“You know that won’t be good enough. She’ll want to know why you didn’t come this time.”
He nodded. “I know. Tell her what we’re dealing with. That should buy me some slack.”
“Okay. Back in a few. C’mon, Lally.” She pulled the woman into the foyer. “You’re not scared to do this with just me, are you?”
Lally tugged back on Harlow’s hand. “Not one bit.” She pointed at the enormous gilt frame mirror in the foyer. “If I ain’t scared of traveling through that thing, then why should it bother me who I go through with? You’re as fae as Augie.”
“I don’t think that’s exactly true. But he says I can do it, so… why not.” Traveling by mirror alone was a little daunting, but it was just another part of being fae. And since her mother was trapped in the fae plane as a result of dying as she was trying to pass through, visiting her there was the only way Harlow could see her. “Besides, I haven’t seen my mother in a while. Last time we left things sort of… rough between us. I don’t want that anymore.”
“I agree. That’s not how it should be between a mother and daughter.” Lally’s upset over the tree being touched seemed at least partially forgotten. Or she was hiding it. She smiled. “You got your mirror for the return trip?”
Harlow patted her pocket. “I do. Ready?”
“Ready.” She squeezed Harlow’s hand.
“Okay, here goes nothing.” But how hard could it be? She’d traveled by mirror with Nekai and Augustine and they’d both explained it. You just imagined the place you wanted to go was in the mirror and there you were. She could do this.
Lally winked at her. “We all gotta start somewhere.”
Holding tight to Lally, Harlow reached out with her other hand, touched the mirror and imagined she could see the part of the fae plane where her mother now existed. Her vision swirled like she was having a dizzy spell, but that only lasted an instant and then it was gone.
The fae plane lay before her, bleak and gray and as dismally windy as the last time she’d been here. In the distance rose the Claustrum, a horrible fae prison. Sadly, her mother was stuck here but not because she’d done anything worth punishment. The Claustrum and the chance Augustine might be sent there had been the last thing on her mind when she’d died, her body stretched out on the very mirror they’d just passed through.
“Olivia!” The wind tore Harlow’s shout from her lips.
Lally shielded her face against the scouring grit. “I don’t like this place much.”
“Me, either.” Harlow tried again. “Mother, are you there? It’s me, Harlow.”
The wind calmed a bit as Olivia came toward them, appearing out of the swirling dust like a phantom. “Harley!” Then her face darkened. “Is that really you? Or are you Ava Mae in disguise?”
“No, it’s really me. Ava Mae’s gone. Long story, but she is.” Harlow held back, not sure how her mother would receive her after the last visit.
“Oh, cher, my darling, I’m so glad. I was sick with worry.” She clasped her hands to her face. “I’m so glad you came. I saw someone in the house. Through the mirror. A woman. I didn’t recognize her.”
Lally squeezed Harlow’s hand hard. “What did she look like?”
“Long dark hair, thick bangs, all dressed in white.”
Harlow’s belly went cold. “Giselle. We have to go back and tell Augustine.”
Lally nodded.
Olivia angled her head to one side, her hands reaching out. “Please stay a few minutes. I haven’t seen you in so long. I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened between us. For everything I didn’t tell you until it was too late. I know you’re mad at me, but please, forgive me. I don’t want things to be so awful between us.”
A few minutes wouldn’t make much difference. Harlow fell into her mother’s arms. “I don’t want it to be awful between us, either. You’re forgiven. But you have to do the same for me.” She pulled back to look into her mother’s eyes. “I was a horrible daughter. I treated you terribly. And now that you’re… here and not at home, I feel even worse about all that.” She swallowed. “All those years I wasted.”
“We both wasted them.” Olivia cupped Harlow’s face in her hands and smiled. “Let’s put all that behind us and focus on moving forward, shall we?”
Harlow nodded. “I’d like that.”
Olivia gave her another quick hug before releasing her, then hugged Lally. “I wish I hadn’t greeted you with such terrible news, but it’s good to see you again and so soon! I’m getting spoiled.”
