Magi Saga 2: Shadows of Darkness (15 page)

‘My father didn’t exactly keep it a secret that he wanted me dead. Lucian could have found out about my families vendetta against me without too much trouble. I doubt he knows I’m related to them though.’

Amanda sighed. The realisation that Lucian had no doubt set this up made her blood boil. It wasn’t totally surprising, she had kind of expected something like this to happen at some point. But the reality of it, seeing her friend bleeding and dying, before being turned into a Scion felt much worse than just the threat of it.

Lucian had crossed a line this time. This time, he had gone too far.

David pulled his wife in closer to him and kissed her. They enjoyed the moment for a few seconds before pulling apart and looking at each other.

‘Are you sure he doesn’t mind?’ Susan asked.

‘Babe, he must have so many people in his congregation, I doubt Father Noah will notice how often we attend church.’

‘I just feel bad, like we’ve taken advantage of him.’

‘I doubt he feels like that, he probably does christenings for loads of couples who don’t really attend church.’ David said.

‘Yeah, maybe.’

‘It went well though didn’t it?’

‘It did, thanks for a great day. Hey, I have that lingerie on you like, you wanna get an early night?’ She purred.

He pulled her in close, grabbing a butt cheek in each hand, feeling the suspender belts beneath the fabric of her dress.

Their baby started to cry upstairs.

‘God damn it, I’ll give him this, he has impeccable timing. One moment babe, I’ll be right back,’ he said as he ran upstairs, his mind full of images of what he’d do with his wife that night. Half way up the stairs the crying stopped. David paused, but thought he should pop his head in to check on Oscar anyway. He reached the door and quietly opened it and looked inside.

Something felt wrong, he could feel a cold breeze in here but he’d not left the window open. Opening the door wider to let more light in he looked at the empty cot and then over to the wide open window. His mouth opened in shock as his stomach did a summersault. He felt sick.

‘Oscar?’ he said, in a desperate hope that their baby who couldn’t walk yet might have somehow hidden himself somewhere in the room

‘Everything OK babe?’ Susan shouted up the stairs, ‘this dress won’t remove itself.’

‘Susan, you’d better get up here!’

Hostile take over

May 19
th

The Pit club, Manhattan.

Lucian stalked along the corridor of his Coven’s Sepulchre where they made their home, hidden deep beneath the Pit Nightclub in Harlem. It had been a day since the Lotus had started watching Amanda’s house in Greenwich Village, a day since she had left Shaun to supposedly stake out the House and wait for Yoh. Surely Yoh would be visiting the house every day, it seemed like it from Shaun’s reports.

This whole thing had been dragging on for far too long and had started to make a mockery of his leadership. How could he be the King of New York if he couldn’t keep his kingdom in line?

Ekua had been at his heels the whole time, dogged in his determination to discredit him and his leadership in the eyes of the other Coven members. He knew he could count of the support of Raal, Lex and Aneurin though, they knew of his predicament, they knew of Yasmin and the threat he had been under and the stress it had caused him.

No amount of back stabbing comments could change their minds, or at least he hoped so. So far they had been at his side the entire time, trusted associates who he could call on whenever he needed them.

Ekua had fostered some support from Joaquin, Lucian’s man in Columbia who visited from time to time, and in Bull, but that wasn’t difficult, that simple minded beast master followed whoever paid him enough attention. Something Lucian had not done over the past few weeks due to recent events.

He also had some support in ranks of the Coven’s Initiated, but again, Lucian knew he could swing them back to him any time he wished.

Still, Ekua could not be underestimated, Lucian had to be on his guard the whole time.

Lucian planned to hold another meeting this morning to go over recent events and plan their next move with his close supporters, before dealing with his other business interests.

As he walked up the corridor, towards a T junction, he felt a tingle in his extended senses, a sense of foreboding about the next few moments that warned him of something potentially dangerous.

Looking up, he saw one of Bull’s Scion Wolves stalk around the corner into view. These things were huge, wolf like creatures, their dark skin covered in patches of unkempt black hair. Its yellow eyes were locked on Lucian as it bared its teeth and uttered a low, guttural growl that rumbled along the corridor.

Behind it, Ekua strolled into view, his large frame relaxed and with a very superior look on his scarred face. He wore only a stained white vest top with baggy jeans and trainers, his only visible weapon an evil looking knife in his fist.

Behind him, looking very apprehensive and staying in the shadows stood Bull, a large bald man wearing functional clothes and a rubber apron stained with blood.

Lucian had stopped walking and waited to see what Ekua might do next, while his now Multitasking mind worked overtime to shore up his already powerful defences and prepare for the fight he felt must be fairly inevitable at this stage.

