Aaaand the conclusion. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review!
It was nearly dawn when Morgan arrived at Harry's apartment. Despite the late or early hour, the warden looked fresh and alert. The same could not be said for Harry who'd slept in fits while nursing the aching burn on his wrist from his own shield bracelet. But the wizard had immediately gotten to his feet to intercept the warden with the information Bob had related to him after examining Ethan.
Harry wasn't entirely sure, but he somehow got the feeling that the enforcer had been half expecting a report like this. Not so much the results, the report itself. As if he knew Harry would have done some digging during the wait. And had left Ethan specifically in his care in order to do so.
"The spell worked," Morgan surmised.
"Seem so. They're both sleeping upstairs now." Harry waited for Morgan to continue with his end of the information, but the warden only lifted his eyes to the loft area and nodded. "What about Sharon?" asked the wizard.
"She is no longer your concern," Morgan replied. "She is in our custody and has been taken in for trial."
"Her spell worked," Harry repeated, not having to say aloud what the consequences of a successful resurrection spell might mean.
"Not in the way she'd planned, however," Morgan said. "According to her, the spell was worked with the idea in mind of using the father, who'd been treated with the tagging spell for nearly a year. Instead, only a portion of him was used before the boy's mother, a woman untreated, was used. There are too many variables. The spell may have worked, but by mere chance, rather than preparation."
It was of the warden's opinion that the spell might have worked, regardless of the random errors that had occurred. The sorcereress had described the method in which she'd eased Ethan Bennett's soul back toward the living, while systematically taking small bits and pieces of others' souls as recompense to the darkness. And in some cases, much larger chunks. It had been a laborious process that had stretched for nearly year, testing her patience. But the methodical, patient nature of the spell had been its strength. And perhaps in the end, the key factor that allowed Ethan Bennett to re-enter the world with gentle ease, rather than a harsh drop.
"So what happens now?" asked Harry, breaking Morgan from his thoughts. "What about Roland and Ethan?"
The warden sighed and for the first time, betrayed a hint of exhaustion. "The Council has been in session all evening. I have given my report. And now you have given me one," he listed. "There will be several more days for me to observe the child myself as we prepare."
"Prepare for what?" asked Harry with some apprehension.
Morgan gave him the well-worn "you ask stupid questions" stare. "Bennett and his son cannot remain in Chicago. There are too many who could potentially recognize the child. They will be moved to a safe haven."
"What…you mean…to start a new life?" Harry questioned.
"What else would it mean, Dresden?" Morgan retorted, irritably.
Harry didn't stop the grin that broke out on his face. "You're letting them go?"
"Hardly. There will always be someone watching them. Even when they are settled elsewhere," said the warden. "The Council is disturbed by these events, but it was argued that an innocent life need not be punished for another's deeds." Harry didn't ask who exactly argued that, seeing as how he didn't want to embarrass the stoic enforcer. "In the end, the presiding Merlin has given his word that no harm shall fall upon them."
"Thank you," Harry breathed out, relieved. "It's gotta be a historical one. First successful resurrection."
"Was it successful?" asked Morgan with a raised eyebrow.
"I just told you-"
"There's a difference between a successful spell and a working one," Morgan stated, seriously. "From what Sharon has testified, the mother hired her to perform a resurrection so that she might be with her son. The son is here, but at the cost of the mother's life. In the end, they are still not together. I would not call that a success."
Harry considered the words, giving the enforcer a bemused smile. "Morgan, didn't know you were so philosophical."
"There's a lot you don't know, Dresden," he replied. "Which shouldn't surprise any of us." The warden noted the time. "I will return at a decent hour later today. Be sure that both the father and son are ready to come with us. We will be supervising their move."
Harry gestured to the two wardens from before who still not moved. "Are you taking the twin beefeaters with you?"
Morgan scowled, but gave a dismissing nod to them. "10am. Don't be late."
"Hey, wait a second," Harry suddenly realized. "The police are still going to want an answer. What do I tell them about Sharon?"
"That is none of my concern, Dresden," Morgan answered, opening the door to leave.
"Morgan, you've met Murphy. She's gonna kill me if I leave her with this!"
"Then I suppose she will kill you."
"Morgan!"
"Good morning, Dresden."
A day after Morgan had returned to collect Roland and his son, Harry's phone rang. Guessing it was Murphy, the wizard prepped himself for an earful, only to hear from the lieutenant that Sharon and Natalie Harper had been found.
"Found?" Harry didn't bother to hide his shock.
"Well, what's left of them. Dental records had to be used to get a positive match."
Apparently there had been a car crash that had ended with Sharon's vehicle exploding. By a stroke of luck, Roland hadn't been in the car and was soon found, tied up inside a warehouse. The man had been tired, frightened, but no permanent damage done. He'd put in his statement to Murphy that the woman who'd kidnapped him had spoken about using him in some deranged ritual.
"That sound right to you?" Murphy asked. Her voice remained purposefully flat, betraying nothing.
