Magi Saga 2: Shadows of Darkness (16 page)

Shaun shifted on the spot, clearly not comfortable.

‘Ur, sir, is here the best place…’

‘Now Shaun!’ Lucian spat.

‘It’s not good news sir.’ Said Shaun quickly. ‘She attacked Yoh, and from what we can see, she did manage to kill him…’

‘But,’ Lucian said, anticipating the next word.

‘But, he seemed to have been turned into a Scion. We saw a woman who we’re not familiar with turn him in the doorway at the rear of the house.’

Lucian closed his eyes.

‘And the Lotus?’ he asked.

‘She made it into the house, evading Amanda, which is where she killed Yoh before the Scion arrived, but she never came back out.’

‘Is she dead mon?’

‘That is my assumption.’

The anger inside Lucian boiled once more. He pulled the gun from his belt and fired it at Ben who stood next to Shaun, blowing a 3 inch hole out the back of his head that covered the side of Shaun’s face in brain and blood.

Lucian looked at Shaun, whose mouth stood agape in shock as he looked down to where Ben’s body had dropped to the floor.

For a moment, the room stood silent, the blast from the gun ringing in Lucian’s ears in this confined space.

No longer able to contain his rage, Lucian roared and slammed his two fists into the top of the oak table, splitting and fracturing it.

‘I want this fucking group of Arcadians out of my city right now!’

‘Can we not just kill them?’ Joaquin asked. Lucian looked at his coven mate, the only person in the room who did not know about the situation with Yasmin.

‘Arch magus Yasmin has forbidden me to kill Amanda and her two friends, threatening my life, and all of yours as well should we do so.’

‘Yasmin? As in Yasmin the Dark? Red Yasmin?’ Joaquin said, surprised.

‘The same,’ Lucian answered flatly.

‘Holy shit.’

‘I need something to scare Amanda, to convince her that she must leave this city, today,’ said Lucian.

No one answered, silence filling the room as everyone started to think. Lucian sat down at the table, tired and stressed at the events of the morning so far. After a moment, he heard movement at the far end of the room.

‘Sir, I might have an idea,’ said one of the bikers.

Lucian looked up at the young man that had stepped forward. Lucian knew all the names of the guys in his biker gang, but didn’t really know the intimate details of their lives or what they did when they weren’t with him. Lucian only really knew this kids name.

‘What is it Jason?’ asked Lucian.

Lucian stepped up to the wooden door on the side of the Church of the Devine Mother, just a block away from the PIT club. He produced a key from the inside of his coat and unlocked the door. He walked in, followed by Joaquin who had accompanied him here.

He shut the door behind him and locked it, before starting to navigate through the small rooms and narrow corridors at the back of the church.

‘Are you going to let me in on this plan of yours then Lucian?’ Joaquin asked.

‘You’re the second part, you and Noah, after Jason does his bit. You’re gonna be in charge of logistics, while Noah… Noah will be indulging in his own personal tastes.’

‘Oh God,’ muttered Joaquin. Knowing what that meant.

Lucian eventually found his way to a plain wooden door and used another key he produced from his coat and let themselves through, locking it behind them. The room looked like it had once been a storage room, but on the far side of it just a few feet from the door, a huge hole opened up covering the back wall and part of the floor that plunged into the ground beneath the church at a steep, but walkable angle.

They paused for a moment, looking down into dark passageway.

‘He’s down there?’ asked Joaquin.

‘That’s where he said to come,’ Lucian answered, referring to his earlier Magical link with Noah to ask to see him.

As they gazed down the tunnel they could see things, large, things, like insects, but much, much bigger, skittering over the walls.

‘I can’t wait,’ Joaquin said, sarcastically.

Lucian stepped forward, carefully making his way down the roughly carved steps into the depths beneath the church. They passed huge deformed cockroaches and other bugs that stayed well out of the way of them, seemingly sensing they were allowed inside, or maybe they sensed the power of two Magi they didn’t want to anger.

