She wrings her hands. “You were a secret and safe. Anonymous. How did he find out? You have to leave here. We have to leave.”
“This is crazy. I’m not leaving. Where am I supposed to go? You’re not making sense.”
I push my chair back from the table, but she seizes hold of my wrist.
“How can you be so stupid, girl? You are not safe here.”
“I’m staying. My visions showed me someone wants to kill Xander Daxx and Storm. Not me. I need to make sure they’re safe.”
“Xander Daxx put himself in danger!” she cries out. “A marriage between otherkind and human royalty has not happened in the modern era. Some people desperately want this marriage to fail for their own political ambitions. Both otherkind and human. Xander Daxx is well aware of that. He can take care of himself.”
“Not this time! It was the Devil Claw Killer!”
Her face goes completely white. “What did you say?”
“It was DCK. I saw it.”
“It was DCK? Your vision showed him here in the castle? Are you sure?”
Not waiting for my answer she runs over to her bed and drags a large suitcase out from under it. She struggles, as if the case is heavy, like it is already packed.
“What are you doing?”
“Didn’t you hear anything I said? He wants to kill you, girl, and now he’s found you.”
I laugh but it comes out high pitched, and hysterical. “It’s not me he’s coming for. I told you that.”
“You may bear the Godstone, girl, but you are just human. And defenseless. You need to leave here. Tonight.”
I shake my head. “I’m not leaving Storm.”
“There is a safe house I can take you to until I think of where to go next.”
“You aren’t listening to me,” I tell her.
“Don’t be so stubborn. There is nothing for you here. This man Storm that you are obsessing over is just a pretty face. He will forget you by the time this week is over and move on to the next beautiful girl. Your stone is too precious to risk.”
My stone. That’s all she cares about. Not about me, a girl who just wants to be normal. I don’t want her stupid destiny. I just want a life of my own.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I tell her. “I survived life at the Coltons and I will survive this too. From now on I’m going to choose what to do with my life. I’m not scared of them anymore.”
She pauses from dragging her suitcase over to the door. Her face has gone still. “You don’t know,” she says in a faint voice.
“Know what?”
“I thought you were just a selfish girl, but you don’t know.”
“Know what?” I ask, louder this time.
She takes a few hesitant steps towards me, sympathy on her face. “The Coltons are dead. The Devil Claw Killer murdered them.”
Chapter 35
DIANA
“He killed them,” Ms Celeste says. “I’m so sorry.”
But I am not looking at her. A shudder runs through me and I experience an odd feeling of looking right through her as if she is semi-transparent. And behind her, almost merging with her, is a giant red clawed pawprint. I see it for the briefest flash. Then it is gone and she is there in front of me, reaching for my arm.
The blood drains from my face as I stare at her, this stranger with her austere face and her intense eyes that are staring at me. Staring.
“It’s okay,” she says, taking me by the arm. “I won’t let him get you.”
“It really is you,” I whisper, snatching my arm away.
“We don’t have time for this. We need to leave right now. Once we’re gone–”
“Liar. Why did you say the Coltons are dead? They’re not dead.”
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Diana.”
My name sounds odd coming out of her mouth. There is something weird about the way she says it, a greedy possessiveness.
“You work for Princess Caroline,” I hiss. “I don’t trust you. For all I know, you’re the one who killed my mother. You’re the… Oh my God, it’s you. You stay the hell away from me.”
She reaches for me, but I run out of the room. I run to the stairwell that we came from. A single glance behind me shows her standing in her doorway, watching me, like she knows I can’t get away. She reaches out her hand, as if beseeching me to come back, as if she cares. It is so convincing that I almost stop. Almost.
I go through the stairwell door and slam it shut behind me. I wish I had a key to lock it with. To lock her and her lies behind me. A headache has begun to pound in my skull. I feel sickened. I want to crawl into a quiet, dark space and sleep. I want to go back to my room and hide. But that is cowardly. That won’t help Storm. I need to find him now.
Ms Celeste confessed that she is the only survivor of her order. She could have killed them all. She could have killed my mother. She believes my navelstone is powerful. Did she want it for herself? Did she invite me here not to kill me but to keep me?
I have run down several flights to the second floor. My room is on this floor. I wonder if Storm might be there waiting for me. It seems unlikely. I curse myself for not memorizing his phone number. I have no idea where his room is, or whether he will be annoyed to have me bang on his door in the middle of the night. I wish I could go to Lila for help. But she is mad at me.
I wait there frozen with indecision. Ms Celeste could come at any moment. But she hasn’t. What does that mean? Is she going after Storm and Xander first? What if tonight is the night? I need to warn Storm. I need to find him.
My plan worked and I’ve flushed out the killer. It makes sense. Ms Celeste works for Princess Caroline, who is the only one with a personal connection to both Storm and Xander. Caroline showed me her dark side the first time we met. Her vengeful jealous streak. It no longer seems a stretch to think she would have a hired killer on staff.
