by Rye Brewer
I looked again at the picture, shivering a little in a wind that suddenly felt much colder than before.
They were torturing Gage. I could see the pain in his face, in his eyes. I couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to burn the way he was burning, since silver had never hurt me the way it was supposed to. Because I was of the fae.
I couldn’t worry about that just then. I had other things to think about:
Gage’s pain because of me.
I had taken Marcus’s prize from him: Sara.
I had disobeyed his command to kill Jonah.
I’d left him vulnerable in light of the upcoming League meeting.
For all these things, Marcus’s would want an accounting.
And he’d found a perfect way to lure me in.
What else could I do?
Chapter 20
Anissa
It was a long night, and an even long day. Time was never much of a concern for those of our kind, of course. We went out at night so we could blend in, but that was about it. I tried not to think too much about the way the minutes crawled by.
None of us needed a bedroom, really, since we didn’t sleep—still, it was nice to have somewhere in which to relax, alone. The penthouse Jonah shared with his siblings featured a room for each of them, as well as two guest rooms. I could have had a room of my own but chose to share one with Sara. I didn’t like the idea of her being alone.
I wished I’d chosen my own room that first night, after getting the email. I could have used a little privacy, a chance to be alone with my stormy thoughts. I hated waiting. I wished I could go right away. At least then I wouldn’t have driven myself crazy with questions and guesses and wild imaginings. Just what sort of special hell would Marcus cook up for me?
It seemed like centuries before the sun rose, casting muted light throughout the spacious bedroom. It was more like an apartment, really, larger than the entire suite of rooms Sara and I had called our own back at the mansion. The windows stretched from the floor to the high ceiling, adding to the feeling of spaciousness. The tinting was dark, but not so dark that we couldn’t see in the daylight. I could see for miles.
Thanks to modern technology, my kind had developed a formula for window tint that kept us from being burned. Now if only they could get a formula for a specific type of sunscreen that would allow us to be out in the middle of the day, with zero repercussions.
“This is much nicer than the mansion,” Sara observed, stepping close to me.
I’d sensed her approach as she’d entered the room, but I hadn’t reacted. I’d been hoping she’d have walked away and gone back to hang out with Scott. But I should have known better. My sister cared about me, just as I cared about her.
“In so many ways,” I agreed. It was much nicer than the mansion, in ambiance and hospitality, if not in grandeur.
“It’s not so dark.” She put her arm around me, leaned her head against me shoulder.
“Gothic,” I added.
“Yes! Gothic. Marcus’s personality in a nutshell.”
I turned to her with a smirk. “Truer words were never spoken.” Like some sort of old, Gothic tale of dark revenge. That was the story he wanted to play out with me.
Later in the day, I paced the main room just as I’d paced our bedroom throughout the long night.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sara looked up at me from her spot on the sofa, under a pile of blankets. She’d spent a lot of time there since arriving at the penthouse, reading some of the hundreds of books lining an entire wall of the living room, when Scott wasn’t around. When he was, they’d spent their time huddled together and talking in low voices.
I knew it would take more time for her to get her strength back. She looked a little stronger, at least. She smiled more easily, and when she did it actually looked sincere. She wasn’t only putting on an act for my sake. She’d always been braver than I’d given her credit for. I might have broken in to save her, but she’d been the one to save me all those years ago.
She was trying to do the same thing then. She tried to give me peace of mind—of course, there was no peace of mind for me right now. I couldn’t tell her what hung over my head. No way. It was my problem.
“How are you?” she asked, sensing the strain.
“I’m fine,” I smiled, sitting beside her. “It’s been a wild week. I’m just tired.”
“You don’t usually get tired,” she pointed out.
“For the younger sister, you have a habit of acting like you’re older.”
She grinned. “You’ve done enough worrying about me. Maybe it’s time for me to start worrying about you for a little while.”
“No. No way. We’re even now. Nobody worries about anybody else. Otherwise, we’ll never stop.” I ran my hand over her head, smoothing down her long hair. She was too thin, still, and too pale. A little time, a little rest and proper feeding would take care of that. She would heal well, as long as she stayed with the Bourkes.
“We have it good here,” I said, trying to broach the subject gently. How could I tell her what needed to be said without giving myself away? I couldn’t run the risk of worrying her, but I couldn’t go without making sure she’d be taken care of while I was gone. “It’s comfortable and quiet, and far away from any danger. It would take a lot for a werewolf or even one of Marcus’s henchmen to get all the way up here.” They’d have to make it through the heavy security in the lobby, for starters, before punching the special code into the elevator which sent it straight to the top floor.
“We have it good here. We’re lucky.” Her eyes glowed a little. “I owe it all to you.”
“To Jonah,” I reminded her. “And it’s because of Jonah we’re both safe now. I think it would be a good idea to stay here as long as possible, don’t you? I mean, for the sake of having protection? You know how dangerous it can be out there.”
“Sure, sure. I know. I think I’ve already seen enough danger to last me a long time.”
