“I Shifted into O’Halloran, told the old lady I needed it on important business, and that I’d bring it back soon,” I replied stiffly. “Done and dusted. Nobody got hurt; nobody’s upset. It’s all good.”
“All good? Are you kidding? This could get you into deep trouble!”
I shrugged. “Pfft, add it to the pile. Anyway, no trouble compares to the E-man. I’ll repeat myself, since it seems you didn’t hear me the first time: this book might help me free myself from that monster before it’s too late for me.”
“Melody really said that?”
I sucked air through my teeth. “Why else would I have pinched it? I’m not reckless, Ryann, though everyone gets pretty free with that tarring brush when they talk about me.”
“Sorry, Finch. I guess I tend to get on my high horse when it comes to legal stuff.” Her expression softened.
“I’ll be glad to yank you down if you start climbing into the saddle again.” I relaxed, focusing on her face to keep me centered.
She smiled and reached for the book. “Can I?”
“I don’t know, can you?” I replied, aiming for endearing.
“You sound like my dad.” She chuckled, not realizing that was the last thing I wanted to hear from her. “Fine. May I?”
I pushed the book toward her. “You may.”
She flipped through, skimming the pages. My gremlins started jangling in my head, possessive of the book, but they could stay in their lane. Erebus had made Ryann part of this. Breaking the deal had as much to do with her as it did with me. And she looked insanely hot, sitting there all bookish and focused.
“Have you read this?” Ryann pointed to one of the pages.
I shook my head. “I haven’t had a chance.”
“It’s got a whole chapter on djinn and their special relationship with Erebus. Did you know they were linked?”
“I knew djinn were linked to Erebus somehow. It’s why Zalaam couldn’t tell everyone that Imogene was Katherine initially, because my dear old mother made a deal with Erebus, too—that promise that she wouldn’t challenge him in the last ritual in exchange for the djinn staying quiet about her. Zalaam was bound to silence because Katherine was loosely tied to Erebus, and he couldn’t cross Erebus’s wishes. Then he made his own deal with her, in order to spare Raffe, but I imagine that was because he couldn’t rat her out earlier because of that whole ‘sworn to silence’ thing. Complicated, I know.” I offered a wry smile. “Melody thinks there’s a link between the djinn and the servants of Erebus, too. It’s why she asked me to get the book, since there’s probably more detailed info in there.”
“Incoming,” Ryann whispered, thrusting the book at me. I hastily tucked it back into my pants under my shirt, right in the nick of time. Two more guests had arrived, though they swerved toward the bar, occupied by a tense conversation.
“Can’t we just have a nice evening?” Raffe muttered.
Santana furiously pushed a strand of hair from her face. “You’re the one who brought it up.”
“I know, but… I don’t want to talk about it now. Come on, let’s just forget I ever mentioned it,” Raffe pleaded.
“How can I forget you mentioned it? It’s pretty freaking important,” Santana replied sharply.
Raffe hung his head. “Please, Santana.”
“Fine, but we’re going to have to talk about it later.” Santana moved away from the bar and strode over to the table, with Raffe following. The poor dude looked drained, like he’d had an unexpected run-in with Mary Foster. His usual olive tone appeared ghoulishly pale and haggard.
“Long time no see, Finch.” Santana sank beside Ryann while Raffe took a seat next to me. “Did you get tired of that rock you’d crawled back under?”
“Aww, did you worry about me?” I smiled sweetly.
“No way, pendejo. I was just wondering if we’d have to put you in a coffin or a jar. You know, since you made us all think you’d been crushed by a load of rocks, when really you were fine.”
I wouldn’t say “fine.” But I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction.
I made a show of lifting the tablecloth to search under the table. “Speaking of pendejos, where’s the ankle-biter? I wore my shin pads, just in case.”
“Slinky is back at the SDC. I told him you were coming, and he decided he wanted to stay home and sharpen his fangs for next time,” Santana retorted. Man, she was on fire tonight.
“Oh, don’t tease me.” I sat back in my seat. “Next time I see that slithery worm, I’ll be in full body armor. He’s not getting so much as a nip, unless he wants to end up as a fancy wallet.”
