The Arena (8 page)

The mansion was even nicer inside. It had a simple elegance. The owner wasn’t trying to bash you over the head with symbols of his wealth. The house was very simply decorated on the inside, but everything was done right. I followed my guard up the centralized stairs in the main entrance. At a small landing halfway up the stairs, we had the choice of going left or right. I followed my guide to the right into a long, wide hallway. Dark wood floors were covered with thick red carpets that made the hallway look regal. I suspected if they sold one of the rugs in the hallway, the money could have put me through college. We stopped at the third door on the right side of the hallway.

The door opened into a huge room with a large sitting area and a tall four-poster bed. I was impressed right away by the double French doors in the room, one set leading to a large deck and the other into a massive bathroom. The shower in the bathroom was a masterpiece of its own. It had so many showerheads, I didn’t know which knob to turn first.

Tony gave me a slight smile, sensing my confusion, but when he spoke, all he said was, “I turned on the heated floor tiles for you. I’ll have someone bring up food from the kitchen along with fresh clothes for you. I will be just outside of the bedroom door if you need anything else. There won’t be any need to rush; Mr. Stillman won’t be long, but you probably have an hour to kill before he will be ready to see you.”

I just nodded my head in reply, still trying to get used to the feeling of not being in control of what was happening around me. Tony nodded back and headed out of the bedroom door, closing it behind him. I walked back into the bathroom and started to undress. I noticed for the first time since I had been taken that I was still wearing my father’s gloves and his necklace. I stripped off the gloves with the rest of my clothes, but couldn’t bear the thought of taking off his necklace. It felt like it was part of me now, and I didn’t want to be without it. The heated floor tiles felt warm under my feet, and I couldn’t wait to try out the shower. Stepping into the steam-filled waterfall, I finally started to relax. The shower washed away the dirt and blood that covered me, as well as some of the guilt I felt over the death of my parents.

E
ntering my study
, I was shocked to find Antovious waiting for me. It wasn’t like him to disobey a direct order and be somewhere that he knew he shouldn’t be, yet there he was perched in one of the oversized leather chairs with a crystal decanter of scotch from the bar firmly planted between his legs. He took the killings hard, ever since he was a boy. Antovious was one of the strongest mages alive and would never shirk his duty, but he hated the killings even if they were for the greater good.

He looked to be a good way into my decanter of scotch already, and I didn’t have the time to mince words with him. Not now, not when we had the boy already here. If the boy had seen him, it could have ruined everything. He shouldn’t be anywhere near here. Not tonight, not now, not when we were so close to putting our plan in place. This was one complication that I did not need.

I hoped I would be able to use the boy in a way his father would have never allowed. His father was strong-willed; so far, I had the impression that the boy was anything but. This chance to influence him could not be wasted on a careless mistake. I slowly walked around my desk, letting Antovious know that I was aware of his presence, but I also made sure not to directly acknowledge him. I wanted him to sense my displeasure.

“Antovious, I thought I gave specific orders for you to be gone before we returned. Was the order so simple that you couldn’t follow it?”

He turned his gaunt features toward me and fixed me with his best dead man’s stare, and I knew then what people looked at before he took their lives. “No, I understood the order perfectly well, but I needed some proper motivation before I headed out. Today was not exactly what I was expecting, Director; a family with no magic is hardly worth my effort or time. That means you have something else planned, something bigger than just murdering a couple of nobodies, and I want to know what it is.”

I continued my walk slowly around the desk, making sure to take my time, to remind Antovious of his place in things. When I sat down, I took a moment to turn on my laptop and reach for the cigar case at the edge of my desk. I slowly cut the cigar and lit it, savoring the flavor before turning back to face him.

Without looking up from my laptop, I addressed him again. “One of the blessings of being the director, Antovious, is to not have to explain my decisions to you. I follow and act out orders directly for the Council. If something goes wrong, I have to explain why and how to the Council. What I do not have to do is explain it to you! You, on the other hand, damn well have to explain your actions to me! I find that I give you great leeway to complete your tasks, and you never fail me. Why would you risk everything I have been working for just to be stubborn?”

