Alistair scans the group and holds out his hands in a conciliatory fashion. “No testing of metal Edgar. Come, I will take you to see Karen.”
The spindly looking flunky rushes to his side and whispers something in his ear, which he dismisses immediately. “Bring other crawlers. Good Madam you may not come due to your blood. Our wards would not take to you kindly.”
The cowl of her hood nods accordingly.
“Those not of guild, are not welcome,” he throws in. That means me.
“I plan to see my friend,” I let him know.
“You are not guilded.”
“I beg to differ” comes Edgar.
“The Order of Light claims him,” follows Frederick.
The Madam’s soft voice follows them both. “I am not in the hierarchy of the Hands anymore but I am sure if I was to suggest his inclusion, they would abide.”
Then, Greg appears in front of Alistair, causing him to jump slightly. “You can’t mean that I’m not going to be allowed to see her, really? Me? Just because I’m not officially guild affiliated?”
The silent Hiro makes his voice heard. “The Shadows have always considered the Sword one of their own.”
There we are. Greg and I are in. Though I’m pretty sure Alistair has no problem with Greg – at least openly.
“Fine,” he says with a forced grin. “Let us go.”
We make our way to the opening and inside to the crystalline cavern. Only we don’t go up to the tower. Alistair touches a part of the wall and it opens to a hallway. We follow the hallway to stairs and go down – several levels deep into the bowels of the Magerium.
Torches with bright green magical flames light our way and we find ourselves going down a long hall with a series of large metal doors. We stop in front of one of the doors - a dungeon like door.
“Keep these things in mind,” says Alistair “She approved use of anti-anxiety medicines and also remember that she is very powerful. I doubt we could keep her protected if she wished otherwise.”
The door is unlocked and we enter.
My heart stops for a beat.
There is Karen, her hair greasy and matted, eyes sunken; wearing a floral blue house coat with a terry cloth bib around her neck and an IV in her arm. There’s what appears to be food and drool on the bib. She’s staring at television with a cartoon running.
She looks over at us, then Edgar. “Unca” I hear her almost say with a slight change of expression to what might be considered maybe a smile. Then she turns back to the TV and a huge stream of drool comes from her mouth to the bib.
“Dear god!” Christophe exclaims and goes to her side. He examines her IV. “Thorazine Alistair? This is not anti-anxiety medication, this is a chemical lobotomy!” Christophe looks around for something and not finding it, makes his demands known.
“I need gauze and adhesive.”
But Christophe doesn’t wait. He pulls the IV line carefully and sets his fingers upon the opening, muttering a healing prayer. He holds his hand out to me. “Arthur, lend me your strength, we must perform the prayer against poisons.”
I take his hand and we begin the incantation of the prayer to heal against poisons. I close my eyes and try to will my energy to Christophe so he can in turn channel the healing energies to Karen. We conclude the prayer and Karen gasps a deep breath.
“Where did you all… Where am I?” she asks.
She looks around, “What is happening?”
“Woe be unto our enemies if this is how we treat our friends,” says Frederick.
I find that statement rather telling.
Karen tries to stand, but has issues – I can’t be sure if from the drugs or from being inactive for so long. Christophe is there to help.
I am just stunned. This is unreal.
Karen is standing now, with help, looking around the room confused. She catches sight of the IV rig and bag. She pulls off her bib in disdain. “Oh my god, I’m wearing a diaper and I’ve used it.”
Her eyes lock on Alistair and her face becomes enraged. She lunges at him slapping at him. He’s probably fully warded and not worrying about it. Frederick grasps her around the waist and pulls her back gently as he can.
She relaxes in Frederick’s grasp and he lets her go. She stands wobbly for a brief moment then turns to Alistair, hate in her eyes. “Nullen!” she exclaims holding her hand out and there is a sound of breaking glass. Alistair’s face is one of panic.
She just took down his wards.
