“I do not recall killing your family. I would remember someone such as yourself. What's your family name?”
Maura strangled the neck of the bottle. In one move, she could shatter its edges on the floor. In two moves, she could lodge the makeshift blade into his throat. And in three moves, Death's Noose would claim a killer. But she couldn't kill him when his entourage could easily kill Liam.
An Elixir interrupted the conversation. His silver hair sparkled like diamonds in the light and crimson eyes burned with concentration. His gaze landed on her swollen knees with a quizzical glare.
“We got a little rough.” Maura winked.
Pursing his lips, he ran his expert fingers over the broken bones. His numbing and healing charm worked as one to hasten the mending process. The Elixir rose without a word, tended to Adrian, and then left Bernard, Adrian, and Maura.
She stood, fixed the couch and splayed out like before. “Now, where were we?” She found her cigarette in the mortar between two stones on the floor and lit it. “Ah, yes.”
“There is a ball this Friday. You have been cordially invited under the condition that you will arrive with your answer.”
Maura remained quiet, intent on finishing the cigarette.
“Either you assist me in this matter or you will go to The Gallows,” he said.
“I'm not one for parties. How does a phone call sound?”
“Your attendance is most crucial, Ms. Hart. Lives of those in Mystic Academy may be hanging in the balance.”
“Sure do have me in a bind, Adrian.” She ground the cigarette into the floor, snatched Adrian's liquor from his loose grasp, and finished it with a hiss. “This was fun, Adrian, really. I can't wait to see what you do at the ball.”
Chapter Twenty-Three: Worlds Collide
Confident Adrian wouldn't discover Vera was Maura, Claus sat in a private booth, a heavy glass of whiskey in hand. She'd hidden herself well. She could handle Adrian.
Claus sipped his drink and sat back in the booth. He should've known he wouldn't have been able to leave easily. Julian’s death complicated matters. Adrian knew Maura was close. He just didn't know she was at his fingertips, and Claus needed to keep Maura from him.
Evrene slithered through the dancing crowd below. She climbed the spiral staircase to the second floor and slid into the red velvet booth. She wore a strapless black sequin dress that showcased her envious cleavage and diamond necklace. Her breasts and expensive taste in jewels detracted from the jagged scar on her chest. She detested the disfigurement and the person who was responsible.
“I didn't think you were here,” Claus said. She blended in with the other black cocktails dresses. Tonight was Heidi’s night with Adrian. “Heidi said you were high at the house.”
“I don’t need drugs.” Evrene smiled. “I am the drug.” She took the glass from Claus and sipped it. She puckered her lips and hissed. “We have a problem.” She pointed to one of the tunnels. A man with his back to them spoke to one of the bouncers. Even from afar, Claus imagined the man shouting. The man clenched his hands at his sides, turquoise scars curling around his white knuckles.
Claus relaxed in his seat. “Security will throw him out.”
“That's not the problem.” Evrene scooted closer. The hem of her dress rode up her thigh, exposing her lace lingerie.
Claus looked into his empty drink, took a deep breath, and ignored her warm touch stroking his knee. “What's the problem then?”
“That's Liam Winston.”
Air clotted in his throat. “The GateKeeper?”
“I'd recognize the son of a bitch anywhere.”
Claus stared at the man. He'd seen Iden Winston centuries ago when he came to Abysm. The man had auburn hair, dark gray eyes, almost charcoal. The same scars that covered Evrene’s petite frame once belonged to him. The final piece to Adrian’s puzzle, the loose thread, the one responsible for Evrene’s disfigurement and disdain stood within sight.
“He's smart enough to know not to come here,” Claus said.
Evrene smiled, her lips beside his ear. “Unless he came with someone.” Her chilled whisper tumbled down the opening of his shirt. Maura.
Claus rose. “I'll take care of him.”
A malicious smile flashed on Evrene’s red lips. “Leave a piece of him for me.”
