Leviathan (Fist of Light Series) Read online

  I looked blankly at her then glanced down at my watch, which backed up my hypothesis that I wasn't due for more training. “I've no idea—” I tilted my head curiously at Jeeves.

  “Today is the birthday of your bonded, dunce.” He shook his head forlornly.

  A look of surprise flitted across my face. The days had begun to blur together. “Of course I remember! Didn't we have plans to visit one of Noah's clubs?”

  She shot me an exasperated glare, dragged me up from my sitting position and pulled me toward the mansion. “You forgot! Come on, you've got to get dressed!”

  Decked out in an all-black ensemble, I proceeded out of my room and down the hall to Jas' domicile. After pulling my amulet out of my shirt, I displayed it openly, adding a dash of color to the mix. I pushed through the door and readjusted my collared shirt, bought especially for the occasion. Feeling rather naked without the reassuring weight of weapons, it became clear how attached I had become to them. Jas was already dressed in designer jeans, coupled with a multi-colored shirt. I was almost positive it was glowing and most definitely radioactive.

  My eyes bugged out of my head. “You look like a rainbow threw up all over you. Where'd you get that thing?”

  “I got it for him. Don't you like it?” Kathryne glared daggers at me from her position at the door, where she blocked the entrance.

  I found myself agreeing outwardly, while simultaneously trying not to burst into hysterics. “It's quite something. We won't lose you in a crowd. That's for sure.”

  “I love it.” Jas nodded and rubbed his hands together nervously. “Can we leave now?”

  My brain processed the image behind me rather belatedly and I sustained minor whiplash in my next move. It had always been difficult to view Kathryne as a woman, likely due to her tyrannical tendencies, not because she was lacking anything in the beauty department. In fact, she drew eyes practically wherever she went outside the complex and many wouldn't hesitate to call her drop-dead gorgeous. It was possible I had become desensitized to the stunning curves and brilliant green eyes. Her fiery hair was done up in curls, iridescent green bracelets adorned each wrist. Shimmering eye shadow accentuated her eyes. Gulping, my eyes traversed the length of her, absorbing a close-fitting emerald dress that only barely met with the already minimum modern standards of decency.

  A hard smack to the face snapped me out of my no doubt impolite assessment, delivered by a fuming Kathryne. “Staring is considered rude, is it not?”

  “Ouch.” I rubbed my stinging face. “Apologies, my lady.” I bowed extravagantly, lowering my eyes politely to her high heels, with which she gained height almost equal to my own. “Your chariot awaits.”

  Jeeves relayed his own feelings from the corner of the room. “She's all yours, boy. I'm old enough that braving deep waters has lost its allure. May you have a memorable celebration, Jason.” He inclined his head to Jas and flashed out, leaving us to our own devices.

  For his own part, Jas seemed unaffected by the presentation. “Well then,” he said, dragging me forward by the shoulders, navigating us both safely past the ticking time bomb, “We should talk to my dad before we get going.”

  “Of course,” Kathryne said, sauntering down the hall ahead of us.

  “If you had kept your eyeballs glued any longer, she would've cut your throat out,” Jas whispered nervously.

  “I think she dislocated my jaw,” I said with a faint smile.

  “That's it. You've officially gone bonkers.”

  “Maybe so.” I raised my eyebrows in discovery. “Maybe so.”

  — Chapter 3 —

  Noah leaned in the back window of the limo, making eye contact with both of us. “You boys be careful and take good care of Kathryne.” He glanced over at her apologetically. “Not that you need protecting, of course.”

  “We'll be fine, Dad,” Jas promised, perhaps unwisely. “I'll be sure to call if we run into anything we can't handle.”

  “Have a good time.” His dad smiled, almost sadly. “No need to wait on an old man. Go! Enjoy yourselves. This is a major turning point in your life and deserves to be celebrated.” He slapped the roof of the car, encouraging us to take our leave.

  “All right then. Let's get this show on the road.” Jas turned up the tunes and started bobbing his head in time with the music.

  “Get a room.” I grinned.

