Clara and Ezra

by Lindsey Richardson

  Declan paced in front of Nina. I parted my teeth from my lips, tasting blood, and gripped my hands on the edge of my seat. I looked for emotion in my mother, some sign that she still felt something. Instead she, like Claire, remained un-phased by these accounts.

  I remembered Jhase’s retelling of that fateful day. I remembered his tears, how painfully he had forced the words out. This was not what I had expected from my mother. This was not a person I wanted to be related to anymore.

  “On Clara’s twentieth birthday an incident occurred. Her life was threatened by Ren Axelos, and he was arrested. This all occurred while you were away on ‘business.’ The next morning when you returned you were informed by Gemma Christofis that Clara would be traveling to Ninomay for Ren’s trial.

  “After Clara’s departure she never returned to Rajoor, did she?”

  Nina shook her head. “They told me the trial had been delayed. I knew nothing good could come of her presence in Ninomay. I wanted her to come home, but she never did.”

  “Did you blame Jhase for this? After all, Clara has taken the Kanelos name. She’s been reunited with her sister, and despite all of this, you were left alone in Rajoor. It seems you lost control of everything,” Declan said.

  Nina’s brows furrowed.

  At her silence Declan pushed further. “You lost control and you blamed Jhase. You plotted against him. Except this time you went too far, so far that you snapped, and you killed him.”

  Nina’s mouth twitched, and I held my breath. Would she admit it? Was she, as I had suspected, the person responsible for my father’s death?

  Someone knocked at the door. Once, twice, and then three more times.

  I froze. Everyone in the room stared at the door. No one was to interrupt a trial, not even the Watchers.

  Declan approached the door, opening it but blocking my view. He stepped aside, allowing a Watcher to enter the room. Her long white hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her eyes were a bright blue and stood out against her dark uniform. She was beautiful, but a scar on her neck told the story of a fighter.

  She clear her throat and said, “There’s been another murder.”

  22

  Blood Bath

  I held my hands to my mouth. I looked to Claire, but she too was stunned by this news. The other councilors murmured amongst each other. With Nina having spent last night and this morning in the palace, who was responsible for this recent murder? The last time bodies dropped like this was during Ivan’s reign. I shuddered at the thought of our world turning into a pool of blood again.

  “Lock up the prisoner. This trial is postponed until further notice,” Declan said firmly. He looked to Lukas and nodded.

  Lukas grabbed Nina’s arm and directed her out of the room. Meanwhile Declan stepped aside, allowing the female Watcher to present herself to the Council. Everyone looked to her, our only hope of gaining insight into the recent murder.

  “What happened, Everly? Tell us everything,” Claire said, now standing up.

  “A wife came home to find out her husband had been murdered. No one saw the killer. Watchers are at the residence now, searching for clues,” she explained.

  Claire shook her head, beating her fist against the table.

  “This is not possible!” she yelled.

  “It also appears this man was stabbed in the same manner as Jhase. No signs of magic use was reported in the area prior to the murder.”

  Claire slammed her hand on the table, harder this time. The others jumped, and the room fell silent. I felt like a child again. Confused, scared, not knowing where to go or what to do next. Just like when Nina had left me home alone.

  “This isn’t possible, Everly! Brief Lukas. Have him join you and do a thorough investigation inside the house. Don’t come back till you have answers,” Claire snapped.

  Everly nodded and quickly rushed out of the room.

  I stood up slowly, knowing that this task was not solely meant for Watchers. Ren and Jhase had not been coincidences, and I needed to know for my own sanity the identity of the third man.

  “I will go with them,” I said calmly, trying to sound confident.

  “You will do no such thing!” Claire hissed.

  “I am not in the Council! I’m not your prisoner! If I want to go, I will go. You have your role, now let me have mine. Let me go, Claire,” I yelled more firmly.

