“Nah, he’ll be fine.” Finch waved a blasé hand. “I put out the fires, no one got singed, and the alarms didn’t go off. Not sure if that last one should worry me or not. Anyway, he’s busy scrubbing the place clean. Character building.”
“Are you sure?” I’d hate to miss lunch with Finch, but Kes was only thirteen. “We can do this another time if you need to head back.”
He put an arm around my shoulders and gave me a firm look. “It’s good for folks to learn how to clean up their own mess.” His expression softened. “Besides, today’s your birthday. A birthday lunch when it’s not your birthday is just… well, lunch.”
I smiled, satisfied he wasn’t going anywhere. “Should we go inside? The busboy is hanging around like he’s worried I’m going to rob the place.”
“Pfft. With prices like this, they’re the robbers.” He flashed me a wink and linked his arm through mine. “Let’s go, birthday girl.”
Together, we walked across the beautiful forecourt and headed into the lobby. Another collision of cultures met us inside, somewhere between the Hamptons and Spanish villa, with marble pillars and a sleek tiled floor. Fresh-cut white roses sat on a central table, and huge potted plants added a touch of color. It even smelled expensive.
“This way, Mademoiselle. We mustn’t keep the tiny food waiting.” Finch led me away from the lobby, following the signs for the restaurant.
I giggled, thrilled at the prospect of spending a couple of hours with my uncle. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“My pleasure, mon petit pois.” He grinned back at me. “I learned some French for the occasion.”
“Bien sur.”
He tilted his head like a confused dog. “Huh?”
“Never mind.” I felt the weight of the last week slough away, and my lighter heart cemented its resolve to leave the SDC. Just getting out of the coven for an afternoon had improved my mood drastically. Imagine what it could do in the longer term, and with a greater distance.
“Your mom caught me before I left.” Just like that, he pierced my elation with a parental pin.
“Oh?” I fumbled with the clasp of my purse.
He gave my arm a squeeze. “Relax. She hasn’t sent me on a covert mission to talk some sense into you. If she had, you’d never suspect a thing.” He laughed softly, putting me back at ease. “But… have you guys had another chance to talk about the future?”
“No,” I said simply.
“Not at all?”
I tried to stay positive. “Nope. Today’s the first time we’ve made anything other than small talk. Kind of a birthday truce.”
His face scrunched up strangely, as though he were disappointed. “I thought she might’ve spoken to you.”
“Why?” My curiosity pricked up, alerted by the concerned tone in his voice. “Is there something she needs to tell me?”
“Well, it’s about time she told you the secret of aging, now you’re at the ripe old age of eighteen. I’ll give you a clue: snail mucus.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m sure your mom will talk to you when the time’s right. But—and I’ve said this to her too—you should cut each other some slack. You’re family. You love each other. And you’re not always going to agree, but you owe it to each other to hash it out. It’s not a household with teens unless there’s some door slamming, but it’s up to both of you to open the door again. Does that make sense?”
I snorted. “How did she take that?”
“I wouldn’t dare repeat it, or I’d need to wash my mouth out with soap.” He cackled, never wasting an opportunity to take a playful jab at his sister. “But that doesn’t change the facts. You’re more similar than either of you will admit. That’s going to cause some major headbutting. But it’ll also bring you closer together, if you let it. I’m not saying she was wrong or you were wrong. Frankly, I don’t think either of you were. But if you leave the SDC in anger, you’ll regret it. You’ll miss her, and she’ll miss you, and neither of you will know how to bridge that gap, and you’ll both miss out on so much. Don’t let that happen, is all I’m saying.”
“I forget how wise you are sometimes,” I replied quietly, turning over his words.
He chuckled. “I can be sensible when it comes to people I care about.”
I dwelled on his words on the way to the restaurant. To my surprise, Finch breezed right past the maître d’ and weaved us around the tables, ignoring the curious looks of waiters and waitresses. He didn’t stop until he reached the kitchen. Steam erupted volcanically from cooking surfaces, and the clang of pots and pans thundered in my ears as the chefs shouted to one another.
