The Age of Mages: Book I of the Mage Tales (17 page)

I’m
not
half-vampire, you imbecile
. I gritted my teeth; I had no time for anger. I’d deal with Blackline in a minute,
if
I could get out of this.

I’m sure you’re aware of the scientific principles inherent in creating a vacuum. Removing the air around me would cause me to get sucked out of the space as well . . . hopefully. My chest got tighter and heavier; I started to cough. Tiny white spots appeared before my eyes. They were the only things I could see in the blackness that surrounded me. Passing out wouldn’t kill me, but it
would
make finishing this spell impossible, which could very well result in my death anyway.

Now my whole body was starting to feel heavy. Far in the distance, I could hear Blackline still yammering away. The only good thing about that idiot’s taunting was it kept him so preoccupied, he didn’t realize I was doing magic. The spell was nearly complete; I could feel the vacuum tugging at my feet. It was starting to take my shoes off, but I needed much more than that. I needed it to pull out my whole body.

Please, Air
, I begged. I couldn’t move my fingers to tell the magic where I wanted it to go. Like a child, I implored the element in my mind.
We’re practically brothers, you and I
.
We’re the same
. . .
my will is your will
.
Go where I bid you
. My chest felt like lead, my body sinking. Real blackness was closing in around me now, and I wasn’t sure if my eyes would ever open again. I gave my thoughts one last push, and felt myself jerked into the underground space I’d hollowed out. The force was so great, I thought my limbs would be torn from their sockets. But at least it worked.

I exploded out of the earth, spraying rocks and dirt everywhere. Gasping for breath, I rolled over on my side. Packed dirt had fallen into my mouth, and I got on my hands and knees, gagging.

“What the hell . . .?” Blackline said in disbelief. He was sitting a few feet away, arms splayed out behind him. He’d obviously been knocked on his ass when I burst from the ground. Dirt covered him, and he began to shake his head and look around. When he saw what I’d done, his eyes bulged. Then he set his mouth in a firm line, rose to his feet, and started towards me. I’d barely had time to recover, but there was no way I was letting him have the upper hand now. Not after what I just went through.

As soon as he got close enough, I took a fistful of dirt and flung it in his eyes. He cried out as his hands flew to his face, which gave me time to leap up. When Blackline finally finished wiping away the dirt, he looked daggers at me and balled his hands into fists. Something on the ground started to come towards me, bending tufts of grass this way and that . . . like a snake.

But I wasn’t about to let Blackline get the best of me again.

***

Titus sat on top of a stone slab set across several pillars, not interfering, just as his son had requested. His gaze moved back and forth from one opponent to the other, but he did not attempt to come between them. He was so absorbed that it took him a moment to respond when another vampire sat down next to him.

“Who the hell are you?” he demanded, grabbing the vampire by the throat.

“What, me? I’m . . . I’m nobody!” the vampire choked out. “I mean, my name’s John, but that’s . . . that’s of no consequence!” He spluttered and gasped for breath as he tried to wrench Titus’s arm away from his neck.

“What do you want?” Titus barked. “Are you one of those degenerates working for Ferox?”

“Who, me?” John asked. “I don’t work for anyone! What are you talking about?”

Titus narrowed his eyes and scanned the vampire’s face. Unlike the one in the alley,
this
creature’s mind he could read. “No, you don’t,” he said, releasing his grip and lowering his arm. “What’s your business here,
John
?”

“No business,” John replied, rubbing his throat. “Just saw you sitting up here and thought I recognized you from the history books. You’re Titus Aurelius, aren’t you?”

Titus paused before answering. “The same,” he finally replied. No use denying it. “Who wants to know?”

“No one,” the vampire assured him. “Just me—John, that is.” He ran his fingers through his shaggy blond hair. He looked about twenty or so; turned into a vampire while he was still impressionable, thought Titus. “Guess you could say I’m sort of an admirer,” John continued. They watched a vortex of earth swirl around one of the fighters, then burst apart almost as quickly. “Quite a fight, isn’t it?” he remarked.

“Indeed,” Titus replied in monotone, drumming his fingers on the marble. His eyes flitted between the battling figures. It was difficult to watch the fight and converse at the same time.

“Been a while since I saw a supernatural fight,” John said. He settled down as if getting ready to stay awhile. “What are they—both witches?” He rubbed his hands together. “This should be good and bloody.” Far below, the opponents traded blows back and forth so rapidly, they seemed a blur.

“We can only hope.” Titus rolled his eyes.

“What’re the witches fighting about?” John asked.

“One of them suffers from a fatal inability to mind his own business,” Titus said. He turned his head and glared at John, but only for an instant. Ordinarily, he’d make the little bugger piss off, but he needed to concentrate—just in case. “And one of them’s a mage, not a witch,” he added.

“Right—sorry.” John put up his hands. “Let’s just enjoy the fight then, shall we? Maybe make one of them a vampire when it’s all over, yeah? Just think of all the powers he’d have. Ooo—that one there’s getting buried alive. Probably the mage—they’re less powerful. I’d put my money on the other bloke, if I were a betting man.”

“Just wait. The underdog may surprise you.” Titus stared intently at the earth where the mage had gone under. His breathing got shallower; his drumming fingers now hovered just above the stone. He did not apply any of his own magic, but he was ready. Suddenly, the mage burst out of the earth, and both he and the witch were obscured by flying debris and rock. Titus let out a deep breath and gave a little smile.

“Unbelievable!” declared John, shaking his head. “That’s really something else. I can see why you put the odds on that one. He’s set to become one of the greatest mages of his age, that’s certain.”

“Eh?” Titus broke his gaze from the fight and turned to John. “What makes you think so?” he asked.

