Fin Butler and the Reluctant Mermaid: The Fin Butler Adventures, #3

Also AVAILABLE by philip janvier

Fiction: The Fin Butler Adventures

FIN BUTLER AND THE CLOCKWORK PHOENIX

FIN BUTLER AND THE ICE QUEEN

––––––––

Other - fiction

the empty photograph

(A novella)

––––––––

Non-fiction

ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS: WRITINGS IN THE SAND

––––––––

DEDICATION

To Jane, Josh, Matt and Beth with all my love...

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This novel would not have been possible without the support of many people. Therefore, I would like to thank the following: Shirley Cowan, who ploughs her way through all my manuscripts offering criticism, correction and encouragement. To Jean Roberts, Sue Jennings and Sandra Doore who, with Shirley, selflessly, corrected far too many of my errors. Any typographical, or other errors, that remain are my own entire fault! While this is a total work of fiction I have, in passing, included a few friends and family in the story. I hope they will forgive me for taking liberties with our love and friendship. To my family: Jane, Josh, Matt and Beth who have endured, without complaint, endless discussions about Fin Butler and never ceased to be supportive. To God who has given me the desire to write and who recognises me, as the work in progress that I am.

OMEN OF THE MERMAID

I heard the whisper of the hallowed blade

I heard the Crow hoot like an owl

I heard the Wyvern howl at the moon

And I heard the gasp as the Mermaid drowned

I saw the Gorgon’s head in his hands

I saw the Lady of the Lake

I saw the Knights in the light of day

And I foresaw that the table would break

Ancient Fragment

Chapter 1 – Life goes on

‘Mum,’ groaned Fin in shocked surprise.

‘Hello, boys,’ said Fin’s mother as she stepped out of the shadows and into the light, ‘have you missed me?’

‘Who the hell are you?’ asked a startled Ash.

Almost lost for words Fin grimaced and turned to his twin, ‘Ash, may I introduce to you your mother.’

‘No way,’ exclaimed Ash, ‘I don’t have a mother!’

‘I think basic biology may prove you wrong there,’ replied his mother.

Retreating to their shared accommodation at Ravenswood House, a home for suspected and gifted extra-naturals, Fin could not believe that his mother had the audacity to want to talk to them. Separated from his twin brother soon after birth, Ash had never spoken to his mother and now, Fin wanted nothing to do with her. However, he said nothing and waited.

‘When will your house mates be back?’ asked his mother plumping up a cushion and sitting down.

‘Jenny’s upstairs and the others are due back any moment now,’ Fin replied, ‘what do you want?’

‘I need your help,’ she replied simply.

‘You abandoned and betrayed us,’ he snapped back.

‘I’m your mother,’ she replied quietly her eyes softened, ‘and I love you.’

‘I find that very hard to believe,’ he replied, ‘I want nothing to do with you and I would prefer it if you just left.’

‘I am your mother,’ she repeated, ‘surely I deserve some of your time?’

‘You deserve nothing!’

‘Give me ten minutes,’ she begged and seeing Fin’s eyes harden she turned and silently beseeched Ash.

‘Just go...’

‘You have ten minutes,’ interrupted Ash.

‘I’m an outcast,’ she began.

‘Whose fault is that?’ responded Fin, then seeing Ash glare at him, shrugged his shoulders as if to say I warned you.

‘You don’t understand,’ she suggested.

‘Then help me to understand,’ replied Ash putting a calming hand on Fin’s shoulder, ‘tell me how you and my dad got together.’

‘I’m a Dragon and I fell in love with the Phoenix,’ she replied, ‘he knew who and what I was and told me that everyone deserves one chance at happiness. I was young and he was very old, but we were happy and he asked me to marry him. A few years after we married I became pregnant with you, somehow the Dragons heard of this and they made it quite clear that they wanted the baby.’

‘Who gave you away?’ asked Fin, who despite his belligerent attitude, found that he was becoming interested in what she had to say.

