Master and Apprentice (43 page)

“Same here, Princess.”

She blushed and lowered her eyes. “It is far more pleasant to hear that word from you than Nurien.”

“Stop flirting with my wife, thief,” Ian growled—but his eyes betrayed his good mood. He approached Akila and took the crown from her. “I will hold this for you, love. I would not wish you to catch … cooties.”

“Keep trying, Ian. Someday you’ll be able to speak human.” I caught sight of Akila’s four-fingered hand and shuddered. “So, um, the bond with Nurien broke when he died. Right?”

Thunderclouds filtered through Akila’s features. “He lied about our so-called bond,” she said. “The ceremony was never completed. My father …” She shivered and stared at her feet.

Ian put an arm around her. “My heart,” he whispered. “Tell me you will not despise me when I destroy that bastard who calls himself your father.”

“I will not,
l’rohi.
” Steel flashed in her eyes. “I have no father.”

“Whoa.” I threw up my hands in mock surrender and backed away. “Ripping off ears, plotting murder—you are a vicious woman, Akila. Maybe I should start calling you Xena.”

She frowned. “Who?”

“Warrior princess?” I sighed and shook my head. “Never mind. When we get home, I’m getting you guys cable.” A quick stab of pain pierced my gut. Couldn’t think about home yet. “Uh, can we go now?”

“Of course,” Ian said. “But I am not certain how to return. The tunnel has collapsed.”

“Good point.” I’d left the blood marker on the landing, but I still wasn’t sure about moving more than myself that way, and I suspected I’d hit my earth magic ceiling. An attempt to tap in proved me right. I couldn’t draw anything. “Well,” I said reluctantly. “There’s an exit to outside over there, and I’m pretty sure the compound is right up above us, a few hundred feet. I guess we could … fly.”

They both agreed way too quickly. I resigned myself to another trip on Air Ian.

No one had wanted to stay in the compound. So when Mercy offered to let the whole group head to her place, everyone jumped at the chance. Especially me. She had beer.

Despite the collective exhaustion, the hour’s walk back didn’t seem as long as the trip out. All eight of the younger scions and two of the humans—Penny, and an older girl named Lucy who spent a lot of time holding hands with Lynus—accompanied us.

The other two humans at the compound, both male, hadn’t survived the fight. They’d died trying to protect the females.

It was twilight when we reached the sprawling cabin. Mercy had shooed the kids inside with motherly commands to rest for a while after the ordeal. All the djinn, and me, claimed spots on the porch and collapsed.

Tory perched on the rail like a bird, weary with relief. “You missed a hell of a fight, Ian,” he said. “Those kids are naturals. Didn’t miss a trick. If you’d been leading them … man, what a unit they would’ve been.”

Ian smiled. “It seems to me that you have done a commendable job leading them yourself, Taregan,” he said. “I am … proud of you.”

“Gee. Thanks, Dad.” Tory’s exuberant grin said the praise meant a lot more than he’d dare let on. “I guess you guys had a fairly kick-ass fight of your own, though. We felt some of that power flying around down there. Was that all you, Donatti?”

I shrugged. “Wasn’t just me,” I said. “But I did burn through a lot.”

“He’s an earth mage.” Calvin stirred from his slouch and sat up straighter. “This realm hasn’t seen his like in centuries. In fact, it’s possible that no mage has ever equaled him, because of his Dehbei blood.”

“Yeah, right,” I muttered. “Just call me Merlin.”

Calvin arched an eyebrow. “Some day, apprentice, you may realize how extraordinary you are.”

I didn’t feel extraordinary. I felt like a guy who’d killed four times, been burned and shot to death, and wanted to sleep through whatever would pass for the rest of his life.

The front door opened and Mercy emerged with a frosty six-pack of beer. “Oh my God,” I blurted out, “I love you. Have I told you that today?”

“Not yet.” She smiled and handed me a bottle. “You get the first one.”

Calvin cleared his throat. “What about me?”

“You’re a monk. You’re s’posed to abstain from the evils of booze, remember?”

He got to his feet, crossed the porch to her, and brushed fingers along her cheek. “I’ve decided to retire,” he said hoarsely. “There is someone I love more than God.”

Mercy blinked rapidly. “Well, shit,” she whispered. “In that case, have a beer. And … this too.” Smiling, she leaned in and kissed him hard on the mouth.

Tory let out a wolf whistle. I joined him so he wouldn’t feel too lonely.

