“You killed him,” Claus said. “Finally.”
“You could’ve saved me some time and done it yourself.” She raised her eyebrows, placing the cup of coffee at her lips.
“It wasn’t that–”
“Killing your family is never easy.” She placed her mug down, voice low. “I would know.”
A series of beeps from the cockpit called Claus’ attention. He landed at the same airstrip they’d landed on before and drove the same path to The Keep they had driven when looking for Liam.
Maura didn’t bother to use an Illusion this time. The threat of Adrian discovering her through his rats in the department was eradicated. The Keep still wanted her, could still persecute her for being an Abysmal and illegally entering their world. But with half of the government gone, she didn’t worry about those left behind. They needed someone. Someone to sign off on their paychecks. Someone to guide them. Someone to rebuild from the devastation. I can be that someone.
They breezed past the empty security desk, took the elevator to the top floor of the main building and walked into desolation. The major offices where the chairpersons of each department had their view of the city skyline was empty. No unanswered phones rang. No interns brought coffee to the bosses. No voices spoke of dinner plans in lavish restaurants, paid by Adrian. Not a breath of stale wind.
“There’s no one here,” Claus said.
Maura walked down the long hall, accented with gold columns between the office doors, elaborate sconces on the wall throwing warm light to an otherwise cold and meticulous place.
“Adrian burned them,” she said as she reached the end of the corridor, two large double doors in front of her, the name Dimitri scrolled in script along its wood surface. She kicked open the doors, allowing them to bash against the walls before rebounding.
The office was large, with a clear view of the city, the ocean on the horizon. The floor-to-ceiling windows formed a half-moon at the head of the office where a wide desk perched in the sunlight. No papers. No pens. No computers. No files. No work was scattered among the office like there had been in hers. Everything was pristine, untouched. A view, a several thousand dollar desk, and his overwhelming portrait on the wall emulated his stature.
Disgust roiled in her stomach as she moved into the room, drew her fingers across the dustless desk, and sat in his stiff throne. She tapped a series of buttons on the hologram touch screen on the desk, sending out a vast message to those in the building to report to the office.
Claus sat in a chair across the desk. “How do you know Sayer won’t show?”
“His secret is out. It won’t be long before someone reveals to the press who his connections were.” She smirked. “And without Adrian, there’s no one to protect him.”
“You’re going to run a government?”
“No.” She stood, smiling. “They are.”
Claus turned to the small crowd that gathered around the open door. Their eyes dilated, their feet unsure if they should bring them into the room.
“You,” Maura pointed to a male at the head of the group. “I need all reports from last night’s catastrophe. Who’s dead. Who’s alive. Who needs to be replaced. Who I can keep.”
The man stuttered, nodded, and sprinted from the room.
“I think it’s safe to assume that none of you had your hands in Adrian’s pocket. You weren’t important enough for him to invite, and you weren’t damning enough for Dimitri to kill,” Maura said. “Unless you’re like me and escaped. But gathered from the looks of you, I say you slept well last night.”
She knew she looked bad – could feel it all over her. Her skin was tight and stung when she tore open the fresh wounds. Jesse had done his best to heal her, and she’d worked on healing herself during the plane ride, but the larger injuries required potions Liam had. Until she saw him, she tried not to move, to breathe too deep and agitate her bruised ribs. She’d tossed her hair into a ponytail to keep the ash-coated strands from her face, only to reveal the jagged scar across her neck, left behind by Death’s Noose, a scar that couldn’t be healed with magic.
A young woman raised her hand, drawing Maura’s attention. “What do you want the rest of us to do?” she asked.
“Contact the media. Schedule a press conference.” Maura straightened. “Erewhon needs to know what happened here.”
Chapter Forty-Four: Hired
Max laid a rose on each casket. I was too late. She choked down tears. The priest’s hand falling on her shoulder and wordless condolences pushed them free. Ten years. Gone. She forced a reassuring smile and walked toward her lone car.
