The Mage in Black (36 page)
Halfway back to the grove, I heard a howl rip through the air. The mournful sound made the hair on my arms rise. Looking toward the west, I saw five hulking, shadowy forms silhouetted against the Blood Moon. I watched Michael and his pack sing their night song for a moment, my heart heavy with the sound.
Unlike Slade, I knew Michael’s decision to leave wasn’t motivated by self-interest. The pack came first for Michael. I smiled, thinking for the first time in my life, I finally understood that drive. Turning my back on the werewolves in the distance, I made my way toward the Sacred Grove. Deep down, I knew I hadn’t seen the last of Michael Romulus. But in the meantime, I had decisions of my own to make.
I found Adam near the altar in the grove, surrounded by the surviving mages. Seeing how few survived made my chest tighten. When the battle started, I estimated three hundred mages had turned out for the festival. But now fewer than one hundred remained.
“We have to go to the queen,” Orpheus was saying when I reached them. He stood in the middle of a small circle made up of Adam, Rhea, and the few surviving members of the council. “She won’t be happy to see us, but we have to warn her about the Caste’s plans.”
“Adam, you were there. Do you think she’ll change her mind about the alliance now?” a councilwoman asked Adam.
He looked grim. “I don’t know. Hell, the Caste could very well have her in their pocket, too. After all, Hawthorne Banathsheh was working for the Caste.”
I looked away at the mention of the faery I’d killed.
“Sabina,” Orpheus said, “I’m sorry we didn’t listen to you sooner. If I hadn’t been so—” his voice cracked.
I took pity on the leader. He wasn’t to blame for losing so many of his people. That blame rested firmly on Lavinia’s shoulders. “There’s no sense rehashing what happened. We have to move forward.”
He nodded curtly. “You’re right. In addition to warning the queen, we’ll put the call out to the rest of the race. If we’re going to rebuild, we’re going to need every able-bodied mage we can find. Rhea?”
She stepped forward. “I’m on it. When you guys head to the queen’s court in North Carolina, I set out for the colony in Massachusetts. They can help me get in touch with the others.”
Orpheus turned to me. “Adam said you’re prepared to go after Maisie?”
I nodded grimly, waiting for him to argue. But he surprised me. “Honestly, it’s for the best. If you show up at the court, there’s no way Queen Maeve will listen to us. And if anyone can get Maisie back, it’s you.” He crossed his arms. When he spoke again, his voice was gruff. “But if you think we’re willing to sacrifice your life by sending you in alone, you’re crazy. Lazarus will go with you. All three of you better come home alive.”
I shook my head. “No, this is my fight.”
“You’re wrong,” Rhea said. “Whether you like it or not, you’re one of us. Just like Maisie is one of us. We won’t let you go on a suicide mission because you’re too stubborn to accept help. Maisie deserves more, and so do you.”
I glanced at Orpheus, who nodded solemnly.
“Besides,” Adam cut in, “If I don’t go, who’s going to high-five you when you finally teach that bitch grandmother of yours a lesson?”
“Me!” Giguhl said.
“Me, too,” Valva said, coming to stand next to Giguhl. The Vanity demon’s eyes were hot with determination. “Plus, as Maisie’s minion, I have every right to help save her.”
Looking at the determined mage and the two loyal demons standing by me, my eyes started to sting. “Thanks, guys.”
“Then it’s settled,” Orpheus said. “I want daily reports on your progress. If you need anything, I can’t promise I’ll be able to get it, but I’ll try.”
The gravity of the situation weighed heavily over the clearing. It was hard to believe that just a few days ago, the council was debating whether to go to war. And now the war had come to them, and they’d lost so many in the first battle. I didn’t envy the task ahead of Orpheus, but I had to admit the prospect of my own mission felt pretty daunting, too. Somehow, I had to figure out how to save Maisie and make sure that Adam and the demons made it out alive.
“I don’t like the look in your eyes,” Adam said. “You’re considering ditching us and doing this alone, after all, aren’t you?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m just wondering how we’re going to pull this off. We don’t know where they’re keeping Maisie. And even if we find out, they’ll be expecting us. You guys sure you don’t want to back out now?”
Giguhl grinned and threw an arm around Valva’s shoulders. “You’re joking, right? You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not.”
Valva smiled wickedly and nodded. As Maisie’s familiar, she had a right to come, too. Of course, I was sure Giguhl might have had something to do with her easy agreement.
I looked at Adam. His face was somber. For a split second, I thought he’d be the voice of reason and back out. But then his trademark grin returned. “We’re a team, Red.”
A spark of guilt ignited in my gut. I didn’t deserve Adam’s loyalty. In fact, I didn’t deserve Giguhl’s or Valva’s, either. But, I decided, I sure as hell needed them. And now that I’d gotten my head out of my ass, I planned on doing everything in my power to deserve it from here on out.
“All right,” I said, a second wind of adrenaline warming my insides. “Let’s go get my sister back.”
I
t may come as a surprise to many people, but I am not known for my patience. Nowhere is this more evident than when I’m dealing with myself. Fortunately, I am quite lucky to be surrounded by so many patient and supportive souls who endure my irascibility with the calm of saints (at least to my face).
Jonathan Lyons, my intrepid agent, endured numerous drafts of this book. He deserves a medal for that alone. But even more, I am forever in his debt for telling me to embrace my creative neurosis. I have to say, I’m enjoying the hell out of it.
