My gaze settled on Erebus. Not exactly friendly, but at least familiar. I’d expected him to be raging with every word Kaya spoke, but he wasn’t. He was just… staring at me. And not in an “I’m going to strangle you in your sleep” kind of way. It looked like some kind of frost was thawing between us. Perhaps my hatred for this entire engagement fiasco was finally getting through to him. With Davin’s most recent betrayal and my perceived loyalty, maybe he’d finally realized who he could rely on. And maybe that meant he was figuring some things out—things I’d been trying to beat into his thick skull since we got here.
“Please give Mr. Merlin a standing ovation—my future husband, and future Prince Consort of Atlantis!” Kaya announced. The crowd went wild, cheering and yelling at the tops of their lungs. I didn’t know if that was a sign they liked the idea, or if they were just so hopped up on the party spirit that they were yelling for the sake of it. Either way, my nerves shattered under the onslaught.
I fixed my gaze on Kaya, my eyes wide and desperate.
“It has to be this way,” she said, turning away from the mic. “And fear not, the silencing spell is only temporary. I would not have used such an inhumane hex, but my father has endured quite enough excitement and outrage for one evening. I must allow him this, or he may expend his energies elsewhere.”
I shook my head. This isn’t fair, I mouthed.
“I am sorry, Finch.” She turned back to the mic. “Now, we shall take our leave of you. Please, enjoy the banquet and celebrate this happy occasion. Toast in our names, and look forward to our union, for it will raise Atlantis to lofty new heights of magnificence. And I, for one, am eager to begin upon this path toward a bright and glorious future.”
The crowd erupted again, and my heart sank as low as it could go.
“Come, Finch.” Kaya stepped away from the microphone, expecting me to follow, like a dog.
I shook my head again. No.
Her eyes narrowed. “Do not embarrass me, Finch. If you will not follow me of your own accord, I will have the guards march you back to my bedchamber. It is entirely your decision,” Kaya murmured, a fake smile etched on her lips. After all, she couldn’t let the crowd know that something was amiss.
On cue, a handful of guards took a step forward. Call me petulant, but I chose the path of greatest resistance. My resistance. I stood firm, aware of a certain set of eyes burning into the back of my head. Erebus was watching me; I knew that singe anywhere. Only, it wasn’t quite as savage as normal. Maybe I’d lost my mind, but it felt like a softer kind of burn.
“Very well.” Kaya waved her hand, and the guards surrounded me. She made an Oscar-worthy show of pretending this was all part of the evening, joining me in the center of the guard circle while she smiled and waved at the crowd. The difference was, she didn’t have two spears discreetly jabbing her in the small of the back, making sure she kept walking forward. Every time I stopped, those spears jabbed a little harder. I wondered how long I’d have to stand still before they skewered me completely. But frankly, I wasn’t ready to become a human kebab just yet.
The guards urged us away from the stage, forcing us past the disappointed suitor convention. They cast me a few choice glowers, and I heard whispers of, “Why him?” “Is Her Highness feeling quite well? Perhaps he drugged her,” and, my favorite, “A surface dweller? How repulsive.” Erebus gave a slight nod as I was marched past. It was so subtle, I wondered if I’d imagined it. Nevertheless, he was the only one not badmouthing me. Though maybe he was doing it internally, to make himself look like the better man.
With the sound of the crowd rupturing my eardrums, Kaya had me escorted straight upstairs like a naughty kid who wasn’t going to get his supper. I still couldn’t speak. Apparently, we had different notions of “temporary.” Instead, I had to listen to Kaya droning on.
“I know you do not see it now, and I apologize for that, but with you as my husband, we shall forge a greater, stronger, more hopeful Atlantis. I am certain of it. Goodness, with every moment I spend in your presence, every moment I spend dwelling upon our future, I grow so sure that I am almost bubbling with anticipation. It cannot come soon enough,” she prattled on, oblivious to my best withering stare.
