Modern Sorcery: A Jonathan Shade Novel Page 7

  “Why not destroy them?”

  “And unleash Ravenwood? Are you daft?”

  “That’s the word on the street.”

  “Listen closely. Destroying the crystals is bad. They must be protected.”

  “Fine, I’ll treat them like Faberge eggs. Where are they?”

  “One is in Brazil, another in Australia. The third, the Alyshian, was in David Miller’s possession. I had hoped to procure it from him after he killed Kathleen, but he didn’t have it on his person.”

  Cantrell looked surprised. “You were going to touch it? What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t about to allow it to end up in some evidence locker.”

  “Touching it is bad?” I asked.

  “If you ain’t descended from the Three, it is.”

  “Color me lost.”

  “If you ain’t from the Three, you’re easy to control. Ravenwood can get you to do his bidding.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Al said.

  “I doubt you need to touch it,” I said. “After I talked to you yesterday, a Sekutar showed up to kill Naomi. He was looking for the crystal. So you had to tell him where to look.”

  “There’s only one surviving Sekutar, and she’s sitting at this table.”

  “Bullshit,” I said. “I fought one yesterday.”

  “Utter nonsense. You’d be dead.”

  “He’s telling the truth,” Naomi said.

  “And I should believe you? After all, you were willing to spend your life with this hoodlum. You told him things you should have never shared with an outsider.”

  “He wasn’t an outsider.”

  “He’s genetically incapable of magic.”

  “That doesn’t make him an outsider.”

  “Technically,” Cantrell said, “it does. But that ain’t our concern here.”

  “I assure you that Blake Ravenwood is not a threat. His soul is still trapped. Even if the Alyshian Crystal were destroyed, the others are so far away that after a few days, his spirit would dissipate and things would return to normal.”

  “Normal?” Naomi said. “My parents are dead.”

  “I feel the pain of their loss too. But if Ravenwood were actually free, we’d all be dead.”

  “So you think the crystal was destroyed?” I asked, thinking about what Naomi had already told me.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Are you operating on that assumption?”

  “As I told you, if that were the case, his spirit would dissipate.”

  “Or maybe it would seep into another wizard through osmosis,” I said. “For all I know, Ravenwood is already controlling one or both of you like little wizard puppets.”

  “That’s stupid.”

  “Really? They didn’t have Sekutar warriors back in the 1600s, so how did he know to send one if you didn’t tell him? How would he know where Naomi lived if you didn’t tell him?”

  “First of all, Ravenwood is not free.”

  “Really? Then why are you here?”

  “I came to discuss something with Frank.”

  “But you’ve shared more with us than I ever would have expected. You’re either afraid or you’re hoping I can handle this for you.”

  “You? Mr. Shade, you can’t handle anything that involves magic. I looked you up. According to DGI records, both your parents were wizards, and yet you have no magic. Zero. Of what possible use could you be to us? Naomi and Frank, on the other hand, do have magic and would be of great use to us at the moment. Even Ms. Chan could prove useful, but you, sir, are completely worthless to us.”

  I tried to ignore the pain his words caused me. My thoughts vanished as Kelly moved.

  She jerked Al’s chair backward and jammed the toothpick up to his eye. “I don’t work for wizards,” she said. “And if you speak to my friend like that again, I promise you that I will pluck your eyes out one by one, eat them, then slit your throat and watch you bleed out. Do you understand me?”

  Al’s eyes widened as he stared at the toothpick. He was better at hiding his fear than I would have expected, but his voice sounded small when he said, “Yes.”

  “Told you she could wield a mean toothpick,” Cantrell said.

  Kelly righted the chair and tucked the toothpick back between her teeth. She gave me a look that told me she would always have my back, but then, I already knew that. She leaned close to Al. “Play nice or play dead,” she said.

  Al straightened his suit coat.

  “I gotta side with Shade here,” Cantrell said. “Who sent the Sekutar to Naomi’s place? That don’t make sense to me.”

  “I don’t know,” Al said.

  “So it’s possible that either Ravenwood is loose or someone has the crystal and could be possessed by his spirit or something?”

  “I admit that it would explain a few things. Perhaps David told him where to find Naomi.”

  “And give up his only daughter?” I asked.

  “He gave up his only wife.”

  “So what do we do?” Cantrell asked.

  “Mr. Shade and Ms. Chan can go back to living their lives,” Al said. “You and Naomi can come with me. We can find the Alyshian crystal, and if it’s intact, we can lock it up and this nightmare will be over.”

