Requiem: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel (Montague & Strong Case Files Book 13)

by Orlando A. Sanchez

  “Everything has its risks. You know this,” Monty argued. “Merely crossing the street—”

  “Nope,” I said, raising a finger. “Wrong. If I’m crossing the street alone, there is zero risk. Do you know why?”

  “No, please enlighten me,” Monty said with a small sigh. “I can hardly contain my curiosity.”

  “Because if I see a truck barreling down the street, I do not cross the street,” I said loud enough for Roma to hear as I looked around Monty. She deliberately ignored me. “A mage would be gauging what would happen if they unleashed several orbs at the right moment to deflect the truck from crushing them. That is the difference.”

  “Your logic makes for fascinating study, truly,” Monty said. “Now let me explain what will happen next, here in reality. Not in Simonworld.”

  “Explain away,” I said, squinting my eyes and giving him my best Clint glint. “I’m listening.”

  “Do you need a restroom? Because we hardly have that kind of time.”

  “Oh, ha, ha,” I said, waving him on. “Explain the duel.”

  “The six mages around us will create an impenetrable alternate temporal plane,” Monty said. “Hence their positioning. Roma and I will engage in the duel, while discussing theorems.”

  “Excuse me? You’re dueling and taking a quiz at the same time?”

  “That’s an oversimplification, but, yes, that is an apt description,” Monty said. “It’s part of the process.”

  “What are we doing?” I asked, motioning to Peaches and myself. “Dodging orbs? Is this like a tag-team type of duel? You tag me in when you get tired?”

  “Absolutely not,” Monty said, pointing behind me to one of the mages. “You will be standing over there, next to that mage. This is not a duel to the death. I have to neutralize her ability to cast before she does the same to me.”

  “While answering questions?”

  “Yes, while answering questions,” Monty repeated. “Have you lost the basic comprehension of language?”

  “Just being clear. How are you going to negate her abilities? You’re not a negomancer,” I said, then paused. “Wait, are you a negomancer now? Did the schism upgrade your abilities to your final form?”

  “Final form? No, I have not acquired the ability to use negomancy,” Monty snapped. “Focus—I said neutralize, not negate. I have to create a situation where she cannot cast, before she can do the same thing to me.”

  “Why does that sound dangerous?”

  “Because, it potentially it is,” Monty said. “I have to predict and outthink what she will do, while preventing her from doing the same to me.”

  “While answering questions,” I repeated. “Am I the only one that sees this as insane? Just call the Auer and make an appointment.”

  “Yes, you are the only one. This is how it’s done and has always been done,” Monty said, pulling on a sleeve. “Think of it as mage chess.”

  “Do you get to ask her questions?”

  “Why would I need to ask her questions?” Monty said with a sigh. “I’m the one needing a formal audience, not her.”

  “What kind of questions is she asking?”

  “Anything and everything related to being a mage and my studies.”

  “Well, I just thought it would be fair if you got to ask your own questions.”

  “Are you still under the impression that life is fair?”

  “Touché. Why not just play regular, non-lethal chess?” I asked. “The chances of death by explosion are close to zero; although you’re mages so there’s always a possibility. Besides, the last time I checked you don’t have to answer questions while playing chess, unlike this duel of yours.”

  “I don’t create the rules here, I just follow them.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since we need to see the Auer and she would be displeased if I didn’t.”

  “Oh, let’s not piss off the mind-melting Auer,” I said. “Good plan. Can you take Roma?”

  “The last time we did this, she trounced me soundly,” Monty said, glancing over his shoulder at Roma. “She’s an exceptional strategist, and I was still studying in the Golden Circle at the time. I have improved somewhat since then.”

  “I hope so. She doesn’t look like a slouch in the kick-ass mage department,” I said. “Are you sure it’s only going to be brain-melting mage questions? If I shoot her, I can even things out a bit. She can’t ask too many questions if she’s wounded. I can wing her. It’ll be just a flesh wound.”

  Monty stared at me.

