Imperative: A Quinn Larson Quest

by P. A. Wilson

“We planted trees. Beautiful trees.” Her voice had a faraway quality. It was not earthshaking but the glow that rose in her eyes told me everything.

  Cate had been quiet. I turned to her and saw she was frowning and looking at her empty glass. “I think I have an idea.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The meeting broke up shortly after Cate told us what she was thinking. Maeve faded into the shadows, Cate went home to research her part in the plan, and I’m pretty sure to give Lionel another lecture. I went home to sleep and recharge my batteries. The damage from last night was almost healed, so a good night sleep would store up new energy.

  I hoped this ominous feeling would dissolve into my dreams.

  Our agreement was to meet in the park at dusk. I got there a little early and while I waited I tried to find a fairy, but no one was about. I had hoped to get a chance to find some blood. I didn’t have any worries about finding a spell to undo the work Fionuir had done on the amulet. I had two choices. Overlay a spell or wash away her spell. My preference would be the latter. I hated to think that the spirits of those murdered Druids being used to power a spell. They should be at rest, or freed.

  I sat on a bench close to the entrance of the park. I could see the three drug dealers back in their spot. They paid no attention to me.

  I saw Cate cross the street and enter the park. She was wearing black again. All black. It didn’t seem to suit her but I guess if she liked it I could get used to it. She joined me on the bench.

  “I found what I needed. I have a spell strong enough to put all the Sidhe asleep. It will be only for a short period. But you should have time to get in and grab the amulet.”

  I had no doubt she would do her part. I was worried about me. That damn obligation. Would it think putting them to sleep was a direct harm? What if someone fell on a sword and killed themselves. I really wanted Cate to be out of it, but she needed to cast the spell so I could enter the court and take the amulet back. “I wish we had someone else to cast the spell. I would feel better if you were out of harm’s way.”

  “Don’t be an idiot.” She laughed. “I am not going to pass up this opportunity.”

  I started to argue, to tell her that I didn’t want her to be in danger. That I would rather the Sidhe carry on rather than have anything happen to her, but before I could get out a word, Olan flapped into view.

  “Have you saved the world yet?” He asked as he landed on the back of the bench.

  I told him our plan.

  “Sounds perfect. Nothing to go wrong in that plan.” Olan cackled a laugh.

  “Okay, bird. What do you suggest? This is the first break we’ve had, and we’re doing our best. What more can we do?” I was done with Olan not helping. It was bad enough he couldn’t just stop the Sidhe and fulfill his debt to protect the humans, but he kept sniping at our attempts.

  Olan started pacing the back rail of the bench. “It usually is wise to have a backup plan. What if the Sidhe don’t fall under the spell?”

  “The spell should work. It was in the great book of artful war spells,” Cate said.

  Olan pecked at her hair. “So, we are warring with the Sidhe. How do you think a spirit wizard will fare in war?”

  “Stop that.” I pull the tress out of his beak. “We aren’t at war. I can work with this.”

  Olan made a sound that I would have sworn you needed lips for. I felt dismissed. He paused his pacing and looked at me, his beady eye drilling into my soul.

  “Witch Witherspoon.” Olan turned to her. “Do you know for certain you are able to cast the spell?”

  “In the book it says the last time it was cast was in the war between Vampires and Kobolds. The Kobolds hired a witch named Ursulina to avert a battle. She cast the spell at the peak of the full moon and all vampires within a hundred yards fell asleep for two hours.”

  Olan clacked his beak. “That is not what I asked you.”

  She cleared her throat. Annoyance flushed her cheeks. “Ursulina is my mother’s aunt. My great aunt, I suppose. I contacted her to ask her what the key to the spell was. She told me.”

  He hopped a little closer to her. “And what is that key, girl?”

  I didn’t like Olan questioning Cate. “Why do you need to know?’ I asked before she could answer. If she was going to answer that is.

