Imperative: A Quinn Larson Quest

by P. A. Wilson

  “I don’t need your forgiveness, Sidhe.”

  She smiled and it was a cold expression. “You need two things I can give you. I will find out where the amulet is now, and I will find out who released the demon. I know you have a spirit oath, Quinn. I will leave it to you to decide what to do with the knowledge.”

  She caught my attention with that. “Let me know when you have found the fool who can’t contain his summonings.”

  “Oh, Quinn, I expect to be able to find out both things and quickly. I will tell you who summoned the demon after I am queen.” She smiled that predator smile and walked away.

  I watched her go then turned back to the tree. The mound of earth seemed to reproach me. As if I was supposed to be doing something. Even from death Cate was trying to tell me something.

  “Lionel.” I felt my shoulders slump. I was going to have to tell him.

  I wiped my hands on my jeans and headed for Cate’s house. I hoped Lionel had managed to clean it up since the last time I was there. Remembering the hurricane incident stopped me in my tracks. Could Lionel have summoned the demon? No. I started walking again. He didn’t have the experience to do that. Summoning was not just speaking the spell and having the right ingredients. You had to know what you were doing.

  From the outside, Cate’s house looked fine. The front door was locked, and now that she was dead, I didn’t feel right just walking in. She’d passed me through her protection spells but still, I felt that the permission ended when she died. I knocked on the door.

  No one came so I knocked harder.

  I heard someone approach, heavy footsteps and a bang of some piece of furniture being knocked over. The curtain twitched in the window beside the door, and then the door flung open.

  “Wizard Larson, please come in. I’m afraid Cate…I mean… Witch Witherspoon is not at home.” He sounded happy to see me.

  I followed him into the living room, new furniture was in place. And all evidence of the hurricane was gone.

  “Would you like some tea? Coffee?” Lionel turned to the kitchen before I could answer.

  “No, Lionel, please come back and sit here. I need to tell you something.”

  He sank his hands into the pockets of the overalls he wore, the light going out of his smile. “Something has happened, hasn’t it? I expected her to come home last night but I told myself she was probably with you. She likes you, you know.”

  “Yes, I know.” I forced the words out through the pain in my chest.

  “Look, I know you don’t like the idea of an apprentice, but I promise I won’t get in the way.”

  “Lionel,” I said before he could start rambling again. If I didn’t tell him soon, I wouldn’t be able to speak through the tears.

  He clapped his mouth shut and looked at me expectantly.

  “I’m sorry,” I began then swallowed a sob before telling him what happened in a rush.

  “May I come to say goodbye to her?” His voice was quiet.

  “Yes, of course. I’ll set the protections to let you through. Come when you want.”

  He swallowed and wiped a tear from his cheek. “I should leave soon. I mean someone will want this house. I can’t just stay here. I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be talking about this, but I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Lionel, don’t worry about that right now.” I didn’t think he was about to be evicted. “You can stay here. I’ll see if I can find you a new master.”

  “Thank you. I don’t want to put you out. I can go back to Master Vollont, he’ll find someone for me.”

  Master Vollont lived in San Francisco now; I didn’t think it was a good idea for Lionel to be traveling that far without an escort. “No need for that. You stay here and keep studying. I need to figure out who summoned that demon and deal with him, or her I guess. Then I’ll either take you to Master Vollont or find you someone else.”

  He sighed before nodding. I felt some of my fury drain away at the sight of his wretchedness.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I went home after making sure Lionel had food and other supplies to last a few days. I would think about getting him a new master in a day or so — when I felt better.

  I sat in my workroom staring at the floor, at the circle waiting to be used. I couldn’t bring up the energy to call a spirit and ask about the demon. I couldn’t stand the thought that whoever I summoned wouldn’t know the answer. Better to be ignorant than to face yet another disappointment. My back sent a message to my brain, move or die. I realized two hours had passed without me noticing.

  I moved, it hurt, but pain was better than nothing. Princess was still covered completely with the blanket. I knew she couldn’t feel anything, or see anything but it made me feel worse to see her hidden like a mirror during Shiva.

  The least I could do is let some light on her. As I lifted the cover, I noticed she had paled a little, the spell kept her in complete suspension, but I guess she needed some light to keep her healthy just like a flower. I took the cover off and let the sunlight flowing in from the row of basement windows fall on her skin. I thought a little color came back to her, but that could be wishful thinking.

  I perched on the edge of the couch and started talking. It felt good to talk, it didn’t matter that she couldn’t hear me, or maybe it was better that she couldn’t.

  “I am such an idiot,” I said, “and a coward.”

  As I expected Princess didn’t contradict me.

  “I should have said something. I should have offered to kiss her when we were both apprentices. If I had, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe she would be living here with us.”

  I dropped my head into my hands. I hated this spiral of self-pity but I couldn’t stop it. “I don’t know what to do now. I don’t know why I should keep fighting this battle. I should just take up hermiting.”

  “The battle started long before Cate joined.”

  It took me a second to realize the voice was coming from the doorway and not the fairy beside me. I looked up and saw Olan swooping toward the bench. “Yes, and if we had kept her out of it, she would be alive today,” I said.