She hadn't invited friends or family. Paul’s parents were long gone, his only sister estranged from the family for years. Emily's friends were in Erewhon, under the impression she was on an extended vacation. Max’s parents hadn't called in ten years, ever since she married Paul. Neighbors in Missouri offered to attend. They'd heard the story of the Robin’s – a family searching for refuge in a small town from the city struggle. Paul, an accountant. Max, an ex-agent. Emily, their daughter. Then they heard the two gunshots. Murder-suicide.
Max turned the ignition on, batting away tears.
Investigating detectives had painted a chilling scenario that repeated on the television. Over. And over. Maxine Robins left her daughter, Emily, and husband, Paul, with a hug and a kiss before leaving for an office party last Friday night… the reporter’s voice rang in her head. It was then Paul’s long awaited plans were put into action. She slammed her fist against the dashboard. Cops believe Paul Robins shot and killed his daughter before taking his own life. Tears splashed onto Max’s black dress. Anger squeezed her hands around the steering wheel. Sorrow weighed her bones heavy, and she rested her head in her arms, heaving.
She'd learned soon after the deaths that Adrian’s men had killed the other families. He didn't want any loose ends. Neither did she.
***
Max brewed coffee for no one, poured cereal she wouldn't touch. She hated coffee. Only Paul drank the coffee in the house. Cereal was for Emily. Max never ate breakfast. She stared at the bitter drink and soggy food.
For the last week, Max wandered her empty apartment. She'd moved from their Missourian rental and fled to California. She wanted the beach. The horizon. An unfamiliar, open place. She found it in a studio apartment alongside the ocean. The sound of waves lapping at the sand rocked her into an uneasy slumber. Seagulls squawking throughout the day replaced Emily’s usual chatter. But, it wasn't home.
Max intended to return to Erewhon. She wanted to tie up loose ends. Find those that had paid Adrian to kill families. Her family. With newly elected Keep officials combing through every department, she planned to wait until their investigations on the rats came to a close. Waiting didn't faze her. The thought that corrupt officials lounged in their luxury homes did. That her family was dead while theirs were alive, basking in blood money.
She thought about that night every day. The night Adrian took her, tortured her. The night she'd told Adrian that Maura and a man named Liam, a guard from Mystic Academy, had helped her escape The Keep. She cringed, ashamed she'd been broken. Adrian allowed an Elixir to heal her and then he released her. But it was too late.
A knock on the door jerked her from the thoughts. She glanced at the oven clock. Eight in the morning. The landlord wasn't due until noon for the rent. Neighbors didn't bother her. She wasn't expecting a delivery. Max grabbed the gun on the counter, hid it in her sleeve, and pulled open the door. Her pursed lips hardened. “What do you want?”
Two Erewhon officials stood in the hall. They flashed their new badges, only stamped a week ago. Max didn't bother reading their names or titles. She knew by their pale blue uniforms they were from Aegis.
“I'm Don,” the taller, black-haired male said.
“I'm Trevor,” the blonde man said.
“And you're from Aegis. I know. What do you want?” Max clenched the doorknob. She didn't want their help or protection. They weren't supposed to kno
w she’d survived the party.
“May we come in?” Don asked. He pointed to the single couch and chair in a small corner of the studio.
“The last people let into my home killed my family.” She glared. “Whatever you have to tell me can be said out here, or not at all.”
Don and Trevor exchanged a quick look. Trevor sighed, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small business card.
Max snatched it from him and read the name.
“You came highly recommended,” Don said. “We–”
“Maura Leroux?” Max whispered. “News report she's dead.”
“Ms. Leroux and several others are being transferred to Erewhon offices,” Trevor said. “They need someone to head the Aegis department. Ms. Leroux suggested you.”
Loose ends. Max shoved the card in her front pocket with a small smile. A sense of purpose filled her. “When's my flight?”
Chapter Forty-Five: Burying the Hatchet
“No peeking,” Liam said, placing a blindfold over Maura's eyes.
