Have you read Sorcerers Part One - Shadows?
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The watery sun sunk behind the snowy forest on the outskirts of the city, setting the sky in gradient from soft yellow through white to pale blue. Her heels clacked on the icy cobbles as she strode down the street, eyes and magic scouring the crowd filling the wide street. Her magic prickled as it spread, there were other magic users here, but she couldn’t see them. Cloudy chatter filled the frigid air. The odd person stared as she went by, but the majority were too busy drinking from flagons to notice her. She moved with the crowd toward the wedge-shaped building at the fork in the road.
Her magic picked him just before he appeared silently at her side. “He’ll find us at five past six,” he murmured, falling into step beside her.
She gave the tiniest nod of acknowledgement but kept her eyes roving over the crowd. “Seen any others?”
“Not yet,” he said, his pale blue eyes flicking over the crowd.
They continued down the street in silence. His jacket rustled as he walked next to her. “Your new jacket has to be made of the worlds loudest fabric,” she said, giving him a sideways glance.
He chuckled. “I think it’s your sharp hearing that’s the problem, not my jacket.”
“It’s insanely irritating when you’re walking so close to me,” she growled.
He wiggled, making his jacket rustle more, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “Ah, but that’s what brothers are for, to piss their sisters off in very specific and unusual ways.”
She scowled. “I’ll slice your throat if you don’t watch it.”
He laughed.
As they got closer to the building the crowd became more tightly packed. The golden hand of the clock atop the wedge-shaped building moved to the hour with a click, chiming six. They weaved their way around the edge of the densest part of the crowd, heading to the alley on the left of the building. Their magic surged as they slipped into the shadow of the building.
“You two couldn’t possibly be important enough to use the VIP entrance,” a voice drawled from next to the small iron door.
“Piss off Aast,” she snarled.
A dark man pushed himself off the wall he’d been leaning against. Clad in all black he was the opposite of the pale twins standing in front of him. “Now now Skadi, play nice,” he said with a flash of teeth.
“I’m surprised you’re allowed out,” her brother said, Aast’s dark eyes flicking to him. “Why don’t you run back to warm up Elsa’s bed. It’s about the only thing you’re good at.”
“At least I have a warm bed Uller, unlike your constant rotation. Will you pick up another unsuspecting human tonight to take to your bed?” he laughed.
Uller opened his mouth to retort, but Skadi grabbed his arm. “Don’t waste your breath,” she hissed, flinging open the door and dragging him inside.
They entered a small dark room, lit only by the glow of blue flamed candles. Drums pulsed through the air from deeper in the building. She took off her fur coat, handing it to the valet who’d appeared next to her.
“Looks like you’re the one trying to find someone for your bed tonight with that dress,” Uller laughed, handing his jacket to the valet.
“What I’m wearing has nothing to do with my intentions tonight. Unlike you two I don’t constantly have my head in the gutter,” she growled, staring daggers at him.
She went through the next door. The music washed over her, and she couldn’t help adjusting her strides to the drumbeat. The long dark room was also lit by blue candles and lined with dark curtains. Behind each curtain was a private booth. She headed for theirs, pulling back the curtain to reveal a silhouette tipping their head back as they downed a shot. Beyond them blue and purple flames shot into the air as a guitar riff slashed the air.
“You’re drinking my vodka,” she said, taking a seat on the velvet cushions across from them, pouring herself a shot and downing it. Uller slid into the booth next to her and grabbed himself a shot.
“You’re late,” the man replied, before pouring himself another shot.
“What do you want Bol?”
The thin man gave them a greasy smile, running a spidery finger around the rim of his full shot glass. His black eyes roved over them. “Only one new tattoo each, you made efficient work of the job. What’d you get?”
The twins’ pale skin was covered in blue ink. Last night, when their skin had prickled, a vine of ivy had appeared on Skadi’s wrist and the constellation of Orion on Uller’s chest. But the twins didn’t discuss their tattoos. They only gave him identical deadly stares.
“Fine, fine,” Bol said, waving them off. “I only stopped by to drop off your next job.” He downed the shot, slid a piece of parchment over the table, and unfolded himself from the booth. “By tomorrow, drop off B,” he said, and slid between the curtains.
Skadi unfolding the parchment, Uller peering over her shoulder.
Her eyes narrowed. Was it a coincidence? She pushed the question from her mind, she hadn’t questioned jobs in the past and she wasn’t about to start. She pulled her wand out of her bag and pointed it at the parchment. It curled and turned to ash in a blue flamed. “Aast’s got it.”
“What! How’d you know that?” Uller asked, surprised.
Skadi raised an eyebrow. “While you were dick measuring, I was looking at the dragon claw tattoo on his wrist that matched the staff. The ring was on the same hand.”
“Yeah, well he needs to be put in his place,” Uller muttered.
Skadi rolled her eyes and poured them another shot. “First glass back on the table gets lead for the job.”
With a snatch, chug, and slam Uller’s glass hit the table a fraction of a second before Skadi’s.