"Yeah," Harry answered, taking in the details. Roland must not be such a bad actor. "That sounds about right." Right for the Council's version of the witness protection program. They love explosions more than a Die Hard film.
"Fine," Murphy relented. "The kidnappers have been taken care of and an innocent man has been cleared. Worked out pretty well." The words were happy, but the lieutenant sounded less than pleased.
"It did all work out, Murphy," Harry insisted. "It did. Trust me."
"Yeah," she said after awhile. "Guess I do."
Like many others, Harry didn't think so far as to suppose the Council's orchestration of Sharon's death was a little more intricate than it seemed. Harry didn't consider how simple it would be for a skilled wizard to make a simple switch in the files so that the dental records of one person be replaced with another without anyone knowing. Or that perhaps the body found in that wreckage was not Sharon, but a woman who was already listed as dead. And while Natalie Harper's body did burn, the body of a sorceress had a more elaborate resting place.
There was a small crypt, tucked away just outside of the city. A private area paid for by an unknown benefactor. As far as anyone could tell, it was a family plot. But only a small handful were aware of a specific body that lay inside an unseen stony chamber, especially carved out. And while just as dead as Natalie Harper's, the body inside was additionally wrapped and bound by sigil decorated sheets, ensuring no one would ever see her. Or find her. Like Merlin inside his invisible cave, the body would be lost, forgotten. As would the soul eternally trapped within its bones.
Nearly week after Harry had witnessed his successful resurrection, Ethan Bennett returned to the wizard's store with his father in tow. Harry was a little surprise and amused to learn that personal appearance was never at the top of Roland's list, even when the man wasn't buried in anguish. The former shop owner's hair was a mess as before and while the clothing looked new, they were already rumpled and haphazardly thrown on.
"Hey, Ethan!" Harry greeted, cheerfully as the boy ran up to him.
"Mr. Dresden, we're moving to Boston!" he said, excitedly. "Dad got a job there."
"Let me guess. Bookstore?" Harry smiled.
"Teaching, actually," Roland supplied. While he had considerably less energy than his son, the man looked pleased all the same. "It's what I was doing before."
"Really?"
Roland smiled understandingly at Harry's obvious surprise. "I wasn't always unpleasant, you know."
"So, everyone been treating you well?" the wizard asked. He noticed Morgan and one other warden waiting around just outside the store. Following Harry's look, Roland nodded.
"It's the strangest thing. I feel like I'm being watched by Big Brother, but he's also been kind enough to find me a place to live, a job and even give me a list of schools for Ethan to attend."
"Not such a bad deal," Harry surmised.
"No, not bad at all," Roland agreed. "Anyway, we couldn't leave without saying goodbye first."
"We have presents," Ethan added, gripping a square package in his hand.
"You didn't have to do that."
"Dad got you an envelope," Ethan stated, his voice clearly giving away his opinion of the gift. "I got you a book," he said, proudly handing the package over to Harry.
"Oh yeah?" Deftly, the wizard managed to unwrap the gift without ripping the paper completely. From underneath the blue packaging slid out a small paperback. "Howl's Moving Castle," Harry read the cover aloud.
"It's about a wizard," said Ethan, eagerly. "You'll like it."
"He wanted to get you a book about wizards," Roland added. "And Harry Potter seemed a little too obvious."
"Thanks, Ethan," Harry said, appreciatively. "It's great."
"And this is mine," Roland handed over a small, flat envelope. "It's not about wizards, I'm afraid."
Opening it, Harry saw it held a check. The amount however, made the wizard blink. "Roland…I can't take this."
"It's just the insurance I had on the bookstore for fire damage."
"But…it's your money. It's way more than what I'd ever charge," said Harry, pushing the check back toward him.
"Mr. Dresden," Roland stopped him, shoving the check back. "Nothing I do for you for the rest of my life and nothing I ever give you will be enough," he said, plainly. But he could see the embarrassment in Harry's eyes and changed his tactics. "Alright, if it makes you that uncomfortable, then consider it my investment."
"In what?"
"In you. I'd like to know that you'll still be here if ever I need to talk to you again," said Roland. "And it'll be good knowing that in the mean time, you'll be able to continue to do what you do. Helping people."
Harry hesitated, but saw that Roland wasn't planning on leaving with the check. With a grateful, somewhat self-conscious smile, he accepted the payment. "Thank you."
Roland returned the smile. "If it isn't too much trouble, I wonder if I might have a word with your friend," he said, quietly.
The wizard looked back toward the hallway, knowing Bob was probably inside the lab, though able to hear the conversation going on outside. "Sure," he said. "Straight down. He'll come out."
"Ethan, stay with Mr. Dresden for a minute while I have a word with his associate," Roland instructed.
"Sure." Ethan eagerly agreed, wanting to spend more time with the self-proclaimed wizard.
Roland did his best not to flinch too much when the ghost appeared from out of the wall when he'd gone halfway down the hallway. It amazed the man how solid the spirit looked and how incredibly human. Then again, he supposed. All ghosts were humans once.
