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Merlin winced and fretted with his waistcoat, from the study’s doorway. “What did I do this time?” he asked, glancing at Nox.
Nox held up a hand, signaling for the older man to give Nelson some space. “We found signs at Julian’s and it looks like this fake Badb is coming after me and my three.”
“I see…” Merlin’s wince intensified and Nox nodded.
“We kicked around some ideas about who the three might be and Nelson needs a little time for it to sink in,” he explained carefully, but Nelson snarled at them as he headed down the hall to the kitchen.
Merlin answered with a heavy sigh as he went to get his coat. “I have worried about how he’d take it when the time came,” he raised a brow at Nox, scolding him for dragging his feet for so long.
“Stop it,” Nox said wearily as he took Merlin’s coat off the hook. “There was no point in upsetting him about the inevitable, or if there was a chance it would all amount to nothing.” He held the coat so Merlin could slide his arms into the sleeves, then gave his shoulders an affectionate knead. “There’s still a chance this could all blow over,” he whispered, earning a hard eye roll from Merlin as he buttoned his coat.
“Is that a cursed object in your pocket or are you that excited about getting rid of me?”
That stopped Nox short. “This?” he asked as he took out the medallion from Julian’s and Merlin hissed as he snatched Nox’s wrist.
“Get that out of here!” He threw the door open and dragged Nox through and onto the stoop. “Put it down there!” He pointed at the pavement beyond the steps as he hurried back inside for his bag.
Nox shrugged and went to set it down and hunkered on the sidewalk next to the Celtic relic. He was loath to part with the sacred memento as he studied the faded face of a revered goddess. “It’s already done what it was meant to do. I thought I’d purify it and add it to my charm collection.”
There was a disgusted humph from Merlin as he hunted in his bag. “Just because you could be divine doesn’t mean you can simply wish a thing into being what you want. And the curse of the crow is that it can carry something sharp or poisonous back to its nest if it’s careless.” He made another irritated sound and Nox heard bottles clanking and what may have been a crock of spoons upending. “Here,” Merlin finally said, handing Nox a rusty tin. “I’ll return it to you once I’ve stripped those curses from it.”
“How can you tell?” Nox whispered as he stared at the medallion. He sensed an ominous energy, like a spiritual stink, but he didn’t think it was that dangerous.
Merlin’s face pinched and he gestured for Nox to hurry and open the tin. “I can hear his vile whispers. I can’t make them out yet, but I suspect he’s enchanted that coin so it will beguile whoever touches it.”
“Of course,” Nox said with a hard eye roll at himself.
He had a feeling Nelson would have some keen observation about why one shouldn’t touch things at a crime scene, but there was no need for him to find out. If Nox could help it. But the grave dirt inside the tin would muffle the curse and absorb its secrets. Grave dirt could speak if treated with care and respect so Nox chanted a prayer as he pushed the coin into the dirt and gently covered it.
“I suspect a spying spell as well,” Merlin whispered when Nox passed it to him. “So I’ll put this in here,” he said, reaching deep into his bag and Nox heard a groaning creak and a hard thud before Merlin closed the bag.
“Oh! Can you take a look at this and get it back to me as soon as possible?” Nox pulled the bag with his mother’s locket out of the other pocket of his jeans and Merlin let out a startled gasp.
“I’ll do it straight away and return it to you immediately.” Merlin held it up to the setting sun and said a quick prayer before placing the locket in his bag. “Cleanse those hands and jeans well,” he ordered, presenting his cheek for a kiss. “And do something nice for Nelson. He has every right to be fed up with us.”
“There’s still a chance we can pull this off,” Nox said, giving Merlin an obedient peck. “But I’ll see what I can do to cheer Nelson up.”
“Oh, ye of too much faith.” Merlin’s tone was sad as he hugged his bag. “What if it’s been misplaced?”
Nox laughed as he put an arm around him and waved as Jeff got out and went to open the Bentley’s door for Merlin. “That’s it, though! I still have faith in us. And I believe that Nelson could not be that clever and good for nothing. Whatever fate may have planned for us, it miscalculated when it sent us Nelson and that comforts me,” he explained, but Merlin leaned away, staring at Nox as if he’d opened his mouth and a crow had flown out.
“You think it’s an accident that he embodies everything an Uaithne was said to be? Why are you still being this obtuse?” he asked shakily.
“Well…” Nox sighed at the cracks in the pavement as they walked. He had watched them spread and get longer since he was a child, aging with them as he grew taller and as his feet grew bigger. “I would have figured this out by now if I was smarter than Dad was, but I’m not, and look at how all that worrying worked out for him.”
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but your father didn’t know everything and he made mistakes, lad.”
“Nope.” Nox shook his head and backed away. “Don’t give me more problems I can’t fix. I’m going to see if I can salvage one more night with Nelson.” He turned on his heel, ignoring Merlin’s frustrated swear. “Love you,” Nox called, waving over his shoulder, then jogged back up the steps and inside.
He found his soul’s sacred mate in the kitchen stirring his tea. “Did I hear something about a cursed object?” Nelson asked as he raised the cup and sipped, then grunted and spit it out.
“What’s wrong?” Nox asked, his instincts buzzing when Nelson shook his head at his cup.
“I don’t know. It’s bitter. I noticed last night and assumed it had more hops or something in it,” he said, taking a cautious sniff. He pursed his lips, grunting as he set it down on the work table.
“Let me,” Nox said as he picked up the cup and raised it. He took a deep sniff, his brow rising at the sweet, resinous scent amidst the chamomile, lavender, rose, lemon balm, valerian, and hops. “That’s odd.” He slurped from the surface loudly, sucking in air with the tea so the aromas would fill his palette, and swished it around. He swallowed, then sipped again, but slowly, fully savoring the flavor of the tea and picking out the bitter notes. “Oh!” he said as his arms and legs tingled. Colors brightened around him as the lights became fuzzy. The rapid onset of numbness and hallucinations quickly narrowed the possibilities so Nox ticked wormwood and dandelion off the list. He sipped again and let out another surprised “Oh!” and covered his mouth to hold back a euphoric giggle. He knew exactly what it was. “Opium!”
“Opium?” Nelson asked loudly in alarm. He reached for the cup, but Nox danced back, clicking his teeth.
