Chapter 16

One of the truths of the world is that no matter how badly things are going, the rich and powerful always celebrate in style. Nobody was quite sure who owned the estate where the party was held; Mr. Maki thought it was an oil tycoon, others I spoke with thought he was an old Hollywood movie star, but the consensus was that he was a founder of a major tech company.

Whoever he was, he was conspicuously absent, which gave us fodder for rumors. The tech mogul story got a boost because online inquiries found the estate was absent from many map apps, and it was officially listed as belonging to a defunct Scottish real estate company. Somebody very much didn’t want to be found. Strange, since he had such an enormous dining hall, with a raised dais perfect for the knighting ceremony.

Our mystery benefactor had loaned the building out to the crown since it could accommodate the party. Even better, it was well-guarded and kept isolated from the riffraff with a high wall. The private security had been swapped out for a unit of regular infantry, and we’d been poked and prodded more than a few times before being granted entry. A few of the ceremonial Yeomen of the Guard escorted King George around, on the occasions I saw him. Their archaic uniforms and long pikes made me think of home.

The whole experience did, really. Sure, the men and ladies milling and enjoying someone else’s booze didn’t have red skin or goat horns, but the conversations were familiar. Who was sleeping with who, who had said what outrageous thing, bragging about their newest stock deals, showing off some rare collectable they’d snagged, on and on and on. I should have been overjoyed to be back in my own preferred setting.

Despite that, I felt like a dog forced to balance a treat on its nose. When an attendant had offered us some glasses of wine when we arrived, Mr. Maki had forcefully declined for the both of us.

“We’re here to work,” he said. “Besides, he has to be on his best behavior for the ceremony.”

That was about the last thing Mr. Maki said to me before he was swept away by a seemingly endless stream of admirers and hangers-on. Military men, British army and navy if I recognized the uniforms, insisted on giving the great hero a handshake and to trade stories of the recent defense of England.

That left me alone, for the most part. There didn’t seem to be many of the ‘vampire romance novel’ types in attendance. I supposed most of the partygoers represented the upper echelons of the United Kingdom. I was still a trainee wizard with some victories under his belt, and they were used to those. I got a few tepid congratulations from officers, but they were strangely uncurious about me.

No, the real belle of the ball was a sickly-looking woman with her brunette hair in a long ponytail. Her body was rail thin and her eyes sunken; she might have been pretty enough, but there was something off about her. Her movements were halting and shaky, like she was unaccustomed to her own skin. Her clothes covered most of her body, but a few trails of ghastly scars poked up along her neck and sleeves.

She was surrounded by a dense ball of devotees. I got a few snippets, with them calling her brave and extraordinary, which piqued my interest. I was no different than the groupies I’d met on the streets of Belfast, after all.

I was so caught up trying to get close for an introduction that I nearly missed a familiar face on the other side of the ballroom. It was not a welcome reunion.

As I approached, I set my (sadly non-alcoholic) drink on a passing server’s tray. I’d want both hands free for this bastard.

As I approached, I focused on the conversation he was having with a portly lady in a flimsy cocktail gown. It seemed that what she lacked in self-control, she made up for with self-confidence.

“How did you get an invite up here?” she asked. “No offense, but you don’t seem like the type.”

He stretched his suit’s suspenders out. “Don’t want to brag, Sheila, but you aren’t dealing with a bogan from out in the woop woop. I’m a man of means.”

I swear, I wondered if that suntanned demonkin even spoke English.

Coming up behind, I whispered in his ear. “Hello there, Auntie Hattie.”

I enjoyed watching Dante jump. Despite his protestations to the lady, he did look like he’d lived his entire life outside. I estimated he was twice my age, but the sun and wind had been murder for his skin.

He spun around, met my gaze, and gulped. He turned, tipping his strangely bent hat to the woman. “Sorry, Sheila, gonna have to pick this up later. Important business.”

She nodded, looking a little disappointed.

He turned back my way, gracing me with an almost sincere smile. “Well, if it isn’t Soren Marlowe! Crikey, I wasn’t expecting to see you on this side of Our Father’s kingdom!”

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“The feeling’s mutual,” I said, stepping back. He had some height and weight on me, so having some distance to cast a spell was in my interest. “What does your mistress want with me now?”

He actually laughed at that, and I swear I got a contact buzz from the booze on his breath. “Not everything’s about you, mate. I’m here on business, and if you know what’s good for you, we’ll part ways and pretend we don’t know each other.”

“Oh, but we have so much to discuss,” I said, gesturing towards a door out of the ballroom. “I must insist.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Pretty bold of you to show your face. I had to eat those hotel and airplane tickets for you when you never showed.”

“I got a better offer,” I said. “Speaking of, talking with me isn’t an option. The option is if you walk on your own, or if I make another Spectral Web garrote and make you come.”

“And if I say bugger off or I’ll tell the mistress to expose your secrets?”

“I’d say that’s an empty threat. She hasn’t yet for the Enemy knows what reason, and a word from her lapdog isn’t going to change her mind.”

His threatening joviality faded. “Then lead the way, Corpsman Marlowe.”

“No, age before beauty,” I said, not about to turn my back on him.

