Clara and Ezra

by Lindsey Richardson

  I stared at the empty chair Claire held onto for support. The chair Father had once sat in.

  This was the room where he had told me about my past. This was where I had found out about my true identity. His voice would never be a part of these meetings again. His body would never share the room with us. He was gone forever.

  What is forever? I thought, wondering how long forever truly lasts. The word itself was a mystery to me, the kind of mystery I did not want to solve.

  I was sick of mysteries, yet Father’s death demanded I solve another one.

  7

  Frozen

  Claire was stronger than me. She stood in front of everyone like a rock. Like an unbreakable wall. She was broken on the inside, but in front of the Council she remained beautiful and strong. If anything could hold the islands together, Claire was our only hope.

  “Jhase Kanelos was found slain this morning in his own bed. Murder will not be tolerated in Ninomay or on any other island for that matter,” Claire said.

  I squeezed Lukas’s hand. Claire’s words felt like daggers piercing against my heart. Though I had already known how Father died, hearing the words out-loud again seemed to make it more real.

  “I called this meeting tonight because while we mourn my father, our leader, a killer roams freely. It is left to us to defend the islands and our world as we know it. I’m depending on everyone in this room,” she said as her eyes wandered to different faces around the table.

  “We have no leads, other than the dead rose the killer left behind. However, I believe we’re working with a professional, and someone who had a connection to my father and a motive to kill.

  “But before we can begin a search for the killer, there is another urgent and pressing matter to discuss. The Council has two empty seats. Maceo filled in during Ezra’s absence, but he served his time on the Council years ago, and I can’t ask that he returns again.

  “Many of you have returned, despite recent losses, and I’m grateful. But we need these two empty positions filled. The Council can’t appear weak during this time of grief. We need eyes to help us if we are to catch Jhase’s killer,” Claire explained.

  Everyone’s eyes shifted to the back row where Lukas, Declan and I sat. I gulped at the realization of why I was here. Would they ask me to fill one of the positions? How could I do it after I had voted in favor of Alesia’s death sentence? I had sworn to Father and Ezra that a councilor’s position was not one that I desired. The power, the decision making, the responsibility was not for me. Claire fit the job well, but I knew better.

  I locked eyes with Claire, fearing she would ask me the question I could not bare to answer. I could not disappoint her again.

  Instead she clapped her hands together.

  “Declan, you have been with us long enough to know how the Council works. I speak for everyone when I sat I trust you can uphold the position of a councilor. Will you accept?”

  “Of course,” Declan replied without hesitation.

  He stood up and approached Elias’s old chair, sitting down amongst the others.

  Claire turned her attention to Lukas, and I let out a sigh.

  “Lukas, the other position is yours for the taking. You already lead the Watchers, and with your father’s passing, it only makes sense for you to take his place. Will you accept?”

  I let go out Lukas’s hand, and he stood up.

  “No,” he said calmly.

  Claire glared at him, and the room fell silent. I looked from Claire to Lukas and wondered if this had become personal. While Claire offered Lukas a position on the Council it meant being front and center with his former lover and the new man in her life. Did he really want a position where he would be forced to work with Declan every day?

  “I am a Watcher. I am proud to lead the other Watchers, but I don’t desire a position on the Council. Instead might I suggest someone else?” he asked, glancing back at me.

  I dug my nails into the side of my chair. While I was honored Lukas would even think to suggest me, I also did not desire a councilor’s position. I stared at him with wide eyes, praying he would not suggest the idea to Claire.

  Please don’t say me. Don’t say my name.

  He returned his attention to Claire.

  “Keanu Garis is a Watcher such as myself. He’s also my cousin, and I trust he can do the job better than myself. He is loyal and hard-working. I’d trust him with my life. Should he fail you, you may strip me of my title,” Lukas said.

  Claire was silent. She paced back and forth in front of the table. Her black gown swept the floor.

  “This goes against normal protocol. My father wouldn’t like it, but I can’t afford to throw Keanu through the testing process to see if he’s a good fit. He’s your family, and he has your trust. That’s good enough for me.

  “Find him and bring him to me at once. You’re dismissed,” she said, gesturing for him to leave.

  He glanced back at me once more, winking, and then rushed out of the room. I watched him leave, wondering why this pleased him. He was as much a part of this as the rest of us. Claire wanted my help finding the killer, but I hoped Lukas’s task to find Keanu did not mean he was off the task-force.

  Claire sat down in Father’s seat, folding her hands together.

  “The Watchers have been ordered to patrol the lamp posts. No one is to enter or leave any of the islands. Transportation is forbidden. As for magic use, nothing will change, as it seems our killer hasn’t used magic to aid in his crimes so far,” Claire explained.

  Declan raised his hand. Claire glared at him as if he was not meant to interrupt her during this part of the meeting, but she nodded to him.

  “What about my family? My parents, my brothers —they’re in Shadowland. How long do you suppose the travel restrictions will last?” Declan asked.

  Claire shook her head. “I do not know, my love. Ceasing travel amongst the islands seems like the only way to guarantee the killer cannot leave without us knowing about it. I wish there was another way.”

