Sebastian e-1 Read online

  She pouted a little. “Don’t you gamble? I thought that’s one of the things people were supposed to do in the Den.”

  “I gamble enough to know when to fold. And you, joy of my heart, already know you’ve got the winning hand.”

  Joy of my heart. He felt the jolt go through her as the words sank in, felt that same jolt go through him. The words said too much, gave away too much. She didn’t belong here. Even though she’d returned to the Den by her own choice, she didn’t belong here. If he wasn’t careful, words could chain her to this place.

  “So,” he said, desperate to turn the mood back to light and friendly, “what were you going to wager?”

  She sniffed. “Since you didn’t take the bet, I don’t see why I should tell you.”

  “Ah, Lynnea—”

  The sound of wheels rattling toward them caught his attention. People came to the Den by horse and buggy or by bicycle, but most left the animals and conveyances at one of the liveries at the edge of the Den so the animals wouldn’t be leaving piles in the street. Having a big farm wagon clomping up the Den’s main street wasn’t usual—and anything that wasn’t usual was suspect.

  Apparently he wasn’t the only one who felt suspicious. By the time the wagon pulled up close to Philo’s, the male residents of the Den had formed a circle around the wagon—and none of them looked willing to give the newcomers a friendly welcome.

  As he hurried toward the wagon, he heard the driver say in a loud voice, “Hoo-whee! Looks like we took a wrong turn, boys. Yes, sirree, looks like I got misdirected and took a wrong turn.”

  Daylight, Sebastian thought, what’s he doing here?

  Teaser stepped forward, his cocky grin just shy of malicious. “No one comes to the Den of Iniquity by mistake.”

  “The Den!” The man trembled. “Guardians and Guides!”

  “What’s in the wagon, hayseed?” Teaser asked.

  “His name is William Farmer, and he’s not a hayseed,” Sebastian said, stepping through the circle. “There’s no need for pretense here.”

  William studied him. “I know you.”

  Sebastian nodded. “You gave me a ride up to Wizard City.”

  “Well, now. Well. If you’ll just explain to these fine gentlemen that—”

  “Been traveling long?”

  William hesitated, then nodded.

  “Then step down and rest a bit. We can’t offer any feed for the horses at the moment, but we can provide a bucket of water.”

  “That would be a kindness.”

  “You boys get down from there,” Sebastian said. He recognized the hard look in their eyes, that blend of arrogance and fear. He’d seen it often enough in a mirror at that age.

  The boy up on the driver’s seat opened his mouth to say something Sebastian was certain would get him into trouble, but William put a hand on the boy’s arm and said, “Mind your manners.”

  The farmer set the brake and climbed down from the driver’s seat. After a moment’s hesitation, the boys climbed down too.

  “Teaser,” Sebastian said as he eased around the horses, “keep the boys company and see they get something to eat.” He shifted his focus to the farmer. “You come with me.”

  As the circle opened to let them through, he asked, “Is it morning in the landscape you came from?”

  “After midday now,” William replied.

  “Breakfast is the first meal of the day,” Lynnea said, falling into step with them. “So you can still have bacon and eggs. If Philo has bacon and eggs.”

  Philo reached the table at the same time they did—and just in time to hear that comment. “He wants bacon and eggs?”

  “He does,” Lynnea said.

  Philo scowled at Sebastian.

  “Why don’t I give you a hand?” Lynnea said, smiling brightly.

  Philo continued to scowl at Sebastian. “If the man is going to start getting fussy about what’s put before him, I suppose he’ll have to have his own cook.”

  “I didn’t say…” Since Lynnea and Philo had already headed for the kitchen and he was talking to their backs, he turned to William. “I didn’t say I had to have bacon and eggs.”

  William’s smile was sympathetic, but his eyes twinkled. “All good women have a measure of grit and sass.”

  “Do they?” Sebastian said sourly.

  “That they do. Or so my dear wife tells me often enough.”

