Ever After (22 page)

I straightened in my chair. “What?”

“Reginald A. Mann,” she read. “Arrived in the Here and Now on October first, nineteen-twelve. Rhyme. Candlestick maker by trade. Went missing three years ago when his candle shop in the mall was broken into and ransacked. Crime scene evidence pointed to a robbery gone bad, although employees were not able to identify anything that was stolen and no money was taken. There was no blood found at the scene, no trace of the perp. Mann never resurfaced and is presumed dead.”

“Is there a picture of him on the file?”

“Yep,” she said. “I'll text it to you, but you didn't get it from me, you feel me?”

“Understood.”

“Okay, it's on its way,” she informed me. “So, you and Arabella gonna be at Trish's this afternoon? Lavender's flight should be in around four o'clock.”

I glanced at the steampunk-style clock hanging from the ceiling in Merlin's living room. It was seven o'clock in the morning now. If I could get in to see the king shortly after darkness fell and get the hell out, we'd be there in time for a late dinner.

“Yeah, we'll be there sometime this evening.”

“Evening?” Red asked, her tone edged with suspicion.

“I'm sure Lav will want to rest,” I told her. Even though Red had sent the FMA's private jet to pick up Lavender and Seth, it was still a few hours' flight. Considering I was going to ask Lav to perform magic that would be difficult even for her, giving her some time to get settled seemed like the gentlemanly thing to do even if I hadn't needed the extra time to try to get an audience with the king.

“Okay, I'll buy that,” Red said, although her tone still held a hint of doubt.

My phone chimed in my ear, alerting me I had a text. “Hey Red, if for any reason I don't make it, though, look after Arabella for me, will you?”

Before she could ask any questions of me, I hung up and checked the text, pulling up the photo of Reginald Mann. I wasn't entirely surprised when the photo revealed a pudgy, middle-aged man with a receding hairline and a jolly smile. He looked more like somebody's favorite uncle than a silver-tongued lothario who'd managed to worm his way into the royal household.

“You're up early.”

I glanced up to see Merlin strolling into the room, already showered and dressed in jeans, a Metallica T-shirt, and Converse sneakers. His hair had returned to its natural brown and was newly shorn but still disheveled. I had to do a double take, almost not recognizing him.

“So are you,” I replied. “What's with the getup?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets as he came toward me. “It was time for a new look,” he said with a shrug. “Boring, I know, but those leather pants chafe my dangly bits.”

I chuckled. “I'll take your word for it.”

He jerked his head toward the phone in my hand. “Who were you talking to? Didn't sound like good news.”

I ran a hand over my hair. “The Huntsman escaped last night.”

Merlin blew out a frustrated sigh. “You should've killed him when you had the chance.”

“I'm not a murderer, Merlin,” I snapped. “If I'd killed the Huntsman, I wouldn't have been any better than the bastard himself.”

He shrugged. “Perhaps. But does that really matter at this point, Gideon?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What are you getting at?”

He dropped down on the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table I'd magically restored when I'd returned from the debacle at the air strip. He regarded me solemnly for a long moment before folding his hands across his abdomen. “You and I have a great deal of blood upon our hands, old friend. And, really, what's one more insignificant drop upon the stain of your conscience?”

I met his gaze and held it for a long moment. “Every drop is significant, Merlin. You once believed that as well.”

He nodded. “That I did. And maybe someday I'll believe it again. But that would require a measure of hope I most certainly lack at present.”

It had been a very long time since Merlin and I had had a serious conversation. I had buried my emotions in duty; Merlin had buried his by shirking it.

“What would restore that hope, Merlin?” I asked.

He gave me a sardonic grin. “Well, I have no Arabella to magically reappear and save me from myself, if that's what you're getting at,” he drawled. “The only woman I ever loved didn't give a whit about me. I'd say we can pretty much take love off the table, eh? So maybe someday I'll find an actual
purpose
again—beyond levitating half-naked assistants and making white tigers disappear in obscenely overpriced venues, that is.”

“I may have a job for you then,” I told him. “And, believe me, my friend, it's one of the most important duties with which I can entrust you.”

Merlin pulled a face. “Best get someone else to do it then.”

I chuckled. “I believe this will be right up your alley.” When he gave me a wary look, I grinned. “I need a diversion.”

His brows lifted, and I knew I had him. “What kind of diversion?”

“I need to sneak into the king's house to warn him about a traitor in his midst and explain everything about Arabella,” I said. “I can't reach him, but I might be able to persuade one of his daughters to let me in.”

His feet dropped to the ground and he leaned forward, light dancing in his eyes. “Daughters? How many daughters?”

“There are two visiting at the moment.”

“Are they pretty?” he asked, regarding me out of the corner of his eye. “Or is this one of those
take one for the team
moments?”

