Between Two Thorns (25 page)

“She doesn’t like me,” the faerie said quietly.

Lord Poppy frowned. “What’s this? Why don’t you like her?”

Cathy shuffled. “She was less than helpful when I had the three wishes to think of, my Lord.”

“Impossible! That wasn’t her. How could you think such a thing? She looks completely different!”

Cathy peered at the faerie. It was identical to the one who’d ruined Josh’s life. But Lord Poppy was staring at her, waiting for a reaction. She raised her eyebrows. “I must be mistaken. Please accept my apologies.”

The little thing clapped its hands, dived off Poppy’s shoulder and pressed a kiss on the end of her nose.

“You mistook her for the one I’ve locked in a box,” Lord Poppy said casually. “That was the one who upset you. Sour little creature that it was, this one is much nicer, wouldn’t you agree?”

Cathy just nodded, not really caring, just wanting to navigate the fastest path through the conversational labyrinth.

“Now, what little nugget is trapped in this mundane’s mind? Why is it interesting?”

Cathy had been considering what to say since they set off down the hill, and had decided upon a risky strategy. “I believe it’s something that could get Lady Rose into a little bit of trouble.”

“Only a little bit?” Lord Poppy said, disappointed.

“I’ve been told I have a gift for understatement, my Lord. Of course, it also isn’t my place to decide how much trouble she could be in; it requires your knowledge and brilliance to make such a judgement.”

Lord Poppy beckoned Sam over with a long finger, tilting his head as he looked at him. When he was close enough, Lord Poppy curled his hand around the back of Sam’s neck and drew his face towards him. Cathy shivered as the Fae lord licked Sam’s forehead, remembering when he’d done the same to her wrist at the Emporium.

“Oi!” Sam rubbed his face as he was released. “Did you just lick my forehead?”

Cathy pulled him back to stand next to her. Lord Poppy was looking up at the sky, smacking his lips together like a sommelier trying to identify a vintage.

“A Fool’s Charm, definitely a Rose, very strong too. How interesting. What have they locked inside you, little mundane?”

“We’d like to find out,” Cathy said. “Would you be so kind as to lift the Charm for us, my Lord?”

“Would I?” he mused, still staring at Sam. “Would I…. yes, I believe I would be so kind.”

Cathy breathed out in relief.

“If you give me another memory in return,” Lord Poppy added.

“Eh?” Sam looked at her. “Does he mean–”

“Only one?” Cathy asked, frantically trying to think of a way to limit it.

“Only one,” Poppy confirmed. “Of my choice. He won’t miss it, I’m certain.”

“Agreed,” Cathy said as Sam took another breath. It was probably the best deal they could get, and the longer they spoke to the Fae lord, the higher the probability of screwing something up.

“Marvellous.” Poppy’s smile was terrifying. “Come here,” he said to Sam. “This will hurt and may drive you mad.”

“What? Then I don’t want to do it.”

“But it’s been agreed,” Poppy said calmly, unconcerned by the way Sam looked like he was about to bolt. He lifted his cane off the ground and pointed it at him. The poppies near Sam’s feet twisted around his ankles.

“Hey!” Sam yelled as Cathy covered her mouth, trapping the objection she’d almost blurted out.

“It’s for your own safety,” Poppy said gently and thrust his cane into the ground to free both hands.

“Cathy!” Sam said desperately, trying to twist around, but the poppies grew higher, now creeping past his knees and holding him tighter.

“Stay calm,” she said, trying her best to look confident, hoping he’d get through it.

As Lord Poppy stooped to pluck a seed pod from amongst the blooms, Sam tried to peel off some of those wrapped around his legs, only to have his hands snared also. The Fae tipped a single seed onto his palm and discarded the pod.

“Open your mouth,” he said, amused by Sam’s panicked struggling.

“You’ve got to be joking,” Sam said.

“Do it, Sam,” Cathy said. “Please, don’t make it any worse.”

“No bloody way!”

