Morrigan by Jonathan King (cat reading book txt) 📕

“It’s okay,” said Abel. “I’ve got enough hope for both of us.”

The Reverend smiled at him. “Tell your mother…” he started, but his voice trailed off. “Tell her everything. There’s been enough secrets in this family.”

“I will,” Abel promised, and he hugged his father tight. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, son,” said the Reverend. “So much.”

It was a hug Abel never wanted to end, but his father broke away and took Morrigan’s hand. She led him out to the Charger and drove him away, and Abel watched until the car bearing his father to his final rest was just another black dot between the mist of the afterlife.

“See you later,” he whispered.

He wandered back inside, and the space seemed emptier than ever. Even when he was dead, he hadn’t felt this alone. But there was still one soul here, splashing around in the pond.

“You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet,” he said to the Salmon of Knowledge.

The Salmon poked her head out of the water, a sulk on her fishy lips. “Someone threatened to flush me down the toilets if I didn’t shut up.”

Abel couldn’t hold back a snicker. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t be,” said the Salmon. “I heard you talking to your father. All my years spreading knowledge—or trying to, anyway—and I’ve never said anything as important as the things you two said to each other.”

“Not even the meaning of life?” asked Abel. “You still haven’t told me what it is, you know.”

“Oh, I think you discovered a pretty big piece of it just now,” said the Salmon. “Better to let that sink in for a while.” She gave Abel a gentle smile and splashed away into the depths of the pond.

Abel chuckled. “Nothing like death to remind you what’s important about life.”

“Exactly,” said Morrigan, walking through the sliding doors.

“That was fast,” said Abel.

“It was a quick trip,” said Morrigan. “You already gave him more comfort than I ever could.” She smiled and took his hands. “Ready?”

“Definitely,” said Abel. “Let’s go home.”

32

“Right this way!” Mac said, leading them up the pier toward a glistening white yacht. “Behold, the Wave Sweeper Mark II!”

Abel and the gods were back in Charleston, their last port of call before returning to Ireland. Mac nearly bounced along the wooden walkway, excited to show off his favorite toy. Brigid kept pace with him, and Abel and Morrigan held hands a few yards behind them. Abel was back in his own clean clothes, and he’d never felt more himself than right now. Especially with this particular girl next to him, wearing her plundered leather jacket and a dazzling smile.

“We put a lot of work into this one,” said Mac.

“I mostly did the metalwork and inspired one or two little ideas,” Brigid corrected. “But y’know, a helping hand is a helping hand.”

The Wave Sweeper was a medium-sized motorized yacht, two decks high, and the sides were sculpted in delicate swoops that mimicked the waves it swept. Irish flags flew from poles on either side of the upper deck.

“The first Wave Sweeper had its charm,” Mac went on, “but it got very old-fashioned very quickly. And with human technology finally catching up and creating ships that didn’t need sails, naturally I had to keep pace. So not only does this ship need no sails, but it also travels both above and beneath the waves, and I’m working on installing a flight mode to take it among the stars. It’s three times the speed of any ship its size, yet below deck you feel as though you’re not moving at all. And don’t even get me started on the entertainment center!”

He and Brigid climbed aboard the vessel. Morrigan moved to follow, but Abel pulled her back.

“Listen,” he said, “I’m not getting on the ship.”

“Why not?” Morrigan peered at him, puzzled.

“Because if I do, I’m not going to want to get off.”

Morrigan turned and took his other hand. “So this is goodbye.”

“For now,” said Abel. “You sure you have to leave so soon?”

Morrigan looked out over the sea. “I’ve been away from home too long. My skin itches for Ireland again. You sure you won’t join us?”

“Not yet,” said Abel. He looked back at the sea wall, where his mother stood staring out at the ocean without seeing it. “I left her once. I’m not doing it again, not until I know for sure she’ll be okay.”

“She will be,” said Morrigan. “From what I’ve seen of her—the real her—she’s a strong woman.”

“Who just found out the husband she hated and loved cheated on her and then sacrificed himself to save every soul on the planet,” said Abel. “That’s a lot to process. It helps that she’s staying with her parents now, but she needs me.” He caught his mother’s eye, and they shared a smile. “And to be honest, I need her too. I’ve got a lot of processing to do now that no one’s trying to kill me anymore.”

“So you’re still trapped here,” said Morrigan.

Abel shook his head. “Not trapped. This is my choice. And when we’re ready, I will come find you.”

“I’ll try not to be too hard to miss,” said Morrigan. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a napkin with an email address scrawled across it. “In the meantime, I’m finally online. Keep in touch.”

“You bet.” Abel took the napkin, running his fingers across the pen marks. “You know, this all started with a napkin. And now…” He looked into her eyes, unsure how to finish.

Morrigan crossed her arms and gazed out over the sea. “Maybe this is for the best. Gives us time to let this simmer, figure out what’s between us.”

“You called it the L word when you were talking to Cora,” said Abel.

Morrigan looked down at her feet, but she couldn’t hide a small smile. “I guess I did.”

“That’s what it feels like to me, too,” said Abel.

Morrigan looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “Then you better not wait too long to come see