Waiting for Magic (32 page)

Devin started for the door. It was as though he were moving underwater, but not as comforting as water would have been. He stumbled and fell to his hands and knees, head hanging. He saw feet. Pendragon’s slippers, Green’s black wing tips.

“Let’s get him to the back bedroom before it wears off.” The words echoed, crashing around in his brain. He’d made a big mistake coming here. His mind was like the sludge at the bottom of the river.
Too late
, he thought as he fell to the carpet. He couldn’t even call the water.

*****

“Can you go faster?” Kee asked. She was riding shotgun, as Maggie called it, and Maggie was driving Edwards’ SUV. Kee could feel Devin more strongly as they got nearer. He was at Pendragon’s all right. No question. She hadn’t told Maggie how she knew precisely, though. That would be revealing way too much about her relationship with her brother.

“Should’ve brought my truck,” Maggie muttered. “This damn thing has no guts and less visibility.” She glanced to the rearview and swung around a Volvo only going the speed limit.
There wasn’t much traffic late on a Monday night. Kee hoped the Lakers weren’t playing at Staples Center.

Maggie had done a great job. She’d targeted her calm to Edwards and his guys without touching Kee. Edwards had offered his gun, all the while humming “Memories” from the musical
Cats
. Kee wouldn’t have pegged him for a Broadway-show-tunes kind of guy. One of his men, Sam, had opened the gate. Maggie had left them dozing in the command center. Kee hoped that gave her and Maggie enough time.

“I’m glad we got out without alerting the family,” Kee said. She had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Having them in danger too would have just made it worse.

“Yeah,” Maggie agreed, her lips a thin line in the glow from the instrument panel on the Escalade. “No point in dragging them into this.”

Maggie meant “no point in getting them killed.” So she had a bad feeling too. Kee’s insides were wound tighter than a drum. If anybody could use a dose of Maggie’s calm, it was her. Too bad she didn’t dare lose her edge. How long had Devin been at Pendragon’s?

Probably too long.

*****

Devin could hear everything going on. He could feel everything. He just couldn’t seem to
do
anything about it. Green dragged him back into the bowels of the big house. Pendragon wasn’t limping anymore. He was using his cane more like a hiker would, for balance, striding out, his long cigarette holder dangling from the other hand. Devin’s head lolled, giving him a clear view of Pendragon opening a door. Green dragged him through it. A big, four-poster bed dominated the room. The ceiling was made of wood carved with gilt wreaths that acted like frames. The pictures inside showed naked men and women in endless combinations of sexual congress. There seemed to be a lot of blood too. Devin’s thoughts were unfocused, diffuse. His gaze crossed a display on the wall. Whips. Those were whips, some with single tails and some with many. And maybe canes. The whole atmosphere was ringing alarm bells. But they were distant, muted by whatever had been in that smoke.

Green heaved him up on the bed with Pendragon’s help. He felt his boots come off. One of them was working at his belt. They ripped his shirt. Buttons popped everywhere. He was like a rag doll. They flopped him this way and that as they stripped him.
They’re going to hurt me, maybe rape me, too.
Then they’d probably kill him, and he couldn’t think clearly enough to even call the water.

He wouldn’t get the Talisman and he’d never see Kee again. That was the hard part.

When they had him naked, they pulled him farther up onto the bed. He heard the rattle of chains. His chest heaved as he tried to get his breath. Green snapped heavy shackles to his wrists, the kind he’d expect to see in a medieval dungeon. Pendragon was working on his ankles. Devin expected them to fasten him spread-eagled to the four-poster. But his wrists were just above the level of his head. With some effort he craned his neck backward. The chain between his wrists was hooked to a single chain secured to a huge bolt in the wall. A pole between the shackles on his ankles braced his feet apart. Pendragon was hooking it by a chain to a bolt in the floor below the bed where he’d pulled the carpet back.

Devin furrowed his brow in an effort to think. Why not hook him to the bed itself? He blinked, eyes irritated by the smoke. Then he knew. Because they’d be able to turn him over, chained like this, where they couldn’t if they’d just tied him to the bedposts. Fear boiled up from his belly. No comforting distance now.

“Assholes,” he managed to mumble. “Don’t do this.”

Pendragon finished his work, set the large skeleton key to the shackles on the nightstand,  out of reach, and stood over Devin. “I’ve been looking forward to doing just this for several days.” He smiled down, then traced a finger across Devin’s ribs and up over his nipple. “Though I had hoped to have your sister participate.”

Kee. At least Kee was safe. He could feel her.

Oh, no!
He could feel her more intensely than he had before. That meant she was closer. She must have figured out where he was. She was coming after him. Fear circled around in his clouded mind. Not Kee!

“So young. So muscular.” Pendragon grinned when Devin shuddered. The finger moved down to his hip. “And so well endowed.”

“Will that be all, Mr. Pendragon?” Green’s voice came from over by the door.

“Yes. Feel free to check back. I’m feeling generous tonight.”

“I would enjoy that, sir, thank you.”

Devin heard the door close. He was heaving air into his chest. In his current mental state, the presence of the Talisman was overwhelming him again. He’d thought he had that under control, but now his murky brain couldn’t handle it. Green leaving didn’t make him feel any better either. Kee was coming. His only hope was that she’d brought an army with her. But even an army might not get through the things outside the castle. Would the Tremaine men come with her? Then they’d be in danger too. He was so sorry he’d tried to do this thing.

Pendragon slipped off his smoking jacket, leaving him bare from the waist up. “I see you’re slightly more alert. Good. I want you to experience every physical and mental sensation we’ll share tonight. Before we start, though, I have a few questions.”

