by Ivy Baum
I picked it up and went to the kitchen, expecting to find my father there. This was usually the time of day he started dinner. But I walked into an empty kitchen.
I remembered, then, that I hadn’t seen his car in the driveway.
That was the day I’d gone upstairs and had found my mother in my bedroom—packing.
“Dad?” I’d spoken softly, but my voice echoed loudly.
No answer.
I paused in the empty kitchen. The television in the corner was on, but muted, and its shadows flickered on the wall like restless ghosts.
I thought I heard something—far down the hall.
Of course. Dad’s office was there. How had I not thought to go there first? If he really was here to pack up, that was where he’d likely be.
I moved down the long hall, trying not to make any noise. In my head, I began to silently rehearse my speech.
I arrived at a pair of French doors. There was a curtain pulled across the glass—a half-hearted attempt to give Dad’s study a modicum of privacy.
One of the doors was ajar.
I pushed it open, and my breath caught in my throat.
In the dim light, I could just make out a figure. He was leaning over the desk, his face turned away.
He was as I remembered him: a trim figure, not overly tall. His shoulders did look a little more slumped than last time. But he was getting older, after all..
I opened my mouth to call out to him—and stopped.
There was a smell in the air. A strong, pine-needle smell, and something astringent, like rubbing alcohol.
I recognized it a second before he turned to face me.
Dr. Sotheby straightened and smiled. “Hello, Kes.”
Chapter 47
I froze.
All of it—the hot tip in the Common Market, the “news” about my father being here—had been a scam. A set-up.
“My father’s not here, is he?”
Dr. Sotheby studied me with an expression of clinical appraisal. “You still call him that? How interesting.” He cocked his head. “I apologize for the deception. But this was the only way.”
I let out a wild laugh. “The only way to what? Murder me?”
He frowned. “I would never engage in anything so barbaric. No, Kestrel. I’m here to bring you in. I wanted to be the one to do it.”
Now I was confused. “Bring me in?”
He actually smiled—a fond, fatherly smile. “To escort you to the Capitol. For your trial. As a half-blood, you’re in violation of the Covenant of Purity.”
Of course, I already knew that. But now I thought that it might not be a bad idea to keep him talking.
How many minutes had passed since I’d entered the house? I didn’t dare look at my watch. But it had to be getting close to the ten-minute mark.
“They’re just going to execute me,” I pointed out. “Why not just get it over with? I saw what you did to my mother.”
At this, a look of genuine remorse crossed his face. “Now that was truly a pity—but unavoidable, I’m afraid. Though I heard through the grapevine that she survived. Remarkable. Especially for a mere human.”
I bristled at the words mere human.
He said, “I understand that none of this will make you very happy. But you should let me do my job.”
“Let you—?”
“If I am the one to take you to the Capitol, I can ensure that you’ll arrive there in one piece.”
“You mean until they execute me.”
He ignored this. “If I leave it to the Hunters, there will be no such guarantee. Things could get…messy.”
He seemed to take no pleasure in the idea. In fact, I got the sense—as crazy as it seemed—that he really didn’t want me to get hurt. No more than necessary, anyway.
“I want you to know that I’m going to do everything in my power to prevent your execution.”
I stared. As Sydney’s father, he’d always been a little intimidating—even mysterious. But I found that I understood even less about him now.
He smiled. “Upon our arrival, I’ll file an Exemption on your behalf. I can’t promise it will be granted, but I do have some pull with the Council, and I promise to exert every bit of it on your behalf.”
I shook my head. “Why not just let me go?”
“My first duty is to the Noble Race. But that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything in my power to help you. I’m quite fond of you, Kestrel. You’ve always been such a good friend to Sydney.”
He’s crazy. There was no point in reasoning with him—but that didn’t mean I couldn’t stall for time.
Once Sol was here, I had a chance.
I made a show of looking around. “Where are your Hunters?”
“Just taking care of a few things. To prepare us for our long journey to the Capitol.”
I looked around the office. All of my father’s things were sitting there, neatly boxed and labeled.
Had I really believed he would come all the way back here, across the Atlantic? Just to pick up his stuff?
You believed what you wanted to believe.
I looked around. “Was he ever planning to come back here?”
Dr. Sotheby shook his head. “What a terrible thing for your family to go through.”
I felt a flash of annoyance. I mean, I wasn’t the only one with a messed-up family situation.
“What about Sydney?”
“What about her?”
“She’s not Aristoi, is she?”
He looked surprised. “No. She’s perfectly human.”
“So she’s not your daughter.”
His eyes narrowed. “She is my daughter in all but blood.”
“I just thought—”
He shook his head. “I would never mix the blood. It is an abomination.”
There was a squawk from the two-way radio on the desk. Dr. Sotheby glared at it in disapproval, then snatched it up.
“Yes?”
“Almost ready,” said the voice on the other end. “You have the package?”
“Yes. I’ll be bringing her out shortly.”
I felt a surge of panic. Where was Sol? Ten minutes had surely passed by now.
Had he decided to give me more time?
