Age of X01 - Gameboard of the Gods Read online

  The guards’ faces darkened. Persia stepped forward. “I swear, nothing will happen to him. My mother just wants to talk.”

  “Please,” said Justin, meeting Mae’s eyes. “Trust me on this. Remember—we’re tracked. And you’ve got your ego too if I don’t come back.”

  Mae said nothing for several tense moments. Finally: “Fine. If he’s not back in an hour, I tear this place down around you.”

  The guards looked skeptical, but they stayed outside the door when Persia led him away. She took him to the far side of the house, to double doors that opened into a bedroom. Callista sat at a vanity, clad in a long silk robe, brushing her hair in the mirror. She glanced up at their approach. “Thank you, dear. You can go.” Persia retreated, closing the doors behind her.

  Justin stood there waiting as Callista finished her hair and then rose gracefully to her feet, managing to do it in a way that let the robe make the most of her body. “Always drama with you,” he said as she walked over to him. “But I guess that’s part of the job.”

  She brushed her lips against his cheek. “Lovely to see you again. Shall we talk?”

  “Here?” he asked.

  “I didn’t think you’d mind, but if you’ve gone chaste on me, we can go outside.” She glided over to a set of glass doors and stepped out into the warm night. Justin followed, finding a table already set with candles and wine on a garden terrace. More drama.

  Callista poured him a glass without asking and then leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs so that the robe slipped off of one of them. She gazed up at the starry night and then looked back at him with a smile. “Are you here to arrest me? How did you even find me?”

  “Luck, more than anything else.” He took a drink of the wine, some kind of deep red that Dominic could’ve learned a lot from. “I got a tip after paying your former associate a visit. I actually came here for Nadia, though you were the one I ultimately wanted.”

  “So flattering. How is Mr. Arrow these days?”

  “Awaiting trial. He tried to drug servants of the government.”

  Callista’s lips curled in disdain. “He was always so stupid. Using tricks instead of the discipline needed to get real power. It’s half the reason I left.”

  “That, and it’s easier to gather followers in unregulated borderlands?”

  “It’s becoming more and more regulated every day,” she said. “Bit by bit, the RUNA’s blanket of uniformity is enveloping this place.”

  Justin wasn’t fooled. “Don’t act like that’s a bad thing. You grew up in civilization. You know it’s better than having a bunch of armed nutjobs running around, no matter how gullible they are.”

  “Speaking of armed nutjobs…” Callista’s expression of easy charm transformed, making her the hard-edged leader who had ordered around Menari’s people. “What the hell were you thinking bringing her here?”

  “Why do you keep saying that? I didn’t bring her to you. We were captured.”

  Callista traced the edge of her wineglass, gazing into its depths by the candlelight. “I never thought I’d see the day someone like you was traveling with someone like her. Of course, from what I can tell, a lot’s changed with you.”

  “Traveling with a prætorian’s not that weird,” he countered. “Especially in light of today’s events.”

  Callista jerked her head up. “She’s a prætorian?”

  “Isn’t that what you’re talking about? How else do you think she did what she did?”

  “You know how she did what she did! She’s an undisciplined and uninitiated elect,” she snarled. No more flirtation now. “Chosen by someone powerful from the looks of it. It was a wonder the rest of them couldn’t see the glamour—and don’t act like you couldn’t. You’ve got a lot more control since the last time I saw you. I didn’t actually think you’d embrace your calling.”

  “I haven’t,” he said firmly.

  Callista’s face said she didn’t believe that. “What god follows her?”

  He hesitated. “I don’t know. It’s not my concern.”

  “It should be! A prætorian elected by something that strong? That kind of combination is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.”

  Justin decided it probably wasn’t a good time to bring up Mae’s nigh-perfect genes.

  “She needs to deal with whatever’s following her,” continued Callista. “She needs to either embrace it and get some control or else get rid of it.”

  “I don’t even think she knows it’s there,” he said.

