Mystic Flame (Beyond Ontariese 4) (14 page)

Trey quickly caught his brother up on all
that had happened. “Is Malos still strutting around the
Conservatory pretending nothing is wrong?”

“What became of Grat?” Tal digressed. “That
was unclear in your explanation.”

Dro Tar tensed, gazing off into the
distance, so Evan answered the question. “He used an old assassin’s
trick to try and incapacitate me, but the maneuver backfired. He is
dead.”

“I don’t think he saw a way out.” The guilt
in Dro Tar’s eyes made Evan want to sweep her into his arms and
shield her from the world. “He couldn’t bring himself to kill Evan,
but he knew Malos would kill him, and probably his brother, if he
failed.”

“But by taking his own life, he left his
brother unprotected,” Tal pointed out.

Trey shook his head, his gaze again on Dro
Tar. “He knew she’d protect Gine. He turned himself into a martyr
so she’d take up his cause.”

“Well, it worked. I feel guilty as hell
about this mess and I’m not going to let an innocent die because
his brother was unlucky enough to know me.”

She was thinking about Bron again. Evan
could see the familiar ghosts in her eyes and he didn’t need his
empathic gift to feel her aching torment. She thought she’d failed
her friends back then and there was no way she’d fail Gine now. The
perspective was warped and overly harsh, but he’d deal with her
attitude once they’d protected the boy.

“We’ll take care of Gine’s shadow and then
stash the boy somewhere safe,” Evan told Tal. “Gine knows Dro Tar,
so he’s more likely to cooperate with us. However, Malos must be
apprehended before he finds out about Gine.”

“I understand your concern and I agree that
the two must take place simultaneously. However, I believe Malos is
by far the bigger threat,” Tal said. “The attempt on your life
gives me justification to question Malos, but without your
testimony, I will be able to do little else.”

“I can send a team to pick up Gine,” Trey
told them. “I’ll see if Saebin’s available. Believe it or not,
she’s good with kids.”

Dro Tar nodded and even managed to smile.
“If he’s not safe with the overlord’s life mate, we’re all in
trouble.”

“Grat identified Milos as the person who
sanctioned the hit on Evan, so I have an obligation to
investigate,” Tal mused. “An in-depth interrogation should reveal
the motivation for all of Malos’ actions.”

“Just be careful,” Trey warned his brother.
“This can’t come off like a personal vendetta between you and
Malos.”

Tal looked insulted by the suggestion. “I
have no direct involvement in any of this.”

“That’s not quite true. Malos is fanning the
flames of a Mystic rebellion and everyone knows it.”

“Which only makes him more suspicious.”

Trey pushed to his feet and came out from
behind his desk. “Think about it. You sent one of my long-time
friends off to rescue Vee’s journal and she returns with a murder
plot leading straight to your rival’s front door? Might seem a bit
too convenient to an onlooker.”

After a moment of resistance, Tal sighed.
“You’re right. I will supervise the investigation and present
evidence, but the interrogation and eventual punishment must be
left to a tribunal.”

Trey seemed satisfied with Tal’s approach so
he turned back to Dro Tar. “I’ll take care of the boy. You have my
word. No harm will come to him.”

“Thank you.”

“I also reactivated your profile, so you’ll
have access to standard munitions and my datastream.”

She nodded. “I’m hoping we have all the
intel we need, but I appreciate the precaution.”

“Exit the vortex in my office,” Tal told
Evan. “I will shield your arrival.”

Evan acknowledged the directive with a nod
and Tal teleported back to the Conservatory.

After a short pause to make sure Tal was in
place, Evan opened a transport conduit of his own. He took Dro Tar
by the hand and was leading her toward the vortex when Trey offered
one last comment.

“You both did incredibly well in Las Vegas.
If you’ve finally worked out your differences, let me know. You’d
make one hell of a covert team.”

Dro Tar just stared at her former commander,
clearly shocked by the offer.

“We’ll give it some thought,” Evan promised
then pulled her into the swirling vortex.