  “It may be of importance. I have been in this world longer than either of you youngsters, perhaps I know more about spells than you.” His tone was wounded as though he hadn’t been interrogating Cate, just offering suggestions and help.

  Cate sighed. “I cannot tell you what the key is. It is a secret kept to my family. I can tell you that it won’t be dangerous. Or rather it won’t add to the danger. The key is available and within my power to use. I have used it before.”

  Olan bobbed his head. “What if the amulet isn’t where Maeve said it was?”

  “Do you think she lied to us?” I had considered the possibility that Maeve was setting us up, but since she seemed to have sufficient motive to support us I had already dismissed the idea.

  “If not, perhaps it has been moved,” Olan answered.

  “We can’t do anything about that,” Cate snapped at him.

  “No, but if this plan of yours, relies on Quinn’s ability to find the amulet and get out fast, perhaps it is a good idea to think of a way to deal with it being moved or hidden.”

  It didn’t help that Olan had a point. “I could look for a recognition spell.” I had a few in my books.

  Cate shook her head. “No, one of the criteria of the spell is that no one can cast another within the range. If they do, they will fall asleep.”

  Olan laughed. “Ah, so finally we start to get to the nub of it. So, tell us what the spell will do, girl.”

  Cate looked down at her lap.

  I tried to make her feel better. “Hey, don’t be upset. I know spells have rules and constraints.”

  “Thanks, it’s not that. I was just thinking them through.” She patted my arm. “Okay, the spell allows me to specify a species. I will set it to make every Sidhe in the range fall asleep. I’ll make it fifty yards to cover the building and a half block. It also constrains anyone casting a spell within that range. You can continue a spell that was cast but not cast one.” She looked at me. “Do you know any spells that you can cast first and continue?”

  “No. If I cast any of my spells while the Sidhe are aware, they’ll know. And, that will just make them come after me faster; probably while we’re trying to remove the spell.” I thought for a moment, to see if I could figure out a way to sneak a spell. “I’m worried that if they know I am seeking, Fionuir will grab the amulet, fall asleep with it in her hands and I won’t be able to take it out without hurting her.”

  Olan hopped onto my shoulder. “So, that is what you promised? Not to harm Fionuir. What is the penalty?”

  He was right. This obligation went much further than my oath. Spirit wizards can’t kill but harm is a grey area. One many of us take advantage of. “If I have to break her fingers to release the amulet, it’s pushing my oath too far. Besides, I hate hurting anyone.”

  “Is it permanent, this obligation?” Olan asked. I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. Now he was being helpful, I was reminded of how tricky he could be.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Cate slid closer to me on the bench. “We are not going to make Quinn break his oath. We don’t need to.”

  I liked the warmth that filled me when she started protecting me. “Olan, if you can’t be of help, then you can be quiet.”

  He crept closer to my ear and whispered into it. “What about that obligation? There is something, I can tell. What complications will it bring?”

  “None for anyone but me.”

  Cate shook her head. “Look, Olan. If the spell doesn’t work, Quinn won’t go in. If it does and the amulet isn’t there, he can look for an hour before there’s any danger of the spell wearing off. If it’s really not there, we’re in no worse a situation t
han we are right now.”

  “Who else will be there?” Olan hopped off my shoulder as he spoke. “Who be there to cover your back if something goes wrong?”

  Cate shook her head. “It’s too late to get anyone else involved. We are going to do this tonight. Look at the moon.” She pointed and I saw the moon rising, swollen into its full roundness.

  I turned to Olan. “You could be there.”

  He coughed. “I am worried that the Crow is around. It may be that she might try to interfere. I thought I would be as far as possible from the court and try to entice her away.”

  I laughed. “And you are worried that we aren’t taking enough precautions.”

  Olan flew away, cawing.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Cate stood at the corner across from the Sidhe court. I stood just behind her and waited for the moon to rise. It was about five minutes before peak. She was pulling spell ingredients from her pocket, inventorying them for me as she did.

