Clara and Claire

by Lindsey Richardson

  Ezra mentioned Watchers and servants were being questioned about Ren’s mysterious death. I tried to listen to his words, but my thoughts wondered back to Lukas. I wanted to know more about his theory, especially if tonight we would be searching for Claire. My confidence in anyone’s guilty remained ever-changing. Vanessa had a lot of motive, but Ren’s death threw me off. Was I overreacting and it was an honest mistake? It took more than a cold or flu to kill a mage.

  “Clara?” Ezra waved his hand in front of my face, and I shook my head and refocused.

  “Sorry for sleeping in your room. I have to find Lukas,” I said as I stood up.

  Ezra backed up and pushed back his glasses. Crossing his arms, he asked, “Are you’re certain you want to do this? Declan informed me about the plan for tonight. If you can’t make it they’ll be fine on their own.”

  I nibbled on the bottom of my lip. “Of course I’m fine. This will all have been for nothing if Claire is dead too. I’ll see you tonight, Ezra, don’t worry.”

  I left the room in haste, hoping he would not follow me with more objections. Ren had not been the soul mate I once believed him to be, but he still held importance. The white rose connected him to Ninomay, and I did not know why or how. His failure to cooperate with the Council only proved he knew any information about the rose would further doom him.

  Servants passed me and greeted me as Claire, though I suspected they knew the truth as well. Hiding my identity in the castle had crumbled altogether since the night of the fire. My identity only mattered if I stepped outside these walls, and even that would not affect me for much longer.

  I reached the staircase and descended it, scanning the lower level for any signs of Lukas. I had not the slightest idea where he might be. If Jhase planned to interview each Watcher, I suspected Lukas had been one of the first. If he had returned home I would need help finding my way. In a few hours his sister would be arrested for a crime she may not have committed. Would he be foolish enough to try to stop the Council? I hardly believed the idea, but it was a possibility I might have to face if I failed in finding him. I doubted he could leave Ninomay with his sister’s arrest incoming. He could not escape the island at a time like this.

  I walked through the ballroom, catching sight of Gemma and Alec together. They spoke in whispers, but at my appearance they stopped their conversation short. No one else appeared in the room, and Gemma rushed to where I stood. The ballroom always forced me to relieve my feelings of nausea as if this was my first day here. This was the room where I had met my closest allies, Claire’s friends, and possibly her kidnapper. Nothing about this room settled my nerves, and my hands clammed up once Gemma stood in front of me. I panicked at how I would explain the situation to her without stepping on anyone’s toes. Though I trusted her, she would not trust Lukas’s opinion.

  “Clara, you look... lost,” she said, scanning my face.

  Forcing a chuckle, I replied, “No... um, I’m looking for Lukas.”

  She tilted her head, and a puzzled look covered her face. “Lukas? Jhase spoke with him, but after that I haven’t seen him. He might be at home, enjoying the last few hours he has with his sister. What business do you have with him?”

  “I’m almost out of time to find out about Ren and Claire. He might have answers,” I replied.

  Gemma crossed her arms, seeming uncertain of this answer. “Check his house. I’d help, but my son is waiting for me at home.”

  She walked past me, leaving Alec and I behind. I looked to him, offering a wide smile.

  “I can take you, but we have to be careful,” he said, sighing.

  I gratefully accepted. Hopefully once we reached the house Alec would not insist on staying with me. So long as I saw where it was I should be able to find my way back to the castle.

  We left without hesitation, and thankfully Alec did not ask any more questions. I reached the front entrance before him and exited the mansion, breathing in the fresh air. I caught a glimpse of Gemma, but she remained a distance and her back facing us as she hurried home. I also saw no sight of Ezra or Declan, who might only delay me further.

  Alec led me through the familiar parts of town that I had walked with Declan. We passed the bakery and several inns on our way down the street. I gazed at the inns, wondering about where I would stay once Claire returned. Jhase had plenty of room for me to stay in his home, but I could not be certain Claire would want the same. She was next in line as head councilor, and my presence might only be a distraction. We had yet to see how the locals would react to my identity, but lies were rarely understood by anyone other than the liar.

