by Erin Johnson
Iggy coughed, and I glanced over. He jerked his little fiery head toward the iron fence behind Rhonda and the cemetery beyond. “When death do you part, your final resting place is conveniently located next door.”
I rolled my eyes at him and tried to suppress a smile as I turned back to face Hank. The sun had dipped down past the trees. The dark blue sky hung low around us, and crickets chirped. A gentle breeze carried the scent of orange blossoms, and a few stars peeked out overhead. Iggy lent us the golden glow of his flames.
Rhonda folded her hands in front of her. “And now, Hank, care to recite your vows?”
Hank looked down at me, his gaze clear and focused. “Imogen, I will keep this short, because I’m anxious to be your husband.”
I grinned.
“I love you. I love you more than I thought I was capable of. I would follow you to the ends of the earth… I have, in fact. And I would do it again and again. I would, and I will, choose you, again and again.” His deep blue eyes welled with tears and his throat bobbed as he leaned his face closer to mine. “Imogen, I—”
“I object!”
I froze, goose bumps prickling up my neck. Hank’s brow pinched, and we whirled toward the house and the voice we’d heard.
Who would object? Why was someone ruining my wedding? And why did that voice sound so familiar?
I squinted into the darkening light of dusk as a big group of shadowy figures stormed toward us from the street.
I felt Hank tense beside me. Wiley drew his wand. Our guests rose to their feet and turned. I was grateful that Hank still squeezed my hand in his. It felt like the world was falling out from underneath me.
A woman came into view, dressed all in white, her clothes standing out in the dim light.
Iggy noticed too. “Look. Someone is stealing your thunder, Imogen.”
Normally, I would have shot him a look, but I couldn’t peel my eyes off the wedding crashers. The guards pulled their wands, the tips glowing. The woman stomped closer, and suddenly her features became visible in the magical light of the wands. I gasped.
Sam gave a cry, then launched himself down the aisle toward her. “Amelia!”
64
A Reunion
I looked on in shock. Amelia? Here?
Captain Charles Walker, the pirate king, emerged from the shadows behind her, followed by about a dozen more pirates.
Hank let out a breath. A slow grin spread across his face. “They found a way through.”
I chuckled, tears welling in my eyes. The pirates were the only ones who knew where to find the Badlands, but how had they made it onto the island? Leave it to Amelia—that woman made things happen.
Amelia, her curly white-blonde hair cropped tight to her head, planted her hands on her hips. She wore a sleeveless flowy white pantsuit, her signature color, which contrasted beautifully with her dark skin—though she looked less polished than usual.
Mud splattered the hems of her pants, and it appeared the heels of her shoes had been whacked off to make them flats. She narrowed her eyes at Hank and me as Sam tore down the aisle and across the deep lawn toward her.
“You’re getting married? Really?” She waved a hand. “We weren’t even sure we’d find you alive, and you’ve planned your wedding—without me!”
I bit my lip and looked up at Hank. I’d known that if we ever saw her again, she might be a little miffed. Amelia took her event planning seriously. But now I cringed up against Hank’s side, feeling guilty. “Amelia.” I shook my head. “To be honest, we decided less than a week ago to get married, so there wasn’t much planning involved and—”
“Hmph.” She cocked one hip. “I’ll say. What are your colors? Where’s the reception going to be held? How did you plan to—”
Sam reached her and threw his arms around her. She stumbled back, her eyes wide, and the pirate king caught her before she fell backward into the grass. “Oh great, you wanted to add grass stains to my suit.” She glared at Rhonda. “I see you had no trouble stealing my style while I was—”
She froze as Sam dissolved into sobs.
“Amelia.” His shoulders shook, his voice choked. “I misssssed you ssso much.” Tears poured down his face.
Her face softened and she slowly lowered her shoulders, wrapping her arms around the shifter. She leaned her cheek against the top of his head. “I missed you too, Sam.”
“Where’s the booze?” one of the pirates shouted.
“Yarr!” his mates seconded, throwing their fists and swords in the air.
