Merlin's Children (The Children and the Blood)

by Megan Joel Peterson

  Ashe ignored them as they continued talking. Between the two of them, they could figure out where to go better than she could. And, for the moment, she didn’t care anyway.

  Cole helping them. A few minutes ago, she’d have readily considered the idea. He’d risked his life to save them at the farmhouse, after all, and he’d obviously taken care of Lily to the point where she wouldn’t believe a word against him no matter what his dad had done.

  Of course, that was then. There was no telling when he’d found out about his father and things had changed. The look on his face at the factory as much as said he’d wanted to stay to see the man. For that matter, he’d been at Chaunessy just when his dad came to take over. He could have been trying to meet Jamison. He could have been trying to deliver Lily into his hands. He’d left her here for now, sure, but maybe he just hadn’t known how to bring the kid along.

  And maybe he’d be coming back for her, a dozen Blood wizards in tow.

  “Your highness?”

  She blinked at the realization Elias had called her several times. “Sorry,” she said, struggling to push away the spiraling thoughts. “What?”

  “You ready to go?”

  She tried not to scoff as she made a beeline toward the other room.

  Chapter Four

  After a half dozen blocks, he crested a hill and finally caught sight of the smoke on the horizon. Slowing his steps, he stared at the black clouds and tried not to curse the fact the wizards had chosen hot, hilly, and all together huge Atlanta of all places to hide.

  Swiping the sweat from his eyes, Cole looked around, but other than a couple wary pedestrians, no one was paying attention to the young man running madly down the street. Trying to look casual, though he knew he was probably failing, he forced himself to slow to a walk.

  Feeling every hour of his lack of sleep from the night before, he scanned the street, evaluating his options. He could keep walking, and probably reach the fires by the time the apartments had been rebuilt. Busses weren’t much of a choice either, though he saw more than a few speeding past on their way to who-knew-where. Without knowing their schedules or routes, he could as easily end up on the opposite side of town as anywhere near where he wanted to be, and take three hours to get there as well.

  Buildings grew in height and age as he walked, and every window felt like it held someone watching. Each glance from passersby put him on edge and he found his gaze darting to the fences and parking meters along the street, hoping to catch sight of an unlocked bike, though the impulse made him feel like a jerk.

  He rounded a street corner and paused. A chuckle escaped him.

  Before the opulent awning and circle drive of a twenty-story hotel, a trio of taxis waited. Swiftly, he checked the door of the hotel, but through the darkened glass, he couldn’t see anyone coming.

  He darted for the nearest taxi.

  “You free?” he asked as he tugged open the back door and slid inside.

  The driver looked back in alarm. “Where to?”

  “That, uh, fire,” Cole said, pointing in the general direction, though buildings blocked the view.

  The man gave him a flat look. “Address, kid.”

  Freezing, Cole wracked his brain and then pulled an address from fragmented memory, hoping he got it right. The driver’s eyebrow twitched skeptically, but after a moment’s hesitation, he put the car into gear.

  Releasing the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, Cole sank back into the seat.

  The cab twisted through town, weaving a path he knew he’d never be able to retrace. Time slid by, every second chewing away at the chance the Blood would still be nearby. After a century of stoplights and traffic, the cab rounded a corner and the fire trucks finally came into view.

  “Just pull over here,” Cole said, shifting around to get a better view through the windshield.

  The driver eyed him briefly and then did as he was told.

  People milled around on sidewalks. Beyond the cordons of yellow and red tape, firemen worked to quiet the smoldering remains. Fragments of the roof draped across the charred bones of the building, sporadically raining debris down on the indistinguishable ashes littering the ground, and below the trees on the far side of the parking lot, EMTs hovered over residents huddled beneath blankets.

  But none of the people were glowing, and for the life of him, he couldn’t tell if any of the onlookers seemed more like wizards than the others.

  “Hey, kid, you going?” the driver asked impatiently.

  Cole let out a breath. Somehow, he’d hoped it would just be that easy. Show up and everything would be, if not alright, at least closer to an answer than it’d been thus far. But the Blood were gone, and he had no idea where they were going next.

  Though, he realized, he did know where they’d been. And perhaps more than here, in the Taliesin council headquarters they’d have been inclined to leave people behind.

  “Kid!” the driver snapped.

  “Is there a bus station near here?”

  The man blinked. “Huh?”

  “A bus station,” Cole repeated. “You know, Greyhound or whatever?”

  “You want me to take you to a bus station,” the driver stated. “What about this place?”

  “My, um, my girlfriend will be there. I thought… it’s just that her family lived here, and I was worried she’d come back to help them. But I don’t see any of them here, and the bus station was always their emergency meeting place, so–”

  The driver held up a hand, cutting off the rest of the explanation. “Whatever, kid.” He put the car back into gear.

  Cole sighed and sat back again. It felt ridiculous, on some level, to be traveling back across nearly half a dozen states to a place where his dad only might be. The Blood could have left. They could have their own places to hide, miles from anywhere he would think to check.

  But as plans went, it was the best he could do.