  “No offense, Al,” Naomi said. “I’m sticking with Jonathan.”

  “He has no magic. He can’t help you.”

  “He’s kept me alive so far.”

  “But he—” Al noticed Kelly leaning toward him. He shook his head. “As you wish. Call me if you need me.”

  “We won’t need you,” Kelly said. “You’re just something we stepped in, and we need to wipe you off our shoes.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Kelly dropped me off at my car and took Naomi with her to the dojo without a single complaint. As I drove to my office, I thought about what Al had said. He was right about a lot of it. I was living in denial. Without magic, there was no way I could win Naomi back. We got together when she knew about my ancestry. She didn’t care that I didn’t have any magic of my own, but when she learned that any kids we had would be unlikely to have magic, that was another story. We didn’t know that for sure, but she wasn’t willing to risk it. She wanted children who could grow up to be wizards. That was something I couldn’t give her.

  I’d have to settle for being someone who might be able to keep her alive.

  I arrived at the office around 9:30. Esther met me in the hall.

  “Just wanted to warn you there’s a torpedo waiting in your office.”

  A torpedo was Esther’s way of telling me there was a hired gun waiting for me.

  “Thanks, Esther. Just one?”

  She nodded.

  “How long has he been here?”

  “Ten minutes or so.”

  “Where is he now?”

  Esther poked her head through the wall then pulled back. “Leaning against the window behind your desk.”

  “Thanks.”

  She moved between me and the door. “Maybe you should scram. He scares me.”

  “No worries,” I said and entered the office.

  The Sekutar warrior was indeed standing by the window.

  “Hey, big guy,” I said as I walked to my desk. “How they hanging? Oh, I forgot, you’ve been snipped.”

  Esther moved along beside me, looking worried. “Don’t razz him.”

  The warrior smiled. “Jonathan Shade. You’re going to take me to Naomi Miller.”

  “Sorry, pal, she’s gotta wash her hair. Anything else I can do for you?” I sat down at my desk and opened the top right drawer where I kept my Beretta.

  “You have three choices,” the Sekutar said.

  “I can hardly wait,” I said, reaching into the drawer. I kept the gun out of sight as I flicked off the safety.

  “You can take me to her willingly, in which case you won’t be harmed.”

  “Nice. What are my other options?”

  “Just shoot him,” Esther said. �
�Shoot him now!”

  “Option two. I beat you within an inch of your life and you still take me to her.”

  “I don’t like that one. What’s behind curtain number three?”

  “You die.”

  I nodded. “Hmm, let me think.” I pulled out the gun and shot him in the head. “I’ll take option four.”

  The warrior staggered and slid down the wall to a sitting position. He shook his head then reached up and, with his thumb and forefinger, dug the bullet out of his forehead. He rose and tossed the bullet onto my desk, where it clattered and rolled to a stop against my closed laptop.

  “Uh-oh,” Esther said.

  The warrior grinned. “I told you there were only three options.”

  At least I knew a bullet to the head would slow him down. I stored that information and nodded. “In that case, is option number one still open?”

  He nodded. “Sure. Let’s go but leave the gun.”

  “I’d rather take it with me. I may want to shoot you again later.”

  “It won’t do you any good.”

  “Might make me feel better.”

  He laughed. “Suit yourself. Let’s go.”

  I stood and tucked the gun into the waist of my jeans. “I trust we’re taking my car?”

  “Works for me.”

  “Can you spot me ten spot for gas?”

  “Maybe I’ll just take your car after I kill you.”

  “But option one included me not being harmed, remember?”

  “That was before you shot me.”

  “All right but I’ve got dibs on killing you first.”

  He smiled. “I like you, Shade. You’ve got balls.”

  I winked at him. “I had to have a reduction.”

  “Take me with you,” Esther said.

  I grabbed the typewriter from the filing cabinet.

  “What’s with the typewriter?”

  “It’s my security blanket.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Can we go now?”

  “After you, sir.” I bowed and made a sweeping gesture with my free hand toward the door.

  Esther stayed by my side, telling me to scram all the way down to the car. She stepped through the car into the backseat. I set the typewriter on the seat beside her and climbed in.

  “Don’t let him in,” Esther said. “Step on the gas!”

  I unlocked the passenger side, and the warrior got in. He placed his sword between himself and the passenger door then fastened his seat belt.

  “Don’t trust my driving?”

  “Right-o, daddy-o,” the warrior said.

  “Dude, you’re spending way too much time watching reruns of Happy Days.”

