Undone Deeds

45

Meryl leaned off the side of the bed and rummaged around on the floor. We were in a room in the safe house. Several floors above us, the others worked out the final details of their battle plans, deciding who would do what and the risks involved. Eorla and Eagan had known for a long time that they would have to defend the city. They had plans and contingency plans, and contingency plans for their contingency plans. It was fascinating to watch them work together. They had been secret allies for years, yet protecting their own positions in case…. well, in case I died or Vize died or the world went to hell. After I saw the shape of their strategy, I didn’t need to hang around. In the final analysis, what they did was a distraction—for me and for Maeve. The endgame would be decided by two people, no matter the plans.

Meryl propped herself on the pillows and lit a clove cigarette. As the sweet smell filled the air, I curled on my side next to her. While she smoked, I used one finger to trace small circles in the damp skin of her cleavage. “Thank you for coming,” I said.

“Is that a pun?” she asked.

I poked her in the side, and she chuckled. “My poor taste in humor is finally rubbing off on you,” I said.

“I have to ask you something,” she said.

I propped my head up on my hand. “What?”

She flicked ashes on the floor. “We just had farewell sex, didn’t we?”

I forced myself to grin. “I hope not.”

She glanced at me through half-closed eyes. “Tell me something more wasn’t going on. Tell me you’re not planning on dying.”

“I’m not planning on dying,” I said.

She sighed, staring at the ceiling. “Gods, I know that tone.”

“You’ve heard it before,” I said. I wasn’t asking.

“You’re not planning on it, but it’s likely,” she said.

I stretched out my arm and laid my head on her shoulder. “You remember everything, don’t you? About Faerie. You remember it.”

“It sucks,” she said.

“Did you know who I was when we met here?” I asked.

“No. You don’t look the same. I had planned on avoiding you like the plague this time,” she said.

“Why?”

She stared at the burning ember of her cigarette. “Because I was tired of serving the Wheel of the World. I thought Convergence was an opportunity to be left alone and do what I liked this time. Whenever I’ve gotten involved with you, one of us dies. I was hoping to avoid that this time.”

I trailed my hand down her body. I remembered her from Faerie. She didn’t call herself Meryl then. We weren’t friends. Not enemies, exactly, but she had a knack for screwing up my life. This time had been different.

“The Wheel of the World turns, and we turn with It,” I said.

She snorted. “You don’t believe that anymore.”

No, I didn’t. Maeve was right about one thing. The Wheel of the World turned as It willed, but sometimes we could nudge it in different directions. “I need you to do me a favor—two, actually.”

She smirked. “Do I have a choice?”

“Absolutely.”

“Shoot.”

“I need to you to get my parents out of the city and as far away as possible,” I said.

She quirked an eyebrow at me. “Okay. And?”

“I want to send you away, too. You’ll be a fail-safe in case I fail. When you get to where you’re going, you can decide whether to come back or not,” I said.

“What if I decide not to?” she asked.

“I’m sending someone else, too. He’s already agreed,” I said.

“Okay,” she said.

“Okay? That’s it? You’re not going to argue and ask details?” I asked.

She put the cigarette out against the wall. “Nope. I’ve spent lifetimes letting the Wheel of the World dictate my choices, and each time, I’ve helped fuck it up. This time, I want to be in it for the ride. I’m going to trust you. I’ve never done that before.”

I rolled on top of her and kissed her. “Don’t die on me, okay?”

“You either,” she said.

I don’t think either of us believed we would have a choice. It was nice to think we would, though. Maybe this time we would. I slipped off the bed and pulled my jeans on. “Bathroom break. I’ll be back,” I said.

She stared at me, bemused. “I know.”

I glanced at her, curious at her tone, but she was checking her nails. As I left the room, a door opened down the hall, and Murdock stepped out. We both stopped short, glancing back and forth as if looking for an escape. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked.

He closed the door behind him and slipped his hands in his pockets. “I know people on the force who aren’t happy with the side we’re on.”

“Were you one of my secret bodyguards all this time?” I asked.

He frowned. “If there’s one thing that never changes about you, Connor, it is the crazy that comes out of your mouth.”

“Seriously, Leo. Eagan said all my partners knew,” I said.

He shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

A strange sense of relief settled over me. “So, all this time we’ve been friends, it’s been because we’re friends?”

“I’m still not getting what you’re talking about, but I’ll say, yeah, we were friends,” he said.

“Were?” I asked.

He studied his feet. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I’ve been wondering if everyone who’s saved my life did it because some vision told them it was necessary,” I said.

He narrowed his eyes at me, a little confusion and a little annoyed. “I’m not even going to respond to that.”

I grinned. “Actually, that’s the perfect response. Thanks. Are you okay?”

“It is what it is.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

Murdock tilted his head. “I know. I still don’t blame you. That doesn’t mean being around you is easy.”

“I get that. I’m glad you’re here, though,” I said.

“And I’m glad you’re alive,” he said.

I held my hand out, and he shook it.

“Let’s go take down a fairy queen,” I said.