Man, I wish Harley were here. I hated to admit I needed my sister, and yeah, putting her in the proximity of a baby-crazed Child of Chaos in desperate need of a Primus Anglicus incubator was likely a bad idea, but I still wished she were with me right now. If only I could figure out a way to reach Harley and the SDC, then I could call in the cavalry… Alas, that wasn’t an option. Our earpieces had been confiscated, our phones destroyed in the tumble down here, and it wasn’t like I could send a homing pigeon through miles of Antarctic ocean. Atlantis didn’t even have pigeons, for starters.
Still, it provided food for thought. Something I could discuss with Melody and the others when they finally showed. If they actually showed, and Kaya hadn’t been yanking my chain.
Another half-hour of aimless walking passed by. Kaya had locked the terrace, so I couldn’t even go out there for a breath of manufactured air. And that warning about going bonkers was starting to morph into reality. At least in Purgatory, I’d known why I deserved to be behind bars.
A soft click made me whip around. The bedroom door opened, a hefty guard filling the doorway. As he stepped aside, I breathed a sigh of relief. My pals were right behind him, ushered in by the guard. The minute they were over the threshold, he slammed the door shut behind them and locked us in, while he remained outside. The hex shield thrummed over the doorframe and settled back into place.
My relief and joy died an unexpected death. Something was wrong with this scene. One cast member was prominently missing.
“Where’s Ryann?” I whispered, my chest suddenly hurting. Her absence was like a knife in my heart. “Is she okay? Is she hurt, after what Lux did?”
After all, Lux had finally revealed herself to Erebus and Davin and given me all kinds of hopes that I would get my freedom… only to stab me in the back at the last moment. She’d insisted on me becoming suitor numero uno, warned Erebus and Davin not to interfere with my courtship proceedings, and sauntered straight back into the love of my life. That was a tough day in anyone’s book.
Melody fidgeted with her bracelet. “Ryann didn’t want to come, but she’s okay. She’s shaken, of course, and her emotions are all haywire, but she really is fine. As fine as she can be, given the circumstances.”
“She understands what happened,” Nash cut in. “We filled in any blanks, and she’s not upset with you. I know you’ve probably been driving yourself batty, but she’s not, so you can shelve that worry.”
“Then why isn’t she here?” I pressed, hearing my own desperation. I needed her to be here. I needed to see her face and blurt out everything I wanted to say, even if it all came out wrong.
“Ryann didn’t want to give Little Miss High and Mighty an opportunity to use her as leverage.” Nash walked over with the ever-present Huntress at his side. “And she figured that if she keeps her distance, it might please her Chaos parasite. You know, make Lux think she’s obeying the order to keep you in this suitor race.”
I nodded slowly. Painfully. “Then I guess we’re on the same page. Keeping Lux sweet might make her more inclined to not be a selfish cow. But I’m not putting money on it.”
“You don’t buy her promise to protect you?” Luke spoke up. He looked weirdly dazed and sort of… floaty, which made a subtle difference from his usual stern stance and blockhead stare. But at least he was a blockhead I could rely on.
I shrugged. “Not massively, no. Lux wouldn’t risk pulling a cosmic muscle to protect me.”
“Glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor.” Nash sat on one of the nearby chairs and rubbed Huntress’s ears.
“She took Erebus by surprise, but he’s not so scared of her,” I replied. “He’ll find some loophole to get what he wants.”
Melody sank onto the edge of the huge bed and swung her legs. “I suppose he did find a way to make it back to Atlantis, even though he’s banned from the city.”
“What you’re saying is, I’m right.” I looked at my friends and noticed Luke staring at Melody with even more puppy-dog vibes than usual. I brushed it off, since I had bigger fish to fry. “It’s like his wifey said… if he can’t convince Kaya, he’ll find some other way to create his demon spawn. That’s the only reason she’s letting this play out—so she can watch him fail. But if Erebus wants to kill me and finish what he started, then he will.”
