“They’re props. The metaphorical equivalent to animal heads mounted on a hunter’s wall. Except you didn’t even do your own hunting.”
“They are sources of power, too, trophies won with my abilities, even if those abilities were used to send others to hunt on my behalf.”
I bit my tongue so I couldn’t say something I might regret.
“You did well, Rose,” Conquest said. “It seems to be an effective circle. Tell me, did you subvert me?”
Rose made a face. I could see the momentary strain, as if she were about to have a stroke, then relief that came with obedience. “Yes.”
“Tell me, how?”
“The chalk circle is weak. It won’t hold.”
“I want you to repair it. Can you do it now?”
“No. I need materials. Animal entrail or animal blood.”
“Then it can wait.”
“You deceived me,” Pauz accused me.
“I did, but not on purpose.”
“I will not have what I want, like this. Forever bound, a decoration? A well of power to be tapped.”
“No,” I said. “I guess not.”
I’d hoped to destabilize and distract Conquest and contain the taint, or to make him more powerful in a manageable way.
This was the worst of both worlds. Conquest had power, but it was tainted power. He was entirely in control, stronger, in a very hard way to manage.
Well, I had other ideas, but I wasn’t sure if I should use them. There were consequences.
“I name the Eye as my first champion,” Conquest said.
Quite possibly, by all accounts, the most powerful being in the city.
If I’d had first pick, I’d feel twice as confident as I did. There were traps here. Ideas that could so very easily fall through.
“I name Rose as my first.”
Rose perked up at that. “Why me?”
“Come on,” I said.
The chain dragged along the floor as she approached me, a little bent, almost weary.
I found her hand with mine, and made myself hold it.
Physical contact wasn’t comforting to me. Just the opposite, really. I could deal – she needed it more than I did.
“The Shepherd, as my second champion,” Conquest said.
Another more powerful figure, and arguably a strategic choice. The Shepherd was a practitioner specializing in ghosts, and, well, many of my assets were ghosts. Evan, Leonard. June, who I didn’t have access to.
If we were kids in gym class, he was picking the power players, and I was picking the geeks.
I couldn’t delay longer. This would be my first gamble, among my picks.
“Fell,” I said, turning my head.
Fell’s eyebrows raised.
“You would take my own subordinate?” Conquest asked.
“He knows you best.”
“He does not have to agree,” Conquest said.
His words had weight. A latent menace.
Conquest couldn’t use his hold on Rose or Fell to subvert them while this contest lasted, but he could take revenge for any perceived betrayal after the fact.
Fell looked at me. “There are things I need to say that I can’t, because I am forced to obey him. If I joined you, I would be free to say it, but it would be too late.”
“I’m asking all the same,” I said.
“Damn you, Thorburn. You couldn’t make this simple?” Fell asked.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” Fell said. “Fuck you, but yes.”
I nodded.
He saw what this was. A chance to fight back against Conquest. He didn’t like it, but with all I knew about who he was, I knew he couldn’t say no.
Conquest’s voice was deep, brimming with latent anger. “For my third, I take the elder Behaim. He owes me a service for my mercy in regards to his nephew.”
“I do, and I’ll do as you wish,” Laird said.
Great. Time manipulation.
I could only hope that the Behaim batteries were running low after the recent shenanigans.
Right. My third pick…
“I pick the Hyena,” I said.
“What!?” Evan piped up.
“Relax,” I said.
“The Hyena is not yours to take,” Conquest said.
“It’s not your place to stand in my way, by the terms of this contest,” I said. It took all the confidence I had, but I crossed the tower’s top to collect the sword form the Hyena had taken. I held it gingerly in both hands, so the spikes in the thing wouldn’t stab me.
As I returned to my group, I could see the fear in Alexis’ eyes.
I had three friends who were practitioners now, and only two remaining slots.
Thing was, I wasn’t taking any of them. I didn’t want them on this battlefield.
“I could take one of yours from you,” Conquest said, to my back, as if he were reading my mind.
It was very possible. I didn’t take my eyes off Alexis.
He had two options. He could assert his power, picking safe, strong options, or he could gather power by taking someone like Alexis from me, cowing and breaking her.
I was gambling everything that he wouldn’t. I was gambling that he was insecure, that he couldn’t afford the loss, that he would favor stomping on me and winning this unequivocally, over taking one of my friends from me.
“Hmm,” Conquest murmured. The little hum reverberated through his realm. “The imp and the Hyena are there for the taking, so you seize the Hyena, thinking I might take the imp. Do you want to trap me, diabolist? Impel me to take the imp, a being you know how to deal with, that your Rose can deal with?”
I didn’t flinch, managing to keep my expression level. The best poker face I could manage.
“I will take the Astrologer as my fourth,” he said.
One of my allies, all the same.
Did he know? Was he aware that Diana was on my side? Fell was aware.
Damn.
He had some degree of sway over Diana by virtue of being Lord of Toronto. He apparently thought he could bully her into falling into line.
“Then I take the imp as my fourth champion,” I said.
“I expected as much,” Conquest said. “I’ll take the one in charge of the Sisters of the Torch for my last champion.”
Great. The zealots.
He was picking assets that came with forces of their own. The Shepherd had his ghosts, Laird knew other Behaims, and the leader of the Sisters came with a little bit of clout, some manpower.
The ones who remained, not yet elected to be champions, were the Sphinx, the Knights, my cabal…
Either I didn’t trust them, or I didn’t want to bring them into this fight.
“I name Maggie Holt,” I said.
“I do not know this one,” Conquest said.
“A Jacob’s Bell resident, my King,” Laird said, with a trace of sardony. “A novice Goblin Queen. No doubt intended to help with the goblin sword he called the Hyena.”
“Very well.”
It was done.
“You may take your leave, as we agreed.”
I stepped towards the imp. Conquest didn’t stop me.
“Are you going to play ball, Pauz?”
“What?”
“I can leave you here. You can spite me. And you might stay here for the remainder of your existence, an immortal prop for an immortal being. Or I can bring you with, and you can give me your obedience.”