“They're quite beautiful,” I assured him. “And one of them is rather ... bookish.”

At this he straightened, a broad smile growing on his face. “Well then, when do we leave?”

I gave him a curt nod, glad to have his help. “As soon as night falls.”

 

“Like hell I'm staying here!”

“Arabella, please,” I begged, following along behind her as she paced angrily around Merlin's flat that evening after having slept most of the day. “I need you to stay with Trish and Nicky.”

She suddenly whirled around, advancing on me with her index finger aimed at my face. “You promised you wouldn't go without me!” she raged. “We agreed to do this together!”

I stood my ground, refusing to retreat. “Things have changed—”

“Oh, they certainly have!” she spat, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head away at that stubborn angle I knew so well.

Frustrated, I took her face in my hands and forced her to look up at me. “The Huntsman has escaped,” I informed her through clenched teeth. “And I could very well be going to my execution. I need to know you're safe.”

She pressed her lips together in an angry line. “I won't let you do this alone.”

“I won't be alone,” I assured her. “I'll have Merlin.”

She made a noise of disgust in the back of her throat and tried to turn away again, but I kept her where she was, determined to make my reasons known.

“Arabella,” I said, my voice stern. “I would walk through the flames of hell with you, lass. There's no one in this world or any other that I trust more. And that's why I need you here.” When she opened her mouth to protest again, I interrupted, “Because who else can I count on to come to my rescue if I get into trouble?”

She narrowed her eyes at me, wondering if I was playing her. “Well, you
are
taking Merlin with you, so the odds of your getting into trouble
will
increase exponentially. . . .”

“Hey!” Merlin called out from the other room. “I resent that!”

Arabella gave me a pointed look and raised her brows expectantly.

I heaved a sigh. “Fine. You can come along with us to help create a diversion, but you
are not
going inside with me. Is that clear?”

She gave me a sharp nod. “Fair enough.” She then grinned and batted her long, dark lashes at me. “As you said, who'll swoop in and save your ass when Merlin mucks it up?”

“And you're up to it?” I asked, my pleasure at seeing the rosiness of excitement in her cheeks dissipating when I realized her skin was hot to the touch. I smoothed my thumbs over her cheeks. “You've got a fever now, lass.”

She blinked at me, her eyes glassier than they'd been the night before. “I feel fine. Just a bit warm is all. Now, stop your worrying.” She flashed her dimpled grin and bounded away, excited for our impending adventure. As she passed through the doorway she paused and peeked around the doorjamb at me, her smile growing. “Coming, love?”

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck, hoping like hell that I was making the right decision.

A
rabella's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the wall that surrounded the king's property. “They've no doubt doubled the protection along the wall since the last time I was here,” she murmured. “Do you sense anything that would keep me out, Gideon?”

To my surprise, the protection spell to guard against those who would harm the king and his family had not been altered since my departure, but the barrier that would specifically keep
me
from entering was new. I'd called both Ivy and Lily on the drive over, hoping that I could reach one of them and try to persuade them to let me in, but hadn't been able to get in contact with either. A shitload of good it was going to do me to have Arabella and Merlin causing a diversion if I couldn't make it past the fucking gates.

“I can't sense anything at all,” I admitted, much to my chagrin. “The spell to keep me out blocks
everything
from my senses. Whoever put it in place did one hell of a job.”

“Well,” Merlin mused, “it's been a few centuries since I walked into an ambush. About time for another cock-up.”

I sent an acerbic glance his way. “If you have any better ideas, I'm open to them.”

He held up his hands and shook his head.

Arabella adjusted her quiver and tossed her bow to Merlin. “Hold this.”

“Where are you off to?” Merlin questioned.

Arabella motioned me forward. “Come on, love, give us a boost.”

I didn't even bother trying to suppress my grin as I linked my fingers together and lunged forward.

“Just like old times, eh?” she said with a wink. Then she ran toward me, leaping up onto my thigh at the last moment and placing her other foot in my hands. The moment her foot hit my palms, I pitched her into the air. Even in her weakened state, she flipped gracefully in the air, her cloak flaring out around her, and nailed a perfect landing on the top of the wall. She swept a dramatic bow, then motioned to Merlin.

He chuckled softly and tossed her bow up to her, receiving a playful salute in response. She pulled her hood up over her head and in the next moment she was gone, having dropped down on the other side of the wall.

“Now what?” Merlin whispered.

I shrugged. “Now we wait. It should only take a few minutes for her to do a quick check of the perimeter and determine how many guards we're up against.”

Merlin gave me an irritated look. “Well,
obviously
. Give me a
bit
of credit, will you? I meant, what are we planning after she returns?” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “When do I meet the lovely ladies of the house?”

I cleared my throat. “About that . . .”

