However, I got the feeling the guards weren’t there for me. They were there to keep the old king in check, to make sure he didn’t ruin Kaya’s big day. In a strange twist of fate, Ovid and I had ended up in the same boat; we were both being forced to do something we didn’t want. For him, death. For me, marriage.
“Mr. Merlin,” Ovid said flatly. “Your bride awaits.”
“I don’t suppose she’d consider waiting longer? Maybe another couple of hundred years?” I managed a sour smile.
He gave a terse laugh. “No, I do not expect so.”
“Shame.”
“Come, you and I must walk together.” Ovid stepped back to allow me out of the carriage. Trying not to let my knees buckle from nerves, I clambered out. The guards who’d joined me followed.
I fell in step with Ovid as he led the way toward the towering cathedral—an architectural masterpiece of twisting white marble spires and shining domes of silver and glass. The doors were open in welcome, and I could hear the babble of chatter inside, even from outside. There had to be a lot of people in there already. I only needed to glance at the edges of the square to see that pretty much everyone in Atlantis had turned out for the occasion.
Chaos help me… Actually, no, Chaos could go screw itself. It’d gotten me into this situation, by proxy. It’d gotten me into every scrape I’d ever been in, to be fair, but this might’ve been the worst of them all.
“You know this is stupid, right?” I whispered as we walked, mounting the steps to the cathedral.
Ovid side-eyed me. “Whatever do you mean?”
“I know Kaya’s convinced I’m the visitor in this legend, but a story isn’t something you should pin your entire future on.” I had to try and talk some sense into someone. Again, trying to remove the proverbial bullets. “Raising Atlantis to the surface world is tantamount to suicide. You’ve had no contact with it for centuries. You’ve got no idea what you’d be dealing with. The covens will fight tooth and nail, with everything they’ve got. They won’t let anyone take over.”
Ovid shook his head. “This is not my mission, Finch. I will not be there to see it. In case you had forgotten, this is also my Death Day. Come evening, I will be gone, and Kaya will need to rely on you in my stead.”
“So convince her that this is idiotic before you kick the bucket! Do one last, decent thing, to stop your daughter from getting Atlantis into a whole crapstorm of trouble!” I hissed, noticing that Ovid appeared to be trembling. He seemed to be using every ounce of strength he had to keep up a noble demeanor.
“The legend is real, Finch. You have proven it with your arrival here.” He sucked in a shaky breath. “I am confident that your knowledge of the surface world will help my daughter conquer it.”
“It doesn’t need conquering!” I shot back. “You’re the ones who’ve got problems. The surface world isn’t perfect, but neither is Atlantis.” An idea popped into my head. “How about this? If you let me and my friends go, we can ask the surface magicals for help—a way to fix your Bestiary problem without you rising up.”
We entered through the vast doorway, and a cold chill blasted over me. It seemed even Atlantean cathedrals hadn’t figured out central heating. A vestibule provided a barrier between us and the enormous congregation, and I was willing to do anything not to have to set foot in the main chamber.
“Who is to say you would do that? You have made no secret of your contempt for us—you would be as likely to flee and never return as to actually aid us. Besides, even if you stayed true to your word, it would not be enough. No, this is the path she must take.” Ovid kept his eyes fixed forward. Stubborn ass.
“Then send someone with us to make sure we do it,” I pleaded desperately. “Or how about we stay for a few more weeks, and I go out on a hunting mission for you? I can collect fresh critters to keep fueling the Bestiary. Hey, we could even strike a deal where you let us go and I promise to bring some new beasts every fortnight or every month, so you never run out. How about that?”
Ovid finally turned to me. “You are wasting your breath, Finch. I will not be swayed by your pleas, and neither will my daughter. Your suggestions would not be the permanent solution that we need.” He sighed, his face pale and drawn. “The legend of the Luminary is our oldest legend, written by Ganymede herself, with Chaos using her as a conduit for its intentions. It is no mere story. Kaya believes you are the heralded magical from the upper world who will unite that realm with ours, and… so do I.”