  “If you shoot her, the six mages around us will consider it an unprovoked attack,” he said, turning to walk back to Roma. “They, in turn, will immediately attempt to blast us into submission or death, whichever comes first.”

  “That would be bad.”

  “Quite,” Monty said as he walked away. “Stay back, don’t draw your weapons or unleash your creature, and we should be fine.”

  I took a few steps forward.

  “Does she know about your schism?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “Maybe you should let her know you’re a bit fragile right now.”

  “Fragile?” Monty shot back, keeping his voice just as low. “I am not fragile. Now, step back. Duels tend to be somewhat chaotic.”

  “Are you ready?” Roma asked, as Monty approached her. “Do I need to reacquaint you with the rules?”

  “They are still fresh in my mind from last time, thank you,” Monty said. “I’m ready.”

  “I haven’t had a duel in quite some time,” Roma said. “I’m going to enjoy this. Do you acknowledge that you enter into this duel of your own free will and without any coercion?”

  “I do.”

  “Do you understand and agree that once the duel has begun, every question posed must be met with a satisfactory answer?”

  “I am aware, yes, and agree.”

  “Do you understand that any damage or pain suffered as a result of our duel is with the full knowledge of the risks involved? Do you accept?”

  “I do,” Monty said. “I will abide by the rules of this duel and accept the outcome, whatever it may be.”

  “Sounds like that fine print that needs to be examined in every contract,” I said, then raised a hand in surrender at Monty’s expression. “Just pointing it out. Don’t want to be surprised by any hidden clauses.”

  “Over there,” Monty said, pointing at the mage behind me. “Do not interfere.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said. “If she pulps you, I’m not the one telling Roxanne, just FYI.”

  “I’m ready,” Monty said, scowling at me before turning back to Roma.

  “Excellent,” Roma replied, looking at one of the mages surrounding us. “Begin.”

  Each of the mages outstretched their arms to the side. Blue energy beams flowed from their fingers, connecting them. Once they were all connected, the park disappeared from view and they spread out even farther, giving Monty and Roma an expansive dueling arena in the center.

  I moved back to the edge, next to my designated mage. I was about to comment on how amazing this all was when I noticed the mage next to me seemed to be in a trance. His eyes were covered in the same blue energy that flowed from his fingers, his expression vacant as he turned his face upward.

  I looked around and each of the six mages were doing the same thing. In order to create this time arena for the duel, it appeared they needed to check out from this reality. Something about this made me nervous, but I trusted Monty—and like he said, we needed to see the Auer.

  He needed to beat Roma, and he needed to do it fast.

  FOURTEEN

  Roma traced a rune in the air and unleashed a golden lattice which raced at Monty. The lattice was easily five feet across, and looked like it was going to envelop Monty when he gestured, bisecting the golden energy with a thin, violet beam of his own.

  The two halves of the lattice sailed by him as he traced a rune.

  “Explain Ziller’s basic theorem of multi-pl
anar travel,” Roma said, tracing another rune, “as it relates to temporal teleportation within a singular plane.”

  I knew the words she used were English; they just didn’t make sense, except for teleportation, and all that did was make my stomach clench.

  Monty unleashed a flurry of golden runic symbols in her direction. Roma had formed a small orb of blue energy in her hand as Monty’s runes raced her way.

  “Ziller’s theorem posits that teleportation within a singular plane must conform to the laws of interplanar travel,” Monty said with a gesture as the runes he sent closed in on the strangely calm Roma.

  “Which are?” Roma said as she sidestepped the runes and released the orb from her hand. “The first two laws, please.”

  Her orb began rotating until it picked up speed. The rotation acted like a siphon, sucking in the symbols Monty had unleashed at Roma. It flashed with golden light for a few seconds until all of Monty’s runes were gone.

  The orb floated lazily by Roma’s head as she smiled.

  “The first law being the law of permeability—all matter is permeable and subject to transposition.”

  Roma nodded her head and tapped the orb with a finger.

  “The second?” she asked as the orb raced at Monty. “Please don’t hold back. You know I won’t.”

