Feargus

  Days Until Rhian Returns: 5

  Crew and Company Placement:

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

  The lair ? Rhian, Rhydian, Riz, Bells, Sebastian(?)

  Old theatre ? Jakob

  Lawing ? Zack

  Everywhere ? Everleigh

  Early the next afternoon, I woke up to the sound of a crash, followed by commotion coming from down the hall. After getting dressed, I kissed my fingers, touched V’s basket, and yawned my way out of the bunk room. Much as I was curious about the shenanigans going on in the sitting room, I made a quick trip to the loo first, and by the time I arrived at the scene, everyone was gathered in a circle, staring somberly at something on the ground.

  “—quite old,” Strauss said. “It was only a matter of time.”

  I joined the others, and in the centre of the mourning circle, the chandelier lay on the ground, shattered in a thousand pieces. I hadn’t spent enough time at the base to get attached, though I reckoned Sebastian might be sad when he returned.

  “This is going to be so annoying to clean,” Everleigh commented.

  “Okay, well, nobody move,” Michael said. “Most of you don’t even have shoes on.”

  I looked down at my bare feet.

  “I finally gain the courage to walk around barefoot and now the ground is covered in glass,” Adeline commented. “What are the odds?”

  I looked to her feet. She had such cute little toes, and—what? “Zero point seven seven five per cent,” I said confidently.

  Adeline laughed. “I almost believe that, Agent Finlay.”

  I tossed her a reflexive wink.

  “Since Strauss, Alexander, and I are the only ones with enough sense to wear shoes in a light construction zone, everybody else stay still,” Michael suggested. He then went around and plucked Everleigh from the mourning circle. Her arms were crossed, and he held her carefully at the waist with both hands, and at arm’s length. He delivered her to a safe space across the room. Strauss plucked Evelyn next, and Michael plucked Adeline and me together, each with one arm.

  Alexander just stood there shaking his head. Teeth was asleep on the couch.

  “I’ll have Peter commission a new one at the glassworks,” Alexander suggested. “I doubt if we’ll be able to replicate those strange bulbs, however.”

  “Speaking of the glassworks, Alexander, may we speak in private a moment?” Adeline asked.

  Alexander nodded, and the two wandered off down the hallway. Everleigh followed shortly behind, but only to get her shoes. When she returned, she ordered us all to get out of her way so she could take care of the mess we left all over the floor.

  “Is that any way to talk to someone you’ve only just met?” I asked her.

  She narrowed her gigantic eyes in my direction.

  I smiled sweetly. “I think you should say please.”

  Over on the other side of the room, Evelyn and Strauss each shrugged and nodded as if to say, “Well, that’s never a bad idea.”

  Feeling the peer pressure, Everleigh sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine. Everybody get out of my way so I can clean your mess, please.”

  “Look at that,” I said. “You’re a natural.”

  The corner of Everleigh’s lips twitched before she glared in my direction again.

  I’d really missed her, and judging by the playful twinkle in her eyes, she'd missed me, too.

  In the end, we all made good on our promise, and we left her alone with the mess.

  Since the sitting room was off limits while Everleigh did her thing, the others all went to their respective rooms, and I tiptoed down the hallway toward the theatre. Alexander’s voice was quiet, but with my ear pressed against the door, it was clear as day.

  “—thoughtful of you, Miss Blanchett. I would think a week, perhaps two.”

  “Well, that’ll be just fine,” Adeline insisted. “I truly can’t thank you enough, Alexander.”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “No need, and if you’re ever looking for something to do, you’re always welcome at the shop. They’d love to have you.”

  “And I’d love nothing more. I have so many designs and—well, what you’ve done with the place is truly remarkable, and all the stained glass around the city is a marvel.”

  I yawned a few times while Alexander droned on about stained glass, its overarching function for people’s mood in a dreary territory, and how it further supported the comfort levels of the Anima while indoors on those rare, sunny days. Adeline was in her glory, and when the conversation seemed to taper off, I took a cautious step away from the door. But then—

  “Alexander, how do you do it?” she asked.

  “Are you sure you wish to have this conversation with me? Evelyn may be better suited to—”

  Adeline laughed. “No—not it. I rather think that would come naturally, wouldn’t it? No, I mean, how do you do it? With Evelyn? It’s quite obvious you’re in love with her.”