I rush forward in front of her as Alistair’s entourage pull foci and guns. “Don’t, Karen. We’re here for you. He’s of no consequence. Hear me, Karen… we need you.”
She closes her eyes. When her eyes open back up all the rage is gone.
“Karen, we did this for your own good. You know you are vulnerable to the beast Znuul,” Alistair proclaims. “You know the stress and conflict you were under. We were trying to be compassionate.”
I don’t really want to hear any of this from Alistair. I don’t think Karen does either.
“In the future, Karen” says Frederick “You may wish to use a closed fist and put more hip into your blows.”
That at least got her to smile.
Being in between her and Alistair, I realize some lessons are best learned with demonstration. I turn and blast Alistair’s jaw with my right hand.
He crumples like a used paper cup before its thrown to the garbage.
“Fist like that? Hips like that?” I ask Frederick.
Chapter 61
I hold my hands up and step away, now having a nasty wand and several guns trained on me.
Frederick says nothing but beams a smile at me two miles wide. “I should heal our leader:” he says eventually, leaning down to Alistair. “Holy father! I lay my hands upon this man in need, help me heal his wounds!” With that he lays hands upon Alistair who bolts up.
Before he can say a word, Frederick has Alistair’s attention and nods “no” to him.
There is a silence around the room, I’m sure partly from my indiscretion and partly from how weird this whole situation is.
I break the silence.
“Karen, I need you. I’m hunting the Collector and have good leads. Leave this place and come with me – let’s get the bastard who killed Grey.”
“Znuul is the one who is responsible for Grey’s death,” Alistair responds.
I have to be careful. They can’t know I’m aligned with Znuul. “Hey, maybe Znuul was involved, but The Collector paid the bills to make it happen. And that son of bitch must die for what he did to my family… and hers. Karen… I need you. And you aren’t doing much good here in a chemical coma.”
She looks at me, albeit confused now. I just look back and say, “come on, you need this too.”
“Karen if you leave us, you forsake your role in the Magerium,” bellows Alistair.
Edgar doesn’t miss a beat, “Your uncle who’s been kicked out of the Magerium long ago offers you a home.”
If looks could kill, Alistair just slayed Edgar, however that’s not the case.
I take her gently by the arm and turn her towards me, “Come on, join me. You know it’s the right thing to do.”
She nods. Alistair tells her she’s as good as kicked out of the Magerium.
“That’s your loss Alistair,” she tells him in return. “I’m leaving with Arthur – I need to do something other than just rot here for my own protection.”
There is some argument over whether she should be allowed to leave. Karen settles that with a “Am I a prisoner for committing no crime?”
That settled that.
We make our way back up to the surface without Alistair’s company. Apparently he has had enough. Once outside and in the open air, Karen falters. Christophe and I are there to catch her. We help her to the crawlers which shuttle us back to the parking area.
We get her to the van and assist her to the front seat. Shey was immediately upon her with hugs and warm words.
; “We’ll meet back at the hotel,” offers Edgar.
“No we won’t,” I correct him.
That statement gets me a look of confusion. So I explain to him my plan which is to get her out of the country as soon as possible and to my place in New Orleans. To Edgar’s credit he offers to share the Techno’s jet and I accept. We agree to meet tomorrow at Heathrow and fly out to New Orleans.
Damn, he’s a good man.
I get into the van and pull us out. Karen looks like shit. Her eyes are sunken, hair greasy and she’s probably lost ten pounds she had no business losing. She is obviously past the rage of her incarceration and now just in thought. From what I can tell, really dark, bad thoughts.
“Arthur, do you think Ahtsag is really behind all this?”
Shit. Crap. Damn. I can’t answer this question as I know we are being scryed or otherwise monitored. The car following behind me helps clarify the situation too. We are being tailed.
“By the gods Arthur!” comes Sil’s voice from the back.
I look back to see her digging into her purse and pulling out a lipstick. She uses that lipstick to draw some glyphs on the roof of the car, then follows with that snake-like phrase.
