by Claire Buss
'Brother, dearest. You must stay here, freshen up. Then you can all join me for dinner and we will discuss your needs.' Theo's eyes glinted. His gaze roved over the party. He instantly dismissed Joe as a wet lettuce and Brogan as another barbarian. Mia's good looks earned her a second, appraising look whilst Willow's charms seemed to have no effect on him, whatsoever. He didn't do plants. Fourteen had her hood up and was trying to blend into the back of the group but all that managed to do was pique his interest. Theo motioned and the others moved sideways without even realising, their bodies reacting on instinct to the most powerful thing in the room and the intense desire for self preservation. Fourteen shrank in on herself, but it was too late. Theo had already reached her and tipped back the hood. He smiled the fat cat cream smile of having just found the price for his brother's need.
'I'll take her. Thank you, brother. You always have such exquisite taste.'
'She is not for you.' Ned shook his head ever so slightly at Fourteen, begging her mentally to be quiet.
'But Eddie – I want her!' Theo pouted.
Things were starting to deteriorate. Ned knew what his brother's mood swings were like. He tried to rally. 'Let us freshen up for dinner and then we can discuss everything, as a family.'
Theo watched his brother for a few moments before clapping his hands. 'Yes, yes. A family meal, that's what we need. Go, go, go. Rooms have been made available. Bathe, freshen, choose something new to wear, it's all available for my beloved brother and his friends. I will see you for dinner. Don't be late!' And he clapped his hands in dismissal. Thugs appeared at the doorway but were unsure what to do as the doors no longer existed. Should they sweep the fragments open?
Jenni smirked at their indecision and as everyone walked through she clicked her fingers and the doors reassembled themselves, looking better than ever. It was possibly not the wisest thing she could have done. Theo watched greedily, mentally rubbing his hands in glee and already putting together a list of things the sprite could do for him. All he had to do was buy his brother off. Shouldn't be difficult. He would threaten to kill everyone. Ned always did have a bleeding heart. So it should be a decent bargaining chip. Theo yelled for his underlings and began telling them his evening plans. Tonight was going to be fun.
Chapter 31
The group gathered in Ned's room. They were all nervous.
'What should we do?'
'Are we safe here?'
'Is he going to help us?'
Ned held up his hands to stop the questions becoming a hysterical flood. 'My brother is... a handful. He always has been, but he can be reasoned with. Sometimes. The main thing is not to get him too interested in us. So far we haven't done that well.' He frowned at Jenni who at least had the decency to look slightly sheepish. Which was tricky as she didn't have the wool for it. Fourteen was doing a better job.
'I am sorry, Ned, I was trying to stay out of sight. I was worried he might recognise me.'
Ned took half a step towards her, trying to think of something to say. They looked at each in silence which got awkward, fast. Neither one entirely sure how exactly to express themselves. Mia coughed loudly.
'Look, sorry to interrupt the moment but can we trust Theo?' she asked.
'No, but he will expect us to bathe and change. He's a stickler for good manners and we need to start off on the right foot when we go down to dinner. So here's what we'll do...' The others leant in as Ned outlined his plan for survival. They had to get through one meal. And then find the supplies they needed. And then get out of Fidelia alive. No problem.
Ned waited in the corridor for the others. He had taken one look at the outfit his dear brother had laid out for him and decided that his torn and dirty thief-catcher uniform was a darn sight more decent than the scraps of lace and silk Ted - sorry Theo - had ordered for him to wear. Parts of it were transparent! He had questioned the maid as to whether she had bought the right garments, poor thing was shaking like a leaf towards the end of his interrogation. Either that or she was trying her damnedest not to laugh out loud. I mean – silk and lace! For a grown man! He had managed to get the worst of the road out of his leathers, they wiped down well, besides he thought a bit of wear and tear added to his general don't mess with me air and he certainly felt like he needed bags of that around him tonight. He hadn't seen his parents in a decade. They didn't approve of his career choice. He was fairly sure they would, however, approve of his love interest. Anything to help them get their hands on more gold and more power. He would have to try and speak to Fourteen before they went down to dinner, see if they couldn't concoct some kind of cover story.
