Harley Merlin 16: Finch Merlin and the Blood Tie Read online

  Ask her about Davin. And maybe you could get her to take this thing off me. I look ridiculous. Huntress’s voice entered my head. Her soft, raspy whisper had become as familiar to me as my own voice. I glanced over my shoulder at her. She really hated that bow.

  “Is Davin still imprisoned, Your Majesty?” I asked. Huntress had made a good point.

  Kaya sucked in an irritated breath. “Of course he is. Where else would he be?”

  “Just checking.” I shot a look at Huntress, who whined in the back of her throat. Sorry, girl. If I have to wear this suit, you’ve got to wear that bow. At least until breakfast is over.

  That’s easy for you to say. You don’t look like a Valentine’s Day present, she huffed.

  No, but I do feel like a turkey.

  Her gruff laughter filled my head. Well, you’re the least appetizing turkey I’ve ever seen. And I love turkey. But at least we know that Davin is still behind bars.

  I’d be happier if he were dead.

  Huntress made a small bark of agreement that startled everyone at the table. As would I, but we can’t get everything we want in life. Otherwise, this bow would be in shreds.

  The relationship between a magical and their Familiar was a weird, complex one. When Huntress first came to me, I’d been working for the Magical Special Forces overseas, and she’d appeared through a sandstorm in the middle of a combat zone. There hadn’t been anything magical about her. That’d come later, as we’d gone from owner and pet to lifetime comrades. A couple of years after that first meeting, when I’d come back from deployment, I heard a strange whispering in my head one night and thought I was going mad. It happened every night afterward for about a month, before the words got clear enough for me to realize they were coming from Huntress.

  Our time at war together, and all the years after, had bonded us to such an extent that it gave her certain abilities. Ones that ordinary dogs didn’t have. They only grew as I looked into Familiars and started the lengthy ritual that’d bound our souls together. A ritual that’d taken years off my life and given them to her instead. It also strengthened our ability to speak to one another through telepathy, which had begun in fits and starts, only a few words at a time getting through. Best spell I’d ever performed, and at a price I’d been more than willing to pay to keep Huntress with me. It was the last magic I’d completed before I sought out the djinn to curse me, poisoning my blood—the curse Finch had removed, however underhandedly. A last act, so that I’d never be without Huntress.

  You should ask Kaya what sort of greatness she has in mind for Atlantis, since that was all she could harp on about before she married Finch, Huntress suggested. Maybe that will placate her. She narrowed her blue eyes at a couple of nobles who dared to look her way.

  “Out of interest, what’s this greatness you’ve got planned for Atlantis? You know, you kept mentioning it every time Finch asked why you wanted to choose him over all the other candidates.” I cast an approving glance at Huntress. She might have been a dog, but she was as sharp as any human I knew. Sharper than most, come to think of it. She’d always been clever, and she’d only gotten smarter since becoming a Familiar; our soul bond giving her intelligence beyond the usual canine capabilities.

  Kaya looked rattled again. “That is not for surface dwellers to know.”

  “Finch is technically a surface dweller. Aren’t you going to tell him?” Luke interjected. The loved-up bodyguard could be perceptive when he wanted to be.

  “Finch is Atlantean now.” Kaya put on a haughty face. “Besides, it is more to do with your attitudes than where you came from. Did you think I had forgotten your views about this marriage, prior to its occurrence?”

  “Your Majesty, it wasn’t anything against you personally,” Luke continued. “Finch is our friend, and we didn’t want to see him married to someone he didn’t love. And you shouldn’t have had to marry someone you didn’t love, either. Love is the cornerstone of marriage.” He side-eyed Melody and immediately looked away again. Bless them. At least their relationship hadn’t gotten messy… yet. “Even now, it’s insane to think you got married because some old story told you that he was this hero. I don’t mean to be rude, but—”

  “Can’t you just be happy for us?!” Finch suddenly snarled, clutching his chest like it hurt. “We know what you think, and we got married anyway. And we do love each other! If I could rip my heart out of my chest right now, I’d show you!” It looked like he was about to, the way he was clawing himself.

