Tesser: A Dragon Among Us (A Reemergence Novel) (32 page)

No one told the media about the connection between Matty and Tesser. Perhaps if they had, Matty would've benefitted.
 

And through all this, slinking through the silence they carefully shrouded themselves in, were the people in charge at Fitzgerald Industries. The paragons of modern science and medicine, slowly ushering magic out of the world and into oblivion, and allowing the ever growing foothold of one of the most powerful of all the Veil-Born.

Legion.

Of course when Tesser returned to the public eye two weeks after his world-changing encounter in the city of Boston, they would eventually be dragged out into the world spotlight.
 

And there would be blood, and there would be death.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Mr. Doyle

In the aftermath of the daemonic assault, Mr. Doyle's home immediately received extensive repairs. His thick, wide, custom-made front door held strong against the daemons that had come knocking. As was right, they were unable to cross the threshold of the ash door, but they did put hundreds of high velocity rounds through it. As he had feared, Mr. Doyle's arcane protections weren't designed for 21
^st
century warfare.

In addition to his very expensive door, his rugs and hard wood floors were either torn up by more automatic weapons fire, or were stained by obscene amounts of Abraham's blood. His entire dining room and most of his living room was run through with more destruction from the gunfire. It didn't help that when the wards on his bay windows failed and Legion came in with three of his false bodies, Mr. Doyle was forced to use an Incendium spell. He was able to kill one of the daemons with the arcane fire, but the other two… they left with Abraham before he could muster enough strength for a proper spell.

I should've been stronger. If there had been more magic for me to wield that night, he would not have been shot at all. My wards shouldn't have failed. The spells and runes are centuries old, tried and true. But the magic that night was still thin, though it is better now with this sudden influx of arcane power since Tesser's true reveal.

And what a reveal it was.
Mr. Doyle was dealing with the fallout from that now as well. The FBI brought in a special home contractor for Mr. Doyle that worked with the government. The Brit's home was rebuilt by the same men who worked on The White House. He was so
very
honored. When they finished, he also ensured that there were no special listening devices worked into the repairs. He'd found none, but still refrained from talking to himself aloud.

The state of Mr. Doyle's rejuvenated home was in direct conflict with how devastated he was internally. His failed wards, his doubt of Tesser, and how impotent his magic was when it mattered most. Even though his apprentice, Abraham, had survived the daemonic assault, it would be some time before Mr. Doyle would be able to forgive himself for his failures. It was strange to be alone again so suddenly.

The pain of the teaching mage: to watch your apprentice learn a craft that will most likely kill them, no matter how much knowledge you impart. It is akin to teaching a suicide bomber, albeit with no fanatic religious belief to make it acceptable. All I've taught poor Abraham is how to fail.

Uniformed Boston Police officers stood behind a ring of steel barricades outside the house on the street. The city had brought in the metal fencing to keep curious folks away. This was, after all, where the dragon was first seen. Almost around the clock, the iron bars kept someone out of the neighborhood and allowed Mr. Doyle and the hamadryad some peace and quiet. Inside that outer ring of police was of course Ellen, the hamadryad. After the battle in the street she helped to swing in their favor, she had returned to her home in the garden. Not before the police saw her move there, of course. She was the subject of near constant scrutiny by a small cadre of scientists and government officials, but when a tree wishes to be left alone… it simply is. As the scientists were learning, Ellen was powerfully good at ignoring their questions.
I suspect she's waiting for Tesser's return before she speaks.

Besides all the scientists and police, there were no less than twelve heavily armed government agents making constant patrols up and down the street. They reminded Mr. Doyle of the Legion bodies that had come for Tesser.
Fake men wearing fake uniforms, trying to trick the world into dying. At least these men are real. Born on the correct side of the Veil. The side where good at least has a chance to flourish.

No one had been allowed into his home since that night, and he hadn't been allowed to leave.
That suits me. I've nowhere to go, and they keep bringing me suitable meals. Being protected by the government in this instance feels welcome, even though I know their guns will be useless if Legion returns.

Mr. Doyle's phone had rang several times, but he kept his calls curt and to an absolute minimum. It was almost certain that the government was tapping his line, and the last thing he wanted to do was give them time to trace an incoming call back to old friends. He'd never get over it if his incompetence led to a friend dying or being arrested. Many of Mr. Doyle's friends were wanted for various crimes that the modern world wouldn't understand the need for.
Abraham's near death will be enough guilt for a good long while, thank you.

Mr. Doyle heard a noise from the kitchen. The now much younger man got to his feet and fingered a small pendant around his neck. His fingertip tickled with buzzing energy emanating from the smooth, plain, brown stone. A single spoken word would unleash a terrible elemental force from the necklace at whomever or whatever he wished it upon.
At least, I hope it will.

Cautiously, the old man left the living room and walked through the entranceway that still smelled of paint and treated wood. He crossed the spot on the floor that Abraham's blood had spilled out on. A flash of memory of the deep red streaks from where the daemons had dragged Abraham's body came to him. The floor might be new, but those dark images would last for some time to come.

Mr. Doyle moved slowly but confidently down the short hall, past his pantry, and into the kitchen. He stopped when he saw a giant rat sitting on the counter near his sink. The rat was on its hind legs, sitting up like a tiny person might. For a moment, both froze, looking at one another.

Dear me, a large rodent.

Then the rat nodded its head in a far too human way. The rat had golden eyes.

Oh, then. That might be Tesser.
Let's attempt some subterfuge.
 