I took a few puffs of my cigar as I held the flame to it, giving what I said to him the opportunity to sink in past the alcohol. I placed the cigar in the marble ashtray and slowly stood up, taking my time to walk to the antique bar on the other side of the study. I took extra time to look at the crystal tumbler against the light, checking the glass for imperfections that I knew were not there. Again, I made sure to leisurely sit down, as if his concerns were only a secondary thought to me, knowing that moving this slowly would only infuriate him. To add a little insult to injury, once I had sat down, I motioned to my glass for him to pour me a drink while I sat back and puffed lightly at my cigar. Now that I was sure he understood his place in this conversation, I decided to continue.

“Antovious, you have earned such a high place in our organization by not only being the best at what you do but by consistently reminding us of your dedication to our cause. I know that I can trust you with more than anyone else on my staff. The reason I asked you to leave tonight is because I brought the boy you captured back here. Now do you understand how it would look if he saw you here, the person who murdered his family? How compliant do you think he would be then?”

He looked at me, anger bleeding from the corners of his eyes. “Not very.”

Normally, I wouldn’t take the time to explain myself to someone under my command, but Antovious was a special case. He had been working for me for over seventy years, and I planned on him being around another seventy. If anyone else who worked for me pulled this shit, they would be punished, and then either killed or put back to work in a lower capacity depending on how I was feeling. Antovious had proven his worth more than once, so I was willing to give him a small measure of leeway, this one time. The courtesy would not be extended again. People had to know their place. His place was to do what I asked without hesitation. Mine was to reward success and punish failure.

“You’re lucky I don’t bury you for your insolence. We should be celebrating; instead, I’m forced into giving you a lecture.”

I could see the shock on his face, but he controlled it well; the expression only showed with a slight widening of his eyes. I understood why. I had never addressed him as I was now. I had always treated him as a son. Maybe that time was over. Granted, he couldn’t have known that the boy would be here. The last time he had seen him, Antovious was locking him in a cell. I didn’t have time to tell him about the rest of the plan before I put it in motion.

“I am walking a very fine line with this plan. You being here against my orders puts everything at risk. Has what I’m telling you sunk in yet? There are a lot of moving parts here Antovious, and I need you to not be one of them. You got to the boy before anyone else could, and for that I am grateful. I needed the boy, you retrieved him, and you will be rewarded. He is more important than you know. He is the key to unlocking our future.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea, Director.”

I paused only for a second before staring directly into Antovious’s cold dark eyes. “I know you didn’t. A small part of that is my fault, and I hope you can forgive me for it. I have big plans for you one day. You might even be sitting where I am now.” I watched him smile at the thought of moving into my position. He was ambitious, with just the right amount of loyalty to not have me looking over my shoulder. “You are the blade that I wield to cleanse my enemies from this plane. Without someone like you by my side, all my aspirations would fall to dust. Can I count on you going forward?”

“Of course you can.” He sounded almost shocked that I would even ask. “I exist only to serve you.”

“If my failure has disappointed you, say the word and I will accept whatever punishment you have for me.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

I shifted in my chair, turning away from him and looking out of the window. I puffed silently on my cigar, letting the words that had been spoken between us resonate. Antovious was still my man through and through. A little bit of insubordination could be forgiven, under the right circumstances. I was feeling good about the situation. The boy hadn’t seen him, and my plan was still intact.

“I am enrolling the boy at the academy. That decision comes with its own inherent risks. It puts him directly in the hands of Adam, but it is also the only way to unlock his full potential. I was hoping the rescue today would earn us some goodwill with him. That he would look to me as a friend in uncertain times. If Jackson had seen you here, that chance would have been ruined. I would have then been forced to make a choice between you and the future of our organization. That is a choice you would have been on the losing end of.”

I turned my chair back around so I was facing him again. He looked up at me, eyes half-lidded from the alcohol and weary from the day’s events, and simply said, “I understand, Director.”

