“So my mom died from complications after some surgery,” Dylan snapped. “And my dad jumped off the damn Golden Gate Bridge, and you knew about it? You didn’t think to mention that the first time we met?”
“I didn’t know how to,” Remington replied. “If I came to you and told you I was your uncle, you would’ve hated me. You would’ve wondered why I hadn’t come to get you.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I tried, Dylan. I tried to find you, but your dad didn’t leave any sort of note to tell me where he’d taken you. He didn’t leave any note at all. He just… jumped one afternoon. I hadn’t spoken to him since your mom’s funeral, because he’d been screening everyone’s calls. I phoned people to get them to check up on him, but they just said he was sad. His wife had just died, of course he was sad.” I heard Remington take a shaky breath. “If I’d known he was going to do something like that, I’d have gone to him right away. It’s why I ended up in San Francisco. I wanted to stay close to the place he’d died.”
“It couldn’t have been that hard to find me.”
“It was, I promise you. Nobody would tell me anything, and I couldn’t break through all the bureaucratic red tape. It was like they wanted to keep you a secret. I traveled all over California trying to track you down, but I couldn’t find you.”
I almost reeled back at the sound of Dylan struggling with his emotions. Dylan was hard as nails. He didn’t cry. But I could hear the lump in his throat as he continued.
“What surgery did my mom have?”
“Thyroid.”
“And the complications?”
“Severe infection and a blockage in her airway.” Remington sighed. “Does it matter? It’ll only cause you more pain.”
“I don’t care. I want to know. Why didn’t anyone keep an eye on my dad?”
“They did, but they just thought it was normal, understandable grief. Because of you, I don’t think anyone ever thought he’d take his own life.”
Nobody ever does. I’d seen enough suicides in the foster homes and orphanages to know that it could come out of nowhere. One day, someone was smiling and laughing, the next… they were hanging from the shower rail. And that was without the added pain of losing their wife.
“Why weren’t you keeping an eye on him?” Dylan shot back. “You were his brother, right? Why did you leave him to deal with everything on his own?”
“I’m sorry, Dylan. I wish I’d done more. You have no idea how many years I’ve thought about that, and thought about everything I could’ve done to stop him from doing what he did. I should’ve done more, but I can’t change what happened.”
Suri touched my arm. “We should have brought popcorn.” She was clearly trying to lighten the mood. I adored her for it.
“I sort of feel like I shouldn’t be listening,” I whispered back.
She nodded. “That’s rough for Dylan. I don’t know him at all, but from what you’ve told me about the foster system, if he’d had an uncle all this time, I guess that could’ve changed a lot of things. He’s probably got every right to be upset.”
“Yeah… it really could’ve changed a lot for him.” If Remington had found him, Dylan wouldn’t have had to spend the majority of his life in foster homes. That wasn’t the kind of thing that someone could easily forgive.
The door slammed. I waited for the second set of footsteps to follow before peering out of the storage closet. Dylan stormed out of the infirmary, and Remington went after him. Clearly, the end of that conversation hadn’t gone well. I glanced over at Krieger’s office to find that he’d come to the door. I went over to him, with Suri at my side.
Krieger sighed. “It’s sad to see them like this, given everything that’s going on.”
Suri smiled hopefully. “I think Dylan just needs a little time to come to terms with this. It can’t be easy, can it?”
No. No, it can’t. I looked at her and smiled back. Suri was the most empathetic person I’d ever met. The girl continued to amaze me.
Or maybe that was just because I was smitten with her.
Thirty-Seven
Jacob
A few hours later, after finally getting some sleep, Isadora was back in the infirmary with Krieger and me. The magical detector was coming together nicely, but I’d been forced to take a nap on one of the spare hospital beds. I had no idea if Krieger had done the same. He still looked exhausted, but he was pushing through. A bit more refreshed, I cradled a cup of coffee in my hands and watched Isadora and Krieger work. We were supposed to be taking turns.
