The Four Nations Tournament Read online

He winced. “You assume just because I asked to talk to you I want something?”

  Conryu nodded. From one of the other apartments came the muted sound of Jingle Bells.

  “It isn’t dangerous this time, I swear.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You know tryouts for the Four Nations Tournament team are coming up, right?”

  Conryu didn’t like where this was going. “Yeah.”

  “The Department would like you to try out. You’re eligible this year, though a sophomore hasn’t made the team in a long time.”

  For a moment Conryu wished his hair was longer so he could pull it out. Of all the things he didn’t want to do, competing in a televised magic competition ranked pretty high on the list. He wanted to be less famous, not more.

  “I’ll pass. I’m sure there are plenty of seniors who will be happy to join the team.”

  Mr. Kane rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Have you watched the games lately?”

  “No. Last time I tried, lunatics with knives and hammers interrupted me.”

  “Well, I’ll sum things up for you. Our teams have been terrible. They’ve placed last two years running and ratings reflect that. Even two years ago when Heather James, our most popular player in decades, was still on the team, ratings were falling. The only way things are going to turn around is if we do something drastic.”

  “As in having the only male wizard on the team?”

  “Exactly.” Mr. Kane paced as he got into his pitch. “Not only will your power give us an excellent chance of winning, but you’re interesting. People are curious about you. The fact that you refuse to have anything to do with the press only makes you more intriguing. With you on the team I guarantee a five-point increase at least.”

  “I appreciate the vote of confidence, but team sports aren’t my thing.” Conryu took a step toward the apartment door then turned back. “Why does the Department care about ratings anyway?”

  Mr. Kane refused to meet his gaze, never a good sign. “We get a portion of our research budget from licensing revenue the networks pay us. It works on a sliding scale based on ratings. The better the ratings the more money we get. We haven’t exactly been getting rich lately. R&D is on my ass to turn things around.”

  “Look, I’ve been a pretty good sport about helping you guys out, haven’t I? I like to think I’ve done my part the past year and a half. Now I want a little peace and quiet. No tv cameras, no reporters, no dragons or demons—except Prime and the others that work for me. I feel like I’ve earned a semester of leisure.”

  “You have, ten times over. Maybe you could just think about it? Tryouts aren’t for another ten days. You might change your mind. You’d really be saving my bacon, Conryu.”

  Mr. Kane gave him a much less attractive version of Maria’s patented sad puppy face. On a grown man it just looked pathetic.

  “No promises, but I will give it some thought.”

  Mr. Kane beamed like he’d already said yes. “I knew I could count on you, Conryu.”

  Why did Conryu feel like a cartoon character with “sucker” stamped on his forehead?

  2

  Back at School

  Conryu made his way up to the wind magic floor to meet Dean Blane. He had a class with her this morning and was curious to find out what she had planned. Whatever she intended for the second half of the year, it had to be better than getting nagged about the tryouts.

  In the two days since Mr. Kane had asked him to try out for the team, Maria’s father had checked in twice to see if he’d changed his mind. Conryu almost gave in the second time just to get some peace. The only thing that stopped him was the fear that if he didn’t put his foot down the Department would keep running over him.

  He’d left the cafeteria early to avoid the girls in the other classes. Not that they were unpleasant, but they all stared at him as he passed. None of them seemed aware they were doing it, it was more of a reflex. Conryu liked to avoid dealing with them when possible.

  Over winter break, whoever handled remodeling at the school had removed the door connecting his room to Anya’s. She had moved up to the earth magic floor, with the others that shared her alignment. Anya had been quick to agree when Dean Blane suggested the move which surprised him and thrilled Maria. She claimed she trusted him, but why keep temptation so close at hand?

  When he reached the classroom where Dean Blane said to meet her he found it empty. Guess he’d arrived too early. He took a chair in the front row, leaned back, and put his feet on the table. Prime flew beside him.

  “What do you think?” Conryu asked. “Should I try out or not?”

  “You clearly don’t want to,” Prime said. “I can feel it through our link. I can also tell you’re conflicted by your desire to help someone you consider a friend. That’s your problem. You’re too worried about others. Demons simply satisfy their whims and damn the consequences.”

  “I’m aware of my mental failings, thank you. I was asking for your opinion.”

  “I couldn’t care less, Master.”

  Conryu groaned and shook his head. “Thanks, pal. You’re a huge help.”

  The door opened and Dean Blane entered. “You’re here bright and early. Eager to get started?”

  “Yeah, what are we doing?”

  “Since it’s too cold to play outside, we’re going to summon spirits. Wind spirits as a matter of fact. I’m curious to see how they react to you. We know your alignment gives you a boost when casting wind spells, so it’ll be interesting to see if they treat you as a fully wind-aligned wizard or something else.”

  “What else could they treat me as?”

  She grinned. “I have no idea. That’s what makes this so interesting.”

  Dean Blane went up to the chalkboard and drew a spell circle. He didn’t recognize any of the little squiggles so Conryu assumed they were written in the language of wind.

  Come to think of it… “How am I supposed to talk to them when I only know about ten words of their language?”