  “Well, she should. You should enlighten her.” She seemed to calm down a little and poured more wine for both of them. “It’s fitting that you’ve found this path, you know. There’s no better advocate than someone who used to persecute believers. Do you know the Christian story of Paul?”

  “Of course I do. And don’t use the past tense. I still ‘persecute’ believers.”

  “You let me off,” she said softly. “And that was before I slept with you.”

  He said nothing right away. Neither of those past actions had been smart. “You were the first person I ever saw who…” Even now, he couldn’t give voice to it. It was something he’d kept buried inside all these long years, the secret he’d told no one. The secret that could have worse consequences than what he’d already faced.

  “Who showed proof of the supernatural?” Callista said.

  “I’d lose my job for that,” he said. “Or worse.”

  “Your secret’s safe with me. I could tell then you had the signs of an elect. The potential for power wreathed you. But you had no god then. Who do you serve?”

  “I don’t serve anyone, Internal Security aside.”

  “But you’ve got something with you,” she insisted. “It isn’t blatantly out of control like hers, but I can sense it.”

  “It’s unwanted,” he said.

  That hurts, said Horatio.

  “And I don’t know who,” Justin added. “As I’m often told, gods don’t like to give up their names.”

  Callista reached across the table and put her hand over his. “I’d be happy to help you explore…a number of things.”

  He smiled but didn’t take back his hand. “Thanks, but—”

  “Callista!” A man came frantically tearing out of her bedroom door. “Juan and Eduardo are unconscious, and the castal woman’s gone!”

  “What?” Callista jumped to her feet. “Get the others and find out where—”

  “Relax,” came a smooth voice from the darkness. “I’m right here.”

  Mae strolled out of the shadows of the nearby trees, a gun in her hand and displaying a casualness that made Justin despondently think she’d been at ease there for a while. And, judging from the look on her face, she’d also overheard a number of things she shouldn’t have.

  Well, said Horatio optimistically. It had to happen sooner or later.

  CHAPTER 21

  CONFLICT OF INTEREST

  “My job’s to protect him,” Mae told Callista in a voice that chilled the warm night. “Admittedly, I didn’t really realize what kind of danger he was in.”

  Justin had the grace to look embarrassed, but Mae wasn’t sure exactly what part of the madness she’d just heard was responsible for it. It could’ve been anything from the part where he had slept with a cult leader to him admitting he was a believer in the supernatural. For now, she couldn’t spare the mental energy to process it all, not when Callista’s guard held a gun and others were coming.

  “I thought we were here to track down a ritual murderer,” added Mae.

  That actually seemed to startle Callista. She turned to Justin. “What?”

  He sighed and apparently decided to just make the best of the mess he was in. “Call off your dogs and let Mae join us. Secrecy’s blown, and she already knows what I’ve come to talk to you about.”

  Callista gave Mae a long, considering look. “If she puts away the gun.”

  Mae glanced at the guard. “Him first.”

&nb
sp; Callista gave a small nod, and he lowered his weapon. Several moments later, Mae followed suit. Callista dismissed her reluctant guard and beckoned Mae over to sit.

  “I can get you a glass.” Despite the offer, Callista didn’t sound nearly as hospitable as she had for Justin. Had Justin really slept with her? Had he liked it? Mae refused to speculate.

  “No thanks.”

  Callista shrugged. “Suit yourself. Now what’s this about murders?”

  Justin looked like he wanted to sink into the ground—as well he should have—but recovered himself enough to begin explaining the story. He told Callista everything. Everything. Even the part about the video they weren’t supposed to talk about. Whatever regard Mae had developed for Justin began to crumble away as he spilled secrets to this zealot-turned-lover.

  When he finished, Callista took her time to process his words. “So. You’ve come to me because you think I might know something about a moon deity whose followers wield silver daggers.” She gave him a sidelong look. “Or maybe you think I serve one.”

