Island of Time, page 17
Midway through the cheese course, Jackson was struck by a thought that left him hiding his smile in his glass. But Krys was too sharp for him. ‘What is it?’
There was no way he was ever going to tell her what he’d just thought of, which was that his late wife would have keeled over at the sight of him. Here. Dressed like this. Playing host at this candlelit table. In this house. With his second Bentley of the week in his garage. Not to mention the wand now hidden up his sleeve.
When she saw he was not going to reply, Krys turned to Luca. ‘Can I ask you something extremely personal?’
‘You may ask whatever you want.’ Luca had eaten little and drunk less. A taste of each dish and a sip from each glass. Nothing more. His cheese plate contained one cracker, a sliver of aged cheddar, a single stalk of celery, and three grapes.
‘How much did you pay for this place?’
Luca said, ‘Fourteen million euros.’
The idea of somebody paying sixteen million dollars for a house and then giving it away, even temporarily, silenced Krys. She drained her red wine, set the goblet down carefully, and stared into the candlelight.
Luca read the silence correctly, for he said, ‘I will tell you whatever you wish to know.’
‘Let’s start with three things,’ Krys said. ‘How did you get your money? Why doesn’t your wealth matter to you? And are you an Adept?’
He broke off a fragment of cracker, ate it with one more grape. ‘The answers, as it happens, are interconnected.’
‘So let’s hear it.’ The wine had softened her tone but raised her volume. She did not inquire. She thrust ahead.
‘I was born the second son of one of Switzerland’s most powerful banking families. Several of my ancestors were accomplished Talents; one even rose to a leadership position in the Singapore Institute. So they were hardly surprised when I began showing magical abilities.’
Jackson asked, ‘How old were you?’
‘Seven. For the next three years I was secretly tutored by Talents they smuggled in and out of Zurich. Then I was sent to Campione, where the European Institute runs an academy for the especially gifted or the very rich.’
Luca sipped from his glass. The level of wine did not appear to go down. ‘My brother died when I was nineteen. By then I was already in Sardinia, completing my training as an Acolyte at the Institute. My mother perished in the same traffic accident that claimed my brother. My father retreated from his business and his world, then died of an overdose nine months later. The entire Tami fortune was left to me. I keep a distance from all business affairs. It suits the company’s directors as much as it does me.’
Krys exclaimed, ‘But why don’t you care?’
‘Two reasons. First, because when I was young, money was simply what paid for my imprisonment. You ask if I am an Adept. When I was nine, my tutors decided I had the potential, which was ten years earlier than this declaration is normally made. With my family’s accord, these tutors caged me in terribly constricting rules and a discipline that I hated from the very first day.’ He took another sip of his wine. ‘You have no idea, you cannot imagine, what it was like. For ten excruciating years, I was tutored by men and women who hated me because I was already a more powerful Talent than they could ever hope to become. They created a military-style discipline and did so with my family’s money and the Institute’s blessing. Relocating to the Institute when I turned sixteen only made things worse. By my nineteenth birthday, I despised them with a burning fury.
‘The Institute wanted to be certain that any Talent with my sort of abilities was truly one of them. After I became an Acolyte at the Sardinian Institute, senior examiners regularly forced me to undergo excruciating assessments. The other students had no idea what this cost me. All they saw was that I was being granted special treatment. They hated me, and they made my life even more miserable than it already was.’
Krys murmured, ‘Terrible.’
‘Terrible indeed,’ Luca agreed.
‘What happened?’
Luca held up one finger. ‘Before I answer that, I said there were two reasons why I did not care about the expenditures. You have both now experienced what many hear of but few ever realize: the bond between a gifted Talent and an artifact that carries some element of the Ancients’ power. How did that feel?’
‘You know how,’ Jackson replied. ‘It was amazing.’
‘Exquisite,’ Krys added. ‘Explosive.’
‘Beyond words,’ Jackson added.