“Oh, now you’ve got manners?” he grumbled. “Hey, how’d your ladyfriend Kiyo enjoy the Down Under?

My guts twisted. “You know about that?”

“Social media, mate,” he said, holding up his smartphone. “Makes this whole snoopin’ thing a piece of piss. Let’s see, you were up in Iceland with the one with the big knockers, Kiyo was down in Australia with that rich bitch and her boytoy, the blonde was last seen in Malaysia, and that big bloke with the water magic ended up in Hokaido. Am I missing anyone?”

“No, I think that’s quite enough,” I said, closing the door behind us. It seemed he knew where Paul Wilson had done his Work Study better than I did. “I see you don’t have any friends of your own, so you’re stalking mine.”

“Buddy, I’ve got a Horde’s worth of friends,” he snapped.

“Hold on,” I said, taking a moment to scan the area. We were alone, but there were a few security cameras I could see. A Zone of Silence would stand out too much. Casting any spell would, really.

Dante actually came through, handing me a fabricata wand the length of a pencil. “Mind runnin’ some juice through this? So we aren’t overheard.”

I looked at it suspiciously, studying the intricate runes to make sure it wouldn’t burn off my hand or explode. “What’s a mundane like you doing with a wand?”

He sniffed at that. “I’m not a complete mundane. I’ve got a touch of magic; just not enough that the Wizard Corps thought I was worth trainin’. Still, you can run it for us, since you’ve got the better reserves.”

“I see you aren’t bitter about that,” I said. The wand did seem to be about muting sound, so I gave life to its red runes.

“Did me a favor; got me a better gig with a more rewarding employer.”

“That’s debatable,” I said, my voice suddenly going quiet and sounding like I was speaking through a wet rag. “Alright, what was the deal with the Beckers?”

“Not our doin’,” he said. “Mistress Fera’s old man, General Girdan, called in that hit.”

“Not surprising; he was always rather direct,” I said. “Wait, ‘not our doing’? Aren’t they both your boss?”

He shook his head. “Nope, the mistress went off on him when she found out. She’s got him whipped, so you don’t have to worry about that happening again… yet.”

“Were the Beckers her men too, or his?”

He laughed in my face. “Buddy, you’re nuts if you think I’m going to give away our whole operation.”

“Your health might depend on that,” I snapped.

He shook his head, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You’re a soldier; anything you do to me is gonna be with spells that make it quick and easy. She’ll make me wish I was dead.”

Damn, he called my bluff. I wasn’t about to kill a man with the King of England and Mr. Maki in the next room. That would spoil the whole evening, and I doubted the Wizard Corps would believe me that this man just happened to be a demonkin.

I tried a different line of questions. “So, if you aren’t here for me, what brings you to Belfast?”

“Well, I was about to get a toss in the sack with that general’s daughter before you showed up and cockblocked me,” he said.

“Were you her plus one?” I asked.

“I was tryin’ to be,” he groused. “I’m not at liberty to say whose I was. Let’s just say there’s people in high places who know which way the war’s goin’, and I’m here to make some introductions.”

“Oh? Like who?”

He just laughed in my face.

I shot him a smirk. “Can’t blame me for asking,” I said.

“Oh I can, since you seem to think I’m a moron,” he said.

“Whatever you’re here for, call it off. If there’s an attack during my ceremony, I’ll make sure I’m not too quick and easy with the magic,” I said.

“Nah, nothin’ of the sort,” he said. “I’m just a middleman and diplomat; I’m no fighter like you. Speakin’ of, they’re bound to start looking for you. It’s your big night, after all. I promise I’m not getting in your way if you don’t get in mine.”

We were at an impasse. As much as Fera had stayed her hand with exposing me, revealing her servant to Mr. Maki or anybody else might violate our unspoken truce. I was lucky he’d let me in on as much of the Becker’s attack as he had. It was a bit of a relief, really.

… Assuming it was true. Had Fera planted that bit of false info to make me lower my guard? It seemed like an enormous coincidence that Dante just happened to be there.

I hated this cloak and dagger nonsense. It made me think in circles.

“You went quiet, mate. Do we have a deal?”

I nodded, handing him back the wand. “Are you still tracking my friends?”

“The ones I can. How’s Niigata treatin’ you?”

“Cold and miserable; your employer will be happy to hear that. What she won’t be happy to hear is this: if she acts on any of that intel, it will be her last mistake.”

“Big words,” he said, “But I’ll pass ‘em along. She could defo use the laugh.”

We parted ways, and if Mr. Maki hadn’t been watching me from the other side of the room, I’d have grabbed something strong to take the edge off.

The gaunt woman had finally broken out of her throng, and she was partaking in what I couldn’t. I decided to go over and introduce myself, since then I could at least satisfy my curiosity.

Her eyes went wide as I approached, and her face split open in a wide grin.

“Soren Marlowe, is that you?” She rushed forward, actually tripping into my arms at the last moment. Her enthusiasm wasn’t broken, though, as she continued beaming up at me. “Oh, it was so awful, Soren. I never thought I’d see you again!”

I like to think I’m usually fairly witty, but her familiarity gave me pause. Only one word came to mind.

“Again?”