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Chapter 14

Drake and Becky stared at each other over the old, cracked café table. While Drake took turns sipping from his half-caf, no-foam, triple pump vanilla latte and pressing an ice pack to his face, Becky refused to release her deathgrip on the dagger concealed beneath the table. Finally Drake seemed unable to handle the uncomfortable silence.

"Where did you get that dagger?"

Becky frowned, "It's Balthazar's. Why?"

"Why? That's an Avalon dagger." He looked insulted that she didn't know what it was she was holding. "It's probably one of the rarest and most powerful objects in the world and you're waving it around like a bloody pen knife. The last sorcerer whosuccessfully made one was that alchemist, Flamel."

Becky looked at him incredulously, "What's so special about it?"

Drake gave her a look that said she was hopeless. In a slow voice usually reserved for children, he said, "An Avalon dagger can break any enchantment, destroy any spell or burn the magic out of a sorcerer. The trick with the last one is getting close enough to use it."

"So why don't all sorcerers have one?"

"Because, love," Drake smirked at Becky's glare, "they only work once, and you would need to be incredibly powerful or incredibly stupid to try and make one. Probably both."

Becky opened her mouth, but Drake cut her off. "Making one creates a huge power surge that can cause untold destruction. The last guy who attempted was a Merlinian about a hundred years ago. He took his preparations to a giant rock off of the coast of California, thinking that if there was a problem, no one else would get hurt. He blew himself up and triggered a fault line under the rock that caused the 1906 earthquake."

Looking slightly abashed, Becky fell silent and took a moment to really study her companion. His hair was unkempt, his hands were shaking and his eyes were dull and ringed with dark circles. If she was being honest with herself, she would have said he looked like a lost little boy, not a powerful sorcerer. As badly as Becky wanted answers about Dave, she also needed to know that she could trust the man in front of her. She wouldn't be able to do anything until Balthazar had returned anyway. Looking at her hands, Becky asked quietly, "Why are you one of them? You don't seem like one."

"For the most part, it's the only life I knew until I was fifteen." Drake paused. "Look, I never liked it, but I owed Isaac everything. When he left, I just made due. People liked my magic, liked thinking that they were illusions. I don't hurt people, I'm just an entertainer. I don't want to be Morgainian or Merlinian. I just want to be a magician."

Becky looked at him thoughtfully. "Why did you owe Isaac?"

"He pulled me out of that hellhole in Scotland." Isaac glared at nothing in particular. "When my parents noticed that their four year old saw visions in the fireplace they decided that I was possessed. There methods of 'curing' me were…uncomfortable to say the least."

They sat in silence for a minute until Becky asked, "What is it you want, exactly?"

"I want this 'war' over." Drake replied. "I want to go back to my life without the fear that I've got a target on my back. Believe it or not, I want to help your boyfriend. And after that's all done, I want to be left alone. But mostly, I want to make sure that my old master can never hurt me or anyone else again."

Becky grinned. "I believe you. So what's the plan?"

SA-SA-SA

'This is the dumbest thing I've ever seen. A thirteen-hundred year old sorcerer couldn't figure out a better rescue plan than possessing a puppy?' Dave thought quietly as he limped through the hallway of the old brownstone, following the bizarre spectacle. The spells that had been used on the Merlinian had certainly taken their toll, but since the two older sorcerers had wanted to make him last, the damage hadn't been particularly devestating.

When Dave grunted in discomfort, Tank/Balthazar looked back and whined quietly in concern. Dave tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Thankfully Dave could see the end in sight and sighed in relief.

Approaching the heavy oak door, Dave glanced at the dog and whispered, "How did you get in here, anyway?"

Tank/Balthazar looked at Dave condescendingly and glanced towards an open window in the sitting room across the hall. Dave could see a trampled plant box hanging outside of it. The afternoon breeze brought the smell of stale garbage in through the open window.

"Ah."

Just as he was about to pull the door open, a crash sounded from upstairs, followed by muffled shouting. In a panic, both sorcerer and dog ripped the door open and bolted into the afternoon sun. Instead of racing away as the Morganians would have expected him to, Dave ducked into the alley and dove behind the knocked over garbage cans that Balthazar had used to gain entry. Seconds later a fuming Horvath and ruffled Isaac came stalking out of the building.

