Clara and Ezra

by Lindsey Richardson

  “If things get out of hand, be prepared to use your magic. We can face the consequences later. Claire will understand,” Keanu said.

  I gulped. The last time I used my magic I had accidentally killed a man. While those mages were criminals it did not necessarily make them guilty by association. Some, like Kade, had been bought, and others might still be worth saving.

  More than anything I wanted to confront Stefan. He could offer us answers that my mother had refused to give. His allies might also be useful to us if they could be won over with money or other offers. I could not accidentally kill someone again.

  “Ready?” Keanu asked, slowly standing up.

  I bit down on my lip and forced myself to nod. I watched as Keanu gestured for the others to follow his lead. Ahna remained behind me, seemingly waiting on my instructions. We had no other choice but to walk inside the manor. A part of me hoped Stefan would not be there. That the manor would be, as it appeared to be, vacant.

  I stayed crouched over and followed after Keanu. Ahna also advanced with me. She did not know anything about the layout of the house, so we remained in the dark as to whether another possible entry exited.

  We crouched up against the aged wood of the manor. Keanu held up his hand, motioning for everyone to stop. We stopped in front of a glass window. I held my breath and waited to hear voices. The manor was quiet, but that did not necessarily mean no one was inside.

  Keanu gestured for us to continue forward, and we walked until we found the rear of the house. I let out a sigh at the realization there was a back door. Now we had our entrance. The only problem being if the door was locked we would be forced to break it down, which would blow our cover.

  A small set of steps led us to the back door. Keanu jiggled the doorknob, but it was, as I had feared, locked from the inside. To the right of the door was another glass window. Keanu gestured for me to approach it.

  Everyone’s face turned to me. Inn their eyes was a mixture of hope and horror. I knew they all watched me as I did this.

  I crawled until I was directly underneath the window. I glanced back, looking for Keanu’s face amongst several others. He offered a weak smile and nodded. Though eh offered no guidance, I assumed he wanted to see if we could break through the window.

  Please, Circe, protect me… I thought as I peeked my head up enough to see inside the room. Several candles illuminated the room, but it appeared to be entirely empty. I leaned in closer, trying to be accurate. One mistake could kill us all. Someone could be hiding in the shadows for all we knew.

  I looked left and right. I peered into he corners, though the candlelight offered little help. Again there was no one.

  I crawled back until I was inches away from Keanu’s face. I could feel his breath trickling down my neck. I could smell the booze he had undoubtedly drank earlier today before events spiraled out of control.

  “It seems to be empty,” I whispered.

  Despite my new position, I realize Keanu had taken full control of this mission. He seemed to have a better handle on the situation than me. Perhaps he had experience with work like this, having been a Watcher prior to his acceptance into the Council. He, more than anyone here, had the most motivation to find Lukas. His cousin, his friend, his family.

  “I will break the window and unlock the door for the rest of you to enter,” he replied in a low voice.

  My eyes widened. I thought I had misheard.

  “You?” I asked, being unable to hide my surprise and disappointment.

  We had brought Watchers with us for a reason. Their lives mattered as much as mine or Keanu’s, but I did not agree with Keanu being the first to enter. There was a high likelihood of him being attacked as soon as he stepped into the manor. The Council could not afford to suffer another casualty. They would appear weak in the eyes of the locals. It would look bad for Claire, and she already had her plate full with problems.

  Keanu nodded, unaffected by my reaction.

  “I do not fear death, Clara. Neither should you,” he said, squeezing my hand.

  He let go and crawled forward. I opened my mouth to obtain, to reason with him. Instead I lost the words I envisioned so clearly in my head. I waited for someone else to stop him, someone else to offer. I half considered offering myself as an option.

  The look in Keanu’s eyes told me no one could change his mind. If he died, he would die an honorable death. He would be remembered for his bravery and loyalty. He saw this group of Watchers as his equals. I doubted this was his first time risking his life for the safety of others.

  Glancing around at the others who accompanied us, I realized Keanu was the closest thing I had to family here. He was nothing like Claire or Ezra, not even like Gemma or Lukas. But I trusted him more than anyone else here. He would lay down his life for me just as I would do for him or Lukas. He was the most loyal person accompanying me. The thought of losing him and of losing the small comfort crushed me.

  Keanu extended his hand and formed a fist. He closed his eyes for a moment, wincing, and I held my breath.

  I stared at him, trying to remember him in this moment in case it was the last I would share with him. I tried to remember his smell, his breath, the way he looked. I tried to remember it all in case I had to return home without him. In case he lost his life, like so many others, to this madness.

  Without warning Keanu punched the window, and the glass shattered. He withdrew his hand, which was now bleeding, and he glanced over at me. Our eyes met, and I stared at him without knowing what to do or say. The sound of the glass breaking sounded like it was enough to kill u.s If we had not been caught before we were surely doomed now.

  Keanu took off his shirt and wrapped it around his hand to push away the remainder of the glass. He climbed in through the window without a word.

  The silence returned. It seemed everyone around me held their breath. Waiting, listening, counting the seconds.