  “Rosemary, broken branches to take away memory; lemon verbena for cleansing, lavender for drowsiness, a grain of salt for honesty, that should make the base spell.” She held the items in one hand and looked at me. “I need to you look away when I cast. I read that if someone is looking at the spell when it happens they will fall under its power.”

  “Not a problem. I thought I’d get a bit closer and go when the twins drop off.” I could see the two Sidhe who were guarding the court last time. They were standing on alert, eyes scanning the street. “I don’t remember them being so alert last time.”

  “Do you think something is up?” Cate was reading a scrap of paper, not looking at me. “Should I make the spell stronger?”

  “No, let’s just stick to the plan. If something has got them on alert, it shouldn’t make a difference when they are asleep.”

  She looked up at me and I couldn’t resist giving her a kiss before leaving. It started out as a friendly peck on the lips. And then it turned into something more. Her tongue slipped past my lips and probed my mouth. I started to draw back and Cate placed her hand on the back of my head, pulling me closer. My own tongue took control and the next thing I knew things were getting out of hand.

  Cate pulled away first. “Go, we don’t want to miss the timing. We’ll continue this later.” She smiled when she spoke; it seemed she was taking control of the relationship.

  I gave her another kiss, this one quick and on the cheek. Looking up at the moon I said. “I’ll be across the street by the time you cast.”

  She smiled again and started the spell. “I call upon the power of Hypnos to beckon the Irish Fay to sleep.”

  She continued but I didn’t hear any other words as I loped toward the building.

  Just when I got close enough to see the bruises on the Twin’s faces, I heard her murmuring stop. Two pairs of eyelids drooped and two swords slid from lifeless hands. So far, so good. The Sidhe rocked back to lean against the wall and slid to land on their silk clad butts.

  I almost spoke the first words of an unlocking spell when I remembered I couldn’t cast any spells until we left the radius of Cate’s casting.

  The door swung open at my push, I guess Fionuir had all confidence in her guards. I followed the path we had taken the last time I was here until I came to the large brass doors. Before I opened them, I closed my eyes trying to visualize the location of the tapestry. I thought it was to my right about half way down the room.

  The doors were heavy but perfectly balanced, they swung open noiselessly revealing a room full of Sidhe draped over furniture, lying in piles on the floor, and propped against the wall. A few gentle snores sounded but no one moved. It seemed like most of the Sidhe in Vancouver were at home tonight.

  I turned to walk around the perimeter of the room, working counterclockwise. I passed a painting of the Wild Hunt, tall fair people who looked like Maeve riding in the moonlight, then a sculpture of the same scene, these Sidhe looking more like Fionuir. Beside that was a tapestry of a picnic the setting looking like something out of the sixteen hundreds. Fionuir had covered most of the walls with art depicting hunts and parties and landscapes of an Ireland that never really existed.

  The tapestry Maeve described was further from the door than I remembered but I could see the table underneath it. I tiptoed past three Sidhe women who lay in a crumpled heap in front of a sofa; they were going to be sore when they woke up.

  The table was cluttered with china ornaments. I placed a shepherdess and a filigreed bowl on the floor. Then I started moving the rest of the contents around. There was no amulet. I couldn’t feel any tingle of a disguise spell. I looked around the room; I was going to need a day, not just an hour to search the whole area.

  My internal clock told me I’d been in the room for ten minutes tops. I had an hour easy. If I had a strategy maybe I could do it.

  I did a fast tour of the room, not stopping to search, just looking for possibilities. There were six places where Fionuir might keep something that important to her.

  I found her, sleeping in a chair, a glass of wine spilled on the rug beneath her. I worked outward from her checking all the tables and baskets. I found gems and ornaments and baubles. I found bowls full of gold chains and rings. What I didn’t find was a lump of stone with spells painted on it. No disguise spells either. As far as I could tell the amulet was not in the building.

  Fionuir shifted in her sleep and I realized it had been too long.

