by Lyra Evans
Cobalt nodded carefully. “Depending on circumstances, yes.”
“Like what?”
Cobalt seemed to chew on his tongue. “I could make someone give me money or goods, as long as what I’m demanding isn’t intrinsic to their perceived personal identity.” Niko narrowed his eyes, eyebrows furrowed, and Cobalt explained, “I can make someone pay me money, but if I demand their life savings and, for some reason, that money is how they weigh their personal success or happiness, they won’t do it. I can make someone give me their jewellery, but if the necklace they’re wearing is a beloved heirloom from their long-passed loved one, something they treasure that roots them to their familial identity, they won’t do it.”
Niko nodded slowly. “How can you know what will work and what won’t?”
Cobalt stared at him a moment. “I can’t. I can infer certain details, but most often it’s a matter of trying.”
“Can you make someone kill themselves or their loved ones?” Niko asked, blurting the question before he could stop himself.
The room was silent and still a moment, Cobalt’s eyes down at his hands in his lap. “Depending on the circumstance,” he whispered, “yes.”
Niko couldn’t breathe. He thought of what that could mean, of just how much power this gave Cobalt. In the hands of someone like Sade, it would be devastating. And Sade would have relished every moment, every little inch of control. But Cobalt had only used this power on Niko now, to show him he could. He could have used it any time he wanted—to get Niko to agree to be his partner, to get Starla to talk to them, to get the real estate agent at the Manor to give them all the details they needed about the property…but he hadn’t. He only now offered to use it on Sade.
“Why did you wait this long to tell me?” Niko asked, wondering how much else Cobalt was hiding from him. He’d asked, back in Indigo’s apartment, if there was anything else he needed to know. He’d asked, and Cobalt had said no. Niko’s fear shifted to betrayal.
Cobalt looked as though he meant to reach out, to touch Niko, but he held himself back. Niko felt himself shaking subtly. Maybe Cobalt saw it. He looked wounded.
“I wasn’t sure I could trust you fully,” he said, and Niko wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Someone in this Court killed my friend, Prince of my Court,” he added by way of explanation. Niko calmed slightly. It wasn’t unreasonable. Cobalt didn’t know who might have been involved in Indigo’s death. He didn’t know how his friend ended up dead. For all he knew, police in Maeve’s Court were corrupt. It was cautious. But it still struck him deep, and Niko couldn’t examine why.
“But you’re telling me now,” Niko said, his hands aching and sticky from sweat. He wanted to wipe them off on himself, but he didn’t think it would help.
“Yes,” Cobalt said.
“Why?” He looked up, meeting Cobalt’s silver eyes, and again saw the pained expression there. It flickered away after only an instant, so quick Niko wasn’t sure it was real. Something intangible was hanging between them now, and Niko was too uncomfortable about the possibility to think about it.
“What you were going to put yourself through,” Cobalt said quietly, “what that monster… For the case. For Indigo.” He shook his head. “I do trust you.” And Niko felt something in his chest crack. “And I’m telling you now in hopes that you can trust me.”
They fell into silence for a while. Niko wasn’t sure how long. His body was burdened by the weight of all he’d learned in a short period, and his mind was wrought with all he still had to do. But after a time, when the information began to seep in in earnest, Niko though of something.
“All Selkies have this power?” Niko asked. Cobalt nodded. “So they can wander illegally into other Courts and control people at their discretion?”
Cobalt visibly flinched at that, something Niko thought was unusual for him. “I can see how it might appear dangerous and potentially frightening from your perspective,” he said, and Niko raised an eyebrow. “But our culture… We do not use this power much. It is more a last resort, a final defense, if you will, than a means of attack. Selkies are raised to respect and honour the autonomy of other beings. And before you ask, we cannot control more than one person at a time. Even trying to command two people at once is devastatingly draining. We would not do it.”
