The Hidden Truth (Shadow Claw Book 7)

by Sarah J. Stone

  Alexander looked absolutely baffled by this. “Why?” he asked. “I've heard rap is not–”

  “The world is changing,” Ariel said, flexing her leg up and then down, as if she were on stage. “Rehearsals are four days a week, and you are not going to deny me my career. I'm 27 years old, Alexander. I'm not going to be able to dance much longer. This is a lead role. I'm going to do it.”

  “Can you even rap?” he asked, baffled. “Or sing, for that matter?”

  “Excuse me,” Nicholas said, with a smile. “I have heard on good authority that doubting your wife's talents ends badly, always.”

  “Does it now?” Alexander glared at his brother. “I'm not stopping you from doing anything, Ariel. Do you intend to stay on Earth?”

  “Not if someone can take me back and forth,” she replied. “Essentially, you create the transportation, and I'll continue to smart ass my way through this kingdom.”

  “That's frequent,” he said. “I can't do that.”

  “I know that,” she shrugged. “But someone could. They are consecutive days, so–”

  “I can do it,” Nicholas spoke up, suddenly seeing an opportunity

  “What?” Alexander said. “Nicholas, that's so much work. We need you here.”

  “Her magical vacuum doesn't bother me,” Nicholas said. “And it didn't bother you for ten years until the carapaces attacked. I could do it safely. I've taken over so many Earth accounts anyway, it might make sense. I could time it to take the girls as well.”

  “What about your work here?” Alexander asked.

  “It makes sense, though,” Nicholas said, “to just have one of us go. And it makes the most sense for me to be the one. Peter is king, you are his regent, and Cole is the last heir. I'm the one who is in limbo, so why not me? The girls can get to their classes, their appointments, and Ariel can rap her way through American history.”

  “It does make sense,” Ariel said with a shrug. “Loosen the reins a bit, Alexander. Nicholas has always done work, despite sneaking off to God knows where.” She winked at him, and he winked back.

  “You will have to ask their husbands whether that's acceptable,” Alexander said, always old fashioned. “But I don't see a problem with it. If it's historical, Ariel, does that mean you might be wearing a decent amount of clothing in it?”

  “Pfft, you like it when I'm dressed like a stripper,” she replied.

  Alexander was too dignified for a response, and Nicholas smiled, reminded of how these two were examples of opposites attracting.

  “I will ask,” he said, as if it was a duty he was undertaking out of the goodness of his heart.

  “Three humans–one of them a carapace–may be a bit much to transport at once,” Alexander reminded him. “At least try to take only two of them.”

  “Of course,” Nicholas replied. “I'll be careful. My sisters are the most precious things in the world to me.”

  “No one believes that,” Ariel said. “But I love you anyway. Thank you.”

  “Of course, sister,” he said. “Let me know when you need to be there.”

  “Tomorrow,” she said, and Alexander sputtered.

  “Tomorrow? What were you going to do if we couldn't make it work?”

  “Move back to Earth,” she said with a shrug. He cocked an eyebrow at her, but said nothing. Ariel was strong, and she didn't need to be with Alexander constantly.

  Nicholas used to think that he was like that. But with each passing day since his last visit with Rosa, he felt the pounding need to be close to her. And now he had an excuse.

  He had to do this carefully. As far as he knew, she was still in the same place. But if she was moved, this could be disastrous, especially if it was off Earth. Neither Peter nor Cole had any qualms with Nicholas taking their wives to Earth when they needed him to. Both girls might have once been uncomfortable with it, but now, they were a family. They had been through so much, and they trusted him.

  He paced his room, his head spinning. His hand was trembling on his phone, but eventually, his heart overrode his head. He pressed the video chat button.

  This time, it rang through, and her automatic voicemail picked up.

  He hung up right away. He may be taking a risk in calling her, but he wasn't going to be so stupid as to leave evidence like that on his phone.

