“Hmm, then maybe it’s not just you,” Grey said, turning to Jessikah. “I bought us some time; not much, but some. What exactly did you do to the Black Orchid?”
Jessikah turned her head away.
“I’m Farsight,” she said after a moment.
“Good for you,” Grey said. “Get some glasses? How does that help us?”
“She can see three seconds into the future,” I clarified. “Farsight, not farsighted.”
“You’re a precog?” Grey asked. “Rare, sure, especially among mages, but why would that get you killed?”
Jessikah glanced over at Ink. The realization slowly dawned on Grey’s face.
“You’re a Daughter of Bast?”
She nodded.
“Well…that explains some of this. No wonder they want you dead.” He cursed under his breath. “Someone is out there with your friends. They weren’t here last night just looking for Tristan.”
“They probably were,” she answered quickly, “but it would seem they were testing your defenses, looking for weaknesses.”
“It would seem?” Grey asked, getting angry. “I’d say it would seem…damn. Black Orchid and a Daughter of Bast? I should’ve stayed in bed today.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slow, calming himself down.
“They knew I would come here,” she said, “eventually.”
“Right, and you’re supposed to die in the line of duty.”
Jessikah nodded.
“I believe that’s the plan,” Jessikah said, looking around. “What better place than in the lair of a dark mage while searching for another?”
“This is not a lair. This is my home, and that door was expensive, not to mention the rune work. Still, I didn’t think the Orchid had that kind of…”
Something flew through the dark tendrils covering the doorway with a scream, and impacted forcefully against the far wall with a wet, sick sound. The mangled mess that made it through the tendrils vaguely resembled a human. I walked over to the remains to get a better look, but there wasn’t much to see.
“Whoever that was, they went quick,” I said, stepping around the blood and bits of bone, looking at Jessikah. “You recognize him?”
“That…that was one of…”Jessikah started but couldn’t finish. “That was Henry. He was a Black Orchid agent.”
“Not anymore,” I said, crouching down to get a better look. “Was Henry powerful enough to disintegrate the door?”
“No,” Jessikah said. “I don’t know. He was strong.”
I stood and turned to Grey.
“What the hell kind of dark magic is that?” I asked, pointing at the tendrils.
“The kind that’s keeping me alive,” Grey said, narrowing his eyes at me. “That door is now a dark siphon. I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept.”
“Not like that, I’m not.”
“Nothing is coming through that door and staying alive…for long.”
“Tell me you have another exit, some sort of emergency exit or back door to this place.”
“Can’t use the back door. It’s sealed,” Grey said. “There’s another way.”
“They killed him…Henry,” Jessikah said. “He was one of the—”
“Henry is among the dead now,” Grey said, turning to the door. “I think you need to listen to your cat.”
“Grey, I’m going to guess that the Black Orchid didn’t disintegrate your door,” I said. “That means—”
“Whoever or whatever is out there, is looking for you,” Grey finished, his voice low.
“Strong,” called a voice from outside. “I know you’re in there, Simon Strong.”
Everyone turned to look at me.
“Friend of yours?” Grey asked. “Something you need to share, before the dying starts?”
I looked over at the dead Orchid agent.
“I’d say we passed that part,” I said. “I don’t know who’s out there.”
“You don’t know me, but I know of you,” the voice said. “My name is Talin. I’m here to deliver a message from Evers.”
“I got your message loud and clear,” I said, glancing over at the dead body. “Did you have to kill him?”
“Oh, that? That’s not the message for you,” Talin answered after a short laugh. “That was a message to the Black Orchid agent inside there with you. Her insult of a sect is going to be destroyed, right after we deal with the Montagues.”
“Henry must have been tasked with surveillance after last night,” Grey said. “This Talin must have found him scoping out The Dive.”
“Why do you say that?” Jessikah asked.
“If it had been the whole team,”—Grey glanced at Henry’s body—“three bodies would be stacked over there right now.”
I nodded.
“You need to come out now, Strong,” Talin said. “We can make this quick and easy, or just hard and painful. Your death will bring us Tristan.”
“Doubt it,” I said. “Haven’t you heard? He’s all Darthy now.”
“Cute, but incorrect. He is in a schism, not dark, which means he still has attachments…vulnerabilities…weaknesses. Like you and the Director at Haven.”
“You must have the wrong Montague. Monty doesn’t have vulnerabilities.”
“After we kill you and his love, we will destroy his uncle and obliterate the Golden Circle, before ending his life.”
“Seems like you have a full schedule,” I said. “Where is Evers?”
“I’m afraid she’s busy at the moment,” Talin replied. “You should make this easy on yourself. I don’t want to kill you. I’m inviting you to death.”
“Well, when you put it that way, how could I refuse?”
“Precisely. Resistance is futile.”
“He killed...he killed Henry,” Jessikah muttered, still in shock. “Who is that?”
“Someone who is going to kill us all, if we let him,” I said, turning to Grey. “What is the other way out?”
“Behind the bar. Pull up the trapdoor and follow the tunnel all the way out.”
“What about you?” Jessikah said. “Are you going to the sanctuary room?”
“Don’t need to,” Grey said. “I can lock down the entire place. The door is a crumple zone. I designed it as a point of failure.”
“Why on earth would you do that?” Jessikah asked. “They’ll walk right in.”
“I know,” Grey said, pressing a palm on the floor, igniting all of the runes around us with red energy. “You better head out before