He advanced on me, wagging his finger in my face. “Oh, no you don't. Don't you dare go back on our arrangement. The only reason I came is because you promised I'd get a crack at the king's daughters.”

“I promised no such thing,” I shot back. “And if you touch either one of them, the only crack you'll get is one in your skull when I give you a sound thumping.”

Merlin shook his head. “False pretenses. I would like the record to reflect that I was brought here under false pretenses.”

“What record?” I asked. “There's no record.”

“The record of our friendship,” he explained.

“No one keeps a record like that, Merlin.”

“Well, they should,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “You could be interfering with my ability to meet the love of my life, Gideon. This is the ultimate cock block, mate.”

I took a few steps back and regarded the top of the wall, distracted from Merlin's continued bellyaching by my concern for Arabella. She rarely needed more than a moment to get the lay of the land. “What's taking so long?”

“Patience, patience, love.”

I spun around to see Arabella leaning against the wall, arms crossed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “You're lucky the guards took off to deal with some kind of commotion at the house. You two squabble like an old married couple.”

“What commotion at the house?” I asked, ignoring her comment and Merlin's indignant protest. “What's going on?”

She shoved off the wall and sauntered toward us. “Oh, just a little message for an old friend.”

I regarded her out of the corner of my eye, having no doubt which “old friend” she meant. “Arabella . . . What did you do?”

“Old friend?” Merlin demanded. “What old friend?”

Ignoring us both, Arabella continued, “Only a handful of guards are positioned along the wall. They've concentrated most of their protection on the house itself. The only way you're going to get into the house is either by shifting in or sneaking in when Merlin and I draw them away.”

I cursed under my breath. Neither of those options was any good if I couldn't make it past the security at the wall. I'd worry about the rest once I got inside. “Did you find any weakness in the protection spell at all? Was there any way of getting me beyond the wall?”

She shook her head. “None that I could see.”

“Damn it,” I hissed, running a hand through my hair. “I've got to—” My head snapped up as I suddenly caught the scent of lilies of the valley.

“Gideon?” Arabella asked, picking up on my wariness. “What is it?”

I pressed my lips together and shook my head, tamping down my irritation. Then before our intruder could react, I shifted, wrapping my arms around her and shifting us back to where I'd stood a split second before.

Dressed in a long black form-fitting dress and platform boots, the woman had hidden easily among the shadows, but a flower fairy's scent was not so easy to disguise, especially from another fairy. “Let me go!” she demanded, throwing her head back in an effort to connect with my nose. Fortunately, I was tall enough that she missed and only managed to nail my chest.

“Who the hell is this?” Arabella demanded, gesturing toward the struggling woman in my arms.

I winced as I caught a kick to the shin. “This,” I groaned, “is Lily Seelie.”

Lily sagged against my hold. “Gideon,” she said on a relieved sigh. “It's you.” But her relief was short-lived. In the next moment, she turned to look over her shoulder and peg me with an angry look. “For shit's sake, Gid, you didn't have to jump me. You could've just asked me to come out.”

“And you could've answered your phone, my lady,” I ground out, still pissed about the kick in the shins.

“And risk my stepmother's wrath?” she replied. “I think not. That woman's a raging bitch.”

I heard Merlin chuckle. “Oh, I like this one, Gideon.”

Lily turned her leaf-green eyes on Merlin. “Yeah, pretty boy? Who the fuck are you? And why should I give a shit?”

“And such a pretty mouth,” Merlin teased with a cockeyed grin. He then turned that grin on me and gestured toward Lily. “
Please
tell me this is the ‘bookish' one, Gideon. I think I'm in love.”

“Dream on, half-wit,” Lily muttered.

“Half-wit?” Merlin scoffed. “I'll have you know—”

“Behave, Lily,” I interrupted, wrapping a quick binding spell around her and setting her gently away from me, “and I'll release you momentarily. I just need to talk to you.”

She lifted her chin and shook back her long, black-streaked white hair, giving Merlin the once-over before turning her gaze back to me. “You don't need to talk to me,” she shot back. “You just need me to let you in. So what do you say we cut the bullshit?”

I grinned, having always liked the king's defiant daughter. “Fair enough. How'd you know?”

“I didn't,” she admitted, flapping her hands as much as the binding spell would allow her to move. “But as you've been blowing up my phone all day, I was hoping you had something bat-shit crazy in mind. So, what's the plan?”

“Just let me in,” I told her. “That's it. Then I'll slip in and see if I can reason with your father.”

Lily gave me a bored look. “You've got to be kidding me. You're a total badass, and all you've got planned is a little chat with Dad? Seriously? There's not going to be a battle or
anything
?”

“I'm going to cause a diversion,” Merlin chimed in, bouncing a little on his toes and grinning at Lily like a love-struck schoolboy.