  Kaya rested her hand on his arm comfortingly.

  “I’m fine.” A muscle twitched in his jaw. His teeth were clenched, and a vein pulsed at his temple. This was a man in a whole lot of pain.

  No, kid, you’re anything but fine.

  Five

  Nash

  I shot a dark look at Kaya. “What did you give him, Your Majesty?” I didn’t care if it got me a one-way ticket to a glass cell. I wasn’t fond of much in this life aside from Huntress, but these kids—all four of them—had worked their way into my heart. And there was no getting them out again.

  “I’m fine!” Finch wheezed.

  I wasn’t having it. “You don’t look fine. You look sick as a dog.”

  Excuse me, Huntress muttered.

  It’s a turn of phrase, I responded quickly. I didn’t have time to get into semantics with her.

  Kaya shifted in her chair. “It is nothing, I am sure. An aftereffect of last night’s celebration.”

  “She’s right, it’s nothing,” Finch insisted. He rubbed the spot above his heart and drew a couple of deep breaths. A bit of color came back to his cheeks, but I couldn’t ignore the sheen of sweat across his forehead. The kid was suffering, and he probably had no idea why. Chaos only knew what damage that love spell was causing inside him.

  I thought back to something Melody had said the night before: “Transformative spells, especially at the more complex end of the spectrum, can be exceptionally dangerous. It becomes more dangerous when those spells are not only physical but begin to change things on a psychological level, too. It is why spells to alter memories are so widely frowned upon, because they can cause all manner of unknown side effects and even total mental shutdown.” If anyone knew about transformation spells, it was the Librarian.

  “Just breathe, my love. We will get you back to our chambers soon so you can rest.” Kaya rubbed his back gently. She looked more than nervous.

  Finch tilted his head back and laid his hand flat on his chest. “I’m okay. Honestly, I’m okay.” He took a few more breaths. His face eased, his jaw unclenching. “Just a bit of heartburn or something, but I’m fine now.”

  “Are you sure?” Melody reached out a hand to him, but he didn’t take it. Instead, he folded his arms across his chest in a defensive gesture. Slowly, she retracted her hand and hid it under the table. Her cheeks turned beet red.

  He doesn’t mean it, Melody. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. I tried to bolster my sympathy in the hope she’d pick up on the emotion. It would’ve been easy for us to think of Finch as a lost cause. But I wasn’t about to leave a man behind.

  “I’m sure.” Finch nodded curtly. “And sorry for snapping like that, Luke. I’m not having the greatest day, if that wasn’t obvious.” He was trying to sound sincere, but it fell flat.

  “We’re just worried about you, Finch,” Luke said quietly, as he stared down at the fruit salad that’d been set before him. A bowl of bright colors that, in my opinion, didn’t look natural.

  Melody fidgeted under the table. “And you’ve just proven why we should be.” She lifted her head, like the tough cookie I knew her to be. Her voice began to rise. “You’ve been drugged, Finch. It’s all a fabrication. You don’t love Kaya, and she doesn’t love you. It’s the only thing keeping you two together, and it’s not real!”

  “Enough!” Kaya hissed, her palms hitting the table. “I have warned you all once, and I am warning you again. There will not be a third. You are guests in this palace, a
nd of the Queen and Prince Consort of Atlantis. As such, you will mind your own affairs, or you will find yourselves guests no longer.” She ruffled like an over-proud rooster. “Besides, a spell would not work if there were not feelings there to begin with.”

  There was a whiff of something off here. She was meant to be under the same love spell as Finch, but she seemed a lot more lucid than he did. I wondered if it had something to do with her Atlantean constitution, giving it a less potent effect. Or maybe she’d taken less of the stuff, so she’d stay clear-headed. Either way, she was talking out of her backside, and she needed telling.