Niko wasn’t sure what to believe, really. Cobalt could still be lying to him, could be obscuring the truth or omitting it entirely. But the intangible thing between them, the pull that kept Niko seated and calm rather than backing away and terrified, made him reconsider. His mind was awash with a new set of images, more intimate than sexual. He saw himself enveloped in Cobalt’s arms, he saw them curled around each other on Niko’s couch, and he saw them waking up together in soft sunlight. He didn’t know what to do with those images, but they shook him to the core.
“So Indigo could do this,” Niko said rather than asked. He tried to maintain the line of reasoning that didn’t wander into emotional territory. “And he had a plan to retrieve his friends… why not just order them to come with him?”
Cobalt tapped his chest. “They were missing their Soul Stones. Indigo could not have and would not have rescued them without retrieving the Stones.”
Momentarily stymied, Niko then approached it from a different angle. “Then why not find the person who had the Stones and order them to give them up? Why not order them to release his friends?”
Cobalt was silent, his lips pressed together. “I don’t know,” he said. “Perhaps he did, and it did not work.”
Niko frowned. “How could Stones belonging to strangers be intrinsic to this person’s identity? Is there a way to fight off the command?”
Thinking a moment, Cobalt said, “Selkies are more resilient to commands from other Selkies than other races. But the commands do still work, they just have to be more specific and intentional. Except—” He stopped, and Niko raised his eyebrows, urging Cobalt to elaborate. “Except for Soul Mates. I believe some in your Courts refer to the phenomenon as Fated Love.” Niko’s hope crumbled in a moment.
“So nonsense, then,” Niko said.
“You don’t believe in Fated Souls?” Cobalt asked.
Niko shook his head. “Werewolves seem to think it’s a thing, but I’ve seen no real evidence of it. I mean, Werewolves say they can smell the difference in their Fated and anyone else, but Wizards and Fae don’t have that ability. How are we supposed to tell? Or are we doomed to haphazardly hook up and maybe we’re lucky and find our Fated but maybe we’re not? No. It’s bullshit.”
Cobalt said nothing to that. “Well, Selkies know by Song. When a Selkie hears the song of their Soul Mate, they experience a euphoria unlike anything else imaginable. They are very easily affected by the commands of a Soul Mate, and as such, are at each other’s mercy. Vulnerable to each other more than anyone else.”
Not quite sure whether to buy in to that, Niko thought about the case. “So you think Indigo might have run into the one person who could effectively fight off his command?”
Cobalt froze, considering this. “No, that seems unlikely. Even the most powerful Selkies can be commanded, with the right instructions and intent. Though, admittedly, there is little research into the limits of our magic. The King, as have monarchs for centuries, banned all research into the subject, for fear it would destabilize the Court and lead to something terrible.”
But Niko was no longer listening to Cobalt, at least not completely. Instead, his mind was back on the contracts lying before him. “You think you can order Sade to tell us what we want to know. But Sade won’t want to give up the information without getting something in return. That much is intrinsic to who he is.” He shook his head. “Plus, he won’t see me again until presented with the contracts. I can’t fool him with a fake contract, and if I don’t present him with a contract, he’ll know something’s up.”
Cobalt picked up the unofficial document, reading it closely. “So present him with a real contract,” he said. Niko sta
red. “He’ll sign it, thinking he’s got what he wants, then we’ll get him alone, and I will Command him.”
“Not an option,” Niko answered. “Once we’ve both signed the contract, the magic will demand it be fulfilled. I’ll actually have to give him what he wants, one way or the other.” Niko sighed heavily, resigning himself to his reality again. He dropped his head into his hands, propped on his knees. “At least with your Command we can guarantee he won’t lie afterward.”
“You will give him nothing,” Cobalt said, his tone firm and commanding in a different way. Niko felt himself shiver. “We will find a way. Even if it means having the guards bring him back to the interrogation room without letting him know I will be there. I’ll Sing my command and—”
“You will not,” Niko said sharply. Cobalt stopped, confused. Niko glanced at the door, as though suddenly afraid someone was listening in. “You cannot Sing in front of anyone but me and Sade. The guards don’t know you’re a Selkie, and no one knows exactly what Selkie powers are. If the guards witnessed you taking control of an inmate, however horrible the inmate, and they can’t explain it, they’ll ask questions. At best. At worst, they’ll report it to the warden or the Chief or the fucking newspapers. And if the people of the Three Courts find out about Selkie powers that way, they’ll panic.” Niko could just see the wave of angry Fae, like a mob with torches and pitchforks, gathering to oust Selkies. “And the fact that Selkies have been illegally entering our borders for years without anyone knowing will make them even more paranoid and afraid. It could start all-out war.”
