I quickly shut her eyes and looked away, gagging.
Ahna was dead.
I held my hand against my heart, holding back tears so the others would not see. They would not understand her value. They would not understand the sacrifices she had made to be here with us. Despite her own judgement, she had trusted us and came along anyway.
Lukas and Keanu descended the staircase. Both of them looked down at me, but I returned my attention to Ahna.
I squeezed her hand, though it was cold. She was not the first to die because of Stefan’s parade for power. Even with Aralyn and her allies in custody, I knew this was not the end. Ahna would not be the last to die because of this horrid nightmare Stefan had fueled into a reality. Perhaps this would not stop until Stefan was arrested.
“I am so sorry…” I whispered, allowing a single tear to drop.
“Clara,” a man’s voice said.
I shook my head, refusing to look back. I recognized the voice. It was Lukas, and I imagined Keanu was standing nearby. I knew we wasted precious time by staying in this manor any longer than need be. It seemed Stefan had fled before we arrived, and we had done what we came here for.
But I also knew that nothing could bring Ahna back. Just like my father, she was lost to the world forever.
“She deserves a proper burial,” I said.
Lukas’s hand touched my shoulder, causing me to jump. I glanced back at him, glaring. We had just saved his life, but now all I could think about was Ahna and Emrys, who waited at the palace for his mother. His mother who would never return to him. He had lost his father and mother because of Stefan. An entire family had been destroyed, and for what? For power? Was that worth it?
“Stefan is worse than your father…” I whispered.
Lukas cleared his throat.
“That may be true, but I’ll die fighting before I let Stefan control the Council,” he replied confidently.
I sighed and stood up with wobbling legs, ignoring his hand for help. Perhaps it was the certainty in Lukas’s voice that inspired me to bother moving at all.
“Death would be too kind of a punishment for him,” I replied, forming my hands into fists.
“He’ll face trial like any other criminal. Remember, sweetheart, we are not killers. We are not like him. We will be better,” he said more softly.
We are not killers… I thought, repeating his words in my head. Except Lukas was wrong. He had killed, Ezra and I had killed to survive. The only reason I had gotten to Lukas so quickly was because I had killed another man. He might not have witnessed it, but Keanu and the Watchers knew today my hands had been painted with blood.
I looked away from Lukas, trying to shake the idea that in order to survive we might all have to sacrifice our own morals.
I focused on attention on Aralyn, who had finally stopped fighting the Watchers. Her silence suggested she was at peace with the kind of “fate” Keanu had warned her about. I wondered if she, like my mother, would be determined to prove more useless than helpful.
“Let’s go!” Lukas yelled.
He continued by calling out orders so that each Watcher walked with a prisoner. He advised that the bodies of the dead would remain at the manor, and he would alert other Watchers in the area to dispose of the bodies.
“And someone please bring Ahna back with us,” Keanu added in, glancing over at me.
I watched as one of ht men picked up Ahna’s lifeless body. Her head fell back and her arms swung as he carried her out of the manor. I followed closely behind with Keanu and Lukas at my side.
We cleared out of the manor without hesitation. We left only the dead behind, and I could not pity them. It was time Stefan endured losses of his own to realize what his quest would cost him.
We passed through town without anyone stopping us. Lukas stopped momentarily to give orders to a Watcher, who would then spread the word to others in the area, and then we continued to the lamp post.
Lukas remained by my side without fail, but I only caught a glimpse of him in the corner of my eye. The remainder of my attention focused on Ahna. I thought about returning to the palace and see her baby. I could only pray to Circe that nothing had happened within the palace walls since our departure.
Aralyn’s words still haunted me. Though I had no reason to trust her, I wondered what, if any, truth her words held. Had Lukas been a distraction?
38
Tearing Us Apart
We entered the palace to see Gemma pacing back and forth. At our arrival she stopped and instantly ran to Lukas, embracing him.
She then turned to me and did the same, squeezing me tightly. I held onto her warm embrace like for a moment I could breathe. It was more than what Ahna could do.
Gemma greeted us alone. She had not taken enough time to realize we brought a dead body with us.
The Watchers who brought Aralyn in took her immediately to the dungeon without awaiting orders. I doubted she would go on trial tonight, considering how events had conspired. At least in the dungeon she would not hear anything we shared amongst each other. She still fought the Watchers as she went down. I shuddered at the last memory I had of that place.
“I prayed to Circe for your safe return,” Gemma said, slowly releasing me.
Her eyes wandered until they fell upon the Watcher who carried Ahna. She no doubt would not know Ahna by her physical appearance. To the other councilors she would be nothing more but a name. They had not known her the way I had, the way Lukas and Keanu had.
Emmys… I thought, realizing the child was nowhere in clear sight.
“Where is the baby? Where are the others?” I asked.
Gemma began pacing again.
“Declan is with the locals. Someone started a fire shortly after you left. The baby is with Claire, both of whom are upstairs with Ezra. And Dorian and Alec left in pursuit of Nina. They were last reported to be headed toward the docks.”
“The docks?”
Gemma stopped in front of me.
