Authors: Angela Knight
Master of Smoke (6 page)
“No.” Opening his mouth, David felt his incisors lengthen into fangs. “Now you will listen.” He drew back and slammed Ronnie against the wall again to make sure he was paying attention. “Are you listening?”
“Yeah! Fuck, yeah!” Beginning to purple, Ronnie clawed frantically at David’s arm.
“Your woman is going to leave you.” Slowly, David began to squeeze until the drunk gagged. “Which is no more than you deserve. And you will do
nothing
. If I see one bruise, one scrape, hear one cry ...” The human was definitely purple now, and his eyes rolled in terror. “... You are dead. I will take my time killing you, and then I will see to it that you are never found. Do you understand?”
nothing
. If I see one bruise, one scrape, hear one cry ...” The human was definitely purple now, and his eyes rolled in terror. “... You are dead. I will take my time killing you, and then I will see to it that you are never found. Do you understand?”
He released his grip, letting the human fall. Ronnie staggered, gasping until he managed to wheeze, “Yeah! Yeah, I won’t touch her again. I swear!”
Coward,
David thought in satisfaction.
There will be no more trouble from this one.
David thought in satisfaction.
There will be no more trouble from this one.
In the distance, sirens wailed, drawing closer. “Now. You will confess to the police exactly what you did to your wife and child.” David displayed his fangs again. Ronnie stared at him with hypnotized terror. “Make sure they lock you away—away from
me
.”
me
.”
“Yeah.” Ronnie blinked at him and sidled away. “I’ll tell ’em everything.”
THREE
Satisfied that the
human was suitably cowed, David caught his arm and hauled him back into the apartment. Eva looked up when he entered, as she knelt next to Shelly. Terry crouched beside his mother in a small, miserable knot.
human was suitably cowed, David caught his arm and hauled him back into the apartment. Eva looked up when he entered, as she knelt next to Shelly. Terry crouched beside his mother in a small, miserable knot.
David dragged Ronnie over to them by one arm. “Apologize to your wife, and tell her that she will come to no more harm at your hands.”
The man licked his lips. “I’m ... uh, sorry, Shelly. I shouldn’t have hit you.”
“And?” David prompted, his tone cold and warning.
Ronnie’s eyes rolled toward him, and he blanched. “And if—when!—when you go ... I ain’t gonna hurt you.”
Shelly blinked at him in dizzy surprise. “Uh. Okay.”
Grimly satisfied, David hustled Ronnie to the bedroom, shoved him inside, and slammed the door.
As he returned to the kitchen, he heard Shelly tell Eva, “I guess you’re right. We’ll go to the shelter.” She sounded tired and depressed. “I can’t let him go on hurting Terry.”
David smiled at her carefully, trying not to show his fangs. He did not want to frighten the human or her child. “That is wise.”
Belle cast the
shimmering magical gate in the center of Davon’s living room. The doctor stared at the swirling portal with eyes gone wide and dark. “And this thing leads to another dimension?”
shimmering magical gate in the center of Davon’s living room. The doctor stared at the swirling portal with eyes gone wide and dark. “And this thing leads to another dimension?”
“Right,” she said patiently, beginning the spiel she’d repeated until she could recite it in her sleep. “It leads to the Mageverse. That’s an alternate dimension where magic is one of the universal forces. We all draw our power from it. Now that you’re Magekind, you’ll need to live there at least part of the time in order to survive.”
“So I’m supposed to just walk through this ... door?” He eyed the gate dubiously.
“Yep. Want me to go first?”
He shot her a cool look, his manhood evidently offended. “That’s not necessary.” Davon squared his broad shoulders and stepped through the gate.
Smiling faintly, Belle followed to find him standing on the other side, staring around in awe. All around them, the city of Avalon lay sprawled under the star-flecked night sky. Castles, mansions, and châteaus glowed with magic, their high stone towers reaching for the quarter moon. Magekind witches and vampires wandered the cobblestone streets, some in twenty-first-century jeans and shirts, others in medieval velvet glittering with gems. A few wore garb from other times and countries: kimonos, saris, flowing robes in shimmering silk, even feathers or fur or leather. It all depended on the wearer’s magical whims.
Belle watched Davon as he turned in a slow circle, his lips parted in astonishment at the sheer, exuberant beauty of the ancient city. “And this is where the Magekind lives?” he asked at last. “Including King Arthur?”
