Clara and Ezra

by Lindsey Richardson

  “This is not my idea of friendship,” I said.

  Stefan knelt down, getting eye level with me.

  “Your father entrusted me with a secret he took to the grave. I’m more of a friend to you than anyone else,” he replied.

  “Daphne Barlow…” I whispered, growling at the memory of her arrival.

  I knew my cousin to have entertained women of different lifestyles and appearances, but now as it turned out Daphne was related to me. In some sick and twisted way my father had managed to destroy our family from the inside out. He had always blamed our misfortune on Ivan, but my father had his own kind of reign behind closed doors. He was a disgrace to the Pavlous name.

  Stefan raised his eyebrows. “Ah, so you’ve met?”

  “She’s the reason I’m here, isn’t she?” I asked.

  He stood up again, and his hesitation was more of an answer than anything he could have improved with. Daphne had acted irrationally. She had put herself at risk, something Stefan would not have done. He had managed to stay out of the spotlight, despite the killings and Nina’s arrest. We had suspected him but never gained a reliable lead on him. The only reason I knew him now was because he chose it. This was worse than we had imagined.

  “Why am I here?” I asked, trying to remain calm. Stefan had every advantage now, and if I led on that I feared him it would only strengthen his hold over me.

  “We’re going to make you an offer,” he said, offering a wild smile.

  An endless stream of questions ran through my mind. I thought about Clara. If she was here she’d be asking him questions about her mother. She would be asking what he had done to the people on our island.

  Was Stefan the one who had ended Jhase’s life? Had he let Nina slip away in the middle of the night to reunite with her daughter, knowing she would be arrested? How much blood was on his hands?

  I forced a laugh.

  “What could you possibly offer me?” I asked.

  Stefan snapped his fingers, and a pair of strong arms lifted me up so that I was standing face to face with him. I tried to move my feet, but looking down, I realized they had been tied too. They had made it impossible for me to escape. The Council and the Watchers would not know where to look. My life laid in Stefan’s hands now, and every breath came at a cost.

  “I can offer you everything your family has lost and more. Power, your family’s reputation restored, and a life. I have watched you, dear boy, and ever since Elias’s death you spend your days with the Watchers. Guarding, protecting, and serving someone who never sees your full potential.

  “Everyone in this room is loyal to you. You want the killings to stop? Simple. Take your place on the Council. Ever since Claire’s reign everything has changed for the worst. People are trapped, the death count is increasing, and the palace has been invaded. Claire has lost control. Her loss is your gain.”

  “You’re wrong!” I yelled, struggling to be free of the hands that held me back.

  Stefan smiled, knowing full well that he was right. I had let me emotions show, and in truth I could not think of a defense for Claire. It was not her fought the murders happened at the beginning of her position as head Councilor.

  Though harsh to hear, Stefan offered an outsider’s view whereas I was bias. While we had put restrictions on transportation and filled areas with higher security, none of it had stopped the killings. Someone had nearly killed Ezra, meaning they could have easily attacked Claire.

  “Take control of the Council. Overthrow Claire while she’s vulnerable. We’ve done all of the dirty work for you, dear boy,” He said, stroking his chin and pausing for a moment.

  “Unless, of course, you think you can control Claire. If you were to marry her, you could still take charge and hold power over the Council. Or better yet… marry her sister. Clara is unfamiliar with Jhase and Ivan’s reign. Either way, you get a wife and a promotion out of it,” Stefan said.

  He waved his hand, and the arms released me, allowing me to fall to the floor. I felt weak, and I wondered if Stefan had given me something to deteriorate my strength. I stared up at him, waiting for something more, but he leaned down and blew out the candle.

  Countless footsteps distanced themselves from me. I sat in the darkness, not knowing who was left or if I was entirely alone.

  “The choice is yours. Choose your wife and make your move. Think of the power you could control within the Council. Perhaps you could free your dear sister from her imprisonment,” Stefan said. His voice grew distant.

