I turned to talk to Mark. “Don’t you have a basement here?”
He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “Yes, why?”
“Do you trust me?”
“I don’t like that question. I would normally say yes, but the question makes me think I should say no.”
“I promise that nothing will happen to make you close your doors.”
He pulled another pint as he thought it over. “Interesting way to put it. I guess I don’t want to know the details?”
“I’ll tell you about it afterward over a glass of whiskey.” I nodded to the top shelf where Mark kept the old stuff. “I’ll even pay for the drinks.”
“I guess I trust you.” Mark replaced my empty glass with a full one. “The basement door is beside the dartboard. You need a spell to open it from this side. You don’t from the other side, just in case that information is useful.”
“It is.”
He flicked a gaze at the door, like he was waiting for someone. “You know it connects to the Sidhe court, right?”
“Yep, can you give me the spell?”
He laughed. “No, I don’t trust you that far. When do you need it open?”
I thought about that, if we wanted the Sidhe to come in, they would open the door. I just needed to make sure it stayed open enough for the will-o’-wisps to get in and out. “I guess the door has to be pushed open from the inside? There’s no proximity spell?”
“No, someone has to push it. Are you getting lazy in your old age?”
“I’ve always prided myself on being lazy. The Sidhe are going to come through the door at some point, I just need you to make sure it doesn’t get closed again until I come out.”
“Okay. I can do that. Just don’t mess with my reputation. I need customers.”
“I promise.” I couldn’t speak for anyone else, but I knew I wouldn’t be causing any damage.
“It seems we are going to be honored tonight.” Mark pointed to the door with his chin.
Reardon was making his entrance. A swirl of colored cloak and with three giggling Sidhe girls made sure everyone paid attention.
I walked away from the bar and approached Reardon. I could smell the whiskey on his breath. “Is this how you usually come to a performance?” I tried to make sure my voice only carried a questioning tone, no judgment, after all, who was I to say that the best way to sing wasn’t blind drunk.
He turned to Meredith who answered for him. “Reardon does not speak before a performance; he saves his voice for the song. Yes, the alcohol does help bring his emotions to the surface for the song. Unfortunately, it also means he can’t play the harp.”
“It is fortunate for you that he needs an accompanying musician.” I figure being Reardon’s back up must be easier than anything she could do on her own.
“No, it is not fortunate. I am repaying a debt and when that is done I can get back to my own career.” She took Reardon’s arm and led him to the opposite wall from the basement door.
I felt put in my place and wandered over to Clarence and casually leaned beside him., tipping my glass in a toast. “It looks like we are about ready. I guess we can go in a few minutes. Meredith is warming up.”
“I noticed the groupies,” Clarence growled “I guess that means the Sidhe know about the show.”
“Yes, the publicity started right after our meeting. I saw him chatting to a group of Sidhe when I followed him home,” Edrinda said.
That was news to me. “You followed him home? Why?”
“He’s a drunk. I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t blab our plans to anyone.” She started at me as if challenging me to say she hadn’t done the right thing.
“Thanks, I hadn’t thought of that. I guess I was caught up in the glamor of having him on our side. So, what did you see?”
Clarence laughed. “Well spoken, wizard. It took me much longer to learn not to argue with my wife.”
“It turns out I was wrong to suspect him. He was talking about possibly coming to Bank’s tonight to test out a few new songs.”
“I guess he’s practiced at filling a room. But you were right to suspect him. I’m not happy that he’s arrived three sheets to the wind, but Meredith says it’s part of the performance.”
I glanced about the room again and saw Sidhe slipping through the basement door. I realized why I hadn’t noticed it before. It was covered completely in a Guinness poster. “The audience is arriving. When there are only a few Sidhe coming through, move into position.” I watched as they slid daggers from sheaths on their backs. “I said no one dies.”
“It’s a precaution. If something goes wrong we may have no time to draw weapons. Do not fear we will not use them by mistake.” Clarence wasn’t going to be talked out of the weapons. I could tell by the way he turned away from me before I had a chance to speak. He jerked his head to indicate a figure approaching us. “It looks like your young apprentice didn’t agree with your orders either.”
Lionel was crossing the room, Sting and Burr on either side.
“Crap. I trust you with your weapons, but he’s not seasoned enough to be here.” I wondered if I was really leading this expedition.
Edrinda said, “Too late.”
Lionel stood in front of me and I motioned him to move to the side. I needed to keep my eye on the flow of Sidhe.
“You are supposed to be at home.” I clenched my fist, trying to work out some of my tension.
“I know but I promise to stay out of the way. I won’t do anything and I won’t cause any problems.” He sounded so earnest I couldn’t really fight him. “I’ve been talking to the fairies.”
“And?”
“They will provide blood. They remember giving blood to Fionuir as part of a promise to make them more powerful. It was a week after that when they got the first call to kill a human.”
Fairies were the definition of sucker. “You would think that they would learn that lesson eventually. How many more times are they going to trust someone who promises power?”
Lionel shrugged. “It’s their nature to try and get something for as little as possible. Anyway, all the clans had to send a representative. Fionuir took only a few drops from each. So, the casting spell was tribe specific. If we don’t have a drop from all tribes, we won’t free all of them.”
“Who will gather the blood?” I hated blood rituals, they were always more complicated than other spells, of course they were also more effective and powerful if done right.
Burr stepped forward. “We will. And we will bring it to Lionel. The fairies that are here now have brought some and we will travel the tribes tonight.”
“It’s a good plan. Thank you.” Maybe things were going to go right after all. “When you talk to the Rose fairies will you ask a question for me?”
Sting shrugged. “Yes, but they may not answer.”
“Ask if they will forgive Princess Elizabeth when this is over.”
“Is that all?”
I nodded and Sting shrugged. “Very well, I’ll give Lionel the answer.”
Sting and Burr left us and headed toward a table of peony fairies.
Lionel coughed and when I turned to him said, “I have the spell Cate found.”
“Good, did you write it out?”
“Yes, the book is safe, but I have the spell here.” He patted his pocket. “Just in case we want to cast it tonight.”
I hadn’t thought that far in advance, but if we could release the fairies tonight, that would let me get on with the search for Cate’s killer. “Will the fairies be ready?”
“Yes. I got Sting and Burr to collect the blood by midnight. And it will be viable for a week.”
I realized I may have misjudged him; he did have a head on his shoulders, for this at least. “If we can, tonight would be best. Now get to a table as far away as you can from that door, It looks like the Sidhe are here, and Reardon is getting ready to start.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine