by S. J. West
“No,” Maximus says. “That was my decision, and I’ve already discussed it with Commander Ford. You don’t have to call her about changing your schedule because she’s agreed with me that I should use your squad.”
“What if he doesn’t want me there, Maximus?” I ask him in a low voice so the other people in the room can’t hear me.
“He does. Trust me,” my godfather assures me. “As soon as he sees you, he’ll be grateful that you’re there.”
“All right. I suppose I’ll simply have to take your word on that,” I say, having my doubts on whether or not Coltan will see my presence as a good thing or not. “Where do you want us to meet you?”
“Be at the Guild in about an hour,” he tells me. “Gus will also be going with us. Once all of you arrive, I’ll fill you in on the details.”
After I get off the phone with Maximus, I tell everyone what was said on his side of the conversation. By this time, Kalder has the first batch of pancakes made and doesn’t stop making them until all of our bellies are full.
“I would offer to come along,” Kalder tells us as we set our plates in the sink, “but I have a feeling Prince wouldn’t appreciate my help. And since he’s foolishly leaving all of his family’s wealth behind, I suppose that means you’ll have to buy me my new boat, Cin.”
“But if you get a new boat,” Anwen says from her spot on my shoulder, “does that mean you’ll leave us, Kalder?”
“I’ll come back and visit you,” he promises her with a wink. “Who knows? Maybe Cin will even let you come over and stay with me sometime.”
“Let her?” I ask, finding his wording odd. “She isn’t a pet, Kalder. Anwen is her own person. She can do whatever she wants.”
“Oh, I could never leave my girls,” Anwen tells him as she hugs me around the neck. “They need me too much.”
Anwen’s words make me smile because I feel sure it’s the other way around. I don’t mind that she needs us, and in a way, she’s right; we do need her too. In truth, it’s the fear of losing her that’s keeping us from telling Commander Ford she exists. I know we’ll have to do it eventually, but for now, I like keeping her a secret. She’s safer that way.
Gretel rides in my car while Scarlet travels with Isabel as we all drive over to the Guild.
“Cin, I need you to listen to a little tough love and consider what I’m about to say with an open mind,” my best friend tells me in her stern voice.
“And if I don’t?” I ask jokingly.
“Then you may regret it for the rest of your life,” she tells me in all seriousness. “I know you’ve been waiting for Coltan to call you. Heck, we’ve all been sitting on pins and needles waiting for him to do something.”
“And . . .” I say, coaxing Gretel to get to the promise part of her little talk with me.
“And we all think you need to cut him some slack,” she says. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but sometimes when people do things that hurt your feelings, you get mad and stay mad at them for a good long while. We don’t want you to do that in this situation because we all feel like you would end up regretting it.”
“When you say ‘we,’ are you talking about you, Scarlet, and Isabel?” I ask.
“And me,” Anwen whispers. “And Kalder too.”
“Kalder?” I ask in surprise. I’m not sure if I’m more stunned by my wayward tenant’s involvement in such a conversation between my friends or their willingness to let an outsider like him participate in what should be a personal affair.
“Kalder’s a pretty decent guy, Cin, if you would just give him a chance to show it to you,” Gretel says. “But you’ve been so upset over Coltan that you haven’t taken the time to notice everything he’s been doing around the house for us.”
“You mean the cooking?” I ask, since that’s the only thing that comes readily to my mind.
“See,” Gretel replies as if I made her point for her. “You haven’t noticed all the repairs he’s been doing around the house or that he’s been trimming bushes and clearing out the back courtyard.”
“I did sort of notice the bushes in the front yard look neater,” I say in my own defense.
“All I’m saying is that you get so wrapped up in your own drama that sometimes you don’t take the time to notice anyone else’s.”
“I’ve noticed Isabel’s,” I point out.