Fourteen's door opened and out swept Willow and Jenni. Willow had also declined Theo's clothing suggestions - far too restrictive. Instead she had opted for well placed bloomage. It certainly made the blood rush along, thought Ned as he did his best to avert his eyes. Jenni was Jenni. She had decided to wear her filthy red coat with pride. The fact that she didn't own anything else was neither here nor there. She was fae. She could get anything she wanted in a blink of an eye. And Ned certainly had to blink, several times, furiously as Fourteen came through the doorway. She was resplendent. She wore her official Emperor robes but they had been altered to take into account the fact that she was a woman, so they curved in here and sculpted there. Making sinuous shapes that suggested so much. Ned was adamant they had not been like that before. He was also adamant that they had not bought such robes with them. And as for her imperial crown, they definitely had not brought that.
'Did my brother give you that to wear?' Ned asked.
'No. Jenni popped for me. I wanted to make a good impression.' She looked him up and down disdainfully. 'Unlike some people.'
Ned flushed and stammered. 'You look, of course you do, I mean, that is, I meant to say.' He took the defeat and turned away, mentally kicking himself for being such an idiot but he hadn't been able to help himself. When he had seen her standing there looking so beautiful, jealously had coursed through his veins at the thought, the idea, of his brother having anything to do with Fourteen at all. Ned's hands were clenched to stop them from shaking as he tried to overcome his sudden anger. Brogan, Mia and Joe came out of the other door in the corridor, all of them opting for their own clothes, which made Fourteen stand out even more. She stretched her neck elegantly and proceeded to lead them all towards the dining room.
Some of Theo's street thugs were stood outside. They leered at Fourteen as she glided towards them and stood imperiously, waiting for them to open the doors. They grinned at the rest of them as they allowed the group entrance into the hall. It was lined with more toughs, all of them heavily armed.
So much for getting through dinner in one piece thought Ned gloomily. He could see his parents and brother down at the far end of the room, where a lavishly laid table waited for them.
'Brother – dearest! Let's sit down and eat, shall we? Here, sit here, brother. Right here.' Theo manoeuvred everyone to his satisfaction. Father sat at the head of the table with Mother on his right hand followed by Ned, Joe and Willow down one side. Fourteen sat at his left hand with Theo, Jenni, Brogan and Mia.
Conversation flitted across the table lightly. Theo doing his best to involve everyone or at least make everyone feel uncomfortable. Ned watched his father speaking to Fourteen from the corner of his eye. He hoped he wasn't being too inappropriate. A shrill voice interrupted him.
'So, come crawling back to your brother have you?'
It was Ned's mother. She had decided she would speak to the black sheep of the family.
'Just passing through, Mother. Dinner was Ted's idea.'
'It's Theo now.'
'Right.'
'You would do well to follow his example, he's taken T.A.R.T.S to a whole new level of success. Surpassed your Father's efforts.' She turned a critical eye on Ned. 'And you, well, what do you have to show for yourself?'
'I've actually been promoted Mother.'
'Yes I heard about that. Letting the fam
ily down by becoming a thief-catcher is one thing Edmund but to voluntarily rise through the ranks is shocking. You should be ashamed of yourself. You've tarnished the good family name.'
Ned gritted his teeth and made non-committal noises. For once his mother had kept her voice down and everyone else seemed fully occupied with the delicate canapés and amuse-bouches. Mouthfuls of yumminess designed to fire up everyone's appetite for the main course but also useful for filling your face and preventing any further conversation. Ned watched the main course arrive – a huge roasted pig with all the usual accompaniments.
'Recognise him?' Theo teased his brother, but Ned looked down at his plate, willing the whole night to be over already.
Fourteen was using every ounce of her Emperor skills to both listen to Ned's father and watch the conversation around the table. The meal and the men droned on, the room got stuffy as bellies were filled. Boredom set in and bottoms shifted on hard chairs. Finally Theo clapped his hands and the table was cleared.
'It has been such fun to catch up and to meet Eddies' friends. So quaint. But I insist you stay the night. We shall discuss your needs in the morning. Come, come, allow me to escort you to your room my dear.' And he linked his arm to Fourteen who had no option but to be lead away from the table. The others scrambled to follow.
