Feargus

  Days Until it Happens: 1

  Crew Placement:

  The Estate ? Alex, Rhian

  Leberecht ? Michael

  Defector’s Lair? ? Rhydian, Strauss

  Palisade ? Bells

  Man-cave ? Zack

  Jaska ? Adeline, Everleigh

  Istok ? Sebastian

  I stayed over at Zack’s, but I’d heard him leave in the middle of the night, and when I woke up in the morning, he still wasn’t back. I didn’t love that, because I had no way to open the hatch. I was trapped again, and though I wasn’t actually trapped, I felt trapped, and my heart started racing just thinking about it. I hoped he’d be back soon.

  The burst of anxiety aside, it was tough to get out of bed. It was a really comfortable bed—even more comfortable than the ones upstairs at the Widow’s Peak. After a few more minutes lazing around, I managed to roll myself out. Zack’s man-cave was well decorated but it was also well boring. There wasn’t much to do, not even a book. I made my way over to the piano and pressed a few random keys.

  It seemed Zack was working on a new song. On the nearby table, there were a few pages of music and sheet of lyrics that had been carefully written, but had seen a fair few adjustments along the way.

  

  You told me freedom; I chose chains.

  We rose from loss, remade from pain.

  I mistook your song for sin, your truth for weakness deep within.

  I called it order, called it peace, but peace is death that doesn’t cease.

  And when you begged, I closed my ears; my love became the sum of fears.

  Your mercy frightened me to see, for mercy’s what I took from thee.

  I saw your light and turned away, because it showed my own decay.

  My heart swelled reading those words, mates. Zack was writing a song for his brother. I hoped he’d have the chance to sing it to him, but I was starting to think Sebastian might end up being the more stubborn of the pair. Rightfully so, I reckoned. But at the end of the day, I knew Sebastian still loved his brother.

  I had another quick look over the lyrics before I put them back exactly where they were. There was something to getting your words down on paper, though I didn’t think I’d be much of a songwriter. I left the piano and sat at the typewriter. Maybe I could write V a letter.

  That’s what people do when they love someone, right?

  My fingers hovered over the keys, and I stared at the blank page in front of me. There was no way to cross out or erase what was written, so I had to choose my words carefully.

  

  Dear V,

  I love you.

  Yours if you want him,

  Feargus Alistair Finlay

  aka Jack Thomas Finnegan

  I tugged the release and slipped the page out. I folded the note carefully and tucked it away in the inside pocket of my jacket over by the door. Well, that was easy—now what? I paced, and I paced, and I paced. I was really hoping I’d get the chance to see Rhian that day. Ten minutes, thirteen, twenty.

  Twenty seven minutes and the door opened. Zack walked through the door seemingly in a hurry, and when spotted me walking around, his eyebrows knit together with concern. “I tried to be back before you woke up.”

  “It’s all right, mate. I’ve just been here doing absolutely nothing. What have you been up to?”

  “Sorting out logistics at Florea's.”

  “Need help with anything?”

  “Leave it to me,” Zack answered.

  “I read your new song,” I said.

  Zack scrunched his nose and tapped his way over to the piano. He picked up the sheet with the lyrics on it and looked it over. “What do you think?”

  “I think I need to work harder on Sebastian.”

  He breathed a short laugh through his nose. “Yes, well—would you like me to let you out?”

  “Aye, I’d like to go see my sister.”

  On the way back to Oskari, I stopped in Jaska to see Everleigh. Through the storm drain, I knocked on the door, and she opened it without making me whistle.

  She stepped aside, and I stepped inside.

  “What do you want.”

  “It’s good seeing you, too, mate.”

  “Okay.”

  That day, she hadn’t removed the decoy painting over the portrait of Sebastian. I froze looking at the dark red rose, and my heart skipped a beat when I realized I wasn’t breathing. I hurried over, prying the decoy out of the frame and setting it face forward against the wall. Meanwhile, from her chair behind the desk, Everleigh sighed and stared.

  “What. Do. You. Want,” she asked.

  “Reckoned it’d be a good idea to catch up. It’s been a minute.”

  “I think we’re done, actually. Zacharias is awake, and I’ll deal with Sebastian from now on. Thanks for getting him here, though.”

  “?” I said.

  “You’re annoying, not dumb. So just go.”

  “…”

  Look, I had no idea what was going on with her, but I knew how Ever’s defenses operated, and I wasn’t going to get anything out of her. I made my way through the black velvet curtain and left.

  While I lingered at the door for a while, wondering what had just happened, I heard a sound from behind the door. Quiet, but unmistakable, and it only made the situation even more confusing. Twelve, fifteen, seventeen seconds I stood at the storm drain door, listening to Everleigh Gloom cry.

  I really couldn’t think of anything I’d done that would have upset Everleigh so much, so I wondered if she was stressed out about Matilda. Whatever the case, I figured I’d give her a day to cool off and try again.