I was still waiting for the moment Lux actually grew some proverbial ovaries and sent Erebus packing to the center of the earth. But she hadn’t made that move yet, even though it would’ve solved everyone’s problems. Who knew, maybe she couldn’t do it in Atlantis, not without compromising herself in the process, in the same way Erebus had some limits down here. Or maybe she was still intent on seeing just how far he’d push this, how far he’d betray her, before she brought the axe down. That would make the endgame all the sweeter for her.
Man, I hate those sons of frogfishes… But I planned to see them all fail. Every single one who’d tried to use me. And my endgame would be the sweetest of all.
“She’s miserable, though.” Melody looked up from her swinging legs, her big eyes shining with sympathy. “For obvious reasons, I think she’s having a hard time dealing with this. She kept going outside and coming back with red eyes. I’m guessing she didn’t want us to tell you she’s upset, in case you tried to see her and made Kaya all mad. But that’s the problem with being an Empath. I really don’t mean to pry into people’s emotions—I just can’t help it when someone’s feelings are strong. And there was a lot of sadness coming from her.” Her face fell. “And now I’ve told you she was upset, which is exactly what I wasn’t supposed to do.”
I resisted the urge to punch something really hard. One of Kaya’s mirrors, maybe, since I couldn’t get any unluckier. “I’m glad you told me.”
“You are?” Melody sounded unconvinced, and just a teeny bit guilty.
“Even if she’s not here, I want to know how she is. I don’t need to be spared the truth. It’s her I want to spare from any harsh truths, but I can’t. I just… man, I wish I could see her.” It wasn’t just my life, my love, my feelings that Kaya and the rest of these jackasses were toying with, but Ryann’s, too.
“This probably hurts like a bastard, Finch.” Nash put on his paternal voice of wisdom. “But she’s right to stay away. She can’t always keep Lux down. That Child of Chaos is like a bad case of acid reflux.”
“You’re right.” I sucked in a breath. Lux had put Ryann in the equivalent of a Bestiary box—I could look at her, but I couldn’t touch her or speak to her without putting my future plans in danger. I just had to hope it all paid off so I could get her back. Free her from that box.
Melody pushed herself off the bed and walked to the window. “Did Kaya do all this just to make Erebus jealous? You know, pretending to favor you as a suitor so he’d freak out? I mean, that’d be a pretty good outcome, right?” She didn’t turn. Perhaps she already knew the answer.
I shook my head. “Kaya told me that she plans to choose me as her consort.”
A collective gasp rippled through the room. Melody turned, looking horrified.
“You were only meant to be a substitute for Apollo! Why would she suddenly decide to choose you? Is this her idea of revenge against Erebus? Oh goodness, this is terrible!”
Luke went to stand by her side and wrapped his arm around her waist. An oddly intimate gesture I hadn’t seen from them before. Sure, he always stood over her like a great big donkey, making moon eyes at her. But the way he’d just slipped his arm around her, as if it were the most natural thing in the world… yeah, that was definitely new.
“She says there’s more to it, but I don’t believe her. They’ve messed with me too many times. And I’m not marrying her, no matter what.” I paused for effect. “Which is why I asked Kaya to let you guys visit. I need to get some wheels in motion, pronto.”
“Wheels?” Nash cocked his head, and Huntress copied him.
“Here’s what we know.” I addressed my trusty trio. “Erebus and Davin ar
e fighting tooth and nail to get in here. Literal wolves at my door. Kaya’s hexes have kept them out so far. Apollo is currently in prison, awaiting trial for a crime I don’t think he committed. Meanwhile, the rest of the Mr. Atlantis pageant aren’t aware Kaya has picked me, or wants to, at any rate. She said something about convincing her father first. But since he suggested me in the first place, all she has to do is stroke his ego a little, and he’ll fold like origami.”
Luke scoffed. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“What makes you say that?” I peered at him. It sounded like he knew something I didn’t, which was possible, since they’d been in the outside world while I’d been trapped here.
“His Death Day is coming up, right?”
I snorted. “Not soon enough, if you ask me.”
“Well, he’s not acting like someone who’s about to meet their maker.” Luke pulled Melody closer, and she laid her head against his chest. “He’s wandering around like he doesn’t have a care in the world.”
