by Rye Brewer
I knew it was. I knew why it was, too. I wondered if he did. I wondered if a secret as big as her deciding to wipe out the Starkers would possibly hurt whatever relationship they seemed to be building together.
I hugged her again. “Please, get in touch with me if anything happens. I mean anything at all. Keep me posted on your training. I’ll be worrying myself half to death the entire time you’re here.”
“All right. I’ll do whatever I can.” She patted my back, and it struck me how much like the older sister she seemed sometimes.
“What about Elena?” I asked Fane as we stepped outside, so he could create a portal to the human world.
I wondered if it would be easier than ever for him to do it, being a full warlock.
Elewyn’s enchanted sun touched my skin but didn’t burn me.
“I’ll bring her to Duskwood with me until arrangements are made for her.” He kept a stiff upper lip.
I had to give him credit for that much. One more glance around the courtyard—my last look, I hoped—and we stepped through the portal together.
A laugh bubbled up my throat when I touched foot on the ground, this time in front of the old cathedral.
“I’ve never wanted to kiss the ground before,” I admitted.
Everything was dark and quiet there, the way I needed it to be. I needed peace. I took a deep breath and felt my muscles loosen in response.
Fane chuckled. “Indeed. Shadowsbane Island is hardly my favorite realm to travel to.”
“I can’t imagine why.” I snorted. But my light mood didn’t last long. “I thought I’d never see this place again,” I murmured, looking around.
As the saying went, it wasn’t much, but it was home.
“You wouldn’t have been there forever.”
“No. It would’ve felt like it, though. Especially if there was no way to get blood.” I hated to give it another minute’s thought, but all the horror that had run through my imagination while I waited for my sentence came back at once and left me more desperate than ever to be with Jonah. The memory of Sara’s suffering as I wondered if it would be like that for me.
“I would’ve found a way to get it to you. And Scott.”
I looked up at him with a fond smile. “I know you would have.” Even if it had meant harming himself in the process. “Well, I’d better go in. Will you come with me?”
He took a step back, shaking his head. “No. I don’t think I can see him like this.”
My heart sank, but I understood. “You know he wouldn’t judge you for it. I’d explain what happened. He would be happy you’re alive.”
“You would think so, wouldn’t you? I would’ve thought the same thing about Scott earlier. Besides, I would rather spare him this. He has enough to think about right now.”
“You’re probably right.” Though I wished he’d give Jonah a little more credit.
“Please, don’t tell him what happened to me. Tell him anything else you want to, but not that.”
“What about Sirene? Something good might have come out of all of this, you know. You’re the same now. A witch and a warlock.”
His wry smile tugged at my sympathy. “Yes, but she would want to know how it happened. If she found out it was Elazar who did it, she’d know right away that I’m indebted to him. She shouldn’t know that. Not now, not with the baby on the way. It will upset her too much.”
True. The baby already posed enough danger to Sirene’s health.
“All right. I understand. I won’t say a word.”
“Thank you, Anissa. Thank you for being there for my son. You don’t simply make him happy. You care about what’s best for him and would spare him the things that will hurt him. That’s how I know you truly love him. I can rest easy knowing that.” Before I could catch my breath and choke out a reply, he stepped through the portal and vanished.
I was alone again.
But I wouldn’t be for long.
I hurried into the cathedral with the hope that Jonah would be waiting inside.
34
Anissa
It was so quiet inside headquarters. Eerily quiet.
I wasn’t used to being there without some sort of activity—preparation for a meeting, something which sent feet shuffling and voices carrying through the cavernous space.
I cringed at the sharp sound my boots made on the floor, and the lonely echo throughout the Great Hall. Where was everyone?
I wasn’t sure how to find Jonah, seeing as how I’d never gone any farther than the meeting hall, so I called out his name.
“Jonah?”
Jonah? Jonah? Jonah?
My voice floated and doubled and tripled until it was the only sound in the world.
Another sound joined it. The sound of running feet.
“Anissa?”
I heard him before I saw him, coming from an alcove at the other end of the hall.
We met in the middle, crashing into each other, and I squeezed as tight as I could as my tears dripped onto his shoulder.
“I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do this again.” I buried my face in his neck and let him hold me while I cried it all out.
All of it. Not only the terror I’d faced when the verdict came down or the thought of being in a cell forever. The battle, seeing Samara die, being there as Fane almost died with her. The worry over Sara, the loss of my mother. All of it. It all came out as I held on to him for dear life.
“What is it?” Jonah asked, stroking my hair. He didn’t know any of it. He could afford to sound surprised and concerned and confused.
When I opened my eyes and looked across the hall, I saw Sirene watching us.
A fresh wave of tears hit when I remembered Fane could’ve died and maybe should have, depending on what Elazar would make him do. There were things worse than death.
“So much has happened,” I wept. “So much. I don’t know where to start.”
“Start by sitting down.” Sirene touched Jonah’s shoulder to get his attention and directed us to a chair, where he set me down and crouched in front of me.
