Stolen Hearts

by Sasha L. Miller

  Callisto stared at him for a minute then tossed a leftover strip of fabric at him. "Spell that to dampen his magic, and I'll go put it on him. You're not moving on that leg until Malone shows up."

  "Callisto," Mervyn said, fighting a smile.

  "What?" Callisto snapped, and he really was a lot like his brother sometimes.

  Mervyn reached up, touched his fingers to Callisto's cheek, and said, "It worked out," before finally giving into the urge and kissing him.

  Part Eleven

  Callisto froze, obviously surprised, and then he kissed back shyly, leaning down so Mervyn didn't have to lever himself up quite so much. Mervyn buried his hand in Callisto's hair, pleased at the length, as it was easy to grip, and tilted Callisto's head just so, deepening the kiss—and then Callisto pulled back, his face red. He was smiling though, and Mervyn grinned back, licking his lips and tasting a hint of Callisto there. "You need to—" Callisto started, pausing to take a quick breath. "You need to do the spell for Baldric."

  "All right," Mervyn said, reluctantly picking up the strip of fabric Callisto had thrown at him. "I can't stop it from drawing energy from you."

  "It's okay," Callisto said, somewhat impatiently. He glanced over Mervyn's shoulder in Baldric's direction. "I'd rather have him spelled as soon as possible."

  "I could break the bond now," Mervyn suggested, ignoring that Malone had made them promise to keep it intact until they returned to Mervyn's house.

  "No," Callisto said slowly, frowning. "If we do that, he'll probably wake up at just the wrong moment and take advantage."

  "Are you sure? It will hurt." Mervyn reiterated, aware of how hypocritical it was to not let Callisto be upset that he'd be hurt, but to be upset himself when Callisto would be hurt.

  "Just do it," Callisto said, definitely impatient now. "The sooner you get it done, the sooner he will be spelled. I would really like him to be spelled."

  "Callisto—" Mervyn began again.

  "Do it," Callisto said, insistent and stubborn. Mervyn sighed, simply holding out his hand. Callisto accepted it, looking faintly puzzled. "Does this help?"

  "No, I just wanted to hold your hand," Mervyn said, smiling slowly.

  "Ah," Callisto said quietly, smiling shyly in return. "Cast it."

  "Yes, sir," Mervyn said, almost cheerful except he couldn't forget that this would hurt Callisto. "Hold on as tight as you want." Callisto just nodded, squeezing Mervyn's hand in acknowledgement. Mervyn took that as his signal and started chanting the spell, watching as the spell marks appeared on the fabric strip. He wove together the magic-dampening spell and the spell to hold Baldric motionless, finishing it slowly, though there was no real way to soften the blow.

  Callisto's grip on his hand tightened briefly and his lips compressed together, but he didn't make a sound as some of his energy was siphoned into the spell. Mervyn winced for him, trying not to enjoy the rush of fairy energy that flowed through him and into the charm. "That should do it," Mervyn said, handing off the charm but not letting go of Callisto's hand. "Just tie it around his wrist or ankle and it will activate. No more energy required."

  "Okay," Callisto said, sitting still for another moment before twisting his hand free of Mervyn's and standing. He was gone only a moment—Baldric wasn't too far away and it didn't take that long to tie a charm back on—and then Callisto was back at his side.

  "Is your leg really okay?" Callisto said, frowning worriedly as he sat down, settling as comfortably as he could on the concrete floor next to Mervyn.

  "It will be," Mervyn said, then glanced at his jacket. "Though Evandie is probably going to murder me for that."

  "I can distract her?" Callisto offered, tilting his head as he smiled again.

  "She does like you," Mervyn said thoughtfully, then laughed when he recalled Evandie's first impression of Callisto. "Though I think she thought you were a thief at first." Callisto blinked, so obviously bewildered that Mervyn had to laugh again. "You were wearing almost everything you owned, I believe, and were understandably jittery about being in a wizard's house."

  "Oh, right," Callisto said, looking thoughtful. "I was cold."

  "Yeah," Mervyn said softly, shifting closer to Callisto so he could wrap a friendly arm around his waist.

  "Don't move," Callisto ordered crossly, gently touching Mervyn's crudely bandaged leg. He didn't protest the embrace though, just leaned closer to Mervyn.

