The television that Joel had brought into my apartment showed an endless series of reports on what was going on around the city. Blackouts, fires, raised tensions and overcrowded hospital rooms. Looking at it from a distance, ignorant, I might assume it was just another night of typical sensationalist news reporting. Worse than most nights, but there was a natural ebb and flow, right? Some nights, you’d have more stories and more ugliness than there’d been in the past two weeks. Unusual but not alarming. Nothing that would shift the average Joe out of his comfort zone.
Except I had outside knowledge. I could place many of the events and deduce more. The Eye, and ghosts were active, which was influencing people in subtle ways. Maybe, just like Alexis and I had experienced our own simulated heart attacks, a few people who were in line to have one experienced some. How many ghosts were active, and how many negative emotions, diseases or other issues were being triggered prematurely?
Magic has a price, but it’s not always the practitioner that pays it.
I leaned back on my futon.
Joel was here, more or less filled in, and more than a little concerned that Alexis, Tiff, and Ty weren’t with us. Goosh was at her place.
Fell patrolled the perimeter of my apartment, his attention on the taped-down diagram that protected the edge.
“This is a mess,” I said.
“I agree,” Fell said. “As perimeter defenses go, this is pretty sad.”
“I was talking about the general situation.”
“Oh. What did you expect, Thorburn?”
“I hoped that he’d stick to the deal he made with the High Drunk and leave the city alone.”
“He is,” Fell said. “An omission to protect the city from his underlings isn’t the same thing as targeting the city. If that tests the truth, the power he gleans from the ambient misery makes up for it.”
“Fuck,” I said.
“Keep in mind, too, that this is his city. There are quite a few reasons why practitioners and Others often want to be Lord over a city. There are mundane reasons, wanting to protect one’s interests, or keep the riffraff out, cultivating a certain flavor of Other and practitioner to occupy your domain.”
“If you were to become a Lord,” Rose said, “It’d mean keeping out the likes of Laird, and putting your friends in better positions.”
“I do not want to become a Lord,” I said. “No way, no how. I already have enough people gunning for me as it stands.”
“If they’re already gunning for you, what does it change?” Maggie asked.
“You’re not seriously suggesting it.”
“Not even remotely,” Maggie said. “You’d die, first of all.”
“And there’s nothing remotely redeeming about it,” I said. “I mean, I can see the broader appeal. When you claim a demesne, you make a challenge. If there’s less in the way of individuals to reject that challenge…”
Rose finished my sentence, “…You can be bolder about the claim. More power for you, more power for the people under you.”
Fell nodded. “That’s another reason. Respect is one kind of power, and it’s a power you can use as fuel or currency. Few things command respect like being Lord of a city.”
“But like all things, that comes at a price,” Rose said. “Thus the figureheading of Conquest.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Too many knives aimed at your back.”
Fell went on, “Getting back to my original point, outside of mundane or common sense reasons, there’s something to be said for the fact that the city is yours. When you own something, it’s a one-sided relationship, and that means an uneven exchange of power. One way or another, you influence that which you possess. If you are the Lord of a city, then your substance runs through that city. This isn’t something you control, but is more incidental. When Conquest is passive, biding his time and building his strength, then the city is too. When he is at war, then so is the city.”
When the city is at war, then there’s fire, people in the hospital, and a general ambiance of fear.
“I wish I’d known more about that, going in,” I said.
“I wish you had too. I thought you might have some idea, and the plan to bide our time was with the knowledge that the city might suffer in the meantime. I’m of two minds, now.”
“Two minds?”
“I’m glad you’re not heartless, Thorburn. It helps when I have to work alongside you. But at the same time… it’s obvious you’re bothered by what you’re seeing in the news, and the effects your contest are having on the public. You’re wringing your hands-”
I looked down. I was unconsciously toying with the locket chain, hooking my fingers beneath it.
I put my hands down flat.
“-and I’d be able to tell if it weren’t just that. It’s not bad that you care, but strategy-wise? From a purely rational perspective? You being heartless would help.”
“Not too heartless,” Maggie said. “That would mean demons, and I don’t think anyone here wants demons.”
“Right,” Fell said. “A little bit of heartlessness could help. Accept that what you’re doing helps everyone in the long run, if you depose Conquest, accept that some people are going to get hurt incidentally, and make do.”
“That sort of runs against my personal philosophy,” I said. “I want to leave the world in better shape than it was when I arrived.”
“Says the diabolist,” Fell said.
“Yeah,” I said, dead serious, “Says the diabolist.”
He nodded. “Well, decide how you’re going to handle this. I’m going to try to patch up your defenses here.”
“Out of curiosity, how?” Rose asked.
“His champions are the Sisters, Astrologer, Chronomancy, the Eye and the Shepherd. He picked a variety of talents, but we should be able to establish this as a refuge if we can distinguish it from the spirit world version of the apartment. I can target human frailties and distract attention from the location, and I can ward off ghosts. We’ll have to cross our fingers that the Eye doesn’t show up here, because my talents aren’t the type you use to stop him.”
I nodded. “Thank you. I’ll cross my fingers, so to speak.”
“I feel the need to stress that this isn’t a long-term protection. We’re better off constantly moving.”
“I know, I get it.”
I’d had brief words with the others before we’d settled on my apartment. Rose was a factor in the decision; she’d wanted company in visiting the apartment, in case something or someone was waiting for us when we arrived. Some books were here.
I wanted to be here because I wanted to sleep in my own bed, stupid as it sounded.
With experience and the various ups and downs we’d faced, I was becoming aware of just how much my personal strength, power, and vulnerability was linked to my existence as Blake Thorburn. Having my bike had done wonders. Having my friends was nourishing on a spiritual level.
Was there a flip side to that? Was I weakening myself if I thrust myself into unfamiliar situations?