The Maleficent Seven (From the World of Skulduggery Pleasant) (10 page)

Or his favourite, after he’d plunged his fingers into the eyes of a gunman: “Hey, you got somethin’ in your eye... oh yeah, it’s me!”

Hilarious, each and every one. He didn’t even have to look back to just
know
that Sabine was impressed.

Life was good for Springheeled Jack.

Sanguine rose up from the ground, snapped a goon’s neck and watched Kaiven and two other gunmen turn to him. “We’re just here for the bow,” he said.

“You shall not pass,” Kaiven thundered, raising his wand.

Sanguine lowered his head. “Please,” he said, “have a little dignity. There are mortals present.”

“Indeed there are,” said Kaiven, “and they will open fire if you take one more step. You are not leaving here with the bow. I don’t think my boss is ready to part with it just yet. Maybe if you come back in a few decades, after he’s dead...”

“This is disgusting,” Sanguine said. “Look at you, taking orders from a mortal. What the hell’s wrong with you?”

Kaiven raised an eyebrow. “Ah, you’re one of them, are you? The sorcerers who believe themselves somehow superior to the dominant species on the planet?”

“No I ain’t,” Sanguine replied, “but I’d still never take orders from a man who couldn’t kill me in a fair fight.”

“What can I say? I like my job, and the pay is good. I’ve been living in a Temple for the last few decades. My bedroom was a cold cell with a bunk and a privy. You really think that’s any way for a grown man to live in this day and age? Now that I’m out, I have an apartment, and a jacuzzi, and a television that takes up an entire wall that is also a computer.

“I watch things now. Shows.
Gilmore Girls
. Have you seen it? I watch the reruns on my television. They talk so fast on that show. I’ve never known anyone to talk so fast, except on
The West Wing
.
The Wire
. I’ve watched that as well. Harrowing stuff, but I watched it. And
Buffy
. Now there was a show.
Firefly
, too. Cancelled before its time, that one. And all of this is provided to me by mortals. So, yes, I take my orders from a man with a limited lifespan, because I’m a part of this world now. And part of my job is making sure that people like you don’t get their hands on my boss’s toys. So leave here right now with all of your blood on the inside, where it’s supposed to be. This is your only warning.”

Sanguine didn’t move for a moment, then snapped his head up. “I’m sorry, what? I dozed off for a moment there. Have we reached the part where I kill you yet?”

Kaiven sighed. “You obviously have no intention of listening to reason.”

Sanguine showed him his teeth. “Reason is the last thing I’d want to listen to.”

anith slipped through the window the moment she heard the first shot. Earl’s apartment was lined with books and everything was dark wood and big, heavy and solid. An impressive apartment for a mobster. The bow rested in a cradle nailed to the wall. She crossed the carpeted floor. More gunshots now, and alarms started wailing. When she was done, she went to the door, heard footsteps. She pressed her back to the wall and the door opened. Jackie Earl hurried in, went straight for the bow.

Tanith closed the door with a soft click. She’d only taken her eyes off Earl for a moment – but when she looked back, he was standing there with an arrow nocked and aimed at her belly.

“How did you get in here?” he asked.

“I have a way with locks,” she said.

He observed her without any panic showing in his eyes. “Tanith Low.”

“You know me?”

“Good girl gone bad. Got one of those things, those Remnants, inside you. Rotten luck.”

She shrugged. “Depends on your point of view.”

“I know all about all of you. What, you think all of us mere mortals live in the dark? I’ve known there was magic in the world for years. Finally tracked down one of you, found out sorcerers are just like the rest of us. They like money and an easy life just as much as anyone. It kind of ruined the mystique when he started calling me sir, though. But hey, that’s what money’ll do to you.”

“And you haven’t gone public with any of this?”

“What would be the point? If people knew you existed, the whole world would change – maybe the Feds would even recruit some of you, set up a sorcerer task force to take down organised crime. No, I got no interest in outing you people. But I do like your toys.”

Tanith smiled. “Then you know why I’m here.”

“You can’t have my bow. As you can see, I’m using it.”

“Not even if I ask nicely?”

“Not even. It’s just too handy. I’m not that good a shot – but all I have to do is point and release. Why would I ever give up something like that?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll kill you?” Tanith suggested.

He chuckled. “And if you were closer to me with your sword drawn, I would definitely take you seriously.”

“Well, if I can’t threaten you, how about I bargain with you? How much will you sell it for?”

“It’s not for sale.”

“Of course it is.”

“Not for a price you could afford.”

“Mr Earl, you must realise that there is no way I’m leaving Chicago without that bow. You must know this.”

He nodded. “I figured as much.”

“Then you know I’ll either be taking the bow after paying you, or taking the bow and wiping your blood off my boots.”

“I know how dangerous you are, Miss Low. I know how dangerous your friends are. I’ve been listening to it all in my earpiece. You’ve all manner of monsters down there, don’t you?”

“And I didn’t even bring my vampire.”

“I have no wish to go to war with you over this. So if I have to kill you to finish this right here and now, I’ll kill you.”

“With all my friends outside? Really?”

He answered her smile with one of his own. “What’s that on your back?”

“My sword.”

“No, Miss Low, not the sword. What’s in the bag?”