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot.” She dug a scroll out of her robe and tossed it to him. “Memorize then cast that spell.”

  Conryu unrolled the scroll. “This looks like St. Seraphim’s handwriting.”

  “It’s a light magic spell that allows you to hear and speak any language. Almost every wizard knows it. It’s super handy when dealing with spirits not from your alignment, or humans that don’t speak English for that matter.”

  “It’s written in Angelic,” Conryu said. “I can’t read that very well either.”

  “Right. I keep forgetting you’re just a sophomore. You can do so much it’s easy to think you have all the knowledge of an experienced wizard. Place your index fingers at your temple and repeat after me: Understanding is the true path to peace, Perfect Translation.”

  He repeated the spell, but didn’t notice anything different afterward. “Did it work?”

  “You tell me. Can you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then since I’m speaking in the language of wind, I’d say it worked. Now copy the spell circle and let’s summon a pixie.”

  “I think you should try out for the team.”

  Conryu could only stare at Mrs. Umbra. Of all the people at school that he thought might want him to join, she never even crossed his mind. After lunch he’d gone to her office for dark magic class hoping they’d try summoning a demon. It had only taken him two tries to get a pixie with Dean Blane that morning and he was feeling lucky.

  “Say what?”

  “Joining the school team will be good for you. Working one on one will add spells to your repertoire quickly, but being part of a team will help you figure out how best to use them in combination with wizards of other alignments. That’s a useful skill that we don’t spend nearly enough time on.”

  Conryu settled into his usual chair. “Oh, and here I thought you were worried about the Department’s R&D budget. Seriously though, do you think it’ll really make much differ
ence?”

  She nodded and leaned over her desk so their noses were almost touching. “Teamwork is vital for a wizard, even one as powerful as you. When I served on the southern border, being able to work as a seamless unit saved the lives of my team more than once. Better for you if you learn it in a safe environment. The tournament’s all about bragging rights and showing off, but that doesn’t make the lessons any less valuable.”

  “I’d be more open to it if I could avoid the press. The problem is they want to use me as the star attraction. It makes me feel like a sideshow freak for people to stop and stare at.”

  Mrs. Umbra gave a dismissive wave of the Death Stick. “Bah! Forget about that foolishness. Tell them what they want to hear and move on. Try being boring. That seems to do wonders to keep the press away, or you can fry their cameras with dark magic.”

  Conryu grinned. He knew how to do that. “I’ll consider it. Maybe I won’t even make the team.”

  She barked a laugh. “The dark magic user’s main job is dispelling the opposing team’s spells. I can say with absolute confidence there’s no one at this school better at Dispel than you and I include teachers in that assessment.”

  “I appreciate your confidence in me. Now, what are we studying this semester?”

  “Summoning. It’s time you learned how to bring a demon to this world and keep it under control.”

  He’d guessed right, awesome. “Should we start with Cerberus or the Dark Lady?”

  “Are you crazy? We’re starting with an imp and then perhaps a normal hell hound. You need way more experience before you try to summon anything as powerful as Cerberus.”

  That was disappointing, but he shouldn’t have been surprised considering all the warnings he’d gotten about not bringing the demon dog to their reality. A regular hell hound might still be interesting. If nothing else at least he spoke the language this time.

  Lady Tiger hated the Blessed Kingdom. The zealots made her skin crawl. It didn’t help that they’d all happily burn her at the stake if they learned she was a wizard. So she found herself pacing in an empty, snow-filled clearing two hundred miles from the nearest civilization waiting for an agent of the Archbishop to meet her.

  The glare from the midday sun nearly blinded her. The sooner she could leave this wretched place the better. All around the clearing, bare, skeletal trees thrust their thin black limbs toward the sky. A pair of ravens perched in one of the trees, their shiny black eyes searching for a meal.

  At least her fire aura kept the cold from being a bother, though she still pulled her fur-lined cloak tight about her in case some hunter should see her standing untroubled by the chill and assume she was an evil spirit in need of cleansing. Then she’d have to kill him and that wouldn’t make a good impression on her hosts. Not that she cared what they thought of her, but she wanted to strike a bargain and anything that impeded her mission had to be avoided.

  The snow crunched to her left and she spun to find a man in black facing her at the edge of the woods. The ravens took off with a chorus of caws. Now completely alone with the stranger, she took a moment to study him.

  Nothing stood out beyond the white collar of his black uniform. He had a medium build, medium height, and thinning hair. If she’d seen a more ordinary man she couldn’t recall it. No doubt that ordinariness served him well as a secret agent of the church.

  He stepped out into the clearing. “You would be Lady Tiger.”

  “Father Salvador. We meet at last.”

  “Indeed, though I shall require purification after this conversation.”

  Lady Tiger knew what he meant. Dealing with the self-righteous priests always left her feeling dirty, too. “Has His Holiness come to a decision?”

  “The Archbishop has agreed to accept your aid. Though it pains him to rely on heathen wizards, the Kingdom’s interference in our holy work must not go unanswered. Their meddling cost us control of France and they will suffer for it.”

  “He approves of the timing as well?” Lady Tiger asked.

