Still Not Dead Enough , Book 2 of The Dead Among Us

by Doty, J. L.

  Simuth clearly had something to add but Ag ignored him. “I will think on this for a time. Now leave me.”

  ~~~

  After Simuth and Anogh departed, Ag spoke as if conversing with the air itself. “Come, my friend. Enter.”

  In the middle of the wall, to one side, a panel swung open on hidden hinges and Vasily Karpov stepped into the room. Ag poured Sidhe wine into two crystal goblets, handed one to Karpov and said, “An interesting series of developments, eh my friend?”

  Karpov sipped the wine, spoke in his thick Russian accent. “The Summer Knight is correct on both counts: Valter will not allow the young man to do anything foolish, and you can do nothing beyond expulsion.”

  Ag sat down in a comfortable chair and sipped at his own wine. “Surely, Mr. Karpov, we can find some common interest.”

  Karpov remained standing and smiled. “I suppose I could be of some assistance back on the Mortal Plane, perhaps help you get your hands on the young man without any guaranteed protections.”

  Ag looked at the wine in his goblet as he spoke. “And if you were to help me bind the young mage, what would you require in return?”

  Karpov’s smile broadened into a wide grin. “Once he is bound you can send him back to the Mortal Plane and dictate his actions, can you not?”

  Ag nodded slowly.

  “Exactly,” Karpov continued. “And I would find it of some advantage if he returned and volunteered to apprentice with me.”

  Ag’s face widened into a smile that mirrored Karpov’s. “Yes, it appears we do have some common ground. But I am informed you have had some recent setbacks, that you dare not act openly against the Old Wizard or his apprentice.”

  Karpov’s smile remained undiminished. “There is a man who can assist me. We have had some discussion on the matter. He is strong, confident, and has a personal grudge against the young mage. I can claim his intervention was a personal matter between two hot-blooded, young men. So while there might be suspicion, the Old Wizard will not be able to make a solid enough connection to act against me.”

  Ag’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How will you induce him to assist you?”

  “He is the young woman’s former husband. She won’t have anything to do with him, and that hurts his pride. And she appears to be attracted to Walter’s apprentice, and that angers him further. He is easily manipulated through his own anger and hatred, and will think he is acting in his own interest.”

  Ag stood and faced Karpov. “Then we have an agreement, Mr. Karpov.”

  “Not yet, Your Majesty.” Karpov’s smile disappeared. “Such agreements must be carefully structured. But, with a little further discussion, I am confident we can come to mutually agreeable terms.”

  ~~~

  Early the next day Ag summoned them all into his presence, and this time there were no niceties. With no preliminaries he revoked the protection of the Unseelie Court and expelled them immediately. They had until sundown to be out of the Unseelie territories. Magreth argued with him heatedly, to no avail.

  As the short and unpleasant audience came to an end, and as they filed out of Ag’s audience chamber, Anogh took Paul by the arm. “A private word with you, Young Mage.”

  Paul had nothing to lose. He looked at McGowan. “I’ll catch up with you.”

  Anogh led him out to the stables at the side of the palace. The stable yard consisted of packed earth and gravel, surrounded by the palace on one side, stables and a barn and a large gate on the other three sides, all under an open, purple sky. Pages and stable hands hustled about, but they all gave the Summer Knight a wide berth as he stopped in the middle of the stable yard, turned and faced Paul squarely. “Can you walk the halls of Sidhe, Young Mage?”

  Paul made no attempt to hide his confusion. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “I mean, can you to walk the halls of Sidhe as we Sidhe do?”

  Paul grimaced with frustration. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Anogh continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Because, when I walk beside you, I sense that you see the true halls of Sidhe. Do you truly sense nothing more than stone walls and floor and ceiling?”

  Paul had sensed something, decided to be honest. “I don’t know. I do sense something, but I’m not sure I know what it is. It’s the same sensation I get when we pass between Faerie and the Mortal Plane.”

  “Yes,” Anogh said, nodding his head thoughtfully. “And can you induce that sensation?”

  “I doubt it. It’s just there.”