I continue hurrying down the narrow spiral staircase, the metal cold and rough on my bare feet. A draft of cold air seems to be coming in from below. The silken robe I am wearing is thin, and already I feel chilled through. It makes my headache worse. I must look a sight. I cannot go walking through the castle like this, but I’ve no choice.
When I get to the ground floor, I find that the castle is thankfully quiet. It is very late. I have no doubt the ball is probably still in full swing but it is on the opposite end of the castle where I have no intention of going. I navigate the quiet hallways, feeling ridiculous in my robe, and trying to look like I am intentionally wearing it. A succubus in a robe is what they’ll think I am. That’s not too odd hopefully.
The quietness makes this part of the castle feel abandoned. It fills me with dread, as if a menace could be lurking in the shadows, watching.
When I get to the lobby, the usual trusty member of staff is manning the reception desk. It is a young guy. I put on a smile, hoping it is sultry. I bat my eyelashes at him. I spin him a story about Constantine Storm having asked me to meet him, but me getting hopelessly lost. I say I want to surprise him in his room with a romantic assignation.
The more I talk, the wider his smirk gets. He is ridiculously eager to help me, or rather to help Mr Storm. He shows me to Storm’s room and, when nobody answers after several knocks, he lets me in with a wink.
I cannot believe it was this easy. “Not a word to anyone,” I say, batting my lashes some more and putting a finger to my lips.
He hovers at the door, as if reluctant to go. I blow him a kiss to encourage his departure. He leaves, looking a little disappointed.
Alone at last. With a sigh of relief, I turn to survey Storm’s domain. It feels oddly intimate to be in his bedroom, especially without his permission.
I have no idea what he will think when he finds me here. The room is neat and tidy, like an untouched hotel room. The drapes are drawn around the four poster bed, momentarily making me think someone might be in there, but when I peep in it is empty. The bed is neatly made, the crisp sheets so tempting.
; My head is still pounding, and I feel so tired. I perch on the edge of the bed, hoping Storm will arrive soon. After minutes that seem like hours, my eyes start drooping shut. Telling myself Storm won’t mind if I lie down for a few minutes, I slip between the sheets and close my eyes. There is a faint aroma of an almost floral scent. I wonder where Storm is. Whether he got in trouble for fighting with the royal fiancé. Naturally Caroline’s guards would have taken Xander’s side.
I wonder where they take unruly guests. Is he there right now, talking himself out of trouble? He’s probably safer there surrounded by security guards than here in his own room where staff will apparently let anyone in who asks. I’ll warn him about that. I try to stay awake, but I can already feel myself dozing off.
My sleep is full of nightmares. Flashes of images. Blood on white sheets. That relentless arm strangling Storm. The booming ring of a gunshot in the quiet night. A bloom of crimson blood spreading over Xander’s shirt. I jerk awake many times, but drift off again almost immediately and back in to the nightmares. They are vivid and fill me with a sense of emptiness, like I am going to lose.
I awake filled with nausea and dread. My whole body is trembling. Enough light is coming in through the gap in the drapes for me to tell hours have passed and it is morning. Why isn’t Storm back yet? And then I hear what woke me. Muffled voices in the hallway outside.
Before I can even move, there is a quiet click of the door opening. I am about to get up and say Storm’s name when I realize two people have come into the room, one speaking quietly in a language I do not recognize. Then comes the sound of the door being pushed firmly shut.
People are in the room. The shock of it keeps me frozen and still under the duvet. The woman is speaking. Her voice is clipped, concise, clear. Not Ms Celeste, whose voice was huskier.
I lay completely still, thankful for the hanging drapes that are fully drawn around the bed except for the gap I left when I crawled in. The people are on the far side of the room, out of my line of sight. And I am out of theirs. I hold my breath as if that will keep me invisible.
“You want me to go look for her?” says the woman, effortlessly switching languages.
Now she is speaking English, I recognize her. The urge to peek between the drapes to check if it really is her is so strong that I have to force myself to stay still. What the heck is Nurse Remi doing here in Storm’s room? How did she get in? Does she have a key? Does she work for Caroline too? The other person does not answer. I hear the quiet beep of a phone being checked.
“I’m sorry, okay?” Nurse Remi sounds defensive now. “I was worried you might be in trouble with royal security. I thought it was best to—”
“I told you to stay on her,” a man says.
His voice comes as a shock. It is Storm. I cannot believe it. What is he doing here with Nurse Remi?
“Sorry Boss,” Nurse Remi says. “I put a trace on her. I thought it would be fine.”
“Clearly it hasn’t worked if you don’t know where she is.”
Boss? Did she just call him boss?
“I put the trace elixir on her clothes,” says Nurse Remi. “I had to spread it thin, but there was just enough on each item to locate her within the castle. I’m sure of it. She must have left the grounds.”