“All right, boys.” Mercy flapped a hand at us, and a blush crept over her face. “Y’all save that for your own women. Or your man, in your case,” she said to Tory.

His jaw flopped. “How’d you know that?”

“Sweetie, you’re too pretty to be straight.” She handed him a beer. “Sorry about that knock I gave ya.” She passed a bottle to Ian, and looked at Akila. “Are you drinkin’, er … hell, I don’t know your name. But you c’n still have a beer if you want.”

“I am Akila.” She laughed and took a bottle. “And today, I believe I am drinking.”

“I hear that.” Mercy opened the last bottle and drank deep. “Damn, that’s good.”

“I’ll drink to that.” I cracked mine. The first swallow just about made me weep. I could’ve died happy right then. “How are they doing in there?” I said to Mercy.

Her expression sobered. “Best as can be expected,” she said. “Those kids are tough. But not as tough as they think. They’ll need help if they’re ever gonna have real lives.” She sighed and glanced back at the door. “If they want, I’ll let ’em stay here long as they need to. Only … I don’t really get this whole magic thing.”

Calvin wrapped an arm around her. “I’ll stay as well,” he said. “If you’ll have me.”

“You better.” She grinned at him. “Gotta have a man around the place now. I’m gonna need a lot more rooms.”

“I suppose you will,” he said. “So,
rayan.
” Calvin turned his attention to Ian. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what will you do now?”

Ian didn’t answer him for a long moment. “I do not know,” he said at last. “Four hundred years I have spent in this realm, with a single purpose. And now … well, I cannot continue to blindly hunt your clan. I
will
not.” He looked down and clasped his hands. “Though it will not be easy. The
ham’tari
will see to that.”

“That reminds me.” Calvin smiled, gave Mercy a brief squeeze, and approached Ian. “I have a gift for you, if you’ll accept it.”

“You have no need to offer me anything.”

“I do, actually,” he said. “If it weren’t for you—and your talented, noble scion—I’d still be under Vaelyn’s thumb. And I would have lost what matters most to me in this world.” He glanced at Akila. “I’m sure you understand that.”

I forced myself not to comment on the talented noble thing, even though it made me sound like an expensive horse or something.

Calvin looked at me. “The gift is for you as well, apprentice.”

“Huh?”

“You didn’t believe me before, and I don’t blame you,” Calvin said. “But I’ll tell you again. I have been able to modify the
ham’tari.
”

Something that strongly resembled hope flickered in Ian’s eyes, and died just as fast. “It will not work,” he said.

“In a thousand years and more, no Bahari has been able to
manipulate that curse,” Akila said. “I have attempted it many times.”

“Same here,” Tory put in. “Sorry, Calvin. You just can’t do it.”

Calvin shook his head. “Have you learned nothing? You shouldn’t dismiss anything simply because of clan differences.” He faced Ian again. “The
ham’tari
is a Bahari spell. However, it’s used to deceive, to bind and manipulate. These are strengths of the Morai.”

Ian’s breath caught. “Yes,” he said slowly. “Perhaps …”

“I can’t completely break the curse,” Calvin said. “But I can change it, so the consequences won’t be so dire. I can make the effects practically insignificant.”

“Very well,” Ian said. “If you are willing to attempt this for me, I shall be honored to accept.”

Calvin nodded and knelt in front of him. “Forgive my familiarity, Gahiji-an,” he said. “The
ham’tari
is a bond of the heart, and so I must reach you there.” He placed a hand flat on Ian’s chest and closed his eyes.

Power flowed from Calvin in almost tangible waves. Ian gasped, stiffened, and his gaze fixed on some point beyond Calvin’s head. Nearly a minute passed. Ian flinched like he’d been kicked, and a tear tracked down his cheek.

Somewhere deep in my gut, I felt something shatter. But it wasn’t a bad feeling. It was a weight lifting from my soul, one that I hadn’t even known was crushing it.

Calvin broke contact and slumped over, panting. “It’s done,” he muttered. “And I think I could use another beer.”

Ian shook himself. “It is done.” Awe and gratitude painted his voice. “Akila, he has truly changed the curse. I felt it happen.”

“Oh, love!” Akila clapped her hands like a delighted child. She reached out, lifted Calvin’s head, and kissed his brow. “We are indebted to you, Khalyn of the Morai.”

“The name’s Calvin,
rayani.
Calvin of … earth.” He gave her a tired smile. “And I’ve only repaid the debt I owed to your husband.”

For the first time in my life, I almost felt like singing.
Cyrus,
I thought.
Thank God. Cyrus is safe.
I couldn’t wait to tell Jazz. At least I could give her that. “So, Calvin,” I said. “You mentioned that there’s still some effects. How practically insignificant are they?”

He shrugged. “The consequences won’t be dire. I don’t know exactly what will happen. You may experience dry skin, or mild nightmares on occasion. Or perhaps your toenails will grow at an unusually rapid rate.”

I laughed. After a few seconds, everyone else joined in.

“Well,” Ian said after the amusement died down. “I believe we should head for home. It seems you all will have some adjusting to do.”

Mercy’s brow furrowed. “How y’all gonna do that?” she said. “I mean, you’re from up north, ain’t you?”

“We are. But if you have a mirror, we can—”

She snorted with laughter. “Do I look like I spend much time starin’ in a mirror? Sorry, Ian. I’m fresh out.”

“That’s okay,” I said. “You’ve got something we can use.”

Ian looked at me. “What?”

“The shower curtain. You know, the metallic silver one. With duckies.”

“If you say so.” Mercy offered a crooked smile. “It’s been … interestin’ meeting y’all. You know where we’ll be if you wanna swing by sometime.”

“Count on it,” I said.

The front door slammed open and Billy stepped out, wild eyed and hyperventilating. “Mercy!” he shouted, and did a double take when he realized she was standing right in front
of him. “Sorry, Miss Mercy, ma’am. My … I mean Penny … ah,
shit.
” He closed his eyes, drew a deep breath. “The baby’s comin’. Like,
now.
”

“Good lord, boy.” Mercy grinned. “I thought maybe the army was bustin’ through my back door. Don’t you worry, she’ll do just fine. Get her in my bedroom. I’ll be right there.” She half-shoved Billy back inside. “Duty calls,” she said. “Y’all have a safe trip home—however the hell you plannin’ to get there.”

She entered the house. Calvin watched her for a second, then turned back. “I believe I should help out in there,” he said. “I wish you all a far more peaceful life than you’ve managed to achieve so far. And I thank you again.”

“We thank you as well,” Ian said.

The instant the door closed, Tory jumped down from the rail to the ground. “Get me to this shower curtain, quick,” he said. “I don’t think I can handle the whole birth thing.”

I laughed and started down the steps. “Right this way.”

B
ridging through Mercy’s shower curtain wasn’t easy. But the four of us passed through, one by one, and entered the apartment over the garage.

Home.
I looked around the place, knowing the house I’d called home for a year stood just outside these walls. We’d been gone four days. Nothing had changed here—but everything had. The same place, but I wasn’t the same person. It reminded me of stepping out of prison after a six-month stretch and going back to the old haunts. Wondering why everyone I’d known was different, unfamiliar, and finding out it wasn’t them. It was me.

Ian headed straight for the couch and plunked down. “I believe I will sleep for a decade,” he said. “And then bathe for another.”

“You do need it, love.” Akila giggled and drifted over to plant herself next to him. “I do as well. I believe I’ll join you.”

He smiled and drew her close. “As you wish, lady.”

Tory folded his arms. “I need to get home soon,” he said. “I didn’t die, so Lark’s gonna kill me. He won’t even look at me for a month.” He looked at me and frowned. “Donatti, you … want to come with me?”

“Yeah, I guess I should.” I had to face Jazz sometime, and find out how much she hated me now. I glanced down and grimaced at the filth and grime ground into my skin. “Mind if I jump in the shower first?”

He shrugged. “Sure. Fifteen more minutes won’t make me any less dead.”

I murmured thanks and headed out. Down the stairs, across the yard, around to the back door. It was locked, but locks had never stopped me before. I was a thief long before I knew about magic. But since I didn’t have a pick set on me, I pressed a palm against the handle and thought about how much I needed it to open. A dull click sounded as it disengaged.

I moved through the kitchen. Bloodstains on the floor, dried and black. The living room. A shattered mirror, maroon smudges on the carpet. Debris everywhere. Up the stairs. The main bathroom, another shattered mirror, more blood. Ghosts of fear in the tub, where Jazz had hidden Cyrus from men with guns, men who would’ve killed them both.

The bedroom. Jazz in green silk. Bloody footprints on white tile in the master bath. I closed the door, stripped, and climbed in the shower. Hot water washed away dirt—but never guilt.