Double Alchemy: Climax (13 page)

Quinn looked at Percy. “If you have a moment, there’s something in the library I’d like you to see.” He waved a hand at the others and made his way to the basement, turning to see whether Percy was behind him. Quinn heard Cade give a deep sigh of resignation and he smiled at his lover’s reaction before entering his man lair.

*****

“Well, that’ll be the last we see of him until midnight.” Cade remarked drily, looking over at Daniel. “It looks like it’s just me and you. Would you like coffee or something?”

Daniel shook his head. “No thanks, Cade. I’m good.”

There was a companionable silence and Cade glanced at the older man. He’d met him before at Quinn’s bedside when he was injured but that had been such a whirlwind of activity they’d had little time to get to know each other. Cade guessed Daniel to be in his early fifties, looking younger than his years despite his obvious stress, and he had a calm, thoughtful face.

“Quinn told me all about his parents’ deaths the other night,” Cade said softly. “It was a terrible thing for a six-year-old to go through. I’m glad you were there for him. I went through something similar with my step-mum, but I was a lot older than he was. I was able to cope better, I expect.”

Daniel leaned forward. “I heard about your tragedy from Quinn. I’m sorry you had to face that. It must have been a very traumatic time. “

Cade nodded. “It was. But nothing like what Quinn had to face at such a young age.”

Daniel nodded. “It was a tough time for him. He was a difficult boy and definitely a bit of a hellion in his younger years. He needed a father figure. He’s not an easy man to control, as I’m sure you’ve found out.”

Cade chuckled. “No one controls Quinn, least of all me. I’m just lucky he’s finally started sharing his past with me. He has so many secrets, he’s like a maze. You think you get to the end and see the exit and then you face yet another hedge that you can’t get through.”

“That’s a very apt description of him,” Daniel said approvingly. “Quinn’s had to grow up terribly fast, and becoming Grand Master at the young age of twenty-one was an incredible achievement. No Grand Master has ever achieved the title that young before.”

His voice was proud.

Cade looked at him. “What exactly does one have to do to earn that title? Is it some sort of ritual he goes through? Are there levels you achieve, like in the Masons?”

Daniel looked at him uncomfortably. “It’s really just a case of making decisions, showing how strong you are and working the inevitable power game. Quinn is a master at it. There were people who thought he’d never get where he was but he proved them wrong. It became a challenge for him, and being Quinn, he had to win.”

“What kind of decisions?” Cade asked quietly. “Quinn told me that at the age of twelve he had to make a decision to kill a man. I couldn’t believe it. Are those the kind of decisions you’re talking about?”

Daniel snorted. “You don’t want to know all the gory details, trust me. You know how tormented Quinn is by some of his past? The less you know in this case, the better. I believe that with all my heart. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression of him by telling you the kind of things he’s had to do to get where he is.”

“The end justifies the means. Quinn’s mantra,” Cade murmured.

Daniel nodded. “He has the weight of the Warlock race on his shoulders and he’ll do anything to protect them. It’s what he’s sworn to do and he does it very well. There has been less trouble in Quinn’s tenure than with any other Grand Master before him, including his father, who was one of the best. Christopher hated the fact that Quinn had to become it. He wanted Quinn not to have that responsibility because it’s a burden, but he knew he couldn’t stop it. And he knew Quinn would want it. It’s who he is, who he was born to be.”

Daniel fell silent, watching Cade’s face.

Cade smiled at him. “He’s very complicated, isn’t he?” He heard the wistfulness in his voice. “Sometimes I have no idea who he is.” He lowered his eyes to his hands. “Sometimes he scares me. He can be so damned implacable.”

Daniel shook his head fiercely. “That man worships you. You’re his world; never forget that. You’re the only thing he’d put above the Consortium and his mantra and that knowledge scares him. He’s never had that happen to him before. He thinks it makes him weak. You and I know it just makes him human. You need to bear with him. If he’s opening up to you now, that’s a good sign. You just keep chipping away at my boy. And never fear him. He’d never do anything to hurt you.” He grinned. “Not intentionally anyway. He can be a bit of an arrogant, bad-tempered bastard, I know. “

The two men sat in silence and Cade was truly surprised when Quinn and Percy came back into the room. He’d expected Quinn to be longer, as was his way when he went into his study. Quinn looked at Daniel, then at Cade. He frowned.

