Harley Merlin 15: Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow

by Forrest, Bella

  “What do you think?” Kaya turned to me.

  I shrugged, fighting the growing panic that gnawed my insides. “I preferred the street party vibes.”

  She ignored me. “This is where Atlantis will gather on the day of our union. We will be wed in the cathedral of the square we just departed, and our carriage will follow this path back to the palace, where we will unite as husband and wife.”

  I wanted to throw up in one of the flowerpots. “Unite? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

  “Do not be crude, Finch. It does not suit you,” she chided.

  Has this woman actually met me?

  “This is where all the royal processions take place,” she went on. “It is the same journey my parents took and all the kings and queens before them.”

  “You mentioned a carriage? What’s it pulled by? Seahorses?” I managed a halfhearted chuckle, and she did the same.

  “Very amusing, but no. It will be drawn by Kelpies, temporarily released from the Bestiary for the occasion,” she explained.

  I stopped. “You mean those stringy death horses?” I remembered Tatyana riding into the Battle of Elysium on the back of one of those things, and they didn’t exactly scream “wedding.” I miss you guys… all of you. Yes, even you, Santana.

  “It is a vital part of Atlantean custom to unify life and death. We represent new life, and the Kelpies represent the natural end of our existence, which is why they are invited to draw the carriage. In one of our legends, it was said that Kelpies were the creatures who bore Atlantean souls to the afterlife, carrying them safely upon their backs. Their part in our customs remains in honor of that legend.” She shuffled awkwardly. “However, they will be beautified, as everything shall be on our wedding day.”

  Speaking of legends… This was my opportunity, but I had to proceed with caution. I didn’t want her hedging my questions with vague replies again. No, siree, I had to tiptoe around this topic until I got what I wanted.

  “Are you going to invite Erebus to the wedding?” I knew the mention of his name would start the process of opening her up like a Fabergé egg.

  She audibly gulped. “I… have not yet decided. I do not know that it would be… proper for him to attend.”

  “You think he’ll try to call the whole thing off? You know, tear in last minute and object to the proceedings?”

  She glanced away, her hands clenching inside her pockets and twisting the fabric. “He would not be so foolish. He understands why I must do this. And yet… he worries me. He understands, I am certain he does, but he refuses to relinquish his affections for me.”

  “He understands?” That stunned me. What did Erebus know that I didn’t?

  “I have explained my reasoning to him, and why he is unsuitable. He may not like it, but he knows that it cannot be him, given our history. I doubt he would dare to go against me,” she replied. It sounded like it had more to do with their past than the actual reason why she’d chosen me, so maybe Erebus didn’t know quite as much as Kaya had implied.

  “What about your affections for him?” I prodded.

  “They are of no consequence,” she answered, a beat too quickly.

  “But you do still have them?”

  She dropped her chin to her chest. “Why must everyone ask me that? Can I not simply enjoy the sight of my wedding preparations? I cannot care for him, and I cannot love him, and that is all there is to it. You, of all people, should know it is prudent to remain silent upon the subject.”

  “Maybe if you told me why it has to be me, I’d shut up about it.” A nice, smooth segue into the juicy stuff. “Actually, I wanted to ask about the legend of the—”

  My words were drowned out as sad music drifted across the boulevard. Out of nowhere, musicians appeared, leading a convoy of dancers in floaty green dresses that seemed almost liquid as they twisted and turned.

  “What in Ganymede’s name is this?” Kaya’s jaw dropped as the minstrels leading the weird flash mob started singing. Even I lost my train of thought as the procession headed our way. The slow, sad song enveloped us.

  “For centuries, I scoured and searched for a maiden just and fair.

  In icy waters, deep in myth, I swear I found her there.

  In all the worlds, in all the stars, I never thought it true.

  But here within the blackest depths, I happened to find you.

  A love that triumphs over all from a heart once lost and cold.

  You reignited the fires inside that no legend could have foretold.”

