Dragon Queen (Avery Rome Book 3) Read online

  “I understand. We should repair to my office?”

  That it seemed, was the order of the day. At least Will was suddenly moving in the direction the other fellow had come from.

  So she did as well.

  Chapter twelve

  There was no speaking as they walked, the older seeming man moving smoothly over the cobblestone road. He had something in his right hand, which, from the way it was being held was probably a weapon of some sort. It looked like a single slab of metal, silver from the feel of it, about nine inches long, but had glowing sigils on it in different colors. They were pretty and not deadly seeming in the slightest. The air around him shimmered a bit as he moved as well.

  It didn’t around Willum or her, so Avery had to think it was something special. A magical force that would prevent damage, most likely. If it would work against bullets she didn’t know. From the sound of it Dumas had sounded like that was very possible when he’d been given a handgun for protection.

  As soon as they reached a small wooden building, that looked to be a one-story place with a loft hidden in the attic, the older man spoke. His voice soft.

  The words weren’t for them, but rather the woman who sat behind a simple wooden desk.

  “Shield on, Heather. We rather just had an attack. Larval Assassins, from the description. Why they came here, well, I have to imagine that was as a message or taunt directed toward Ancient Baker, Torrance.”

  They moved toward the back of the space, through a single wooden door. It was about ten feet tall, but other than that not so different from what would have been in her world. The air around the woman in the front just started to shimmer as they had entered, showing that the distortion in space was, indeed, a protection of some kind.

  Willum, his hair black again, and eyes a plain brown, just nodded.

  “He did rather famously defeat the Larval Assassins of this world. These were either from a different place or have contacts there. Can we check to make certain the ones here are still under control?”

  The older seeming man stroked his beard. That was made to look white, but the deep brown color under that illusion stood out to her pretty strongly.

  “I think we might be able to do that. I have some contacts that…” He smiled. It wasn’t really happy seeming. “Well, I suppose that you have the same contacts, to be truthful. Timon Baker is the Ancient of Austra now. I have a special device, on which I can contact him.” After moving around a rather large desk that was probably made of oak, the man went wide eyed and bowed low.

  To Avery.

  “I’m so sorry, my dear! In my haste I forgot that manners were a thing. May I inquire as to your name? I fear that I don’t recognize you. An oversight. My mind slipping as I age, no doubt. Please don’t take offense.”

  She bowed back, since that was what you did there, sometimes.

  “I’m Avery Rome. I’m here from my world, on vacation. Will and I were just coming to see if we could borrow his sister, Diana, since she seems to know English? That’s what everyone else in our groups speaks. We have people from two worlds with us.”

  Next to her, Willum Baker shook his head softly.

  “Four worlds. Master Hobbs and Master Jake are both from differing realities. All friendly. It’s the largest such grouping that we’ve ever hosted here, that I know of. Thankfully this wasn’t aimed at them. Or even at the students here. I noted that everyone else had shields on? Mine triggered, and did stop their projectile weapons. Easily. Avery was struck many times, but changed her shape into that of a fierce warrior creature. A half-Dragon?” He looked at her, translating a few words as he went, into English.

  Really, it seemed from the taste of his words that his goal was making certain that he wasn’t being insulting, calling her that.

  “That’s right. I would have gone to my full form, but feared harming your buildings and students, so kept myself much smaller. Otherwise I could have weathered being struck at the end better.”

  That got a low laugh. From the man next to her.

  “Yes, only twelve feet tall, all in black, with sharp talons on her fingers. If that craft hadn’t rammed you like that, you would have made short work of those three. It was, likely, why they fled so quickly. This was some kind of intimidation trick, not a real attack. Their weapons would have been defeated by the children here.”

  The man, the headmaster of the school, seemed to agree. He worked at his desk for a moment, finally getting a small slab from the right-hand drawer. It was all in tan stone, instead of the white that most similar things had been so far and held what looked like names on it. The man just tapped one of them, which had the surface changing after a moment.

  “Tim Baker. How may I help you today, Count Lairdgren?”

  “We’ve had an attack here. Three or more men, all looking the same, with black eyes and hair. They used weapons from a different world. I was wondering-”

  “Hold. Let me…” The screen went dark then, and silent. It wasn’t turned off, she didn’t think, since that would have set the thing back to its normal pattern, having all the words on it in Standard. If that’s what it was.

  Nothing happened for several minutes. Everyone just sat, peacefully waiting. Avery had to focus a bit to make that happen, but she wasn’t the most agitated person in the room. That honor belonged to the headmaster of Lairdgren school. The Count, if she’d understood what Timon Baker had said correctly.

  Finally, after a long enough time that it was clear the older seeming man was going to start fidgeting, the device lit up again.

  The voice coming from the stone was firm, but not upset or anything. It tasted of the truth, as far as she could tell, over a device like they were using to communicate.

  “All of the Larval from here are accounted for. I have a picture. Do you have an eye witness there? For that matter, what are the damages?”

