Ah, so it is the stage of vengefulness today.
“You know as well as I that it is foolhardy to waste valuable resources,” I countered, trying to decide how to delicately explain my plan to my father. “And, though I am loath to admit it, Davin is an extremely valuable resource.”
My father leaned forward in his chair. I had caught his attention. “In what regard?”
“I do not agree with the extension of life, necessarily, but there was some sense in that breakfast discussion.” My mother’s final life celebration seemed so long ago. “I am particularly unwilling to ignore the suggestion that a Necromancer could be useful in the resurrection of children, or adults taken before their five hundred years are done.”
“Go on.” An alarming glint twinkled in my father’s eyes. I worried I might have prematurely encouraged him from his vengeful stage back to that of avarice.
“I agree that he should remain in our prison for the rest of his days. However, that does not mean he cannot be useful to us. Essentially, when I am queen, I plan to put a proposal to the people, explaining my intent to use Davin’s Necromancy in a limited capacity.” I hesitated, wondering if my father was the right person to discuss this with. “I will use him as I see fit, if the people consent.”
“What has caused this change of heart? Last I spoke to you, you were dead set against the idea of any Necromancy being used within our kingdom.” I noticed the inflection on the word “kingdom,” and my heart ached for a different reason. My father’s Death Day grew near, and I supposed that was the cause of his peculiar behavior in recent days. One’s mortality could not be an easy pill to swallow, yet it came for all of us. Nature demanded it.
I sighed. “The Bestiary is stretched to its maximum threshold, Father. Those in the farthest reaches of our city will soon begin to perish from the cold, where the sunlight cannot reach. If I can prevent their deaths, I will.” I paused, my gaze lifting to the edges of the interdimensional bubble. “Soldiers have been dispatched to hunt more Purge beasts in the depths of the ocean, but there is no assurance that the fresh influx will be enough. Moreover, the Purge season will not occur for another few years, so we cannot rely upon that. Extreme measures need to be utilized, to save lives.”
Our people were not simply magically granted additional life. Their biological Chaos clocks had adapted to Purge during the same period of time, once every fifteen years after they reached maturity. Having an entire city’s worth of Purge beasts might have been enough to temporarily remedy our energy deficit, but that was not an option, and we were swiftly running out of time.
“Resurrection will not solve the problem,” my father said, as though reading my thoughts.
“No, it will not, but it may ensure the survival of our poorest citizens until a solution can be found. If all goes well with Finch, I will set that particular solution into motion very soon. Until then, contingencies must be implemented, and Davin might as well be used for good after all the evil he has done.” I stared, stony-faced, at the prison spires.
As silence filled the dome of the observatory, my concerns were given free rein to invade my mind. For once, they did not immediately flit toward Erebus. Instead, they nagged away in pockets of worry, primarily for the future of my people. What was the use of a queen who ruled over nothing but water and death? The truth was, the Bestiary was too small and weak to sustain our expanding nation. There could be no denying how thinly our resources were spread.
I pray that I am right about Finch. He was fast becoming this city’s only hope in this impending nightmare, but if I was wrong… No, I could not think about that. I was not wrong. Chaos had done this. Chaos had sent Finch to me, at Atlantis’s hour of greatest need. That could not be a coincidence—I did not believe in coincidences.
Speaking of my future husband, I was late for our daily breakfast on the terrace.
Sixteen
Finch
Purgatory was better than this. I now had a favorite spot by the window of my prison, where I spent pretty much all of my days. It was fascinating how long a week could feel in this place. I’d tugged an armchair right up to the glass, so I could try to trick myself into believing I was outside. Seriously, even though my mind gremlins had left the building thanks to Nash’s concoction, I felt like I was walking a tightrope of madness. And I’d never had good balance.
And who knows how long my last dose will last. I’d taken it before heading to Eris Island. Nash had assured me that one dose could last a month, maybe six weeks at a push, but who knew how long we were going to be down here? Would he be able to find more ingredients to make more, if it came to it? I guessed that was a problem for a later date.
