Cursed av-2 Read online

  I decided to take a closer look. I circled the building and approached the door, reaching into my pocket for my picks and wrenches. Since diviners aren’t as good in combat as elemental mages, we tend to pick up a bunch of less-than-reputable skills to make up for it. Lockpicking’s easy when you can see into the future, and I’m pretty good at it.

  As I examined the door, though, I frowned. The lock looked simple, but for some reason, looking into the future didn’t reveal any way to open it. That was odd. I knelt by the door, feeling the cold of the concrete through my jeans, and studied the keyhole. There didn’t seem to be anything unusual, but-

  My precognition warned me just in time. I caught a glimpse of something coming, took a closer look, and jumped to my feet in a dead run. As I ran I pulled a grey cloak from my bag and swept it around my shoulders. I was up against the wall with the mist cloak wrapped around me within five seconds. A moment later, the far corner of one of the buildings went black.

  People describe night as black, but it isn’t; it’s more like a patchwork grey. When something that’s an actual, light-eating black appears, it stands out against the darkness like a black hole. The blackness formed a vertical oval, starting at ground level and reaching seven feet in height, then shimmered and began to lighten. The shadows of another place were briefly visible, then two people stepped through.

  My mist cloak is an imbued item like the monkey’s paw, and it’s the only imbued item I really trust. Mist cloaks are designed for concealment, and inactive, they look like soft cloth, coloured a sort of neutral grey that your eyes slide over. When worn, though, their colours shift and change, fading into the background so subtly that if you’re not watching it happen you’d never even notice. But mist cloaks conceal more than sight; they block magical senses completely. You can pick out someone in a mist cloak if the light’s good and you know what to look for, but to magical detection, it’s like someone in a mist cloak just isn’t there.

  Which was good because right now that was the only thing stopping the man up ahead from turning me into charcoal. Cinder is a fire mage, and as I learnt the hard way a long time ago, fire mages can see a man’s body heat as easily as you or I can see light. Cinder swept the area from left to right as he emerged from the gate, waiting for the woman behind him to step through before ending the spell. The gate turned back into darkness and dissolved away to nothing.

  Even though Rachel was only a silhouette in the darkness, I knew it was her. She was saying something to Cinder but just barely too far away for me to hear. The two of them walked towards the warehouse and I held perfectly still, straining my ears to hear their conversation.

  “-not going to work,” Rachel said.

  Cinder said something in his low rumble that I didn’t catch. Rachel shook her head. “Not enough time. We have to kill him.”

  The two of them stopped by the warehouse door. They were maybe twenty feet away, and I tried to breathe quietly. Cinder seemed to be thinking. “Back off?” he said at last.

  “No!” Rachel said angrily. “I’m not letting some Light mage chase us away. This is ours.”

  “Can’t get what he knows if he’s dead,” Cinder pointed out.

  “We don’t need him. We can make it work.” Rachel stared past Cinder. “All we need is enough time.”

  My skin crawled. I didn’t know if it was coincidence, but Rachel was staring right at me. At some level I knew that in these shadows and with my mist cloak, I’d look like nothing but a patch of wall. But still …

  Even through the darkness, we were close enough that I could see the dark smudge of the mask covering the top half of Rachel’s face. “Which?” Cinder said.

  “The enchantress,” Rachel said, as if talking to herself. “Blind him … Yes. But only if …” She looked suddenly away from me back to Cinder. “Let’s go.”

  Cinder gave a grunt and fished in his pocket for a key. There was a tiny flicker of light as he inserted and turned it with a click. The door swung open and Rachel marched in. “What about Verus?” Cinder said just as he swung the door shut behind them. It closed with a clang and I couldn’t hear anything more.

  I’ve never felt so relieved and yet so frustrated. I was glad to have a solid wall between me and those two-but just one more sentence and I’d have known what they were planning. I thought about getting closer to eavesdrop and actually seriously considered it for a few seconds, which should tell you how badly I wanted to hear it.

  But common sense won. I slipped away into the shadows.

  Five minutes later, I was two streets over and out of danger. My mist cloak was tucked back in my bag where it could be drawn out quickly if needed. I’d picked a place by a crossroads, hidden in the shadows of a doorway where I had clear lines of sight down two streets. The only light came from the phone in my hand.

  On the small screen was a short message addressed to Belthas containing Cinder and Rachel’s location. My thumb hovered over the Send button, then moved away. I kept staring at the message until the screen went dark.

  All I had to do was press the button and I’d be done. Belthas would take over and deal with Cinder and Rachel. I wouldn’t even have to get involved; I could back off and watch the fireworks.

  So why was I hesitating?

  The last time I’d gotten involved with Cinder and Rachel, they’d alternated between trying to recruit me and trying to kill me, as well as taking the odd shot at Luna. They’d been working with a third mage, Khazad, who would have killed me if I hadn’t been quicker to do unto others. It wasn’t as though we had fond memories.

  And yet I probably couldn’t have gotten out alive without them. It hadn’t been due to any warm feelings on Rachel or Cinder’s part, but by the end we’d at least gotten to the stage of talking to each other rather than shooting on sight. And I’d definitely saved their collective butts at least once, on condition that they’d owe me a favour.

