Waiting for Magic

by Susan Squires

  “No idea,” Maggie said softly. She stared past a Victorian folly that served as a pool house out to the right rear of the castle. “But there’s more than one.”

  Kee followed her gaze and heard other snorting. Lots of it. “Pendragon said he had an unorthodox security system. Maybe he meant he kept monsters.” Kee’s attention sidled back to the house. Devin’s pain wasn’t gone but her perception of it had softened somehow. She glanced to Maggie. Maggie had Calmed her. “Doesn’t matter,” she said, her voice hoarse.

  “Just keep alert,” Maggie said. They started for the house again, with more control this time. “Those things will let us in. Good to know they’re there when we try to get back out.”

  Yeah. Getting out was the problem. The front door was dotted with big metal studs. It seemed so incongruous to ring the doorbell. But what else could they do?

  “Hope you’re up to this, Maggie,” Kee said. Maggie, at “five-foot-nothin’,” as she liked to say, hardly looked a match for a sorcerer.

  “Me too.”

  Oh, that was comforting.

  Mr. Green opened the door. His smile made Kee feel sick, coupled as it was with the background music of Devin’s pain in her head. “Mr. Pendragon is expecting you,” he said to Kee, motioning them inside. “And who shall I say is with you?”

  “Maggie O’Brian Tremaine,” Maggie said, her bright yellow slicker out of place in the dark and sumptuous surroundings.

  “Take me to Devin,” Kee commanded, gripping the gun in her pocket. One way or another, she was leaving with Devin in the next few minutes.

  “My orders precisely, Miss Tremaine.” Green didn’t ask to take their coats but gave a leering grin before he turned on his heel and crossed the huge, somber foyer with clicking heels. He pulled on a bell rope. Was he summoning reinforcements? Kee stalked after him, heart pounding. Maggie brought up the rear.

  They were going into a part of the house Kee had never seen, back behind the dining room and the library they’d been in before. Devin was close now. She wasn’t sure whether the groans she heard were physical sounds or just in her head. I’m coming, she thought, as forcefully as she could, and hoped he could feel that she was near. Her fear for him started to envelop her again and she pushed it down. No time for that. And no tears, no second thoughts. She’d do what she had to do tonight, no matter what she saw or heard.

  “What’s that feeling of power?” Maggie whispered at her elbow. “Kinda pervasive.”

  “I don’t know,” Kee returned. She felt the same heaviness in the air, the nausea and lightheadedness, though it wasn’t so overwhelming as it had been last time she was in this house. But she’d changed since then.

  Kee’s stoic resolve was tested less than a minute later when Green opened a door and smiled that horrible, knowing leer before he stepped inside. “Miss Keelan Tremaine and Maggie O’Brian Tremaine to see you, sir.”

  He was blocking her view, but she knew Devin was in there. Kee pushed past him.

  And almost choked. Pendragon was just pulling on a dressing gown. He was obviously naked under it. Kee took in the fact that Devin was chained to the bed, naked and face down, with pillows under him to raise his hips. She swallowed hard as she saw the bloody lashes over his body from shoulders to knees. The nausea that hit her wasn’t because of the feeling of power in the air. His head was turned away, his blond hair spikey and wet with sweat. Her eyes filled. “Devin.” She started for him, but Maggie put a hand on her arm.

  Right. Focus. She turned to Pendragon. “What have you done to him?” The pillows said it was worse than just whipping. Pendragon’s erection still tented his dressing gown, though it was going down even as she watched. “You’re vile.”

  “Such a pedestrian word, ‘vile.’ I’m so much more complicated than just vile.” He turned his gaze to Maggie. “Another Tremaine. What a nice surprise. Three. Who would have thought?”

  Devin turned his head, slowly, painfully. The shame in his eyes was hard to witness. “Go home, Kee.” His voice was a hoarse croak. His gaze turned to Maggie. His brows drew together even further. He closed his eyes as though he couldn’t bear to look at them. “You too, Maggie.”

  “We’re not going anywhere without you,” Kee said, her voice softer.