  "I wouldn't have, if you'd sat closer," Mervyn said easily. He hesitated, then reached out and tapped Callisto's charm. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Callisto?"

  "I don't really have a lot of choice," Callisto said quietly, reaching up and touching it himself. Mervyn caught his hand as he went to lower it, casually tangling their fingers together. "I didn't—at first, I thought if I got my heart back, everything would go back to the way it was, but that… that wasn't ever going to be true."

  "Probably not," Mervyn said, just as solemnly. Returning Callisto's heart to his chest would have required a lot of reconstructive work around his heart, to make up for the pieces carved out to make space for Baldric's heart charm.

  "This really works, though," Callisto said quietly. "I don't—I don't know anything or anyone who could do better. I can't go home with this, but I really couldn't go home anyway."

  "We—Denzil and I can help you get settled here," Mervyn promised. "I can even help you find a safe place to stay, though you're certainly welcome to stay at my house for however long you like."

  "Thank you," Callisto said, hesitating briefly before kissing Mervyn on the cheek. "For everything."

  "My pleasure," Mervyn said, quirking a smile at Callisto. "And that's the last thanks I want for this, all right? I want us to be equal partners in this relationship."

  "Then I need to move out or pay rent," Callisto said solemnly, smiling shyly.

  "I'd be willing to accept alternative forms of payment," Mervyn said, brushing his thumb over Callisto's cheek and kissing him briefly.

  "I think we can work something out," Callisto said, leaning close and kissing Mervyn this time. Mervyn kissed back, keeping it simple and sweet, more than willing to ignore his various aches and pains and minor stab wounds to focus on Callisto.

  An undeterminable amount of time later, Mervyn was abruptly recalled to where he was by Malone clearing his throat loudly from behind them. Mervyn looked up lazily, amused by the way Callisto turned bright red. He also looked thoroughly tousled, which Mervyn decided was a really good look for him.

  "Are you two all right?" Malone asked, not seeming terribly concerned.

  "Mervyn got stabbed," Callisto said, not even hesitating to volunteer that. "He shouldn't walk on his leg."

  "I'll arrange for a ride for him," Malone said gravely, his expression not changing, but Mervyn could tell he was amused nonetheless. "Shall I have him carried to the front?"

  "Yes," Callisto said.

  "No," Mervyn said, at the same time.

  "You don't even know if you can stand on it," Callisto said, frowning worriedly.

  "I figured you'd knock me down if I tried to stand," Mervyn said cheerfully, amused when Callisto scowled stubbornly at him. "How about I try it now, with your help, and we'll see how my leg works before we consign me to being carried out?"

  "Fine," Callisto conceded suspiciously after a moment, slowly detangling himself from Mervyn.

  "On your way by, do you think you can unbind Baldric?" Malone asked, still far more amused than Mervyn would like him to be. "It will make it a lot easier for us to arrest him."

  "Unbind him?" Mervyn asked curiously. It had to be something Callisto had done, since Mervyn's charm wouldn't interfere with Baldric being arrested.

  "I tied him down with grass," Callisto said, shrugging. "It's one of the few things I know how to do with my magic."

  "Ah," Mervyn said, letting go of Callisto's hand. Callisto gave him a brief smile before heading over to Baldric to deal with removing his grass bindings.

  "Does Denzil
know about that?" Malone asked, quirking a smile after Callisto.

  "Not yet," Mervyn said easily. "Where is the idiot?"

  "I stashed him at your place," Malone said, frowning briefly. "He should be okay. He just took a good knock to the head."

  "Good," Mervyn said, wondering if he should tease before or after letting Denzil in on the change in his relationship with Callisto.

  "I'll probably be dealing with processing this for a while, but if he wakes before I get the chance, let him know I'll be back to break the bond as soon as I have a free moment," Malone said, rubbing a hand over his head briefly.

  "I will," Mervyn promised, smiling as Callisto returned to his side.

  "I'll be by to take statements and the like at some point, too," Malone said, nodding to Callisto. "I'd appreciate it if you stayed in town for a few days, at least."

  "I'll be at Mervyn's," Callisto said, then added thoughtfully. "Or Denzil's."

