by Boone Brux
“Quite remarkable really,” Jacob added. “Her sister raised and protected Jade from the other Bane.”
Jade appreciated his attempt to lessen what must sound like a horrific childhood. Unfortunately, it was too much to hope that they would turn the conversation to a different topic.
Delphina’s eyes gleamed with unasked questions. “Bless the Sainted Ones, I thought I’d lived a dangerous life.”
She’d never considered her life that dangerous. Mostly it was lonely and burdened by her sister’s demands, but not really dangerous. “I would choose living among the Bane over what you’ve survived.” She held Delphina’s gaze. “You are a far braver woman than I am.”
“Having children will do strange things to a person. It makes us braver than we really are.” She folded her hands in her lap. “It looks like you and I have something in common.”
Jade’s eyes widened in question. “And what would that be?”
“Only by the grace of the Sainted Ones are we both still alive.”
“I think that goes for everybody in this room,” Rhys said.
Jacob lifted his goblet of wine. “Hear, hear.”
The sensation of somebody staring at her poked at Jade. She turned to look at Luc. His blue eyes searched her face, and though not completely sure, she thought he was silently asking if she was all right. She smiled to let him know she was fine, and then added a teasing quirk to her lip to lessen the serious mood between them. It was probably best to keep Luc Le Daun guessing about her state of mind. That way he’d never take her good nature for granted.
The deep gong of a tall, slender pendulum clock in the corner chimed. Ravyn yawned, which seemed like some secret signal for Rhys to stand.
“The hour grows late,” he said, offering his hand to Ravyn. “We’ve much to do tomorrow and more plans to make.”
Jade noticed the way his gaze caressed Ravyn and how she in turn blushed and took his hand. Some involuntary need made Jade glance at Luc. He took a drink of his wine, but didn’t look at her. When she made a move to rise, his hand slid across the settee and lightly gripped her wrist. Did he not want her to leave? She relaxed against the back of the settee again and waited for his lead.
“Delphina, my dear,” Jacob said. “May I escort you to your room?”
“I’d be honored, my lord.” She stood and looped her arm with his. “Thank you all for your honesty. I will do whatever I can to help the Bringers.”
“Very good, my dear.” Jacob patted her hand. “Thought we might have frightened you off.”
She gave a gruff laugh. “It takes a lot more than a few demons to scare me off.”
Jacob’s grin spread. “Touché.” He guided Delphina toward the door. “Bank the fire, would you, Luc?”
“Yes, Father.”
Rhys and Ravyn said their good nights and followed Jacob and Delphina out the door, leaving Jade and Luc alone.
Luc stood and walked to the fireplace. How did he tactfully bring up his plan to Jade? What he intended was careless, but he didn’t see any other way around giving Jade the life she deserved. In an ironic twist, his plan would free both her and Esmeralda.
“I think your father carries a torch for Delphina,” Jade said.
“Really?” He leaned an arm against the mantle and looked at her. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Maybe you didn’t want to notice.” She gave him a sly smile. “She can’t be much older than you.”
“Trust me, I’d embrace any woman and call her ‘Mother’ if she drew my father’s attention away from me.”
“At least you have a father who cares.”
Instead of replying, he squatted and gripped the metal poker. With the pointed tip, he prodded the embers and spread them across the floor of the hearth. Yes, at least he had a father, and she had a mother. If they didn’t do something about Rell, Jade wouldn’t live long enough to meet Willa.
After a minute he set the poker back in the rack, but remained crouched, staring into the fire. “When we were in the chapel you mentioned the despair you felt in Icarus. Do you remember?”
Her voice sounded tight and wary. “Yes.”
“Did you feel the same when you touched Rell?”
He watched the tiny flames dance and disappear around the edges of the red-hot coals. Several seconds passed and she didn’t reply. He glanced over his shoulder, but Jade wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she stared into the fire, unblinking. Her arms were crossed in what looked like an effort to shield herself from the unpleasant memory.