  There was a soft sigh from the man behind the desk.

  “Very small, thankfully. It seems that Willum and Avery Rome startled them into focusing their attack in their direction rather than on the students here. They managed to rush into battle, scaring the men away. The Larval seemed to have had an old-fashioned space craft? One of magic, I think?”

  “Right. It wasn’t a jump ship, from the feel of it.” Will just spoke, his voice a tiny bit annoyed seeming. “They rammed Avery with it, after ruining her new clothing. That was very nice. Just trousers and a shirt but the tailoring on it was top end, at a guess. Possibly beyond what the Queen would have for her own gowns and finery. She’s one of the line walkers from other worlds? The people visiting? I was coming to find guides for them for the week, so that they can travel and see the sights. I didn’t want to bother you or Uncle Tor that way. I was hoping to dun poor Cousin Dareg however? That and my sister Diana.”

  The man moved then, the low frequency sound carrying over the device in his hand, making a rhythmic thumping that she could feel in her chest. It gave her the rough shape of the place he was in, however. That was different, since cell phones didn’t do that at all.

  They didn’t pick up anything even nearly that low.

  “I’m coming. I’ll collect the others. Dare, Diana… They speak English?”

  Avery finally spoke up, even if it was out of place. She did it in Standard though.

  “That’s right, Timon Baker. I’m afraid that only a few of us know your language yet. I think that Sara does? She answers the… Devices, between here and her world?” She had to scramble for the words, but managed to make herself understood well enough, thankfully. It was kind of clear she had more work to do on her skills that way.

  “I’ll be there directly then. You should have called me before they came, Will. You know that I love meeting new people.”

  That got a chuckle, directed at the man on the stone slab.

  “I do? When would I have learned that. We barely know each other.”

  “True. Give me… An hour? I have to connect with some people.”

  Th
is time when the device went black, it went back to showing the strange letters, which was a sign that the call had really ended.

  That left them kind of hanging there, the man looking nervous, about something or other.

  “Would you like some tea, miss? Or perhaps something to eat? You must be famished, from your ordeal today.”

  She smiled, then nodded.

  Then Tarsus got her to hold her tongue. It was clear to her that the man had heard of her before, and knew that she needed to eat after a change like she’d made. It was true enough, but he hadn’t mentioned having that level of data on her. In fact, it had seemed like he didn't know who she was before. Which could have still been the case, if he’d only been told about her. Possibly that she didn't understand his language, as well.

  The man was full of tricks though, it was certain.

  Still, she was nearly starving.

  “That would be wonderful, if it isn’t too hard to manage. It’s part of being what I am. There’s a cost in food for rapid changes like I performed. One in pain as well, but it was needed at the time. Should we…” She was changing the topic, so hesitated. It still had to be said. The man had warned his front person, or secretary. Not anyone else there yet. “Should we set a guard or patrol? Not that I have a right to tell you what to do in your own place. It’s perhaps my military training coming in. It is simple truth that the most likely time for a second attack comes directly after the first.”

  That was down to the illusion that the battle was over, held by one side, when the other didn’t feel that way. It was a real enough thing, so it had to be put forward.

  The man behind the desk stood up then.

  “Indeed! I wasn’t aware that you were in the military. In honesty, I’d figured you for a student here, due to your clothing. It’s the common uniform for most schools in Noram.” That was a bit probing, as if the fellow was digging at her for secrets. Ones she didn’t have.

  It got Will to stand as well, then speak, a bit bemused.

  “I told you that her clothing was destroyed. Not even tatters remained, so I gave her this clothing as replacement. I don’t even know what it would cost to have it replaced. It was made by a master hand. The difference between it and what the others at the camp are wearing is great. Even the other line walkers don’t wear such. The stitching on all their clothing is fine. Incredible, truly. Hers was perfect.”

  She followed them, in case she was needed to stand guard herself. It could happen, after all, in an emergency.

  “Just some things that I made myself. My mentor assigned the task for me. I have more to wear, back at the camp. She is the Greater Demon of Fashion, called The Pristine.”

  She didn’t know how to explain that part. It was just too different.

  So, Willum did it for her.

  “Beings of incredible powers of the mind and body. They tend toward amorality, or even evil, however. I was told this by The Technician, one of their kind. It was she and The Line Walker who helped me learn to read in English. It took me several hours and they were not impressed with that, if it gives you any idea of what we’re talking about? They also informed me to never trust their kind, including them.”

  Avery had to nod at the words.

  “Exactly. The Pristine is sane for their kind, meaning she sees reality as it truly is. She hasn’t been cruel to me, but that might be down to the chance that, in a fight, I might win some small portion of time. One in ten or twenty? To the insane, that might not matter at all. Of course, that is why The Line Walker contracted her to teach me. No one finds makeup or clothing to be that frightening a thing. Even if she is, like all her people, much more than that.”

  The man nodded at the words as they walked, his bearing still too smooth and youthful to be believed.