“Uh, Finch? The restaurant’s back there.” I tugged his arm, but he kept on, hauling me to the back of the kitchen and out into a smaller courtyard.
“We have to make a quick stop first.” He cast me an apologetic glance. “I realized I forgot your present. Ryann told me to pick it up before I left, but did I listen? Nope. Je suis un idiot. See? French.”
I looked back at the kitchen door, the delicious scent still infiltrating my senses. I wanted the tiny food. Plus, I was worried one of the chefs might come out and see whatever Finch was about to do. Mind wiping was a moral gray area, but it still happened if the occasion called for it.
He sketched a chalk-door onto a nearby wall and whispered the Aperi Si Ostium spell.
“It’s fine. I don’t need a gift,” I insisted, nervous about getting spotted. Plus, if the gift happened to be back at the SDC, it meant bursting my temporary bubble.
“Maybe not, but Ryann would pop a blood vessel. Harley, too—she threatened to torch one of my first editions if I forgot.” He ran a stressed hand through his hair. “I can’t believe I left it behind. I blame Kes's arson attempt.”
I glanced once more at the kitchen door as the lines of the chalk-door fizzed and sank into the wall, creating a doorway. “It’ll take five minutes, tops,” Finch assured me. “The maître d’ won’t even have time to strike our names off the reservation list.” Finch pushed open the door and shoved me through it.
I staggered forward, expecting to see the SDC. Instead, color and beauty and magic bombarded my eyes. Before us was a calm riverside beneath a starry sky—a nighttime fairytale hidden away inside an interdimensional bubble. Glittering firefly lights swayed in the willow fronds, strung paper lanterns glowed pastel through the dark, and floating candles in lotus holders drifted on the water. White tables stood on the riverbank, decorated with sprays of wildflowers and candles in glass jars. Gauzy ribbons had been tied to the backs of the chairs in shades of purple, pink, yellow, and pale green. There were flowers everywhere I looked, the blooms overwhelming some of the smaller trees.
I caught sight of creatures dancing in and out of the willows and skating across the surface of the river, chasing the flamboyant dragonflies that darted here and there. Faeries with gossamer wings skirted over the water, their delicate feet barely touching the surface. Fauns carried trays of sparkling drinks as a band of satyrs played panpipes beneath a big willow, accompanied by selkies who sang from the edge of the riverbank.
“Finch!” I punched his arm.
He laughed and gave me a tight side-hug. “Surprise!” he shouted, in sync with the partygoers, who’d all turned to raise their glasses to me.
My closest friends and family, all in one place. My mom and dad, Aunt Ryann, Genie and her dad, Diana, the Catemaco-Levi clan, Astrid, Garrett, Merrick, Dylan, Tobe, Jacob and Alyssa, Dr. Krieger, and the Smiths—AKA, my grandma and grandad. I even spotted Luke and Melody, along with Nash and Huntress. People I hadn’t seen in such a long time!
I spotted my cousin and gave Finch another stunned look. “Kes isn’t scrubbing, you fibber! You deserve an Oscar for that! I didn’t suspect anything!”
He winked. “I’ll add it to the trophy cabinet.”
“Do you like it, Miss Persie?” Tobe emerged with a champagne flute, doll-sized in his giant paw.
“I love it!” My heart
swelled with happiness.
“I am pleased.” Tobe smiled, and handed me a glass of sparkling peach juice from a passing tray.
I realized there was more to that smile than met the eye. “Did you do this?”
“I played a part, under your mother’s orders.” His golden eyes sparkled. “She said you had a fixation upon someone by the name of Mr. Tumnus when you were an infant and thought you might enjoy the fauns. I confess, I do not know how they correlate, but I hope they are to your liking.”
My cheeks burned. “She didn’t tell you that!”
Finch snorted. “What’s a birthday party without a couple of embarrassing skeletons coming out of the closet?”
“Ah… perhaps I was not supposed to mention that.” Tobe held out his glass. “Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy your party. Happy birthday, Miss Persie. Let us toast to a long and prosperous life!”