  He waited four minutes and then tried again. This time, to his relief, she picked up.

  “My love,” she said. “I am so glad to hear from you.”

  “What's wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing, nothing,” she said. “I just…I'm glad that you called back. We shouldn't, though.”

  “We shouldn't,” he agreed, “but here it is. I have news for you. Are you somewhere safe?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “But be quick.”

  “I'm going to come and see you much more often,” he replied. “I'll be on Earth at least four days a week. Are you in danger of being moved?”

  “No,” she said. “Not for a while, anyway, I think. These things are hard to predict, though.”

  “I know. Just maintain your normal routine,” he instructed her. “Make it easier for me. Go to work, go home, and I'll see you tomorrow”

  “Not that I do anything anyway,” she answered. “That takes money.”

  “I…” he wanted so badly to help. “Can I bring you anything? Please, something that can help.”

  “Does Cole have any books on my family?” she asked, and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

  “What? I mean, maybe. If it has to do with magic, Cole has the book.”

  “Can you look and bring it to me?”

  “If I can find it, yes of course,” he said. “But what do you need it for?”

  “Just want to look up a few things,” she smiled. “And as you can imagine, it's not easy to google these things.”

  “Of course. I'll bring you whatever I can.”

  “I'll see you soon. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” he said, and they hung up.

  He stared at the screen, his eyes focused on the call details. He went to delete it, although it felt like a piece of his heart was being ripped out.

  It wasn't fair, he thought. Cole and Peter and Alexander had their loves by their side. They held hands without a second thought. They gave them kisses, and they didn't care who saw.

  Of course, they made their choices. He knew that. Those girls were at more of a risk holding their hands than bungee jumping without a cord. But that didn't seem to stop them.

  The next morning, Ariel and Enya gathered in the antechamber, backpacks on their back and munching on breakfast.

  “So, you,” he said to Ariel, “need to go to rehearsal. And Enya needs to go…to the doctor?”

  “To class,” Enya replied. “Which could be mistaken for a doctor’s appointment in how boring it is. But to the university.”

  “Education is overrated,” Ariel said. “I never went to college.”

  “But you trained as a dancer since you could walk,” Enya pointed out and Ariel shrugged.

  “That is true. And I also won't be qualified to do anything but teach in a few years,” Ariel pointed out.

  “And maybe be crown princess?” Nicholas pointed out, and she shrugged.

  “But that's easy.”

  “Is it, now?” he smirked. “Give me your hands, girls.”

  “Cole normally holds me,” Enya said. “Because I'm small, and the landing is jarring.”

  “Right,” Nicholas replied, putting an arm around her waist. She reminded him of Rosa, and it put a pang in chest. “Ariel, here.”

  “I'm tall,” she said, as she took his other side. “But if you jar the landing and affect my first day of rehearsal, I will kill you.”

  “Excellent,” he replied, and closed his eyes.

  The magic swirled from his palms. Alexander was right; it was a bit difficult with two of them. But he had little trouble, and they were soon smoothly on Earth.

  “How was th
at for a landing, Precious?” he teased Ariel, who shrugged.

  “I've had better. Thanks, though. I'm going this way, and I'll be done at four.”

  “You have my number?” he spun around to Enya, who seemed intent to head in the other direction.

  “I do,” she replied. “Thank you.”

  It wasn't long before he was alone on the sidewalk. He made sure both of them were out of eyesight before he bolted.

  He hadn't lied to Alexander; he was taking over some Earth accounts. Most of it involved checking in on dragons who had chosen to move off Umora. He didn't have much to do today, and he cheated, using magic for every move. He had spent most of last night mapping out the open vortexes so he could travel as fast as possible. He knew that he was taking a risk, but he tried to be as careful as possible.

  Before noon, he had checked off everything on his list. At last, he could do what he came here to do. He had found a vortex that was much closer to where Rosa was, and he used it now, pushing his magic to the limit. He knew he couldn't use anymore if he wanted to safety get back and transport the girls.

