Dark Queen’s Army

by I. T. Lucas

  “I don’t know if they deliver,” Syssi said. “We can whip something up. Turner’s guy stocked this place with enough food to last us a week.” She chuckled. “Well, maybe not us, but a similarly sized group of humans.”

  Mey pushed to her feet. “I’m going to take a look at what we have to work with.”

  “Wait for Callie to return,” Syssi said. “She will organize it.”

  “I’ll bring snacks to tide us over until everyone comes back.”

  “I’ll help you look for them.” Syssi followed Mey into the kitchen.

  “In the olden days, we would open a can of Spam,” Arwel reminisced.

  Yamanu clapped him on the back. “Maybe in your olden days. In my youth, we hunted or fished for our food.”

  Syssi dropped two bags of potato chips on the table. “That’s all I found as snacks go.”

  “It will do.” Kian tore open the bag, took a handful, and passed it back to Syssi.

  She handed it to Yamanu. “I’m not feeding my baby this junk. Do you have any idea how much sodium is in this stuff?”

  As they killed time with chitchat about what an expectant mother should and shouldn’t eat, Yamanu was keenly aware of Amanda’s silence.

  Since losing her child, she did her best to stay out of conversations that had to do with pregnancy and babies. The only reason she hadn’t left the room yet or changed the topic was that Dalhu’s head was cradled in her lap.

  When the door opened, and the rest of the team poured in, the air of anticipation in the room became electrified.

  “Callie said that you have news,” Anandur said. “Brundar and I have news as well. But Yamanu and Arwel should go first.”

  “What news?” Dalhu croaked from the couch and tried to sit up.

  Amanda pulled him back down. “Take it easy. Can someone bring Dalhu a bottle of water?”

  “I’ll get it,” Anandur said.

  Wonder took her coat off and hung it on a peg by the door. “How are you feeling, Dalhu?”

  “Groggy.” He looked at Julian. “How much morphine did you give me?”

  “Enough to make you sleep through the worst of it. How is your pain level, do you need me to give you another shot?”

  Dalhu groaned. “No more. The headache is worse than the pain in my leg.”

  Julian grinned. “You are welcome. You would have been singing a different tune if I hadn’t knocked you out.”

  “Appreciated.”

  Anandur came back with the water. “Here you go.”

  Kian looked around the room, impatience written all over his face. “Can we get down to business now? I want to hear what you’ve found out.”

  “The guy operating the lift recognized Eleanor,” Arwel started. “He says that she comes often, usually in the middle of the week when there aren’t as many people on the slopes, and there is practically no wait for the lifts. She comes around noontime, skis for a couple of hours and leaves.”

  Syssi snorted. “Her job must allow for a lot of free time.”

  “Maybe she is an independent contractor,” Amanda suggested. “She gets paid per assignment and has free time whenever she wants.”

  “I don’t think so.” Kian rose to his feet and started pacing. “If lodging and transportation are provided by her employer, it’s more likely that she is salaried.”

  “She might be using another alias for her car and housing,” Julian said.

  “She doesn’t have another driver's license, and she would need one to rent an apartment and register the car.”

  “The driver's license could be totally fake,” Ella said. “Like the ones kids use to get alcohol before they are twenty-one. You can get one for fifty bucks online.”

  “That’s a possibility,” Kian agreed. “Has the guy seen her recently?”

  “He said that the last time was two weeks ago, but she might have been using a different run. He suggested that I check the other lift operators.”

  Anandur lifted his finger. “Already done. Our guy saw her yesterday and says that she’ll probably come back tomorrow. He says she is a regular on the black run. She goes by Marisol.”

  “Wow.” Ella put her hand over her heart. “I can’t believe that we actually found her and that I might see her tomorrow.”

  “We are getting near, but we don’t have her yet.” Kian walked over to Ella and squeezed her shoulder. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

  “That’s okay. I’m keeping my expectations low. The impression I got from what my mother has told me about Eleanor is that she is not the type of aunt who would be overjoyed to see me.”

  Kian nodded. “I’m glad that you are mentally prepared for her rejecting you. When we find her, I don’t want anyone other than Arwel talking to her.” He turned to the Guardian. “I want you to send your feelers out and check what kind of person we are dealing with. Also, before we approach her with questions, we need to determine whether she is susceptible to thralling or not.”

  49

  Magnus

  “Did I tell you already how stunning you look tonight?” Magnus offered Vivian his hand.

  “Once or twice.” Extending one shapely leg clad in a sexy high-heeled pump, Vivian took his hand and let him pull her up from the Porsche.

  Standing a couple feet away, the valet waited patiently to close the door behind her.

  “Thank you.” She smiled at him.

  Magnus put his hand on the small of her back. “Are you ready to dance the night away, my love?”

  Vivian cast him a lopsided smirk. “If the music were not as loud, I might have enjoyed these outings.” She shook her head. “God, I sound like my mother.”

  He leaned to whisper in her ear, “Imagine how I feel.”

  “You are amazingly adaptive. Much more so than I am.”

  “I have plenty of practice adapting to new situations. In time, you will too.”