Chapter 32
They met in Fourteen's room - it was the biggest and didn't smell of three-day old socks. Fourteen stood behind a screen making rustling noises and wafting her perfume right across Ned's face. He had his back to the screen and was scowling fiercely at Brogan and Joe, daring them to risk a look. That perfume! Fourteen glided out from behind the screen, looking demure and more Fourteeney than before. Her Emperor get-up didn't suit her natural grace.
'What do we do now?' she asked the group but meaning Ned. She felt afraid of the power crazed man related to Ned and unnerved by the leering looks she had endured from the many, many roughnecks who had lined the hallway, not to mention the crude suggestions whispered to her by Ned's father, of all people. What she wanted to do was scrub this place right out of her hair and body, but, she reflected sourly, there were probably a dozen peep holes in the bathrooms. Involuntarily she shuddered and realised everyone was looking at her. 'Sorry, what did I miss?' she asked.
'I was just talking about Ted.' Ned reached for a nearby blanket to drape around Fourteen's shoulders. 'We shouldn't underestimate my brother. If we stay here too long he will have found ways to keep us here. I think we should leave tonight.'
'Tonight? But aren't his men watching us?' asked Fourteen.
'Yes, but Jenni – you could pop us out of here couldn't you?'
Jenni flexed her arms and stretched her magical muscles. 'To be 'onest, I fink I can only do one atta time but lemme use 'im to boost me and see if I can get a bit o' distance.' She jerked her thumb at Joe who started nervously and began nodding.
'Why can't you do us all at once, like before?' demanded Mia. She was feeling very left out. Theo had paid her no attention whatsoever and she'd had to sit through a boring dinner.
'Cos there's an old magical shield in place innit.' She eyed Joe. 'You 'elping?'
'Yes, yes I can help.' Joe was still nodding. 'Whatever you need.'
'Fine, let's pop to the central fountain in Fidelia,' said Ned. 'There will still be people around at this time, they haven't started inn kick outs yet. If we time it right, the drunken mob will cover our tracks for us. I know a merchant who should be able to help us with our resupply.'
'Won't he be asleep?' Fourteen was sceptical.
'He works, er, unusual hours.'
'You mean he's a smuggler.'
'Look, Griff is about the only person in this town who has the nerve to help us out so I say we forget what he does for a living and be grateful we've got an out.' Ned's nerves were beginning to fray. They had all been in here far too long. Spy holes were going to be reporting back empty rooms. 'Does everyone have their gear with them?'
There were nods and Brogan looked confused until Mia dangled a backpack in front of his face. Honestly, how Barbarians make it through life Ned had no idea. People must decide they are too dumb to kill.
'Jenni – let's get going.' Ned ordered.
Joe stood awkwardly at her side, not sure what he was supposed to do. Jenni spat on her hand and grabbed his, making a water seal, of sorts. It helped to have a little bit of elemental support in these things, made the power transfer smooth. She took a moment and focused on Willow. Then the nymph was gone, leaving a few leaves falling through the air in her place. Brogan barely had time to open his mouth in surprise before he too had gone. Next up, Mia. But there was a problem. She wavered. Not really here – not really there.
'Its the binding. She's sticky. Can't shift 'er. Boss?'
Ned came over and endured a spit hand clasp, gasping at the sheer breadth of power that coursed through him. Ned looked at Fourteen and there was an extra power surge, surprising even Jenni. Mia vanished and Jenni let go of them both, gasping for breath.
'Bloody 'ell, Boss.' She peered into his face. 'You unblocked?'
Ned shifted uncomfortably. 'Let's get on with it, eh, Jenni?' He wanted Fourteen out of here.
She grinned, tightened her grip on Joe and turned her gaze to Fourteen. But before she could focus their energies there was a wet pop and then Ned felt his belly button swirl.
'Gods!' The world spun around him and suddenly he was deposited in the fountain. Water gushed into his boots and the others looked at him in surprise, including Fourteen, who staggered at the edge of the fountain.
Jenni and Joe appeared. Jenni was excited. 'Boss! 'ow'd you do it? I never showed you that one before, you never had the juice. And then you just – whoosh!' She gestured excitedly at the others. 'Did you see? 'e went for it. And then 'e'd gone! Took 'er as well.' Turning back to Ned she beamed proudly. 'That were right good, Boss, real fae work. Proud of ya.'
