Feargus

  Days Until Rhian Returns: 7

  Crew and Company Placement:

  The base ? Michael, Adeline, Strauss

  On the move ? Rhian, Alexander, Evelyn, Rhydian

  Man-cave ? Zack, Jakob

  The lair ? Riz, Bells

  Everywhere ? Everleigh

  ??? ? Sebastian

  The next afternoon, I woke up to Jakob sitting on the edge of the bed, staring (but not staring) down at me. Like father, like son, right? I can’t tell you how often I woke up to Zack doing that when we were living together.

  “Will you come with us to find uncle Sebastian?” he asked when I opened my eyes. I wasn’t sure how he knew they were open, but I was learning quickly Jakob could see without seeing.

  “Mate, there’s nothing I’d like more.”

  “Then get dressed, Feargus Finlay. My father will be home soon.”

  Zack had to be feeling supremely anxious about reuniting with his brother. Especially because all those years ago, he and Avis had agreed to tell Sebastian that Jakob was dead and vice versa. It was something Zack and I argued about once, actually, but I couldn’t change what had already been done, and neither could he. What's important is: he'd taken a big step in telling Jakob the truth now, and I was really proud of him.

  At the time, Sebastian blamed himself for Jakob’s condition—if he hadn’t done whatever he’d done to Jakob in the womb, if he hadn’t been born with his eyes, then none of it would have happened that way. He blamed himself for turning Avis, too. And then he blamed Zack and Avis each for making the decision to turn Jakob instead of submitting to the natural order.

  And Avis blamed Sebastian for everything.

  Zack confessed to me that keeping his brother from Jakob (until the deal with the Six forced the matter) was one of his biggest regrets, that he’d agreed to Avis’s plan not only to protect Sebastian, but also Jakob. And Avis, too, whose relationship with Sebastian had become volatile at best. It was difficult for Jakob to hear them fight, and they could barely contain it around him.

  So, when the attack on Amsteg happened, they decided that in order to help their son, they needed to simplify things. Because Sebastian’s solution was to let Jakob be free, but even Jakob eventually admitted that if he’d have been free, he’d have killed again, and probably again. Even then, after centuries of containment, he struggled with violent intrusive thoughts.

  “You try to please everyone, Feargus Finlay, and you please no one, least of all yourself,” Zack told me once. Advice to himself, advice to me? I wasn’t sure. Probably both.

  But the one thing Zack believed wholeheartedly, and would eventually find out he was horrifically mistaken about, was that Avis would take care of Jakob the way they always did together, and that their research would lead to a cure. So when he went to sleep, thinking the world was better off without him, he believed she would be there for him, even if he wouldn’t be.

  Anyhow, after going for a wee in the chamber pot Zack set up for me, I got dressed quickly.

  While we waited for Zack to return, Jakob played around on the piano. He didn’t actually know how to play formally, but he had the same innate musical talent as his father and his uncle, so whatever he was doing still sounded nice.

  We arrived at the old theatre later in the afternoon. As far as we could tell, it was empty. To be sure, I asked Zack and Jake to plug their ears, and I blew the Anima whistle.

  Nobody answered.

  Interestingly, some of the debris that was there the last time I’d seen the theatre had been cleaned up, and generally the place looked somewhat less cobwebby. We made our way through the atrium while Jakob pouted and Zack sniffed.

  “Well, he was here.”

  “What, you can smell him again?”

  “Can’t you?”

  I really couldn’t.

  “You said he would be here,” Jakob whined.

  “My love, I only told you if everything went to plan, then we would see uncle Sebastian. Things have not gone to plan.”

  “Is he coming back?” Jakob asked.

  “Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing that for certain, Jakob.”

  I reckoned I’d let the two hash things out while I had a quick look around. Stepping into the office, there was definitely a smell lingering, but what was it? I went around and lit the candles, which had obviously recently been used, so I searched the area further.

  The first piece of evidence: a cigarette butt.

  “Does Sebastian smoke?” I shouted.

  “Creation, no,” Zack replied, followed by the sound of his cane tapping against the marble floor. He and Jakob, whose steps were silent, joined me in the office. “Terrible for the complexion.”