“Or she caught on to us and is wearing someone else’s clothes.” Storm’s voice is cool and emotionless. I have never heard him sound like that. He sounds like a stranger.
There is an awkward pause. Nurse Remi says, “I guess.” She sounds miserable.
The phone beeps again.
“Are you going to answer that?” says Nurse Remi. “Is it Leo?”.
“It’s the chief,” says Storm impatiently. “He wants an update.”
“What are you going to tell him?”
“I’m not sure yet. Call Leo. See if he’s found anything. Because the last thing I want is to tell the chief that we’ve lost Diana Bellona, our only murder suspect.”
Chapter 36
STORM
Storm is seething but he makes sure to not let it show. He is angry at himself, not at Remi. It is his fault that they lost Diana. He was supposed to have been keeping tabs on her when he’d gotten into that damn stupid fight with Xander, and now she is gone. Worse, she has not called him.
Storm tries not to worry about this. She does not have a mobile phone. But what sort of person does not have a mobile phone?
While Remi makes a call to Leo, Storm listens to the newest voicemail the chief has left for him. It is in addition to the three the chief left while Storm had been detained by Caro’s household guard. This new voicemail is short, and the chief sounds incensed where before he had sounded merely angry. It ends with a shouted, “Call me back right NOW!” Which is bad given that the chief is not normally inclined towards shouting.
Storm sees Remi shake her head at him to indicate that Leo has not managed to track down Diana Bellona. Sighing, Storm makes his own call. The chief answers immediately.
“What the hell are you doing at the Royal Engagement Gala?” the chief roars. “Bad enough I’ve got the Americans on my case about you bulldozing in on their territory, but now you’ve launched an investigation at a royal residence in which we have absolutely ZERO AUTHORITY!”
“I was invited here as a guest of the princess, sir,” Storm responds coolly.
“Guest, my ass! She may have invited you, but you damn well know you had no intention of attending before this murder! And then you get into a scuffle with Xander Daxx over the girl, our supposed suspect, and it’s all over social media. ONE OF MY AGENTS! Fighting over a girl!”
Remi gives Storm a look that is part pitying, part ‘I told you so’. Storm scowls at her.
“It wasn’t what it looked like, sir,” he says, knowing it sounds weak. “Daxx was upset about a meeting I’d had with Princess Caroline earlier in the evening. It was nothing to do with Diana.”
“That’s not what it looked like!” the chief snaps. “Is Xander Daxx going to sue this Agency? That’s what I want to know.”
“He won’t,” says Storm through gritted teeth. Daxx and Caroline did not like to air their private life in public or they’d damn well have reported the death threats made to Daxx’s life to the Agency already.
Last night Caroline had found out Storm was an agent. She’d assumed he’d somehow heard about the death threats and that he’d come to the party to investigate. She had told Storm in no uncertain terms to stay out of what she insisted was a private matter. As if the murder of a notorious Otherworld billionaire like Daxx could ever be a private matter.
“And what were you meeting Princess Caroline about?” the chief asks peevishly.
“A private matter.”
The chief grunts in annoyance. “This investigation is a shambles. And how the hell did you know that the suspect was going to be at this party anyway?” the chief demands.
“Diana Bellona is not a suspect, sir. Not yet. The Americans only want her for questioning.”
This is technically true but Storm knows he is skating on thin ice. At the picnic yesterday Diana had practically admitted her guilt to him. But then she had gone and spread that rumor at the party later. His instinct tells him a killer wouldn’t try to draw attention to herself that way. He’d decided to trust her a little longer.
“Yes, I’ve heard all about it from the Americans!” the chief roars. “I should have heard about it from you! The damn girl disappears on the day that her uncle and aunt are murdered by DCK, the global media’s favorite goddamn serial killer, and you somehow know exactly where she is.”
“It was–”
The chief cuts him off. “How did you find her? And don’t you give me any horseshit about bumping into her by chance at this party!”
“I have my sources,” Storm says in a clipped voice. Despite the shouting he quite likes his boss, and there is no way he can admit that the only way he found Diana is because he has been keeping unofficial tabs on Xander Daxx for years. That wa
s how he knew Diana was on the party-plane flight list. Finding Diana had been a coincidence, but not the sort he can tell his boss about without losing his job.
“Your obsession with DCK is going to get you in trouble,” the chief says wearily. “The murders are not within our jurisdiction this time. And why the hell would this Bellona girl be helping a serial killer? How is she supposed to have met him?”
“That’s what I came here to find out.”
“And did you?”
“I’m working on it, sir.”
The chief huffs in frustration. “If this Bellona girl tells her royal friends you’ve launched an unauthorized undercover investigation at a royal event, the palace will have my ass on a platter. And God forbid if the girl goes to the press! You’d better pray this Bellona girl has swallowed this ‘Disillusioned-wastrel-son-of-a-movie-star’ act of yours.”
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