  She loved him. She admitted it down somewhere deep in her soul at that moment and she wasn’t ashamed. So she didn’t love him like a brother anymore, or a friend. But it wasn’t just lust. She loved him with a capital L. Destiny. The One. It would be the great sorrow in her life because he loved someone else. But at least she’d been given the privilege of knowing what love was, in spite of being a small and selfish person. His presence in her life was a gift and she would never be sorry for that.

  “We’ll just be taking Devin home now, Pendragon,” Maggie said through clenched jaws, when Kee didn’t take charge. “Unchain him.”

  “Sure you wouldn’t like to join us? I have a feeling Keelan here has an unusual … shall we say ‘bond’ with her brother? Maybe she’d like to participate.”

  Kee’s anger flared. “Torture him? I don’t think so.”

  “Torture?” Pendragon said, feigning surprise. “Your brother came like Old Faithful tonight, didn’t you, Devin?” He touched Devin’s lacerated buttock in a gesture that was frightening because it was tender. “He enjoyed himself immensely.”

  Devin looked like he was going to be sick. He turned his head to face Pendragon and the wall rather than meet Kee’s eyes. That pushed Kee over some edge. This old creep didn’t have the right to cause Devin one second of pain or shame. She wasn’t waiting for Maggie to calm Pendragon. Kee didn’t want him calm. She wanted him afraid like Devin must have been afraid.

  She pulled out her gun. “Unlock him,” she growled.

  “Oh, dear me,” Pendragon said reproachfully.

  “What happened to ‘gun as backup plan’?” Maggie asked, exasperated.

  “You’re now the backup plan,” Kee muttered.

  “Do you really think you’d use it?” Pendragon’s smirk was condescending.

  “Damn right,” Kee said. She brought up the gun with two hands and put a bullet in the wall to the right of Pendragon’s ear. The kick was formidable, so the shot was a little high, but nothing she couldn’t handle. Thanks, Father, for those hours at the shooting range.

  Pendragon never moved a muscle but his eyes widened. “In that case, the key is on the night table.” He pointed. “How do you expect to get out through the garden?”

  “We’ll manage,” Maggie said grimly. “Whatever those things are.”

  “You have power too.” Pendragon raised his brows, surprised and pleased. “Only people who have power can sense them.”

  A bell sounded. Both Kee and Maggie jumped. It was over the door. That was how Green had notified Pendragon of their arrival.

  “Dear me, my next guests are early. I might have known they’d want to surprise me.” Why was he so calm? Kee had a gun on him. What did he have up his sleeve?

  “It’s Morgan and the Clan,” Devin said hoarsely.

  Oh, God. What to do now? Maggie looked up in dismay, then scurried over to the key and descended on Devin.

  Kee tried to think. “Where will Green put them?”

  “In the library, I expect.” Pendragon’s voice was mild. He was enjoying their anxiety. It made Kee want to shoot him then and there.

  “We’ll just go out the front door then. As planned,” Kee decided. “Avoid them entirely.”

  Maggie had one of Devin’s wrists unlocked and was working on his ankle. “We take Pendragon with us. That might help with the things outside.” The shackle clanked open. “Get over by the fireplace,” Maggie hissed to the wizard. Pendragon grabbed his cane and limped back. She hurried around the far side of the bed to Devin’s other chains. “Watch out for Green, in case he comes in to announce the new arrivals,” she warned Kee.

  Kee didn’t want to have to cover both of them. They were just crazy enough to rush her.

/>   “Devin,” Maggie said in a low voice, “you strong enough to get out of here?”

  “I’ll do.” He wouldn’t look at Maggie either.

  It broke Kee’s heart to see him struggle painfully off the bed on his hands and knees. Maggie helped him with her shoulder against his ribs and her arm around his waist. Blood smeared her slicker. As he stood, blood trickled down Devin’s inner thighs. Dear God.

  Pendragon’s look got sly. “Secretly wish you had the courage to participate, sister dear? Why I bet you’re wet between your legs right now, just thinking about me giving that taut young body a good whipping and a good reaming.”