  “Probably not,” he said. Mae wondered if he’d used his brilliant deductive skills to come to that conclusion or was simply too blinded by her.

  Callista chuckled, though there was no amusement in her eyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. And no, I don’t know about this. I have no reason to kill patricians.” Her eyes rested meaningfully on Mae as she said that. “I don’t know of any other group who’d do something like this either…but I’d be very interested in finding out more. There’s power in blood. You could be dealing with a very, very strong deity.”

  “So you favor a cult over a vengeful geneticist?” he asked.

  “Why are they mutually exclusive? I wouldn’t mind a few genetically perfect followers. The gods are choosing their elect. You think they choose randomly? There’s a reason you were chosen. Both of you,” Callista added reluctantly.

  Mae couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you seriously saying these make-believe entities of yours are part of this case? That they’re interfering in our lives? It’s insanity!” She could perhaps understand it from Callista, but Justin? That was still the mind blower, and Mae secretly hoped to find out everything he’d said was just part of a clever ploy to reel the other woman in.

  “You of all people should take this seriously,” said Callista. Her condescending tone irritated Mae further. “And if you don’t want anything to do with this ‘insanity,’ you need to break out fast. Find out who’s trying to control you and sever their power.”

  “How?” asked Justin, as though that were actually a real thing.

  “Gods consolidate their power in places and people. Breaking belief is the biggest way to hurt one. You do that by disbanding their followers. Gods need people to believe in them. Could be as simple as someone like you revoking a license.” Callista considered. “Or it may take more drastic means. Destroy their place of worship. Take out some of their leaders. Once the followers start to stray, the god weakens. It’s why they’re all scrambling right now to build their power—and followers.”

  “Enough of this,” said Mae, unwilling to hear more. If Justin wasn’t going to do his job, then she would do it for him. “Can you or can’t you give us any leads on this killer?”

  Callista shot her a glare. “I told you: I don’t know who would do this. No matter what you believe about the faithful, most of us don’t embrace bloodshed. Those who do wouldn’t share that fun fact with others. I don’t think it’s that far-fetched that a god would want genetically superior servants. I do think it’s weird that he or she would then kill them off.”

  “You said blood is power,” Justin reminded her.

  “Yes, but the choice of victim is a waste. A god could take a sacrifice from any number of other sources.”

  Justin caught his breath. “Like a bunch of plebeians.”

  He met Mae’s eyes, and for a moment, she forgot about all the reasons she had to be upset with him right now. If Callista was right, if crazy groups sacrificed for imaginary power, then Justin might very well have one piece of the puzzle.

  “Do you know any groups, any at all, that could be worth checking out?” Justin asked, his voice urgent. “Ones I wouldn’t know about.”

  The unlicensed ones, Mae realized. The ones that operated in the shadows. Like this one.

  Callista met his gaze levelly. “Justin, there are a lot of groups you don’t know about. There’s been a surge in them over the last few years. I could give you at least two dozen groups with ties to the moon and some obsession with blood and silver. You think you can check them all out in the next week and a half?”

  “You could if you turned the list over to SCI,” said Mae pointedly. “They could send out other servitors.”

  “And pick me up along the way, no doubt,” said Callista.

  Justin shook his head. “We won’t do it that way. Send me what you can, and I’ll see if I can make any connections between that and the other evidence. If I get any hits, can you help me find where they’re hiding?”

  “Some of them.”

  “Okay. We should go.” He stood up and glanced at Mae, who immediately rose as well. “I think we have a lot to talk about. Thank you for your help—and, uh, timely intervention.”

  Callista joined them and caught hold of Justin’s hand. “Be careful. There are dark forces at work, and I’d hate to lose my favorite servitor.”

  “You know, Geraki calls me that too. I’m glad I have such a great reputation.”

  “Geraki…” Callista arched an eyebrow. “I haven’t heard from him in a while. He might have some answers for you.”