  Anogh turned away, stepped a few paces away from him, rubbing his chin with his hand and thinking intensely. He walked back to Paul and looked him directly in the eyes. It surprised Paul to see doubt and fear in the Sidhe’s eyes. “All you need do to walk the halls of Sidhe is induce that sensation, picture the place you wish to be, and step there. Above all, do not picture a path to that place, just the place itself. Can you do that?”

  Paul trusted Anogh only so far. The Summer Knight had messed in his life as far back as the day he met Suzanna. “I seriously doubt it. Why are you telling me this?”

  “I think it will benefit us both if you know this.”

  But with regard to Anogh there was always the question of trust. “Why would you help us? Doesn’t that violate your oaths?”

  Anogh’s expression hardened. “My oaths bind me to the Winter Court, and by those oaths I may not betray the Winter Court to the Summer Court.”

  Paul’s aggravation boiled to the surface. “Ya, ya, I’ve heard all that before. But what exactly does that mean?”

  Anogh refused to say more, was clearly frustrated by Paul’s ignorance as he escorted Paul back to his chambers.

  ~~~

  When they assembled in the stable yard the coaches awaited them, with steeds in harness and coachmen attending. Dergindaal’s men each stood by his mount, many checking their saddles and harness. To Paul it appeared to be a confused tangle of whinnying horses, stable hands running about shouting orders, the coachmen desperately trying to calm the animals in harness.

  Paul had decided against wizard’s robes and nineteenth century waistcoats in favor of jeans, a shirt and a lightweight windbreaker. At this point, with them leaving Katherine behind and no resolution to the situation, he didn’t care who he impressed.

  McGowan seemed ok with the whole thing, refused to discuss the situation openly while they were in either Court.

  Paul climbed into the coach he would share with Devoe and Sinthas, took a seat where he could see Magreth’s coach through the window next to him. One never kept a queen waiting, so everyone made sure they were ready before her. McGowan and Colleen and Cadilus waited near their coach, and as Paul had guessed, Magreth was the last to emerge from the palace proper with Dergindaal at her side. Dergindaal assisted her into the coach, then Colleen, then the two men. There was a moment while they adjusted themselves for comfort, then the coach lurched forward and they left the Unseelie Court in a cloud of dust.

  Chapter 24: Reality Redefined

  “Why aren’t we doing something?” Paul demanded, pacing back and forth in the old man’s study, his voice close to a shout.

  Colleen spoke calmly. “Calm down, Paul.”

  Devoe, leaning against the wall, said, “Can’t blame him for being a bit impatient.”

  McGowan said, “I wasn’t able to tell you this while I was there, but I met privately with Ag. We’re going to cut a deal.”

  Paul stopped pacing and dropped into one of the chairs. “What kind of deal.”

  “I don’t know yet, but Ag’s trying to save face. He says Simuth acted without his knowledge, but he can’t publicly admonish the Winter Knight.”

  Paul asked, “And you believe him?”

  The old man shrugged. “Not a word, but it doesn’t matter. Maybe Simuth acted on his own, or maybe Ag just wants to use him as a scapegoat. In any case Ag’s backed into a corner. The Seelie Court is aligned against him, and the non-aligned fey are close to i
t. So he just wants out. We might have to toss him a bone or two, but we’ll get Katherine back. And Magreth, because they attacked you in her court, is helping us with the negotiations.”

  Paul stood again. “So we just sit and do nothing?”

  McGowan pointed a finger at him. “You sit and do nothing. Colleen and I are working behind the scenes.”

  ~~~

  Paul decided to grab a hamburger at Jessie’s. Alone. At this point he was completely out of the loop regarding Katherine’s rescue.

  Paul was most of the way through his hamburger when Eric Reichart sat down at the bar next to him. But as Paul eyed him warily, Reichart raised both hands and said, “Truce, Paul. I’m not here to pick a fight.”

  Paul took a pull on his beer and said, “The last time we met I got the impression we’re not going to be bosom buddies.”

