“Explain.”
“It’s true your spirit’s taken a hit,” Myron said, brushing the grass, dirt, and tentacle mucus from his coat as he got to his knees. “But I’ve been studying it this whole time, and I think I can help you repair the damage.”
“You?” Algonquin said, her voice dripping—in some places literally—with disdain. “How couldyouhelpme?”
Myron looked at her with the haughty confidence mages seemed to be born with. “Because it’s aMortalSpirit, and I’m the onlymortalleft alive who’s worked with one before. Marci Novalli was too naive to shroud her cat in illusions, which meant I was free to study it every second she wasn’t watching. In that time, I got a good look at his magical structure and the nature of the bond between them. I could use that knowledge to help you fix the damage they did to your spirit,andbind him properly when he rises.”
“Making you the new Merlin,” Algonquin finished, her water bright and excited at the possibility. Emily, on the other hand, was struggling to keep her rage in check.
“You dirtytraitor,” she snarled. “Don’t help her!”
“Who should I help?” Myron asked, wiping the mud off his cheek with a hateful look. “You? You were ready to put all our futures in the hands of a death spirit just because it rose first. Whatever Algonquin’s breeding here can’t possibly be worse than a spirit who summons armies of human ghosts. She’s going to do it anyway. If I help her, at least I’ll have some control over the final product this time. Not to mention I’ll stay alive.”
“Which is what’s most important,” Emily growled, glaring at him in disgust. “I don’t think you even care what kind of spirit she’s making. You just want a shot at being Merlin.”
“There’s no need to make it sound so dreadful,” Myron said, lifting his chin. “We both know Marci Novalli was a freak accident.Iwas the one who rediscovered the concept of Merlins. The one who did the research, who trained himself to be ready. The only reason she got a Mortal Spirit and I didn’t was because she was in the right place at the right time. But while you might be happy dying for nothing in a field, I’m not going to choose death over the position I’ve trained for my entire life. The spirit might be Algonquin’s, butI’mthe Merlin the world deserves, and unlike Novalli, I’ll actually know what to do with all that power.”
“You mean use it forher,” Emily said, jerking her head at Algonquin.
“You were ready to work with the Heartstrikers,” Myron reminded her. “Frankly, I don’t see the difference. Spirit or dragon, they all consider us as disposable, and after seeing the mess that is Heartstriker Mountain, I think I’d rather take my chances with the lake.”
“Well said,” Algonquin purred, reaching down with a watery hand to help Myron to his feet. “How nice to finally meet a human with some sense. Your aid would be much appreciated, Master of Labyrinths, and if you can get my Mortal Spirit back on schedule, I’ll even give you first shot at the binding. Is that not fair?”
“Quite,” Myron said, accepting her help to his feet.
Emily was already there, lurching at him. The Leviathan’s black tentacles caught her before she could actually lay hands on the mage, but that didn’t keep Emily from railing at her former partner. “You’re a jealous idiot!” she roared. “The whole point of finding the Merlin in the first place was so that we could finally stand toe to toe with things like her, not join them. She’s only using you to get what she wants!”
“So is everyone,” Myron said flippantly. “That’s what intelligent creatures do. We use our environments to get what we want, all except for you. You were given near immortality, and you’ve wasted it playing the martyr for humanity. I used to think that was noble, but now I see it’s all just a waste of time.” He shook his head. “I’m done, Emily. I’m sick of playing peacekeeper with you and your bird while I watch my dreams get crushed by a bumbling child and her arrogant cat. This time, I’m taking whatIwant.” He turned back to Algonquin. “Give me unfettered access to your magic, and I’ll fix the damage the girl and her abomination did to your spirit within the month. I don’t care if I have to hold it together with my own two hands, Iwillbe the first Merlin.”
“I believe you will,” Algonquin said, bubbling back up to her full height. “Welcome to the team, Sir Myron. But what of your former partner? Any specific requests? Should I drown her or—”
“Don’t kill her.”
Emily blinked in surprise, but there was no kindness in Myron’s eyes when he looked at her again. “Emily Jackson isn’t just Raven’s toy. She’s the pinnacle of modern magical innovation, an amalgam of the best spellwork and technology humanity has invented. There’s things in her that even Algonquin Corp hasn’t figured out, including a great deal of my own best work. Not to mention she’s worth a billion euros at least. That’s not the kind of weapon you throw away on a whim.”
“I didn’t realize she was quite that valuable,” Algonquin said, her voice bright with new interest as she looked the general over again. “It seems your partner has bought you a stay of execution. You should thank him for his generosity.”
She paused, waiting, but Emily stayed stonily silent, pushing with all her might against the Leviathan’s grip until, eventually, the spirit lost her patience.
“Put her somewhere she won’t get lost,” she ordered her Leviathan as she wrapped a watery arm around Myron’s shoulders. “The future Merlin and I have much to discuss.”
Emily looked away in disgust as Myron lapped up the praise. Raven flew away, too, though not for the same reason.I’ll be back,he promised as the Leviathan’s tentacles curled around her.Don’t do anything stupid until you hear from me.
Emily didn’t think she’d be doing anything at all. Already, the Leviathan was coiling her up like a mummy, binding her arms and legs until she couldn’t even twitch. The last thing she did was spit on the grass at Myron’s feet, earning herself a disgusted look from the undersecretary of magic before the black tentacles rose up to swallow her head.
Chapter 19
Three days later.
Julius was lying face down in his old bedroom. Someone had replaced the door, but otherwise it was the same as the last time he’d been in here: completely empty. Even the bed on the floor was still missing its sheets, so he’d lain on the bare mattress with his coat over his head. In the dark. Alone. He had every intention of staying that way, too, when someone kicked open his new door.
“Get up.”
A week ago, his sister’s furious, growling voice would have sent him flying out of bed. Now, Julius didn’t even flinch. He just rolled over, pulling the jacket higher over his head.
“Getup,” Chelsie snarled, flipping on the overhead light before reaching down to yank the jacket away. “You’ve been in here for days. Bethesda says she’s not putting the Council meeting off again, and Ian’s starting to agree with her. So if you don’t want to lose everything you’ve worked so hard to build, you willget out of that bed.”
Julius pressed his face into the mattress. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand what his sister was saying, or even that he didn’t think she was right. She was, he knew she was, he just couldn’t see the point anymore. He’d almost killed himself trying to be responsible from the moment he’d overthrown Bethesda. He’d ignored Marci, squandering what turned out to be his last days with her, and for what? His mother still hated him, Ian was still a plotting snake, and even if he could get them to work together, he didn’t know what to do. Worse, he didn’t care. Without Marci, nothing seemed to matter anymore.