  “I can pretend just as well as you do, but that doesn’t mean I like it. I’ve never enjoyed this kind of music, not even when I was a teenager.”

  “That’s why we have these.” He handed her a pair of disposable earplugs and then put his in before entering the club.

  It had been fun in the beginning, the restaurants, the clubs, but Magnus was tired of it. He missed his home in the village, and he missed Parker and Scarlet, and so did Vivian.

  With Ella and Julian gone, Parker and Scarlet were enjoying Merlin’s hospitality. The kid was having such a blast that he’d practically begged them not to come home. Supposedly, Merlin was supervising Parker’s schooling, but Magnus had a feeling said schooling was more about teaching Parker to brew potions and having him read ancient texts. He doubted that Merlin insisted on Parker sitting in front of the computer and doing his schoolwork.

  As someone who had never been overly studious, Magnus could empathize with Parker for wanting a break from boring math problems and science lessons. They must have paled in comparison to what Merlin could teach him.

  Heck, maybe the kid would get inspired to pursue medicine. That would make his mother happy.

  “I see a table.” Vivian pointed. “We need to hurry before someone snatches it.”

  “There are plenty more.” Magnus pointed in the other direction. “That’s why we came early.”

  Since they were out to look for Kalugal’s men and not to enjoy themselves, they had to spend long hours in each place. Finding a table that was as far as possible from the loudspeakers and the dance floor was a must.

  “I’m going to order drinks. Your usual?”

  She smiled. “A strawberry margarita this time.”

  “You got it.” Leaving Vivian at the table, he headed to the bar.

  His crew of Guardians was doing much of the same, each one hanging around different bars, clubs, restaurants and cafés, hoping to spot an immortal.

  Except, a week had passed, and none had been encountered.

  Kri and Michael had arrived the day before, and they were doing the same thin
g. But unlike him and Vivian, the young couple was enjoying the clubbing and the bar hopping.

  He wondered how long Kian was going to have them do that. In his opinion, lying in wait near the mansion would have been a much better strategy. They could have just followed anyone leaving its gates to wherever they went and brush by them to confirm or disprove whether they were immortal.

  But after the near failure of the raid, Kian had become too cautious.

  According to him, the mansion was too well-guarded, and Kalugal was too smart to ignore any kind of public works getting done on his street without checking them out.

  On second thought, perhaps Kian was right. It was crucial not to alert Kalugal to their investigation.

  A drink in each hand, Magnus was making his way back to Vivian when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

  “Here you go, sweetheart.” He handed her the margarita she’d asked for.

  Putting his own drink down, he pulled out his phone and read the message from Oidhche. I got one. He just entered the bar, and the hairs on my neck stood on alert. He looked around, probably feeling it too, but I managed to sneak out back using the storage room. Instructions?

  Magnus typed back. Did you get a good look at him?

  Oidhche responded. If you’re asking if I can recognize him, the answer is yes. Typical nothing-special Doomer, but he still moves with immortal grace and holds himself like a warrior. The ladies were all over him the moment he entered. Good for me. They distracted him so I could make my escape.

  Magnus chuckled. Text me the address and then go wait in your car while watching the entrance. If he goes out, follow him. Vivian and I are on our way to take over.

  Understood.

  “What’s going on?” Vivian asked once Magnus had put the phone away.

  He bent to whisper in her ear. “We have confirmation. Oidhche spotted an immortal male in a bar. He’s going to wait outside until we arrive or the guy goes out. If we are not there by the time the man leaves, Oidhche is going to follow him until we take over, and if needed, another Guardian will take over for us. I want to keep switching cars so he won’t notice the tail.”

  Magnus lifted the shot glass and emptied it down his throat. It would have been a shame to waste the whiskey.

  “Do you think I can take my drink to go?” Vivian asked.

  “Sure. We will pretend to be going out to smoke.”

  She shook her head. “I meant in a to-go disposable cup.”

  “No time.” He pulled out his wallet and dropped two twenties on the table. “That should cover the cost of the glass, including the trip to the store to get it.”

  50

  Kian

  “What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Arwel came down the stairs wearing sweats and a pair of worn-out fuzzy slippers.

  It was late, and Kian was ready to call it a day and take Syssi up to the master bedroom. Regrettably, the soundproofing in the chalet was standard, which meant that everyone could hear everyone else. But he’d thought of a solution. Provided they kept it quiet, turning on the jacuzzi tub’s jets in the master bathroom was going to drown out the sounds of their activity.

  Anandur chuckled. “You brought those old things on the trip? You should have tossed them in the garbage a long time ago.”

  Arwel looked down. “These are my favorite. I’m not throwing them out until they have holes in them.”

  “I can help with that,” Anandur teased.

  “No, you can’t. I don’t live with you anymore.”

  “I’ll come to visit and get you new ones as a housewarming present.”

  Arwel shrugged. “I’m going to hide them.”

  Kian was about to suggest pink bunny slippers with a matching robe when his phone buzzed.

  “What’s up, Magnus?”

  “We’ve spotted one of those fellows we were looking for.”

  “Did you talk to him?”

