Erebus laughed, his black eyes glinting. “All this fretting you do must be exhausting.”
“You think I get these bags under my eyes from kicking back and relaxing? You could send a family of six to Japan for a month with these bags—they took a lot of time and effort.” That just made him laugh harder.
“There is no need to worry about Davin.”
“Are you kidding? That’s all you’ve had me doing for the past three days—freaking out over getting this map redrawn before he deciphers his copy!” I couldn’t hold my anger back.
Erebus brushed his fingertips across his lapel. “I had to find some way to make you work quickly. Nevertheless, Davin does not possess the skills that I do. Thus, you needn’t worry yourself over him, now that I no longer need to use that impetus to spur you on with the map-drawing.”
“And threatening everyone wasn’t enough? Jiminy H. Christmas, Erebus! A little transparency wouldn’t kill you, you know!” I heard police sirens wail in the distance, cutting through me and ramping up my irritation.
“There is reason in everything I do. Did mentioning Davin work in speeding your progress? Yes. Therefore, transparency served no purpose. Now, let us move on to far more pressing matters… all in the name of your beloved transparency.” He smirked, before continuing. “As I said, Davin lacks the skills that I possess for my current endeavor in seizing the key to Atlantis. Even so, with regards to that, the key’s retrieval is more complicated than mere fetching, otherwise I would not be handing the task to you. With it being of vital importance, I would do it myself, if I could.” He sounded frustrated, his confident bluster fading for a moment. I couldn’t help but poke the bear a bit.
“More body troubles, or is it something else?” An alarm went off inside one of the nearby warehouses, splintering my skull like the police sirens.
Erebus’s jaw twitched. “Another matter that is none of your business.”
“How about telling me why you want to get to Atlantis? Or is that none of my business, too?”
“Ah, I’m pleased to see you’re starting to understand. Very little of what I do is your business. I am not indulging in any exploits that will endanger or enslave the mortal world—magical and human alike—so it is of no concern to you.”
Frustration rippled through me. “It involves me, so it concerns me.”
“That is your problem, not mine. Just be grateful my schemes are nothing like your mother’s and leave it at that.” Erebus raised his palms, ending this conversation. “I will call for you again in a few days, as I said. Be ready. Do not turn off your phone. I hate to resort to such measures, but necessity compels.”
He twisted his hands and vanished in a rush of hot air faintly scented with sulfur. Maybe I’d asked too many questions, but I needed answers. If he just gave me more of them, I wouldn’t keep asking. But that wasn’t getting through that thick skull of his.
And now I had this key to worry about, once Erebus came a-calling again. What would await me behind chalk door number one? A brand-new sports car? A teddy bear? An all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii? No… a boatload of trouble. I’d bet my life on it.
Four
Finch
The cab dropped me off outside the Winchester House, leaving my pockets a lot lighter. Fortunately, with the mansion closed this afternoon, there weren’t any tourists wandering around. Cecily and Richard were performing a goodbye ceremony for the German ghost. He’d filled in the gaps in his family tree so he could cross over without unfinished business. Apparently, things could get weird during these farewells, so they figured it was best to close up rather than have to deal with a bunch of screaming tourists.
I approached the right-hand statue by the front door. She was one of two sculpted women, supposedly carved in the image of Sarah Winchester, who held a shallow dish. Sometimes, people put flower petals into it, to pay their respects. Today, however, it was empty.
I put my hand on the dish and said the Aperi Portam spell, just the way Melody had shown me. A bronze shimmer flickered across the gap between the statues, and I walked through it, passing the slightly obscene fountain and striding up to the door.
“Finch!” Melody came running at me the minute I stepped through the door.
“Last time I checked.” I patted myself down, trying to be funny. But she looked worried.
“Mary told me you’d gone out. I tried calling your phone, but you didn’t answer. Is everything okay?” She scuffed the floor with the toe of her shoe. “You weren’t acting like yourself last night, so I wanted to make sure. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand that dinner was probably too much too soon, after all that map-making, but you had me worried.”
