by Laury Falter
“No.” Theleo tipped his head toward the rope I held in my hand. “That is the reason.”
“Did you tell him you were defecting?”
“I imagine he figured it out when I slit his throat.”
This made everyone momentarily pause.
“And did he survive?” Jameson continued his questioning.
“Yes.”
“Why did you defect?”
“Because of you,” he again tilted his head, although this time it was directed at me. “And you,” he said to Jameson.
Undaunted, Jameson asked, “Why for us?”
“Because you will give us freedom.”
Up until that moment, I had never considered how a Vire might view their limited freedom. I viewed them as automated and heartless. They were essentially flesh and blood robots that did precisely what their masters, The Sevens, commanded. Moreover, they were personally responsible for eliminating our freedoms, including the most valuable one…life. But they were also human and their freedom had been removed as children, long before they knew what it meant to be free.
“Why do you believe that?”
His forehead wrinkled in confusion. It was the first time he showed emotion. “Because you are The Nobilis and she is The Relicuum.”
“And how long have you known that?”
“Since before you were born.”
At this point, I interjected, unable to control myself. “Did you kill my father?”
He hesitated, staring at me intently. “Yes,” he whispered. “Yes, I did.”
That confession hurt worse than I expected.
There was shuffling behind me, and I knew Nolan was again going after Theleo. To his credit, Theleo remained vigilant, but didn’t move to defend himself. Nolan never made it to his intended victim, however, so I knew he was restrained yet again.
“Why?” I asked as my voice croaked. After clearing my throat, I asked again, “Why?”
“It was needed in order to save your life.”
There was no flinch, no blink, and no shift of his eyes. I looked up at Jameson, who was already staring at me, waiting for my reaction. I didn’t have one, though. I already knew the truth, given to me by my father. Jameson knew this and our families had been told before I healed Theleo. The only factor that changed was Theleo confirming it himself. It was one step toward believing the rest of what he was telling us.
He shocked me by adding something, the first voluntary information since our questioning had started. “I would have avoided it if I could.”
A lump rose in my throat, which I had to swallow back before speaking. “Did you intend to kidnap me?”
“Yes.” It appeared we had returned to direct answers.
“Why?”
“To keep you safe.”
“Safe?” Oscar scoffed from behind me, but I held up my hand to insist he allow me to handle it, and I was grateful when he did.
“Safe from whom?”
“Sartorius.”
“And why would you want to keep me safe from Sartorius? You worked for him.”
“May I speak freely?” he asked.
“Yes, please do,” I urged.
It finally dawned on me why he wasn’t readily volunteering information. He was raised in a strict environment driven by regimented formality. The Vires had attempted to erase any existence of their innate personalities and turn them into robotic murderers, which would, of course, restrict their freedom of speech.
Now that Theleo was given the approval, he held nothing back.
“Sartorius and the other Sevens have known who you are since before you were born. They knew that Sartorius’s bloodline would produce The Relicuum and that it would cross the bloodline of a Weatherford. Although he attempted to dissuade your mother and father from a relationship, once you were born he believed it could be to his advantage. While the other Sevens disagreed and voted to end your life, he attempted to abduct you for the sole purpose of manipulating your power. When the attempt failed and you disappeared, he considered this to be a benefit. Even while the other Sevens appointed Phillip Turcott to locate you, Sartorius ensured you were given the freedom to develop your capabilities on your own.”
“Why?”
“Sartorius believes there is a way to wield your power, to make him invincible. It is the reason he attempted to abduct you as an infant. Again, when it failed, he determined it to be an opportunity. Knowing he could restrain and force you to acquire your abilities by killing someone in your presence, it did not ensure you would develop them. You would never willingly learn to wield your powers to the level that would make you invaluable unless done on your own terms.”
“But why would he look for ways to make himself invincible? He already is.”
“Collectively, that would be true of The Sevens. Individually, they are not. They have learned to transfer their power between each other but no one Seven possesses every capability.”
There it was. Proof of his deceit. Theleo was lying. Oddly, a part of me was disappointed. I actually wanted to believe his elaborate story. It would have cleared up so much confusion.
I stood up, preparing to leave the room. I was hungry, exhausted, and in no mood for more lies.
“You’re done?” asked Estelle, appalled. “You don’t have any more questions?”
I broke the news as gently as I could, which turned out to be not so gentle. “He’s lying.”
“What?” asked Mr. Caldwell, who appeared just as enthralled in Theleo’s fairy tale as I had been. “How do you know?”
“Sartorius tried to kill us, remember? Why would he do that if I was so valuable to him?”
“He wasn’t trying to end your life,” Theleo replied. “He only threatened he would to better incapacitate you. Fear is a strong force when wielded correctly. Mrs. Gaul’s attempt in the classroom, the curse that jeopardized Jameson’s life, Sartorius’s assault in the hotel room was all to incapacitate you, to render you useless.”
“That still doesn’t make sense. Why now? Why all of a sudden?”
“He has been watching you since you arrived in New Orleans and was certain you had developed a few of your capabilities. Tonight confirmed it.”