  She stared at me with wide eyes. I dared to challenge her in front of the entire Council. In front of the very people who were supposed to follow her orders. Lukas had warned me before not to challenge Claire’s orders, but I did not want to be a councilor. I didn’t desire to be treated one solely because I sat in on Council meetings. Claire was our leader, but she was not a queen. This was still a democracy.

  Claire had her role, and I remained Jhase’s daughter, Claire’s sister, but beyond that my purpose was unclear. I needed more of a purpose than that on Ninomay.

  Ezra stood up and cleared his throat. Claire’s glare was enough to kill.

  “I will accompany Clara,” he said.

  More softly , I added, “Ever since I came to Ninomay I’ve felt I can make a difference. I might not hold a title, but I’d like to think I can at least help. I want to find Father’s murderer. If it gives you a peace of mind, allow Ezra to come with me.”

  Claire’s eyes lowered to the ground.

  “Fine… go,” she said hesitantly.

  “Thank—”

  She cut me off. “Now!”

  Her voice rang in my ears, and I dared not challenge her now. Without looking at Ezra, I rushed out of the room without another word. I dared not stay longer and risk changing her mind.

  Footsteps followed behind me.

  I rushed to the railing, keeping a safe distance from the meeting room. Ezra came up behind me, brushing his hand against my arm.

  “She will forgive you. Come on,” Ezra said, nudging me.

  He led the way, and I followed closely behind without further hesitation. Someone had been murdered, another male to fall victim to a villain’s plot. Did we have a serial killer on our hands? Was Nina working with multiple people? I pushed the questions to them furthest place in my mind.

  We stepped outside, and Ezra asked a Watcher to point us in the right direction. The man offered to lead us, though a murder in town was certain to cause chaos in the streets. I doubted we would be able to walk past the scene of the crime.

  The Watcher led us into the street, and through the market street. I noticed the crowd of locals piled in front of a hovel instantly.

  We pushed through the crowd while locals surrounding us murmured and several cried. It was impossible to see, but at last we broke through the crowd and found the entrance to the house.

  Watchers stood guarding the door. They nodded to the one who accompanied us and moved aside.

  We entered the hovel, and the Watchers resumed their positions. A woman sat on the couch, huddled over and crying. I assumed she had been the one to find the body.

  Blood splatter covered the first wall I laid eyes on. I gasped and held my breath as we stepped further inside. Watchers surrounded us, covering every corner of the house. I caught a glimpse of Lukas, who’s good by the doorway to what I assumed to be the bedroom.

  Lukas glanced back and moved aside, allowing us entrance. A man laid face down, sprawled out on the bed. The sheets were stained red and more blood covered the walls. A vase lay shattered on the floor. The pieces were scattered everywhere. A single dead rose laid in the water on the floorboards.

  A knife was pierced through the man’s back along with a piece of paper. I stepped closer, careful not to disturb the shattered vase. I felt sick. It was the reward poster for Nina’s whereabouts. though I did not know the man, it seemed he might have known my mother. Was this what happened to those who betrayed her? And if so, how many people remained alive, roaming the island freely, and ready to kill for this cause?

  “Fuck…” Lukas said, shaking his head.

 
I stared at the body. Memories of Father’s corpse entered my mind. Had this been how they found him? Had no one told me the extent of pain in which he died.

  Ezra frowned, glancing around the room.

  “It seems this man put up a fight,” Ezra said. His eyes fell on me and he added, “Jhase was never given the chance. He likely died without the slightest idea.”

  I exhaled. It was a horror to see anyone’s life come to an end like this, and I thanked Circe my father had not known this level of brutality. However, I still believed this murder to be linked to the others. I wanted to tear this room apart for clues. I wanted the person responsible for this to be sitting in a cell like my mother.

  The rose… I thought, remembering Claire stated they had found one in Father’s room.

  I knew of two certainties. One: Nina had not committed this murder. She had been jailed during the night and in trial during the morning. And two: Nina was not alone. The dead rose was a reminder that this had happened before, and it could happen again at any time, to anyone.