‘I have known hundreds of such experiences. More. How do you think that might impact the way I feel towards the more mundane pleasures?’
Krys’s response was to lift her empty wine glass without taking her gaze off Luca. She said, ‘Barkeep.’
Instead of reaching across the table, Jackson rose from his seat and carried the bottle around. He recalled an older friend on the force once telling him to observe carefully how a woman handled her first tipple in his company, for it often revealed hidden elements in her nature. As he poured Krys another glass of the red, Jackson decided he liked this woman’s inner nature just fine.
Krys asked, ‘What happened to you, Luca?’
This time, Luca drained his glass. ‘I fell in love.’
Jackson walked over and refilled Luca’s glass. Perhaps it was the wine and the meal resting comfortably in his middle. But Jackson thought more was at work than a fine meal and a pleasant interlude. Jackson sensed a bond growing between the three of them, a link he had not known in years. The sort of connection that could make all the difference when things got hot. Surviving tight situations often relied upon trusting others to do the right thing at the right moment.
And something more was at work: a subtle energy that he had not recognized until that very moment. The more he bonded with his artifact, the stronger grew his shields. Jackson stood there at Luca’s end of the table, straining to feel any hint of their adversary’s spellcasting. It was there, he knew, but faint as a nightmare’s final traces.
Luca said, ‘Her name, as you know, was Riyanna. And she first came to me in a dream.’
Krys said, ‘That sounds like the start of an epic poem.’
‘A tragic one,’ Luca said. ‘By the age of nineteen, I was a rebel looking for the chance to destroy as much of the Institute as I could. Whether or not I survived mattered little to me at that point. I saw myself as a human bomb, just waiting for the right moment to ignite. Then, one night, Riyanna appeared and asked if I was ready to run free. Even before she spoke, I was lost. I begged her to take me with her, not because of the freedom she offered, but because already I could not see a life without her. What surprised her and all the Peerless was that Riyanna came to love me as well. But for Riyanna, love was a passing weakness. For me, it was everything. She cared far more for her growing powers of ensnarement than she ever could for any one man.’
Jackson walked around the table and resumed his seat. ‘When she trapped me in that dream, I thought I was lost as well.’
‘You were fortunate to escape,’ Luca said. ‘Riyanna has become their most powerful recruiter of men.’
Jackson said, ‘Commandant Barker needs your report on the Peerless.’
‘And she shall have it. It is a duty I have put off far too long.’ Luca rose stiffly to his feet. He left his staff leaning against the table beside his place. He lifted his arms and began taking small steps around the space between the dining area and the living room. He touched each item he came into contact with, his fingers constantly shifting. Jackson had the impression he was marking his territory. ‘Where was I?’
Krys replied, ‘Loving Riyanna.’
‘Initially, I was just another of many frustrated young Talents the Peerless brought in on a trial basis. Any Talent who is judged unworthy to join their ranks is erased.’ Luca dropped his arms and began pacing, his actions precise now, his territory clearly defined. ‘The first Peerless were all women. Men who join their ranks are required to make a sacrifice to show their loyalty. I have heard that this has nowadays become almost symbolic. Males give up contact with loved ones, they surrender a valued artifact, whatever. When I joined, the demand was draconian. At the time, most incoming males surrendered their manhood. But given the fact that love had brought me into their ranks, that was impossible.’
Krys whispered, ‘Your eyes.’
‘Just so.’ Luca came within inches of the candles burning on the sideboard and wheeled about. ‘The Peerless are bound together by three secret powers, a trio of spells that they claim date back to the Ancients. These spells, according to the Peerless leaders, were originally intended to be used by women. One of these is their masking spell; another is their wards. What makes these unique is that the more Talents who join together in creating the spells, the more powerful the cloaking and the shields become. And the third – well, you have already witnessed this.’
‘The electric gargoyles,’ Jackson said.
