“Girl, obviously.”
“Why obviously?” He let his fingers dance across her ribs, eliciting a laugh.
“She’ll be the heir to my seat—and Aqua Council members have always been women since the K’Olius took over.”
“Ah—but we Aerons know how to breed hearty boys, don’t we?” he shot back, surprising her with his laugh. She knew Alan’s faith in the Aeron name wasn’t high. Sure enough, he grew serious enough in a moment to say, “This little one will be a K’Oliu, though. So… a girl? Ideas for names yet?”
“I thought maybe Iolana.”
“Iolana.” He rolled the name around in his mouth for a moment. “I like it. We can call her Lana for short.” He laughed at her fierce scowl. “Okay, okay! Lani?”
“Lani’s… better,” she allowed.
He slipped his hand down to cover her stomach completely. “Little Lani,” he crooned, and she melted into his touch.
***
For once, Gia was the first one awake in the house. She crept from the room she’d been sharing with Nolan since that terrifying night in Connecticut and made her way to the bathroom. She wouldn't have much time, so she had to make it count.
She pulled on her clothes in the dark, trying to hurry and remain silent at the same time. She snatched up her wallet, her cell phone, and her shawl from the kitchen table and left a note for the boys.
Heading into town for supplies—DO NOT FOLLOW ME. Be back by 10am at the latest.
-G
She left the house at a bit of jog, slipping into the snowy brush surrounding the house and letting it camouflage her escape. In less than fifteen minutes, she emerged from the trail on the back end of the final dirt road in town. She trudged through the untouched snow toward the town center, subtly pushing with her numina to cover her tracks until she got closer.
"Good morning, Mr. Boone," she said with a smile as she entered the store, shaking the last bits of snow from her boots.
He gave a smile, though it was half-hearted at best. "Good morning, Jenny. How are you?"
"Oh, I can't complain."
"How are your grandparents?"
The story Gia spread when she first arrived in the Village had taken root rather nicely. Alone, she was an anomaly. A young girl caring for her ailing grandparents, who were house bound out beyond the Village limits and caught in the grips of dementia, however... that answered many questions while deflecting unwanted attention or visits.
"Surviving. I wish I could say thriving... Mr. Boone, is everything okay? You seem... distracted."
He couldn't tell her that Sam had been at his house again the previous night, ranting and raving about the "freaks" up on the mountain. She was an innocent—he didn't want to get her mixed up in it. Instead, he forced a wider smile and pulled her order from under the counter.
"Here you go—anything special this time?"
"Oh, no, thank you, I think we're fine." She paid him quickly and bundled everything together under her shawl, giving the snoozing cat on the windowsill a final stroke before leaving. She tried to limit her time in the Village as much as she could—no need to press her luck. She pulled the shawl up over her hair and began to walk at a brisk pace for the edge of the Village.
Only a few yards from the trail entrance, her pocket began to vibrate. Frowning, she ignored it, but whoever was on the other end was persistent.
After the third call, she stopped and put down her bags in order to pull out her phone. At first, she was completely confused. Call from HP was flashing on the screen.
With a swooping feeling of dread, she remembered who "HP" was and answered the phone. "Hello, Leiani."
"Well, it's about damn time! Why is no one answering their phones?"
"What do you want, Leiani?"
"Tell Nolan that we're burying Uncle Robert in a few days and he needs to be here."
"Nolan?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Disanza. I know you're with him, and so is Pyrrhus, who I would be talking to instead if he would answer his phone. Tell him Alan is bringing Uncle Robert home, and we will be laying him to rest in three days. His presence is requested at Beachhead before sundown on the 15th."
“I’ll let him know.”
“Understand this: if he doesn’t show up, that will be the end of any emotional ties between him and his family. They are strained enough as it is.”
“What a wonderful sister-in-law you are,” Gia said, and snapped the phone shut with a bit more force than was strictly necessary. She stared at it for a moment, mind whirring through the possibilities. She re-pocketed the phone and trudged back to the house to find the boys waiting on the back porch, arms crossed and looking equally intimidating.
She ignored them both and simply dropped the supplies by their feet on her way inside for cocoa. She let them rant and rave for about five minutes before she had processed the conversation with Leiani enough to open her mouth.
"...irresponsible things to do—!"
"Leiani called me."
Dead silence.
"What did you say?"
"When I was outside the limits of the bailey’s effects, Leiani called me. She's been trying to get a hold of Pyrrhus, apparently. I was a last resort."
"What does she want?" Pyrrhus asked. Nolan was glaring fiercely at the tiled floor, his arms still crossed over his chest.
“They are interring Uncle Robert in three days.”
Nolan felt his shoulders hunch involuntarily, but did nothing to correct it. He could feel Pyrrhus and Gia staring at him, but he kept his head down. They exchanged glances over his head before she put her small hand on his forearm.
“They want you there, Nolan.”
“No!”
She reached for him, but he was already on his feet and out the door.
“I’ll go,” Gia said before Pyrrhus could, and slipped out to follow him. When she reached him, he was forging a path through the knee-deep snow, a scowl on his face.
