Clara and Ezra

by Lindsey Richardson

  “I understand, I said, embracing her.

  Claire failed to remember, or chose to forget, I had already been through this process before with Isaak. While he did not receive as heavy of a sentencing as Nina soon would, I was also denied a final goodbye to him. He would spend the remainder of his life rotting away in Shadowland. Nina and I had not visited him since his imprisonment.

  Despite whatever questions I had left for Nina, I realized she had admitted more in her trial than during the lifetime we spent together as a “family.” She had spoken her truth, and I doubted any further audience with her would grant me any satisfaction.

  I left the room without saying another word, but Declan following behind me regardless. As much as I dreaded returning to Shadowland, it was better than what awaited Nina and Aralyn.

  I clenched my fists, hoping that Declan and I would get lucky. The Barlows had a lot of questions to answer.

  As I approached the staircase my gaze continued to the nursery. I had not checked on Emrys since Ahna’s death. Events seemed to be spiraling out of control, but I had made a promise to Ahna. I had promised her baby’s safety, and if nothing else, I owed her at least that much.

  I glanced back at Declan.

  “Wait for me?” I asked.

  He nodded, and I continued ahead to the nursery. I assumed they had not moved the baby, especially now that his future remained a mystery. He had nowhere to go, no other family Ahna had spoken of. His parents were gone from this world, and he was too young to understand any of the darkness that now plagued our lives.

  I stepped inside the nursery and noticed Everly. She stood in front of a crib, rocking back and forth. She looked like a natural.

  I took another step forward. The floorboards creaked, and Everly turned around, smiling at my arrival. She held Emrys in her arms, and he appeared to be sound asleep.

  “How is he?” I asked, though I had no idea how much time she had spent with the child.

  “You know, it’s strange…” she whispered, approaching me slowly, “All of this chaos, and in the middle of it, there’s this healthy baby boy. He sleeps like nothing could ever harm him.”

  I held back words. I did not know what Claire had shared with the Watchers on duty about Emrys’s life. I doubted she shared the details as it did not pertain to their job. They were required to keep him safe, but something about Everly was different. The way she held the baby, the softness in her voice… It reminded me —just for the slightest of a moment—of Ahna.

  I cleared my throat.

  “Do you have any children, Everly?”

  She shook her head. “Oh no, ma’am. Never been married.”

  “Thank you… Thank you for watching over him,” I replied.

  With that I left the room quietly, glancing back for a moment to see her beaming down at the child.

  I reunited with Declan and told him I was ready to continue, though in the back of my head I still envisioned Everly and Emrys together. I was no fool to think any of the Watchers would show such compassion to a stranger’s baby as Everly did.

  Of all the uncertainties, I couldn’t help but wonder if Everly was the solution to Emrys’s future.

  The beginning of your new life… I thought, remembering how badly Ahna had wanted to start over for Emrys’s sake.

  48

  Runaways

  Shadowland

  I was far from home and even further from answers to yet another mystery.

  We walked through the streets, passing the path that had led us to Stefan’s corpse. Declan and I took turns, asking the locals if they knew the Barlow family. One man kindly pointed us in the right direction.

  The Barlows lived in a small cottage at the edge of town. There were flowers in their yard and footprints in the dirt, suggesting someone had been here recently. The yard around the cottage looked large enough for a child or two to run.

  Declan knocked on the door. We looked around, trying to see if the couple was outside. When no one answered the door Declan peered in the window.

  “I don’t see anyone,” Declan said.

  I stepped closer and knocked on the door. Again, no answer.

  Declan walked over to where I stood and twisted the door knob. The door opened with ease. He looked at me, I looked at him, and we both shrugged. What choice did we have?

  We entered the cottage.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  The cottage, like the home we had found Stefan in, was seemingly empty. Nonetheless, I did not let first appearances get the better of me. If this had truly been the Barlow’s home there had to be some clue as to where they had gone, or where Daphne might go for protection.

