“Thank you for coming,” I said, measuring my words. “Monty, Roxanne, and Magnus are on the top floor. The rest of the place is empty except for the Shadow Company sorcerers, I think.”
Badb closed her eyes for a second and smiled.
In that moment, I knew true fear. This was the kind of fear that rooted you to the spot while death came and snuffed you out. She turned away from me and headed for the entrance.
“Marked of Kali,” Badb said as she approached the entrance, shattering all of the glass in the lobby. “Do not cross my path.”
The black nimbus of energy spread out from her as she walked in. A few seconds later I heard the first screams. I stepped in and took the elevator to the top floor. Monty’s room was in restricted access, two levels above me. I ran for the stairwell and blasted the door with Grim Whisper.
Nothing happened.
I holstered my gun and formed Ebonsoul, black and red energy radiated out from my blade. I jammed the blade into the door jamb, then took a step back and slammed the door hard with my shoulder. The door exploded open. I ran up the two flights and shoved hard against the door. This one opened easily and I slid into the corridor. It was empty and I moved fast, taking the corner at speed until I slid to a stop.
Right behind a group of three sorcerers.
I looked down the corridor and saw Elias Paul Bunyan blocking the space in front of Monty’s door. He was barely standing; and bruises covered his face and arms. He had one vicious cut over an eye that bled freely, and the other eye had been swollen shut. One of his legs looked like it had been barbecued—the skin was an exposed, angry red.
“Step aside, Elias,” one of the sorcerers said. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“Layton, you plan on killing someone I swore to protect,” Elias answered, his voice grim. “I’d say it has everything to do with me.”
Elias formed two large orbs of black energy.
“You should’ve joined Shadow Company when you had the chance,” Layton said, forming a nasty black and red orb. “It’s too late now.”
“Shadow Company is no longer hiring,” I said, absorbing Ebonsoul and drawing Grim Whisper before opening fire. “I’m closing them down.”
I dove around the corner, avoiding the barrage of orbs they sent my way.
“Who the hell was that?” one of the sorcerers asked.
“Doesn’t matter. He dies, too,” Layton said. “Kill him. I’ll take care of Elias.”
A scream filled the corridor a second later, followed by two sets of footsteps. I hoped the scream wasn’t Elias, but the odds were against him. I ducked into the nearest stairwell and closed my eyes, focusing my energy into Ebonsoul, hoping this would work; if not, I was about to get pummeled silly by sorcerous orbs of death.
When I opened my eyes, my body was covered in a tight violet shield. I hoped it held as I stepped out of the stairwell and around the corner, opening fire with Grim Whisper. I caught one of the sorcerers by surprise, dropping him. The second one had better reflexes and threw up a shield while unleashing another barrage of orbs at me.
I ran forward, slashing through the barrage with Ebonsoul as I closed the distance. He tried to backpedal, but it was too late—I had too much momentum, and slammed into him, blade first.
I buried Ebonsoul into his chest and felt the siphon of energy a second later. It ripped the air from my lungs and nearly brought me to my knees. I staggered back and leaned against the wall.
“What the hell?” I murmured to myself as I absorbed Ebonsoul. “That wasn’t like last time. Definitely higher on the creepy meter.”
I turned the corner, leading with Grim Whisper.
Layton lay on the floor…well, what was left of him. Elias had shredded most of Layton into a bloody smear. He didn’t look much better as he sat against a wall near Monty’s door.
“You look like shit,” I said, crouching down to help him up. He groaned in pain as he stood shakily. “What the hell happened?”
“Turns out they were confused,” Elias said, followed by a grunt as I propped him up against the wall. “I merely brought them clarity of thought.”
I glanced over at what was left of Layton.
“Remind me to never get confused around you.”
Elias tried to laugh and ended up coughing up blood.
“That isn’t good,” he said, looking at the blood. “You may as well leave me here. It’s not like I can face any more of them in this condition.”
“You don’t have to,” I said. “I brought backup.”
“You brought backup?” Elias asked, gripping my arm with a iron grip. “You’re not even a mage. How could you bring backup?”
“I know people. Scary people in very scary places,” I said. “Now stop talking.”
He nodded and rested his head back against the wall, closing his eyes.
I pounded on the door.
“It’s me,” I yelled, glancing behind me. “Open up!”
The last thing I wanted was to be in the corridor when Badb’s black nimbus of energy filled it. The door opened a second later, and we stumbled in. I made sure to keep Elias from falling as I took in the scene. He swayed unsteadily as I held him up.
Roxanne was covered in blood and for a second I thought she had been wounded. I saw Monty in the large industrial bed, and two more, smaller beds next to Monty’s. One held Magnus, who looked worse than Monty, the other bed was empty.
I stood there in shock for a few seconds.
“Put him over there,” Roxanne snapped, bringing me out of my shock. “Simon, move, now.”
I placed Elias in the empty bed and stepped back. Roxanne gestured and Elias was immediately covered in a cocoon of red energy.
“Why are you still here?” I asked. “You were supposed to