  Stopping in front of a house, Alec said, “This is it.”

  I thanked him and offered to return the favor at a later time. He insisted on waiting outside, but I urged him to return to his own tasks. While his backup would have offered me comfort, I did not know how long my visit would last. I knew the way back to the castle regardless of if Lukas helped me or not. I stood in front of the door and watched Alec walk away. He glanced back once, and I offered a faint smile. Once he continued into a crowd of people, I knocked on the door. I feared Vanessa being home more than Lukas’s agenda. She and I were no longer in a position to be visiting each other, and I did not wish to hear any more threats.

  The door opened slowly, and Lukas greeted me with a grin.

  “I need to speak with you,” I said sternly.

  “Bad timing. I guess I can make time for you,” he replied, winking.

  I walked inside, closing the door behind me. A woman sat on the couch, holding a blanket over her body. Lukas motioned for her to leave, and she quickly snatched her clothes from the floor. She rushed into the other room without a word.

  “Interesting company you keep,” I commented quietly.

  “Who, her? I rather keep your company. Please, take a seat. I’ll fetch water,” he said.

  I sat down in a chair facing the fireplace, which was already lit. Dark furniture decorated their home, including their choice of wood. It was gloomy inside, not at all how I imagined Elias’s home, but rays of sunlight shone through the window.

  The woman from earlier entered the room again, fully dressed, and quickly rushed to the door, avoiding eye contact with me. She was not anyone I recognized, but I noticed her brunette hair. Was this coincidence Lukas kept the company of brunettes, even after he and Claire ended? The woman left without so much as a goodbye.

  Lukas returned, and he offered a cup of water. I accepted it, and he sat on the opposite side of me. With the woman gone his full attention fell upon me. He stared into my eyes, and I remembered Gemma’s warnings. He had already admitted he never stopped loving Claire. Hopefully he did not think I was here for anything else than a conversation.

  The flames in the fireplace continued, but my hand shook as I took a sip of water. I glanced at Lukas, though he stared at the fireplace. If he noticed he showed no intentions of acting upon my nerves. These were the moments I wondered if my darker magic would reveal itself. Would the spirit Ezra had seen appear while I sat with Lukas? There was no telling how he would react if my magic engaged without my command. Unlike the rest of my magic I had no control over the spirit.

  “You came alone?” Lukas asked, placing his cup on the small table beside him.

  “And you’re alone,” I responded as if it were a fact.

  Ignoring the statement, he said, “The Watcher on guard last night is under interrogation. It seems Ren was poisoned, but by what means we don’t know. Jhase is calling in an expert from Shadowland to give us more details.”

  “Shadowland? Why can’t Declan help?” I asked. I pressed my lips together and thought carefully. Someone inside the castle must have slipped up or been paid off for this to happen to Ren. The only person I knew to ever pay Watchers was my own mother. Why would she want Ren dead?

  Lukas leaned back in his chair. “Black magic has its advantages. They know more about homemade poisons than we do. They’ve been practicing it for centurie
s. Jhase is handling the matter on his own. He doesn’t want whoever did this to be able to cover it up.”

  While I was relieved Jhase controlled the investigation, it might take time to find out who was responsible. I trusted Jhase more than anyone else with this task. In the meantime I would have to place all my attention on finding Claire. Damning evidence suggested Vanessa as the criminal. Her own actions placed her in a difficult position, and I needed more from Lukas if we planned on saving her.

  Straightening my position in the chair, I said, “Tell me more about your parents. Why can’t they be trusted?”

  Lukas stood up and paced in front of the fireplace. “Claire’s entire disappearance is bizarre. Rumors spread that she ran away from the lifestyle, but that isn’t in Claire’s personality. A weak person runs from their destiny, and if anything she has always ran toward it.

  “Even after the evidence proving otherwise, my parents continued to swear Claire had run away. It didn’t make sense, but they pushed the idea unlike anything I’ve seen. I almost started to believe it, but the fire... The fire happened, and suddenly Vanessa gained the Council’s attention. I asked Father how he could make sense of it. How could there be an assassin when Claire had ‘chosen’ to run away. He was speechless like I had caught him off guard.”