Cade knew that look. Quinn was wondering if they’d been talking about him.

“I managed to track down Justin,” Quinn said quietly. “He’s somewhere in Tibet at the moment with his oil company but he’ll join us for the circle at ten tomorrow morning and so will Magnus. Then perhaps we can find Hopkins. We don’t have a lot of time so I hope this bloody works.”

He scowled fiercely and looked at Daniel with a raised eyebrow. To Cade’s amusement, Daniel ignored Quinn’s apparent curiosity at what he and Cade had been discussing and stood up.

“Well, if that’s it, I’m getting off. I have a dinner date with a very willing lady and as it’s been a while since I saw any action, I’m raring to go.”

Quinn shook his head in amusement. “You’re assuming she’s willing. I hope she likes short, skinny blokes with attitude. Then you should be all right.”

Daniel laughed and came over to hug Quinn. Cade watched as Quinn hugged him back, marvelling at his easy acceptance of this man’s affection. He’d never seen him do that with anyone else before, not even Percy.

“I’m going to get off too,” Percy announced. “I might be able to salvage that late afternoon game of golf after all.”

The two men departed, leaving Cade and Quinn standing by the front door as they waved goodbye. Quinn shut the door with a thankful sigh.

“It’s been quite an eventful afternoon,” he mused, looking at Cade. “Have you anything planned now that you want to do?”

“Nothing in particular. I do have some notes for a dissertation to finish for Ambrose so I suppose I’d better do that.” Cade wrinkled his nose in distaste.

“I have a better idea,” murmured Quinn as his mouth swooped down, parting Cade’s lips and kissing him greedily. Cade surrendered to his embrace and decided it was definitely a better plan.

Chapter 13

Four men stood in a circle in Quinn’s library basement the following morning, their faces expectant yet composed. It was a rare sight to see so many influential and powerful Warlocks in one place at the same time. Quinn looked around at the gathering of his close friends and confidantes and regarded each one of them in turn. Magnus, Percy and Justin gazed back with the same scrutiny. Justin’s face, tanned from the Tibetan sun, seemed at odds with the paler faces of everyone else. He was a tall man, about Quinn’s age and height, with a stocky frame and chiselled face.

Quinn smiled slightly. “Look at us. A meaner bunch of reprobates I’ve yet to see.” The others grinned back. “Are we ready for this? Everyone knows what we need to do?”

They all nodded and Quinn nodded too in satisfaction. “Right, let’s invoke those Withinners and get this party started.”

All four men chanted their invoking words quietly and within seconds, the circle of human warlocks had changed to a circle of magyckal beings, all distinctly different. Taliesin was in his usual garb: breeches, jerkin and his long, swirling cloak. Draigh, Taliesin’s familiar, buzzed impatiently around the room.

Nicholas, Percy’s Withinner, was attired in a long, green robe with black trimming and astronomical symbols across the fabric. Attilius was dressed in a deep red, flowing garment that wrapped around his body, held in a place by a white sash across his waist. He had a long chain of Roman medallions around his neck, reaching down to his breastbone. It was Rupert, being the most modern of the current Withinners in the room that looked most out of place amongst the circle. He was casually clad in a pair of deep blue trousers, brown leather sandals and a white, billowing shirt, fastened at the neck by a small brooch.

Taliesin, as usual, took charge. “It is good to see you all again,” he murmured. “Rupert, I swear you look more foppish each time we meet. “

The other Withinners grinned at the banter. It was a standing feud between Taliesin and Rupert to insult each other’s dress sense.

“And I see you still wear the same clothes you had on when we met last time, Taliesin.” Rupert twitched his nose in distaste. “It certainly smells like it.”

Attilius chuckled, a deep belly laugh that shook his rotund frame and jiggled the jowls of his fat chins. Nicholas smiled quietly as Taliesin chuckled.

“Now we have the pleasantries out of the way, shall we begin? Time is short and there is a lot depending on us. Where is the Book of Shadows?”

Nicholas motioned to Quinn’s desk. “I believe it is that one. It reeks of death even from here.” He frowned. “Whoever owned that book suffered greatly.”

Taliesin nodded. “If we all place our hands on it, and concentrate our energies, we may be able to get a sense of where this poxy Witchfinder is. Nay, we
have
to get a sense of where he is. We have only until the solar eclipse to try and destroy him so we must make haste and succeed in our endeavour.”