“Morning.” Louella poked her head around the door. “I thought you could use some breakfast.” She stepped in, carrying a tray from the Banquet Hall. It was loaded up with sandwiches and pastries.
“Did you manage to get some rest?” Isadora replied, looking up from a half-turned screw.
She nodded. “Yeah, I slept a bit. You?”
“Same.”
“How about you, Jacob?” She glanced at me.
I shrugged. “I got a couple of hours.”
“I brought some food for our human friend, too, if she’s hungry.” Louella brandished the tray. Was that a white flag of peace she was waving, in the shape of bacon rolls and cheese Danishes?
“Go, eat,” Isadora urged. “We’ll keep working and take a break when you get back.” She cast me a knowing smile that made my cheeks get hot. It wouldn’t exactly be a romantic breakfast if Louella was playing third wheel. Not that I minded her being there. She was my friend, after all. Even if we didn’t entirely agree on Suri, that wasn’t about to change.
“You sure?” Louella didn’t seem overly eager.
“Of course. Go on, take a break,” Isadora replied.
Together, we exited Krieger’s office and went through to the quarantine room. I knocked first, so Suri wouldn’t be startled.
“Come in,” she said. Pushing open the door, I found her cross-legged on the floor, flipping through A Brief History of Magicals, which I’d snuck in for her. She was engrossed in it. She didn’t even look up as we entered.
“Are you hungry?” I asked. She looked cute, sitting like that.
Finally, she lifted her gaze. “Starving!”
“I brought a mix of stuff. I didn’t know what you might want,” Louella said shyly.
She grinned. “I’m not picky. I’ll literally eat anything.”
Joining her on the floor, Louella set out a sort of picnic. Cheerfully, Suri put the book to one side and reached for a raspberry croissant, devouring it in a couple of bites. Wow, she really was hungry. I took a bacon sandwich and started to eat. My stomach was growling like crazy. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d put something in my belly other than coffee.
“So, what did Imogene want to talk to you and Isadora about?” I asked, swallowing a bite. I couldn’t stand the silence.
Louella brushed crumbs from her mouth. “She wanted us to protect Krieger and the detector at all costs. So, you know, no pressure.” She gave a nervous laugh.
“Ah, I thought it might have something to do with Remington’s mission.”
She frowned. “The pills and the security magicals, you mean?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s going to be both their domains, I think, once Krieger’s finished with the magical detector. Imogene is really enthusiastic about the device, which is cool to see.” Louella took another bite of her Danish.
“That makes sense,” I replied. “I kind of feel sorry for Krieger, though. He’s got a lot on his plate.”
“Too much, probably. He looks wrecked.”
“He doesn’t always look like that?” Suri chimed in. I was pleased to see her getting involved. It would’ve been way too awkward if it had just been me and Louella, talking like she wasn’t here.
I shook my head. “No, he doesn’t always look that tired.”
“Poor guy,” she murmured, reaching for another pastry.
“It’s nice that we’re actually making some progress
, though.” I toyed with my own food. “I think Imogene is really going to pack a punch here. Like, it seems like she actually gives a damn, which is refreshing.”
Louella laughed. “Tell me about it.”
“Who’s Imogene?” Suri looked between us.
“She’s the new coven director. She took over after the stuff that happened last night.” I’d filled her in as best I could about the Raffe stuff, but I’d forgotten to mention the changeover of leadership.
Suri nodded. “Is she nice?”
“Yeah, way nicer than the old one,” I replied.
“So, what do you plan to do next, Suri?” Louella cut in. She sounded like a protective mom. “Obviously, you can’t stay here much longer, but if you leave, then it’s protocol to wipe your memory of everything you’ve seen. I’m interested to hear what you’ve got to say about it.”
Suri glanced at me with sad eyes. “For starters, I don’t want to forget Jacob, and I don’t want to forget anything that I’ve seen here. I wonder if you even realize the extent of the gifts you were all born with, or if you all just take it for granted. I’m not saying that to be harsh, but you have no idea what it’s like to be ordinary, because you’ve never been ordinary. Even just being around you guys… it makes me feel like I could be more. By proxy, I guess.” She paused.
