The veiled war, p.1
The Veiled War, page 1
The
Veiled War
THE
VEILED WAR
A beyond the Veil novel
m. w. mcleod
The Veiled War
Copyright © 2023 M. W. McLeod
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations for review purposes.
This novel’s story and characters are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, or events is purely coincidental. Certain long-standing institutions, agencies, and public offices are mentioned, but the characters and situations involved are wholly imaginary.
Cover, Chapter Header, and Page Break Copyright © 2022 Andrew McCaffrey
Headliner No. 45 Font provided by Kevin Christopher // KC Fonts
ISBN (eBook): 978-1-957257-08-2
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-957257-06-8
First Edition: 2023.03.31
Disclaimer: In no known universe does Magdiana ever know what she wants. If you ever find Magdiana has figured out what she wants, this author suggests running or jumping out of her way at your earliest convenience and at full speed.
Also By M. W. McLeod
DEALS OF THE DAMNED SERIES
Demonic Deals
Deadly Deals
Divine Deals
Section Seven
Speakeasy Times
For Chelsi. Without you and your encouragement, this book wouldn’t exist.
Prologue
Tuesday, May 5, 1942
M
ika looked around the group of misfits in the war room with her. Between them was a massive map with markings showing the locations of all the known battlefronts. How could such a small group do everything necessary to end this? It felt insurmountable, but they had no choice but to try. She raised a hand to pull a few loose strands of white hair from her youthful, heart-shaped face, revealing blue eyes with dark circles under them. Where an older person's hair was white with age, hers denoted a strength hidden beneath the surface. It was a trait all her kin shared. Like her outward appearance, she tried to look and act powerful right now, even if she felt like a sham. These people wanted a leader. Some of their qualifications outshined hers by a wide margin. It didn't feel like she belonged among this elite group, and yet she found herself here among them despite her misgivings.
After a brief pause, she began the meeting. "Okay. Let's start with the latest news first, I suppose. The Führer's directive number forty-one for the taking of Stalingrad. We can't let them gain more ground. We need to keep morale up by any means necessary. Kane, would you care to share your thoughts?"
"It won't be easy for them to defend," a well-built man with a pair of dark feathered wings dominating his back said. He had dark hair cut in a militaristic style and a piercing analytical gaze as he stared down at the map. He pointed towards the nearby river. "The only way between east and west are two bridges, so the Axis will focus their resources there and try to cut the city off from supply lines. The Russians are not as prepared as the Axis, and our mutual enemies will send firepower to destroy any resources they have. Even with the minimal aid, we can muster in time, the battle is the humans' to win or lose, regardless of any influence from our side."
"If I had to make a guess given the timeline we have, they'll try to take it fast. They may have a witch with a demonic summoning contract on their side." A blonde woman with laugh lines that turned into wrinkles many years before said.
Beside her, a big, fluffy dog that looked almost like a wolf released a muted, "Boof." A moment later, the witch reached down to pat her familiar's side.
"Thank you, Joy," Mika began before getting interrupted by a fae man with dark, slicked back hair. She stifled a groan. So much for keeping the meeting orderly.
"So, on top of everything else, we're dealing with a demon in a populated city? We can't afford for them to unleash a demon on the city. Innocents will die!"
"Calm yourself. Cooler heads are required now, your royal highness. The humans are not stupid. Like us, they received ample warning of this attack, and with any luck, they will order an evacuation without our prompting. However, you are correct. We must convince them to preserve innocent lives. If that demon finds a civilian populace, I fear the bloody ramifications of their choice. Yet again, we'll send as many forces as we can muster, spreading ourselves even thinner than before. I am running low on fodder to sacrifice to this effort." The man who spoke paused, allowing the paper-thin skin on a sallow and hauntingly pale face to rest for a moment, the flesh stretched taut over prominent cheekbones. His voice rattled in his throat, and he stood stalk still, only moving when necessary in a set of ancient-looking plate armor made of heavy iron alloy. Like the man himself, his armor stood as a contradiction. It showed signs of age and tarnish, but upon further inspection, magic reinforced the metal. His hands rested atop one another with his chin perched just above despite the gauntlets he wore. Even in the face of such adversity, he remained calm, though the rasp of his voice sounded like he needed a throat lozenge. Behind him, two bodies wearing combat gear saluted in perfect sync. Their eyes glowed with ethereal blue magic, but the rest of them showed varied levels of decay. They were a tiny portion of his army of the undead.
"We appreciate the help of your legions, Keastod, and while I value your insight, we must send as much aid as possible. They will not listen; I saw it already. Prepare for an intense battle, and remember, the Russians have numbers and familiarity with the terrain on their side." Kane took a deep breath. It took a monumental effort to keep himself calm despite the memories of the grizzly battle he divined. "As for the civilians, what means do we have to extract them? Each life the demon takes will make it more powerful, more hungry, and if the onus is on us to protect them, our asses are on the line. Is this city worth the trouble?"
