“No, no.” Roan did what I didn’t have the guts to do. He put his hand—the unbandaged one—on mine and squeezed. “It was my fault. I overreacted. I shouldn’t have told you that I didn’t want to talk to you again. Really, I was just angry. Angry that you hadn’t told me sooner what was going on with you. That you had…” He cleared his throat. “That you were in trouble. I thought you didn’t trust me.”
I looked up at him. “There’s no one I trust more than I trust you. I’m sorry for what you had to go through. Did it…” I swallowed. “Did it hurt a lot?”
“It was torture.” His voice sounded sad, melancholy, as he stared at his injured hand. “It hurt like hell, hurt for days afterward. It’ll heal in time, though. Not as bad as the mental scars.” He gave a short, dry laugh. “When I first met Reyna, I liked her. She seemed nice, clever, good sense of humor. I never thought her capable of all this.”
“Mannix manipulated her into doing these horrible things,” I pointed out.
“Maybe. Or maybe she had something wicked in her all along.” Roan sighed. “The point is that I didn’t see it. I blamed you for not seeing the evil side of Mannix, but I completely missed Reyna’s evil side, too. I’m sorry I was so harsh on you.”
I smiled at him. “Guess we were both fools for love.”
He squeezed my hand again. “I want you to know that, when I was stuck in that dungeon, I thought about you a lot. The first thing I wanted to do when I got out was call you, tell you I was sorry for the way I treated you. When that poison slowed my heart, all I could think about was that I wouldn’t see you again, that I wouldn’t get a chance to tell you how sorry I was.”
Tears sparkled in his eyes. I didn’t want him to see me cry, so despite how broken up I felt about what he’d just told me, how much it rattled me, I conjured up a smile. “You’re still here, though, and you can tell me all about it now.”
“I…”
“Marisol, thank God!” The voice that had interrupted Roan belonged to Indra. She stood in the doorway of the Academy and now started racing toward me.
Waynard Academy was swarming with police. I suspected the entire police station had arrived. I’d pointed them to Reyna’s body below in the dungeons and the secret entrance from the library. After that, they’d escorted Roan, Wyatt, and me back outside and had ordered us to sit down until the paramedics arrived.
Just as Indra stopped in front of me, I saw a cart with a sheet-covered body on it being rolled out. So, they’d found Reyna.
“I’m so sorry. I was taken, too.” Indra knelt and grabbed my hands. “The police just found me; Reyna had locked me up in a closet. Is it over now? Are you hurt?” She pinched my hands, trying to comfort me.
“I’m hurt, but I’m okay. A bomb exploded right behind me. Wyatt is in worse shape, though. He’s an otter; he’s not that resilient. They’re patching him up in the ambulance as we speak.”
“Will he be all right?” Indra asked.
“He will.”
“Good, good.” She looked at me with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me the most. I should’ve been there, I should’ve—”
“A lot of should’ve and could’ve, but those won’t change what happened.” I squeezed her hand back. “You were locked up, and there’s nothing you could’ve done. We survived. That’s what is most important.”
Although part of my soul had died back there. The part that realized I was capable of making impossible choices. The part that realized I was capable of letting one of the worst villains in the shifter world go free, just so I could save the guy I loved.
Indra hugged me, and I hugged her back. “You have to tell me everything that happened.”
“I will, but first…” I pointed at Roan. “This is Roan Black. Maybe you’ll want to let his parents know he’s still alive.”
Chapter Forty-Five
The next day, things had calmed down somewhat. Indra and I had spent most of the night packing up, trying to get a few hours of sleep, and briefing the Conclave about what had happened. They’d booked us tickets for a flight back home—first class. Indra had insisted on it.
I wanted to talk to Roan again, but the paramedics had given him some strong sedatives, so he spent most of the night sleeping. His parents had jumped on the first airplane they could catch to come pick him up, and his father had said they’d be here by morning, so I wouldn’t have much time to talk to Roan anymore, if any.
