The Mage in Black

“Yes. But not gravely. He just needs rest.”



“He killed Eurynome.” Not a question. I figured that was the only way Giguhl could have gotten us out of there in one piece.



Rhea shook her head. “No. He threw him in front of a train and hauled ass before Eurynome could untangle himself from the wreckage.”



A prickle of fear skittered down my back. “He’s still on the loose?”



“I don’t think so. Whoever summoned him probably sent him back to Irkalla after he failed.”



I swallowed and asked the question I’d been avoiding. “A mage sent him?”



Rhea paused, her expression grave. “Yes. Only a powerful mage could summon a demon of that magnitude and control him outside a circle.”



I tamped down the emotions this revelation brought up—anger, frustration, fear. “Any idea who?” I tried to keep my tone casual, but it broke on the last word.



Rhea sat down again, her demeanor reassuring. “Not yet. But Maisie and Orpheus have the Guards investigating. We’ll find whoever did this, and they will be punished.”



We both knew her words were hollow. Any mage powerful enough to pull off something like this would also be smart enough to cover their tracks. But they sounded nice.



“Do you have any idea why a mage would be out to get you?” Rhea asked evenly.



I snorted. “I could ask you the same question. I have a long list of enemies, but I didn’t think I’d been here long enough to actively recruit any mages to it.”



Rhea opened her mouth to respond, but Maisie ducked her head inside the door with Damara behind her carrying a cooler.



“You’re awake. How are you feeling?” Maisie asked, rushing to my side.



“Shitty, but I’ll live.”



Maisie smiled, but worry hovered behind her eyes. “Thank the goddess for that.”



“Sabina and I were just discussing the whys of the situation,” Rhea said.



Maisie grimaced. “Sabina, don’t worry about all that right now. You need to focus on getting better.”



I knew she was just worried, but her don’t-worry-your-little-head demeanor bugged me. “Maisie, I’m fine.”



She shot me a look that implied otherwise.



I frowned at her. “Fine, I’m a little weak. Once I get some blood in me I’ll be good as new.” I shot a significant glance at the cooler in Damara’s hands. The girl stood so quietly I’d almost forgotten about her, but I hadn’t forgotten about the blood.



“Regardless, you have to believe we’re doing everything in our power to find out who’s responsible.” As she spoke, Maisie motioned Damara forward. The girl handed Maisie two pints of blood. I watched her movements eagerly even as I steeled myself to argue with Maisie.



“Thanks, Damara,” I said. The girl nodded curtly as she set down the cooler.



“Damara, will you please go check on Giguhl?” Rhea said.



The girl hesitated. “Are you sure you don’t need my help here? I could clean up this mess.” She motioned to medical supplies and potion bottles littering the room.



Rhea shook her head. “I have it under control. Make sure Giguhl has plenty of ice, please.” I’m not sure if Damara understood why Rhea wanted her to go, but I did. No doubt my discussion with Maisie was about to get pretty heated, and the fewer witnesses to that, the better.



The girl paused, looking like she wanted to argue more, but under Rhea’s decisive gaze she finally nodded.



“Tell Giguhl I’ll be in to check on him soon,” I said as she made her way to the door. She didn’t look at me as she jerked her head in the affirmative and left.



Once she was gone, I turned back to Maisie. “No offense, Maisie, but someone sent that demon to kill me. In case you’ve forgotten, killing is my game. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit on the sidelines.”



Maisie paused in the process of pouring a pint into a glass. She looked at me for a few moments. I stayed silent as she weighed her options. I’d stated my case, and arguing further would lessen its impact. Maisie might not have known me as well as she’d like, but she knew my background. The mage who sent Eurynome after me fucked up big-time. If they’d been smart, they’d have sent someone who didn’t hesitate to kill. Someone who didn’t play games with their victims. You want to kill an assassin? You get the job done. The fact I’d escaped death meant only one thing: I wouldn’t rest until the mage who tried to kill me was killed. And if that mage was as good as Rhea claimed, they had to know that. Which meant Eurynome’s attack wouldn’t be an isolated incident.



Finally, Maisie sighed and stuck a straw into the glass. I grabbed it and pulled out the straw. Then I tipped back the glass. I was ravenous. So hungry the cold, tinny taste barely registered. While I’d drained the glass, Maisie started talking.