“Yes, few know about them. We have little use for them since hardly anyone travels across the sea anymore. Once, long ago, they were quite popular, but now their existence alone is a secret to most. Except to Nina apparently…” she explained.
“But… we should be other there! With Dorian and Alec. They could be in danger!” I exclaimed, looking over at Keanu.
“Claire will want to see you first. Once she sees the three of you safe she might have different orders,” Gemma said.
I sighed, but it did seem unfair to leave the palace without speaking to Claire firs.t Lukas and I joined together while Keanu stayed downstairs with Gemma, helping the Watchers with their next set of orders.
I glanced back at the Watcher who carried Ahna’s body. I knew she was in good hands now, and Lukas had said they would give her a proper burial. She would not be placed in Shadowland amongst dead criminals, as her brother certainly had been. She still deserved so much more after what she had sacrificed. I would never be able to repay her.
I led the way to Ezra’s room, and for the first time that night I remembered what it felt like to be alive. It had been so long since I had seen Ezra or even had the chance to speak with him. Stefan’s allies and done a good job of ensuring Ezra was down for this battle. I could only hope his condition had improved since our last interaction. From what Gemma told us the councilors had been split up ever since Keanu and I left for Lukas.
We entered Ezra’s room. Bellona sat in the corner of the room, seemingly alert, and instantly recognized I had returned with her son. For the first time since Elias’s death she smiled. She ran to Lukas, embracing him and sobbing.
I looked to the chair closest to Ezra’s bed. Claire sat in the chair, holding Ahna’s baby. She quickly rushed to me, kissing my cheek and crying softly.
“You have a talent for finding people,” she said.
I smiled, though in truth I had only found her because Elias also chose to abduct me. I had only found Lukas with Ahna’s help. Other p
eople always seemed to push me in the right direction to find those who were lost. At least Elias and Stefan’s plans had not completely destroyed the Pavlous family.
In a whisper, I asked, “How is he?”
My eyes fell on Ezra, but from looking at him, I could see the color had returned to his face and he sat propped up in bed. I did not wait for Claire’s confirmation and instead rushed to Ezra’s side.
I sat on the bed beside him, and he offered the widest smile. He kissed me on the lips, and though I was aware everyone else in the room could see us, I also did not care. I put aside the fear and anger that had controlled tonight’s events. I focused on him. He, as much as Claire, had managed to make Ninomay my home.
Backing away, I whispered, “I’ve missed you.”
“I should have been there with you. Are you alright?” he asked.
I realized he had not been present when Daphne revealed her identity. He might not have even grasped that Lukas had disappeared. I had so much to tell him, and I did not know where to begin. I doubted I had the time if the others were outside, dealing with the locals and searching for Nina and Daphne. Too much remained at risk.
“There is so much to say…” I whispered, leaning my head against his.
He kissed my forehead.
“You can tell me everything when the storm calms, hmm?”
Someone cleared their throat, and I glanced back at Lukas. His mother had stepped away from him, and despite having just been kidnapped, I doubted he was done for the night. I could hardly blame him. I still wanted to be out there with our allies. We needed as many people dedicated to this as we could spare.
The docks… I remembered and realized I needed to find out where they were located.
“Clare, how can we help?” I asked.
“Declan in in town, trying to calm the locals. There’s been friction amongst them, and they’re angry about everything that’s happened. Someone should check on him,” she said.
Lukas replied, “I’ll go.”
“Are you certain? Are you well? You just came back…” Claire said, raising her brow.
Though she did not say it, I doubted she wanted Lukas to leave the palace again. It was true we had just gotten him back. The idea of sending him out again into unknown dangerous left a lot of possibilities. We could not afford to lose him again to Stefan. Somehow I doubted, given a second chance, that Stefan would be so forgiving.
Lukas approached Claire and caressed her face innocently, though I could see the tension between them. Neither Lukas or I had shared the decision he had been asked to make. I still wondered about it, trying to decide whether Aralyn had lied or not. It seemed like a cruel joke to play, but regardless of Stefan’s true intentions, he was certain to learn his plan had failed.
“No harm was done. I’m better than ever, and I need to be out there doing my job. But there is something you should know…” he said, glancing over at me.
I raised a brow. Would he tell Claire about the decision he had been forced to make? Would he admit had it not been for Keanu one of us could have been dead?
“I met Stefan,” he said calmly.
I held my breath.
He continued, though he distanced himself from her now, and glanced to the window.
“He had red hair, fine clothes and jewelry, and tattoos on his hands. I did not recognized him, but he introduced himself as Stefan Maris, and he knew about my father. He seemed to have an interest in me, believing that I, like my father, would betray the Council for power. And…”
He paused, hesitating for a moment. The words at the tip of his tongue. Perhaps the decision still played through his mind.
“And he tried to make me choose between you and Clara. He wanted me to marry one of you, and the other would be killed. He told me if I failed to choose he would kill everyone I cared for,” he explained.
I let out a long sigh. That was the consequence Aralyn had mentioned. Choose or watch everyone die.
