Grand Game 249: A Foiled Jest (Patreon)

Less than an hour later, Shael came running back with a response. It read simply, ‘I will be there.’ There was no signature, but I knew who it had to be from—Loken.

I smiled in relief. I’d been sure Loken was in the city and paying close attention to events. The mantises’ ambush at the dungeon exit portal confirmed that, but I hadn’t been quite as certain he would agree to meet.

The Shadow Power was ever fickle.

Pocketing the letter, I handed the bard the fee I’d agreed to pay him. “Thanks,” I said.

“Any time,” Shael replied, his face splitting into a huge grin at the shine of the gold in his hands. “And if you need me for anything else—”

“I know where to find you,” I finished for him and clamped a hand down on his shoulder. “But I must run. I have a date with a Power.”

The half-elf chuckled, thinking I was joking. But when my own face remained deadpan, his laughter cut off abruptly. “You’re serious? Who are you—?”

Spinning around, I left him wondering as I raced towards the Wanderer’s Delight hotel.

It was time to prepare for Loken’s arrival.

✵ ✵ ✵

I had no means of contacting Loken directly, hence the missive I’d sent to Morin which I’d asked her to pass onto the Power.

I hadn’t been worried about the letter not reaching the trickster. Knowing Loken, he was probably having all Morin’s correspondences monitored, and all I’d needed to do was get the letter delivered to the Shadow Keep.

The missive had included nothing more than a terse request to talk and the details of where and when. Loken did not have a residence in the safe zone. In fact, as far as anyone knew, he didn’t have a home anywhere—which was typically mysterious of him.

But that lack was also what made my plan viable.

If  Loken had insisted on meeting at his home base, my scheme would have failed then and there. So far, everything was going as planned, but rather than setting my mind at ease, that only increased my trepidation. Events were in motion, and there was no stopping them now.

If I didn’t see my plan through successfully, there would be more than one angry Power dogging at my heels.

✵ ✵ ✵

A few hours later, I was awaiting Loken’s arrival in a suite in the Wanderer’s Delight. As neutral territory in the middle of a safe zone, the hotel was a popular choice for a meeting spot between factions and Powers.

When I’d explained my requirements, the hotel staff had understood what I needed and had handled everything—for a price, of course. Now, all that was required was for Loken to show up.

Sinking into the oversized stuffed chair I sat in, I closed my eyes and, through an effort of will, stopped myself from fidgeting. Loken was late. Only a few minutes, but still, it had me on edge.

What if he doesn’t show? Tartar’s displeasure would be the least of my worries, then. He has to—

The room door slammed open, and Loken sauntered in, a lazy grin on his face. From outside, one of the hotel’s staff unobtrusively closed the door again, and I nodded to him in thanks.

My gaze flickered back to Loken. The Shadow Power was surveying the room. The suite, though large and opulently decorated, was sparsely furnished. Spotting the second of the two chairs prominently placed in the center of the room, the trickster seated himself opposite me.

“Michael,” the Power greeted, lounging back. “You’ve finally returned!”

“Loken,” I greeted neutrally.

When I said nothing more, Loken went on. “It is good to see you again. I thought you’d never escape that dungeon.” He clasped a hand to his heart. “I feared for you, my boy. I really did. But nothing can keep you down, can it? You’re the ultimate escape artist.”

I forced myself to stay silent. I wanted to scream and rage at the Power. Nearly everything bad that had happened to me in Nexus was due to Loken and his machinations, yet here he was pretending heartfelt concern!

It was enough to set my blood boiling. Calm, Michael. Remember the plan.

In the face of my silence, Loken’s painted black lips widened into a sly smile. “Not only did  you escape, you grew admirably in the process, too, I see.” Bouncing out of his chair, the Power paced a slow circle around me. “A void mage. How fascinating. It is a fairly unique Class in the Game, you know. Not one often found and even more rarely adopted. It requires, shall we say, a particular set of talents to exploit. But you, I daresay, will do well with it.”