  “Maybe, but maybe not. A demon took her and it could have been sent to do just that? It could have taken anyone but it chose her. Maybe nothing to do with the Sidhe.”

  “It would be a stretch of the imagination to think someone was trying to kill her for some unrelated purpose just as we were about to get the amulet.”

  “But not impossible.”

  I didn’t have the energy to argue any more. What did it matter, she was gone. “Look, I don’t really want to talk about it. I know I didn’t contact her for years, but we still had time. I was planning to get around to it.”

  “No you weren’t.” He hopped on my shoulder and tapped my head with his beak. I hoped he was trying to be gentle, but it hurt anyway.

  “Well, maybe you are right. I was ignoring what could be while I built my power and reputation. I really did intend to court her; eventually. I thought we had an eventually.”

  “Well, that might be. I won’t argue with you because I don’t know what goes on in your heart. But, I know you can’t let her life be spent for nothing.”

  “For nothing, or for something, what’s the difference? She’s still gone. And it would have been horrible. She must have kept the spell going until the last second. The Sidhe didn’t start to wake until I was almost out of room.” I realized that the demon must have attacked her just as I gave up on finding the amulet. “If I had just left as soon as I realized the Gur amulet wasn’t where Maeve said it was, I could have saved her.”

  “Or, it could have taken you, or both of you, which is worse in my mind.” Olan wouldn’t let me wallow. It was annoying and being annoyed made it difficult to feel sorry for myself.

  “I know. But anything would be better than this.” The whine in my voice actually hurt my ears. I sighed and tried to sound adult and rational. “I am done, Olan. I don’t care anymore about the human
s or what happens to us if the humans retaliate. Or what happens to the Sidhe if either Maeve or Fionuir wins the election. I just don’t care”

  Olan paced for a minute or two. “What about her.” He flicked his wing at Princess. “You let the light on her that means you care about her.”

  “Okay, maybe I can find the time to get her off the hook with her tribe. That’s all.”

  “What about Lionel?”

  “Yes, I’ll find him a master. That’s it.”

  Olan hopped back on the bench and turned his head to catch my eye. “And the Druids? What about the druids caught in that stone?”

  “What do you mean? They have been there for centuries. Why am I suddenly responsible for them?”

  “You know they are feeling the impact of Fionuir’s spell. Every human who is killed to feed the spell draws a sip of their soul. Soon there’ll be nothing left.”

  I didn’t know that, but it did make sense. When their souls were drawn into the stone, they were prevented from moving to whatever plane they were supposed to go to. They literally lived in the amulet. What was done by their power was done by them. “It is Fionuir’s spell not mine.”

  “Yes, but she plans to continue. I think, she is planning to keep doing it even when she wins the election. Her followers will want that sip of power. I don’t see how she can take it away them.”

  “Bird, I don’t care.” I said the words, but I didn’t believe them. He was right. Cate had wanted this to end as much as I did. If I really loved her I would end it.

  He fluffed his feathers and settled again before speaking. “What if you knew where the amulet was? And knew it would be there for at least three days?”

  I could finish this in three days. I could take the amulet, clean the spell, wake princess and convince her clan she was the one who fixed the problem. I could find Lionel a new master. “Three days? Are you sure?”

  “Maeve found where Fionuir hid it. She is willing to distract Fionuir for three days. After that, it will be time for the election.”

  “You trust Maeve?” I truly didn’t know if I did.

  “I do. I remember the last time she was queen. It will be worth it to have her rule again.”

  “Okay so, we need a plan.”

  “You are the planner here.” Olan wasn’t going to cut me a break at all.

  I decided to get it over and then I could become a hermit. Hermits are safe from everything in their caves. “Where is the amulet?”

  “In the wall of the basement of the Sidhe court,” Olan said.

  “Great. How will we know where in the wall?” Not to mention how were we going to get down into the basement.

  “There is a loose brick. You will be able to tell by feel. Maeve said it was close to the door from the court.”

  “Okay, we have a plan. I go down to the basement and steal the amulet. We need a distraction and a little bit of information.” I started to pull together some amulets.

  Olan flew to the window ledge to look me in the eye. “What information do you need? You know where it is. All we need is a distraction, we can get in, get it and get it out.”

  “Very poetic, but how do we get in? I didn’t see a basement door when I was there last night. And I don’t remember seeing one from the outside either.”

  Olan tipped his head to the side. “You don’t know how to get into the court basement?”

  “No, and don’t say that like I am some loser who doesn’t know how to tie his shoe laces.”

  “Well, I thought everyone knew that.” He gave a little birdy shrug.

  “Are you going to make me beg, bird? Remember I am pretty close to walking away from this whole thing. There’s a cave in Squamish with my name on it.”

  “You get there through the back of Bank’s.” Olan flapped over to the couch and examined Princess. “I think you should cover her up again. She’s starting to burn.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I was sitting at the bar in Bank’s. Mark was polishing glasses and chatting with a female sprite at the other end. He’d placed my Guinness in front of me and wandered back to her. He seemed to be making progress and I didn’t really need to know how to get into the basement right away. I needed to find a couple of people to help. So I didn’t interrupt.

