Pain Stones (Coalescence Book 2) Read online

  Honestly, it probably had to do with the fact that Will was the one going to other worlds, risking his life constantly. Not that Timon didn’t do the same from time to time. He’d suggested something, so Timon had sought to back him up in whatever his plan was. That was all.

  Will tilted his head then and tried to think of how to get things done then.

  “Let me see what I can do toward that end? Is this Clarissa in the city tomorrow, do you think?”

  The woman blinked, then let her eyes flicker back and forth, clearly scanning something in front of her. A hint of the information came through the air at him, so he wasn’t shocked to find out the answer there.

  “She is, actually. Staying in the palace, as it turns out. She doesn’t have a communications device, but her mother the sitting Baroness does. Um… Clarie?”

  “Right. So… Clarissa Clarie? That’s a bit unfortunate as a name. That, or memorable. I think I’ll go with that one, actually.”

  The trick was to get Timon in for hours of work, without making it seem like the man was simply being used. Which was, of course, the case. Finally, he did something very different and called up his Uncle Tor.

  That could take a while, he knew, if the man was on a very different schedule, but instead of having to wait, there was an almost instant flicker as a new face showed. It was too pretty, really. Much like his own, only more girly looking.

  “Willum? Is there a problem?”

  It was an odd thing to ask right off the knock like that, but too often the people he got in touch with did that sort of thing.

  “I’m trying to get Timon in tomorrow to show you and Dareg how to make changes to people the way he has been? That way I can spread the work being done out enough so that you’ll all have to take… Oh, weeks, to figure out I’m a horrible person, just using you all to do things like that. We should get Aunt Taman in on that as well. In secret, though.”

  The man gave him a very funny look for a bit then coughed.

  “As if she can’t do that already? I know I can, though a refresher won’t hurt anything. I was thinking about adding that to the curriculum here at the mage school. It will take people a while to really learn how to do it and some refining of the techniques for regular Mages… But I bet we can make it work. Let me… I can come of course. You have the replacement river for that? Tam said something about you barely being able to do it and nearly dying three times?”

  He nodded, since that was probably true after a fashion.

  “When she nearly ended my days due to the poor performance the first two times? I do suppose I was close to death, given that. I didn't know that was being made common knowledge. So, you’re in for that? I might have to kidnap your brother to make that work.”

  It seemed that kind of thing was fine, at least with Tor.

  “Let me know if you need help with that. My bet is that Tim has gotten lazy that way.” A hard look came across his face then. “Or possibly not. There were some things in the past. It might be very hard indeed to take him against his will. Anyway, I’m in. We can be there at… Call it four in the morning? You don’t mind if I bring a few of my top students?”

  “Not at all. We’re having some people from a different world or two in as well, so you should bring those you think might work well that way. Thanks, Uncle Tor.”

  Dareg Canton was easier to get, since he and Karina needed a place to stay in the City, and were more than willing to stay in his bachelor tower. Not that there weren’t a half dozen people they could have stayed with the next day.

  Getting Timon in on things was no harder. Not that it ever had been. It was a little strange, given that the man was one of the most powerful and important people in the world. In several worlds, actually. It felt like it should have been almost impossible to even get his face to appear on the communications device. That it kept happening left Willum with a sense of things being off. More than seemed correct.

  He just nodded, before Will even said anything. Not even hello, or to ask him how his day was going. Interestingly, he could see how it happened. How the man knew as much as he did day to day. It was, in the main, all about paying attention.

  “I need to visit with you. There’s something important that I’ve been meaning to get to. You are having Marcia Turner in tomorrow, aren’t you?” The tone told the story about how he’d better have thought of that part of things.

  “Yep. I’m also having some mages in, to learn your new life shaping techniques. It seems that Tor is expecting a lesson, not for them to be made masters in one afternoon. That way if you fall down and hit your head, you won’t lose everything, leaving us defenseless. Tor is bringing some of his top students in. I might sit in myself, even if I’m not good enough to do that kind of thing yet.”

  That got a nod. It was a rather pleased thing, actually.

  “That sounds good. Brilliant, to be honest about the whole thing. I was afraid no one would be willing to even try it. The process takes focus and control, but isn’t that hard, otherwise. A bit of information about what to actually do is useful. If we can get a few more people trained up for it, well… There are things we could do that I can’t alone. Like getting that special force set up for Alice? It’s a great idea, but she hasn’t really moved toward it yet. I think that’s down to her simply not trusting me enough. It’s a personal issue, at this point.”

  Oddly enough, Willum didn’t need the whole idea explained to him in regards to Alice Orange. It was more interesting that Tim Baker already knew about the secret force she was putting in. She’d been designed to distrust very attractive men. Timon Baker was, by his very nature, one of the best-looking people around. Yes, Will was better looking, being that he seemed to be made-up all the time. That didn’t mean that Tim wasn’t nearly there as far as that kind of thing went. So Alice, having known him for a decade or two now, probably couldn’t help but see him as untrustworthy. Because he, unlike Will, hadn’t hidden that part from her.

