As we walked to Gabriel’s room the corridor seemed to be tilting. When I pointed this out Gabriel called me a “lightweight” and then went on ahead. He turned back to watch me make my way toward him. It was good to see him smile; almost as if he was back to his old self. And now we’re alone, sitting together on his bed, and finally I can ask him for his story.
“After I left you I ran. That was it, nothing more complicated. I ran and the Hunters followed. I shouted, urged you to hurry as if you were with me. It fooled them enough to think we were together. I was lucky. The best protection I had was other people—fains, I mean. I stayed where it was busy, and there was lots of confusion, lots of people, things Hunters hate: fains, fain police, noise, panic, and lots of shooting. I hoped they’d think I was a fain but at the same time I had to keep them after me. I was shot, twice, as I was running. Neither were serious wounds but the poison from the Hunter bullets weakened me and, as I can’t heal, I knew I wouldn’t last long. All I could think was that I should keep running. I remember seeing a car drive up to me, which must have been Van. Then I remember nothing until I woke up here in this room days later. I’d been ill but I think after that, after I’d recovered, Van drugged me and I told her everything. Everything about me, about my family, the letters, and the amulet . . . and about you. I’m sorry, Nathan. I know it’s private. I—”
“It’s OK. I don’t care about that. I’m just glad you’re alive. That’s what’s important. I thought you were dead. I didn’t want to believe it but it was the only logical explanation; I knew you’d be at the cave if you could be.”
“I’d be dead if it wasn’t for Van.”
“But why was she there in Geneva? Why risk her life for this amulet—half an amulet?”
“I don’t know. She told me that she’d recently learned that I might have half of it. It wasn’t hard to find out that I was in Geneva and working with Mercury. At first she was afraid that Mercury would get it but after Nesbitt said that you’d died she became much more concerned that it would fall into the Hunters’ hands.”
“Why? What does it do?”
“It doesn’t do anything. It’s only half an amulet. But amulets, whole amulets, heal and protect. She’s gone to a lot of trouble to get this and I think she intends to get the other half, and maybe together they’ll work again.”
“And you really know nothing else about it?”
“No. It was just one of those things my mother had. I value the letters more.” We’re sitting together on the bed and now he shuffles back and leans against the wall. “Van can keep it. I’m not interested in any of that.”
“Any of that?”
“Things. Stuff. Amulets, knives, whatever.”
“I never thought you were.”
He leans his head back, keeping his gaze on me. “It’s good to see you, Nathan. I’m glad you’re alive. Very glad.” He looks tired: his skin is gray and there are dark circles beneath his eyes. He says, “Who’d have thought we’d be here? Alive. Sitting in a beautiful house. Drunk on champagne.”
But his comment about “things” and “stuff” is making me wonder if it was wrong for me to want the Fairborn. I thought that if I had it I could show my father that I won’t kill him. Maybe I don’t need the Fairborn to do that.
“What are you thinking?”
“About stuff. The Fairborn. My father.”
“What’s he like?”
“My father? I don’t know. I really don’t know him. He’s a lot smarter than I expected; cleaner, I mean. He wore a suit. By looking at him you couldn’t tell that he’s killed hundreds of people.”
“I asked what he was like, not what he wore.”
“So what do you want me to say? He’s amazing? Powerful? Well, he is. Only more than I thought was possible. He did this thing that sort of stopped time—snowflakes were hanging in the air, waiting to fall, but we carried on talking as if it was all normal. I still had the Hunter bullet in me. He cut it out. Then he gave me three gifts: a ring, the bullet from my body, and my life.” I hold the ring out to show Gabriel. “Then he cut his palm and I drank his blood. I think all along, all my life, he was planning to give me three gifts. He was waiting for me to return to Mercury’s; he knew I’d head back there. And he did all that, stopped time for me, saved my life by giving me three gifts, and then . . . then he left! He left me again! Left me to Mercury and a valley full of Hunters.”
Gabriel doesn’t say anything.
“I always thought that if we met I’d explain to him, show him, that I would never kill him. And I tried to do that but it was as if he wasn’t listening. He could have killed me but he saved my life. It was the most amazing and wonderful thing and then . . . it wasn’t.”