At least, he was alive. We were all still alive. No matter how tired I felt, no matter how many scars my recent run-in with Mannix had left me with, we were all still alive.
The Conclave had asked Indra and me to pack up the box of cobalt snake venom, considering it was lethal, which we did. We would fly back to France the next day, and though I would miss Roan, I was relieved I would see my mother again. I’d been on the verge of losing her as well.
The humans were told a bogus story about the murderer of Aria Forbes and Elise Felton setting a bomb in the underground basement and then getting himself killed by accident. The shifters knew the real story. Neither versions of the story were very good.
“You look extremely gloomy for someone who saved the day yesterday,” Indra said.
Suitcases packed, we were waiting outside of the Academy for our cab to arrive.
“I don’t feel very victorious.”
“You saved the Gathering of Clans. All those clan leaders owe you one. You saved Wyatt and Roan Black. You’re a bloody hero, Holmes. What’s not to feel victorious about?”
“Three people still died. And if I’d been wrong, it would’ve been at least fifty more.”
Indra put a hand on my shoulder. “But you weren’t wrong. I’m starting to think you’re never wrong.”
I shrugged. With all the deaths happening, several people had opted to leave Waynard Academy, too, and I couldn’t blame them. I spotted Roxanne, who waved at me, and Stephanie Decker was waiting for a cab, or her family, to arrive, too. She didn’t look at me.
Wyatt hobbled out of the front door, carrying a large suitcase. His leg still dragged, and his arm wasn’t healed completely yet, but he would live. When his gaze landed on me, he stared for a few seconds. I wasn’t sure if he’d ignore me or acknowledge me.
A smile spread across his features, lighting up his entire face.
I couldn’t help but smile back. My jaguar purred in contentment. She and I had become whole again, two parts of the same coin, two halves of one soul. I was as much part of her as she was part of me, and it felt amazing to have that connection back.
Wyatt limped down the stairs. Right behind him, Roan Black appeared in the doorway, too. He still looked slightly groggy, but the dark circles under his eyes were starting to evaporate, and he was already starting to resemble the old Roan.
Wyatt threw an arm around my shoulder and hugged me close—or as close as he could with only one arm working. “You’re a hero, Holmes. You saved my life. I owe you.”
“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been there,” I said.
“Now, don’t ruin the moment.” He let go of me. “I’ll miss you, Holmes. Maybe I’ll visit you in Paris someday.”
“I would love that.” When I said it, I realized I meant it. I really liked Wyatt. He was one of the sincerest people I knew, smart, and a good friend. If it weren’t for him figuring out the name of the thirteenth constellation, things might have ended very differently.
“Can we talk for a second?” Roan said as he interrupted our conversation.
“Sure.” Roan and I walked away from Indra and Wyatt. “My family needs me home right now,” Roan said once we were out of earshot. “And I need to recover.” He held up his bandaged hand. “But I don’t want to fall out of touch again, definitely not now. I don’t remember a lot of what Mannix and Reyna talked about while I was in that dungeon, but I do know one thing. This isn’t over yet.” He softly stroked my shoulder. “Mannix will come back.”
I took a deep breath. “I know.”
“When he does, I want to be there,” Roan said. “I want to be there for you. And for myself. Because you were right with what you said the other day. Reyna might have been a bad person from the start, but Mannix pushed her over the edge. He turned her into a monster. Aria Forbes and Elise Felton were my friends, and he and Reyna killed them.”
Fire burned in Roan’s eyes, a predatory glow that reminded me that, claws or no claws, he was still a jaguar shifter, courageous, brave, strong.
“We’ll defeat him,” I said. “Together.” My jaguar growled once, agreeing with me. Yes, we will.
Roan’s gaze softened a little. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. “I missed you, Holmes.”
“I miss—”
Before I could finish my sentence, a car honked, and Cornelius Black, Roan’s father, piled out of the driver’s seat. The man looked like a pale, ghostly version of himself. “Roan!”
