Reality Falling (The Book Wielder Saga 2) (24 page)

“Alice-” Jonathan began.

“The facilities in this outpost work, don’t they?” Alice asked before he could finish. “I think our new friend could use a wash and some new clothes, quickly.”

“Yeah, that would be great,” Veronica said, assessing just how filthy she looked. “Thank you. Never thought we’d be on the same side when all this began.”

“Pure utter madness, isn’t it?” Alice mused. “Follow Jonathan, he’ll get you sorted.”

Jonathan nodded but clearly had something on his mind. He led a thankful and slightly confused Veronica up the stairs to one of the mansion’s bathrooms.

When Jonathan returned, Alice had already got herself changed into some casual clothing. She was going to joke about how ridiculous she looked in a green hoodie and denim jeans, but his stern face put her off. “What is it?” she asked bluntly.

“You want to take her through the Catacombs, don’t you?” Jonathan asked in a hushed tone.

“Well, obviously,” Alice said confused. “It’s the quickest, safest way to Central Isle.”

“The Trinity will never allow it,” Jonathan said angrily. “She’s Winston Reynolds’ wife, and they won’t just let her in until they’re absolutely sure they can trust her.”

“They did for Kaine,” Alice said aggressively, “and for me back when this began. What’s the big deal? I’ll take responsibility.”

“Neither one of you was sleeping with Winston Reynolds! If I let her into the Catacombs without obtaining permission first they’ll take my head!” Jonathan replied. “You don’t get it; there are rules, strictly enforced rules. What they say goes and they won’t just instantly agree to this. Let me go and talk to them first. They might at least allow her into a holding area while they make up their mind.”

“We don’t have time, Jonathan!” Alice said through gritted teeth. “If that Demon knows we’re here then you can bet that Omniosis does too!”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“Well I’m not going to wait around to find out the hard way,” Alice said storming off. She took Veronica’s bag and asked the mansion watchers for directions to the storeroom.

When she got back, Jonathan was waiting by the central staircase with his arms folded in a stroppy manner. “Alice, don’t do this. Where are you going to go?”

“To get a boat from somewhere,” she replied grumpily. She knew she was doing the right thing, but why couldn’t he?

Veronica casually made her way down the stairs. She was in a pair of black jeans, old black boots, and an undone black leather jacket. Underneath she wore a tight red t-shirt that her nipples poked through and left nothing to the imagination as her big firm breasts bounced on her way down each step. Even with damp shower hair Alice had to admit she looked fantastic, but she was not in the mood to see a Supernatural flaunting her assets. Jonathan looked up at her, stared for a moment before turning to see Alice glaring at him, and then he turned bright red and looked at the floor.

“Are we off to Central Isle then?” Veronica asked quite chirpily. A hot shower had done wonders for her mood.

“Can you please cover
those
up?” Alice sighed.

Veronica looked down at her incredible chest. “What, these? They didn’t have any bras that fit me,” she said innocently. “Don’t we have more important things to deal with right now than a bit of prudishness?”

Alice sighed. “Just zip up your jacket or something,
please?
”

“Fine,” Veronica said in a stroppy tone as she did up her black jacket.

“Thank you,” Alice said with a slight undertone of sarcasm.

“We should hurry,” Veronica said putting her hands on her hips. “The Archmage will definitely send more things after us soon. Are we using the Catacombs?”

“No,” Alice said hastily before Jonathan could speak. “We’re walking to Tidussex and taking a boat.”

Jonathan approached her. “Alice, please.”

“I’ve got everything we need,” Alice said to Veronica, ignoring him completely.

Veronica looked at the two of them and raised her brows. She knew a lovers’ quarrel when she saw one. She collected her spell-forged sword and took the full duffle bag from Alice.

“Well then... we better go,” Veronica said awkwardly.

Alice nodded and the two women walked out of the building.

“Alice!” Jonathan shouted as they reached the hole in the front wall.

