“And we need to consider what’s best for Persie,” Garrett interjected. “What if she can’t control her Purges? What if she can’t… fend Leviathan off?”
I shot him a dark look. “What’s your suggestion? Lock her up and throw away the key?”
“If it came to it, maybe.” He put up his hands in defense. “It’s just that… Well, you need to look at this the way you’d look at any other mission. I know it’s hard, but you might have to set personal feelings aside for the sake of Persie’s safety. And everyone else’s.”
Finch stormed toward Garrett. “And you’d better have a long, hard think about what you’re saying about my niece.” His eyes burned with anger. “How would you feel if someone said that about Merrick, huh? You’d tell them to shut the hell up.”
“Maybe we should all take a breath.” Luke came in as the mediator. “Things will always get heated when it comes to family. So let’s just take a step back and calm things down before they escalate.”
Finch stepped back from Garrett, but he didn’t stop glaring. I was grateful for his defense of Persie. Judging by Wade’s brimming fury, he shared Finch’s anger. And yet, a part of me wondered if Garrett was right. If this were any other mission, I wouldn’t hesitate to make the right choice. Even if it was the hardest choice. But everything got fuzzy when it came to Persie. The thought of her locked in a box was just… impossible. There had to be another solution to this. There had to be.
A few moments later, with tempers dulled, Nash offered a suggestion. “Aren’t we forgetting some folks who could give us a hand?”
“Who?” I looked to him, desperate for a glimmer of hope.
Finch snorted. “Ah, sis, I don’t think you’re going to like this.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Please don’t tell me you want to talk to—”
“Erebus. Am I right, Nash?” An amused grin stretched across his face. Erebus might’ve helped out during the Atlantis debacle, but that hadn’t wiped his slate clean, not in my eyes. He’d still tugged my brother along on a string, threatening him and the people he cared about at every opportunity. And the fact that he’d been allowed to walk off into the sunset with Kaya still felt like a perversion of justice. She’d done things just as bad, yet the magical world had brushed it off because she was a former queen of Atlantis. That would never sit right with me.
Nash shrugged. “I know he’s the last person you want to turn to, Harley, but he’s got connections.”
“He isn’t a Child of Chaos anymore,” Dylan said, confused. “How would he be any help?”
I sighed slowly. “He knows how to get in touch with them. And since we don’t have a direct line to Lux, Remington, or Gaia, we need someone who knows how to link us up.”
“Can’t you use Euphoria to reach Gaia?” Melody asked.
I gave a halfhearted shrug. “She’s not available for business, either. Either that, or my Euphoria has gotten rusty over the years. I tried it a few times in the run-up to Persie’s birthday, trying for a last-ditch intervention, but I kept coming up against a wall of some kind.”
“Could it be a Chaos embargo? Maybe she got the same warning as Lux and Erebus about getting involved in mortal problems after whatever she did to Finch in Atlantis.” Nash suggested grimly. “In the years between Atlantis and these recent attempts to get in touch with her, did you ever try to make contact?”
I chewed my lip. “No…”
“She transferred your power to me, that’s all,” Finch protested. “I broke out of that prison all by myself.”
Nash snorted. “And if you believe that, I’m a snapping turtle. You shattered reinforced, Atlantean hex-protected glass, Finch.”
“It could’ve been me. And you do remind me of a snapping turtle.” He pouted, but I sensed he agreed with Nash. There had been some extra juice in the tank back then, and it wasn’t the kind that just came from a Chaos transfer. Finch had implied as much to me after the Atlantis debacle came to an end.
“Whatever the case may be with that He-Man transformation, Finch, the fact right now is, I can’t get through to Gaia on my own,” I replied. “But Erebus might know of another way through, so that’s what we’re going to find out.”
“I can already feel that Italian sunshine on my face.” Finch smirked, his mood instantly improving.
I shook my head at him. “It’s not a holiday. If I’m schlepping there for that backstabber, it had better be worth it.”