He noted a second of Bull’s wolves closing in behind him, also ready to pounce, just like the first.

‘Whaa gwaan Ekua?’ Lucian asked.

‘Don’t play coy with me guy,’ Ekua said, pointing at Lucian. ‘This has gone on for long enough. Your incompetence has made us look weak mon. Nymira needs to know of what you be doin.’

‘You think she don’ know ‘bout all this? She knows every-ting mon.’

‘Bullshit. She don know shit. I’m here to make you an offer.’

‘Really?’ Lucian said, incredulously.

‘Step down now, name me Coven leader, and dis ting will be ended. No more will be said.’

‘And if I don’t?’

‘Do I need to spell it out for you?’ Ekua said, indicating the two wolves that had inched closer to Lucian with his hand.

‘I think if you want leadership of dis coven, you need to come and take it, pussy.’

Ekua cocked his head to one side and let out a breath.

Lucian sensed the subtle Essentia pulse that came from Ekua at that moment, a simple discrete message sent to the two Scion wolves on either side of him. A heartbeat later and the two attack dogs launched themselves at Lucian, their fanged maw’s gaping, drool flying as they attacked.

But they never made it. Two huge blocks of concrete, each over a meter cubed launched themselves from the walls into each of the two wolves, slamming into their sides and crushing them against the opposite wall. Blood exploded from the two creatures, catching everyone in its spray of gore as the two wolves whimpered once before dropping silent forever more.

Lucian wasted no time, part of his mind had also reached out to his two most combat ready allies, Raal and Lex the moment the wolves had pounced. Lucian moved, running and launching himself over the debris between him and Ekua, his black cloak and dreadlocks flying out behind him as he sailed over the concrete block, landing deftly before Ekua just as his two Allies Ported into the corridor. Raal stood next to where Lucian landed while Lex appeared next to Bull, and immediately grabbed him, putting him into a painful hold to immobilise him.

Magic poured out of Raal, flooding Ekua’s Aegis with disruptive energy to try and break down his Aegis. Lucian did the same, his multitasking mind working several effects at once.

Essentia lashed out, striking Ekua’s Aegis, breaking it down, pushing it to its breaking point, while at the same time, Essentia poured into a Dagger of his own that Lucian pulled from his belt, ready for attack. Still another part of his mind flung large rocks of concrete at Ekua that were not deflected by his Aegis, hitting his body hard and knocking him back while Lucian advanced upon his foe, ready to attack.

Ekua did his best, Lucian watched as he tried to bolster his Aegis, to pull in Essentia and keep his shield in place, his biggest defence against Lucians attack and his best chance of staying alive, but it wouldn’t be enough. With Raal there, Lucian knew he couldn’t resist for long.

Sure enough, seconds later, with a snap of magical energy, Ekua’s Aegis fell apart. Lucian moved in quickly, his dagger in hand and started to throw punches and kicks at his Coven mate. Ekua defended well, getting in a punch and swipe of his own dagger, while his other mind tried to work Magic.

Lucian wouldn’t let up though, as they moved along the corridor in a desperate fight for supremacy, Lucian’s other minds watched and worked. Every time Ekua tried to work Magic, Lucian blocked him, throwing two or three of his minds at the effect to dissipate the Essentia quickly, stopping Eku’a Magic before it even started. Meanwhile Lucian’s other minds, of which there were six in total, threw rocks and debris and other items along the corridor at Ekua, distracting him and keeping his own Multitasking mind as busy as Lucian could.

Lucian knew how to fight, skilled in a number of Martial Arts and willing to fight dirty to get what he wanted, he made a formidable opponent. He kept the pressure on Ekua and a few moments later Ekua messed up leaving a gap in his defences. Lucians spin kick connected heavily with Ekua’s jaw, breaking it with a loud crack and slamming his head against the wall.

Ekua dropped to the floor, his defences dropped for the moment as he tried to recover from the brain rattling kick.

Lucian didn’t wait, he reached in, grabbed Ekua by the scruff of the neck and easily hauled him up off the ground against the wall. Lucians other hand moved like a flash, the daggers blade flashing as he brought it across the stomach of Ekua.

Blood and ropey intestines spilled from Ekua’s gut, splashing to the floor while his insides rolled out of him, uncurling onto the slick red puddle at Lucian’s feet.

Ekua gurgled as blood rose up into his mouth, but Lucian hadn’t finished with him yet. He dropped Ekua back to his feet, so he stood face to face with him, but still held him up as his opponents strength faded.

‘Nice try Ekua, I respect your loyalty to our mentor, and it’s for that reason alone I grant you this,’ said Lucian.

In one swift movement, Lucian jammed his dagger up under Ekua’s jaw, into his brain, killing him, granting him a quick death in the end.