  He found himself near the mall where she worked. He experienced a surge of happiness as he walked toward the mall. He felt like the world was perfect as he got to spend another few hours with Rosa. He had a plan to shop for a few new outfits–anything to help her commission. He could buy several things without drawing too much attention to himself. He had the book tucked under his arm and planned to leave it in the dressing room. Everything was perfectly planned out.

  What he didn't plan for was the outside of the mall to be blocked by an ambulance. The lights were flashing, and he blinked, almost blinded as he stepped around it. He had always thought the way humans dealt with emergencies was a bit obnoxious. They panicked so much, running and just adding to the stress of the moment.

  But then, they didn't have an instant healing touch at their fingertips. They had to take their patients somewhere far away, usually dodging traffic.

  He was so distracted by these thoughts that it took him a moment to notice that the crowd was in Rosa's store.

  His heart sunk, and he tried to push his way through the crowd. He was taller than most people, but not all, and quite a crowd had gathered.

  He elbowed and ducked his way to the front. And to his horror, there was his Rosa, lying on the floor. She was awake, up on her elbows, her legs sprawled out under her. As the paramedics lifted her gently, he watched as her legs supported no weight. She looked terrified as she met his eyes. She held out her hand, and he went to her and took it without thinking.

  The whole store saw, and there was no taking it back. They were exposed.

  Chapter 5

  “Who are you?” one of the paramedics asked. Nicholas looked to Rosa who bit her lip, her eyes frantic.

  “He's a friend,” she said at last. “He can come with us.”

  “All right,” the paramedic replied, and didn't even give Nicholas a second glance. “We're going to Mercy General. Your friend can come in the ambulance or follow in his car.”

  “Please come with me,” she said, and he squeezed her hand. He could erase the minds of the entire crowd right now, but he would have no magic left to do anything, including heal her if it came to that. He didn't let go of her hand as they moved, noting how cold it was.

  “Yes, of course,” he said. “What happened, love? Are you in pain?”

  “No,” she said. “That's the problem.”

  “What happened?”

  “I fell.” She met his eyes. “And I can't feel my legs.”

  His eyes fluttered closed for a moment, knowing exactly what this was. They had to play this game and go to the hospital. But while Rosa's vitals would likely be fine, he knew they would not find a cause for this sudden paralysis. They would have to run the tests, listen to the doctors, and try to sneak out.

  But nothing the doctors could do would help. Her magic was leaving her.

  “Who can we call?” he asked, and she shook her head.

  “No one. Just wait,” she said, wanting to be alone with him before she could speak freely.

  The ride to the hospital was excruciatingly long. They kept trying to check vitals on her and tried to make sure she was comfortable. But aside from being terrified, Rosa was fine. She wanted Nicholas close by, but she didn't need anything else.

  As soon as they were alone in a room, she dropped her voice, whispering to him.

  “I can text the coven that is looking after me. But if they come, and you're here….”

  “I can feel them coming,” he assured her. “If you need them, bring them here. I will make myself scarce. But, my love, I am so worried about you.”

  “Don't be,” she said, dryly. “It's happened before like this for long periods of time.”

  “What?” he asked. “You told me that it was just brief, that it was just–”

  “It's gotten worse,” she admitted, and he winced. “Nicholas, don't be afraid. We always knew that it would come to this.”

  “We knew that things might happen slowly,” he said softly. “We didn't know it would vanish all at once.”

  “Maybe we'll get it back,” she said, and that was when he remembered the book. He had been carrying it under his arm so long that it almost felt like a part of him.

  She shifted so that he could put it down on the bed.

  He didn't quite know what he was looking for. He had raided Cole's bookshelf in secret, looking for anything that could relate to ancestral magic.

  The Halloway line was one of the oldest, but it had always been weak, if he was truthful with himself. Their numbers were always small, keeping mostly to themselves and not trusting outsiders. That was probably how they got to be in the situation they were in now.

