[London, England (December 2022)]
Even though she was open about her disdain for the fact that she had made a career out of singing and dancing for the entertainment of mere mongrels who couldn't even perceive mana, Elaine MacNamara would be lying if she said that she didn't find at least some modicum of enjoyment out of the process that went into putting on an amazing show for her millions of fans across the globe.
As the Iznana executive inspected her appearance in the tall, metal-framed mirror next to the stage, she couldn't help but revel in the soft humming that came from the sound of her band tuning their instruments. It was nice to know that everyone took their jobs just as seriously as she did, especially when they were out on the road. And she had absolutely no doubts in her mind that they were going to perform well during their big show in two days. Sure, they may have all been powerless mongrels, but they were very good at what they did. And she certainly appreciated the effort they all put in at the end of the day.
'I still can't believe that I agreed to do this shit.' Elaine thought with a scowl while adjusting her long, thick dreadlocks into a high ponytail that sat comfortably at the top of her head. 'I haven't done a venue this small in years.'
In all honesty, Elaine thought that performing in a London nightclub like this was far beneath someone of her stature. She was, after all, a five-time double-platinum artist with more awards to her name than she cared to remember. Anything smaller than a full-sized basketball arena typically wouldn't suffice for someone of her talents. However, this was the price she had to pay to ensure that the annoying bitch known as Viscountess Ashemore had her back when it came time to enact her plans. So, she was willing to lower herself to these meagre conditions in order to get what she wanted.
The woman then took a moment to gaze out the nearby window, where London's famous winter drizzle pressed faintly against the tall glass. To her, it looked like a misty gray curtain that made the lights of the city shimmer like distant fireflies. A fitting backdrop for this time of year.
Just as the woman was about to make her way back to the stage to begin their next rehearsal, her phone vibrated against the polished wood of the vanity table in front of her. The name on the screen brought a small curve to her lips, and Elaine wasted no time in picking the device up and placing it next to her ear.
"Good morning, Hannah." Elaine said in a silky smooth tone. "Oh wait, it's technically still nighttime over there, isn't it?"
There was a pause on the other end, then a breath.
"Hello, ma'am. It's been a while." Hannah's tone was professional, but there was something beneath it, warmth tinged with nervousness. "I apologize for the sudden call. I didn't want to disturb you while you were out of town."
Elaine smiled faintly while adjusting the silver ring on her finger. "You could never disturb me, Hannah. But I hear you've been quite busy in my absence. How's the new responsibility treating you?"
"I'm not gonna lie, there's been a lot to handle. Coordinating all of my group's movements has been a lot of work. But the people that I have working under me have made my days a lot easier."
"Oh yeah, that reminds me!" The 'wind magic' user then said. "Don't worry about those two underlings that got captured. My contact in Area 53 has already taken care of them. Even if Ethan managed to alter the silencer I showed you how to make, they won't be spilling our secrets anytime soon."
"Thank you, ma'am. I'm sorry that I had to trouble you over that. Truly." The 'ice magic' user said with a slight tinge of nervousness in her voice.
Elaine chuckled quietly. "Anyways…you've been handling yourself well lately, from what Nick has told me. Those drug shipments to West Virginia got to where they needed to be on time. No interference, no unnecessary noise. You've learned to be precise."
There was a flicker of pride in Hannah's voice. She loved it whenever she was praised for her efforts. "Thank you. I just… I wanted to make sure I didn't disappoint you."
"Disappointment isn't something you've given me reason to feel." Elaine said. She leaned one hand against the cool glass, watching the city blur beneath the drizzle. "But tell me, how are you handling it? Iznana's pace can drown people down if they're not careful."
"I'm fine. I like the work. And the benefits that come with it."
"And there will be plenty more coming your way in the future." Elaine replied, amused by the conviction in Hannah's tone.
"I don't doubt it." Hannah said softly. "Working under you has been nothing short of spectacular so far. Aaron and Mikayla think so, too."
Elaine's lips curved upward. This stupid little girl really was wrapped around her finger. But hey, what could she expect after all the trouble she went through to turn her into her latest puppet? "Flattery at this hour? Careful, you'll spoil me."
There was a small, nervous laugh on the other end. "Anyways, ma'am…I was just calling to check in and make sure that we're all good. Things have been different lately. And we haven't talked all that much either."
"I've been occupied." Elaine said, adjusting the collar of her shirt. "But you're never far from my thoughts. You've earned my attention, Hannah. And my trust."
The line went quiet for a second. Hannah's breath hitched faintly, like a weight she'd been carrying had finally shifted.
"Then… maybe I can take on a bit more responsibility in the future?" The strawberry-blonde sorcerer said carefully. "I'm ready for something bigger. Whatever's next for me in Iznana."
Elaine tilted her head, considering how exactly she was going to answer that. Back toward the stage, the sound of her lead guitarist practicing one of his riffs echoed across the room, wrapping the moment in melancholy elegance. "When I return from England next week, we'll talk. I'll arrange something suitable for you. Something that you'll definitely like."
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Hannah said, the relief clear in her voice.
There was another pause, a more tentative one this time. "Boss…one more thing."
"I'm listening…."