  I saw Lionel enter with a Kobold and decided to join them when they sat at a table toward the back of the room. “Good to see you out, Lionel.”

  “Oh, Quinn, thanks. I couldn’t stay there any longer. I kept waiting for Cate to come in and give me a lecture about the latest spell or potion I’d screwed up.”

  The Kobold looked at me and held out his hand. “Clarence.”

  We shook hands; I made sure I was careful not to squeeze too hard on his spines. I didn’t need to draw blood.

  “I am sorry to hear about Witch Witherspoon,” Clarence said. “She was a friend.”

  Lionel nudged me and said, “He worked with Cate when she researched the fertility spell.”

  That was good enough for me. “Would you like to help avenge her death?” I didn’t have time for subtlety. If he was a friend of Cate’s then he was a good candidate for our plan.

  Clarence opened his mouth to respond, but Lionel beat him to it. “I would.”

  I waited for Clarence to answer, and for a way to let Lionel down gently to come to me. Clarence looked from Lionel to me and then nodded. “I will help. What is it you have planned?”

  “Me too,” Lionel said. “I will help with whatever you want.”

  I still couldn’t tell the guy he was too young and too inexperienced to help. I didn’t want his blood on my conscience, nor did I want to bruise his ego. I told Clarence what Olan and I had decided.

  He nodded, and said, “You need me to start a distraction. Where would that be best done?”

  “Here, I think. Something that will draw any Sidhe out of the passageway, and keep them here until I can get to the loose brick and bring it out.”

  Clarence considered for a moment and then said, “I could entice them with music.”

  I tried not to wince. “Um, please don’t take this the wrong way, but Kobolds are not known for their musical ability.”

  He laughed and it sounded like a gravel landslide. “Ah, but we appreciate beauty even if we cannot reproduce it. I happen to be close friends with Reardon.”

  The bard, he would definitely be able to enchant everyone within hearing distance. And, no violence, that worked well for me. “If he will do it, what will we have to pay?”

  “I’ll ask, but I don’t think it will be too much. He hates Fionuir.” The Kobold laughed again, this time it sounded like rocks falling down a hillside. “She criticized his performance. Well, that’s what he interpreted her remark to be. I would say more faint praise than criticism. Perhaps if he had not been blind drunk it would have blown over by now. ”

  “So, that means I will come with you, Quinn. To help you get the amulet?’ Lionel spoke over Clarence’s laughter. “I could find some defensive spells.”

  “I will go alone.” There was no way I was going to take an apprentice with me into the bowels of the earth. “You can stay here.”

  “But, what if there are still some Sidhe in the tunnel?”

  He had a point, but I wasn’t going to lose Cate and her apprentice within a week. “I will run away and we’ll try again. But, that won’t happen. If the Sidhe haven’t heard Reardon for a long time, they will fall over themselves coming out of the basement.”

  “But what if something goes wrong up here? I could stand guard at the door and warn you.” The kid wasn’t going to let this go.

  “What oath did you take?” If he was a spirit wizard, I was going to lock him in Cate’s basement.

  “I am an air wizard. I can hurt people. Not that I would want to,” he added quickly. “I mean if you couldn’t fight, I could.”

  Clarence put his hand on Lionel’s arm. “The kid is right, you will need help down there. You need a look out and someone to protect you.
”

  “I don’t think Lionel is the right person for either role.” There, I had said it and if his feelings got hurt he’d brought it on himself.

  “I agree. Not Lionel.” Clarence patted Lionel’s arm. “You are an apprentice. I know you want to get revenge on the people who killed Cate, but you don’t know enough to help.”

  The kid’s shoulders dropped. “Sure, I understand. I will just go back to my studies. You take care of the important stuff.”

  I had to suppress a smile, because I remember feeling just that way, and I remember Cate saying almost the same words. “No, that isn’t what I meant. You just don’t have enough experience to get into the fight. The trick is to avoid a fight, not be good at winning one. We’ll find something for you to do.”

  Clarence held up his glass and made a circling gesture with his other hand. The waiter, a sprite named Birch, brought another round. When he left, Clarence checked the room before speaking. “It would help if you had a relay of helpers. If we could get some will-o’-wisps to join us, they could run ahead and make sure the tunnel was clear and they could light your way back. You would know something is wrong if there was no light.”

  “That’s a big if.” I know that will-o’-wisps would be good, but you had to get them on your side first. And, then when they made a promise, they fulfilled it as quickly as possible and took off when they thought they were done.

  Clarence waved down the objection. “I happen to have a couple of markers I can put in play. It will bring will-o’-wisps in for the plan.”

  “Could you get them to hang out here for a day before, get people used to seeing them?” My mind was going to the details and I felt the fog of grief lifting.

  Clarence grinned. “Good idea. When do you need them?”

  “I will make my move tomorrow night. If they can wander in later tonight and drop by throughout the day that should work.”