If he only knew he was actually talking to one. If he only knew what I spent my afternoon doing.
Sil never tried to hold my hand, take my arm or anything else that could be considered PDA. She didn’t even flirt with the group of European guys that kept ogling her and saying things in a language I didn’t understand.
Judging from their looks at me and laughs some of it was probably the usual, “I could kick that kid’s ass,” or, “He must be hung like a donkey.” I’ve heard ‘em all and could care less. And truthfully, they didn’t really do a thing other than ogle, laugh and have a good time.
After the tour I did stop us at Café DuMonde. Pleasant conversation was punctuated by powdered sugar beignets and hot chocolate. While returning Sil asks me if I want to take a bet that Sheyliene was waiting in front of the lift.
I’m not taking that bet. A good thing too; she was camped out in front of the lift sitting cross legged. Sil totally bypassed her heading straight over to Karen – to dish I guess. Me, I got the twenty questions treatment – all of which I answered “no” to.
The morning comes early and I workout with Vets, like we used to do – just me and her. By the time we are done, Sil had arisen all dressed in her camo and combat boots, ready to go buy that new car.
I clean up a bit and we go buy the Suburban – a black one, fully loaded. Mr. Salesman was a little confused at me, I think expecting someone much, much older looking. If he only knew how old I really am... All the same I think he got over it when I told him I was writing a check then and there.
Money talks.
On the way back, I figured out why Sil wanted to come along for the purchase. “Let’s break it in,” was the theme. There is no real attempt to get me in the backseats, just numerous flirty suggestions. She even admitted that she just missed being trashy with me and was just having fun revisiting her, “old slutty ways.”
It takes no time to get everyone loaded up and I have to admit, this vehicle is so much better than a minivan: room, comfort, sound system – ride even. Everyone thought so too. Karen laments that we really could have used it yesterday. Though it lost a little luster for me the first time I had to fill it up.
But still, the vehicle is clean – meaning no GPS bugs, no RFID tags and we cannot be traced to our destination. That destination is Znuul’s bunker in Oldham County, Kentucky – a good 10 hour plus drive. I take the first five hours, Sil took the last five plus.
The drive was totally uneventful. Nobody accosting us at lunch. Nobody at gas-ups – of which there were too many. It just shows me that yes, the mini-van must be bugged.
Eventually we pull into the gravel drive of Znuul’s bunker. We stop the car at the beginning of the drive, where the cameras are hidden. I get out and display myself. I figure Znuul wouldn’t recognize the car and I didn’t want to find out what countermeasures he might have in place.
After a round of waving and turning around to the cameras, I jump back in the car and we make our way up the winding drive. We get to the big metal warehouse like building, lit up with floodlights and the red door opens followed by that waif of a girl, Kitten, flying out dressed in nothing more that her “house uniform” and some sneakers.
Sil parks the car and Karen is greeted by the almost bouncing Kitten. “He’s so looking forward to seeing you! I’m Kitten! Follow me and come in! He’s going to be sooo happy to see you!” She tries to take Karen by the hand and bring her in, but apparently Karen’s not much for holding hands right now.
The look Karen shoots me speaks volumes – “This is her?”
I ask the girls to get the luggage, for a change, and follow Karen inside the big red door on the metal building.
I’m barely inside the door when Pffif’s excited voice breaks the quiet. “Master Arthur – by the stars, ye finally be here!” He didn’t go as far as hugging me, but it was close. I hear Hjuul’s excited barking coming from the garage.
Then Znuul rounds the corner in human form, cutting through the kitchen from his bedroom area. He is moving quickly, then suddenly he stops dead about four feet in front of Karen. He has a huge smile on face.
That is until Karen and he lock eyes. I can’t read Karen. Not at all. But Znuul’s expression changes from Mr. Happy-To-See-You, to very serious. There was maybe ten seconds of silence – it felt like forever. Even the girls with the luggage sensed the tension.