Luc stood and faced her. “Jade?”
She glanced at him, as if pulled from a trance. “Yes.”
Since she hadn’t phrased her reply as a question, he assumed it to be her answer. “Can you describe it for me?”
“Like screaming, but nobody can hear you.” She swallowed hard, her gaze traveling back to the fire. “Like walking on the edge of madness. Like knowing that your mind is slipping away and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.” Her eyes grew wide. “Like running from someone but you can’t stand or see where you’re going. Desperate, hopeless.” Her voice trailed off. “Insane.”
“I’m sorry.” His voice cracked, but he didn’t try to hide the emotion her description raised in him. Jade needed to know that even if he couldn’t fully comprehend what she’d experienced, he did understand what it meant. More eloquent words escaped him. “I’m sorry.”
“I believe you.” She gave a tight smile and scooted to the edge of the settee as if to stand. “Now, before we start sharing our feelings too much, why don’t you tell me why you kept me here.”
He recognized sarcasm as her way to avoid unpleasant confrontation. Perhaps the direct approach was the best way to deal with Jade.
“You’re losing her.” He walked to the chair across from her. “After your encounter with Esmeralda and Icarus, surely you see that.”
She braced her hands against the cushions and watched him settle into the chair. Her teeth worried her bottom lip and her right index finger scratched absently against the wood. It didn’t appear she would come easily to the same conclusion he had.
“I understand how difficult this is for you, Jade.” Luc leaned forward and lowered his voice, attempting to coax her with kindness. “She’s your sister, the only family you’ve had for most of your life.” He held her gaze. “But she’s dangerous.”
The tapping finger stilled. Jade’s gaze narrowed. “She’s a Bane. She’s always been dangerous.”
He stood and slowly paced the length of the library. “Not like now. With Icarus in the picture, I’m afraid…”
“Afraid of what?”
It was a challenge. He heard it in her tone. But what was the dare? A challenge to express his emotions? A challenge to voice what Jade needed to hear? A challenge to betray her and Esmeralda again?
“Afraid that she’s too far gone.”
Jade eased from the settee, not breaking her gaze with his. “And if that’s true? There’s nothing to be done about it.”
Another challenge. “We can do something to protect you.”
Her head began to shake with slow denial. “What, stay on sanctified ground the rest of my life? No matter where I go, Rell will find me.”
“You know that’s not what I’m proposing.”
“You’re asking me…” She dragged her gaze away from him and turned to walk to the hearth. “To kill my own sister?”
His heart tightened against the anguish in her question. A solution she’d obviously contemplated but couldn’t bring herself to entertain in its entirety. “Esmeralda is already dead.”
Jade hugged herself again, her shoulders hunching against the truth of his statement.
“And now that she and Icarus have formed an alliance,” he continued, “I fear for you more than ever.” He joined her at the hearth, but she didn’t look at him. “Until now it’s been you and her, but no longer.”
“But what if we’re wrong?” Her eyes rounded, pleading with him to
find another answer. “What if Esmeralda is locked inside, screaming to get out, but nobody can hear her?”
He stilled the urge to touch her. “I would love nothing more than to restore your sister to the girl I once knew. But that’s not going to happen.”
Jade’s voice raised an octave. “It could.”
“It can’t.” He picked at the wax of a candle sitting on the mantle. “And even if we could, we don’t know how. Every day that she remains in Icarus’s company, she becomes more Bane, more dangerous.” He hesitated. “More hopeless.”
His last words seemed to have the desired effect. Jade exhaled and trudged back to the settee. She sat and cradled her head in her hands. “I can’t kill her.”
Warmth from the fire radiated against his legs, penetrating some of the chill that had invaded his bones at the very thought of traveling into the Shadow World. “Not you, me.”
He didn’t expound on his plan, only waited, letting the full scope sink in, but what he truly wanted was her permission to do what needed to be done.
