Page 114 of Goldilocks

For that particular conversation, Sam simply waited until Ivan was gone to the shop. Eric told Ivan about it once he was back, and Sam was subjected to an absolute killer look from Ivan and an, “Oh, youbothdecided, did you?”

But there hadn’t been any real acid in his voice. Sam thought he was just annoyed about being left out of the decision, not annoyed because he disagreed with it.

When they got to a certain point, Sam nodded to Ivan. Ivan turned to Oisín and said his ankle was killing him and would Oisín mind wrapping it for him? And would Oisín explain the first aid equipment you need to have on a ship? And a dozen other things that kept Oisín’s attention inside the cabin until they safely arrived at Vi’s nest.

Sam had talked with Vi several times over the past few weeks. He’d looked for hints that she didn’t want this. That Roan had thrown his weight around and she didn’t know how to object, but despite all his prodding, he’d never found any resistance. She seemed eager to host Oisín and had shown him again the rooms that were prepared, the gardens, and then she’d shown him the aviary they were constructing for him. Judging from the frame, Vi intended for the aviary to be bigger than Sam’s entire house.

He lined up with the pier, and Oisín looked out.

Roan stood, dressed and waiting. His cherubic curls were damp, weighted down to cover his forehead and the tips of his ears. Vi and the three nurses that Roan had hired waited with him. Sam muttered a curse. He was pretty sure he’d told themnotto have the nurses out when they first arrived. Hadn’t he? Maybe he’d just thought it. At the very least, they could have left the nurse with the huge wings inside…

Oisín caught sight of them and stared in wonder at their hosts.

“Dad, this is my boyfriend’s place. Remember I told you about it? He has rooms set up for us since we can’t go home anymore,” Sam spoke gently. He didn’t know if his dad’s dementia was caused by the ghoul or not, or if, like with Sam’s dyslexia, its presence had worsened an already pre-existing condition. Oisín hadn’t seemed too confused the past few weeks, but Sam was also afraid to trigger an episode of fear in him.

“He’s like a thrush,” his dad said, examining the wings.

Sam gnawed at the inside of his cheek.Okay,he thought.I’d better just go for it. “Roan said that his species are called Avians. You get all sorts of wings, depending on the family line. That’s Yus, and he works for the household. He’s going to help you get settled in.”

Eric lined them up with the dock, and Ivan tossed a rope. It was Yus who stepped forward to catch it and tie them off. Oisín waited until they were tied and Sam had climbed onto the pier before following, letting Sam guide him into the firm ground of the pier. He had eyes for nothing else but Yus’s wings.

And Yus, aware that he was being inspected, shook them out to full size – huge, bulky things – which, with the feathers fluffed out, seemed even bigger. A noise of delight rose in Oisín’s throat, and a shiver of hope wormed its way through Sam.

His dad turned, eyes fixing on Sam as he raised an eyebrow. “Sam,” he said, coherency and comprehension in his eyes. “Where’s this you’ve brought me?”

“I told you,” Sam said, mouth softening into a smile. “My boyfriend’s place. Let’s have a look around. Vi has a huge garden inside with birds you’ve never even heard of before.”

His dad looked past Sam to the villa sitting against the coastline, and then his gaze travelled sideways toward the settlement in the distance. There was no blooming panic, like Sam had learned to expect when he tried bringing his dad out of the house. Thoughts churned behind his eyes, and the crowd on the dock waited patiently.

“I think you should introduce everyone first?” his dad finally suggested, turning to the group. He nodded to Roan. “I remember your boyfriend.”

Roan inclined his head toward Oisín and stepped forward to Sam’s side. He introduced the nurses first and Vi last, who sprang into a description of the garden and the spread of food she had prepared for them all. It was with a relaxed shrug that Oisín agreed they should sit down and talk, and why not do so over a nice meal?

Sam relaxed further as, without even glancing at Sam for support, Oisín fell into step with Vi, heading toward the building. And Sam knew with blessed certainty that it would be okay here. He reached sideways, catching Roan’s hand in his, and squeezed it tightly. “Thank you for doing this,” he said.

Roan returned the squeeze and more, leaning in to nuzzle his cheek. His skin was warm against Sam’s, his golden hair ticklish on his temple. “He will be well cared for,” he assured Sam.

Chapter Forty-Two

“Did Goldilocks tell you why The Brothers gave us the body?” Vi asked Sam. At Vi’s request, Sam was adding colour to the statue of Belle in the entrance hall. He’d been in her villa more often than not the past few weeks, and despite all the books he brought her, he still wished to offer more for her hospitality.

Sam looked up from the scale he was in the middle of painting. Goldilocks, who had been patiently modelling for him for hours, had shifted to fetch them lunch. Vi wore a dress of gold, not dissimilar to the shade on Sam’s brush bristles. She sat, the hem trailing into the water of the pool. She studied the work Sam had done so far as he set aside his palate. “I’ll admit, it’s a little more morbid than I’m used to from my upbringing.”

“It is morbid,” Vi agreed. “Who wants to look upon their love’s murderer each day? Why keep it in the house at all? Ghouls are peculiar creatures. They steal memories, but they do not destroy them. All of those memories are still within them; that’s how they learn.” That, Sam thought, was how his ghoul had known how to text Eric. He’d stolen enough memories to know how to lure Eric to the house. Alone. “Belle’s memories are in that thing’s body, and I have spent years and years of study in order to access them. I am a driven woman, and if there is even the smallest chance for me to see part of her again, I will not stop searching.” She reached out, her gloved fingers hovering over the wet paint, a look of desperate longing on her face.

“I’m sorry that you lost her,” Sam said, truly meaning it. His heart ached for her.

“As am I,” Vi said. She waited a minute, drew in a deep breath that seemed to ground her. “I have not yet figured out how to find her memories, but I did manage to return Goldilocks’s memories to him. Goldilocks brought the ghoul’s corpse from your world to me and asked I do for you and your family what I did for him. I have been preparing these past weeks, and I am now ready.”

Sam’s breath caught. The idea that his dad could reclaim some of what had been taken was staggering, and his internal voice of caution struggled to dampen a powerful surge of hope. “We’re not merfolk like Roan.” He tried to lessen it. Tried to kill the feeling dead in his chest right there and then.I can’t expect that, it was a desperate thought.Because I’ll be crushed if I don’t get it.

“I believe it will work.” Vi sounded certain, and there was a gleam in her eye. Confidence. “I was a skilled witch even before I mated Belle, and over the years of study, I have only honed my abilities. Goldilocks won’t allow me to first attempt it with you. It must be either Eric or Oisín. I recommend Eric.” Vi placed her gloved hand atop Sam’s. “However, there is one drawback to consider. It must be all the memories. I am not skilled enough to withhold some and return others. It would mean the return of the assaults and violations alongside what you wish restored.”

That halted Sam’s imagination. His dad had been subjected to the ghoul for so many years, had so much stolen from him, that Sam shuddered to think how many bad memories would return alongside the good. Sam had been out of the house, yet his dad hadn’t left it in years. There would be little else but memories of the ghoul the past decade.

“For myself, it’s worth it,” Sam said. It was worth it to have the brother he only had glimpses of returning. “We’ll have to ask Eric and my dad to see how they feel about it.”

“Let us go and do that,” Vi said. She squeezed his hand again and stood.