Dr. Sotheby seemed to notice my unease. He flashed a condescending smile. “Don’t worry. We won’t leave before Solon gets here. In fact, he’s the one we’re waiting for.”
My heart seemed to freeze in my chest. They know he’s here.
He made a show of checking his watch. “I imagine he’ll be making an appearance any minute now. He wouldn’t allow you to spend all this time in here by yourself, now would he?”
“Why…why would you want to wait for him?”
“My own sentimental attachment aside, Solon is a much more valuable target than you, my dear. The Hunters have had their eye on him for a very long time. I can’t promise they’ll be as gentle with him as they will be with you.”
“You can’t—” I hesitated. “Don’t you know what he is?”
His eyes narrowed. “I am indeed aware that Sol is a Cipher. It’s part of what makes him so valuable, I imagine.”
“Then you know you won’t be able to beat him. He’ll cut through your men and then—”
I stopped at the sound of footsteps in the corridor.
Dr. Sotheby smiled. “Ah, but you’re not the only one who brought back-up.”
Chapter 48
From the doorway, Lucan smiled.
“Oh, Kes. You always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
With that, everything fell into place. I could see it so clearly now. Lucan had orchestrated this. He’d laid the trail of bread crumbs. And I’d stupidly followed them.
“You brought me here.”
He affected a look of confusion. “I did? Funny, I thought you and Sol undertook this little road trip entirely of your own volition.”
“You planted that information about my father.”
He smile
d, and I knew I had my answer.
“The crazy thing is that you actually drove all the way across the country for a chance to see him. Anyone ever tell you that you have daddy issues?”
I glared at him.
“The only question was whether Sol would be stupid enough to follow your lead and expose himself.” He glanced at Dr. Sotheby. “The good doctor here had his doubts. But I had a hunch.”
Understanding hit like a punch to the gut.
This entire thing had been a trap to lure Sol. I was simply the bait used to bring him out into the open. The chink in his armor…
The cold realization sank in. “This was never about me.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Lucan agreed, sounding almost cheerful. “Not even the good doctor here would go to all this trouble for a single half-blood who’s more likely than not to get herself killed on her own.”
There was a commotion in the doorway. I saw a group of Hunters—and then a shock of dark hair.
From the doorway, Sol met my gaze.
The look in his eyes chilled me. He must have known that we had been outmaneuvered. He couldn’t touch Lucan, and if he tried to take on everyone else, I would get caught in the crossfire.
“Kes…”
“I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
“Don’t apologize.” His gaze was steady. Resolute. “I knew the risks. I accepted them.”
Lucan clapped his hands together. “You know, the real hero of this story is team work. Now, who’s ready to return to the Capitol with our VIP hostage?”
I thought back to my first meeting with Lucan. I thought of those cold gray eyes, how they’d coldly appraised me.
I wonder what he sees in you.
He’d insisted that there must be something special. Some reason why Sol was so insistent on keeping me alive.
Of course, now the answer was humiliatingly clear. There was nothing special about me. And now I’d doomed Sol for nothing.
Lucan said, “What a coup it will be! To show up in the Capitol with my notorious half-brother. You know, I should be jealous. I guarantee that my father has spent far more time and energy on you than on me.”
Clearly, I wasn’t the only one with daddy issues.
Dr. Sotheby regarded Lucan impatiently. “We should go. The journey ahead of us is long, and the way is likely to be difficult.”
“Nothing my Hunters can’t handle. Besides, since when are old white guys afraid of police checkpoints?”
This is really happening. The reality of the situation felt like heavy concrete pouring through my body.
There was no good option here. No way for both of us to escape.
Sometimes there are no good choices. Sometimes you only get to pick the least worst option.
I looked to Sol. He could still get out of here.
But he’d have to leave me behind.
I said, “Don’t let them take you.”
He gazed back at me. In spite of the situation, he seemed far more calm than he should be. Now he simply smiled. “Everything will be okay, Kes. Trust me.”
I glanced over at Lucan and Dr. Sotheby, who were engaged in some sort of logistical discussion with the Hunters. “You can fight them.”
I’d kept my voice low, but Lucan seemed to hear it anyway. He sauntered over to us, leaving Dr. Sotheby with the Hunters.
“He won’t fight back. He knows that once the magical bullets start flying, you’ll be the first casualty.”
I thought of Dr. Sotheby—how he’d attacked my mother.
He still deserved to pay for that. Maybe I couldn’t get revenge—but Sol could.
I told Sol, “Do it anyway. Don’t worry about me.”
Sol gave a soft half-smile. “That was never an option.”
Dr. Sotheby emerged from the group of Hunters.
“We need to leave. Now.”
The Hunters were separated into two groups. Two of them went with Dr. Sotheby. The other four accompanied Lucan.
Sol and I would be taken in two separate cars—me with Dr. Sotheby, Sol with Lucan.
“Just a little added insurance,” Lucan said with a wink.
But as he began to herd us through the door, Sol said, “Wait.”
Lucan looked impatient. “If you’re going to make a last stand, could you please get on with it? It’s getting dark out there.”