  He laughed, since the alternative was banging his head against the table. Pulling out a chair, he sat down where he could keep an eye on the street. “So now that we’ve settled that much, what brings you here?”

  William settled his bulk in a chair on the other side of the table. “Didn’t mean to come here. Didn’t know I’d end up here. But—” He stopped when Lynnea approached the table and set down two cups of koffee along with sugar and cream.

  “There’s not much besides koffee to give to boys that age,” Lynnea said, indicating the other cups on her tray. “I hope that’s all right.”

  “They’ll drink whatever is put before them,” William replied.

  “Well, they’re too young to be drinking whiskey or ale,” Lynnea said primly.

  Sebastian brushed a finger over her wrist. “Never tell a boy he’s too young for whiskey or ale. He’ll need to prove you wrong and drink himself sick.”

  “I’m not going to tell them anything. They’re just not getting any.” She headed for the other table, where Teaser was keeping an eye on the boys.

  “She used to be a little rabbit,” Sebastian muttered. “I liked the little rabbit.”

  “I’m thinking you like the side of her that nips and nudges even more.”

  The truth of that pinched a bit, so Sebastian just drank his koffee.

  “It’s like this,” William said. “I was on my way to Wizard City, like usual, but…” He lifted the cup, then set it down without drinking. “I couldn’t get there. Took the same road, crossed over the same bridge, but as soon as I crossed the bridge, day turned to night and…I ended up here.”

  Lee’s doing, Sebastian thought. Had to be. “If you managed to reach the Den, I don’t think you’ll be able to get to Wizard City. The landscapes have been altered.”

  William paled. “Altered?”

  “Places you could go before may no longer be within reach.”

  “Home,” William whispered. “My wife. My children.” He clamped a hand over Sebastian’s. “Can I get home?”

  “I think so.” He hoped so. He didn’t know how long it would take Lee to break the bridges that connected Glorianna’s landscapes to any landscapes beyond her and Nadia’s keeping, but since William had managed to reach the Den, the odds were good the farmer lived in a landscape controlled by one of them.

  Lynnea came back with two plates of bacon, eggs, and fried potatoes, gave him a told-you-so smile, then was gone again.

  “What about the boys?” Sebastian asked as he dug into his meal.

  “That’s another thing.” William tasted the eggs, made a sound of approval, and spent the next few minutes concentrating on the food. “Found them along the road, just before I reached the bridge. Whole pack of them. Recognized most of them by sight, if not by name. Something’s happening in Wizard City that’s making folks uneasy. Remember I told you about that part of the city that was different?”

  “I remember.”

  William tipped his head to indicate the table where the boys were sitting. “They said the good feeling was going away, like someone was blowing out candles one by one and pretty soon there would be only darkness left. Some of the older folks gave the children what coin and food they could spare and told them to get away from the city. So they left because they were more afraid of staying than going. Slipped out among the other travelers and met up down the road a ways. By the time our paths crossed, they’d been traveling for a few days, sleeping out in the open and scared to death to do it, but there was no going back.”

  William pushed a piece of potato around his plate
. “I didn’t know the landscapes had changed, hadn’t realized things were different, so I pointed out the road that would lead to Kennett, my home village, and told them to follow it. May the Guardians of the Light watch over them and get them to the village safely.”

  “And those three?” Sebastian asked.

  William sighed. “Kennett is a small village. I think the other children will be able to find a place there and settle in, but those three have a bit too much…grit…if you understand me. They grew up fast and hard in order to survive. They’d be troublemakers in a place like Kennett, and that might sour folks on the other children. I think they knew that. I think that’s why they offered to come with me, even though they thought it would take them back to Wizard City. Not that they put it that way.”

  No, they wouldn’t put it that way, Sebastian thought. But they’d know there was something inside them that would never fit in with the rhythm of a country village.

  Opportunities and choices.

  “They’ll fit in here,” Sebastian said. “The Den was made for badass boys.”