My mom and dad came toward me, glasses raised. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
All of this, for me? Never in my life had I seen a more beautiful sight. I took everything in, from the faint ripple of a faerie’s wing skimming the river down to the last bluebell. It didn’t even look real. It was as though Mom had reached inside my head and pulled out my ideal dreamscape, free of gnarly monsters with anger management problems. I smiled at my parents and clinked my glass against theirs. Maybe they did know me better than I thought.
Seven
Persie
“How did you manage to keep this a secret?” I sat on the riverbank with Genie, the two of us kicking our feet through the cool water. “I can just about get over Finch’s performance, but you’d normally have let something slip weeks ago!”
Genie sipped her peach fizz and leaned back onto the grass. “She didn’t tell me until this morning. Your mother’s a wily one.” Genie smiled, but I sensed she was a bit bothered. “She told my dad ages ago, to make sure I got here on time. He took a risk, though. See, he made out that he was taking me to a Ganymede service this afternoon, to try and whip some tradition into me. Naturally, I spent all day trying to think of a way out of it. So imagine my surprise when I find out I’m coming to your surprise birthday party.”
I copied her and laid back in the grass, staring up at the starry sky. “For what it’s worth, I know you wouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, they were right to keep it from me. I can’t keep things from you. And the look on your face was worth it.” She turned and grinned at me. “Happy eighteenth, my beauty.”
I grinned back. “Why, thank you.”
“How does it feel?”
I shrugged. “So far, it feels… the same.”
“That’s because we’re still in San Diego. Once we’re on the loose, it’ll feel different,” she promised.
I twisted onto my belly and observed the party. Thirty or so guests milled about, enjoying the music and the drinks and chatting to one another. Little groups had splintered off, with my classmates dancing under the willow to the satyrs’ music, while Kes kept the younger children busy. He looked long at the older group every so often, no doubt wishing he could join them instead of being stuck on babysitting duty. Luke, Melody, Nash, and Huntress sat at a different table, with Nash feeding Huntress scraps as she lay at his feet. My aunt and uncle had branched off with my mom and dad, the four of them sitting at one of the tables with plates from the buffet, loaded up with my favorite food—a whole spread of soft tacos with any filling you could want.
“You did good, sis. Perfect party for a freshly minted adult.” I heard Finch say. “What were you doing on your eighteenth birthday?”
My mom picked at a taco. “I didn’t have an eighteenth birthday. I was working at the casino.”
“We had dinner the weekend after, though,” Ryann pointed out. “Mom cooked a roast for you, and she made apple pie with ‘Happy Birthday’ written on the top in pastry.”
My mom smiled faintly. “I’d forgotten that.”
“Too busy self-flagellating?” Finch gave her a knowing look.
“What were you doing on your eighteenth birthday?” she shot back. She sounded tense, though I didn’t know why. My mom usually loved a party.
Finch whooped so loud he frightened a passing faun. “Wouldn’t you like to know? But if I told you, I’d have to kill you. Now, have a few more of these, and wild Harley might make an appearance.” He took a glass from the poor faun’s tray and set it in front of my mom. “When was the last time we saw her, hmm?”
“It’s been a few years.” My dad put his arm around my mom and leaned in for a kiss just as Genie jumped up and grabbed my hand, hauling me away from the imminent smooching.
“Come on.”
I brushed grass off my dress. “Where are we going?”
“We’re going to dance!” She yanked me toward the big willow tree before I had the chance to protest. I had zero coordination, so this would undoubtedly end in disaster and many stepped-on toes. If anyone made it out unscathed, I’d be shocked.
“Genie! I can’t!” I complained, even as she swung me around.
“Nonsense! Everyone can dance!” She giggled and swung me again, urging me under her arm. “See? It’s easy.”
Merrick stepped in. “You mind if I dance with the birthday girl?”
“Be my guest!” Genie pushed me into his arms and whirled off to dance with Marius, leaving me to navigate a jig with Merrick. Fortunately, he also had two left feet, so we pretty much just bobbed about in front of each other until we got over our self-consciousness. Laughter fizzed up my throat as he tried a couple of twirls and turns, spinning me out and bringing me back in, before we carried on with some manic hopping that made the satyrs roll their eyes.