For the chance of sparing Persie a future behind glass, I could put up with seeing Erebus again. Hell, I’d have gone to the center of the Earth to read poetry to Davin, if I thought it would help my daughter.
Twenty-Five
Harley
“Give Mr. and Mrs. Darkness our love,” Santana said sarcastically. She scooped Slinky up to spare the lizards and gathered with the rest of the extended Rag Team to watch Finch and me go. Wade wanted to come along, but I’d urged him to stay, for Persie’s sake. Someone had to be at the SDC for her. And Jacob had just pinged him to talk urgent shop, so it made sense for him to be the one to go back and protect our daughter.
I forced a laugh. “I’ll try.”
“And don’t worry, the secret’s safe with us.” Astrid gave Garrett a firm nudge.
He dipped his head. “Sorry about before. You know I want the best for Persie. And you.”
“I know,” I replied softly. He’d made a good point; I just didn’t like hearing it. But I didn’t want anyone keeping him from speaking his mind. We needed every idea people had. That’s why I had summoned them in the first place.
“Update us as soon as you hear anything, okay?” Melody waved her phone at me. “We’re going back to San Jose, so we’ll be nearby if you need any help. We’re here for you guys, and we’re here for Persie.”
Nash nodded. “I’ll go with them, just in case.”
“And we’ll be waiting at the SDC for your Italian bulletin.” Raffe had the reins again, the djinn having lost interest after realizing we weren’t immediately going for a second round with Leviathan.
“Be careful, okay? I’m just a chalk-door away.” Wade stepped forward and kissed me on the forehead. I knew I still owed him an explanation, but it would have to wait.
I looked up into his eyes. “I’ll be in touch the moment we have intel from Kermit and Miss Piggy.”
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. Almost off the hook…
“Hey, that’s an insult to all you Muppet Babies.” Finch glanced over his shoulder. He had etched a chalk-door onto the face of a nearby rock and whispered the Aperi Si Ostium spell that would get us to Italy; the exile location of choice for Erebus and Kaya. More of a permanent vacation, if you asked me.
With the doorway ready to go, Finch gave Ryann a farewell kiss. It wasn’t easy to leave everyone behind. Right now, I really wanted a full cohort of people around me, to share the weight of this prophecy and its implications. But where we were going, a low profile would serve us better. And if we all went missing at once, O’Halloran would definitely get suspicious.
“Put on your smiley face, sis.” Finch nudged me in the arm.
I smirked. “Now, that’s asking a heck of a lot.” Together, we stepped through.
I walked out into the most beautiful landscape I’d ever seen. Rolling green hills, adorned with tall cypress trees and neatly arranged vineyards, swollen grapes growing in fat bunches. A bronzy sunset blanketed everything in a fairytale glow, making it look like a world out of one of Persie’s paintings. Up ahead, a cypress-lined path led to a Tuscan villa perched on top of a hill. It didn’t look real, either, with its yellow-tinged walls and an old-timey roof.
I managed to roll my tongue back into my mouth. “They gave up on Capri, then?”
Finch groaned. “Kaya saw a picture of Tuscany and the rest is history. Nice digs, though. If I got myself exiled, I’d pick a place like this.”
“That’s not the point of exile,” I muttered. “And you always said it’d be a tropical island.”<
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“Between Eris Island and Atlantis, they don’t appeal so much anymore.” He laughed and set off up the dusty track toward the villa.
I headed after him. The Darkness duo were pushing the boundaries of their exile. There were a few other farmhouses and villas dotted around the pretty hillsides, and in the distance I saw a medieval looking spire and a few rooftops that might’ve been a village. They weren’t supposed to be near anyone at all. Not that the UCA would enforce it, so long as they continued to behave.
“What’s the kid actually like?” I fell in step with Finch. I’d never met Jason personally, but I’d heard a few things. Not enough to form a decent picture.
Finch shrugged. “An oddball, but harmless. Quiet. Up until a couple of years ago, I genuinely thought he might be mute.” He smiled wryly. “Let’s put it this way: you wouldn’t think he was Erebus and Kaya’s.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Depends on how you look at it. You’ll be able to make up your own mind when you meet him. It’s not as if he ever goes anywhere.” Finch looked sort of… sorry for the kid.