  Declan and I split up, searching through the items in the household. Everything appeared normal. Despite the Barlows being friends of Stefan’s, I didn’t see any weapons suggesting they had also killed for him. Perhaps they had been a normal couple, desperate enough to raise someone else’s child, even if it meant answering to Stefan.

  A loaf of bread still remained on the table. There was no mold on it, and it smelled good enough to eat. It had been left out, as if today would have been another ordinary day for them.

  I searched the bedrooms for more clues. There were only two, but something about the second bedroom made me believe this was Daphne’s. A comb on the vanity contained strands of black hair, dark enough to be hers. A dress laid out on the bed, and it appeared to be a size she might possibly fit. I lifted it to my face and smelled it. It smelled sweet like honey.

  The nightstand contained several pieces of jewelry. Nothing that appeared to be expensive quality, but someone had left behind necklaces and a bracelet.

  Nothing about this room granted me the right to assume it had been Daphne’s. Even so, I found myself lost in it, imaging her life here, growing up to believe one lie after another. I wondered if the Barlows had been kind to her. If they had given her the best life possible despite the circumstances. I wanted to imagine they had been different than Nina and Isaak.

  “Clara?”

  I turned around and faced Declan.

  “Do you think… Stefan killed them?” I asked, thinking about the footsteps we had seen outside.

  “They were loyal to Stefan. I don’t think he would have killed them, and if he had, this house wouldn’t be empty. Perhaps Daphne got to them first. She could have warned them to hide. She had to have known we would come here,” he said.

  “They could be anywhere…” I whispered, thinking this was another endless search.

  If the Barlows wanted to disappeared from the world I had no doubt they could. They had hidden Daphne her entire life They had ensured Nina and Elias never crossed paths with the daughter they abandoned. Perhaps Daphne had gone back to the only parents she had ever known. Perhaps they had gone back into hiding for a good reason.

  “I did find this…” Declan said, handing me a small, black notebook.

  It was thin and small enough to fit into one’s pocket. I opened it up to the first page, and my jaw dropped.

  Find Elias.

  Flipping through the remainder of the notebook it continued on this way. The pages varied from “Find Elias” to “Find Nina.” Over and over again, the same two sentences had been scribbled into the notebook. Random sketches of roses and daggers, hearts and fire, eyes and lips. These were the ravings of a mad woman.

  And we knew who the notebook belonged to.

  “Daphne…” I whispered, holding back tears.

  It came flooding into my mind like ocean waves. Nina would die today. Elias had died long before Daphne ever found him. How long had it been that Daphne planned to find her birth parents? How long had she known about the lies that made up her entire life?

  She had managed to be reunited with her mother briefly, and we had ripped away that moment. What would she do now? Would she become the next killer?

  49

  A Rose’s Kiss

  Ninomay

  I exited the lamp post, staring ahead, know
ing that we returned to an island where yet more death had spread. Claire had sent word that it was safe to return, but after seeing Daphne’s notebook I could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Daphne and the Barlows had managed to disappear. Now I carried with me a piece of who she was, the key to everything.

  This time we returned to Ninomay not one but two lives had ended. One of those being my mother’s. A woman who, for having always previously played the victim, had actually been a clever and cruel predator. Her life may have ended, the the damage she had inflicted was far from over.

  Declan walked with me. He was patient, as I had to force my feet to pick up one step after another. Each step seemed more painful than the last. Each time I slowed down, seemingly stuck, Declan would glance back, and I would gather my courage to walk again.

  Please don’t let me see her… I thought.

  Claire viewed Nina’s death in a way I imagined Daphne would. Neither of them had ever known Nina as a mother. One had grown up motherless while the other grew up with an adopted mother. For them it was not difficult to imagine a world without their mother. She had never been there to begin with.

  We walked straight to the palace without stopping along the way. I had no idea what they did with Nina and Aralyn’s bodies. A part of me did not want to know. If what Nina had said was true it seemed she had died the way she wanted. She had come to peace with her demons. It was left to the rest of us to decide whether we would ever forgive her.