I forced a smile. “I made the handover with Erebus. He chose somewhere suitably cloak and dagger, and I didn’t want to drag anyone else along. I should’ve sent you a message or something. And sorry about last night—I felt completely out of it and I didn’t want to babble nonsense all night. Your parents probably think I’m a weirdo now, right?”
Melody looked instantly relieved. She chuckled. “They’re used to weirdos here. Do you feel better now? Did everything go smoothly with Erebus? You don’t look hurt, so I’m guessing it did. Did he tell you anything else about Atlantis, or what he wants next? Did he know anything about—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa there!” I lifted my hands in mock surrender. “Go easy on me, Sarge. It’s too early in the day for the Gestapo.”
“Sorry.” Her cheeks flushed. “I got carried away again, huh?”
“Hey, I’m a big fan of your enthusiasm, but I’ve got a ‘handle with care’ label slapped on me today.” I didn’t want her to ever apologize for who she was, but my head couldn’t withstand a Melody barrage right now. Baby steps and eggshell tiptoeing were required.
“There you are, Melody.” Luke appeared from the nearside corridor, looking pale. “I went to the library to find you, but you weren’t there. Then Mary leapt out of the wall and told me you came this way.”
I smirked. “She gave you the willies, huh?”
“Excuse me?” he shot back. If I’d been in my right mind, I’d have died laughing.
“I mean, she scared you?”
“I didn’t expect her, that’s all,” he countered sheepishly.
Melody smiled. “I saw Finch from the window and came down as quickly as I could.”
“Where were you?” Luke frowned at me. “Do you know how worried Melody has been?”
“Go easy on him, Luke. He just came back from Erebus,” Melody told him.
“Oh.” Luke visibly relaxed, then stood next to Melody. I noticed he stopped as close to her as possible without being creepy. He and I weren’t so different, pining after girls who were either oblivious to our feelings or couldn’t feel the same. A pair of poor, lovesick chumps.
“So, the next stage is to find some key that’ll get us through the Gateway between Life and Death and into Atlantis,” I began. “Erebus is still working out some wrinkles—he’ll call in a few days when we’re ready to rumble.”
Melody rubbed her earlobe, a nervous tic. “But how did Erebus order you to go and meet him?”
I snorted. “By text.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” she replied.
“It does?”
She nodded. “Well, he wouldn’t have been able to breach the house defenses to send you a message.”
“He wouldn’t?” I was starting to sound like a dumbass.
“No, he wouldn’t,” Luke cut in. “The mansion is sort of like the monastery, in that sense. The interdimensional bubble is reinforced with Kolduny protection spells that keep unauthorized personnel out, and the spirits here are on constant watch to defend it.”
Melody gazed up at him in admiration. “Exactly. This is their safe haven, so they have a vested interest in protecting it from miscreants—including communication spells, transportation spells, and any other unwelcome spell that tries to slip past the outer defenses. That’s why, when we chalk-do
ored here, we showed up outside.”
“Seriously?” That certainly answered my question about why Erebus had turned to digital communication. Although, what human could resist the pull of a shiny new cellphone? He’d probably be snapping pics for Instagram before he was done. #Atlantis #ChildofChaosvibes #humanbodygoals
“Super serious.” She gave me a reassuring look. “So, if you’re worried about Davin getting in or Erebus making the statues move, don’t. You’re safe. We’re all safe here. It’s the perfect place to work on this Atlantis project; that’s why I suggested it.” Other folks would’ve been smug about the vast expanse of a home she’d brought us to, but Melody didn’t have a smug bone in her body.
I sighed. “Can I just stay here for the rest of my life, then? It’s not exactly Vegas, but I’d get used to it. I could even learn to like the jump scares, after a while.”
“I wish I could say yes, but Erebus is still a Child of Chaos. If he had to get in here to find you, I’m sure he would use everything in his arsenal to break down its defenses.” She lowered her gaze. “I’m just saying, you’re safe from Davin in here, and from Erebus’s less-human avenues of communication.”
