“I was in my office when it happened,” Roxanne answered. “By the time I realized what had occurred, we were under attack. Elias and a handful of others managed to hold them off while we made our way in here.”
“They’re not going to be an issue for much longer,” I said, glancing at the door. “I don’t recommend going out there, though.”
“There may be others who need help,” Roxanne protested. “I have to do a sweep of the floors to check.”
“You may want to wait,” I said, my voice serious. “Badb is out there and she’s not exactly what I would call friendly right now.”
“Badb? Badb Catha?” Roxanne asked. “You summoned Badb Catha? Are you mad? This facility is full of people.”
I pointed at Monty.
“Not at the moment,” Monty said, getting slowly out of bed. “They’ve been temporarily shifted away.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Roxanne demanded. “You’re in no condition to move, much less leave Haven.”
“We need to go, and she’s going to help,” Monty said, making no sense. “Simon and I need to finish this.”
“Who’s going to help?” Roxanne asked exasperated. “What are you going on about?”
“Haven is empty,” Monty said. “But you need to remain in this room, at least until we return.”
“I know that’s what you said, but it’s impossible,” Roxanne said. “Not even Dex could teleport the entire facility.”
There was a soft knock at the door.
“I’d open that, if I were you,” I said, quietly. “I doubt its one of the sorcerers.”
Roxanne gestured with a hand and the door clicked ajar. It was gently pushed open the rest of the way, and Badb stepped in. She stepped over to Monty and rested a hand on his chest.
Black tendrils shot out from her hand and entered Monty’s wound. He gasped with pain and grimaced as the wound healed. A few seconds later, he was completely healed. She moved over to the bed where Magnus lay and did the same thing.
Magnus shot up in the bed a moment later.
“You,” Magnus said, looking at Monty and gathering energy. “You will pay for this.”
“He just saved your life,” I said, turning to Monty. “Maybe we should have left him on the street?”
“He attacked me,” Magnus accused. “He will die.”
“He saved you,” I said. “You were targeted by Shadow Company. They were going to retire you, permanently. If it wasn’t for Monty—”
“And Simon, you’d be deceased,” Monty finished. “Your driver, Rott, betrayed you.”
“Impossible,” Magnus scoffed. “He was my kind, a dragon.”
“No, actually, he wasn’t,” I corrected. “He was Shadow Company. Slif killed his daughter and he wanted to make you pay for that.”
“I cannot let this attack go unanswered,” Magnus said, finally. “You two have just forfeited your lives.”
“All that power and still so dense,” I said, moving back. “Is that your final answer? We need to die?”
“You attacked the leader of an enclave, you nearly killed me, and you expect me to what? Forgive and forget?”
Badb Catha stepped closer to Magnus.
“You will seek retribution against the Marked of Kali and Mage Montague?” she asked. “Are you certain?”
“The marked of who?” Magnus asked, confused. “It doesn’t matter. Do you know who I am? I am Magnus M. Balfour, leader of the Balfour Enclave and these…these scum dared to lay a hand on me. I will eliminate you, everyone you know, and everyone they know. My wrath will be absolute.”
“Will you not turn away from this path?” Badb asked with a small smile. “Will you extend these two clemency?”
“Never,” Magnus seethed. “Their destruction will become my purpose. I will see them reduced to dust.”
“That is some grudge,” I said under my breath. “Don’t say you weren’t given a chance.”
Magnus gestured, ready to unleash some death spell in our direction. Badb Catha placed a hand on his cheek and all magic fled the room in an instant. One of Magnus’ eyes clouded over into a milky white, and then he sagged back into his bed.
“Know that you still live because of the mercy extended to you by Mage Montague and the Marked of Kali,” Badb said, moving away. “You will not have access to your magical ability, and I have taken the sight from one eye to allow you a constant reminder of your blindness to see reason.”
“Who…who are you?” Magnus asked, fear lacing his words. “What are you?”
“I am war, violence, carnage, and rage. I am the one who will return to rip your life from your body should you seek to threaten them or any they hold dear. I am the last face you will see before you die. I am Death. I am Badb Catha. Remember my words.”
Badb waved a hand and Magnus disappeared.
“Did you?” I asked. “You didn’t?”
“Our terms were clear,” Badb said. “Persuade, but not kill. I would think he is sufficiently persuaded, yes?”
“Yes, but where did you send him?”
“I have sent him home to nurse his wounded pride. His ability will return in a few centuries. Long enough to teach him some humility.”
“Or really, really piss him off.”
“Perhaps. We will see what, if anything, he learns over that time.”
“Thank you.”
“Do not thank me,” she said with a smile that chilled my blood. “We have…terms, Marked of Kali. I will call on you both, soon.”
Badb Catha disappeared a moment later, leaving the room hovering around arctic temperatures. I exhaled and saw my breath.
“I still need to stop Shadow Company,” I said. “They got away after everything with Magnus. Douglas managed to get injected with dragon blood.”
“Dragon blood?” Roxanne asked. “He’s going to kill himself?”
“He thinks it’s going to give him power to fix what he sees is wrong with the world. Basically, he’s a megalomaniacal xenophobe. For once, just once, I’d like to face an enemy that believes all humanity should be forced to drink coffee. I can deal with that kind of insane. Not, ‘Let’s wipe out everything that isn’t human,’ off-the-deep-end psychosis.”
“The dragon’s blood won’t kill him,” Monty said. “Not immediately.”
“He’s right,” Roxanne said. “It will give him power and access to energy
