AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He chuckled, crossing his arms his golden eyes twinkling with mischief and greed. “As always, but first it’s your turn to pay up witch. If you wish—agh.” He gritted his teeth, glaring down at Lanias, who’d moved swiftly and stepped on his foot, her heel digging into it. She lifted her chin crooning.
“One; you will call me by my name,” she said twisting her heel deeper. “Two; watch your tone you piece of council shit. And Three; I am not afraid to bury a council man. Don’t push me.”
Lifting her foot, she turned away from Tiller.
“There is a way to find my sister but that means exposing the Shades best kept secret. If I do this, know that if you ever, ever seek to use it for your own benefit outside of what we’ve agreed upon. I’ll kill you.” She said this looking at him over her shoulder. Facing Raijin once more she continued. “Now, let’s go to my favorite place in all of Veil City.”
She made a come-hither motion with two of her fingers and the black rope like arms immediately released Raijin. “I’ve created a gate on the top floor lets go.”
* * *
Dressedand feeling more himself but still on edge. Raijin now stood outside of the Shade along with Malcolm, Castian and Alek. They’d greeted him with sympathetic slaps on the back. Malcolm had attempted to hug him; Raijin had quickly disabused him of that thought.
“You’re not wearing a mask,” Alek pointed out while materializing one immediately for him. Raijin reached for it, only to stop short before lowering his hand.
“Don’t need it,” he said giving a shake of his head.
Alek weighed him with his silvery eyes, before smirking and letting the mask disappear in a puff of red smoke. “Good.”
“Well, since everyone’s here including the fox,” Lanias said as she made her to the entrance club. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Tiller followed behind her his tail lashing back and forth in obvious excitement. Entering the empty club felt weird. As they followed her up the steps they heard a familiar voice.
“You really brought them.” The person sounded like they thought badly of the idea. Once they reached the top landing, Raijin realized it had been Sabina’s cousin Oye who’d been speaking. She stood in her usual outfit of ripped jeans, metal accessories and knives—, he paused on that thought. Noticing how she flipped the blade between her fingers, he then realized she was bending it, making it undulate up and down so that it slipped through her fingers like a live snake.
“Yes,” Lanias said as way of answer, as she continued passed her. “And you know why.”
Oye’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t push. Instead, she joined them, as they made their way down the long hallway. Stopping at a large door made of oak wood, in it was a carving of a Sakura tree. Seeing this Lanias hummed, “I guess it’s feeling very Japanese tonight. Ironic.” Lifting her hand, she knocked on the door three times.
A gong sounded causing all of the Jackals to tense. When the sound ended, she reached out and pushed the door handle down. The door opened and they were immediately flooded by a purple light.
“Welcome to Nerium,” Lanias said brightly.
Lanias entered the room first, followed by Oye. The two not fazed by the large orb that hung in the center above their heads.
The ceiling was high, and the four pillars made of roots surrounded it.
Tiller on the other hand stared at it in blank astonishment. The center held a black mass that expanded in intervals. Seeing the women had already reached the bottom of the steps, Raijin quickly followed behind them along with the other three. Which jolted Tiller to move after them and say, “How did you manage to collect so much magical energy in one place?”
Tiller reached Lanias side his eyes still focused on the orb, before his brow creased, “And why?” He demanded finally looking at her, with suspicion.
“When I was young my mother sold me and my little sister.” Lanias said, in a matter-of-fact way. “She wanted to start over, she thought herself better than the people who lived in the small dirt town in Virginia. Even though it was my grandmother who truly raised us. She heard whispers from the Veil, of a program where the Council would compensate people for children who were talented in magic but they had to be able to perform magic in more than one element.”
Raijin stiffened, he’d heard this story, he glanced at Tiller.
Lanias pointed at the orb. The moving mass within, immediately reacted squirming it pressed against the glass as if sensing where she stood. “Sadly, she hadn’t told my grandmother so Granny Bea, wasn’t prepared for when they came, and she fought back.” Her eyes grew cold and grim, “and Sabina watched as she was killed by one of their warlocks. I arrived right as they kicked my grandmothers dead body aside. And together we were dragged away to hell.”
Tiller looked down at his feet. “Those children were all killed,” he said softly. He glanced up and looked at Lanias coldly. “Those children were killed. They were all killed by the mudslide.” He repeated as if trying to convince himself more than anyone else.
“Yeah, some.” Lanias said while rolling her wrist she pulled on the mass. A string of black penetrated the surface, slowly extending out to her. “Oye, make me an orb.”
“What do you mean some,” Tiller demanded but Lanias ignored him.
Her cousin pulled something out of her pocket it was flat sheet of glass. “Sure.” The five them watched as it shaped immediately into an open orb. “Does this work.”
“It’s fine,” Lanias said as she reached out and took a piece of the black string. She snapped it off with her fingers, and placed it within the orb. “Here close it for me.”
Oye retook it and sealed it She turned around to face Raijin and held it out to him, “here.”
