To Drown This Fury in the Sea by T. Thorn Coyle

Author:T. Thorn Coyle [Coyle, T. Thorn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PF Publishing

30

Snakes and Spiders

The roaring of agitated voices hurt his ears, booming and crashing up the slick, gray-veined stairs.

At least the light inside the marble edifice was dim enough to be comfortable to Samuels’ eyes under the dark glasses that wrapped his face whenever he left his home, night or day. Without the glasses, the reflections of light on marble would have damaged his retinas.

The roar and stink of the crowd were almost overwhelming, though, a sign that whatever it was that Panther bitch had thrown at him on the beach had done some damage.

More damage than he wanted to admit. At least he’d managed to throw up a strong enough illusion that she thought he had disappeared. A useful technique, and one he hoped he didn’t need to use for a long while.

It took too much out of him. Especially now.

He’d taken too many hits in the past week. Listen to him, whining. Samuels’ body ached from it all. He would need another round with the flail to keep his mind in line.

“Power to the people!”

As though they had any power at all. Puppets, every last one of them. Slaves to emotion and chance. Run by whims and booze and sex.

So easy to manipulate.

Samuels allowed a small grin to pierce his pale face.

The crowd was thick below. The brass banister warmed beneath his palms as his eyes searched the teeming throng below.

He knew she was here. She had to be.

Samuels traced a small sigil on the banister, then breathed a silent word toward the traces left by his fingertips. It was a word he’d used many times, imbuing it with power every time it left his lips. The syllables had built up so much charge, connected to his personal signature, that he no longer needed to speak the word aloud.

It did his bidding. Like so many things.

Like she would.

Like the Master would some day.

Below him, the top of the soft cloud of her hair lit up, illumined for a moment by the reflection of light off marble, and the power of the spell he’d sent to find her. She raised one delicate fist, brown and firm, into the air.

Her face tilted upward, shouting the words they all were shouting. The words that had no magic and no power of their own.

If only these people knew…

But then his job would become too difficult. It was not for the people to walk the halls of power. It was for the people to listen and obey.

And, barring that, it was for the people to think they had the will to do what they wished, when really, they were being controlled by wiser forces all along.

Forces that wanted what was best for the world. Order. Not chaos and chance.

People could flourish under order. Just like he did.

Sending a little push out toward his nemesis, Samuels smiled again.

She looked at him, shock moving across her face so rapidly he would have missed it if his gaze were less than careful.

But he was being careful now.

And Samuels would be careful from now on.

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