by Liz Schulte
She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have to let her die. Just let me weaken her enough that she can’t stop me. Once I have the child, there will be nothing she can do about it.”
“And why would I go along with any of this?”
“If you were to kill Cheney, Selene would retaliate against you.” Jessica smiled. “I have little use for the elf, however, and I don’t mind being the bad guy. If you assist me, I will eliminate him. You can win Selene over—or simply take her. We both will get what we want.”
She stepped back and began to fade. “I want the infant and you want her. The only way it can happen is to work together. Think about it before it’s too late.” This time the shadow did disappear.
Back in the maze, I sat on our bench and stared up at castle. Selene was in there somewhere, living the life she chose, but what about me? Why should I spend the next thousand years being denied the only thing I would ever want so long as I was connected to her?
“Did you get it?” I asked Leslie, ushering her into the archive—a.k.a. a spot as far away from everyone in the castle that we could get.
“Did you see her? Her eyes were pitch black—and like it was her, but it wasn’t… . I almost peed my pants.” Leslie’s eyes filled with tears.
I grimaced. She was right. Jessica was all supercharged on black magic, for sure—but it was still Jess. We couldn’t forget that. Which meant tonight was a close call, too close. Selene almost killed her. “But did you get it?”
She sighed. “Are you completely unconcerned with the fact that she tried to murder me?”
My shoulders fell. We had ruined Cheney’s chance at being reelected for nothing. She didn’t even get the hair.
Leslie smiled. “But I got it.” She held up several strands of Jessica’s hair. “Pulled it right out of her head when she put me in the choke hold.”
Oh sweet baby Jesus, thank you. “Perfect. We can’t wait for Selene to wake up. We have to start.”
“Oh, good, you told her. I wasn’t really comfortable sneaking around like this—and of course she agrees with doing the spell. She wants Jessica back as much as we do.”
That was true, no doubt—or would’ve been had I involved Selene as Leslie assumed. There was no way Sebastian or Cheney would have gone for this, however, and it wasn’t fair to put Selene in the position of having to choose. The elves watched out for themselves, so we had to watch out for each other. “Yeah, about that…” I took Jessica’s hair and placed it in the ceremonial bowl.
“Katrina—”
“I was going to tell her—I was—but she has been so busy with the campaign and then tonight there was something off. She was so down—and telling her wasn’t going to cheer her up.” Because once Cheney found out, we would be banished from the Abyss forever.
Leslie chewed on the edge of her lip. “So you didn’t even get her opinion about whether the spell would work?” I shook my head. “Jessica is strong, really strong now. Selene’s magic didn’t even work on her. Are you telling me I risked my life for nothing? This might not work?”
“No, of course not. I’ve been thinking about that. Selene couldn’t use magic on Jess because she’s protected by the coven. Our magic has never worked on each other.”
Leslie frowned. “It did after Devin died.”
“No, not really. Selene knocked the blade out of Jess’s hand, yes—but that was telekinesis directed at the knife, not at her. Even when Jessica fought back, she trapped us, but didn’t do anything else. Maybe that’s why she hasn’t attacked. She hasn’t figured out how to other than to set traps like the porthole at Halloween.”
“If our magic won’t work on her, then what good is any of this?” Leslie jammed her hands on her hips.
I clapped my hand down on her shoulder. “I have plan. I’ll fill you in just as soon as the final piece arrives. For now, trust me. Review the spell for errors, loopholes, anything that could make it go haywire and I’ll be right back.”
My plan was risky, but I knew Selene would forgive me. The Abyss wasn’t the place for us. As much as I liked it, we didn’t belong here and the universe was going out of its way to point that out. Selene belonged here. She was made for it, but the rest of us had no business in these fights. That was how Devin was killed and Jessica was possessed. All I had to do was get Jess back and the three of us would leave.
We could rebuild, grow even. True, our coven wouldn’t be quite the same without everyone—but it would still be fantastic. So even though it might make Selene’s life a little harder right now, it would all be worth it in the end. We would be stronger and safer back home and the elves couldn’t keep using us against her and Cheney.
I checked my watch as I hustled up the stairs to the main level. Frost was probably here by now, which was perfect because every minute we wasted the less connected Jess’s hair would be to her body.
“There you are. What were you doing downstairs?” Sebastian said as I rounded the corner at the top. My fist clenched at my side at the sight of him. You’d think I’d be used to seeing him by now, but he still made my heart flutter a little. My crush on him refused to die, no matter how much we both wanted it to.
I froze, scrambling for a lie that he wouldn’t immediately sniff out. “Leslie had an idea she wanted to research.” I smiled. “I was coming up to check on Selene.”
He nodded. “She’s asleep, but Cheney assured me she’s fine. Is Leslie okay?” He watched me carefully, but I had no clue what he was thinking.
“She’s fine. We’re resilient,” I said a little too airily and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. There was no time for chitchat, but Sebastian’s pensive look meant one of two things. Either he was suspicious of my behavior already or he was thinking about us. Either way, it would be hard to shake him.
“This couldn’t have happened at a worse time.” He crossed his arms. “It’s going to distract people from what’s important in the election.”
