Control (Book Seven) (Fated Saga Fantasy Series) (33 page)

Someone clapped
behind them all.

They
turned to see Jurekai Fazendiin sitting on top of the Immortality Stone. “I must say, nicely done.” 

They heard what sounded li
ke a growl escape Colin’s lips, followed by Catrina whispering something inaudible in his ear.

“I always knew the S
tone would come in handy,” Jurekai continued. “Oh, I always knew where it was. Jasper thought he had me fooled but hey! Why spend my time and energy protecting it? Jasper did all the hard work for me.”

“That seems to
be your number one theme,” noted Colin. “Letting others do your work for you.”

“Why mess with a good thing
?” he returned. “For example, you just finished off my competition and all I had to do was give up the Stone for a few hours.”

“I w
on’t let you take it back,” said Meghan insistently.

“Ah. My daughter. S
uch a pleasure to see you again,” he said with fake enthusiasm.

Ivan and Sebastien took protective stances in front of her.

“Tsk tsk boys! I can’t speak to my own daughter?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Meghan retorted.

“You know,” started Fazendiin arrogantly, “I always knew you were alive.”

Her face gave away that she
was curious as to what he meant, but she refused to ask.

He continued regardless, turning to Colin. “I always knew you were out there somewhere too. I never told anyone, of course. Would have ruined everything. And everything, has
gone exactly. As. I. Planned.” He spoke clearly and precisely.

Some part of Meghan rejoiced in the fact that Aloyna had been right. Her son had tried to manipulate the prophecy. Make it work for him instead of f
or the side of good. Her rejoicing dimmed when she realized that her father was still winning. And that they had helped him do so.

It
had been his plan all along. To use them to finish what he could not: to kill off the remaining Grosvenor.

Meghan
pounded against the block in Colin’s mind until he opened it. She shared this with him, instantly regretting her choice. Colin put the block back in place and took a menacing step towards Fazendiin.

“Ah ah ah,” warned Fazendiin. “I would not do that if I were you.”

Colin relinquished only slightly.

“You know,” said Fazendiin, “
you were an extra surprise the night I set fire to that pathetic human orphanage.”

Meghan’s mouth turned in disgust.

“I knew you were alive,” he added, “but your mother had hidden you from me. What luck, that when I traced my daughter, you just happened to be sleeping in the crib next to her. It should have been obvious I suppose. It was the only orphanage around. Where else would one safely hide a child?” He looked extremely pleased with himself. “And besides, it worked. The fire separated you from your mother,” he aimed at Meghan.

“You,” mustered out Meghan. “You murdered innocent children.” Her thoughts were on the ghost boy Timothy, whom she and Colin had befriended while in Grimble.

She stepped out in front of Ivan and Sebastien, being sure to look her father directly in his eyes.

“Do not ever call me daughter! You will never be my father! Your blood might run through my veins, but you’re not worth the breath to say the word
.”

“Fiery,” replied Fazendiin.
“There’s hope for you yet.”

Colin leapt forward
again, out of Catrina’s grasp.

“
Ah yes, get mad! Colin Jacoby... the lost little lamb. Doesn’t know who his mommy and daddy are,” mocked Fazendiin.

Catrina grabb
ed desperately at Colin, pulling him back.

Ivan and Sebastien did not weaken their stance,
forcing Meghan back behind them.

Nona, as
usual, was weaving around her master’s legs.

“You will want to think twice about killing me, Colin.”

“Why?”

“I guess that depends on how desperate you are t
o find out who your parents are.”

“You know?” asked Colin.

Fazendiin’s jeering grin hurled down at them like waves of hate. “Of course I know who they are. You don’t seem to be comprehending what I’m trying to tell you all... I am the one pulling the strings. I am so many steps ahead on this game... you cannot win!”

“You might not think we’re much of a threat to you,” shouted Meghan, “
but what about your dear old mummy?”

“My mother,” he laughed again. “
She has no power in this world. You know nothing of her.”

“I might know just a little bit more than you’re thinking,
Dad
,” she added in the most smug tone she could muster.

She had inched her way in front of Ivan and Sebastie
n again; she heard them both groan when she egged her father on. She realized pissing him off probably wasn’t the smartest idea.

Catrina
struggled to keep Colin calm. She didn’t want him killing anyone else today. He’d done enough.

Meghan
looked back up at her father.

“You know what?
I think you might need to take a little trip home. I think, you’re about to discover you’re not quite as many steps ahead in this game as you might believe.”

The look on her father’s face did not immediately indicate whether he believed anything she said or not.
But then she saw it. A glimmer of doubt. A hint of fear.

He didn’t say a word.

In a flash, he and the Immortality Stone vanished.

It took a moment for them to realize they were once again alone.

Meghan let out a long sigh, feeling exhilarated; she had told off her dad. It was followed by dread; she had told off
her
dad...

What consequences would it all bring? Had she made things
more difficult for Colby? Exhilaration degraded into guilt. She had been so worked up and felt such a need to pull one over on her father, she hadn’t even thought about how this might affect Colby.

Ivan leaned against a
beam, closing his eyes.

Seba
stien slid to the floor, lying onto his back and covered his face for a moment.

“I don’t think we should stay here,” they heard Colin saying.

Meghan looked up to see Catrina agreeing with him.

“No, we should get back to the banished camp,” agreed Meghan.

Ivan seconded the motion and Sebastien threw in a hearty agreement of his own.

Colin sighed.