  "Then you two can take off. Sev," Malone shouted to a guardsman nearby. "Arrange a ride for two, please. Pick up out front."

  "Yes, sir," the guardsman said, then turned and jogged off towards the front of the warehouse.

  Malone and Callisto helped Mervyn to his feet, and Callisto grudgingly agreed to let Mervyn walk—with the stipulations that Mervyn lean on him and take it slow, neither of which Mervyn protested.

  By the time they reached the front of the warehouse, however, Mervyn was almost wishing he'd accepted the offer to be carried to the front. Callisto didn't say anything, thankfully, just helped him into their ride and sat extra close—for support—as they finally headed home.

  *~*~*

  The library was quiet, only the sound of the occasional turned page or shift of motion breaking the silence. Callisto was trying to focus on the book he'd picked out, but it was difficult to concentrate with Mervyn sitting so close. They were sharing the small sofa in Callisto's usual reading nook, but Callisto couldn't do anything about it, because Denzil was also pretending to read, sitting in a nearby chair.

  Mervyn was the only one who seemed to be paying attention to his book, though he was also taking notes at the same time, his notebook jostling against Callisto's leg every time he jotted down another note.

  It had been nearly three days since they'd raided Baldric's warehouse, but Malone had yet to show up to let them know how it was progressing on his end. He also hadn't broken the bond with Denzil—something Mervyn had done with him after they'd stumbled into the house, before he'd even let Evandie fuss over his leg.

  Denzil was obviously twitchier because of it. He was also watching Callisto and Mervyn more suspiciously, but Callisto wasn't going to volunteer anything. If Denzil wanted to know something about Callisto's relationship with Mervyn, he'd have to ask.

  "This is ridiculous," Denzil said, snapping his book shut loudly and making Callisto jump. "It's been three days. Where is he?"

  "Probably very busy," Mervyn said distractedly, finishing whatever note he was writing before looking up at Denzil over the top of his spectacles. "This was a big case, Denzil, and I'm sure there's plenty of processing and other things he has to do before he can get away."

  "Right, and they wouldn't let him get away to sleep?" Denzil asked skeptically. Callisto picked up Mervyn's notebook and pen, ignoring Mervyn's half-scrawled notes to doodle in the corner of the page. Mervyn glanced at him with a brief smile, but didn't say anything.

  "Malone is a workaholic," Mervyn said, shrugging and brushing shoulders with Callisto. "He'll be by as soon as he's able."

  "What are you working on?" Callisto asked, adding a few more lines to the very simple drawing of Denzil sulking in his chair.

  "A shield charm, of sorts," Mervyn said. "In case you encounter another counter charm, it would either block or absorb the effects of it instead of it affecting your heart."

  "Oh," Callisto said, finishing his little sketch. "That's a good idea."

  "The problem is that counters tend to stop all magic, not just some of it," Mervyn said thoughtfully, frowning down at his book again. "I think there might be something in the standard counter that I can block, though, if I can just work it out…"

  Callisto smiled, amused at how distracted Mervyn obviously was by his puzzle. He pushed the notebook back into Mervyn's lap, setting the pen on top of it.

  "You encountered a counter?" Denzil asked, obviously displeased.

  "Yes, Denzil," Mervyn said patiently. "I told you that. It's what made all the charms I was carrying useless."

  "Oh, right," Denzil muttered, still not looking happy. "Until you get that shield working, no more taking Callisto dangerous places."

  Callisto rolled his eyes. "Where would I go?"

  "I don't know, but Mervyn is into all sorts of crazy things," Denzil said irritably, waving a hand dismissively at them.

  Mervyn shook his head, but just said, "I promise I won't take him anywhere dangerous. Unless… do the downtown markets count? They could be considered dangerous."

  "That's not what I meant and you know it," Denzil groused, slumping in his chair sulkily. "They're only dangerous to your wallet, especially if Evandie wheedles her way into going with you."

  Mervyn stifled a smile, his eyes flicking past Denzil's chair towards the doorway. Callisto followed his gaze, unsurprised to find Evandie standing in the doorway, a sour look on her face. She cleared her throat, giving Denzil a disapproving look before turning to Mervyn.