“Yes, you have,” Gretel agrees. “All I ask is that you think about what I said as far as Coltan goes. I don’t want you to use your anger like a shield with him because he hasn’t done anything to deserve it. He’s grieving, Cin. Exactly like you did when your dad died. Maybe he simply wants to get his life straightened out before inviting you into it. Good grief, I can’t believe I’m actually defending a Prince. I’m probably breaking some arbitrary Thorn law by doing that.”
I laugh softly at Gretel’s worry.
“I’ll never tell,” I promise her.
“Neither will I,” Anwen says as I feel her little body lean up against my neck.
I hate to admit that Gretel is right, but she is, and I know it. I do tend to hide behind my anger when someone hurts me. The first time I did that was when my dad died. Vivian and her daughters gave me a reason to be angry, and I used it to prop me up and prevent myself from breaking down completely. Then Maximus came into my life and gave me a brand-new reason to live and a way to channel my grief in a different way. Instead of allowing myself to wallow in my misery, I used my energy to study and train harder than anyone else in my class. I shouldn’t be surprised that my squad knows me so well. They did have to live with me during that time, and I’m grateful that they care enough to set me straight before I see Coltan again.
“Thank you for pointing out my flaws,” I tell her but not in a sarcastic way. I truly mean it because I was using my anger to hide how much Coltan’s silence has hurt me.
“That’s what friends are for,” Gretel tells me with a grin. “Now, about Prince Perfect, why do you think he’s choosing to stay with Maximus instead of us? It’s not like we don’t have the space in your house.”
“From what Maximus said to me, I get the feeling Coltan wants to earn his own way as soon as he can. Maximus is supposed to help him find a more permanent living arrangement.”
“Good luck finding one,” Gretel says rather unenthusiastically. “It’s really hard to find an apartment in the city, and if he wants a house, he’ll have to get on a waiting list. Most everything is handed down from generation to generation since there’s so little room left.”
What Gretel said is true. I’ve seen multiple generations of one family live in the same apartment because there simply isn’t any more housing available inside the city. It’s not the only problem being caused by overpopulation, and the only way to stop our city from becoming overcrowded is by setting a limit on the number of children a couple can have. Maximus told me we haven’t arrived at that point yet, and I still have hope that we’ll find a way to lift the curse and free our city before that happens.
When we reach the magically locked iron gate at the Guild, the guard on duty, Gordan, opens it and waves us through. As we pull up to the front of the museum Maximus live in, we see him and Gus waiting for us on the sidewalk, standing next to a white van parked on the side of the street.
“How many books does Coltan have?” I ask Maximus as I eye the van curiously when I step out of my car.
“Quite a few from what he told me,” my godfather replies while he watches us all walk over to him.
Gus clasps his hands together and holds them over his chest as he beams at us with pride.
“All my little Thorns,” he gushes as tears spontaneously pour from his eyes like they’re faucets. “I can’t believe how grown up you all look in your new jackets.”
“Now, Gus, we discussed this,” Maximus says sympathetically as he pats his personal assistant on the back. “The girls are grown women now. They couldn’t stay little forever.”
Gus attempts to pull himself togeth
er and wipes away his tears.
“You’re right,” he tells Maximus. “Before you know it, we’ll have new babies to play with.”
“Are you intending to get pregnant?” Gretel asks Gus with a raised eyebrow. “Because I know you’re not talking about one of us popping out a baby anytime soon.”
“It doesn’t hurt to dream,” Gus tells her, sounding wistful about the idea of having one of our babies running around the Guild. “If Marlene and I had been able to conceive, we would have had a houseful of children.”
I always felt sad for Gus and his wife, Marlene. They would have been spectacular parents, but it simply wasn’t meant to be for them. When we would visit Maximus as children, Gus lavished his attention on us. Only recently did I learn about the difficulty he and his wife were having with conceiving a child of their own. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem like life is fair to those who deserve it.
“We should get going,” Maximus says, looking uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. “I told Coltan we will be there to get the tomes as soon as the funeral is over.”
