She reaches over and takes my hand in hers. "And you may never know. There may not be 'the right answer' as you say, only what is the best choice in any given moment, which may not be the best choice in the next moment." She searches my face and smiles. "Find your balance. Do not let any one element within you become too dominate against the others, and you will find your way."
I look at my cup and realize it's empty. I yawn and stand. "Thank you."
She nods, staring into the fire. "He is in pain," she says after a moment.
"Who?" I ask.
"Cole. He is in pain. He will hurt others in his pain, but there is love in him, too." She looks up at me and smiles. "You can trust his love."
With a lightness of heart after talking to Matilda, I rejoin Cole in bed, curling my body into his, trusting his love. And knowing that life inherently holds pain, so we must hold onto to the joy when we have it.
Over the next week, we discuss the various ways to mount a proper defense for Liam. The ball was a bust and did not yield an egg or any leads. The Beggar Queen raised more questions than answers. And time is running out, as Derek keeps reminding us.
"I dug deeper into the basilisk guard who was found dead," Elijah says one morning over breakfast. "As I suspected, she had some skeletons in the closet. More specifically, skeletons in the dungeon. She has a brother serving hard time there."
"How would she have been allowed to work for Ava'Kara in such a sensitive position with a convicted criminal for a brother?" I ask, taking a bite of my egg on toast. "I would think the water dragon would do a thorough background check for anyone she let in her inner circle."
"She would have," Elijah says. "I had to use… controversial methods to discover this. And it wasn't easy."
I raise an eyebrow at that but don't press further. "We should pay this brother a visit, then," I say, glancing at Sebastian.
He nods. "Grab your cloak. We can go now."
On the way to the prison, Sebastian pulls out a leather-bound book and opens it. "Elijah made notes. Ethne Brinn's brother is named Lester Cornch. It looks like Ethne changed her last name to distance herself from her family. Their parents are deceased, as was previously indicated, but their deaths are a mystery. So is Lester's reason for conviction." He closes the notebook. "It's not much to go one, but maybe he can give us some ideas about who Ethne might have been working with and why."
I nod and lean back, closing my eyes. "We have to catch a break soon," I say softly, worried at what might happen to Liam, to this family, if we don't.
Sebastian takes my hand and squeezes it. "We will."
He's silent a moment, and when he speaks again, he sounds… unsure of himself, which is unusual for the earth Druid. "I noticed you have been spending a lot of time with Cole," he says.
I open my eyes and look at him. "Yes."
"This isn't about jealousy. I swear. We aren't like humans in that way. This is…just be careful, Eve. Cole is dangerous."
"Everyone in this world is dangerous," I remind him. "Including me."
"That's not what I mean. He's manipulative. Conniving. And I'm still not convinced his motives for being here are pure."
"I'll be careful," I promise him.
"That's all I ask. I…" he pauses. "I know I haven't been the most aggressive in pursuing you. Liam is all fire and passion and Cole…well, he's Cole. I've wanted to give you your space. Time to heal. Time to process all you've been through. But please know, Eve, that what I feel for you has been growing since the day we met on the subway. Since the moment I saw that portrait you drew of me."
His words make my heart beat faster and when he reaches over to caress my face, my stomach fills with butterflies. He leans over and kisses me tenderly, then pulls away. "I'm not going to push myself on you, but that doesn't me I don't want you. I want you more than I've ever wanted anything. But only when you're ready."
Dear god. I'm ready now, I want to tell him, but the carriage stops, and I realize we have arrived at the prison, so I just nod and smile and promise myself we will finish this conversation later.
We leave Lily—who is almost entirely healed—with the carriage and I follow Sebastian down a narrow cobblestone path. It's barely wide enough for one person to walk, and thorny bramble has taken over much of that room, leaving us both cut up and bleeding by the time we arrive at the massive building. Sebastian heals almost instantly, there are perks to being a vampire, it seems, but my cuts will take longer, of course.
