The Wielder: Sworn Vengeance (The Wielder Series) (19 page)

After my bee-line to the porch area, I step beyond
it to take in the night. Clear sky, half moon.  Unlike the Kentucky bunker, Z had modified this one with an awning over the porch and a privacy fence.  Not that there was too much nearby anyway.

Arix.  I walk back under the enclosure and run my finger across his sigil.  The air ripples and my sorcerer appears.  He looks around quickly, I presume for Ahtsag.

“Thank you for bringing me out,” he says.

“Most welcome.  We have work.” I bring him up to speed with where I’m at - the communication talisman being our
“in” to Maldy.

Arix, sits down and
gives me a look of consideration. “I am sorry my wielder.  That could never work.  You see our prey would be using the same method of glyphic cover that Ahtsag Znuul does – or at least some variation. If we could make a connection, it would only be if his protection was down; which would not be for long. You cannot track that which you cannot connect to.”

I look at Arix and he blanches a little at my glaze.
He knows I didn’t want to hear that. But, it’s the truth.

“So, what if we call him on yours and create a connection?”

He looks at me disapprovingly. “My wielder, then we are using the device to speak and not to track.  We cannot do both simultaneously.”

Damn.  I take a deep breath. Perhaps I’m not approaching this right
.

“Arix, how does this communication disk work?”

“He has a central talisman.  He can extract others, like mine or Silithes’ from it using proper conjurations. Each one he conjures produces a sigil on the original, indicating which device is communicating with him. It is not complicated magic, just detailed in the creation of the original device, like the one he carries.”

I look at Arix, “So it’s a telephone with caller ID.”

He sneers at me.  “That is very much over simplifying the concept.”

But that changes the playing field.  We don’t have to track Maldy.  Just his phone.

“Okay Arix, we can’t track Maldy.  But what about tracking his phone, err… talisman thing.  Or better yet, what about being able to monitor its position.  They can do that with cell phones.  Is that something we could do… figure out its frequency or something?”

Arix’s eyes open wide.  And by eyes I mean all of them.  The third one that glows purple is wide open too. “Master Arthur, I don’t mean to sound demeaning, but when did you become so in
sightful?  That is brilliant.  We don’t need to know where
he
is.  We just need to know where his talisman is.”

“Can it be done?”

His third eye closes and his other regular eyes dart around, presumably in thought. “I think so. It will require us to make a connection to establish what magical frequency it accepts transmissions at.” He looks at me seriously.”It will take some doing, but yes, yes it can work. I think we can even track him ongoingly.  It will take a certain kind of device and calibrations to point to where he is in the world and of course, if he leaves our particular plane of existence we cannot track him.”

I am pumped.  I shoot up out of my seat and pace the porch. “Really? Are you sure?”

Arix shrugs.  “As much as I can be until we test it.  But, a device to take the energy and move a pointer to his location is key, I can’t stress that enough. I can supply the spell and energy, but we will need more than a simple map and my hand to guide a needle.  We’re talking the entire world and thus there is a need for some precision.”

I take that in. A world map can only show us at best what city he’s in.
“Ok, we have your device and pieces of Sil’s – can we make hers work?  If we can, then we can have a macro device and a micro device… you get me?”

That
statement gets me another look of disbelief from my sorcerer. “I don’t mean to imply you have been a dullard in the past my wielder, but you seem to be functioning at a higher level now.  Having two levels of detection makes a great deal of sense.  Though, the second detailed one would require a sorcerer’s touch given an inability to pre-calibrate.”

I take that
answer as a yes. “So, what do we need to pull this off?”

Arix looks at me seriously. “I need the
luchorpean, he is good with technical things, practical and physical things - he tinkers well. We will work together and he will tell you what materials are needed for the physical portion.  I will work on the magical calculations, spell composition and energy holding vessel.”

Despite the fact that I know it’s rude, I do it anyway.  I run my finger along Pffif’s rune and send him to the white.  Then I do it again and summon him before me. The air shimmers and there’s my leprechaun.

“Ye tellin’ me ye couldn’t just knock on me door?”

“Times wasting for me Pffif, I need you and Arix to work together.  We’re going to track the collector. Arix is up to speed. I’m going to go tell Znuul what’s up.”

I put my hand on Pffif’s shoulder. “Not time for the flask, this is serious shit. Do what you can and if gets beyond you let us know.”