“Not that spoiled.” Lally held out her hands. “I didn’t bring you anything this time.”
Olivia put her arm around Harlow’s shoulders. “You brought me my daughter and that’s the only present I need. Let’s go sit and catch up.”
Harlow hesitated. Telling her mother that Giselle had stolen a piece of the lightning tree would only upset her. “Just for a little bit. We have to tell Augustine about Giselle being in the house. The witches are trying to cast some big spell to knock out the magic in town, so we’ve got full plates, as you can imagine.”
“Oh my.” Olivia’s mouth bent in a frown. “Maybe you shouldn’t stay after all.”
“A few minutes won’t hurt anything.” Harlow wasn’t sure that was true, but spending some time with her mother felt more important.
Olivia nodded. “Well, then, I’ll take what I can get.” She led them to a flat rock surrounded by a few other jagged pieces, helping to shield it from the wind. They climbed onto it and sat.
Harlow leaned against one of the tall slabs of black rock. “It’s nice to be a little more protected from the wind. Although it’s already started to die down.”
Olivia nodded. “I agree, but near as I can figure the wind only kicks up like that when someone enters the plane. It’s kind of like an early warning system, letting me know there’s someone at my door. Although I have to say, it’s been windier than usual lately.”
“Do you just sit here all day?” Harlow didn’t like the idea of her mother alone in this vast wasteland of a place, the ever-present shadow of the Claustrum a constant reminder of all that was wrong with their world.
Olivia shook her head. “No. I wander around, practice trying to travel back through the mirror, this and that.” She leaned in. “And I only keep this form when y’all are here. Otherwise…” She vanished.
“Mom!” Harlow’s heart lurched. “Where are you?”
Olivia reappeared smile-first like the Cheshire cat. “I never left. I’m just not visible unless I want to be. It takes some effort being visible and solid.”
The realization of what Olivia was saying struck Harlow hard. “You’re a ghost, aren’t you?” Why that made her eyes burn with tears, she couldn’t say. Maybe it was how fine a point it put on her mother being dead.
Sadness took the shine off her mother’s smile. “I guess you could say I am.”
Harlow turned to Lally, anger creeping into her gut. “Is there nothing we can do to help her? Something we could use the tree for?” She scrubbed at the threatening tears. “I don’t care if she’s a ghost. I just want her back and out of this place.” She stood up. “I hate this place.” The wind kicked up. She thrust her chest out and screamed it into the air. “I hate this place.”
Olivia reached up to her. “Harlow, darling, there’s nothing we can—”
Two figures stepped out of the air. The man Harlow recognized as Hugo Loudreux, the father of the girl she’d helped rescue right before Ava Mae had taken control of her body. The woman was Blu, Loudreux’s personal security and Augustine’s half sister. Loudreux snapped his mirror case closed and stared at her.
A very bad feeling overwhelmed Harlow. She stepped in front of Lally. “Prime Loudreux. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I’m sure you didn’t.” He looked around. “I suppose Augustine is here with you somewhere?”
“No, he’s at the house. Do you need him? Is Rue okay?”
Loudreux
’s expression soured further at the mention of his daughter’s name. “She’s fine.”
“That’s good.” Harlow wanted to ask if Rue’s finger and ear tip had grown back yet, but considering Harlow’s late father, Joseph Branzino, was the one who’d cut them off in the first place, she kept quiet. “Anything else I can do for you?”
He motioned to Blu and she took a step forward. “Yes. You can come with me.”
Harlow jumped down off the rock. “I thought you didn’t need help with anything.”
Blu grabbed her arm. “Sorry,” she whispered.
Harlow glared at her. “What are you doing?”
Loudreux’s smug expression made her want to punch him. “I’m arresting you. For transporting a human to the fae plane.”
Chapter Sixteen
Augustine’s new com cell had synced just fine based on the buzzing in his head. He held up his finger to Fenton and pointed at his head. “Answer.”
“Augustine, it’s Yanna, something terrible has happened. Loudreux just arrested Harlow for—”
“What? Wait, I’m putting you on speaker.” He jabbed the button on his LMD to get the call out of his head and make it available for Fenton. “Go ahead, Fenton’s here.”