“You know I can read your mind, right?” she teased.
“No cheating.” Liam guided her from the car and down a path that crunched beneath her feet.
Maura refrained from prying his mind to find their location and relied on his hands and eased voice to guide her. He squeezed her hands when they stopped and told her to wait. She counted the seconds in her head, listening to the faint rustles that echoed with Liam's light footfalls in the close distance. Temptation to remove the blindfold twitched in her fingertips the higher she counted. She smiled to herself, not wanting to ruin the surprise.
The moment felt surreal, like a dream she would soon wake from. She never thought Liam would be here – that she would be here. The idea of dying in that garden at Adrian’s hand, never finding Liam, never having Liam find her – it had all be so close to becoming a reality. Relief and happiness that it hadn’t, blossomed in her chest. The feeling, so foreign, made her flinch. She felt undeserving. Others had died. Blood stained her hands red. Her happiness didn’t stem only from living. It was from surviving, and what surviving had meant. She’d killed to make it to this moment. Suddenly, a moment that had once seemed so precious seemed damned. Tainted. Broken.
“You can look now,” Liam said.
She slipped the blindfold off to reveal a small meadow in the heart of a forest. Yellow Flares, like miniature suns, hovered above them in the clearing and floated within the trees. High grass that swayed in a breeze filled with pixie dust tickled her knees. The moon gleamed brightly above, a multicolor iridescent sheen over its gray surface. Stars twinkled like gems. Sapphires, rubies, and emeralds shone brilliantly to paint the long lost constellations created before time.
Liam ran his fingers through the grass. His magic danced atop the blades like a galloping turquoise horse and awakened the slumbering pixies. They soared to the sky like butterflies, leaving behind a sparkling trail that smelled of flowers.
Maura held out her hands where the dust covered her like a second skin. She turned to Liam, glistening. Her cheeks hurt from smiling, her fingers tingling with the magic.
Her grin faded with a reoccurring thought. This magic won’t last forever. She watched the trees, the shadows beyond the glowing orbs. She searched for the darkness that would return, the dark cloud that had been destroyed with Adrian’s death. Another would take its place. Another hunt would begin. In her mind, the world wouldn’t allow her the peace she craved and desired.
“You’re always looking one hundred miles back or one hundred miles ahead.” Liam stepped forward, a small smile on his face. “Live now.” With his thumb, he traced the line of her lips. The taste of his skin mixed with the taste of apples from the pixie dust. His hand cupped the side of her face as he leaned in. “There’s a whole world outside of yours.” He pressed his lips to hers, softly at first, and then with urgency.
Maura threw her arms around him, wanting to close the space between them.
He lifted her off of her feet, another swarm of pixies fluttering around them, their magic falling like rain. Her heart pounded against his chest and the feeling spread to her fingertips. His tongue rolled over hers, drawing a moan from her mouth.
Liam pulled away too soon and placed his lips on her forehead. He set her down, her hand in his, and led her to a blanket that had been draped along a slight slope. They laid down and stared up into a world of dancing colors.
Maura rested her head against his shoulder, their hands intertwined on his chest.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“A place before all other places.” Liam set a small pixie into the sky that had landed on his hand. “It's a small sliver in time. Before Abysm, Erewhon, and the Mundane were separate. Before the Gods made their creations,” he paused. “Before us.”
Maura stared into the sky – into the beginning of the universe. Into a clean slate. She closed her eyes and committed it to memory. She absorbed the serenity, the peacefulness, her moment of happiness deep into her bones. The feeling ran through her veins like warm liquid. She wanted to stay in this moment where nothing, yet everything existed.