  Of course, Cinder’s assassination attempt had pretty much put paid to that. But still I hesitated. Was I being sentimental because of our history? Stupid. Rachel would kill me without a second thought …

  I saw Meredith coming a long way off. Once she’d reached visual range I stepped out of the shadows, letting her see me. “What happened?” Meredith said once she was close enough.

  I looked at Meredith and shook my head. I tapped the screen of my phone and heard the quiet delivery sound. “I found them.”

  Meredith’s eyes went wide. “Did they-”

  “No.”

  “Are you going to-”

  “Already called him.”

  Meredith looked around, then wrapped her coat tighter around her and stepped into the doorway. We waited in silence.

  Belthas didn’t waste time. In less than half an hour I heard the growl of engines and looked up to see headlights at the end of the street. As they grew brighter I saw that they belonged to a van, black and unmarked, with two more following behind. The vans pulled in by the side of the road and the engines died. In the silence I heard the slam of doors.

  A man walked towards me. I stayed leaning against the corner and didn’t raise my head. The footsteps stopped a few feet away. “Verus,” a familiar voice said.

  I lifted my eyes. “Garrick.”

  Garrick was wearing the same body armour I’d seem him in three nights ago, along with enough guns to star in a production of The Matrix. Behind him a steady stream of armed men piled out of the vans. “So I guess this answers the question of who you’re working for,” I said.

  “For now.” Garrick holstered the same compact-looking assault rifle I’d seen him carry before. “What’s the layout?”

  “Warehouse, single storey. Two access routes, through the industrial park at the front or a back entrance. Internal map’s here.” I handed Garrick a paper I’d sketched while waiting. “No outside defences, didn’t get a look at the interior.”

  “It’s a start. Still want to take point?”

  “I think I’ll leave this one to y
ou guys.”

  “And here I thought you had something to prove.”

  I just shrugged. When he saw he wasn’t going to get a rise out of me, Garrick moved away.

  Belthas had disembarked from the end of the convoy and was speaking to Meredith. I walked over and Belthas turned to face me. “Ah, Verus. Well done.”

  “Don’t break out the champagne yet,” I said. “They were in the warehouse half an hour ago. Can’t guarantee they’re still there.”

  “Nevertheless, your speed is impressive.” Belthas looked like a ghost in the darkness, thin and pale. “Let’s make sure it’s not wasted.”

  Meredith was watching the men. I followed her gaze to see that Garrick had grouped them into a loose circle and was issuing orders. They had a dangerous look, more so than usual for Council security, but they weren’t carrying any magic. “No other mages?”

  Belthas raised an eyebrow. “Are you volunteering?”

  “I’m not a battle-mage.”

  “Yes, you mentioned.” Belthas smiled slightly. “If you’ll excuse me.” He walked towards Garrick and the men, who fell silent at his approach. He issued some quick orders and the men began to take out submachine guns, checking the weapons and loading ammunition. They’d stopped talking and the only sound was the clack of metal. There was a feeling of tension in the air.

  I looked at Meredith. “I’m guessing you don’t want to join in.”

  Meredith shook her head. “Is there somewhere safe?”

  “Come with me.”

  The industrial park was big and-in theory-locked up. But between the two of us, it didn’t take long to find a building with a good view and get inside.

  By the time we reached the top floor, Belthas’s men were moving into position. The building we were occupying overlooked the south and east sides of Cinder and Deleo’s warehouse, and beneath us I could see dark shapes slipping from shadow to shadow, moving to encircle the warehouse. Although the building we were in was sealed, it wasn’t heated and I shivered as I stood by the window and looked down into the darkness. In less than five minutes Rachel and Cinder were about to get one hell of a nasty surprise, and for once I wasn’t going to be on the receiving end. It was an odd feeling.

  I took out a small black headset, examined it briefly, then clicked a switch. A red light flashed and there was a brief hiss of static, quickly damped. Meredith looked at me in surprise. “Did Belthas give you a radio?”

  “Not exactly.” I clicked through the channels until I found the right one, typed a three-digit code, then settled down to wait.

  A voice spoke through the radio link. “North entrance in sight.”

  Garrick’s voice answered. “Hold position. Wait for the scan.”

  A hiss, silence, then Garrick again. “External clear. Move to breach.”

  “Moving.”

  “Look,” Meredith said quietly, pointing. I followed her finger and saw shadows closing on the warehouse, converging on the doors.

  The radio spoke again. “Alpha team at north entrance.”

  “Bravo team, south entrance.”

  “Setting charges.”

  A silence, then Garrick’s voice. “Alpha team, charges ready. Bravo, what’s your status?”

  “This is Bravo, charges set.”

  “Copy that. All teams check in.”

  “Alpha team standing by.”

  “Bravo team standing by.”

  “Charlie team standing by.”

  Garrick spoke again. “Weapons free. We are weapons free.” His voice was calm. “Breach on my mark. Five … four … three …”

  Meredith was staring down at the shadows at the south end of the warehouse. I put my hand to her head and gently turned her face away. “Cover your eyes.”

  “Two … one … mark!”

