The Veiled Diplomat Page 3

  "Stay your ground," said Captia. "It's a nice trick, whoever you are, but you can't get past the forbidding."

  Zayn heard her clearly, though her voice sounded like it echoed through a tunnel. Besides not being seen, shifting to the Veil had eliminated the effect their voice and presence had on him. No longer did he want to throw himself at their feet.

  He crept along the wall near the leftmost maetrie, but the shimmering wall kept him from progressing further. He knew a few counters that might break their forbidding, but the instructions had been not to use magic while in the Veil.

  I'm also not supposed to stay here longer than a dozen seconds, thought Zayn, and he was already pushing against that time limit.

  "He has to be in the area," said Captia. "Spread out. He can't keep up that invisibility for long."

  The four maetrie started swinging their hooked blades in wide arcs around them. There wasn't much room in the small space, so Zayn had to keep moving to stay out of their way. The timer in his head told him he was well past the dozen seconds, but they'd given him no reprieve.

  Eventually, Zayn decided he was going to have to risk using magic, and whatever consequences came of it, he'd deal with them later.

  He slipped to the side, ducking under Precept's blade, finding a space near the forbidding. Zayn didn't have time for a proper dispelling, so he used a brute-force trick that required a massive load of faez. It was akin to breaking down a door with a sledgehammer rather than bothering to pick the locks.

  When he broke the forbidding, Captia cried out, as the backlash from its fall rebounded on her. But her reaction was nothing compared to the strange noise he felt emanate from within the Veil. It was like a bright gong, a flash of light in a dark place, rolling out from his location through the Veil. The hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. He felt his whole body tense up even before he heard the response.

  As Zayn sprinted from the room, staying in the Veil so the maetrie couldn't find him, he felt a Presence suddenly become aware of him. He couldn't really define what the Presence looked like, but he knew that it did not like him, and coveted his aliveness.

  Deciding that speed mattered more than anything else, Zayn flew from the golden building. When he reached the streets, the cool night air washed over him, but he kept going, heading not to their house in the seventh ward, but towards the Spire, staying in the Veil for another few blocks. He'd already been in the Veil a couple minutes, why not a little longer?

  He ran so fast, he felt the bones in his knees grind together, and his ankles crackled from the force of his stride. Halfway through the second ward on a side street off the main entertainment area, he let his connection to the Veil drop. A young boy in a doorway exclaimed as Zayn appeared, running at top speed down the middle of the empty street.

  Zayn reached the Spire, using his student access to enter the lower levels. He'd come to the Spire because it was warded against all sorts of magic, and would hopefully allow him to shed the maetrie, should they try to track him. But as he leaned against the wall in the hallway near the rooms for the Second Year Contest, heaving with breath after the feverish sprint, he felt that Presence in the distance that had become aware of him in the Veil. It was moving slower now, but Zayn felt the inexorable motion towards him like a spot of heat against his back.

  "Dammit," he said, punching the wall. He ran his hands across his tight Afro.

  "Okay, I screwed up," he said to himself. He patted his pockets for his cell phone, but remembered they'd left them at home. There were spells that could pick up their signals just like a cell phone tower.

  Zayn tried to cast an anti-tracking spell, but his mind was racing and he couldn't focus. He leaned his forehead against the wall, concentrating on his breathing until his mind was still again.

  He was able to perform the spell the second time. He followed it up with every spell he knew that would keep the maetrie from following him back to their house in the seventh ward. Then he left the Spire, heading straight for the nearby Red Line.

  Once he was sitting on the train, he remembered his mask of shadow and dismissed it. But no one had been paying attention to him. It was after midnight, and most people in the city found it safer not to get involved with each other's business, especially in the city of sorcery.

  He took the train heading west, before switching to the Blue Line that routed back towards the seventh ward. The lights were on when he got back to the house. He could see his teammates through the window. Keelan was pacing in front of the fireplace, and the rest were sitting on the couches, waiting for him.

  When he came through the door, there was a moment of tension before they realized who it was. Everyone crowded around him.