I found myself desperate for the sound of a knock at the door, like one of Pavlov’s dogs waiting for the bell to ring. Kaya had at least kept her word about letting my friends visit. The silencing spell had worn off by the morning after the engagement announcement, like most pernicious hangovers. In the time since, I’d spoken to Melody, Luke, and Nash and learned that their evening had been as much of a bust as mine. No loopholes, no secret pages in any ancient books, not even a hint of a hint of a hint about some kind of escape strategy. Nash had even gone back to the Trench to try and ask around for any way out of Atlantis, but apparently, they’d all clammed up real quick. Even those who lived in the city’s underworld didn’t dare to openly go against the will of the crown or the rules of their nation. Who could blame them, with the kind of prison they had going?
And Ryann won’t see me. That churned in my stomach like bad seafood. I’d snuck out a couple of times as Nash this past week, against his advice, to see her… only to get blocked at the door. I’d sat on the floor, urging her to open up so we could talk. But she refused, saying she had to keep away for my own good. Well, it didn’t feel like it was for my own good. This felt like a punishment, or a sickness, or a one-way blast into insanity. How could it be for my good, when I wanted to punch a fist through this pane of glass or saw my skull open so I could scoop out my constantly whirring brain?
“I miss you,” I whispered to the empty room. How could things have gone so wrong? A week ago, she’d been in my arms and was happy to be there. We’d kissed. We’d finally stepped things up a notch. It came out of left field, shocking me in the best possible way. But now… that seemed like a dream.
A knock at the door made me jump out of my chair. Cue the drool leaking out of my mouth, per the Pavlov analogy. If I didn’t have a full-blown heart attack in the next couple of days, it’d be a miracle. I was constantly on edge now that the news had spread through the city. This entire thing seemed… inevitable. And I hated it with every fiber of my being.
Since it was morning, I expected Kaya to enter, though knocking would be a new thing for her. So it came as a pleasant surprise when Melody poked her head through the door.
“Not my usual delivery guy, but I’m not complaining.” My capacity for jokes had taken a hit in the last few days, but I was doing my best.
Melody smiled faintly, more in acknowledgment of the attempt than in amusement. “I didn’t know if you’d be having breakfast with Kaya, but I couldn’t wait. Luke said I should leave it until this afternoon, and I did try, but I kept thinking of you up here, and I had to come. I told Luke I was going to the bathroom, so I don’t have long before he figures out I’m not in the bathroom and comes to find me.” She peered around the room. “Looks like I timed it perfectly! Kaya isn’t here—that’s good. Although, I suppose that’s a matter of perspective, considering the news I’ve got for you. You might wish I hadn’t come.”
“Melody, you know I love the way you chatter about things, but if you’ve got news for me, can you skip to it?” I didn’t say it unkindly, but she was right—Kaya would be here soon, and I didn’t want to have to sit through an interrogation about what Melody had said to me if the princess caught her here without Luke. It was the “without Luke” part that would ring alarm bells in my fiancée’s head.
“Sorry!�
� Melody darted forward and perched on the arm of a nearby chair. “I promise I’ll make it as quick as possible, though I can’t promise it’ll be painless. I’ve been doing some research—honestly, it’s refreshing to sift through books and papers again instead of relying on my mind palace. It’s like the old days, when I was younger and didn’t have the Librarian abilities yet.”
I had to laugh. “Melody…”
“Gah, so sorry! I’m working on it.” Melody paused for a quick facepalm before she carried on. Hopefully bringing us closer to the point. “I’ve been looking into Atlantean laws and customs on the sly. I told Kaya I was interested in Atlantean history, and she gave me full access to the libraries. I have to have a guard with me, of course, but it hasn’t been hard to give him the slip. The guy seems to think he’s been given some insulting task, babysitting me, so he’s happy to just stand by the door while I search around of my own accord.”
“You’re killing me here.” I reached out and clasped her hand.