Roan let go of me and rushed toward his father. I watched him as he hugged his father and stepmother. I didn’t want to leave Roan. I didn’t want to miss him again. But he was right—his parents needed him now.
“Well, and here I was thinking you had terrible taste in men after seeing your ex earlier,” Wyatt said as he moved next to me. “But Roan Black is not too bad.”
I frowned at Wyatt, unsure of what he was trying to say.
“It’s a joke, Holmes. Laugh,” Wyatt said as he poked me.
“How is it a joke?” I asked.
Indra rolled her eyes at me as she moved next to Wyatt. “Brilliant, but so clueless about social interactions.”
Our cab drove toward us, and Indra and I had to say our goodbyes. I hugged Wyatt once more and then said goodbye to Roan. It was a little awkward, as he obviously wanted to say something more, and so did I, but with his father refusing to leave Roan’s side again, we couldn’t. Roan promised to write me soon and then gave me another shorter hug this time.
“I’ll miss you, Holmes,” he said as he let go of me. “Take care.”
He smiled at me, and an armada of butterflies exploded in my belly. “I…I’ll miss you too.”
“Come on, we don’t have all day,” Indra waved from inside the car.
“Sorry, I have to go.” I waved at my new and old friends, and then followed Indra into the cab. As the cab drove away, I glanced at Waynard Academy behind us. I could almost swear that on the first floor of the building where the library was at, I saw the ghosts of two girls, both with brown hair, both with matching friendship bracelets, waving at us as we disappeared.
Chapter Forty-Six
Our plane landed in Paris. I was exhausted, and not from the injuries—they were minor. Cuts and bruises mostly. Emotionally and mentally, I was drained. I’d already had a quick nap on the airplane, and I longed for nothing more than soaking in my bathtub and then sleeping for two days straight.
However, protocol wouldn’t allow it. Whenever agents returned home from a case, their first order of business was to head to the Conclave of Shadows, to those meeting rooms in the catacombs, and brief the Conclave about everything that had transpired.
Especially now, what with the failed attempt on the Gathering of Clans. As it turned out, other Conclave agents had discovered a bomb in Castle Beauvord upon investigating the place after we’d told them what happened. The bomb had been deactivated, but it was further proof that Mannix was insane. If I’d failed the challenge, he would’ve blown them all up, including my mother, including my ancestral home.
So, as we exited the plane and headed out to get our luggage, Indra and I were first expected to go to the Conclave of Shadows before we could head back home.
I pulled my suitcase along, the muscles in my arms so sore I could barely manage. “I never thought I’d be so happy to feel the soil of Paris beneath my feet again.”
“I liked Waynard Academy, though,” Indra said. She had her bag hoisted over a shoulder and seemed in a lot better shape than I was, considering what had happened. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad I’m out of high school, but at least Waynard Academy had interesting courses.”
I was about to reply when someone shouted my name. I blinked and looked in the direction of the voice.
Mother.
She’d never shouted my name before, at least not outside. It wasn’t civilized enough. She’d never waved at me like a crazy person, either, and she’d never before come to pick me up at the airport.
I’d expected a cab driver sent by the Conclave. I hadn’t expected my mother.
And when I saw her, I burst into tears. It was as if all the emotions I’d bottled up from the past few days tumbled back over me like a tsunami, and I just stood there, crying.
Mom ran over toward me, her high heels clicking on the floor. She never ran, not in public, and not unless she was in the gym.
But now she did, and the tension usually lingering between us, stemmed from her desire to act strong at all times and her fear of what showing weakness would do to us, evaporated. She bent her knees and hugged me, wrapping her arms around me. “I’m so sorry, honey,” she said as she pulled me even closer.
I hugged her back, clinging to her for everything I held dear, feeling safe and protected for the first time in ages. “I’m sorry too,” I said. “For everything.”
After a few minutes, she let go and held me at arm’s length, looking me over to check for injuries. Her eyes were clouded with tears. “When I heard what had happened… I’m so proud of you, Marisol. So proud. And I was so worried about you.”