She turned and gave him an unpleasant look. He tossed something to her and she caught it instinctively; it was his communication stone.

“Stay in touch,” he said sadly.

Alice forced a smile and walked off with Veronica.

“What was that about?” Veronica asked after they’d reached the forest.

“He wouldn’t let me take you into the Catacombs,” Alice said softly.

“Yeah, I gathered that,” Veronica said impatiently. “I meant what was that about between you and that Jonathan guy?”

“Well, he wouldn’t let you in...” Alice said frustrated.

Veronica sighed. “I know. What I’m saying is you guys are clearly a couple, or something less exclusive.” She paused to wink cheekily. “Why let that decision about little old me get in the way of that?”

Alice thought about it as they made their way between the trees. “I- I don’t know. I just feel like helping you is the right thing to do, like I’m supposed to. It’s frustrating when other people get in the way of what you want.”

Veronica chuckled. “It sure is, honey. But I know what you mean exactly. Like I’m getting the feeling that I’m supposed to trust you, but then I had the feeling that Winston should go through with the Archmage’s plan, and look how that ended up.” She sighed. “But then saying that, I always had a bad feeling about the Archmage.”

“Maybe the merger is right but the Archmage is wrong,” Alice mused.

“Maybe,” Veronica said. “We’re definitely caught up in something greater than ourselves. And on that note, what’s the deal with the Goddesses then?”

“It’s a bit of a long story,” Alice replied.

Veronica waved her arm out at the endless expanse of foliage in front of them. “I think we have time, honey.”

Alice gave her new Vampire companion a quick rundown of her first experience in the Gloom with the Twins, including their Archmage origins, and the real story behind Omniosis and his motives.

“So you’ve been out to find Winston since?” Veronica asked amazed.

“Yeah. Not an easy task when you’re on the opposite side during a war,” Alice said. “I just came so close to convincing him in Industria, but then that Lewis came along and snatched him away.”

“Now he’ll start filling Winston’s head full of crap again,” Veronica growled.

“I should imagine so,” Alice replied, “but I should think that the word of his extremely attractive wife will count for more than that of his strange friend’s, especially if he’s already having doubts.”

“It better do,” Veronica said with an evil grin. “Or I might just end up killing the pair of them,” she joked.

- - -

Lynette and Kavarne waited by their motorbikes in the middle of Highway One. It was a baking hot day in Industria so the pair of Werewolves had dressed down considerably. Their patrol had already departed for Rigorton and Beachhead One when they’d heard the news, and now the feral couple were waiting on Blake to speak to them face-to-face as he had promised.

The action had died out considerably since the fall of Industria City, although some supply convoys still came under attack. It seemed as though the rebel forces were either going after bigger targets or waiting for the dust to settle until they launched a greater counteroffensive manoeuvre. Either way, the feisty Lynette and her beast of a lover Kavarne were bored out of their skull. Even Merv, the sentient motorbike from the Gloom, was beginning to tire of driving up and down the same stretch of road with only a little bit of combat here and there as a distraction.

A sporty blue four-by-four finally came hurtling down the road, and Lynette and Kavarne got up off of the hot floor and dusted their clothes off.

Blake stopped the jeep at a respectable distance and got out to greet them. “Hey guys.”

“Is it true?” Kavarne growled in his usual savage tones.

“I’m afraid so,” Blake replied.

“But Kaine hates the Trinity,” Lynette said confused. “It doesn’t make any sense why he’d join them.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about in person,” Blake said severely. “It seems like there’s been some trouble involving the Archmage and one or more of his lackeys.”

“What kind of trouble?” Kavarne grumbled.

“The kind where people around Winston start dropping dead,” Blake said quietly.

“You’re not saying it was him that... killed Lucius, are you?” Lynette said in shock. She was still reeling from the news of his demise, and the idea of the Trinity breaching the Capital’s incredible defences to pull off an assassination of her boss always seemed like an unlikely story.

