14. Looking for Answers

14

Looking for Answers

Merin

M erin drummed his fingers on the table, his eyes flicking towards the door of Glimmer for what felt like the hundredth time. He was waiting for Peter, hoping to pick his brain about Wanda and any intel he might have on the shadow witch who had caused them all so much grief.

It had been a few months since Peter had gotten his memories back, since he and James had found their way to Willowbrook. And while Merin knew that the transition couldn't have been easy, that there were bound to be moments of confusion and uncertainty as Peter tried to reconcile his past with his present.

He also knew that the man was a valuable asset, a font of knowledge and experience that could help them unravel the mysteries of Wanda's past.

And so, here he was. Sitting in Dominic's cozy little coffee shop, nursing a cup of tea and trying not to let his impatience get the best of him as he waited for Peter to arrive.

Speaking of Dominic…

Merin glanced over at the counter, where the normally unflappable witch was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to serve a never-ending stream of customers and keep up with the demands of the morning rush.

It was amusing, in a way. Seeing the man who could change the weather reduced to a frazzled, harried mess by a bunch of caffeine-deprived humans.

He watched the witch dart from one end of the counter to the other, his hands a blur of motion and his face set in a determined scowl.

Merin felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to help. To leap up from his seat and grab an apron, to start slinging lattes and muffins and take some of the burden off of Dominic's shoulders.

But before he could act on the impulse, before he could even start to rise from his chair, Dominic's voice cut through the din of the cafe, sharp and exasperated and filled with a fond, long-suffering affection that made Merin's heart swell with warmth.

"Don't even think about it, Merin. I've got this handled, and the last thing I need is you getting in my way and mucking things up."

Merin grinned, holding up his hands in a gesture of mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Far be it from me to interfere with the great Dominic and his coffee-slinging prowess."

Dominic snorted, rolling his eyes even as a small, reluctant smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Damn right. Now sit your ass down and let me work, you cheeky bastard."

Merin laughed, shaking his head as he settled back into his seat. He knew that the man was stubborn as a mule, and that there was no point in trying to argue with him when he had his mind set on something.

It had been a few days since they had returned from the cave, since they had rescued Roman's father and brought him back to Willowbrook to heal and recover. And in that time, Roman had barely left his father's side, had barely taken a moment for himself as he focused all of his energy on helping the man adjust to his new reality.

Merin understood, of course. He knew how much Roman's father meant to him, how deep the bond between them ran. And he would never, ever begrudge Roman the time and attention he needed to give to the man who had raised him, who had loved him and believed in him even when the rest of the world had turned its back.

Merin was absently petting Vale when the door chimed once more. Merin glanced up, a smile spreading across his face as he saw Peter making his way into the cafe.

"Peter!" he called out, waving the man over to his table. "Glad you could make it. Come on, have a seat."

Peter grinned, sliding into the chair across from Merin and immediately reaching out to give Vale a scratch behind the ears. The dog let out a contented sigh, his tail thumping against the floor as he soaked up the attention.

"Hey there, Vale," Peter murmured, his voice soft and affectionate. "You're looking as handsome as ever, you charming devil."

Merin chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Careful there, Peter. Keep sweet-talking Vale like that, and James might start getting jealous."

Peter snorted, rolling his eyes even as a small, mischievous smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Please. James knows he's the only one for me, even if he does have a bit of competition in the charm department."

Merin laughed, feeling a warmth spread through his chest at the easy, comfortable banter. It was moments like these, moments of simple, uncomplicated joy, that made everything else worth it. The fights, the sacrifices, the endless, uphill battle against the forces of darkness that sought to tear their world apart.

"So," Merin said, his voice turning serious as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. "I wanted to talk to you about Wanda. About what you know, what you remember from your time together."

Peter's face darkened, his eyes growing distant and haunted as he nodded slowly. "I figured as much. It's not exactly a pleasant topic, but I'll do my best to help in any way I can."

Merin reached out, placing a hand on Peter's arm in a gesture of comfort and support. "I know it's not easy, reliving those memories. But anything you can tell us, any insight you can give…it could make all the difference."

Peter took a deep breath, his shoulders squaring as he met Merin's gaze with a look of grim determination. "I know. And I'm ready to do whatever it takes to stop them, to make sure they can never hurt anyone else the way they've hurt us."

Merin nodded, feeling a fierce, unshakable pride swell in his chest. This was what it meant to be part of a pack, part of a family. To stand together, to fight for each other, no matter the cost.

"Before we get into that, though," Peter said, his expression softening slightly. "I wanted to ask…how's Chrissy doing?"

Merin felt a smile tug at his lips. "She's doing well, all things considered. Benjamin and Adrian have been amazing with her, treating her like she's their own daughter. And she absolutely adores baby Leo, spends every spare moment doting on him and making sure he has everything he needs."

Peter chuckled, shaking his head in wonder. "She's a special kid, that one."

"That she is," Merin agreed, his voice soft and filled with affection. "And we're lucky to have her, to be able to give her the love and the support she deserves after all the hardship she's faced."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, both lost in thought as they watched Vale doze contentedly at their feet. But eventually, the weight of the conversation they needed to have, the information they needed to share, settled over them once more.

"Peter," Merin said, his voice low and serious. "I know this can't be easy for you, knowing that Wanda is still out there. That she's still a threat, still working with Riordan to spread chaos and destruction wherever they go."

Peter sighed, his eyes closing briefly as he nodded. "It's not. I won't lie, Merin the thought of facing her again, of having to fight against someone who was once my best friend it's not something I relish."

Merin's heart clenched, a pang of sympathy and understanding washing over him. He couldn't even imagine the pain Peter must be feeling, the sense of betrayal and loss that came with knowing that someone he had once trusted, once loved, had turned against him so completely.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, his hand tightening on Peter's arm.