“Getting to the point, I promise.” She gave my hand a comforting squeeze in return. “Context is very important, so I wanted to make sure you had all the details. Now I see that some of them may be extraneous. Anyway, my research finally came up with something useful… but you may not like what I found.”
I frowned. “A dead body? A text about sacrificing new husbands to the water god? A giant spider crab in the ‘Science Fiction’ aisle?” Sadly, I doubted they had one of those.
Melody chuckled, but the laughter didn’t reach her eyes. I was so screwed. “I’ve reached a troubling conclusion, formed after reading numerous old scrolls and a few chapters about Atlantean marriage traditions in some dusty tomes.”
“Am I doomed? Give it to me straight, Winchester,” I prompted.
She sighed from way down deep in her lungs. “Essentially, the only way for you to get out of this official engagement is if Kaya breaks it off. She has all the power here.”
“So… doomed.”
“Not necessarily.” Melody raised a finger. “Come on, I thought you were the new and improved Finch, with fire in his belly. You can’t give up now. We’ve still got a shot; it’s just gotten a lot more complicated.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, calling out to the spirit of former Finch. “You’re right. Go on. What’s the silver lining here?”
“You need to get Kaya to break off the engagement. You need to get her to give in to her feelings for Erebus. That’s the only way we’re going to turn this around.” Melody kicked her legs out like a little girl on a swing. “Like I said, it’s more complicated, but not impossible. And nothing is over until the fat lady sings, as my dad always says. Since there doesn’t appear to be any obesity in this city, I’d say we’ve got a good chance to make this work.”
“Have I ever told you how much I love your dad?” I smiled despite the black cloud looming over my head.
“You’ve got one extra love interest to worry about—don’t go adding my dad to it.” Melody laughed, for real this time. “Now, it’s up to you to do the lion’s share of the work, since you’re the one spending the most time with Kaya. But if you want to avoid this marriage, then you need to do whatever you can to push Kaya back into Erebus’s arms. You hate that guy, I know, but he’s back to being the only one who can get us out of this mess.”
I jiggled my knee as ideas ricocheted through my skull. “I guess with Davin out of the way, it might be easier to get Kaya and Erebus back together.” A sly smile edged onto my lips. “Someone better call Nora Ephron, because this is going to be the rom-com of the century.”
Melody clapped her hands together. “I hoped you’d take this as good news! Luke thought you’d mope, Nash was certain you’d go into panic mode, and Huntress… well, she whined a bit and did a huge sneeze, so I’m not sure what she was thinking. Anyway, I knew better! I heard you when you said you were determined to escape this, and I’m so glad you haven’t let this break you. I’d bet on you in any race, Finch. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”
“It’d be the biggest tragedy of my life to let you down, Winchester.”
My mind raced with thoughts of how to make this happen. Erebus loved Kaya, Kaya loved Erebus, but we had this big “Chaos sent you to me, Finch” nonsense driving a wedge between them. Plus, we had her obvious, continued anger at Erebus to contend with. He’d inadvertently killed an Atlantean hero, for Pete’s sake. Being a princess and all, Kaya couldn’t exactly let that slide, and winning over the favor of the Atlantean people after that would be about as easy as taming a wild hyena.
“That’s my news—what have you found out about this marriage debacle?” Melody yanked me from my private reverie. “What’s all this Chaos stuff about? Nash has been spit-balling about it but hasn’t come up with anything viable. He might have mentioned sacrifices at some point, but I snuffed that one out immediately. Kaya isn’t going to sacrifice you… I don’t think.”
I shrugged. “No idea. She keeps saying Chaos delivered me to her, and she can’t ignore the signs—you know, doomsday, end-of-the-world kind of stuff. But she won’t give me any details.” I grunted like an animal. “Why would she? No one else who wants to manipulate me does. It’s all vague when it comes to Finch.”
“You really shouldn’t talk about yourself in the third person. It’s distracting, the sort of thing sociopaths and wealthy snobs do, and I’m fairly sure it’s one of the first signs of madness,” Melody chided playfully.