“What happened? You look like you’ve been through a war.” He took in my dirty clothes. “What did they do to you there?”
It took a long time for me to get it out, but I managed to tell them about Scott and the scene he’d caused with Sara and Stark.
Jonah’s eyes were stormy by the time I finished. “How could he be such an idiot? I’m ashamed of him.”
“That’s the start of it,” I warned mournfully.
I told them of the pathetic excuse for a trial the Senate held, and I took my time in explaining our sentence.
Jonah took my hands as Sirene let out a gasp of surprise.
“But you’re here,” she whispered. “What happened?”
I groaned. “Elewyn happened. I don’t know if I should be grateful to her or not.”
“If she got you out of there, it seems like there’s no question,” Jonah observed, squeezing my fingers until the bones nearly crunched.
“I don’t know for sure. I don’t know what it all means.” I looked at Sirene, since she would understand better than Jonah would. “She overthrew the Senate and is now ruling Shadowsbane Island.”
Sirene staggered back, and Jonah made a move as if to catch her—his instinct to help her warmed my heart a little, since she would need us around her with Fane gone.
“I’m all right,” she breathed, a hand over her chest. The paleness of her face said otherwise. “It’s just a shock. I don’t remember a time when they weren’t the ruling body on the island. I suppose they ruled even before I was born.”
“You should be the one sitting. Not me.” I got up and lowered her into the chair.
“I’m fine. Really.” But she didn’t get up. Instead, she asked, “How did Elewyn manage her coup?”
“There was… a fight. A very large fight.”
“Is everyone all right?” Jonah took my arm.
“Everyone’s fine,” I lied.
Jonah stared at me, trying to decide if I was being honest.
I wished Fane hadn’t made me promise. It was better for Sirene, however. She didn’t need to worry about him.
With that in mind, I continued. “Elewyn freed Elazar.”
“Of course, she did,” Sirene whispered. “That’s likely half the reason why she staged the coup.”
“I don’t like her.”
“Elewyn is a complicated witch. Powerful and ruthless.” She sounded tired.
“I saw that for myself. Elazar seems like a real piece of work, too.” I looked to Jonah, who was frowning more deeply than I had ever seen before. “Fane is taking him to Duskwood to hide him there.”
“He’s what?” Sirene asked, making a move as though she was about to stand. “He can’t do that.”
“I think it’s already been done,” I said, my hands firmly gripping her shoulders to hold her down. “He wants to use Elazar and a caster to free Vance.”
She winced, glancing at Jonah.
“What am I missing?” I asked.
“Vance escaped—or, rather, Valerius did. We still don’t know how.” He folded his arms, his teeth gritted.
So he had dealt with his own problems while I was gone.
“That won’t make things easier,” I muttered. “But what else is new? At any rate, he insisted on taking Scott with him, so he’ll be in Duskwood as well.”
“I could kill Scott.”
“So could I,” I growled. “I came close. Believe me. His immaturity set off everything else. I didn’t know he had that much hatred in him. I didn’t know it was possible for anyone in your family to behave that way—and I’ve seen what some of you can do when you feel strongly about something.” The memory of Gage’s insurrection was still fresh.
“As long as everyone is all right now,” he said, sliding an arm around my shoulders.
I rested my head against him, remembering the despair of looking into the future at endless centuries without being able to touch him. “I suppose I should be grateful to Elewyn for being able to do this, at least.”
One more thing weighed on my heart. My chin trembled.
“Gregor and Felicity were there, too. They came looking for me. They didn’t know what had happened, why I was in a cell, but they helped get me out.”
“Why do you sound like you want to cry?” Jonah asked, taking me by the chin and tilting my head back.
“Because my mother’s dead.” Saying the words set off another wave of fresh, burning tears.
“Ah, no. Anissa.” He wrapped me up in a tight hug which almost made everything better. Almost.
Nothing would replace her loss, especially not the second time I lost her. It was difficult enough after the Great Fire, but this? This was too much.
“You’re sure?” Sirene asked.
I managed to recount Gregor’s telling of what they found in the tower. By the time I finished, her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
“I’m so sorry,” Jonah murmured.
“It’s cruel. Seeing her again, having her in my life—she was so happy about our engagement, she wanted to plan the wedding. And now she’s gone again.” I stared up at him. “I have to go to Avellane to see my father. He must be crushed over this. They were together again. She was going to visit him—maybe permanently. He was so happy, and now…”
“I’ll go with you,” he announced.
“Are you sure you want to? Don’t you have things to do here?”
“Do you think I’ll let you out of my sight after everything you just told me? I almost lost you.”
“Have you ever been there?” Before he had the chance to answer, I cut him off. “I don’t care even if there is. I’d like to see anybody try to get in my way. Don’t forget, I almost lost you, too.”
35
Jonah
“What about you?” I asked Sirene, who watched us with a soft smile.
I wouldn’t normally have been so affectionate with Anissa in front of her, but it was a strange time.
I could’ve lost Anissa for endless centuries. It would take a while before I’d be able to keep from holding her whenever we were near one another.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured me. “The enchantment is in place.”