I don’t care. I really couldn’t give a single hoot, I mouthed. She missed it, but at least it stopped me from hurling myself out the nearest window. One of the guards must’ve seen, though, because I got a particularly sharp jab in the back. Either that, or he just felt like jabbing me because I’d slowed a bit.
Turning the corner of yet another grand hallway, I skidded to a halt. I barely even felt the jab in my spine. Up ahead, walking in the opposite direction, were my friends. And Ryann. They came to an equally sudden stop. We all stood still, like two gangs waiting for someone to make the first move. In the end, Kaya sent the first shot.
“My goodness, I entirely forgot about all of you. You must forgive me,” she cried. “I intended to invite you to the festivities, but with so many other matters upon my mind, it fell by the wayside. Truly, I am sorry. It was a splendid occasion. Davin has been arrested, and Finch and I announced our engagement. There is so much to celebrate!”
Melody’s expression hardened. “You realize who’s standing here, don’t you?”
“Pardon?” Kaya looked confused.
“I hate to be rude, Your Highness, but you realize who is standing here with us, don’t you?” Melody repeated. Luke grasped her hand and gave it a subtle squeeze. A suggestion to stay quiet. But that wasn’t our Melody.
Kaya’s cheeks reddened. “I do not know what you mean.”
“You do, Your Highness, but it’s an inconvenient truth that doesn’t fit your plans, so you’re choosing to ignore it.” Melody was on a roll, and hey, since I couldn’t speak, I wasn’t going to stop her. “Ryann is the one who belongs with Finch, not you. I like you, Your Highness. I think you might be one of the greatest women I have ever met, with one of the finest minds in the world—above and below the ocean. But this is cold, and it’s unfair, and I didn’t take you for someone who’d ruin someone else’s happiness for your own sake.”
Luke squeezed Melody’s hand frantically. “I don’t think this is the right time for this, Melody.”
“Then when? Once Finch is standing at the altar?” Melody flashed him a stern glance. “I’m tired of everyone dancing around the issue. You shouldn’t do this, Your Highness. It’s not right. You know it’s not, but there’s still time to fix it. Let Finch go, let us all go, and we’ll never bother you again.”
I couldn’t look away from Ryann, and she couldn’t take her eyes off me. Tears glinted there, and they broke my heart all over again—the bitter cherry on top of this evening of doom and gloom, aside from the satisfaction of seeing Davin marched away. But I couldn’t even enjoy that. Kaya had soured it, like old cream. Now that I’d seen Ryann again, this evening didn’t seem like progress at all. It just made me feel… horrible, like I had something rotting inside my chest.
Don’t cry, I mouthed.
I can’t help it, she mouthed back.
I felt so selfish, all of a sudden. I’d been so concerned about my own pain, I hadn’t stopped to think about hers. Not in the last five minutes, at least. Even now, I could tell she was fighting to hold back tears, to no avail. All this had to be taking a massive toll on her. After all, we’d gone from kissing like our lives depended on it to me being engaged in the space of a day.
“I understand your disapproval, Miss Winchester, but that is because you do not understand the important role that Finch has to play.” Kaya stayed surprisingly cool. “If I could grant Finch his freedom and set him loose to love as he pleased, then I would. But I cannot. Atlantis depends on this union, and I will make it happen, even if it goes against the needle of my moral compass.”
“What role? You barely know him. How can he possibly have a role to play?” Nash cut in, with Huntress’s ears twitching thoughtfully, taking everything in. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a catch
. But he’s someone else’s catch. You don’t steal someone else’s fish, not where I come from.”
Kaya fidgeted, her guards readying their weapons. She lifted her hand, and they instantly lowered them. “I have become fond of you all, but there are things you are not privy to, nor do you have any reason to be. This concerns the future of my divine city, and that is all you need to know. I am sorry that this causes you pain, and I am sorry for your suffering, Miss Smith, but it must be this way. I did not intend to take him from you. Yet, this is beyond my control. This is Chaos’s decision, and I must obey.”