“He’s not a king anymore, but yeah.” Deciding he’d had enough time to sightsee, she caught him by the arm and turned him toward a sprawling Mediterranean villa with walls of cream stone and tall, arched windows. “You’ll be staying here. I call it Joyous Guard ...”
He looked at her. “After Lancelot’s castle?”
Apparently Davon had been doing some research. “Right. Lance used to be a Magus court seducer before he got married a couple of years ago. I built this place to house all the recruits, male and female. Most of them live here until they build a place of their own,” she explained as they started up the stone walkway. When she’d conjured Joyous Guard years ago, the intricate spell left her feeling drained and sick for more than a week. But it had been worth it to ensure the recruits had a decent place to live.
“And I’ll be sent out on missions.” He looked dazed.
“Yes, once you’ve had some training. The original knights and ladies of the Round Table swore an oath to Merlin, promising to protect humankind against its self-destructive impulses. We’ve been doing that job ever since.” Belle grimaced. “And judging from what’s been going on lately, we’ve got plenty of job security.”
Davon gave her a sharp look. “So you’re basically a recruiter.”
“Exactly.” They walked through the building’s double doors.
A tall Native American almost ran into them as they turned into the main corridor. His handsome face lit in a dazzling smile. “Belle!” He gathered her into a bear hug as Davon watched in surprise. “How are you?”
“Fine, Richard.” She hugged him back and accepted his hearty kiss. “How are you? Settling in?”
“Yep. Reece Champion says I’m making real progress on my combat skills. He said I should be ready to go on my first mission in a month or so.”
“Belle?” A broad-shouldered Iraqi emerged from his apartment to join them, a brilliant smile lighting his dark face. “It’s great to see you. And with a new recruit, I see.”
“Davon Fredericks, Mohammad Hasan.” As the men shook hands, Belle gestured to Richard, who offered his own with a broad smile. “Richard Spotted Horse, Davon. Davon just completed his transformation.”
“Welcome to the club,” Richard said, pumping Davon’s hand. “If you like, I’ll be happy to show you the ropes.”
Davon returned the big man’s smile. “Hey, thanks. I need all the help I can get.”
“It is not as intimidating as it seems,” Mohammad added in his exotically musical accent. “The Magekind has a pretty good system for easing you in. Would you like a tour?”
“I’d appreciate it,” Davon told him.
Belle smiled, knowing she could surrender her new recruit into the capable hands of the older ones, just as she’d been doing for hundreds of years.
Half an hour
later, Belle found Morgana Le Fay on the city’s practice grounds, a manicured expanse of grass dotted with combat circles of carefully raked sand. Low bushes separated the circles, bursting with a variety of white blooms that perfumed the air with sweetness.
later, Belle found Morgana Le Fay on the city’s practice grounds, a manicured expanse of grass dotted with combat circles of carefully raked sand. Low bushes separated the circles, bursting with a variety of white blooms that perfumed the air with sweetness.
Morgana watched Tristan and Arthur batter each other in one of those circles, blunted swords swinging in flashing arcs. The two men wore suits of magical armor that glittered in the moonlight as they circled, attacked, and retreated in a dazzling display of agility and strength.
Despite the complicated rhythms of combat, Tristan was simultaneously carrying on a spirited argument with Morgana.
“What about Delfina?” he demanded. “She’s worked with me before.”
“Which is why she doesn’t want to work with you now,” Morgana said, an edge of impatience in her voice. “She said, and I quote, ‘Tristan may be a Knight of the Round Table, but he’s also an arrogant prick. “Model of chivalry,” my rosy pink arse.’”
“I’m extremely chivalrous,” Tristan said, deeply offended. He spun, his blade flashing right at Arthur’s helmeted head. “And I need a witch for this mission.”
Arthur blocked the blow, then counterattacked, driving Tristan backward with a rain of blows. “Prick or not, Morgana, I want him in on this hunt.”
As Belle joined her, Morgana met her gaze and rolled her eyes. “Then he needs to quit being such a jackass. I can’t get anybody of the necessary power and experience to agree to work with him. And I don’t dare send one of the younger Majae. Not against Warlock.”
Vampires—who were always male—could not work spells, though they could shapeshift. Only female Majae like Belle and Morgana had magical abilities. Which meant if Tristan wanted a dimensional gate opened, he needed a Maja partner to do it for him.