  I did not want to wait. I wanted to rush in behind him. I wanted to make sure he had not fallen into a trap. Why had we not made Ahna go first? At least she might have a chance of living long enough to explain her arrival.

  But no, I waited. I waited like everyone else. The silence reminded me of death.

  34

  Sight for Sore Eyes

  The doorknob twisted, and the door swung open. A bloody Keanu gestured us inside, and we entered without hesitation.

  Once everyone was inside he shut the door quietly. He put his shirt back on, but I noticed the sweat dripping down his back.

  We stood in the middle of a thin hallway. Ahead of us were two rooms, the right one being the one Keanu had entered in through.

  Further down the hall there appeared to be a staircase. There was no sign or sound of anyone else being present. Perhaps we were too late and Stefan had left, or maybe Ahna’s information was incorrect.

  “No matter what, stay together,” Keanu whispered.

  His whisper in the silence sounded loud enough to echo off the walls and give away our location While I agreed with the tactic he suggested I was also aware there was an upstairs level to this manor. Staying together offered our best chances of survival, but i t meant taking longer to examine every room.

  Perhaps Ahna had been kept alive to distract us. She had already separated us from the remainder of the Council. It was just Keanu and I left to fend for ourselves and the Watchers in our company. I trusted Ahna less and less with each passing minute. I actually wanted Stefan to make an appearance just to prove me wrong. I knew all too well how easily someone could switch sides.

  Keanu led us down the hallway, stopping carefully before each doorway and then gesturing once the sight was clear.

  As I passed each room I also peeked inside, but no one seemed to be here. I felt I had put myself at a great distance from the ones I loved, perhaps even at a distance from Lukas, all for nothing. I did not desire for us to have come all this way for nothing. There had to be something of significance here. If not Stefan himself, per
haps something that could lead us to him.

  Candles hanging alongside the wall of the stairwell lit up the foyer. We entered cautiously, though no amount of crawling of hiding in the shadows would conceal our entire group. I still held out hope that Lukas had been taken here.

  We approached the staircase with more forwardness than I would have preferred. Keanu was determined, and I could not fault him as we both were here for the same reason.

  Keanu stopped suddenly, and I bumped into the Watcher in front of me.

  I glanced up the staircase, and my jaw dropped.

  Is it her? I thought.

  I noticed the muscular, tall woman who stood at the top of the staircase. She wore leather pants, and I recognized the staff in her hand. It was Aralyn, the fighter from Rajoor.

  She offered a pretty smile, and unlike the time before, she wore her hair down in long wavy curls.

  “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, Keanu?” she asked, smirking.

  I dared to step forward enough to see Keanu’s reaction. He appeared awestruck by her appearance. I cursed under my breath as I wondered what he had gotten himself involved in this time. He had been the one who helped Daphne find a way into the palace. What significance did Aralyn play in all of this? Was she another one of Stefan’s allies?

  At Keanu’s silence, Aralyn took a step down and continued.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t remember my name. I must admit, you weren’t all that memorable either. Have you come back for more?” she asked, winking.

  Keanu’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

  I took a step back, realizing yet again Stefan had gained an advantage over us. He had people like Daphne and Aralyn who had caught Keanu off guard. It wasn’t only me they had personally targeted. It seemed they had watched the councilors as well, taking note of their weaknesses. Whatever hopes I had of finding Lukas vanished.

  “Where is Stefan?” Keanu asked, advancing until he stood immediately before the staircase.

  The remainder of the group, including me, did not move. Like the Watchers, I debated what chances we had if we followed Keanu any further into the manor. Perhaps we were in the wrong place altogether. Aralyn might be nothing more than a distraction, but now our chances of escaping without using magic was slim to none.

  Aralyn descended down the staircase. The closer she got to Keanu the more I wanted to rush in and grab him out of harm’s way. It was not a matter of doubting his ability to fight. This went further than talent. If Aralyn was truly involved with this she was as much a killer as the rest. She could not be trusted, and her presence here meant blood would be spilled.

  “Stefan? You must have your names mixed up, dear. I hear you’re looking for Lukas Pavlous. And I happen to know what room he’s locked in,” she said.

  She stopped in front of Keanu, appearing much taller than him as she was still on the final step before reaching the floor. They stared at each other, and for a moment it seemed they forgot about everyone else in the room.

  I thought about Keanu’s past reassurance. The woman he slept with never showed themselves afterwards. Alas, his notorious affairs had caught up to him.

  Without warning Keanu gripped onto Aralyn’s arm, the one holding the staff.

  “Where is he?” Keanu shouted.

  No… I thought, but it was too late.

  Footsteps approached, and in seconds we were surrounded. There were nine of us and eleven of them, including Aralyn. I suspected this was not Stefan’s alliance in full force. This was only a small sample of the power he held.

  Eleven to nine. He had given us a fighting chance. We were only slightly outnumbered, but I did not easily forget these men and women were trained assassins. There was no telling how long they had worked for Stefan or Elias. We had no idea who we were up against.

  “You best let go now,” Aralyn said, keeping her attention on Keanu.