  Declan looked down at the table, but remained silent.

  I frowned. I had met his brothers at the Petals Festival. I had seen his parents at his birthday celebration. I had almost forgotten in the chaos that he was still an outsider than me. He had family outside of Ninomay, like me, that he would be forbidden to see because of the travel restriction. And I doubted he and I were the only ones. How would the public react to this news?

  Claire cleared her throat and continued.

  “My father’s funeral will be tomorrow evening. This will be a heavily guarded event. Locals will be allowed to pay their respects, but alas the funeral itself will be a closed event for councilors and family members only.

  “And lastly, as for the killer…” she paused, and I could see the tears forming in her eyes.

  Clearing her throat, Claire continued, “I will not rest until the killer is found. They took a man who held many titles —father, leader, friend. He can’t be replaced, and whoever did this horrendous crime will pay the price. Make no mistake, we will find the killer no matter how long it takes.”

  In a softer voice she said, “That is all for now. You are dismissed.”

  She stood up, crossing her arms, and one by one the others stood. I stood up as well, watching as the others passed by me with saddened faces.

  Alec and I locked eyes for a moment, and I grimaced at his presence. The promise Claire had once made to him now seemed like it would remain unfulfilled indefinitely. He had stayed on the Council, despite Gemma’s presence, and I did not have the words that did justice for how brave he was for that.

  I waited until the last person, Ezra, reached the door.

  We walked out together, though I glanced back at Claire, who remained at an empty table. She had mentioned a funeral, yet I wondered if she had been left in charge of arranging it.

  Ezra wrapped his arm around my shoulder, guiding me further away from the meeting room.

  “Claire is a a
strong woman… like you,” he whispered.

  I glanced up at him. “Am I? Claire has done everything since my father’s death. She is doing exactly what Jhase would have wanted. And what of me? What purpose am I serving?”

  He stopped, puling me aside to stand by the railing.

  “You are her sister. You’re the only family she has left. Nina left her, and Jhase is dead. You are her world now. You are the reason she remains strong,” he said.

  “Thank you,” I replied, blushing. A part of what he said was true. Claire and I only had each other to rely upon now with Father being dead.

  However, Claire was not the last of my family. Our grandparents on Nina’s side of the family were still alive. They, while unaware of the turmoil that had poisoned our family, were still our blood.

  “Ezra?” I asked.

  He caressed my chin, but a horrid thought crossed my mind. Transpiration was forbidden, but it seemed my mother had already fled her responsibilities and family. Was this like what she had done before when Claire and I were born?

  In a whisper I asked, “What if… my mother is on the run for a reason? Do you think… Do you think Nina killed my father?”

  His hand froze. Time itself seemed to freeze as we both realized the weight my words carried. My own mother, the woman who birthed me, Jhase’s only wife… Was she capable of murder?

  I knew my mother to be many things. Liar, manipular, a thrill-seeker. But a killer? Had Claire been right, and our mother was more monster than human?

  I waited for what felt like an eternity for Ezra to respond. I waited, expecting him to reassure me that my mind was filled with wild delusions. The grief had consumed me, I wasn’t thinking straight, I was looking for someone to blame.

  Instead we both stared at each other, blinking, breathing, but not saying a word.

  Ezra’s hand dropped and along with it so did my heart.

  We had not found my mother in Rajoor. She had met up with Stefan before our arrival. Despite all the excuses I gave her, she could have very well played a hand in Father’s death. And now the reality, that possibility was one Ezra and I shared together.

  Now more than ever I wished we had found her. I wished I could say without a doubt that no, she had been home, she had been miles away from the palace. She couldn’t have possibly done it.

  This was not the case.

  Though I had never solved a murder before, it seemed to me that a guilty person would run. The only person we knew of who had run before finding out about my father’s untimely death was Nina.

  Ezra brushed his hand against mine again.

  “We… we need to rest. It’s been a long day for everyone. Let’s start our search in the morning, hmm?” he asked.

  He leaned in, kissing my forehead.

  “See you in the morning, Clara.”

  He turned to face the staircase, but I grabbed his arm. I thought of Claire, but with Declan here she would have his company. I had no desire to sleep alone in the darkness tonight with my thoughts.

  “Stay with me,” I whispered.

  Without waiting for his confirmation, I led him to my room, catching a glimpse of Declan entering into Claire’s bedroom. He raised a brow but said nothing. I honestly did not care about rumors anymore. My father was dead. Did someone really want to start a rumor about me sleeping with Ezra at a time like this?

  We entered the bedroom, and Ezra shut the door behind us. We undressed, avoiding eye contact with each other all the while.

  I slipped under the blankets, and Ezra joined shortly after. He kept his pants on, but his chest remained bare. I wore but a nightgown to cover my body. We laid in silence, staying on opposite sides of the bed.

  I closed my eyes. Ezra had said our search would begin in the morning, but he had not clarified the details. Would we search for the killer? Had I just offered my own mother as our first suspect?

  I pulled the blankets in closer to me. Would this search lead me to discover Mother was a monster like Elias?

  8

  Ghosts of the Past

  I woke up to the empty side of my bed. Ezra was gone, though I vividly remember his presence from last night.

