—CHAPTER THIRTY NINE—
AARIC
INVESTIGATION
Theon’s tasked me with finding out where Dariella hid the Nexus.
Malia, Roman, Felix, Bay, and Niykee have all volunteered to help. I think they all feel like since we started the search for the Nexus together we should end it together.
I had hoped my charms would be enough for Dariella Aguillon to confess, but it seems the only person in this palace she doesn’t hate is Haydan Kasanoff.
Amara and Theon agreed on no more secrets so I confessed the truth behind Haydan to him, but he agreed to allow Haydan to stay a free man long enough for us to find the Nexus. After that I’m not sure what he has planned for the little traitor, but I can’t imagine it will be pleasant.
It’s well past noon by the time I round up the boys and Niykee. Malia is busy making sure Dariella stays in her sights until we need her. Haydan looks up from where he’s sitting with his books about prophecies in the library and sinks back when he realizes what this is.
“Oh no. Theon’s finally come to his senses, hasn’t he?” He rises to his feet. “Alright. Which one of you is gonna do it? Niykee? I know you’ve been itching to kill me since we got off that ship. Or maybe sweet little brother Bay. It’s always the quiet ones. Felix? You’ve got enough anger to carry your whole Zodiac. It’ll probably be you.”
“No one is killing anyone.” Niykee says irritably.
“Yet.” I add, winking at Haydan.
“Then what’s happening here?” Haydan asks nervously.
“We need you to do a little undercover work.” I clap my hands together, approaching Haydan. He flinches when I get too close. I grin. “Dariella Aguillon seems to be interested in no one, but you in this place so we need you to try and get her to fess up to where the Nexus is, because if she doesn’t we’re going to have to get creative and we’d like to avoid that, if we can.”
“Torture her.” Haydan spits.
“Wow. That sounded just a little judgmental, given you’re a fucking Serpentarian Zodiac Hunter.” I sneer back. “It’s a good thing you have some sense of self-preservation, unlike those suicidal maniacs, otherwise you’d be of no use to me.”
Niykee grins over at Haydan. “And I am just dying to show you what ebony fire looks like.” Niykee swipes her hands together. Her grin broadens when Haydan flinches away.
“What am I getting out of this?” he asks, blue eyes moving up to me.
“Theon’s agreed to let you rot in a cell instead of a shallow grave.” I say matter-of-factly.
Haydan sighs. “What do you want me to do?”
“She’s down at the tavern right now. You just go down there, chat, see if you can’t press on her weak spots and get the location of the Nexus out of her. We’ll be sitting nearby. Simple.”
Haydan is entirely unwilling to do this, almost as if he feels sorry for the girl. Perhaps her interest in him is mutual. Hunters are fickle freaks.
Dariella is sitting at the bar alone when Haydan walks up. Malia is sitting at a table off to the right, within hearing distance of the bar. Me and Niykee settle into the chairs across from her.
“I see you got our little traitor to cooperate.” Malia says by way of greeting.
“We did. Niykee can be very persuasive when she wants to be.” I smirk over at my sister. She settles back into her chair with a prideful grin.
“Hey there sad eyes.” Haydan nudges Dariella in the shoulder gently, waving the barmaid down for a drink. “Two more of whatever she’s having please, Brienna, thank you.” He turns his attention back on her. “What’s got you down, Dar?”
“Amara Boudelaire.” Her tone is dripping with venom. She hates Amara.
Theon told me briefly why. Before he knew there was another heir to the Llìrian throne besides himself he’d planned to marry Dariella, make her his queen. And then he learned of Amara, what she could do, and decided she was better suited for the throne than himself. He cast Dariella away and she left angry. She came back a few months ago and no one really knows why, though I have a guess. She’s got the Nexus hidden somewhere and has yet to use it. It makes me wonder why. She doesn’t plan to hand it over to Theon or she would have done it already. Perhaps she is angry enough to try and use it against him.
“That scrawny little thing?” Haydan replies. “She’s got nothing on you.”
Dariella looks up and tears moisten her pretty blue eyes, making them glow. “You think?”