  Nodding, Will sighed a bit.

  “I’ll make sure that happens. After the events tomorrow? We have other things to do. Or… I guess I can call her up now? We’ll need people to practice on anyway. The actual hanging of the new river will be at noon, I think. You should be here for that. We’ll have a cook out or something?” That was the kind of thing that they’d do for a special event back home, if it was happening in the middle of the day.

  Pine Creek wasn’t the height of social grace though, so it could be that something else would go over better.

  The man, looking pleasant really, smirked. More than a bit.

  “That’s how it starts, isn’t it?” Without waiting he went on, as if Will and Cindy wouldn’t get it. Given that Cin was clearly reading the other man’s tale as they spoke, that wasn’t likely. Willum could tell that, from the feeling that came off of her.

  With a lot of deeper information, since their powers actually worked together pretty well that way. He didn't really know why.

  The Wizard gave him a look that was very nearly goofy.

  “First you do a little project, like a fancy new flying river. You try to just have it put up, but no… The King or Queen wants everyone to know how great you are, so they make it into a thing. Then you say something innocent sounding, like hey, let’s have a picnic… Not realizing that your Uncle is the Mighty Tor, who’s famous for his grand festivals and parties. Meaning that if you do anything less, you’ll look weak and like you don’t really love the people as much as you should…”

  It was pretty clear that the fellow was playing with him, not actually attempting to force him into making some kind of big deal out of things. There was already a real party happening, and people would be allowed and even expected to take care of themselves and their own friends and families.

  Not that doing a little more than that couldn’t help a bit. After all, no one knew who he was there, really. Not even as a noble, or someone who did anything interesting at all. He could manage to find a few food units, he
was willing to bet. Then get some people to toss in some dirt and rocks, so that everyone would have food and drink. Music was doable as well, using the river… No one really understood that yet, even having been told but it was a built-in feature. That didn’t mean it would play anything in particular, however.

  He’d need to hire someone to do that live. That, or get an extra handheld, since there were lines on that which would play nothing but music. Most of that was Austran, but would serve in a pinch.

  The idea was a bit more labor intensive than what he’d actually planned, which was tapping a sigil for the King, but he could do that, if he hurried.

  It took a bit of thought, or would, but he nodded, as Timon made a point of getting off the device. That was a bit abrupt, really. It showed poor manners but was a Harmony style thing, which was more than a little bit rough, for some reason.

  As soon as the device was put away, in his right-hand side pocket, Cindy looked across the back of the floating coach at him. The seats were in green leather, with richly polished wood at the edges. The rest of the thing had been covered with forest green silk, making it very lovely.

  The small blonde woman, who was big enough to sell the world on the idea that she was at least from a city, seemed strange for a few seconds.

  “That… He really is trying to get you to outdo what Tor would have. It wasn’t a mistake or accident. The thing there is that you don’t have the resources for that. Which most don’t have, of course. Tor is… Really rich, here. I’d be annoyed, but I figure that we can lift some of his gold and take it back home with us as party gifts?”

  Will smiled at the words. Not that he was going to steal anything, but because his friend had assumed that her home world was his own. She knew differently, on many levels. It had still come out that way though. As if he simply belonged with her and their other friends, all the time.

  “Food, some music… What else should we have?” They stopped moving, being back at the tower. The focus stone road was smoother outside the city wall, being like glass. It would have horrible traction in the snow, if that ever happened at the Capital. It wasn’t the kind of thing that he’d ever heard of before, so Will decided not to think of it as a real threat that day. It was late fall and still warm there, during the day.

  The small woman shrugged.

  “Novelties? Amusement rides, or… I don’t know, people from the IPB showing off different powers? That doesn’t play too well back home, but here it might, actually. Um… Dancing girls? Or men… Those both work, for most people. Trips to other realities? You’d need a contest or drawing for that, or it would be too much. I know that would get me going. In your case, since you don’t do that, you’d need some other line walkers in…”

  The picture painted had some holes in it, but Willum was able to fill things in pretty quickly. Meeting with people from other realities would actually be kind of popular, at a bet. Making them perform tricks wouldn’t go over well with anyone, unless that was their job there. Demeaning honored guests just for their own pleasure would be wrong.

  Still, as they climbed out, he took a moment to pause and look up at the driver.

  “Thank you! Please send my regards to the Count and his family? They’re all expected for the events tomorrow, if they’re available? You, as well.” He didn’t know the man’s name, but interestingly, Cindy nodded several times.

  “Oh, that’s right. Humphries has to come. Tyler as well? I’ll call in an invitation with Countess Thomson, first thing in the morning. Thanks!”

  The man, clearly at a loss for what he was supposed to say, bowed, then quickly turned the magical carriage around and left. The goal felt more like he was being efficient, rather than fleeing into the night.

  As they moved toward the door of the black stone tower, Cindy took his hand. Her own was warm, but felt slightly too firm under his own. Then, his probably did as well. They had similar powers that way.

