by MJ Fletcher
“No,” I said.
The lights buzzed yet again and turned a shade of red. Greenstreet smiled and slipped his fingers together and leaned in closer to me.
“A lie my dear, what is it that is bothering you?”
“None of your concern.”
“Very well.” He smiled and I figured he was lying through his big smile. “Now for another question. The device, where is it?”
“Safe with the League.” It wasn’t actually a lie, since I was a member of the League, so technically I was telling the truth. The lights remained green and I was happy with myself for finding the loophole in his little game.
“Good to know,” he said.
“The coordinates,” I said as I stood and held out my open hand.
Greenstreet shuffled the papers in front of him until he found a crumpled and torn piece and reached out to hand it to me. He stopped at the last moment, holding it just above my hand.
“These coordinates will bring you directly to the Pub they were seen in.”
“Good,” I said.
“But it is a long journey,” he said and I knew he was working an angle, and I had a dreadful feeling I knew what it was. “You may need to expand a great deal of power. Do you think you can do that without losing control?”
“I’ll do fine,” I said.
“You really think so dear? I heard you needed help to control it last time.”
“None of your business,” I said.
“So it’s true. Merric Vale did help you. Well, isn’t that interesting?”
“What do you know about him?”
“He is a very dangerous man.” He dropped the paper in my hand and I squeezed my fist around it and turned to walk from the room.
“Is that so?” I’d heard that from my gran, but I didn’t mention that. I wanted to see if he knew more.
“Yes….very,” he said.
“Why’s that?”
“Merric Vale isn’t Old Kind. He is something else and, if my reports are correct, you got to see a little of what he is capable of,” he said with a wicked grin.
The image of Merric angry and out of control ran through my mind. I hadn’t known what happened to him, but I wanted to help him if I could.
“You could say that,” I said “what is he?”
“If you find the answer to that, dear, I will pay you a king’s ransom. I’ve been trying to figure that out for ten years with no luck. What I do know is that whatever Merric’s powers are he doesn’t fully control them. You should really tread carefully.”
I felt the pulse of the Artifact on my arms. I knew what it was like to not be in control, to feel like you were alone and no one could help you. I hated the feeling even if it was self-imposed. But Merric was truly alone; he had no one to help him.
“Thanks,” I said as I walked out.
“Are you planning something, my dear?” he asked a smile playing across his large face.
“Goodbye,” I smirked avoiding his question.
I knew at that moment I was going to see Merric. If he needed help I was going to offer it. After all, he had helped me. It was only fair that I help him.
Chapter 47
I didn’t want to mention Merric or anything to do with him to Ronan. It was something I wanted to deal with on my own. Plus I didn’t think he would enjoy the idea of going back to the Cantina to see Merric. The two didn’t particularly like each other.
“Did Greenstreet give you the information?” Ronan glanced into the office and Greenstreet smiled back at him.
“I’m sure you’re in capable hands, Miss Grimm,” Greenstreet said as he snatched the Amazing Orb of Truth from his desk. The floating green embers shimmered a shade of red for a moment, and then disappeared, flying back into the orb with dazzling speed.
“He gave me what we need. Some of Nyla’s top men are in the Great Expanse.” I held up the crumbled paper with coordinates on it.
Ronan took it from me and pulled it open, his eyes scanning the symbols. “I’ve a general idea of where this place is.”
“Let’s go then.”
Ronan spoke as we walked back through the pub and out onto the streets of London. “I think it might be better if we send an advance team.”
“Why’s that?”
“Nyla has been looking for you. If you show up they might figure out we aren’t there to make nice with her. If we send in a team that they won’t recognize, they can watch them and report back. Perhaps they can even learn her location,” Ronan explained.
“Wonderful.” Sarcasm dripped from the word.
“What?”
“You had to go and make perfect sense,” I said with a chuckle.
“Sorry,” he smiled, and I stepped closer to him.
I took a chance and slipped my arm around his. He didn’t miss a step. He slipped his fingers through mine and gripped my hand tightly. I had to stop being so hesitant and doubtful, otherwise I was going to be alone the rest of my life. No matter how short or long that was going to be.
“If we aren’t going after Nyla this evening, then what should we do?” I asked a slight quiver to my voice.
“We?” he asked raising his brow.
“Yes, we. You are planning on taking me on a date, aren’t you?”
“Am I now?”
“You are,” I said with more confidence than I felt.
“What time am I planning on picking you up?”
I did my best to contain my smile and hugged his hand, realizing how much I had missed that simple connection. I was going to enjoy myself tonight no matter what.
“Nine o’clock,” I said.
“Good, I know the perfect place.” He stopped walking and released my hand. H retrieved his Skeleton Key and winked at me as he opened a portal.
“It better be nice,” I said with what I hoped was a tough, but playful tone, though it probably came off as giddy and stupid.