The prison is a tall gothic cathedral made of black stone and sharp, spiky architecture. Atop it sits a massive black dragon, obsidian scales glimmering under the lights of the Dragon's Breath.
I can't tell if the dragon sees us or even cares that we're here. It seems to be content on its perch. "The Dragon of Darkness, I presume?" I ask Sebastian as we stop at the door. Beside the entrance are two skeletons, and it would have felt a bit Halloweenish except these are alive, and they scare the shit out of me when they step forward and demand to know what we want.
"We are here to see a prisoner in the course of an investigation," Sebastian says.
I flash my ring from Ava'Kara and Sebastian tells them who we want to see.
"Yes, that's the Dragon of Darkness," Sebastian says, as we follow one of the skeletons inside the building. "His name is Ra'Terr and he cares little for anything save guarding this prison. It's his magic that keeps so many creatures of different sizes, strengths, and abilities in check."
We step into a hallway lit only by torches set on the walls. It smells of brimstone and body odor and other—worse—things. I try to breathe through my mouth, but then I can taste it, and that's even worse.
Sebastian smiles sympathetically at me.
"How can you stand it?" I ask.
"I can suspend my breathing when needed," he says, and I've never been more jealous of anyone.
The skeleton leads us down long stairways that feel as if they might crumble under my feet and down long halls lined with moaning and screaming prisoners of all species. There are no bars and when a man who looks like he's in mid transformation into a wolf lunges at us, I scream and unleash a fireball at him, only to realize that there's an invisible barrier that keeps him within his cage. He hits it—hard—and is zapped back to the other wall with a cry of pain. My fire hits the wall and fizzes to nothing.
We pass a mermaid a few cells farther down, her torso resting on a mat while her tail dangles in a small bucket of water. She looks close to death and I shudder to imagine what this must be like for her. But I also wonder what she did to deserve such a punishment. She glances at me with big coral eyes and a sadness so profound I want to weep just looking at her.
Finally, we step before a cell at the very end, and it's so dark within I can't tell who—or what—is inside. The skeleton taps on the invisible barrier. "You've got visitors."
He then leaves us alone, traveling with clacking bones back to his watch.
"I hope you were paying attention to how to get out of here," I say nervously. "It was a maze, and I didn't leave any breadcrumbs."
"I know my way around," Sebastian assures me.
A moment later, a slithering sound alerts us to the basilisk's presence. He comes close to the edge of the barrier, his forked tongue tasting the air around him. "What do you want, vampire?" he hisses.
Like Ethne, he is blindfolded. But unlike her, his seems permanently sewn into his face. Ouch.
"We came to ask you some questions about your sister," I say.
"I have no sssssissster," he says.
"We know you do," Sebastian says. "And she's been killed. We're trying to find out what happened."
At the news that she's dead, the basilisk falls back, his tail faltering beneath him.
"Ethne is dead?"
"Yes," I say. "I'm sorry for your loss. Please help us figure out who did this and why."
He laughs, but it is a cold, hard, sad sound. "What would I know of anything, rotting in here for all eternity?"
>
"Ethne was a guard for Ava'Kara, and was killed while on duty," I say.
"Then you have the wrong perssssson," Lester says. "My sssssisssster—if I had one—would never work for the dragonsssss. Ssssshe'd die first."
Interesting. "And yet, she did. Work for them. And die," I say. "Don't you want to find out how? And why?"
When he says nothing, Sebastian continues. "It looks like she was involved in a plot to steal the water dragon's egg and was killed by her partner. Any idea who she might have been working with?"
Lester laughs again, and it sounds like the laugh of a madman. "That'sssss more like my Ethne. She has avenged our family at lasssst."
"What does that mean?" I ask. "Avenged your family for what?"