‘I don’t know, maybe somebody maybe nobody, but when we discovered we were having twins we moved to the Scilly Isles and tried to hide there.’ A frustrated look crossed her face, ‘For a few years, life was so peaceful there but people were beginning to notice us so we had to move again. We moved repeatedly but each time we settled we sensed the Dragons closing in on us.’

‘So you separated,’ accused Fin his hostility returning.

‘We didn’t want to separate,’ Adalinda replied, ‘I loved your father but he had been alive for over five-hundred years and was getting old. He could not help it but he would cause things to burst into flames and it was getting harder to hide. It was his idea that we separated to give you both a chance. Your father assumed that Ash as the firstborn would be the new Phoenix so he took you,’ she paused and turned to Fin, ‘and I took you. It broke my heart to separate you and you do not know what joy it brings me to see you both together again.’ Adalinda stopped speaking and looked at her boys, alike in height and build but with strikingly different hair, seeing no sympathy from either she waited.

‘What,’ asked Ash, ‘are you expecting us to respond in some way?’

‘That’s all well and good,’ added Fin, ‘you may have loved our father and had to go on the run,’ pausing, Fin gave his mother an angry look, ‘but you killed my foster parents and you struck my best friend blind.’

‘Your foster parent’s meant nothing to me,’ snarled Adalinda, ‘and Jenny had seen my face.’

‘I despise you,’ snapped Fin struggling to resist turning his mother into a ball of flames.

‘What do you really want,’ sighed Ash looking down at his watch, ‘because your ten minutes is nearly up?’

‘I had nowhere to go,’ replied Adalinda, ‘I am a Dragon. After your father’s death I returned into the Wyvern’s service and now he wants payment.’

‘You can’t stay here,’ replied Ash.

‘I don’t want to stay here,’ she laughed, ‘why would I want to do that? I need to present you to the Wyvern.’

‘You want to do what?’ replied Ash.

‘The price of my life is to present you to the Wyvern,’ explained Adalinda.

‘Why would we want to do that?’ asked Fin echoing her words in disgust. ‘We tried to kill him, or at very least put him back to sleep. He knows that and hates us.’

‘Because,’ replied Adalinda, ‘you silly boys, if you do not enter his service he will kill you and I love you too much to see that happen.’

‘Then join us,’ reasoned Fin, ‘help us to fight him.’

‘We could do with a Dragon with your power on our side,’ added Ash, ‘if you love us, renounce the Wyvern and fight by our side.’

‘Do I look stupid?’ snapped his mother.

‘Actually you do a bit,’ replied Fin, ‘because in trying to ask for our help you have made it clear you care for nobody but yourself.’

‘I dare you to join me and serve the Wyvern.’

‘Sod off,’ swore Ash, ‘I loved my dad but you, you are a stranger to me and I want nothing to do with you.’

‘You will regret this,’ said Adalinda quietly, fire beginning to glow behind her eyes.

‘No we won’t,’ replied Fin stepping in front of his brother, ‘and don’t think you can scare me with Dragon fire. I have fought the Wyvern and survived for I am the Phoenix, the son of the Phoenix and no Dragon can harm me!’

‘Pah,’ snorted his mother, ‘have your own way but I will be back and you will regret not accepting my mercy.’ Rising from her chair Adalinda gave them each one last look of smouldering fire and flounced off into the night, slamming the door behind her.

‘Wow,’ acknowledged Ash, ‘so that’s what my mother’s really like.’

‘Yeah,’ replied Fin sadly, ‘a bit of a Dragon.’

‘Was that really your mother?’ a voice called from the girl’s landing.

Slightly embarrassed, Fin nodded

‘I never did see her face,’ said Jenny walking down the stairs.

‘I’m sorry,’ Fin began to reply.

‘This is old news,’ she replied taking hold of Fin’s hand and pulling him into a gentle hug, ‘it was never your fault.’