Ned didn't have a clue what she was talking about, but they were all here and it was going to be inn kick-out time soon, so he tried to get his bearings. If memory served then Griff was west of here, near the port. They probably didn't have long, their rooms would have been watched. He herded everyone together and led them towards the port, certain his memory would kick in and they would find Griff before his brother found them.
It took a few wrong turns and one tense moment in an alley, watching some of Theo's toughs stagger back from a late one before they found the nondescript building that housed the most successful smuggler of all time. The paint was peeling and two of the windows were cracked, although they were so dirty you couldn't see in anyway. When Ned tried to open the door it got stuck, warped with damp and old age. It took him, Brogan and Joe several attempts before admitting defeat and standing aside for Willow to rekindle what spark was left in the wood, coaxing it back to life and giving it some strength to open. She caressed the beaten down planks sensuously and left a tiny sapling growing from an old knot as a farewell.
'What?' she blushed green as she became aware of the others staring at her. 'He's lonely. Bit of company never hurt anyone.'
They made their way into the gloom of an abandoned shop. Cobwebs hung everywhere and dust lay thickly over everything except for a brass bell that shone with a dim glow on an empty bench. Ned twonged it decisively. It reverberated throughout the shop and as the dong echoed into nothingness, an old man – woman – hard to tell, an old person shuffled through a half hidden doorway out the back.
'Eh? Eh? What you for?'
'I'm here to see Griff. Tell him it's Edmund de Silverthorpe.' Ned's ears went red as he heard the hushed whispers behind him at hearing his full name.
'What? What? Speak up you sonofabitch? Eh?'
'Yeah, alright. Good one Griff, come on, let us in.'
The old thing paused in its general shuffling and let out a loud shout of laughter before unfolding to reveal a rather wide, rather dashing pirate. It was the gold hoop earrings and the skull & crossbones pattern on his shirt
that gave it away. Pirates can't resist a skull and crossbones. The glamour of the old person and the ramshackle shop fell away although the knackered old door remained, treasuring its sapling.
'Edmundo! Good to see you, good to see you. You better not have pissed off your brother and be running to me with your balls in your hand!' Loud guffaws accompanied every statement.
Fourteen was delighted and a little shocked at such a vibrant and loud man. This was going to be interesting.
'Look Griff, we need some help. Theo's being Theo and trying to keep us here. We're just passing through, heading for the Purple Mountain. I need some supplies and then I'll be on my way.'
'So soon – so soon? Eddie my boy, surely time for a drink and a smoke eh? Come, come away in, my girls will see to your lists. Sit, sit, have a small one eh? Leads to good times eh, Eddie Boy?'
Griff led them through to a richly furnished sitting room and rang a bell. Serving girls instantly filled the room, taking bags, jackets, boots, and piling them unobtrusively in the corner, pushing everyone into soft pillows and plying drinks, sugared dates and saltines upon them. Someone began striking a dulcimer softly and incense wafted across the room.
'We can't stay long, Griff. Theo will be looking to make someone suffer,' Ned said.
'Let me worry about that jumped up piece of shit. He may own the roughs and think he owns Fidelia's ladies of the night, but it's me they come to for their needs and it's me they whisper their little secrets to. I own the ladies and you can't get anything done in Fidelia without the ladies eh? Boobs make the world go round eh? Eh?' Griff dug his elbow into Ned's ribs and guffawed loudly.
Fourteen at least was being practical. She had already taken a list of supplies from Joe and was handing it to one of Griff's young things. The girl was pursing her lips as she read the list then she nodded and disappeared. There was nothing to do now but wait.
And so they slept. It wasn't their fault - Griff had spiked their refreshments. He was worried. He might be Fidelia's best smuggler and he might own the ladies of this town, but lately Theo had been getting vicious in the extreme when he was ignored. The boy had far too much power for such a dangerous mind. Griff wanted everyone moved, no questions asked so he could lie convincingly when Theo's roughs came knocking. And they would come knocking. Theo had not yet managed to extend his maniacal rule over the ocean water in the port of Fidelia. It belonged to the Sea-Witch and she loved Griff as fiercely as a mercurial beast can. He fed her regularly and left many, many gifts. Sometimes on purpose. But he had no plans in feeding Ned and his party to the Sea-Witch. He liked Ned, always had. Such a shame the sensible one had decided on an honest life. Such a waste.