Strong Mystery: Murder, Mystery and Magic Books 1-3 (Steampunk Magica) Read Free Page B

am not a foe,” Jinhao said clearly in English. “I am not
certain I am a friend, but I am not a foe.” She knelt and pulled the face
coverings free of the one she had beheaded. She let out a sigh. She did not
recognize him, although that might mean nothing. There were whispers of
disaffected recruits who had failed to complete their training. She supposed
this was one such. The Westerner, Owen Strong she reminded herself, came to
kneel beside her.
    “You reacted then as if you expected to know him,” he remarked.
Jinhao stood abruptly.
    “You do not know anything about me,” she said shortly.
    “True,” he said rising more slowly. “In fact, I do not even
remember your name from earlier. And do you?” Jinhao frowned in confusion. Was
he asking her if she remembered her own name?
    “What do you mean?” she asked.
    “Do you know him?” he asked patiently, leaning on his cane.
“And also, what is your name?”
    The frown lifted from her face as she nodded in understanding.
    “No, I do not know him,” she said. She tossed her head. “You
may call me Jinhao.”
    He bowed.
    “Well, Jinhao,” he said, “it seems I owe you again for help.”
She waved his comment away.
    “I needed the exercise,” she said. “And what made the silence
around them?”
    “Ah,” he raised a finger. “That I may have an answer for.” He
knelt again by the man he had been fighting and felt around the corpse’s chest.
He gave an exclamation, gingerly holding out a piece of chain. At the end of it
was a melted bit that might have been a medal at one point before his fire had
struck the man.
    “I suspect that this was the culprit.” He frowned as he
examined it. “It was made by a powerful Sorcerer too. It is too damaged to
discover who it was though by its resonance alone.” Jinhao nodded.
    “So this is a Western magic thing that is in the possession of
expensive Han assassins,” she said darkly. “Do you have such persons come after
you often?”
    He grinned at her ruefully as he stood up.
    “Not really,” he said. “In fact, this is the first time.” He
looked down at the dead man contemplatively. “If I did not know better, I would
think this Uncle Stephen’s handiwork.”
    He shook his head at her questioning regard. “Oh, he isn’t
really an uncle, that’s just what we called him.” He stopped whatever he was
about to say and looked attentively at the wall as if seeing something there
invisible to anyone but himself.
    “Hmm…” he said sharply. “Did you bring a guest?” Jinhao
frowned, trying to see what he meant. All she could see was the wall and the
open window she had come through.
    “I do not know what you mean,” she replied. Owen Strong cocked
his head to one side as if listening to something. He made an arcane pass with
his cane. A line of red light no thicker than a thread came from out of the
window to touch her on the head.
    “Yes…” he said absently. “Definitely a sending, definitely not
European, and just as definitely aimed at you.” He looked at her quizzically.
“Have you run afoul of a Sorcerer? I do not even know if the Han have Sorcerers?
Do you?”
    Jinhao’s eyes narrowed in thought. It must be the slimy court Sorcerer,
Xu, who was a pet of the Empress. She had no idea that her rejection of his
amorous advances would lead to his sending some evil magic after her though. If
he had sent a Court Demon, it was most serious.
    “Come, come,” Strong said impatiently. “You clearly know
something. Out with it. I cannot help you if you will not share what you
know!” 
    “Yes, Han do,” she said hesitantly, “Very rare. The Imperial
Court employs one such. His name is Xu. He will have command of the Imperial
Demons. They are very dangerous.” The man, Owen Strong, rubbed his hands
together smiling. Surely he could not understand the danger they were in!
    “Demon, eh?” he nodded briskly towards the window. “Well, my
wards should keep it out.” As if to underscore