“Mother…”
“You saved us all. I couldn’t be prouder, and if your father was still alive…” She shook her head softly. “He would be proud of you, too.”
She hugged me again, and I hugged her back, realizing that was the nicest thing she’d ever said to me.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Mother had returned home to our penthouse in the city while Indra and I went to the catacombs. After taking a cab and then having one of the Sigil Bearers lead us to the underground meeting room, we were waiting in an adjacent room while all thirteen Sigil Bearers were preparing to gather in one of the main gathering rooms.
When you had to report back from a case, the entire Conclave wasn’t present, just the Sigil Bearers, just the Inner Circle. The fewer people, the better, and I didn’t feel ready to tell the entire story to the lot of them, but I had little choice.
Indra and I were sitting down at a table in the waiting room until one of the servants would call us to enter, when Saldor came in.
“Marisol. Indra.” The old man nodded at both of us. “I can’t express how proud I am. I feel like a grandfather whose grandchildren did the impossible.” He walked toward me, slower than I remembered, and grabbed my hands. His wrinkled eyes lit up. “It’s a great evil that has threatened us, but now it’s been defeated.”
“Not forever, though,” I reminded him. “I had to let him go so I could save Roan Black. But Mannix will be back.”
“You didn’t let him go, child,” Saldor said. “You saved the Gathering of Clans. You saved two innocent young shifters. That is more important than catching the villain. It should always be more important.”
The door creaked open again, and a servant poked his head through. “The Conclave requested Miss Marraux come in first.”
Indra got up. She nodded at me and gave me a small smile. Something in her posture told me she hated this Conclave debriefing as much as I did. She looked tense, her smile not reaching her eyes.
As she followed the servant outside, Saldor turned back toward me. “You must tell me about this case. I only heard the basics through the grapevine. This Mannix… He is the same person who tried to complete the demon ritual in your last case, isn’t he?”
Still holding my hands, Saldor sat down on the empty seat next to me where Indra had sat.
“Yes,” I said. “He is. He’s…smart. Clever. Cunning. He’s one step ahead, all the tim
e. He manipulated Reyna Felton into murdering her sister and friend, and into kidnapping Roan. He’d arranged it all just so he could lure me there.”
“And then he planted a bomb in Castle Beauvord?”
“I’m not sure how he could’ve managed it all on his own. Maybe he had people working for him, but either way, he did plant the bomb, yes. And to deactivate it, I had to solve a riddle. He’s obsessed with puzzles and riddles and secret messages.”
“What riddle?”
“A zodiac wheel, but with thirteen zodiac signs. The thirteenth was Ophiuchus, the Serpent-Bearer.”
“He does have a thing for serpents, doesn’t he?” Saldor scratched his bear. “Or did I hear wrong that he used serpent venom?”
“Well, he let Reyna Felton use serpent venom, and then he killed her with it. Hold on, I can show you.” I walked over to Indra’s backpack and zipped it open. It was a small struggle to get the box of venom vials out. “This girl, Aria Forbes, suffered from an illness that made her produce an excessive amount of venom. She wore a device that put it in these vials.”
“What kind of venom?” Saldor asked.
“Cobalt snake. Very potent, killed people in thirty seconds.” I put the box on the table and opened it.
We both stared inside the box. I shrunk back, my mouth dropping open. My eyes widened, and I started shaking all over, shivers and goose bumps erupting all across my skin.
There were only a handful of vials left. The three empty ones we’d brought to prove Reyna Fall had stolen three bottles, and then four other vials.
Thirteen vials were missing.
“What’s happening?” Saldor asked as he noticed my rising panic.
My heart hammered in my chest, and my ears rushed. For a moment, as the realization of what was happening, clicked into place, time no longer existed. The whole world disappeared—the room around me, Saldor, even the Conclave gathering room next to this one. All that existed was the theory spinning in my mind, and my own heartbeat, magnified.
A Study In Shifters Page 26