“We’ll hide.”
“They’ll hunt.”
And I know she’s right, of course. There’ll be no end to it.
I look at Gabriel. He says, “I’ll go with you, whatever you choose to do.”
I shake my head. “It’s not my fight.”
Van smiles. “It’s your fight more than anyone else’s.”
I get up and walk round the table. I really don’t like this. I’ve no desire to fight against Hunters or risk my life for some cause. And I certainly can’t see myself fighting alongside even one White Witch. All I want to do is find Annalise and go and live a quiet life by a river, undisturbed, forever.
I walk out of the dining room, wander into the lounge, and sit on the sofa, looking out over the lake to the mountains beyond.
Nightsmoke
It seems that I’m not going to be left alone even here. I’ve been sitting on my own in the lounge for only a minute before Van follows me into the room, Gabriel comes to sit on a chair near me, and Nesbitt stands leaning against the door frame.
Van says, “Soul is a danger to us all. The Alliance’s cause is—”
I interrupt her. “I’m not interested in causes. I just want to get Annalise back.”
“And how do you plan to do that? Mercury is formidable; her Gift is exceptional.” Van paces the floor in front of me. “Let me guess. Annalise is in a death-sleep from which only Mercury can wake her. You hope that if Gabriel uses his Gift to transform into Mercury he can break the spell.”
I have to admit, but only to myself, that that is my plan and it does sound a bit lame.
“There’s more than one problem with your plan.”
“I didn’t say that was my plan.”
“You have a better one?”
If I did I wouldn’t tell her that either.
Van continues talking and pacing. “First problem: Gabriel is still unable to access his Gift. Second problem: you don’t know where Annalise is. Third problem: even if you find Annalise, and Gabriel can transform himself into Mercury, you still have to work out how to undo the spell. Fourth problem: even if you find a solution to problems one through three, Mercury will try to kill you if she finds out what you’re up to—and I think she’ll have a good chance of succeeding.”
“I admit there are a few hurdles.”
“Indeed.” Van sits on the edge of the coffee table in front of me. “Though I might be willing to help you over those hurdles.”
“If I join the Alliance?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“How can I help you? Well, let’s start with your first problem: Gabriel.” She smiles at him. “No offense, darling.”
He shrugs.
Van continues. “I can help Gabriel recover his Gift.”
“There are others who can help me do that,” says Gabriel.
“Well, there’s Mercury, of course, and a few others, but each one will demand much in return.”
Gabriel says, “And aren’t you doing that?”
Van smiles. “I think you’ll find I’m a lot easier to deal with than most. And I’m here and I can help straightaway. I understand you aren’t in any rush to rescue Annalise, Gabriel, but you’ve been a fain now for many months. You’ve been unable to access your Gift almost as long as you were able to use it. You need to get back to your true self soon.”
He looks at me. “It’s not the end of the world, not having a Gift. There are worse things.”
“I will help Gabriel recover his Gift so he’ll be able to transform into Mercury, but even then he may not be able to wake Annalise. It all depends on Mercury’s spell. However, I have another option if that fails.”
“Which is?”
“I’ll make Mercury do it.”
“Ha! How?”
“It’s no harder than getting her to eat her own tongue. There are potions that will allow it. I can make her want to wake Annalise.”
“And you’ll just get her to drink your potion, will you? ‘Here, Mercury, do have a sip of this.’”
“Not all potions need to be drunk.”
I wonder if that means she’ll use her smoke or something like that. But, whatever she does, I have to admit it sounds like she has more chance than I do of getting Mercury to wake Annalise.
“And a potion will help Gabriel find his Gift?”
“Yes.” Van looks at me, leans back, and says, “And I can help you too, Nathan, if you wish. Controlling a Gift is always hard. The more powerful the Gift, the harder it is to control.”
“I’m learning.”
“Good. You’ll need to have full control of it to fight with the Alliance and take on the Hunters.”
“I still haven’t agreed to join.”
“But you will because my help is the only way you’ll be able to rescue Annalise. And even together it won’t be easy. We won’t be able to waltz in there and waltz out again. It will take planning and care—but it is possible.”
“If I do join I want the Fairborn back.”