The Magic's in the Music (Magic Series Book 5) (33 page)

The enormity of his situation sat on his chest like an anvil. Everything he’d been trying to escape had come home to roost, just like the Destiny it was. He’d found Greta. That was the good part. Really complicated music now poured out of him like water out of the Trevi Fountain. It played in his head even if he didn’t have an instrument. Satisfying, but hardly a useful power. And he’d tempted fate once too often, with Greta along no less, and the Clan had taken them. Now he’d been dragged into the family’s struggle against the Clan for the Talismans and had acquired every obligation he’d never wanted to shoulder.

“That’s the problem. I can’t tell them.”

Silence from Greta. She’d hate him for this, if not now, then when the Clan started asking real hard. She finally said, “So these Talisman things you told me about—they increase your, uh, power?”

“Yeah. And you live longer, too, just being around them. All the bad stuff the Clan has been causing…well, the fact that they have three Talismans is letting them do most of that.”

“I see.” He could feel the tension in her. “I guess I shouldn’t ask what it is.”

“No. This place might be bugged. And I don’t think it would be good for you to know.”

He let that sink in a little. He couldn’t lie to her. They were in shit shape.

“Didn’t you say Michael could find things?” she asked after a minute.

“Yeah.”

“Then your family could come looking for us.”

She meant they might be saved. It ripped Lan’s heart out to say this. “I kinda hope they don’t. Not sure they’d be a match for the Clan, not when the Clan has Talismans.”

“Oh.”

They both heard the steps out in the corridor. Lan willed his head to throb less. He had to be smart here. He’d tell them some cock and bull story about a pentacle and send them on a wild goose chase. Maybe all he could do was stall. But that was something. He’d never thought he’d see old age anyway. He struggled to sit up, his thigh sliding off Greta’s. For the first time, he was a little sorry he wouldn’t live very long. If he was lucky, he could get them to let Greta go in return for his false information. Doubtful. But he’d try. People were bound to be looking for a star like Greta. At the very least, he could buy time for them while the Clan chased around after something that wasn’t there. He’d really have to sell this story to make them believe it. Greta’s reaction to what they would probably do to him would help convince them that they were dragging the truth out of him. She might not like the process very much.

‡

Jason unlocked the
heavy chain and hauled open the door of the disused refrigerator unit under the former restaurant at the conference center. The Clan had taken over this part of the casino last year, as their numbers had grown. Now it housed their offices, the dormitories, and the greenroom where they gathered for leisure. Top security measures kept the rubes in the casino from realizing they were co-existing with their future overlords.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Hardwick muttered from behind Jason.

Yeah. He would.

“Don’t make it too quick,” Hardwick said. “Don’t threaten the girl right away.”

What the fuck was he talking about? “Morgan gave orders.”

“She won’t be back until tomorrow at the earliest. I want to enjoy myself a little. I bet I can get it out of him without threatening the girl.”

Hardwick was a useful ally. He had Morgan’s trust, more completely than she trusted any other member of the Clan. “Be careful then,” Jason said. “We don’t know what powers they have.” Any doubt that the two inside were bonded vanished when she’d murmured his name the whole way over from Hollywood.

“Well, perhaps they’ll tell us that, too.” Hardwick was one scary dude. Jason had only been on the receiving end of Hardwick’s power once. Morgan had other ways of punishing Jason, even less pleasant than Hardwick. But some other Clan members had Hardwick-frequent-flyer status. Jason flipped on the light.

The two kids blinked and squinted in the unexpected glare. Tremaine had managed to sit up. He still had that fucking flute with him, but Jason had checked him for weapons and he was clean. Stupid kid. He’d acted like he’d been taking a girl on a date. The girl struggled up now. They were both pale, with dirty smudges on their faces and clothing and dark circles under their eyes. The Mickey Finn he’d given them had to be strong, in view of their genetics. They looked rumpled and scared. Gretchen Falk still looked like a movie star though. He’d have some fun with her before this was all over. The little shirt she wore now bared her midriff since he’d used its fabric to tie her hands.

“Let’s cut to the chase here, Tremaine,” Jason said, his voice flat. “You know what the fourth Talisman is and where to find it. Now you’re going to tell us.”

“Don’t think so,” the kid said through gritted teeth.

Jason sighed. “Let’s just save time and energy. You’re going to tell us in the end. Or she will.” He nodded to the girl.

“She doesn’t know,” Tremaine growled. “Why would I tell some casual pickup something important like that?”

The girl looked shocked. Yeah, she should be. “Oh, I think she’s more than that.”

“Nah. I like my fuck-buddies skinny and blonde. Or haven’t you noticed?”

Kid had guts. At least until they got to the tough stuff. “What I noticed is that you, who haven’t been giving groupies the time of day, suddenly pick up a movie star and take her home to Mama for a week.” Jason had the satisfaction of seeing Tremaine blanch at the fact that Jason knew about his little friend and their tabloid adventure. But the kid recovered.

“Keeps the Parents off my back. They’re always wanting me to find the One.” He lifted one shoulder. “Plus, I get a week of crazy sex with a movie star for the price of a good story.”

Jason turned to the girl. “Okay, Gretchen, how does that make you feel? Warm and fuzzy? I thought not. Well, you’ll have your chance to ingratiate yourself with me instead of this asshole.” He gave her a grin that he meant to be inviting. The fact that Greta drew back in fear told Jason he might have to work on the concept of ‘inviting.’ He turned to the Tremaine kid. “So what’s your power?”

“Haven’t got one,” the kid said.