I’d been to formals and balls at the SDC, but they were nothing like this. This was… otherworldly. A party I’d never forget. And though I might’ve been furious with my mom over the past few days, I couldn’t help but let go of some of that anger. She’d done this for me. She’d crafted this memory, and that deserved a bit of the slack that Finch had spoken of.
Speaking of whom, Finch had just leapt into the center of his circle, having hauled everyone over from the parental table. He danced about, Highland-Fling style, while the others cheered him on. Ryann looked mortified, but not enough to stop a smile from edging onto her lips. She knew what she’d married, and she loved him for it. Plus, my parents’ friends—these people who’d been part of my life for as long as I could remember—had no intention of letting him have all the fun. As Melody jumped in to take his place, he stepped back out into the circle, everyone whooping and hollering as though they were at a competition.
This is perfect. Utterly perfect.
The music stopped and the older contingents moved back toward the tables, panting but happy. Some color had come back into my mom’s cheeks, and she looked… radiant. I turned away when my dad scooped her in for another kiss. No kid wanted to see that. Ever. Even if it meant they had a healthy, loving relationship, which I knew couldn’t be said for a lot of people’s parents. My gaze settled on my grandparents, who danced together a little way away from the unofficial dancefloor.
I bet they looked at each other like that when they first got together, too. They weren’t my biological grandparents, but they’d been there all my life. So many Sundays spent in their fragrant kitchen, watching my grandma cook something delicious while my grandad sang to her and chopped vegetables.
“Ready for another one?” Genie took my hand as the panpipes started again, this time with a slightly slower tune.
I shook my head. “I need a breather.”
“No way! You’re the birthday girl. You have to dance until your legs give out.”
I heaved in a breath. “I think they’re about to.” All of that spinning and twirling had made my stomach churn. Not to the point where I was about to throw up or anything, but I was certainly feeling a bit discombobulated.
“Are you okay?” Kes peered at me with maturity beyond his years. “Can I fetch you a drink?
I think there’s water, if you don’t want any fizzy stuff.”
I put up my hands and chuckled thinly. “I’ll be fine, I just need a minute.”
“Hey, just give her some space.” Genie tried to shoo everyone away, but they wouldn’t listen. They kept crowding. Meanwhile, a cold sweat snuck up the back of my neck. See, this was why I didn’t dance. It made me dizzy, same as rollercoasters and horseback riding.
“Great party, Pers.” Marius dipped to kiss me on the cheek. My knees suddenly turned wobbly, but I didn’t know if it was the dizziness or Marius Catemaco-Levi dropping a casual kiss on my cheek.
Diana’s hand shot out to catch my arm. “Are you all right, Persie? You don’t look so good.”
“You do look a bit pale.” Marius put his hand on my shoulder. “Do you need to sit down?”
Genie muscled in. “She just needs a minute, give her some room to breathe!” But her eyes suddenly widened. “Persie?”
There were too many people. Too much light, too much color, too much noise. I backed away from the dancefloor, my temples throbbing. Panic and pain collided as I struggled to come to grips with the weird sensations flowing through me. I wanted to scream and I wanted to cry, but nothing would come out. My friends followed out of concern, but I put my hands up in a gesture that I hoped showed I didn’t want them coming closer. I was too freaked out, and if anyone tried to touch me, I’d burst into tears or fall apart or… worse. They stopped and stared at me as I stumbled backward. Genie tried to break free of the pack, but I shook my head at her.
“Persie, what’s wrong?” she asked, her face etched with concern. “Sit down for a sec and take some deep breaths.”
Kes reappeared with a glass of water and put it into my hand. “Here, drink this.”
I struggled to lift it to my lips and took a sip, only to spit it out a second later. It burned like acid on my tongue.
By now, everyone had their attention fixed firmly on the crazy birthday girl. My mom looked completely freaked, her mouth open and her eyes bugging out of her head. I noticed her hands shaking, terror written across her face.
Harley Merlin 18: Persie Merlin and Leviathan’s Gift Page 7