Cloak Games: Rebel Fist (13 page)

“Yes,” agreed Nora. “You were doing quite well upon your own, though. Usually when anthrophages go after human targets, the end is predetermined, and rather grisly as well. They’ve been after you since…”

“July,” said Corvus, walking closer. “Conquest Day, in fact.” 

“You’ve lasted nearly three months with anthrophages after you?” said Nora. “That is most impressive.”

“Thanks,” I said, watching as Corvus approached. I tried to figure out what to do next. Corvus and his friend Nora clearly didn’t want us dead. If they did, the two Shadow Hunters could have let the anthrophages eat us. 

Yet why turn up in Milwaukee in the middle of a major Archon attack?

“Wait,” said Russell. “Those tattoos…you guys are Shadow Hunters?” 

“I’m afraid so, dear,” said Nora. 

“There really are such things as Shadow Hunters?” said Russell. “I mean, I’ve seen movies and read books about Shadow Hunters, but I thought they were legends.” 

“No, I’m afraid we are quite real,” said Nora. “Most of our depictions in popular culture are terribly inaccurate, though.” 

“Um,” said Russell. “You’re not here to kill us, are you?”

Nora laughed. “Certainly not. We do not have a writ of execution for you.” 

Corvus stopped a half-dozen paces from me. I met his gaze without flinching. His eyes had turned brown again as the Shadowmorph withdrew its power, but I saw no hint of his intentions upon his face. He really was quite a handsome man…

Once again I tried to push that thought out of my head. 

“So your name really isn’t Corvus?” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. “Your name isn’t really Katerina Annovich?” 

“No,” I said. 

He looked at Russell for a moment. “Your hair. You have frostfever.”

“All my life,” said Russell. 

Corvus looked back at me. “He is your brother. The family resemblance is plain.” 

“Yeah,” I said. 

Corvus nodded as if a mystery had just been solved. “He is the one you were protecting.”

“Yeah,” I said again, my hands tight against the AK-47. “Okay. So. Don’t think I’m ungrateful or anything, because those anthrophages would have killed us. But the timing is a little suspicious, isn’t it? The Archons are attacking the city, the anthrophages are trying to kill me…and you turn up at the nick of time to save us? Little bit of a coincidence, isn’t it?”

“Ah,” said Nora. “You were right about her. She is clever.” 

“We were looking for you,” said Corvus. 

“For God’s sake, why?” I said. “If you wanted to ask me out, there were easier ways to go about it.”

You know how I’ve said many, many times before that I have a smart mouth? That it sometimes gets me into a lot of trouble? 

This was one of those times. 

Russell’s eyes got enormous, and Nora let out a hearty guffaw. Corvus displayed absolutely no reaction. Yet for a moment, just a moment, I thought he looked…

Sad?

“No,” said Corvus. “The Firstborn of our family commanded that we seek you out after I reported the details of our last encounter.” 

“Your last encounter?” said Russell, his expression still astonished. “Eww. Just…eww.” Nora laughed again.

“Russell, not now,” I said. “So you found me. How?”

“It was challenging,” said Corvus. “You did an excellent job of concealing yourself, and I could find no trace of you in Milwaukee. So instead I have been following the anthrophage packs hunting you.”

“That sounds dangerous,” I said. 

“It is,” said Corvus, “but I’ve had some practice, and Nora is a capable fighter. We’ve taken out six anthrophage packs that were searching for you.”

I felt a chill. “Six?” 

The anthrophages had almost killed me in Los Angeles. In the Shadowlands, a pack of anthrophages led by a magic-using anthrophage elder had tried to kill me twice, and if not for the machinations of the Knight of Grayhold and the frost giant jarl Rimethur, they would have succeeded. 

“Yes,” said Corvus. “It seems you very much annoyed some of our mutual enemies.”

“What can I say?” I said. “I have gift for pissing people off.”

Corvus snorted. “Truly.” 

The chill did not leave me. If Corvus and Nora had not killed those six anthrophage packs…I would be dead. Russell and the Marneys might be dead with me, since I had been staying with them for the last month. 

“Okay,” I said. “So your boss, this…uh…”

“Firstborn,” said Nora. “He is our leader.”

“This Firstborn guy wanted you to find me,” I said. “Why?” 

“We need to ask you a question,” said Corvus.