Misaki, still tensed with her wand at the ready, shot me a heavy side-eyed look. “I take it these are friends of yours?”
* * *
Within minutes, we’d all poured into the house, magically carrying the mishmash of chairs with us, and sat around the big farmhouse table and on stools at the counter. Yann, Sara, and Annie bustled around the kitchen, passing out hors d’oeuvres and filling up mugs of beer and grog for the pirates. Even in the enormous kitchen, it was crowded and noisy.
Hank sat at the head of the table, with Amelia on his left and me on his right, directly across from her. I reached across the table and took her hands. “I’m so happy to see you.”
She sniffed and looked around. “You sure? Seems like you all have moved on just fine.”
I squeezed her hands. “We’ll tell you everything, but even as wonderful as Kusuri and the people here have turned out to be, we’ve missed you and Bijou Mer terribly.”
Hank nodded. “We tried to find a way back.” He shook his head. “But there weren’t any more mirrors.” He glanced at Horace, who sat beside me.
Amelia’s eyes flashed when her gaze drifted to him.
Horace wiggled his fingers at her in a wave.
She stiffened.
Awkward.
I cleared my throat and put a hand on my brother’s shoulder. “Horace and I—all of us—have taken some big steps forward.”
Iggy, in his lantern on the table, gave Amelia double finger guns. “It’s cool. He’s with her.”
Amelia pressed her lips tight together and lifted a slender brow. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t see you here. If the kingdoms could catch you, they’d throw you in prison and you’d never see the light of day.” She stared him down. “Which I wouldn’t be opposed to.”
Yeesh. Maybe with time they’d grow closer?
Horace winked. “Yes, but they can’t catch me.”
Amelia paled and I tried to hold back a grin.
My brother leaned back in his chair and lifted his chin toward Hank. “What the golden prince says is true. I used the last portal mirror to get us here so your precious king wouldn’t murder us all.”
“See, dear.” Annie slid past the pirate and placed a platter of fresh chocolate chip mint cookies in front of Amelia—her favorite. “We had no way back, no way to communicate.”
Sam, sitting beside Amelia, leaned his head against her shoulder. “We thought no one might ever find usss, ssso we decided to make the bessst of thingsss while we were here.”
Misaki stood by the back door, arms crossed, with Jun next to her. “I always knew you guys couldn’t wait to get out of here.”
Jun gave her a look, which she ignored.
Oh, sea snakes. It seemed we were making everyone upset. I shot Hank a pleading look.
He cleared his throat and held up his palms. The room quieted a bit. “I think what we’re trying to say, is that when we first got here, we were expecting an uninhabited island teeming with monsters.”
Iggy sniffed. “You got the monsters part right.”
Hank caught Misaki’s eye. “Instead, we found amazing towns with rich culture and the most generous and brave people I’ve ever met.”
My throat grew tight as Misaki let her arms drop.
“It’s true. We’ve made so many friends here in our short time.” I shrugged. “It feels like home.”
Amelia’s expression darkened.
Hank went on. “But we never, f
or one moment, stopped thinking about you, Amelia, and all the people we left behind. Today was bittersweet because of how much we missed you.”
Amelia looked to the side, blinking away tears.
Hank’s eyes grew glassy and he stared down at his hands, folded on the wooden table in front of him. “We thought we might never see you again, and so we went on with our lives as best we could. And it’s been wonderful here…, but we could never be fully happy, not knowing if you were alive and well back in the kingdoms. Not knowing what had become of my father and his crimes and all the people he’s hurt.” Hank looked up at Amelia, his gaze intense.
Sam clung to Amelia’s arm. “We could never forget you. I love you, Amelia.”
Amelia let out a heavy sigh and fanned her eyes, blinking away the tears. “Oh, all right.” She grinned at Sam. “I love you too. All of you.” She lifted a brow. “But I want some answers.”
“You want answers?” Iggy scoffed. “What the shell has been going on since we got here?”
“Uh, yeah.” Rhonda lifted a sparkly finger. She sat at the other end of the table, Francis on her lap. Or rather, hovering slightly above her lap. “You go first. Dish.”