“Beyond me… Bah!” Pffif’s
eyes are accusing me of a slight.

I open the sliding glass door and make my way
past the kitchen and down the hall to the giant red doors that enclose Znuul’s bedroom.  I knock on the door.  A moment passes and nothing.  I knock again. He needs to know what we can do.

The door opens and I am greeted by Znuul in all his demon glory, wrapped in a velvet
bath coat.   Kitten is sitting in the bed, sheets pulled up to cover.

“Best be good
news Arthur,” Znuul tells me. “You are interrupting special time.”

I meet his gaze with my
smile. “We can find him… Maldgorath. Arix is needed. He’s outside, not in your house, but we need him, so don’t squish his head again.  There’s a device that we’ll need to build. We can find the bastard.”

Znuul’s eyebrows furrow
, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, we can find him – I figured it out.”

Znuul looks me up and down. His eyes stop on the spot on my trousers and he appears to sniff. “You’re mind jacked.  You made her do that clarity thing didn’t you sly dog?  I knew I liked you – way to command your assets.”

“It didn’t exactly
go down like that, but yea she hit me with the whole reason thing and we can find him.  I think.”

“You think?”

Now that kind of pisses me off. We had nothing.  Now we have something. “Hey, what do you got?

“Point taken
,” Znuul looks back at Kitten, who is now on her knees bouncing in response. “Meet you on the porch, when we’re done.”

Then he closes the door in my face.  Nice.

Then the door opens again. “Good going. Change your pants before the fairy sees that."

The door
closes again.  That's good advice, but way too late.

I head to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee.  Sil’s
neuromancy was starting to fade and with it me too.  I head back out to the porch, coffee in hand.  Pffif and Arix are huddled together, talking animatedly about what is needed.

I plop down in a porch seat and
take a sip off my coffee.  I watch them talking, gesturing.  They are very much into it. Damn, I was so on top of things.  Now I just want to be on top of my bed.

After a while,
I hear the sliding glass door open and turn my head to see Znuul has joined us.  “Bring me up to speed.”

I look over to Arix and say “tell him.”

Arix tells Znuul "Most likely we can find Maldgorath."  Pffif starts talking about needing zero friction pulleys and sorts. Arix is mentioning soil samples. They are very engaged – all three of them.  Me, I’m cradling my coffee feeling very tapped out.

“This is very good,” Znuul proclaims. “Arix, you are welcome in my house, for now.”

“I presume you will give me warning when I am not,” Arix asks back.

That gets Znuul’s
patented faux smile, “You may presume all you wish.”

The three of them conference for a while.  When they are done, Znuul pats me on the shoulder. “Good going, you pulled us
from the void.”

Pffif and Arix head back inside.  Arix to find a room, Pffif I am guessing to head back to his.

The quiet of the porch is nice. I review events. My succubus lost her mind. I was almost raped. My fairy thinks I did something I didn’t. Arix is back among us. We can probably find Maldgorath. I sit here and take the night in.  Looking down at my empty coffee mug, I figure it’s time to go to bed.

I get up and walk over to the sliding glass door and step inside.  The first thing I see is Sheyliene, sitting on one of the huge leather sofas looking at me with daggers coming out of her eyes.

“Arthur MacInerny I have a bone to pick with you,” Shey says with seriousness. “Sit your butt down – we’re going to talk, now.”

Great.

The smell of coffee
awakens me.  My head cranes up and my sleepy eyes open to see Pffiferil sitting on the sofa across from me with a steaming cup in his hands.  My neck is stiff from having fallen asleep at the corner of the sofa.  Sheyliene’s head is laying in my lap.

“Morning Pffif
,” I mumble which cause Shey to stir.

“You two are so cute”
comes the deep voice from Znuul sitting in the huge chair over to the side.

“They are ain’t they?” Pffif
replies.

“So how long have you guys been
sitting here?”

“Not long.” Znuul replies.  “You still look like crap, go get some proper rest.”

I say something witty back to him like, “hmmph”.

We are joined by Sil in human form
now, wearing a silky blue robe; probably one of kitten’s given that’s what she considers to be her house uniform.  My succubus regards Shey and me, then looks about the room to Pffif and Znuul. “Good morning,” she says in a demure fashion then heads to the kitchen.

I watch her
walk to the kitchen and Shey pushes me.  Message clear – don’t stare.

