Fiat Lux (Illuminated Book One)

And All the Other Colors

I had never seen the Port of New Orleans up close. It, as a whole, was rather large, and rather busy. I kept strictly to Blair's side as we moved among the buildings. The sun was setting, but I still felt creeped out.

Blair had been right. The last night had been quiet. A good thing - he had needed the time to heal. He still hadn't completely - his left arm was in a sling, and all in all he was moving very slowly. Fortunately, this operation didn't call for stealth. At all.

"Dr. Winters!" A man came rushing out of an office to greet us as we entered. "What can we do for you today?"

"I want Poland Avenue Berths 4 and 5 closed to all traffic this morning." Blair skipped all pleasantries and explanations. "I'll notify you when they're operable again."

"Of course," the manager said, but Blair walked off at that point, leaving the poor man to do as instructed without any reason for it.

I blinked up at him. He gave me a little a smile. "I told you. This city is mine."

"We only needed Berth 4."

"It might get loud." He swept his hand behind his coat and walked on.

Using the ransom note, we had tricked our attackers into thinking we were Ruaridh's abductors and convinced them to meet us at this place. Blair had "contacts" still searching for our son, but in the meantime knowing who was after us in the first place would probably be helpful.

Two figures entered the room. Blair was immediately accosted, slammed into a wall. My copy was treated a bit more kindly. "Did you honestly think we would not suspect you to be behind this when the rendezvous is on your own property?" the agent holding Blair hissed. "You are slipping, Cantrell."

He and my stand-in were marched to separate partitions in the berth. Good. Let them think they had the upper hand.

"Where is the child?" Blair's agent demanded as he shoved Blair onto a box.

"Watch the arm," Blair replied coolly. "And I don't know."

The agent snorted. "You set up a trap and got yourself caught for what, then? We killed you yesterday. We'll do it again now. A Creation without Cantrell is so much better for the effort."

"Yet I'm still here." Blair gave a one-shoulder shrug. "With a mangled shoulder and a hell of a headache, but still here."

"True. But now also without your ally."

"Are you sure about that?" Blair asked.

The agent narrowed his eyes.

"A suggestion," Blair said, standing up. "When you're dealing with shapeshifters, make sure you have the right person."

Not far away, a similar conversation was taking place between another agent and my body double. My double stood up and shifted into Blair. As if one Cantrell wasn't enough....

The first agent glared at Blair. "Where's the woman?"

"Everywhere," Blair answered. Meanwhile, his duplicate disappeared. "Cosmic energy being. Now, being that this is my port, I can do whatever I want to it. I recommend that you do as I say. Begin by telling me who you are."

The agent raised a gun. From where I was hidden, I reduced it to cinders.

"If you know who I am," Blair remarked with a terrifying calm, "you know I never ask questions twice."

This spell required specificity, so Blair quickly uttered a string of words. A circular glow appeared behind the agent's head, and the outlines of wings faded in and out at his sides.