Lester lunges against the invisible wall, and when it zaps him, he doesn't even flinch. He presses his forehead against the force field, his face wild, the zaps crashing into him like lightning. "They did thissss to us, didn't they? They took it all. Everyone. Everything. Left ussss with nothing but liessss. All the liessss they bury here. This isn't a prisssson, it's a cemetery for enemiesss of the dragonsss. A grave for the barely living. She died in the fight against the lies. I live in the fight against the lies. The liessss eat ussss all."
"What do you mean?" I ask, leaning in. "What did the dragons do to your family?"
His tongue flicks out and he smiles widely. Too widely. "We knew their ssssecret, didn't we? The ssssecret they want hidden forever. The ssssecret of the world. The ssssecret to ssssaving it all. Their sssselfish, lying, evil ssssecret that fills this place with rot and shit and the carcasses of truth once sssspoken."
"What secret?" I ask.
"The ssssecret. The ssssecret. The sssssecret." His voice escalates as he keeps repeating it, over and over.
"What secret!" I shout, trying to be heard over his insanity.
He slams his body so hard against the invisible shield that I can practically feel the zaps of electricity shooting through the wall and into him. My skin tingles with the magic around me, tapping into my own pools of power.
He flicks his tongue, licking at the invisible wall. Then he sniffs and smiles.
"You're the ssssecret. You're the sssssecret. You're the sssssecret." With a sudden movement, he slams his head into the shield so hard his skin splits open and he falls to the ground, writhing on the floor as the magic electrocutes him.
Sebastian pulls me away. "We have to go!"
I'm too shaken to argue with him, and it's clear we won't get any more answers from Lester, if we got anything at all.
Sebastian guides us through the maze of stairs and halls until we reach the front door.
Rather than head home, we take a detour and stop at a pub.
"You need food and we both need a drink," Sebastian says.
The Naked Gnome is indeed run by a gnome who likes to flaunt his nether regions at his place of business. Not the choice I would have made, but I shrug and go along with it.
"Ignore him," Sebastian says of the gnome who's presently dancing on the bar, doing his best free willy interpretation. "The food here is excellent."
I raise an eyebrow at that. "How would you know? You don't eat."
"I've been told," he says with a crooked grin.
"I hope his bits aren't part of the food prep process?"
Sebastian laughs. "No, he sticks to the bar. He likes the audience."
I look around at the empty pub. "Audience?"
Sebastian shrugs and when a very old and very small woman comes to take our order, I ask him to pick something he thinks I will like.
My mind is stuck on Lester's ranting. "What did he mean about a secret?" I ask.
"The dragons undoubtedly have many secrets," Sebastian says. "But what secret that could save the world? I have no idea."
"And what do I have to do with it?" I wonder. "Or was that just his insanity?"
"I would bet insanity, but we shouldn't rule anything out."
Drinks are brought to us, and I am served a plate of potatoes, meat, and a garden salad. "What kind of meat?" I ask suspiciously.
"Just eat the potatoes and salad," he says by way of answer. "We don't have cows in this world."
Yup, still a vegetarian, at least while we're in the Otherworld.
Under my plate is a recent copy of town news, and I scan the headlines until I see one that ruins my appetite and makes my blood run cold.
"What is it?" Sebastian asks.
I push the paper over to him. "Look."
Anger is clouding my judgment and when my fists turn to balls of fire, Sebastian pays quickly and escorts me out.
"How could this happen?" I ask.
"It's not a perfect system," Sebastian says.
I spin on him. "Not perfect? Not perfect? We're not even in the ballpark of perfect. We're so far from perfect right now that even adequate is out of reach. Competence is a laughable dream. This is a disgrace. This is evil!"
Lily pulls the carriage up and raises an eyebrow when she sees me. "What happened?"
Sebastian answers for me since I'm still too rage-monster to speak in coherent sentences. "The Collector was released from prison. He won't face charges."
Lily flinches as if physically punched, then shakes her head sadly.
Before we take off, I make a decision. "Lily, take us by Lilith's house on the way home. I need to call in a favor."