  The pedal was put to the metal and we were off, escorted by our nondescript, wolfish limo driver, as always. Navigating ponderously around the active fountain and down the strip, we exited the already open gates without slowing. When we hit the suburban streets, I tore my eyes from admiring the scenery and directed my gaze inside the vehicle as Kathryne spoke up.

  “I've never been to one of these... what did you call them? Clubs.” She pronounced the word as if it was from a foreign language. “What are they like?” Kathryne furrowed her eyebrows questioningly.

  “Clubs are—” Jas rooted around for an explanation. “They're a contained area where people go to party, let loose. Craziness inevitably follows, usually coupled with substance abuse and excessive alcohol intake.”

  “That sounds like fun.” Kathryne clapped her hands together excitedly, which caused us to raise our eyebrows.

  “I remember you implying Noah's clubs attracted a rough crowd?” I stretched out on the front seat closest to the driver, trying not to let my eyes stray too noticeably toward Kathryne.

  “Well, it’s no picnic. The club is open for business to all those of the supernatural community. Most established laws go out the window, more so than in even most normal clubs. Basically, it’s an unrestricted party zone for the preternatural, a place for them to let their inhibitions take a backseat. Private security still cracks down on those who get out of hand, though.”

  “That's reassuring.” I rolled my eyes.

  We had reached the streets on the outskirts of the inner city. This place, however, still had power and the buildings weren't razed to the ground by a recent Armageddon like in the Dreamscape. Streetlights beat back the darkness.

  “Can't believe your dad bought you an R8. Those are some nice wheels,” I said. “Too bad we couldn't drive it to the club.”

  For my part, I was slightly nostalgic as well as depressed, thinking of my car, which had disappeared during the chaos on the Day of Darkness.

  “We'll take her out for a spin soon, I promise.” Jas peeled his gaze from uncorking a celebratory glass of champagne.

  I eyed the bubbly liquid. “You think drinking is a good idea? Loss of control tends to be fairly destructive, as this particular limo has previously discovered.”

  “You've no need to participate if you fear losing your head,” Kathryne taunted.

  “Ah, peer pressure, how I have missed you. Who am I kidding? Pour me a glass, would you?” “Of course, my liege. Right away.” He grinned, finally working the cork loose.

  Foam bubbled over the lip of the bottle, and Jas deftly snatched up some glasses, emptying the bubbling spirits into them.

  He distributed the drinks and I raised mine in toast. “Cheers, to the birthday boy. May all your wishes come true and endless years lie before you.”

  “Eloquent. How long did it take you to think that up?” Kathryne asked with an amused smile.

  I flourished a facetious grin. “A week or so, give or take a couple days.” I tilted my hand left and right, indicating the slightest disparity.

  We clinked our glasses together.

  “Bottoms up.” Jas put action to words, tipping up his glass and downing the contents in one fell swoop.

  The car coasted to a stop, pulling up next to a brick and mortar three-story building. A faint oomph of base and the electric thrill of treble escaped the building. Jas tipped the depleted bottle of champagne upside down, disappointed when he couldn't get any more out of it. A pleasant buzz had taken up residence in my skull. No doubt I’d have reduced ability to make smart choices this night. It wasn't likely it would cause me too much troub
le, at this point—as long I kept control. Our wolfish driver was so kind as to open the door and we slipped out of the vehicle. A line of people extended on the sidewalk far into the distance. I sensed no more supernatural power thrumming through them, which backed up what I’d figured—they were all human

  “Do any humans actually get in?” I took one of Jas' arms as he swayed towards me. “Lightweight,” I sniggered.

  “For the most part, no. Only a few who are clued in get through the doors. And I'm not a lightweight. You two hardly had any. I was forced to finish off the bottle, or else it would’ve gone flat.”

  I smirked. “Couldn’t have that.”