  I slipped out of the room and ran down the corridor. The front door was still sitting ajar and I pushed it as I ran through. The twins were stretching, eyes still closed but they were seconds from waking. I looked toward the corner where I knew Cate was waiting for me and saw shadows. Good, she was still hidden.

  Then one shadow slipped away and I stopped dead in the middle of the street. The shadow was hunched and its outline moved as though rats were fighting under the skin. Then it drifted toward the rooftops. I stopped watching it and drew my eyes back to the doorway. My stomach clenched, my blood sank to my feet. I knew I was in shock but I couldn’t let that stop me. I ignored the cold that grasped me. I tried to breathe but it was too much effort.

  I stepped toward the doorway. Cate was there. She was leaning against the door. Her head was hanging, hair falling like a curtain.

  “Cate.” I tried to get above a whisper but I had no breath.

  I kept stepping forward. “Cate, please say something.”

  Now I was standing in front of her. I lifted the curtain of her hair and saw what I dreaded; her eyes were drained of color. There was a round burn mark on her forehead. The shadow had been a demon. Someone had conjured a power demon. It had drawn Cate’s entire magic potential through that burn mark.

  Cate was gone. Cate was dead.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  I picked up her body, she was so light, and carried her home, to my home, not hers. I knew she was gone but I couldn’t leave her here. The demon would go back to its own plane now. Whoever summoned it and didn’t contain it would still be worried until daylight.

  Fed or otherwise it wouldn’t live longer than the night.

  If I found the person who summoned that demon, I would give all my power away by violating my oath and be happy to do it.

  I reached my door and saw someone was lurking in there. I ignored them and went around the side to my garden. There was an old oak tree in the far corner. I cast a dig spell and within minutes there was a deep hole big enough for me to lay Cate inside. I placed her as gently as I could and then picked a bouquet of roses and lilies and placed them across her body.

  Then I pushed the dirt back in place.

  I sat beside the grave trying to make sense of what happened. This afternoon we were planning to save the fairies and humans. The twins had been so vigilant because they knew about the demon. And that was why all the Sidhe had been in court. They weren’t willing to take the chance of encountering a hungry demon.

  Why couldn’t it have taken a twin? Why Cate?


  I heard someone calling. “Quinn. Quinn.” I felt like I was at the bottom of a well, the voice distant and echoing.

  My shoulders were frozen with the cold and from being held stiff to contain my grief.

  “Quinn.” It was a woman.

  I rolled my shoulders to warm them up.

  “Quinn Larson.” I knew that voice, and the impatience in her tone.

  I stood then turned to see Maeve standing at my gate. I ran toward her.

  “Get away from me,” I snarled.

  “Quinn, I’m sorry what happened to Cate.”

  I could barely force words through my anger. “We were there because you told us the amulet was in the building.”

  She frowned. “You mean it wasn’t?”

  “No, don’t pretend you didn’t send us into a trap.”

  “No, I didn’t. I swear to you, Quinn, I wanted you to succeed. I’m sorry, had I known there was danger to either of you I would have done something.” She reached to touch me but jerked her hand back when she hit the defenses I had around my home. “Please, can I come inside? This is too public.”

  “No, I will not invite you into my home.”

  She looked around then sighed. “I understand. I promise when I get the crown back, I will make amends to you.”

  “There is no way for you to make amends. You cannot bring Cate back.”

  A flash of anger crossed her face and I realized I may have gone too far, but I didn’t care.

  She composed her features to sorrow again before speaking. “There is still the problem of Fionuir stealing power from the Fairies. You must stop that.”

  “I don’t care. Find someone else to defeat your enemies. I have better things to do.” Like shut out everyone and mourn what could have been with Cate.

  “You didn’t think that a few hours ago.” Her voice hardened and I saw a glimpse of the queen she claimed to be. “Grieve for her, but don’t walk away from this, Quinn.”

  My vision clouded with a red mist. I reached across the gate to slap her. She pulled away at the last second. “Don’t be foolish,” she hissed. “I know you are obligated to not harm a Sidhe. I will forgive you the attempt because you are grieving.”