Santana glowered at me. “I’d say I’m pleased to see you haven’t changed.”
“But?” I prompted.
“But what? That’s the whole sentence. Make of it what you will,” she replied.
I grinned. “I’ve missed you too, Santana.”
“Oh yeah, and I’m Salma Hayek.” A ghost of a smile tugged her lips.
“Alas not, or this would be a much more interesting dinner, and Raffe’s eyes would pop out of his head.” I knew she’d worried about me. But she and I were like oil and water—we’d never quite gel. And we’d never admit to being friends, though in a fight, I knew she’d have my back and she knew I’d have hers.
“We all missed you, Finch,” Raffe said. “And my eyes already pop out of my head whenever Santana’s around. She’s all the Salma Hayek I’ll ever need.”
Santana gazed at him as he reached out and took her hand, all their former irritation gone. At least for now.
“Excuse me, waiter? Could I have a barf bucket with a side of cheese?” I pretended to click my fingers, even though I hated when people did that. Fortunately, no waiter came by, or that would’ve been embarrassing.
Ryann tutted at me. “I think it’s sweet.”
“You would. I bet the Zodiac Killer wakes you up with GIFs of otters holding hands and says things like, ‘You’re my otter half,’ and you get all gooey.” I pushed back the wave of gremlins, trying to keep it Finch. I couldn’t let anyone at this table know I was struggling. They had to believe the façade, or I would fall apart, like Mother Dearest and her oozing cracks.
Ryann gasped. “How did you know that?”
“Waiter, can I have your sharpest knife from the kitchen, too, so I can end it all here?” I joked.
“You need a little romance in your life—that’s your problem,” Santana cut in, fully aware that the woman I wanted to romance had a boyfriend.
I shrugged. “No, my problem is nobody appreciates my comic genius.”
“You’ll have to let us know when you start being funny, then,” Santana fired back.
Raffe rubbed his eyes wearily. “Guys.”
“What? He knows I don’t mean it.” Santana hit me with a disarming smile. It was the friendliest I’d ever gotten from her. Maybe Harley had told her to go easy.
Soon enough, the rest of the Couples Brigade filtered in. Tatyana and Dylan arrived giggling like high school sweethearts, his arm draped over her shoulder in true jock style. Astrid and Garrett came next, holding hands and being a little less in-your-face. I guessed Garrett’s brush with death at the mine had bridged the gap between them, at last. Garrett put a hand on the small of Astrid’s back as he helped her into the large booth.
“You’ve got no idea how good it is to see you, man.” Garrett shuffled past Raffe and Dylan, who let him through, and grabbed me in a hug.
“Likewise,” I replied, with a pointed nod at Astrid. “Looks like the two of you managed to get your act together?”
He beamed at her, radiating happiness. “Yeah, we did.”
“At least one good thing came out of that debacle, then.” I hugged him back, wishing I could feel the happiness I deserved to feel, seeing my friends alive and well. This constant hollow sensation was worse than sadness. At least that would’ve sparked some emotion. But this was just… emptiness, plain and simple. And it hurt.
�
�I can’t believe you’re actually here.” Garrett squeezed me harder.
I mustered a laugh. “You trying to crack a rib?”
“Sorry, man. We thought we lost you. It didn’t look good, and O’Halloran said we should prepare for the worst-case scenario. Harley didn’t take too kindly to that—she amped up the search parties, determined to find you.”
“Then I’m the one who’s sorry, for scaring you all like that,” I said quietly. For a horrifying moment, I thought I might cry. The tears brimmed, ready to rumble, but I battled to keep them at bay. Flipping between moods like this made my head spin. From hollow, to weepy, to happy, to lost, to angry… it’d drive anyone nuts.
“It wasn’t like you had a choice. Anyone who says different will have to deal with me,” Garrett assured me.
I raised an eyebrow at Santana. “You hear that, Santana?”
For once, she had no comeback. She just sat there, looking at me weirdly. That concerned me. Could she tell how close I was to the edge? Did they all know? Was paranoia on Melody’s list of symptoms? I couldn’t remember. My chest gripped in a vise and panic bristled through me. As Garrett released me, I clung to the red vinyl of the booth and prayed for the wave to pass.