She hesitated, then ever so slowly reached up, pulled the bag away from her shoulder. The bow’s drawstring tightened.

“Easy,” she said, and unzipped the bag halfway. She showed him the bow within.

Earl laughed. “You were going to switch them? Oh, I have to say – that is clever. That is some clever thinking you’ve got going on, Miss Low. I’m impressed.”

“Why thank you, Mr Earl. You wouldn’t want to swap by any chance, would you?”

“Very nice of you to offer, but I think I’ll stick with the original.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.”

“So what’s it going to be? Do I kill you, or let you walk out of here? You’d better make up your mind fast – it’s taking quite a lot of effort to not shoot you.”

She kept her eyes on that arrow. It was starting to tremble. “You’d let me walk out of here? After getting so close and killing so many of your men?”

“They knew the risks,” said Earl. “Yes, I’d let you go. I wouldn’t advise ever setting foot in Chicago again, though.”

The arrow was really trembling now. She didn’t much like the idea of seeing it fly.

“I think I’ll take you up on your offer,” she said, stepping away from the wall and opening the door. “One piece of advice, though. There’ll be another group of sorcerers stopping by, going after the same thing. You’d be doing me a big favour if you hid the bow and didn’t let them get their hands on it.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

“No problem. One professional to another, and all that.”

She went to leave.

“Miss Low?”

She looked back.

“You wouldn’t want a job, would you? I have more Necromancers arriving tomorrow, but someone of your skills could go far in this racket.”

She smiled. “You’re sweet, and I appreciate the offer, but I have a racket of my own to get back to. You take care now, Mr Earl. And keep that bow safe.”

She left, hurrying down the corridor. Around the next corner, his back to her, was a man with a gun with one hand pressed to his earpiece.

“Say again,” said the man. “How many? Hello? Hello, can you hear me?”

Tanith kicked him in the side of the head. He crumpled and she took his earpiece, listened to the static and the chatter and then Earl’s voice.

“There’s a woman,” she heard him say. “Brown leather, blonde hair. Sword on her back. Kill her. Shoot her on sight. Do not let her escape.”

Tanith left the unconscious man and walked on. Mobsters. Just can’t trust them.

She dispatched two more on her way down. At the bottom of the stairs was the main warehouse area. There were goons with guns in here, too, but it was no trouble to avoid them by walking along the ceiling. She flipped to the ground and approached the door, and slowed. The exit was right there, waiting for her, but it was open. Exposed. The kind of place that begged for an ambush.

She risked a peek. The body of a gunman lay crumpled. She peeked to the other side, saw another dead gunman. Smiling a little, she passed through, wary of traps, but feeling confident. Her phone buzzed.

“Cleaning up here,” said Sanguine. “You about done?”

“I’m outside,” she said. “Thanks for taking care of that ambush for me.”

There was a pause, sounds of a scuffle, and then a yelp of pain and then Sanguine was back. “What ambush was that?”

“The two guys waiting for me to poke my head out,” she said.

“As much as I like impressing you, that wasn’t me. Jack, maybe?”

She frowned. “No, there’s no blood.”

“It wasn’t Annis,” said Sanguine. “She’s been over this side of the compound the whole time.”

“Maybe we have our very own guardian angel or something, like a patron saint of killers.”

“We already got one of those.”

“We do?”

“Yep. And like anyone worth anything, he’s a Southern boy like me. Did you get the bow?”

She smiled. “Of course I did. I switched it the moment I got into the room, before Earl even knew I was there. Right now he thinks he has the real one and I’ve run off with the forgery.”

“So, two down,” said Sanguine.

“Two down,” said Tanith.

his part of your training is complete,” said Quoneel. “You have done everything that has been asked of you, and here you stand, on the threshold of your new life. Beyond that door is your family. Beyond that door is the world. Are you anxious?”

“Yes,” she admitted.

“And so you should be. You are free to cast off the rules and restrictions that we have placed upon you. You are no longer a child. You have had your Surge. You are nineteen years old, a woman, an adult and a sorcerer. You are your own responsibility.”

“What if I don’t want to go?”

Quoneel smiled. “You would choose to stay? The others still call you Highborn, do they not? Even though Avaunt has been gone for almost a year?”

“The name has stuck,” she said, “but it’s lost its sting. When the others say it, it’s meaningless. This is my home, Master. It’s dark and cold and lonely, but... but it’s my home. I don’t know my family any more. I haven’t spoken to my parents since I was eight. I can’t remember what my brother’s voice sounds like.”

“Your father was a hidden blade before you. All these feelings you’re experiencing, he has experienced them also. As has your brother. They will understand your reticence. I know they are looking forward to seeing you again.”

“What if I don’t like it out there?” she asked. “What if I can’t live out there?”

“Then you will return with your tail between your legs and I will laugh at you until your pride forces you back out of that door. You have been an exemplary student, and I will miss our time together, but your lessons are far from over. As a knife in the shadows, you will continue to learn, to improve, to surpass even your own expectations. But first, you need to take a name.”

“I already have,” she told him. “I took it years ago.”

Quoneel looked surprised. “And you kept it to yourself?”

“It was no one’s business but my own, and the others were so happy calling me Highborn that I doubt they’d have changed. My name is Tanith Low.”