Deadly Wands by Brent Reilly Read Free Book Online

Holding the wands at the
moment of death is vital to keeping their full power.
    Billy vowed right then and there to become
the best quad in history.
     

CHAPTER 7
     
    Before they could pack the marmot, a visitor
descended, his wand emitted a friendly greeting, as curtsey
demanded, before landing across from them. He looked like a rich
noble. William's wand returned his greeting, but remained wary.
    "I’m looking for Barchuk the Bandit," the
visitor said, stating his business like a good Mongol. Mongols only
had one name, and so used descriptions to differentiate those who
share names. "I heard a firefight."
    "And what is your business with him?" William
asked, keeping his tone neutral.
    "I planned on killing him," the visitor
replied. "His raids threaten the nomads."
    "Then you’re too late. We killed them
defending ourselves."
    "You?" The visitor found it hard to believe.
"No disrespect, but Barchuk was very good. I trained him myself,
before he turned bad. I even gave him his wands."
    "No disrespect, but he traveled with fifteen
others. Were you hunting them alone?"
    "Yes," the visitor answered, not at all
insulted.
    Husband and wife exchanged anxious looks. "I
am Vesak," William said, using his Mongol name. "I descend from
Taran of Kiev."
    "I knew Taran well. Good Mongol. We fought at
Kiev together. That movie his wife made of him even attributed some
of my kills to him. It still feels like someone stole from me."
    "And who are you?" William asked, annoyed
that he had to ask.
    "It's hard to believe you killed
Barchuk."
    "His body lies a few hundred meters over
there."
    "And his wands?"
    "I gave them to my boy for when he gets his
powers at puberty."
    Billy helpfully held out the wands. The
Mongol tapped an eye with his wand to examine them from a distance.
"Yep. That's them."
    "Is that what you want? His wands?" William
asked.
    Billy reset them in his arm launchers when
the old man turned away.
    "I wanted them, yes. But if you gave them to
the boy, then you did not transfer ownership quickly enough to
retain their power. Otherwise you’d have kept them for
yourself."
    Which was solid reasoning, except the wands
belonged to Billy, who killed Barchuk and transferred
ownership.
    "We dueled so high that, when I finally got a
lucky shot, I lost him in the trees. He was cold when I found him,"
William lied. He waited patiently, but the visitor was in no hurry
to leave. "We have nothing more of value."
    "Oh, but you do," the Mongol replied. "You
have wands powerful enough to kill a great dueler like Barchuk, and
fifteen others. A powerful wand can last me years, if I sip
moderately." He turned to Liz. "I’m sorry, ma’am, but I need yours
as well."
    The visitor just said he was gonna kill them
to suck their wands dry. Drained of life, their useless wands would
then break like twigs. The words chilled William, who until now had
not felt the Siberian cold.
    "You’ve been very polite. Please continue by
telling us your name."
    The old warrior hesitated, but decided he
owed them at least that. "Subodei."
    Liz and Billy watched William turn pale. He
seemed to shrink in front of them.
    "We just killed sixteen. What's one more?"
Liz demanded.
    "We can't beat him," William assured her. "He
has Millennial Wands. I'll fly north, you go south. Billy, lose him
in the woods."
    "And why can't we beat one guy?" she wanted
to know.
    "Show her," William begged the visitor.
    "You seem like a good Mongol, so I'll tell
you what. If you and your wife promise to fight, I'll let your son
live. If either of you flee, I'll make sure he dies hard. I'm
responsible for the deaths of millions. As your wife said, what's
one more?"
    "Who is he?" his wife demanded, completely
irritated.
    "You know him as the Third Millennial. The
Second Millennial, Jamuka, was Genghis’ blood-brother growing up,
then rival as adults. Subodei has an even longer wingspan than
Genghis Khan."
    Known as the Khan's favorite general, Subodei
won sixty-five pitched battles and