Chapter Twenty-Two: Just Perfect
Upon realizing that Carmen was trapped in her situation, Two-Bit began thrashing fruitlessly and screaming profanities until his throat felt ragged and torn. But of course none of this was noticed by anyone except Russell, who stood in the furthest, darkest corner of the room watching Two-Bit struggle, and shaking with silent laughter.
As soon as I get free, that smarmy bastard's dead, Two-Bit vowed viciously, redoubling his efforts as Russell sunk further into the shadows.
There has to be some way for Carmen to realize I'm here, Two-Bit thought desperately. Something! Anything!
He gave up at last, exhausted. Mordred's glance wavered from Carmen to him, but only for a moment. Carmen probably hadn't even realized it, because she didn't turn to see what he was looking at.
"Russell," Mordred said quietly. "Would you please, ah, take out the trash?"
"Certainly, master," Russell said obediently. Carmen now turned to see behind her. Russell snapped his fingers out of Carmen's sight, though Two-Bit could see him do it.
Russell's spell dissolved the force of gravity from Two-Bit and was replaced by the force of Russell's will as Two-Bit was levitated out of the room. But of course Russell couldn't do it without his bit of fun, and so, instead of merely drifting out, Two-Bit's body flexed and twisted in a way he hadn't known was possible as he ballet danced through the air, graceful as a prima ballerina while his face read of murder and he mouthed swearwords.
Outside, Russell released his roaring laughter and his grip on Two-Bit over the trashcan. Two-Bit was thrown in headfirst and immediately discovered, as he struggled to get out, that he was stuck, his legs dangling up in the air. Russell, still howling with laughter, slammed the door behind him as he went back inside.
Two-Bit cursed inwardly as he kicked in vain trying to get out. That stupid, cowardly, unintelligent, sycophantic…straight-up fool! I'll kill him as soon as Carmen gets me free!
Carmen, he remembered suddenly. I hope she's okay.
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"Why does it matter to you?" Carmen changed tactics. "I mean, you're already the most powerful wizard, why do you need my magic?"
"You will thwart me no longer," Mordred responded in a voice of quiet evil.
"I don't want to thwart anybody!" Carmen insisted, sounding absurd even to herself. "Just why can't you leave us alone?"
"Us?" Mordred echoed, his eyebrow shooting up in surprise.
"Yes, us," Carmen said. "Me and Two-Bit. The mortal," she added for Mordred's benefit. "He has nothing to do with this."
"You shared your magic with him," Mordred reminded. "And he, too, must be stripped of the power you have given him."
"Please, leave him out of it," Carmen implored. "Leave him alone. He has a life outside all this. He has a mom, a sister, friends who are like his brothers—"
Mordred cut her off. "He will have committed suicide for unknown reasons," he said shortly. "They will move on without him. What is he good for in any case? Stealing? Making worthless jokes? He will not even be remembered a few years from now to them."
Carmen was speechless for a moment, but recovered quickly. "I'll make a bargain with you," she tried desperately. "I'll…I'll exchange my life for his. I'll take back his magic, and erase his memory and he won't remember a thing."
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Mordred kept a straight face on the outside, but was smiling broadly on the inside. "Well, there would have to be a few minor adjustments," he said. "But I don't see why not. I could always use another slave…I mean apprentice," he allowed himself a bit of a joke as Russell had not yet returned.
Perfect, he thought. I've got her exactly where I want her.
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Perfect, Carmen thought. I've got him exactly where I want him.
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Perfect, Two-Bit thought in disgust. This is exactly where I want to be.
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