Impossible Things (Subparheroes), page 14
Arden fidgeted with his teacup as he said, “I can tell you Dr. Mercanti wasn’t close to a breakthrough when I left five years ago.”
“But someone seems to believe he got there. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be chasing us.”
He chewed his lower lip for a few moments. Then he got up and found some chalk and a small chalkboard, the kind someone might use to write a menu. He wrote out a formula, then turned the board to face us and asked, “Is this what you saw?”
“Almost. Two of the variables were in different places.”
He hesitated for a long moment. It seemed neither of us wanted to reveal too much to the other, but curiosity finally won out and he pointed to the board. “Was it these two? Were they reversed?”
He was exactly right, which shocked me. I wanted to keep that to myself, but the surprise must have registered on my face. He quickly wiped the board with the cuff of his baby blue hoodie as he told us, “Never, ever share that with anyone. Take it to your grave.”
Arden took the board to the sink, and while he scrubbed away any last remnants of chalk with soap and water, I asked him, “How did you know?”
“I’ve been mulling over that formula for the last five years. Dr. Mercanti had gotten about ninety percent of the way there when I left, which is what I wrote on the chalkboard. I was fairly certain I knew where the errors were, but…”
Andy guessed, “You didn’t want him to get it right.”
Arden nodded and sat back down with a dish towel in his hands. “The potential ramifications were terrifying. Can you imagine what would happen if a supervillain got their hands on that formula? They could steal every superhero’s powers and leave them defenseless, while making themselves totally unstoppable.”
“That’s exactly what we’re afraid of.”
He leaned back and sighed. “I can’t believe Doc finally got there. He tried for years, but he kept going around in circles.”
Andy asked, “What was he planning to do with it once he got it?”
“I’m not sure. He was funded by SPAM at the time, but he swore he’d never give the formula to them or anyone else. He understood how dangerous it could be in the wrong hands, but he couldn’t help but work on it. That’s the nature of most scientists, that overwhelming need to know.”
“But it’s just a theory, right? The formula’s never been tested,” Andy said.
“I don’t know how much time passed between the breakthrough and Doc’s death. Maybe he had time to run some trials. Maybe not. But I’m convinced it would do exactly what he intended. He was a genius and a visionary. No one else could have come up with that formula.”
“Except for you.” Arden glanced at me before shifting his gaze to the tabletop. He didn’t acknowledge it, but he had to be scary smart to be able to come up with the final version of that formula.
Andy asked him, “What do you know about Mercanti’s son?”
That made Arden frown. “Edward Rosselin is the scariest person I’ve ever met. He tries to come across as a perfectly civilized businessman, but it’s just an act. Underneath that thin veneer is a soulless monster.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I overheard an argument between Rosselin and Dr. Mercanti once, and it was chilling. Rosselin wanted his father’s research for his own, personal gain. He doesn’t have powers, and he’s determined to change that. When his father wouldn’t hand it over, it was like Rosselin’s mask fell away. He made threats so horrible that I can’t repeat them.
“When I talked to him about that argument later on, Doc told me stories about Rosselin when he was younger, about his cruelty, his selfishness, and his hunger for power. He said his son’s empire had been built by stealing from and destroying his competitors. When people talk about skeletons in the closet, that’s probably very literal in Rosselin’s case.”
I asked, “Do you know what his company does?”
“Genetic research related to superpowers, the same thing his father was working on. I know that because Rosselin tried to recruit me when I first started interning with SPAM. He gave me a tour of his company’s research and development department and bragged about its accomplishments. He was furious when I turned him down.”
A shadow passed over Arden’s features as he continued, “Doc was afraid of his son, and so was I. When I heard the lab had burned down, my first thought was that Rosselin was behind it. I can’t prove that, but I feel it in my gut.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Maybe he found out his father had a breakthrough,” Arden said. “I could see him sending his thugs to steal everything and burn down the lab to hide the theft. I have no idea if he knew his father would be there, or if his death was an accident. But I wouldn’t put it past him to kill anyone who got in his way.”
Andy asked, “How would Rosselin find out about the breakthrough, though? From what we heard, Mercanti kept his work a secret.”
Arden shrugged. “He didn’t share much with his colleagues at SPAM, but there were one or two people in his life that Dr. Mercanti confided in. Rosselin could have paid one of them to get close to his father and report back. Not that Doc would have shared any details with his friends, but all Rosselin needed to know was that a breakthrough had occurred.” He took a sip of tea and glanced at us. “Why did you ask about Rosselin?”
“We think he’s the person who sent those men after us.”
Arden’s eyes went wide, and he jumped up and grabbed his phone off the kitchen counter. Apparently he reached someone’s voice mail when he tried to place a call, because he blurted, “I need you to text me as soon as you get this, Grady. We have to shore up the protections on the house, stat! This isn’t a drill. Call your whole coven. This might literally be a matter of life and death.”
Andy and I traded looks of concern, and when Arden ended the call, I asked, “What’s going on?”