“A date?” I said. “Sure, but you’re paying. I’m old-fashioned that way.”

Corvus shook his head. “Not on a date.”

My mouth went dry.

I was pretty sure I knew what he wanted to know. Somebody like me was unusual. Corvus knew I was working for someone, that I did so to preserve the life of someone that I loved. If he figured out that I was working for Lord Kaethran Morvilind, then I was dead. Morvilind had been very clear about what would happen if I gave away his secrets. He would kill me, and Russell would die of frostfever without his yearly cure spell. Or if Morvilind found out that I had angered the Dark Ones, he might kill me. The one time I had asked Morvilind about the Dark Ones, he had flat-out threatened to kill me if I ever asked again. I had to find a way out of this. 

“All right,” I said. “You want to ask me a question. Fine. There’s something you have to do for me first. No, two things.” 

“We did just save your life,” said Nora. 

I grinned at her. “You save my life because if I’m dead, I can’t answer questions.” 

“Fine,” said Corvus. “What do you want?”

“First,” I said. “Why did you turn up in the middle of an Archon attack?” 

Corvus frowned. “It was extremely bad luck.”

I snorted. “You expect me to believe that it was just a coincidence?”

“It is an unlikely coincidence, but nonetheless it is the truth,” said Corvus. “The Shadow Hunters stand apart from the war between the High Queen, the Rebels, and the Archons. True, we have accepted writs of execution for Rebel leaders from time to time, though we do not accept writs from the Rebels. We had heard of increased Rebel activity around Madison…”

“There’s an understatement,” I muttered, but Corvus kept talking. 

“We followed an anthrophage pack from Madison into Milwaukee,” said Corvus. That meant that the anthrophages had been following me, and I had almost led them right to the Marneys’ house. A wave of sickening guilt went through me. I had gone to such efforts to save Russell, to make sure Morvilind continued his cure spells…and my own stupidity had almost brought disaster on us all. 

God, what a fool I was.

Corvus was still talking, so I forced aside the guilt and made myself listen.

“We followed the pack into Milwaukee, and seem to have walked right into a major Archon incursion,” said Corvus. “Nora and I would have caught up to you sooner, but we had to fight our way through a scouting party of orcish soldiers.” His eyes flicked over the AK-47 hanging at my side. “It seems you had your own encounter.”

“You could say that,” I said.

“She ran them over with a car,” said Russell, still looking a bit stunned. 

“Efficient,” said Nora. “I approve.”

“What is the second thing you will ask of us?” said Corvus. 

I pointed at Russell. “Get him home.”

“What?” said Russell.  

“You wish him protected,” said Corvus. 

“Gosh, you just realized that?” I said. “Yes, that is what I wish. I’ve spent all day fighting through orcs trying to get him home. Get him home, and make sure he lives through the battle.” I took a deep breath. “Then I’ll answer whatever damned question you want.” 

If I could. 

If he asked me about Morvilind, then I would lie. I owed Corvus for saving my life at Paul McCade’s mansion. The lightning globe spell he had taught me had saved my life against the anthrophages in the Shadowlands and the Archon in the bookstore. But if he asked me about Morvilind, then I would not put Russell’s life at risk by giving him an honest answer.

But it might not matter. Corvus and Nora had followed me to Milwaukee, and while I might be able to disappear, Russell and James and Lucy could not. A Shadow Hunter would find it trivial to follow them, and it would not take long for Corvus to realize that James had once been a man-at-arms in Lord Morvilind’s service. From there it was a short logical leap to realize that Morvilind had taught me magic, that Morvilind used me to steal rare artifacts…and then Morvilind would kill me to keep his secrets. 

And that would be that.

There had to be a way out. Some lie, some trick, something I could think up.

“Very well,” said Corvus. “We’ll get your brother home.”

“I assume you have a vehicle?” I said. 

“A van,” said Corvus. “Stay here. Nora and I will check the stairwell. If it’s clear, we’ll come back for you and take your brother home. How far is it?”

I sighed. “68th Street. Not far from here.” 

Corvus nodded and beckoned. Nora followed him, and they disappeared into the stairwell. I let out a long breath and rubbed my face, suddenly tired down to my bones. I needed to work out a plan, but I couldn’t think of anything. In another few hours, the entire web of lies that surrounded my life was about to come crashing down. Maybe if I just answered Corvus’s damn question, he would leave without any additional investigating…

“Nadia,” said Russell in a low voice. 