“I know.” Haydan brushes a hand down the side of her arm. It’s a good move. It’s something I might do. Initiating contact, even a small touch like that, is just enough affection to grab her attention.
“What is it about her?” Dariella asks.
“Honestly? It’s the eyes. Like a porcelain doll. You could just drown in those eyes.” Haydan says, which seems to bring on more tears. This is supposed to be the nether user that was almost as deadly as my sister? The girl is a snowflake. “Come on, Dar. You’re not actually intimidated by her, are you? She’s been a Serpentarian for what? A few months? You’ve got a lifetime on her.”
“Yet he still picked her.” Dariella tells him. “Why?”
“Because he knew he could control her, Dar. He couldn’t control you. You’re strong. That’s what makes you better than her.” He pauses, slinking away from her. Smart. He’s got her on his hook. Now reel her in. “If only there was a way to control him.”
Dariella seems to consider something. Then she inches closer to him. “But there is.”
“What do you mean?” Haydan asks casually.
“Maybe I have something that could control them all, Haydan.”
Haydan flicks his gaze back to her. “Like what?”
“Like this.” Malia, Niykee, and I all jump back in our seats when Dariella swipes a sharp knife off the bar and shoves it up into Haydan’s abdomen. He chokes, slumping over the bar, groaning in pain. “I have friends in this palace too, Haydan Kasanoff.”
I give a curt nod to Roman, Felix, and Bay sitting by a table near the only exit. They all stand in unison before Dariella can rush out. She freezes, turning to go back, but me and the girls are standing there waiting for her.
Her panicked blue eyes flick to Haydan, free of her manufactured tears now. “I’m sorry, Dar.” Haydan shrugs. “But I don’t wanna die.”
She turns back toward Roman and he injects her with a small syringe. She chokes, looking up at him in what can only be hurt. “Nightshade.” she whimpers in surprise before collapsing in Roman’s arms.
“What the hell is Nightshade?” Niykee asks.
“It’s a plant that is deadly to humans, and toxic to Zodiacs. It’ll kill a human who eats it, but for us it simply burns or, if injected, knocks us unconscious for a time, weakening us considerably.” Malia explains. “Something in our anatomy I guess. Hunters like to break it down into liquid form to use against us. We swiped it off Haydan.”
“What are you gonna do with her?” Haydan asks me. He almost sounds worried about her.
“Get the answers we need.” I gesture for Roman to lead the way.
We bring Dariella to one of the many living rooms throughout the palace and tie her to a chair in the middle of the room. Roman soaks the ropes in some more of Haydan’s Nightshade before tying her down. While he does I reluctantly heal Haydan’s minor stab wound.
“Harsh.” Felix mutters.
“Roman was trained for exactly this.” Bay says in Roman’s defense. “We’re doing what we have to do to help Amara. Just remember that.”
“Amara is the only reason I’m doing any of this.” Felix snaps. “I don’t trust Theon and I don’t understand why Amara is choosing to, but I trust her so that’s why we’re here.”
“Of course, Fee.” Niykee says soothingly, placing a hand on his shoulder. It seems to calm him considerably.
“What’s all that?” Bay eyes the table beside us where Roman has a few different types of implements of torture.
“It�
�s for her, in case ability isn’t enough for her to talk.” Roman says. Beside him Dariella starts to come around. “If anyone wants to leave I suggest you do it now.” Roman glances around, but no one moves.
“I’d like to leave.” Haydan raises his hand, but we all pointedly ignore him.
“You son of a bitch.” Dariella grits out.
“Rise and shine, gorgeous. It’s interview time.” I say smugly.
“I don’t know if this is some fun new way of flirting, Haydan Kasanoff, but let me tell you, I’m not enjoying myself.”
“Sorry, beautiful. Haydan was just the decoy.” I tell her. “We wanna know where you hid the Nexus.”
“Does Theon know you’re doing this?” she asks, whimpering when she recognizes the burn on her wrists from the ropes dipped in Nightshade.
“He suggested it actually.” I say cockily. What I don’t expect is the look of hurt she gives me next.
“You’re lying.” she sneers, yanking against the restraints, but they hardly budge.