I nodded. I wanted her to remember that. I needed to know she would remember that and keep herself out of trouble for as long as she could. “There’s really no reason to leave, unless they ask us to.”
“Do you think they would ever do that?” she asked, concern in her eyes.
“Oh, no. I can’t see that ever happening.”
“Because Jonah likes you so much,” she said with a sly smile.
“No, it’s not that. Well, not entirely.”
She giggled. “I thought so.”
“I mean it. It’s not because he likes me. It’s because it’s the right thing to do. He’s a natural leader, I guess. He sees people who need help, and he does what it takes to help them—even if it means trouble for him.” As I said the words, I felt how true they were. He wasn’t the sort of person who could stand back and look the other way when there was injustice. Even if he’d have to look over his shoulder for a long time to come, he’d done it. It had been worthwhile to him.
“You’re the same way, you know. You have a way of taking things on like they’re your own problems. You shoulder all these burdens. You take care of everyone around you.”
“Only the ones who mean something to me,” I reminded her, taking her hand. I remembered how she looked, chained in a cage in the dungeon. The thought was enough to make me remember how helpless I’d felt every time I visited her. Yes, I would do anything to help her. I would do it again.
The front door opened. Philippa and Scott entered. Once again, I noticed the way Sara straightened up a little when Scott came into view. I could almost feel the smile he gave her. It was enough to make me wonder if I should leave the room.
“More blood from the basement,” Philippa said, tossing a box my way. I caught it deftly, wondering if and when she would ever give up being half-angry that we were there. It was obvious she had little control over what Jonah decided, and I could tell it bothered her. It would have bothered me, too.
I opened the box, removing the bag of blood fr
om its protective packing. Sara’s eyes very clearly lit up when she saw it. After years of near-starvation, it must have been a dream come true to feed whenever she wanted to. I turned my head to give her some semblance of privacy.
Philippa slumped into a chair across from where we sat. Still, she managed to look graceful. I wondered how she managed that. “The supply isn’t going to last forever,” she warned.
Scott’s face seemed to darken. He wasn’t happy with his sister—in fact, I got the feeling they had already discussed this, and he was irritated with her for saying anything.
It wasn’t hard to pick up their emotions. I was part fae, after all. Sometimes the reality of my mixed blood came in handy. Judging from the way Scott’s eyes stared daggers at the back of his sister’s head, there was strong emotion behind what was going on in his head.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he covered. “We’re the leading family in the clan. If Jonah says it’s all right, it’s all right. There’s nothing they can say.”
“Tell that to our other brother and his faction,” Philippa grumbled.
No one could tell Gage anything at this stage, except Marcus, but I was the only one that knew that. I fought against the shudder that ran through me at the mention of Gage. I hated thinking about him being in pain, tortured, while his sister thought he was nothing but a traitor. And I knew too well what Jonah thought—I’d heard him pacing in his room all night and day, mumbling to himself. He didn’t sound happy. I understood what he was going through. What kind of clan leader did he look like if his own brother hadn’t stayed?
Knowing the truth about Gage’s whereabouts and circumstances, and being unable to tell the Bourkes was killing me. Just the strain of keeping it to myself was exhausting.
The thought of Jonah reminded me of what I had to do. I’d already done what I could to get Sara to stay with the Bourkes. I had to do the same, but this time with him. I had to secure my sister’s future with Jonah’s clan.
My knock at his bedroom door was quiet, tentative. I was almost afraid to talk to him, knowing the dark mood he was in over Gage. It had to be done.
“Come in.”
I opened the heavy door slowly, looking around the room as I did. It was as large as the guest room, with high ceilings and intricately carved wood panels along all walls. It didn’t even seem silly for him to have a large, four-poster bed covered in lavish silk bedding. In some ways, the size and grandeur reminded me of the mansion which I’d called home for so long. But unlike that place, especially unlike Marcus’s rooms, there was warmth. I didn’t feel my skin crawling the moment I stepped inside.
His back was to me, his hands clasped behind him as he gazed out the window. Another way in which he reminded me of Marcus, that proud stance.
He turned, smiling when he saw me. “Hey there. What’s going on?” His eyes traveled over me, making me blush.
“Nothing,” I lied. I was glad he couldn’t read me the way I could read others. He’d declare war on Marcus in the blink of an eye, and it would all be over then.
He came closer, still smiling. “To what do I owe the visit, then?”
I shrugged, searching for something to say that would sound plausible. “I’ve been worried about you all day.” That wasn’t a lie.
“I’ve had a lot on my mind, is all.”
I nodded. “Me, too.”
“What’s on your mind?” He sat on the bed, patting a space beside him.
I didn’t mean to get into it, but if it would make him open up it was worthwhile. So I sat, hands clasped in my lap.
“You know how it is. I’m worried about what this will mean with Marcus, my running off. And especially what it’ll mean for you, seeing as how you took us in and all. I don’t want there to be trouble for you. Not with the League meeting coming up. You don’t need that.”
“It happens. It’ll pass. Things always do.”
