn’t about that now.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Samuel threaded his fingers together and set them in his lap. “There’s nothing for you there but pain.”
“I’ll get over it,” Lyssa said. “Knowing is better than not knowing. You tell me since you brought it up. After this is all over, are you going to support my request or not?”
“Talent and success that benefits the Society should be rewarded,” Samuel replied. “And it’s not, in my opinion, an excessive reward, but I’m one Elder. I can only do so much if you make enemies.”
“Asking for Aisha isn’t about Theodora.” Lyssa frowned. “And I think working across regions would help you both score some points. For now, though, screw the politics. We’re down to days before this becomes a huge potential problem and more innocent people die. If someone wants to jerk my chain about Last Remnant after we clear out the mine, I’ll bitch loudly, but at least I’ll sleep well at night, knowing I saved people’s lives.”
Samuel was quiet for a long while before saying, “I shall expedite your request for the current job.”
“Then can I get Aisha?” Lyssa asked in a hopeful voice.
“I’ll contact Elder Theodora,” he replied. “Miss Khatri will have to agree. Ordering her to do it isn’t worth the political capital.”
Lyssa smirked. “She’ll agree without a second thought. Anything that involves me asking for her help feeds her ego. She’ll spend the next ten years reminding me I asked for her help.”
“Very well, then.” Samuel cupped his chin in thought. “I’ll also discuss this with some of the other Torches under my supervision. I don’t want to bring in everyone in case something unfortunate happens. We can’t risk losing all our regional Torches until this is resolved, but some of the wounded should have recovered by now. Mr. Keller can also accompany you for healing and confirmation of the elimination of the monsters.” A flicker of concern passed over his face. “If your team of four feels they can’t clear it out by themselves, the Society can take more stringent measures, or we can recommend the government do so. The latter is our least-acceptable option. Failure to clean up after our own makes us look weak, and they’ll use that to extract concessions from the Society in the future.”
Lyssa shivered. She didn’t want to begin to imagine what “more stringent measures” meant in practical terms. Individual Sorcerers had limits to their powers, but skilled Sorcerers working together in complicated rituals with the help of powerful shards could accomplish destruction easily on par with a nuclear weapon.
That terrible fact hung over the
heads of every leader of every Shadow government. They could target individual Sorcerers, but they could not directly hit Last Remnant. She couldn’t blame them for worrying.
“We’ll get it done,” Lyssa said. “I think doing whatever you’re thinking of as a backup plan would be bad for our image, probably worse than the monsters themselves.”
“Sometimes, the only option left available in a crisis is triage.” Samuel stood. “I’ll do my best to expedite things. You should have your team by the 30th at the latest.”
Lyssa sucked in a breath. “Damn. You’re cutting it close.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Standing in front of the mine, Lyssa stared at the rising sun cresting the mountains in the distance. Samuel hadn’t been able to expedite things, leaving the operation to start on the aforementioned 30th. They were down to less than ten hours.
The power of Halloween didn’t map entirely onto the day calendar. By sundown, the veil between worlds would be weaker, and dangerous rituals could invoke a lot more power. Lyssa could be wrong, but she wasn’t willing to bet her or anyone else’s life on that. Taking in a Torch strike team as soon as possible remained their best chance of averting catastrophe.
She’d been chatting with Antoine when Aisha showed up. There was something ridiculous about Aisha’s beautiful red and saffron dress and gold mask regalia being paired with knee-high green rubber boots. Lyssa did her best not to smirk and wondered how it would affect the other woman’s mobility, but given the tight quarters, Aisha’s propulsive style would need to be toned down a lot anyway.
Her presence bolstered Lyssa’s confidence. They’d taken down a rogue and a smuggler together. Monsters would be easy in comparison.
Aisha had arrived with another Torch, Ryan Sterling, known to the general public as Ultrasound. He worked under Samuel, his general territory being farther north. The bearer of the Honorable Vigilante regalia, his plain gray domino mask, urban camouflage pants and shirt, and overcoat stood out against his blond hair and the more striking outfits of Aisha and Antoine.
Lyssa had met the man a couple of times, but she didn’t know him all that well. She didn’t need to. He was a Torch, which meant he could fight. Samuel wouldn’t send someone untrustworthy or incompetent on such an important job.
A half-dozen deputies, including Ortiz and Adams, manned the fence. They kept their distance from the Sorcerers and Sorceresses, but they all had rifles and shotguns ready in case something went wrong.
She finished up her quick briefing, reminding everyone about what she’d experienced during her first trip into the mine and laying out a basic plan of attack. Everyone listened intently, no sign of concern on their faces.
Torches and Illuminated in general could have wayward personalities, but in the end, everyone understood what was at stake. No one wanted monsters breaking free on the surface or tunneling under a nearby town to wreak havoc.
Aisha folded her arms and glared at the entrance. “I shouldn’t have to come and clean up after you, Hecate, but I understand you requested me, so I’ll acknowledge you possess at least some common sense.”
“You might not be the person to bring to an interrogation, but when I need something burned to a crisp, you’re better than a grill,” Lyssa told her with a shrug.
“I’d prefer stronger foes to mindless monsters.” Aisha sniffed. “I can do better than vermin extermination.”
“These vermin are dangerous,” Lyssa replied. “Not everything we do is about personal glory. We’re going to help save a lot of lives today and screw up the plans of a nasty rogue.”
Aisha rolled her eyes. “I’ll fight your monsters for you, but I don’t have to like it. I would simply prefer a less disgusting enemy.”