I stared down at the polished white floor. It was amazing how clean they were able to keep it. “So…how was the debate? I bet you’re tired.”
He rolled his head to one side then the other. “It went well, probably a win for Cheney, but now this…” He shook his head. “I wonder why Jessica chose tonight of all nights to attack.”
“I’m sure she didn’t know.” I struggled to keep my face blank and open.
He blinked. “Are you?” I bit my lip as he stared at me. “What exactly happened tonight?”
“We had word that Jessica was outside the gate, so Selene and I went with a bunch of guards… .” I summarized the evening’s events as quickly as I could, desperately needing to be away from him.
“And that’s it?”
“Pretty much.”
He looked even more troubled than before. “We can spin it that Selene was saving the remaining lives,” he said quietly, more to himself than me.
“Um, that’s what she did. Weren’t you listening? You don’t need to spin anything. Only one person died tonight and that was because of Selene. Jessica would have killed them all.”
He looked back at me. “One elf died and three others almost did as well and an argument can be made that was also because of Selene. Then to make matters worse she didn’t choose them.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure they’re great people and all, but she doesn’t know them, Sebastian. Leslie is one of her best friends. Of course she didn’t choose for her to die. She didn’t choose for anyone to die.”
“That isn’t the point. The elves will see it practically. Three lives or one life. Saving three and losing one is a better choice than losing all of them.”
I threw my arms up in the air. “But she didn’t lose any of them—after the first one.”
“This time,” he said. “What if she hadn’t been home? What if she attended the debate?”
And that had been the second part of my plan. I needed Cheney and Sebastian out of the castle, but for Selene to stay. The only time that looked possible w
as tonight. So I may have told Sebastian that Selene was having trouble with small outbursts, and I was worried something might set her off in a big way. I had intended to use that time to tell Selene what was happening and get her on board with our plan, but when she came into my room she was so droopy and sad. We wanted to leave the Abyss not her, but she wasn’t seeing it that way.
“Well, she was home, so focus on that.” I clenched my fists to keep them still. “Tonight was a win for all of us. Why do you refuse to see it that way? Did you want Leslie to die?”
Sebastian sighed. “No, of course not—and what you say is true. Only one life was lost. It could have been much worse.” He ran his hand down my arm. “How are you?”
“Peachy.” My voice was flat as I pulled away from him. Sebastian and I couldn’t be together. That was well-covered material. It wouldn’t work. He knew it, I knew it, and I was moving on. “I’m almost packed.”
He nodded.
“Why do I get the feeling you already knew that?”
He smiled slightly. “Do you honestly believe anything happens in this castle that I don’t know about? My job is to know everything that will affect Cheney or Selene’s ability to rule.”
“And I fit in that category?”
His gaze shifted away. “You might be more of a personal note.”
“Sebastian.” I shook my head.
“I know we agreed.” His stony gray eyes met mine, swimming with something I didn’t want to see in them. It was too late. He had made his position clear. “And it is for the best—”
“Then we don’t need to talk about it. It’s impossible. I know that.” Short of becoming a vampire there was no way we could end other than him watching me grow older each day while he barely changed. Maybe I was vain, but that wasn’t something I could do and it wasn’t fair to ask him to do it.
He didn’t contradict me or say the words I wanted to hear: that everything was impossible until someone figured out how to make it work. And that if anyone could do it, we could.
He cleared his throat. “You will be at Selene’s grandmother’s house?”
I touched his cheek lightly then closed my eyes and dropped my hand. It was too heartbreaking to pretend this was anything other than goodbye. We lived—literally—in different worlds and neither of us could fit into the other’s. He had Cheney and Selene and the fae. His life was filled with adventure, elections, wars, and plots against the crown—or whatever. I didn’t even have a job. I was just a witch with a good sense of humor who happened to have a spectacular friend. At least that was who I was now. It sure as hell wasn’t who I would always be. “Good night, Sebastian.”
I took off toward the kitchen, hoping Frost was still there and not too pissy. The last thing any of us needed was a bitchy necromancer. She glared when I opened the door.
“What the hell,” she said, joining me in the hallway. “I’m doing you a favor.”
“I was delayed. It was unavoidable. Come on.”
We rushed back down to the archive where Leslie had everything set up.
“What took so long?” she asked me—then spotted Frost. “Hi. Sorry, but what are you doing here?”
“You’re right. This spell will do no good if either of us cast it, but Frost isn’t in the coven yet. She can do it.”
Leslie’s eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. “She’s only dabbled, Kat—no offense, Frost—and this is a delicate, precise spell.”
“She can do it.” I looked at Frost who had her lips pursed and eyebrows pulled together. “You can. You’ve worked with Selene, you’ve worked with us, and you’ve had time to study on your own. Witchcraft is intuitive. Follow your instincts.”
“And what happens if I don’t succeed?” she asked.
Leslie and I looked at each other. “We lose Jessica, probably forever.”
“Even if the elves manage to catch her and neutralize her, there is no way to keep her out of jail, even if Cheney wins. She has hurt too many people. We just want to take her home. Selene would want that too.”