  One look at Kaya, and I saw tears glistening in her eyes. This was all for her. Every word. The story of her and Erebus, told in a way she couldn’t ignore.

  “For fifty years, I’ve longed for thee and striven to come back.

  But welcome here I did not find, because of the honesty I lacked.

  I pray, do not forsake this love or turn me ‘way again.

  For I love you more now, my dear, than I did even then.

  Queen of my heart, let me back in.

  Together, we face no battle we cannot win.

  Queen of my heart, forsake me not, and say you will forgive.

  For if you do not, I do not know, how ever I shall live.”

  This topped any cheese factor on any scale ever made. Erebus had taken my advice and run with it, but if I’d known he would do something like this, I’d have asked for a warning.

  The dancers turned to the slow rhythm, flowing together, then breaking apart like the tide… or the strained relationship between the princess and the Prince of Darkness. I stood mesmerized by them, though I couldn’t stand the lyrics. I had to hand it to Erebus—he’d gone all out.

  I glanced at Kaya again to gauge her reaction. Her eyes had taken on a faraway stare. Confirmation that she definitely still loved the old, two-timing rogue, if I needed it.

  And hey, I’d have been all for this display of romance if it hadn’t cut right into the middle of my investigation, just as I was about to get to the legend of the Luminary. Now Kaya had a million other thoughts pushing that one to the back of her head, and so did I. Namely, how much this sucked for Lux. She didn’t deserve my sympathy, of course, but I couldn’t help it, seeing the lengths to which Erebus had gone to woo Kaya back. I’d basically helped him cheat on his wife by giving him that sage advice.

  If this comes back to bite me and Ryann in the ass, I’ll take you down with me, Erebus. I’d taken a calculated risk in helping him, on the chance Kaya might break our engagement. A tough choice. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the woman I loved, and how this would affect her when Lux found out. It seemed that no matter what I did, someone got hurt, somehow.

  But I have to do what’s best for me and Ryann. And that meant breaking the engagement and getting Kaya to let us go. At least, that was what I’d thought it meant until my encounter with Davin. He’d added yet another tangle to this web, making it even more complicated. And until I actually found out what the legend of the Luminary entailed, I’d be completely in the dark about the best way forward. It would’ve been so much simpler if Melody could’ve delved into her mind palace and found me some answers, but when it came to anything Atlantean, she drew a perpetual blank.

  Kaya shook her head savagely. “Enough!”

  The musicians halted their tune in a comical screech of wind instruments, all of them looking at one another, then back at their future queen in confusion. Meanwhile, the dancers tumbled into each other, their grace evaporating. I wondered if they even knew that Kaya had had no idea they were going to be here.

  “Your Highness?” One of the musicians quivered in fear. “Does our music displease you?”

  “It displeases me very much. This is an affront to my wedding plans.” She heaved angry breaths, like a peeved dragon. “I urge you to disperse before I consider having you punished for disturbance of the peace.”

  The entertainers didn’t need to be told twice. With a clatter of instruments that almost broke me as I struggled to h
old back laughter, they scampered. Poor things just wanted to do something nice, and now they were being threatened with municipal action.

  “That… that conniving…” Kaya growled under her breath. I could almost feel the waves of heat from her temper.

  As if summoned, Erebus emerged from behind one of the crystal-adorned trees. In both hands, he clutched an enormous bouquet of Atlantean flowers—red blooms that unfurled like starfish, bunched together with white fluffy buds that reminded me of cotton.

  “My love, these are for you.” He offered the bouquet to Kaya, apparently oblivious to her fury. “They are the rarest blooms in Atlantis. I spent the whole night picking them for you, from every corner of this city. A small gesture that I hope will delight you.”

  They might’ve, if you hadn’t given her a whole parade! Overkill much? I held my tongue and waited to see how Kaya would react. Her anger subsided slightly, her body relaxing. Surely she wasn’t that easily swayed? Not that I was complaining if she was. It meant way less work for me.