"You've got to find a way for them to listen! We trust you to help us fix this, horseman. Are you not War? Are you not in your element?"
"You overstep, Vincent," Kane said through gritted teeth. His knuckles popped as his hands curled into fists at his side, but he held back from acting on the urge to pummel the fae into a pulp.
A moment of eerie silence fell over the group before Vinny remembered himself. He cleared his throat and adjusted his collar as he said, "The fae will stick to what we're best at and keep producing enough dust to keep people hiding or healed." He glanced over at his driver, who muttered something under his breath about drinking a pint to get through the meeting. "We can shuttle people out, but it's not enough. How big is the population there? A hundred thousand? More? Paddy's Saoirse only seats four. We could get important people out, but we must consider our options if a mass exodus becomes necessary."
"We do not have time to waste on what ifs and suppositions, and we already know none of us command the power necessary to evacuate on such a scale. Let's focus on things that matter." Kane glanced at the driver. "Tell me, how is your vehicle going to survive a battle when some tanks won't make it through?"
The dullahan, who held his head under his arm like a sports ball, turned one glowing eye towards the nephilim while the other watched his charge. A cocky grin pulled across his face, and he spoke at a mile a minute in his thick brogue, "I can assure ya, they won't touch my car so long as I'm the one behind the wheel. The last thing ya should worry about is Saoirse getting caught up in something."
"Yeah! Paddy goes whoosh, and the car jumps into the ghost world. It's so neat," a pixie who wore an elaborate wooden crown that glittered with fae light said from the seat beside Vinny.
Kane blinked a few times, hearing the brief description before giving the man a nod. For a moment, he questioned the logic of leaving them to care for the young queen, but he learned not to question the ways of the fae long ago. Dealing with them wasn't worth the hassle. The pixie would grow up in time and learn to rule soon enough. He hated how the world forced the young lady to learn about death and war so early. "If her majesty says it will work, I believe you."
Vinny rubbed his temples, trying to soothe his growing headache. "Your input is much appreciated, Your Majesty." He sighed, looking over at the blonde witch. "Is there anything to counteract this demon summoning, Joy?"
"I'm afraid not. Warding the city would take time and resources we don't have. There aren't enough witches to do it. I suggest the same tactic we've used everywhere else. Choose the important buildings to protect, and I'll send a team there to lock it down as best we can. As you know, it won't be impenetrable by any means, but it is the best defense I can offer when demons are involved. At least they won't be able to get in without trouble." She looked at the map and hummed for a moment in thought. "Guarding the area where the ley lines meet is our best strategy. If they plan on summoning a demon or starting a ritual of any sort, they'll do it there."
"I agree. We must guard any ley convergence or energy vortex near the area. I could provide a handful of my men to the cause. How long until your advance team can get to Stalingrad to work on protections? As always, the military outpost, bomb shelters, and hospitals are on the top of my list of important locations. With each new threat, we're spreading ourselves too thin. At some point, we must face the fact that we can't save everybody," Keastod said.
"I don't think we can afford to fortify many buildings beyond those already listed. Otherwise, our fortifications will become obvious." Kane regarded Mika with his mismatched green and black eyes, one of the most obvious signs of his mixed angel and demon blood. "How fast can your Hunters get into position, and how many can you spare? Their skills could help divert attention away from those buildings."
She hummed for a moment while she thought it over. "It depends on who I can muster. Many of our family are already out in the field, and the others remained neutral. I respect their decisions, especially after so many of them lost parents or children. If I can, I will send someone with abilities similar to a witch or demon. Maybe even an elf if I can. I wish we had somebody who encountered a kraken before," she said without stopping, allowing her train of thought to flow for a moment too long and regretting it. She wanted to learn when to keep her cards close to her chest better. This war taught her many hard lessons, but she could become a better leader because of it one day. Still, it felt like a failure at the moment. "Their healing factor would be useful, but I digress. Our people have many tricks at our disposal. What each person can do depends on their own connections." She tutted a bit. They needed to come up with a solution to help them in these situations. After a moment, she realized how distracted she'd become, and said, "I apologize for my tangent. Please let's proceed."
The room remained quiet for a moment before Kane took the lead again. "See if you can get a census of your people and their abilities. Once we get a better idea about what we're dealing with, we can adjust our plans from there," Kane said, looking at each face around the table. "As much as we all benefit from improved healing for the people on our side, finding and subduing a kraken is the least of our problems right now. Let's focus on what matters for the time being. As for the rest, we still have time before the house of cards topples over. Take a while to think about all the players and options. We'll be back here again soon enough."
Keastod spoke up, eyeing Joy's dog rather than anybody at the table. "I will see what I can do about having my elven contacts work on enchanting weapons. If we can swap some magical ones out with normal ones, this can help take down whatever they throw at us. I take it that the hideouts and escape rooms they were working on are no longer viable options?"
