?And if this scheme of yours fails like the rest of us fear it will. If Her Imperial Majesty and that impudent child go to the Perihelion and testify. What happens then, Brother Ikthalion? What does your infinite wisdom foresee? What do we do??
?We die.? Ikthalion?s cloudy blue eyes seemed so much clearer when they pierced through Tychander?s mask of defiance. ?Do you truly think me foolish enough not to fear that outcome? Or have you not accepted the reality of failure? If the Council receives reliable evidence of our actions, they will hunt us like dogs until every man at this table, and even the lowliest acolyte, is dead or bound or something far, far worse.
?Do not let our junior Brother?s cowardice dissuade the rest of you, for no consequence we court by assassination can begin to compare to the Council?s wrath. Call on every reliable asset in the Port Authority, bring in every assassin we can muster, cover every shuttle bay and space elevator and portal we can.
?Lady Ta-Neer and Mallory St. Martin must not leave the planet alive.?
* * * * *
As far as Mallory knew, Agents Varma and Nangwera were the first real-life secret agents she?d ever met, and they weren?t what she expected. Varma had a pleasantly round face and a habit of bouncing on his feet; he swung his arms, cracked no less than four awful jokes, and exhibited behavior more appropriate for someone about to run out the door to a cheering crowd at a pep rally, when a hail of bullets and spellfire seemed far more likely.
Nangwera was at least more tightly wound, which she exhibited by humming through a small mouthful of the horrible-looking malt candies she kept in a box in her jacket pocket. She kept turning back and looking them over, without a care for whether or not eye contact was made: sizing up Mallory, then Jewell, then Ishmerai and Sapphire, then Mallory again.
The witch wasn?t sure why she still bothered. They?d been waiting for the ?imminent? arrival of transport to Perihelion, packed together in a tiny safehouse, for fifty-five minutes -- more than long enough for her to notice the agents? little quirks and idiosyncrasies, grow irritated with them, then come back out the other side to finding them charming in a new light.
Rain lashed the small windows near the top of the wall, about eight feet above the peeling linoleum floor, and sunlight poured in, too. It was a hot summer rainstorm, muggy and miserable; the chrome ceiling fan provided little meaningful circulation, while the dark gray walls did a much better job trapping all the heat inside.
No phones -- they can track them. And don?t unpack anything. Mallory fixed her backpack with a thin-lined frown: it was full to bursting with non-electronic ways to divert herself through this small but protracted misery. Then she dared a look aside at Jewell, curious how the high-and-mighty Empress of Little Elfhame kept herself sane under these meager circumstances.
The faerie affected bored superiority with her arms crossed and her grey eyes fixed on the wall as she simply listened to the rain and tried to drown out Nangwera?s humming. She appeared cool and unconcerned, covering a yawn once as the minutes ticked by, but she couldn?t quite control the impatient, anxious, even angry tapping of her right leather boot. Like all of them, she was dressed for battle rather than a diplomatic mission: loose, cotton pants tucked into high leather boots; a tunic made for flexible, quick motions; and her dark hair pulled back off her face.
Ever since the summons had come, the petite faerie had been wound tight. A day of reckoning was approaching. As much as she wanted to help destroy the Temple of the Divine Mother, she did not want to go to Perihelion. She did not want to testify in front of the judicial council.
The argument between her and Sapphire earlier in the day had done nothing to improve her mood.
The teen in question--triumphant that she had secured her goal and was coming along on this little adventure despite the dangers enumerated by Jewell--was braiding and unbraiding the fae knight?s dark hair despite his complaints. ?I should be ready to move at any moment, Sapphire.?
?Just stay still for ten more seconds,? she chided. ?I want to practice the fishtail braid again.?
The knight complied, but his lady finally snapped. ?Leave him be, Sapphire. This is not a game. This is business.?
Sullenly, the young woman undid her final braid and tied Ishmerai?s hair back in a simple ponytail. ?But this is boring.?
?Then you should not have come.? Her tone brooked no further argument. The pair exchanged petulant looks before Sapphire wandered over to Mallory?s side instead and Jewell went back to staring at the wall.