  Gridlock and frequent muttered cursing from the driver later, the cab pulled into the circle drive next to the brown block of the station. Coming to a stop behind another taxi, the man turned in his seat.

  “You staying here or you want to head for the zoo next?”

  Cole didn’t bother to reply. Reaching into his pocket, he fished out the wallet he’d stolen from his uncle Geoffrey a day and a lifetime ago. Crinkled hundred dollar bills shared space with a handful of twenties between the folds and, glancing to the meter, he drew out several of the latter and handed them up to the man.

  “Keep the change,” he called and then climbed out before the man could respond.

  Beneath the garish fluorescent lights, a few travelers glanced up as he peered around the door. Eyeing them, he held his breath, waiting for anyone to strike out.

  Nothing happened. The travelers returned to their books and mp3 players, albeit with expressions that hinted they didn’t want to be caught staring at the crazy kid.

  He swallowed, trying to calm down. No one in the room had even the faintest hint of a glow, and he couldn’t feel any suggestion of magic either. Which, on the latter account at least, meant absolutely nothing and he hated the fact. Slowing his steps, he drew a breath and worked to appear casual as he walked over to the ticket counter. An approximation of a smile pulled at his mouth as the attendant glanced up, but from the tired look on her face, his effort was wasted. Radiating boredom, she sold him a ticket for the only bus leaving for Croftsburg, and then raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to go away. Burying a grimace, he took the ticket and headed for the metal seats arrayed in rows down the length of the room.

  The clock on the wall seemed to be moving backward and when the call finally rang out to board the bus, he was fairly certain the world itself had come to a screeching halt. Around the room, a motley collection of people stood and gathered their bags before making their way toward the bus. Running a hand over his face in a futile attempt to bring focus back to his bloodshot eyes, Cole rose and followed them out the door.

&nb
sp; Brilliant colors lit the clouds as the sun sank behind the city skyline and to the east, darkness was already setting in. Headlights glared from cars hurrying home for the evening and in the deepening twilight, pedestrians faded into the shadows of the buildings.

  He wondered if Lily was doing alright.

  The thought hurt. Brutally shoving it down, he climbed aboard the bus.

  *****

  Lights played over the Savannah River and swayed gently above the decks of the boats tethered to the shore. From the street below the apartment, someone laughed before continuing along the sidewalk with their friends.

  Sitting in the shadows beside the balcony window, Ashe watched the late night crowd. It’d only been a few hours since she and the others arrived in the riverside apartment, and they couldn’t stay long. Halfway through renovations, the apartment would again be filled with construction crews bright and early the next morning.

  But it was safe for now.

  Ten more calls had come in over the course of the day, though only three had been to report additional attacks. But the surviving Merlin were scared, and as a result, some had begun cutting ties with every other refugee and going to ground in places no one else knew. As a people, they were fragmenting on their own, in addition to being picked apart by the Blood and, try as she might, on some level the diaspora was starting to make her feel like Jamison had already won.

  She looked over as the hardwood floor squeaked. In the archway entry to the living room, Cornelius paused, catching sight of her in the darkness. With a glance to Nathaniel by the window on the other side of the room, he crossed to her side.

  “I thought you were sleeping,” he said quietly.

  She didn’t answer, returning her gaze to the street.

  “We will be leaving early. You would benefit from a few–”

  “I know.”

  Cornelius paused, and then sank down beside her and leaned back against the wall.

  “Cole will not find her.”

  Ashe swallowed and said nothing.

  “Lily will always trust you more than him. You are her sister. You cannot–”

  “She’s scared I’ll get hurt,” Ashe interrupted. “She’s scared I’ll die like Dad.”

  “We will not let that happen.”

  “You can’t promise that.”

  “My lady–”

  She glanced at him. His brow flickered down almost imperceptibly, and he looked away.

  Silence fell between them. Somewhere down the street, a jazz band began to play.

  “I didn’t know what I was doing at the factory, Cornelius,” she confessed. “I just…”

  She trailed off. Over the past few hours, she’d had to admit it to herself. Taking Lily to the factory had been stupid. Emotional and stupid. She just hadn’t wanted to be apart from the girl. And she’d wanted to keep her safe.

  Those two things didn’t exist in the same world anymore. They hadn’t for a long time.

  “You still did well.”

  She drew a breath. “And someone shot me last week.”

  He looked over at her. She dropped her gaze to the patterns of shadow on her jeans.

  “She’s scared I’ll die,” Ashe said. “I’m terrified she will. That someone will try to kill me and hit her instead. But I have to stop Jamison. I can’t run. And if I go after the Blood–”

  “I know.”

  His voice was cold though his face was not, and despite his gaze on the middle distance, he didn’t seem to be watching the apartment at all.

  She looked away. Music twisted and danced through the open window, interspersed with clapping from the crowd. On the couch in the center of the room, Lily rolled over in her sleep and sighed.

  “You could send her elsewhere.”

  Air escaped her, despite the fact the suggestion had been hovering in the back of her mind. She’d just wanted another answer. Something.

  But she knew there wasn’t anything else.