"In my head, I know that she's not the same person anymore. That the Wanda I knew would never have done the things she's done, hurt the people she's hurt. But my heart still wants to believe that there's some part of her, some tiny spark of goodness, that can be saved." Peter whispered, his voice hoarse and raw with emotion.

Merin's heart broke, a swell of compassion and sorrow rising up in his chest. He understood that feeling all too well, the desperate, aching need to believe that the people we loved could be redeemed, could be brought back from the brink of darkness and despair.

But he also knew, with a bone-deep certainty, that sometimes…sometimes, there was no going back. No redemption, no salvation for those who had given themselves over to the shadows completely.

And as much as it pained him, as much as it tore at his heart to admit it he knew that Wanda was one of those lost souls. One of the damned, the irretrievable, the forever-gone.

"I know it hurts," he said softly, his voice thick with shared grief. "I know it feels like a betrayal, like a failure, to let go of that hope. But Peter, we have to face the truth, hard as it may be. We have to accept that the Wanda you knew, the Wanda you loved…she's not coming back. And the only way to stop her, to keep her from hurting anyone else is to cut her off from Riordan, once and for all."

Peter was silent for a long moment, his eyes distant and filled with a deep, aching sorrow. But eventually, he nodded, his jaw clenching with a grim, unyielding determination. "There's something else," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Something that might give us an edge, a way to get to Wanda before she can cause any more damage."

Merin leaned forward, his heart racing with a sudden, desperate hope. "What is it? What do you know?"

"Wanda has a brother," Peter said, his eyes flashing with a grim, unyielding resolve. "A twin, named Wyatt. He came with her to Tir na nóg."

"Do you think he would help us?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think he would turn against his own sister, his own flesh and blood, to do what's right?"

Peter was quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. But eventually, he nodded, a small, fierce smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"I do," he said, his voice ringing with conviction. "Wyatt…he's a good man, Merin. A man with a conscience, with a sense of honor and duty that even Riordan's twisted machinations couldn't fully erase. And if we can find him, if we can convince him to join our cause he could be the key to bringing Wanda down, once and for all."

"Then let's do it," he said fiercely, his eyes blazing with a fierce, unshakable resolve. "Let's find Wyatt, let's bring him over to our side and use every resource, every ally we have, to put an end to Riordan and Wanda's reign of terror once and for all."

Peter grinned, a fierce, feral thing that made Merin's heart race with anticipation. They were on the brink of something big, something that could change the course of the war and bring their enemies to their knees at last.

The door to the coffee shop burst open, the chime above it ringing out like a shot in the quiet, cozy space.

Merin's head snapped up, his senses immediately on high alert as he scanned the newcomer with a wary, assessing gaze. It was a woman, her face drawn and pale, her eyes wide and wild with a fear and desperation that made Merin's heart clench in his chest.

And then, without warning, Merin's magic exploded. It surged through his veins like wildfire, like a tidal wave of power and knowledge and sheer, unbridled intensity that threatened to sweep him away entirely.

He gasped, his hand flying to his chest as the vision slammed into him with the force of a physical blow. It was the same one he had seen before, the same chaotic, blood-soaked battlefield filled with the screams of dying Vikings and the clash of sword on shield.

But this time, it was different. Sharper, clearer, more vivid than anything he had ever experienced before. He could smell the coppery tang of blood in the air, could feel the sticky, slick wetness of it beneath his feet as he waded through the carnage.

And there, in the center of it all was the woman. The same woman who had burst into the coffee shop mere moments before, her face a mask of terror and desperation.

But in the vision, she was different. Fierce, powerful, a warrior born and bred. She stood tall and proud amidst the chaos, her sword flashing in the dying light as she cut down her enemies with a grace and skill that took Merin's breath away.

He tried to focus, tried to pick out the details and piece together the clues that he knew were buried somewhere in the swirling, fractured images. But before he could make sense of it all, before he could untangle the threads and weave them into a coherent whole…

A hand grabbed his shoulder, shaking him roughly. "Merin! Merin, snap out of it!"

He blinked, the vision shattering like a pane of glass. He was back in the coffee shop, back in the warm, familiar embrace of the present.

And Peter was staring at him, his face tight with concern and his eyes filled with a knowing, sympathetic light.

"You saw something, didn't you?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.

Merin hesitated, his mind racing as he tried to decide how much to reveal, how much to keep hidden until he had more information, more proof to back up the wild, impossible theories that swirled in his head.

"I…I'm not sure," he said finally, his voice rough and shaky. "It was just a flash, a moment of something that might have been a vision, or might have been nothing at all."

He shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs of confusion and uncertainty that clung to his thoughts like gossamer threads.

"But that woman…the one who just came in. I think…I think we need to find her. Need to talk to her, and figure out why she was here, what she wanted."

Peter's jaw clenched, a fierce, determined light flaring to life in his eyes. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, before she gets too far."

They leapt to their feet, chairs scraping against the floor as they raced towards the door. Merin's heart was in his throat, his blood singing with a desperate, urgent need to catch up to the woman, to unravel the mystery that had dropped into their laps like a gift from the gods.

But when they burst out onto the street, when they scanned the crowds and the alleyways and the bustling, busy sidewalks…there was no sign of her. No trace of the haunted, desperate face that had seared itself into Merin's mind like a brand.

"Damn it," he muttered, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "We lost her. She's gone."

Peter laid a hand on his shoulder, his touch warm and reassuring even as his own face was tight with frustration and disappointment.

"We'll find her, Merin. We'll put the word out, talk to our contacts and allies. Someone, somewhere, has to know who she is and where she came from."