“If she knew about it,” Leslie muttered and I elbowed her.
“So Selene isn’t a party to this?” Sebastian stepped out of the shadows, giving each of us a censuring look. “Treason may not be too small of a word.”
“How did you get in here?” Leslie asked.
“I have been a part of this castle longer than your grandparents have been alive. There is not a single part I have not explored, including the passage ways.”
“That’s no excuse for spying.” I turned away from him. “Leslie, go over the spell with Frost and make sure she understands everything. I’ll handle him.” I took Sebastian by the arm, stupid butterflies dancing in my stomach.
I had been through the sadness of realizing he was not the one for me, though the butterflies hadn’t gotten the message. The thing was I really liked Sebastian. True we were nothing alike, but that had worked—at least to begin with. He was a great listener and never treated me like I was only there to make Selene happy, which was pretty much how all the other elves saw me. Once you got past the uptight exterior, he was kind and sweet—or had been until the day he pulled away for good. Little by little Sebastian retreated and I was left standing alone. It wasn’t that I didn’t get why, I did, but it still hurt. He was part of the reason it was best for me to leave. I was never going to move on if I stayed here, hoping he would change his mind. Hell, I would settle for him just revealing any sort of regret over losing me. But he didn’t. He was always a good little soldier.
He pressed his hand against the door, keeping me from opening it. “Exactly what are you doing tonight?”
“I’m fixing the problem—or trying to, at least. Someone has to do something. We’re leaving tomorrow and with any luck so is Jess. You can’t say that won’t make everyone’s life easier, especially yours. Selene and Cheney deserve the future they want—and I don’t want Jessica put in the dungeon or worse killed.”
It was impossible to read his damn stoic face. No matter what I did or said he always managed to be so calm and self-contained that I desperately wanted to do anything to shock him into revealing an emotion—any emotion. I’d told him I was leaving and he gave me nothing, not even a blink. Cute didn’t make up for everything.
His fingers brushed against the back of my hand, but his face still revealed nothing—and I was done fooling myself into believing that those soft touches meant anything more than he was angling for what he wanted.
“Please tell me what you have planned,” he asked softly.
Katrina clenched her teeth, and the corners of her mouth turned down. Her gaze sizzled with anger, sadness, and want. The want was confusing. It had been there for weeks, though she didn’t ask for anything nor did she seem to want me around. Instead, it burned in her. Every conversation became a continuation of this same confusing waltz. She was waiting for something. Or perhaps she just missed her home? As I knew well, having a place you belonged was too often taken for granted until you no longer had it.
She sighed. “What does it matter, Sebastian? I’m doing this. You don’t get a say in it.”
The plan was dangerous or she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to conceal it from Selene…or me. “Then if it’s all the same, I’ll stay.”
She crossed her arms. “I would rather you leave.”
Her words cut me deeper than I wanted to admit. “It’s my duty to protect the castle. Your desires, in this circumstance, will have to come second.”
Her fists clenched. “You mean in every circumstance.”
Every circumstance wasn’t entirely fair. There were several situations—at least a dozen, in fact—where I could see her desired outcome would matter most. “No, only in those that threaten to undermine Cheney’s ability to lead.”
“Oh my God, you are hopeless. Utterly hopeless.” Her arms flew up in a volatile gesture. “Do what you want. That’s what I plan to do.” She marched back to the other witches. “Stupid elves,” she mutter
ed under her breath as she went.
Humans were abundantly confusing creatures. It was impossible to know if we should limit our exposure to them or learn from them. Either way, I would miss her terribly when she left, but I understood her desire to return to her kind. It wasn’t fair to ask her to live among strangers who were happy in their fear and ignorance about her race and abilities. She deserved more.
I went back into the room and stood on the outskirts observing. Their kind of magic was strange to me. The circles and candles and the like resembled ancient rituals I had read about, but never experienced. Elf magic was directed by thought alone. I should have gone for Selene, but I didn’t. I chose to trust Katrina instead.
She had never and would never knowingly harm us. That belief rested in the same part of me that knew Cheney and Selene would lead our people to a new age of tolerance.
The necromancer scraped at the polish on her thumbnail as she listened to Leslie. Flakes drifted to the floor around her. “What kind of spell is this? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“We wrote it,” Leslie said, glancing at Katrina. “We couldn’t find anything like what we needed. Jessica’s possessed, or at least we think she is, but it isn’t by a demon or anything like that. We think a spirit has taken her body over as a new vessel, which means it will be harder to expel.”
“No thinking about it—she is possessed,” Katrina said. “I’d bet my quick wit and pet rock on it.”
“She could just be evil,” Frost said at the same time Leslie said, “You have a pet rock?”
“Of course not. I was being facetious,” Katrina said then looked back at Frost. “Jessica is possessed. She’s no more evil than either of us. The book has bewitched her, or something has. We need to get her back, which means whatever is in her has to go. We wrote this spell for that.”
Frost’s black eyebrows were emphatic slashes across her forehead as she read the spell again.
“Where will the entity go when you remove it?” I asked.
Katrina and Leslie looked at each other.