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Louella replied. “Sometimes things don’t work. Sometimes you can’t do something you want to. And there are magicals who end up being what we call Mediocre—magicals who don’t have a lot of power. I guess that’s a different type of ordinary. You’re right, this is all we’ve ever known, but I doubt it’d do you any favors in the long run. You’d end up being envious or resentful, that’s my guess.”
Suri shook her head. “No way. Why would I be envious if I could be part of it? Here, with all of you? I mean, there must have been exceptions in the past. Didn’t you say one of your friends was human? Couldn’t I just stay here, like her, and help the way she does? A non-magical ally, so to speak.”
Louella shook her head. “That’s different. Astrid is Alton’s daughter. She’s related to a magical. As far as I know, you’re not.” She didn’t sound mean, just logical. “I know you don’t want to go, but it really would be best for everyone if you had your memory wiped and went back into the human world.”
“Louella!” My voice held a warning. This wasn’t the time to talk about this.
“I know I’m coming off like a bitch, but that’s not what I’m trying to do. Really, it’s not,” she continued, focusing on Suri. “I just want you to be aware of the circumstances. Being here is putting you at risk. You’re a nice person, but you’re asking a lot of Jacob, too, by trying to stay. It’s against our rules.”
Suri sat back on her haunches. “That’s not my intention, but you have to understand things from my perspective. Would you want to leave all of this? Would you want to be the person who gets her memory wiped after being let into this world? I don’t know you too well, but I’m guessing you’d be fighting as hard as me to stay.”
“Maybe, but that’s beside the point.” Louella sighed. “I get where you’re coming from, I do. Not long ago, I was alone in the human world, not really knowing where I belonged. I didn’t know about covens, and I only had a vague knowledge of how big the magical world was. But it’s just not suitable for you to be here, with things the way they are.”
“Because of Katherine, you mean?” Suri asked. “You don’t need to worry about me. I can handle myself, and I’m not planning on getting in anyone’s way. I just don’t want to go back to being ordinary. And I don’t want to have my memory wiped against my will.”
She had a point. Wiping her memory without her consent was a bit of a moral gray area. Not that I was in support of her having her memory wiped. The trouble was, they were both making good points. With Katherine’s threat and all of the steps we were trying to take to destroy her, this wasn’t a good time for Suri to be here. But I knew that her being released into the human world with her memories intact wasn’t a possibility. That was a big, glaring security risk, even if I knew she was trustworthy.
Louella nodded. “Katherine is one of the issues, yes. We’ve got a million other things going on, dangerous things, which you’d be better off away from. Like, as far away as possible.” Louella sighed and glanced at me. “Jacob, it’s not fair to Suri if you keep hiding her here, not when you know what the stakes are and what the dangers are. Right now, this is no place for a human. And if Imogene were to find out she was here, she’d be furious. Imogene may be way better than Levi, but she has to follow the rules. That’s literally her job. And she won’t take kindly to the added stress of dealing with a human.”
“Why is everyone so afraid of a human?” Suri looked somewhere between angry and frustrated. “I’ve already said I’m not going to get in anyone’s way. Surely, you can see how immoral this is? I’m guessing it’s been done countless times before, wiping memories left, right, and center, without any issues at all. But I’m aware of what I stand to lose, and I’m not having it. There has to be a way I can stay.”
“Believe me, it’d be more trouble than it’s worth. I’m sorry you feel the way you do, but that’s the truth—we have too much going on, as it is, to worry about keeping you safe, too,” Louella replied.
I hated that she was bringing this up, but she was right. At a time like this, I couldn’t afford to be selfish. But I didn’t want Suri to have to go, and have to forget, either.
