Edge of Light (Armor of Magic Book 3) Page 6

  Charlotte stood up, and for the first time I noticed she was wearing a long white robe and sandals.

  “What’s with the get-up?” I teased, because I didn’t know what else to do with the flood of emotions bursting through me.

  She gave me one of her famous bear hugs. “It’s a long story.”

  thirteen

  After Charlotte helped Rocco to one of the armchairs, she made her way over to me. I inhaled her sweet scent of lilacs. Charlotte always felt like home.

  “Didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” she said, sniffing and wiping her eyes, which were now back to their regular brown color.

  “Didn’t think I’d ever see this dimension again,” I said, brushing away a few tears that had escaped.

  “I’m glad you’re back. Even though it’s totally and completely fucked around here. That asshole demon mage has blown away half the country and he’s turning people into zombies. It’s awful, Fiona. Just horrible.”

  “How have you been surviving?”

  “Hiding with Lilith in some crazy Cagliostro-worshipping cult. I mean, these people are bat-shit. We’ve been living in the Presidio, in a bunch of old barracks, so we’ve been able to survive through the worst of the attacks. But these crazies are recruiting people every day for the pilgrimage.”

  “The pilgrimage? That sounds ominous,” I laughed.

  “To Neo-Babylon,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “Ah, yes. The new city … What a crock of shit. We’re going out there to go after Cagliostro. He needs to be stopped. Otherwise, that’s the end of humanity.”

  “Good luck with that, my friend. Sounds a bit ambitious to me. Do you have any clue how much power he has?”

  “Doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have the one thing he needs to complete his mission,” I said.

  “What’s that?”

  “My Scroll.”

  Charlotte shook her head. “I don’t know, Fiona. This might be one battle you can’t win. Look what happened last time … And he’s way stronger now.”

  Kaila came over and interrupted us. “Oh, we’re going to the new city. My son, Julian, is being held prisoner. We must save him. No two ways about it.”

  Charlotte held up her arm, showing the tattoo on her wrist. “You’ll never get inside without one of these.”

  I grabbed her arm and examined the tattoo of a bunch of mystical occult symbols inside a pentagram with a barcode underneath. “You actually let them brand you?”

  “I didn’t have a choice. Either this or be executed.” She paused and looked around the living room at the rest of the Protectors sitting on the battered and torn furniture. “So, who are your friends?”

  “Protectors. They were with my parents in Cagliostro’s prison dimension.”

  “You found your parents?”

  “Yeah. But they’re not here. They went to Glimmer City to figure out what’s going on with headquarters. The communication lines are spotty. We’re waiting for Asher to get back so he can transport us to Kansas.”

  “You have room for one more?” she asked.

  “You think I’d leave my best friend with a bunch of robe-wearing hippy-zombies!”

  “You know I’m a package deal, right?”

  “I know. I know,” I grumbled, wishing that the resentment I still had against Lilith would either resolve itself or dissipate.

  “You’ll be happy to know that since she doesn’t have the power of Darkness running through her, she’s much more tolerable,” Charlotte said.

  “You sure she’ll want to come with us? Doesn’t Cagliostro have a bounty on her head?” I asked, remembering how she had stabbed him in the back—literally—and had been running from him ever since.

  “Nah, he’s got bigger plans,” she said, smiling. “I made sure that Lilith was cleared when Rocco’s buddy Drake got us out of New York. Word on the Shadow Order street is that Cagliostro doesn’t give a shit about a maimed succubus with zero power. He thinks that’s punishment enough.”

  I hoped Charlotte was right because if we brought Lilith to Neo-Babylon and Cagliostro happened to discover she was there, I had a feeling it wouldn’t be all Kumbaya between the two.

  But I let it go. Lilith was the least of my worries. Charlotte and I hugged again and for a few minutes I remembered the old days. The ones when we were just regular college students hanging out, ordering pizza, and binge watching Netflix. Who would’ve ever thought two geeky students would one day be trying to save the world from evil incarnate?