***
The music pulsed through Uller’s chest as he moved with the crowd on the main floor. Skadi was banging her head, white hair going wild to the drums. Standing half a head tall than most of the crowd, he scanned. His magic prickled, so they were still here, but he hadn’t seen-. His eyes pinned to a sheet of inky black hair.
As if she knew he was watching, a girl turned to face him. She wasn’t the Enchantress, but she was beautiful. He stretched his magic out to her but felt nothing, she was human. She blinked her large eyes as the magic washed over her. He tilted his head, roving his eyes over her before raising his eyebrows. She raised hers back. He gestured for her to come over. Her eyes pierced him as she slowly dragged them down his body, flicking back to his eyes with a wicked smile. He returned it with one of his well-practiced lazy ones as she made her way over.
He brought his mouth to her ear, breathing in her sharp perfume. “You busy tonight?”
“No, but you will be,” she purred.
As he laughed, he let his eyes drift to her mouth, where a lip ring sparkled. She bit her lip, before turning back to the stage and grinding her body up against his in time to the music. He placed his large hands on her waist, feeling her body move as the chorus started. He moved with her but flicked his eyes back up to scan the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Skadi watching him. She glanced at the girl and rolled her eyes at him. He poked his tongue out at her.
As the band on stage started to play their last song, he felt a pulse of magic to his left. He let only his eyes wander to the source. Snaking through the crowd were two dark heads, the Enchantress and Aast. They were heading for the VIP entrance. He tugged on their magic and saw Skadi slow her dancing fractionally. She tugged back when she’d spotted them. He touched the girl in front of him on the shoulder and she half turned her head.
“You coming?” he asked, dragging his hand back down to her hip.
She nodded. He grabbed her hand, pulling her along into the crowd. The girl glanced at Skadi as she followed them, but Skadi ignored her, too busy punching a guy in the face who tried to stop her leaving. Chuckling as the guy hit the floor, Uller guided them through the crowd. It wasn’t very hard as his height and broad chest gave most people good reason to move.
They caught up to their prey in the blue flame-lit entry hall. “I wondered when you’d catch up to us,” the Enchantress purred, turning to settle her vivid purple eyes on them.
She was surprisingly young, her full, glossed lips stretching into a humourless smile. Aast was huge next to her, his dark eyes on the girl next to Uller who seemed unfazed by the tension and magic filling the room.
“Well, we can’t resist a catch up whenever we see you Elsa,” Skadi said icily.
As the Enchantress and Aast flicked their eyes to Skadi, Uller took a quick glance at Aast’s hand. On his right hand sat a ring, a deep blue stone in a silver band, below the dragon claw tattoo on his wrist.
“Just like you can’t resist stealing right?” Elsa said, silkily poison coating her words. The twins’ expressions didn’t change. “Tell me, do you know what the Draug Staff is? No? It’s an ancient staff, forged from the elements. Powerful. Dangerous in the wrong hands.”
While their attention was on Skadi, Uller slipped his wand out of his pocket. He hid it behind the girl who was watching the Enchantress. He pointed it toward Aast’s hand and clenched his other fist in his pocket.
He looked at the Enchantress but focused his magic on the ring. Slowly, he felt the ring grow in his clenched fist. He didn’t dare glance at Aast’s hand, but he made no indication that he felt the ring on his finger being magically swapped for a replica.
Skadi raised an eyebrow. “Why do we care? Are you going to give us another one of your magical history lessons?”
“I’m sure you’ll care soon. The power will be like nothing you’ve ever encountered,” Elsa said, flexing her clawed fingers. “Ivy and Orion were good people.”
As the full weight of the ring settled into Uller’s fist, he pocketed his wand and cut in. “We’ve got no idea what you’re talking about, but it’s been great as always,” he said, grinning lazily at the two of them.
“In a hurry to warm that bed of yours?” Aast asked, with a cruel grin at the girl next to Uller.
“I doubt we’ll make it to bed,” the girl replied, an equally cruel grin spreading over her face.
Uller chuckled as Aast’s smile turned to a snarl. Uller took her hand again, leading her over to the valet and grabbing his jacket.
“Until next time,” Skadi called over her shoulder.
The three of them slipped out the door into the dark alley. Night lay over the city, the air still pulsing slightly with the music from inside the building. He palmed the ring over as Skadi brushed past him.
“Later,” was all she said before she went down the alley, the darkness swallowing her.
Uller turned toward the open square, the girl falling into step beside him. “Sorry about that, old friends.”
She shrugged. “You seem close,” she said, the corners of mouth tugging upwards. He let out a chuckle, the air clouding in front of him. “So, will we make it to a bed tonight?” she asked.
A lazy smile spread across his face. “Probably not,” he said, stopping.
“Good,” was all she said as she grabbed his shirt and pulling him closer.
He brought his mouth down on hers. She responded instantly, wrapping her arms around his neck. He grabbed her waist, lifting her so she could wrap her legs around him. With out breaking the kiss he strode into an alley and pressed her against the wall.
***