  “Well, now,” William blustered. “Well, I don’t know.” Then he looked into Sebastian’s eyes. “Would you have been one of those boys?”

  “You could say I was the first.”

  William pursed his lips. “They’d find charity hard to swallow.”

  “That’s good, because they won’t find any here. If they’re going to live here, they’ll work to earn their keep.”

  William nodded. “I never got your name.”

  “Sebastian.”

  William held out his hand.

  He clasped the hand, then released it, surprised at how a simple handshake could sometimes bridge two very different lives.

  Opportunities and choices.

  Pushing his plate aside, Sebastian folded his arms and leaned on the table. “So, William Farmer, since you can’t get to Wizard City, what are you going to do with all that food in the wagon?”

  William studied him for a moment, then smiled. “I suppose you have some ideas about what I can do with it?”

  “I do,” Sebastian replied, returning the smile. “I certainly do.”

  Koltak ground his teeth in frustration. He wasn’t used to riding horses, and the daylong ride was turning into a misery. Worse than the physical discomfort was his growing uneasiness.

  The road went on too long, too far. He’d been there only once, but he knew the way to that foul landscape Sebastian called home. The main road curved and went on to a bridge that led to another landscape and another bridge that crossed over near Nadia’s home village. He’d traveled that road enough times when he’d gone to fetch Sebastian and bring the whelp back to Wizard City. The cart path that branched off the main road led to another bridge—and the Den of Iniquity.

  But when the road had curved, he hadn’t seen any sign of a cart path. Thinking he’d misremembered the spot, he and the guards Harland had sent with him had continued riding along the main road.

  On and on. Too long. Too far. The guards offered no opinions, offered no company, although they’d talked quietly among themselves. So he couldn’t express any doubt, couldn’t afford to admit he was no longer sure where they were.

  Harland had entrusted him with this task. He alone had the means of bringing Belladonna out into the open, where the Wizards’ Council could deal with her. He wasn’t going to fail Harland or the council, not when Harland had all but promised him a seat on the council as acknowledgment of this accomplishment.

  One act to wipe out a mistake made thirty years ago. One act that would be the perfect balance of the other.

  “Wizard Koltak.” Dalton, the guard captain, brought his horse alongside Koltak’s. “Are you certain this is the way to the landscape you need to reach?”

  “Why do you ask?” Koltak said, hedging.

  “It looks familiar, and that troubles me.” Dalton looked up, even though the trees that crowded the road blocked the sun. “And I don’t think we’re heading south anymore.”

  Before Koltak could think of an evasive response, a guard scouting up ahead shouted and raised an arm to attract attention.

  Dalton kicked his horse into a canter, heading for the guard. Koltak’s horse followed, leaving the wizard no choice but to cling to the saddle, since he lacked the skill to control the animal.

  It was a pity Harland had considered the details of this task so well and had overruled Koltak’s riding in the comfort of a carriage. A horse and rider lent more credence to the story of urgency than a carriage and driver.

  He saw the logic in that, but it didn’t make his body ache any less.

  When its companions were in sight, the horse slowed to a walk, allowing Koltak to gather the reins again and provide the illusion of being in command.

  Dalton stared at the large stone that stood like a sentry where two roads met, then swore softly.

  As Koltak looked at the stone, a sick feeling filled his belly and rose up to clog his throat.

  “Well,” Dalton said when Koltak reached him, “there’s nothing more we can do today. We’ll start out again at first light tomorrow and hope for luck on the roads.”

  At Dalton’s signal, two of the guards headed down the east road. The captain looked at Koltak, shook his head, then followed his men.

  With the sting of failure heating his face, Koltak followed Dalton, trailed by the other two guards.

  The road that had seemed to go on and on perversely became shorter. Far too soon, they rode out of the trees and looked on the open land—and the steep northern side of Wizard City.

  “This can’t be,” Koltak muttered. “It can’t be. We rode south. We can’t end up on the northern side of Wizard City.”