Malos strolled along the grassy bank of the
contemplation pool. It was hard not to grin like an idiot, but he
summoned his inner discipline and maintained outward serenity. Just
a few more days and control of the Conservatory would be his. He
paused on the far side of the pool and looked at the palatial
structure. Wide galleries wrapped around the building, creating a
calm yet elegant ambiance. The interior was light and airy with few
doors and even fewer restricted areas. The Conservatory promoted
community, encouraged sharing and celebrated even the smallest
success.

All that was about to change.

Within the hollowed walls of the
Conservatory only the best and brightest, those with extraordinary
aptitudes and abilities, were allowed to train. Not only was he a
part of that revered elite, soon he would become their leader. The
High Queen might consider herself the ultimate authority on
Ontariese, but everyone knew true power resided with the
Mystics.

He turned from the Conservatory and stared
out across Mystic Valley. Except for the visitor center and guest
bungalows, the entire valley had been left untouched, undeveloped,
wasted
. Vee had insisted the valley remain as he had found
it nearly a millennium before. Well, Vee was finally dead and
progress was about to be unleashed in Mystic Valley.

His plans for the area were grand and
sweeping. He wanted far more interaction between Mystics and
non-gifted people. Only by seeing Mystic powers in action could
commoners truly understand how common they were. Mystics should be
feared and respected, or better yet worshiped as gods.

He forced away the fanciful thought. Maybe
in centuries past he could have gotten away with utter subjugation.
Unfortunately, the current age called for a subtler approach to
ultimate control.

“Master Malos! Master Malos, I’ve been
looking everywhere for you.”

He turned at the sound of his name and
watched the fresh-faced girl dash around the pool. She was a silly
little sycophant, but her tendency to gossip was often useful and
her innocent face encouraged everyone to trust her with their
secrets. “And why have you been looking for me?”

“Head Master Tal asked me to find you.” She
smiled, her golden hair creating a halo around her face. “He wishes
to speak with you.”

A cold knot dropped into the pit of Malos’
stomach. At first glance Head Master Tal appeared to be a pacifist
like his mentor, Vee, but Malos knew better. Both Vee and Tal
instantaneously turned fierce and violent whenever threatened or
while protecting someone they loved. Timing was imperative. Malos
must maintain the appearance of a faithful follower until the very
last moment.

“And where may I find Head Master Tal?” The
title grated his throat as he forced it out. The Conservatory
needed change, fresh perspectives and new ideas. Tal was a mirror
image of Vee, which of course was why Vee had chosen Tal as his
successor. They both wanted to keep Mystics locked in the past,
encumbered by separatism and political neutrality.

“He’s in the training hall.” She bowed her
head in respect and scurried away.

Trepidation hovered over Malos like a
thunder cloud. Tal was suspicious of him, had been almost from the
beginning. But Tal had no proof. If he had more than doubts, Malos
would be locked in the detention center awaiting a tribunal. Malos
had meticulously covered his tracks every step of the way. There
was no way Tal knew about Grat. Malos’ interaction with the greedy
programmer began long before the current conflict. If Tal knew
about the association, he would have acted long before now.

Malos took a deep breath and calmed his
emotions. This was a routine check-in nothing more.

Still, the restlessness stayed with him as
he made his way toward the training hall. Trying to anticipate
Tal’s intentions was a pointless waste of energy. He needed to be
centered and calm as he faced his enemy.

He crossed the gallery and entered the
training hall through one of three side archways. The hall was a
large open space with a padded floor which minimized physical
damage to the trainees as they mastered various skills. At first
glance the hall seemed deserted then Tal stepped through an archway
at the opposite end of the hall. Dressed in pale gray robes as
befitted the head master, Tal stood tall and straight, his angular
features unreadable.

Sensing only his adversary, Malos released
his pent-up breath and hurried across the room. His abilities were
equal to Tal’s and his supporters grew with every passing day. So
why were his hands sweating?

“Thank you for coming.” Tal inclined his
head and the rotation of his smoke-colored eyes slowed until it was
no longer discernible.