Claus grunted in disgust and moved downstairs. The crowd parted, a clear path developing to Liam.
“What seems to be the problem?” Claus said.
Liam turned. Eye to eye, his face shot a cold sweat of dread down Claus’ spine. The mirror image of Iden Winston. Damn. The same look registered on Liam’s face, followed by a flush of red that overpowered his eyes.
Liam stepped forward. “You–”
“I'm Claus. You must be Liam.” He pointed to the private booths above. “How does a drink sound? We can talk in private.”
Liam's mouth tightened into a straight line. He squared his shoulders and planted himself in place.
Claus cleared his throat, scratched the end of his eyebrow. His tell. I need you to trust me, he thought. I know who you are. I know who you came with. Come outside where we can speak in private.
Liam looked over the club. His gaze froze on the second-floor balcony.
Another shot of cold dread washed over Claus. He followed Liam’s stare, afraid of finding Evrene lingering along the upper level. No one. His clenched fists relaxed at his sides.
“We’ll talk here.” Liam walked up the stairs. The bouncer on the second level waved him past when Claus followed behind. They sat in a booth, catty-cornered between two empty tables.
Liam shot daggers with his eyes.
Claus adjusted his collar, damp with nervous sweat. Too many things could go wrong. Maura. Adrian. Evrene. They could all collide at once in front of him. A tension headache set in. He needed a drink.
“Scotch or wine?” Claus asked.
“Bourbon.”
Claus summoned a pixie and placed the order. Two shots of Jack. Two glasses of bourbon. The pixie returned and set the shots beside Claus. He knocked them down. His nerves lessened.
Liam clenched and unclenched his fingers around his glass.
“You shouldn't be here,” Claus said, gaze averted. I shouldn't be here.
“Where is she.”
Claus straightened and polished off his drink. The burn of liquor melted Liam’s piercing daggers along his skin. “Adrian doesn't know who she is.”
“Is that supposed to keep me from smashing your face into this table.”
Claus knew he meant it. He'd heard the story of the day Liam’s family was murdered, how he nearly killed Evrene. Luck saved her. An undetonated bomb exploded and threw Liam into the woods. Not before he dug a silver blade into Evrene’s chest. Half an inch more, and the silver would've penetrated her heart, killing her.
“I need you to trust me. I'm the person standing between your way out of here and Adrian realizing you're a GateKeeper.” Claus searched for Evrene. “Play along, and you and Maura will leave here tonight in one piece.”
Liam tensed. His nostrils flared like a raged bull’s.
“Listen,” Claus leaned on the table. “If I wanted to, I could've killed you. Both of you.” He sat back. “I knew Maura killed Julian at that bar last night. Who else other than Adrian has the means to kill an immortal?”
“You didn't though.”
“I told Adrian that Julian had been killed in his apartment. No connection to either of you.” Claus ordered another drink. “My brother thinks I'm here to help him find the last Leroux. But, I want what you want.” He shook the last drop of bourbon from his glass. “I'm here to make sure he doesn't find her. My suggestion to you two,” he whispered, close to the table. “Run.”
Chapter Twenty-Four: Nightmares
An ill green blankets the bedroom. The moon tries to break it apart with its silver rays, only managing to bring a gray hue to the darkened corners. Maura sits, alone, against the headboard of the bed with her
knees to her chest. Incoherent thoughts keep sleep away. She sags with the added exhaustion.
She reaches into a bag for a cigarette and comes up empty-handed. Tossing the bag to the side, it disappears into the clouds of green mist rising from the floorboards. She leans back on the wall and closes her eyes in hopes she remembers where she stashed a few extra cigarettes.
A high-pitched scraping jostles the thoughts. It stops once she traces the room. Green spirals climb the walls. Black plumes descend from the missing ceiling, now waves of pulsating darkness.
Maura feels nothing but emptiness.
She throws her legs over the side of the bed. Currents of magic, wispy and gentle, swim between her ankles like small fish.