"He can't have gone far. You head that way." Horvath's clipped voiced echoed slightly in the alley. Dave held his breath as Tank/Balthazar nudged his hand comfortingly. After a few minutes of quiet, Dave slipped out of his hiding place followed by the puppy and began the long trip back to the subway station.

SA-SA-SA

Balthazar opened his human eyes and closed them again immediately as an enormous glob of dog drool fell on his face. Gently pushing Tank off of his chest, Balthazar wiped his face and sat up. Dave was sitting on a stool at the counter watching Balthazar with an expression that looked very much like awe.

Despite his exhaustion, Balthazar hauled himself to his feet and approached the younger sorcerer. He paused for a second, giving Dave a quick assessment, then pulled the young man into a tight hug.

"I can't believe you came for me." Dave choked, unsure of how to respond to the hug.

"Dave you are my student, my responsibility and most importantly, my friend. I haven't had one of those in a very, very long time. Of course I came for you." Balthazar released him. "Now let's get you fixed up."

SA-SA-SA

"I can't believe I was so stupid." Becky Barnes spat from where she was bound in an uncomfortable wooden chair. "I thought you wanted this war to end. I believed you!"

"Of course I want it to end, love. I just want my side to win." Drake smirked at Becky from behind the two older Morganian sorcerers.

Horvath grinned at Isaac. "You were right. As soon the boy was gone, your apprentice managed to worm his way right into this young lady's good graces. Well done Mr. Stone."

Isaac looked at Drake and carefully began to reevaluate him. He had never expected the younger man to be able to play his part, though Drake had insisted. Isaac liked to believe that he knew people and was rarely, if ever, surprised. For the first time in centuries, Isaac wondered if he had been wrong about something. Something named Drake Stone. The young man clearly had much more potential that he had previously believed.

He was pulled from his reverie by a litany of foul language pouring from their captive. Her voice was beginning to grate on his nerves. Stepping forward he slapped her across the cheek, hard enough to sting, but not enough to leave a mark. He wanted her to look as tragically beautiful as possible when he slit her throat in front of David. He wanted the wannabe hero to remember exactly what it was that he was losing.

Becky had quieted the moment Isaac had hit her, but she continued to glare venomously. Unnerved by her calm and the striking blue eyes, Isaac turned to Drake. "Keep an eye on her. Maxim and I have a call to make."

SA-SA-SA

Dave fidgeted as some of Balthazar's healing magic helped soothe the residual effects of his captivity. Looking around questioningly, he finally said, "I know you would have told me otherwise, but Becky was okay, right? I didn't split her in half or something?"

"Becky's fine." Balthazar smiled. "She was here when I went under, but I told her she didn't have to stay. I placed a charm on her that will tell us if she is feeling endangered."

Dave nodded. "So she's coming back?"

"Probably. I just found a note saying that she went out for coffee. I wouldn't worry too much."

Just as Balthazar finished speaking, Dave's cellphone went off in his pocket. "That's weird. I don't even remember when I put this in here. Oh, it's Becky. Hey!"

Balthazar couldn't help but laugh at Dave's enthusiasm, though he also couldn't remember seeing Dave retrieve his cell phone. He frowned, thinking. Looking back at Dave he noticed that the other man had paled considerably and the frown deepened. As the two sorcerers' gazes met, Dave pressed the speaker button on his phone and a cultured British accent came through.

"-nd's phone. I figured you would pick up when you saw the name. Since you already know what I want, I'll keep this short and simple. David will bring the grimhold to battery park at midnight. Balthazar, you are welcome to join us, but it's not required. Don't be late."

Dave looked like he might get sick, so Balthazar spoke. "You're planning on killing all of us anyway, Becky included. Why should we listen to you?"

"Oh, I'm certain that you and David will spend the next few hours coming up with some clever little plan. I'm still not certain how you retrieved the boy. You won't leave her when there's even the slightest chance that she could be saved. Until midnight then." Isaac hung up the line.

Balthazar and Dave stared at each other before the young Merlinian spoke. "This is all your fault."