The familiar feeling of air pressure in my ears lets me know she just sealed the cabin from outside listening. That got Karen’s attention too. Sil reaches out from the backseat and takes Karen’s arm.
“Honey, he’s had nothing to do with any of this. He sent our Arthur to come get you. You need to set those thoughts free – you haven’t been betrayed. We’re bringing you back to him.”
Karen’s reaction is to mutter “oh my God.” Her whole posture relaxes and for the first time she actually smiles.”I knew it,” she tells me excitedly “I knew it.”
I feel so good being able to say “Yes you did.”
Then after a few moments of telling us about all the differences in the imposter she thought she saw, she turns to look back at Sil, “Thank you Silithes, you have no idea the relief knowing this gives me.”
“You’re welcome,” Sil responds. “But actually I had a pretty good idea about that.”
Chapter 62
We collect our things from the hotel and take some time for a brief round of good-bye’s. Then we head out for Cambridge where Karen’s flat is. I figure she has things she wants. Not the least being able to get out of that godforsaken house coat they have her in.
There isn’t even a smidgen of red on it.
Karen wanted to take time with a shower and all that. I can see that, but ask her to wait until we settle at a new hotel. This point of view gets me a small tongue-lashing from Sil, but that was settled with reminding her that the place is most likely bugged.
All agree we should just get the heck out…
After a short while, Karen appears with a duffle over her shoulder, wearing jeans and a more Karen-esque red t-shirt. In her other hand is a small leather cache. She pitches it to Sil, who snatches it one handed out of the air.
“Mage power recovery potions,” offers Karen.
Sil opens the top of the cache and looks in it. “Yummy blue stuff, thank you.”
Karen looks over to me, “Nobody wants to be around a hungry succubus. No offense Silithes.”
I concur. Sil concurs, "I don't care much for being hungry either."
We all pile into the van and head towards London. I leave the decision of the lodgings up to the group. Sil’s vote is for something super-luxurious because, as she puts it “Karen needs a change from the dungeon view.”
Sheyliene just wants me to get us another “honeymoon suite.” This little bit of exaggeration gets Karen’s interest. An earful from tiny Shey follows about the original honeymoon suite, us, and how good it really is.
Karen shoots me looks in-between Shey’s most generous sharing that are something like, “Oh really.” At least she’s smiling - even if it’s at my expense.
The group agrees upon luxury. When Shey and Sil are on the same page, I’m not one to interfere with the harmony. The Four Seasons is agreed upon by all. I feel the drain on my bank account coming. But, what good is money if you don’t use it? Karen calls ahead and reserves us three rooms.
I think to the damage Vets will do on room service and shudder.
A few hours pass and we pull into our very nice, very expensive hotel. For a penny-pincher, I’ve sure lost my touch. I stroll up to the check in desk and announce myself.
“Yes, Mr. McHenry, the clerk says stiffly in his very British accent. I have your reservation right here… three standard rooms.”
I am brushed to the side by Sil, who is leaning over the counter giving the young man checking me in a nice view of her ample upper assets.
“That’s a really nice watch,” she says, “Can I see it?”
Before I can do a thing, she has her hands on his and judging by the look on his face, she’s working him with her succubus wiles. “I’ve never seen a watch like that... And your hands are sooo soft. Hey, my friend over there has had a really bad couple of weeks, are there any room upgrades you can get her?”
Poor desk guy, his libido is being hijacked.
He stammers a bit and catches Sil’s eyes full on, “Umm, there’s maybe something I can do.”
“That would be great, something with a jetted tub… she’s had it real hard.”
When she put his finger in her mouth, I kind of figure it's over. I just give her my credit card and walk back to the group. I really don't need to see any more.
After a while, Sil rejoins us, handing us all room cards. She makes a special presentation to Karen. “You have a very nice room, with a steam shower and jetted tub, I expect you to pamper yourself and rejuvenate after all this business. Now, there’s a certain desk clerk who wants to show me a small dark room.”
