“Master?” Sikial said tentatively.
Patrick turned his head, not otherwise inclined to move—his latest acquisition gave extremely enjoyable backrubs, and given all the stress in his life, it was wonderful to be able to relax. “What?”
“I... have a report.” Sikial fidgeted restlessly. It looked worried, Patrick thought, which was not a good sign at all.
With a sigh, Patrick said, “Stop for the moment, Jake,” and sat up. Jake immediately shifted out of the way, his attention never moving from the mage, the presence of the demon unimportant. Convinced absolutely by his religion that he was damned beyond hope of salvation because he felt no sexual attraction to females, only to males, the lean-muscled high-school track star had been open to an amazing degree to a combination of kindness and firmness with very little magic. “All right, report.”
“The constructs you sent after the black wolf...” Sikial hesitated.
“Out with it.”
“They've been destroyed.”
Anger surged. “What do you mean, destroyed?” he demanded.
“Completely unmade, master. There's nothing left of them anywhere for me to find.” It was even odds whether Sikial or Jake looked more frightened. “But the trail leads towards Haven.”
“Haven,” Patrick repeated slowly, and spat a curse. “Damn it! There should have been no possible way for him to reach any kind of useful help!” Those constructs had been works of art, carefully designed to run the black wolf to death, then use his life-energy to kill the annoying human, and finally, when strongest, go after the mage. “Did you not tell me that the wolf would not go to Haven? Something about a combination of feeling betrayed and guilty?”
“He ran away from the ones who tried to protect him,” Sikial whimpered. “We don't understand why he went towards Haven, or how he made it so far.”
“And I personally have driven him right back into the arms of that damned Lioren. No, don't bother answering that. And the human?”
“Still in the city, master.”
“Total waste of time and power,” Patrick concluded in disgust. “I am not at all happy with you, Sikial. Your information about that wolf and his ridiculously loyal friends has so far been extremely inaccurate. I'm going to have to think of a way to punish you for that, although nothing comes to mind just now.”
“Yes, master,” Sikial said meekly.
“Now get out of here. I don't want to see you until I call you. Is that clear?”
“Yes, master.” Sikial vanished.
“How does that fucking little wolf do it?” Patrick growled. “Right back to Haven, so that Lioren could stop me a third time.” He sighed. “I'm not going to take it out on you, Jake.” The boy was only human, and belonged to him; furious as Patrick was, he could wait until he had an appropriate target.
Eyes wide and worried, Jake inched back into reach. “Is there any way I can help?” he asked tentatively.
“Finishing that backrub would be a good way.” He stretched out again, and gradually began to relax once more under Jake's hands. He'd been in this city for some time now; he toyed with the idea of taking Jake with him when he left. That might actually be best for him, get him away from the people who made him believe there was something wrong with him for simply being who he was. He was intelligent, personable, and athletic, with no innate emotional difficulties that Patrick had been able to find; his fear of damnation over the single so-called sin of orientation, and the accompanying sense of isolation and alienation, was the only vulnerable point Patrick had been able to find.
Reluctantly, he had to admit that, fond as he was of Jake at the moment, he'd get bored in time, and it would hardly be in the boy's best interests to be abandoned in a strange place. It would be better to leave him here, but disabuse him of this idea that his parents' God had any power over him. A suggestion that he take a serious look into the real history of the religion, definitely. He could use gentleness, simply show Jake his power and tell him to think for himself... or would fear leave a stronger impression, a new terror to combat the old one of hell, proof that his parents' God had no ability to protect him?
Maybe he needed to pay a visit to the parents who had inflicted this on Jake in the first place.
For now, he kept his attention on that, while deep inside, rage and frustration simmered quietly. Luck couldn't keep the wolf and his protectors safe forever. He'd find a way, sooner or later, but it was obviously going to take a great deal of thought and planning—and information more accurate than he'd so far been given. Better to go slow, than to give that Lioren a chance to show off again.
