Merlin's Children (The Children and the Blood) (41 page)

Harris didn’t move.

“Okay, forget the Blood,” Mud amended. “Screw the bastards, right? But they’ll get us out of here, and then we can head for the hills. Just push the alarm, okay? Come on.”

Harris glanced to the street. By the curb, three sedans were pulling to a stop.

“Dammit, Detective!” Mud snapped. “You owe me! I got you away from them! It’s your turn now! And think about who you’re dealing with here. That’s Bloody Queen
fucking
Ashe! Don’t you remember what she’s done? She’ll burn you alive the second she doesn’t need you anymore!”

He looked back at the little man trapped behind the melted lock and the electrified wall. Red-faced, Mud quivered, his fists clenched as though he was fighting the urge to punch the bars.

Harris shook his head. “Go to hell, Mud,” he said, and then followed the others out the door.

The Presidio Hotel rose twenty stories from the street in a wall of dark brick and ornately trimmed windows. Revolving doors of mirrored glass allowed no glimpse of the world inside the hotel, though the arched window towering above the entryway revealed a daunting chandelier and levels of marble-pillared galleries, while the red Lamborghini pulling into the drive hinted at the customary clientele.

In the back seat of a stolen sedan, Ashe tensed as a valet glanced toward their car. For a moment, the man paused, his brow furrowing, and then he shook his head at himself and pulled his attention squarely back to the Lamborghini.

She exhaled, her nails working tightly into her palm as her magic faded back inside.

Spider and the other cripples in the car ahead would have already been getting out of here if they’d seen any Blood around. She knew that. She’d been reminding herself of it for the past fifteen minutes. But so close to their goal, only a mile from Chaunessy and her sister and everything that would entail, little things like logic didn’t make her feel better.

Or address all the other allies Jamison had at his disposal.

Her gaze slid back to the nearby buildings and the painfully ordinary skyscraper hiding beyond their walls.

“Still clear?”

She flinched as Elias spoke. Studying the hotel, he made a sound of acknowledgment at the response from the wizard on the other end of the line.

“Rear entrance’s still good,” he told Nathaniel as he hung up.

The large wizard didn’t respond, but he followed the lead vehicle into the service drive alongside the hotel. Brick walls closed claustrophobically around them, and when they arrived in the tiny lot behind the hotel, Gavin and five other guards were waiting. As the cars pulled to a stop, Gavin gestured to the guards and quickly, two of them broke off from the group and hurried back down the alley to check the street.

“Inside,” Gavin said shortly as they climbed out. “First left, rear entrance to the ballroom.”

Nathaniel nodded and headed for the door. Striding after him, Gavin took up position by the steps, watching the rooftops before following them all inside.

The plush hallway was eerily silent, the noise of the lobby lost this far into the building. Dense maroon carpet deadened their footsteps, while the gold-rimmed light fixtures seemed to leave too many shadows in the richly decorated corridor. Scanning it all guardedly, Nathaniel rounded the first turn and strode toward the ballroom. The handle clanked as he twisted it open and then the door swung back with a pneumatic hiss to reveal two dozen Merlin standing beneath the chandeliers hanging above the pale marble floor.

Cornelius looked over as they came in, his hand rising to halt the words of an anxious-looking guard. Anger simmered beneath his impassive expression, though it faltered into swiftly hidden relief as he spotted her.

“You are unharmed? The guard just informed me there were wounded.”

“Prisoners,” Elias supplied.

Cornelius said nothing, his gaze running over her as if to ensure that the other wizard wasn’t lying. She looked away uncomfortably.

“Taliesin?” Nathaniel asked, curtailing any further questions.

“On the streets and rooftops a quarter mile from here,” Gavin replied as he pulled the ballroom door closed. A brief flash of magic twisted over the lock and then he turned, walking back toward them. “And every block farther on to Chaunessy.”

With barely concealed gratitude for the topic change, the guard by Cornelius nodded. “They appear to be concentrating on holding the perimeter. Sentries have doubled in the past hour, but we’ve seen little sign of patrols farther into the city.”

“Not like they don’t know where we’re headed,” Elias said dryly.

Gavin bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Though hopefully not how.”