“I called my cousin, because I need him to strengthen the barriers he set up around the property. Rosselin has all kinds of people on his payroll with a wide range of powers. If he tracks you here, he’ll probably try to take down the wards by force.” He grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet, and when he sat back down, he poured a generous splash into his tea.
“We lost our pursuers several days ago, so you don’t have to worry about Rosselin following us here,” Andy said. “We wouldn’t have come if we thought we were endangering you, and we’re only planning to stay a few minutes.”
Arden slid the bottle across the table to us as he asked, “Where are you planning to go when you leave here?”
I admitted, “We don’t really have a plan.”
“Then you need to stay here.”
Arden’s tone didn’t leave much room for debate, but I asked him, “Why would you open your home to us?”
“Because it’s just a matter of time before Rosselin finds you,” he said, “and we can’t let him get the formula. This is the safest place you can be, especially once the wards are beefed up.”
“Are you sure about this?”
Arden nodded. “I have plenty of room, and it would actually be nice to have some company. Plus, I know for a fact I can trust you. Like I said when you arrived, if you’d come here with bad intentions, the wards would have stopped you at the gate.”
Andy and I glanced at each other, and when he nodded I said, “Alright, we’ll stay. Thank you, Arden.”
His phone beeped, and he got up and read a text message. “My cousin is gathering his coven, but it’s going to take a few hours. I’ll make us some dinner while we wait.”
“Can we help?”
“Sure.” He pulled a bunch of carrots from the refrigerator and handed them to me.
The three of us got to work making soup and salad. After a while, I asked, mostly to make conversation, “Out of curiosity, why did you decide to have the house warded in the first place?” There was a panel for an alarm system beside the back door, so it seemed like overkill.
“It made me feel safe. It turned out to be a great call, too.”
“Why is that?”
“There’s a monster living in the woods behind my house,” Arden said, as casually as if he was talking about the weather, “and it really wants to kill me.”
CHAPTER 17
ANDY
I didn’t know what to make of the news about a monster, or the fact that it wanted to kill our host. Everyone knew there were supernatural beings in the world, vampires and more, but they were few and far between, and they generally kept to themselves.
When I asked Arden what kind of monster we were talking about, he shrugged. “I’m not sure, exactly. He looks like a big, muscular man with long, silver hair, but he’s not human. I’m sure of it. If I had to guess, I’d say he was some sort of forest spirit.”
“How do you know he wants to kill you?”
“I can feel his rage when he’s close. I have a handful of superpowers, and one of them is the ability to read what others are feeling. I’m also able to sense danger.”
“That’s useful,” I said as I transferred a bunch of chopped romaine to a large salad bowl. “Do you have any other powers?”
“I can fix minor injuries and ailments. We’re not talking about curing cancer here, and it doesn’t work on everyone. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression about two people vibing. That’s very literal in this case.”
“That’s amazing. I never heard of anyone with that power.”
“Want me to give you a demonstration?”
“Okay.”
When Arden turned to me and took my hands in his, I expected him to show me his technique, instead of actually curing me of anything. He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, and after a few moments, a mild electric shock passed between us. Almost immediately, my vision blurred. “Something went wrong,” I blurted. “I can’t see!”
Arden grinned and took off my glasses. Everything came into sharp focus, and he said, “Turns out, you and I are completely in sync.”
“I don’t believe it! I’ve been wearing glasses since I was a kid.”
Sam looked confused. “What just happened?”
“He fixed my vision. I can see perfectly.” I turned to Arden and asked, “Is it going to wear off?”
He shook his head. “It’s nice when it works. I don’t advertise my services because people get their hopes up, and a lot of times nothing happens. Plus, like I said, it only works on little things. Your eyesight is the most significant thing I’ve ever fixed, and it’s probably just because you and I run on the same frequency.”
I had no idea what he meant by that, but I said, “Thank you, Arden. You just gave me an incredible gift, and I’m grateful for it.”
“It was nothing.” He seemed embarrassed and turned his attention back to cooking.
A little while later, we sat down to a nice dinner of salad and corn chowder. While we ate, the conversation turned to the field of genetic engineering. Arden explained Mercanti’s research in greater detail, and Sam asked him, “Why did you end up leaving your internship with Dr. Mercanti?”
“I couldn’t keep telling myself it was just theoretical, and that no harm would come from it. The science fascinated me, but the implications of what we were trying to do were just too potentially damaging. After I quit the internship, I planned on taking a semester or two off. I wanted time to regroup, and to figure out where else I might fit in the field of genetics. But two months later my grandfather died, and as the last surviving Harington, all of this went to me.” He gestured at our surroundings. “It’s been a hell of a lot of responsibility, so grad school fell by the wayside.”
“You’re the last in the line? You mentioned a cousin,” Sam said.
“Grady is my cousin on my mom’s side. There are plenty of Frasiers. It’s the Haringtons that have nearly gone extinct.”
“Is that because of the thing in the woods?”
“My monster? I don’t know. My parents died in a plane crash, so he probably wasn’t responsible for that, but a lot of tragedy befell earlier generations of my family. If he really is some kind of forest spirit or guardian, it makes sense that he’d go after people who made a fortune in timber.”