  Reichart nodded reluctantly and shrugged. “Look, I admit I don’t like you seeing Katherine, and I want to get her back. And I know I haven’t been very pleasant about it. But . . . this kidnapping thing, her being a prisoner in the Unseelie Court, I’ve thought about it and I realize I should put our differences aside until we’ve rescued her. After that you and I can snarl at each other, and not be friends and all that stuff.”

  He sounded quite reasonable, not at all like the Eric Reichart Paul knew. “So why are you here? Why me?”

  Reichart sighed with frustration. “Old man McGowan won’t let me help, won’t let me be involved in any way. I figured if I talked to you first, maybe you’d tell him I want to help, that I’ll cooperate, do whatever is needed.”

  Reichart was a powerful wizard, had been more powerful than Paul, but Paul suddenly realized they were now on a par. The only possible explanation was that Paul had grown. In any case Reichart seemed quite sincere, and they needed all the allies they could get.

  Paul finished the last of his burger, paid his bill and he and Reichart walked out to the street together. It was a dark, moonless night. “My car’s just down the street here,” Reichart said, pointing in the same direction as Paul’s apartment.

  They turned that way and walked side-by-side down the sidewalk. When they got to Reichart’s car Paul said, “I’ll talk to McGowan tomorrow morning, tell him you want to help.”

  As Reichart fumbled for his keys he said, “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

  He found his keys, unlocked his car, turned back to Paul and stuck out his hand. It would be rude to refuse to shake it, and maybe he really wasn’t a bad sort, just a little screwed up because of a failed marriage. Paul could understand that, so he extended his hand.

  The instant their hands touched he realized his mistake. He felt that surge of power that comes only from a previously prepared spell. The ground swayed and his muscles went weak. Paul’s knees hit the grass next to the sidewalk with Reichart still holding his hand. Reichart said, “You stupid, fucking sucker.”

  As four dark shapes stepped out of the shadows of a nearby building, Paul put all his effort into drawing power, was completely blocked from earth and ley line magic. He turned to his physical magic, managed to pull quite a bit and slammed it into Reichart’s hand, knocked him across the hood of his car out into the street.

  Two Unseelie warriors grabbed Paul’s arms, pulled them painfully behind his back. He struggled, but Reichart’s spell had weakened him badly and they bound his hands with some sort of rope. They held him as a Sidhe mage in wizards robes approached him and lifted his hand toward Paul’s face. Paul pulled more power, tried to picture the mage’s arm broken. It snapped with a loud crack, bent half way down the length of the forearm at a sharp angle. The mage cried out, staggered back, holding his arm and screaming in agony. One of the two warriors slammed a gauntleted fist into the side or Paul’s head, knocking him to the ground. Badly dazed, hovering on the edge of consciousness, Paul could still pull power, but a boot slammed into his face and he lost consciousness.

  ~~~

  “Your Majesty.” Simuth bent the knee before Ag.

  “Well,” Ag demanded impatiently.

  “It took a mortal mage, two Sidhe mages and two Sidhe warriors to subdue him, but he’s ours.”

  “Excellent,” Ag crowed. “Excellent. He’s as powerful as we thought. Once he’s broken he’ll be a valuable asset. Keep at least seven mages on him at all times. He mustn’t escape under any circumstances.”

  Simuth asked eagerly, “And shall I begin his education?”

  Ag leaned back on his throne and sighed happily. “Oh yes, dear Simuth. We will teach this young mage a bit about reality here in Faerie.”

  ~~~

  Paul dreamed he and one of those beautiful Sidhe creatures were clutched together in a tangle of naked arms and legs and silken sheets. They’d made love for several hours now. She groaned as he nibbled on her ear, and a piece of him noted it was pointed. He put a line of gentle kisses down her throat, took a nipple in his mouth and bit it softly. She groaned even louder, rolled on top of him, guided him into her, cried out as he thrust into her with every bit of strength and power he had. She responded by grinding her hips desperately against him, and they thrashed back and forth for several minutes until she arched her back and growled like an animal as pleasure washed through her. But try as he might he could not find relief, had not yet found release through all his dreaming hours of lovemaking.

  “Enough, darling,” she said, panting breathlessly.

  She rolled off him, and he realized it wasn’t a dream. Simuth leaned against the wall just inside the door and began applauding. “Excellent show,” he said.