  Justin grimaced. “Mostly all he’s got are riddles, though he was the one who gave me the clue about Nadia. It is too bad about her. Shitty luck.”

  Callista smiled in a way that made Mae tense for danger. “Luck had little to do with it. I was the one who suggested she go on her vision quest.”

  “What? I thought she was your friend.”

  “She was. She is. But we were starting to disagree on how to run things. So, when I encouraged her little journey…I mentioned that Amarantha would prefer she do it unchipped. Don’t look at me like that,” she told Justin. “I’ve made inquiries. She’s fine. And with the way the RUNA’s spreading, the territory she’s in will be annexed soon anyway. Besides, things are a lot smoother now that it’s just me running the faith.”

  “Aside from when her family—who blames me for what she did—decided to take some sideline revenge,” he reminded her.

  “I saved you,” said Callista. “And I’ll keep them in line. They’re all still unruly and half-provincial, but they fear Amarantha.”

  Justin seemed to accept this, which just increased the absurdity of this night. That kind of behavior—dissension in groups that made them turn against each other—was exactly the reason religions weren’t supposed to grow.

  Callista caught Mae’s sleeve as she started to walk past. The flirty, irreverent nature was gone. “You need to deal with your problems,” she hissed. “Until you do, you’re a danger to yourself. And to others. And to him.”

  Mae jerked her arm away. “Fiction offers no danger. Only its followers.”

  One of Callista’s lackeys delivered Justin and Mae back to their hotel. It was a long, awkward car ride in which neither said anything. When they made it back, Justin told her good night and headed for his room. Mae, aghast, grabbed him in the hall and pulled him to her with more force than she intended. He stumbled and put a hand on her shoulder to steady himself, triggering a jumble of emotions in her as she tried to figure out who he was. Romantic confidante? Schmoozing womanizer? Secret zealot?

  “You are not going to bed! We have to talk about what happened!”

  “It’s the middle of the night.” He looked both physically and mentally weary. “And you won’t believe anything I say anyway.”

  “I believe that you’ll be back in Panama if SCI finds out you pick and choose which people you turn a blind eye
to. And that you believe in your own deity or power or whatever. That’s a conflict of interest. As is sleeping with people you’re supposed to license!”

  He sighed. “Are you jealous? If it makes you feel better, I had a better time with you—well, during sex, at least. After is a whole other story.”

  Mae rarely lost her temper. She’d had too much discipline drilled into her to let her emotions get the better of her, which was why the lapse with Kavi had been so shocking. Mae nearly lost it again now and just barely stopped herself from slapping him, which probably would have knocked him into the wall. She took a deep breath.

  “We’re going to talk now.”

  For a moment, she thought he’d protest. Then a remarkable transformation came over him. A hard expression she’d never seen filled his face, containing both impatience and exasperation. He too was nearing a breaking point. “Do you want to know why I’m back? Why they went to all that trouble? Do you want to know why I left?”

  She blinked in surprise. Those weren’t exactly the answers she wanted tonight, but they’d certainly been on her mind. Something about the intensity in his face cowed her. “Okay.”

  They returned to his room, where Justin promptly poured himself a shot of tequila from a bottle that looked like it had been tapped last night. He downed it and then, after a moment’s thought, simply picked up the whole bottle. He sat down cross-legged on the bed and patted the spot in front of him. “Have a seat.” Mae hesitated, but there was nothing even remotely sexy going on. She joined him.

  “Do you remember when I was first with Cornelia, talking about a group that tried to set me on fire? It wasn’t a joke. That was my last assignment before exile. Those nuts never should’ve reached that point. Whoever did their last evaluation had fucked up pretty badly for them to have progressed that far.” Mae bit back a suggestion that maybe the group’s last servitor had slept with one of their members and turned a blind eye. “I actually had to get some military out there to break up their compound.” He shook his head at the memory. “Until now, that was probably the craziest thing I’ve ever investigated.”