Then Znuul breaks the silence, his deep voice actually wavering, “I tried to tell him to get out, you know. He was… he… insisted I get the kids out instead. I… I tried to warn him.” The wavering turns to full on sobbing. Tears are streaming from his eyes. “He let me go. I couldn’t save him. I was too far away. I tried to warn him… I.. ”
The moment is broken by Kitten’s shrill scream. “No! You bitch! You’re supposed to make him happy!” She grabs Karen’s arm and spins her around. “You need to go, now! Get out you bitch. Get out of here!”
Kitten jumps about a foot when Znuul’s angry deep voice snaps a resounding “No!”
Sil quietly drops her bag, steps in between Karen and Kitten, gently taking Kitten’s arms, rubbing them up and down. “Calm down honey,” Sil says. Kitten’s eyes are now darting between Sil’s and Znuul’s, her breathing heavier – I recognize the signs of Sil’s neuromancy invading Kitten. “Sometimes you have to share the hurt to heal it right," Sil whispers to Kitten. Now Sil’s hand is caressing her cheek.
Kitten is confused, looking between Sil and a now pissed off Znuul. Kitten turns to Sil, “But she’s making him hurt.”
“It’s OK” Sil says in soothing tones, now taking her into a hug.
I can tell Sil is piling it on her. It says a great deal of Kitten’s bond to my brother in revenge that she hasn’t totally caved.
“You need a distraction honey. I’m a great distraction. Come with me.” Sil’s takes her by the hand and tries to lead her away. Kitten stops and looks at Znuul almost pleading.
“Go, “He spits out to Kitten, “Just go.”
She obeys and follows Sil’s lead down the hall.
“Succubus,” Znuul yells. Sil turns.
“Thank you.” Sil smiles and bows her head back to him.
Znuul wipes the tears from his eyes and readdresses Karen, “My apologies. She is very protective of me. I… uh… I didn’t mean to blubber either.”
Karen closes the gap between them and takes him in a wrapping hug. I see her starting to heave and cry. Znuul closes his eyes and begins to weep again.
“I never stopped believing in you” she manages to say between tears.
“I miss him,” Znuul says quietly, “I so very, very miss him.”
“Me to,” says Karen breaking the hug. She wipes the tears from her eyes, takes Znuul by the hand and guides him to the sofa, where she sits down and pulls him down to her, cradling his huge frame. They both sit there, him his head resting across her lap and her arms around him - both off in their own world of mourning, saying nothing.
I feel a tug on my pant leg and look down at Pffif. “They be needing their time. You be needin’ to see what I built.”
“Yea – come on group,” I say to Vets and Shey. Vets is right in step. Shey is just staring at Karen and Znuul with arms crossed and a blank look on her face. “Come on Shey.” I get no reaction.
So, I leave my fixated fairy and follow Pffif into the garage. After being about tackled by my hound, I note the huge topographical map of the earth spread out across the garage with a string “x” in the midst of it. “We be usin’ almost zero friction pulleys ona X an Y axis. The world map’s havin’ actual soils built in from all over and that sorcerer there promises,” he says pointing at Arix, “that spindle thing will pull to the place on the map where the bastard be. Ain’t it something? Took me days buildin’ the map thing and days more to be tunin’ the pulley mechanism.”
Pffif leans up on the map, takes a deep breath and blows at the spindle, sending it moving.
“Sensitive – ye see?”
&nbs
p; “And why we built it here in the garage where there’s no air conditioning blowing on it,” says Arix. He seems rather proud of himself – in this case, I think that’s good.
“We be ready,” says Pffiferil.
“It’s true, my wielder,” adds Arix. “The tracking spell and channeling vessel for the energies have been created. All we need to do is create the connection, and bind the energy to the vessel. Our tests using known landmarks worked. That of course is different than the energies our binding spell will hopefully latch on to.
“Truly impressive jester,” is Vets’ comment walking around the map. She flashes Pffiferil a quick smile, which is almost unheard of. “Now if it works...”
“Acch! Of course it be workin! That is unless the sorcerer messed somethin’ up.”