Loken drew to a halt in front of my unsmiling face. “Congratulations, dear boy. You’ve managed to gather a fine collection of Classes. Now, imagine what—”

“We must talk,” I ground out.

I’d remained tightlipped through Loken’s near-ceaseless flow of words, but it was time to capture the Power’s attention. The longer I left him at loose ends, the more likely he was to spot something amiss. “Sit. Please.”

For a wonder, Loken sat and folded his hands in his lap. His back plank-straight and his eyes fixed on me, the Power gave every appearance of earnest attentiveness.

I sighed. He’s mocking me again. Ignoring Loken’s antics, I opened my mouth to speak.

The Power beat me to it. “How did you find it?”

Scowling, I closed my mouth with a snap. “Find what?” I asked after a beat.

“Don’t be obtuse, Michael,” Loken said in an exasperated tone. Your new Class, of course. Tell me everything!”

I eyed him for a moment, then decided this was as good an opening as anything. “Don’t you know already?”

Loken cocked his head to the side in pretended ignorance.

“Your tracking spell,” I growled. “Hasn’t it kept you apprised of my every move?”

Loken pouted. “Now, now, don’t be like that, my boy. The spell is nowhere near as precise as I’d like. Unless I am in the same sector as you, I can’t divine your exact location, only the sector you’re in. Nor, as you seem to think, do I spend every second of every day checking up on your whereabouts.” Loken’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “I do have other responsibilities, you know.”

My eyes narrowed. Was he telling the truth? If Loken hadn’t been able to track my movements through the guardian tower’s sectors, he wouldn’t know about the wolves or the hidden sector—both secrets I would be pleased to keep—but I couldn’t count on it. Loken was most likely lying.

“What did happen to you in the dungeon’s third level?” Loken asked, almost as if he’d been following my thoughts. You were stuck there for months.” He waited for a moment, but when I didn’t respond, he probed further. “Did you get trapped in stasis within the barrier of ice?”

I nodded shortly. “Something like that,” I said and changed the topic. “It’s time to talk about the future.”

Loken sat up. “You’re ready to attempt my task?” Not waiting for my answer, he rubbed his hands together. “Excellent. This is where I think you should—”

I shook my head. “No.”

Loken looked at me strangely. “No?”

“No, I’m not ready to do your bidding,” I said, annunciating each word carefully.

A flicker of emotion too quick to interpret flashed across the Power’s face before he sighed theatrically. “Then why have you called me here?”

I let the silence draw out for a moment. “I know it was you.”

Loken rolled his eyes. “Well, of course, it was me. Lots of things were me.” He paused. “Which one, in particular, were you referring to?”

I didn’t share in the Power’s joke. Maintaining my grim expression, I said, “I know it was you who set the mantises hunting me.”

“Ah,” Loken exhaled.

That one sound was confirmation enough. But I needed to hear him say it. “Then you admit it?”

The Shadow Power shrugged, maddeningly indifferent, despite his deception being uncovered. “I can see from your expression that you’re convinced. Why bother denying it? Yes, it was me.”

My shoulders sagged. I’d been sure it was Loken. Still, I couldn’t help a twinge of disappointment at his confirmation. It made me realize I’d been harboring a secret hope the Power would provide an alternative explanation. Now, there was no hiding from the truth: Loken had betrayed me.

“How did you figure it out?” he asked.

I gazed searchingly at the Power. There was no trace of apology or guilt on his face, nothing that suggested regret. I squashed my own sense of hurt. I understood then that Loken was not my friend nor even my ally.

He was the enemy.

“The mantises gave it away,” I replied, matching Loken’s matter-of-fact tone. “They were a touch too efficient in tracking my movements, and after I used the Albion Bank’s watcher to confirm there were no other spells on me…” I shrugged. “There was only one plausible explanation left after that.”