***
Maura and Liam packed for Erewhon. Maura contacted officials in hopes of acquiring their help in tracking down the last of Adrian’s rats. With The Keep dismantled and drowning in chaos, there was little they were capable of doing on their own. It’d fallen on her shoulders with the agreement that when all was over, she could live in peace. They’d already begun electing new chairpersons and squeaky clean faces to represent them. According to the news, Sayer intended to give his resignation at a memorial service today. Although the corruption was gone, the sting of the wrong still lingered. It would be years before The Keep became a reliable and reputable government again. They’d have to earn their people’s trust the old-fashioned way, through hard work and results. Not money and a promised life of luxury.
“Are you almost ready?” Liam said, walking into the room and wrapping his arms around her waist.
“I've been done packing for the last half hour. You're the one with boxes of stuff.”
He chuckled into her neck and kissed beneath her earlobe before moving into the living room.
Maura swung a bag over her shoulder and stood outside Kyle's room. It hadn't been touched since they’d returned a week ago.
Liam slipped his fingers between hers. “Should we pack his things too?”
She glanced around the room, at the pictures of Kyle and Theresa, and the closet full of their clothes. Remnants of his aura were fading on the bed and the floors. Soon his presence would be gone.
After she’d killed Adrian, Claus searched the home for Kyle. He found a female corpse, a skeleton, and a half alive Siren among the remains of the party. Not Kyle.
Maura shut the door. “In case he comes back.”
Liam gave a small smile and kissed her forehead. She stood in his arms for a moment and breathed him in deep to savor the butterflies in her stomach that his aura produced.
Tires crunching the gravel driveway pulled her from the trance. Liam had reached for the door before Jesse had a chance to ring the bell. After loading boxes into the car, they sat in the living room for coffee.
“When are you leaving?” Maura asked Jesse.
The Keep had suggested Jesse come to Erewhon. His extensive knowledge of medicine gave him a free pass to reside amongst Mystics.
“In a week. Several members of the church aren't pleased, but I'll be needed more in Erewhon.”
“And Claus?” Maura asked. “I haven't seen him since he helped me in Erewhon.”
“He said he was going home to London,” Jesse said with a small smile. “Did you ever find your friend?”
“No,” she said into the mug. “I have some people looking into it.”
“I hope you find him, Maura.”
Liam squeezed her knee in consolation.
“What will you two do in Erewhon?” Jesse asked.
“I have to ful
fill my end of a bargain,” Maura said, smirking toward Liam. “I promised Liam I would help him find the Vessel that murdered his family.”
“Do you have leads?” Jesse said.
“Only a description,” Liam said.
“We assume they worked with Adrian,” Maura interjected. “The threat of them using their GateKeeper abilities to open Abysm is greater now that Adrian is gone.” She glanced at Liam, his lips drawn, face pale, eyes lowered. She stroked her hand over his in a silent promise to find their Vessel – to save Erewhon before it needed saving.
They spent the next few minutes exchanging numbers and addresses, promising to keep in touch and departed with hugs and handshakes between men. They drove to the airport in comfortable silence, boarded without complications and entered Erewhon as noon was approaching.
***
After piling their things into their furnished apartment, Maura and Liam headed to the memorial service. They stood at the back of the black-dressed crowd. Sayer stood on a wood stage, the black marble wall behind him glowing from the newly added names of the fallen. To either side of the stage were the graves of those that'd opted to be buried on the memorial grounds.
“We are gathered here today to remember lives taken far too soon. With darkness upon us, it is hard to find light. Let us find it today,” Sayer said.
People huddled under a blue tent. Despite the sorrow that hung over everyone like a dark cloud, it was a beautiful day. The kind that warmed Maura’s skin with a breeze. The sun expanded in the cloudless sky and rolled rays over the hills of the cemetery.
Sayer continued his speech with empty apologies, expressing his guilt and acceptance of having to resign. He mentioned his trial date for his crimes and how he would speak nothing but the truth because that's what the dead deserved.
Maura held back comments with strain, relieved when the ceremony came to a close. She and Liam moved beneath the shade of a willow tree. She lit a cigarette and waited for the crowd to thin.
Blue Ruin (The Phoenix Series Book 1) Page 27
