Sorceress, Interrupted Read online

  “Something going on?” I asked innocently. They all ignored me.

  “Every team on the map is jammed up putting out fires or standing around waiting to see what happens, same as us,” Mindy said, a hand over her earpiece. “Once that message hit, everyone went into panic mode.”

  “We’re going to need to put in calls to inactive members, then,” Paul decided. “We’re going to want all the help we can get if this thing goes the way I think it’s going. This is no time for their self-exploration nonsense, we’re going to need Sensei and Aphrodite back as soon as possible.”

  Mindy stared at him. “You’re going to call Kate?”

  He made a face. “No, you are.”

  She gave him a look. “You’re going to make your wife call your ex-girlfriend?”

  “Fine. Selena can call both of them.”

  Selena gave him a sharp look. “I can call my ex, but you can’t?”

  Paul threw up his hands. “Can’t we be grown-ups in the middle of a crisis?”

  “Babe, what team have you been on for last twenty years?” Mindy asked.

  Paul sighed. “Give me a headset.” When his wife tossed him one, he started dialing. “It’s going to take forever to track down where they’re both—”

  “Luke was in Tibet last time I talked to him. Kate is still with her brother and sisters in Olympus,” Wesley said, appearing in the doorway. He moved quickly forward to stand in front of a man hunched over a computer to my left. Cyrus. His back was to me.

  “Do they get cell phone service on Olympus?” Paul muttered.

  “You can’t get phone service in my pocket dimension, so what makes you think you’d be able to reach Olympus?” I asked. They all ignored me.

  “Any luck, Cyrus?” Wesley asked.

  “Possibly, but it’s going to take a while.” He still had his back to me. “Whoever sent this is taking great pains so it can’t be traced.”

  “Is the world ending?” I asked, just a bit louder than before. “Or can I interrupt with my own possible doomsday?”

  Wesley stopped what he was doing and glanced at me. “We’ve got a bit of a mess on our hands right now, Fantazia.”

  Cyrus swiveled in his seat to look at me. “Where have you been?”

  I threw up my hands. “Where do you think I was? I was in my bar where I said I’d be. Where have you been?”

  “Stuck here trying to break into Chad’s computer. At least, I was before this mess. Why didn’t you contact me?”

  “Why didn’t you contact me?” I retorted. “This partnership thing works both ways, you know.”

  “I was working!”

  “So was I, in my way.”

  “Sending other people to do your dirty work?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Exactly. And I’ve learned a thing or two.”

  Cyrus gave me half a smile, which did strange things to me despite our argument. Strange, glorious things.

  Paul interrupted. “Can you two not do whatever this is right now? Some of us are trying to work.”

  “Yeah, what exactly is going on here?” I asked the EHJ leader. “You all look to be in crisis mode.”

  “A few moments ago two messages were sent out across the Internet, radio and television stations,” Cyrus said, clicking several keys. “The first only hit a select number of systems. The last was broadcast worldwide.”

  A hazy image came up on his monitor. It was a shadowy figure, hard to tell if it was a man or a woman, and its voice was obviously warped so as not to give any extra clues.

  “I am working with an organization that plans to bring change to the world,” the figure announced. “Up until now, we have only targeted magic-users. That ends today. A few moments ago I sent out a broadcast. Those who saw it are probably lying in drooling masses on the floor somewhere, as you ordinary humans are a lot less sturdy than we magic-users.”

  The figure paused for effect. Several of the EHJ glanced over to see my reaction before the mad magic-user continued.

  “Do not fear! My associates want you to know that this sacrifice is not in vain. You droolers will help usher in a new world, an age beyond the ken of mortal men.” The figure chuckled, and the noise sounded even more twisted, electronically modified as it was. “That’s all well and good. I’m all for change and progress. But for me . . . ? Well, I’m a bit more capitalistic. So, here’s the deal. We’re going to have to make another withdrawal from the human race in order to usher in this new world, and I can take more of you than we really need. This first time I only hit 1 percent. Unless you want me to make it 50 percent of the world’s population, you’ll pay me the sum of five trillion dollars. You have until the end of the week.” The transmission ended.