Jason gave him a disbelieving look and shook his head sadly. “Hardwick?”

*

Greta shrank back
as the tall, spectral man who looked a little like a young Boris Karloff stepped out from behind the shorter guy with the pale-blue, empty eyes. Hardwick had a very, very scary smile that never reached his eyes. Were these two guys Clan? If so, Greta suddenly believed every bad thing Lan had said about them.

She’d had a minute where her heart sank down to her feet when Lan had said she was a casual fling. But that was just him trying to keep her out of this. Like he could do that. She was in it up to her neck.

Lan braced himself. She didn’t know what to do. Hardwick loomed over them, but he had eyes only for Lan. Lan’s body arched unnaturally backward. A yell escaped his throat as his mouth drew back in a grimace.

“Lan,” she screamed. Veins were standing out in his throat. His eyes bulged in helpless horror. He was obviously in extreme pain. But how? No one was touching him. She glanced at Hardwick. He held Lan in a stare so malevolent, it shook her like a wolf would shake its prey. “Let him go,” she screamed and tried to shimmy toward Lan’s attacker. She’d bite his leg if she had to—anything to break that stare.

But the other guy whipped around Hardwick and pulled her back, forcing her to watch helplessly as Lan twisted and turned, his screams echoing around the small room with the metal walls. She realized she was crying.

Lan collapsed to the floor, gasping and choking.

“Now I think we understand each other better,” Hardwick said in a soft, whispery voice. “Do we not?”

Greta choked and sobbed. “Lan, are you all right?”

“Fabulous,” he rasped.

“Jason? It’s to you,” Hardwick said.

The guy holding her, Jason, said, “So, I’ll ask again. What’s your power, Tremaine?”

Hardwick went over to Lan and pulled him up by the collar of his leather jacket. He blinked groggily. “Don’t have one,” he gasped. “I’m pretty good at music.”

“He doesn’t,” Greta sobbed. She was so shocked that her mind wouldn’t think straight.

“How about you, honey?” Jason asked.

“Nothing,” she said brokenly. “If I did I’d be using it right now to…to do whatever I could to hurt you.” That sounded lame, even to her.

“He told you about the gene then.”

Uh, oh. Had she admitted something she shouldn’t? Should she follow Lan’s lead? Was he only trying to protect her? She felt so helpless and confused she started to cry again.

“Of course I told her about the gene,” Lan said, his voice getting a little stronger. “It’s part of the come-on. None of the bitches actually believe it. They just want the ‘Magic Sex’. You guys are idiots.”

“I’d be nicer,” Hardwick said. Lan’s body arched again in pain.

“No, no,” Greta screamed. They couldn’t do this to him!

When Lan slumped again to the floor, Jason got up and went over to toe him over on his back with his boot. Lan looked half insensible at this point. “The girl is right. If you had a power you’d try to use it. Nobody can withstand Hardwick. So let’s get back to the Talisman. I heard you say you know what it is, so it’s no use saying you don’t.”

When Lan didn’t respond immediately, Hardwick stepped up beside Jason. “Give him a minute,” Jason said, holding up a hand. “I’m not sure he can talk yet.”

Hardwick looked disgruntled at being thwarted, but he stood his ground. Jason crouched over Lan and slapped his face a couple of times. “Kid. Kid! Time to stop this shit and tell us about the Talisman.”

Lan groaned. “Can’t…betray…the family.”

“Sure you can. Everybody betrays everybody all the time.”

Lan rolled his head back and forth weakly.

Jason sighed. “Suit yourself.” He stood and stepped aside.

Hardwick started in again. Lan arched. His screams ripped at Greta’s insides. Jason dragged Greta into a corner, as she struggled in his grip. “Stop it!” she yelled. “Stop hurting him.” Jason hit her with the back of his hand. She gasped in pain as her head snapped back.

“Shut up. Unless you know something and you want to save him some grief here.”

Greta was never more sorry she couldn’t do what he wanted. “I don’t,” she sobbed. “I don’t or I’d tell you. You know I’d tell you.”

Hardwick finally let Lan slump to the ground. Lan stopped screaming, but his body started shaking in uncontrollable convulsions. The two monsters just watched.

“He’s having a seizure,” she cried. “You’ve got to help him.” They ignored her. “Look,” she yelled. “He can’t tell you if his brain is fried.”

“It’ll pass,” Jason said in that dead, unfeeling voice.

It did pass. Lan groaned and his eyelids fluttered. He turned his head away, his stomach heaving. Jason reached down and hauled him up again. At least he wouldn’t swallow his vomit and choke to death. Hardwick covered his nose.

Jason turned his attention to Greta. “You might want to convince him to tell us.”

Greta felt her stomach drop. This was such a no-win situation. If Lan didn’t tell them, they wouldn’t actually kill him. That would be a mercy, and the tall scary guy was enjoying this too much. It would just go on and on until he lost his mind or his body broke somehow. And if he did tell them, he would hate himself forever.

Her gaze darted over the scarred walls of the room. The metal was dinged and creased. There were small holes in the metal in lines around the room. Shelves? And in the back big metal hooks with three prongs were bolted to the ceiling. She couldn’t think what to do. If only the one called Jason hadn’t overheard Lan. If these creeps didn’t know he knew, then maybe they’d get frustrated after awhile and just go away. If only someone was coming to the rescue. If only it wasn’t so important a secret. But it was, or Lan wouldn’t be willing to suffer so to keep it.

“Okay, Hardwick.” Jason raised his hand and pointed to his fellow demon.