I take in the magnitude of this work and am really impressed. They’ve been busy… and apparently getting along well. But then Pffiferil seems to gets along with everyone.
After a long while of catching up we are interrupted by Znuul’s bellowing voice, “All come! It is time.”
Chapter 74
We all look at each other after hearing the very loud call.
Arix summons up my worst fear with a few words, “The General calls.”
I looked over to Pffiferil for some confirmation and all I get is a shrug as he turns and heads for the door back into the bunker.
General Znuul, that’s what Sheyliene always called him. That’s who he was. One who sat at the right hand of the emperor of hell itself – sorry the Helterzen realm. Powerful, unforgiving – the Destroyer of Hope and Devourer of Souls - an unmovable force that met the Queen of the Fae in battle on her home turf and lived to tell the tale after actually bringing harm to her and all around.
A beast of legend. Now, my brother in revenge. I remind myself that Maldgorath is himself somewhat a beast of legend and just as old. I remind myself that was then, this is now. My hesitation overcome, I head back in with Arix, Vets and Hjuul in tow.
Znuul and Karen have left the couch and are standing in the wide open area. Sheyliene I don’t think has moved, though she did look over at me to give me a halfish smile. Znuul surveys us and cracks a half-smile himself.
“Sorry about the display earlier, but it’s time to see if Arix’s spell can power that thing – you ready sorcerer?”
“Of course,” is Arix’s deadpan response.
“Time to see if we can track our prey then.”
We all start to head back in to the garage, when the sound of a door flinging open and padding feet get our attention – it must be Sil and Kitten. I turn to see it’s only Sil, now wearing Kitten’s house robe.
“What did I miss?” she asks looking at all of us with urgency.
“Where’s Kitten?” asks Znuul.
“In her bed, happy, tired – I asked her to stay.” Sil’s eyes turn to Karen, “She’s really nice, just kind of overly protective of him.”
Znuul sighs and looks at Karen. “Are you two sleeping toge…?”
That gets him a punch in the arm by Karen before he can finish.
He blanches at the punch, looks at Karen with a furrowed brow, rubbing his arm like it really hurt. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes I did. I’ll only tell you once like I told Arthur. Sil’s a friend and that’s all.”
They left it at that and we all file back into the garage. Arix makes a bee-line to a small wooden box where he pulls out a tiny crystal, a brass looking apparatus, the communicator coin thing and a piece of chalk. He sets the apparatus down, draws a circle around it with intricate glyphs on the floor and installs both the crystal and the communicator device.
“We are ready,” says Arix standing from his work, “All that is required is my wielder’s permission to make contact.”
I have compelled Arixtumin to never contact Maldgorath without my express wishes. This is for obvious reasons. In fact, he’s not even allowed to speak if I allow a connection made. I still don’t believe Arix to be trusted.
I look around and ask everyone if they’re ready. I get affirmatives from everyone and a “But,” from Znuul.
“He cannot know I’m here. No one here is to let him know we are in league. It’s the last layer of his surprise.” He looks around at us all. “Mouths shut – right?”
The group responds collectively with, “yea’s” and “right’s.”
I look at Arix. “Dial him up.”
Arix touches the coin thing and calls out his name, “Lord Maldgorath, I beseech thee.”
Beseech… jeez.
We wait about a minute and tell him to do it again. He does.
After a short pause, Maldgorath’s slimy voice resonates from around the coin-like communicator device.
“Arthur? Is that you? It must be, Arixtumin doesn’t appear to be allowed to speak to me.”
Well that confirms my fear that Maldy would be trying to get Arix to sell me out some way. I feel relieved I’ve prevented that from occurring.
“No sir,” I say back loudly. “He’s not allowed to play. By the way, how’s that shoulder of yours – being almost split in two can hurt.”
I can almost feel his teeth grind. The impunity of a human talking to him in such a way!
Kind of makes me smile.
“I heal rather rapidly from things like that Arthur, you know that. By the way, how is it you so effectively shield yourself from my scrying view?”