  “Just drive.”

  I started the car and pulled out into traffic. “Let me ask you something.”

  The warrior looked over at me. “Ask away.”

  “Doesn’t the leather trench coat get kinda hot in June? Is this one of those gotta-suffer-to-look-cool things?”

  “You think you’re funny, but I understand you’re afraid and your feeble attempts at humor are simply your coping mechanism.”

  In the rearview, I noticed a black Lincoln Town Car keeping pace with us. “You my shrink now?”

  He grinned. If he wasn’t careful, I might think he was actually enjoying my company.

  “Seriously, then, let me ask you this. If I give you the crystal, will you leave Naomi out of this?”

  “You don’t have the Alyshian.”

  “Sure I do. It’s back at my place.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Let’s swing by there; I’ll prove it to you.”

  “Just take me to Naomi Miller.”

  “Okay, but if I take you to her, I’ll have to kill you.”

  “You’re welcome to try.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  I drove the warrior over to Kelly’s dojo. The Town Car stayed a few cars back but kept pace without any trouble. I didn’t even have to slow down. As I drove, I made it a point to see if I could spot the driver, but the windows were tinted. I wondered if it was another Sekutar or if it was one of the wizards. Al or Frank, perhaps? I parked at the dojo behind Kelly’s SUV and took the typewriter from the backseat so Esther could come with us.

  “Attaboy! You had a plan,” Esther said, smiling.

  I winked at her.

  The warrior got out of the car and tucked his sword into his trench coat.

  I led him into the dojo. There weren’t any classes in session this early, and the main floor was empty. Kelly lived in the apartment above the dojo, so I knew they were up there. I also knew I didn’t want the warrior going up to her place because he might damage some of her lighthouses. Kelly loved lighthouses and had a collection of pictures and models and such. There was something about being a lone sentry and a beacon of trust guiding ships from harm that appealed to her.

  “Wait here,” I said and set the typewriter on the counter by the cash register.

  The warrior removed his sunglasses and nodded. He had the cold, dead eyes of a shark.

  “Feel free to warn her,” he said. “It won’t do you any good.”

  I knew the Town Car would probably pull around back in case anyone tried to escape. I was counting on that, actually, because if it was another Sekutar, I didn’t want him or her coming in before we took care of the guy I had with me.

  I moved to the back of the dojo by the stairs that led to Kelly’s place. “Hey, Naomi!” I called up the stairs. “We have a playmate!”

  Kelly opened the door and smiled down at me. She loved playmates.

  “Be right down,” Naomi called. Of course, Naomi did not come down.

  Kelly did.

  The Sekutar stepped onto the mats and moved toward the center of the room. When Kelly stepped into view, I smiled at the guy as if to wish him luck.

  He looked Kelly up and down. “You’re not Naomi.”

  “And you’re not Brad Pitt,” she said. “I guess we’re both disappointed.”

  Since the warrior didn’t recognize her, that spoke volumes. I knew Kelly made note of it too. This guy was not a first-generation Sekutar. That meant someone had reinstated the project and created new warriors.

  “Shade, if you think I won’t kill a woman, you really don’t know me.”

  “To be honest, pal, I don’t want to know you.”

  “How would you like to die?” Kelly asked. “Hand-to-hand or weapons?”

  “You must be the resident sensei,” the warrior said.

  “At your service.”

  “You’re hopelessly outclassed, my dear. Step aside and I’ll let you live.”

  Kelly walked over to her weapons cabinet and opened it to reveal a broad assortment of blades. There were sais, daggers, katars, and a variety of swords. She selected a nice sword.

  “I trust you’re armed,” she said.

  He nodded but made no move to draw his sword. “Let’s dance.”

  Kelly walked toward him but didn’t raise the sword to a fighting position. She kept it down by her side, leaving herself open. “You may want to draw your sword,” she said.

  “For you? Nonsense.”

  “Cocky little bastard, aren’t you? It’s no fun if you don’t want to play.”

  “Oh, we can play.”

  “Your call. You right- or left-handed?”

  He smiled. “I’m ambidextrous.”

  “Good,” Kelly said. She whipped the sword around so fast, it was a blur. She lopped off the warrior’s left hand.

  He stared at the stump in disbelief but didn’t cry out. Sekutar warriors are magically engineered to feel no pain. There was some blood but not much. “You bitch,” he said and drew his sword, a katana much like the one David had used.

  He attacked hard and fast, but Kelly didn’t retreat. She simply parried and stabbed him in the chest.