"You wished to speak to me, Mr. Bennett?" Bob inquired, politely.
"I've spent the last week surrounded by wardens and council members. It's kind of incredible how much they talk," Roland marveled.
"Indeed," the ghost agreed.
"Anyway," Roland continued. "I heard a couple of them talking about this wizard, who lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago. About how he was the first one who attempted to bring someone back from the dead." While the spirit's face remained expressionless, Roland could see the pale eyes harden slightly. "He's famous now for having been punished for it by being trapped on earth forever."
"I think you mean infamous," Bob corrected, humorlessly.
"Were you really the first one to try and bring back someone?" Roland asked.
"Was there something in particular you wished to speak with me about?" Bob asked, instead. "Other than my past sins?"
"I wanted to thank you," said Roland, softly. "Because of you, my son's alive."
The ghost gave him a regretful smile. "No, Mr. Bennett," he replied. "I'm afraid because of me, many people are dead."
Roland remained silent to that. He searched his mind to come up with something else to say, to contradict the ghost's claim. But he quickly realized that the grief inside the spirit was just as impenetrable as his had been for the last two years. Perhaps even more so. And pain that etched in was something Roland could respect enough to leave alone. So, he only nodded and turned to go.
"If I might ask," Bob suddenly stopped him, as if he had a second thought. "How do you feel?" Roland gave him a confused frown. "Having your son back. The sensation of it. How does it feel?" There was a slight urgency in the ghost's tone.
"When Ethan died, I felt like I'd somehow stopped," Roland explained. "It's like I was moving, but I was half asleep or I'd somehow died, but my body was still functioning and I was waiting for it to catch up to me."
"And now?"
"Now…" Roland considered the question. "I feel alive."
Taking in the comment, Bob nodded, the pale eyes betraying more sadness than he would have liked. What Roland had described, he'd never experienced with Winifred. He'd felt only anger and a determination to force back what he'd been certain was his to reclaim. And when she'd opened her eyes, he'd felt a triumph that had soon diminished with each passing day. But he'd never, as Roland had simply put it, felt the bliss of feeling alive.
And while he felt envious of him, Roland's words brought an odd sense of hope for the ghost. That even in the worst of sins, something might be salvaged.
"That is good to know, Mr. Bennett," he replied. "Very good."
When Roland returned to the storefront, he found Ethan listing off to Harry the books the wizard should really try and get a hold of. Roland smiled when he saw Harry dutifully writing down the names on a scrap of paper.
"Ethan, it's time to go."
"Okay." The boy reluctantly slid out of his seat, but gave the wizard a bright smile. "Maybe we'll come and visit sometime?"
Harry nodded. "I'd like that. When you come back, you can quiz me on how many of these books I've gotten through."
Ethan agreed and though only a child, said goodbye to Harry with a very grown-up handshake. When the wizard shook Roland's hand, he told him that should he need anything or have any questions, to not hesitate to call. "I'm pre-paid up," said Harry.
"Thank you, Mr. Dresden. I hope I'll see you again soon."
With a last wave and some impatient stares from Morgan and the waiting warden, Roland and Ethan Bennett were gone. Harry stood by his open doorway and watched as the two rounded the corner with the wardens. Once they were gone from his sight, Harry closed the door and found that at some point, Bob had come to stand next to him to watch their departure.
Without wanting to look too obvious, Harry carefully studied Bob from the corner of his eye. He noted with relief that he didn't look any paler than usual, nor could the wizard sense any unrelenting misery and anguish pouring out from him. Instead, the ghost simply looked sad as he stared out the window. And strangely, that observation hit Harry harder.
"Bob? You okay?"
"Fine, thank you," he replied, curtly.
"It's a nice day," Harry tried. "Want to go out?"
The ghost looked over to his former student and saw the awkward attempt he was making to try and cheer him up.
"No," he answered. "But thank you, Harry," he added, gratefully.
"Bob, come on. You always said you should get out more," Harry pressed. "Today's a good day. No rain, no snow. Temperature's just about right. You're even dressed for it as you are."
"You go and enjoy it, Harry," Bob replied, kindly. "Really. I wish to stay inside."
The wizard fidgeted uneasily with the cord of his blinds. "If you want to talk about anything…" he offered.
"Thank you. I will keep that in mind," said Bob. "Now, go," he urged. "I will see you later."
There was a faint whoosh as the ghost de-formed into a spiral of smoke and golden lights. Harry watched the trail vanish through the walls, toward the direction of the lab and sighed. He glanced back outside where the day was only growing brighter. He supposed a walk to Jackson Park would be ideal. But after a moment's thought, Harry decided against it. Instead, the wizard walked to his couch, picking up Ethan's gift along the way.
A potential client might stop by and I shouldn't miss that, he reasoned. Or Murphy might call, needing something and god knows if the answering machine can survive another message.
He glanced back toward where Bob had vanished.
Either way, better stay in today.
Confident in his decision, Harry stretched out on his couch with his new book and began reading.
THE END