Lord Poppy yawned and flicked a finger at the flowers. Two shoots raced upwards, prising Sam’s mouth open as he tried to protest. Cathy tasted blood on her tongue as she bit her lip, gripping the fabric of her skirts tightly, feeling terrible for Sam.

The Fae lord dropped the seed in Sam’s mouth; the poppy stems then shut his mouth and held it closed by pressing against his jaw. The poor man sucked frantic lungfuls of air through his nostrils, blinking rapidly, and then squeezed his eyes shut as a terrible screeching sound rose up from his throat.

Cathy reached for him but Lord Poppy caught her hand before she could lay it on Sam’s shoulder, shaking his head, a broad smile on his face.

A sheen burst out on Sam’s forehead, then Cathy realised it wasn’t sweat, but instead something that sparkled in the dappled sunlight. It coalesced into the shape of chain links, growing in intensity as Sam fought his bonds. Then it evaporated, rising as sparkling steam, and Sam collapsed onto his knees, snapping some of the flower stalks twisted around his legs.

The stems holding his mouth shut receded as Poppy returned to him, lifting his chin with a finger. “Still in there, are we?”

“I remember,” Sam gasped. “I remember all of it.”

“Good,” Poppy grasped his hair. “Then I will judge its worth and take my payment.”

Without warning, he tipped Sam’s head to the side and bent over him, his long, horribly pointed tongue darting into Sam’s ear like a hummingbird’s beak into a flower. “Hmmm,” he said, his tongue withdrawing after a couple of seconds.

“Oh, God, did he just lick the inside of my ear?” Sam rubbed his head frantically, the flowers that had imprisoned him now falling away. He struggled back onto his feet, backing away from the Fae. “That’s disgusting!”

“Shush,” Cathy said, taking hold of his hands and trying to calm him. “Later, we talk later.”

He nodded, shivering. She pushed him behind her.

“Lady Rose has been busy,” Lord Poppy said, extracting his cane from its resting place.

“Which memory did you take?” Sam asked and Cathy shushed him again.

“One that is gold and green and tastes of nothing at all. You won’t miss it,” Poppy said.

“Thank you, my Lord,” Cathy said, curtsying deeply. She grabbed Sam’s hand and took a step to leave.

“Oh!” Lord Poppy said, in such a tone that Cathy started to shake again. “I almost forgot. We haven’t discussed my compensation.”

“Compensation, my Lord?” Cathy tried not to squeak.

“Yes, for taking the mundane away with you and not leaving him here for me to use as I see fit.”

“But–” Sam shut up when she squeezed his hand as tight as she could.

“I understand,” Cathy said, hating him, hating all of them, Fae and Great Families alike. There was no point in arguing; this was Lord Poppy’s domain.

“I will be satisfied if you promise to give me a painting that is the best of your generation.”

She goggled at him. “I haven’t even had a chance to buy the canvases yet!”

“Oh, sweetest child, you’re my favourite.” Lord Poppy swept towards her and stroked her cheek. “That’s why I haven’t given you a deadline. I can wait.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” she forced herself to say.

“Run along now,” Poppy said. “I have a party to attend, one I believe may prove more entertaining than I previously thought. I’ll be sure to make it last as long as possible. Do come again, Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver, your visits never fail to be surprising. And don’t worry about anyone else interfering – I’ll send this one,” he waved the faerie over, “with you to see you on your way safely.”

Cathy curtsied again, trying not to flinch as the faerie came and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, my Lord.”

“And Catherine,” he said. “Don’t trust the Rosas.”

 

 

26

 

Sam pulled the doorknob out of his pocket once Lord Poppy’s domain was out of sight. Cathy had sent the faerie away and he’d never wanted a beer so much in his life. Now he knew what happened that night he could tell Ekstrand, go home and do his best to try to forget it all over again.

“Before we go through, Sam, can I talk to you about something?”

“Shoot.”

“I need your help. I ran away from my family and made a life in your world but the one that stuck his tongue in your ear found me and sent me back to them.”