  I closed my eyes just as the charges detonated and saw the white flash even through my eyelids. The roar came a fraction of a second later, and I opened my eyes to see a cloud of dust swirling about what had been the south door. Shadowy figures moved through the opening, lights flickering, searching for targets.

  The radio crackled. “South clear.”

  “Contact north!”

  I heard the stammer of three-round bursts: ratatat, ratatat. An instant later sullen red light flickered from the windows and there was a piercing scream.

  “Man down!”

  “-hit, hit, we-”

  More gunfire, followed by a flat boom. “Taking fire, taking fire!”

  “Bravo, tossing flashbangs, fire in the hole!”

  The warehouse lit up with white flashes and two deafening bangs. The wounded man continued to scream as Garrick’s voice spoke over the radio. “Move up!”

  Lights flashed again, blue flickering against red over the staccato of the gunfire. I could sense spells being thrown, full-strength battle-magic intended to cripple or kill. Voices spoke over the radio, shouting, giving orders, drowning each other out. There was a final roar and a blue flash, followed by an ominous silence.

  “Cease fire, target is down, cease fire.”

  Garrick’s voice. “Bravo, take the stairs. Alpha, secure our position.”

  “Bravo, moving up.”

  Through the walls, I felt the signature of a gate spell. “Movement!” someone called.

  “Flash the room. Go, go, go!”

  Another white flash and a bang, this one slightly muffled. More gunfire and the distant thump of something heavy. Then the gunfire stopped. The warehouse below was silent but for the distant patter of boots.

  “Clear left.”

  “Clear right. First floor clear.”

  “Ground floor clear.”

  “Bravo, report.” It was Garrick’s voice.

  “We got-” There was a burst of static. “-went in.”

  “Bravo, repeat.”

  “Negative, negative. We hit him, he fell through.”

  “Confirm status of Target Two.”

  “Evac’d. He’s gone.”

  “Target One’s breathing.”

  “Confirm that,” Garrick said. “Lock the place down. Charlie team, you’re on medic duty.”

  The radio traffic died away. The man who’d been wounded earlier started screaming less often, then went quiet. I realised I’d been holding my breath and let it out. Meredith was still tense and the two of us stayed there, watching and waiting.

  Infantry combat doesn’t end with a bang or fanfare. It draws out into a long, tense silence as the ones still holding the field search to make sure the enemy’s gone. Only as the minutes tick by and the silence stretches out does the tension ease.

  After fifteen minutes Belthas’s men began to emerge, making a sweep of the immediate area. Once they began looting the warehouse, I knew the battle was over. The vans drove into the industrial area, parking near the warehouse with their back doors opened and turned towards it, and a steady stream of men moved back and forth.

  The wounded were brought out first. I suspected it was public relations on Belthas’s part rather than genuine concern for the men but it made sense either way. Two were still walking, while the third was on a stretcher. I could see burns down his left side but he wasn’t moving.

  Next came items. I couldn’t make out any pattern in the things Belthas’s men were taking from the warehouse and I suspected they were just grabbing anything that wasn’t nailed down. There were clothes, weapons, and papers. One thing in particular caught my eye: a set of spikes about the length of my hand. Light reflected off them with a flicker of purple but before I could get a close look they were stowed away.

  And finally they brought out Rachel. She was on a stretcher, pale and unconscious in the artificial light. Garrick and two other men were guarding her as the stretcher was wheeled out and lowered behind the van. Rachel’s mask had been lost somewhere in the fighting and I could almost make out her features, her hair spread out like a fan on the pillow. I stood next to Meredith, looking down through the tall windows over the industrial park, watching
the men bustling around Rachel’s still form as she was lifted into the van. The doors shut behind her with a clang.

  No one else came out. Rachel had been captured but Cinder had escaped. I considered asking Belthas what had happened but decided against it. They were a lot of men with guns down there, and now that Rachel and Cinder were gone, they didn’t have any need to stay quiet. It wasn’t that I expected Belthas to have me shot just to tie off a loose end; I just didn’t see any reason to give him the opportunity. I caught a glimpse of Belthas getting into one of the vans next to Garrick and the three vans pulled out one after another. The growl of their engines grew louder as they passed our building, then softer, until they’d faded into silence.

  Meredith and I descended the building and left the industrial park by the front entrance. The security post was empty. We walked back to the station in silence.

  Only when the glow of the railway station was in front of us did I speak. “Want to get some dinner?”

  “I can’t,” Meredith said. “I need to sort out a new place to stay.”

  I hesitated. “You can use my flat if-”

  “Thanks,” Meredith said. “But I need to get some other things done as well.”

  “Okay.”

  There was the crunch of tyres on gravel and as I looked into the road I saw a taxi pulling up. The driver signalled through his window and Meredith waved at him before turning back to me. She gave me a quick hug, then pulled away. “Will you be okay getting back?”

  “Uh, sure. What about-?”

  “I’ll be fine. Thank you for everything.”

  Meredith walked quickly to the taxi and slipped inside. It pulled away and I watched the red lights disappear into the distance. It turned a corner and vanished, and I was alone.

  I took the train home. My flat was empty and I went to bed.

  chapter 7