amount of time. Breathing deeply, Sheikoh managed to
chill his annoyance out, but something shifted. The atmosphere
about the place had changed somehow. Sheikoh’s instincts sharpened
to the point of a razor, and he scanned the lingering pedestrians,
horsemen and carriages alike. There was an unease flickering in the
back of his skull. Something was just… off .
His eyes narrowed. Sheikoh
felt an uncomfortable presence behind him. A familiar presence.
Right on cue, a cough sounded just behind him. Sheikoh‘s sixth
sense for danger told him exactly who this was. He cursed under his
breath, hoping against hope that he was wrong. This didn’t
make sense .
Sheikoh flashed onto his
feet with his pistol in his right hand and his electroblade in his
left, looking every bit the assassin he’d been hired to play. The
shadow that covered him wasn’t the statue’s anymore. He turned
toward the presence behind him. Just this once , Sheikoh hoped his instincts were
off. Just this once . But, of course, he’d been right, like always. It wasn’t
much comfort.
He really wasn’t in the mood to deal
with Indigo.
Chapter 3
Glimpse of
Magic
“ Indigo,” said Sheikoh
warily. “Always a pleasure.”
“ Silence. Been awhile,”
Indigo responded. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes. Menacing
silence stretched over a couple of heartbeats. Sheikoh’s mind was
racing furiously, but he was getting nowhere besides question-land.
So… How’re the kids?” asked Sheikoh
conversationally.
Indigo’s face broke into feral
grin.
“ If I ever meet one of em
I’ll be sure to drop by and we can all talk.” Indigo told him. “If
they live to learn how to talk, that is.”
“ With a big toughie for a
daddy like Indigo of course they will,” Sheikoh
exclaimed.
A few east siders glanced their way.
Good. Sheikoh straightened, hid his weapons, and stepped into warm,
safe sunlight. They were in an east side square, meaning even
Indigo had to watch himself. Strength is irrelevant when you’re
outgunned. And Century outgunned ganglords, especially on this side
of the wall.
Sheikoh turned his back to Indigo. The
next instant, the ganglord grasped Sheikoh’s shoulder, stopping him
in his tracks and then jerked him back into the shadow of the
statue. Sheikoh’s carefree disposition was rudely jolted. He was
too shocked even to slash out his electroblade; he simply gaped at
the ganglord. Could Indigo have bribed a patrol or something? Did
he really intend on attacking Sheikoh in the middle of the
east?
Then the ganglord was hissing into his
ear.
“ Idiot. I’m not here to
start a fight, I’m here to help you avoid one."
Sheikoh turned and eyed Indigo’s glare
with disbelief.
“ Sorry mate. I just can’t
help but not take you at a word,” Sheikoh raised eyebrows at the
ganglord. “I’m sure you understand.”
Then he screwed up his face, and
thought about what he’d said. He wasn’t totally sure whether or not
he’d added a pair of negatives into an affirmation or not.
“ My boss sent me here to
get you out before you wind up dead,” Indigo told Sheikoh, with
deadly seriousness.
“ Your ‘boss’?” Sheikoh
giggled a little. “Never heard anyone call someone like Ghost their
boss.”
“ I’m not speaking for Ghost
at the moment,” Indigo responded icily. “I have a different
employer. Like your usuals, except… connected.”
Sheikoh’s smile dribbled from his
face, and he narrowed his eyes. What was going on here? Was his
contact really Indigo? Was this for real?
He really wasn’t betting on
it.
“ Cut the act, mate. What’s
your game?” asked Sheikoh.
“ I’m telling you the
truth,” Indigo spat. “The one pulling the strings here is more
powerful than you want to go up against. A Celestial.”
“ So…
we’re magical, super-powerful Celestial, lightning bolts from their
fingers, laser eyes, and all that, huh?” Sheikoh asked
dismissively. “Come on, mate. Even you can
chill his annoyance out, but something shifted. The atmosphere
about the place had changed somehow. Sheikoh’s instincts sharpened
to the point of a razor, and he scanned the lingering pedestrians,
horsemen and carriages alike. There was an unease flickering in the
back of his skull. Something was just… off .
His eyes narrowed. Sheikoh
felt an uncomfortable presence behind him. A familiar presence.
Right on cue, a cough sounded just behind him. Sheikoh‘s sixth
sense for danger told him exactly who this was. He cursed under his
breath, hoping against hope that he was wrong. This didn’t
make sense .
Sheikoh flashed onto his
feet with his pistol in his right hand and his electroblade in his
left, looking every bit the assassin he’d been hired to play. The
shadow that covered him wasn’t the statue’s anymore. He turned
toward the presence behind him. Just this once , Sheikoh hoped his instincts were
off. Just this once . But, of course, he’d been right, like always. It wasn’t
much comfort.
He really wasn’t in the mood to deal
with Indigo.
Chapter 3
Glimpse of
Magic
“ Indigo,” said Sheikoh
warily. “Always a pleasure.”
“ Silence. Been awhile,”
Indigo responded. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes. Menacing
silence stretched over a couple of heartbeats. Sheikoh’s mind was
racing furiously, but he was getting nowhere besides question-land.
So… How’re the kids?” asked Sheikoh
conversationally.
Indigo’s face broke into feral
grin.
“ If I ever meet one of em
I’ll be sure to drop by and we can all talk.” Indigo told him. “If
they live to learn how to talk, that is.”
“ With a big toughie for a
daddy like Indigo of course they will,” Sheikoh
exclaimed.
A few east siders glanced their way.
Good. Sheikoh straightened, hid his weapons, and stepped into warm,
safe sunlight. They were in an east side square, meaning even
Indigo had to watch himself. Strength is irrelevant when you’re
outgunned. And Century outgunned ganglords, especially on this side
of the wall.
Sheikoh turned his back to Indigo. The
next instant, the ganglord grasped Sheikoh’s shoulder, stopping him
in his tracks and then jerked him back into the shadow of the
statue. Sheikoh’s carefree disposition was rudely jolted. He was
too shocked even to slash out his electroblade; he simply gaped at
the ganglord. Could Indigo have bribed a patrol or something? Did
he really intend on attacking Sheikoh in the middle of the
east?
Then the ganglord was hissing into his
ear.
“ Idiot. I’m not here to
start a fight, I’m here to help you avoid one."
Sheikoh turned and eyed Indigo’s glare
with disbelief.
“ Sorry mate. I just can’t
help but not take you at a word,” Sheikoh raised eyebrows at the
ganglord. “I’m sure you understand.”
Then he screwed up his face, and
thought about what he’d said. He wasn’t totally sure whether or not
he’d added a pair of negatives into an affirmation or not.
“ My boss sent me here to
get you out before you wind up dead,” Indigo told Sheikoh, with
deadly seriousness.
“ Your ‘boss’?” Sheikoh
giggled a little. “Never heard anyone call someone like Ghost their
boss.”
“ I’m not speaking for Ghost
at the moment,” Indigo responded icily. “I have a different
employer. Like your usuals, except… connected.”
Sheikoh’s smile dribbled from his
face, and he narrowed his eyes. What was going on here? Was his
contact really Indigo? Was this for real?
He really wasn’t betting on
it.
“ Cut the act, mate. What’s
your game?” asked Sheikoh.
“ I’m telling you the
truth,” Indigo spat. “The one pulling the strings here is more
powerful than you want to go up against. A Celestial.”
“ So…
we’re magical, super-powerful Celestial, lightning bolts from their
fingers, laser eyes, and all that, huh?” Sheikoh asked
dismissively. “Come on, mate. Even you can
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