“Why did you run away?”

“A zillion reasons,” she sighed. “If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone else?”

He could see she was trembling. “I promise.”

“My father… is violent when people aren’t as accomplished as he wants them to be. I’ve never been very accomplished.”

“He hits you?”

She undid the jacket and let it fall from her shoulders, revealing bruises in startling shades of purple and green.

“Shit. Can’t you go to the police?”

“There aren’t any police in the Nether.” She did her jacket back up again. “And they want to marry me off to a man I hardly know, and they don’t care that I don’t want to.”

“Can’t you run away again?”

“If I could, I would, but they keep me locked in my room and even if I could get away from them, there’s nowhere to hide from the magic they’ve got.”

“Holy crap, that sucks.”

“Reckon. Look, I know we don’t know each other very well, and I wouldn’t normally ask for help, but–”

There was no way he could ignore it. “What can I do?”

She breathed out in relief. “The Sorcerer is the only chance I have. I need his help, but he hates anyone from the Great Families.”

“I’ve got an idea,” he said. “This time, leave the talking to me, OK?”

“Deal. Thanks, Sam.”

“If you need somewhere to go in Mundanus when you first get away,” Sam added, “call me. Are you good at remembering phone numbers? I don’t have a pen.”

She nodded. “I have a phone too. I’m going to get it back as soon as I can so I’ll give you my number in case you need me.”

They exchanged mobile numbers and repeated them back to each other until confident they would be remembered.

“I’m sorry it was so horrible when he removed the Charm,” Cathy said. “I had no idea what it would be like.”

“It wasn’t your fault. Now let’s get the hell out of here. You need to hold my left hand,” he said and she did so.

There was a metal bolt sticking out of the back of the doorknob, like one that would normally go through a door to connect with the handle on the other side. He knelt down, pulling her with him, and thrust the bolt into the ground. He felt the earth beneath their knees vibrate.

“Quick,” she said. “I bet everything in Exilium can feel that.”

“Open,” he said, recalling the Sorcerer’s instructions, and turned the doorknob.

The outline of a door burnt into the grass around them and Cathy pulled him up and outside the rectangular shape. Before he could complain, the grassy door swung inwards, revealing the room below. The doorway appeared to have opened in the wall of the room.

“Oh, man, that breaks my brain.”

“It’s like Portal,” Cathy said.

They knelt down at the edge to peep in. It was dark in the empty ballroom they’d left, apart from a single lantern next to the wooden chair Cathy had been sitting in when he’d first been brought into the room. The sunlight in Exilium didn’t penetrate the gloom. He could see the Sorcerer was being cautious again, knowing that she wouldn’t be blindfolded when they came back.

“You know Portal, the Xbox game?” Cathy said.

“Never played it,” he replied. “How do we not break our necks?”

“We slide over this side.” She pointed at the edge that met the floor of the room. “When we’re through, gravity will sort out the rest. Come on.”

“You go first,” he said, unconvinced, and worried the Sorcerer would just abandon her in Exilium if he went first.

Cathy did as she’d described, for a moment looking like she was going to fall into the space, but instead landing on the ballroom floor, which, from Sam’s viewpoint, looked like a wall. A second after she’d landed Axon stepped out of the darkness with another strip of fabric.

“Sorry, Miss.” She must have recognised the butler’s voice, for she just sat there as it was tied.

Sam came through inelegantly and he heard a gentle
whump
behind him, which he assumed was the Way closing. Once the nausea had passed, he opened his mouth to ask whether the doorknob would be left in Exilium but decided against it; they wouldn’t answer anyway. He was sure the Sorcerer had thought of that.

Cathy was helped to her feet. Axon kept his hands on her upper arms.

“Was it a success?” Ekstrand asked, still dressed in his suit and cloak, reminding Sam of a stage magician.

“We’re fine, thanks for asking.”

“I can see that. Did the parasite lift the Charm?”

“Yeah.”

“Excellent. Send his puppet back to the Censor. Tell her she cooperated.”