  I chewed on my nail, wondering if Lukas might propose what he suggested. I tried to imagine Elias without an answer, but his silence was answer enough for me. Why would he and Bellona insist Claire ran away? Why did they surrender at the decision upon Vanessa’s fate? Everyone had agreed that someone was involved in Claire’s disappearance. They gained nothing by telling their children otherwise. Running away from a position in the Council would be a disgrace to Claire’s name and everything she stood for.

  “Neither of them ever pushed for this theory in our meetings,” I pointed out, thinking back to their recent actions. They always agreed with Jhase, except about declaring Claire’s death. That was the only matter Elias tried to push and failed.

  Lukas turned and looked at me. “Because the Council would never listen to such nonsense. Claire never betrayed the Council or her family. She loved Declan, wanted a family, and was prepared to become head councilor. While Vanessa might have anger toward Claire, my parents have more toward her family. They lost their position after the war, and nobody could bring it back.”

  With my arms crossed, I sighed, “You’re willing to accuse your parents of kidnapping? Do you realize what would happen to them?”

  “The same fate Vanessa is certain to meet if no one shares this knowledge. Take me in. I will speak in front of the Council,” Lukas said. His eyes seemed to brighten at the idea of being with the Council.

  I shook my head, lost at his angle toward resolving this. He wanted to defend his sister in order to have his parents arrested. The ‘proof’ was his word against theirs, and who would believe us? My warnings about Vanessa were ignored until she started the fire. How much damage would Elias and Bellona cause before they gained someone’s attention? Lukas had no reason to lie to me unless he had a hidden agenda against his parents I was unaware of. I wanted to believe him, but my thought on the matter was useless. Two councilors inside the Council held enough power to ignore this warning altogether. If they were behind this mastermind plan we might be too late.

  “These suspicions you’ve carried since her disappearance... and never thought to tell anyone?”

  Lukas leaned against the fireplace, and his expression hardened. “Who would have believed me? I didn’t know if you could be trusted. I’ll go to the Void with you if it means saving my sister.”

  I opened my mouth, but voices outside raised in alarm. Lukas rushed to the window, and I stood up and quickly followed after him. Groups of people moved to the side, making a path, and I stood on my toes to gain a better view. Ezra and Alec led a woman through the street with her arms chained in cuffs. They passed the house, and Lukas and I gasped at the sight.

  The woman was none other than Vanessa. Her hair swung in front of her face, and she dragged her feet across the road. Some locals cheered, but the majority mumbled amongst themselves. Lukas ran to the door, opening it by the slightest. I rushed to join him, not being certain of how he might react to this. Ezra and Alec continued ahead without stopping for anyone. They did not catch a glimpse of me, and Lukas’s height hid my face.

  Thoughts clouded my head, and I feared I misunderstood the Council. Would they lie to me about the time of the arrest? The idea of betrayal nauseated me, and Lukas looked down and glared at me. The fool was now the betrayer, and I had no explanation for any of this. I leaned against the wall, pleading with myself not to vomit in Lukas’s house. He closed the door and wrapped his arms around me, picking me up carefully. He returned me to my chair while I remained speechless. Everything had gone up in smoke.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Aura of Innocence

  Lukas offered me another glass of water, though he did not comment on his sister’s arrest. Any words of comfort were useless, but we had both been cheated. The Council led me to believe Vanessa’s arrest would occur at night while I searched for Claire. Instead if happened before sunset for the whole town to witness. If Lukas’s family had not been humiliated before, this was an all time low.

  The ground beneath me was unstable; the cracks seemed so clear. Why would anyone lie to me and risk losing my trust? My first thoughts rushed to Jhase, the one person in charge of every action the Council made. Had my own father lied to me again in order to benefit himself?

  “There is only one way to save your sister now,” I said.

  Lukas stood by the fireplace, but he glanced back at me. Any reason to trust me vanished with Vanessa’s arrest, but I needed to make amends. Whatever Lukas’s agenda, it seemed more straightforward than the Council’s. Gemma and Declan had already made plans for the three of us to search for Claire. One more person joining us could do no further harm.