  “Shut up,” Kee yelled. “Shut up.” Her vision wavered. For a split second, she thought Pendragon had turned into a devil for real, grown horns and a scaly red tail just like her picture of Devin in the shower. The tail even had the same excruciating detail, the same arrow-shaped end. She shook her head, chest heaving. Was she going mad? No. It was just Pendragon leaning on his stick by the crackling fire.

  “Kee,” Maggie said. Kee recognized the Calm in her voice. “Don’t let him get to you. We’re just going to go home now.”

  Kee caught her breath, grabbed for the Calm. “Yeah. Okay.” The last thing she needed was to go around the bend and start seeing things.

  Maggie looked around for something to cover Devin. “Can you stand here, honey?” She left him propped, a little wobbly, against the high bed, and strode over to pull open the heavy Victorian armoire. Maggie pulled out the first robe she saw and gently guided Devin’s arms into the sleeves. It was white, emphasizing the sick pallor under Devin’s usual glowing tan. He hissed as it rubbed across his back. Maggie laid a palm on his chest.

  “Don’t, Maggie,” Devin muttered. “I need whatever wits I’ve got left tonight.”

  Maggie nodded and just grabbed the ties of the robe and pulled it together, wincing as she realized the pain she was causing him.

  There was a tap at the door. “Mr. Pendragon?”

  Kee motioned with her gun. “Answer it, but don’t let him inside.”

  Pendragon opened the door. Green’s eyes got big. “Yes, a small setback, I’m afraid.”

  “Get going. Out to the foyer, both of you,” Kee hissed.

  Pendragon limped through the door, Green backing up before him.

  Maggie helped Devin, who was walking most painfully, hunched over. Suddenly, he looked up at Pendragon, limping down the hall. He straightened, with difficulty.

  “Before we go, we might want to pick up the Talisman,” he growled.

  Pendragon and Green stopped in midstride.

  “We still have no idea what it is. And we don’t have time to break into the basement,” Kee protested, her anxiety expressing itself in exasperation.

  “Oh, we know what it is all right. And it isn’t in the basement.”

  Maggie looked up at Devin. Kee blinked.

  Devin gave a grimace meant as a grin. “Pendragon doesn’t always limp.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Devin watched both Kee and Maggie blink as they slowly realized what he was saying. Satisfaction boiled up through his pain. They turned to Pendragon.

  “Give Maggie the cane,” Kee snapped. Devin would be proud of her if he wasn’t so freakin’ afraid for her. They had the Talisman. This whole night wouldn’t be in vain if they could avoid Morgan and get out alive.

  Pendragon sighed. Green looked alarmed. “No matter, my friend,” Pendragon soothed. He held out the silver cane to Maggie. Devin saw her breath quicken as she took it. She must feel the power in the thing. He couldn’t figure out why Pendragon was so calm about losing the Talisman. That did not bode well.

  “The Talisman was a Wand,” Kee said in a wondering tone.

  “And it was there in front of us all the time,” Devin muttered. “We should have known he’d never trust it out of his sight.” He looked over at Kee, dear, sweet Kee who had risked everything to come for him. What better sister or friend could he ask for? That thought gave him almost as much pain as the fact that she and Maggie knew what Pendragon had done to him, and that Devin had…. He couldn’t think about that.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Kee said. “Devin, can you make it?”

  “I’m good.” He wasn’t, of course. His mind was almost clear of the drug, but the pain was distracting. And there was lots of pain. His whole lower body hurt from Pendragon’s penetration, as bad or worse than his back and buttocks. He limped forward behind Kee and Maggie, holding himself together with his arms across his belly. His emotions careened through his body. He’d ejaculated while he was being raped, or near enough. And Pendragon had made him cry. Not with the whip. He’d held out through that. He’d leaked tears like a baby when Pendragon was raping him.

  But he had to put that away. They still weren’t free. He took a breath and let it out Could they just walk out the front door? Pendragon must not think so. That’s why he was so unflappable. They had to get by the Clan in the library. Was he strong enough to call the water if they needed it? He realized his thoughts were confused, chaotic.