  I glanced at Cyrus. “What’s the first transmission?”

  “Can’t show you,” he said. “Every ordinary human who so much as heard or glanced at it instantly went insane. It’s the same spell as before, kicked up a notch or twelve.”

  “I’m not ordinary,” I said.

  “They are.” He motioned to the EHJ surrounding us. “And they’re kind of necessary right now.”

  “The government is trying to decide what to do next,” Wesley said. “And a number of criminal teams have sprung up to take advantage of the chaos.”

  “We’ve got to go,” Lainey said, rising and pulling Toby along with her. “There’s a big mess downtown.”

  She handed Emily off to Paul. The child whined but settled back down for her father, who came to collect her. “Be careful,” he said, pulling Lainey down for a kiss. I looked away so the display of affection wouldn’t burn my eyes.

  “Always am,” Lainey said with a smile.

  Toby tossed Paul his cell phone. “Forrest is going to be calling as soon as he knows what the government is planning.”

  “Probably just going to pay the bastards off,” Wesley muttered.

  “You’ve got to admit, it’s a good con,” Cyrus said. “Simple, direct . . . Get everyone into a state of panic by threatening to drive practically everyone mad, then offer to make it all go away for money. What’s five trillion bucks these days?”

  I nodded. “Except, whoever’s working with this person will turn around and make people insane anyway.”

  “Oh, of course,” Cyrus agreed. “That’s a given.” His eyes met mine for a moment and we shared a look of common understanding. We who have played for the wrong side of the law know something that heroes always have to learn the hard way: bad people just don’t fight fair.

  “So, what did you find out?” Wesley asked, turning to face me. He looked tired. “Something brought you back here.”

  I nodded. “I think I know who this organization is—the one this person’s helping.” I gestured to the now-blank computer screen. “You’re going to love it.”

  Wesley frowned. “The Cult of the Dragon.”

  “Yup. You know it. I was attacked by a group of them.”

  “Someone attacked you?” Cyrus spoke up. Was it my imagination, or did he look concerned?

  “They were able to attack you at your bar?” Wesley asked.

  I shook my head. “No. A friend of mine contacted me, asked me to come to his place. Said he knew who was behind these attacks. He didn’t want to come to me because the culprit was supposedly someone I know, someone who hangs out at my bar. But—wouldn’t you know it—by the time I got to him he was dead. That was when the Dragon’s cronies attacked.”

  “You’re lucky they didn’t drain you,” Wesley said.

  “My bad-ass reputation scared them off,” I joked. “As soon as they heard who I was, they scattered to the four winds.”

  I was hoping for a reaction, but Wesley just nodded, lost in thought and forgetting about the rest of us. “So, what are they doing it for?” he murmured.

  “You heard yourself: it’s not all for one thing. Whoever’s casting the spells is in it for money,” I said. “The Dragon’s people are in it for something else entirely. I figure they want to b
ring back the Ancient Ones.”

  Wesley scoffed. “There’s no way they can. Even if they do get all of the energy from 50 percent of the world’s population, it’s still not going to be enough to open that portal.”

  “Only the Dragon can, and only at the appointed time?” I said.

  Wesley shook his head. “No. Only Emily can, only at the appointed time. That was the point of the Dragon’s spell. He can’t open the portal directly, just like he couldn’t cast the magic directly. He can only influence.” He looked down at Emily, who was sitting happily on his lap. She had no idea we were talking about her destiny.

  “So they’re wasting their time?” Cyrus said.

  “No.” I shook my head, coming to a sudden realization. “I made a mistake. The woman said they weren’t trying to get the Ancient Ones, but I didn’t believe her. I do now. They’re not trying to get the Ancient Ones out.”