  I listened to the sound of his footsteps against the wooden floor. How long would he leave me here?

  “Or,” Stefan added, pausing once more, “Suffer the consequences. Your mother will be the next to die. Come sunrise I will release you, and then we’ll see where your loyalty lies. Bellona, Claire, Clara, Keanu… This is only the beginning of many deaths. The choice is yours.”

  His footsteps continued, and then a door slammed shut. My body shook, and I stared into the darkness. I shifted and squirmed, but I knew the ropes and cuffs would to break free. I moved until I lost control and fell over on my side.

  I laid with my face against the wooden floor, feeling its coldness like it was the last thing I would remember. Stefan claimed he would release me tomorrow, but this felt like a place I was doomed to die in. I would rather choose death than make the kind of decision Stefan asked of me. But I would not be so lucky.

  I was Elias’s only son, or at least the only one I knew of. I would be forced to watch everyone die before I met my own fate.

  “I’m sorry…” I whispered.

  A tear rolled down my cheek. I did not know who I was apologizing to.

  I imagined Clara being here, fighting for her life. Or Claire, who would have argued with Stefan until her lungs gave out. I thought of every single person on the the Council who would have told Stefan they would go to the Void before choosing between the Kanelos sisters. They would risk losing everyone if only to fight until their dying breath. Was this the fate I would bring upon my friends and family?

  “Lukas will have a wife by the time of Claire’s wedding…” Father had said.

  I shuddered at the memory. This was a cruel way to have me choose a wife. Choose between the woman I loved and the woman I cared for. Perhaps Stefan knew me better than myself. I loved both of them.

  I had never shared an intimate moment with Clara, but I knew who held her heart. She had grown on me since her arrival in Ninomay, and she proved to be a reliable partner. I trusted her with my life, but could she trust me with hers? Had our search for answers led me to deciding who would live or die?

  Claire, on the other hand, had every piece of my heart scattered across the island. The garden, the palace, her bedroom, and even my own home… All of those places she had once held me, loved me, were now forever tinted. Somewhere along the way I had lost her because of my own selfishness and lust. I had acted like a boy when she desired a man. I had hid my feelings when she poured hers out to me. I had loved her more than any woman in my life, but now someone else carried her heart.

  “Dammit!” I hissed.

  Stefan had me cornered. He had offered me things I never imagined possible: a marriage with Claire, and a way to rescue my sister. But he also suggested a foulness like what my father had carried within him. The kind of darkness that would lead a family man to kidnapping an innocent woman for wealth and power. Something I wanted nothing of.

  “Don’t make me choose…” I whispered into the darkness.

  No one responded. I imagined Stefan and his allies had me locked away in a room where no one could hear me. I wanted to scream and curse, but I did not want to risk giving Stefan the satisfaction.

  If I chose, I would lose one of the women I loved. If I made no decision at all I would lose everyone I cared for. The island would be torn apart by Stefan’s hands.

  Stefan would return for me in the morning. It was the only certainty I held onto. And he would force me to choose even if it was with my
dying breath.

  32

  Dirty, Bloody Work

  Clara

  We arrived at Ahna’s house with no time to spare. In the distance the sound of horses grew closer, but we had no time to wait for our back up.

  I rushed into Ahna’s house with Keanu following closely behind me. I did not bother knocking. I barged into the door and searched everywhere for a sign of her.

  Don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead.

  I heard a baby crying and following the sound.

  Ahna stood in her bedroom, holding the baby against her chest. She stared at us in confusion, and I shook my head. There was no time to explain.

  “Ahna, you must come with us now. It’s not safe here,” I said, extending my hand to her.

  She kept her grip on the baby, seemingly tightening it.

  “N-now? What’s happened?”

  “There’s no time! Come with us. You’re the only connection we have to Stefan. We need you to find him,” I said, trying to refrain from raising my voice.