“How can it be Chaos’s decision? No offense, but that sounds like crazy talk.” Nash folded his arms across his chest. Meanwhile, Luke looked despairingly between Melody and Nash, totally stuck in the middle while they chastised a princess who could easily have them shipped off to prison.
“Again, I do not expect you to comprehend what lies behind my decision. My hands are firmly tied, and unfortunately, that means Finch’s hands must also be tied.” Kaya lifted her chin defiantly. “I realize I cannot say anything that will satisfy you, so I shall say no more. We must take our leave of you, but there will be no alterations to your visitation privileges. I understand that you are behaving out of loyalty.”
I’m sorry, I mouthed to Ryann.
A tear fell from her jaw. I’m sorry, too, she mouthed back.
Before I knew it, the spears resumed their goal of giving me some unorthodox acupuncture. The guards shoved me past my friends and the woman I hoped was still my girlfriend. If I’d thought I could make it, I’d have battled through the guards to kiss her. I didn’t know when I might have the chance again. But they closed ranks, as if reading my thoughts. A moment later, I had been jostled around the corner and out of their sight.
I love you, Ryann. I’m not giving up. Please, believe me. I hoped, somehow, she’d know my thoughts. I’d have shouted the words if my voice-box hadn’t been magically sealed shut.
Within five minutes, I was back in my fancy prison. Kaya closed the door behind us and dismissed the guards, leaving us alone. Frankly, right now, I couldn’t stand the sight of her face. How could she claim to even have a moral compass?
“You should rest. I will retire to the annex, and we may reconvene in the morning for breakfast. Sleep is beneficial for body and soul, and I pray that it offers you some peace.” Kaya kept her back to me, one hand on a pole of the four-poster bed. Her voice carried a note of guilt. Melody had evidently gotten to her.
Good… I hope you don’t sleep well. I couldn’t say it aloud, but I could sure as hell think it.
“I truly am sorry, Finch.” She refused to look at me. Maybe she was scared I’d see an actual emotion, and the whole stiff-upper-lip charade would crumble. “I would not have entangled you in this, if I could avoid it… I understand a modicum of your pain. I cannot have my heart’s desire, either. I must proceed in this manner for the sake of my people.”
I opened my mouth, but still no sound came out.
“I am sorry you are enmeshed in this, but… once we marry, and you and I are under the influence of the Atlantean love spell, all our suffering will dissipate,” she went on. “Our hearts will no longer ache for that which we cannot have. We will only look upon one another and be joyful. I did not want to utilize such a spell, but I see that we have no other option. If we do not imbibe of it, we will be consumed by our grief and loss. You are likely tired of hearing me say so, but it must be this way. Forgive me.”
She left without another word and disappeared into the annex room adjoining this one. I heard the click of a lock, to prevent me from following. Apparently, she didn’t want to hear what I would say once I got my voice back.
You said you wouldn’t make me drink it. Was there nothing she wouldn’t do for her precious city? I supposed I already knew the answer to that. Anger stabbed at my chest.
I had two choices here: focus on my resolve to get out of this mess or succumb to despair. I’d be damned if I chose the latter. I would fight this to the bitter end.
Fifteen
Kaya
Several days had gone by since I announced my engagement to Finch, and the response from the citizens of our glorious city thrummed with the same optimism that I keenly felt. There had been marginal disapproval and discontentment, quickly swayed toward a more positive perspective by the glowing news articles I instructed to be strategically filtered into the populace. As of yet, Chaos had not presented any further challenges that needed to be traversed.
Regardless, my wayward heart could not be allowed a spare moment to stray toward thoughts of Erebus. As such, I had endeavored to remain busy, surrounding myself with company at all times, lest old notions began to creep in unaware. I had also avoided Erebus himself as though he were a leper.