  Eyes followed Kathryne's progress across the sidewalk and I stared down those with the tenacity to do so openly. Men cast their gazes downward under the force of my glower as we neared the expected red velvet rope and the beast of a man who permitted or denied entrance. Jas took point, raising his hand assuredly and greeting the bouncer as if he were his far-removed cousin. The door was unbarred without even a cursory glance of our IDs and I passed cautiously through a veil of shimmering beads. Cries of protest arose from those in the line. Likely they weren't too pleased with our cutting.

  “I've never seen so many people waiting to get in one place,” Kathryne commented as the noise levels rose.

  “You've obviously never been to a Black Friday campout.” I snorted, but the explosive exhalation was largely lost to the deafening music.

  Waves of heat and sound beat at us from all angles, accentuated by the low level of alcohol circulating in my system. Taking in the party scene, my eyes widened. Colored lights rotated, spun in seizure-inducing arcs around a system of wires on the ceiling, flashing in time with the music. The main floor was reserved for dancing and a mass of partiers had congregated in that area. They were doing what our generation did best, which might be looked severely down upon by preceding generations. Then again, when Elvis danced in their day, they thought even that was too sexual. Various entities of the supernatural community were in differing stages of intoxication, but loss of inhibition was widespread. Countless preternatural entities were here, though I recognized only a few off the top of my head: vanilla mortals, humans with minimal to moderate magical ability, dark entities, celestial beings, vampires, Were, and Fae. Never before had I witnessed such a large collection of the supernatural localized in one place that weren't tearing each other to shreds. From what Jas had implied, I hadn't walked in expecting those attending to be normal, but regardless, it was a surreal experience.

  “I’m not drunk enough for this,” Kathryne announced.

  “That can be fixed.” Jas led the way across the room, knocking people out of the way if they attempted to get a hand on Kathryne and saving them from a far worse fate if they had actually made contact with their mark.

  Craning my neck, I found that there was a VIP lounge on a higher level, guarded by security that was obviously supernatural in nature. They looked like mountains of rock in the shape of men guarding the entrance and spaced periodically throughout the room. I rifled through hazy recollections provided by Jeeves and recalled these were golems. Magical constructs of earth and rock, they were supremely loyal, though lacking in finesse or subtlety. They weren't highly adaptable beings and not known for their intelligence, either. But they got the job done and worked well in exactly the service with which they were supplying: security of a specific object or location. They were free labor that kept the mob in check and were notoriously difficult to kill.

  “Remember, this place is protected by my father and his representatives,” Jas said. “That's why this place is such a popular meeting place for the supernatural. Try not to piss off too many people.” He looked pleadingly over at me.

  I put a hand to my chest, aghast he would accuse me of such a thing. “Me? I would never!”

  Jas shot me a stern, no-nonsense look. “Oh, all right,” I said.

  Kathryne broke in, looking uncertain. “I feel a beating upon my body, like a second heartbeat. Should I consider that an effect of the alcohol?”

  I explained the situation awkwardly as Jas steered us towards the VIP section. “Not exactly, though it kind of enhances the feeling. Those speakers over there are making the pulsing feeling you talked about.” I pointed at the upraised platform that held a DJ and all his equipment.

  Kathryne nodded in understanding while glaring a warning at a passing stranger who was swerving with intoxication and interfering with our progress. Whatever he saw there, he fled before things could get nasty. Obviously my previous attempts to divert the crowd’s attention from Kathryne were unnecessary.

  After shaking myself back to attention, I pegged myself for a dunce. “The bass comes from there. Sound waves are projected out at the crowd. It heightens the experience, apparently. Never been to one of these things personally.”

  She nodded her head, quickly assessing the contraption in question. “And what is the goal of this mission?”

  Jas saved me from the doom riding in the wake of that question. “To have the time of our lives!” He punched a fist into the air with his exclamation, and many around us emulated his action, agreeing with his sentiments.

  “I see.” Kathryne nodded. Maybe she was beginning to understand.