Soon enough Lucian, followed by Joaquin, stepped onto level ground and made out the sounds of someone, a child, in pain, but they were muffled, as if they were gagged.

They walked forward, passing side corridors, and hearing moans and pleas for help coming from inside, again these voices sounded like children.

Eventually they passed from the corridor into a good sized room, carved from the rock. Parts of it were roughly hewn, others intricately carved with writhing bodies of demons and their victims in the throes of torture and rape.

Tables scattered about the room were occasionally filled with books or candles, or splattered with dry blood and implements designed to inflict pain.

Around the room there must have been half a dozen young children, in cages or chained to walls, some of them untouched, others mauled and beaten, all of them naked.

In the centre of the room, on an altar, a boy, no older than six or seven lay strapped upon the stone edifice. Gagged, and covered in cuts, bruises and bite marks. He fought against his attacker in vain as he looked at Lucian and Joaquin as they entered, at first in hope of release, his eye filled with pain and pleading for help.

The man, who stood beside the altar had his back to them, bent low over the boy’s legs, had been moving slowly in pleasure, but now stopped. Sensing a change in the room, he jerked his head up, tense for a moment, before relaxing and turning to face Lucian. The man wore a robe that covered his back and upper arms, but fell open all down his front, revealing his nakedness beneath.

The man had slicked back dark hair and hungrily licked his lips. Most of his face and front glistened in wet fresh blood, smeared all over him by his own hand.

‘Lucian, such a pleasure, you caught me in the middle of my breakfast.’

‘Apologies Noah, but this is urgent. I have a job for you.’

‘Business or pleasure?’ Noah asked.

‘A bit of both, you are to take a trip with Joaquin here. Can you be ready to leave in a few hours?’

‘For you Lucian, anything. May I finish my meal?’

‘We’ll wait outside,’ said Lucian, who led Joaquin out of the tunnels.

‘I don’t like working with that Paedophile Vampire. I find him to be… disagreeable,’ admitted Joaquin

‘Really mon? And yet your business and his tastes align rather well.’

‘Maybe,’ Joaquin admitted. ‘So, are you going to elaborate on your plan?’

‘Once Noah joins us. I can’t wait to see the look on Amanda’s face when she finds out.’

- Near Amarillo, Texas

‘Who’s that?’ Asked Reagan where she sat on Waylon’s lap in her short shorts and crop top.

‘That,’ said Saxon, pointing to the image of the red haired girl on the screen, ‘is a Young Magi called Amanda. Ya’ll may remember I told you of her when she went and moved into New York the other week.’

‘Whaaat?’ Reagan said, but stopped short when Waylon backhanded her arm in a gentle slap.

‘Quiet.’ He said.

Reagan noticed that Forest had been giving her the dead eye from across the room. So she shut her mouth and listened. She knew when she’d stepped out of place.

Forest turned back to Saxon. ‘And why are we talking about her again?’

‘Just got word from Victoria, Amanda here…’ he pointed at the image, ‘…is paying her a visit. You asked to be notified of such an occurrence, so what would you like me to say to Miss Victoria?’

Reagan watched as Forest stood and looked around the room at the other members of his Coven, the Magi Legion, who had attended this general meeting. This had been the final item on the agenda, and she was bored. She just wanted to get back to that there gun range and show Waylon who the boss really was.

‘Tell Victoria we’ll be there, me you and Stella.’

Reagan breathed a sigh of relief, for a moment there she thought he meant all of them would be going. He could keep stuffy Saxon and Mama Ward, all she wanted was her hunk of a man Waylon. She turned to him and ran her fingers through his handsome mullet.

‘I loves you babe,’ he said, his gold teeth glinting as he spoke. He pulled her in and pawed at her breasts with his left hand while kissing her. ‘Now, let’s get back to that there range, I’m a gonna whip you’re cute little be-hind.’

‘You can try sweet thang, but if I win, we do what I wanna do tonight,’ she said.

‘But if I win…’

‘I ain’t doin’ another threesome Waylon.’