Melody looked up at him. “People have been whispering about it in the halls, and I’ve been feeling some strange emotions coming off them—wariness and confusion, and a few smatterings of disapproval. Atlantis is still mourning Queen Verity, and people have been sharing their memories of her and laying wreaths at the palace gates. But Ovid seems to have recovered alarmingly fast, to the point of coldness.” She glanced back at me. “It’s weird. With Verity gone, Ovid should at least be worried about his own mortality, even if he’s not grieving. But his behavior doesn’t suggest that.”
Nash’s mouth was set in a grim line. “That means it’s likely that he’s still riding the Necromancy idea. Kaya can stroke his ego all she likes, but when it comes to his preference between you or a man who can give him another five hundred years, she might as well talk to a brick wall.”
“Exactly.” Luke nodded. “Ovid is clearly still considering using Davin to resurrect himself after his Death Day. That’s the easiest explanation.”
“The man’s a dog—no offense, Huntress.” Nash patted her head, her tongue lolling. “We’ve already seen the king flirting with some of the dames around the palace. Giggling and flinging out cheesy lines like a sixteen-year-old.”
My jaw dropped. “You think he’s looking for a new queen?” How would that even work? The Atlanteans wouldn’t take kindly to that, given their endless ream of customs and traditions and rules and regulations.
“If he plans to keep living, he could remarry,” Luke pointed out sourly. “And since there’s probably zero legislation on what happens if a king just sticks around after he’s supposed to be dead, then why not? One thing’s for sure, it’ll screw up the order of succession.”
“And he does have an army he can use, if resurrecting himself ignites civil unrest,” Melody added anxiously. “A royal army whose sole purpose is to protect their monarch. Which would still be Ovid, if he happened to survive whatever Davin did to him. It’s certainly very messy and will only get messier if he goes through with it. But that’s why Kaya may not be able to persuade him to accept you as her first choice, unless she just ignores him altogether. Which, from what I know of her, she might well do. Especially considering that anger and jealousy are potent motivators.”
I held on to my resolve. “Well, like I said, I’m not marrying her. I’m going to make sure of it.”
“Even if you’ve got something up your sleeve, that’s not our only problem.” Nash got up and started some pacing of his own. “You mentioned Apollo, earlier. The thing is… I happen to agree with you. I’ve seen plenty of innocent men run in my time.”
“That’s what I told Kaya!” I crowed.
“I think we should investigate,” Nash said. “If it wasn’t Apollo, then whoever it was is still walking free. And who knows what plans they have for the rest of Kaya’s suitors. By singling you out, Kaya might’ve just painted a huge target on your back.”
“Especially when, or if, that news circulates through the city.” Melody gave me a heartbreaking look. “Speaking to Apollo would be a good place to start, and if we find out that he had nothing to do with it, then we’ll have to do everything we can to stop the real culprit, whoever they may be. I’m not letting anyone kill you, Finch.”
“I second that.” Nash tipped his head at me.
Luke sighed. “Me three, I guess.”
Aww, don’t go cold on me now, Luke.
“Then I suppose it’s time I stop waffling and get to the main reason I asked you here.” I fixed my gaze on Nash. “I need a favor. A big one.”
Three
Finch
Nash’s eyebrows knitted together like two dark, hungry caterpillars. “What sort of favor? And how big are we talking?”
“Brace yourself.” I flashed an anxious smile. “So… there’s something I didn’t tell Her Royal Pushiness about.”
“Why do I feel like I’m not going to like this?” Nash folded his arms across his plaid chest. All flannel, all the time. He was a walking advertisement for Lumberjack Weekly.
“Kaya doesn’t know I can…” I waggled my body and gave a sort of ta-da move that bordered on jazz hands.
Luke chuckled. “Play charades really badly?”
“No.” I hit him with a withering look. “Charades is my forte. She doesn’t know I can… play other people really well.”
The two other fellas in the room stared at me blankly.