  “Oh, here’s something for you,” I said, raising my eyebrows. “Apparently my boyfriend is a prince, Char. The prince of the Monarchy.”

  “Well, that’s certainly an interesting turn of events. Are you still a—”

  I took Charlotte’s hand and pulled her out of the living room. “Come upstairs and let’s catch up.”

  ***

  Asher returned a little before dawn. It had taken him longer than he had expected. I only freaked out a few times during the night worrying that he wasn’t coming back, but then I calmed down and remembered that he was Asher and seemed to perform miracles with ease.

  He explained how things at headquarters were a mess, but at least Ezra was safe.

  “Is he coming here to help us?” I asked.

  “Not this time. They have a lot of work to do rebuilding the network. Cagliostro sent some sophisticated magic viruses that did some extensive damage. Ezra and his division are the first line of defense for the Monarchy for if and when this thing turns into an all-out war.”

  “So we’re pretty much on our own,” I said. “We have the one Scroll which powered up our Armor.”

  “But the sooner we get the other Scrolls back, the sooner we can get control of the situation,” Asher said.

  “We’re ready,” Jeff announced.

  “Do we want to discuss a strategy first?” I asked.

  “We gotta get out of here,” Rocco said. “You used the Scroll, so the Shadow Order already knows you’re here, Farrow. And we can’t just flash into that Neo Bullshit-a-thon city, either. Lots of supernatural tracking and surveillance—they would be on us like stink on shit if we just appeared inside there via your boyfriend’s gizmo.”

  “I think I’ve got a work-around for that,” I said.

  Saul squinted his eyes. “You mind sharing that with the rest of us?”

  I looked at Charlotte. “Do you or your sister still have a working cellphone?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, but there’s no more service.”

  “But you can still take pics, right?”

  “Sure. I think.”

  “Here’s what I think we should do,” I said. “We go to the Presidio where Charlotte and Lilith are staying with a bunch of those Cagliostro-worshipping fools who have the mandated seals. We take some photos and figure out how to recreate those tattoos on our wrists.”

  “You think we can counterfeit other people’s seals to get into the city?” Saul asked.

  “We can try.”

  Saul cocked his head, thinking for a few seconds. “I can help with that part.”

  “How?” Rocco said.

  “I have the gift of replication,” Saul explained.

  “Saul for the win,” I teased, but he took it well.

  The group of Protectors, along with Charlotte, the healer, and Asher, the prince, walked out of my house and stood in the middle of the street. We looked as though we were horses at the starting gate waiting for the gun. Before we left the house, I had found a secure cylindrical container to store the Sacred Scroll. I had attached it to the inside of my magical breastplate, hoping it would be safely protected under the Armor.

  As we prepared to jet over to the Presidio, anxiety churned in my chest, stifling my breath. My hands jittered a bit, but I put on a confident face. I glanced over my shoulder one last time to see my Victorian home before heading into our new, fresh hell. I hoped that one day Asher and I would be able to restore the place to its former glory. He must’ve notic
ed the sadness in my eyes, because he leaned down and kissed my cheek.

  fourteen

  The eight of us got to the main road leading to the Presidio within a few seconds flat and started walking to the gate about a quarter mile down. We didn’t want to use our powers to set off any tracking devices or alert any Shadow Order bounty hunters. If the guards or anyone nearby figured out we were of supernatural ilk, thing would get ugly. We had a bigger battle ahead of us and needed to conserve our energy. Plus, we needed to get Lilith out of the commune without any trouble.

  The sun was coming up over the hills in the East Bay, making a silvery pink glow over the dingy orange ash that blanketed the air. The light fought to shine through, which gave me a feeling of reassurance. The Light will always shine through because it’s stronger.

  At the gate, Charlotte approached the men who stood guard wearing long white robes and holding rifles. The rest of us waited as she explained to the guards that she had been out recruiting new people to join their commune, as they called it. Cult is what I called it.