  The sun beamed though the curtains, and the birds chirped outside as if today was another ordinary day. Another day without my father.

  I sat up and stared at a black gown that hung over the mirror. I sunk down into the bed, throwing the blanket over my face. Now I remembered what importance today held. Soon I would have to see my father and say goodbye to him one last time.

  Someone knocked at the door, and I peeked my head out from the covers. Perhaps if I said nothing they would go away. I wanted them to forget about me.

  Leave me here with my thoughts and the ghosts of the past. I thought.

  The door creaked open, and footsteps approached.

  I immediately jumped out of bed and held my hand out in front of me. Though I did not recognize the man, I hoped he was not another accomplice of Jasper’s.

  The man held up his hands, shaking his head.

  “My apologies! They told me you ought to be awake. My name is Keanu Garis. I’m the new councilor,” he said.

  I slowly lowered my hand. Though Lukas had sworn Keanu was loyal and trustworthy, we had taken his word for it. He had earned his position on the Council because of Lukas’s merit, not that of his own. He was Lukas’s family, but Elias’s own betrayal was still fresh in my mind.

  “Who sent you?” I asked.

  “Claire,” he replied.

  I sat up and slid out of bed, hissing at him to look away as I searched for my robe.

  I covered myself with the robe and approached Keanu, scanning him over. His blonde hair was parted with the majority of it on the left side. His beard was rough and his eyebrows were thick. He wore a necklace with a key pendant and a ring hanging from it. His chest hair showed through the top of his tunic.

  “A pleasure to meet you,” I said, forcing the words to come out as genuine as possible.

  “The pleasure is all mine,” he replied with a grin.

  In a more serious tone he added, “You should change. There’s a lot to do today. We have a suspect in custody, and I think you’ll want to interview her before the funeral.”

  “Suspect?” I asked. My heart sunk at the idea of Mother being here in the palace.

  Her… I thought, remembering my last conversation with Ezra. Was it possible? Had we found the woman we were searching for?

  “I’ll wait for you in the hallway,” he replied, spinning around and jogging out of the room. He shut the door behind him.

  If ever I needed motivation to face today, Keanu had just given it to me. The mentioning of a suspect was more than enough to encourage me to get moving.

  I stripped down and stepped into a black gown. The dress I would wear for my father’s funeral. It was more elegant than anything I had ever owned. Small golden embroideries decorated the bottom portion. Even in the face of death, the residents of Ninomay remained fashionably dressed.

  I spun around in front of the mirror. The back of the dress required buttons to be clipped together, and I blushed at the realization I would need assistance.

  I opened the door and peeked my head out. I hoped to see a maid in the hallway. Anyone, maybe even a female Watcher, to assist me. Instead I caught Keanu’s stare.

  “Can… you help me with this?” I asked, avoiding eye contact with him.

  Keanu entered my room without hesitation. I turned around, and he went about buttoning up the remainder of the dress without saying a word. He moved swiftly, and I wondered how many times he had done this before. Perhaps that ring on his necklace resembled more than just a pendant.

  “Thank you,” I said upon him finishing.

  I gestured for us to move along, wanting to be anywhere but in my bedroom alone with him. Keanu was lucky. He had the kind of information I starved for. He had mentioned a suspect, and I was eager to know who we had found in such short a time.

  “W
ho are we questioning?” I asked.

  Keanu continued to lead the way, offering no answer to the question that plagued my thoughts. He led me toward the meeting room, and my stomach twisted at the memories of conducting my own interviews for Claire’s sake.

  I did not know what to expect, but we reached our destination, and Keanu held the door open for me.

  I walked into the meeting room, feeling as though I had walked into a trap. While I had slept someone had found our first suspect. And despite this being what should have been a win for us, I could not help but bite down on my lip and fear the worst.

  “This isn’t right,” Ezra said, looking at Lukas.

  “There ought to be another way,” Alec added in.

  Lukas hissed, and the men fell silent and stared at me. They stood together in front of the table, clearly blocking whoever they had brought in for questioning. I looked from one face to another as Keanu joined us. The door shut, and an eery silence filled the room.

  Of all the faces, Ezra’s and Alec’s were the only ones I was able to read. They shared the same somber look that confirmed my fears. Something was not right. Whoever they had sitting behind them was not someone I was prepared to see.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” I asked.

  The men broke apart, separating so they spread across the room. I had clear sight of our first suspect, a face I recognized and the least of all I had expected. She glared at me with such disgust, and I was speechless.

  “Bellona?” I asked, hearing my voice crack.

  She said nothing, and instead I looked to Lukas, who now stood several feet behind his mother. His face remained void of emotions.

  “W-what? Who did this? Why are we questioning her?” I asked, though my gut indicated this was exactly what it looked like. Instead of finding my mother, it seemed the majority of the Council had gone after an easy suspect. Someone whose loyalty already laid on eggshells because of her spouse’s actions.

  Keanu cleared his throat.

  “We believe Bellona had several motives to kill Jhase. Her husband’s death and daughter’s arrest are directly linked to him,” he explained.