That was how I came to be in the palace observatory with my father—another favorite refuge of mine, especially in the peace shortly after dawn. A remarkable structure at the pinnacle of the palace, forged of aquamarine glass, which arced in a smooth dome; it was a true bubble of vast proportions, placed upon a wide, round turret. My mother had made the alterations, desiring a place to observe the beauty of the entire city whenever she pleased. Antique bronze telescopes with sea glass lenses stood to the north, south, east, and west, keeping perpetual watch over the realm below.
I wish you were here, Mother. If you can hear me from the afterlife, know that I miss you… I paused to look out the northernmost telescope, though I did not require the focus of the antique device. I was content to view my future dominion with my own eyes.
Atlantean sunlight kissed the city with lips of fiery bronze, like the latent embers of a fire in a familial hearth. Here, I ordinarily settled into a steady calm, but serenity had evaded me lately. In addition, my father’s presence was not conducive to any sort of peace. Indeed, though I knew it was foolish to think so, it almost seemed that he had strayed upon sacred ground. My mother’s sacred ground, where he did not belong.
“Have you heard from Apollo?” My father lounged in one of the wicker chairs that graced the observatory, the only furniture I permitted here.
I looked toward the dark spires of the prison and thought of my old friend. “I have not. He has hidden himself away after his release. And who may blame him for wishing to avoid society altogether? Though he has been exonerated, the stain of his arrest will take time to fade.”
“A terrible business, but at least the true perpetrator has been captured.” A sour note pinched my father’s voice. He had not quite come to terms with the fact that his favorite suitor had almost caused my demise.
“Yes… a terrible business.” Guilt constricted my breast. “I feel foolish for believing that Apollo could have been responsible, when all he has ever done is show me love and kindness.”
Ovid shrugged. “Do not be so hard on yourself, Kaya. The initial evidence did not exactly favor him. We were all fooled by Davin.”
“So you have finally accepted that he was a charlatan and a trickster?” In the last few days, I had watched my father go through many stages. Firstly, there had been livid fury. Secondly, there had been disbelief, and a rather embarrassing onslaught of claims that Davin might have been framed. Thirdly, sorrow at the loss of such a prized investment. Today… well, I did not know what today might hold.
“I do not wish to speak of it,” he replied tersely.
No, you never do. I had ordered Nestor—one of the prison guards—to inform me of any unexpected visits my father made to Davin’s cell. As yet, there had been no word, but my father’s desire to seize the power of resurrection remained tangible in his restless mannerisms.
“What do you see in this place?” my father remarked. “You are always here, spying on the city. I have never understood the charm. It is like being inside a fishbowl.”
I resisted the impulse to retort in a juvenile fashion. “I feel closer to Mother.”
“Oh.” My father looked suitably chastened, jiggling his knee in an awkward m
anner. “Well, I suppose she was a relentlessly curious creature. And you have taken after her, in that regard.”
He could not have comprehended the true reason I came here. The observatory, in my opinion, felt as though it were the beating heart of Atlantis. Here, I could sense the “pulse” of my future queendom. I had only to look upon it, to see the citizens about their daily business, and feel comforted by the consistency of their routines. From these lofty heights, I witnessed the veins of their lives, flowing into this heart. I saw love, I saw grief, I saw charity, I saw kindness. I saw the darker side, too, though I usually preferred to spend little time on those parts of Atlantis.
Through these telescopes, I stole glimpses of what my people cared about and what they did. I also used them for more practical means. An observatory made the ideal lookout for potential enemies on the approach, ensuring that turncoat advisors and rebel factions did not proceed in any schemes to bring down the monarchy. My mother and I had nipped many an uprising in the bud from here, which my father had never troubled himself to learn about.
Goodness, how I miss you. What I would have given for my mother’s counsel, when so many concerns weighed heavily on my mind: this engagement, my belief in Chaos bringing Finch to me, the residual strain between myself and Apollo, and what I ought to do with Davin.
“We must speak of Davin, Father.” I resolved to spend a while longer on the matter, despite my father’s obvious aversion.
“Why?” he retorted. “Has he not done enough? I say we let him rot in prison and think nothing more of the wretch.”
Harley Merlin 15: Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow Page 14