‘Rules is rules though sweet cheeks. I do for you as you do for me.’

Reagan scowled, she didn’t know how he tricked her into doing this again, he was so smart, that’s why she loved him so, for them thar’ brains.

Bureaucracy

May 19
th

Washington DC, USA.

Amanda appeared in the same Porting room that she used when she had arrived here twelve days ago with Liz and Gentle Water before travelling to New York for the first time as a Magi.

Nothing had changed in the calm wood panelled edifice that stood testament to the might of this Arcadian Magi House. But this time she didn’t feel as impressed, this time she felt angry that this powerful organisation weren’t doing more to help against the likes of Lucian, who were killing her friends with impunity.

The Arcadians were meant to be at war with the Nomads, they were meant to fight them and drive them back, and yet, here they were, watching from the side-lines and letting Lucian run his little empire however he saw fit, killing any Arcadian in Manhattan without retribution.

Coming to see Victoria and asking for help seemed the obvious first step. Victoria seemed nice, friendly, and sympathetic to what Amanda was trying to do. She hoped she could persuade Victoria to lend a hand somehow.

So she had called the number she’d been given by her and requested a visit to the Washington Coven House. She’d been given a five minute window to Port into the room she now stood in, no doubt a security measure, and after a few seconds, the double doors in front of her were opened by Miss Evans who had met them here before.

‘Welcome back Miss Page. It’s a pleasure to see you again,’ she said.

Amanda smiled, but it never touched her eyes, after all, she wasn’t feeling particularly happy.

‘And you. I’m here to see Victoria,’ Amanda answered.

‘Of course, if you’d follow me,’ she said and led Amanda out of the room, shutting the doors behind her before leading the way down the same corridor as last time.

Amanda looked about her as she walked. The building seemed to be just as busy as last time, with everyone walking about in their nice pressed suits and looking every part the government office.

Amanda probably stood out as a visitor, wearing a knee length black skirt and, dark top, black tights and tall heeled boots. She wore a light jacket over the top with her scarlet hair tied back in a ponytail and followed the assistant down the corridor.

She sat alone in the outer room to Victoria’s office while Miss Evans made herself busy behind her desk. There were no Hollywood stars this time.

After a few moments Miss Evans reacted to something on her desk and she stood up to face Amanda.

‘You may go in now, they’re ready for you.’

They? Thought Amanda. Who were they? She had come here to see Victoria only, and now it sounded like she would be meeting with a group of people. She stood up and straightened out her top, suddenly a little apprehensive as to what she would be walking into. She took a deep breath and made sure to hold onto her anger and frustration at the situation in New York and not let the pressures of whatever she would be walking into here get the better of her.

Miss Evans opened the door and Amanda walked into the office of Victoria to find her suspicions confirmed. There were four other people in here apart from Victoria. They all sat before the huge oak desk in the center of the room, three of them to her left side, and one woman to her right. Victoria stood up from behind her desk as Amanda entered.

‘Amanda, please, come and join us,’ she said, and gestured to the empty chair in the middle of the group.

Amanda stepped forward and reached the chair, to her right the woman who looked to be in her late twenties with dark hair tied back in a bun, stood for a second and offered Amanda her hand.

‘I’m Kelly, Victoria’s Chief Secretary.’

Amanda took her hand and shook it.

‘Pleasure to meet you,’ Amanda said and looked over at the three people to her left.

‘This is Forest Ward,’ said Victoria, indicating the stocky man closest to Amanda who wore Jeans, red check shirt, a jacket and Cowboy hat, he had a bushy blonde beard and looked at her with steely blue eyes. He nodded once to acknowledge her, but didn’t offer his hand.

‘…Saxon Rey…’ Victoria continued, indicating the next man along who wore a suit and couldn’t looked more different to Forest with his neat hair and perfect teeth. Amanda got the vibe of a slick car salesman from him. He smiled at her.

‘A pleasure ma’am,’ he said in a thick Texan accent.