The four men moved over to the book, each placing their left hand on a part of it, and grimacing at the feelings the book invoked.

“The blood trail is faint, but it is there,” Attilius said quietly. “I see some images but it will take all of us to enhance this blood trail. Can I suggest we begin?”

The Withinners closed their eyes and each chanted their own words to amplify the images, sights and sounds they were receiving from Matthew Hopkins’ blood. Their faces underwent transformations of emotions as they tapped into the spiritual essence overlaying the book. The air around them hazed up like heat rising off a scorching pavement. The men remained firm, their stances upright, and their murmuring grew louder. The book shimmered and rose slightly, but still the group kept hold of it. A red mist slowly rose from the front of the book, swirling around like pink fog and covering the Withinner’s hands.

Nicholas gave a sigh of satisfaction. “I see something,” he said quietly. “I see a church, a grey brick church, in a graveyard. The sign is faint but there are words on the sign outside the entrance.”

“I see it too,” murmured Taliesin. “It is called the Church of St. Mary and St. Michael. The words on the sign say it is the parish church of a place called Mistley, as expected. Can anyone see the people we are seeking?”

“I see a stone cottage, out in nowhere, behind trees and set far into the woods.” muttered Rupert. “It is cloaked with magyck but not strong enough to hide from this exalted circle. I feel a bad presence in its midst. Something is rotten inside. Can we concentrate on this place? I feel it in my bones that the people we seek are inside. The stench is odorous.”

All the Withinners focused on where Rupert had pointed them and finally Taliesin nodded in satisfaction.

“I see them. The cottage is buried deep in the woods, on a dirt road. I see a broken signpost saying ‘Weathers.’ I’m not sure if that is the name of the place or the area. I also see a copse of seven broad trees—they look like sentries, they stand so firm.” He squinted, his brow furrowing. “There are two people in it,” he frowned, “three of them including Hopkins himself. A boy, a tall, thin man and the Witchfinder essence. They are all together in this house. I think the boy is this Jeremy Payton that Quinn is seeking. The other man, he feels different, but he is not a Fey. He is still human but there is something strange about him.”

“He will be the human vessel,” said Rupert quietly. “The one the Witchfinder intends possessing on the forty-ninth day. The process of cleansing him has already begun. That is why he seems different.”

Taliesin nodded as did the others. “The young man is calling him Rowan. He is spindly indeed. I had not thought to see a strange specimen of human so tall and thin. He looks like some sort of strange insect you would find in the woods, hiding under foliage.”

The others chuckled grimly at Taliesin’s words.

“This is good,” muttered Nicholas. “We have found them. Our Warlocks will be very pleased.”

The red mist around their hands slowly drifted down back into the book and when it was finally gone, the Withinners looked around the circle at each other and nodded their heads in deference to each other.

“We did well.” Taliesin sounded smug. “I think our reward should be to stay in this place a little longer before being revoked. I could do with time away from my own home.”

Attilius spluttered in laughter. “The last time that happened, you ended up very much in the disgraced favours of your Warlock for putting your manhood where it didn’t belong!”

The others sniggered as Taliesin regarded his colleagues angrily.

“Will I ever be rid of that cursed story?” he snarled as the others chuckled loudly at his discomfort. “I did not know that everyone knew about that indiscretion. Quinn has been rather indiscreet it would seem.”

“Quinn didn’t tell us.” Nicholas smiled. “Percy knew, so I found out and told the rest of them. I knew one day we could embarrass you with that story.”

“Except for me.” Rupert bowed slightly. “But I am now aware of the story and have yet another thing to vex you with when next we meet.” He cocked his head and sighed. “I am being revoked. I had better get back to my own time and let Justin back in his. Farewell friends, until we meet again.”

One by one the Withinners were revoked by their Warlocks, and soon Quinn, Percy, Magnus and Justin stood together again in the library.

Quinn regarded everyone with a broad smile. “I have to say that was a great success. Thank you all. We have a place to find these men now. Those seven trees sound distinctive and the name ‘Weathers’ gives us a clue. I am sure with our resources we can find this secret cottage in the woods. When we find the place, I’d suggest Daniel goes to get the bits we need. That way we don’t jeopardise any surprise advantage we have by alerting him to magyckal activity in the area. I’ll tell Daniel to find this Rowan person and get something personal, hair or blood, from him to do the ritual. Percy, you start working on the ritual we need to defeat this bastard.”