“I’ll see you this evening,” Ronan said and smiling, disappeared through the portal.
I was nervous about moving ahead with Ronan, but I couldn’t keep isolating myself. I had friends and family who cared about me and for too long I’d been letting my fear of the Artifact keep me from them. That was going to stop now. I intended to reclaim my life.
I needed to go home to my loft and get ready for our date tonight, but first I had to deal with my other situation. I needed to go see Merric.
Chapter 48
“Hello, Jessica,” Merric said as he put away a stack of beer glasses.
The Cantina was nearly empty at this time of day. Only a few stools at the far end were occupied by patrons.
I slipped onto an empty stool in front of Merric. He kept working, barely sparing me a look.
“Can I get a drink?” I asked.
“That seems like a bad start.”
“What can I say, I need some liquid courage.”
“Why’s that?”
“You know why,” I said leaning against the bar.
“What’ll you have?”
“A coffee,” I said.
“No Absinthe today?” he asked with a smile.
“No, I’ve got plans.”
“Big date?”
“No,” I lied, though I don’t know why. I just didn’t want to tell Merric I was going on a date and with, of all people, Ronan, “nothing like that.”
Merric grabbed a pot of coffee and poured a cup, then slid it in front of me. He flipped open a small fridge under the bar and placed a creamer and some sugar cubes beside my cup.
“Anything else?” he asked returning to his work.
“Actually, yes.” I said nervously.
“Ask away.”
“Merric, what happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“With us, when you helped me with the Artifact?”
Merric turned, leaning against the bar and regarding me with his cold grey eyes. “All I did was bandage you up and help you on your way.”
“It was more than
that,” I said.
“Was it?” he asked.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Act like nothing happened,” —I shook my head— “we spoke and I told you what happened with the Gremlins and you told me about your family.”
Merric stopped and placed the glass he was cleaning down and tossed the towel into the nearby sink. He leaned back and slipped his hands into his pocket. “And?”
“I didn’t talk to anyone about that,” I said.
“Ok…so what do you want, a cookie?” he said.
“Knock it off and stop acting like this and talk to me.” My voice rose as I grew annoyed with his constant circling the conversation so we weren’t really talking.
“What do you want from me, Jessica?”
“The truth. How did you stop the Artifact? Why did you tell me about your family?”
“My abilities make it easier for me to help you control the power of the Artifact. As for why I told you about my family, I honestly don’t know. I never talk about it—to anyone.”
“Neither do I, but I told you what happened to me,” I said and I couldn’t help but wonder why. Why had I confided in him and not Ronan?
“We’re both warriors sharing stories,” he said with a shrug.
An image of him with white talons flashed in my mind, and I couldn’t help myself I needed to ask him about it. “What happened to you when you fought those men?”
“I lost control,” he said.
“Of what?”
“Myself.”
“Merric, what are you?”
“That is a very loaded question,” he said.
“I want to know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes,” I replied without hesitation.
“Are you sure, Jessica? I’ve carried my burden a long time. I’ve never considered sharing it with anyone before.”
“Share it with me,” I urged.
“I don’t think I can.”
I stood, pushing the stool back and placed my hand on the bar and threw my legs over it, landing on the other side right beside him. He smirked at my boldness as I held out my hand to him.
He reached out, slipping his fingers through mine and walked me down the length of the bar. We reached the door at the end, and he raised his other hand and drew a symbol over the door. I could sense his power at work as it opened and we walked through.
My senses alerted me that we’d crossed a dimension. Yet it was so subtle that I didn’t think most Old Kind would be able to detect it. His powers were amazing and unique, and I wanted to know why.
The door had opened into a room with no walls, and the floor resembled stone, but was polished to such a degree that I could see my reflection in it. A set of stairs with no supports floated up to another floor level and I spotted several more floating in the distance, all connected by similar staircases. Furniture was arranged all around the room as though it was a normal space. Where walls should have been was an ever shifting vortex of space and dimension. It rolled past like a babbling brook, steady and slow, so much so that I felt I could reach out and touch it.
“Where are we?”
“My home,” Merric said.
His fingers were still interlaced with mine and he tugged me gently along as he walked up the stairs to the next level. Rooms stretched out as far as the eye could see, and it took my breath away.
“This is amazing,” I said.
I’d travelled the dimensions and seen some of the most beautiful sights they had to offer. Yet I’d never seen or heard of a place like this before. I was captivated by it.
“Thank you. It took me,” —he paused and looked around— “a very long time to build.”
“You built all of this?”
“Yes, every stone and block.”
“Thank you for sharing this with me,” I said squeezing his hand.
“I brought you here to try and explain,” he said.
“Explain what?”
“Jessica, I don’t trust easily, especially Old Kind.”
“I’ve noticed,” I said.
“I have my reasons. When people cause me grief, I tend to discard them quickly.”