Jade lifted her head and stared at him. Everything from repulsion to calculation flitted across her face. “With an immortal weapon?”
He nodded and continued to wait for her to work out his suggestion.
“How?” she asked after a few minutes.
“I’ll go to her—in the Shadow World.”
Jade’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. “You realize the Shadow World is full of demons and Icarus.”
“Yes, but they won’t expect me to infiltrate their realm. They feel safe there and will be more vulnerable.”
“So you propose to sneak into the Shadow World, corner Rell, stab her with an immortal weapon to release her soul, and walk out unharmed?”
He shrugged. “It could work.”
“Have you informed Rhys and Ravyn of your plan?”
“No.” He scooped the wax shavings into his hand and tossed them on the dying embers. “I don’t know if I will.”
Jade crossed her arms and cocked her head. “Why?”
“Because…” Luc dusted his hands against his pants. “Somebody needs to lead the fight against the Bane, and—” He met her gaze. “Kill me if I’m turned Bane.”
The breath rushed from Jade, her mouth falling open at the prospect. Her arms hung limply at her side, as if he’d drained all the fight from her with his last sentence. “You have truly gone around the bend if you think I’m going to give you my blessing to not only kill my sister, but to quite possibly be turned into a demon yourself.”
“Hypocrite.” Luc pointed at her and chose his words carefully. “You won’t release your sister’s soul even though the very idea of being a Bane is incomprehensible.” He took a step toward her and she reared back against the settee as if he was going to slap her. “You’ve felt Rell’s desolation, yet you won’t let me free her from her physical prison.” He continued to stalk toward her, his voice growing louder. “Surely you can see that there are worse things in life than death.”
Jade stood, her words barely topping a whisper. “She’s my sister.”
“And a Bane.” He backed her against the wall and held her in place by fixing a hand at each side of her head. “And under Icarus’s influence. How long do you think it will take him to figure out that if he manipulates Rell enough, she will hand you over?”
Tears pooled in Jade’s eyes. “She wouldn’t do that to me.”
“Maybe not before.” His hands slid down the smooth wooden wall and rested on her shoulders. “But you’re at full power. Both Icarus and Vile need a converted Bringer. You’ve become a pawn and Icarus will stop at nothing to have you.” Soft flesh gave way under his kneading fingers. “And now that you know your mother lives, the only way Rell can keep you is to turn you.”
A tear slid down Jade’s cheek and her conviction crumpled. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. “I know.”
Unable to watch her pain, Luc gathered Jade to him. She went willingly and encircled his waist with her arms. He held her, silently showing her that he understood what it took for her to concede, and admitting to himself they were now connected by a quest neither wanted to undertake.
He rested his cheek against the top of her head. She was so small, tinier than Esmeralda had been. But whether from the years spent trying to survive or a life forged from distrust and suspicion, Jade possessed a strength Esmeralda had never had.
“When do we leave?” Jade asked.
“‘We’?” He pulled away from her. “You’re not coming.”
“And how are you going to stop me?” There was a definite challenge in her stare. “I’ll just follow you.”
By the gods, the woman was maddening. He rubbed his finger across her cheek. “And what of your mother? Would you chance her having to relive your death?”
“We never enter into battles believing we’ll die. But the cause is usually worth the risk.” She swallowed hard but continued to stare at him, the conviction burning in her eyes. “It’s far less cruel to take the choice out of my mother’s hands than to one day force her to make the decision. Hate and anger are much easier to live with than guilt.”
“You’re a good daughter.”
She gave him a weak smile.
“And a giant pain in my arse, you know that.”
She lifted her chin a fraction of an inch and her eyes softened. She leaned into him again. “I know.”
Even though subtle, it was an invitation. He lowered his mouth to hers and gently kissed her. His hold was loose, wanting her to know she could stop at any time. But she didn’t stop. Instead she opened to him, rocking up on her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck.
