The Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko Read Free Book Online

started, and prepared to argue. I could hardly blame her. Two huge districts and a long way off too. Nothing would come of it, of course. Anna Lemesheva would insist on having her own way as always, but Kireeva couldn’t help feeling indignant.
    But just at that moment, the phone on Lemesheva’s desk rang. We exchanged glances, and even Lena’s eyes became serious. That was the direct telephone link with the operations duty officer-it didn’t just ring for nothing.
    “Yes,” said Lemesheva. “Yes. Of course. I understand. I accept the detail…”
    For a moment her expression went vague-the duty magician was sending her telepathic guidelines to the situation.
    That meant it was serious. That meant there was work to do.
    “To your brooms…” Lena whispered quietly. The brief phrase from a children’s cartoon was a traditional saying with us. “I wonder who they’ll send…” she said.
    But when Anna Lemesheva put the receiver down, her expression was strict and tough.
    “Into the bus, girls. Everyone. Look lively!”
    This meant something very serious. This meant a fight.

Chapter two
    -«?»—
    The minibus was driven by Deniska, a young Dark magician so incredibly lazy that he preferred working in the garage among the vampires and other small timers. But his laziness didn’t stop him knowing how to drive, and he knew perfectly a few spells that were essential for his job. We literally flew along the road as we made our way to the city center at a speed that the presidential cortege could only dream about. I felt the surges of Power when he examined the reality lines, made the militiamen look the other way, or made other drivers steer their cars off to the side. Sitting beside him was Edgar, a plump, swarthy, dark-haired magician from Estonia who looked nothing like a person from the Baltic, but possessed magical abilities that were almost second-level.
    There were nine of us in the vehicle. I could hardly remember Anna Lemesheva ever leaving the Watch building before, but she was sitting in the chair by the door, monotonously reciting the guidelines:
    “Darya Leonidovna Romashova. Sixty-three years old, looks considerably younger, probably constantly nourished by Power. Presumably a witch, but could possibly be a Dark Sorceress. Under observation for the last four years as an uninitiated Other.”
     
    At this point Lemesheva permitted herself to swear briefly and obscenely, addressing her abuse to the members of the detection department. “Apparently she refuses all contact. She avoids conversations on mystical subjects, citing her religious piety! What has faith got to do with the abilities of an Other? It’s a different question who that Christ of theirs was…”
    “Anna Tikhonovna, don’t blaspheme,” Lena said quietly but insistently. “I believe in the Lord God, too.”
    “I’m sorry, Lena,” Lemesheva said with a nod. “I didn’t mean to offend you. Let’s continue… Romashova has probably been earning a bit from small-scale magic. Love potions, hate potions, hexes, removing curses…”
    “The standard charlatan’s stockin-trade,” I put in. “No wonder they didn’t bother to check her seriously.”
    “And what about monitoring her results and finding out if she really did help people?” Lemesheva asked. “No, I’m going to write a report. If Zabulon thinks this is good work-then sack me! It’s time for me to retire.”
    Olga cleared her throat in warning.
    “I’m prepared to say it to his face!” Lemesheva was obviously worked up. “Well, I ask you, they suspect a woman is a witch for four years, but they don’t bother to check properly! It’s a standard procedure-we send an agent and monitor the discharge of Power… And the Light Ones did it, by the way!”
    So that was it. Now I understood and I immediately gathered myself. What lay ahead wasn’t just an incident with a crazy witch who had done something she shouldn’t have. It was a fight with the Night