  "Your Investigator friend is here," she announced.

  "Can you show him in here, Evandie?" Mervyn asked, shifting his injured leg with a grimace, and Callisto smiled briefly, pleased that Mervyn was heeding his earlier threats to not move unnecessarily.

  Evandie nodded stiffly, turning and leaving as quietly as she'd arrived.

  "I'm going to get the world's most bitter tea, now," Denzil grumbled, sitting up in his chair and looking completely grumpy as Malone walked in. He looked like he had been working for the last three days with little or no rest. Callisto frowned worriedly, but he didn't really know Malone well enough to say anything.

  Malone stopped next to Denzil's chair and Denzil glared at him but didn't say anything.

  "My apologies," Malone said gruffly. "I hadn't anticipated—" He stopped, shrugging.

  "Oh, just break it already," Denzil snapped, offering his hand. A brief smile flickered across Malone's face before he obliged, taking Denzil's hand and muttering the words that deactivated the bond.

  Callisto wondered what it felt like normally, without the rush of pain. It had felt odd afterwards—he'd gotten sort of used to feeling Mervyn's quiet presence—but the way the bond activated and deactivated normally was a mystery to him.

  Malone released Denzil's hand almost immediately after speaking the last word to break the bond. Denzil didn't look uncomfortable about it breaking, just took his hand back and scowled anew at Malone.

  "So what took you?" Denzil demanded, before Malone even got the chance to sit down. Malone ignored him for the moment, moving over to the closest free chair—across from the sofa—and sitting down.

  "My superior has limited the number of people working on this case," Malone said slowly, running a hand over his head. His hair was growing out again, Callisto noted, wondering with a bit of guilt if Malone really had been working since they'd left him. "What Baldric was working on… it would panic a lot of fairies and interest the wrong sort of wizards, so we're trying to keep it contained to as few Investigators as possible."

  "Which means more work for you," Mervyn said, smiling ruefully. "Sorry to dump this in your lap, Malone."

  "I don't mind," Malone said, sounding tired. "I need to get the official statements from you two about your parts of it. That's officially why I'm here."

  "And unofficially?" Mervyn asked. Callisto tensed—he was sick of bad news—and Mervyn casually twined their fingers together.

  "Baldric definitely had a hand in the previous attacks, and he was solely responsible for yours," Malone began, nodding at
Callisto. "However, the more we process his equipment and notes, the clearer it becomes that he's not the man behind the whole thing."

  "That was the impression he gave me, when we confronted him in the warehouse," Mervyn said slowly. "Does that mean Callisto and Denzil are still in danger?"

  "Denzil, yes," Malone said, frowning briefly when Denzil made to reply to that. "Callisto, probably not. My impression is that Baldric was responsible for finding… subjects for the man really behind this operation. It appears he simply took advantage of finding Callisto."

  "I'm going home," Denzil announce abruptly, sitting up straight.

  "Home?" Callisto echoed, baffled. Did Denzil mean his home in the city or home with their parents?

  "You need more than what you brought with you," Denzil said impatiently. "I was going to put it off for a few more weeks, but it sounds like now is a good time for me to leave town for a while."

  "That's sensible," Mervyn said, and he smiled sweetly when Denzil glared at him.

  "I'll tell them what happened," Denzil said, frowning. "Hopefully they won't be idiots about it."

  "I doubt it," Callisto said, shrugging. He wasn't okay with that, but… their parents were paranoid, and given the nature of Baldric's attack, they'd cut ties as completely as they could.

  "Well, they're stupid," Denzil declared angrily, scowling at nothing. "They're not going to have anyone to take over the orchards now, and you were good for it."

  "I guess," Callisto said, smiling faintly but not really enthused. The orchards had been his life, really, and while he didn't know much else, he did know he didn't want to work the orchards for the rest of his life.

  Mervyn squeezed his hand, offering a smile, and Callisto smiled back a little more easily. Living here wouldn't be bad at all, he thought, and it was probably stupid to be so optimistic when he had a charm instead of a heart, but it really could be worse. He could be dead.

  "I'll spread it around that Nan is looking for new help since you left town," Malone said slowly, then grimaced. "She's going to blister me something fierce for it, though."