"Well then, I think I'll retire upstairs. It's getting late." Mr. Doyle then backed away a few steps back towards his pantry, and the rat jumped off the counter. Then, as it fell as smoothly as a curtain blows in a summer breeze, the rat transformed into a proud house cat. It thumped its feet onto the floor and skittered away, past Mr. Doyle and up the stairs with purpose.

Well, that settles that.

*****

When the aged British sorcerer reached the pinnacle of the stairs and wandered into his office, fighting to catch his breath, he saw that the Tesser-cat was on the desk, curled into a tight ball, and looking as mundane as any cat on Earth.

"You're a crafty one, dragon. Now get off my desk."

The cat stood up immediately and sprang off the fine oak worktable. Before the paws could hit the ground, Tesser's body morphed once more. The effect looked as if a cat had jumped off the desk, but a person had walked away from it.

"Sorry to enter like this, but I felt it was a good idea not to alert the suits outside," Tesser said. He was naked.

"Modesty first, son; go get some clothes while I ready some protections," Mr. Doyle said, averting his gaze. Tesser left and scampered downstairs to his room while Mr. Doyle fetched a handful of small scarab beetles from an aquarium in the back of his massive vault-room of artifacts. He delicately placed one beetle inside three different beautifully painted, palm-sized boxes. He closed a golden mesh lid over the insects, and within moments each box began to hum an unearthly tone. He arranged the three boxes in a very specific triangular pattern around his desk before sitting down. Tesser joined him as he leaned back comfortably.

"What are the beetles for?" Tesser asked as he sat down in a chair.

"When placed in those resonant boxes, they emit a magical field of noise that cancels out most forms of eavesdropping. I think our privacy here is suspect and I see no reason to allow the government any insight into our conversation."
 

"Smart. It's impressive how much innovation the human race has brought to the magical world. I saw on the news that Abe is doing well. Thank you for helping save his life. Your spell seems to have saved him."

Mr. Doyle shook his head, the tiniest amount of frustration pressing his lips together tightly. "It was only partly my spell. Your friend, the Sergeant… I forget his name, but he was able to spirit our friend to the hospital in time. They were able to bring him back from the brink. Thankfully."

"I am very happy, Mr. Doyle. Abe is a friend of mine. If he had died, things would've been worse. I don't think I could've controlled myself."

Mr. Doyle paused before speaking again. "You have been gone a long time," Mr. Doyle said.

"The world needed time. I needed to hide, think, plan."

"Hide? Think? Plan? I should hope you have a right bloody good plan by this point. Stirring the pot is one thing. You've gone and upset the entire kettle. Your display at the top of that building the other night has unsettled the entirety of the human race. Other races as well it would seem. It was selfish, Tesser."

"It was necessary. Humans have forgotten what this world is about. They needed a slap in the face."

"People don't like being slapped in the face, you arrogant sot!" Mr. Doyle cursed under his breath lowly. "You must understand people are
frightened
, Tesser, and frightened people have wreaked a wretched amount of destruction and misery on this world. You stormed through one of the world's largest cities like a monster, not a creature of beauty and wonder and life, filled with wisdom and goodness. You ripped men from cars and flung them about like a spoiled child would cast aside a no longer amusing toy. You destroyed cars, you damaged homes, and to put icing on the cake, my good friend, you climbed to the top of a building and breathed a flame so high that the clouds burnt away. You, sir, are no better than a monster in a Hollywood film right now. You're bloody Godzilla."

Tesser sought for a response but found none. He hadn't seen that movie, but he knew Mr. Doyle was right.

"You are a being of a different age, dragon. When last you were among our kind you dealt with uneducated, near feral heathens. But now, we have science, mathematics, cities, cultures and economics. Yes, I grant you that we've left behind the finest art of magic, but, Tesser, you cannot simply
scare
humans into behaving as you wish us to. We can split the atom now, and that is a force that you cannot persuade or threaten into doing your bidding."

Tesser's ire grew at that scolding from the old man. "Then what now? Men are responsible for Matty and my unborn child being taken away. I searched high and low all across the city looking for her to no avail. Men have reached across the Veil and brought into this world foulness that cannot and shall not be tolerated. If you continue to tread the path that you walk, I will have no other choice than to
cull the herd
. It is my task to manage the life of this world, and if I deem you a liability, then you
shall be removed
."

"Your threat is childish, Tesser, and I say that knowing you probably mean every word of it. I also know you're apt to be the kind of chum that can follow through on that threat."

"I am," Tesser said hotly. The dragon's anger had raised the temperature in the room. Literally. A bead of sweat trickled down Mr. Doyle's temple.

"But you've failed to realize that you've the talent to change things. A great opportunity still lies within reach for you, and you need to seize it before it slips away." Mr. Doyle started to smile.
Let's see how patient he can be.

"Talk," Tesser said leaning forward in his chair. The room cooled a bit.

"The media sees a bat-winged dragon scaring a city, and immediately, you become the villain. Tried and found guilty in the court of public opinion. The boogie monster, the bogey, the bump in the night. But, we both know different. Abe knows different. No matter how many television newscasts show Ellen standing in my garden peacefully, the world is still frightened by what happened here in this city, and that is your fault. Tesser, scared humans do very stupid things. I remind you of the atom. But I tell you this; humans who are excited and see good and kindness… they can change the world. You want to bring magic back? You want to rescue Matty and your sister, Kaula? Then tell us the truth, to our faces. Show the world who Tesser really is and why he is here once more."