“If the shoe fits,” I retorted. “The madness, not the snob part. I’m no snob.”
Melody’s expression softened. “So she really hasn’t given you anything to go on? I would’ve thought she might have said something out of sheer desperation, considering all the time you’ve been spending together. You must be running out of every other topic of conversation.”
“Hey, I’m no you, but I manage. And whenever I do broach the subject, she changes it,” I grumbled. “All I know is, there’s more to this engagement than spiting Erebus. But unless I can get her to open up—which doesn’t seem too likely, judging by previous conversations—hooking Kaya back up with Erebus, and getting her to forget this ‘I was sent to her’ thing, is our only option.”
“Keep trying, in case it produces any unexpected results,” Melody urged. “I know Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. And I don’t want you entering the realms of insanity. But since it’s you doing the constant asking, I’ve got a feeling you might be able to wear her down.”
“You’ve got a lot of feelings today, Winchester.” I chuckled.
“It’s the cross I bear as an Empath. I’m surrounded by feelings, and I feel a lot of feelings. What can I say?” she replied with a grin.
I looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. “You should scram before my future trouble and strife gets here for breakfast.”
“Cockney rhyming slang—that’s a new one for you. Trouble and strife meaning wife, right?” She nodded in appreciation.
“Right. I try to keep things fresh.” I mustered a small smile.
She jumped off the chair. “You can do this, Finch, one way or another. You’re not marrying anyone, unless her last name is Smith.”
My heart stabbed. “Tell her I’m thinking of her?”
“Of course.” Melody leaned down and planted a kiss on top of my head. “We’ll do what we can from behind the scenes, but you’ll have to take center stage.”
“Where else would I be?” I made a charade of puffing out my chest and doing a rudimentary skull-in-hand impression of Hamlet.
“You take care, you hear me? Don’t give in to the weight of all this.” She hovered beside my armchair.
I nodded. “I won’t.”
“Okay, then.” Melody turned and headed for the door.
“Melody?” I called out, as she reached for the handle. “Thank you for making this room seem a little less silent.”
Anguish glistened in her big,
round eyes. “Anytime, Finch. Anytime.”
Melody exited a moment later, leaving me to return to my thousand-yard stare. Only, this time, I had plenty to think about. I needed to either get Kaya to tell me the truth behind her choice, or get her and Erebus back together. The latter seemed like the smoother course of action, though everyone always said that the course of true love never ran smoothly. But at least I had some control over that idea.
The door opened again while I was deep in thought. No knock this time. I didn’t even need to turn. I knew exactly who it was.
“Good morning, Finch.” Kaya’s cheery voice rubbed my nerves against an imaginary cheese-grater.
“Morning,” I replied.
A flurry of activity whirled around me as servants whizzed by and scuttled onto the terrace, carrying trays galore. It turned out that Kaya wasn’t just good at planning last-minute street parties. She could have a breakfast feast set up, with flowers and candles and everything, in five minutes flat. I stayed put. I’d only have gotten in their way.
“You seem to favor this spot.” Kaya came to stand beside my chair.
I shrugged. “Makes me feel less like a prisoner.”
“You are not a prisoner, Finch. You know that. This is merely a precautionary measure, as I have stated with a frequency that is becoming rather wearisome,” she replied, her gaze fixed on the horizon.
“Doesn’t it hurt your brain to talk like that?”
“What other way is there to speak?” She sounded confused.
I chuckled stiffly. “Just teasing.”
“Ah, I see. I never can tell.” She wrapped her arms around herself, like she was cold or something. “Shall we?”
“Shall we what?” I looked up at her.
“Have breakfast.” She gestured out to the terrace, where the table had already been laid out. It looked immaculate.
I groaned as I heaved myself from the chair. I’d clearly been flitting into Nash’s body too much. “You know me, I can always eat. And something smells good.”
Harley Merlin 15: Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow Page 15