We paid for our tickets and I led Kelly into the courtyard. The rest of the group trudged behind us, looking like they were all about to go to their deaths. I’d fix that.
I cleared my throat and swept my arm up at the tower behind me. “The Tower of London is all that is left of England’s short-lived attempt to win the space race. Built in 1984 by Morrissey, this rocket was meant to carry the Empire to the stars and beyond. English scientists have posited a theory that if you plant a flag in another country you own it, so if you just leave a flag floating in outer space you will own it as well. Unfortunately, one of the neighbours complained to the local council about all the noise the engines were making and so they scrapped the whole thing. Now they mainly use the tower to house the crown jewels and imprison failed footy captains, which you Americans know as ‘soccer’ because you’re heathens.”
By the end of my little speech, we’d accumulated a small crowd of tourists who stared at me with rapt attention, which only made Kelly and Jane snigger. A large American man tapped his watch. “Are we moving into the tower now? Can we still see the engines and the control room?”
“He’s not a real tour guide!” Arthur yelled, his body rumbling with suppressed laughter.
“Maybe I should consider a career change,” I grinned as the tourists moved away. I kept up my ridiculous commentary as we made our way through the different displays. Kelly loved every minute of Flynn’s Alternative Tower Tour, shrieking in her loud American voice at all the right places. Even Jane was laughing. It was all going well.
That was until we came across a display of medieval alchemical equipment and a scale model showing how the scientists and philosophers of the day imagined the universe. Kelly passed by the display with little interest, but I lingered, taking in the artful arrangement of the pieces and the elegance of the equipment.
Maeve would have loved to see that display. But as long as her sister was here with us, we’d never get to have a day out all together like this. One of us would always have to be with Kelly, giving her the sunshine and glitter version of what was going on. And given the ever so enthusiastic expressions I was getting from my fellow coven-mates, that person was probably going to be me.
We had less than two weeks before the Slaugh came a’riding, and Maeve was thinking she was going to die. Shouldn’t she be able to enjoy her time with her sister? She clearly hated lying, but shouldn’t she be able to be completely herself around Kelly?
Maeve said there was no way Kelly would accept her powers or her relationship with all of us. I wondered if maybe she was placing too much importance on her parents’ influence. Kelly seemed cool and not at all like other stuffy religious people I’d known. And I’m from Ireland, the land of excessive religion. Maybe Maeve was just too stressed out by the whole fae thing to see clearly.
I decided to feel Kelly out.
“You know,” I said, as we toured a display of royal bedchambers. “Many of the British royals took multiple partners. It was considered prudent, for if an heir wasn’t born by one, there was always another shot. Henry the Eighth had six wives?—”
“But not at the same time. You’re being ridiculous, Flynn.” Arthur glared at me pointedly. “That’s not true at all.”
I stomped on his foot, but Arthur was so damn big he probably didn’t even feel it. “Even if it’s not true – which I’m not definitely saying either way – don’t you think it’s a cool story? I love the idea of a Queen luxuriating on this bed surrounded by all her loyal suitors.”
Kelly wrinkled her nose. “Really? I think it’s horrible.”
“You don’t like the idea of a harem of guys all looking after you, tending to your every whim? You’d never get bored. You’d always have someone to talk to or hang out with or fuck.”
“Look, maybe it was okay in ancient times, but we know better now. Marriage is one man, one woman, period. It’s a partnership, two people with their souls intertwined, like my parents.”
“And you can’t intertwine more than one soul?”
“That’s not how it works,” Kelly said. “You ever heard how too many cooks spoil the broth? There would never be any kind of accord. Besides, if you had children, how would they know who their real parents were? I want my children to grow up with a mother and a father. No confusion. Honestly, I’d think anyone who was doing that is kidding themselves that they’d be happy in that situation.”
“Ooookay then.” Wow, that was not the words I was expecting to come out of this girl’s mouth.
Arthur shot me a look.See? Maeve does know her sister.
“Plus, think of all the diseases,” Kelly added. “If you’re not being faithful to one guy, how can you trust them all to be faithful to you? You’d end up riddled with gross STIs.”
A weird wheezing sound came from behind us. I turned around to see Rowan clutching his chest and gasping, as though he was struggling to breathe.
“You okay, mate?”
Rowan’s face had gone as still as stone, his eyes a million miles away. Arthur rushed to his side, glaring hard at me.
What? I didn’t do anything.But that was the problem, wasn’t it? I shuffled aside as a big crowd of tourists pushed behind us, feeling completely helpless.
“I just need a moment.” Rowan slumped down on a bench. Sweat trickled down his face. He kept pounding his chest, as though he somehow needed to restart his heart again.
“What’s going on?” I’d never seen him look this sick before.
“He’s having a panic attack,” Arthur said. “I saw him have one once before, when you were living in Arizona. We should take him home.”
“Why is he panicking?” Kelly wiped Rowan’s cheek. He flinched away at her touch.
Arthur shrugged. “Only Rowan knows why. It might just be all the people. When he starts breathing properly again, he might be able to tell us.”