Amelia glanced over her shoulder toward the pirate king. “There’s so much to tell.”
He lifted his mug of beer. “Tell away, darlin’.”
Amelia lifted her chin. “All right. But I’m going to make it quick. We don’t have much time.”
65
Bon Voyage
Amelia cleared her throat and looked around the table. Yann, Sara, and Annie put a pause on hosting and gathered around to listen.
“It was a mess after you all dove through that mirror.” Amelia shook her head. “Former King Roch put up quite the fight.”
Former? I looked a question at Hank. He stared down at the table, barely breathing.
“He tried to get the palace guards and military on his side, even the police. He commanded them to arrest dissenters.”
Tears welled in Maple’s eyes. “Is my family alright?”
She’d been worried this whole time that the king might go after her parents and younger siblings as a way to punish her.
Amelia nodded at her. “They’re all fine. Worried about you, but fine.”
Maple slumped with relief and Wiley wrapped his arms around her.
Amelia continued. “But as soon as Madeline’s story hit the Conch and all the other newspapers around the kingdoms ran the story—” She darted a quick glance at Horace. “The story Horace gave them, with his witnesses and evidence… it was hard to argue against it. The people of the kingdoms were up in arms. Many more survivors of the monster attacks have come forward since then.”
I looked at my brother. A muscle jumped in his sharp jaw, but he lifted his chin, nostrils flared. He looked… proud. I gave him a little smile. “You did it.”
His throat bobbed and he gave me a tight nod.
Amelia looked at Hank. “Your older brother Cas has stepped up. He had the backing of the Air Kingdom, which appeared to have stayed out of the mess your father created thirty years ago. Urs Volker and his highly trained team of officers from Carclaustra infiltrated the palace and ousted Roch.”
“Cas?” Hank looked up for the first time, his expression a mixture of disbelief and amusement. “Really?”
Amelia gave a wry smile. “I know. He’s not the brightest lantern fish in the sea, but his heart seems to be in the right place. He’s had several of your father’s advisers arrested as well, men who knew what was going on and helped the king sic monsters on innocent people. He’s been working hard to form investigative bodies. He even formed a citizen’s committee to help oversee King Roch’s trial in the coming months.”
“My father’s going to trial?”
Amelia nodded. “We all felt he should answer for his crimes. The old king from Earth, who also participated in the monster warfare, has already passed away, but several higher-ups are standing trial as well. Plus, we think it’ll be good for the kingdoms—closure.”
I shook my head. “Wow. This is huge.”
Amelia nodded. “It took weeks for things to settle down enough that we could come look for you.” She tipped her head over her shoulder toward the pirates. “The pirate king volunteered his vessel, and Queen Winnie and her court have helped—”
My brows jumped up. “The mermaids are here, too?” I glanced at Maple, whose brows had lowered. She didn’t seem too excited about that.
Amelia nodded. “We’ve been sailing for weeks—this isn’t an easy place to reach.”
Captain Kenta leaned forward to speak around Sam. “How did you get through the monsters that surround the island?” He glanced at the equally perplexed-looking Misaki. “It’s impossible.”
“Not for my lovely wifey, it ain’t!” Captain Chuck lifted his mug of beer, and his pirates did the same, chorusing, “Cheers!”
Jun frowned. “His wife?”
I grinned, thinking of Winnie. Such a character. “She’s the mermaid queen.” I frowned, looking from the pirate king to Amelia. “But I don’t understand.”
Amelia leaned forward, her expression tense. “The mermaids fought the water monsters off long enough for us to get a rowboat to shore.”
“Whoa,” Ben breathed. He ran a hand through his fashion mullet. “We never thought of mermaids.”
Misaki rolled her eyes at him. “Because there aren’t any around the island.”
“Oh. Right.” Ben nodded sagely.
Amelia drummed her fingers on the table. “We instructed the crew to leave without us if we weren’t back in a week… in case we didn’t make it back alive.”
Yann’s bushy brows shot up. “And how long ago was dat?”