“Hmm,” Loken murmured. “So that’s why you went to the bank.” He glanced at me sideways. “But that doesn’t explain your visit to the safe zone’s Dark district.”

I looked at the Power sharply. Did he suspect?

Loken chuckled at my expression. “Come, Michael, you didn’t think that would slip my notice, did you? Who did you go and see?”

Despite Loken’s knowing air and relaxed countenance, I sensed a coiled tension in him. “You don’t know?” I shot back.

Loken sighed. “Alas, the Dark Powers are paranoid to a fault. A disruption haze surrounds each one of their residences, blocking all scrying attempts. I know you went there, but not who you visited.” He paused. “So, who was it?”

The fact that Loken saw fit to repeat the question betrayed his interest and left me convinced he didn’t know the truth. “No one,” I lied. “I went looking for Menaq, but he—”

“—he doesn’t reside in the city,” Loken finished for me, relaxing minutely. “Ah, dear boy, you meddle in deep waters. Is that when you decided to confront me?”

I nodded mutely.

“What did you hope to gain?” Loken asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.

I held the Power’s gaze. “I want to know why.”

“Why?”

I sighed. “Why did you do it? Why did you betray me?”

The jester’s mask that Loken wore so readily fell away, revealing, for just a moment, the consummate schemer beneath. “You know why, boy,” he said coldly.

I said nothing.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t figured it out yet?” Loken asked, disbelief warring with amusement as his facade dropped back in place. “I expected better of you, dear boy.” He paused. “Do you need me to spell it out?”

“No,” I snapped. That was the last thing I wanted him to do. I breathed in deeply. Despite my resolution to remain unaffected, Loken was getting under my skin. “When did you figure it out?”

The Shadow Power studied me from beneath lidded eyes. “Oh, I suspected from the very beginning. When you first visited Hamish, in fact. You see, I’d already explored Erebus’s toy dungeon myself and knew about the goblins’ tannery and their prisoners.” He spread his hands. “After your Class evolution, it did not take much to put it all together.”

I eyed Loken skeptically. “Then why not try to kill me, then?”

“Because I thought I could use you.” He threw me a mocking glare. “But when you refused my offer, I knew you had to be killed.” He laughed. “Little did I know that you were going to disappear inside a hidden sector. You won’t believe how happy I was when you took down Ishita’s shield generator.”

I frowned. “But why use the mantises? Why not your own people?”

Loken’s eyes twinkled. “Habit, I suppose. Boredom, perhaps. Where’s the fun in doing things the easy way? Much better,” he said with a grin, “to use the Dark’s own minions to see my agenda fulfilled.”

I nodded slowly. That certainly fitted in with what I knew of the Shadow Power. He never seemed to do anything simply. “But how did you do it? How did you deceive the mantises? They only accept contracts from the Dark.”

Loken studied me carefully for a moment. “Why all this interest in the how?”

It was my turn to pretend indifference. “Call it professional curiosity.”

Loken laughed and peered at me shrewdly. “You want to know how to deceive the mantises, too, don’t you? I gather that nothing you’ve tried has worked yet?”

I said nothing, but my grim expression was answer enough.

“Of course, I’ll tell you! It’s no great mystery: I pretended to be a Dark Power.”

I affected surprise. “You can do that?”

Loken grinned. “I can.”

“Which one?”

“That, I’m afraid, will be revealing too much.” Loken stood. “Now, if this is all you’ve called me for, I’m sorely disappointed. I expected better of you. But now, alas, I must go.”

“Wait,” I ordered harshly.

Loken spun about, the amiable expression on his face gone, but before he could speak, I called out, “Heard enough?”

Loken stilled and cocked his head to the side. “Who are you talking to?”

I didn’t answer, but the next moment, it became apparent as Tartar and his companion stepped out from under a tier cloaking twelve ward.

I sat back in my chair, a tight smile on my face. It was time to see how much Loken enjoyed the sting of betrayal when he was on the receiving end.