Cobalt was silent a long moment, his jaw working around something. “I cannot let you put yourself at that monster’s mercy. Not again.” He stopped, swallowing roughly, his expression hard. Niko was at a loss. Cobalt barely knew him. “His stipulation was to do whatever he wanted to you. By that measure he could kill you, if he so chooses.”
Focusing on the point he could address, Niko said, “Sade won’t kill me. It’s more fun to torture me. Besides, that much is expected in the contract. And that’s not what Sade’s after. He wants to hurt me, to make me do something I don’t want—” Niko stopped abruptly, his mind suddenly opening.
“What is it?” Cobalt asked.
“I may have found a way,” Niko said. “But I doubt you’ll like what it entails.”
Chapter 20
The temporary housing unit they were to use for the ‘exchange’ was small and relatively well furnished. It was set up like a one-bedroom apartment, but the dimensions were on the tiny side. The only outside door opened directly into the living room and kitchen, an area that wasted no available space with unnecessary accoutrements. The kitchen was a single counter next to a small refrigerator with a hotplate and a sink. Two cupboards above the sink stored all necessities, Niko assumed. Opposite that was a table set into the wall with two stools. Further along the wall was a loveseat in a dull taupe and a small antiquated television.
Next to the sofa was the doorway to the bedroom and bathroom. The pocket door slid out of the way to reveal a double bed with a dated, salmon pink pattern across the duvet. The bed took up much of the room, though there was an indent which could be called a closet to one side. A pressure rod held up a set of empty hangers and two old business suits, one for men, one for women. There was a tie hanging from the men’s suit, and Niko clocked it immediately, wondering if he should get rid of it.
To the left of the bed was a narrow doorway that led to the bathroom. The interior was tiled white with tiny blue accents; the sink, toilet, and shower were white and had seen better days. But everything was clean. There was a small window in the bathroom, and windows in the bedroom and main area, but all of them were blocked out by pulled curtains. Niko wasn’t concerned about the windows, though. The perimeter of the unit was marked with runes and wards, and it would serve as a lush prison cell for the extent of Sade’s time in it. He was no more able to escape from the small unit than he was able to escape from Sluagh prison in general.
The cutlery and utensils in the kitchen, however, did concern Niko. Anything sharp enough to draw blood was removed, as Niko was certain Sade had little interest in cooking. If he was looking for a knife, it wouldn’t be food he would be cutting.
Niko stood in the doorway to the bedroom, staring down at the bed and breathing in to calm his nerves. The little unit smelled like dust and old wood with the barest hint of ocean air Niko couldn’t escape as long as Cobalt was around. He tried to remind himself Cobalt would be present the whole time, though he would be hiding at first. There was a tiny coat closet next to the front door in which Cobalt would have to wait, which was ridiculous, but it was the best plan they had. The closet in the bedroom had no door, and Sade might want or need to use the bathroom.
“Are you all right?” Cobalt asked, and Niko closed his eyes. When he did, he found himself back in Sade’s playroom, his arms bound behind his back and his body littered with slowly healing wounds. He remembered the bite of the rope into his skin, the feel of the cold steel flooring against his knees, and the way his pulse jumped when he heard the door to the playroom open behind him.
“Fine,” Niko said, though he wanted to say no. No, he wasn’t fine. He wasn’t ready for this. But those words never made it to his tongue. He turned to Cobalt who watched him with attention Niko wasn’t sure how to bear. He’d been the focus of someone’s attention before, more than once. But not like this. Not the way Cobalt was looking at him.