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” said John. “Thinks on his feet, he does. In fact, I’ve no idea how he got out of there. You should turn him soon, before another vampire gets to him.”

“I’ve no intention of doing anything of the sort,” Titus replied. “Besides, as you so aptly implied, he’s not just
any
mage.”

“He’s your son, right?” John asked.

Titus sighed. “So you’ve heard.”

John shrugged. “It’s not exactly a secret in the immortal world. But I’ll bet he’ll grow to be as powerful as you—maybe more.” John watched Titus’s face, waiting for his reaction.

“Or he could just be competition,” remarked Titus darkly. On the ground of the Forum, one opponent seemed to lash the other to a column with invisible rope, demanding something.

“And yet you let him live?” John raised his eyebrows. “From what I hear, you’d easily kill your own son if you thought he’d outshine you. Or if you’d benefit in another way.”

“Glad to hear my reputation precedes me.” Titus went back to drumming his fingers, then stopped again. “But there is no point in letting a creature live if it is weak,” he said. “One must be able to face whatever dangers may come.”

John nodded. “That’s true,” he said. The conversation below had grown more heated, the bound fighter struggling for a way out. “But nowadays there are new technologies, new magics. Sometimes your progeny surprise you. It’s a different world from when you were young.”

“When I was
young
?” Titus looked at John, his voice ominous.

“Erm, I meant—oh look!” John said quickly. “The fight’s over; one of them’s run off. I’ll be going then too. Nice to have met you, Mr. Aurelius.” He disappeared so fast, only another vampire could have seen it.

“Likewise,” Titus replied to the air, rolling his eyes again. He looked at the wreckage below, and at the last fighter standing. He swallowed hard; things had not gone as he’d expected. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment, then flew down. It was time to finish this.

Chapter 15

I splayed my fingers and held my arm out to Blackline’s magic as it came at me through the grass. Then I braced myself.

Bloody hell, I’ll bet this is going to hurt
.

It did. Manipulating magic usually involves effort, not pain. But I was right in thinking Blackline wasn’t going to give up any part of
his
magic without a fight. I felt the energy come into my palm, my wrist . . . so far, so good. But as soon as Blackline realized what I was doing, searing pain shot through my forearm as I wrestled the magic away from him.

Oh no, you don’t
, I thought. The spell was too far inside me now. I pushed against the pain, even though it felt like someone was squeezing my arm in a vise while setting it on fire. Finally, I drew my entire arm back and whipped the magic around him. It threw him against a decaying marble column, where he writhed and struggled, but was unable to get free. The agony subsided; the spell was mine.

I won’t bore you, dear reader, with the level of proficiency it takes for a mage to use a witch’s power against him like that. Suffice it to say, I hope you find it impressive. Anyway, I was happy to see Blackline looked about as bad as I felt. His perfect hair was a mess, several pieces of his clothing were torn, and dirt smudges painted his face.

“Ha! Got you now, you insufferable arse,” I said. “And you’re going to tell me what I need to know.”

“Let me
go
!” Blackline roared. He gnashed his teeth, twisting and writhing against his own spell.

“Do you really think that’s going to happen?” I shook my head. “Honestly, I don’t know how you even got on the Council. You have a way with magic, but let’s face it: you’re not very bright. After all, I have the advantage here.”

“I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you.” Blackline had stopped struggling for the moment. But his chest was heaving, and if glares are anything to go by, I’m certain he’d have killed me if he could. “If the rest of the Council was here,” he panted, “we’d settle this in a trice, and not in your favor.”

“Yes, where are your friends, the other Council members?” I asked, tilting my head. “Why not call them? With magic, or your cell phone . . . I’ll unbind you and wait.” I had no intention of doing either, of course, but I was trying to make a point. “Or perhaps you’re not as essential to them as you’d like to believe.”

“It’s not that,” Blackline said, finally catching his breath. He sniffed and looked at the ground. “It’s just . . . we may have a situation on our hands at the moment.”

I stood in front of him with my arms folded. “A situation more important than this one?” I asked.

“Don’t be so naïve,” Blackline said, his face twisting into an ugly sneer. “Your little problem isn’t the only one that exists in the immortal world. The other Council members are busy dealing with what may be . . . that is, she could . . .”

“May be what? Could do what?” I started to ask. Then I held up my hand. “I changed my mind. Forget it. I have only one question: Does it have anything to do with my mother, the crystal, or Callix Ferox?”

Blackline set his mouth in a line. “No,” he replied tersely.

“Fine,” I said. “Then I don’t care. I don’t meddle in the Council’s affairs, and I dearly wish they wouldn’t meddle in mine. Now tell me where Callix Ferox is.”

Blackline gave me a satisfied smile. “Sleeping soundly,” he replied, “in a place you’d never look. Think if you find him, you’ll find the crystal? Or vice versa?” he taunted.

“Since the Council didn’t believe me when I told them what I was
truly
looking for, I hardly think it matters,” I said.

Blackline laughed, a sound halfway between a bark and cough. “People far more powerful and clever than you have been keeping things as they are for centuries,” he scoffed. “They’re not going to risk everything on the word of a half-breed. Though they may do other things to you . . . when I manage to get out of here.” I could feel him gathering magic from the very air around us. I held out my hands to keep a grip on the spell, but my power over it was weakening, and I was growing impatient.

“
Tell me where the goddamn tomb is
!” I shouted. “Is it here? Under the Forum Romanum? Is that why you followed us?”

“You’re close, but not close enough.” Blackline kept grinning, his bonds weakening. Damn—I couldn’t keep a hold on this much longer. But if I didn’t, I was going to lose him—and any information he might provide. “It’s not far off, but you’ll never find it,” he said. “That’s what you get for being an evil . . .
thing
. You’d have been better off spending more time at church.”