“I’m not. Just tell us where you hid it, Dariella, and you can go free.”
“Ha!” Dariella scoffs. “There’s no freedom on the other side of those doors. We both know it. Theon knows I’ve been hiding the Nexus. He’s probably already plotting my death as we speak. Because that’s what he does to those who no longer serve a purpose. He discards them like trash. He’ll do the same to his pretty new toy eventually.”
“Where’s the Nexus, Dariella?” Malia asks irritably.
Dariella squints at Malia, as if she recognizes her. “Where do I know you from?”
“I really wouldn’t know. What I do know is the prince here is going to get really fancy with his knives if you don’t start talking.”
“There are worse things to fear.” Everyone else brushes off the comment as a defense mechanism, but the look in her eyes tells a different story.
“Like what?” I ask.
To this, Dariella laughs. “Wouldn’t you like to know, handsome.” She grins up at me. Roman glances at me. I nod and take a step back.
Roman moves toward Dariella and starts by sucking the breath from her lungs. She throws her head back, gasping for air. Instinct has her straining against her restraints to touch her throat, but she can’t. She can’t even protest or talk if she wanted to. Roman stops so that she can.
Dariella looks up at Roman innocently, as if she’s going to spill her guts. Instead she grins. “Go to hell.”
“Not enough?” Roman challenges her. “Very well.” Roman moves his hands before him as if morphing the air to his will. Then he sends it into her. Under her top I hear her ribs crack. She sucks in a breath and cries out in agony. “Tell us where you hid the Nexus, Dariella. All of this will stop.”
“I tell you and I’m as good as dead.”
“We can talk to Theon if you tell us where it is.” But again I get the feeling it isn’t Theon she’s talking about, but someone else. Maybe Dariella isn’t holding onto the Nexus for her own use at all, but for someone else.
“Sorry, handsome. I’m not talking. Do your worst.”
“What the hell?” We all spin at the sound of Kara’s voice. She stands at the door, walking slowly into the room with Haven at her side, taking in the scene before her. “What the hell are you doing?”
“We’re torturing Dariella.” Felix says.
“Aaric, what the hell is happening right now?” Kara snaps at me.
“We’re…” I try to find a better word for what we’re doing, but there just doesn’t seem to be one. “We’re torturing Dariella.” She just stares at me, dumbfounded. “Okay.” I touch her shoulder and push her out of the room. Haven follows behind her.
“Aaric, what the hell?” she demands.
“Look, Dariella has something we need and she won’t tell us where it is so we’re just trying to get it out of her.”
“Can’t you just compel her?”
“Nether users can’t be easily compelled.” Haven interjects. “When they have been it’s been with great effort.” My eyes wander over to her. She’s dressed in what appears to be work out clothes. She and Amara both have been working with Roman, learning how to fight physically and not just magically. She must be expecting a session with her brother.
“What could you possibly need from her that would warrant this?” Kara asks.
“Amara wants me to keep you out of all of this, Kara and I am inclined to agree. You’re pregnant. You don’t need the stress.”
“Not knowing is causing me stress, Aaric. Do not treat me like a child.”
“You wanna know? Go ask Theon.” I say dismissively. She storms off as I had hoped she would so I could be alone with Haven. “Hey, how are you doing?” I ask gently.
Haven smiles softly. “I’m doing better. Roman’s showing me how to fight. It’s helping I think.”
“That’s great. I’m glad you’re feeling better.” I try to smile, but the sight of her reminds me that I’m the reason all of this happened in the first place. “Haven, I’m so sorry.”
“Aaric, please don’t.” she begs me. She drags her nails over her wrist, scratching nervously. She digs them in, almost drawing blood, probably to distract herself from whatever inner struggle she’s fighting.
“Please let me just say this once.” I beg her. She looks conflicted for a time and then she nods. “I’m so sorry that I was a coward. You all, but begged me to give you a reason to stay that day, before the funeral, before you left with him and if I hadn’t been stupid, if I had been brave enough to tell you how I felt about you then none of this would have happened.”
