Page 82 of Concluded
His mother—Irina—gripped Dee’s arm like a vice, her hands cold and hard.“I’ll keep him,” she said.
A moment later, Achilles was gone.
This was not the worst possible outcome, Dee reminded himself.Keepingimplied that Achilles wasn’t dead; he’d probably been sent to the black hole.And although that place was fucking awful, Achilles had survived it twice already, so maybe he could survive again.
Meanwhile, Dee had a job to do.
As soon as Achilles disappeared, Spurling walked briskly away and through a door, followed silently by the goons who’d driven them here.Dee, who hadn’t used any magic in days, felt utterly exhausted.
“You should be polite to him,” Irina scolded.“He doesn’t know whether to trust you yet.”
“I don’t trust him either.”He felt anger roil inside him, hot and bitter.Although he knew that anger was the enemy’s weapon, he couldn’t completely tamp it down.“Is he your new husband?”
She squeezed his arm hard.“Stop it.You know as well as I do that we need somebody.I’ve had to settle before, but not this time.And when you’re the magic behind the power, well, thenyou’rethe power.And Deedee, this is the real thing.”
He couldn’t argue with that logic, although he did want to point out that power, like money, was a hollow goal.It didn’t seem to matter how much people had, they always seemed to want more, until the need became as all-consuming as any addiction.But he stayed silent as she steered him through the room and down a long hall with bare white walls.
“Did you make this house for him?”Dee asked.
She didn’t answer.Instead, she said, “You’ll need a proper master.I’ll speak to Garrick about it.The idea was that the Ashley woman would suit you, but your tastes seem to run to men.Not a problem.He’ll find you one.”
Dee was still shuddering at the concept of infernal matchmaking when Irina brought him into a bedroom.It had no windows, and the furniture was limited to a bed, an armchair, and a dresser, all of them as bland as something from a mid-range hotel—the sort that is found near highway interchanges and offers English muffins and bruised bananas for breakfast.Through a door was a small bathroom.
“Someone will bring you some food soon, and fresh clothes and a toothbrush,” Irina said, patting the mattress.
“I don’t even know what time it is.”There were no clocks in the room, and he didn’t have a watch or phone.
“It doesn’t matter.”She walked to the door but paused before leaving.“This is the best choice, Damnation.Nobody will look out for us but us.”Then she left, shutting the door firmly.When Dee tested it, he wasn’t surprised to find it locked.
“You made your own bed, Damnation,” he said out loud.“Now lie in it.”
Still clothed, he did just that.
* * *
At some indeterminatehour the next day, Irina came to fetch him.He’d been up for a while, pacing the small room like a caged animal.Today she wore a sleeveless black dress and black pumps, and her hair was starting to escape from an elaborately pinned updo.
“Where’s Spurling?”Dee demanded, not caring how petulant he sounded.
“In a meeting.He’ll join us later.Let’s have something to eat first.”She held out a hand as if he were a small child, but he ignored it and crossed his arms.
“I’m not here for a social call.I want?—”
“I know what you want.In due time.These people do things on their own schedule.Besides, I want to chat with you a bit first.”
Although he wasn’t happy about this, he figured a tantrum wouldn’t help.And he was curious to see what she had to say, especially since she hadn’t been talkative during the hours they’d spent in the car.He followed her out of the room and down the same long, plain hallway as the night before.He repeated a question from the previous day.
“Did you make this house?”
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.“No.”
That left him wondering what shehaddone for Spurling.He decided that he’d rather not know.
After walking for what felt like an unreasonably long time, they came to a room that resembled an office break room.The overhead fluorescents cast a harsh light over white melamine cabinets, a wheezing white fridge, a cheap-looking sink, and a microwave and coffee maker.There was also a slightly battered table and six chairs with worn upholstery sitting in the middle of the scuffed vinyl floor.
“Sit,” Irina ordered before spending ten minutes or so brewing tea and arranging food on plates.Dee thought about Achilles.Was he hungry and thirsty?In pain?Frightened?
By the time Irina handed Dee a dish with diced fruit and something that looked like a slice of quiche, his appetite had fled.He sipped some tea, though, and considered his scalded tongue a small part of his penance.