?Wanna bet on whether these Temple creeps are waiting for us?? she asked the witch cheerily, fiddling with her bar ring. It could turn into a shield when needed. She also had on a pair of bracelets that became gauntlets and a funny little attachment to her sneakers that turned into guards for her legs. They had made her leave her mana blades behind, but there was more than enough water outside for her to use if they found themselves in need.
?Sapphire!? It was Ishmerai frowning at her this time.
?What??
?We do not know for sure--?
Agent Varma?s brow drew together and then he looked around. ?Transportation is ready, folks. Time to move out.?
Mallory fell into line mutely, sticking close to Sapphire as the group followed after Agent Varma, leaving Agent Nangwera to bring up the rear. The safehouse exited into a narrow alley flanked by aging concrete high-rises; a white cargo van awaited them at one end, bobbing in place behind a fluorescent orange dumpster as it idled its flickering plasma thrusters. They appeared to be alone.
Whatever danger they faced was sure to lurk among the countless windows or rooftop perches of Stars End, but the witch?s gaze was lowered, focused on the thorny silver ring she clutched in the palm of her hand. She felt its sting, and squeezed in spite of it, pressing until it almost tasted the blood pulsing steadily beneath her skin.
Tha-thump. Tha-thump.
?Prep the shuttle, Mack, we?re two and a half minutes out from Tower II.?
Tha-thump. Tha-thump.
?Not yet. Ten seconds. Why??
Tha-thump.
?Mack??
Fire flashed before Mallory?s prescient eyes seconds before it erupted. She seized Sapphire by the arm and shoved her roughly towards the back of the group, stumbling after her. Agent Varma stopped short of the van and whirled to face them.
?Girls, what -- ?!?
The shattering sound that followed came from the bright blue flash of Agent Varma?s personal shield, and dozens of windows all around them as the van erupted in a fireball. He lurched forward and fell to the street with the others, covering their heads as glass rained down into the alley.
Ishmerai used his own body to shield Jewell as she crouched down, covering her head with her arms and activating her shield rings. They generated a wall of energy that turned the deadly flames into the warm touch of the afternoon sun.
The world had gone silent. Jewell couldn?t hear anything but the rushing noise in her ears. Her limbs had turned to lead as her heart raced. She forgot to breathe. She could see Ishmerai standing over her, shouting down at her. He glanced over at Sapphire, with her shield and armor engaged, and shouted something at her. At Mallory. Varma was gesturing towards a door further back in the alley.
The knight was looking down at her again, trying to tug her up by her arm.
She didn?t want to move. They had come for her. The scar along her ribs throbbed painfully. They had come to finish the job.
Sound came back into her life.
?Mira! Mira get up! We have to go. Now.?
Shoving her panic away, she let the knight help her to her feet and drew some of the water from the ground to curl around her arms, at the ready for whatever came next.
Nangwera pushed the two young girls forward, ?Go go! Forward. Not that way. Forward, Varma!? There was a glitzy high rise hotel directly across the street from the alley they were in, past the burning remains of the van. She would not have them driven backwards into an ambush.
Ishmerai took the direction faster than the dazed agent, stepping around the burning debris and peering around the edge of the alleyway. Shots fired had him ducking back as bits of shattered brick sprayed the area. ?There are at least five in the street. Can you get us across??
Varma limped behind a hunk of flaming metal, using the haze of smoke and heat for cover while he drew his pistol. Then he turned and squeezed the trigger, shot after shot. Someone screamed -- ?Four!? he corrected the knight -- and he kept firing, advancing from cover as he reached for the next clip.
Nangwera was next. There was barely a break in the rhythm of gunshots between Varma?s first and second clips, but halfway across the street a bolt of crackling red energy struck her in the back of her calf, shattering the blue shimmer of her personal shield and searing through her pinstriped slacks. She twisted and fell behind a squat chrome vending machine, already returning fire by the time she hit the ground.
?Merai!? Mallory cried, her arms crossing in front of her as a shadow flared up from her shoulders, flaring out in front of Jewell and Sapphire as another red bolt flew over their heads, fired from the other end of the alley. At least four black-clad figures had appeared in bright green tears in the fabric of reality, ducking into doorways less than a hundred feet away from the clustered group.
