Thaliora storms into her office on the 78th floor and throws her planner across the desk. Rage vomits up from the pits of her stomach and she screams. The sun has risen and the blinding light glares at her from the horizon. It shouldn’t even be in this direction this early in the morning. Terre Goth has changed course. This isn’t how it was supposed to happen.
A knock at her door causes her to spin around ready to lash out. She holds her tongue and smiles when she sees the short man with the full-brimmed Jaxson hat. His manilla suit is pressed but a few spots of blood are on his sleeve. His pencil-thin mustache twitches as he smiles.
His two large henchmen are standing behind him. One has his arm in a sling and a bruised cheek. The two henchmen share the same squared-off black beards. They each have the same spider tattoo on their necks.
Thaliora lets out a sigh and leans back against her desk. “I have an issue you are particularly qualified to solve.”
The short man removes his hat revealing his balding head. “As do I.” He steps into the room and gestures for his guards to shut the door.
“Yes, my men told me you lost the truck last night. Glad you came forward to face the consequences. Takes a big man.” Thaliora wrings out her sarcastic words and clucks her tongue.
Leo places his hat back on his head and his pinky ring dances light across the old elf woman’s eyes. He clenches his teeth and snarls, “I can handle the truck thief. No, that is not why I'm here.”
“I know you are not here for another front.” Thaliora snickers.
Leo narrows his eyes, “One of my lug head guards stood and took a bullet last night at the club. I need you to heal him.”
“Strange, I asked you to get rid of all the magi. How many have you found for me?” Thaliora hums her question sarcastically.
“It is illegal to demonstrate magical power unless you are an elf of the first order.” Leo answers. “Makes it rather difficult to flush them out.” His tone drips sarcasm.
“Why do you need two bodyguards anyway. Seems one of them is big enough to protect a little man like yourself.” She mocks.
“They work best as a team.” Leo pulls a cigar from his jacket pocket and clips the tip off with a silver handled cigar cutter.
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“You can’t smoke that in here.”
Leo lights the end of the cigar and flops down on a leather chair in the corner letting clouds of smoke flow from the corner of his mouth. “You didn’t tell me what you need, counselor.”
“You know I hate that title.”
He takes a deep drag from his cigar and blows the cloud up to the ceiling. “How about Captain Shadowthorn.”
She walks around her desk and drops down in her seat then spins to face the window looking down on the city. “We have a new captain, Galadriel Stormchaser.”
He chokes on his next puff and leans forward with his hands on his knees half laughing half gagging, “Fealivrin is dead?”
“Yes, and I wasn’t quick enough.” Thaliora watches as people gather on the streets below waiting on buses or grabbing their morning meals. “She is steering us East.”
“East. Well, that's a problem, isn’t it?? He grins.
“It’s a problem for each of us.” She turns her chair around. “I need you to rig the rutters. Force them back north, the captain doesn’t steer the ship, men do.”
Leo looks out the window and thinks for a moment, then laughs. “Are you crazy? Dragons? Your answer is dragons. You do realize you will burn with the city? How does this benefit me exactly?”
“You are a clever one Leo in spite of your looks. Yes, the Devil’s Trident. The Triads. The dragons will flush out the magi and allow our Captain Martyr a chance to prove herself.” Thaliora spins her chair away from the windows. “In exchange for your services, you will be my National Security Advisor.”
“Why would an elf choose a man for such a high office?” Leo asks suspiciously.
Thaliora stands up from her desk and walks over to the injured twin. Tyrese shifts uneasily. She places her palm on his ribs and her eyes turn full white. He shivers as the cold power flows through him then sighs in relief as his ribs and torn flesh knit together. “I need someone with his ear to the ground Leo. Someone that knows the city from beneath. I have to win the people over if we are to go to war.”
“War?”
“We have been at sea for a thousand years. We need supplies. We can’t recycle forever. It’s time to resupply. Fresh souls and resources. A new Obsidian Heart. We need to capture one of the other cities.”
Leo takes another drag. He leans back and envisions Terre Goth expanding. He could have a wing of the city all of his own. His very own Middletown. He looks to his bodyguards, but their dumb faces are oblivious. Tyrese has his shirt open searching his big chest for the bullet hole. “We will get the rotors to force us northeast. I need another truck and I need the T.G.P.D. to pay a visit to a young lady named Angel. I don’t have the time for the distraction. I will be very busy.”
Leo takes a final drag from his cigar. The smoke curls around his face like a halo. “You know Thaliora, you have a knack for presenting enticing offers amidst the chaos.”
A wry smile graces Thaliora’s lips. “Chaos is the perfect breeding ground for opportunity, and you with your connections and ruthless nature, are an opportunity I cannot overlook.”