Even so, she looked worn out. I wondered if placing the enchantment had put a strain on her.
“Do you want me to course you to the high rise? You could get some rest there.”
“I can wait here. My presence may inspire the guards to stay alert.”
“That’s a good point.”
The guards seemed to be much more attentive than they had before I lost my temper, and that was a good thing, but there was no telling whether or not they’d stay on top of things while I was gone. I’d liked to have been able to trust them. As if I needed one more thing pulling at my attention. Having Sirene assist was a plus. I wished my siblings could get together and help, too, but they were scattered to the four winds.
As Anissa and I were leaving, she leaned in close to whisper in my ear. “When did you and Sirene become so friendly?”
“Jealous?” I whispered, making her laugh.
It was a good sound. She needed to do more of that, especially after what she’d been through.
“Do I have a reason to be?” she teased before shaking her head. “No, of course not. But it’s nice to see, and I thought I would ask. I’m happy.”
“Really? Then I’ll be sure to keep her near me at all times.”
“You know what I mean. You were so deeply set against her relationship with Fane.”
I nodded slowly, unable to deny it and somewhat ashamed when I looked back on my past attitude. I would never have gone as far as Scott had with Sara and this Stark creature, but I hadn’t been a gentleman.
“It wasn’t her fault. Still, I must admit I wouldn’t have taken the steps to include her in clan business if it weren’t for Fane.”
“Fane?”
“He asked me to take care of her. And the baby. She’ll need protection and assistance. I’ve offered her a home in the high-rise, as well. And she’s offered her skills to protect the clan in return. I could tell it made her happy to feel useful, and as though she’s part of the family. It works all the way around.”
Anissa sniffled. I realized she was trying not to cry. “What is it now?” I asked. “What did I say?”
She shook her head, waving her hands. “I’m overly emotional right now. So much has happened. You understand.”
“Of course.” That didn’t mean I believed her excuse. There was something else under the surface.
I remembered the grief she had given me over being so cold toward Sirene’s relationship with my father. She didn’t want to say she’d told me so. Yet another reason why she was so perfect for me.
We reached the entrance to Avellane and, much to my surprise, we stepped through. The surprise stemmed from the fact I was doing it at all. I never would’ve had a reason to step foot in the fae kingdom otherwise.
That would’ve been a great loss, since the kingdom was far more beautiful than I ever could’ve imagined—something out of a dream.
The air was warm and dewy, like the grass beneath our feet. Thick, lush grass like nothing I had ever seen, a shade of green I didn’t realize existed, blanketed by clusters of fragrant flowers. Even at night, with the moon hanging ripe above us, butterflies flitted around, and the buzzing of bees filled my ears. Stars spangled the sky.
“Exquisite,” I murmured in awe.
“You should see the Hermitage if you think this is impressive,” she replied, taking my hand. “Come on. Gregor’s home is this way.”
I let her lead me to one of a series of tall trees which were connected by rope bridges. Like a city built out of the forest. The twinkling lanterns which lit the way for fae men and women to cross back and forth added an air of magic to the scene, and the stars were visible
here and there beyond gaps in the branches above us.
“How does anyone ever get anything done here?” I asked. “I would spend my days gazing around in wonder.”
She chuckled. “I’m sure the fae would feel the same about their first visit to Manhattan. The high rises there aren’t much different from the trees here, when you think about it. They like to live high up in the air, too.”
“But they get to see the stars. That’s one thing I’ve missed over the years, and something I enjoy when I visit headquarters—with it being so far out in the middle of virtually nowhere, the stars are visible.”
“Yes, but it meant you would likely have to see Marcus or, at least, Lucian.”
“An unfortunate drawback.”
We shared a smile then continued our journey. To my surprise, no one tried to stop us. It didn’t seem as though my presence was a problem. We coursed up a steep set of stairs which led to the top of one of the many trees—I wondered how Anissa could tell them apart, since they all looked the same to me—before reaching a door which sat ajar.
Anissa tapped on it before opening it farther, revealing a room carved out of wood. Richly furnished, rather old-fashioned in comparison with the more modern furnishings in the penthouse.
It appeared as though Gregor hadn’t touched any of it in a long time. Decades, at least. He sat in a large, cushioned chair beside the fireplace. A fireplace? Clearly, the flames had a magical quality, or else they would burn the entire tree down.
Sitting near Gregor, Felicity rose to greet us, hands extended. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she murmured as she hugged Anissa. “Have you seen Allonic since you left Shadowsbane?”
Anissa frowned as they parted. “No. Why? Should I have been searching for him?”
“No, no, of course not.” Felicity’s face fell. “I was only hoping. He seems to have disappeared as well.”
“What?” Anissa gasped.
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Gregor hugged Anissa as well, holding her tight. “He simply hasn’t been back since he hurried off. That’s all.”
“Oh.” Anissa’s laugh was shaky but relieved. “He tends to go his own way. I wouldn’t worry about that. He’ll sometimes show up out of nowhere then go away again.”