“Yeah?” I said, opening my eyes and looking at him.

“I have to ask you something,” said Russell. 

“Go ahead,” I said. God knows he might not have the chance to ever ask me anything again.

“That Shadow Hunter,” said Russell. 

“I met him on Conquest Day,” I said. “One of my little jobs for Lord Morvilind. We barely got out alive. The woman…I never saw her before today.” 

“No, that’s not what I wanted to ask,” said Russell. 

“What, then?” I said.

“Is Corvus your boyfriend?”

I felt my jaw fell open. I suppose I looked like a damned fish, gaping at him like that.

“What?” I said at last. 

“You were flirting with him,” said Russell.

“I was not.” 

“You totally were,” said Russell. “You never flirt with anyone, ever. Lucy keeps introducing you to guys at church and you always give them the cold shoulder. But you were flirting with him.”

“I was not!” I was starting to get angry.

“Also, you turned a bit red when you were talking to him,” said Russell. “And I’ve never seen that happen before…”

“For God’s sake!” I said. “If I’m turning red it’s because I’ve spent all day running from orcs and Archons and God knows what else while getting shot at and…and driving into things! The damned Shadow Hunter is not my boyfriend!” Even if he was a good kisser and had impressively muscled arms…

I let out a sound of sheer exasperation. My endocrine system was not on board with my rational mind. 

“Sorry,” said Russell. 

I closed my eyes and rubbed my face again. “It’s okay. It’s okay, really. It’s been a bad day. For you, too. And the Shadow Hunters are dangerous, Russell. I know they’re always the good guys on TV or whatever, but they’re still assassins who kill for money. It’s a lot less romantic in real life.”

“I know,” said Russell. 

We stood in silence for a moment. 

“But you do have a crush on him,” said Russell.

I let out a long groan. “For God’s sake. Stop being such a…such a…”

“Teenager?” said Russell. 

“Look,” I said. “I’m not the kind of woman who can have a boyfriend. What the hell am I supposed to say? ‘Hi, my name’s Nadia, and by the way, I’m an illegal wizard employed by an Elven lord to do illegal things? Want to have coffee sometime?’ I’d get arrested faster than you can blink, and…and I am not discussing this any further with my little brother.” 

The door to the stairwell opened before Russell could question me further on the topic, which may have been the best stroke of luck I’d had all day. 

“Miss Annovich?” said Nora, peering through the door. “Come along, please. We are ready to depart.” 

“Right,” I said, and I headed for the stairs, urging Russell along. We descended to the ground level and stepped into the light of the setting sun, long shadows cutting across the lawn of the medical college. An unremarkable white van sat idling by the curb, and Corvus swung down from the driver’s seat. 

“I’ll drive,” said Nora. “You take point.” Corvus raised an eyebrow. “You’re a better shot.”

“You could do like my sister does,” said Russell to Corvus, “and run over any orcs or anthrophages.” 

I blinked at him. Was he trying to set me up?

“An effective tactic,” said Corvus, “but I keep my word, and I promised your sister I would get you home. It will be harder to do so if we wreck the engine.”

“Also,” said Nora, walking to the driver’s side, “we would lose the deposit on the van.”

“Yes, a man must have priorities,” said Corvus in a dry tone. He headed to the side door and pulled it open. I expected to see the van loaded with weapons and explosives and other devices, but it looked like an innocuous rental van. 

Though there were a lot of black metal cases stacked in the back. 

“Where are we going?” said Corvus. 

I rattled off the address. “Can you get us there?”

“We shall find out,” said Corvus. “Typically the Archons open multiple rift ways for an incursion of this scale. I do not believe there were any rift ways in that sector of the city, but another one may have since opened…”

“Wait,” I said, a memory floating to the top of my mind. “Do you know what kind of relic or device the Archons use to open that many rift ways at once?” 

Corvus shrugged. “The Elves have greater magical aptitude than humans. I assume they simply used a spell.”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, unlocked it, and brought up the video app. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”

Corvus was a lot taller than I was, so he stooped a bit and gripped my phone to change the angle of the screen, his fingers brushing mine as he did. The little jolt I felt must have been static electricity. Or my magical power reacting against his. Or gun smoke on my hands. Not a jolt of attraction.