  Keelan put his hand on the back of Zayn's neck. "Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost."

  Once they gave him some space, and a huge glass of ice water to chug, Zayn told them what had happened with the maetrie, including the thing in the Veil.

  "Did anyone follow you?" Zayn asked them.

  "We got away while they chased you down. We wanted to go back, but Keelan made us come back here, trusting that you would get away," said Skylar.

  "It was the right call, even though it was a close one. I shouldn't have brought us there. That was my mistake," said Zayn.

  "You couldn't have known it was the maetrie," said Portia. "And what does the Diamond Court want here?"

  Zayn slumped against the back of the couch. "I don't know. At this point, I'm more worried about the Veil."

  They shared his worried expression.

  "Is it close?" asked Vin.

  "No. Not yet," said Zayn. "But I feel it out there, like a shiver up my spine. Like someone's watching me from a distance."

  "I'm sure there's some literature about the Veil that might tell us what noticed you," said Skylar, but she looked skeptical since they'd already had a few classes that had touched on the subject.

  "What should we do now?" asked Vin.

  Zayn checked the clock on the wall. It was almost four. "First, let's reapply the protective enchantments on the house. And then let's get some sleep. We've got our first class in a few hours."

  When Zayn was headed up to his room, Keelan found him and put his arms around his shoulders. "Hey, cuz, don't be so hard on yourself. We made it out alive, and as far as we can tell, they didn't figure out who we were."

  "I need to be hard on myself," said Zayn. "That was my fault for pushing us to go so soon. But at least we know who it is. The Diamond Court. I have no idea what Queen Zaire wants with the city of sorcery."

  As they reached their respective rooms, Keelan's forehead rippled with concern. His mouth pinched to a point.

  "Hey, cuz."

  Zayn looked up and saw the faraway expression in Keelan's eyes. "Yeah?"

  "I'm sorry we haven't talked about this summer. I know you've been trying to, but I haven't been quite ready," said Keelan, who didn't seem to know what to do with his hands.

  "It's okay," said Zayn. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just wanted to understand."

  "We can talk now if you want," said Keelan, though he looked pained by the thought.

  Zayn weighed the idea before responding. "Another time. It means enough that you're willing to talk about it. I thought you'd been avoiding me. Right now, we need to get some sleep."

  Keelan looked relieved by the decision. "Night, cuz," he said before slipping into his room.

  "Night," said Zayn, staring at his cousin's closed door.

  Chapter Six

  Varna, June 2015

  It's the little things

  The Yakari dirt bike rumbled beneath Zayn as he turned into the Castlewood trailer park, rocks spitting into the trees when he goosed the throttle. He was ready to climb off the motorcycle after the ride from Selma, where he'd bought it from a guy on Trades&Trash. He'd used the money he'd saved from when he worked for the Goon. He figured that after two years at the Academy, he could splurge a little o
n himself, especially after spending the last week helping Neveah with her food truck.

  Helmet under his arm, he knocked on Aunt Lydia's trailer for a few minutes before giving up. He was about to ride home when Ms. Gardenia walked by with a basket under her arm from the community garden. A few stems of tomatoes were sticking from the basket.

  "Nice bike, Zayn," said Ms. Gardenia, a cigarette hanging from her lips.

  "Thanks, I was sick of walking everywhere in town. Have you seen my aunt? Or Keelan?" asked Zayn.

  Ms. Gardenia gave him a look. She paused with the basket under her arm, pushed the cigarette to her lips, and sucked on it until the tip was cherry red, keeping her eyes on Zayn the whole time.

  "Your aunt moved two days ago. Some of her people came by with a moving truck. She's in the Gardens now," said Ms. Gardenia.

  The way Ms. Gardenia said the word Gardens, he expected her to follow it up with "bless her heart."

  "Thanks, Ms. Gardenia," said Zayn as he pulled his helmet back on.

  The older woman looked upon Zayn with what felt like pity. "It was nice knowing you."

  He wanted to tell her that he wasn't going to change, or that he'd come back and visit her, but Zayn knew that even if he meant it, she wouldn't believe him. The young men and women that went to the Academy and came back to Varna were never the same again.