“I will look through our records for mentioning of this man. Now that we have some idea of what he looks like, perhaps we could better track him down. In the meantime, be careful out there. I sense Stefan will come back for you before this ends,” Claire said.
“I’ll return to you,” Lukas replied.
We watched him leave the room. I trusted Declan would be in good hands with Lukas by his side. I had never seen Lukas and Declan alone together, and I wondered if their love for Claire might harm them rather than untie them. Working with the locals was something Lukas was familiar with, more so than Declan. I trusted he would be able to handle any dirty situation that arose. Whether he would work well with Claire’s husband-to-be only time would tell.
“And you,” Claire said, turning her attention to me, “You should join Dorian and Alec. They’re at the docks. I will have a Watcher company you.”
“I will go,” Ezra called out.
She glanced back at him while I remained silent, knowing that she would have the same objection as me. He had been spared, but I did not want to see his life in peril again. We already had a scare with Lukas tonight, and the last thing I wanted to do was put Ezra in harm’s way.
“I should be fighting like everyone else. I’ve rested long enough. Who do you want Clara with —a complete stranger or me?” he asked.
“But Ezra—”
Claire held up her hand, cutting me off.
“Then I expect both of you to return… alive,” she said.
I looked to Ezra, watching as he eased his way out of the bed. He winced but managed to maintain his balance. He seemed well enough to walk or ride. I was not sure how we would travel, seeing as I was unfamiliar with our designation location.
While I had expected Claire to put up more of a fight, I respected her decision. Ezra was an illusionist. We had not been fortunate enough to have his set of skills with us at the manor. And he had never seen me as of late with my newly acquired “skills.”
I gulped.
39
High Cost of Magic
I did not know what awaited us at the docks. The thought of possibly finding Daphne and Nina left me trembling. What would we do? How far would I have to go to ensure my mother could not cause any more harm upon this world?
I looked to Ezra for answers, but he remained silent, thinking, processing what would happen next.
Ezra and I descended the staircase, and I noticed Gemma and Keanu speaking with several Watchers. They one who had been carrying Ahna’s body was not present, and I could only assume he had set out to lay her to rest.
“Where will they bury her?” I asked, wincing.
“There’s a cemetery on the outskirts of town. They’ll bury her there amongst other mages who have died in Ninomay. It’s a well-kept place… I’ll take you there sometime if you’d like,” Ezra replied softly.
We reached the bottom of the staircase, and I felt somewhat at ease knowing Ahna would have a normal burial.
As Ezra advanced to the door, I grabbed his arm, tugging on it.
I had remembered Ezra had not been present when Daphne revealed herself. It was possible Claire or Bellona had told him everything while I was gone. I still felt some responsibility, despite what he may or may not know, to tell him. He deserved to hear it from me. I did not want any secrets lying between us.
“There is something I should tell you,” I whispered.
He glanced back, raising his brow.
“Daphne, the one who escaped, she claims to be Nina and Elias’s daughter,” I said.
His face remained unaffected by this news, confirming the women had already provided him with the crucial details.
“I pray this is false information,” he replied. Then in a firmer voice, he added, “Come now, we have no time to waste.”
I quickly followed after him, glancing back once more at Gemma and Keanu as we left. They returned my stare, and I wondered if we all shared the same thought. When would we see each other again?
Gemma’s stare bother
ed me the most. A stare filled with longing and unsaid words. Two of the men she loved remained outside, fighting to win back some small advantage over Stefan. I had a feeling if we found Daphne and Nina they would not be persuaded with words to return to the palace.
I stepped outside, setting my eyes on the horse we would use for travel. Ezra got on with the little to no difficulty, though he rubbed his arm and winced after mounting. With his good arm, he held lift me up onto the horse, and I wrapped my arms around his warm body. I briefly thought back to the night we had shared alone. It might be a long time before we had another intimate moment, given recent events.
In the brief time I had been able to reunite with Ezra I still hadn’t gotten the chance to tell him a darker truth. The fact I had killed another man with my magic. It ate at me. It sat at the tip of my tongue, ready to be blurted out at any given minute. I wanted to tell him. I wanted him—no, needed him—to reassure me that I, like himself, was not a killer. I had killed in order to live another day.
“Come on!” Ezra called out, kicking his heels against the horse.
The horse trotted, leading us away from the palace and further away from the reassurances I needed.
We were on our way to the docks, but it was possible Dorian and Alec had moved since the last report. It was also possible they were trapped, in the middle of a fight against dangerous mages. Daphne’s talents remained unknown to us, but she had been clever enough to trick everyone at the palace. And Nina… Well, her talents continued to surprise me. She was as much of a stranger to me now as Daphne was.
The sooner we were reunited with Dorian and Alec the better. Time was a huge factor, but there was only so fast we could travel with the horse, and it seemed there was no faster route to the docks.
Ezra led the horse through the forest and then to the left, headed away from Ahna’s house. I glanced back in its direction, thinking now the house would belong to no one, not even the baby, as the child would need a new family. Who would foster such a child with a mysterious family history?
Clara and Ezra Page 21