  At his silence, I continued. “I plan to search the island for Claire tonight. You should join us. Once we find her she can reveal her capturer’s identity.”

  “‘Us?’”

  “Gemma, Declan, and me...”

  He scrunched up his face. “Why should I help you? My sister is gone, and you... I’m beginning to wonder how close you are to the Council. They never told you about this plan?”

  Lukas studied me, but I did not tremble from his anger. I had been nothing but honest with Lukas, and this was the only way to guarantee Vanessa’s safety. If he truly believed her to be innocent he should be willing to prove it at any cost. She never showed an aura of innocence, but in Lukas’s eyes they captured the wrong woman. Claire remained our last hope before the Council hurt itself again with a poor decision.

  A knock at the door caused Lukas to jump. I held onto the chair as if it would offer extra support. Lukas approached the door slowly, raising his hand in preparation for the worst. I prayed it was nothing serious; no one ever mentioned arresting him.

  He opened the door, but I could not see who it was from where I sat. Reluctantly he gestured for the person to step inside, and Declan entered the room. He stared at me with a frown, and I sighed. Without a word, he approached me and grabbed my arm, forcing me to stand up. He dragged me into the next room, the kitchen, and finally released me.

  “Are you alright? It’s too dangerous to be here at a time like this,” Declan said with a firm tone.

  I crossed my arms, refusing to answer the question. Lukas was not as big of a threat as everyone treated him like. Despite Vanessa’s arrest, Lukas had not harmed me. Gemma and Alec were the only ones who knew about my visit here. I failed to see why they revealed my location when I was in no harm. It was as if they forgot I had magic and could defend myself.

  Declan gritted his teeth together. “Jhase expected you at lunch. We waited for you, and you never showed. What purpose do you have being here? Lukas is vulnerable and unpredictable.”

  “Vulnerable only because you arrested hi
s sister. She was supposed to be arrested at night. What changed since the meeting?”

  “We’re leaving... you might have ruined everything.”

  “I’m leaving tonight with or without your help. Besides, Lukas has agreed to accompany me.”

  Declan’s eyes widened. “Dammit...” He leaned against the counter and shook his head. I remained silent, preparing to run into the other room at any minute. Catching me off guard, he grabbed me and shook me. My whole body jolted, and I thought I might vomit from the force he exhibited. I always had doubts about Declan being cold hearted enough to harm Claire, but in this moment I reconsidered.

  “Don’t you see what he’s doing? He manipulating you, and once he has the chance he’ll hurt you!” Declan shouted, shaking me again.

  I raised my hand to his chest and commanded my magic. With the spell in my mind, a strong gust of wind knocked him back. He fell to the floor, struggling to stand up again. Declan’s gaze followed me like that of a predator hunting its prey. Was this how he had treated Claire?

  “Clara!” Lukas shouted, appearing in the doorway. He held his hand out, staring with big sad eyes.

  Ignoring Declan’s pleas, I stood up and rushed to Lukas’s side. I did not believe it would require both of us to hold back Declan, but I accepted the help without complaint. Lukas urged me to return to the castle. I stood behind him and hesitated. Leaving behind Declan was the least of my problems. However, returning home meant answering more questions. I grew weary of interrogations, and I would not celebrate Vanessa’s arrest until Claire confirmed her guilt. Tonight might be my last chance to find her and uncover the true villain.

  Lukas glanced back at me and whispered, “I’ll meet you outside the castle tonight. Leave before they assume the worst.”

  He stepped further into the kitchen, and I turned away and walked toward the exit. Lukas was strong enough to handle Declan by himself. As I reached the door, I wondered what the worst was that the Council would assume. Lukas was well known for his charm with the ladies. Would my visit destroy Claire’s position? I had distanced myself from Ezra to avoid this disaster, but fate set out different plans for me. My time alone was crucial for deciding on the best way to explain myself to the Council. Declan was of no help to me, though he had little reason to speak up. His words did not fade from my memory, but my gut inclined me to believe he was wrong about Lukas. I had already seen the worst in men, and my newest alliance was not like any beast I met before.