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“The Reluctant Recluse wasn’t originally yours,” Baby Blue said. “He was traded to you before she”—Baby Blue pointed to Mrs. Brand, standing a bit behind the Forever Flame, watching the scene play out with growing horror—“stole you, and took you to the orphanage.”
The strip of blue rock beneath their feet glowed. Baby had added his piece of the puzzle.
“Who traded the Reluctant Recluse to me?” Mercury asked Baby Blue.
“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”
He knew enough of Phantomic memories to know they were often incomplete. Mere snatches of moments long past. Mercury studied the rock. The only color left was silver. He didn’t know any ghosts matching that color. The puzzle was incomplete.
From among the gathering of ghosts, the Bow Street Runner stormed forward toward the rock. “I’m tired of these games,” he said. “I have come to collect a fugitive, and I am taking you back to London.”
Mercury’s ghosts rushed toward the man, though most of them would be unable to do anything, not being able to grab hold of things or people.
Mercury spun and faced the man fully. “I have broken no laws. I have stolen nothing. I was stolen.”
The clouds above him swirled ever faster, ever harder. The wind pushed back the Bow Street Runner and Mrs. Brand.
The white, flickering glow of the Forever Flame drew nearer. “I will snatch all of them away.”
“As you can see, I can get them back.”
“What do you intend to do?” the Forever Flame’s voice snapped above the sound of howling wind. “Stand on this rock forever, staring at a ghost you can only see when you’re here while this Place of Rending destroys everything in its wake? Everyone?”
Tacey.
Aventine was destroying her. But if he stepped away now, the rending would simply continue and consume them all.
His ghosts were all attempting to reach him, but couldn’t seem to manage. Baby had at some point been flung out among them. Only the Forever Flame was able to approach. He stepped up and hovered on the rock. A glow from deep inside the rift, one exactly matching his glow, emanated, lighting the storm overhead.
Mercury could feel pinpoint pricks of pain as all of the connections tying him to his attachments began to twist and pull. The Forever Flame was attempting to tear them away.
Mercury held fast, focused on them all, though doing so was exhausting and difficult.
“It hurt that first time, too, you know,” the Forever Flame said. “Snatching away an attachment, breaking a bond that was meant to be forever. It caused them pain.”
“It was you who stole the first ghost,” Mercury said.
The Forever Flame grew brighter. The light from the rock turned arctic. Mercury could hardly move. He felt frozen in place. Trying to focus on his attachments, trying to focus on breathing through the pain and the misery.
In the crowd of his gathered ghosts, the Scholar disappeared. Then the Quiet Queen.
The Invisible Rain fought his way onto the rock. Another piercing jab of pain seared through Mercury as Testy Tolver disappeared.
“I have held this knowledge for a thousand years,” the Invisible Rain said, “but have been prevented from speaking it. It can be said here. I know that now.”
Mercury could feel his connection to the Invisible Rain tugging and twisting as the Forever Flame worked to sever it, no doubt, hoping to prevent him from speaking whatever it was he’d been holding onto. Even a true Invisible could be seen on the Rending Rock.
“I know who traded the Reluctant Recluse to you, because I know where this all began.”
Beneath Mercury’s feet, the vein of silver began to glow.
“Your father: Romulus Thorne.”
12
Romulus Thorne? The first person to whom he’d traded one of his Originaries, or at least what he’d thought was his first trade? The man he’d bought Aventine Manor from?
“Romulus Thorne?” he repeated, shocked.