  “You should not have done that. It is prohibited to pick rare flowers,” she said, but I heard the faint happiness in her voice. He’d impressed her, but she wouldn’t let him know that.

  He bowed his head. “Apologies. I merely wished to make you smile, and I know these are your favorites.”

  “Yes… they are.” She took the bouquet, bemused. “Nevertheless, you should not have made this bouquet for me. And you should not have arranged this procession. It was inappropriate, and I do not appreciate the intrusion when I am so very busy.” She clutched the flowers tightly, like a child with her security blanket. “Finch, come with me. We have things to attend to.”

  “We do?”

  She shot me a warning look. “Yes, we do. As for you, Erebus, I suggest you entertain yourself elsewhere and desist in conjuring up further unwelcome surprises.” She seized my wrist and dragged me away, but I glanced back and gave Erebus a subtle but encouraging nod.

  You’re onto something here, pal. Keep at it, and you’ll win her back. Now, if only I could be sure that the two of them falling back in love wasn’t going to make the world explode. It certainly put a dampener on what should’ve been the first step toward victory.

  Twenty-Four

  Kaya

  I stared into the central pool of one of the palace’s private courtyards, where even the statues did not watch me. The ethereal fish, named Sylph fish in homage to the magnificent creatures they resembled in their gossamer beauty, billowed translucent fins outward as they drifted through the clear waters. They were unique to Atlantis, created by our most skilled scientists, and could not exist in waters other than ours.

  I had to focus upon them to avoid the unbearable awkwardness that strained between myself and my companion, who sat across the table of white-painted iron. Apollo. My old friend. And yet, at that moment, passersby would have thought us to be utter strangers. At my invitation, he had come to join me for afternoon tea, but neither of us had said a word beyond a cursory greeting.

  It was the first time I had met with him since his release from prison. My mind scraped and clawed for what to say, yet my tongue remained tied. He must have felt such bitterness toward me, that I believed him capable of harming me. I sensed it in his avoidant gaze, his eyes settling upon anything and everything other than me.

  “The tea is pleasant.” It was all I could think to say, forming a faint smile.

  He nodded. “Yes… very pleasant. Is it a new blend?”

  “I believe so. The herbalists suggested it, to ensure my skin is perfect for the wedding.” Heat flushed my cheeks. I should not have mentioned the wedding. I might as well have grabbed a handful of fresh sea salt and smeared it across an open wound.

  “You do not need herbs, Your Highness.” He gazed into his cup as though he had found something remarkably interesting in the green-tinged water.

  I set down my own teacup a bit too harshly, prompting his head to lift in surprise. “Apollo, please accept my sincere apology for the awful manner in which you were treated. I behaved foolishly in the face of false evidence. I should have trusted my knowledge of you and the friendship we have enjoyed for many, many years. I pray you will forgive me. In the hours after the attack, I could not think properly, and when the knife was purported to be your father’s, I… made a grave error in judgment. I am completely remorseful.”

  Apollo’s lips cracked a smile. “May I embrace you, Your Highness?”

  “Yes… yes, you may.” We rose from our chairs, and his arms enveloped me, as firm and strong and protective as they had ever been. He had held me this way before, in the aftermath of Erebus’s first deceit, and I had never forgotten it, though it held no romantic sentiment for me. I held him close and reveled in the hope of being forgiven.

  “You know that I have already made peace with you, Your Highness. You were not at fault. The Necromancer is an artful manipulator,” he whispered, close to my ear. “You were in a difficult situation. In your position, I would have done the same.”

  I clutched him tighter, though it might have seemed inappropriate to anyone watching. “I have missed you, my friend. I missed your counsel, but more than that, I missed your simple presence.”

  “As I missed yours, Your Highness.” He released me, and we resumed our seats. However, the cloud of tension had lifted, and I was wholly glad to see it dissipate.

  “This tea really is delicious.” He peered at me from beneath his long lashes as he raised his cup. “I hope it makes my skin as perfect as yours.”