“And what if Atlantis doesn’t want what your daughter has planned?” Tears stabbed my eyes. With every step we took, my hopes drifted farther away. The djinn may have been delivering the message of what was going on, but it wasn’t going to get me out of this wedding. And that stung like a bastard.
Ovid pushed open the doors that led to the main chamber of the cathedral, and the roar of chatter almost burst my eardrums. “This nation will embrace our ambition because they adore their future queen. They trust her and hang upon her every word, in a way they have never done for me. Not only that, but they wish to survive, to expand, to prosper, and once Kaya explains her plan, they will continue to show their fealty. We have been limited by this bubble for too long. No more.”
I stared down the barrel of the nuptial gun. The alarmingly long aisle stretched ahead of me, smothered in flowers and vines and crystals which shone in the sunlight that beamed through the dome overhead. White petals scattered across the aisle like snow, and everyone wore their Sunday best. Elaborate gowns shimmered in every shade of Atlantis’s oceanic color palette, matched by embroidered suits. Not a hair out of place, and everyone smiled in pride at their proximity to this momentous event.
From the ceiling, barely perceptible threads of silver hung down. Teardrop-shaped orbs clung to the threads of varying length, looking like suspended rain cascading down on the cathedral floor.
At the farthest end of the aisle stood the altar. Not that you could’ve seen it, considering the great swathes of floral masterwork that covered it. Two huge vases sat atop the altar itself, while the front had been decorated into a wall of flowers and orbs of sea glass. And the smell… man, it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. A heady, somewhat nauseating perfume that gripped the nostrils and refused to let go.
“I’m not getting out of this, am I?” I said, to no one in particular.
“No. And neither am I,” Ovid replied.
I scoured the crowd, who’d all turned to look at me like I was the latest exhibit in the zoo. I had no clue whether this was the way Atlantean weddings were usually done, but it didn’t make any sense to me, to be the one at the beginning of the aisle. This was the bride’s spot, right? Apparently not. Another topsy-turvy aspect of Atlantean culture.
My heart damn near collapsed as my gaze connected with one particular figure in the crowd. Ryann stood there, standing out from the rest. And she was looking right at me with an expression so crushed and sad that I’d have given anything not to have it seared into my memory.
I’m sorry, Ryann… I’m sorry we ever came here.
Thirty-Eight
Finch
Cuffed and guarded by soldiers, Ryann wasn’t the only one who’d been dragged to this circus. Luke, Melody, and Nash were with her, while Huntress sat at the end of the pew. The poor pup looked about as happy to be there as I was, a silver bow tied around her neck to hide the Cuff beneath. Bending her head, she kept trying to chew the ribbon away. I didn’t blame her. She looked ridiculous. I wished I could’ve laughed, but those reflexes had vanished the minute Kaya’s guards had taken me away in the palace garden.
This was Kaya’s wedding gift to me. A warning. No matter what we did or said, this union would go ahead.
Don’t cry. Please, don’t cry. Tears streamed down Ryann’s face, prompting my own to well in my eyes. This was cruel, and I’d never put Kaya down as the cruel sort. To make the woman I loved watch me wed someone else… so many expletives filled my head and danced on my dry tongue. I wante
d to break away from Ovid and run to her. I wanted to take her in my arms and hold her tight. But if I did that now, all hell would break loose.
“Where is she?” I snarled, looking to Ovid.
“My daughter will appear once you have arrived at the altar.” He put his hand on my back and gave me a firm push to let me know I ought to start walking. My feet didn’t want to. My entire body rejected this. But another hard shove left me no choice, unless I felt like smacking face-first into the flowery floor.
My heart thundered in my chest as the Atlanteans who stood at the ends of the pews suddenly stepped forward, giving me the fright of my life. They bowed and placed a wreath of violet seaweed around my neck. I waited for the fishy smell to hit my nostrils, but it didn’t come. Apparently, even the seaweed didn’t stink down here.