  “The man was Vincent Rokos, owner of a bakery shop. Married, one child. His wife found him like this… We haven’t questioned her yet,” Everly explained.

  “Well, let’s question her, shall we?” Lukas said, gesturing for us to follow his lead.

  He approached the coach. The woman hadn’t moved since we arrived. She continued to sob into her hands, ignoring our presence altogether.

  “Ma’am? Ma’am, can you here me?” Lukas asked softly.

  She continued to cry.

  “Ma’am? Ma’am, my name is Lukas Pavlous. I’m with the Watchers. I’d like to ask you some questions, to help make sense of this horrible attack on your husband,” Lukas explained.

  He knelt down, pulling out the key pendant that hung from his necklace. He held it out in her direction, and she lifted up her head, wiping away her tears, and studied it.

  “My… my name is Natalia,” she stuttered, sniffing as she spoke.

  “Alright, Natalia, can you tell me anything about what happened?” Lukas asked.

  She shook her head.

  “I… I came home and… And I just found him like this! And then… I called. I called for a Watcher right away and told them Vincent had…” her voice trailed off. It seemed she couldn’t bring herself to saying it, and no one in the room would dare force her. I, out of everyone here, understood that better than anyone.

  “Did, um, did your husband know Nina Nasso? The name that’s on the reward poster?”

  “Maybe? I really don’t know. I heard she used to live here years ago, but my husband… My husband really wouldn’t have done anything wrong. He’s always stayed out of trouble,” Natalia replied.

  I frowned. While I did not know Vincent, it seemed unlikely he had not known my mother. It was not a coincidence that her reward poster had been left with the body. What had Vincent done or known to be brutally murdered in his own home? There was only one man we knew of so far who had a clear vendetta against my father.

  “Did he have any kind of relationship with Elias Pavlous?” I asked.

  Natalia looked at me with a puzzled expression. Elias had openly betrayed my father, destroying his place in society along with what little remained of his family’s reputation. We had thought Alesia and Vanessa to be the only conspirators, but my father’s murder was a personal attack on my family. Something evil was at work here.

  “Elias Pavlous, the man who just died? Wasn’t he on the Council? No… no, if Vincent knew him it was only as an acquittance. I’m telling you… my husband was a good man. I don’t know who would wish harm upon him,” Natalia said.

  “Thank you, Natalia. You’ve been very helpful. I’m sorry for your loss,” Lukas replied.

  He cleared his throat and walked back in the direction of the corpse. Ezra and I followed him, seeing as neither of us knew where to be at this very moment. Natalia seemed clueless and confused. She knew as well as us that this crime was too violent to have happened to an innocent local business man.

  “We can look into our records, see what else we find out about this man. Tell me, what are you thinking?” Lukas asked, looking directly at me.

  “Elias might be dead, but it seems he had more allies than Alesia and Vanessa. Bellona said he kept business and pleasure separate. Perhaps more women fell under his spell? Or he used his power to persuade others to join against Jhase. I doubt Elias would have willingly risked his title and his life if he didn’t have others supporting his claim.”

  “Good idea. Ezra, look into our records. I’ll leave Everly in charge of working the scene here. And Clara, you’re with me. It’s time we put names to the dead bodies. Well… besides this one,” Lukas said.

  At my hesitation he added, “Your attacker, the one who caused the fire at the tavern? His body was sent to the doctor for further explanation. He’s asked that I pay him a visit. Perhaps once we have the man’s identity we can figure out what the connection is.”

  Ezra and I exchanged glances. I doubted either of us had been prepared to see the blood bath Vincent laid in. Ezra stared at me, and without saying a word,d he left. I watched him go, knowing while I sought after him Lukas’s attention remained on me.

  I turned around and faced Lukas again. For a moment his eyes softened and the faintest smile appeared on his face. It was gone in an instant, but I did not forget. When he looked at me he saw Claire. He saw the lover he lost.

