Leviathan (Fist of Light Series) (5 page)

After shaking myself back to attention, I pegged myself for a dunce. “The bass comes from there. Sound waves are projected out at the crowd. It heightens the experience, apparently. Never been to one of these things personally.”

She nodded her head, quickly assessing the contraption in question. “And what is the goal of this mission?”

Jas saved me from the doom riding in the wake of that question. “To have the time of our lives!” He punched a fist into the air with his exclamation, and many around us emulated his action, agreeing with his sentiments.

“I see.” Kathryne nodded. Maybe she was beginning to understand.

A few desperate individuals hovered around the lounge, hoping to get inside and reach whatever awaited behind the one-way mirrors. The attending golem took one look at Jas before waving us through. I shrugged apologetically as we left them behind and walked up the stairs. The hoarse cries of ecstasy and glee were muffled as we ascended and were replaced with tinkling, upper-class laughter, the clinking of glasses and the murmur of conversation. Enormous couches, loveseats, chairs, stools, tables and benches were spread out across the room. Many were in states of disarray due to the unseemly acts taking place, ranging from illicit drugs to explicit content best left to the imagination. Flatscreens hung on the walls, posted excessively on the available space, one for each group of partygoers.

“Let's find somewhere to pop a squat,” Jas said.

“Sounds good to me.” I glanced over to Kathryne to gauge her preference.

“I'll go get us drinks,” she offered. “Go get some seats.” She sped off to the far corner of the room where a private bar was set up.

“What's the plan?” I asked. “Chill here for a bit, go out on the dance floor later?”

“Agreed. My inhibitions must be severely repressed before I mix freely with that crowd.” Jas pointed out the one-way windows, which gave us unrestricted sight of what lay below.

From this side, I couldn't help but develop a sense of superiority. Then my eyes raked across the inhabitants of this particular space and I reassessed my so-called superiority complex. Doing a double take, my eyes returned to Kathryne, who had finished ordering the drinks and was pointing at our table. That wasn't out of the ordinary, but the man approaching her was far from ordinary. His predatory gait and gleaming green eyes promised trouble. My gut twisted in sudden certainty, informing me that this was no normal encounter.

“Dammit,” I said. “Get up, Jas. We’ve got a problem.”

He groaned loudly, protesting anything that threatened his night out on the town. “Why tonight?” Jas complained. “Where?”

I pointed at Kathryne, who had turned to confront the man. All that could be discerned from this distance was his height, as he was upwards of six feet. Even from across the room, his clothes and demeanor shouted rich and important, powerful. His jet-black hair was done up in a fashionable style. All my instincts informed me that this was an unsavory individual that we wanted nothing to do with. Regardless, I had to get the guy away from Kathryne, before something untoward happened.

“Time to move.” I pulled Jas up with me.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the man in question was barely into his twenties. I was just getting a good look at his face when my world got turned upside down. The walls shook with the force of an earthquake. Dust fell from the ceiling as sheetrock cracked and splintered. The speakers cut out abruptly. Lights flickered and everyone who had remained standing after the initial shuddering were thrown off their feet by increasingly powerful quakes. The windows shattered and ear-splitting screams filled the air.

“I think I'm going to throw up,” Jas said, his face green.

An insistent tolling droned through my mind and I grasped at my head. “Now's not the time,” I hissed between clenched teeth, directed at both my friend and the ringing. “Wait here.”

“No problem,” Jas replied woozily. “Go ‘get em, tiger.”

Slapping my hands to the ground, I called Air insistently, padding the ground below so I could regain my footing. Rather than connecting the pathway to the floor below, it was slightly above, so that the earthquake couldn't shake me. I'd finally gotten a clear view of Kathryne and the man attacking her, who was smirking as he attempted to drag her over the shattered glass windows. My mind processed the scenario, uncomprehending. She should have been able to suck the go-go juice out of the guy before he said two words. If that wasn't possible then it was likely I was dealing with another Aevum, one who was inclined to bring Kathryne back. She had already spoken of the possibility if the guild ever discovered she lived. In a flurry of movement, Kathryne utilized a move in her endless repertoire of hand-to-hand combat, taking down her attacker. She then commenced beating his face to a bloody pulp with her bare hands, her fury unleashed. I made a mental note to never get on her bad side.

Feeling useless, I slowed to a halt before entering the altercation and risking her wrath. The world slowly began righting itself and the dust began to settle. Screams continued to fill the night but tapered off as people discovered the worst was over. I swatted the back of my neck, attempting to dislodge whatever critter had just bitten deeply into my neck. My hand met with nothing and I turned around to look for any unusually large misquotes or the supernatural equivalent. Neither was present, but five mobster types had crowded in behind me, likely enjoying the end of a very one-way fight.

“Come on, guys. Nothing to see here.” I swooned on legs unable to sustain the weight of my body, my vision rapidly diminishing as the drug began to take effect.

One last statement followed me into the blackness of unconsciousness. “No, not here. But many will flock to watch an Empowered take to the sands.”

