Obsidian Son (The Temple Chronicles Book 1) (38 page)

“But there are those who want you to
see
the truth rather than
hide
from it. Old, dark, dangerous powers are manifesting the world over. But where there is darkness, there is also light, like the coming eclipse. I urge our fellow citizens to come forth with their secret powers, because we all know that the darker powers will do so in order to take advantage of the weak. We must be unified against them. No more
freaks
and
regulars
. We are all one family. One race.

“I ask all of you to take a step forward as Master Temple has, and embrace your ability for all to see. Stand to fight against the darkness with Master Temple and I for the benefit of all, so that our children can have a safer future. Now, I humbly ask that you allow Master Temple and I to step aside to discuss our future plans for this coalition.” With that, he smiled, stepped away from the podium, and motioned for me to follow him.

The crowd went wild as I stood. What was the meaning of this? What ulterior motives did Alaric have? Why did he want to seem to all these people as my friend? Was it a simple publicity stunt? Misha and Tory followed close behind me, Misha’s face blank. Alaric had just blatantly admitted to all that I was a wizard, and that he knew it, and that I should be a spokesperson for all the freaks out there since I had been brave enough to step out. Several in the crowd wept as I passed them by, reaching out to touch my arm as if I was an angel sent down from heaven by god himself. Others shied away or shot me dirty looks thanks to my recent media appearances. I kept my face neutral, my mind racing. What was Alaric’s game? What did he have to gain from this? Chaos?

Alaric waited for me beside the stage as the next speaker approached the podium, looking displeased that he had drawn the straw to follow the charismatic dragon. He was doomed, especially if it was a scientific speech. “What was that about, Alaric?” I whispered angrily once we were close enough, the next speaker preparing to bore the audience with the general astronomy of eclipses in the background. Alaric reached out to grasp my forearm cordially so that the audience wouldn’t think anything amiss. I tensed.

“I just saved your name, Master Temple. Last evening’s news didn’t paint a very pleasant picture of you and your … well, my wolf now, I suppose. Everyone was focused on what new catastrophe you would cause this afternoon, and now they see you as the savior of their city. I have congressmen ready to back your demands with legal documents in order to promote your decrees into bills for congress to peruse. Bills that will pass. Wouldn’t you like to see the freaks as equals to regular citizens? All this I give you, in exchange for your simple servitude, so that we may have a working relationship when I rule. After all, you did find my book. I owed you
something
in exchange.”

I winced at his smile, letting go of his hand with more force than necessary. I managed to smile back after a second. “How is our partnership going to last after I kill you this afternoon?” His smile wavered this time. “What is your real reason for doing this? You know what would happen if it became fact that we exist. It would be the Salem Witch Trials all over again. Your kind would be hunted down too.”

Alaric held up a finger. “Ah, but not if they saw me as the one trying to promote harmony between the factions. They would see you and I as the lesser of the two evils. Come now, Master Temple. You know that it is only a matter of time before our secret is out. Yours sooner than mine. And what will happen then? We will become Public Enemy number One. I do not wish that.”

“I’m sure you don’t. But it still doesn’t make sense.”

“I have opened the gates a day earlier than they would have on their own, and by doing so, have gained us a notoriety of sorts that will allow us to not appear as the enemy. You should thank me.”

“I would rather damn you, because it’s all a ruse. I’ve peeked behind the curtain.” I said with a menacing smile.

“Well, that is rather uncouth, Master Temple.” There was that word being used to describe me again. He pondered for a moment, smiling and nodding at a guest over my shoulder before continuing in almost a whisper. “Some people delight in creating things, building cities, painting masterpieces, and then there are those others… the ones who love to walk up and flick that first domino… the domino that sets off a chain reaction of unstoppable chaos, destroying something that was most beautiful.” He paused for emphasis. “That would be me. I would rather set off the chain reaction then be the domino stuck in the chaos.” He glanced over as two women approached. I could tell by the way they moved that they were dragons, but they must have been wearing contacts because their eyes were quite normal.

“We must vacate this place for loftier heights,” He said softly. “We wouldn’t want to leave the wolf locked up all day, would we? He probably needs to be let outside. And there is the promise of the thief you wished to meet.” He added with a sad smile.

Tory squeezed my arm. “Shall we?” She asked, eyes flaming.

“Oh, yes, shall we?” Misha purred beside her.

“I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I didn’t succumb to such beauties as the two of you.” I said with a smile as an elderly couple walked past us, staring at us as if we were rock stars from their youth. I kind of liked the attention. I just hated its cause.

Alaric leaned closer. “I must insist on my own transportation if you wish to visit my home. We wouldn’t want any strange vehicles left on the property if you decided to stay indefinitely.” The words dripped with the promise that if I crossed him, my body would never leave the property. I nodded back, having expected it. “Good. I will be along shortly. Make yourself at home, of course.” We followed the two female dragons away from the Expo, Alaric speaking briefly with two older gentlemen behind us.

I recognized them as congressmen.

Fuck.

Chapter 38

W
e pulled up to Alaric’s mansion half an hour later, granted entrance by a small intercom at the wide iron gates a mile down the driveway. The dragons had tried talking to Misha several times, but her face had remained stony, giving them no false understanding of whose side she was now on. Neat. I guess my mind work on her had been permanent. I felt slightly guilty about that, but didn’t have the time to worry about it just yet. I felt odd as I noticed her repeatedly glancing at my chest where her dragon tooth hung around my neck. Could she sense it? But I remained silent.

I hoped Raego showed up, because if there were as many dragons as he feared nearby, then I would never make it out alive. And neither would Tory or Gunnar.