  “I mean, you’re already dead. Does it really matter?”

  “Old habits die hard, old beliefs even harder.”

  “Well,” I continued, “someone else was here, then.”

  I might have been a genius, but it didn’t take one to narrow the scene. Tobacco didn’t grow natively and wasn’t readily available in Amalia. Alexander had his specially imported for him by Councilwoman Faust, one of the many perks of their mutually beneficial relationship. But I knew a certain middle-aged Strachan who smoked like a chimney and who may have been in the vicinity recently. My theory was further evidenced by the long blonde hair I found on the floor—much too long to be Sebastian’s, or even Rhydian’s, so—

  “I think Rhian was here,” I said.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Asa’s Rhian?” Jakob asked.

  “You mean Strauss?” I wondered.

  Jakob nodded.

  “Aye. I’m wondering if they ran into Sebastian and left.”

  “To go where?” Zacharias asked.

  “Well, Rhian had plans to travel to the lair with her father. I don’t know why they’d come here, or why they’d bring Sebastian, though. Maybe he went back to the base.”

  “I want to go to the base,” Jakob demanded.

  Before putting my foot in it any further, I glanced toward Zack whose eyes widened pointedly when he caught my attention. I couldn’t blame him. If my crew position estimations were correct, then the base would be swimming with people. Evelyn, Alexander, Strauss, Adeline, Michael, possibly Everleigh, and possibly Sebastian. Zack was hoping for a more controlled entry, and frankly, I was, too.

  “How about,” I said, “I’ll go to the base, find out what’s going on, and the pair of you can stay here in case Sebastian comes back.”

  “A grand idea, Feargus Finlay.” Zack turned to his son. “Jakob?”

  Jakob sighed so heavily he put Everleigh Gloom to shame. “Fine, fine.”

  Well, mates, I reckoned that was one tantrum sidestepped.

  Hopefully.

  I’d meant to ask for Zack’s help carting Adeline’s trunk over to the base, but with Jakob in the mix, and everything else, I hadn’t had the chance. So, I had no choice but to return to the cabin for the trunk myself, awkwardly dragging it behind me while running.

  I brought V’s basket with me, too.

  As much as I liked the base, I equally didn’t like the base. Because the hatch needed an elementalist to open it, I had no way to come and go without asking for help. In fact, that was the very reason Zacharias didn’t ask me to move in with him at the man-cave.

  Straightaway, I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to let them know I needed in, either. I didn’t want to blow the Anima whistle and give away our location, and besides, it might spook our Anima friends. I hadn’t told them about the whistle yet. Not that I was keeping it from them, I just forgot. So, I used the reinforced corner of the trunk to pound on the ground, and then I stepped aside. Ten, twelve seconds and the hatch rumbled open.

  It was so good to see Alexander, and when he saw me struggling with the trunk, he came up the stairs to help out. We hugged.

  Once we were back inside, the hatch ground shut and I had a look around.

  Crew and Company Placement:

  The base ? Michael, Adeline, Strauss, Evelyn, Alex, Ever, Peter, Teeth

  At sea ? Rhian, Rhydian, Sebastian?

  The old theatre ? Zack, Jakob

  The lair ? Riz, Bells

  It was a lot to take in. Over at the bar, Adeline whispered something to Strauss, and then the pair of them waved. Teeth, the wolf, was at their feet. Everleigh, over in the far corner near the hallway, was dusting with a cloth she controlled with her mind, obviously. She looked my way and said absolutely nothing. Because what did I know? She was just the Creepy Lass. She was just my kidnapper, right? Not my stalker, or my secret partner in crime for the past few months. Not one of my very best friends or anything.

  Peter smiled and tipped an invisible hat, otherwise going back to polishing the metal accents around one of the couches. On the other couch, Michael sat with a Strachan woman with strawberry blonde ringlets. But the second she saw me, she rushed over in her pastel yellow dress, smiling up to Alexander on the way by.

  Alex then left to join Michael on the couch, and soon the room was abuzz again, everyone carrying on their own conversations while I was pulled into a surprise hug.