Saskia and Jacob appeared a moment later, giving me something new to focus on.
“Anything you want to tell us?” I asked, covering my inner turmoil with a snappy bit of teasing. “Are you the newest recruits in the SDC’s not-so-covert mating project?”
Saskia shrieked. “Finch! No one told me you’d be here! Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!”
“It seems I’m the main event.” I smiled.
“And no, Jacob and I aren’t together. It’s purely platonic,” Saskia went on. “The boy needs advice on women, and I’ve accepted the challenge. I’m trying to change his status from ‘lonely loser’ to ‘charming lothario,’ since you men have been woefully inadequate in helping Jacob get a date.”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with Jakey’s charm. He just had bad luck, that’s all,” I retorted. Of all women, he’d gone for the human minion of my mother. That hadn’t had a rosy ending. Not unless you counted all the blood on the floor. Dark, but true.
Saskia readjusted the straps of her daringly cut dress. “Well, I’m here to change his luck. Isn’t that right, Jacob?”
Jacob ran a nervous hand through his hair, his mouth set in a sad line. “So I’ve been told.”
Poor guy. Having a first girlfriend like Suri would put anyone off for life. Or they’d end up going for unattainable women, to lessen the risk of getting hurt again. Unrequited love would always be easier to bear than getting in deep with someone and having them torn away.
Harley and Wade arrived, completing the chain of couples. Wade wore a slick blue suit, and Harley matched him in blue pants and a silky blue shirt. Ordinarily, I’d have commented on it, calling them out as one of those couples, but they looked too damn happy for me to rain on their parade. Giddiness exuded from them, and they both looked flushed.
“It’s not like you to be fashionably late,” I said with a wry smile.
“We wanted to make sure everyone arrived before we came in,” Harley explained, the words tumbling out of her mouth a mile a minute.
Wade chuckled. “Seriously, we’ve been sitting in Daisy for the last half hour.”
“I told you that was Harley’s car.” Dylan nudged Tatyana playfully.
“But there was no one in it when we passed,” Tatyana replied, confused.
Harley chuckled. “Yeah, we may have ducked down in case you saw us.”
“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Santana flashed her friend a wink.
“Brother, sitting right here!” I protested.
“So, what’s the occasion?” Saskia leaned her chin on her hand. “Someone getting married?”
I snorted. “Yeah, good one. You think I’d just be finding out now, if my only sister was getting hitched?”
“Actually…” Harley lifted her hand, where an enormous diamond glinted. “Wade and I have something to tell you all.”
Nine
Finch
“Bet you feel a little stupid now, huh?” Saskia folded her arms, giving me the full Cheshire Cat treatment.
I ignored her and gaped at Harley. “You’re… engaged?”
“Wade asked me yesterday, and I accepted.” Harley flushed with delight, intertwining her fingers with Wade’s. He gazed at her like he’d won the jackpot, leaning to kiss her. A whoop went up from the table, Santana leading the riot of congratulations. Everyone else followed suit. I resisted asking where Wade had gotten the ring; Mr. Abara had given me a whole new perspective on diamonds.
“Mi hermana! You pinned the sucker down!” Santana hollered, clapping loudly.
Raffe stared into his drink. “Yeah, congratulations, both of you.”
You fancy mustering a little more oomph there? His odd brooding didn’t give off congratulatory vibes. Then again, I couldn’t talk. I was still wrangling my gremlins into submission so I could actually get on board with the celebrations.
“My dudes! Major congratulations!” Dylan joined in, his applause splintering through my skull.
“I knew you wouldn’t have scheduled dinner for nothing.” Saskia smiled smugly. “I don’t wear the glitz and glam for just any occasion.”
Tatyana left her seat to hug the affianced. “This is amazing news, guys! I’m so happy for you both.”
“We’re pretty happy, too.” Wade lifted Harley’s hand and kissed it.
“Very happy. Seriously, I can’t remember being this happy before,” Harley agreed, her smile so wide I worried her cheeks would crack.