He stood up and made to leave the room, and I stopped him by gently saying his name. As he turned to look at me, a small wad of money bounced off his chest; he caught it before it hit the ground, showing off his lightning-quick reflexes. I was impressed to see that he was still so sharp after drinking so much. “I know you despise what you had to do today. This money isn’t payment for their deaths. It is only something to help you get by while you cannot be under this roof. If you need anything more, call and it will be yours.”

Without another word, he pocketed the money and left. Several minutes later, I heard the rumble of his motorcycle leaving the property. I sat in my room, thinking about what the future would bring. The boy was the key, but it remained to be seen if placing him at the academy would bear fruit. It was a large gamble for me to take. I wondered just where I would stand after this was all over. In the end, the rewards outweighed the risk, and that was all that mattered.

W
hen I exited
the shower and stepped onto the heated tiles, I couldn’t imagine why every house in America didn’t have them. It was the greatest feeling, to step out of the shower and be able to curl your toes against the warmth. I looked around for a towel and found one on the rack to my left. That was when I noticed all my clothes were gone. I felt a small moment of panic set in. I mean, who were these people, anyway? What could they possibly want with me? I dried myself off in a hurry, firmly wrapped the towel around my waist, and headed into the bedroom.

There was a set of clothes laid out on the bed, and a small note letting me know my clothes were being washed and would be returned shortly. I pulled on the laid-out pair of jeans and black T-shirt; surprisingly, they fit pretty well. Along with the jeans and shirt was a pair of black socks and black combat boots. They had to have matched the sizes to the clothes they picked up for cleaning. There was a full staff here to run the house, plus what looked like security guards. It made some sense that one of them would be close to my size. Once I finished dressing, I did a quick scan of the room, looking to see if they had already brought the food I had been promised. It was amazing the new sounds my stomach started making after a day without food.

True to his word, Tony had a platter of food waiting for me. The smell alone was making my mouth water. When I lifted the top off the silver platter, there was a huge cheeseburger on the plate. The burger was covered in two kinds of cheese, along with a mountainous portion of bacon. Instead of just putting the trimmings on what I was secretly referring to as
the baconator
, somebody had prepared a separate plate with three small dishes of what had to be mayo, ketchup, and mustard. Then, on another plate, there was a generous side of lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. It was like a build-your-own-burger bar. I lifted the top off the last silver tray and found it piled high with French fries. Mind you, these weren’t the baked-in-your-oven frozen type of fries, but freshly deep-fried bliss. They were amazing.

I loaded up the top of the burger with a layer of fries. I always did that for burgers, and a few and far between Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich. With my mouth watering, I dug into the burger and fries. I wasn’t even worried anymore about how long it had been since I had eaten. This meal was probably two days’ worth of calories, anyway, but I had earned it with my sprint the previous day. My stomach groaned as the first few bites hit the ravenous beast, but this time it was in pleasure.

The food was so good, I almost forgot about needing a drink. I didn’t look for one until I had a small cough after stuffing too many fries into my mouth at once. Did I mention how hungry I was? I found the drinks in a small bucket next to where the food had been placed. The bucket contained bottles of Coke, Pepsi, and water. I grabbed a bottle of water and a Coke. The water was so good, and the Coke should help out after the carb coma started to kick in. I had just finished up the burger and fries and started on my second bottle of water when there was a knock at the door.

After about ten seconds, Tony popped his head in. “Mr. Stillman will see you now.”

I grabbed my bottle of Coke and headed for the door. I followed Tony down the stairs and to the opposite side of the house. He stopped outside of a large wooden door. The door was amazing; it had been carved so that a relief image clearly stood out. The carving presented a picture of two men fighting each other in an arena. It kind of reminded me of the Coliseum from
Gladiator
. The edges that bound the wooden relief were set with gold. It had to be the single most impressive door I had ever seen.

Tony knocked on the door, and must have heard an answer, because he quickly opened it and stepped to the side. He waited for me to enter the room and then moved into the doorway behind me.

Mr. Stillman stepped around his massive desk and shook my hand. “Good to see you again, Jackson.” He motioned to one of the large leather chairs seated in front of his desk, and I took a seat. Mr. Stillman looked past me toward the door. “That will be all, Tony.”