“Loudreux just arrested Harlow for transporting a human onto the fae plane. Your housekeeper, I believe.”
“Fet’ka. That piece of garbage. I’m going to kill that bala’stro.” Augustine moved to get up, but Fenton clamped a hand on his arm.
Fenton’s eyes held an unfamiliar anger. “Yanna, how do you know this?”
“Because Loudreux called a special council. A few of us, myself and Salander Meer, were not included—”
“Nor was I,” Fenton snarled. “Continue.”
“Another Elektos alerted us, one who was called in but sides with us. Word is Loudreux plans to hold a tribunal to sentence Harlow to the Claustrum.”
“How the hell does he think that’s fair?” Augustine didn’t care if the man was Prime. Augustine would forcibly retire him. “He owes Rue’s life to Harlow. She was instrumental in getting Rue back after she was kidnapped.”
“Yes,” Yanna said. “Kidnapped by Branzino. That’s the sticking point. Loudreux blames you for setting the whole chain of events into action, but he blames Harlow for bringing Branzino to New Orleans and for what happened to Rue.”
Fenton stiffened. “That is ludicrous.” He shook his head. “And so typically Hugo. That man is a cancer.”
Augustine’s vision narrowed to the point that all he could see was Loudreux’s face. “The best way to remove a cancer is to cut it out.”
Fenton’s fingers squeezed harder. “Yanna, how did he know Harlow had gone to the fae plane?”
“Apparently, he’d posted a few of his own men in rotating shifts. He’d kept them on the other side of the Claustrum.”
“He planned this.” Fenton’s voice cracked with a shard of icy rage. “Yanna, is the meeting still going on?”
“Yes. Salander and I are almost there.”
Fenton looked at Augustine as he spoke. “Augustine and I are on our way, but keep that to yourselves. I prefer to take Hugo by surprise, just as he took Harlow.”
“Absolutely,” Yanna replied. “And so you know, Fenton, Salander and a good handful of the other Elektos stand with you and Augustine on this.”
Fenton stood. “I appreciate that, but even if you didn’t, it wouldn’t stop what I’m about to do. This day has been a long time coming.” He tapped the button on Augustine’s LMD, ending the call. “Get the car. We have a visit to make.”
Augustine nodded. “On it. Maybe we should get Dulce and Sydra there, too. For backup.”
Fenton shook his head slowly. “We won’t need them. Not for what’s about to happen.”
“You seem awfully sure of yourself.” Augustine frowned. “What aren’t you telling me?” He’d never seen Fenton like this—angry but in a calm sort of way that made it far worse than if he’d been screaming and yelling.
Fenton pushed his chair in and headed for the door. “You’ll know soon enough.”
Augustine wasn’t sure what Fenton was planning, but it didn’t matter. There was no way Harlow was being shipped off to the Claustrum. He’d kill Loudreux to keep that from happening. At the very least, that way they’d get to go together.
“You can’t just leave Lally there, you idiot.” Harlow tugged at the restraints securing her hands behind her back, but they weren’t budging. At least Loudreux had dismissed Blu after he’d instructed the shadeux fae to put Harlow in restraints. Apparently, he didn’t think she was enough of a threat to keep his personal security on hand. “She’s not fae. She can’t get back on her own.” Lally must be freaking out. At least she had Olivia to keep her company. That didn’t keep Harlow from being wicked pissed at Hugo Loudreux for hauling her off the fae plane like a low-rent criminal.
Loudreux glared at her. “I guess you should have thought about that before you took a human to the fae plane.” His scowl made his pinched little face uglier than usual. “Don’t worry. A few formalities and you’ll be back there. As a permanent resident of the Claustrum.”
“What?” Fear chilled Harlow’s bones. She couldn’t imagine a more awful place. “For taking Lally to see my mother? You’re insane. Augustine won’t let you do that.”
“Augustine has no say in this. In fact, your precious Guardian doesn’t even know this is happening.”