“Aaric, please.” She forces herself to curl her fingers around my wrist. I see the battle she fights behind her eyes as she closes them. Whatever she’s seeing, wherever she’s going, she pushes through it for me. “That day when I asked you to give me a reason to stay, it was never a choice between staying for you or going. My father was sending me, reluctant or not. That’s what second-borns are for. For alliances. It was just to see if I had something to fight for or not.”
“But you did, Haven. I—I was in love with you then and I am in love with you now. No matter what happens between us, no matter where we end up, I need you to know that. And I know that you can’t be with me. I know that what that soulless monster did to you haunts you. I just needed to say it. I needed you to hear it. And I need you to know that I will be here. I’ll wait, for as long as you need me to wait.”
“Aaric,” she cries, tears moistening her gorgeous golden eyes. “I can’t ask you to do that. I may never be able to…I may never be past this. I need you to understand that.”
“I understand, and you’re not asking me to do anything. I’m doing it. It’s my choice.” I don’t know if it’s smart or not, but I stoop to kiss her cheek. She doesn’t pull away. I press my lips to her soft skin and hesitate before pulling back. She doesn’t say I love you back, but I don’t need her to. I just need her to be here.
“I’ll go talk to Kara. Stop her from doing anything crazy.”
I crack a smile at the thought of my pretty little blond bombshell. “Hah, okay. Thank you.” Haven raises her eyes to me, smiling once more before she leaves.
When I walk back into the room Dariella is unconscious. “She passed out.” Bay says.
“Dare I ask what from?”
“I might have nethered her a little bit.” Niykee confesses. She looks positively pleased with herself. It still amazes me that somehow her nether magic works on other nether users.
“I’m guessing that smile is because you got her to tell you what we need to know?”
Niykee grimaces. “No. She won’t talk. We might have to bring in someone else.”
“Is there someone else better suited to torturing an eighteen year old girl?” Roman asks sarcastically. It makes me smile. Roman is never sarcastic, but perhaps playing soldier boy brings that out in him.
“She’s actually twenty one.” Haydan pipes up. Malia responds by kicking him in t
he groin. Haydan doubles over, hitting his knees on the floor behind her.
“Theon.” Niykee says. “She’s in love with him.”
“How could you possibly know that?” Bay objects.
“Trust me, a girl knows.” Niykee replies. “Bring Theon in here, have him question her, she’ll talk.”
“I’ll go get him.” I volunteer.
Theon’s just coming out of the dining room after dinner when I finally track him down. Kara is racing down the hall toward Theon, probably to scold him on allowing us to torture Dariella, and Haven damn near has to tackle her to the floor to get her to stop.
“Hey, we need your help.” I call to Theon when it looks like he’s going to turn to see what all the commotion is about.
“With what?”
“Dariella is being difficult and Niykee seems to think that she’s in love with you so…we could use your help trying to get the information we need out of her.” Theon sighs and falls in step with me. Over my shoulder I shoot Haven a look, but she waves me off, letting me know she’ll handle Kara.
Back in the room Dariella is awake, and crying about her ribs. “Poor Dariella.” Theon pouts, approaching her slowly. Her blue eyes shoot up upon hearing his voice. She looks almost hopeful. Perhaps Niykee is right about her feelings for the man. He brushes a chunk of her hair out of her eye, exposing a cut that’s bleeding just above it. “What have they done to you?”
I look to Malia for the answer. “She pissed me off.” Malia shrugs, arms folded over her chest.
“Theon?” Dariella cries, just as he crouches down in front of her. “Theon, my ribs are broken. I need help.” She sounds so innocent, so scared, I almost believe her. But she’d already fooled us all once with Haydan. She’s not going to do it again.
“I can help you, sweetheart.” he says, cupping her cheek in his hand tenderly. “All you have to do is tell me where the Nexus is located. Then you and I can walk out of here, together.”
She swallows. Her eyes flutter open and then shut and I see a tear pool in one, struggling to free itself from her eyelash. “I can’t tell you, Theon. I’m sorry.” The apology is sincere. She really does love him, but whoever’s got her harboring the enchanted object scares her more than he does.
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