  He released her arm and glanced back. I could see his eyes moving from one person to the next. He too was analyzing our situation. Counting them, looking for the door, and thinking what everyone else in our group must have thought.

  How would we survive this?

  I advanced forward, though Aralyn’s allies reached for their swords and staffs. I held up my hands in a gesture to show I was not planning to attack. An all-out magic fight was exactly what I wanted to avoid. We needed the people inside this manor alive rather than dead. I doubted they would show us the same curtesy, seeing as Stefan had no use for us.

  “I saw you in Rajoor. Your fight… You were… impressive,” I said, stopping after a few steps. I did not want to test my luck, and now I had Aralyn’s attention.

  “Ah yes, Clara Kanelos. You’ve come a long way since the life you left behind in Rajoor. Tell me, do you think I will be so easily bought with your compliments?”

  I lowered y hands and stood completely still, waiting for the other mages in the room to lower their weapons.

  “I remember that fight. You won. The crowd cheered for you,” I said.

  She took another step, now being on the same level as us and walked toward me. She stopped inches away from my face. While I had managed to pull her away from Keanu I had gained her full attention.

  I could not believe I dared to bargain with a criminal. It was exactly the kind of thing Claire would have never done, but everyone had their price. Even Aralyn. If she could be bought or persuaded I would make any deal. I would sell my soul to her in an instant if it meant saving Lukas and avoiding bloodshed.

  Stefan might be rich and well supported, but I was Claire Kanelos’s sister. Along with the Kanelos name came the inheritance Father had left behind. No one in this room was unaware of the kind of money I could offer.

  Clearing my throat, I asked, “What is Stefan paying you for this? I can double it… triple it.”

  It was a lie, and a horrible one at that, but I kept my face void of emotions. I would not allow Aralyn to see through my bluff. In this moment, in this manor, she could have anything her heart desired.

  She laughed.

  “That is a deal only Claire can make. You may be her sister, but you do not speak for her. My loyalty is not so easily bought,” she replied.

  “Then what do you want?”

  I had nothing else to offer to her. I had seen her fight before for profit, and it seemed she had no difficult with committing felonies.

  In a more serious tone she said, “Simple. It’s not a matter of what I want. Stefan has left Lukas to decide. By sunrise he’ll choose between you or Claire.”

  “Choose?”

  “Yes, choose who lives and who dies. One he will marry, the other we will kill,” she replied.

  I glanced back at Keanu, who offered a grave expression. Why did Stefan want Lukas to marry Claire or myself? While combining the Kanelos and Pavlous family would resolve the uprising, it would not wipe Lukas’s slate clean. Locals knew him because of his father’s name and his position amongst the Watchers. Elias’s reputation had been ruined, and Lukas’s own reputation with women was hardly any better.

  “He would never choose,” I said firmly.

  She shrugged.

  “Perhaps he already did…” she responded with a wicked smile.

  “Enough of this!” Keanu yelled, withdrawing his sword.

  I cursed under my breath. Everyone else in the room withdrew their weapons. Keanu had started something we did not know we could finish. A fight we had no guarantee or reassurance of winning. He endangered everyone’s life, something Claire would have never approved of. It was too late to stop him.

  “Release Lukas or suffer the consequences,” Keanu said.

  “Very well,” Aralyn replied, clapping her hands together.

  Without hesitation her allies advanced forward, and a battle broke out between them and us.

  Aralyn rushed upstairs, and though I yearned to follow after her, a man grabbed my arm and tugged me until I fell on the floor. His pull was so strong,g and the wood felt
hard and cold against my body.

  I looked up and he stood overtop of me. Keanu had warned me. I had no choice now but to use my magic no matter the harm it might inflict. No matter how much it frightened me.

  35

  Bleed When I Fall

  I stood up again and dared to face my opponent. Despite this man’s family and friends, I knew he was not a good man. I knew that, like Kade, he had most likely lied to his loved ones about his whereabouts on this night. If he died they would never know the real circumstances under which he met his fate.

  He came at me quickly and without warning. I could not focus on anyone else. Everyone had been separated, and survival would require outlasting our enemies.

  The man approached me with his sword. It glowed green, and I stumbled back until I hit the end of the staircase railing. Unlike Keanu, I had not brought a weapon with me. My survival depended on my magic. The same magic that had killed Kade.

  His blade cut against my arm, and I jumped to the side to avoid another hit. The blade had gone through my sleeves and into my skin. The skin on my left arm felt like it had been placed into boiling water.

  I backed away, avoiding other mages who fought against my allies.

  The man smiled, as if knowing it was only a matter of time before I was cornered.

  I held out my hands and released my magic. Little red and purple sparks flew into the air and struck his body. He jolted, stumbling back, but as soon as the sparks were gone he continued advancing again.

  I thought about Father’s dead body. I thought about how close my body had been with Ezra’s. And how Lukas was hidden away somewhere inside this manor. I thought about Claire waiting at home for us.

  And then there was Stefan, a man I had yet to meet, who seemed to know everything about me. My family, the men I loved, and the current relationships I valued.