Nangwera saw it. ?Now!? she shouted at Ishmerai, and lined up another shot. Another cry of pain rang out around the corner from the group.
Jewell turned to face the incoming attackers emerging from the tears in reality, stepping forward as if to meet them and raising her right hand to produce a shimmering shield of silver energy large enough to protect the three people immediately behind her while the left condensed the water around her arms into a heavy blade.
Sapphire grabbed Mallory?s arm took off across the street to the entrance of the hotel. As they ran, she created her own blade from the puddles they sloshed through to cross the street. Ishmerai followed two steps behind, his hand grasping the back of Jewell?s tunic to guide her as she continued to face the assailants behind them, her shield raised to protect against their advance. Each time one of the red bolts hit the shield, it became a little less opaque and she flinched back.
?Take the stairs!? Nangwera cried to them as they scrambled past her makeshift barrier, now covered in scorch marks and smoking. ?Get as high as you can!?
When they hit the hotel?s double doors, Jewell let the shield dissipate and turned, dashing into the lobby behind the others. One bolt hit the doorframe next to her. Another cut a few strands from her hair. Their footfalls and labored breaths echoed up into a multi-story atrium. It was encircled by three broad chromatic staircases and three broad landings with hanging plants spilling over the railings. Several hotel employees were huddled behind the front desk, peeking fearfully at the group that had just entered. A few guests were scattered across the lobby, filming the firefight outside with their personal comms. Others were dashing into the elevators or up the stairs to the safety of their rooms.
Mallory gave their new environs a wild-eyed look, roving over the guests and the atrium above them. Drip-drip-drip, went the blood spilling from her hand onto the polished marble floor, flowing faster as her fist tightened around her thorny silver ring. ?Up we go,? she said through gritted teeth, hurrying ahead and taking the stairs two at a time.
The gunfire had stopped. Varma and Nangwera?s huddled forms could be seen out in the street through the tinted windows, hands on their ears as they called the Council for support.
Whatever the respite from their would-be assassins meant, it was likely to be brief.
Jewell and Ishmerai wasted precious seconds of it fighting. The faerie stopped at the bottom of the stairs, shoving the knight up after Sapphire, who was already halfway to the first landing. ?Go,? she pointed at the teen, ?She is your priority now.?
?Mira--?
She shoved at him again. ?I said go!?
Ishmerai, hands sliding into the tekagi-shuko at his hips, dashed up the stairs after the girls, who were already at the first landing, watching the squabble play out. Jewell took a more leisurely pace, only making it up a few steps before Nangwera and Varma made it through the door, scrambling for cover behind a monolithic sculpture nearby.
?Last clip!? Nangwera called over to her partner. ?You?!?
Varma?s answer was interrupted by a low pulse, a visible ripple in the air, and the sound of shattering glass. A jagged black bolt of power ended in a new tear in reality in the front of the lobby, disgorging three of their assailants into their midst. The few remaining onlookers screamed and ran for cover from the fight.
Jewell paused her ascent, turning to face them. Unprotected by any shield -- and unencumbered by the drain it put on her magic -- she reached out across the lobby and seized the most abundant source of liquid in the place: a decorative waterfall in the left corner. She lifted the water up into the air and showered them with dagger sharp-ice, crashing like a cymbal over the steady percussion of the two agents? gunfire. The black-clad soldiers were returning fire, arcane bolts and gleaming steel knives soaring across the lobby, but too little to save them. Bullets and shards of ice bounced off their protective armor while others found the joints, crumbling their bodies to the ground.
?I?m out!? Varma announced through gritted teeth, his empty pistol clattering to the floor as he clamped his hand over a blooming red gash along his ribs as he swayed on his feet.
?****!? Nangwera?s useless weapon joined Varma?s on the floor as she rushed forward to catch her partner. She looked up at Jewell as she dragged him across the lobby towards the reception desk, leaving a bloody smear in their wake. ?Lady Ta-Neer -- climb! ETA forty-five seconds!?
The others had only crossed the first landing before they stopped as Sapphire waited for her mother to catch up over Ishmerai?s emphatic objections. Mallory could barely make sense of their words, her gaze skipping around the vast lobby as her hand tensed around her thorny silver ring like a stress ball. While the knight reached for their arms, trying to urge them up the second stairwell ahead of Jewell, even drag them if necessary, the witch listened.