  23

  Death’s Grip

  Lukas and I arrived at a hovel, which he explained belonged to the doctor, Zachariah. The same doctor who had showed me Father’s body. His hovel was a short distance from Vincent’s home, as he had to live close to the palace, being the Council’s primary doctor.

  Lukas knocked twice and then entered without waiting for Zachariah’s appearance.

  Inside the hovel were numerous spell books and herbs. Small bottles with liquids covered the shelves. Opened books and scattered papers consumed the room. A desk and a table with a candle offered some sense of sanity. Rough sketches of bodies and body parts hung from the walls.

  Lukas walked through the room without any hesitation, as it seemed he had been here before.

  The second room he led me into contained two large vertical tables, one of which seemed to contain a body. The corpse remained covered by a white blanket.

  A shiver crept up my spine as a memory of father’s body, covered by white fabric, flashed through my mind.

  “Doctor?” Lukas called out.

  Footsteps approached, and Zachariah entered from the other doorway. His long, ashy hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he wore small, round glasses at the end of his nose. His green eyes studied us.

  “You had news to share with me? Did we identify the body yet? The one belonging to the tavern mage?” Lukas asked.

  “The man was Kade Toles. Apparently a local to Ninomay. Several people in town have confirmed this,” Zachariah replied.

  “Any family?”

  “A sister. I can provide you with her information if it would help,” he answered.

  Lukas nodded, approaching the corpse slowly. I remained uncertain of who lay on that table. uncertain if I wanted to see another corpse. Another pair of lifeless eyes. Since Father’s death I could not keep my head above the water.

  “Another murder occurred today. I’ll have Watchers bring the body to you. Let me know if you find anything,” Lukas said.

  Zachariah raised his brow. “What am I looking for, sir?”

  Staring at the corpse, Lukas replied, “I’m not quite sure…”

  Lukas turned around and faced me, gesturing we see ourselves to the exit. I gratefully accepted the idea and rushed to the front door. Lukas made no comment on my actions, but I sought to escape Death’s grip. Death had followed me ever since my return to Ninomay.

  I stepped outside and inhaled deeply. I listened as the door closed behind me and Lukas’s footsteps closed in on me.

  “I had thought this would be over whe
n we arrested Nina,” I said.

  I stared out at the night’s sky. Not even the cover of nightfall offered any comfort. I remembered Nina’s words in the darkness. It seemed she and her allies struck during the night or early mornings.

  “Remember, Elias did not work alone. If your mother plays any part in this, she has allies. No one has ever been known to murder a head councilor. Arresting Nina was only the beginning,” Lukas said softly.

  I shuddered. It was not over. It was far from over, and even with Nina in a cell I wondered how much longer it would be before we could ensure safety. When would mages be able to travel again? How would anyone come together in a time of tragedy when we remained trapped?

  Lukas advanced so that he was standing in front of me and held up a piece of paper. I stared blankly at it, though in the dark I could no make out anything it said.

  “Come sunrise we’ll speak with Kade’s sister,” Lukas explained.

  I nodded and followed him back to our horse. I had been in such a rush to leave the doctor’s house I had forgotten about Kade’s sister. I assumed she lives somewhere in Ninomay, since Zachariah had said Kade himself had been a resident. Hopefully she, unlike my grandfather, could offer some insight into her brother’s line of work.

  Lukas mounted the horse, holding out his hand afterward to help raise me up. I sat behind him, wrapping my arms around his body as he navigated the horse home.

  We passed Vincent’s house, and I wondered what work laid ahead of the Watchers and Lukas for the remainder of this night. I thought about the men and women who would spend time away from their families to clean up this mess.

  And then there was my mother. Though she would be locked away for another night, I wondered how large of a role she had played in this. Did she give the command? Did she hire these people? Nina had paid off Watchers in the past. Had she found poor folk prone to their weakness?

  We reached the palace, and I dismounted while Lukas stayed on the horse. I frowned at the realization he would not be returning to the palace with me.