“Officer Maple gave me this for you,” Cobalt said, handing Niko a thin bottle filled with blue sparkling fluid. Niko recognized the standard prophylactic potion the union handed out to prostitutes. There was another to prevent pregnancy, but Niko had little need for that. He took the bottle from Cobalt, raising his eyebrow.
“Who?”
Cobalt frowned. “The officer who let us into the prison.” They both stared at the bottle a moment, probably thinking the same thing. Niko would have no use for this, if all went according to plan. “Probably best to drink it. To make it look on the level.”
Ah. Right. Niko uncapped the bottle and downed the potion as quickly as possible. It tasted vaguely of pomegranate, a flavour Niko wasn’t terribly fond of. He handed the empty bottle back to Cobalt, who took it without question.
“Have you everything you need?” Cobalt asked, reaching for Niko’s wrists. He checked and double-checked the cuffs around his wrists, ensuring they could not be removed by force. Niko allowed the contact, studying Cobalt briefly while he did. The magic in the cuffs held, though.
“Yeah,” Niko said. Cobalt’s fingers brushed Niko’s skin, and with the touch came a surge of warmth and excitement. The moment he pulled his hands back, the excitement faded, but the warmth remained.
The door to the unit opened, revealing Officer Maple. “He’s on his way.” She hesitated, looking at Niko as though he was about to willingly jump into a volcano. “Are you certain you need to do this?”
She’d heard the exchange, no doubt. Or heard from Officer Hazel in the security booth. Niko took it in stride. The number of people in law enforcement who knew what Sade had done to him, in any amount of detail, was greater than he could count at this stage. He’d had to testify in open court, after all. Still, the look in her eyes irked him. It wasn’t pity; that was the problem. Pity he could shrug off with disdain. But genuine concern was harder to ignore.
“We need the information,” Niko said. “Lives may depend on it.”
She nodded solemnly. “You’re very brave,” she said, stepping back outside and closing the door behind her. Niko watched the spot where she’d been. Brave? That he didn’t quite think so. It wasn’t bravery that put him in this position. It was something else, and he felt sick for it.
“You should get into position,” Niko said to Cobalt. The Selkie nodded to him and moved to the small closet. He didn’t much look like he’d fit, but as he disappeared into it, Niko felt his nervousness creep in again.
As though sensing it, Cobalt
poked his head back out briefly and said, “I will be right here. You are not alone.”
He disappeared again before Niko could answer, but Niko didn’t know much what to say anyway. So he stood in the narrow living area waiting, his throat dry and his palms sweating, for the knock at the door.
“Come in,” Niko called, and the door opened to reveal the other guard from earlier—Niko glanced at his nametag and read Pine—holding Sade in chains. Sade’s eyes found Niko’s immediately, and they stared each other down a moment. But Sade’s expression wasn’t angry or murderous, as Niko needed it to be. It was hungry. And Niko knew that was greater reason to fear. “You’ve signed the contracts?”
Officer Pine held up the signed documents. They glistened in the light of the unit, Sade’s signature sparkling as though covered in glitter. “The deal is made, the exchange sealed.” He rolled the contracts up and slipped one of them into his pocket. The other he placed on the kitchen counter. No doubt it was the unofficial one. “No turning back now.”
Niko nodded. He held his hands as still as possible at his sides, but he longed to cross his arms to stop them shaking. Sade’s mouth quirked into a vile smirk.
“Why would Kiki want to turn back?” Sade asked. “We’re both getting what we want. And Kiki even gets information after that.”
Niko’s jaw clenched convulsively. Officer Pine seemed equally disturbed by what Sade said, his expression speaking volumes to what he’d like to do to Sade. Instead, he turned his attention to Niko, his face going ashen.
“On your order,” he said.
Taking a deep breath, Niko said, “Unchain him.”
Sade held up his hands with disinterest, his eyes trained on Niko. Pine unlocked the chains, and they clinked together. It was a tinkling sound too light for the circumstances. Once released of the chains, Sade stepped closer to Niko. He still wore his magic-suppressing cuffs, and they were no more removable than Niko’s were. There was that at least.