Alaric’s Bentley stopped, and we were encouraged to get out by a sultry brown-eyed woman, her eyes so deep a mahogany that I almost didn’t notice the horizontal slits. We followed her inside a home that seemed every bit as impressive as Chateau Falco, and I wondered how they had acquired such a nice home on such short notice if they were so new to town. Or had they been here longer than I thought? How long had Peter really been working for them? My gut lurched at thoughts of Peter’s betrayal. I was pretty sure he would be here. He might have even convinced Alaric to let him keep his new bracelet.

Then I remembered that I would get to see the thief soon, the shadowy silhouette I had watched sneak into Temple Industries on the video feed, the person who even the high-tech camera hadn’t been able to identify. That brought my thoughts back to the odd music box that I had stowed away in my secret vault at
Plato’s Cave
.

Tory stumbled as one of the dragons forcefully encouraged her to move faster. Her resulting scowl was frightening if one knew her, but comical if not. She was just so tiny. The dragon didn’t seem to care.

We strode past a wide-open room with a ceiling made completely of glass, construction work still apparent in some corners, and I stopped for a second. The floor and walls were rich sandstone, with massive boulders and slabs placed lovingly around the room like others would place chairs and couches. Then I saw a flicker of movement and realized that three full sized dragons were lounging on the rocks, lazily bathing in the sun. I saw the heating coils that spread throughout the room and blinked at the expense. The rocks were heated. Almost like a huge reptile cage that a child would have for a pet iguana. I shivered, and continued on.

We passed many more rooms, but finally headed into a more private area of the house, less glamorous and more dated; rougher stone walls and less decoration. Torches lit the halls. A heavy set of oak wooden doors stood closed at the end of the hall, an Italian phrase engraved into a monolith above them:
Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch’entrate!

Abandon all hope, Ye Who Enter Here.

Misha shivered. “Not here. Anywhere but here.” She whispered. I placed a comforting hand on her soft skin and my power spiked. She blinked watery eyes in appreciation, not feeling the power surge like I had. Our guards opened the large double doors and ushered us into another cavernous glass-ceilinged room. Several dragons leaned against the wall around the room, but our guides remained close to the door like guards.

My two best friends stood before me.

Peter and Gunnar seemed to sparkle in the rays of sunlight that speared down from the ceiling. Gunnar sat in full werewolf form, but was without his characteristic
Underdog
underwear. He was attached to a leash held loosely in Peter’s hand. The moon hovered beside the sun in the sky above us. It was almost time.

Peter smiled at us. “So nice of you to join us, Nate. Your
friends
are already here waiting.” He motioned a finger at Gunnar, and then at an altar behind him. Raego was chained up with iron manacles, looking dazed. I blinked away the tinge of red from my vision, trying to maintain my composure. Tory touched my arm, and my power jumped again. I knew that I could incinerate everyone in the room as easily as breathing, but that wouldn’t solve anything. I needed to kill Alaric, and I didn’t know how many other dragons were present. I also didn’t know the particulars of the spell. Had he already started the necessary steps? Would killing everyone somehow ignite it?

I took a deep breath, and Peter frowned. “No witty comment? No clever repertoire? It seems might
is
right after all.” If Raego hadn’t told me Peter was involved, I might have had a heart attack upon seeing him here, but now it just made me furious at the betrayal. Defcon 1 furious.

“Why is he here?” I pointed at Raego.

“Alaric needs the blood of a traitor to fuel his ritual. His own son was almost too much to pass up once we found him snooping around. I have to admit that I was surprised to later discover that he was none other than your employee, Jessie, but now I see how my book request went sour.” He backhanded Raego, spittle flying from the dragon’s lips. His wrists were bloody around the manacles, proving he had struggled. He opened his mouth in a curse, looking furious, but there was no sound. A spell.

I took a threatening step closer.

Gunnar’s white hackles lifted and he growled a warning at my advance. “Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Peter smiled. “Your reputation has increased over the last few days, killing those dragons, but I must admit that I played a small part in the ruckus as well.” I stared back, not comprehending him. “The break-in at Plato’s Cave, and the gargoyles for example. Even though they seemed to merely inconvenience you, one had to try after you so wisely told me
exactly where you were
.”

I almost killed him. Right there. With my untapped reservoir of new power, I knew I could, but there were also a handful of dragons in the room watching me, no doubt ready to squish the weak humans before them, and Alaric was still absent. If Peter continued his banter, I didn’t know if I would be able to control myself much longer.

“Who would have known that this renegade whelp was your client the whole time? Well, I put a stop to that, didn’t I, Raego?” Peter backhanded him again.

I threw a sledgehammer bar of air at him before I even thought about it. The dragons tensed in the room, but Peter merely flicked his wrist at it as if swatting away a child’s tantrum. The energy slammed back into me, stinging my arm all the way up to my shoulder. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I began to massage my shoulder, but stopped at Peter’s smirk. “Pitiful, Nate. Just pitiful. But I wouldn’t try that again if I were you.”

“You weren’t too hard to take down last night, Peter. We both know who would win if I really tried to hurt you.” I sneered. He snarled back angrily. Something was… off in his eyes. I had seen it at my shop, but it had progressed since then, as if madness were creeping in to uncover an entirely different person than my childhood friend. The bracelet wasn’t just giving him power. It was changing him. Polishing those darker parts of his psyche until they obscured the rest of him.

“I could have taught you all this, and without the chains!” I yelled.

“Who is wearing chains now, Nate?” He glanced pointedly at Raego. “I made new friends — friends who share my same opinions on justice. Might
is
right. As you shall soon see. This bracelet has granted me what I have wanted my entire life.
Power
.” A psychotic gleam twinkled in his eyes. “The only price was servitude. And after seeing what will happen when Alaric arrives, you will understand why that wasn’t such a thing to give up. The justice of the strong will prevail. Thrasymachus was correct after all, damn Plato and Socrates.”