After holding him there for a second, Lucian withdrew the blade and dropped the body to the floor. He stood there for a moment, looking down at the bloody mess at his feet. He knew this had been coming. Ekua had always been brash and often did things a little too soon or without enough preparation. He also underestimated the loyalty of the other Coven members to Lucian, no doubt thinking that the fight would be one on one. But Lucian had been prepared, he’d had Raal and Lex on alert for days now, knowing that he’d need to call them at a moments notice for their aid should Ekua try to kill him.

Even knowing this, knowing that Ekua would try to kill him, he still felt angry. Ekua’s death, as inevitable as it apparently had been, felt like a waste to him. Surely as Nomads they should not be bickering amongst themselves, but instead be working together against their mutual enemy. He could have used him in the coming fight that would no doubt happen with these damn Arcadians. Ekua had been a skilled and competent Magus, probably a match or better for this red head Amanda. He’d certainly need all the backup he could get against Yasmin when the time came as well.

He put up and played along with Yasmin’s stupid request for the time being, but his harassment of Amanda and her friends would probably come to a boiling point sooner or later, and when that time came, Lucian would defend himself and if need be, kill her. Yasmin be damned.

But now Ekua would be no use to anyone, and would likely be used to feed the remaining 3 wolves in the levels below.

Remembering the other member of his Coven that had been stood beside Ekua, Lucian turned to Bull where he stood with Lex. Her left arm around his neck and his right arm held by her behind his back.

He walked up to the pair, blood from Ekua splattered all over his chest and face and watched as Bull struggled against Lex’s hold.

‘Lucian, I’m sorry, he made me do it, he made me. He hurt me Lucian, he did terrible things to me, to my babies.’ Bull looked over at the crushed remains of two of his wolves, and sniffed, clearly upset.

‘Let him go,’ said Lucian to Lex, who released her hold on Bull who dropped to his knees.

He clasped his hands together and looked up at Lucian through his tears.

‘You know I’m loyal to you Lucian, always. I’m sorry, I had no choice.’

Lucian actually kind of felt sorry for this simpleton, who Ekua had no doubt easily manipulated into helping him. These wolves, the two dead ones here and the three more that were elsewhere in this complex were his life. They called him the Beast Master because that’s all he did. He looked after these creatures, turned them into the lethal killing machines that Lucian needed them to be.

The death of two of them would be punishment enough, nothing else would even come close to hurting him in the same way. So Lucian crouched down in front of Bull and put one hand on his shoulder. Bull went quiet, probably unsure what Lucian would do next.

‘I know Bull, you’re a loyal and valued member of this Coven. We will clean up this mess for you.’

‘No!’ Blurted out Bull.

Lucian raised his eyebrows at the outburst.

‘Sorry, but no, I’ll do it. They were my babies, let me. Please.’

‘Of course Bull, of course,’ said Lucian. He stood up then and looked at Raal and Lex. ‘A meeting, now, in the main meeting room. Bring Aneurin and Joaquin. I’ll bring the others. Go now.’

With that, Lucian started to walk down the corridor to the stairs and ascended two levels to the topmost private level. As he did so, his multitasking mind hunted down Shaun, who he found in his lair with Ben. He reached out and broadcast his voice to the room.

‘It’s Lucian, drop your Aegis and let me Port you to the meeting room.’

He watched them stop in their tracks, listening to the voice that sounded in their lair like an unusually crisp and clear speaker might.

Shaun hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. ‘Done,’ he said. 

Lucian Ported them both to the Meeting room.

His other minds found his Biker gang of Initiated in the garage around the rear of the Club, They had no Aegis to worry about, so he just Ported them all into the Meeting room without warning, just as he stepped into the room. Seconds later Lex, in her mystic robes, Raal in his customary Black outfit, Aneurin in his dirty Jeans, dishevelled shirt and clipboard and Joequin, also in Jeans and shirt, but looking much better in them than Anuerin could ever do, all Ported into the room in a succession of whips and cracks of air, being suddenly displaced.

Apart from Raal and Lex, they all looked at Lucian in a mixture of curiosity and horror at his blood soaked body.

‘Ekua is dead. He tried to take leadership of this Coven from me, and he paid da price. Anyone else want to join him?’ Lucian bellowed.

He felt angry, furious about this turn of events. So he wanted it out there in the open that he would not stand for this kind of insubordination, and make it clear what would happen to those who try to take his Coven from him.

The room remained silent as Lucian looked over the stoic faces of those in the room. No one dared move lest he be next to feel Lucian’s wrath.

‘Good,’ he said. Satisfied for the moment even though his blood still ran hot. ‘Shaun, an update on the Lotus please.’