"I want to see Cyrus again." Hannah said quietly. "I know that you don't like me going after the same target more than once, but I rather enjoyed my time with him. I think I could take care of him now, permanently…if you let me."
Elaine's eyes darkened, but her tone remained smooth. This girl really didn't know when to quit while she was ahead.
"Cyrus, huh?" She murmured, almost to herself. "It seems as though you've taken quite a liking to him. Not that I can blame you. He is pretty cute, isn't he? Let me guess, the freckles and green eyes combo does it for you?"
"It does, I can't lie about that. But it's more than that." Hannah protested gently. "He's… he's special. I can see why you wanted me to keep him in good condition."
'And yet you had the nerve to slice his face up and destroy his body when I let you have him. Dumb little bitch, you should be glad that I didn't kill you on the spot for that. You're lucky that I can't waste you without your brother causing me trouble. He's more valuable to me than you are.'
Elaine smiled thinly. "Don't worry, Hannah. You'll see him again soon. I have plans for that boy, and I'm going to need your help when I decide to make my move again."
"Really?"
"Really."
The warmth in Hannah's voice returned instantly, bubbling with a mix of gratitude and anticipation. The whole thing made the Iznana executive want to vomit right then and there. "Thank you, Boss. You don't know how much that means to me!"
"I think I do." Elaine said softly. "Now get some rest. You'll need it."
"Yes, ma'am. Have a wonderful day. And good luck with your show. I'm sorry that I won't be there to see it in person."
With that, the two said their goodbyes. But not without the practiced politeness of two women who had learned long ago that affection and ambition could coexist, but never without cost. After that, the line clicked dead.
For a long moment, Elaine stood still, the phone cooling in her palm. Then, as Michiko called for her to take her place, she let out a quiet laugh. It echoed through the empty backstage room like the low crack of glass under pressure.
"Oh, Hannah, you stupid little girl." The woman murmured, setting the phone aside. "You'll see him soon, indeed. Just not in the way you expect."
Elaine then stepped out toward the stage, the distant sounds of music swelling to life as she went. Her laughter faded into the music, into the rain, into the rhythm of a woman who orchestrated both symphonies and sins with the same deft hand.
-(o)-
[DPA Station Nine, The Next Day]
"Wow…so that's what's so special about your magic?" Skylar asked Cyrus with a genuine look of astonishment on his face. "Your creations can absorb mana?"
"Yup." The young 'tree magic' user said in response. "It's the reason why I was kidnapped."
"That's crazy."
"I know."
"Man…" The 'earth magic' user then said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I can understand why they did it. Like, we'd love to have something like that at our disposal in my family."
Cyrus didn't really know how to feel about that statement, but he just decided to assume that Skylar didn't mean anything bad by it. "I can't really blame them. Hell, I'm still waiting for the day that the Blair family tries to recruit me. Alyssa's uncle more than likely knows about it already."
Right now, the two agents were standing in the middle of one of the station's training rooms. They had been here for the last hour or so getting in some much-needed practice. As was previously stated, everyone who was going to be on the upcoming raid was spending most of their available time getting ready for the big day. And no one wanted to be caught slipping when the fun began.
"Yeah, that does sound like them, doesn't it?" Skylar joked. "They love scooping up fresh talent whenever it pops up. Lucky for you that my family doesn't have any women in it, so at least you don't have to worry about us making a move on you?"
"None? Really?" Cyrus then asked.
"Nope!" Skylar replied with a smile. "I know this is kind of hard to believe, but I'm the only naturally born female in my family's history ever since the Great Aweakening. Everyone else was born male."
Okay, that was crazy to think about. The odds of something like that happening were damn near zero. Sure, the Murphys were well known for being a pretty "macho" group of sorcerers, but to think that there wasn't a single woman born into the family was crazy to even think about. Actually, now that Cyrus thought about it, it did have one dangerous implication that he genuinely didn't want to think about.
"You guys don't abort female fetuses the minute you learn their gender like the McKenna family does, do you?"
"Absolutely not!" The 'earth magic' user shot back almost instantly. "We're not into that kind of thing. Never have been, never will be. We may not exactly adhere to Christian values, and I know that we have a reputation for being misogynists, but we would never do something like that. Even my eternal dickhead of a cousin, Cassian, is opposed to that sort of stuff."
"I see." Cyrus nodded.
"Anyways…we should probably get back to it. We only have the room for another hour, and Vice-Captain Stillwater is using this place after us."
"Yeah, good idea."
And with that, Cyrus and Skylar went back to their previously postponed sparring session. It was only a matter of time before Cyrus would get his chance to deal with Hannah, and he needed to be ready to put her down once and for all. There was too much riding on this for him not to be at the top of his game.
That being said, he was nervous about what would happen when the moment to confront Hannah finally came. His most recent interaction with her was a pretty big eye-opener for him in terms of where his mental state was at. And the thought of him freezing up again at the mere sight of the 'ice magic' user meant that he really wasn't as okay as he pretended to be.
In any case, the freckle-faced teen had already resolved himself to do what needed to be done. He was simply in way too deep to start having second thoughts about his current situation. And soon enough, he would finally get his chance to avenge the death of his friend and put an end to Hannah's sick and twisted reign of terror once and for all.