She sent an annoyed glance his way. “Good for you, skippy.” She turned her attention back to me. “Now, if you don't mind—”

“There will most likely be explosions,” Merlin interrupted.

Lily's head snapped back toward him, clearly intrigued by the possibility. “Really?”

“No!” I interjected, wagging my finger at Merlin. “There
won't
be any explosions! Summon up some dragon's breath or something. But don't blow up
anything
, is that clear?”

Merlin peeked around me at Lily and shrugged an apology. “It was worth a shot.”

“What about you?” Lily said, jerking her chin at Arabella, her gaze softening, no doubt picking up on Arabella's waning aura. Her voice was gentle, slightly pitying even, when she asked, “What are you planning?”

Arabella forced a smile. “Whatever it takes to make sure my man gets inside.”

I extended my hand to Arabella and drew her toward me, pressing a kiss to her forehead, alarmed to find it was burning to the touch. “Bella,” I murmured, “if you want—”

Arabella pushed away and strode to Lily's side. “What do you say we get this party started, eh? Gideon, love, would you mind releasing my lady?”

Lily cast a look toward me, her eyes filled with sympathy. I glanced away, not willing to admit that Arabella's situation was as dire as I knew it to be. I refused to mourn her again before I'd even lost her. For as long as I still drew breath, there was hope. We were two items away from having all of Arthur Pendragon's relics restored to Arabella's possession. I had to believe that once we had those in hand, we'd find a way to keep her—and my king's children—alive. We had to.

 

The four of us stood in the center of my sitting room, looking at the map of the grounds that I'd produced from my temporal cache. Lily tapped a room at the center of the house. “This is where I saw Dad last,” she told me. “That was earlier today when you called him and got me instead. He's been keeping to himself a lot lately and rarely leaves the room, not even to dine. When you called, I'd just brought him a tray of food to try to persuade him to eat
something
. Anyway, I'm sure if you can get that far, you'll find him there.”

I nodded then turned my attention to Arabella and Merlin. “Once you've drawn the guards away, I'll slip inside to see the king. You two take the car and get the hell out of here. Lily can make sure you get away safely.”

Arabella shook her head. “No way I'm leaving you here.”

I took hold of her shoulders. “Even if I insist upon it and extract your solemn vow that you'll let Merlin take you to Trish, you'll stay anyway, won't you?”

She shrugged. “Odds are.”

I sighed, wishing that just
once
the stubborn woman I loved so well would do what I asked. “Fine. Come back here to my home, then. I'll block all but you three from entering. You should at least be safe here. But if I'm not back within the hour, promise me you'll leave without me.”

“If you're not back within the hour, we're going to come in after you,” Arabella insisted.

My gaze flicked to Merlin, understanding passing between us. He gave me an almost imperceptible nod, assuring me he'd look after Arabella in my absence.

When we stepped out into the darkness, Merlin took a deep breath, pulling the night air into his lungs and letting it out with a satisfied grin. After years of performing parlor tricks on stage for his audience, he was about to unleash the true power he had mastered.

It was about damned time.

“Stand back, darling,” he said to Lily as he spread his arms. “Prepare to be amazed.”

“Dazzle me, oh great one,” she drawled, rolling her eyes.

Merlin began an incantation, his voice deep, guttural, as the spell built from within him. As he spoke, the mists began to roll in, wispy tendrils of fog gathering along the grass, churning as they traveled over the lawn, growing thicker with each word. At first I thought Merlin was merely calling forth a veil of fog to shield their activities as they prepared for a larger diversion, but then a sound like rolling thunder rumbled in the distance.

I sent a startled glance his way. “You're joking.”

Merlin's brows shot up. “You wanted a diversion. Well, I can't think of a better diversion than a dragon.”

As if on cue, the beast swept low over our heads, the downdraft from its massive wings nearly knocking us off our feet.

Lily whirled around to face Merlin, her eyes wide, a broad grin curving her lips. “You've called an
actual
dragon?”

Merlin shrugged. “Well, not an
actual
dragon. The only real one is about an hour away, as the dragon flies. You see, they're rather in short supply in the Here and Now, darling.” He leaned toward her conspiratorially. “But it's a smashing illusion, wouldn't you say?”

“My stepmother is going to lose her freaking mind,” Lily murmured. Then she laughed—one of the only laughs I'd ever heard from her in the many years of our association. “Well, come on,” she said, grabbing Merlin's hand and dragging him after her. “This I've
got
to see.”

I tilted my head to one side, watching the two of them disappear into the fog.
Interesting.

“I guess I'll head to the house and cause a bit of mischief,” Arabella said with forced cheerfulness.

I pulled her into my arms for a brief kiss. “Be careful.”