  Before heading to the estate, I stopped by the Widow’s Peak to say hi to V. She wasn’t in the office when I got there, but I did notice something new. She knew I wouldn’t be staying at the cabin as often anymore, so she’d made the office cot more comfortable for me. Folded neatly on top of my usual blanket, there was a new patchwork one, made up of squares from different shades of brown, white, and beige fabric.

  I had a sit on the cot, and brought the blanket to my nose. It smelled so good—spicy, just like her.

  It wasn’t long before the office door opened and V rushed over for a hug. I squeezed her tightly and kissed her face and her lips. She smiled the way I’d only ever seen her smile for me.

  “Did you make that?” I asked about the blanket.

  “Yeah, we missed our quilting date, so—I needed to do something with centuries worth of wench wear.”

  I laughed. “You made it from your dresses?”

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  V nodded. “Do you like it?”

  “I like it so much. I think I might love it.”

  Ivana’s smile grew, right before it fell. It looked like she wanted to say something. But then—“Hungry? Thirsty?”

  She didn’t usually, “Hungry? Thirsty?” me, so whatever I’d said must have hit a nerve.

  I smiled and nodded for her benefit.

  For the rest of the afternoon, she watched me eat a massive bowl of stew and drink some Piglets. I wanted to try the ale we’d made together, but she’d had to sell it before it spoiled. By the time early evening rolled around, we played a few games of Hidden Six before the dinner rush. After dinner, we made out for a while, and as much as I wanted to make love to her when she asked me to, my body hadn’t been cooperating lately. But her body was just fine, and fortunately for us, I still had my hands.

  The sun had long set when I finally got ready to leave. We were in the middle of kissing goodbye when there was a loud crash from the common room—sounded like someone had dropped a plate. V rolled her eyes and we both took a few more seconds to say goodbye. I told her she looked beautiful that night, that I’d be back later to sleep, and that I was looking forward to using the new blanket.

  After she slipped through the office door back into the common room, I reached into my jacket for the note I’d stashed away. I held it in my hand for twenty, twenty-six, thirty-two seconds, tapping it against my palm as I considered. Finally, I dropped the letter on her desk, and then I left.

  When I arrived at the estate, I found Rhian sitting in Alex’s backyard on the swing bench eating a fruit of some kind. A plum, an extremely tiny apple, it was hard to say. I also don’t reckon we’ve talked about Teeth yet, but aye, Alexander had a pet wolf who was sleeping at Rhian’s feet.

  I situated myself behind some bushes and watched the back of her head for a while.

  I’d been going back and forth about whether I should reveal myself or not, because remember, I was still dead. But if anyone would keep my secret, it would be Rhian, and I’d never intended to stay dead to my mates for long, regardless of what Faust expected. If what she really wanted was to see how the crew would react to losing a member, they’d had their reactions already. Besides, where was Faust? She hadn’t been around to give me further instructions, and Alexander hadn’t left me anything new, either.

  Rhian tossed something over her shoulder. It landed in the bush nearby.

  A pit. So it was a plum.

  I picked up the pit and tossed it back from whence it came. See, we Strachan Partisans tend to have excellent aim. It landed right where I wanted it to. Teeth perked up.

  Rhian picked up the pit and tossed it back over her shoulder.

  I threw it back.

  She threw it back.

  I threw it back again.

  And here’s where we need you, the people, to settle an argument.

  

  An Interview With Rhian Sinclair

  “Thank you so much for sitting down with me today, Rhian.”

  “It’s about time you call me in. I haven’t been interviewed since, what, chapter twenty-five?”

  “Your enthusiasm is refreshing. I’m sure the people agree.”

  “Right, so what’s the story?”

  “In the backyard of Alexander’s estate on the night you learned I wasn’t dead, how many times did you throw the pit?”

  “I threw the pit four times.”

  “See, as I recall it, it was only three.”

  “Mate, it was four. I threw the pit, you threw it back, I threw the pit, you threw it back, I threw the pit, you threw it back, I threw the pit.”

  “You’re just wrong.”

  “I’m just not.”

  “Well, we’re just going to have to leave this one here for the people to think about. Did Rhian throw the pit three times or four times? You decide.”

  “Right, so—lunch?”

  “Aye, I could eat.”

  So, as you know, we squealed and hugged, and chit-chatted for a while on the swing bench. Rhian stole my hat, and she guessed that I’d been responsible for getting Adeline a job at a brothel. We talked a bit about Michael, but only that I’d heard he was sick. She said he was being looked after back home. Otherwise, Lidia Roska was dead, and the reason for being in Amalia, at least from her perspective, might have been coming to an end. So, she asked the obvious question: “What are we gonna do now?”

  It was a great question.

  See, I didn’t know what Faust was going to expect of us next, but because she was one of the people asking me to find and wake Zacharias, I had a strong suspicion it would have something to do with him one way or another. And I was eventually going to need help with Sebastian if I was to follow through on what Matilda was asking of me. Sebastian and I were on good terms and whatnot, but he (as Vincent) and Rhian always had a special way with each other. I wondered if she might have better luck getting through to him.

  So, what now? I—

  There was a loud crash from inside the estate, the sound of breaking glass.