  She swung her legs off the bed, stood, not in the least shy or embarrassed by her nakedness. To Simuth she said, “Glad you enjoyed it, dear. Perhaps you’d like to join us sometime. The more, the merrier.”

  She turned back to Paul, stood there looking at him, sweat and Paul’s saliva glistening on her breasts. “I do thank you most sincerely, Young Mage, for a very pleasurable evening.” She picked up her gown, didn’t even bother to put it on as she walked out of the room. Simuth turned and followed her.

  Paul sat up, buried his face in his hands. He sensed the circle that held him trapped. It was some sort of circle that allowed the Sidhe to pass freely in and out of it, but which contained Paul nicely. When he’d first regained consciousness, he’d tried to walk the halls of Sidhe, as Anogh had called it, hoping to find an escape, but he didn’t know what he was doing, and in any case the circle stopped him cold. He sensed the power of a Sidhe mage standing between him and his own power.

  He’d quickly learned that every time he slept, he’d experience an intense dream that eventually crossed over into reality, and he’d find it wasn’t a dream at all. And each time he recalled Colleen’s words about sex and the Unseelie Court, how they used it to reward, punish, gratify, humiliate, to give joy or sorrow, to merely entertain.

  He certainly had gotten a taste of the punish-and-humiliate part.

  ~~~

  “We can’t find any trace of him,” McGowan said. “I’ve searched quite thoroughly on the Mortal Plane.”

  Clark Devoe slipped through the door into McGowan’s study where all but Paul had gathered. He immediately said, “Eric Reichart’s in the hospital. SFPD found him three days ago, his right hand nearly crushed, and suffering from severe hypothermia.”

  “Hypothermia?” Colleen said. “That would be Paul’s doing. And three days ago, that would be when Paul disappeared.”

  Devoe smiled, though there was nothing pleasant about the look on his face. “Guess where they found Reichart: lying in the middle of the street less than a hundred feet from Paul’s building. And there were nearby traces of Unseelie magic.”

  McGowan said, “That little shit. He’s got some questions to answer. What hospital?”

  “I’ve already been there,” Devoe said. “Had a little talk with my good buddy Eric. He stinks of Unseelie too, and it’s clear he had something to do with Paul’s disappearance. But the asshole won’t admit to anything,
and I was . . . persuasive.”

  Colleen said, “More like scary.”

  Devoe looked at her, his expression flat and almost inhuman. “But he was more scared of somebody else, wouldn’t talk.” Devoe turned to McGowan. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

  McGowan closed his eyes, nodded slowly, tiredly. “That son-of-a-bitch Karpov. Reichart doesn’t have the wherewithal to cut a deal with the Unseelie Court. It’s got to be Karpov. But unless we can prove it, I can’t take any action against him.”

  “Now if I can confirm Ag is holding Paul against his will. If I can do that, that means he’s taken both my daughter and my apprentice, and I’ll have the support of every practitioner on the Mortal Plane. But first I need solid confirmation of the situation.”

  Colleen sighed heavily. “Can you get it before they break Paul?”

  ~~~

  It had been a long week, but it was Friday and they’d just closed that new account with one of Paul’s designs, so old man Strath had let him skip out a little early. He was looking forward to a glass of wine with Suzanna, sitting in the kitchen watching her make dinner. They might even have a chance to make love before Cloe got home from school.

  He opened the door to their apartment, headed straight for the bedroom, pulling off his tie as he walked. But when he stepped into the bedroom he was confronted with the most pornographic view of a man screwing the hell out of some woman, his buttocks pumping up and down, his erect penis pumping in and out of her. Paul’s first thought was that somehow he’d walked into the wrong apartment, but then the woman groaned and cried out in Suzanna’s voice, “Oh god that’s good.”

  Paul froze. “Suzanna?” he asked.

  The man stopped pumping away at the woman, turned to look over his shoulder at Paul, his eyes wide with surprise. It was their next-door neighbor, a single guy named Healey. Suzanna’s head rose and also peered over the man’s shoulder. “Oh my god!” she cried, pushing the man off her. “Paul!”