  “I can’t get over how grown up you are,” she said. “A whole beard!”

  I smiled winningly. “Aye, well, I had a bit of a shaving mishap recently, so it’s about half a beard.”

  Evelyn laughed. “A joker just like your mum, aren’t you? Well—I’m Evelyn.”

  I took a moment to look her over, and while I thought Rhian looked more like Rhydian, I saw where she got her freckles and cute little nose. She also looked mightily familiar otherwise, and then I remembered: the time Rhian and I ran away from the orphanage, we went to the bakery for snacks. Green’s Great Big Buns. I wondered if she knew who we were at the time.

  I mean, she had to have, right?

  “Feargus Finlay, at your service,” I performed a short bow, and laughed internally when, from her corner, Everleigh Gloom glared in my direction.

  “Let me have your coat, love.”

  I let Evelyn have my coat, and my hat, because I didn’t think she’d let me have it any other way. And once all the hospitalities were sorted, and my coat and hat were properly stored on the racks that hadn’t been there before, I made my way to one of the bunk rooms so I could drop off my basket.

  After staring at it for a minute and twenty-one seconds, I set the basket down on the night table and unpacked a few of my knick-knacks into it.

  Crooked or not, it still worked. Unlike myself.

  I turned around when I heard the footsteps stop at the door. I hadn’t closed it, and I was a bit surprised as to who was standing at the threshold. She smiled brightly.

  “May I come in?” Adeline asked.

  “Aye, mate. It’s good seeing you,” I said, even if I’d been doing almost everything in my power to avoid it. I flashed her a smile in return.

  “I thought you may like an update,” she said.

  Well, that was thoughtful.

  I sat on the edge of the lower bunk and patted the space beside me. The lass had a real problem hiding her feelings because her face turned bright red, but she joined me anyhow.

  “Lay it on me,” I said.

  “Well, Sebastian still hasn’t returned, and Enforcer Rhian and Father Strauss have told Rhydian everything—and I mean everything. Now she’s gone with her father to the lair to pick up Matteus Rizik.”

  Everything? Then I reckoned it was possible Sebastian was with them. “No joke? It’ll be good to see Riz.”

  “I truly can’t wait to actually meet him. I’ve heard so many stories.”

  “Most of them are even true, I reckon.”

  Adeline sighed wistfully. “Ugh—and he’s so sexy, isn’t he?” I nodded because he really was, and after a mutual daydream session, Adeline turned in toward me. “Well, that’s really it,” she said.

  “You sure came a long way down the hall to tell me Rhian was busy.”

  Adeline glanced upward, chewing on her lower lip for a moment. “Well, what about you, Agent Finlay? What are you up to?”

  “Oh, right, I see how it is now. You came all this way under the pretense of telling me my sister was busy, but really, you just want to know if I’m spying on you still.”

  “Maybe I do.” Adeline shrugged. “Maybe I don’t.”

  I chuckled. “As far as I know, I’m done with the spying.”

  “Well, I don’t know how I feel about that, but are you sure you’re not up to anything?”

  “Nothing special, mate. Just here with you all now, aren’t I?”

  “So, you don’t happen to need me for anything? Another job, perhaps?”

  I answered with a bemused smile. “What are you actually asking?”

  “Please don’t get me wrong. I love it here. Truly. The base is lovely, everyone’s so lovely, but I haven’t left since Sebastian brought us here. I believe I may be going, quote unquote, stir crazy.”

  I gave her a casual once over, and despite how cute she looked and how good she smelled—a bit sweet, and a bit citrusy—she did seem frazzled. I understood. I rubbed my beard thoughtfully. “Well, I don’t have a job, but…”

  Adeline's posture inflated, and she leaned in toward me conspiratorially.

  Mates, I couldn’t avoid the lass forever, could I? And considering I was broken, there was no chance I’d accidentally sleep with her. But if there was one thing I knew for sure we had in common—

  I crooked my finger toward her.

  Smiling ear to ear, she tucked her hair behind one of them, and just like she’d done to me once before, I cupped my hands around it and whispered.

  She smiled, nodded, and immediately left to get ready.

  I did the same.