  The book spanned a few clans, but mentioned the Halloway clan more than once.

  For a while, Rosa was quiet. Since her clan had died out mostly before she was born, she didn't know much about them. She turned page after page, fascinated by the history.

  To anyone who wandered into the room, it looked just like a fantasy book, and so neither of them bothered to hide it. They took blood, they took her CT and MRI scans, and then returned her. Neither of them expected an answer, and they barely listened, waiting for the moment when they could be released.

  “Not exactly the way you expected the day to go, is it?” Nicholas asked with a smile as he got her a mid-afternoon snack. “But it is a lovely way to spend a day with you.”

  “Flatter-er,” she said, and then looked up at the clock. “When do you have to go?”

  “I….” The answer was soon, although he didn't want to say it. “Never.”

  “Nicholas,” she said. “I've been with you long enough to know when you are lying.”

  “I'm supposed to retrieve the girls at 4 P.M,” he said, “but they can wait.”

  “Rosa,” a doctor burst into the room then. “How are we doing?”

  “I just want to go home,” she answered truthfully.

  “I see,” he replied. “And I understand that you've been through this before?”

  “A few times,” she said. “It always goes away.”

  “Rosa, you don't seem too concerned for someone who has paralysis,” the doctor sat down on her bed. “Do you know what's going on?”

  “I…,” she glanced to Nicholas. “I have Guillain-Barré syndrome.”

  “What?” The doctor asked. “You've been diagnosed with that?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “I have. And I'm being treated for it. I was too scared to tell my work, and I was too scared to tell you,” she grabbed Nicholas’ hand, urging him to play along. “I'm sorry.”

  “Oh, my love,” he replied, trying to play the part. The worst part was, although the words weren't real, the emotion was.

  “I see,” the doctor said. “And you are under regular treatment?”

  “Yes,” she assured him. “Please, I'm sorry for wasting your time.”

  “I see.” He looked
down at his clipboard and seemed relieved that he didn't have to diagnose this complicated case. “Well, if you know what's happening, and you are under regular treatment, I don't see any reason to keep you.”

  “Yes,” she practically begged.

  “Well…,” the doctor paused. “You can refuse treatment here. But I don't recommend it.”

  “Please,” she said, and he agreed.

  “I'll get you the paperwork. But I sincerely hope you are being treated elsewhere.”

  “Of course,” she said, and he relented. Only then did she turn back to Nicholas, sighing. “That was close.”

  “What's Guillain-Barré syndrome?” he managed to ask, confused.

  “It's a syndrome that would mirror my symptoms,” she said. “Of course, if they did invasive blood tests, it wouldn't be there. But to a doctor's face, it's a good explanation.”

  “You researched this?” he asked in surprise.

  “I had to be prepared,” she replied. “Otherwise, it could happen like today, and I'd be stuck here for months.”

  “Would that be so bad?” he asked. “You are safe and warm here.”

  “Nicholas,” she gave him a look. “I don't live in a palace with my bills paid by the people. I need to pay my rent.”

  His heart ripped. “Rosa, you can't do this forever. We have to find out what's happening.”

  “We know what's happening,” she said, and gave him a look. “That magic is fading.”

  “Yes, but so fast?” he asked, and then he gasped. “This is related to the veil dropping.”

  “The veil? From the Other?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said. “It dropped, and we had no idea why. Now, your magic is vanishing.”

  “It's an interesting theory,” she said, “but weren't the carapaces involved in sucking magic out of things?”

  “This isn't the carapaces,” he replied. “Not since Ariel became in charge. I have to talk to Cole. I feel if I present this theory, he'll have ideas.”

  “You have to go,” she reached for his hand. He squeezed it silently. He didn't want to go. He wanted to take her in his arms and return her to her bed, snuggling up safe and warm. But four o’clock was fast approaching, and he knew he needed to go or risk their cover being exposed. They had already taken too many risks today.