Shadow Phantoms - H.P. Mallory Page 0,3

go. And say nothing of this to anyone.”

The assassin must have had help getting into my room. Yes, my power increased every day, but that just meant more people trying to take me down. How many traitors were there in my growing army? I would find out and root them all out. And each one of them would die.

The guard bowed and left me alone with Freya.

Bending down, I picked up her discarded panties from the floor and wrapped them around my hand. It was not a deep cut and I murmured a few words that would aid my healing.

I looked up to where the woman stood, shivering, still wide-eyed and terrified at what she’d seen and still not quite believing what she’d done.

“What is your name?” I asked.

“Geraldine.”

I hadn’t even been close.

“You saved my life, Geraldine.”

She didn’t know how to accept my gratitude, but her head bobbed in a little nod.

“Now,” my eyes turned to the bed, “let’s not let this spoil our evening. Where were we?”

Geraldine looked almost stupefied. But at least now she knew what was expected of her. I wouldn’t tell her until morning, but I’d decided to release her brother unharmed (or at least no more harmed than he had already been). Yes, the man was a dissenter (and we would continue to keep a close eye on him) but fair was fair; she had saved my life.

###

Strolling through my command center the following morning, I felt invigorated. It had been a long night but, after a rocky start, it ended up being a very pleasurable one. Geraldine had already been escorted out. She probably hadn’t enjoyed the night quite as much as I had, but her brother was waiting for her outside, so I doubt she had any complaints. And if she did, then she was not stupid enough to voice them. All in all, a good night, and I was looking forward to a productive morning.

The elevator doors hissed as they opened at the lowest level of the command center. Though the traditional stone walls and flaming torches had been replaced by easy to clean metallic surfaces and halogen lights, this floor was still referred to as the ‘Dungeon’, and I liked the name.

“High Mage.” The guards snapped to attention as I passed them to enter the interrogation room.

In the middle of the room, tied to a chair was my would-be assassin, now looking somewhat the worse for wear after several hours in the company of my guards.

“Good morning,” I said.

The man looked up, and I was impressed to see there was still defiance in his eyes.

“Anything?” I asked the guards.

They shrugged. “Not much. He told us who sent him.”

“Pagan,” I said, dismissively. I already knew who sent him. It was the only person who would have sent him. I faced the assassin with a smirk. “Why did you give that up so easily?”

The assassin gave an awkward shrug. “You already knew who sent me.”

I nodded. “Fair enough. You know what I want to know then?”

The man nodded painfully. “Where Pagan is and how I got into your room.”

“More specifically, who allowed you into my room,” I clarified. “Let us not pretend you managed it without help.”

The assassin smiled, which looked like it hurt. “As I’ve been trying to tell your men; I had help, but not from anyone here. At least not in the way you mean. You don’t have a traitor, Duine, just a lot of incompetent men. And Pagan has powerful magic on his side.”

That was not impossible, but it was also what you’d say if you were trying to protect someone. Infuriating really.

“Very well,” I took a little circuit around the man. “I’m going to offer you a generous deal; just answer one of my questions and no more torture for you.”

“I already answered one of them.”

“Not the one I want an answer to.”

“Then what is your question?”

I took the steps that separated us and got right into the man’s face. “Tell me where I can find Pagan.” I knelt down beside him, my face inches from his.

“I can’t do that.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Tell me where I can find him and perhaps I will let you live.”

The man met my gaze through blood-tinged eyes. “Do you know what I am, Duine?” I think it pleased him to call me that rather than ‘High Mage’; to call me the name others had given me rather than the title I had awarded myself.

“I know what you call yourself.”

“I am a