  A few desperate individuals hovered around the lounge, hoping to get inside and reach whatever awaited behind the one-way mirrors. The attending golem took one look at Jas before waving us through. I shrugged apologetically as we left them behind and walked up the stairs. The hoarse cries of ecstasy and glee were muffled as we ascended and were replaced with tinkling, upper-class laughter, the clinking of glasses and the murmur of conversation. Enormous couches, loveseats, chairs, stools, tables and benches were spread out across the room. Many were in states of disarray due to the unseemly acts taking place, ranging from illicit drugs to explicit content best left to the imagination. Flatscreens hung on the walls, posted excessively on the available space, one for each group of partygoers.

  “Let's find somewhere to pop a squat,” Jas said.

  “Sounds good to me.” I glanced over to Kathryne to gauge her preference.

  “I'll go get us drinks,” she offered. “Go get some seats.” She sped off to the far corner of the room where a private bar was set up.

  “What's the plan?” I asked. “Chill here for a bit, go out on the dance floor later?”

  “Agreed. My inhibitions must be severely repressed before I mix freely with that crowd.” Jas pointed out the one-way windows, which gave us unrestricted sight of what lay below.

  From this side, I couldn't help but develop a sense of superiority. Then my eyes raked across the inhabitants of this particular space and I reassessed my so-called superiority complex. Doing a double take, my eyes returned to Kathryne, who had finished ordering the drinks and was pointing at our table. That wasn't out of the ordinary, but the man approaching her was far from ordinary. His predatory gait and gleaming green eyes promised trouble. My gut twisted in sudden certainty, informing me that this was no normal encounter.

  “Dammit,” I said. “Get up, Jas. We’ve got a problem.”

  He groaned loudly, protesting anything that threatened his night out on the town. “Why tonight?” Jas complained. “Where?”

  I pointed at Kathryne, who had turned to confront the man. All that could be discerned from this distance was his height, as he was upwards of six feet. Even from across the room, his clothes and demeanor shouted rich and important, powerful. His jet-black hair was done up in a fashionable style. All my instincts informed me that this was an unsavory individual that we wanted nothing to do with. Regardless, I had to get the guy away from Kathryne, before something untoward happened.

  “Time to move.” I pulled Jas up with me.

  Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the man in question was barely into his twenties. I was just getting a good look at his face when my world got turned upside down. The walls shook with the force of an earthquake. Dust fell fr
om the ceiling as sheetrock cracked and splintered. The speakers cut out abruptly. Lights flickered and everyone who had remained standing after the initial shuddering were thrown off their feet by increasingly powerful quakes. The windows shattered and ear-splitting screams filled the air.

  “I think I'm going to throw up,” Jas said, his face green.

  An insistent tolling droned through my mind and I grasped at my head. “Now's not the time,” I hissed between clenched teeth, directed at both my friend and the ringing. “Wait here.”

  “No problem,” Jas replied woozily. “Go ‘get em, tiger.”

  Slapping my hands to the ground, I called Air insistently, padding the ground below so I could regain my footing. Rather than connecting the pathway to the floor below, it was slightly above, so that the earthquake couldn't shake me. I'd finally gotten a clear view of Kathryne and the man attacking her, who was smirking as he attempted to drag her over the shattered glass windows. My mind processed the scenario, uncomprehending. She should have been able to suck the go-go juice out of the guy before he said two words. If that wasn't possible then it was likely I was dealing with another Aevum, one who was inclined to bring Kathryne back. She had already spoken of the possibility if the guild ever discovered she lived. In a flurry of movement, Kathryne utilized a move in her endless repertoire of hand-to-hand combat, taking down her attacker. She then commenced beating his face to a bloody pulp with her bare hands, her fury unleashed. I made a mental note to never get on her bad side.

  Feeling useless, I slowed to a halt before entering the altercation and risking her wrath. The world slowly began righting itself and the dust began to settle. Screams continued to fill the night but tapered off as people discovered the worst was over. I swatted the back of my neck, attempting to dislodge whatever critter had just bitten deeply into my neck. My hand met with nothing and I turned around to look for any unusually large misquotes or the supernatural equivalent. Neither was present, but five mobster types had crowded in behind me, likely enjoying the end of a very one-way fight.