“Just when I thought I’d cracked it.” I sighed. “Have you made any headway on my Erebus problem?”
Melody’s eyes lit up. “Actually, yes. Well, yes and no. It’s more of a maybe, but it’s a fairly good maybe.”
“Color me intrigued.” I pretended to scratch my arm with an imaginary pen.
“You’re an idiot.” Luke scoffed.
Melody flashed him a look. “Be nice. You know he makes jokes when he’s nervous. Speaking of which, do you know the effects anxiety can have on a person? It affects the brain, yes, but then the brain sends all sorts of messages to the rest of the body. It can have an impact on physical health, putting a strain on the heart and lungs as well as causing muscle tension, shortness of breath, shaky hands, palpitations, pins and needles, and insomnia. There can also be fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, excessive sweating, and all sorts of other symptoms.”
“Aren’t I the lucky son of a gun? So many symptoms, so little time.” I thought back to last night’s weirdness. Melody had pretty much described all the symptoms that hit me out of nowhere. Was I just anxious? Somehow, that comforted me. Giving that strange attack a name made it easier to deal with. I’d already discovered that old chestnut when I’d had my delusional disorder diagnosis. Although, my trusty pills had been the biggest help with that one.
“So, what’s the fairly good maybe?” I returned my attention to Melody.
“I’m looking into a connection to the djinn,” she replied. “I was delving into my mind palace to find as much information as possible, and I came across the name of a book—it’s called The Dark Souls of the Magical World.”
I smirked. “Nice and ominous.”
“Now, I’m still figuring out how to pluck information from books mentally without having the actual book in front of me, which means we may have to find it and read it normally,” Melody continued. “But it’s got detailed intel about the djinn and their connection to Erebus’s power, and I think that might be our key—not the Atlantis gateway key. I have no idea about that. I mean, the key to getting you out of your deal.”
“My favorite kind,” I replied, with none of my usual sarcasm. Melody’s research meant we might have a lead. And I’d waited so long for a shred of hope.
“Did you find somewhere that sells this book?” Luke smiled at her like an adoring puppy. He might as well have licked her face.
Melody nodded. “I found three locations. It’s a rare book, but it’s not the sort that’s impossible to find, or buried under a temple somewhere. There’s actually one in your neck of the woods, Finch.”
My heart leapt. “There is?”
“Yes, in a bookshop called ‘Buy Its Cover,’ located in Waterfront Park. Does that ring any bells?”
I tapped my temple. “Oh yeah, they’re all clanging.”
“And you think the solution might be in this book?” Luke prompted. He clearly just wanted to hear her rattle on some more… and to be honest, on this topic, so did I.
“I think it might give us more information about Erebus and how he liaises with his underlings. You mentioned he has eyes and ears all over, and that got me thinking—what if he’s able to do that through a network of djinn? What if they make up the bulk of his minions?” Melody said excitedly. “I’ve learned that djinn are connected to one another, and they, in turn, are connected to Erebus, so it makes perfect sense. That would give him a certain level of omniscience, or at least be enough to fake it.”
“I thought he was omniscient. Aren’t all the Children of Chaos?” I frowned. Had that thorn in my side duped me?
Melody shook her head. “Not in the way you might think. They must all have similar networks that allow them to give that impression. Take Gaia, for example. As she controls where Chaos goes, she can probably use all magicals with that gift to see and hear through. As for the others… I don’t know what their networks are, but they must have them. I imagine they wanted to keep an eye on the mortal world after they were shipped off to their otherworlds for being meddlesome.”
I frowned. “But how does that relate to me?”
“You and the djinn have something in common where Erebus is concerned. You’re technically one of his minions, too. So, if anything, or anyone, knows how to detach someone from Erebus’s ‘network,’ it’ll be the djinn.” She shot me a hopeful grin. “And the book should be filled with general information about Erebus, as well, since it’s very old and is aimed almost exclusively at djinn lore, and ergo, Erebus lore. From what I’ve found, it was written before the Bestiary was even founded.”