  They opened the gate and let us in. Charlotte led us down a beautiful road lined with a lush backdrop of eucalyptus, pine, and cypress trees. We stayed close together just in case anyone caught on that we weren’t actually new recruits. This charming neighborhood had once been home to military families and, up until recently, they had become residential homes for the wealthy of San Francisco. That is, until Cagliostro sent destruction over the city and cleared out most of its occupants. Now the Presidio housed this sect of people devoted to The Shining One, a.k.a. Cagliostro, the harbinger of Darkness.

  We turned down another road. The rows of white Mission Revival homes reminded me of an earlier time, maybe the 1940s, but now something sinister lingered about and the vibe of the place gave me the creeps. Like any cult-like community might.

  Charlotte escorted us to the front door of a large home and we walked inside. She showed us to the living room, where the only furniture was wall-to-wall mattresses and comforters.

  “Have a seat. I’ll get Lilith so we can discuss our plan,” she told us.

  “I prefer to stand,” Saul said.

  “As do I,” Jeff added.

  All of us preferred to stand because who knew what was happening on those mattresses? I didn’t want to know. Charlotte pointed to a back door that led to a patio.

  “Wait outside, then. But keep it down. Nosey neighbors and all …”

  Rather than going outside, the seven of us gathered in the kitchen, like a bunch of uncomfortable guests at a party, and waited for Charlotte and Lilith to join us. Something felt askew, like when the camera angle goes Dutch.

  After a short while, Lilith followed Charlotte into the kitchen. She scanned over the group, stopping on me and immediately grimacing. Since she was standing on two feet, I figured she must’ve gotten a prosthetic foot. But she hadn’t bothered with her hand. The sleeve of her robe covered the stump left behind after I’d cut it off in New York. I didn’t blame her for harboring a resentment. I kind of messed up the one thing she had going for her: physical perfection. She was still a beauty, but the bitterness in her eyes detracted from her full potential.

  “What’s going on, Charlotte? Why is she here?” Lilith asked in her usual snotty fashion.

  “We’re going to the new city together. It’s probably best if you don’t ask questions,” I told her.

  Lilith stared at her sister and scoffed, “And why on earth would you think I’d have any interest in joining this party? Or walking into the place that houses the very demon mage who would love to see me dead?”

  Charlotte decided to tamp down the situation before it got out of control. “It’s not safe here anymore. You know that Cagliostro is going to inflict more damage to the West Coast. He’s just waiting for the right moment to set off a colossal earthquake. I don’t want to be here when California finally sinks into the Pacific.” Charlotte paused. “And honestly, Lil, I can’t take much more of this commune. These people are creepy as fuck. I’d much rather stick with the winners, you know?”

  Lilith laughed. “The winners? A bunch of old timers and a self-centered bitch who mutilates people?”

  “Whoa,” I said, stepping forward. “First of all, I’ve already apologized for what I did. If I could go back to that hotel room and change things, you know I would. And second of all, these are Protectors. The ones you want to be with when shit goes down. ’Cause it’s about to do just that.”

  Kaila moved between Lilith and me. “Look, I can sense a lot of animosity between the two of you. I don’t know the whole story, nor do I want to because the past is the past, but if we’re going to get to that city, we must work together. Okay?”

  “But I don’t even want to go,” Lilith said to Charlotte.

  “These robe-wearing zombies are gonna make the pilgrimage to Neo-Babylon eventually. We’ll either be forced to go with them, or have to find a way to survive on our own. We’ll be safer with a group of Protectors. So, can you please kiss and make up,” Charlotte pleaded.

  I reached out to shake Lilith’s hand, which she reciprocated by offering her stump. For some reason, this made both of us crack up. Turns out Kaila’s gift wasn’t only empathy, she also had a calming influence.

  “Are we good?” I asked Lilith.

  “For now,” she said.