  “That’s not true—”

  Ryann interrupted. “I think we’ve all had a long couple of days, but mud-slinging isn’t going to get us anywhere. You’ve got to understand, Your Majesty—all of this is coming from a place of affection. We only want what’s best for Finch, because he’s our friend. It’s hard for us to come to terms with this, but please don’t take it as a sign of bad faith.”

  As Kaya stared dangerously, Apollo joined the party with Faustus close behind. He leaned over me to speak to Ryann. “The queen’s will is absolute. You have no right to doubt her in any regard.”

  And there you are, loyal to a fault. Apollo looked as miserable as Ryann, seeing the woman he loved married to Finch. His interjection was as fake as Kaya and Finch’s marriage. Plus, he didn’t look too peachy. Just as Melody had warned last night, memory-altering spells could take a toll on a person, and whatever Erebus and Finch had done to Apollo near the pond had left its mark. Likely because they’d been interrupted during the spell. Now Apollo carried a thousand-yard stare in his eyes, the kind I’d witnessed a couple of times in veterans who’d seen too much.

  “I am grateful for your apology, Miss Smith.” Kaya folded her hands on the table. “However, I should like to end discussion of this topic entirely for the rest of breakfast. I am afraid that this has not inspired any further trust in you all. More effort will be required if you wish me to believe that you will not conspire against us.”

  “But isn’t it better to build bridges than walls?” Finch ran a shaky hand through his hair.

  “That depends on whether one is attempting to keep out an enemy or allowing said enemy into one’s domain,” she replied tersely. That note of worry hadn’t quite left her voice. Hearing about his gremlins, then seeing Finch go into some kind of fit, had clearly freaked her out.

  Finch’s shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry, but I need to go. I feel like death warmed over.” He stood without her permission. “I’ll be in our chambers if you need me.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Kaya frowned at him with concern.

  He leaned down to kiss her, and Ryann turned away. “No, it’s okay. I don’t want to ruin your meal any more than I already have. I’ll be fine in a bit.”

  “Well… if you are certain.” Kaya had her lips half pursed, like she’d expected a longer kiss than he’d given.

  Poor Finch. He’s not doing so well, is he? Huntress entered my thoughts.

  No, I don’t think he is, I replied.

  What do you think made him snap like that? I didn’t want to make a fuss in case it attracted attention, but I heard his heartbeat—I’ve never heard one pound so fast without killing someone. Huntress had highly attuned hearing, and her words worried me. This love spell was bad enough as it was, but if it started to cause some physical problems, then that meant we might be dealing with something far worse. Maybe non-Atlanteans weren’t equipped to deal with that level of magic, regardless of their bloodline.

  I don’t know, but I don’t like it. I glanced at Huntress, who stared back with her blue eyes. The only thing I’m sure of is that the spell is doing a number on him. I’ll talk to the others about it later.

  That sounds wise. She laid her head on her paws, her ears flicking.

  “Apollo, how are the arrangements for my father’s funeral progressing?” Kaya turned her attention to her loyal advisor. Without Finch, tensions had evaporated for everyone except Melody. The Librarian glared down at her hands as though she could kill someone with the twitch of a finger. And maybe she was browsing that mind of hers for a spell that could do exactly that.

  Apollo blinked, and some clarity returned to his eyes. “King Ovid’s body has been delivered into the care of Faustus, per the instructions in your father’s testament. And if I am not mistaken, he and his casket have been placed in the gardens, for the people of Atlantis to pay their respects.”

  Stepping forward, Faustus bowed his head. “That is quite right, Apollo.” He turned to Kaya. “It is my honor to protect your father’s mortal shell before he is cast into the ocean, where the Kelpies will carry him away to join his beloved wife. And you may rest assured that I will be watching over him when the casket is brought back into the palace.”

  “You have my gratitude, Faustus.” Kaya’s voice hitched. She’d just lost her father, and that called for a bit of sympathy. I might not have liked her much, but I wasn’t a monster. “I am sure he is in safe hands, and I am pleased that his people have been taking the opportunity to say their own personal farewells.”