With Ovid’s firm hand guiding me, I kept right on moving. More wreaths adorned my neck, and some slotted flowers into my hair. With the vast quantity of gel and product that had been applied to it this morning, the flowers stuck like they were glued on. I had no idea whether there was meant to be any significance to the type of flower, or how many wreaths I received, and I didn’t really give a hoot.
Soon enough, I drew level with the pew where Ryann and the others had been positioned, near the front. I took that moment to indulge in a small act of defiance. Kneeling down, I ruffled Huntress’s fur and freed her from her pesky ribbon. All the while, I kept my eyes on Ryann. Despite her tears, she looked back.
I love you, I mouthed. It wasn’t the way I’d hoped to tell her, but if I didn’t do it now, I might never get the chance. I love you and I’m sorry. A lump formed in my throat as Huntress made a sad whimper in the back of her throat and pushed her cold, wet nose into my face. She wriggled until she had her head on my shoulder, crying in that devastating way that only a dog could.
I love you, Ryann mouthed back. I held Huntress that little bit tighter, as though I were hugging Ryann instead. Beside her, Nash, Luke, and Melody looked crestfallen. No doubt they blamed themselves, even though they had no need to. They’d done everything in their power to prevent this. The trouble was, we simply hadn’t known we were defeated.
“Enough,” Ovid hissed in my ear. Discreetly, he grabbed the back of my collar and pulled me back to my feet. Huntress’s piercing blue eyes followed me upward, her sad whimpering filling the air. The Atlanteans nearby shifted uncomfortably. They clearly had no idea just how involuntary this wedding was for me.
With the guards at my back and Ovid driving me onward, we reached the end of the aisle. Here, the floral scent was at its most nauseating. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, but if I had, I would’ve struggled to keep it down. Seriously, was there any need for this many flowers?
What now? I looked around in confusion.
The massive organ up ahead, which I’d mistaken for part of the architecture, began to bellow a haunting tune. The melody pounded through the cathedral, making the ground shake. It wasn’t the wedding march we surface folk were used to. No, it was much slower and gloomier.
Behind me, the Atlanteans bowed their heads and started to sing. A chorus of harmonies, high and low, which matched the organ’s tune in a mesmerizing way. A second later, a flurry of sparkling lights floated up from the congregation. They were using their Chaos, sending up fine puffs of it to add an ethereal quality to the proceedings. Glints of blue, green, yellow, white, bronze—every color imaginable—flashed in the air, mingling seamlessly. I had no clue what this was supposed to symbolize, but I supposed it looked pretty.
A gasp went up, detracting from the powerful music. At first, I didn’t understand why. And then I saw her. From a balcony above the organ, Kaya appeared. She wore a gown of vivid red, looking like Satan herself. The color contrasted starkly with the usual cool palette of Atlantis. And, as everyone knew, red was the color of danger. So I supposed it was the perfect choice for her.
Behind her, some kind of vicar, or priest, or whatever they had here, stepped out. He wore robes of bright blue, which looked muted beside Kaya. He held out his hand to Kaya, and she took it. Together, they walked to a narrow staircase at the side of the balcony and descended in time to the music.
No, no, no, no, no… This was really happening. Crap, this was really friggin’ happening.
I dropped my chin to my chest as they neared, determined not to look at Kaya. Meanwhile, the priest dude deposited her at my side before taking center stage in front of us. Even then, I kept my gaze firmly on the floor. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of an attentive audience. She had her Atlanteans for that.
“Ladies and gentlemen of Atlantis, please take your seats so that we may begin,” the priest announced. I didn’t need to look to know they obeyed. I heard the rustle of fancy fabric and the creak of pews as their butts touched down.
“We are here to witness the union between our future queen, Princess Kaya of Atlantis, and her future consort, Mr. Finch Merlin of the surface world.” The priest gestured toward us. You know, just in case folks weren’t sure who he was talking about. “Please, show them your admiration as we bless their marriage in Ganymede’s name.”