I gave a low whistle. “She’s going to be dusty. I’ll pack my antihistamines.”
“Then don’t go operating any heavy machinery.” Luke snickered, pleased with himself.
“I’ll try to keep away from the combine harvesters and cherry-pickers, just so you don’t worry yourself over little old me.” I gave him my best butter-wouldn’t-melt smile.
“I don’t worry about you,” Luke replied stiffly.
I made a show of wiping my eyes. “Ouch, that hurt. You wound me, Luke. You wound me deeply.”
“With skin as thick as yours? I doubt it,” he huffed.
“I might look like an elephant, after all that goat cheese in Greece, but I’ve got quite a thin skin, really.” It was only half a lie.
“Did you know that elephants, when they see humans, have the same mental reaction that we have to puppies?” Melody chimed in.
I mustered a lackluster chuckle. “I imagine it’s similar to the reaction Luke has to you whenever you enter a room. Although, that might give him too much credit—he’s probably just the puppy.”
“That’s not true!” Luke protested. “I’m not some puppy.”
“Could’ve fooled me. All you’re missing is the wagging tail,” I shot back, but I wasn’t really feeling it. Usually, landing a comedy jab gave me a rush of satisfaction. But this one just left me… hollow. Maybe another symptom of anxiety. Or maybe I needed to take another dose of my pills. I was supposed to take two a day, but I’d upped it since leaving the monastery. The mind gremlins had grown rowdier than usual after my first orange-poison trip, and the only thing that kept them vaguely at bay were those pills. Truthfully, it hadn’t been this bad since I’d first met Harley and messed with the gargoyles back at the SDC. My condition, and my gremlins, hated being ignored. Soon, I’d be taking half a bottle to stop them fighting their way through.
Luke opened his mouth to retaliate, but Melody put her hand on his arm, and he closed it instead. He eyed me curiously, making me feel as if I were under a big, glaring spotlight. Why was he looking at me like that? Did he know something was wrong with me? Could he sense it? I hadn’t told them about my delusional disorder, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t see it in me.
“So, I guess this means I’m going
back to the SDC for a while?” I didn’t want to banter anymore. And I didn’t want them to start asking questions. “I can go and get the book, and I’ll drop in on my sister at the same time. You know what, this could be good timing—I’ve kind of missed the place.”
“Aww, you miss her!” Melody clasped her hands together. “I’ve actually wanted to meet the famous Harley for a long time. Why don’t Luke and I come with you, to keep you company? I’m very interested in learning more about the SDC and in putting faces to the names of all these people you’ve been telling us about. The Rag Team—that’s what you call yourselves, isn’t it?”
“Muppet Babies, and I’m only an honorary member,” I corrected her, using my preferred term. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come along. Another time, maybe. I should scope out the security first before I bring the new Librarian over. We wouldn’t want you causing a ruckus, now, would we?”
Luke nodded. “I agree. I’ll need a full security report before we can even think about going.”
“I’ll be fine. No one will know who I am,” Melody replied desperately.
“Even so, we can’t take the risk.” Luke offered her an apologetic smile. “You said it yourself, Melody—we’re safe here, with the spirits protecting the house. The SDC is unknown territory. I’m sorry. I know you’re eager to meet Harley and the rest of Finch’s… uh, Muppet Babies, but it’ll have to wait.”
She sighed sadly. “Being the Librarian sucks sometimes.”
“But it comes with some damn good perks.” I flashed her a wink.
Honestly, my reasons for keeping Melody away weren’t entirely selfless. I wanted to keep her safe, sure, but I had no clue how my mental state would play out. Even if it was just a case of severe anxiety layering itself on top of my gremlins, I needed to be around people who understood my condition in case it got worse. Which I had a horrible feeling it might. I’d already had four pills today, and I may as well have been taking Tic Tacs.
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