It sounded like a flight of pigeons taking wing, but only for a split-second at a time, leaving no visible trace by the time she looked -- until she saw a sliver of a dark shape at the far end of the landing, one pale hand clutching a long iron spike, making a slash in the air with his other hand. She heard the crackling of another tear in reality somewhere beneath them, but she knew what that was. She didn?t need to look to know a fresh team of assassins had appeared below, firing pot shots at Jewell as she sprinted across the landing to catch up to them.
It was the lone assassin that disappeared with the sound of a raven?s wings that concerned her.
He was already in motion when he manifested behind the knight, arm braced in front of his midsection, iron spike facing out and ready to thrust. Mallory squeezed the ring tighter, felt her heart push her magic?s price in blood out through her broken skin, and told the assassin, ?Break.?
The weapon faltered from the man?s hands mid-thrust as bloodstains bloomed across his balaclava and skintight armor. A single, strangled cough escaped him as he fell to his knees. Whether dead or dying, he was broken enough to pose no further threat to them.
The knight wasn?t phased by the sudden appearance of the assassin, but he took note of his quick death as he shoved the girls forward. ?Move. Keep moving.?
Sapphire raised her bar-ring shield, catching the shots of mana from two of the assailants below and ricocheting them right back at them only stronger, faster, and more powerful. Both men hit the ground, but they were quickly supplanted by another pair. Then Jewell was there, climbing with them despite the stream of blood issuing from her left side.
?Agh!? one soldier screamed, her throwing knife falling from her hand, as Ishmerai eviscerated her. He held back, bringing up the rear of their party now as Jewell dashed in front of the girls to take the lead. They made it across the second landing and to the third flight of stairs with only minor scuffles before a terrible groan filled the entire atrium. The thin metal beams of the glistening dome ceiling bent and then broke beneath the weight of the incoming shuttle. The sweet tinkling of a million shards of glass raining down on them followed.
Their ride was here.
The shuttle hovered in the air, attempting to stay even with the third floor landing even as it was rocked by blasts, suddenly becoming the target of the arcanists operating on the lobby floor. A gangplank extended and a door slid open, two agents of the CPA flanking the sides and instantly taking up the fight, aiming their blasters at a group heading up the stairs behind them.
Jewell led the way around the landing, aiming for spot where the gangplank just touched the edge of the railing. Ishmerai called out the warning before she saw it, her grey eyes focused on the far end of the landing instead of right before her. The slice of air. Two tears in reality opening. Three soldiers stepping through firing.
The faerie didn?t slow down. She raised her arms across her chest, seizing the blood in their bodies just as she had with the water in the lobby. They were levelling their guns on her, fingers on the trigger. Her arms sprung out to either side, tearing the blood free from their bodies. She didn?t miss a step. The group ran through the red mist left behind as what was left of them crumpled to the floor.
Mallory found herself hitting the deck of the shuttle first, helped along by a hearty push from Sapphire and Merai. She didn?t get a chance to get back to her feet, firm hands clad in tactical armor pinning her to the cold floor. ?What the **** are you doing?! Get off!?
The CPA team ignored her the same as they ignored the blue-haired teenager hunkered down beside her, covering them with their bodies as the small shuttle bucked with every bolt that rippled off of its armored underbelly.
The witch caught only a glimpse of Jewell?s face and Merai?s bloody, scale-armored body through the tangle of limbs around her. ?Got ?em!? someone shouted.
The shuttle lurched violently, this time under its own power, sliding its unanchored passengers and their organs towards the back as its nose rose towards the massive hole in the top of the hotel. Even after the door slid shut and the howling wind stopped, Mallory couldn?t hear herself swearing over the noise of the engine, but at least no one was sitting on her anymore. She wrapped a blood-slick hand around an arm bar and raised her head to stare into the cockpit.
Out the front windshield she saw misty gray clouds parting around them, without any sign of the towering skyscrapers of Stars End as they climbed thousands of feet into the air.
We made it.
((Adapted from live play with Jewell, Sapphire, and Ishmerai, with thanks!))