  Wesley eyed me, realizing the same thing. “No. They’re trying to get the Dragon out.”

  “Can they do that?” Cyrus asked.

  Wesley shrugged. “It’s possible. I put him away, but someone with enough power could breach the DarkLands wards and free him. That’s why they’re amassing the power: a giant jailbreak.”

  We all let that information sink in.

  “So.” I surveyed the two of them. “What’s next?”

  “We’ve got to find Hacker’s location,” Wesley said. “Stop him before he or she or anyone else can use that magic and willpower they’re draining to open the door for the Dragon.”

  “Wait. Hacker? Is that what this person’s calling him or herself, or what you’re calling them?”

  “That’s the name they used in the broadcast,” Cyrus said.

  I sniffed. “Even I know how completely unoriginal that is.”

  “No one ever said us tech types were creative when it came to aliases.”

  “I noticed—Virus,” I teased.

  “You’re one to talk—Fantazia.” But his eyes twinkled.

  “If we find his location, we can put a stop to his spell,” Wesley said, deftly ignoring the strange flirtation going on under his nose.

  I looked at him. “Only this new spell, right? There’s no way of undoing the damage that’s been caused so far.”

  “She’s right,” Cyrus said. “There’s no way of restoring the magic that’s been stolen.”

  “No. But the will, the life energy that was taken from people—that was taken through magical means and can be restored to its proper owners,” Wesley replied.

  I glanced at him. “Only if we put a stop to the caster. Permanently. Even if we capture him. You’re endorsing that we kill this person, no matter the outcome?”

  He met my gaze. I shivered, though his expression was perfectly bland. “If it’ll put a stop to the plan to bring back the Dragon, yes.”

  I couldn’t hide my disbelief. “You, who lead the most righteous hero team in the country, one that definitely lives by the ‘Thou shalt not kill’ line? You want to kill at all costs?”

  Wesley sighed. “I should have killed the Dragon when I had the chance. I chose benevolence, and look where that’s gotten us.”

  I don’t know how benevolent it is to lock someone away in the DarkLands, a place that would gave Dante’s depiction of Hell a run for its money, but I didn’t say anything. Nor did I mention the fact that I didn’t like what was lurking behind my father’s eyes.

  “Why don’t we worry about finding Hacker first?” Cyrus interrupted. “Then we can debate the ethics of killing him.”

  “Who’s debating?” I said grimly. “I was just a little surprised.”

  Cyrus nodded. “So, I’m not sure, but I think what Chad found is an early version of the transmission Hacker sent—the ‘virus,’ if you will. If it’s pure enough, I can try to trace it back to its source.”

  “You can’t do that with what was broadcast today?”

  Cyrus shook his head. “Blocked.”

  “Of course.” I sighed. “What about just finding the Dragon’s cultists? Can’t we go grab a few, bust some heads?”

  Wesley looked displeased. “We could grab some low-level slobs who won’t know anything, but I doubt we’ll get anyone valuable. They move their central location often enough to stay hidden from us. They’ve definitely moved after this. They’ll expect us to be looking for them.”

  “I love a good dead end.”

  Paul rushed up. Addressing Wesley, he said, “We’re going to have to go out there. Toby and Lainey need us. A group of villains are teaming up, taking advantage of the panic. I happen to know Doctor Chaos and Assault-R are already wreaking havoc in Covo City.”

  “So we’re getting little time to deal with the Dragon cult. It’s a little tough when crisis after crisis keeps piling up. I suppose that’s the idea.” Wesley sighed and handed Emily to me. “Stay here and take care of her. Remember, she’s their ultimate goal. There’s always a chance they’ll come for her.”

  “No one’s ever going to forget that, least of all me,” I said.

  Mindy sighed. “I’ll be battle coordinator. As always.”

  “You want me out there?” Cyrus asked.

  “No. Stay here and see what you can do about tracking down either Hacker or the Dragon cult,” Wesley said. “You’re our best chance.”