Malos tensed. The change was subtle yet
telling. Tal was either preparing to shift or he’d just
signaled—

A swarm of Mystics flashed into view,
surrounding Malos. Hands grasped him from every direction, sucking
energy from his body with ruthless focus. “What the…” He screamed
and thrashed, jerking against the restraining fingers as his
muscles cramped, protesting the abrupt loss of energy. A thick
alloy collar was fastened around his neck and his hands were bound
in front of him. He’d never experienced the effects of a
containment collar before, but he’d heard of its debilitating
nature.

“What is the meaning of this?” He glared at
each Mystic in turn as they finally began to step back. Someone
forced him to his knees then Tal and Mistress Alexia moved to stand
in front of him. He was left with one colleague on each side and
one behind him. The three held metal cables attached to the
containment collar and the others stood in a semi-circle as if
waiting for the show to begin. He felt like an animal, humiliated
and degraded. “I demand an explanation!”

Mistress Alexia met his gaze, but her
features were as expressionless as Tal’s. She had been chosen by
the other Mystics to facilitate internal tribunals. She was shrewd
and perceptive—and ruthless. “Why did you send Kellan to Linusia
Prime?”

Malos suppressed a triumphant smile. Was
that what this was about? He’d prepared a plausible excuse for this
exact scenario. Still, he didn’t want his response to sound
rehearsed. “Kellan is my apprentice. He frequently runs errands for
me.”

“That didn’t answer my question. What was
the
purpose
for Kellan’s errand to Linusia Prime?”

“The Linusians grow several herbs essential
to my elixirs. I like to go myself to ensure the quality of the
herbs, but my current schedule didn’t allow me to leave the
planet.” Regardless of what Tal thought, he knew it was still Tal’s
word against his.

“And why did you meet with Grat Farlay at
Sundown Tavern?”

Dread swept over Malos, tightening his
throat and clenching his belly. That was not so easily explained.
How had they found out about the meeting? He’d taken every
precaution to ensure… Unless it was a trap. She hadn’t asked
if
the meeting took place. She’d asked
why
, which
implied the meeting was already a forgone conclusion. Clever, but
not clever enough. “I do not know anyone by that name.”

“You might not have known his name, but you
spent nine minutes at a table with him inside the bar.”

Turning his hands within the restraints, he
interlaced his fingers. Calm. He had to stay calm. “You are
mistaken.”

She made a wide-arching motion with her hand
and an image appeared between them. “Are you denying that this is
you?” Apparently a street corner camera had captured his image as
he pulled open the door to the bar. Damn it! The still shot was
obviously him, but denial was his only option.

“Someone must be wearing a holomask. I have
not left the Conservatory for the past lunar cycle.”

Tal leaned over and whispered something to
Mistress Alexia. “Security scans indicate that you have left the
premises on six occasions during the past lunar cycle. One period
of absence corresponds exactly with the time stamp on this
image.”

He glared at Tal. “How long has the head
master been spying on me? I’ve done nothing to warrant his
actions.”

“Security scans record the energy signals of
everyone within the Conservatory,” Tal interjected. “The logs are
only accessed if someone is in danger or if they’ve been accused of
a crime.”

“Of which crime are you accusing me?” He
couldn’t keep the snarl from his tone. This was not how he’d
pictured the final confrontation between him and Tal. “I’m still
waiting for your explanation.”

Mistress Alexia moved forward half a step,
her dark gaze bright with new interest. “The restraints are a
necessary precaution because of your ability to teleport. This
inquiry will determine whether or not formal charges will be filed
against you. Now take me back to the night you interrupted Evan cet
Roumi. What were you doing in Vee’s private office?”

It was too soon for the final showdown. How
had this all gone so horribly wrong? “I already gave a full report
to Head Master Tal. Evan is the thief. Why am I being
questioned?”

Evan dissolved the invisibility shield
surrounding him and Dro Tar and watched the color drain from Malos’
face. They stood at an angle from Malos, within the outer circle of
Mystics, so they could see both Malos and Mistress Alexia. “My
accounting of the events differs drastically from yours. Mistress
Alexia is attempting to learn the truth.”

“What is
she
doing here?” Malos
sneered at Dro Tar. “She is certainly no Mystic.”