  He tried to shut out the pain. Just focus on the water. They passed a luxurious bathroom. He could feel the water in the pipes. He’d just test himself. He reached out with his mind, concentrating for all he was worth. A tingle—a tiny frisson of sensation fluttered at the edge of his awareness and disappeared. Not good enough. They moved into the foyer.

  The sound behind them was like a gunshot. Everyone but Devin turned around.

  “What was that?” Kee hissed.

  The look of surprise on Pendragon’s face as he realized he hadn’t actually been shot was almost comical.

  Devin suppressed a grim smile. A pipe had burst. He could feel water cascading out of the wall. It wasn’t much. But it was something. How long until he could call something more than just water out of a pipe?

  The door to the library filled with tense bodies. Damn. His stupid effort to call water had alerted the Clan. A big, blond guy with hard, pale eyes; a young, nerdy looking man with a childish complexion; and a very beautiful woman with cotton candy pink hair spilled into the foyer. In the background a tall, thin man who reminded him of Boris Karloff loomed.

  “Stay back,” Kee hissed, gun held out straight, gripped in both hands. She looked just like the brave heroine on the TV cop dramas. “We’re just leaving.”

  Maggie clutched the Wand. Devin braced his feet. He’d be no good if things ended in a physical fight. The group in the doorway parted and a woman with steel-gray hair and golden eyes walked slowly into the foyer. Morgan. He’d heard the descriptions. You could really miss the eyes. A shudder of fear washed through him. “I doubt that,” she said calmly. “Talbot?”

  The nerdy guy with long hair and smooth skin held out a hand. Kee’s gun flipped up to the ceiling and just hovered there. Kee gasped and skittered back next to Devin.

  “Levitation,” the young guy grinned, shrugging. The gun slowly descended to his hand. The woman with the pink hair tittered.

  Pendragon spun and snatched the Wand from Maggie. They were outnumbered here, and the Clan had powers. It didn’t look good.

  Kee looked over at Maggie. “Backup plan.”

  Maggie nodded and took a deep breath. Her attention turned inward as she drew her power. Devin looked to the new crowd and saw the expression of Calm that Maggie’s power produced come into their eyes. The girl with pink hair was the first to succumb. She just slid down the doorframe, eyes closing. Green was out like a light and slumped to the tile. The others were blinking, sleepy. Except for Morgan. Her eyes went hard. But even if she didn’t succumb, she was an old woman. She couldn’t overpower three young Tremaines.

  “Let’s go,” Kee said, taking Devin’s arm. He turned toward the big iron-strapped front door. So he saw Pendragon muttering under his breath. A kind of glowing, translucent orb popped up around him. His eyes were murderous. He didn’t look calm at all. He raised the Wand, not as a magic instrument, but just as a weap
on. Devin lunged for him, but bounced off whatever protective field he’d set up. That didn’t stop the Wand from getting out. It clipped Maggie on the side of her head. She dropped like a stone.

  “Maggie,” Kee cried, throwing herself down and taking Maggie in her arms.

  Devin stood over them helplessly as Maggie’s calm dissipated like a receding wave. The guy with the dead eyes blinked and looked around suspiciously. Boris Karloff appeared deeply offended. The girl groaned and seemed embarrassed that she was sitting on the floor. The old woman had gone dead still, her gold eyes glittering. Only Green had not recovered.

  Pendragon cleared his throat and tried to regain some of his dignity. “My gift to you, Morgan. Three Tremaines.”

  Devin’s his stomach sank. He glanced to Kee and saw the flash of fear in her eyes. Their backup plan was gone. Maggie was groaning. That might be a good sign for her health. But she was not going to be focusing her power anytime soon. That left what? Devin? His heart began to race. He wasn’t up to this. But he tried looking within to feel water. God, if he succeeded in bringing it, he’d probably just drown them all.

  He was aware that Kee was straightening, even though she was sitting with Maggie’s head in her lap. Her steady gaze met the old woman’s stare. Devin was so proud of her in that moment. “Morgan. I can’t say it’s nice to see you.”

  The old woman looked as ancient and wise as the snake in the Garden of Eden and just as evil. “And you are?” She raised her brows, a command to at least Kee and Devin to introduce themselves. Neither spoke, as if to say their names would give her even more power over them.