  On the way over to the Gardens, Zayn wasn't sure if he was more angry or disappointed that Keelan hadn't told him about the Lady upgrading his mother to the nicer part of town. The Gardens was shorthand for those in her favor, which included the family members of her Watchers.

  The wrought-iron gate had a stylized Gardens emblem on the front. Zayn let the bike idle while the chubby guard approached him.

  "Zayn Carter?" asked the guard with a bit of excitement in his voice.

  Zayn looked up to see one of his old classmates, Buford Ash, in a security guard uniform, his face beaming. Buford had tried out for the Academy every year he was eligible.

  "Hey, Buford. How are you?"

  Buford held up his clipboard. "I got a job that keeps me outdoors. Better than sucking oil at the factory. How are you? I heard you're one of the most top students to ever go to the Academy."

  "I don't know about that," said Zayn, switching to his Southern accent. "I'm just trying to survive. I got three more years."

  Buford's chubby face reddened as he leaned in conspiratorially. "Did you and your cousin really kill the Goon? I heard that last year, but I didn't think it was true. You used to work for him and all."

  Zayn's gut tumbled. "No, man. I didn't kill him. He crossed the Lady though, and that was enough."

  While he wasn't telling the complete truth, he wasn't lying either. He wasn't sure why it was so hard to admit he'd been there, but he hated the idea that he was someone who'd taken someone's life. Which he realized was a ridiculous thought considering the Hall he was a member of.

  "You're here to see your aunt's new place, I bet. It's 45 Handcross Lane. Keelan's there right now. Tell them hi for me," said Buford.

  "I will. Good seeing you again," said Zayn, shifting the bike weight and pulling forward as the gate opened.

  The houses in the subdivision looked like they were being readied for a cover shot in Home & Garden. The bushes had been meticulously shaped, the generous sidewalks gleamed as if they'd been scrubbed that morning, and the grass looked like it'd been hand cut with scissors.

  Zayn had never been in the Gardens before but he'd heard the Lady had sent a student to the Dramatics Hall so they could have evening illusionary entertainment in the summer. The nearby golf course was free for those in the Gardens, along with a crystal-clear pool, enchanted to stay cool no matter how hot the summer.

  Zayn left the dirt bike in the front next to a silver Supra, eyeing the new car suspiciously. The doorbell sang a little ditty, and moments later his Aunt Lydia opened the door. He almost didn't recognize her since she was wearing a near-perfect prosthetic that matched her cocoa skin.

  "Zayn," she said, welcoming him in with a kiss on the cheek, which was something she hadn't done since he was about ten years old.

  "Hey, Aunt Lydia," he said, hiding his discomfort. "Nice place."

  She was wearing a new denim skirt and a navy buttoned-down shirt. "I never dreamed this was possible. Can you believe it?"

  She gave a little twirl with her hands up. She looked so happy she could cry.

  "No," he said, and he meant it.

  "I've got a finished basement with a pool table, a Jacuzzi tub, and a closet as big as my old trailer. I'd give you a tour, but I'm headed to the club for golf lessons. Do you think these shoes will work for golf?" she asked, pulling the hem of her denim skirt up to show her white pumps.

  "I think they'll have shoes for you," said Zayn.

  "Oh, good," she said. "Keelan's in back on the deck. You boys have a nice time. I don't want to be late for my first lesson!"

  Aunt Lydia went hurrying out the door. When she was gone, Zayn felt like he was in the Twilight Zone. But he knew he shouldn't be surprised. He'd seen it before. The Lady didn't have such a stranglehold on the town because of poison. She could be generous to her friends too.

  Keelan was on the deck, lounging in a chair with a beer bottle. The smell of BBQ emanated from a grill, making Zayn's gut rumble.

  "Aren't you a little young for a beer?" asked Zayn.

  "If I can kill a man, I think I can have a beer," said Keelan with a wry grin.

  The comment shot right through Zayn, and Keelan's lips curled downward. "Sorry, cuz. That came out wrong. Anyway, you want one?"

