Read Online Mage of Shadows by Chanel Austen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chanel Austen
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problem that comes with plays for power, when someone screws up, others pay the price. I met James expectant gaze and wondered what he wanted from me, exactly. Why had he drawn my attention outside the library in the first place?
"This coven…" I began slowly, "What is it called?"
Here, James hesitated. A single hand moved from the keyboard to grip the table for a second, and the response spoken was guarded.
"Its name…" Swann leaned in, eyes flicking left and right, as if afraid of invisible spies listening in, "Archanos. The Archanos Society."
"You're afraid."
Swann grimaced, "You're not? You saw that girl. I don't know why she died, but that could end up being one of us. Probably worse, no one would find our bodies… I have a feeling that was a message for someone."
"It was definitely a message." I frowned then recited, "Et in Fraternitatis Ego. Latin?"
"Yup." Swann gave a quick nod, "That was my guess, but I don't know what it means."
"Gonna try and find out?"
"Of course, leave it to me." He adjusted his glasses, "But we need to be careful, Stratus. Without the strength of a coven behind us, we're easy prey. I hate to say it, but that's why we need Archanos."
"Even after what they did to Emily Albright?" I challenged again, unwilling to just let it go, "Even if that could be us, next?"
James shook his head, "Look man, I'm not saying it's right. But we don't know what happened, and it's a cold world out there. You gotta know that. Mages play a cutthroat game and they don't really care who goes down if you get in their way. If they can cover it up, they'll do it. With the gangs in Detroit there's always a fall guy if someone needs to get dead fast, you know? So either ignore the fact that you have power, or get ready to play. There aren't any other options."
It was a blunt way of putting it, but James wasn't wrong. Those were the facts, scary as it was. I suppressed a wince at the spike of pain that casually trailed down my spine, reminding me of my limitations for the umpteenth time that day. My mind was beginning to feel the toll as well, the sleep I had gotten nowhere near enough.
I was tired, and I couldn't concentrate with the steady slow ache developing in my head which would no doubt turn into a bigger one soon enough.
James noticed, perhaps the slight tremble of my arms and hands, or the way my eyes drooped. "You okay?" He asked, "You don't look so good."
"Didn't get a lot of sleep." I mumbled the reply and leaned back into my uncomfortable chair with a sigh, "You're right, I know. I came all this way, and I didn't really know Archanos was going to be at the end of it, but I'm here now. I can't ignore the facts, I need to learn how to control my abilties and gain the protection of a coven. What happened downstairs… I definitely don't agree with that, but it doesn't change my goals… I can't let it."
"Good." James nodded, satisfied. He closed his laptop and packed it away in a few smooth motions before standing. His hand clapped me on the shoulder, "Let's get out of here and go eat. Then we'll figure out more about our next move."
I rose on unsteady feet, frustrated with how sick and tired I had felt. It was more than just magical fatigue, the stress compounded from last night, my grade from this morning, Emily Albright's death, and now Swann's insertion into my life… it was overwhelming. I needed time to rest and think, I was way too exhausted at the moment to be making any kind of decisions.
Swann and I fell in step on the way out, descending down the stairs and back into the library lobby, which had a large section now cordoned off by police tape. I stared at the red-stained tiles where Emily's body had lay, now taken away and replaced by a chalk outline.
For a moment, it was as if her death wasn't real. The body didn't exist in my life anymore, so who was to say she was really gone? Did vengeance matter anymore for a girl who I only knew because I had seen her dead?
It would be so easy
"This coven…" I began slowly, "What is it called?"
Here, James hesitated. A single hand moved from the keyboard to grip the table for a second, and the response spoken was guarded.
"Its name…" Swann leaned in, eyes flicking left and right, as if afraid of invisible spies listening in, "Archanos. The Archanos Society."
"You're afraid."
Swann grimaced, "You're not? You saw that girl. I don't know why she died, but that could end up being one of us. Probably worse, no one would find our bodies… I have a feeling that was a message for someone."
"It was definitely a message." I frowned then recited, "Et in Fraternitatis Ego. Latin?"
"Yup." Swann gave a quick nod, "That was my guess, but I don't know what it means."
"Gonna try and find out?"
"Of course, leave it to me." He adjusted his glasses, "But we need to be careful, Stratus. Without the strength of a coven behind us, we're easy prey. I hate to say it, but that's why we need Archanos."
"Even after what they did to Emily Albright?" I challenged again, unwilling to just let it go, "Even if that could be us, next?"
James shook his head, "Look man, I'm not saying it's right. But we don't know what happened, and it's a cold world out there. You gotta know that. Mages play a cutthroat game and they don't really care who goes down if you get in their way. If they can cover it up, they'll do it. With the gangs in Detroit there's always a fall guy if someone needs to get dead fast, you know? So either ignore the fact that you have power, or get ready to play. There aren't any other options."
It was a blunt way of putting it, but James wasn't wrong. Those were the facts, scary as it was. I suppressed a wince at the spike of pain that casually trailed down my spine, reminding me of my limitations for the umpteenth time that day. My mind was beginning to feel the toll as well, the sleep I had gotten nowhere near enough.
I was tired, and I couldn't concentrate with the steady slow ache developing in my head which would no doubt turn into a bigger one soon enough.
James noticed, perhaps the slight tremble of my arms and hands, or the way my eyes drooped. "You okay?" He asked, "You don't look so good."
"Didn't get a lot of sleep." I mumbled the reply and leaned back into my uncomfortable chair with a sigh, "You're right, I know. I came all this way, and I didn't really know Archanos was going to be at the end of it, but I'm here now. I can't ignore the facts, I need to learn how to control my abilties and gain the protection of a coven. What happened downstairs… I definitely don't agree with that, but it doesn't change my goals… I can't let it."
"Good." James nodded, satisfied. He closed his laptop and packed it away in a few smooth motions before standing. His hand clapped me on the shoulder, "Let's get out of here and go eat. Then we'll figure out more about our next move."
I rose on unsteady feet, frustrated with how sick and tired I had felt. It was more than just magical fatigue, the stress compounded from last night, my grade from this morning, Emily Albright's death, and now Swann's insertion into my life… it was overwhelming. I needed time to rest and think, I was way too exhausted at the moment to be making any kind of decisions.
Swann and I fell in step on the way out, descending down the stairs and back into the library lobby, which had a large section now cordoned off by police tape. I stared at the red-stained tiles where Emily's body had lay, now taken away and replaced by a chalk outline.
For a moment, it was as if her death wasn't real. The body didn't exist in my life anymore, so who was to say she was really gone? Did vengeance matter anymore for a girl who I only knew because I had seen her dead?
It would be so easy
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