I didn’t see Tony exit the room but heard the soft click as the door settled back into its frame when he closed it. Stillman moved back around the massive desk, taking a seat in the chair facing me. The room smelled faintly of cigar smoke.

“Jackson, I’m sure you have some questions, but before you ask them, I’d like the chance to explain a few things to you and offer you an opportunity, if that is all right with you?”

It was phrased as a question, but the tone of his voice left no mistake; this conversation was going to be going the way he planned it, or not at all. Before he had the chance to keep talking, I cleared my throat and started to talk. “Mr. Stillman, before you fill me in on what is going on, I just wanted to say thank you for getting me out of that place, and for the food and clean clothes. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably still be stuck in that cell.”

I saw a genuine smile spread across his face and knew instantly I had said the right thing to him. Hopefully it would help him open up a little bit more than he originally planned to. I might have just lucked into getting some real answers. It would be the first time in the last couple of days that real answers would be coming my way. I still was not sure if I could trust this man, but I was willing to hear what he had to say.

He looked back across at me with that same smile still in place, and asked, “Jackson, what do you know about magic?”

I almost coughed on the sip of Coke I had been taking. “Magic, Mr. Stillman? You’re joking, right?”

The smile dropped from his face in almost an instant. He looked a little shocked at my response, but he still had a twinkle in the corner of his eye. “Jackson, what if I told you magic was real? About one in every million people has the chance to be born with the gift. These odds can be . . . enhanced, let’s say, if one or both parents are Gifted. Some are very powerful, and some can barely light a candle, but magic is real.”

Now I couldn’t tell if he was pulling my leg or not, so I sat back in my chair with a slight feeling of disbelief. Magic couldn’t be real, could it?

“Jackson, magic isn’t something from movies or some kind of fantasy video game. There are those of us born with the talent to shape and control mana.” As if to emphasize his point, he created a ball of blue flame in his hand. He bounced it over to his other hand and then held a piece of paper to it. The paper burned to ash almost as soon as it touched the flame, but his hands remained untouched.

He extinguished the flame with a whisper and then looked at me and continued talking. “Jackson, you were born Gifted and, by the size of the circle you left in the desert, it has become apparent to us that you have the potential to be very strong. The one regret I have is that we didn’t make it to you before the slavers did.”

They saw the circle in the desert? How long had they been watching me? I had to wonder, was it his men who came to my home? I mean, he said it was a type of slaver, but I couldn’t take everything he was telling me at face value. Especially not when he knew more about me than he should have. I surely wasn’t going to trust this man on blind faith.

His expression turned solemn and was tinged with regret. “There are factions of Pretenders who scour the world for untrained Gifted. The slavers try to break them so they can be sold to the highest bidder. If they can’t be broken, they are simply killed. There will be a lot for you to learn about our world. My biggest regret so far is that we didn’t reach you before the tragedy of what happened to your family.”

He sat back in his chair and looked as if he was really thinking hard about what had happened to me today. I struggled to keep my feelings buried inside. It wouldn’t do me any good to start crying and miss my chance to find out what was going on. My parents had been about to tell me, but they were dead now, and I had to take the information any way I could get it. I made a motion with my hand without meeting his eye to let him know to continue.

He started talking right away, sounding a little tired but also excited about something. “Jackson, we have a school that is set up to train young members of the Gifted, and based on your potential, I think you would be a great fit. I have been in this office since we returned, making calls to have you enrolled at the academy. There you will learn all you need to about our society, and you will have a choice to make when you graduate about the type of career you would pursue in our world. Or you could simply walk away and return to your life as it was before your time at the academy.”

He smiled again; this time I received the impression that he was remembering a fond time in his life. “The academy is run by a group called the Ascendancy. Their leader, and head of the academy, is a man named Adam. The Ascendancy serve a higher purpose in our world; they protect all of humanity from any external threat. The Council and the Ascended might not always agree on politics, but they find common ground in keeping our people safe.”