I gestured to the glorious surroundings. “He’s got all of this, and he doesn’t go anywhere? It’s not as if he’s bound by the same rules as his parents.”
“Actually, that’s a bit of a sore subject,” Finch replied. “The UCA can’t make up their minds about him. He’s half-Atlantean, with a hint of former Child of Chaos—that makes folks nervous. But if they met him, they’d probably laugh. The kid’s as soft as a teddy bear made out of cotton candy. From what Erebus tells me, he spends most of his time sketching birds and butterflies and making notes on the species.”
We powered up the rest of the hill to a mind-blowing sight. Our would-be informant stood in a garden paradise, complete with a spouting water fountain, elegant statues of gods and goddesses, bushes overflowing with little white flowers, hanging baskets everywhere, and gravel walkways that led to different sections of the beautiful grounds. But that wasn’t what grabbed my attention. He was shirtless under a novelty apron, standing in front of a ridiculously large grill and humming to himself. It took me a moment to remember who I was looking at. He had Remington’s body, but twenty years older than the last time I’d seen it. His once-dark hair had grayed, and so had the stubble that shadowed his jaw, with a few more wrinkles lining his suntanned skin. Remington didn’t exist inside there anymore. This was Erebus, but… domesticated.
Erebus caught sight of us, and a grin spread across his relaxed face. His tongs clattered to the barbecue. “Finch? What a wonderful surprise. And you’ve brought your sister, too. The prodigal Merlin, finally come to pay her old friend a visit!”
“Merlin-Crowley,” I corrected. I didn’t do that often, but I wanted him to know where we stood. This was a formal conversation. And he wasn’t an old friend.
Erebus wiped his hands on his apron and walked toward us. “Of course, my apologies. It is hard for me to think of you as anything other than the young and foolhardy kids you once were.”
“And I still think of you as a giant pain in my ass,” I muttered.
He laughed. “I see you haven’t lost any of your sass.”
“And I see you’ve gained a few pounds and gray hairs.” It boggled my mind to see him all normal and paternal, with the dad-bod to go with it. The apron didn’t hide nearly enough.
He patted his belly. “That is the sign of a good life, Harley. Marital bliss and a happy family—it all goes to the stomach. Indeed, in many cultures, weight is a sign of wealth and prosperity. I prefer that perspective.”
“Dad, Mom wants to know when the—” a young man of around Persie’s age exited the villa. He stopped abruptly when he saw us. A rabbit in headlights: his strange, wolfish gray eyes widened in fright and his arms tucked into his sides like a penguin on parade. The boy had a very striking look. Silver hair streaked with interspersed strands of sun-kissed golden brown, and Mediterranean-tanned skin with patches of porcelain white all over, as if he had vitiligo. From what I’d glimpsed before he’d bent forward, he had genetically blessed looks from his mom and dad—well, Remington. Blended with his mom’s refined Atlantean features, he could’ve brought a whole new meaning to the word ‘beauty.’ If it wasn’t for his major lack of social skills.
“You remember Finch, Jason.” Erebus clapped Finch on the back as if they were old pals.
My eyes bugged as Jason bent into a full bow, his arms still straight at his sides. It gave the impression of a ski-jumper ready to launch. “Mr. Finch.”
“And this is his infamous sister, Harley.” Erebus gestured to me, making the wise decision to avoid touching me.
He bent even deeper, until his head almost touched his toes. “Ms. Harley.”
I didn’t have the heart to correct him. Instead, I sent out some Empath feelers to try and read his emotions and got back a crashing wave of anxiety.
“Uh… the… um… grill, Dad.” Jason stayed in his bow, his cheeks turning purple from being pretty much upside down.
“You can stop bowing, son.” Erebus laughed awkwardly.
Jason stood up straight. “Sorry.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Jason. I’ve heard a lot about you.” I held my hand out to him. He just stared at it as though I’d waved a jellyfish in his face, so I smoothly turned it into a wave. I smiled at him as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “We didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner.”
