Lorden made up his mind on the spot. Elenia wasn't about to stop him. She was still out cold — teleporting and stopping two bodies falling at terminal velocity could do that to you. He wasn't going to be stupid about it, but Lorden couldn't let Dagger die while he still held this secret over him — even if it turned out to be a pretended secret.

"How can I help you?" Lorden asked harshly. He let a few miniature lightning bolts dance between his fingertips to let Dagger know that one false move would be the end of him.

Dagger's face was coated in a sweaty sheen, his breaths coming in rattling wheezes. He closed his eyes as though in an attempt to block out the pain.

"The blade is enchanted to be unhealable," he choked out, "but the one who made the wound can seal it. A handy safety catch in case I accidentally cut myself."

"Tell me what to do."

"There's a . . . command phrase," said Dagger through gritted teeth. "Just say . . . Dagger has spared you — that'll reseal the wound."

"I'm not the one who stabbed you," said Lorden.

"I am."

Lorden whirled around. Percy was standing in the doorway of the Holt building, apparently just having come down the lift.

"Sweet girl," gasped Dagger, "I need your help. . . ."

Percy gave him a look of pure contempt. "I know you do, but why would I want to help you? You kidnapped me, you tried to kill my friends!"

Dagger didn't answer; he knew his life was in Lorden's hands.

"Percy, do what he says," Lorden said quietly.

"What? Lorden, he —"

"Please. I need to know something. Something only Dagger can tell me. Trust me, I won't let him get away."

Indecision was written all over Percy's pale face. Lorden looked at her imploringly. Looking as though she were acting against her better judgment, she shook her head, then said, "Dagger has spared you."

Lorden's eyes swiveled to Dagger. The effects of  Percy's words were instantaneous. Dagger gasped as though he had plunged unexpectedly into cold water and Lorden watched the fatal wound stitch itself together before his eyes. Dagger still looked as though he were in great pain, but the clouded look of a dying man had left his eyes and he attempted to sit up.

In an instant, Lorden was kneeling down beside him, the enchanted knife at his neck.

"No tricks this time, Dagger," hissed Lorden, "or I swear I'll give you a cut that I most certainly won't be resealing. Now you had better cough up the truth and it had better be worth all of this."

Dagger grinned. "Oh, I assure you, it's worth hearing — though I can't guarantee that you'll like it."

*   *   *

A half mile below, Devil watched the scene with lazy violet eyes. He had to admit, it was very well done. For a human, Dagger showed considerable intelligence. He also had an asset Devil didn't: the ability to lie.

It was an ability he was exercising most adeptly right now, and Lorden — the fool — was lapping it up like a kitten faced with a bowl of milk. By the time Devil saw what Dagger intended to do, it was too late. He tried to put in a call to Lorden, but his PI had been broken during the fight on the rooftop. Devil needed to warn him, though. And he only had seconds to do it.

Thinking quickly (as he always did), he turned to the computer he always had dedicated to Whitney's activities. She was at the Holt building, having just finished clearing the security droids from the lobby. He spoke, knowing his gel mic would carry his words to his creation.

"Whitney, Dagger has Lorden outmatched, but Lorden doesn't know it yet. I need you to warn him that I will be coming to the surface. You must do everything withing your power to kill Dagger — there is very little hope that any of you can stop me."

He hoped that Whitney would fully understand his cryptic instructions, but he had run out of time to issue any more. On the telescreen, Dagger had closed his eyes with pretended pain — the ace in the hole. Behind those closed lids, behind the lies displayed on his traitorous face, Dagger was formulating a silent spell to contact Devil telepathically. Moments later, while Lorden looked up to see Percy approaching, he whispered the final incantation. Sure enough, Dagger's sharp, probing thoughts invaded Devil's a moment later.

Come to the Holt building, Devil. I need you to kill Lorden and his young friends. I need you to come as fast as you can.

And Devil, unable to break the oath he had sworn years ago, rose to do his master's bidding.

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Author guidance for This story

This is a collab story about magic in a technologically advanced world. I'll keep a record of all important characters here, whether they're added by me or someone else, so anyone joining in can easily find out what's going on.

PREMISE This is a story about a technologically advanced city called Dartoc-6, and the adventures of rebel magic-users therein. The monarchs of this city-state, Tyraanus and Ophelia Costellian, have lost control of their government, and magic has slowly grown out of hand. They are employing Compliance Teams to crackdown on magic. The CTOs (Compliance Team Officers) have encountered much resistance, particularly with Lorden, where the story starts ...

Main players (in order of appearance)

LORDEN (16) A orphaned teenage boy cared for by his guardian. Loves his freedom and rarely follows orders. Very proud, and possesses an innate magical talent, with much more power than is usual.

AUNT (46) Lorden's guardian, who we don't know much about, of no blood relation to him. Maybe of some plot importance in future chapters.

GRIMWALD (31) A CTO with a turbulent past? Has dealings in the State and in the underworld, sort of as a go-between. Sides with the Compliance Teams but also nurses a soft spot for Ceridwen. Will this affect his decisions later on?

ADRIAN (d) Lorden's father, possibly hotheaded. An activist in one of the old organisations set up to help persecuted maggots in the first Outbreak twenty years before. He died in front of his son when he was six, making him an orphan.

ELENIA COSTELLIAN (nearly 15) A member of the Royal Family, possibly the same age as Lorden, mother and Father are monarchs of Dartoc-6. She is also a magic user, although being at the heart of a society which detests magic users, and also being a "maggot-hater" herself - finds the fact that she can use magic disturbing.

PERCY (f) A servant to the Monarchs, who is hired to track down and apprehend any magic in Dartoc-6. She also possesses a secret desire to be able to use magic herself. When she finds out that Elenia is a magician, she becomes very jealous, especially as Elenia despises the gift.

CERIDWEN (22) (d) A high-ranking leader of the underground posse of illegal magic users. She is beautiful, hot-tempered and highly desirable, but she takes no rubbish from anyone, and is used to getting her own way. Do she and Grimwald have connections in the past?

DAGGER (Age?) A proud under-dweller, prides himself im being one of Ceridwen's confiances. Possibly a tad suspicious/jealous of Lorden, and Ceridwen's interest in him. Has a well connected spy network on surfaceside. Has shown himself to be allied to Grimwald and has betrayed Ceridwn. Dagger is now in Grimwald's body, having swapped with him when Grimwald betrayed him. Dagger's own body is due to be executed for magic, Grimwald's consciousness inside it.

WHITNEY (N/A) A supercomputer belonging to a Compliance Team that has been programmed by some unknown person to control a human body, and bring down the CT from the inside.

PROF. BENJAMIN OAKSTAFF (71) A grumpy old man who used to work in a Medblock (hospital to me and you) with people who were believed to be mentally subnormal, but who were actually magic users. He is set to teach Lorden (and possibly Elenia) about refined magical techniques.

DEVIL (N/A) A man-dragon hybrid, capable of fairly sinister magical feats that include programming Whitney to control a human. He is a servant to Dagger. Do they have a history?

updated Jan 18 '10 by SilverPen