“He’s been watching me?” I got the same chill I imagined any other woman would feel when finding out their privacy had been violated.
“Yes, Sartorius is the reason Phillip Turcott didn’t locate you sooner and The Sevens haven’t attempted to take your life. Sartorius diverted them, shielding you long enough to allow you the time to build your strength, with Jameson, and to acquire your capabilities.”
I felt sick, exposed, and treated like nothing more than an object. It made me want to hit something, preferably Sartorius’s face. Not having that option, I sank back into my seat, giving myself time to process everything Theleo was saying.
There were, however, still loose ends to his story, which were brought up as I was recovering.
“And Jameson?” asked Mrs. Caldwell. “How does my son fit into all this?”
“Jameson is a necessary thorn in Sartorius’s side. If separated, he and Jocelyn will return to the same minimal level of influence they had before meeting. If kept alive, and within reach of Jocelyn, both their powers grow but Sartorius runs the risk of fulfilling their destiny and ending The Sevens’ lives. Because of it, you are each in your own unique peril.”
Jameson, always the logical one, summed it up for me and everyone else in the room. “So while the other Sevens want us dead, or at least separated, Sartorius is allowing us time together to strengthen our capabilities so that he can manipulate them to his advantage?”
“That’s correct.”
“There’s something I still don’t understand…” admitted Alison. “Why did Mrs. Gaul try to kill Jameson and Jocelyn?”
His answer was simple. “She was loyal to The Sevens, as was Phillip Turcott.” He paused to add, “This was the reason behind their deaths.”
I was slightly surprised to fin
d that Mrs. Gaul hadn’t survived, but I quickly got over it.
“There is one thing that remains unclear to me,” Mrs. Caldwell acknowledged. “Do the other Sevens know Jameson and Jocelyn are alive and living in New Orleans?”
That was a good question. It gave us a clearer vision of the kind of danger we were in.
“Until tonight, the answer would have been no,” said Theleo. “But they will know by morning.”
Jameson glanced outside and hesitated before mentioning, “It’s morning.”
Silence blanketed the room then, as we each contemplated the reality of our new existence.
“So they know we’re alive and working together to defend ourselves,” I stated, warily, envisioning a future of conflict with no end in sight.
“That is correct.” Theleo didn’t seem capable of sugar coating any of his answers.
“And if you survived a seventh century curse and the attempt on your lives tonight, they’ll have an idea of how powerful you two can be,” warned Aunt Lizzy.
“Yes,” assured Theleo. “That, too, is correct.”
I shot to my feet then and rushed for the phone. It had been unplugged in the course of the Vires destroying Aunt Lizzy’s home, so I hurried to connect it.
“Jocelyn?” I heard Jameson say, but I was only able look at him before one of the ministry’s operators came on line.
“Yes, Isabella Weatherford,” I said, the words charging from my lips in a rapid stream.
“May I ask who is calling?”
“Her daughter.”
She responded immediately, without bothering to verify her reply. “I’m sorry she is not available.” The woman’s voice was so polite I wanted to scream into the phone.
However, I successfully held in my wrath and stated, “She’s always available. Could you check?”
The woman responded in the same sweet voice. “I’m sorry she’s not available.”
“All I’m asking is that you check.”
“I’m sorry she is not available.” There was no change in her cheery tone.
“Please check.”
And the phone went dead.
At that very moment, I started to believe Theleo.
Then I found Jameson by my side and realized that he was holding my shaking body upright. If there were any sounds, any voices in the room they didn’t register.
“Jocelyn,” I heard Jameson’s melodic voice reach through the gloom.
The reaction I was having seemed to be stemming from two emotions…rage and fear. Neither of which was particularly effective for what I was about to commit to, so I straightened myself, standing on my own two feet, and said, “I’m going to the ministry.”
That announcement seemed to cause some consternation.
Jameson’s eyes shot open. Everyone started speaking at once, every one of them rejecting the idea, except for Charlotte. She waited until the room was silent again before speaking.
“Are you crazy? That’s where The Sevens live.”
“They’ll be expecting you,” said Theleo, his voice ominously carving a path through the room straight to me.
I knew what his warning meant. They are holding my mother captive because they know I’ll come for her.
“Then you won’t be going alone,” Jameson’s firm, uncontestable voice echoed through my head.
He was still holding my arm even though I’d been standing on my own two feet for several minutes. I sensed it was because he wanted to be near me, and I was glad for that. He was the only reason I hadn’t broken down yet. And he was the only one who would understand why, if I did.
I faced formidable challenges. My mother was being held captive. The Sevens were bent on killing me and the man I loved. And if The Sevens didn’t kill him, I was destined to.
Our future was bleak and unpredictable but as I looked up into Jameson’s breathtaking green eyes, I knew one thing for certain.
We loved each other and nothing could change that, not morose predictions or anything else.
Brief Biography
Laury Falter is the author of the bestselling Guardian Trilogy. She lives with her husband and two stray dogs in Las Vegas. She has been secretly writing for most of her life and only released her first novel after the insistence of her sister, Babs. Her website is www.lauryfalter.com.
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