  “If I may, Your Majesty?” Faustus continued. “I know that this matter is not a priority, but I feel the need to say something while I am in your presence.”

  Spit it out, man. I’d never heard so much waffling in all my days.

  “Go on.” Kaya nodded.

  “Well, it is regarding Davin Doncaster.” Faustus took a sip from his cup as Kaya’s face turned stony. Dry throat there, Faustus? “Before your father died, he spoke to me again of putting a vote to the people, to garner an idea of how many of them would entertain the thought of living beyond their current five hundred years. It might have been too late for the king, but we must not waste this valuable resource if there is an interest in the use of Davin.”

  Kaya answered slowly and deliberately. “I do not want to hear that wretch’s name.”

  “Of course not, Your Majesty.” Faustus dipped his head. “I respect your position on the matter, and I understand that you denied your father this choice. However, I also recall that you were not entirely averse to the idea of the populace living longer if they unanimously chose to.”

  “Faustus…” A threat lurked in Kaya’s voice.

  You should learn when to quit, buddy. But it didn’t look like Faustus had any intention of stopping.

  “I have ideas as to how we could make it work on a mass scale, including how to rejuvenate the Atlantean upon his or her resurrection. I truly think there is vast potential in the Necromancer’s ability, if we could only tweak—”

  Kaya cut him off sharply. “You ought to focus on caring for my father’s body and our plans to raise the queendom to new heights of wonder. That is our priority, first and foremost. Any notion of prolonging our lives can be discussed once that has been completed.” As the terrace grew noticeably quieter, Kaya took a deep breath. She softened her tone, likely so she didn’t come off as a stone-cold tyrant. “We must prepare the spell. See your duty done, instead of filling your head with unlikely possibilities.”

  Faustus grimaced. “As you say, Your Majesty. I will see my task done.”

  The other nobles at the table slowly nodded in agreement. Clearly, us surface folk were missing something important here. What spell was she talking about? Did it have something to do with Ovid’s funeral? That made the most sense, but I wasn’t sure.

  It’d apparently piqued Melody’s curiosity, too. “What spell are you preparing for? There wasn’t a spell after your mother passed. Is there some kind of tradition that happens when the main ruler dies?”

  Kaya gave her a flat smile. “I think it is high time that you left us. We have private discussions to partake in.” With a wave of her hand, the guards who stood around the terrace stepped forward. “Besides, Finch has already departed, so there is no further need for you here. Go and make yourselves scarce. Visit one of our museums, perhaps. I do not care. Although, I should n
ote, our libraries will be out of bounds, since one of your party seems to be such a voracious reader.”

  Melody’s cheeks burned red, but just as she opened her mouth, Luke took her hand. “Come on, let’s not stir up any more trouble.”

  Defeated, she stood without another word. There was no use talking to a brick wall. Kaya had decided what she thought of us, and we weren’t going to change her mind by smart-mouthing her. Even if she deserved it.

  Huntress fell in behind us as we headed down the small set of steps and made for the exit. Nobody said a word while we walked through the hallways and corridors of the huge palace. Breakfast had left a sour taste in our mouths, and though we had a lot to analyze, it didn’t appear we were going to discuss it right now.

  However, as we stopped at Ryann’s door to drop her off, Huntress spoke to me. Someone is following us. I can smell them and hear their footsteps. They’ve followed us all the way from the terrace.

  Are you sure? I asked.

  She gave me an “are you serious?” expression. For a husky, she had a broad range of withering looks. Of course I’m sure. My nose and ears don’t lie. You should know that by now—they’ve saved you enough times.

  The best magical bomb dog in military history. That was no lie. She’d won a medal and everything, but, much like the bow, she didn’t like to wear it. She hated accessories. We were similar like that. Which was why she’d had me take off that ribbon the second we left breakfast.

  And don’t you forget it. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth.

  So Kaya had sent someone to follow us. She might’ve been pretending to play nice for Finch’s sake, but she sure wasn’t letting us out of her sight. We’d have to be careful where we stepped.

  Six