Why Merlin had divided magical abilities along sexual lines, nobody knew. It was just the way things worked, at least for the Magekind. The rules were different for dragons, werewolves, and Sidhe warriors like Smoke.
But then, Merlin hadn’t created them.
“So order someone, dammit,” Arthur snapped, as he circled the knight, blade clanging on blade as each tested the other’s guard. “I want that bastard found. He killed twelve Latents and damn near blew my son to hell, along with a whole bunch of mortals. And we still haven’t found Smoke, which strongly suggests the Sidhe’s dead, too. If he’s not, I want him found. Either way, Warlock needs to pay.”
“I’ll go with him.” Belle blinked in appalled surprise as the words left her mouth.
What the hell did I just say
?
What the hell did I just say
?
In his astonishment, Tristan dropped his guard. Arthur’s blunted sword clanked hard against his helmed head, and he staggered. Shaking off the blow, he flipped up his visor and glowered at her. “Forget that.”
Instantly offended, Belle glared back at him. “I have more than enough experience.”
“In the sack, perhaps ...”
“
Combat
experience, jerk,” she snapped, stung. “Arthur said I acquitted myself well in the Dragon Wars.” Belle gave the former king her best demanding stare. “Didn’t you?”
Combat
experience, jerk,” she snapped, stung. “Arthur said I acquitted myself well in the Dragon Wars.” Belle gave the former king her best demanding stare. “Didn’t you?”
“She did,” Arthur said, bracing his blunted weapon on the ground. He flipped his visor up, revealing his bearded face and dark, acute gaze as he studied his friend.
“I don’t care,” Tristan snapped. “I don’t want her.” He turned and lifted his sword. “Let’s try that again.”
Furious at his cavalier dismissal, Belle balled her fists and took a step toward the field. “I’ll show you combat, you arrogant ...”
Morgana caught her by one shoulder and dragged her to a halt. “Not a good idea, darling.” She dropped her voice. “What’s this about, Belle? You’ve never evinced much interest in going on field missions before.”
“Maybe I’m sick of being the Whore of Avalon.” She glared at Tristan, now in an intense low-voiced argument with Arthur.
Her friend stiffened in outrage. “Who would dare call you such a thing?”
“Spare me, Morgana. I know you’ve heard it before. They rarely say it to my face, but they do say it.”
“I assure you, nobody uses that name in
my
presence. Maja court seducer is a difficult and dangerous job, and you’re the best at it we’ve ever had. How many others have we lost to blood-mad vampires? You know how to handle them. And every man you’ve Changed adores you still.”
my
presence. Maja court seducer is a difficult and dangerous job, and you’re the best at it we’ve ever had. How many others have we lost to blood-mad vampires? You know how to handle them. And every man you’ve Changed adores you still.”
“Only because they don’t know how ready I was to kill them.” Belle lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Trouble is, I’ve stopped caring. The next time one of them goes blood-mad, I may not bother to conjure a knife.”
Morgana’s head rocked back as if she’d been slapped. She stared at Belle a frozen moment before she turned toward the two men and lifted her voice. “Belle goes with you, Tristan. Or no one does.”
The knight jerked around, and he stared at her, disbelief on his handsome face. “What? I’ll not ...”
“You will if you want magical assistance.”
Tristan turned toward his friend. “Arthur ...”
The immortal lifted both big hands in a warding gesture. “Morgana is the liege of the Majae, Tristan. I don’t tell her how to assign her women, and she doesn’t tell me how to assign my men. You know that.”
“But ...”
Arthur shot Morgana and Belle a look, then turned deliberately back to Tristan and squared his massive shoulders. “You also know that I am your liege. And I’m
ordering
you to work with La Belle Coeur.”
ordering
you to work with La Belle Coeur.”
The knight snapped his mouth closed on whatever argument he’d been about to make. He gave Belle a glower, then swept a courtier’s bow. “As you will, Sire.”
Before Belle could decide whether she’d just won or gotten herself in a great deal of trouble, Tristan stalked off the field to catch her by one arm. “Come on,
partner
. We’re going to have a little talk.”
partner
. We’re going to have a little talk.”
And he hauled her after him.
It was two
in the morning before David and Eva returned to her apartment. Shelly’s mother had arrived just before the ambulance crew, announcing she was going to take the pair to her house after they got checked out at the emergency room.
in the morning before David and Eva returned to her apartment. Shelly’s mother had arrived just before the ambulance crew, announcing she was going to take the pair to her house after they got checked out at the emergency room.
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