  Lily was a target. Equal or perhaps only slightly less so than her sister by benefit of Ashe’s knowledge of how to bind magic. And whether or not she was with the little girl wouldn’t stop Lily from being one. Not as long as Jamison was alive.

  But if he was distracted…

  If he thought there was a better chance of catching Ashe than of scavenger-hunting for the girl across the whole damn world…

  Her eyes found Lily in the darkness.

  Jamison hadn’t won. Not with this. Not while Lily was safe.

  She wondered if this was what her father felt like when he’d sent them both away.

  “Could you do it?” she asked.

  Protests rose on Cornelius’ face, each fighting the others to be the first to emerge.

  “My place is beside you.”

  She said nothing.

  “Your highness,” he pressed.

  “She’s the only family I have left, Cornelius. I can’t let them take her from me too.”

  He turned away, his gaze catching on Lily asleep on the couch.

  “Please,” Ashe whispered.

  “And what are you going to do, your majesty?”

  She didn’t answer. His tone left little doubt he was actually wondering anyway.

  “I should be here,” he said as though she’d spoken.

  “You should be protecting the last of the Merlin’s Children. One of them, at least.” She paused. “How fast can you arrange something?”

  A moment passed. “It would take about a week to put everything in place. Perhaps a bit more.”

  Ashe swallowed. In spite of herself, she’d hoped it would be longer. Several years, maybe. Or never.

  She shoved the thought away. Across the room, she could feel Nathaniel watching them as much as he was keeping an eye on the street, and the pressure of his gaze was almost too much to bear. And Lily would be furious. Incensed. She’d never agree.

  Assuming anyone told her.

  Drawing a sharp breath, Ashe pushed to her feet, suddenly needing to be out of the line of Cornelius and Nathaniel’s gazes.

  “Do it,” she ordered.

  “My place should be here, your highness.”

  She ignored the words, unable to continue the lopsided debate. “Don’t tell me where you take her. Just in case.”

  Her gaze darted to the girl and back. “And don’t say anything to Lily.”

  Before he could respond, she strode from the room, desperately trying to convince herself she wasn’t running away.

  *****

  Chaunessy Tower looked in better shape than last he’d seen it, though Cole supposed even quasi-invisible wizards wouldn’t want to leave holes blown through the walls and windows forever.

  “Keep the change,” he said to the cab driver, pushing the money through the grill toward the front seat. Without waiting for the man’s reply, and doubting there would have been one anyway, he climbed from the taxi and headed for the revolving door.

  The cherry wood front desk in the center of the room was empty, as was the rest of the lobby. Chips and scars still marred the gray marble walls where debris had hit them, though the security cameras near the ceiling had obviously been repaired. In unison, they turned to the door as he stepped inside.

  Cole hesitated. It wasn’t quite the reception he’d been expecting. It wasn’t quite anything.

  “Hello?”

  His voice bounced off the walls, sounding small in the cavernous room. Somewhere in the distance, the air conditioners kicked on, almost perversely deadening his call with their white noise hum.

  And nothing else happened.

  Letting out a breath, he glanced to the cameras. Someone was here, anyway. Or else they’d left behind a perfectly good security system for no reason.

  Still eyeing the cameras obliquely, he started across the lobby.

  Marble squeaked beneath his shoes, accompanied by the whisper of the fabric of his jeans. The hum of the air conditioners pressed on his ears, impossible to ignore for being the only other sound.r />
  His steps slowed as he neared the opposite side of the lobby. An island of elevators waited ahead, with a hall leading between them, but he barely glanced to the gleaming doors. At the end of the corridor, a black abyss gaped beyond the remnants of a decimated wall. Above the broken hinges of the missing doors, a few lonely brass letters dangled from shredded plaster, and in the darkness, the air-conditioned breeze sent small bits of something skittering down.

  The ding of the elevator nearly made him jump out of his skin.

  An elevator door rolled to the side. Magic spiked a migraine straight through the back of his skull.

  “Hello, Cole.”

  Wincing, he retreated, but he wasn’t fast enough. Three wizards rushed out and encircled him, leaving behind a monster who approached as if he had all the time in the world. Scars and melted flesh distorted half the man’s face, though they did nothing for the glow emanating from his skin or the cold distrust in his one normal eye.

  “Isn’t this a surprise?”

  The man could have been commenting on the weather.

  Drawing a rough breath, Cole tried to keep all the wizards in sight at once, despite the fact it was impossible. Surrounding him on all sides, the men circled, cutting off any escape.

  “Are you alone?”

  Cole looked back at the giant who could’ve given Nathaniel a run for largest wizard he’d yet seen. “Where’s my father?”

  Humor twitched the man’s lip. “Alright,” he acquiesced. He stepped to one side, clearing a path to the elevator. “After you.”

  Cole hesitated, his gaze darting between the wizards and the distant street baking in the summer sun.

  It was too late to back out now.

  He walked inside the elevator.

  *****

  “He is not a threat to me, Mason.”

  Brogan glanced to Jamison. The man didn’t turn from the one-way window taking up the majority of the wall.

  “You know that’s not the point, sir.”

  “It’s been six hours.”

  “The Merlin would not have just let him leave. They must have an agenda.”