“How are we going to get into the crypt?” I ask Maximus as Gus walks over to the driver’s side.
“Coltan will stay at the cemetery after everyone else leaves. He’ll then lead us inside the crypt and take us to the hidden room where they’re being stored,” he replies as he climbs into the passenger seat and the rest of us clamber into the back of the van through the sliding door on the side.
“Why are we coming with you? Are you expecting trouble?” I ask Maximus as we find places to sit on the floorboard and Gus starts the engine. “Or do you just need help moving the books?”
“I’m mostly taking you girls with us as an added precaution,” he replies. “I need eyes I can depend on watching my back in case something unexpected happens. Plus, I believe Coltan will feel better leaving his home if he has someone he trusts to help him through the transition.”
Maximus looks over his shoulder at me meaningfully, and I get the gist of what he’s saying.
“I’ll help him any way I can,” I promise.
When Maximus turns back around, I begin to wonder if I should have told him everything that happened on the island between me and Coltan. I know Coltan told him all the facts about our encounter with the revenants and Ari, but I doubt he mentioned that he said he loved me or that Ari seemed to believe I was something more than human. I’m still not sure what she meant by that, and I’m honestly scared to delve into the meaning behind her words too deeply.
When we ride across the bridge to the Prince side of town, I realize this is the first time the other members of my squad have ventured this far. The sleek, modern buildings still look cold and strange to me, and I wonder if this will be the last time I ever see them this close up. After Coltan leaves this place behind to join the Guild, there won’t be any need to come back over here. I’m perfectly fine with that. In fact, if I never step foot on this side of town again, my life will be made that much better for it.
As we pull into the cemetery, I’m reminded of the day we laid my father to rest in my own family’s crypt. I haven’t been back to Briardale Cemetery since his funeral, and I have no intention of ever returning to it. My father’s body may lay there, but his soul is gone forever. The essence of who he was escaped the confines of this city to soar toward the heavens, and I hope he found peace there.
“Stop here, Gus,” I hear Maximus say, bringing me out of my morbid reverie so I can focus on the job at hand.
I lean forward and peer out the front windshield to see what’s going on. Down the road, at the other end of the cemetery, I spot a line of parked cars and a group of people dressed in black standing outside a large cement crypt.
“Are we early?” I ask Maximus because I presumed the ceremony would be over by the time we arrived.
“No,” he replies while handing me a very plain silver ring. “I thought you might like to be with Coltan and give him your support during the funeral. From the way he sounded on the phone last night, I think he would appreciate having someone by his side who actually cares about what he’s going through.”
I hold out my hand, and Maximus places the ring on my palm.
“What is this for?” I ask as I study it. To me, it looks like a simple band of silver with no markings whatsoever.
“It will render you invisible for about an hour,” he tells me.
“Is that a rare artifact?” Isabel asks Maximus.
“No. I had an invisibility spell cast on it for today.”
“I didn’t know such a spell existed,” I admit. I knew some mages could cast a spell on themselves to make them invisible to others, but I wasn’t aware objects could be enchanted to give none magic wielders that ability too.
“It’s not one that’s used much, and very few people have the power to cast it,” Maximus tells me. “In the wrong hands, such an enchantment could be dangerous.”
“Who cast the spell?” I ask.
“Someone I know,” Maximus replies vaguely.
“How do I activate it?” I ask.
“Put it on one of your fingers,” he instructs me. “The ring will do the rest.”
“Anwen, would you please stay with Isabel while I go to the funeral?” I ask.
Anwen leaves her perch on my shoulder and flits over to rest on Isabel’s instead.
I slide the ring onto my right index finger and instantly vanish from view, even my own.
“Whoa,” Gretel says in surprise. “I can’t believe that actually worked. That’s crazy cool!”
“If I were you, I would get going,” Maximus tells me. “The clock is ticking.”