‘Interesting. I have never thought of them as electric. But that fits well enough, I suppose.’ Luca paused by the table and fumbled for his glass. He drank, then continued, ‘Releasing the inner beast in that manner turns every Peerless into a Warrior. The spell magnifies their own life force with a power that some say creates a link to the people that are no more.’
Jackson asked, ‘What about Riyanna?’
The pacing accelerated with his speech. ‘The power of her allure continues to grow. She has the singular ability to fashion herself into an enticement few can resist. A few years after I arrived, Riyanna’s infidelity had grown to include every male she brought in. By that point, Riyanna’s power was so great that the incoming male Talents were no longer volunteers. They were her slaves.’
Krys said, ‘It’s amazing you escaped.’
‘I was thinking the exact same about Jackson.’
Jackson said, ‘It only happened because Riyanna started arguing with that guy.’
‘The guy.’ Luca’s voice lowered to a soft murmur. ‘Of course. The guy.’
‘Tell us why that’s important,’ Krys said.
‘Because when I was among them, the leaders were all women. No male was permitted to rise above their lowly status. Among the Peerless leaders, men were there to serve.’
Krys asked, ‘Which is why you left?’
‘Partly, yes. But if Riyanna had returned my love, I would gladly have remained their serf for all my days.’ Luca stopped and turned towards the table. In the candlelight, the empty sockets appeared bottomless caverns. ‘But she could not have cared less about my feelings or desire for a true relationship. So I left. And they have been hunting me ever since.’
FORTY-ONE
Luca phoned while Jackson was making coffee the next morning. ‘The runes failed me. Occasionally, I need to repeat the process and cast them a second time. Not often, but it happens. Sometimes the first answer is incomplete. But always before I have known a sense of bonding.’
Jackson took his coffee over to the rear window. The rain was falling now as a heavy mist. The rock face beyond his back garden glistened. ‘And now?’
‘Yesterday afternoon and again this morning, the stones remained cold.’
Jackson thought he could see where this was headed. He asked, ‘These stones of yours are from the Ancients?’
Luca said, ‘An interesting question.’
‘I’m asking because I was wondering if maybe it was something more than just cold rocks.’
Luca did not respond.
Jackson asked, ‘Did you hit the wall as we described?’
‘Until this happened, I was uncertain what precisely you meant by the barrier.’ Luca sighed. ‘I dislike this intensely.’
‘Get in line.’ Jackson heard footsteps on the stairs and pulled another cup and saucer from the cabinet. When Krys entered the kitchen, he lifted the pot in greeting. She nodded, so he poured her the second cup. He handed it over, then motioned to the milk he’d left on the cabinet. He cradled the phone with his shoulder and began preparing another pot. He said to the phone, ‘So what happens now?’
‘I have been thinking about how Krys described your connection to the artifact.’
‘My wand.’
‘She said you were granted a sense of higher awareness.’
‘I don’t know if that’s a proper way to describe what happened.’
Krys mouthed the single word, What?
Jackson lowered the phone. ‘Luca didn’t get anything from the runes. He’s wondering if maybe me and the wand, I don’t know …’
Krys leaned forward and raised her voice. ‘It’s a good idea, Luca. Jackson needs to see how far he can take this.’
Jackson lifted the phone. ‘You heard the lady.’
‘Do nothing until I arrive,’ Luca warned. ‘This is very different from seeking a hidden element that is close at hand. I am preparing my initial report for Brussels. I must also report to my own superiors. This will delay my arrival at least an hour. Probably more like two.’
‘We’ll see you when you get here.’ Jackson cut the connection, set the new pot on the stove, and leaned against the counter, his back to the window. He pointed to the envelope on the table. ‘Those are for you. Cash and keys for house and car both.’
She set down her cup and opened the envelope. She flicked the bills with one fingernail. ‘How much is in there?’
‘Fifty thousand. Half of what Luca brought last night. I didn’t notice it until this morning. He must have set it down on his way out.’
‘Would it do any good to protest?’