  Monty slashed a hand downward, creating a shield. The orb bounced off of it and sailed into the distance. A few seconds later, Monty’s shield began disintegrating.

  “You used my runes to create a matter disruptor,” Monty said, glancing at his shield. “Impressive.”

  “No less than your runes of transport,” Roma said, forming three more blue orbs around her. “What was the destination? The Arctic?”

  “Bahamas,” Monty said. “I imagine you’re due some time off.”

  “Nice of you,” Roma said, moving a hand, setting the orbs in motion around her. “Second law?”

  “The law of permanence—all teleported matter will observe and retain its original state of mass, irrespective of teleportation.”

  “Excellent,” Roma said with a nod. “The next question will be somewhat…difficult. Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” Monty said confidently. “Ask.”

  At this point, even I was feeling confident. Monty was a runicpedia when it came to all things mystical and such. I was pretty sure that even the fictional Doctor Strange would call on Monty, if he needed assistance on a particular rune or cast. If Roma thought she was going to stump Monty by Zillerfrying his brain, she was in for a rude surprise. That big brain of his was Ziller-proof.

  Monty began tracing more runes as Roma nodded. The blue orbs floating around her head crackled with white energy. Roma traced a short set of runes, charging the air around us with power.

  “In all the time you’ve known Roxanne DeMarco, not once have you verbally expressed your feelings for her. Why not?”

  Oh shit.

  “I beg your pardon?” Monty asked, pausing, clearly taken off-guard mid-rune. “What did you say?”

  The three orbs around Roma raced at Monty, followed by a smiling Roma who had materialized a blue blade of energy in her hand. Monty backpedaled, reaching for one of the Sorrows sheathed invisibly behind him.

  A soft wail escaped the blade as he drew it, barely managing to parry Roma’s thrust as she closed the distance. One of the orbs punched into his opposite arm throwing him off-balance. Monty rotated with the blow, slicing the remaining orbs with a diagonal slash. He grimaced with pain as he rolled his shoulder, stepping to the side, and blading his body to Roma.

  I took a step forward and felt a hand rest upon my shoulder.

  Another mage appeared next to me. She had stepped out of the blue beam connecting the six mages who were forming the battle arena.

  “You can’t,” she said. “If you interfere, the Auer will not grant him, or you, passage. He must answer the questions posed to him. Those are the rules.”

  “Your rules suck,” I said. “That last question was a low blow.”

  The mage nodded.

  “Yet it’s pertinent isn’t it?” the mage said. “He refuses to address that situation. The attack by Evers was personal. Tristan is an accomplished mage from a powerful family and yet for all that power, he was—is—vulnerable.”

  “Who are you again?” I said, turning to the woman. “Do you know Monty?”

  “Yes,” the woman said. “I’ve known him his entire life. My apologies—my name is Jean.” She extended a hand, which I took. “A pleasure to meet you.”

  I looked at the woman, assessing if she was a threat.

  Jean was nearly as tall as Monty, and wore the same type of mage suit as the Archive Guard, but in dark blue, and hers looked extra comfortable. Her salt-and-pepper hair was cut short and her face was open and friendly, except for her eyes. Behind her silver-rimmed glasses, her eyes radiated a deep, dark power as she observed the duel taking place in front of us.

  “I’m Simon and this is—”

  “Peaches,” Jean said, looking down at my hellhound, and risking a hand by patting him on the head softly. “I know, your bondmate, and most excellent hellhound.”

  “You’re her aren’t you? The Auer?”

  Jean smiled with a small nod.

  “I’d say you’re acclimating to this world nicely,” Jean said. “Now, if you could only manage to pause for a few seconds before letting your words get you into a world of trouble, your life would be somewhat easier.”

  “I think I’ve been doing okay, considering,” I said in my defense. “I wasn’t exactly eased into this world; more like shoved…violently.”

  A small chuckle escaped Jean as she slowly shook her head.

  “What do you think of that last question?” she asked. “Too personal?”