Devi Pillai also suffered through many drafts. She also managed not to laugh, yell, or curse at me. Instead, she got me drunk and then gently applied the thumbscrews until I got it right. Well played, madam.
The amazing team at Orbit US continues to rock it out. Tim Holman, Alex Lencicki, Jennifer Flax, Lauren Panepinto, the sales and marketing gurus—everyone has been so supportive and cool. Thanks, guys!
A huge thanks also goes to my beta reading champs, all amazing writers in their own right: Sean “Numb” Ferrell, Suzanne “Cold Kiss of Death” McLeod, and Mark “Battle of the Network Zombies” Henry. Buy their books, people.
A special shout-out for Lee Smiley. When I sent out the call for help titling this book, Lee suggested the title “Black Light District.” In the end, it didn’t fly as a title, but I loved the idea so much it became an element of the story. Thanks, Lee!
To Mark and Leah, thanks for brightening my life with snark and filth. To Zivy for the pep talks in New York, for the years of friendship, and for making me laugh all the time. To Emily, thanks for becoming my No. 1 book pimp even though you’d never read a vampire novel in your life. To the members of the League of Reluctant Adults for always making me laugh and the great advice.
A huge thanks goes to Mr. Jaye, who is my advisor, my best friend, and my love. You and Spawn are the foundation of joy in my life. I’m a lucky woman, and it’s all because of you.
Raised in Texas, Jaye Wells grew up reading everything she could get her hands on. Her penchant for daydreaming was often noted by frustrated teachers. Later, she embarked on a series of random career paths before taking a job as a magazine editor. Jaye eventually realized that while she loved writing, she found reporting facts boring. So she left all that behind to indulge her overactive imagination and make stuff up for a living. Besides writing, she enjoys travel, art, history, and researching weird and arcane subjects. She lives in Texas with her saintly husband and devilish son. Find out more about Jaye Wells at
www.jayewells.com
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If you enjoyed THE MAGE IN BLACK,
look out for
Book 3 of the Sabina Kane series
by Jaye Wells
I
crossed my arms and leaned against a statue of a naked Greek warrior. My posture was relaxed, but inside, adrenaline thrummed through my veins like lightning. Through the shadows, I could see Adam’s crouched form, tense and ready for action. I forced myself to maintain my casual posture for his benefit. He was already wound up enough for both of us.
Lights reflected off the surface of the water, casting the courtyard in an unearthly glow. A columned walkway surrounded the pool, providing lots of easy hiding places for enemies. And I had plenty of those.
One minute, I was alone by the reflecting pool. The next, I blinked and Persephone had appeared not three feet away. The reminder of the ancient vampiress’s skills made my heart kick up a notch. I might be a vampire with the abilities of an assassin and magic on my side, but Persephone had centuries on me in the experience and skill departments.
“Sabina.” The word was quiet, but sounded loud to my ears. I resisted the long-ingrained urge to kneel before the Domina. I had to remind myself I didn’t owe her my allegiance anymore. She paused, as if waiting for the ceremonial show of respect, but when I merely nodded, she seemed to take it in stride.
“You may tell the mage to come out of his hiding place. I mean neither of you any harm.”
I didn’t let her see my surprise. “He’s fine where he is,” I said, projecting my voice for Adam’s benefit.
She nodded regally. “As you wish. Shall we walk?”
I pulled away from my marble support and motioned for her to precede me. She smiled a little at my caution but humored me nonetheless. I crossed my arms and followed a few paces behind. I knew Adam was watching to see if one of her goons appeared from the shadows, but I didn’t want to show my back to Persephone. Not until I knew why the hell she had requested the meeting.
She clasped her hands behind her back and strolled along the edge of the pool for a few moments. The courtyard was silent except for the gentle rustling of the breeze through the trees and the hushed whine of the pool’s filter. Under different circumstances, I would have found the setting peaceful. But as it was, my heart flapped in my rib cage like a trapped bird. Looking for signs of an attack, my eyes moved restlessly through the courtyard and back to Persephone.
Persephone breathed a deep sigh. The sound was oddly wistful in comparison to my own tension. “Did you know they modeled this museum after an actual villa in Pompeii?”
I hesitated, wondering where she was going with this. “No.”
She glanced at me thoughtfully. “They did an admirable job re-creating the architecture and design of the period. In fact, it reminds me of a villa I owned in the region.” She reached out and touched the leaf of a potted tree. “I had a courtyard similar to this, filled with fragrant flowers. Night blooming, of course,” she said with a ghost of a smile.
“That’s nice,” I said. Surely she hadn’t invited me here for a history lesson.
Her eyes met mine. “Of course, things were different then for our kind. Each of us—the Dominae—had our own country estates. We’d have elaborate parties and rituals without fear of humans recognizing us for what we were. This was after the Black Covenant, of course. The mages kept to their lands and we kept to ours. Our numbers flourished and there was very little in the way of disputes among our own kind. Plus, mortals were so much easier to fool back then. No telephones, no Internet, no twenty-four-hour news channels.”
I held up a hand to interrupt. “Is there a point to this trip down memory lane?”
She stilled and her face stiffened with annoyance. “You young ones, always so impatient. I blame our move to the New World on that. Here in America everything is always rush, rush, rush. Rushing toward what, I wonder?”
I rolled my eyes. If she started talking about having to walk uphill both ways, I was out of here. Time to cut to the chase. “Look, I didn’t come here to hear about how losing our old ways is going to be our downfall, or whatever it is you’re trying to say.”
She stilled. “Why
did
you come, Sabina?”