“Nolan, it’s important that you go to Beachhead.”
“What’s the point? He’s dead no matter what I do.”
“Don’t you want to see your mother?”
“Of course I do! You know just as well as I do, though, that we can’t trust anyone. How could we just waltz into Beachhead?”
“We?” she said after a moment.
“Yes, we. You think I could do this without you?”
“I wasn’t invited.”
“Gia, you’re my…” Lover? Soul mate? “...girlfriend.” That sounds so casual for what we are to each other. She made a face at the term, but he ploughed on. “I…”
“This will be a trap. How could it be anything else? If we don’t go, though, this could damage your relationship with your mother and brother forever.”
“I know. It’s not an easy decision.”
“There is no decision to be made, really. We’re going.”
“We?” he quirked an eyebrow, and she swatted at him.
“Yes, we. You think I’m letting you out of my sight after last year?”
“I need you at my back,” he said quietly.
“I’m there.” They clasped hands, and he brought hers to his mouth and kissed it.
“Problem.” They both turned to see Pyrrhus standing in the doorway, beckoning them back inside.
“What?”
“They won’t let Gia be there.”
“Why the hell not?”
“It’s a private interment. It’ll be family only.”
“So just my mother and brother?”
“Probably Leiani and Keopelani, as well.”
“How can they get away with that?”
“Leiani is Alan’s wife, and Keo is Lady Aqua. She can attend the burial of any Aqua she chooses.”
“Could you go with him?” Gia interrupted.
“How could he go?” Nolan asked with a frown.
“We’re not related on that side.”
“What side are we related on?”
Pyrrhus
ignored Nolan’s question. “No, better off being you.”
“How?”
Pyrrhus shrugged. They were all quiet for a moment.
“What about an engagement?”
Gia and Pyrrhus turned to look at Nolan.
“An engagement would work,” Pyrrhus said slowly.
“Wouldn’t an engagement require my brother’s approval?”
“Yes, usually. You could tell them that you’re headed to Arias next.”
“They’ll know that’s a lie—I could never bring Nolan to Arias, he’d be dead before we cleared the driveway.”
“Hey! I could take him!”
“Not the point, Nolan. The point is…” Gia threw her hands up in frustration. “What is the point?”
“The point is—declaring an engagement could buy you just enough time to see this through, but it could also call the hounds down on us if Arias decides the family honor is worth mucking around in this cold war for.”
The trio was silent for a moment as they thought it through.
“It’s the only way,” Gia said finally. “I’m not about to let you walk in there alone. If a fake engagement will get me through the door…”
Nolan scowled and muttered something before turning on his heel and walking away. Confused, Gia turned to Pyrrhus, whose eyes widened in sudden understanding and… pity?
“Where is he going?”
Pyrrhus merely shrugged in response. Nolan returned, still scowling, and lobbed something through the air to Gia, who fumbled and barely caught it. When she had it safely in her lap and she could look at it properly, her breath caught.
“What…”
“Open it.”
She cracked the case open slowly to reveal a trio of rings. The ring to the left was a broad man’s ring, solid platinum with no embellishments of any sort. The other two, however…
Gia lifted the center ring from the box carefully. It was a beautiful antique engagement ring, also platinum, with delicate scrollwork.
“They were my grandparents’ rings,” Nolan said. “He wanted me to have them.”
“Gods, Nolan—I can’t wear your grandmother’s ring!”
“You have to.” They both turned to look at Pyrrhus again. “If you want this to work, it will have to be as realistic as we can make it. It’s a good thing you’re already a couple—the romance part is the hardest to fake. Lady Keopelani and Lady Aeron will be sure to recognize the former Lady Fulmina’s ring. It will add authenticity.”
“Try it on.”
Gia bit back her response and slid the ring up her left ring finger and over the knuckle. “It’s a tiny bit loose, but it will stay on.”
“Perfect. Now. We need to plan. This is a trap. We know it is. I will drive the two of you to the woods behind Beachhead—the gods know I was there often enough as a kid to know some good hiding spots where the guards don’t go. If you can get in and get out without incident, that would be best. If they do spring the trap, try not to kill anyone if you can.”
“Pyrrhus! You’re acting like I’m some sort of bloodthirsty animal.”
“No, I’m reminding you that we have enough supposed blood on our hands already. No need to add actual blood if we can help it—not yet. We leave for Beachhead on Tuesday morning.”
Chapter Fifty
Caer Anglia was in lockdown. Once Proctor Castillo recovered from the news of her former lover’s death, her wrath was unstoppable. She tightened security to the point that resistance was absolutely useless. Five different students were down in the cells for the remainder of the year because of their suspected allegiance to Nolan Aeron and yet… the graffiti continued, worse than before. Every night, a new message appeared. Every night, it was more incendiary. The teachers were trying to keep their heads down and get the students through the year intact, but it seemed like a fruitless task. They were no longer even allowed in the Village, and the only visitors allowed were Council members or their families.