Lyssa smirked. “Just wait until you get inside and smell them. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever smelled, but it’s close. You’re going to wish you were wrapped up like Plague Doctor over there.”
Antoine laughed. “It’s terrible, but I can protect your nose if you want.”
“Wait a second. You can?” Lyssa scowled at him. “Why didn’t you tell me that last time? Just because I’m used to the smell doesn’t mean I like it.”
He laughed. “Sorry. Forgot about it. I don’t do a lot of fieldwork. I like being nice and snug in a city. Screw the desert, and screw abandoned mines in the desert more.”
Ryan nodded at the deputies in the distance. “They should just leave. If this gets hot, they’ll get in the way. I don’t want a bunch of dead cops on my conscience.”
“They have orders to establish an observation perimeter if anything escapes,” Lyssa replied. “They’re not going to get involved unless we’re all dead. I made it clear to them before you arrived what the deal is and strongly suggested that if anything larger than a snake-roach gets to the surface, they bug out and call the National Guard.”
Adams waved at Lyssa. “Did you ask them yet?” he shouted.
“Oh, and he wants all your autographs when this is over,” she said, shrugging. “For his kid. Allegedly. Assuming we’re not all dead.”
Aisha smirked. “He’s right to respect us, and I will gladly grant him an autograph, but if we can’t take down the monster threats, a smattering of Shadows with toys won’t be able to. Ultrasound is right. The police should leave.”
“The point here is to clean out the nest so they don’t have to worry about it,” Lyssa replied. “This is an Illuminated-caused problem, so it should be solved by us. We’ll look like chumps if we can’t stop it.”
“I wish the coward hiding behind an army of twisted creations would present himself for judgment.” Aisha sliced her hand through the air, flames shooting from her fingertips. “Pathetic. How dare he think himself a Sorcerer but be unwilling to stand in front of his army?”
“I can’t disagree with you there,” Lyssa said. “And I think we’ve got a solid team.” She patted a holster. “We’ve got four Sorcerers with three Torches among us. That’s a lot of power. I was good enough to take down one sub-nest by myself, so cleaning out the rest should be a breeze as long as we don’t get in each other’s way.” She pointed at the sun. “Remember, we’re on a time limit here. There’s evidence this might be part of some sort of ritual, and I’d rather not wait long enough to find out.”
Lyssa pulled out her pistols, one already loaded with explosive rounds. “As per the plan, Plague Doctor will lead us to the monsters, then we’ll knock and say hi. Then we kill everything that moves.” She turned to the life Sorcerer. “Will it drain you too much to give everyone else dark vision and protect their noses?”
“I don’t need dark vision,” Aisha said. She lifted her palm and conjured a flaming orb. “I can provide my own light.” She eyed Antoine with a vague look of concern. “I’m fine with him helping me concentrate by removing the smell. There’s nothing to be gained by dealing with unpleasant odors during a battle.”
Ryan gave a single nod. “I’ve got echolocation spells. I’m used to relying on them in this kind of environment.”
“Fight in a lot of mines, do you?” Lyssa asked.
“Sewers.”
“It sucks to be you.”
Ryan said, “I take the jobs the Elders and the EAA give me.”
He pulled out a crystal shard hilt with no blade and hummed a series of low notes. A high whine erupted from it and increased in pitch until Lyssa couldn’t hear it anymore. There was a slight blur in the air tracing a barely visible blade of pure sound that formed above the hilt.
Antoine took a moment to cast the anti-smelling spells. Lyssa felt the pressure of the sorcery more on her face than in her chest before the earthiness of the area outside the entrance disappeared. She’d never been more grateful for a missing sense and already dreaded having to clean up again after returning home.
She glanced at the deputies. They didn’t look tense, despite her earlier warning. Most of them looked excited.
It was rare to get so many Illuminated in one place. This whole disgu
sting incident might or might not be targeted at her, but it didn’t matter because she now had enough power to take out anything the hidden rogue might throw at them. Soon everything would be over, and everyone would be safe. Then they could hunt the person behind it at their leisure.
The future promised more Sorcerers and Sorceresses. Someday these kinds of teams would be the norm, not the exception. It wasn’t a half-bad vision. She smiled.
Lyssa strode toward the entrance. “Plague Doctor, you stay in the center. Let us know about any incoming threats or if our friendly neighborhood murder monsters have moved. Ultrasound, you get our back until we locate the main force. Remember, we kill anything bigger than a beetle that’s moving and has more or fewer than two legs. Try to take anything with two legs alive.” She turned to Aisha. “And remember, these tunnels can get narrow. Don’t go crazy with what you’re blowing up. I’d rather not die from literal friendly fire.”
Aisha smirked. “I’ll do my best not to kill you, but I’d advise you to stay out of my way, Hecate.”
“We’re making progress, and we haven’t even visited a therapist.” Lyssa snickered. “Good for us.”
Antoine grabbed a couple of vials and downed their contents before following Lyssa. “I can’t believe I’m willingly going back into the monster pit. There were a lot of critters on the other side of the wall. This is going to be intense.”
“There better be to justify triple Torch coverage,” Lyssa replied. “Right now, there could be some terrorist or rogue deciding to hit a different location because we’re all here. That’s another reason to finish this as quickly as possible.”
Aisha jogged to catch up with Lyssa. “We should bet on who’ll kill more of the creatures. I, of course, will win.”
“Sorry, I already took down a whole swarm,” Lyssa replied with a hint of mockery. “You’ll start with a handicap, and you’ll always have to live with the question of how you would have done by yourself. I couldn’t do that to you. It’d make me feel terrible.”