‘I caught Elizabeth’s bouquet,’ cried Chloe as she and Eiry fell through the door.

‘What’s happened?’ asked Eiry sensing the strained atmosphere in the air.

‘I met my mother,’ laughed Ash.

‘Really,’ Chloe said placing the flowers on to the table, ‘what did she want?’

‘For us to join her in the Wyvern’s service,’ replied Fin.

‘After what we have just been through,’ said Eiry, ‘she must be mad.’

‘Bloody bonkers if you ask me,’ muttered Ash.

The following morning Elizabeth and David popped in before heading off to their honeymoon in Italy.

‘I’m so excited,’ laughed Elizabeth, ‘I have always wanted to go to Florence and now I am!’

‘My wife and I,’ David began to say but was stopped short by Ash punching him in the arm. ‘Oh come on,’ he continued, laughing and rubbing his arm, ‘I have only been married a day and I was practicing.’

Still laughing, Elizabeth encouraged them all to sit down and she began to explain what would happen while they were away. ‘Ms Baldwin...’

‘Daisy,’ they all cried in unison.

‘Daisy and Bill will be your acting house parents while we are away in Italy, but they are taking on Vanda Lodge as well.’

‘Isn’t that Fount and Smith’s Lodge?’ asked Ash.

‘Yes it is,’ replied Elizabeth, ‘Mr Byrd felt, and I quote, that those rascals need to be managed with a firm hand!’

‘Homicidal maniacs,’ spluttered Ash choking on his drink and spraying a disgruntled Eiry with water.

‘Can they manage both?’ asked Eiry while glaring at Ash.

‘It’s only for three weeks and then we will be back,’ Elizabeth said smiling, ‘term doesn’t start until then and I know how much you are looking forward to our lessons starting.’

‘Does that mean when you get back David will be living here with you at Ravenswood?’ interrupted Eiry not wanting to think about lessons.

‘Duh, married now!’ muttered Ash under his breath.

‘Actually,’ interrupted David, ‘that’s not such a daft question. I will be continuing to work as a Detective Inspector in Special Branch and that means I could be anywhere at anytime. However, my permanent base will always be wherever Elizabeth is teaching.’

‘And right now I’m not planning on teaching anything,’ exclaimed Elizabeth with glee and jumping out of her chair, ‘we are going on our honeymoon.’

‘Make good choices,’ yelled Ash as they left in a whirlwind of hugs and kisses.

As expected, Daisy popped in everyday to visit them and check that they were all okay. Overall reflected Fin, she managed the balance well, Daisy was around enough to ensure that they ate and kept the lodge tidy but not enough to disturb their mourning. The joy of the wedding vanished and the lodge continued to feel empty without Sed. Whenever Fin closed his eyes to go to sleep, he would find himself standing at the edge of the wood re-living her death in the flooded River Moan.

Crying in his sleep, Fin slept fitfully and when awake was aware that the others were struggling too. Each night they would gather, drink hot chocolate and talk. Finding comfort in each other they would chatter until they were so tired, they would crawl off to bed.

Placing five cups of hot chocolate on the table Fin licked his slightly singed fingers, and sat down. He laughed to himself; little did his mother know that he was powerless again, she could have attacked them at any time and they would have been incapable of stopping her. Sipping his chocolate Fin looked at his amazing friends: His girlfriend Jenny, a Gorgon who could see in the dark with her hair and observe other people’s minds. Eiry the Ice Queen, with the ability to control the weather, manipulate brief moments in time and space. Chloe the Nymph, with the ability to charm people, release extranaturals’ latent powers and turn into a lethal three-headed monster. Ash his twin brother and with whom once he had shared the power of the Phoenix until the Raven killed him. Even now, Fin did not understand how the unique combination of their tears and the last dregs of Ash’s own Phoenix powers had brought him back from the dead but they had.

Lost in thought, Fin felt Jenny squeeze his hand, returning to the room he held her hand in his, ‘It’s not fair,’ he said, ‘just at the moment we get Ash back we loose Sed.’