The Party
There is nothing more important than love. And no law higher. ~Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
My visit with Lilith yields the results I expect, but I'm still struggling with my decision. Am I stepping over the line? Sliding down a slippery slope? I believe what I've done is the right choice. The just choice.
It's just not the legal choice.
Now I wait to hear back from her.
I also have a shit ton of work to do.
For two weeks, time passes at breakneck speed. We leave no stone unturned in trying to suss out the ravings of a madman, and we make no progress in figuring out what the dragons might be lying about. We already knew Ethne had no love lost for the dragons, if she was willing to betray Ava'Kara and steal her egg, so the news that their family bore a grudge against the dragons doesn't help our case any. Not unless we could figure out why, and not unless that why is connected to her motive and could also connect us to her partner/killer.
All in all, it's a waste. Our strongest argument is lack of evidence on the part of the prosecutor, but given that's Dath’Racul himself, I doubt very much that will be enough to get Liam a Not Guilty verdict.
"How can they let him prosecute?" I ask, for probably the millionth time since I found out. "He's got way too much power to make a fair prosecutor."
"It's not fair," Liam says, fire sparking at the tips of his fingers. "But nothing about this system is fair."
The other three brothers agree. Cole is the only one missing. He never attends meetings about Liam's court case, arguing he's not a lawyer and has done all he can to help. He's likely at the local pub enjoying a strong drink. I could use a strong drink myself at this point.
Matilda comes in carrying a tray of goblets and food. "You lot have been at this long enough. Have you not noticed the date?"
Elijah's eyes widen. "It's New Year's Eve tomorrow. And the court case is the next day."
Liam frowns. "There's nothing more we can do. Justice will prevail or it won't. This might be my last holiday with those I love the most," he says, his gaze locking on mine. "And I want to celebrate it. Put the law books away. And let's prepare the castle for a proper New Year's celebration."
Derek stops his pacing, hands locked behind his back, and glances at Liam. "We can't give up."
"It's not giving up," Liam says. "It's recognizing we are as prepared as we possibly can be. At the end of the day, they have no evidence against me. That's going to have to be enough. It's not our job to prove who the real criminal is. It's their job to prove it's me. And they can't." He shrugs, and as hot tempered as
the fire Druid can be, he seems to be learning when to let things go.
Now is one of those times. I can see it in him. He needs to have a family celebration. Some joy. Some time with his daughter.
"I agree with Liam," I say. "This time of year is about family. Let's make happy memories while we can."
Matilda smiles gently at me, and the others finally stop arguing and stop working and we break to begin preparations for the party.
Lily sends out beautifully calligraphed invitations to our closest friends, while I work with the castle ghosts to discuss the decorations. Well, discuss might be stretching that word's definition a bit. More like, I talk to an empty room and hope someone is listening.
I have no idea if this is a gift-giving event, but I have a surprise for the family, and as I spend a few hours alone in my room, I put the polishing touches on it, admiring the finished results. A door opens and I spin around and come face to face with Cole, who stands transfixed by the painting I've been working on for weeks.
It's a watercolor painting of all of us, the five Night brothers, Matilda, Lily, me, Alina, and of course, Moon, who is presently curling around my ankles begging to be pet.
"You painted this?" Cole asks, stepping forward to study it.
"Yes."
"It should be in a museum."
I feel heat rise to my cheeks. "Thank you. I'm quite proud of it."
He smiles, redirecting his gaze to me. "You should be."
Cole cups my face and leans in to kiss me, his breath mixing with mine, his lips like velvet, and I melt into him as I feel his shadow magic wrap around me, caressing me everywhere at once.
He pulls away just enough to speak, his dark eyes so penetrating. "Leave with me," he says in a breath, and I freeze and step back.
"What?"
"Leave with me. Just you and me. We can start a new life anywhere in any world we want." He looks so earnest. So desperate for me to say yes.
I Am the Storm (The Night Firm Book 2) Page 14