Devin pulled on the wrist chains.

“They’re quite strong. But feel free to test them.” He ran his hands over Devin’s biceps. “It makes your muscles stand out so nicely.” He climbed up to sit on the very high bed next to Devin, and reached for a bottle from among several on the nightstand. “I think a little oil is in order.” He poured some into his hands. “Now where were we? Ah, yes. I had some questions.” He spread the oil over Devin’s belly. “So smooth, so taut,” he murmured.

Devin tried to wet his dry mouth enough to talk. “Not telling you anything,” he croaked. If only he could think more clearly, he could call the water.

Pendragon cocked his head first one way and then the other as he rubbed the oil up over Devin’s chest. “Perhaps if you’re a good boy I’ll keep you all to myself and won’t let Green have a turn. He’s really quite a beast when it comes to sex, you know. Doesn’t take time to prepare your anus, for instance. Very painful. I’ve told him he misses all the fun of the foreplay, but he doesn’t seem to care.”

Devin tried hard to keep the fear out of his voice. “You’ll do what you want anyway.”

“But perhaps I’ll spare your sister.”

Devin panicked.
Think,
he ordered himself. “You don’t have Kee.” Did he? Devin’s voice was thick. His tongue didn’t want to obey him.

“But I will.” His hand moved down Devin’s belly and over his hip. “I saw it in the scrying globe tonight. Green has instructions to let her in when she gets here. We wouldn’t want our sentries to see her as a threat. Looks like she’ll get to meet Ms. Le Fay after all.”

Pendragon was right. Kee was coming. Devin jerked against his chains, jerked again.

“Bastard,” he growled. “Leave Kee alone.”

“Not unless you’re … more forthcoming.”

Devin mustered all his will and struggled. Fear overwhelmed him. Chains clanked as he rocked against them in a frenzy. When he dimly realized he was wasting valuable strength, he sank back, gasping. Kee was closer. He had to save himself so he could help Kee.

“My, my. So stubborn. And dear me, you’ve bloodied yourself.” Pendragon dragged a finger through the trickle running down Devin’s forearm and brought it to his mouth, where he sucked the finger loudly. He faked a shudder of delight. At least Devin hoped it was fake.

The physical effort made Devin’s head a little clearer. The drug was wearing off. He tried to focus on water, shut out both the fear of the strengthening bond with Kee and the sickening influence of the Talisman. If he listened, he could hear water in the pipes of the house. He closed his eyes tight and tried to call to it.

Nothing.

So he wasn’t getting out of here before Kee could show up. In his current state, even if he could call the water, he wasn’t sure he could control it enough to protect Kee when she arrived, or himself. He didn’t know what to
do
. Maybe Pendragon would spend himself on Devin and not have energy enough to attack Kee. What else could he hope? “Get on with it,” he growled.

“First the questions, remember?”

Devin clenched his jaw.

Pendragon seemed not to notice. “I saw how you got your siblings out of the river,” he said. His hand slid along the inside of Devin’s thigh. “Is it genetic, like Morgan and company, or do you study the old texts?”

“How did you see?”

Pendragon clucked his tongue. “I’m the one asking the questions. However, as a gesture of good faith, I’ll tell you. Through my studies I have learned to disassociate my spirit from my body. I use astral projection to see the present in another location, thus seeing you save your brother and sister. And here’s another little tidbit. My scrying globes allow me to see the future. Really quite useful. I saw you and your lovely sister coming here tonight, though evidently she will arrive later. Now you. Is your power nature or nurture?”

Devin gritted his teeth and kept silent.

“Does your whole family have power?” Pendragon leaned in, breath hot against Devin’s neck. “You can tell Uncle Pendragon.”

Devin wasn’t betraying his family to this guy.

Pendragon sat up, pouting. “You’re just making it worse for her.”

Devin swallowed. If answers earned him time to recover his senses he didn’t have to buy with rape, he ought to take it. The family wasn’t in any immediate danger. Kee might be. “No dark arts. We have a gene. Handed down from Merlin.” Pendragon would think he was crazy.

But he didn’t. He nodded. “Just like Morgan.” His voice sounded lustful. “Though I suspect hers is from her namesake, Morgan Le Fay. Thus the interest you all exhibit in the Tarot Talismans, also created by Merlin. You want their ability to prolong life.”

Devin blinked, confused. “Do they do that?”

“Oh, yes.” Pendragon’s satisfaction was evident. “They do indeed. But if you don’t know that, you want them for another reason. What else can they do?”

“They … increase the power of the magic.”  According to Brian.

Pendragon raised his brows. “Ahhh. Morgan wants my Talisman for both reasons, then. How very useful to know. Now I wonder why she hates your family so. Not on her side of the fence, of course. But is she afraid of you?” he mused. “Does you whole family have powers?”

Devin shook his head. “You only get one when you love someone else with the gene.”

“So, you’re a boy in love. How touching. I wonder who has raised your manly sentiments? It has to be someone with the gene.” Was his expression of surprise feigned? “But of course, the so-treasured sister. You’re in love with your sister.”

Devin wished he wasn’t flushing. “None of your damned business.”

“But this will make a delightful reunion tonight,” Pendragon said. “I wonder just what you would do to spare that creamy flesh the kiss of some of our little implements.” His hands were moving again. Devin flinched as Pendragon finally caressed his penis, cupped his balls. “I’ll wager you’d sacrifice your own flesh, wouldn’t you?”

Damn right he would. But he wouldn’t give Pendragon the satisfaction of knowing that. He squirmed as Pendragon continued his ministrations. To Devin’s horror, he felt himself getting hard. His brain had gotten clearer. Pity.