More sparks of Chaos erupted, creating an entire galaxy of glinting particles that floated through the cathedral. I glanced subtly around, wondering what would happen next. Vows, presumably? Instead, the priest took out a set of scales. On each end, he placed a small vial.
“Now, let us bear witness to their compatibility as we offer their blood to Ganymede for judgment!” the priest shouted.
I stared at the vials, wondering what the hell was going on. I hadn’t given any blood to Kaya, not as far as I was aware. Was this some kind of amateur dramatics to make the wedding more exciting? The organ stopped playing, and the Atlanteans seemed to hold their breath as the scales tipped this way and that for a few moments before drawing entirely level with one another. Yep, definitely amateur dramatics.
“They are a match, bound to love one another!” The priest clasped his hands, and a roar of applause exploded from the congregation.
With the applause still ringing in my ears, the priest turned toward a plinth behind him. I watched him press a button, and a statue slowly began to emerge. The stone figure resembled the one that stood above the palace, with the tail of a fish and the wings of an angel. Ganymede—the founder of Atlantis. But there were more bells and whistles to be had before this ceremony was over.
The statue started to move, the wings flapping slowly, while the fish tail waggled a bit. The face, however, was creepily realistic. I almost died of shock when the mouth opened and began to speak.
“Blessed future royal of our nation, you have chosen well. I look upon your union with a proud heart and the hope that you will love one another to the end of your days. From this day forward, I trust that you will find comfort in one another’s arms, honesty in your conversations, and harmony in your united existence. Let it be known that I sanction this union and wish for your perpetual happiness with one another.” The voice rang clear, sending a shudder through me. How they were doing this, I didn’t know, but there was some Great and Powerful Oz trickery afoot.
“Princess Kaya, do you swear to love this man, and entrust your heart to him?” The priest transitioned out of the weird Ganymede display.
Kaya bent her head. “I do.”
“Finch Merlin, do you swear to love your queen without fail, and entrust your heart to her?” The priest turned to me and gave me a warning look. I had a feeling Kaya wore the same expression, judging by the sudden stiffness in her stance.
I couldn’t, for the life of me, give the answer I was supposed to. But I didn’t have to. After an awkward pause, the sound of my voice echoed out of nowhere and said the words I couldn’t: “I do.”
What the—? They’d stolen my damn voice, on top of everything else!
The priest smiled in smug satisfaction. “Then it is my pleasure to pronounce you man and wife. Please, step forward so we may complete the ceremony.”
Kay
a grabbed my hand and dragged me closer to the priest. There, his hand shot out and gripped my wrist, while his other hand held Kaya’s more delicately. Panic thrummed through my veins as he closed his eyes. White light slithered out of him and down his arms, twisting around my middle finger and Kaya’s. All I could do was stare at the light as it burned into my skin, creating a tattooed ring of pale silver. It didn’t hurt, but it looked like it should’ve.
“There! It is done! Please, ladies and gentlemen of Atlantis, rise for the new bride and groom!” The priest retracted his Chaos, leaving me to gawp at the ingrained ring on my finger. Behind me, the crowd got to their feet again. “Now, let us bind this union with true love’s grace. We will depart momentarily to enact the ritual, and then return so that the celebrations may commence!”
As the guards swarmed to lead me away to a doorway beyond the altar, I took a moment to glance back over my shoulder. I needed to see Ryann. I couldn’t change what had happened, but I had to look at her again, to sear her into my memory. However, as I turned, I caught sight of someone else entirely.
Erebus stood at the edge of the cathedral, in the shadows of a cloistered walkway that ran alongside the chamber. His eyes narrowed as our gazes locked. There’d never been a whole lot of love between me and my overlord, but… at that moment, I felt sorry for the guy. Maybe I’d reached a terminal velocity on the amount of hatred I could muster for him. I mean, if anyone understood what he was going through right now, it was me. I’d just married another woman, while the woman I loved was forced to watch. And he’d just watched the woman he loved marry me.
Harley Merlin 15: Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow Page 31