“Wait, let her stay,” Sam said and put his hand on her shoulder. “She’s not like you said she would be.”

“This is exactly what I feared,” the Sorcerer rumbled.

“Check me out with your magnifying glass if you don’t believe me. She didn’t do anything to make me fall in love or any of that other guff.”

Ekstrand did as he suggested. “You do seem to be free of anything obvious. Why do you want her to stay?”

“She can help us, we’re going to need someone on the inside,” Sam said. “The man who’s missing is the most important person in Aquae Sulis, which is like Bath but in the Nether, right?”

Ekstrand nodded. “She told you this?”

“Yeah, she explained it all to me. And she knows what an Xbox is.”

“A what-box?”

“Exactly! You said they aren’t connected with my world, with Mundanus, but she is, and you know why? Because she was telling the truth when she said she isn’t like them. Lady Rose sent these two weird,
weird
blokes to get the Master of Ceremonies, so if you want to find where he is, I reckon the best chance you’ve got is getting our friend Cathy here to milk her people for information.”

“Lady Rose is behind this?” The Sorcerer stroked his chin.

“And Rosas have come into Aquae Sulis for the season, two different families, for the first time ever,” Cathy said. “It can’t be a coincidence.”

Ekstrand was frowning at her. Sam could feel her shaking beneath his hand. “See? Cathy can help.”

“We have the right to make any enquiries we wish,” Max said. “If we question the Rosas, they have to cooperate.”

“Oh, come on,” Sam said. “If their boss is anything like that Lord Poppy bloke they’ll never tell the truth; they won’t want to land themselves in the shit!”

“We can make them tell the truth,” Max said. Sam believed him.

“But if they even get a hint of you coming after them, they’ll cover their tracks,” Cathy said.

“Yeah!” Sam agreed. “The lady’s got a point. And if they know you’re onto them, they might kill him, if they haven’t already.”

“I could spy for you,” Cathy said. “I have to go to the same functions as these people; now I know their patron is involved I can look more closely into what they’re doing. My father is on the Council of Aquae Sulis. I can find out more than the average person there.”

“This is most unorthodox,” Ekstrand muttered.

“That’s why it’ll work,” Sam said. “They’ll never see it coming. They’ll never guess someone in their world is actually working for you. See?”

“He has a point, sir,” Max said. “The puppet may well see and hear much more than we ever could.”

“Will you please stop calling me that!” Cathy said. “Look, if I’m going to help you bust one of the Fae, I think it’s only fair you help me in return.”

“Nothing has changed,” Ekstrand said. “You must cooperate because of your obligation to the Censor.”

“Oh, God,” Cathy mumbled, lowering her head. “This is a nightmare.”

“Sir, a word?” Max said, hobbling to a corner, where Ekstrand joined him.

“Would you like to sit down, Miss?” Axon asked and Cathy nodded. Sam helped to guide her to the chair.

“Axon, could we have something to drink? I’ll make sure she doesn’t go anywhere.”

Axon looked over to Ekstrand who nodded. Sam was sure that, if he wanted to, Ekstrand could keep her in the room regardless of who was watching.

Once the butler was gone, Sam crouched in front of her and took her hand. “We’ll sort something out,” he whispered. “Maybe if I told them why–”

“No, I’m not going to play the bloody victim card to every single bloke I come across. I didn’t want to show you. It’s embarrassing enough.”

“Stop whispering,” Ekstrand said and Sam stood, glaring at him.

The Sorcerer crossed the room, stood closer to Cathy than he had before and scrutinised her through the magnifying glass again. Cathy shifted uncomfortably, sensing his proximity.

“You will help us to find the Master of Ceremonies, be he alive or dead,” he finally said, making her jump. “And you will do this to fulfil your obligation to the Censor. However, if you prove to be capable, and help us to achieve our goal – with the minimum of fuss and with absolute discretion – I will offer you a favour in return for the next time you help me.”

“You’re more like the Fae than I bet you want to believe.” Cathy sounded exhausted.