“Your team ready?” Nathaniel asked.

“Soon,” Gavin replied.

The other guard’s gaze twitched toward the cripples. Discomfort flashed through his eyes, swiftly buried.

Nathaniel’s face darkened at the sight. “Go,” he ordered both men. “I want you on the streets in five.”

“Yes, sir,” Gavin said.

The other man was already heading for the Merlin guard.

“This tunnel,” Elias said, looking to Brentworth. “Where does it come out?”

“The lower basement of Chaunessy, below the parking garage. The level primarily consists of service areas for water pipes, so I doubt they will have bothered to upgrade security with cameras and such.”

“You heard of them doing anything like that?” Elias asked, turning to Harris.

Standing by the door, Harris blinked, pulling his gaze from the guards. “Nothing in the basement, no.”

“What about elsewhere? What emergency measures do they have prepared?”

The detective’s mouth tightened.

“Look,” Elias snapped. “While it’s nice that you agreed to use your thumbprint to get us in the door and all, what we really need is the Blood’s current security layout. So…” He gestured impatiently.

Harris exhaled. “Like I told you, cameras on the doors, with guards and alarms as well. Entry’s controlled with codes and biometrics. As for emergencies…” He shrugged. “The Blood learned from the way they took Chaunessy. They made changes everywhere. Biggest are the barriers between every few floors, in addition to the one outside. Jamison also controls a separate one around the penthouse. If they find out we’ve gotten past their outer defenses, the security office will enable the barriers to keep you from using those portal things to maneuver within the building. Then they’ll relay the location of the tripped defenses to their troops and send them to, well,” he grimaced, “kill you.”

Elias ignored the comment. “Where’s the security office?”

“Fifteenth floor.”

“How many stationed there?”

She turned away as the barrage of questions continued. Cole had wandered to one side of the ballroom, his gaze on the floor as if reading meaning from the flecks in the marble. Closer to the door, the cripples were ignoring everyone. Blackjack had dropped the large duffle bag he’d been carrying and Spider was crouched over it, checking the rifles inside. Bus and Samson stood with several others nearby, conferring quietly with short glances to the walls as though they could see through them to the buildings beyond.

“And you are
certain
they will not have shields on the basement floor?” Cornelius interjected behind her. “It may be underground but that does not mean–”

She headed toward Spider. The tunnel had to work. She couldn’t contemplate the alternative anymore.

Samson fell silent as she came closer, his face darkening, though Bus pretended not to notice.

“Your boys there don’t trust us,” the old man commented.

Spider glanced up, a dry note in her eyes, and Ashe tried not to grimace. Observant as hell, of course they’d seen the guard’s expression a moment before. “You’re Hunters,” she explained awkwardly. “They’ve seen you as a threat for about half a decade now.”

Bus’ eyebrow twitched with amusement and Spider returned to the weapons, but not before Ashe caught the satisfied look on her face.

“You guys okay with this?” she asked.

“Being your decoys, you mean?” Samson retorted. “We’ve been sniping your kind for eight years, your majesty. We’re pretty good at it.”

“This is the easy part,” Spider said quietly.

“The Blood are going to send everything they’ve got after you–” Ashe started.

“So you make sure those wizards of yours stay out of our way,” Samson finished.

Watching Spider, Ashe didn’t respond. Still examining the guns, the girl didn’t look up.

“Your highness,” Elias called. She glanced back to see Gavin and half the guards heading for the rear door. “We’re ready.”

The air pressed from her chest, but she nodded. Keeping her face as blank as possible, she turned back to the others.

“See you soon, kiddo,” Bus said before she could speak.

Words failed. Blinking, her eyes flicked over Samson and Blackjack before lighting on Spider.

The girl never looked away from the rifles.

Swallowing, Ashe nodded. “Yeah,” she said to Bus.

Drawing a breath, she turned and walked back toward the wizards. The remaining guard flanked Cornelius and Elias as they headed for the main entrance to the ballroom, leaving Cole, Harris and Brentworth to make do on the fringes of their protection. By the rear of the group, Nathaniel waited, and she fell in beside him without a word.

“Ashe.”

She glanced back.