  Zayn eyed the cooler. His parents had let him try some beer a few years ago, but he hadn't liked the taste. "Maybe another time. I'm headed back to the Stack soon to help Neveah with the food truck." He looked around at the house. "I thought we weren't gonna do this."

  Keelan set the beer down, moved to the BBQ, and opened the lid, spilling smoke into the air. He pushed the hamburger patties around with a long fork. "You said you weren't gonna do this. My momma's suffered enough living in that trailer with that crappy arm. It's not like I'm going anywhere else after the Academy. I might as well make the best of it."

  "But what about—"

  Zayn left it unsaid in case someone might overhear them. The Gardens was enemy territory as far as he was concerned.

  "You know that's never going to work. Even if you could pull it off, everyone would die," said Keelan, his voice trailing to a whisper at the end.

  "We stole the Word, why not this?" asked Zayn.

  Keelan went back to flipping his burgers. For the first time, Zayn noticed there were more than just a few on the grill.

  "You're having people over," said Zayn.

  "You don't have to say it like that," said Keelan.

  "Like what?"

  "All angry. And no, I'm not having people over, but our neighbors invited us. I'm headed there after these are done. You should come. Everyone's not as creepy as you think they are, and there are some Watchers here in the Gardens. They mostly seem like normal people here," said Keelan.

  Zayn squeezed his hands into fists. His face felt numb from anger. As he looked at his cousin, he couldn't help but feel betrayed.

  "They want you to become a Watcher," said Zayn as an accusation.

  Keelan flinched as if the rebuke hurt. He angrily stabbed at the burgers on the grill with his spatula. "They do. But I'm not."

  "If you do, you'll jeopardize everything. She'd figure out what I'm doing," said Zayn.

  "I'll have to join eventually," he said.

  "You've talked to her, haven't you?" asked Zayn, knowing the answer as soon as Keelan flinched.

  His cousin took a long pull on his beer. "I have. She's not what you think she is."

  "Then what is she?"

  Keelan looked at his shoes. "More normal than I expected. She asked about you. Said she can't wait to meet you. Says she has a lot planned for you."

  The whole world went fuzzy
at the edges. Maybe it'd been the all-day ride, or the Alabama heat, but it felt like the walls were closing in on him.

  "No," said Zayn. "No."

  Keelan set his beer down. "I know you don't want to hear this, but there's no escaping her. We might as well get on living, because I don't want to consider the alternative."

  A rage climbed out from the depths of his gut. It was like the person in front of him wasn't his cousin anymore, like the Lady had replaced him with someone else.

  "No," said Zayn, gripping his helmet with shaking hands. "I'm not getting used to her. I'm not getting used to anything." He paused, words stuck in his throat that he knew he shouldn't say, but his vision had gone red. "I shouldn't have stopped you in the cave that day."

  Keelan's face drained of all emotion. His mouth curled with a retort, but Zayn didn't stay around to hear it. He slammed the sliding glass door behind him and stalked off to his motorcycle, leaving the Gardens at top speed.

  Chapter Seven

  The Hold, September 2015

  Don't taze me, bro

  They met in a classroom in the Hold; the chairs and tables had been removed and in their place was a circular aquarium. The greenery inside swayed either from a mechanical current producer or the creature inside the tank, though Zayn hadn't seen it yet.

  "Check out all those runes," said Keelan, nodding towards the aquarium.

  Zayn hadn't noticed them at first, but once his cousin pointed them out, he whistled softly. The upper ring of the tank was covered in lighted runes, not through sorcery, but from an electrical source.

  Instructor Konig was nowhere to be seen. The third years stood around, chatting softly, comparing notes about their new living arrangements. No one really knew why they'd had to move out of the Hold this year, but the other teams assumed it had something to do with the mysterious building in the second ward.

  Eddie was moving closer to the runed tank when someone from another team called out, "Stunning strike," causing him to jump and quickly move away.

  "Not funny," said Eddie. "I kept getting aftereffects for days. I fell in the urinal at the Garbage Kings concert when my legs gave out."