The scratching starts again, creating ripples in the green. Black plumes slither into the floor. Everything retracts from across the room, where a mirror stands on a silver pedestal in a curtain of black.
A slender leg, gray and lanky, slips through the glass with an audible crackling. Its body follows in the same manner, diving into the green lake below with a soundless splash.
Maura retreats to the other side of the bed and presses against the wall.
Bubbles rise below, accompanied by several small ripples. The water stills, bringing an eerie silence along with it.
She holds her breath, waiting.
One by one, claws curl around the edge of the bed. The Void pulls itself upright. It shows its black fangs with a smile before dragging her into the depths. Head over heels, she tumbles through the pitch darkness, always sensing the presence of The Void.
Her screams become lost in the fall. Wind brushes open a portal of light at the end of the vertical tunnel. She shields her eyes from the harsh brightness. The taste of salt in the air burns.
A noose tightens around her neck, and she plummets into thrashing ocean waves below.
Maura jerked awake in her bed. “Fuck,” she whispered.
She hadn't suffered from nightmares in decades. As a child, there had been nights where she woke from the same reoccurring dream of her family's murder. But after the reality of the nightmare came true, life had been scarier than anything she could dream.
A sharp tapping emanated from the shadows. Maura examined the dark corners and swung her legs over the bed. There it was, the floor, just as rough and cold as it was when she’d walked to the bed. She sighed in relief.
The tapping, like someone thumping their fingernail against a window, echoed again.
Without turning her back on the shadows, she pulled the blinds open. Moonlight flooded the room. It cast silver rays onto the mirror, which rattled in defiance. Beyond the weakening Seal, The Void drew its claws along the glass. Its smile, broad and malicious, burned away part of the charm.
She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until she was gasping for air. She looked into the mirror. The faces of those she'd killed swam beside an image she’d associated as herself. They swirled around a vortex at the center until they mixed together into an indecipherable face.
Guilt slammed onto her shoulders. The loss of her own family gnawed at her heart, knowing she’d given that pain to others. She felt like a monster. She’d strayed so far from what she used to be that she feared, even when all was over, she’d never be able to find her way back.
Maura clawed at her temples. Staring into the mirror, she watched it shake with its deep growl. The Void emerged from behind a curtain of white smoke that coated the glass. It drew its claws along the fog, creating her name.
She screamed and threw an empty vial at it. The bottle shattered and cut lines into the Seal that reformed in seconds. The Void screamed in defiance.
She grabbed the fire iron from beside the small fireplace and charged. With one swing, she brought the hooked end of the rod down on the mirror. It rebounded from the spellbound framework, almost knocking her back. Maura swung again. The hook latched onto a tear in the charm. She pulled, ripping a layer of spells off. She swung again. One. Bang. Two. Bang. Three. Crack. Each impact released bottled emotions. Every shatter of the frame brought a swell of almost-happiness and relief. On the ground, with no legs to stand on or back to hold it straight, the mirror was no longer in control. The Void was no longer the strongest one.
With one last swing, the spells exploded in a beam of turquoise. The fire rod made contact on the glass with a shattering crunch.
Maura stopped, breathless. A spiderweb fracture ran alongside the corner of the mirror. She dropped the fire rod, her head in her hands. “Pull yourself together.”
She released pulses of magic to mend the cracks. The Void’s scream withered, and the reflection of the room returned.
“What's the matter?” Liam's voice cracked with sleep from the doorway.
She moved away from the mirror and slipped into bed. “Go back to bed.”
He flipped the overhead light on, and Maura shaded her eyes.
“Nightmare?” he asked, stepping into the room.
His comforting aura floated over her. She stretched her legs out beneath the covers, the warm sensation tickling her toes.
“Do you have them often?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
She hadn't noticed how close he'd gotten, but couldn't find the strength to pull away. “Yeah,” she said, voice weak. “Ever since Hannah died.”
“Your twin.”