But sometimes
it’s hard not to, and in my current frame of mind even the walls are good to stare at.

“Thinkin’ that the sorcerer ana I gots a good plan fer the findin’ machine.  Mr. Destroyer her
e says he’ll be helpin’ with the gatherin’ of stuff we need.”

I wipe some sleepy from my eye
, “Where is our sorcerer?”

“In his room” says Znuul.  “And best away from me.”

“Bah!” shouts Pffif.  “Ye be callin’ him yer brother if’n he delivers the collector.”

“You are a pain in my ass
,” Znuul says punctuated with a raise of the eyebrow to my leprechaun.

Sil returns carrying two mugs.  She hands one to me and the other to Shey. “Coffee the way you like it and tea for you Sheyliene.”  Then she rounds the table and plops down on the sofa next to Pffif across from us.

“She poisoned mine.  Didn’t you?” Shey says with an accusing look at Sil.

Sil just smiles and nods “no”.
  “Just happy not to be sent away forever and trying to say sorry for a terrible joke on you Sheyliene,” she replies.

“Do tell” says an energized Pffiferil. He does love a terrible joke.

“Arthur get some rest, then come find me.” Znuul injects, standing. “There’s a mission I need your help with… but it can wait until you’re better rested.”  He looks over at Pffiferil “A little rest wouldn’t hurt you either.”

P
ffif toasts him with his coffee, then taps his coat where he keeps his flask.

I’m thinking that despite this nice coffee, some extra rest would be
good. I get up and excuse myself to my room. My bed is there, still made.  I flop on top of it and drift off.

I wake up and  realize immediately
that I’m not alone. Sil is sitting on the corner of my bed, still in human form, still in the silky tied down robe.

After I am through jumping out of my skin,
I figure I’d start the conversation… “What?”

“Nothing much really
,” she says “I just wanted to say thanks for not sending me away and for caring. That, and you’re cute when you’re asleep.”

The whole flirt thing is
lost on me, given she just showed me she can basically hijack my libido.  Maybe my whole non-plussed, dead-eyed thing gave that away.

“Sorry
, but things still seem like they turned out OK,” she says quietly, but still directly.

That they did.  We hav
e a real potential for finding Maldgorath now.  All the same, I’m in no mood for Sil’s never ending desire.

“Really not in the mood for your needy crap Sil.”

That gets a smile. “I know. I’m not here for that.”

I run my fingers through my hair and swing myself out
to the side of the bed. “What then?”

“First, to say than
k you. I lost my mind a bit and you came to help. Second to let you know, I think I get it now.  You need to know me. So no more half-truths, no more evasions. When we get back home, I’m opening my diaries to you.  They’ll tell you everything you need to know about me. Last, I promise, no more throwing myself at you.  I will remind you, gently and occasionally you’re wanted, but no more intruding on your showers, no more surprise masturbation shows. No more unwanted neuromantic attacks.”

“No more showing up half naked on the edge of my bed?”

That gets a deep breath and a sigh. “Half naked is not all naked. And I am not asking for your morning erection.” She looks away. “I understand I deserve that sarcasm. Don’t doubt my conviction to our family… or you.  That has nothing to do with pleasure, nothing to do with feeding my hungers. There’s a whole Silithes you don’t know – and you will. Like it or not.”

She stands and turns to the door to leave stopping with
her hand on the knob, back to me. “You and I are together forever or until death at least. I’ll try to earn your trust and we’ll see what follows. I concede that just because I want, doesn’t mean you do. Your needs do come before mine – you are my wielder after all.”

With that she leaves
, which makes me slightly relieved. That is until I consider what she just said – she’s throwing the one true law out the window again – the one that dictates self before all. I take a deep breath.  No telling if it’s another manipulation.

I
shower up, throw on some fresh clothes and figure it’s time to find Z about his mission.  I head over to his office and swing open the door.

Not there.

That means porch. I make my way outside and he’s there taking in the afternoon sun, sitting on the patio cross legged looking out into the nothing. “There he is!” comes his deep bubbly sounding voice.  “Come sit.”

I come over and sit down
in the chair next to him. “What’s the mystery mission?”

He looks
over at me. “Karen. It’s time she joined us.”

“You have a plan?”

He takes a deep breath, “Send you. That’s all. That’s all I got.”