He gulped loudly. “No. It would’ve… um… been rude if you had. Dinnertime is for… uh… family.”
“Yes, I suppose it is.” It didn’t sound like he meant to offend me; he was just stating the obvious. “And that’s a nice way to look at it. I wish I could get my daughter to sit with us for dinner.”
He looked anywhere but at me. “Then she must be very rude. Or maybe she doesn’t like food. Is that why?” He tugged on the collar of his button-up shirt. “I’ve read about people who get no pleasure from eating, because they… um… don’t like the texture. Does she have a problem with that?”
“No, it’s not that. We’re just quite a busy family, so we don’t always get the time,” I explained, aware that he had begun to sweat. I felt for the poor boy. He’d never learned to be around others, aside from the odd Finch visit. He had his hobbies, but they didn’t make up for actual human contact. He’d been exiled by proxy, and that just didn’t seem fair.
“It’s… um… important to make time.” He brushed a shaky hand through his zebra hair. “Right, Dad?”
“It is, son, but everyone’s entitled to do things their own way.” Erebus offered him a gentle smile. “Now, go tell your mom dinner won’t be long, and to set two more places at the table,” he instructed. Jason ran off without another word, clearly desperate to get away from new company.
“That kid needs to be around more people, pronto,” I whispered to Finch.
He chuckled. “If he could leave, he’d probably live in the wilderness and never speak to another person again.”
That’s not good for him. I kept my opinions to myself, since we needed to keep Erebus on our side. Besides, if the UCA were still hemming and hawing about what exile rules should apply to Jason, it wasn’t exactly the boy’s fault that he hadn’t been socialized properly.
“Are you hungry?” Erebus drew my attention back.
I nodded. “We are, but I don’t think we’ll be staying that long.”
“Oh?” He returned his focus to his huge grill. They definitely had enough to accommodate two more guests, but the idea of sitting around a table and making nice with Kaya and Erebus seemed totally implausible.
“We were actually here to ask about—” another figure stepped out into the garden, cutting Finch off. Kaya no longer had extended life, or Chaos of any kind to use, but you wouldn’t have known it to look at her. She’d barely aged a day, and the way she walked still whispered power. This bygone queen definitely used her sunscreen.
“Jason said we had guests.
” Kaya looked at Finch and instantly looked away again. Her stance of authority fizzled to a shuffling unease. “He has decided he is no longer hungry and has headed off to the vineyards with his notebooks.” She sighed, as though this was a frequent occurrence. For a moment, all of the history between us fell away and I saw a mother, worried about how her kid was growing up. A mother like me.
“We didn’t mean to scare him off.” I offered her a sympathetic smile. We must’ve done something, considering his insistence about the importance of family dinnertime. I guessed avoiding strangers was the only thing more important.
Erebus gave us an apologetic look. “He gets overwhelmed.”
“If the magical authorities had heeded our appeal, during his infancy, we might have been able to make arrangements for him to spend time at a coven. Summers, or the colder seasons, perhaps.” Kaya retrieved a straw hat from one of the garden benches and placed it delicately on her head. “They are reconsidering his integration, now that he is deemed an adult, but we have yet to receive a confirmation.”
“He just needs scraping out of his shell,” Finch said confidently. “You should take him to see the authorities. Five minutes in his company, and they’d integrate him in a heartbeat.”
Kaya gave him a sharp look. “He is intelligent and well-mannered. Any coven would be privileged to have him. It is only his nerves that impede him, especially when meeting new individuals.” She glanced at me, with a hint of hope. “Perhaps, you might offer a word to the UCA on Jason’s behalf?”
I had no love for the woman, but that didn’t mean her boy had to suffer. By the looks of it, cooped up with no one but his mom and dad, he’d suffered enough. I could almost imagine him with the kids of the SDC, slowly getting his anxieties ironed out. “I’ll try.”
Harley Merlin 18: Persie Merlin and Leviathan’s Gift Page 22