“After everything she’s been through, Suri deserves a little leeway,” I said after a moment. “I’ll speak with Imogene about it. Come clean, completely. And I’ll see what she has to say.”
Louella gaped at me. “Are you insane?”
I shrugged. “I want to at least try.”
Suri smiled at me, but it didn’t reach her big eyes. “I really, really want to stay, but… don’t get yourself in trouble for me, Jacob. If I have to go, then I have to go. I wouldn’t want you breaking any rules because of me.”
I flashed her a reassuring grin. “It’s already too late for that. Might as well see if honesty is the best policy.”
“I happen to agree.” My head whipped around at the sound of Isadora’s voice. She stepped into the doorway, having evidently been eavesdropping from behind the wall.
“With whom?” Louella replied.
“With both of you.” Isadora smiled and leaned up against the doorframe. “I agree that Suri being here is a huge security risk, not only to us but to her, but I also think that Jacob should try and speak to Imogene about it. You never know.”
My heart lurched. “Do you really think so?”
“All I ask is that you hold off on that for a few more days. Imogene already has her hands full after the mess with Levi, and she’s dealing with enough as it is without having to worry about a human on the loose.” She paused. “And you may have a better chance of persuading her when she’s not so bogged down in other things.”
“Thank you, Isadora,” I gasped.
Suri nodded effusively. “That’s all I’ve been asking for. A chance.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not too happy with a human being here,” Isadora continued. “But I understand your views, Suri, now that I’ve gotten to know you better. And I understand you, Jacob. Sometimes, exceptions aren’t such a bad thing.”
Words couldn’t describe how grateful I was to Isadora. Not just for this, but for everything she had done for me. She knew me better than anyone, and she was my last tie to my parents. And the fact that she had my back, all the time, would never lose its novelty. I’d never had that before, not really. The Smiths had been supportive, but that hadn’t lasted long. If Isadora had said she didn’t think it was a good idea to talk to Imogene, I’d probably have backed off and done the hard thing of letting Suri go instead. She’d stopped that from happening, at least for now. And I was thankful for that. So thankful.
“Dr. Krieger?” Imogene’s voice floate
d through the infirmary, prompting everyone to panic.
I jumped up, and so did Louella. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered to Suri. “We’ll be back.”
“I’ve got breakfast and the hope of being allowed to stay,” Suri replied. “I’m good.”
With that, Louella and I hurried out of the quarantine room with Isadora, who locked the door behind her. Imogene had just stepped into Krieger’s office, oblivious to our secret human. We waited for a couple of seconds before following our new director into the room where Krieger was hard at work, as usual.
“I hope you don’t mind my intrusion, Dr. Krieger.” Imogene turned as we entered. “However, I have an urgent matter that I must speak with you about. An old chemist friend of mine has recently been in touch regarding the pills that Levi has been giving to the security magicals of the SDC. I described them to him and sent a sample from some of the remaining boxes I discovered in Levi’s old office.”
“What did this friend of yours find?” Krieger perked up, interested.
“He mentioned something by the name of Delirium, though he didn’t go into detail. I was hoping you might be able to cast more light upon it, given your background in medicine.”
Krieger frowned. “Yes, I know of Delirium. It’s derived from ancient herbalism, from what I remember, which means it’s most likely dangerous and forbidden. People use it to forget traumatic moments from their lives, but I’ve never seen it manufactured on such a large scale, given the illegality and complexity of it.”
“That’s what I thought,” Imogene replied. “I’ve asked Remington to verify this with the National Council, to see if he can garner a confession of some sort. At least then we could work toward freeing the security magicals from its grip. If we know the nature of the poison, we can discover the antidote.”
“I’ll look further into it once I’ve finished putting the magical detector back together,” Krieger promised. “It shouldn’t be too much longer now.”
Imogene shook her head. “There is no need, Dr. Krieger. I just wanted to inform you, as I know you were interested. I already have people looking toward a cure, though it will take some time. I’ll update you when I know more.”
Harley Merlin 7: Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix Page 31