  The priest flashed a humorless smile. “He does. In fact, he thought the idea of striking during a gathering of the damned showed inspiration. God truly works in mysterious ways.”

  “My ship will wait for your first load of infiltrators one week hence fifty miles off the coast. The window for infiltration only opens once every twenty days, so we must take full advantage.”

  “We’ve chosen our most devout warriors, all of them prepared to die for the cause.” Father Salvador tapped his chin. “I have one question. Why would a wizard help her mortal enemies? Under different circumstances I would dance at your pyre.”

  “Under different circumstances I would burn the skin from your body and leave you to die in screaming agony. Suffice it to say having you in the Kingdom wreaking havoc during the tournament suits my purposes. I’ll see your people delivered. Just make sure they do their part.”

  “Oh, they will. For God’s glory.”

  Lady Tiger nodded. Ignorant cretin. She would take great pleasure in sacrificing these fools for Morgana’s freedom.

  Conryu stared at the ceiling in his room and tried to clear his mind. It was Saturday evening and he’d just finished a week of summoning low-level spirits from every element. He’d even succeeded with light magic, which seemed to annoy Prime no end. The scholomantic was pouting in his place on Conryu’s table.

  Not that he blamed Prime; that little angelic hummingbird thing he’d called was adorable with its rainbow wings and eyes like gems. It licked his cheek and buzzed all around him. It had paused by his sore right shoulder and moments later the pain vanished. St. Seraphim explained that the glitter sprite healed any damage it found on its summoner. It was one of the few ways a wizard could heal their own wounds. Which explained why she’d wanted him to learn to summon it.

  While summoning came as naturally to him as all the other magic he’d tried, keeping constant track of what the spirits were doing wore him out mentally more than a regular spell did. When he’d mentioned that to Dean Blane she assured him that once he mastered the basics, they could teach him how to weave control parameters into the summoning spell so he wouldn’t have to focus every second.

  Now he needed to decide what to do about tryouts tomorrow. He’d been debating all week and Maria hadn’t been much help. On the one hand she wanted him to help out her dad, and on the other she didn’t want him to let the Department use him. She ended up saying whatever he decided was okay with her.

  Prime flew up off the desk. “Someone’s coming, Master.”

  Conryu frowned and sat up on his bed. Prime knew the other students’ and teachers’ life forces by now. If he was reacting it had to be a stranger, but who would be visiting him here of all places?

  Whoever it was knocked and he got up to answer it, the words of a spell at the front of his mind. He opened the door and his jaw dropped.

  The woman in the hall had long blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a perfect smile. A tight blue top hugged her curves and left her flat midriff bare. Her black skirt ended at mid-thigh.

  She held out a hand. “I’m Heather James. It’s a pleasure to meet you at last, Mr. Koda.”

  Conryu closed his mouth and gave her hand a gentle shake. “Hi.”

  “Um, can I come in or do you want to talk out in the hall?”

  He gave his head a little shake. “Yeah, come on in. Sorry, but I wasn’t expecting to find a celebrity on my doorstep.”

  “It’s okay.” She brushed against him as she entered sending a shiver down his spine. “I get that reaction a lot. I see they haven’t upgraded the dorms since I graduated.”

  She sat in his chair and crossed her legs, forcing the hem of her skirt up a little higher. Whether it was intentional or not, the effect was remarkable.

  Conryu wasn’t sure what to do. Standing up and staring down at her would be rude, but he only had the one chair. Somehow even approaching the bed with her in his room seemed wrong. Finally, he perched on the edge of the m
attress.

  “I bet you’re wondering why I’m here.”

  He nodded. “The question crossed my mind. I thought you were off getting your picture taken in exotic locations.”

  “I was, but when the Department called and said they needed my help, I couldn’t say no.”

  “Yeah, they seem to have me on speed dial too.” Now that the initial shock had worn off, Conryu started getting his bearings. “What did they want you to do?”

  “I’m going to be the assistant coach for the Academy team this year.”

  Wow, they were really going all out to improve ratings. “Congratulations. Was there something you wanted from me?”

  “Just to make sure you’re trying out tomorrow. I didn’t leave a white sand beach and eighty-degree water to join a losing effort.”

  “I hadn’t decided. The truth is I’m not much into team sports.”

  “Are you into money? If you join up and play your cards right, I guarantee you a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal if the team wins. My final year we came in last and I still got a three-million-dollar package from the modeling agency. Think what I’ll command if I help coach the team to a championship.”

  Her decision to leave the beach made a good deal more sense now. He sighed. An endorsement deal didn’t interest him. A little money in the bank wouldn’t be a bad thing, but the idea of going on tv or filming a commercial left him sick.

  Oh, what the hell. He’d be helping Mr. Kane out of a tough spot, this time without putting his life on the line. Not to mention Jonny would lose his mind when Conryu told him he was hanging out with Heather James. Hopefully, Maria wouldn’t have a similar reaction.

  “Alright, I’ll be there. I’m still only a sophomore so some senior might beat me out.”

  Her smile took his breath away. “I’d bet my Porsche you make it without breaking a sweat. I’ve read the stories about what you did in Sentinel City. Compared to that, tryouts are a cinch.”

  3