  “Ah? Well, education can be trying. From the sound of it, you seem to be taking to it well so far? Learning what she teaches you about fashion and makeup? Other lessons I assume, as well?”

  She nodded, since it was true.

  “Many. I also attend a regular Human school. I am the first of the Shifters to do so, while admitting what I am. We all feared being attacked, but the other students have been kind to me. No worse than anyone might have been at any rate. Friends of mine from there came to camp here, at Pine Creek.” She felt like she was reporting to the man, instead of carrying on a conversation. Which was probably due to him suddenly seeming far more military than not. After several minutes of jogging, heading toward the left, they came to a square that had a low wall around it. Inside there were a dozen armed men and women. Most of them very large. At least six-six, for the women.

  The smallest being there was the one in front.

  “Here we go! Count Lairdgren. I couldn’t help but notice that we had small caliber weapons fire in the courtyard a while ago? I went to check on it, but everything was over by then. From the sound of it, we should be safe behind our shields? I was holding these people back, until we had a proper report on what to look for.”

  “That’s good. Thank you, Instructor Remy. We have two eye witnesses and possible pictures incoming, I might…” The man did something using a stone object in his hands, shaking his head. “Yes, here we go. Timon Baker sent these along. Are they similar to what you witnessed?”

  Leaning in, feeling watched by everyone there, Avery had to agree that it really was close.

  “Except that these men are older than the ones we saw. Those looked to be about twenty. These are… closer to their mid-thirties?”

  Willum nodded.

  “Agreed. So, not these specific Larval Assassins. Clearly, they were the same being though. Given that, they’re probably from an alternate version of Earth. They also used magic. Strange weapons as well. A shield will stop them though, so we should all be safe enough. At least from that.” Then he stopped, the smaller man, who was very pale, compared to those around him, staring at the device, then he snagged it and passed it around.

  “Memorize the face. The Larval aren’t a joke, but you can beat them. They’re stronger and faster than you are, but right now seem to be lacking good magic. That’s your edge in this, until they adapt. We need to start with the school then move outward in a spiral pattern, until you reach your assigned posts. Stay alert. Odds are that nothing will happen, which means it’s the perfect time to kill a few of you in order to…” The man grinned. It was a sudden thing, meant to be disarming. “Say I missed that part. Why come and shoot at our people with useless weapons?”

  Having picked that one up already, Avery shared with the rest of the group.

  “Most likely to instill fear into Torrance Baker. To cause him to do something that he wouldn’t otherwise. I have no clue what that would be.”

  No one filled that part in, for some reason. After a moment, when the last of the people there had a chance to stare at the hand screen for a while, they were sent off.

  Flying.

  Just rising straight up into the air, slowly working in circles over the school complex.

  Watching it for a moment, Avery felt a bit impressed. They flew while straight up and down, not lying flat, but moved smoothly, even if they didn't have wings at all.

  “That’s impressive. I can’t fly in this form at all. I need my wings for that.”

  They were alone then, since even the Instructor had left them. The men both looked at her, but Willum shrugged, then spoke in English.

  “It’s part of the shields. I’ll get some for everyone, so that we don’t let you die in an attack. That would make us look bad, don’t you think? We probably just started a war with your people already, allowing those jerks to shoot you like that.”

  “Not really. You aren’t responsible for their actions. So, um, not to be pushy, but food? Anything will do, really.” She felt bad, asking. Like she was being greedy.

  He just looked at the Count.

  “Right, food. I nearly forgot. You know, I’ve never actually eaten here. They must have something, since the students are
all still alive. Diana hasn’t complained about it or anything. Which…” The man went still, his eyes popping open then.

  After that, he ran. Very, very quickly. Nearly four times faster than she could go herself, though she tried to keep up. They didn’t have to go far, thankfully.

  Of interest, once they were at their destination, Will stopped.

  “The… sign! It was gone…” He was panting from the sprint, which she was doing as well. The words were in Standard, and she didn’t get the secret meaning, but she could tell that there were two men inside the space. Holding what seemed to be automatic weapons. Eight people sat in the floor of the room, three of them seeming very calm and relaxed. Meditating, rather than being injured. She could hear the heartbeats and see a faint picture in blue made by the infrasound.

  She just pointed, then held up two fingers. Then she pointed again. To show where the men with the weapons were. She didn’t speak, not knowing how good their hearing was. Interestingly, the headmaster pulled his own weapon again, activating his shield. Ready to go in and fight the men who had his students.

  That was brave of him. There were three of them there though, so it made more sense for them to work together.

  Nodding, Avery thought for a moment, calling up everything she knew about saving hostages in a situation like the one they were in. A list started to form, behind her eyes, as Bente had taught her to use, since she wasn’t really that brilliant or creative. That was pared down instantly, with several new ideas coming up for her. Things she didn't place there. She couldn’t, not having ever encountered the ideas before that she knew of.

  Tarsus however, had. In a way that showed he was far more than a memory in her head. Like something alive and vital.