Claire regretted the loss of her visits with Noel, but she couldn’t regret supporting the proper Swordsmith. Matthew was a bit more reluctant, but Sensei Stone joined in with a zealous fervor after news of Robert’s death was confirmed. She used her Strength and her years of physical training to reach places that seemed impossible, and her messages were always more strongly worded than either Claire’s or Matthew’s.
Claire descended the staircase one morning to see almost every student in the class clustered around the large windows that looked out over the Atrium.
“What’s going on? Move aside!”
She pushed through to the front to see words sprayed in bright orange across the stone wall of the Atrium (almost 75 feet in the air, no less):
ROBERT JENKINS WAS MURDERED BY THE WARRINGTONS.
SEMPER AERONIUS!
A sudden commotion from the top of the stairs caught everyone’s attention. Rebecca Selocrim was manhandling a protesting Clara Disanza down into the front hall.
“Get your hands off of me!”
“Quiet.”
As Claire craned her neck in order to see better, she realized that a familiar figure was standing in the front hall, and her heart dropped.
Arias.
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, every hair impeccably placed, his suit immaculate. His face, however, was contorted in obvious rage.
“Here she is, Lord Zephyrus. She’s been destroying property all year, but we weren’t sure it was her. Last night’s crime finally proved it.
“How?” Clara cried out. Even though Arias’ expression grew even more furious, she pressed on, “How could you possibly prove it was me?”
“You are the only Zephyra in the building with a motive. No one else could have reached that portion of the wall without leaving visible marks. We called your Lord last night, and he is now here to collect you.”
“Collect me?”
Arias reached out and took Clara’s arm in his grip. Even from Claire’s remote vantage point, she could see the flesh reddening on either side of his hand.
“Leave Lady Disanza’s belongings—I must return to Beaumont immediately. Of course, the Zephyra will pay for damages. Come, Clara.”
“Arias, please! I didn’t do it! Please don’t take me home—I need to complete my Rite of Passage!
“I never should have agreed to this in the first place—you don’t need to complete the Rite to be married, which is your destiny anyway. I was going to marry your sister to Lord Gravis, but since I will be disowning her the next time I see her, I think you may do nicely as a replacement.”
She struggled in vain. Arias half-dragged her out the front door as she protested, and the door slammed behind her with a terrifying finality.
Rebecca turned to the gathered students. “Any of you who may have been assisting the vandal, take this as your warning. If you are not as… well connected, your fate will be far worst. Dismissed.”
When no one moved, she raised her voice into a bark and accompanied it with a perfectly timed blast of yellow plasma. “MOVE!”
The students scattered.
Claire took advantage of the chaos to slip down into the basement, where she knew Sensei would be preparing for her next class. Sure enough, there she was, carefully wiping down each of the mirrors in her studio.
“Sensei, this has gone too far,” she said without preamble, kicking out the doorstop and shutting the door behind her.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Clara Disanza was just taken away by her brother for being the one behind last night’s graffiti. How did you do it, anyway?”
“I used to rock-climb with my nephew. The stones were rough enough for footholds.”
“Still! Don’t you see? The students are taking the blame for our actions!”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“How can you say that? We’re their teachers! We’re supposed to protect them!”
Claire never even saw her move. In a heartbeat, Sensei had kicked her legs ou
t from under her and was leaning on her chest, constricting her breathing even further.
“Protect them? My goal in life is to prepare them! The world isn’t soft, and it isn’t nice. Even when you think it’s finally aligning your way, the gods can take your happiness and spit on it. I will not stop. I will never stop until both of those bastard Warringtons are corpses in the ground they love so much and Robert has been avenged. I will not stop until Robert’s dream is realized—until Nolan Aeron is acknowledged Swordsmith and the leader of our people. They will have to kill me first… and I assure you, they will not find that easy!”
She eased up on Claire’s chest just enough to let the girl get a good breath, which she promptly choked on. “You can either help me or turn me in, I don’t care which. But you should think long and hard about that girl you call your friend, and what you’re willing to do to protect her.”
***
Gia ducked a punch and came up swinging, catching Pyrrhus under the chin and sending him sprawling.
“Ow! Damn it!”
“Yield!” she said with a growl.
“Okay, okay! I yield.” Pyrrhus looked to Nolan, who was grinning from ear to ear. “Do I really have to clean the whole house when we get back?”
“Don’t make stupid bets,” Nolan countered. “You know she’s a better fighter than you if you take numen out of it—you underestimated her.”
“No more street brawling with little girls,” Pyrrhus pretended to write himself a reminder. “Got it.”
“You—!” Gia charged him, but he was ready for her this time. He stepped to the side far enough to sling her over his shoulder on the run as she struggled to escape.
“Here, Nolan, I caught you a little birdie. Watch it, though—she’s nasty.” He dumped her in his arms.
“This one reacts better to sugar,” he said with a grin, dodging a flailing arm to kiss her on the top of her head.
“You’re both idiots,” she huffed. “Put me down! If I was supposed to be up this high, I’d be taller.”
“Pay the toll.”
She leaned in and kissed Nolan quickly on the mouth. “There. Satisfied?”
“Not even close,” he allowed, but he let her slide to the ground nevertheless.
The Complete Chosen Trilogy (The Chosen #0) Page 42