  “Sometimes Ephemera is as perverse as a woman,” Dalton said. He let out a gusty sigh. “We’ll have to find another road with a bridge that crosses over into a different landscape.”

  “But the road south was the way to the landscape I need to reach!” Koltak protested.

  Dalton looked annoyed, then smoothed out his expression as if suddenly remembering he was dealing with a wizard. “There’s no way around it, Wizard Koltak. Right now the south road just circles back to the city. We’ll try again tomorrow. Maybe strike out across country, see if we can find another bridge. Many’s the time when a bridge between landscapes isn’t set in an obvious place, especially if it’s a resonating bridge, and there’s more of them than the stationary bridges you’ll find on well-traveled roads.”

  Koltak waited until they reached the northern gate before broaching the subject that had weighed more heavily on him as the city loomed nearer and nearer.

  “Perhaps it would be best if I remained at the guardhouse tonight,” Koltak said, keeping his gaze fixed on the space between his horse’s ears. “It would save time if we’re to be on the road again at first light.”

  Dalton remained silent a moment, then nodded. “It would be more convenient. In fact, it’s probably best to stay at one of the guard stations in the lower circle. The lodgings may be rougher than you’re used to, and we’ll probably have to share quarters, but you should be able to have a bed to yourself.”

  Koltak winced at the thought of making do with rough lodgings when he was so close to his own comfortable rooms, but he nodded agreement. Then he glanced at Dalton and wondered if the man’s expression was a little too blank. Had the captain figured out the real reason he didn’t want to go up to the Wizards’ Hall? Was that why the suggestion had been made to stay in the lower circle?

  If he returned to his own rooms, Harland would know he’d failed on his first attempt to reach Sebastian. If he stayed in the lower circle, the head of the Wizards’ Council might not realize he’d returned to Wizard City. Better to endure rough lodgings than see the groundwork for his ambitions crumble again.

  Yes, he thought as they rode through the lower circle, he could endure physical discomfort much easier than failure.

  “So I’m going to be waiting on tables at P
hilo’s a few hours each day,” Lynnea said happily. “Philo said if he was going to train Brandon to work at his place, I could help, too.”

  “You’re going to wait tables?” Sebastian asked, startled by this revelation.

  “I am. In exchange for my meals.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Of course I do. I heard you when you were talking to the boys, and I agree. Visitors come for the drinking and the gambling and the…other things…and they pay for those things with coin or goods that can be bartered. But those who live in the Den have to earn their keep.”

  Wondering if she was aware that she was swinging their linked hands like a happy child, he choked back the denial that she lived in the Den. He didn’t want her to settle in and make a place for herself. It would be harder for her to leave and find the landscape where she truly belonged if she started thinking of herself as a resident of the Den.

  And the more she acted like she was settling in, the easier it would be for him to believe she meant to stay, not just in the Den but with him. And the deeper it would slice his heart when she realized she wasn’t meant for this ever-night and left.

  “So I’ll be serving food and helping with the clearing and washing up, and…” Lynnea paused. “If Philo blushes over serving Phallic Delights, why does he make them?”

  In the fifteen years he’d lived in the Den, he’d never seen Philo blush once, but he didn’t think it would help any to tell her it was handing over the basket to his new helper and not the basket’s contents that had caused the blush.

  “Then Brandon snickered and said if men were really built like that, women wouldn’t want to do anything but have sex.”

  “Brandon talks too much,” Sebastian growled.

  She laughed.

  Daylight! She was going to be serving Phallic Delights and Stuffed Tits in a courtyard full of erotic statues. Once awareness filtered into dreams, she was going to drive him stark raving mad.

  Her mood changed by the time they reached the bordello; she’d become quiet, thoughtful. She didn’t say anything when he unlocked the door to their room, just walked in and lit the lamp on the table by the window. Then she took her nightgown, which she neatly folded and tucked under her pillow each morning, and went into the bathroom.