Sol gave me one last look. I saw resolve in those eyes—but something else, too.
Maybe he really was planning on going out in a blaze of glory.
Sol gazed at Lucan, then Dr. Sotheby in turn. “I will go with you to the Capitol. But not as a prisoner.”
Lucan grinned. “Is that so? Well, I’m not in the market for a new driver…”
“I’ll go willingly.” Sol’s head raised defiantly. “I’m a pureblood.”
Chapter 49
Pureblood.
I was sure I’d misheard. Or hallucinated. But when I looked at the others, I saw my own shock and disbelief reflected in their faces.
Lucan gave a short laugh. “What?”
There wasn’t a trace of humor in Sol’s expression. “As a pureblood of the Noble Race, I reject your authority to take me anywhere against my will. Though in this case, I will accompany you to the Capitol—of my own accord.”
There was a long pause. Even Lucan seemed to be at a loss for words.
What was he doing? Was this some kind of crazy bluff? A way to distract them so that he could attack?
But one look at Sol’s face told me that it wasn’t a bluff.
Dr. Sotheby seemed to recover first. He gazed at Sol dispassionately. “You’re Unmarked, yes?”
Sol nodded. “But only because my mother took me from the Capitol when I was still in the womb. Had I been born in the Capitol, a Conduit would have affirmed my parentage.”
Dr. Sotheby stared. “You’re claiming Atameus is your father?”
Sol nodded.
Lucan glared at him. “What are you playing at? Everyone knows that our mother shamed herself by sleeping with some unfit human paramour.”
Sol’s face, thus far, had looked as though it were carved out of stone. But now the slightest crack appeared—a smile.
“That’s only because she wanted them to think it. She knew very well that if Atameus thought she was fleeing the Capitol with his pureblood son, he would pursue her to the ends of the earth. The affair was simply a rumor she had planted.”
Lucan narrowed his eyes. “Then why leave?”
“Don’t you see? She didn’t want to be a pureblood anymore.”
Dr. Sotheby finally seemed to lose his composure. “This is an undignified tactic. If you have any pride as a man, you’ll accept your fate and come quietly to the Capitol.”
Sol didn’t waver. “I can prove it. Bring any competent Conduit, and I’ll prove it.”
“We both know we need Atameus here to establish your connection.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to wait until we get to the Capitol.”
Lucan frowned. “This is a waste of everyone’s time.” He gestured to the Hunters. “Secure them both and bring them to the cars.”
Sol was unruffled. “Do you have a Reader?”
Dr. Sotheby and Lucan exchanged a look.
Dr. Sotheby’s tone was cautious. “As it happens…”
“Bring him over. He’ll tell you I’m telling the truth.”
For a moment, I thought they would reject the idea. Lucan looked like he would’ve liked nothing more than to just shove Sol in the trunk of his car and get out of there.
But Dr. Sotheby beckoned to one of the Hunters.
The man stood in front of Sol. “Are you, Solon Kyrion, the son of Atameus of House Knossos, current Leader of the Council of Elders?”
“I am.”
I thought I heard a soft intake of breath from Dr. Sotheby. The other Hunters, however, were scowling.
The Reader himself wore an increasingly abstracted look.
He asked a few more pointed qu
estions. Each time, Sol answered calmly.
Finally, he turned to Dr. Sotheby and Lucan. “He believes he’s telling the truth.”
Could it be true?
“Come on.” Sol spoke in an eminently reasonable voice. “Are you really going to tell my father that you let a bunch of trigger-happy Hunters manhandle me all the way to the Capitol? Are you willing to risk it?”
Lucan’s face darkened. “This changes nothing. I say we perform the execution here and now. No one has to know about these…allegations.”
Dr. Sotheby frowned. “If there is a chance he is Atameus’s true son, and a pureblood, then we must refrain.”
Lucan sighed. I shuddered at the cold, murderous gleam in his eye.
Dr. Sotheby gave Sol a long, probing look. “Even if you turn out to be Atameus’s son, that won’t absolve the long list of crimes you’ve committed. You’ll still have to answer for those.”
Sol smiled. “We’ll see about that.”
Lucan glanced at his Hunters. “Let’s go.”
I felt my magic coalescing. Was I was supposed to go out in my own blaze of glory?
If Sol was really a pureblood, then everything I believed, everything I knew about him, was a lie.
So what did it matter?
I felt a gentle hand on my arm.
Sol said, “Go with them, Kes. Do what they say. Don’t fight them.”
I stared, uncomprehending.
“Please, don’t give them any excuse to carry out their judgment here and now.”
Dr. Sotheby nodded his approval. “Wise words. You would do well to heed them. ”
I felt the pit in my stomach open up. What was the point of going quietly, just so that I could be executed anyway?
Sol shook his head. “Just trust me on this.”
Trust me. But how could I?
In the end, I let them escort me to the SUV. Not because I believed Sol, but because I no longer had the desire to fight.
Everything Sol had told me was a lie.
I sat in the back of the car, one of the Hunters beside me. Dr. Sotheby rode up front.
Glancing out the window, I saw Sol climb into the other car.