  Rhian and I bolted inside. Straightaway, I spotted the source of the sound. The window in the atrium had been completely shattered. And Peter was fighting off two intruders… with physical prowess and a sword? Well, all right, mate. I nearly cheered when he punted one in the face, and then plunged his blade into the other’s gut.

  I reached for my crossbow, loaded it, and shot the one he’d kicked through the back.

  The other one clocked Rhian and me next. He went for her first, but she dodged faster, and in the process, the sword exchanged hands between her and Peter. She leaped a few feet in the air and took the Anima’s head off clean. Then she went around the one with the bolt in his back and decapitated that one, too.

  I wasn’t surprised, but I was still so proud of her—

  A figure emerged from the shadows, stepping through the broken window into full view. It wasn’t as though Everleigh Gloom could be mistaken for anyone else. She locked her eyes on Rhian, and then on me, and she began twirling her finger around. Everything in the room started to spin, faster, faster, faster. Decor and Alexander’s furniture flying in every which direction, I dodged a small table. The wind picked up, so much the resistance against my face made it impossible to speak. But while all that was happening, Everleigh walked through the storm as if it wasn’t.

  While I was bracing myself against the banister, it didn’t matter. She was too strong, and the last thing I remember before falling asleep, was her cold, skinny arm wrapping around my waist.

  Days Until it Happens: -1

  Crew Placement:

  The Cage ? Me, Adeline, Strauss

  The Estate ? Alex, Rhian

  Leberecht ? Michael

  Palisade ? Bells

  Man-cave ? Zack

  Istok ? Sebastian

  I didn’t know how long we’d slept, but I woke up on the floor between Adeline and Strauss. First of all, I didn’t even know Strauss was back, and second of all, why had Everleigh put us all in a silver cage? And why didn’t she take Rhian? No idea, mates. But on the bright side, I’d had a decent sleep. I stretched the stiffness out.

  “Well, I feel rested,” I said.

  “I feel hungover,” Adeline answered. “I did take a shot of whiskey with Marta, but it was only a small one.”

  “Where are we?” Strauss asked, blindfolded and still blind I reckoned.

  “Would you like me to remove your blindfold, Father Strauss?” Adeline offered.

  “You don’t want to remove the blindfold,” Strauss answered.

  Adeline tilted her head. “Whyever not?”

  “Aye, whyever not?” I added, because the Feargus who didn’t already know about what happened to Strauss would certainly do that.

  That’s when Strauss explained what Lidia had done to him at the church, and that he believed he’d been healed by Zacharias Vonsinfonie, because he remembered hearing the sound of his cane against the floor. Then Adeline shared her story, about how she woke up to Zacharias Vonsinfonie playing violin at her bedside. Zack, Zack, Zack, Zack, Zack… just couldn’t help show himself off, could he?

  The next bit was something of a mess while Strauss and Adeline exchanged information. Adeline said there’d been a terrible fire in Oskari, but before I could panic, she said the Widow’s Peak was safe.

  They talked about Helena Varis, and that she’d tried to turn Michael and failed. But that’s also when I learned that when Rhian brought Michael to Leberecht to be with his family, Marta took Michael to see The Artist. The Trio were the ones looking after Michael. That couldn’t be good, could it? I wasn't actually sure. They were powerful, and even if the food-related problem might have been for the best, they'd done me a bit dirty when I was at The Studio. But ultimately, Delilah and Matilda were trying to help their friend, and they seemed to be all right, didn't they? Well, nothing I could do about it from a cage, though, and I was tired of being kidnapped now.

  Speaking of, we then went on to discuss how we all ended up in Everleigh’s cage.

  “Rhian and I were attacked by two of Those Things and a Strachan Partisan in a frilly dress,” I said, because that’s what the Feargus who didn’t know much about Anima or anything about Everleigh Gloom would say.

  “Everleigh Gloom,” Adeline said. “I know her from the brothel. I thought we were friends.”

  So did I, mate, so did I.

  “She kidnapped me from the Widow’s Peak,” Adeline added.

  I thought of V, and I wondered if she’d read my letter. Obviously she had, I reckoned we’d been sleeping for a while. The idea was making me a bit anxious—not as much that I was concerned she wouldn’t feel the same way, because that was up to her and didn’t change how I felt. It was the idea that she might actually love me, too, that was making me nervous.

  “Oh,” Adeline added, “I actually do have some rather sad news. As it turns out, Ivana of the Widow’s Peak is one of the Anima. Or—well, she was.”

  Was? I stopped breathing when something reached into my chest and grabbed my heart.

  Adeline continued, “But truly, she was heroic, saved a man from a burning wagon, but she got caught in the flame—“ what? “—she couldn’t get to her in time—“ who? “—not taking it well—“ who, what?

  No, no—that wasn’t happening. I wasn’t actually hearing V was dead. Obviously, I hadn’t slept as well as I’d thought, and I was just hearing things. Or maybe Everleigh had done something to my brain. That was always possible—she was always talking about brains. Aye, that’s probably what happened. I was sleep deprived, or going insane, or something was wrong with my mind again.

  Right?

  Right…?

  …Right?