“Congratulations.” Garrett stole a glance at Astrid, whose eyes swam with joy. Ah man, this is going to start a chain reaction of weddings, isn’t it?
“That’s just… so… wonderful!” Astrid stumbled over her words, clearly overwhelmed. Someone had caught the love bug while I’d been away. I shifted awkwardly, unsure what to do with myself. I looked at Ryann, who seemed ready to explode.
“Aaaaaaah! I can’t believe it—I could kiss you both! Mom and Dad are going to be over the moon,” she gushed. “You better brace yourselves for wedding magazines and a million texts about flower arrangements and cake tastings and menu choices. You know Mom will want to be involved in everything.”
Harley grinned. “I hope she’ll want to help out. Give me monsters and evil minions; I know what to do with those. Wedding planning stumps me. Naturally, I’ll bug you about it, too.”
“Bug away!” Ryann raised her glass. “Let’s toast the happy couple.”
Everyone clamored for their glasses. I did the same, not wanting to be the odd one out. I hoped nobody had noticed that I hadn’t actually said congratulations yet. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy for them, but I didn’t know how I fit in this picture. Everyone’s lives had moved on without me while I’d been away. I hadn’t expected them to wait around or anything, but I felt like I was playing a losing game of catch-up.
“Three cheers for Wade and Harley!” Santana hollered, drawing amused glances from other tables as everyone unleashed a trio of mighty cheers. The other diners applauded, feeling the love. You just had to look at the couple to see how much they adored each other. They’d survived so much and come out of it more in love than ever. And… I admired them. So much that I decided not to bother with self-pity. They deserved this, probably more than anyone.
As everyone settled down, Tatyana leaned over the table. “Don’t keep us in suspense. How did he propose? Was it insanely romantic? Candlelight, roses, the whole nine yards?”
Saskia wrinkled up her nose. “That’s tacky.”
“You’re high-maintenance,” Tatyana retorted. “You wouldn’t be happy unless the entire room dripped diamonds and you got a rock as big as your head. I pity the poor guy who wants to marry you.”
“Who says I want to get married? It’s not the be-all and end-all,” Saskia huffed. “
Not that this isn’t great news. I just mean, it might not be for me. Divorce seems like a lot of hassle, and I see myself as the divorcing sort.”
“Saskia!” Tatyana complained. “Let Harley tell the proposal story!”
Harley gave a teasing glance to Wade, who’d already turned beet red. “Well, he took me to the Aquarium at midnight last night. He’d arranged the entire thing with Tobe, who was there when we arrived.”
Tobe knew before me?! I forced myself to smile and listen. That stung a tad, but this was my sister’s moment. I had no place being all mopey. Harley would soon marry the love of her life—the man who’d been by her side through all of her troubles. If I couldn’t be happy for them, then I might as well have stayed at the Winchester House.
“Wade and Tobe had lit the entire place with candles, and these glowing white snails from the Bestiary—Clusterwink snails, I think they’re called. Anyway, Tobe started to sing. All the sea sprites and firefly squid came out, with the selkies and the sirens joining them, holding glowing orbs and singing the most haunting, bittersweet song I’ve ever heard. All about love and loss and hope. It was like staring into a whole undiscovered universe, all the stars twinkling just for us.”
She put her hand on Wade’s shoulder. “I turned to him to tell him how amazing it was, but he was down on one knee, with the ring box open. And he said, ‘I wanted to create a galaxy just for us, because I can’t give you the stars, but you’re the center of my universe.’ With the music, and all the glowing lights, and his face peering up at me with so much love… I burst into tears and said yes.” She laughed and pulled Wade closer while he cringed. “I wish I’d said something more profound, but I’ll save that for the wedding.”
“‘Yes’ was profound enough for me,” Wade replied with an embarrassed grin. “You could’ve left some of the details out. I’m burning up, here.”
“No, she couldn’t!” Santana protested. “We wanted to hear everything.”
Dylan nodded. “Yeah, man, thanks for setting the bar so high.”
“I wanted it to be perfect,” Wade said.
Harley Merlin 12: Finch Merlin and the Djinn’s Curse Page 9