“Maybe he has a witch helping him you horse’s arse,” Karen says coolly.
“Ah yes, Ms. Redditch, if Ahtsag was here I’m sure he’d have some words for you, knowing him it would probably be about splitting open your loins with his erect rod.”
Karen’s eyes immediately look over at Znuul and she smiles. “So is Ahtsag your summonling or is he just that much of a piece of shit?”
“Oh, I’m afraid he’s just that much of a piece of shit, Ms. Redditch. And would he happen upon you, I do think he would take many and glorious liberties with your flesh. At least that is what he tells me.”
Karen is smiling. She knows he’s full of crap.
“So where are you buddy?” I interject, “Been so long. We should get together.”
“In time you impertinent worm. On my terms. On my timeline.”
I look over to Arix who is frantically gesturing over the apparatus. Apparently a little more time is needed.
“Fair enough Maldy.” I know he hates that name, but I can’t help but bait him a little. “You’re going to make me have to come find you. Hmm… let’s see. How about the QuanJing Metal Foundry? That sounds like a good starting point?”
That gets nothing but silence from the bastard. I’m thinking I touched a nerve.
“Surely you’re not there now? Hells bells Maldy, that’s like the worst kept secret ever. Talk about being in the most probable place.”
“Well I know where your family is,” is his come-back in an almost neener-neener fashion.
Shey starts to buck up at that. She even gets out a, “You!” out. But Znuul was right behind her, large hand over her mouth and he restrains her.
“Was that my little Pixie I heard? I can hardly wait to get her back, she was one of my better performers and certainly made me good coin. She was always so enthusiastic under fresh dominance."
He’s called out my family. That was inevitable. But now is no time to back down, no time to show fear.
“Yeps, that was her. Come on down, you can say hi to her and her little bow. Oh, that’s right. I can’t see you actually paying my family a visit. You’ll just send some of your summonlings. You have no backbone. Come on to North Carolina, let me serve you up some true southern hospitality.”
Things get quiet again. Then Arix looks up at me excitedly, giving a thumbs up. We’ve done it he thinks.
“You’d like that? In fact I bet that’s the whole purpose of this little talk – make me emotional, make me show up where you want me to? You don’t have a clue where I am. You’re guessing. Ha! Yo
u don’t fool me so easily.”
Znuul is rolling his eyes and smirking while still maintaining his grasp on a squirming and kicking Sheyliene.
“Fine then. Where to meet? Surely you want round two as much as I do?”
“On my terms, human. Oh, is my Silithes there? Darling, you hurt me badly.”
“Only the beginning,” she snaps back.
“Oh, shame. Here’s something to consider. Bring Arthur to me and when I reap his spirit, I will gift you to someone of much lesser will – maybe even a mentally deficient – someone that possibly even you can possibly dominate. Imagine that – owning your own wielder. Sweet, no? Same offer for you Arixtumin.”
“Not happening dirt bag - you killed my Jerry,” Sil spits back.
I make the signal to Arix to cut the communication and he does.
Standing now, he plucks the crystal from the brass holder and hands it to Pffiferil, who hops on the map walks over to the nexus of the device and installs the crystal in a holder. Then Pffif carefully leaves the table.
“Do it Sorcerer,” orders Pffiferil.
Arix mutters some unintelligible phrases and draws a figure in the air. “Reveal!” he proclaims. The crystal glows slightly and the pointer begins to move ending over an area in China.
“Well I’ll be,” says Karen, Maldgorath is in China.
Znuul lets go of Sheyliene’s mouth. She turns around and I can only imagine the look she’s giving him. He’s not paying attention to her though, instead he's looking at me, Karen, Arix and Pffif
“It works. Job well done.”
“You expected less,” asks Arix.
“Hey,” interjects Sil turning me by the arm. “You know that offer stuff is just crap to divide us, right?”
“Yea.”
“China here we come!” proclaims Sil to the group.
“No,” says Znuul stopping the momentum of the moment.
The Wielder: Sworn Vengeance (The Wielder Series) Page 29
