?
?Caveat: it’s not life magic,” he said pedantically. “It runs things, not people, but I see your point. I could buy all the life magic I want with what I’ve collected here.”
“Then why do you want him?”
He looked at me like I was crazy. “Why do you think? I want his body.”
Louis-Cesare shifted slightly, but he made no other sign that he’d heard. I, on the other hand, had had enough. I slugged Jonathan, as hard as I could, right across the face. It was fortunate for Efridis that she was no longer holding his head, or the force might have broken her wrist. It was fortunate for him that he was already dead, or he likely would have been.
“You stupid bitch!” He spit out three teeth, but there was no other sign that anything had happened. No blood, no discoloration, no swelling. It was eerily similar to hitting a side of meat. “I think you broke my jaw!”
“I’m going to break a lot more than that!”
“Why?” He looked genuinely confused. “You asked a question; I answered it. It’s not like I don’t need one. Look at me! And his will never age.”
“What?” I said, confused myself now.
Jonathan looked at me. “Are you slow?”
“What?”
“Yes, I can see that you are. Okay, let’s see what I can do here.” He pointed at himself. “Me dead. Body fall apart. Need new one. He,” a finger pointed at Louis-Cesare, “has immortal body. Me take, live forever. Do you get it now? Or do I need to draw you a picture?”
I just stared at him for a moment. And then I started to hit him again, but Louis-Cesare pulled me back. I made him work for it, because I really, really—
“That’s why you were doing your experiments on the fey,” Louis-Cesare said. “They are body and soul combined, like vampires. You thought, if you could control one of them, you could control me.”
Jonathan nodded. He didn’t smile; he probably couldn’t right now. But he seemed vaguely pleased that someone was following his logic.
“Yes, exactly. I am—or was, before my recent, unfortunate demise—over nine hundred years old. Do you have any idea how much magic it requires to stay alive at that age? Let me clue you in—it’s a lot. It makes you have to do all kinds of things you don’t want to do, because if you don’t, you just stop living. You can’t spend your time on your experiments, like you’d prefer, because you’re constantly scrounging around for new sources of magic. And making deals with people to get it that you can’t get out of afterwards. It’s a lot like being in jail—
“Or in a loveless marriage to a monster.”
He glanced at Efridis. She looked back, expressionless. He frowned.
“Anyway, I thought, wouldn’t it be nice if I could have a body that just keeps going? Drink a little blood now and again, and its all good. I became fascinated with your body when I held you captive briefly,” he told Louis-Cesare. “So handsome, so strong, so sturdy. I told you I’d have you one day, and now I know how. I can’t control the fey; they’re not human enough. But you—I think I’ve finally figured out how to take you.
“And in return, I’m willing to be extremely generous,” he said, his eyes sliding over to Efridis. “I’m very sorry about the bodies. I truly meant no disrespect. I will return them, for the proper burial or funeral rights or whatever you do. I just need—”
He broke off as two large fey came forward, and snatched him up by the arms. Efridis had given no sign discernable to me, but I didn’t think they were acting on their own. There was no surprise on her face, and she made no attempt to stop them.
“Wait! Wait!” Jonathan said.
They did not wait.
“What is this? I can make you rich,” he yelled, as they dragged him off. “I can give you whatever you want! All you have to do—”
“Is make a compromise,” Efridis said softly. “A little cut to my honor. Just a small one . . .”
Jonathan looked relieved. “Yes, if you want to put it that way. I can—”
They jerked him out the door.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Finally, Efridis looked at me, and sighed. “Jonathan lied. As far as I know, your sister lives. She is lost in Faerie, however; I do not know where. And I doubt that I, of all people, will be able to find her, as she has every reason to hate and fear me. I can, however, give you the location where I saw her last, and anything else that you require to help you find her.”
I blinked a couple of times. “What?”