  I laughed softly. “You flatter me.”

  “Always, Your Highness.” He smiled more easily and took a sip. Once he swallowed the mouthful, he turned to me with renewed purpose. “Speaking of your wedding, are you certain that you are pursuing the right path? Finch seems a noble sort of man, and he has shown loyalty and reliability, despite his… questionable sense of humor. But I must ask, is he truly the man you wish to marry? I do not ask with any selfish intent regarding my former pursuit of your hand. I ask only as a friend who wishes to see you happy.”

  I had long grown weary of this question, but I did not mind it so much coming from Apollo. “Yes, I am sure. He will bring safety and prosperity to our world. He is Chaos-sent.”

  “He is?” Apollo frowned.

  “Do you recall the legend of the Luminary?” I felt the familiar thrill in my veins upon mentioning it.

  He paused a moment before dipping his head in a small nod. “It is obscure, and I have not heard it in many a year—indeed, I think the last time was when we were children, in the library with your mother. Am I mistaken?”

  I remembered the afternoon as though it were yesterday. A fire had roared in the grate, which had always concerned me considering the flammable nature of books and papers. Nevertheless, Apollo and I had sat cross-legged on the rug before my mother’s favorite armchair. There, without need for a book in hand, she recounted the tale to us both, while we listened with eager eyes and ears. It warmed me to hear Apollo remembered the day. It was one of my fondest memories, which was perhaps why Finch’s arrival seemed all the more serendipitous, as though my mother had had a hand in it.

  “She did,” I said.

  His eyes flew wide, and I knew he had pieced together the inference. “My goodness, it is unbelievably precise!” He held his teacup tighter, so tight his knuckles whitened. “I do not know how I could have missed it! In my defense, I had forgotten that story until you reminded me just now.”

  “So… you understand?”

  “I do,” he replied. “Goodness, I do. Now it makes complete sense. I knew there had to be a viable reason.”

  I swirled the tea in its ceramic well. “Does this mean I may rely on your support?”

  “I cannot believe I am saying this, but yes… you have my support. I only wish you had confided in me sooner.” He paused, and his expression grew momentarily sad. “I love you dearly, and I did hope that you and I would be together. However, I will stand by you to
the end. It is only right that Chaos has delivered a solution to you, for you are the only worthy recipient. You are the only one brave, and good, and just strong enough to wield such responsibility.”

  “More flattery, Apollo?” I teased, though I could not hide my delight that I had my oldest, dearest friend’s approval.

  He chuckled. “Eternally.”

  “I am grateful, Apollo. If I had not garnered your support, I do not know that I would have had the courage to proceed.” I reached across the table and placed my hand upon his forearm. “And now, allow me to rain praise upon you. I wish to congratulate you on your release and reinstatement as a royal advisor. You are the worthiest of that returned accolade.”

  Apollo bowed his head, his cheeks bearing a subtle hint of pink. “I must admit, I do not recall being reinstated. I only remember awakening in my bedchamber, my mind hazy and heavy at the same time. I suspect, in my self-exile, I might have imbibed too much ambrosia… though I do not recall having any sent to my chambers.”

  I put on a mask of nonchalance while inner turmoil raged. I sensed something awry. How could my friend not recall being reinstated, when my informants had told me he had met with my father only yesterday? I decided to dip my toe into my nascent suspicions.

  “You remember nothing of it?”

  “Nothing.”

  Sirens clamored in my mind. “My father has welcomed you back into the fold, I hope?”

  Apollo raked a hand through his silver hair. “I… cannot remember, Your Highness. As I said, much of my memory from the past few days is in a peculiar haze.”

  Yes… peculiar indeed.

  “For my own peace of mind, might you visit the palace physician? Even if it is nothing more than overindulgence, you must be certain. I would hate for you to have contracted something during your time in prison.” My voice remained steady, giving no hint of my bafflement.