I suppose you couldn’t have got away with wearing your armour, Luna thought.
Would have liked to, but no. It was a small but definite effort to keep the connection open. The downside of not being a mind mage – Luna couldn’t just think loudly and expect me to hear. I don’t think there’s any way they could have missed that.
Are you going to be okay with no weapons?
Oh, I’ll figure something out.
The hum of conversation sounded from behind the doors ahead of us, swelling to a roar as we pushed them open. We walked out onto the club floor of the Tiger’s Palace.
11
The main floor of the Tiger’s Palace is the only part of the building that most guests see, a huge room with a high ceiling and walls of unpainted concrete that give it an industrial look. A scaffolding high above holds lights and sound equipment, and a mezzanine level with a balcony runs around the room about fifteen feet up, leading into a VIP lounge with tinted windows. Surrounding the main room on three sides is a warren of smaller rooms and corridors, the entrances guarded by locked doors and stone-faced security.
Usually on Friday evenings the club floor is blanketed with clashing lights and pounding music, but there was none of that tonight. The room was well lit, and the only sound was the noise of the crowd. And it was a big crowd, people packed in tightly enough to fill the room from one wall to the other. At the far end, next to the balcony stairs, a stage had been erected, currently empty but for a couple of microphone stands.
Holy crap, there’s a lot of them, Luna said. How many do you think?
Must be close on a thousand, I said. The entrance we’d come through was slightly raised, and from our position at the top of the steps we were looking out over a sea of heads and shoulders. Everyone was talking, their voices raised, and the noise was a steady low roar. I could see a variety of people, everything from teenagers to people who looked like they’d come straight from work, but taken as a whole, I guessed the average age to be somewhere in the twenties.
Come on, Luna said. We’re visible up here and I don’t want to have to make up some story about who you are unless I have to.
We descended into the crowd. I’d been thinking of getting a drink, but changed my mind when I saw the line at the bar. As I moved, I scanned the crowd with my magesight. I picked up magic, and a lot of it.
Do you think they’re all adepts? Luna said, echoing my thoughts.
Even if only half of them are, this is the biggest gathering I’ve ever seen, I replied. And it feels like more than half. There were pinpoints of magic everywhere, a kaleidoscope of earth and force and life and space and everything in between. The good news was that I was pretty sure no one was going to be able to spot us by our auras. On the flip side, I really did not want to be in the middle of this crowd if it turned ugly.
Do you think we can get up to the balcony? Luna asked.
Maybe once the show’s started and they’re distracted. Incoming call. My earpiece chimed and I turned away towards the wall and murmured under my breath. ‘Receiving.’
‘Hey, Alex,’ Variam said into my ear. ‘Got that dreamstone?’
‘One sec.’ I reached out to Variam. There was the usual brief struggle, then a mental click as the connection took. Got you. Let’s hear it.
Everyone’s gearing up. I could feel Variam’s emotions mixed in with his thoughts, nervousness and excitement and anticipation all blended together. We just had the last briefing ten minutes ago. They weren’t exactly heavy on the restraint angle.
I frowned. The restraint angle?
As in, first priority is getting Richard, second priority is getting his associates, third priority is arresting anyone from the adept crowd who’s involved in this defence association thing. Avoiding collateral damage didn’t get mentioned. I think it’s probably down around seventh or eighth.
‘Damn it,’ I muttered. Are you serious? The whole reason we’re in this mess is because the Keepers got trigger-happy last year, and now they’re planning a repeat performance?
Hey, I’m not the one giving the orders. Anyway, they’ve got a point. If they can get Richard, it’ll end this whole war before it starts.
It worries me that you’re using the word ‘war’.
Just calling it like I see it. How are things looking on the ground?
Crowded, I said. Lots of room for collateral damage. When are the Keepers going to move?
Orders are not to move until someone gets eyes on Drakh. Then we go all in. Anne’s not there, right?
She’s watching outside.
Make sure she stays there. I could feel tension and worry in Variam’s thoughts. Gotta go.
I broke the connection to Variam and reached out to Luna. That was Vari. As soon as Richard shows, things are going to get violent.
Yeah, that’s not exactly news, Luna said. Take a look up on the balcony.
I scanned the balcony. Shapes moved in the shadows, but I couldn’t pick out faces. Anyone I should recognise?
Well, I’m not a hundred per cent sure, Luna said, but I saw someone that really looked like Vihaela.
My heart sank. Well, that pretty much kills any chances that this night was going to end peacefully.
I think that ship sailed a long time ago. How are the Council going to know when Richard shows up?
They’ll have watchers in the crowd. No point looking; they’ll be well hidden.
I think I saw Stephen a second ago, Luna said. Who’s that?
A man had climbed onto the stage. He tapped the microphone and the thud-thud-thud echoed through the speakers out over the club floor. Conversations slowly died away as people turned to face him. ‘Hello,’ he said, his voice reverberating through the room. ‘Good evening.’
I frowned. Something about the man’s face was familiar. He was thin, with glasses, a receding hairline and a hooked nose. I’ve seen that guy before.
Mage? Luna asked.
No, not exactly … My eyes narrowed. Wait. That meeting in Manchester.
The what now?
Richard took me there back when he was posing as Archon, I said. He was talking to a bunch of adept leaders, and this guy was one of them. I’ve been trying to get the Keepers to trace him, but they haven’t been making much effort.
Pretty sure they’ll be interested now.
‘Thank you all for coming tonight,’ the man said. ‘And there’s a reason I say that, because it’s not an easy thing to do. Once upon a time adepts could walk the streets in Britain safely, without having to be afraid. But it’s become clear over the past year that that’s no longer the case. I think the events of last autumn made that even more clear. Make no mistake, right now, we are living in the eye of the hurricane. Just by being here, you – all of you! – you’re taking a step to assert yourselves. You’re saying to the Council, we will not be your sheep. We won’t sit here and be exploited. You deserve the same rights and privileges as anyone else. By being here, you’re taking your first step towards taking those back.’