“How'd you–”
Liam tapped the side of his head, smiling. He lounged on the bed, back against the head rest, feet dangling off the end, arms outstretched. “Come, you should sleep.”
Maura stared, her gaze frozen on the small space between them. “Not with you.”
“It won't kill you.”
She tossed her legs off the side of the bed, her back to him.
Liam's sigh tickled the back of her neck, his arms around her waist. With a gentle pull, he cradled her in his lap.
“Relax,” he whispered, as she tensed within his touch.
Liam yawned, rested his head atop hers, and stilled.
Maura stared at the ceiling for an immeasurable amount of time, trying not to move, attempting to adjust to being in another’s arms after being alone for so long. With each of Liam's breaths, his chest rose and brought her into the path of moonlight stretching across the room.
Maura bit the corner of her lip. “You never told me about your family.”
Liam stirred, his voice deep. “You never wanted to ask.”
“That’s–”
“Not true?” he interjected with an underlying chuckle. “You don’t want to know anything about anyone.”
Maura shifted, and Liam tightened his hold around her waist.
“You don’t want to become attached,” he said quickly.
“You need to quit rifling through my thoughts.”
Liam’s throaty chuckle vibrated against her ear. “You don’t make it easy to get to know you any other way.”
“Twenty questions. Truth or dare. You don’t have to pick apart my brain.”
“Your brain says what you won’t.”
Maura scowled. “I don’t read your mind.”
“You don’t have to. I’ll tell you anything.”
Maura wiggled from his strong hold and faced him, chin on his chest, eyes narrowed. “I doubt that.”
Liam looked up, smiling, as if the answers were in the air above them, and then met her gaze. “Anything. Try me.”
She thought for a moment. “Birthday.”
“November 2nd.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Year.”
“1789.”
“Favorite color.”
“Purple.”
“Purple?”
Liam shrugged. “It’s a nice color.”
“Favorite food.”
“Spaghetti.”
Maura sat on his lap, his hands falling to her waist. She played with the hem of his white t-shirt, a true question burning on her tongue.
“You can ask me anything,” Liam reassured.
; She hesitated and then looked him in the eyes. “What was your sister’s name?”
“Margaret.” The shadow of a smile danced on his lips. “Maggie.”
“Older or younger?” Maura tried to avert his gaze – a gaze that saw into the past, was reliving a moment that was forever lost. His loss was a reminder of hers. It made her heart throb.
“She was a year younger,” he said.
“You two were close?” She looked up from her fingers as they tangled in his shirt.
Liam nodded.
“You miss her,” she said.
“Is that a question or are you reading my mind?” Liam squeezed her waist teasingly.
Maura gave a small smile, a blush crawling across her face.
Liam stilled, his grin faded, and he dropped his hands into hers. “I miss her everyday.” He cleared his throat and stroked her fingers. “You must miss your family.”
Maura laid across him, head on his chest, his arms coming around her back. Her body relaxed and conformed to the curve of his. Her jagged breaths turned deep and slow. “Everyday.”
***
For Maura, it was hard to believe only one day had passed since finding a dead dealer, discovering she had been framed, and coming face to face with Adrian. It was even harder to believe she and Liam had survived it. She thought their funerals would be held today. Not a quiet breakfast in each other’s company.
She sipped her coffee, trying not to wince at its scorching heat.
“You never told me what Adrian and you spoke about,” Liam said between bites of his blueberry muffin.
“We've been cordially invited to a ball.” She took a long sip and then explained how Adrian had leverage over the situation.
“Have you made a decision yet? Are you going to help him…find you?”
“I'm not concerned about Adrian.”
“He wants to kill you.” He leaned over the kitchen table. “He wants to reopen the portal to Abysm. We aren't talking about some little thing. He's going to create an army, Maura.”
“I know. I know,” she sighed.
“Claus said we should–”
Her cell buzzed on the table. Liam grunted.
Blue Ruin (The Phoenix Series Book 1) Page 16