Amelia pressed her lips tight together. “Six days.”
Maple gasped and pressed a hand to her mouth.
Wiley leaned an arm on the table. “You’ve been on the island for nearly a whole week? Where have you been?”
Amelia narrowed her eyes at him. “All over the island—looking for you!”
“We landed on the west shore,” the pirate king explained. “And stuck to the coast for a bit.”
“Until finally we found someone who’d heard of a bunch of foreigners living at the top of a mountain in the dead center of the island.” Amelia huffed and crossed her arms. “I broke two heels, got my favorite outfit dirty, and was nearly eaten by monsters countless times looking for you all. And I was terrified the whole time that we’d be too late and you’d be dead.” She rolled her eyes. “And now I find you here, with a new house? Getting married?”
Iggy gave her a slow clap. “Great guilt trip, really top-notch stuff.”
She shot him a withering look and he shrank to the back of the lantern, his light dimming.
Hank reached over and squeezed Amelia’s wrist. “Thank you. Truly, for coming to find us.”
“So what now?” I gripped the edge of the table.
Amelia lifted her chin. “We have to be back at the boat by sundown tomorrow.”
“You’re anchored off the west coast?” Misaki lifted a thick brow. “We’ll have to head out at dawn.”
I looked over at her. “We?”
She crossed her arms, a determined set to her jaw. “If you’re going, Jun and I are going too.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Really?” I frowned at Jun. “Your parents will be alright without you?”
He pulled his lips to the side. “My mom’s been doing better health-wise, and I have cousins who can probably help around the tea house while I’m gone.”
Misaki grinned. “I’ve always wanted to see the kingdoms… what’s out there, off this island.” She glanced at Jiji, her grandma. “And I’m sure the council will agree that if citizens from the kingdoms are testifying and overseeing the king’s trial, then our island needs to be represented in that.”
Hank nodded. “I completely agree.”
Fumi bounced in her seat. “I want to go too.”
&n
bsp; Jiji cackled, Rini and Cat snuggling in her arms. “You? On a boatful of pirates? Nice try.”
“Grr.” Fumi crossed her arms and slumped in her seat.
One of the pirates leaned over, a glass mug in his hand, foamy with beer. “Aw, let the lass live a little. We’ll—”
Jiji cut him off. “She’s thirteen.”
The pirate spluttered and coughed and turned promptly around on his stool, his back to us.
“Grandma…,” the mortified Fumi whined.
Sam turned to Kenta. “Will you…. No pressssssure, but… maybe if….”
Kenta grinned, his white teeth flashing behind his goatee. “I’m coming too, Sam. Just try and stop me.”
Sam threw his arms around Kenta. Amelia flashed her eyes at me and jerked her head toward the two of them.
“I’ll fill you in later,” I whispered.
Miskai swung her gaze to Ben. “Think you can hold down the fort while we’re gone?”
The young guy’s eyes widened. “Me?” His throat bobbed.
“You got this.” Misaki winked. “We’ve gotten a lot of new recruits lately, you won’t be alone.”
“So.” Hank took a deep breath and turned to me. He wrapped his hand around mine. “We’re heading back?”
Butterflies zipped around my stomach, and a huge smile spread across my face. I thought of the winding cobblestone streets, the Rusted Wreck, our bakery filled with copper pots and spoons. “Yeah. I think so.” I frowned as a rush of sadness and regret washed over me. “But what about the house?”
Jiji waved a hand. “The council will keep an eye on it for you. It’ll be here when… if you come back.”
If? I bit my lip, my stomach clenching with worry. Our lives were split now. Bijou Mer was home, but… this place felt like home, too.
Hank squeezed my hand. “Let’s go back. We’ll figure everything else out later.”
I nodded. That sounded good for now. I glanced up and found Miss Sara and Yann staring forlornly at each other…, Annie and Chief Abe, too. Sara and the chief couldn’t exactly walk away from their lives and jobs to sail to the kingdoms for an indefinite amount of time. I bit my lip. This would be hard for Yann… and Annie too, it seemed.