“She’s going to eat him,” Shey shares.
Karen looks at Sil with some concern.
“Don’t worry, only a certain part of him” Then she sticks her tongue in her cheek, making a very lewd look that lets us know what fate would befall the desk clerk. Sil turns and leaves us.
I don’t think he’s going to mind what Sil does to him one bit.
For a standard room, mine is very nice. Shey is bouncing on the bed, not so much as to try it out as I think she just likes bouncing on beds. In fact, I know that’s the case.
Vets joins us shortly after. A little while later, there’s a knock on the door and Karen joins us as well.
“That room is huge. And quite posh,” Karen shares.
Shey of course has to have all the details, so Karen leaves with her to show her the goods.
When they return, Shey gushes about Karen's room – apparently it’s almost as nice as the honeymoon suite. Shortly after that, there’s a knock on the door and Sil rejoins the group.
“Ok, dinner plans… I’m suggesting room service,” I announce to the group.
“I’m hardly presentable at all, that sounds good,” says Karen “And that being said, I don’t want to stay in that big room alone. I’ve been in a room all alone long enough.”
Shey is quick to volunteer, but, Karen is equally as quick to decline, citing that she’d hate to separate Shey and I.
I tell her it’s okay, just for this short while.
But Karen throws us all a curve. “Silithes why don’t you stay with me? We’ve never spent time together. Maybe it’s time we get to know each other?”
Shey reminds Karen that she once mentioned she didn't care for the Cubati as a whole. Karen acknowledges that statement. “But you know, Silithes has been rather nice and seems somehow different. I’ve never taken time with her, I think it’s time to get to know her a little. Besides, I am a sorceress of some skill, Sheyliene. I don’t think she wants to test that.”
“Cool,” says Sil. “We’ll make it a spa night - do facials, mani-pedi’s and gossip about the men in our lives.”
Sil holds her hand out, “Card Arthur, we’ll need supplies.”
Chapter 63
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br /> We ordered our in-room feast, well at least Vet’s was a feast. Shey was happy with salad and fruit. Sil and Karen left literally hours ago. Sitting here watching the television, catching up on current events is just about depressing. I float the idea by the group of heading down to the bar to catch a few celebratory drinks. Pffiferil would be so bummed to miss out on drinks…
I half expect to find Sil and Karen at the bar, Sil holding court and Karen… well not as much. The thought of Sil running wild and free with my credit card sinks in and I reach over to the house phone to call their room.
Three rings and Sil picks up with a hushed voice, “Yes?”
“How about my card?”
“She’s sleeping.”
“My credit card?”
“Knock real softly.”
“We’re going to the bar, meet us there?”
“Just come up, I’ll give you the card…” The phone clicks off.
“What has she done now,” asks Shey.
“No telling, Karen’s sleeping – that’s all I got.”
We grab the elevator and go up to the seventh floor and over to their room. I make sure to knock softly. The door opens and Sil steps out into the hall, handing me the credit card.
“All dressed up?” is Shey’s comment on the fact that Sil’s wearing that blue clingy robe again, apparently with nothing else – as usual.
“Shh...” she says preemptively, “It’s pajama wear and comfy.”
“You two want to join us, when she wakes up,” I respond in a still quiet tone.
That gets an “umm, I don’t know,” from Sil. I smell the credit card for smoke.
“We’ll be at the bar, celebration drinks.” I catch myself continuing to speak real hushedly too.
“Someone needs to be here when she wakes. We got her all bathed and cleaned up, then she just fell out. She’ll be starving, I’m sure.”
That makes sense to me.
So, we pile back in the elevator and make our way down to the very civilized bar of the Four Seasons. We settle in to some nice seats with a view over Hyde Park and I order us a round of Scotch, neat, from the attentive wait staff.
The Wielder: Sworn Vengeance (The Wielder Series) Page 24