He gave me a look just to make sure I was keeping up with everything. He must have thought that I was handling things all right, because he continued. “All members of the Gifted tend to specialize in one kind of magic. The talents tend to vary quite a bit from person to person. Some are masters at hand-to-hand combat, while others excel at enchanting, mind control, or summoning. Your gift is only limited by your ability to pull in mana, and your imagination when you shape it. We face a constant struggle, Jackson, to keep ourselves hidden from society and to keep the Pretenders from doing unrepairable damage to our world. Our job is to make sure humanity remains safe and magic remains hidden. So what do you think, Jackson? Are you ready to learn how to use your magic?”

I really didn’t have to think about the decision at all; I mostly paused just so I wouldn’t sound too eager. I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t want to be able to use magic? The reality was I didn’t have any job prospects and my family was dead. How could I possibly explain what happened to the authorities? By simply not being around when they finally found the bodies, I was going to look guilty. The straight-to-the-electric-chair kind of guilty. If I wasn’t already the police’s number-one suspect, I surely would be.

So when I opened my mouth to make a choice, there was really no choice at all. “I’m in.”

Mr. Stillman smiled from ear to ear. “Fantastic! Jackson, you are really in store for a treat. With that being said, it is awfully late and I’m sure you’d like some time alone. I’ve had your own clothes cleaned and have set up a card for you to use to order more. The academy starts in two weeks, so the timing couldn’t really be better for that. Go online; order yourself some clothes and shoes. You also have full access to the house, kitchen, and gym. So make yourself at home. I’ll have business to attend to that will keep me out of the house, but I will be back in time to take you to the academy myself.”

I got up from my chair and shook Mr. Stillman’s hand again. “Thank you again for all you are doing for me.”

The door opened behind me, and Tony entered the room. “I’ll show you back to your suite, Jackson. If you need anything, just pick up the phone in your room; it goes directly to our service line. We would be happy to get you whatever you need, even if it’s just directions to find your way around this place.”

When we got back to my room, I thanked Tony for the heads-up and the help. He let me know they had put a mini-fridge in my room with some drinks and snacks in it. I headed inside the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I unlaced my boots and then crawled into bed. I buried my face in my pillow and screamed. I didn’t stop until the tears came.

It had been a hell of a day. Waking up in the desert, finding out I was adopted, watching my family get murdered, getting kidnapped, escaping from prison, and now I was going to be able to use magic and go to a fancy magical academy. Seriously, if this were any weirder, it would have to be a movie. Even then, I doubt they could fit all this into one day. I cried into my pillow until exhaustion took over, and I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

True to Mr. Stillman’s word, the next day Tony gave me a laptop with a user name and password for Amazon. He indicated that the card information and address were saved under the username, and that I should feel free to order whatever I wanted. Mr. Stillman also provided me a small list with some ideas of what I would need: workout clothes and shoes, jeans, T-shirts, shorts, swimsuit, boots, socks, underwear, luggage, and a laptop. At the bottom of the note, he wrote, “Spare no expense. You need quality clothes that will last, so order the good stuff.”

Taking a look around eased my guilt about spending someone else’s money for my school supplies. Also, true to his word, I didn’t see him again until the day I was set to leave. The two weeks had flown by. I had spent the time getting over the loss of my family and taking out my anger and frustration in the gym. I mostly stayed to myself. I didn’t want to get in anyone’s way; they all looked like they had more important things to do than waste time waiting on me.

So, I spent my time by taking three trips to the gym, followed by a huge dinner and falling into the dreamless sleep of exhaustion every night. I was ready for a change, and I was happy it was time to go. The staff had cleaned all my clothes the night before and packed them for me; all I had to do was wake up in the morning, hop in the car, and I was on my way to whatever the future held.

Mr. Stillman met me at the limo before I left. He shook my hand and said, “I really wanted to go with you today, but I have had some business come up. Here is my personal number; if you ever need anything, do not hesitate to call me. I hope to see you again someday, Jackson.”

Without further pause, he ushered me into the limo and waved to me as it pulled away. I took my laptop out of my duffle, fired up some music through the limo’s speakers, and started to think a little bit about what I had just committed myself to. I was going to learn how to use magic. How cool was that? Eat your heart out, Harry Potter.