“Insulting me is hardly going to aid your case,” Ekstrand said.

“I just hope we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement before the end of the season,” Cathy said.

“Why?”

“Because after that, your help is a lot less valuable to me.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Ekstrand said. “Now, Samuel, tell me more about these men you saw, every single detail, no matter how insignificant.”

“Can’t you take her blindfold off at least?” he asked.

“No.”

He sighed. “Sorry, Cathy.” She shrugged, but perked up at the sound of Axon returning with a clattering trolley of refreshments. Only Cathy accepted the offer of tea as Sam told them everything he remembered.

“So I think he must be dead,” Sam said when he’d finished. “That bundle didn’t move once.” He stuffed a tiny cucumber sandwich in his mouth, duty discharged.

“They could have used a Doll Charm,” Cathy said. “He wouldn’t have been able to fight back if they cast it on him unawares, and he wouldn’t have been able to move or speak.”

“Is that what happened to those people we saw in Exilium?” Sam asked but Ekstrand clicked his fingers.

“Focus!” he snapped. “The men you describe sound like the brothers Thorn to me. I’ll check once we’re done here. Now, pup–” He sighed. “Catherine?”

“Yes, Mr Sorcerer?”

“You said there are two Rosa bloodlines in Aquae Sulis for the season. Have you noticed anything about them so far?”

“The Albas brought an Indian princess to impress the Censor into letting them in. The Gallicas… well, there’s a rumour that they’ve found some deeds to a Nether property. Everyone’s going on and on about it.”

“A Rosa owning a property in Aquae Sulis?” Ekstrand exclaimed. “Nonsense! The Irises and Papavers have too strong a hold over the Council of Aquae Sulis and the Corporation of Bath to ever let a Rosa in. They don’t want their city to be overrun like Londinium was.”

“Yeah, that’s what people are saying, but the Gallica is smug enough for it to be true. If it is, you can bet your life they’ll hold a party there to show it off.”

“But it makes no sense,” Ekstrand muttered to himself. “Why are the Rosas interested in Aquae Sulis? They’ve always been content with Londinium.”

“It’s too much of a coincidence,” Max said. “You need to focus your attention on the Gallicas and, if you can get into this house, have a good look around.”

“I’ll get something for you to contact me should you find anything,” Ekstrand said, and left.

“The Gallica bloke is a complete git,” Cathy said in Max’s direction. “He tried to kill a mundane in London.”

Max frowned at that. “Did the London Arbiters intervene?”

“No, I saved the guy – that’s not widely known, OK? The Rosa didn’t seem to give a toss about the Arbiters showing up. It surprised me at the time actually. I guess you guys aren’t as scary in London.”

Max was silent then. Sam patted Cathy on the shoulder gently, wanting to reassure her but also wanting some contact with another person who felt just as nervous as him. She seemed to be dealing with it well. He wondered if she was panicking on the inside like he was. They were talking about things that were so outlandish he just wanted to go home and watch the football or have a takeaway, or both, something utterly normal in the world as he understood it. Exilium already seemed unreal in his memory. Had he imagined that place, the fairie, the door in the ground? If not, were they going to let him walk away having seen it all?

Ekstrand returned, holding a large tube and a wooden lozenge. He handed it to Max. “When you take her back, explain how this works to her.”

“Are you sure, sir?”

“It’s protected, one use only. Even if she gave it to the Fae, they’d be unable to use it; I’ve keyed it to her with the hair I took earlier.”

“Yeah, about that,” Cathy began but Ekstrand didn’t let her continue.

“It’s time for you to leave now,” he said. “Once you find out anything that can connect the Gallicas to what happened to the Master of Ceremonies, contact me directly. Don’t go through the Censor, I don’t trust her.”

“What should I be looking for?” she asked as Axon took her sandwich plate.

“Anything that seems out of place,” Max said. “Keep an ear out for anything to do with these deeds and, if you get a chance, look around that house. Just don’t be obvious about it.”