She was soft and pliant, a side he had rarely seen of her, a side he doubted she allowed herself to show, a side he wanted more of.
Their lips lingered, drinking each other in slowly. Desire stole through him, presenting him with two questions. What did he want to do and what should he do? What he wanted was to drag her to his bed, but the timing wasn’t right. Passion born out of desperation to feel alive wasn’t what he wanted anymore, and she deserved to know she meant more to him than any other woman.
He pulled away and she didn’t resist. Her eyes searched his face as if calculating his reaction. Danger and possible death was their future. To promise her something that might never come to fruition would be cruel.
He cupped her face with his hands. “You deserve so much better.”
Like him, she seemed unable to fully express what she was feeling. She covered his hands with hers. “I don’t want better.”
“When this is over…”
She nodded. “Yes, when this is over.”
He wanted to kiss her again, but knew he wouldn’t stop if he did. “Come on.” He took her hand. “Tomorrow is a big day.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A quiet rustle pulled Jade from her dream. She opened her eyes and stared at the dark beamed ceiling, trying to locate the intruder by sound. Another soft swish whispered to her from the foot of her bed. Her eyes darted along the wall but with the curtains drawn, the room was too dark to see clearly.
The pile of blankets covering her obscured everything from the mattress down. Somebody could be sneaking up from below her and she wouldn’t be able to see. She inched to the left side of her bed. A quick glance over the edge revealed no intruder. She rolled a half turn and dropped to the floor. The cold stone absorbed most of her movement—but not all.
Measured footsteps clipped across the floor. From the sound of it, they had stopped approximately three feet beyond where she crouched. Before Jade could react, the drapes were flung back, blinding her with brilliant sunlight. She threw an arm across her eyes.
“Are you all right, miss?” a soft, feminine voice asked.
Jade blinked away the white dots dancing across her vision and lowered her arm. Any advantage she might have had against an attacker had been easily spoiled by the simple act of opening the curtains. She was losing her to
uch.
“Yes.” She pushed up from the floor to stand and straightened her nightshirt. “I’m fine.”
The young woman Jade recognized as one of the servants tipped her head to the side. “Did you fall out of bed, my lady?”
“No, I was just…” She struggled for an answer that didn’t make her sound like an idiot. “Stretching.” She raised her hands over her head. “I like to do that before I get dressed. It works out all the kinks.”
The woman nodded as if contemplating the practice. “Well, when you’re finished, Lady Ravyn would like you to join her and the men in the great hall.”
“Very good.” She lowered her arms.
“My name is Penny. I’ll be your lady’s maid while you’re here.” She bent and picked up a gown the color of newly sprouting leaves from the bed. “Would you like me to help you dress?”
Jade pointed at the gown. “That’s not mine.”
Penny smiled and ran her hand down the long skirt. “Lady Ravyn asked that you wear it today. Said it would be better received than what you usually wear.” Her face tightened in a slight scowl. “Not sure what that means.”
“She probably wants to make sure I don’t wear my street clothes.” It appeared they were leaving for Illuma Grand today and playing the role of a proper lady must be part of their plan. Jade feigned a smile of excitement and widened her eyes like she’d seen other women do when they saw something pretty. “Lady Ravyn needn’t have worried. How could I resist a beautiful gown like this?”
The statement sounded overly dramatic, but Penny didn’t seem to notice.
“Very good, my lady.”
One comforting fact was that Ravyn would be dressed similarly. The last time Jade had worn a gown was before the Bane had taken Rell. It wasn’t that she was against wearing such feminine garments—it was that she wasn’t sure she knew how. Penny grabbed the hem of Jade’s nightdress and hauled it over her head, tossing it on the bed.
Jade crossed her arms over her chest, partly due to the chilly morning air and partly out of modesty. It felt odd to have somebody dress her, but under Penny’s polite directions and coaxing, she relaxed and gave over to the servant’s expertise.