Fists of Justice (Schooled in Magic #12)

Emily looked up as she heard a scream, echoing through the window. Something was happening down there, but what? She had a feeling she knew the answer. She rose, knowing she’d have to be careful. If she was seen, the Fists of Justice would come looking for her and they wouldn’t be distracted by a glamour…

She slipped over to the window and peered down. Four red-robed priests, all carrying staffs, stood around an altar. A young man – still a boy – lay on the stone, his eyes wide with terror. Emily stared in horror as the priests lifted their staffs and brought them down on the boy’s head, killing him instantly. The surge of magic flowed into a cobweb of spellware that flared into existence, channeling the power through the building…

…And then it was gone, as quickly as it had appeared.

Necromancy, Emily thought. Shit.

She hurried back to the desk. If she glanced at the scrolls, just for a moment, she would be able to use memory charms to reproduce them later…

…And then a spell slammed into her back.





Chapter Thirty


Emily froze.

SHE THOUGHT, FAST, AS THE SPELL sliced its way through her wards. It was unusual, not configured like any freeze spell she knew; it was actually a handful of spells, rather than a single enchantment. The combination allowed it to get through her wards, freezing everything below her neck. And it…it wasn’t very secure. She tested it, readying a spell to break free.

“Lady Emily,” a calm voice said. “It is a great pleasure to meet you at last.”

Emily kept her face expressionless as Janus stepped into view. He wore a golden robe and carried a staff in his hand, a staff glowing with magic. His eyes were bright with something Emily didn’t care to study too closely, a vindication that allowed him to overcome any setbacks and keep going. She met his eyes for a second, looking for a red taint, but saw nothing. He wasn’t a necromancer…

I can break out, she thought. It wasn’t easy to escape a spell that froze her entire body, but she’d mastered it. But if he thinks I’m trapped, he might talk too much.

“I have followed your career with great interest,” Janus said. “It’s clear that you too are a believer in Justice. I salute you.”

Oddly, Emily had the feeling that he meant it. There was genuine respect in his voice. And yet…she reminded herself, sharply, that one didn’t have to use subtle magic to sound convincing. One just needed to be an excellent liar. Nothing she’d seen, before or after crossing worlds, had given her any faith in priests or their religions. They were mortal men who sinned as much as their flock.

“I was very pleased when I heard that you were coming.” His lips quirked in a thin smile. “But you could have just announced yourself instead of sneaking into the temple.”

Emily shivered. She’d been betrayed? They’d known she was coming? In hindsight, had her path been carefully cleared? Or was Janus bluffing, trying to force her to reveal something she didn’t want to reveal? She was fairly sure he knew she was part of the resistance.

Unless he thought I fled the city after Justice revealed himself, she thought. He hasn’t seen me since then, has he?

“I doubted my welcome,” she managed, finally. She nodded at the scrolls on the desk, cursing his spell under her breath. The longer it remained in place, the harder it would be to recover after she broke it. “What are you doing?”

Janus cocked his head. “We are building a truly just society. All will pay for their sins, Lady Emily. All will know that there is justice. I would have thought you would support our goals.”

He went on before she could answer. “The court cases you handled personally in Cockatrice showed a genuine interest in justice,” he added. “You were just. You didn’t allow personal feelings or aristocratic connections to sway your judgements. You spoke of all being equal before the law. Why do you not support us?”

Emily indicated the scrolls. “You’re sacrificing hundreds of people to feed your god,” she said, slowly. “How can that be just?”

Janus showed no reaction to her words. “They volunteered. It was clear that summoning Justice back into the mortal world would require a sacrifice. Decent men, god-fearing men, would have to offer themselves to him. And they did – they chose to give their lives so our god could live.”

“You drained their life force and used it to feed your god.” Emily met his eyes, seeing utter certainty looking back. “You’re mad!”

“The world is mad,” Janus said. “There is no justice.”

He paced, moving in and out of Emily’s field of vision as he walked around the room. “I have seen court cases decided by who paid the largest bribe. I have seen crooks allowed to walk free because they were noblemen while their victims were commoners. I have seen magicians hex and curse innocent civilians, yet were left untouched because of their power. I have seen fathers sell their children into slavery to pay their debts; I have seen mothers fleeing their wifely duties; I have seen children treat their parents with disrespect. I have seen priests turn their temples into rackets and guildmasters turn their guilds into weapons.

“And now, an entire city is brought to its knees because a lone man managed to take all the money!”

His voice rose. “Where is the justice?”

Emily gritted her teeth, testing the spell holding her in place. She could break free, but he’d know in an instant what she’d done. Perhaps if she weakened it gingerly, she’d find it easier to snap when the time came to run. Janus seemed to want to talk, but she had no doubt he’d try to kill her as soon as it became necessary. Or, worse, throw her to his god.

“Your god never came,” Emily said. “And so you built a god.”

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