"No, they take too much time and effort to sustain. More magical weapons in the hands of the men will help, but it might not be enough. Are there any existing unused reserves? Did we not deal with this same issue during the last world conflict?" Kane asked, sounding firm even though he felt . He hoped to never deal with another war again in his lifetime, but he doubted he would get so lucky.
Vinny glanced over at his driver. "Remember all those times we lifted booze from the police station in the twenties? I bet we could manage the same thing with Section Seven if we could get our hands on the catacomb blueprints."
The dullahan cackled, and his eyes lit up with blue fire. "I might remember a time or two, Flames."
"Are you two suggesting stealing weapons from Vatican City?" Mika asked with pursed lips and a condescending tone. Fae always had the biggest egos, but if they could get results, could any of them deny their help? These men were crazy. Her eyes gravitated towards the young queen sitting beside the king regent. She hoped they taught Tatiana what she should know without rubbing off on her too much.
"Well, yes." Vinny tipped his chin up at Paddy. "He can drive anywhere undetected. As long as they suspect nothing, getting extra armaments is as easy as taking candy from a baby."
Mika shook her head in both disbelief and denial of the insane option. How did she lose control of the meeting this time? She wasn't cut out for this. "You would have an easier time robbing their counterparts, THE Agency. As far as the Hunters are concerned, the Terrestrial Hidden Existence Agency needs to tighten up their security. If what you're telling us is true, you won't run into any trouble."
Kane held up a hand to stop them. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We are running short on time and personnel. Going along with this plan stretches our resources even further apart than before. We must focus on the assets we have and use them to our advantage. We can't afford to draw and quarter ourselves in this situation. Simplicity is our ally."
"What we have," Tatiana looked over at the king regent with a bright, hopeful expression, "are a bunch of sarcastic assholes and a gun."
Paddy tried to hold back a chuckle but ended up devolving into a fit of laughter. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I wasn't expecting that response from ya."
Joy's dog scampered over to the diminutive pixie and sniffed at Queen Tatiana with surprising gentleness given his size. He perked up for a second, and a near-silent, "Boof," came from him. He laid down at the ground beneath her chair and looked up as he waited to steal the girl's attention away from the meeting.
Tatiana giggled and jumped down from her perch. Her tiny wings fluttered and little sparkles of faerie dust glittered in the surrounding air. She landed on the dog's back and gave him scratches and pets.
Mika's eyes gravitated towards Joy. She nodded in appreciation for removing Queen Tatiana from the conversation without a fuss. Maybe the fae should keep her in a safe, hidden location until the war ended. Then again, how else would the queen learn? Mika learned her current role by doing it, and even though she felt far from proficient, she made do. They all made do nowadays. "Let's continue."
"I hate to admit it, but she is right. Between keeping magic hidden and our already dwindling numbers, I fear there isn't much more we can do to turn the tides in our favor," Keastod told the group in a stalwart manner.
"We're all here to preserve life." Joy smiled disarmingly. Despite the grim state of things, she lived up to her namesake, if nothing else. "It might not be as much life as we want to save, but something is better than nothing. I know we have a few witches stuck in prisons and camps. As much as it pains me to think about them being there, I find comfort in knowing they are likely to teach other prisoners magic. It might seem small, but if they can put up any sort of fight thanks to what they learned, I consider it a success."
Keastod pointed at the ceiling as an idea struck him. His eyes scanned the map with intensity as he searched for something. Then he pointed to a camp they had marked. "In that vein of thought, I know one thing that can help turn the tides in our favor in one fell swoop. There is a fighter who, from the last reports I received, I believe ended up here. He went missing a few months back. With his skills, we would only send one man to save the city."
"The POW camp?" Kane asked.
"Yes. He's as strong as your average human, but what he lacks in physical strength, he gains in endurance and sheer stubbornness."
"What's so special about him? Didn't we already shoot down ideas that wasted our time?" Vinny asked.
Keastod paused for a beat, remaining as unfettered a possible. The lack of trust hurt, but the times called for more than grandiose claims. They needed results. "In the simplest of terms, he is immortal. I'm not sure how or why, but he can't die. Trust me, me and my men tried. Create an opening for the prisoners to escape, and you unlock the key to winning on whatever battlefront you point him towards."
Mika eyed the location on the map. "Do we have a map of the camp?"
Kane looked the area over. "Not yet, but I can get one."
She hummed as she considered their options. "I think I know a couple of people with the abilities to get them out. An immortal soldier could help us turn the tides."
"Good." Keastod nodded. "Find a man named Eibon. He'll be the one who looks the most relaxed when the fire flies."
"I'll send in a group of Hunters with the most distracting and destructive abilities," Mika deadpanned.
"He will be fine no matter what you throw at him, but try not to go too overboard. There are still innocent people in there."
She waved. "I'm not so worried about their aim. Don't get your metatarsals in a twist. They can get your man out in no time."
Keastod looked indignant at the underhanded bone reference. "I may be undead, but that is uncalled for. I suppose your methods are a proper distraction, if nothing else. So do we agree to break Eibon out before redirecting resources to Stalingrad?"