Melody smiled, though it was a small, sad one. “He’s talking about Mimicry—a refined type of the Shapeshifting ability, which allows a person to take on the voice, mannerisms, and even the most recent memories, depending on how powerful their ability is, of any person they touch and stay close to. That’s right, isn’t it?”
“See, she’s good at charades.” I offered her a grateful look, wondering why I’d bothered to try and act it out. My Mimicry skills might have been top notch, but my mime skills were wasted on Nash and Luke. “And you and I need to switch places, Nash.”
A burst of laughter exploded from Grandpa’s throat, all raspy and anxious. “That’s a joke, right?”
“No joke.” My tone turned serious. “It’s got to be you. If I Shift into Luke and I’m not constantly glued to Melody’s side, Kaya might smell a rat. Everyone and their moms know Luke is never more than two inches away from our little Wonder Woman, which would make splitting up to investigate a bit tricky.” I ran a hand through my hair, already envisioning that sultry shade of silver. “That was probably in poor taste, since Kaya doesn’t have a mom anymore, but you get my point. It’s got to be you. And you can ask Huntress, oh so nicely, to stay with me so it looks convincing.”
“Not a chance,” Nash replied bluntly. “I’m not putting myself in that kind of danger. I gave up on the whole dying early thing when you broke that djinn curse, so I’m not about to take your place in a princess’s bedroom and risk my Death Day if I get discovered.”
“Wow. Talk about showing faith in a guy.” I tutted to hide my genuine frustration.
“It’s not about faith, Finch. It’s about the practicalities.” Nash picked some imaginary fluff off his beloved plaid. “I know a thing or two about Mimicry. You’ve got to be in close proximity to make it work, and how are you planning to do that, if you’re going to leave me here and go rambling through the palace?”
He had a valid point. Mimicry worked like walkie-talkies—the farther you got from your Mimicry target, the flimsier the reception got. Eventually, the figurative line disconnected completely, and it would take days of risky trial and error to figure out how far I could walk before it sputtered out.
Melody clapped her hands excitedly. “I can fix that!”
Nash paled. “What?”
Melody tapped her temple. “A quick dive through my mind palace, and I’ve got the answer. I’ve been unlocking more rooms in said mind palace of late, and it’s telling me that an Ephemera would solve our problem.”
“And where do we get one? They’re not just hanging from Atlantean tr
ees.” Nash sounded more worried by the second. But Melody’s interjection brought renewed excitement to my churning gut.
Melody waved her hands like a Frenchman after twenty espressos. “It’s not about where we get one, it’s about how we make one! I’ve got the blueprint in my mind. It looks as though I can put one together from objects we can easily find around the palace. Then Finch infuses it with his Mimicry ability, and you can wear it and pretend to be him without worrying about it fizzing out.”
“Go, MacGyver!” I punched the air.
“I don’t like it,” Nash pushed back. “Who’s to say a makeshift Ephemera would work as well as a properly forged one? I don’t mean to be rude, Melody, but throwing one together from random palace stuff and hoping for the best doesn’t fill me with confidence.”
I offered a louder tut. “I thought you said it wasn’t a faith thing. Melody is providing a practical solution, and we know how much you love practical solutions. Plus, if anyone can put one together and make it work, it’s her.”
“Maybe, but—” He tried to protest, but I cut him off.
“How about this? I promise to only leave for short periods, so you don’t have to get your panties in a twist about the Ephemera conking out.” I looked at him in desperation. “I need to get out of here, Nash. I need to see Ryann and to delve deeper into this Apollo issue. I’ll go nuts if I have to wait here and do nothing. There’s not a lot I can do about Erebus or Davin, but at least I can get ahead of the game and remove one of my potential murderers from the list. If they managed to frame Apollo, then they’re smart. So we have to be smarter.”
“I can investigate that,” Nash griped. “I don’t get why it has to be you.”
I cracked my knuckles, knowing how arrogant I was about to sound. But old Finch wouldn’t have cared about that, and honestly, neither did I. “I’m more powerful than you. I’ll be more useful out in the field. I have six abilities at my beck and call. You have… magic blood.”
Harley Merlin 15: Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow Page 2