I’d never heard of anything like that, except for fairy tales. But it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
After dinner, Arden said, “It’s probably going to be a couple more hours until the coven gets here. Grady’s trying to gather them, but it’s a lot like herding cats. I’ll show you to your room, so you can rest up while we wait for them.”
We went upstairs by way of a narrow staircase just off the kitchen. When I commented that the front of the house was a lot different than the back, Arden explained, “The kitchen and this stairwell were meant for the servants, so they didn’t have to be impressive. It wasn’t like my great-great grandparents or their guests ever came back here.”
At the top of the stairs, he flipped a light switch and pointed at an open doorway. “That’s my bedroom. This block of rooms is the only part of the house I was allowed to redecorate. But if you want the full Pine Grove experience, you’re welcome to select any of the dark, creepy rooms in the north wing.”
“This is more our speed,” Sam said. “Not that we’re picky.” I nodded in agreement.
We followed Arden past a game room and a media room before reaching a gorgeous, sage green bedroom. It had a big four-poster bed, a cozy seating area, and an elegant fireplace, and it reminded me of a luxury hotel suite.
“Since you’re obviously a couple, I’m assuming you two want to share a room,” Arden said. “If I’m wrong, there’s another bedroom right next door.”
“You’re right, we want to bunk together,” Sam said, “and this room is amazing. Thank you.”
“Yeah, no problem. I’ll be in my room if you need anything, and I’ll come get you when the coven arrives. The more people who participate, the stronger the wards will be.”
After he left, we kicked off our shoes and climbed onto the bed. Something dug into my hip, so I shifted my weight and took my glasses out of my pocket. As I put them on the nightstand, I said, “I can’t believe I don’t need those anymore. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was six, but he fixed me, just like that. He didn’t even ask what was wrong with my eyes first.”
“It’s wild. I’m so used to seeing you in glasses.” Sam and I gravitated into each other’s arms, and he kissed my forehead. After we both settled in, he asked, “How do you feel about staying here for a while?”
“It seems like a good decision, much better than being on the road and trying to find random places to stay.”
“So, you trust Arden?”
“I do. I have a good feeling about him. Also, he fully understands the threat Rosselin poses, so I believe he’s going to do everything he can to stop him,” I said. “I think we got lucky and stumbled across an ally, which is exactly what we needed.”
“Agreed. I’m not sure what to make of the monster in the woods, though.”
“Me, neither. All I know is, I’m definitely not going on any moonlight strolls, even though it sounds like a fairy tale. Have you ever heard of such a thing as a forest guardian?”
Sam grinned. “Only The Lorax.”
“Judging by Arden’s description, this isn’t that, unless Dr. Seuss got it very wrong.”
“It’s like the gritty reboot.” Sam deepened his voice to sound like he was doing a movie trailer voiceover. “Sexy Lorax, Seeker of Justice. He’ll destroy you like you destroyed the forest, and he’ll look damn hot while doing it.”
That made me laugh. “I could totally see someone making that movie.”
“Same.”
I tucked my head under his chin, and after a while I said, “We’re going to be alright, aren’t we, Sam?”
“Absolutely. I’ll make sure of it.” His confidence was reassuring, but it didn’t eliminate the worry that kept churning away in my gut.
About two hours later, Arden knocked on our door and told us the coven had arrived. When we joined him in the hall, he said, “Please keep an open mind when you meet these guys. They might look like they just escaped from a live action version of Dungeons and Dragons, but their combined powers are no joke.”
Even with that disclaimer, the coven wasn’t what we were expecting. Seven guys in their mid to late twenties were gathered in the kitchen. Each of them was in the process of donning an elaborate velvet cape, along with a color-coordinated wizard’s hat embellished with gold and silver stars. Four of them were also wearing matching rainbow tie-dye T-shirts with the slogan Rose City Gaymers. “Gay gamers,” I said, as we came into the kitchen. “That’s cool.”
“A few of us were in the middle of a Magic: The Gathering marathon when we got the call,” a red-haired guy explained. “But of course, with awesome power comes awesome responsibility, so we cut it short and came to the rescue.”
“That’s a total misquote,” a Black guy with Clark Kent glasses told him. “It’s supposed to be great power, not awesome.”
The redhead took immediate offense to that. “Duh, Jeff. Like I don’t know that? The choice to put my own spin on it was deliberate!”
While those two bickered, Arden guided someone over to us and said, “Sam and Andy, this is Grady.” Like his cousin, Grady had a slim build and dark, unkempt hair. He seemed shy as he gave us a little wave.
The nerd herd started wandering off in every direction, so Arden called, “Let’s get this done, guys. Once we finish, you’re all welcome to spend the night. I have a bunch of candy and soda, and we can make popcorn and use the home theater if you want.”
This seemed to delight them, and they quickly gathered and followed Arden out the kitchen door. At the edge of the patio, they all took off their shoes and socks, so Sam and I did the same. Then we all walked out onto the lawn, which felt cold and slightly damp under my feet.
Sam was on my left and Arden was on my right when we formed a circle and joined hands. I leaned over and asked our host, “How does this work, exactly?”