I leave the van and make my way through the tombstones toward the crowd of funeral-goers paying their respects to the late Sela Prince. I wish I had been able to meet Coltan’s mother before she died, but our lives were never destined to intersect that way. The only connection we’ll ever share with one another is her youngest son.
As I approach the fifty or so mourners, I spy Coltan standing by the front of the crypt with his father and brother, Mathew. Morgan Prince, the eldest son and onetime heir to the family business, is missing his mother’s funeral because he’s now incarcerated on Sparrow Island for trying to murder me.
After Maximus learned that the eldest of the Prince sons dispatched assassins to kill me on Kalder’s boat, he gave Edward Prince an ultimatum. He could either hand over both Morgan and Rebekah so they could stand trial for their crime of attempted murder, or he would cut off supplies from the Guild to the Prince side of town and cast a no trespassing spell on the Neverwhere Bridge to prevent people from crossing over. Such an act would have caused chaos for the Princes and more than likely would have led the people on their side of town to hunt Morgan down and kill him themselves in order to restore the flow of rations. In other words, Maximus gave Edward little choice but to comply and hand over his son to be tried for his crimes.
I didn’t attend the trials of Morgan, Rebekah, or Everly, but I heard through other Thorns that Morgan protested the charges by claiming he never gave the command for my assassination. Rebekah stuck to her story and said she was only following Morgan’s orders. She testified against him, calling him a liar. Throughout Everly’s trial, she claimed she was being framed for something she didn’t do. I wanted to believe her. I still do. But there wasn’t any proof to back up her argument. All of the evidence pointed to her guilt, and even she admitted to speaking to Darcy the morning before my stepsister attacked me in the streets. The reason she gave for doing so was to convince Vivian’s daughter to return to her mother and seek help for her mental instability. All three of them were eventually convicted of their crimes and sent directly to Sparrow Island by Commander Ford. Although they all tried to kill me, I still feel sorry for them for having to live out the rest of their lives on that savage, cutthroat island.
Anyone who commits a high crime is sent to Sparrow Island to live, fight, and die. From what I understand, the only modern
structure on the island is a black and white lighthouse with a red tin roof. The penal colony is the ultimate test of survival skills, and I very much doubt Morgan Prince has many of those, considering his pampered lifestyle. Everly and Rebekah might last longer, and a part of me hopes Everly finds a way to stay alive on the island and die a natural death. She may have tried to kill me, but there’s a part of me that still hopes she was telling the truth during her trial. Maybe she was framed. I have no way of knowing until I find evidence that points away from her, but then that would put Commander Ford’s honor in question. She’s the one who claimed to have seen Everly walk out of the apothecary with the poison found in the chocolates given to us by our mentor. It was damning evidence at the trial and what clinched the guilty verdict.
As quietly as I can, I make my way to Coltan’s side. His eyes may be on the priest giving the eulogy from the steps of the crypt, but considering his blank expression, I know his mind is somewhere else. I can relate to what he’s going through. At my own father’s funeral, I tried to think of anything besides where I was and what we were doing. I knew if I gave into my sorrow, I would get lost in it, and I didn’t have anyone back then who would have been able to snatch me away from the abyss.
Tentatively, I reach out for his hand that’s closest to me and lace my fingers with his. As my skin slides against his, he gasps in surprise as we both feel the tingling sensation from our touch. He leans his head down, slanting it slightly in my direction as he gently squeezes my hand with his.
“Thank you,” he whispers so softly I strain to hear it.
I briefly squeeze his hand once, so he knows I heard his words and that I’m not going anywhere.
As we stand there together, I listen to the priest talk about all the good works Sela Prince did with the underprivileged while she was alive. He goes on to thank the Prince family for the generous donation Sela left in her will to make sure her charities continued to be funded. I glance past Coltan to see what his father’s reaction is to this statement, but Edward Prince gives nothing of his true feelings away. Standing beside Edward, in what I consider to be bad taste, is my stepmother, Vivian.