“Did you bring me here to throw me off the edge?” I laughed, knowing I had caused him more than a few headaches.
“That’s just it, for some reason, I keep letting you back in.”
“Why?” I asked in a whisper.
He let go of my hand and slipped a finger under my chin, lifting it gently so that our eyes met. “Home.”
“Here?” I asked not quite understanding what he meant.
“No, my true home. It’s long gone now, but for the first time in years, when I see you, I can think of it without pain.”
“Your family,” I said remembering how he’d mentioned them turning on him.
“Yes,” he nodded.
“I am here for you, just you and me now, no one else. I’m willing to listen and help if I can.”
I was being honest. I wanted to help Merric. I cared about him even if it was hard to admit. I cared for Ronan as well, but this fire that burned between Merric and I was something I had never experienced before.
My phone buzzed and rang and I nearly jumped out of my skin. You had to love those Impossible Engineer phones. They would work across nearly any dimension. I wanted to take it out and bash it into a million pieces for interrupting us at this moment.
“Get it,” he said and stepped back.
I yanked my phone out of my pocket and tapped the screen and saw the message from Ronan. My face blushed and I shook my head, ramming the phone back into my pocket.
“Wonderful,” I whispered.
“Problem?” Merric asked.
“No. Nothing.”
Merric’s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, tilting his head to one side as he looked into my eyes. “What is it?”
“Ronan, checking on me.” I lied. He was actually asking me if I was ready for our date. It had been the furthest thing from my mind since the moment I had laid eyes on Merric.
“Is that so?” Merric’s voice was like steel after being beaten to its core.
“Yup, just checking in.” I didn’t want to lie and as soon as I said it I regretted it immediately.
Merric lowered his head, shaking it slightly. “Why are you lying?”
“I’m not,” I insisted, digging a deeper hole.
“Right, Jessica.” He crossed his arms over his chest and I felt the wall return between us.
“We all have our secrets, Merric,” I said.
“It seems I now have less than you,” he said waving around his home.
He was right. He’d brought me here, sharing something very personal with me, and I’d told him I wanted to help and learn about him, and yet I wasn’t telling him the truth.
“I’m sorry.” I ran my hand over the back of my neck squeezing it tightly “Ronan was asking me about tonight.”
“What about it?”
“If we were still on for our date.”
“I see.” He nodded and his mouth turned into a thin line. “I should have known.”
“You should have?”
“So what was I? The pity stop before your fun night out?”
“No, nothing like that. I wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay. After what had happened with the fight, I was worried.”
“You’ve no need to worry about me, Jessica. I’m fine on my own; I always have been.”
I hated that he was getting so angry and that he talked about being alone. I knew how that felt and it was the last thing I wanted for him, though I was confused about what it was I was after from him. I’d planned on going out with Ronan, so why had I stopped to see Merric? Had it really been just to check on him?
“Merric, don’t be this way,” I said trying and hoping to calm him down.
“Get out,” he said.
“Not like this, please, I want to help you.”
“I’m not so
me lost puppy, Jessica!” he yelled.
“I’m trying to be here for you.”
“Really? You choose to be here for me the night you have a date?”
“Screw you, Merric!” I shouted my anger getting the better of me.
“Get out!”
He spun on me, snarling in rage, his eyes flaring and white talons shooting from his fingers. I stumbled back and trembled at the sight of him.
“Merric,” I tried to remain calm as I lifted my arms ready to activate the Artifact, if necessary.
He roared like an angry animal and lowered his head, staring down at his hands, as sharp white talons suddenly protruded from his fingers, and then his body began to shake. He dropped to his knees and threw his head back with another roar and tears filled his eyes.
I sensed him struggling with his power, and I wished I could help him. But I was terrified to go anywhere near him when he was like this.
The energy around him lessened and the white talons disappeared in haze of smoke. I stepped forward and reached out to help or comfort him, not sure which he needed.
“Don’t touch me,” he said, his anger gone.
“Merric, what was that?”
“Leave,” he ordered.
“I can help you.”
“I don’t want your help, Old Kind.”
“Merric, I’m your friend.”
He looked up at me. His eyes still swirled with power and his face was creased with pain. It had taken a great deal of willpower to regain his control. He had to be hurting badly.
“I’m not looking to be your friend,” he said bitterly.
“I can’t,” I said and hesitated not knowing how to tell him that at the moment I was too confused to know what I wanted. I was just beginning to let myself open up to the possibility of a relationship and I was sacred as hell.
“You’ve made your choice, Old Kind.” He used the term like a curse. “Now leave.”
I wanted to tell him to give me time, give me a chance, but all I managed to say before I turned and walked away was, “I’m sorry.”
Merric remained on his knees, his body heaving in pain from whatever had happened to him. Before I walked down the stairs to leave I heard him say one last thing.
“Never trust Old Kind.”