  “Not yet. Oidhche spotted him in a bar and called me. I told him to wait in the car until the guy leaves the bar and see where he was heading. Well, the dude left the bar with a woman and took her to a hotel. I hope he is going to treat her right. You know the kind of reputation those fellows have. Anyway, I’m parked in front of it, waiting for another buddy to join me. Just making sure that the lady is okay…” he trailed off. “And see where he goes from there.”

  Magnus didn’t need to elaborate. He was going to have one of the Guardians follow the guy, hopefully to the mansion. That, along with checking the woman’s memories for gaps, should be confirmation enough.

  “Good job. Keep me informed.”

  When he hung up, Kian lifted his head and looked at the hopeful faces of his friends and family. “It looks like things are moving nicely along. Magnus is following a suspect, and so are we.”

  “What did we miss?” Amanda and Dalhu appeared at the top of the stairs.

  “Magnus called. They are following a suspected immortal.”

  “Yes!” She pumped her fist in the air. “Both teams are making progress.”

  Using his powerful arms to brace his weight on the banister on one side and the wall on the other, Dalhu hobbled down on his good leg.

  “How are you feeling?” Syssi asked. “Is your headache better?”

  “It is. Thank you for asking.” Jumping on one foot and leaning on Amanda’s shoulder, he made his way to the couch.

  “I’ll get you coffee,” Amanda said after he plopped down.

  As Kian waited for her to return from the kitchen, he thought about the plan for tomorrow. Dalhu’s injury had cost them half a day, but they had gotten the information they needed, so it was all good. Especially since Eleanor was expected to show up on the slopes sometime around noon the next day.

  “How long do I need to keep the brace on?” Dalhu asked.

  “You should be good in a couple of days.” Julian smiled. “Just don’t put pressure on that leg, and once the brace comes off, stay away from the reds and blacks. And you should probably take some lessons.”

  Dalhu shook his head. “I’m not going back. Tomorrow, I’m going to pull out my easel, my canvas, and my paints, and find a nice spot to paint.”

  Kian felt bad for the guy. He’d been doing great up until he fell, and one accident shouldn’t deter him from doing something he obviously enjoyed.

  “You should go back. Just be aware of your limitations and don’t push yourself so hard. You are so damn competitive.”

  “I don’t know how to be any other way,” Dalhu admitted. “That’s why I’d better stick to painting. No one here can compete with me in that.”

  “That’s true.” Kian nodded. “So how about you get it into your stubborn head that you don’t have to be the winner in all things? I’m competitive as well, but I know my limits. The stick figures I can draw will not win any awards.”

  Amanda cast him a look that said he should give it up. “Anyone want coffee? I brewed a fresh pot.” She handed Dalhu a steaming mug.

  Once the coffee was served and everyone was sitting in one spot or another, Kian rose to his feet. “So, this is what we are going to do tomorrow. At noontime, which is when Eleanor usually makes it to the slopes, Arwel is going to wait for her to show up at the bottom of the hill and follow her to the lift. Anandur and Brundar, you are going to follow them up.” He turned to Julian. “You as well.”

  “What are we going to do in the morning?” Mey asked.

  “Stroll around the village center like we had planned to do this afternoon.” He cast a mock stern glance at Dalhu.

  51

  Syssi

  Syssi sank into the bubble-filled tub and sighed in pleasure. “I feel bad about us having the only hot tub.”

  Sliding behind her, Kian wrapped his arms around her middle. “We can let them have turns in it.” He cupped her breasts.

  She stifled a moan.

  The chalet was lovely, but it hadn’t been built with immortals in mind, and everyone could hear what was going on in the other rooms.
<
br />   “I’ll turn on the jets,” Kian whispered in her ear. “The noise will drown out the lovely sounds you make.”

  “Not really, but I’ll try to be quiet.”

  He nuzzled her neck. “I like hearing you.”

  As his phone buzzed on the vanity counter, Kian ignored it.

  “Aren’t you going to get it?”

  “Let it ring.” He tweaked her nipples.

  This time the moan escaped her throat before she had the chance to stifle it. “It could be from the village, and if they are calling you here, it must be important.”

  With a groan, he got out of the tub and snatched the phone, his perfect nude body glistening from the moisture.

  Her man was a god.

  “It’d better be important, Magnus.” He put the Guardian on speaker.

  “If you are busy, I can call later,” Magnus said.

  “You’ve already got me out of the tub, so talk.”

  “We have what we came for. After he dropped the woman off, we checked on her, and she was fine, but like we suspected, she didn’t remember much from the encounter.”

  “What about the guy? Did he go home?”

  “He lives where we thought he does.”

  “Excellent.”

  “What do you want us to do now? Should we go home as well?”

  “Stay a few more days. Maybe you can discover more interesting things.”

  “We will head home on Sunday. Is that okay?”

  “That should do it. Say hi to the missus for me.”

  “I will.”

  As Kian ended the call, he brought the phone with him and put it on the ledge between the tub and the wall.

  He got back in and slid behind Syssi. “Kalugal made a mistake by building his base in a small city. It’s much easier for immortals to hide in a big place like Los Angeles. What Magnus and his team have done would have never worked in New York, for example. With countless places for the men to go to, the chances of us stumbling upon one of them would have been minuscule.”