The following morning while they were eating breakfast Birdie knocked on their door and came in.

‘Would you like a coffee sir?’ asked Eiry.

‘That would be nice,’ replied Birdie, ‘milk and no sugar.’

Pouring Birdie a coffee Eiry placed it next to him on the table, ‘Mr Byrd,’ she asked, ‘is there something wrong?’

‘Why would you think that?’ replied Birdie.

‘It’s just you don’t normally visit us unless something is wrong,’ she replied.

Recognising the truth in her comment Birdie smiled and picked up his coffee, ‘No there is nothing wrong.’

‘That’s a relief,’ sighed Eiry, ‘I’m not sure we could take any more bad news at the moment.’

Pausing to take a gulp of his coffee Birdie considered his words, ‘I know that you all have had a hard time of it lately and that you are grieving the loss of Sed, so I thought in the absence of Elizabeth I would pop in and fill you in with what’s been happening at Ravenswood.’

‘That’s kind of you sir,’ acknowledged Fin wanting to know what it was that Birdie had to say.

‘There has been a governmental enquiry,’ he began, ‘and Mr Bungarus and Mr Dauan have been formally suspended.’ Shrugging his shoulders Birdie slowly blew out air through his teeth. ‘Purely academic of course, as Mr Bungarus and Mr Dauan have gone on the run but pleasing nonetheless. I have been made formally the Principal of Ravenswood. All of Mr Bungarus and Mr Dauan’s staff appointments have been moved on to other duties.’

‘And Ravenswood?’ began Fin.

‘And Ravenswood,’ continued Birdie, ‘will continue to be a home for extranaturals, the abused and the specially gifted. The Prime Minister does not know what to do with us and insists that we work closely with Special Branch and the Security Services. However, after this last shambles MI7 will serve only in an advisory capacity and a new set of Governors will be appointed to oversee the school.’

‘Here we go again,’ muttered Ash.

‘Maybe so young man,’ acknowledged Birdie, ‘but I am going to do all in my power to make Ravenswood work as a school again. Where its children, its young people, are at the heart of its ethos, rather than being seen as a product to be groomed and experimented on.’

Leaning forward in his chair Fin asked, ‘And the Royals, the Crows and the Dragons, what of them?’

‘Not forgetting the Wyvern!’ added Chloe.

‘Indeed,’ continued Fin, ‘the Wyvern.’

‘All these are real and actual threats to your safety,’ acknowledged Birdie, ‘so security will be stepped up.’

Anger flared behind Fin’s eyes and had he known it, he would have seen them spark, ‘I am sick of being a prisoner here!’ he growled, ‘I will not be a captive anymore.’

‘You are the Phoenix and no one is holding you captive,’ explained Birdie, ‘all of you are more powerful than most can dream of in their worst nightmares. There is no power on earth that could keep you prisoner here against your will. This is still your home and it needs to be a safe one. I am not interested in keeping you prisoner but in keeping you safe from harm, for as powerful as you are, you are still vulnerable to the guiles of this world, be that Humans, Crows or Politicians.’

‘Not forgetting the Royals,’ added Ash.

‘Indeed,’ concluded Birdie, ‘the world is a dangerous place for fledgling extranaturals and Ravenswood House is the only safe place for you to live with any degree of safety.’

‘It’s not been that safe so far,’ said Ash stating the obvious, ‘Greg was kidnapped, Elizabeth and Dr Swan tortured, I was killed and we watched Sed drown.’

‘When you put it like that,’ agreed Birdie, ‘we have a lot of improvements to make, and yet, there is nowhere else to go.’

‘There’s got to be something here,’ cried Fin, slamming another pile of books on the table.’

Reluctantly, Jenny picked up another book from the pile and started reading, ‘There’s nothing new on the Wyvern,’ she replied frustrated by Fin’s insistence, ‘I don’t know what you are looking for.’