“Sabina, I know you’re angry. I know you want revenge. But the situation is complicated. You have to understand. We have laws and protocol we have to follow. Besides attempting to murder the sister of the council’s leader, this mage is also responsible for the death of dozens of humans who died on the train that crashed into Eurynome. We managed to cover up the incident so the mortal authorities didn’t catch on to the supernatural aspects of the wreck. But the council wants to bring this mage to justice. You can’t just run out and start shooting my people. We’ll investigate, track down the responsible party, and then make sure justice is served. And we’ll do so without more innocents getting caught in the cross-fire.”



I lowered the glass and heaved a big sigh. Goddess save me from the mage moral code. For them, everything had the gray tinge of moral relativism. But I’d grown up in a world of black-and-white. An eye for an eye, a bullet for a bullet. Plus, back in L.A., a few dead mortals wouldn’t have warranted a discussion. To vampires, that was no different than flies lying dead on sticky paper.



But here was the rub: I had zero clue who was after me. I didn’t even know more than a handful of mages, and those not very well. I needed the council’s resources, but to use them, I had to play by the council’s rules.



Maisie held out a hand for the empty glass, ready to refill it. Frustrated, I shook my head and grabbed the bag of blood from her hand. My fangs ripped into the bag’s silicone walls. I squeezed with my hand, forcing the blood to spray into my mouth. The cold liquid filled my gut, making it feel slushy, but soon enough my cells would go to work. They’d work as hard as my brain was trying to find a way to get around the council.



“If I might make a suggestion?” Rhea said quietly.



Maisie and I turned to her. She came forward, looking thoughtful. “Let the Guards do their job.” I opened my mouth to argue, but she held up a hand. “In the meantime, use this. Harness all that restless anger and need for action and channel it into your magic lessons.”



I tossed the empty bag on the table with a huff. “If I’m going to work off my restless anger, as you call it, I’d be better off entering Slade’s fight club. At least then I’d be able to punch something.”



Rhea cocked an eyebrow. “Child, you haven’t even begun to know the physicality of harnessing serious magic. Summoning demons? Child’s play compared to what you’ll be able to do once you tap into your Chthonic powers.”



I narrowed my gaze and watched Rhea. She looked convinced of what she was saying. If she was right, I might be able to fight fire with fire the next time the mysterious mage came after me. I had to admit the idea appealed.



“Okay, fine.” I looked at Maisie. “But I want updates. You get any leads, I want to know about it.”



Maisie nodded.



Rhea wasn’t done, however. “I should warn you that if we’re going to ramp up your training, I’ll expect long hours and total commitment. We don’t have time to waste with you arguing about my methods.”



Already the blood was working its own magic. My skin no longer crawled. My headache eased and my stomach settled. I itched to get out of the bed and move. And now Rhea had offered me a focus for all the energy building in my muscles. I was almost praying she’d put me through the wringer to keep my mind occupied while the council waded through its own red tape. My lips curled into a smile.



“Sounds good.” I turned to Maisie. “You got any more blood in that thing?”



An hour later, I felt almost good as new. Four pints of blood and having a goal did wonders for my energy. I knocked on Giguhl’s door softly. I needed to thank him for saving my life, but part of me hoped he was asleep. Gratitude wasn’t a familiar emotion for me. Generally, I avoided asking for or needing help as much as possible. Back in L.A. this approach wasn’t difficult, since most vampires wouldn’t help a mixed-blood anyway. But ever since my life got turned upside down, I’d found myself in a position to need help again and again. Not that I’d admit it out loud. In fact, up until tonight’s near-death experience, I’d managed to brush off the help Adam or anyone else had given me as unwanted or unneeded after the fact.



“Yeah?” Giguhl’s voice sounded through the door, weaker than it should have been.



I cracked open the door and peeked inside. “You up for company?”



A lump in the bed shifted, accompanied by the sound of sheets sliding together and a soft gasp. “As long as you aren’t going to yell at me.”



I frowned and moved farther into the room. “Why would I do that?”



As I got closer, my eyes adjusted to the darkened room. Giguhl rested against a mound of pillows with the covers pulled up to his chin. The bed was too short for his seven-foot frame, so his hooves jutted from the bottom of the covers and hung off the end of the bed. He looked pitiful. He shrugged and wouldn’t meet my eyes.



“It’s my fault you got hurt.”



My eyebrows shot together and my eyes narrowed. “No, it’s not. Why would you think something dumb like that?”



He relaxed a fraction, presumably because I hadn’t started shouting. His eyes moved in my direction, but he still wouldn’t meet my gaze directly. “You told me to fight Eurynome, and I failed.”