  “Ah—“ Alexander paused for a thought. “My curse and her unrelenting love for Rhydian leaves me with little choice in the matter except to ‘do it’ — but, Miss Blanchett, I wouldn’t change a thing. She is worth loving, isn’t she? Regardless of what I get, or don't get, out of it.”

  My heart skipped twice.

  “How do you always know exactly what to say?” Adeline mused.

  “Four centuries of self-reflection may have something to do with that,” Alexander replied.

  Their voices trailed off when I wandered back down the hallway, turning into the bunk room.

  I left the base later that afternoon after asking Everleigh to let me out.

  I had two important errands to run, and I wanted to catch up with Zack. First stop was the Drop, where I left the coded letter for Councilwoman Faust in the letterbox I knew was set to be collected by a messenger the next day. Following that, I ran to the estate and let myself in with my key.

  Peter was home, but he was busy arranging some new furniture in the atrium.

  I helped him out with a few bigger jobs, and then I ran up the stairs to the blue and silver room. V’s blanket was still on the bed where I left it.

  I held it close, and it still smelled just like her, but instead of staying there, I brought the blanket to the pink and gold room. Once inside, I shut the door, took off my boots, and got into the bed that still smelled a bit like Rhian.

  For the next thirty-one and a half minutes, I closed my eyes and cuddled up with two of my favourite people who weren’t actually there.

  So, Zack. The old theatre was closer to the estate than it was to the base or the man-cave, and I reckoned I’d check that location first. It was a good call, because both Zack and Jakob were haunting the atrium when I walked through the crooked double doors.

  Zack was in his pine-needle green suit that day, and Jakob wore all black.

  When the door closed behind me, Zack met me halfway for a hug. He patted my back three times and kissed the side of my head.

  “I missed you, mate,” I said.

  “Me, too, Feargus Finlay,” he answered.

  “I missed you, too,” Jakob added under a thin veil of sarcasm.

  “Aye?” I chuckled. “Well, I missed you, too, Jakob. How are you both doing?”

  “Fine,” Jakob answered.

  “Yes, we’re both… fine,” Zack echoed. “But I’m glad you’re here. There’s something I need to show you.”

  “Here?” I asked.

  “No,” Zack said. “Jakob, we’ll be gone for a few hours.”

  Jakob shrugged, resisting the hug Zack gave him regardless.

  I wrinkled my nose, offering a sympathetic smile toward my friend who just shook his head.

  We left the theatre shortly afterward.

  Days Until Rhian Returns: 5

  Crew and Company Placement:

  With me ? Zack

  The estate ? Peter

  The base ? Adeline, Michael, Strauss, Evelyn, Alex, Teeth, Everleigh

  The lair ? Rhian, Rhydian, Riz, Bells, Sebastian(?)

  Old theatre ? Jakob

  When Zack led me all the way to Jaska, I would have bet my last note he was taking me to the flower shop. I reckoned maybe there’d been a development with Florea, or maybe he’d discovered something on our dead attacker that we hadn’t. But actually, we bypassed the marketplace entirely and made our way around into the slummy, residential district. Eventually, we stopped in front of a chipped door, and I heard the click when he unlocked it with his mind.

  The old abandoned house smelled like rotting wood and mildew, which was immediately explained by the obvious leak in the roof. It was a one-room house, and if there’d been any furniture, it had been cleared out ages ago by the lack of stencil marks on the floor. More interesting than the leak or the lack of furniture, though, was the lass curled up in a ball, fast asleep in the corner. Beside her, there were a few scraps of blank paper and a map of the city.

  “As much as I appreciate you giving me lasses all the time, mate, there are more polite ways to go about it.”

  Zack cracked a crooked smile. “You’re getting sloppy, Feargus Finlay.”

  “Mate, who is this?”

  “This one was working with the dead one.”

  “No joke? How—”

  Zack raised his eyebrows.

  “—right. Math. One of these days, you’re going to have to give me a better explanation than that.”

  “Am I?”

  I sighed.

  Mates, Zack was right. I was getting sloppy. Obviously the attacker would have a partner waiting in the wings in case something happened to them. Remember: everything’s more fun with a friend. But between my broken brain, my broken body, and my broken heart, I’d been letting things slide, and I’d really messed up. Then again, there was no point in beating myself up over it now. What was done was done, and I’d just have to do better in the future.

  “Well?” Zack asked. “What would you like to do with her?”

  “Nothing pleasant,” I said. “Will you help me?”

  Zack put his arm around me and squeezed. “Of course I will.”