  I still didn’t trust her, probably never would, but if I wanted to keep Charlotte close, Lilith was part of the deal.

  “I swear, if Cagliostro comes after me, Protector, you’re the first person I’m offering up,” Lilith warned.

  “At least you’re honest now,” I jeered.

  “Can we move on, ladies?” Rocco asked.

  I nodded, ready to talk business. “I’m thinking we lure some of the men over for a ‘get together’ and take photos of their tattoos so Saul can replicate them onto our wrists.”

  “How do you plan to lure them over?” Rocco asked.

  “I count five ladies in this room, so that should do the trick,” I said, grinning. “The rest of you can be on standby just in case things get out of control.”

  “What do you mean out of control?” Asher asked.

  “Let’s just say men and booze can be a volatile combo. While they’re getting their buzz on, one of us can zip around taking photos of their seals. Sound good?”

  Lilith laughed. “That’s the lamest plan I’ve ever heard. Men and women aren’t permitted to hang out together. And you’ll never break their spells to convince them to come over.”

  “You’re forgetting our secret weapon,” I said.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “You … The power of seduction.”

  “She’s right about that, sweetheart. You’re easy on the eyes.” Rocco winked.

  Lilith winced at the gesture.

  I glanced at Asher for some additional support.

  He gave Lilith a solid pat on the back. “I have no doubt in your ability to charm the robes off them.”

  “They won’t be able to contain themselves,” Jeff said politely.

  “Fine!” Lilith shouted. “I’ll do it. Just please, stop talking. All of you.”

  fifteen

  After Charlotte and Lilith rummaged around the spare rooms for some plain sheets to make robes for the ladies, the five of us headed to the “club house” where new recruits typically gathered to be entered into the system. I didn’t know what that entailed, but I was hoping we could troll around for some young bucks who seemed more interested in girls than being saved. With Lilith at the helm, I had no doubt we’d accomplish what we set out to do: persuade seven newbies to join us for a private party where we’d then convince them to disrobe so we could get pictures of their tattoos. Simple, right?

  Nothing is ever simple.

  Before we even got to the front entrance of the club house, three of the robed guards came forward and pointed their pistols at us.

  “What’s going on here, ladies?” the taller, geeky-looking one
asked.

  “Just wanted to welcome the new recruits,” Lilith purred, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder and tilting her head flirtatiously.

  The most serious of the three men cleared his throat. “Not at this time. I’m afraid you’ll have to return to your home.”

  Lilith moved closer, completely undeterred and totally in her element. “I don’t understand. I’m part of the welcoming commission. It’s my job to make sure the new male recruits are handled with care.”

  But the man kept his glare fixed ahead, not falling for Lilith’s wiles. “We’ve had some new directives come in from Neo-Babylon. The club house has been shut down for the time being. No new recruits.”

  Cagliostro must’ve gotten word that the Protectors had returned and he was ordering stricter security measures.

  The guard on the far right motioned for Lilith to step back. When she didn’t, he nudged her with the barrel of his pistol, causing her to stumble and fall backward. Kaila and I caught her before she hit the ground, but in doing so we exposed our arms.

  “I’m going to need all of you to pull your sleeves back,” the serious guard ordered.

  We were busted.

  I glanced at Soraya and Kaila, giving the slight hint of a nod. Our backup plan was to capture whoever the hell we could and bring them back to the house. In an instant, we three Protectors zipped around the guards and hoisted them over our shoulders. We sped back to the house where we deposited them on the mattresses in the living room. Rocco quickly disarmed the men, while Saul and Jeff tied their wrists behind their backs, and gagged their mouths to keep them from shouting for help.

  Seconds later, Charlotte showed up with Lilith. “We need to hurry! I’m pretty sure they’ll notice three guards suddenly missing,” Charlotte said, panicking.

  “At least we got three for now,” I said. “The rest we’ll have to manage when we get to the new city. Let’s hurry!”