The door to the library swung open and Dr Swan entered carrying a box of new books. Seeing Fin and Jenny, he put the box down and ambled over, ‘What brings you into the library on a summer’s day?’ he asked.

‘Fin is convinced there is more here about the Wyvern,’ Jenny replied, holding up a book up as evidence, ‘I’m not so sure, I keep reading the same old thing repeatedly.’

Pulling out a seat Dr Swan sat at the table next to them and asked, ‘What have you discovered?’ Taking a deep breath, the librarian paused, ‘No, I will rephrase that, tell me what you know in bullet points, one at a time.’

‘The Golden Wyvern or Dragon is considered to be the Elder Dragon, the first of its kind, gifted with long life, and filled with a hatred of all other living creatures,’ she replied.’

‘It can look like a man but transforms into a Dragon with wings,’ added Fin, ‘it has the ability to breathe fire and its bite is venomous, even to its own kind.’

‘Keep going,’ said Dr Swan.

‘It can control people with the power of its voice or by the look of its eyes.’

‘That’s it,’ conceded Fin.

‘Are you sure?’ asked Dr Swan.

‘There is some confusion as to how many legs it has,’ continued Jenny dubiously, ‘some of these accounts say four, others two and in this weird book,’ she said picking up a battered old volume, ‘none.’

‘The Wyvern has legs,’ snapped Fin, ‘I know because I saw them.’

‘Excellent,’ replied Dr Swan, ‘always do your own research and do not rely on unproven texts. However, what did the Wyvern look like to you?’

‘A man,’ replied Fin.

‘So the Wyvern was in human form,’ Dr Swan paused and then asked, ‘did he transform into a Dragon?’

Closing his eyes Fin tried to remember the battle, ‘I don’t think so.’

‘I can’t remember,’ added Jenny, ‘I think he stayed as a man.’

‘That’s what I thought,’ Dr Swan replied, ‘from all your accounts I think the Wyvern was weak and struggling to break free of his prison and so did not transform.’

‘Excuse me Dr Swan,’ asked Fin, ‘but why is this important?’

‘I don’t know that it is,’ he said thoughtfully, ‘but I find it odd that there is some confusion over the number of legs it has.’

Standing up, Dr Swan reached across the table for a tome and opened it to a picture of the Wyvern. ‘Interestingly, it is described as a Sea-Wyvern because it has both scales and a tail like a fish,’ he said, ‘and when ever it is depicted it is like this.’

Turning the page, Fin looked at the picture of a two-legged Golden Dragon, ‘It says here,’ he said, ‘the Golden Dragon motif appears often in heraldry. Its image was used as the emblem of the ancient Kingdom of Wessex.’

‘Exactly,’ said an excited Dr Swan, ‘it is only a little thing but I believe the Wyvern needs to be by or in water to regenerate its powers.’

‘How does that help?’ asked Jenny.

‘One day, I know you will go looking for him,’ admitted Dr Swan, ‘and I’m not particularly enamoured by that idea, you are children,’ he paused and smiled, ‘incredibly powerful, but children all the same.’

‘Teenagers,’ a horrified Jenny exclaimed, ‘not children.’

Dr Swan dipped his head in apology, ‘One day you teenagers,’ he smiled, ‘you young people, are going to want to fight the elder Dragon. Then you will realise that the Wyvern’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness.’

‘Know your enemy,’ acknowledged Fin, ‘Saint George met the Wyvern next to a fresh water lake, if that’s the case then maybe the Wyvern is stronger by the sea.’

‘Exactly,’ agreed Dr Swan, ‘but I am coming to believe that the Wyvern is at its weakest when it is in human form, that it draws power from water and in particular sea water.’

‘So, if we were daft enough to go looking for trouble,’ Fin concluded, ‘then we start at the seaside.’

‘We live on an island,’ stated Jenny hopelessly, ‘the Wyvern could be anywhere!’

‘What else do we know,’ asked Fin, ‘what other clues do we have?’