  “We should do the interesting parts first? Then we can set up the party and make certain we have everyone ready on time.”

  He was going to ask what she meant, but the answer was sex. That was a bit surprising, even if she’d been hinting earlier. Of interest was that their powers worked really well together, after they moved off to one of the bedrooms. Then, naturally, Cindy wanted to sleep, instead of working all night long.

  Willum, feeling only a bit off, after doing things with Cin like that, sighed and moved down to the first layer of the tower, where sitting rooms had been set up.

  “It isn’t the sex, it’s the fact that I know she doesn’t really want me for more than that.” Which was true enough. Cindy was great in her own way, but the woman didn’t really do relationships in any kind of meaningful fashion.

  Not that Will ever had himself. A big part of that was raw circumstance. At least he was telling himself that, in the moment. He’d literally lived most of the early portion of his life in a village so small that there had been no options that way at all. When one single girl had gotten married, both he and his older brother, Carl had been left without anyone nearby to even say hello to. At least if they didn’t want to end up being run out of the place by everyone else.

  Then, when he’d finally left, and met more women, he’d been incredibly busy the whole time. Changed as well, so that he couldn’t really fall in love. Not that being married took that. The problem there was more about the fact that he couldn’t care long enough to keep things going with a woman.

  May, who called herself his wife for her own safety and convenience, lived in a different reality and seemed pleased enough to see him once a week or so there. At least she acted like it. Inside she had been clearly telling him that staying away was the better option for her. Then, in her world the idea of a husband that didn't beat you, even if you did everything perfectly, wasn’t a thing. It probably never would be for her.

  In the IPB world he did have Olga, who was very sweet. The issue there was that she wasn’t all that interested in him. Oh, on a physical level she was. He’d been made so great looking that a lot of people, both men and women, felt that way about him. They saw him and dreamed of what they could do to him. Or the other way around. Then they almost all went on to think about the guy that they really liked. In Olga’s case it was a woman. One that was going to be hard for her to get with, since Karen was already dating Brian Yi. Then again, the relationships at the IPB were so far from what Will considered as normal that he wasn’t certain they didn't have room in their hearts for his giant friend.

  To make things worse, he kept coming and going from day to day. Most of his time was spent in Soam, but when he was there he was focused on work and learning new skills, all the time. Then, when he was away or had a few moments to himself… Well, his spirit wasn’t really in it. Willum wanted to love people. Even to be close or to find a wife to spend his life with. It simply wasn’t going to be allowed to happen. Not anytime soon.

  On the good side, he had time, as long as he wasn’t killed. That no one had tried directly since he’d started his whole, possibly misguided, spying life, was nothing short of miraculous.

  Moving quietly through the upper hallway of the tower, which looked like wood and stone inside, after he changed it a bit. Then he headed toward the front sitting room, down below. That was nice enough looking, but had been redone in a way that spoke more of efficiency than the greatest of taste. He could have faked that kind of thing, but going with a sense that he was a free agent in the world would impact people more, he hoped. So he had chairs, but they were done in a way that looked handmade. The wood was shaped and warped with decorations built in and the cushions were clean looking, but of rougher cloth than many used in magical dwellings. When you could have anything, for no cost, the tendency was to make everything seem gilded and glowing.

  Going in a different direction gave the whole place a slightly more realistic feeling. Not that anyone would really be all that fooled. After all, the place hadn’t been there the day before. It wouldn�
��t take the best of minds to figure out that it wasn’t made of solid stone, having been placed there in a time long forgotten. On the good side, most people weren’t going to care about things like that at all.

  Sitting on a long bench, one with tan colored rough fabric on it, he pulled out his communications hand held, then, smiling, activated his disguise amulet. He had to recall what Alice had seen him as last, but remade his eyes and hair to a nice autumnal orange color. One that would remind anyone seeing him of a winter pumpkin. The rest of his face was a bit distorted by the magical talisman he was using.

  Enough that no one seeing him would find his looks to be good at all. Not even just plain, really.

  When he tapped the sigil to contact the Ancient of Space, or whatever her real title was, he didn't have to wait too long. That was surprising, but the woman, looking attractive and very fit, smiled at him when she saw his face.

  “Baker! The useful one, at that. What can I do for you today?”

  The words were a bit extra cheery and a little forced sounding, but it was clear that the woman was doing her best not to be a bitch. Which probably meant that she was grateful to him for his help the day before, but was still dealing with the fallout of what had gone on. She would be, most likely for several years.

  So he nodded at her and tried to seem sympathetic himself.

  “Tim Baker is going to be giving some other mages lessons in how to alter the life patterns of people. Here at my place, tomorrow.” Glancing around he had to think, but only for a moment. “In twelve to fifteen hours. I have the black tower on the East side of the Noram Capital. It’s new. If you can get those people to us, the ones for the new force, we can start on that. They might die, so only pick the brave ones. I mean, the people doing the work will be mages, but this will be their first projects.” He shrugged, since it suddenly sounded like a pretty poor idea.

  There was a slow, but real seeming grin from the Ancient on the device.