‘None whatsoever,’ Jackson replied. ‘Another coffee?’
‘OK.’
He poured her cup, then his own. He seated himself across from her and filled her in on his conversation with Luca. ‘We need to file a written report.’
‘I volunteer. It will help me clear my head.’
‘Keep it brief. One copy, every page marked “eyes only”. Include mention of my contact with Riyanna.’
‘What about, you know …’
‘The treasures. Right. Hold that back for the end-of-action report.’ He gave her a chance to object, then continued, ‘Be sure to include Luca’s assessment of the Peerless. Luca’s preparing his own report this morning, but I want them to hear about the Peerless from us as well.’
‘What are you going to do?’
He finished his cup and set it in the sink. ‘I’ve always loved to run in the rain.’
‘Wait for me, OK? I need to get the ya-yas out. Desperately.’
He had to smile. ‘Give the lady keys to a Bentley and fifty thousand in cash, no reaction. Offer her a chance to go out and get cold and wet, she’s all over it.’
‘In a heartbeat.’ She was already up and moving. ‘I type super-fast. Fifteen minutes. Twenty tops.’
Jackson suggested they use the chief’s home as their destination and drop off Krys’s report. He slipped the document into a zippered waterproof folder, then they ran the six and a half miles there and back.
Jackson’s high school had been one of the few in Denver that had offered boxing as a sport. The school had bordered one of the rough downtown sections, and the principal had wisely considered the ring an outlet for the rage-filled youths who filled her halls. His coach had boxed for the Army, twice making it to the Golden Gloves quarterfinals. He considered running in stormy conditions an ideal way of testing his young recruits. Jackson had boxed through college and the police academy. He was brash and outspoken and liked to wade into trouble. Fights were inevitable. Boxing gave him an edge.
When they returned to the house on Rue Gambord, Jackson opened both garage bay doors. They stretched in the empty space beside the Bentley. Beyond the open portals, the rain fell in an almost continuous sheet.
Simeon called just as Jackson emerged from the shower. The Swiss detective spoke with the mock resignation of an extremely married man. ‘I am instructed to invite you and Ms Duprey to dinner.’
‘I’ll need to check with Krys. But that sounds great to me.’
‘Apparently, Noemi feels it necessary to inspect your new partner for herself.’
Jackson had been to their home several times and knew Simeon’s wife to be an exceptional cook. ‘Long as I get to enjoy another of her meals, Noemi can inspect all she likes.’
When they met up downstairs and Jackson told her about the invitation, Krys offered one of her rare smiles and replied, ‘Two banquets in the same week. A girl could grow fat around you.’
They were enjoying another coffee when Luca’s limo pulled through the front gates. He refused Jackson’s offer of coffee and said, ‘We need to gather in the safe. That is where the strongest wards are located.’
Jackson and Krys carried chairs down from the dining room. Jackson didn’t like the idea of sitting where the three bodies had been imprinted, even if they never actually existed. So he placed the chairs at the rear of the safe, next to the painted concrete wall. The remaining artifacts were gathered on two shelves to Jackson’s left. The golden saucer and all the other artifacts in which Luca had sensed a magical presence rested beside the objects with no hint of potency. Yet.
When they were seated, Luca told Krys, ‘Engage your ring.’ When she had done so, he went on, ‘Your task is to hold Jackson firmly in place. His physical body must remain securely anchored. Now close your eyes. How do you see yourself?’
‘A stone,’ Krys replied. ‘Big as the house. Bigger.’
‘Good, very good,’ Luca said. ‘Grip his hand. See yourself connected by a chain that links him firmly to you and to this place. And to this life.’
Jackson felt the strength in her two-handed grip, the warmth. He asked Luca, ‘What will you be doing?’
‘Three things. First and foremost, I will serve as your shield while you hunt for answers. Second, I will observe. Third, I will instruct. Those are the three key duties of every senior Talent. To protect, direct, and ensure the forces being manipulated remain …’