“You didn’t sound like you felt that way earlier.”
“You could hear me?”
“Of course, I could. Anybody could.”
He chuckled. “Great.”
“I don’t expect you to be in a good mood, you know. It’s all right.”
“I should be able to handle this better,” he admitted. “But Gage… My brother…”
“I know.” I wanted to tell him. It would have made him feel so much better in one way, even if it would have driven him half-crazy to know Gage was in trouble. If all went as planned, I would ensure his freedom so he could go home. It was the least I could do to thank Jonah for everything.
“Still, I knew it was coming. It wasn’t that much of a surprise. He’s always resented my being leader of the clan and not him. He’s my twin, and I’m biologically older, but he was changed before me. He thinks that gives him seniority, I guess you could say.” Jonah’s chuckle was tired, bitter.
Yes, they were twins. Their faces were so alike. I thought about Gage’s face, contorted in pain. The thought put me back on track.
“I need your promise.”
His eyes searched my face. “A promise?”
I nodded, thinking fast. “I’m only asking you this because I trust you so much. You’re so good to your family, your clan. I know she’ll be in good hands.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“It’s just that, you know, with Marcus still around, I wonder about the future. My future, especially. And if anything ever happened to me, I’d want to make sure Sara was taken care of. You know what I mean?”
He nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t intend to ever let anything happen to you.”
“But it doesn’t really matter when you intend, does it? And I’m not saying I don’t think you’re capable or anything like that. I’ve seen what you can do. You saved us from Malory. I’d still be chained up. She would be feeding from me. But you made it possible for me to be safe. And I know my sister would be in good hands with you.”
“Thank you for your faith. It means a lot.” His hand closed over mine.
I told myself it wasn’t wrong for me to lie to him. I was protecting him from getting into trouble. Maybe very big trouble.
“So you’ll take care of her if she needs it? Promise me?”
“Anything. I would promise you anything.”
I met his gaze and found myself just a breath away from confessing the entire mess. I was only hours away from sneaking out to find Gage. I might never come back. I might never see him again. How could I thank him for everything he’d done? How could I tell him what it meant that he was willing to go so far for me?
I couldn’t. Instead, I left him alone again. Even if I had been at liberty to tell him the truth, I couldn’t have done it. I didn’t have the words.
It was time to go.
I waited in the guest room for the right moment. It wouldn’t take me long to get to the League headquarters. I only needed to wait until I wouldn’t be missed.
Sara was resting peacefully, listening to music through a pair of those oversized headphones the humans seemed obsessed with. I’d seen young people wearing them on trains so many times, and I always wondered how they managed to hear anything else. I didn’t think I would be able to go around outside without the ability to hear anything around me. How they managed to not get run over was beyond me.
Her eyes were closed, so I wasn’t difficult for me to sneak past. Once she’d fed more regularly and gotten her strength back, her instincts would be sharper. I was actually relieved that she couldn’t sense me leaving.
I slipped out of the room, closing the door with a soft click. There was a fire in the fireplace—all for the sake of aesthetics, seeing as how none of us needed the extra warmth. The dancing flames cast shadows over the cream-colored walls, making it seem as though they came to life. I had an eerie feeling as I crossed the living room on tiptoe, like there was something waiting for me in those shadows. But it was only my conscience.
I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. In the desk along the far wall,
a gorgeous antique, I found a notepad and pen. There was so much I wanted to say, but not enough time to say it all. Besides, I didn’t want anybody coming after me.
I settled for keeping things short and sweet.
Jonah,
Goodbye. Thank you for everything. Please, don’t forget the promise you made.
One more look around the room, and then I left. I couldn’t help feeling like I was making a big mistake, but there was nothing else to do.
Chapter 21
Anissa
Once I was out, on my own, my instincts took over once again. I let myself slide back into my old role, the one Marcus had created for me. Sliding in and out of shadows, staying away from the light, wishing to avoid notice. One of the many good things about humans was their self-centeredness. They were too busy playing with their phones to notice me.
It wasn’t them I was worried about, of course. I set my concentration on detecting others of my kind. The non-humans. I couldn’t run the risk of discovery. I couldn’t be careless, the way I was when I first tracked Jonah. Running into a werewolf would be bad enough without the threat of leaving Gage in Marcus’s sadistic hands.
I reached the outskirts of Manhattan with little trouble, using my speed to my advantage. It was nearly eleven-thirty, early for those out having a good time. It was late for me. I had thirty minutes to make it to my destination. Only when I was away from prying eyes, at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, could I get ready to course my way to the New York-Canada border.
I remembered the first time I’d ever coursed. It was a trip to Philadelphia—not far, only a couple of hours by car. I’d made it in minutes. I’d then collapsed, useless. Coursing took up a lot of energy. I was aware of that, of course. Everybody was. But being aware and actually feeling it were two different things. Practice had helped. The trip wouldn’t wipe me out—still, I wouldn’t be able to course again until my energy returned. I hoped I wouldn’t have to make a quick escape.