‘…and Stella Ward.’ Victoria finished. The woman didn’t even look at Amanda, but she guessed from her surname and the ring on her finger that she would likely be Forests wife. She wore similar cowboy jeans and boots with a check shirt and fur lined jacket.

Victoria sat down behind her desk, and Amanda got the impression that she seemed a little more harassed than the last time she had been here.

‘They represent the Magi Legion Coven,’ Victoria continued, referencing the three Magi to Amanda’s left, ‘and have an interest in what you’re doing in New York and why you’re here.’

‘Ok grand,’ Amanda answered.

‘As I understand it, you’ve had some trouble with Lucian since arriving in New York,’ Victoria stated.

‘That’s right, he…’ Amanda trailed off, the thought of having to explain everything to these people feeling like a huge, and maybe fruitless task. Now she sat here, she felt like a whining school girl complaining about someone pushing her in the playground. ‘Look, it’s getting beyond a Joke. He nearly Killed Yoh yesterday after setting a very skilled Assassin on us.’

‘And you’d like us to do what?’ Saxon asked.

‘Help of course!’ Amanda said incredulously.

‘So he’s not actually killed any of you?’ Saxon said.

‘Well, kind of.’ Amanda didn’t know what to say. Having these other Magi here from another Coven had thrown her off completely, and after only a few seconds they were starting to make light of her situation.

‘Kind of?’ Is Yoh dead or not?’

Amanda looked over at Saxon, and saw all three pairs of eyes on her now. Saxon’s expression open and questioning, framed on either side by two very sceptical faces that didn’t seem too friendly. ‘He’s, a Scion now. It was the only way we could save him.’

‘Excellent, so he’s alive and the attacker is…’

‘Dead, she’s dead,’ said Amanda.

‘What’s the problem then?’ he asked.

‘The problem is that I’m trying to make a life in New York, I’m trying to make a difference and I need your help. I want to fight back against Lucian, and I can’t do that alone.’

‘And yet you knew you were moving into a very dangerous city with an active Nomad Coven who would likely try and kill you, and when he does, you come crying to us for help?’

‘I am asking for help yes.’

‘Well I’m sure Victoria here will be happy to raise the issue in the next AMC meeting next month,’ referencing the American Magi Council, ‘but until then we can’t really do much. And, I wouldn’t hold out much hope, we help out our own here Miss Page. The Legacy is out of its jurisdiction and we as proud Americans will deal with Lucian when we feel the time is right. It’s a very delicate situation and if we just ride on in there without planning ahead, things could get very messy indeed.’

Amanda looked back at Victoria who seemed frustrated by the whole situation in this room, but had not yet said anything.

‘Victoria?’ She asked.

‘I’m sorry Amanda, there’s little I can do. My hands are tied. We have a system in place and it has to be followed.’

‘This is ridiculous.’

‘May I ask Miss Page? Has Lucian attempted to kill you yet?’ Saxon asked.

‘Not as such. He’s threatened me a couple of times,’ she admitted.

‘Really?’ Saxon said rhetorically.

‘Why ain’t he killed you yet darlin’ Forest asked, leaning in. His thick Texan drawl colouring his words. Amanda leant back a touch, away from the smell of chewing tobacco that accompanied his question.

‘I don’t… Well, I guess he tried.’

‘Tried? Look, everyone else who’s been to that there place in recent years has been hunted down and killed, within days of arrival and yet here you are, alive and well after twelve days in that city. Are you sure he wants you dead?’ Forest asked conspiracy in his voice.

‘What are you implying?’ Asked Amanda, her tone of voice guarded as she sensed the trap.

‘We’re not implying anything,’ said Saxon, breaking in before Forest could say anything else. ‘We’re just trying to find the truth.’

‘Of course,’ said Amanda before she turned and addressed Victoria. ‘I think were done here,’ she said.

‘So soon?’ Forest asked. ‘I thought you wanted our help?’

‘Yes, I do. But you seem scared of one little Nomad.’ Amanda goaded.

‘I ain’t scared of no bitch ass Nomad little lady. He’ll get what’s coming to him, you mark my words.’