  “But keep a communicator on just in case,” Paul commanded; then he and Wesley headed out.

  “This is such a mess,” Mindy said. Toby’s cell phone rang, and she snatched it up. “Forrest! What did you find out?” She motioned to the monitors and looked at Cyrus, who nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. She walked out into the hallway, talking on the phone.

  I glanced at Cyrus. “I have a feeling this is only the beginning.”

  He winked. “Admit it—you love it. The danger of being associated with a group of heroes is that we get sucked into all of their crazy misadventures.”

  Didn’t I know it.

  “Never thought I’d live to see the day I allowed myself to get so tangled up in this crap.” I shook my head. “See what happens when you do someone a favor and let them crash at your place?”

  He laughed. “Hey, I was kidnapped by the EHJ so I couldn’t tell where they were hiding out, remember?”

  “I think they prefer the term ‘detained.’ ” I turned my attention to Emily. “Honey, why don’t you go play in your room for a few minutes while I talk to Cyrus? Then I’ll be right in to check on you.” I needed a moment to express my concerns, and somehow, some way, Cyrus had become my confidant. Maybe it was the sexual tension that kept creeping up between us. Or maybe it was as he said before: he was the closest thing I had to a friend.

  My sister nodded. “Kay, Fay!” She toddled off, hopefully not to get into too much trouble.

  “From bartender to babysitter,” I said with a sigh. “Where did I go wrong?”

  “I think it’s more: ‘where did you go right?’ ” Cyrus said. “You’re being a hero. I think this has been good for you, Fantazia, getting back in touch with society again. Doing what you can to help the EHJ. Hanging around me.”

  I glanced up at him and saw he was watching me with a warm glint in his eyes. Unbidden, my mind went back to that hot kiss we’d shared and my stomach flipped. He wasn’t the usual kind of guy I flirted with, and maybe that was why wanting to kiss him led me into dangerous territory: the attraction wasn’t just my simple need for male attention but was something different, something deeper.

  I eyed him. “You’re a good influence now, Cyrus?”

  He laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far. But I think the EHJ are good influences, when they’re not bickering amongst themselves. I’d go as far as to say that they’ve made you better. You’ve become much more . . . I don’t know, real, since all of this started. When I first started coming to your place, you were more like some mythical goddess than a human being.”

  I chuckled without humor. “You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.”

  He smiled at t
hat. “A tricky goddess. But since all of this started, you’ve gradually come down from your pedestal. Got back in touch with us mere mortals. Made friends that you aren’t trying to use, friends you’re actually trying to help save the world. It’s surprisingly noble.” He moved a bit closer to me, his voice lowering into a more intimate growl. “And, more importantly to me . . . you’re more real now. Even if I happen to know you’ve got some pretty impossible powers.”

  “I-I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not,” I said. I never liked feeling vulnerable, and that’s how I was feeling now, although with a healthy bit of lust, too.

  “Trust me, it is a good thing,” he said, meeting my eyes.

  Uncomfortable with whatever passed between us in that moment, I looked down and said, “Is this what happened to you, too? You, who used to take what you could get in whatever way you could get it? You’re fighting for the same noble cause. Do you remember how that happened, exactly?”

  He shrugged lazily, staying near me. “What can I say? I drank the Kool-Aid. Becoming a part of something like this, a group that’s not just a team but also friends and family who come together to fight for something better, even when it’s not in their personal interests and will probably get them killed . . . It’s made me happier, like I think it’ll make you happier. And—God, I hate to say this, but you’re right: I do like playing hero in the hopes that Sabrina will see me and somehow know. I . . . I want her to someday be proud of her dad instead of sickened.”

  I was surprised he shared that with me, since I had sort of come down on him last time we talked about it. Tearing him down was the last thing I wanted, but I wasn’t sure I wanted him to know that yet. I also wasn’t ready to drink his Kool-Aid.