  Keanu stepped further into the room, walking directly past me.

  “Perhaps there was a place Kade would have gone to meet with Stefan? Somewhere only the two of you would have known about?” he asked, jumping into the conversation like he was the expert.

  “I…I…”

  I threw my hands up in the air and paced around the room. Heat rose to my cheeks while Keanu persisted on obtaining information from Ahna. Every second, every minute passing felt like another strike against Lukas’s chances of survival.

  We had the majority of the Watchers searching for Daphne and Nina, who had miraculously disappeared. In a matter of minutes we had lost three people, and I feared what it would mean if we did not find them.

  “There was… a manor my parents owned when they first married. Only Kade had ever been there as a baby. I never saw the place. It was called ‘Toles’s Manor.’ It’s at the far end of the island, in a town they call Ladesmoore.”

  I stopped pacing, and Keanu and I exchanged glances. Once again we would have to risk using a lamp post for teleportation and take Ahna with us. Her work was far from over.

  “We will bring as many Watchers as can be spared. Ahna’s child will be taken back to the palace for protection until our return,” I said.

  Ahna continued to hold the child close to her chest. This was not a favor I wanted to ask of her, but it needed to be done. The palace, while already compromised, was safer than an empty home for the baby.

  The door opened and several footsteps entered the house. I quickly peeked my head out of the room and sighted at the sight of Watchers arriving. They stood in the main seating area, awaiting further orders.

  I stepped outside of the room, pointing to one of them, and said, “You will take this woman’s child back to the palace. Claire will know what to do.”

  Keanu followed behind me, and even further behind him was Ahna. She walked toward the Watcher I had entrusted with her baby’s life. I wanted to offer some kind of comfort to her, but I had no children of my own. I had no idea how hard this truly was for a parent. My own mother had walked away from not one but allegedly two daughters.

  “His… his name is Emrys,” Ahna said softly.

  She handed off the baby to the Watcher and burst into tears. I tried my best to drown out her cries and gestured for everyone to follow me. I had no time to comfort Ahna, and I trusted Emrys would be safe in Claire’s protection.

  The Watchers present would join us on our journey to the manor. I did not dare challenge Stefan and his allies without backup. Even with six Watchers and Keanu, I knew we would be outnumbered. I imagined Stefan and Elias had built a large network of people they could trust. Workers, family members, friends, lovers. Anyone who would listen to them.

  “Do you know the closest lamp post?” I asked, glancing back at Keanu.

  He nodded and walked in front of me, leading us out of the house and back toward the palace. I indicated for Ahna to ride with one of the Watchers as she was the only one without a horse. I stayed with Keanu, who lead the group and distanced us from the beach.

  We exited the forest and return to the palace grounds. Keanu lead us directly to the lamp post I had used countless times before. As we approached we slowed the horses and eventually came to a full halt. The horses could not travel with us through the portal. We would need to tie them up here and continue the remainder of the way on foot.

  “Look there!” someone yelled, pointing toward the town.

  I turned and looked ahead, seeing a cloud of smoke rising in the distance.

  “Another fire?” I asked, remembering how Kade and nearly burned down a tavern to kill me.

  Keanu shook his head. “Watchers are patrolling the streets. They’ll deal with it.”

  I stepped closed, trying to get an idea of where the fire was coming from. Distant screams echoed in my ears.

  “But…”

  Keanu grabbed my arm, and I looked him directly in the eyes.

  “You cannot save everyone, Clara. If we go to them now, what happens to Lukas? What if they move him? What if he’s dead? Can you live with those possibilities?” he asked firmly.

  I stared at him, attempting to think of a response and coming up empty. He released my arm, and I held my arm against my chest.

  My eyes wandered from him to the smoke. He was making me choose: rescuing the locals or saving my friend, a man who had killed to save my life. It was the kind of choice that did not seem appropriate for someone in my position to make. The kind of choice I wondered if Claire were here how she would response. She was a leader. Didn’t she have to choose her people over everything else?