‘Then help me, fight with me.’ She pleaded.

‘I’ll fight when I’m good and ready. You wanted to live there, so you deal with him.’

Amanda stood up, furious at the pig headedness of this wannabe cowboy, her legs pushing her chair back as she stood.

‘I will, and when I’ve finished with him, New York is mine.’

Forest sat back and looked up at Amanda, a smile passing over his face.

‘Sure, whatever you say little lady,’ his voice patronising and filled with disbelief.

Amanda took a breath and looked at Victoria.

‘Good to see you again,’ Amanda said, and turned towards the door. As she walked away, Victoria spoke to Kelly, asking her to walk Amanda out.

Kelly caught up with Amanda by the office door and walked through with her. Amanda, frustrated and angry, didn’t wait, she just walked away from the door as Kelly shut it behind her.

‘Hold up Miss Page,’ Kelly said.

Amanda stopped and looked back at Kelly over her shoulder, waiting for her to catch up.

‘Come with me,’ she said quietly to Amanda, and walked off down the corridor.

Shortly before the Porting room, Kelly opened a door and stepped through. Amanda reached the door and saw another office, slightly smaller than Victoria’s, but still well appointed. 

‘Come in,’ she said, and gestured for Amanda to close the door behind her. ‘Sorry for that farce in there. Victoria and our Coven in general are always under pressure from the other American Covens over one thing or another. The Legion is perhaps the group that opposes us the most and causes the most trouble. They were not happy about you moving to New York and insisted on meeting you the next time you came here. They almost certainly have informants in these offices, and have at least a couple of Initiated openly working here full time whose job it is to report back. So when you asked to visit, we had to invite them along.’

‘Who are they then? Just another Coven?’

‘That’s right. Ourselves and the Magi Legion are the two largest Covens in the U.S, I suppose the best analogy is that they’re right wing, we’re left wing.’

‘And they don’t like me very much?’

‘No. You’re a foreigner and you’re intruding on their territory, they’re not big fans of that.’

‘Their territory?’

‘Well, by that I mean America, but you get the idea.’

‘Look, I just want some help to get rid of Lucian. I think it can be done.’

‘Careful Amanda, many have tried. Lucian isn’t the most powerful Magi in the country, but his master is another matter entirely.’

‘Nymira,’ Amanda said.

‘That’s the one. The legion are watching us, and you. They don’t want us helping you and they are fully expecting you to fail and leave, or die any day now. The fact that you have lasted this long has surprised them.’

‘He won’t kill me,’ Amanda admitted.

‘
Won’t
kill you?’ Kelly asked quizzically.

‘He’s confronted me twice now, the second time I had no real back up, no protections other than my own Aegis. He could have killed me, easily. But he just had a few harsh words for me.’

‘That’s… unusual.’

‘I know, I’m still trying to work it out. But he has no problem trying to kill my friends in the meantime, which is why this needs to end.’

‘Of course, and while we can’t be seen to be giving you help directly, we will try to help you in other ways,’ and with that, she reached under the desk and pulled out a manila envelope and passed it to Amanda. ‘That’s everything we know about Lucian. It’s not much, we don’t even know where their main base of operations is, but there might be something in there that can help you.’

‘Thank you,’ Amanda said, taking the package from Kelly.

‘I hope you’re successful. I really do,’ offered Kelly.

‘Thanks. I’ll… see what I can do.’

Ten minutes later Amanda appeared out of thin air in her front room with a sudden pop of air.

That certainly had to be one of the stranger and more frustrating meetings she had been to for a while. The guys from the Magi legion were people she didn’t fancy meeting on a regular basis, that kind of xenophobia really didn’t agree with her.

She dropped the envelope onto the coffee table and slumped into her sofa, glad to be taking the weight off her feet. She hadn’t been sat down for more than a few seconds before she felt the familiar sensation of a presence outside her mind and Aegis, wanting to link with her. She recognised the presence right away as Xain and opened the link to him.