Tossing a quick look over her shoulder to the cripples heading for the other exit, Spider jogged a few steps closer.

“You…” Spider started, and then trailed off, dropping her gaze to the floor with a frown. “Just watch your back, alright? And…”

She reached beneath her jacket and drew out one of her handguns.

“Take this,” she said, roughly pushing it into Ashe’s hands. “In case he gets your magic or… whatever.”

For a heartbeat, the girl paused and then, with a nod more for herself than anyone, she turned and strode back toward the others. The door swung shut behind them as they disappeared into the hall.

Ashe blinked. Her brow twitched down, the reactions choked before they could fully emerge.

“The others are waiting,” Nathaniel said quietly behind her.

She nodded. Automatically, her hands tucked the gun into the back of her jeans.

“Your highness.”

“I know,” she snapped, the words harsher than she’d intended. She drew a breath, struggling to sound calm. “I’m coming.”

She turned and started back toward the wizards.

Nathaniel’s hand caught her arm. She looked up at him in shock.

“That is not what I was going to say,” he told her carefully, his deep voice barely more than a murmur. “You must focus now, your majesty. The target ahead must be your only concern. Your friends chose their path, and the enemy will soon take its attention from them anyway. And until that time,” he paused, “I have ordered each of the guard to protect the Hunters with their lives.”

She stared at him. “T-thank you.”

He bowed his head and then met her eyes again. “Focus,” he repeated.

She took a breath and then nodded, glancing to the door. “After you.”

Nathaniel paused, his lip twitching in the closest she’d ever seen him come to a smile. Without a word, he headed back toward the others, leaving her to fall in behind.

*****

The lobby beyond the ballroom bustled with ringing phones, luggage carts clattering over tile and a dozen different conversations mingling to form an incomprehensible din. Staying close to Nathaniel, Ashe hurried after the others, drawing a breath of relief when they finally slipped around the door to the stairs. The brightly lit concrete stairwell gave way to an equally bright hallway, where panel lights glinted off the pale linoleum and the white cinder-block walls. As she stepped from the stairs, her nose wrinkled at the sting of industrial detergent hanging in the air and from the end of the long hall, multiple voices yelled over the dull roar of dryers and the rush of washing machines.

“Tunnel?” Elias asked Brentworth.

Silently, the old man moved past the guards to take the lead. Rounding a corner, he continued to a point halfway down the corridor and then stopped, regarding the wall.

Ashe watched him, her brow furrowing. The painted cinder blocks were unremarkable, though that wasn’t surprising. No trace of magic lingered on their surface, however, and Brentworth didn’t seem to think he needed any from the Merlin either as he pushed his fingers into several of the many indentations mottling the wall.

Nothing happened.

Her heart beginning to pound harder, she glanced to Elias, and Brentworth caught sight of the look. He gave her a humored smile, and then pressed his fingers to the indents again.

His smile faltered as nothing changed.

“Councilor,” Elias started.

Brentworth pressed harder.

A faint thunk sounded within the cinder blocks, and then a section of the wall swung back, revealing nothing but the dank smell of water-soaked stone.

Brentworth’s smile returned. “Magic can be such a giveaway, really,” he commented, a hint of condescension returning. “Imagine, after all, the trouble we could have had if one of you walked past and noticed it?” The smile broadened. “Sometimes, it’s better to hide things the old-fashioned way.”

She suppressed a scowl as the old man turned back. Worries about what Jamison would do to her sister, and about what the Blood would do to her friends, and about how many people with her might die were all enough. Worry that they wouldn’t even make it into the damn tunnel was more than she was ready to handle.

Exhaling slowly to calm down, she trailed Nathaniel through the narrow opening. Darkness waited ahead of them, with only the light from the hotel corridor letting her see enough not to trip as the rough concrete floor began to slope down.

Never taking his eyes from Brentworth, Cornelius waited till she passed and then raised an eyebrow at the old man. Without a word, Brentworth pulled the section of cinder blocks closed after him, killing every trace of light and sealing them inside.

Magic sparked to life in the hands of the wizards around her, illuminating the space in a pale blue glow. At a look from Cornelius, Brentworth slid past the group, leading the way by the glow of the lights behind him.