  “I…”

  Keanu stepped closer to me. In the corner of my eye I could see the others waiting at the lamp post. The Watchers stood, seemingly as torn as me between their orders and their loyalty. They had families and friends who lived in the town. How could we ask this of them? How could Keanu ask this of me?

  More gently, Keanu said, “We can see the smoke from here, which means Claire can too. I know Claire will do everything in her power to ensure that fire does no harm to the locals. She and the other councilors will handle this. But Lukas? He is our responsibility. His life is in our hands.”

  He paused for a moment.

  In a whisper, he added, “If it were you, wouldn’t he be there without hesitation?”

  I shuddered. I closed my yes and tried to imagine the smoke disappearing. I tried to disregard the fact that countless lives could be in danger’s way. If we could see the fire surely Claire and the other could too. They would help the locals while we searched for Lukas.

  I advanced to the lamp post. This was why I would never be a leader. This was why I had told Father and Claire I did not want role on the Council. Leaders and people in power did not choose one life over countless others.

  Keanu stepped up behind me and withdrew his key necklace. I knew what he said to be the truth. Watchers were stationed everywhere. As soon as someone noticed the fire they would take it upon themselves to help.

  The facts did not make me feel any braver, any stronger. Lukas had warned me this position was not for the light hearted. He had told me this would be “dirty, bloody work.”

  I should have listened.

  33

  Hopes and Horrors

  Ladesmore, Ninomay

  The streets of Ladesmoore were lit up from the lamp posts. Lit candles sat in the windows of countless homes. Ahna had taken charge of directions, seeing as she was the only one familiar with the destination we sought.

  The streets were empty except for the Watchers who patrolled the area. They nodded their heads at us, but we did not ask for their assistance. They had their own duties to attend to, and we did not know how far Claire had extended the search for Nina and Daphne.

  I kept my focus on the houses, all of which appeared in rows, tightly positioned to one another. They were not as large as the houses I had seen nearby the palace. If there
was a manor around here I had yet to lay eyes on it.

  A steady rainfall tricked down on us. I glanced up at the sky, but the moon was covered by clouds and there was little to none stars visible. While the darkness offered us the element of surprise I somehow doubted Stefan would be caught off guard. Despite the odds, Ahna was still alive. It seemed highly unlikely anyone would forget her relation to Kade. Were we walking into a trap?

  I walked alongside Keanu. I wanted to ask how he made sense of any of this. I could understand why they would take Lukas. He was important to the Council, and at one time his family had held a high reputation.

  Nina and Daphne’s escapes, however, confused me. It seemed like a sloppy move for someone like Stefan, who had managed to kill without facing the consequences.

  We continued through the streets until we appeared to have distanced ourselves from the town and approached the shoreline. There was a large manor close to the ocean like Ahna’s current home, though this one was completely isolated. The building itself looked as though it had depreciated over the years. If Stefan’s hideout was here he had ensured the house looked unoccupied.

  My stomach flipped when we neared the manor. Where would we go from here? What was our plan of attack if Stefan was here? We risked Lukas’s life by walking in blindly and hoping anyone would give us the opportunity to speak. These killers would not care for our explanations.

  “Keanu, tell me you have a plan,” I said, realizing I had never planned for if we made it this far.

  “Find a way inside… other than the front door,” he whispered.

  We stopped and spread out, crouching behind trees and bushes nearby the manor.

  “They kept Ahna alive for a reason,” I said through gritted teeth.

  Ahna still remained by my side, and I did not desire to scare her. We needed her now more than ever, but I could not walk on egg shells around her. The truth of the matter was anyone involved with Stefan’s group would want her dead. The las thing I wanted was to walk into a trap. If we were captured I doubted Stefan would give the Council any time to bargain for our lives. We would be dead before finding Lukas or confronting Stefan.