  “Totally off-limits,” I said. “I thought this was a mage duel? He wasn’t expecting that at all. Monty is kind of touchy about the whole ‘Roxanne’ subject.”

  “Indeed,” Jean said. “That is why Roma asked it; we need to know if he is still suffering the effects of the schism. He was always impetuous and quick to anger. He can’t afford that now. The stakes are so much higher.”

  I looked back to the duel and saw Monty adequately handling Roma’s multiple attacks. I could tell she knew her way around a blade. Monty was parrying and avoiding her attacks, but he wasn’t exactly sailing through this duel.

  “She’s good,” I said, concerned as a swarm of orbs pounded into Monty’s chest. “Scary good.”

  “Yes, she is,” Jean said. “Fortunately, this isn’t a duel to the death. He allowed the last question to unsettle him and has lost a crucial advantage. If he’s not careful, she will end this soon.”

  “Why, though?” I asked. “I mean the entire duel. Couldn’t he have just made an appointment to see you?”

  “No,” Jean said, her tone serious. “To obtain a formal audience with the Auer, with me, requires knowledge, primarily of oneself. He needs to confront this aspect of himself, or the next time—and there will be a next time—someone close to him is in harm’s way, he will falter or act irrationally.”

  “Monty doesn’t do irrational,” I said, focused on the duel. “Have you met him? He’s the closest thing to a Vulcan I’ve ever met.”

  “Are you certain?” Jean asked. “He knew Haven was runed with security measures, many of which he had personally put in place, and yet he cast anyway.”

  “Roxanne was in danger.”

  “Afterward, in Kali’s domain, when you were in danger, the rational thing would have been to rely on his blades, yet he cast—again.”

  “Those were special edition Rakshasas,” I countered. “They don’t play nice with others on a good day. Kali is all kinds of twisted with those things.”

  I looked around, just in case. The last thing I needed was a visit from Kali.

  Jean nodded.

  “Later, when you were losing your fight to Evers—”

  “Not losing,” I interrupted. “It was a s
trategic withdrawal. I was regrouping to catch my breath.”

  “Of course,” Jean placated. “It wasn’t like she was wielding a god-killing blade designed to end your existence, nor had you suffered multiple wounds at her hand.”

  “Fine, I was losing,” I said with a low growl. “Evers was trying to shred me.”

  “And succeeding,” Jean said. “Yet, Tristan returned to help you, risking his life in the process.”

  “Those were extenuating circumstances,” I said. “Evers wanted to end me, Monty, and magic. She wasn’t exactly firing on all pistons. She and Monty had a past during the war. Whatever had happened to her, left her angry, broken, and looking for vengeance.”

  “While all that may be true, I just provided you with several instances of Tristan acting irrationally. The last thing he can afford to do is lose control.”

  “A mage losing control is a bad thing,” I said as Monty slid back, and side stopped another barrage of Roma’s orbs. He slashed his hand in the air again and created another shield, deflecting Roma’s orbs. Instead of standing behind the shield, he stepped through it, catching Roma off-guard. “Whoa, that was unexpected.”

  Roma stepped back, surprised at Monty’s move. He thrust forward with the Sorrows while unleashing a small barrage of five golden orbs. Jean raised her eyebrow and nodded.

  “This will be over soon,” Jean said. “He created a golden star. Tristan has truly become formidable. Roma is in for a surprise. She is not facing the Golden Circle student from decades ago.”

  Roma parried Monty’s thrust as the small orbs punched through her defenses. Each golden orb slammed into one of her limbs, the last one impacting her forehead, whipping her head back.

  Roma recovered instantly, but it was too late. Monty gestured and beams of golden light connected the small orbs, forming a pentagon, freezing Roma in place, arms and legs apart, standing as if she was about to do a cartwheel.

  “A golden star?” Roma asked, immobile as she looked down. “Well done, but you know the rules. The question must be answered, or the formal audience will be denied.”

  Jean put a hand on my shoulder again.

  “This is the real duel,” she said, keeping her voice low and her eyes on Monty. “Will he dare confront himself?”