Blake shook his head. “Oh no, of course not!”

“He was here doing the merger,” Kavarne reminded her.

“Then who did it?” Lynette demanded.

“It’s not official,” Blake begun, “but it sounds like it was that weird blonde Book Wielder guy, the one that always hangs around with Winston.”

“Lewis!” Kavarne and Lynette both said in unison. They always thought he was strange but never imagined him to be a traitor to the Shadow Circle.

“Word is that he walked Brooke and Alex into a trap – oh, and they’re actually safe on the Orphan Isle.” Blake waved his hand, dismissing himself. “Sorry, that’s another story. The latest news is that Veronica’s gone missing too. Everything’s gone to shit.”

“This is crazy,” Lynette said. “What’s Winston doing about it?”

“He’s being kept in the dark,” Kavarne guessed.

Blake nodded. “Looks that way. Kaine, Silvario, Cherriesa and the chick that runs the Inquisition, who is also a Book Wielder...” He dismissed himself again. “They’re trying to get him to see who the real enemy is before it’s too late.”

Lynette’s head was spinning. It was a lot to take in. “So what next?”

“We’re all heading into the Catacombs,” Blake explained. “We’re not going to fight you guys in the Circle, end of story, but we will fight the others. I thought I owed you a proper explanation, and, well... I’d like it if you two joined us.”

Kavarne emitted a low thoughtful growl and Lynette looked to him for guidance.

“I don’t know,” Lynette sighed. “I don’t want to fight for the Archmage, especially after what he’s done to our friends, but I like Winston. And we’ve been against the Trinity for so long, I can’t even imagine fighting alongside them.”

“Fuck the Trinity, fuck the Archmage,” Kavarne snarled.

Merv the bike revved in excited agreement.

“What do we do then?” Lynette asked confused.

“There are a lot of roads in Desem other than this one,” Kavarne grumbled thoughtfully.

“So we just take off?” Lynette asked.

“Why not?” Kavarne shrugged. “We didn’t sign up for this shit.”

“The others are in danger though,” Lynette said unhappily.

“What can we do about it? Even if we did go live down the tunnels,” Kavarne replied.

“Nothing,” Lynette agreed.

“Well the offer is always there for you two,” Blake said with a smile, “and if we survive this insanity, give me a shout. We could always start something new,”

“A new gang,” Kavarne growled appreciatively.

“Oh, I like the sound of that,” Lynette said as Merv revved his agreement.

“Like I said, we’ll have to survive this war for reality first,” Blake added dryly.

Blake shook Kavarne’s hand, gave Lynette a big hug, and patted Merv apprehensively before driving back up to Beachhead One.

“Let’s hit the road then, boys,” Lynette said cheerfully. As she straddled Merv she prayed for her friends’ safety, hoping with all of her heart that somehow they could make it through the current crisis alright. If the Archmage succeeded, then just maybe one day he’d have a new gang run by her and Kavarne baying for his black blood.

- - -

Archmage Omniosis looked out from his tower in the Capital, down at all the inferior creatures below. They disgusted him to the core. Whether it was the pointless humans, the low-grade puppet reflections from the Gloom, or the Supernatural descendants of his fallen, shattered kin, it mattered not. They were all just as useless and unworthy of existence as each other.

He had hoped, which was a mistake as hope was nothing more than a dreamer’s folly, that the ambitious young Winston Reynolds would share his vision. His passion to escape his mediocre vague life and his hunger for power were commendable, even for Omniosis’ standards, but his love for the Vampire-whore Veronica had clouded his thoughts, and the foolish notion of love itself was a sign of great weakness. Power was all that mattered. He could see through the eyes of his puppet Lewis that Winston was slipping out of their control. His mind was filled with doubt and questions about the cause, so Omniosis knew that they would have to act quickly and maybe employ some rather unsavoury tactics to keep him playing his part until he was no longer required.