“He’s not my Guardian, he’s the city’s Guardian. He protects all of us. Moron.”
“Whatever.” Voices drifted up from downstairs. He rested his hand on the bolt stick hanging from his belt. “The tribunal is about to begin. Let’s go.”
“Release my hands.”
“Why? So you can run? No.” He grabbed the restraints and forced her out the door ahead of him.
“Who runs with their hands?” She shook her head. “You’re as dumb as you look. How did you ever become Prime?”
He shoved her forward. Apparently, he didn’t find her funny. “Walk.”
She almost stumbled on the first few steps, but caught herself. It gave her an idea. She slipped on purpose this time, tumbling onto her side and sliding almost to the bottom step. Her shoulder throbbed like she’d seriously bruised something but she breathed through it. “I told you to take off those restraints. I think I dislocated my shoulder.”
“You’re fine. Get up.”
“I can’t without my hands, you twit.”
He cursed in words she didn’t understand, then waved the key at her like a weapon. “One wrong move and I’ll zap you with my bolt stick, understand?”
She nodded and tried to look sufficiently intimidated.
He bent to unlock the restraints. As soon as her first hand was free, she latched on to his wrist.
“Hey,” he grunted in surprise. He went for the bolt stick.
Before he made contact with it, she shoved him back against the stairs and kneeled her full weight on his arms. She didn’t weigh that much, but cyphers tended to be on the slight side so holding him down wasn’t hard. His skin was clammy beneath her touch.
She grabbed the fingertips of her glove with her teeth and yanked it off. Then, using what she’d learned, she fastened her hand around his wrist and began to thread emotions through him, starting with fear. “You hate Augustine. I get that. And I guess you hate me by association.”
“Your father,” Loudreux mumbled through a mouth twisted in fright. “He hurt Rue.”
“Yes, he did. He. Not me. I helped find her, you idiot. If I’d wanted her hurt, why would I have done that? Now Branzino is dead and Rue’s on the mend.” She poured weakness into him, doing her best to make him feel small and helpless so he wouldn’t attack her back. “You’re trying to punish me for something I didn’t do. That ends now, understand?”
He nodded submissively.
“And you know what else?”
He looked like he was about to cry.
She leaned in a li
ttle. “Get off Augustine’s back. He’s killing himself to be the best Guardian he can be and all you do is make his life miserable. Leave him alone and let him do his job or I will give you a real reason not to like me.”
His nostrils flared.
“Am I getting through to you?”
More nodding.
“Now we’re going into that tribunal and you’re going to tell everyone what a mistake you made—”
The front door flew open. Yanna burst in with Salander behind her. Even though Yanna was the only ignus fae, they both looked like were about to set something—or someone—on fire. “Hugo, where are you? What’s the meaning of—” She turned toward Harlow, her gaze flicking from Loudreux to Harlow and back again. Sparks flew around her, evidence of how angry she was. “What’s happened? What’s going on?”
Harlow held fast to Loudreux. “He’s trying to send me to the Claustrum.”
“We know.” Behind Yanna, Salander nodded. Yanna moved closer to Harlow. “That’s why we’re here. To keep that from happening.”
“You can’t,” Loudreux wheezed. He lifted a trembling hand to point down the hall. “I’ve already called them.”
“Call it off.” Harlow pushed another wave of emotion into him.
Loudreux whimpered.
Yanna’s expression turned curious. “Harlow, what are you doing to him?”
Before she could answer, Augustine and Fenton ran into the house. Both looked like they were on the verge of murder. “Harlow, are you all right?”
She nodded at Augustine. “I’m okay. You know what he’s trying to do to me?”
Augustine’s lip curled. “Yes. But it’s not going to happen.”
“He says it will.” Anger swelled inside her and Loudreux cried out.
Augustine glanced at Loudreux. “Harlow, let him go. As much as we both might want him dead, killing him in front of all these people isn’t something I can defend you against.”
“I’m not going to kill him. I was just trying to defend myself.” She moved her weight off him to kneel on the step, but kept her hand on him. She was trembling with adrenaline and the effort of using her skills.
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