Meghan realized he had not been speaking of all of them. Just himself and Catrina.

“Do you have to go?” she asked him.

“I don’t see that I have any other choice. Regardless of what’s happened here today, the Grosvenor being dead except your father, I’m still not going to be accepted back into your world. Most of them still want to hunt me down...”

“Even if they did, they can’t kill you,” reminded Meghan.

“No. But it’s not just me. And frankly, I’d rather be in hiding and have some kind of life, than try to live in your world, where I’m despised.”

Meghan didn’t like how he used the term
your world
. It was so separating. But she did understand.

“Just promise me that you’ll check in now and then. Let me know you guys are okay.”

“We will,” he replied. “Things will be different from now on. I promise.”

“Where will you go?” asked Sebastien.

Colin cast a worried look toward Catrina.

“I have no idea. Somewhere remote, where no one can find us... maybe somewhere in a city? Get lost in the crowd.”

“A city,” mumbled Sebastien, deep in thought. “If you want the city, I know where you can go. Amelia has safe houses set up all over the place, for the banished that were working in the non-magical world. They’re all abandoned now. You’d be safe. The closest one’s in Portland, Maine. Not a real busy city to get lost in, but there’s one right in the heart of Boston.”

Colin and Meghan had been to
Boston a few times during travels with their uncle. It was a much busier city. Much easier to get lost in.

Sebastien explained where it was.

Meghan felt a bit of relief come over her. At least she’d know where he was. She knew he’d have the place cloaked and be impossible to find, but at least he’d be somewhere safe.

Ivan came over and wished them luck.

Colin patted Sebastien on the shoulder, thanking him.

Catrina leaned down and pet Nona, thanking her again for her company during her imprisonment.
She purred her response in a gracious meow.

Catrina smiled and stood up facing Meghan.

“Thank you,” Meghan told her. “For taking care of my brother.”

“I don’t mind,” she replied with a slight blush in her cheeks.

“Just the same. Thank you.”

She moved her gaze to Colin, not sure when she’d see him again.

“I
will
stay in contact,” he promised.

Looking at him, she had a hard time finding what she was searching for; a little piece of the boy she knew.
There was a tiny glimmer of it in his eyes. She clung to that glimmer, forcing it to erase all the thoughts that terrified her.

“Be careful,” she told him.
“Anything you need, find me.”

He nodded,
took hold of Catrina’s hand and in an instant, they were gone. Meghan held back tears trying desperately to escape. She wasn’t going to let the waterworks start.

“Nona,” she said with a shaky voice. “I’d like to get out
of here.”

“You light the fire, I’ll take us home
.”

Meghan
did so and she, Sebastien and Ivan grabbed Nona’s back, disappearing into the flames, leaving the barn and what was left of the Grosvenor’s bodies to fall into decay.

This time, they popped out of a bonfire set in the middle of the banished camp. A few onlookers jumped, startled when three bodies and a Catawitch bounded out of the flames; but after recognizing
who it was, they stood down.

The three stepped onto a w
alkway, odd looks and questioning gazes thrown their way. They realized they hadn’t even thought to use magic to repair their clothes or clean themselves up.

Meghan’s clothes were
torn in too many places to count. Her red hair was a tangled mess of knots intermingled with hay and dirt from the barn.

Sebastien had blood running down his arm from a cut he hadn’t even seen until just now.
And as he thought about it, he hurt all over. That fall he’d taken suddenly felt like it had bruised his entire body. For the moment, he accepted the pain, like a badge that he’d survived to see another day.

Ivan
’s pants were fairly intact, but his jacket and shirt were torn beyond repair. He also had a nasty scratch across his cheek; the bleeding had stopped, but he hadn’t even noticed it.

“Whatever,” said Meghan, in an
I don’t care
tone. She started towards home, no desire to do anything, say anything, or think about anything. She wanted to sink into a pleasant dream and just vanish for the rest of her life.

Sebastien followed; his home wasn’t too far beyond hers.
He wasn’t ready to deal with the wrath of his parents. They’d be thrilled he was home and safe, but angry, none-the-less. No not angry, just worried. He felt guilty knowing what he was putting them through, but it didn’t matter. He was in it until it was finished. He felt responsible for a lot of what Meghan was dealing with, and still had tons to make up for.

Ivan followed, but not on purpose. He didn’t know where he was headed. His mind felt blank. Empty. Except for this one
feeling he couldn’t quite grasp yet. It was growing though. A need. A desire for something he could not place yet.

They hadn’t walked far when Meghan let out an “eew.”

Ivan and Sebastien tossed her a concerned look.

“Sorry,” she replied. “It’s just
Nona. Her nose picked up the scent of a nice juicy rodent.”

“Ah,” said Ivan, his tone even.

“I’ll see you later,” Nona said. “I smell dinner and I’m famished.”

Meghan shook her head. “I really should just make her eat regular c
at food or something, but she loves to hunt.”

“It
’s her nature,” said Sebastien, sounding weary.

Me
ghan noticed Ivan, staring into nothing.

“You okay?” she asked him.

“I think I’m going to... walk,” he said it like a question. “Will you be okay getting home?”

“I’m going straight there
. No detours,” she swore. She stared at him; he didn’t even notice. Ivan looked like a blank canvas that needed painting before it could be brought to life. She worried he really needed to talk, and part of her thought she should stay and force him to, but in all honesty, she didn’t have it in her. Perhaps, like her, he just really needed to be alone. To process everything that had happened.