T
he world around me came into focus slowly, ponderously, as my eyelids beat a steady rhythm in tune with my heart. I was lying on my side, one arm trapped underneath my body, all feeling lost. Cold concrete pressed up against one side of my face and the steady drip of a leaky pipe ensured that there was some form of running water. My field of vision was pointed directly towards my cell door; at least that’s what it appeared to be. Forcing myself upright, my spine protested, but I fought through it and scooted back against the nearest wall. Next to me was a toilet caked with dust and grime, which I ignored. A bout of post-traumatic stress had me jerking my eyes across every surface in the room, but no torture implements were around. I released a pent-up breath then got down to business, figuring just how shitty my predicament was.

Doing a systems check, I confirmed everything was there, all body parts attached in the appropriate locations. My shoulders felt like they had been pulled out of their sockets, probably because my attackers dragged me off. My brain seemed to be back to normal, so obviously whatever depressant they injected into me had finally worn off. I brought my hand up to my neck and tried to figure out where the needle had entered my skin but met with metal instead. Scrambling frantically, I latched onto the seamless collar around my neck, but the smooth surface was unyielding. There was no catch to be undone, no lock to be sprung. The words that spewed from my mouth were not suitable for children and every adult in the vicinity would have been made uncomfortable by my creativity.

Jeeves flashed in, looking wispy and liable to blow away at the slightest stimulus.

“You look even more holographic than usual. What's wrong?” I asked.

“Speak for yourself. That torc upon your neck is damming up our power and blurring our link. The connection between yourself and Jas is currently inaccessible.”

“How?” I rubbed my temples, attempting to alleviate a headache.

“The sigils. They’re ancient words of power. When a collar like this is put upon the neck of someone with magical ability, it works to suppress and contain their power.” Jeeves took a closer look at the torc, examining it meticulously.

My eyes absorbed the stone walls and barred door, while a dark certainty provided the explanation: this was a prison. Despite that, it appeared the torc was causing me no bodily harm or draining me of power as the cell of death had. My mind flashed back momentarily to the first prison I’d been trapped in by Martin Drake. My life slowly withering away, the torture implements gleaming coolly in the corner, waiting patiently for their chance. Shaking my head, I wiped shakily at my face and returned to the present. I was as confined as the first cell I’d been trapped in. But there are always cracks to be found in even the sturdiest of defenses, if one looks hard and long enough.

Jeeves' form flickered as he backed away from my neck, his examination complete. “It is likely that there is an operating apparatus, a sequence of control words.”

“The mobster in charge of the guys who jumped me might have given us an answer.” I closed my eyes and pinched my nose between my thumb and forefinger. “I'd guess he has an underground gig going, running magical beings through a gladiatorial arena for gambling.” I fingered the metal again, this time noticing the grooves marking the symbols etched into the metal.

He pieced the rest together. “And the bloodletting would be far less interesting when those with magical abilities are so handicapped, unable to reach their power.”

“Bingo. But I doubt that means there will be a way out of this joint once we get led onto their battleground. I’d be willing to bet good money that they have just as many sigils out there as they do around this dog collar.”

“Therefore, implementation will be far more successful here in this cell, where no one would ever expect you to resist.”

I nodded. “There's a limit to just how
much
power can be suppressed through this gizmo. I can feel it. They don’t think I’m anything more than some average Empowered.”

“And we must make certain to continue projecting that falsehood, lest they discover your worth.”

I began formulating a plan. “Looks like we'll be sticking to Air and Water, then. And no materializing a weapon from thin air, either. That would be suspicious. So, no weapons either, unless they give me one.” My mind tracked multiple possibilities. I couldn’t predict anything else without learning more.

I ticked three fingers off. “How long was I out? Did you get a glimpse of anything outside the cell, the layout of this place? Were there other prisoners they'd carted in, locked up and waiting for the main event?”

“Although I retained a level of awareness,
unlike yourself
, I was limited to the confines of your mind. You were out for less than a few hours. They hadn't expected you to begin to wake after such a short time but injected more of that drug before you could do much more than twitch a muscle. Considering the time table, you'll probably be thrust into battle before tomorrow, once this underworld stirs to life.”

“Must've injected me with a sleeper drug, the bastards.” I rubbed at the spot where the needle went in. “If we have that long of a wait ahead of us, then shouldn't we take a whack at breaking out of this joint?” I slapped the wall, considering its thickness.

“Negative. You've been overtaxing yourself and a day of rest will provide much needed energy and a higher chance of making it out of this predicament alive. There is much we are unaware of regarding this facility and the more knowledge we glean, the more advantages we will gain when we decide it’s time to make our move. No.” He shook his head vehemently. “We must play their game and fight in the arena, if only for a night. Then we will make good on our escape.” Jeeves grinned, a twisted, evil thing that promised retribution.

The clinking of keys and shuddering of the heavy door as it dug into the ground brought me awake. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and briefly thought about how I'd managed to nod off. Obviously, I
had
been overtaxed from both my efforts in absorbing Kathryne's instruction and my attempts at combining Air and Water. If someone was here to fetch me, it could only mean one thing. Jeeves flashed in beside me as I stood, feeling refreshed. My power seemed a bit less distant and I was sure it was within my reach if enough effort was extended.