  Once inside the palace I saw Claire. She and Ezra stood in front of the staircase, seemingly waiting for our return. To either side of them stood Lukas and Everly.

  “Clara, your mother—”

  I held up my hand. I did not want to hear it. I already knew it in my heart. She was dead, just like our father, and somehow she had managed to leave behind more secrets and chaos. She had done horrible things to countless people. We only knew what she had told us, but I was certain there were secrets she had carried to the grave. She had managed to abandon all three of her daughters again for one last time.

  “She is buried in Shadowland, amongst other criminals, should you ever wish to visit her,” Claire explained.

  I nodded my head slowly. I known they buried criminals in Shadowland, but returning to that island also meant being closer to Isaak and what little remained of Daphne’s past.

  Ezra held out his arms, and I ran to him, embracing him. He held me tightly while Claire and Declan whispered to one another.

  Ezra leaned his head toward mine.

  He whispered, “she loved you. In her own way… she loved you.”

  I squeezed him tight, thinking that love was not meant to hurt this badly. Thinking that perhaps someone like Stefan and Nina were incapable of love because in their quest for power they had harmed everyone who tried to love them.

  I had lost my mother, but I could not imagine Daphne and Claire’s loss. To have never known their mother. To never understand why they were the ones who were abandoned.

  I let Ezra go and faced Claire again. It was harder to look at her now. We had been through so much, yet she had gone through the worst of it. Nina’s death, Father’s death… These horrid events she had faced on her own, and I could no longer read her. I did not know what thoughts carried on in her head. I did not know if she saw me as a sister anymore, or if these recent tragedies had torn us apart.

  “You should see this…” I whispered, pulling out the notebook and handing it to her.

  She opened it up and flipped through the pages, as I had done in Daphne’s home. Her expression went from blank to grave in an instant.

  “This is madness. Did Daphne lose her mind?” she asked, still looking through the notebook as if there might be something more. As if the last page would say something different, but I knew it did not.

  I shrugged.

  “I don’t know what to make of it. Daphne seemed upset, but not unstable when she stormed in here. Her house was clean and empty. It seems they took what they could and left everything else behind,” I explained.

  Claire placed her hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently.

  “We will find her, sister. Just like you found me and Nina, you’ll find her too. Daphne is vulnerable. I doubt she’ll be a shadow like Stefan,” Claire said softly.

  I winced. Claire seemed to put a lot of trust into my ability to find people, but somehow I doubted Daphne would be easily found. If Stefan had passed on any of his knowledge to Daphne she could hide in the shadows for as long as she pleased.

  At my silence, Claire added, “Stefan’s death is being announced to the public today. Along with the news of our weddings.”

  “Our?” I asked, glancing from her to Ezra.

  She smiled, a genuine smile this time.

  “Yes. Ezra told me of your engagement. I had hoped we could have a double wedding. Ezra already approved of the idea, but of course the final decision is up to you. I thought maybe we could celebrate together? One huge celebration of love to mask this awful darkness.”

  My jaw hung open. I had never imagined when I said yes to Ezra that we would be married so quickly afterward. Claire and Declan had been engaged longer than us, and I did not want to take away from Claire’s wedding day. It was sacred, it was important, it was hers.

  “The decision should be yours. Your wedding has been delayed by death and chaos. We don’t want to overshadow your day,” I said.

  “Trust me, I want nothing more but to share the day with you and Ezra. We’ll be a united family again. I’ve already begun with the preparations. We’ll announce your engagement today,” Claire replied.

  “Finally some good news after all,” Ezra chimed in.

  I grinned, but the gesture felt foreign. Stefan had caused enough damage that not even my own wedding could overshadow the fact that Daphne might now be a killer roaming freely. There were still matters that needed our attention.

  Footsteps approached, and Lukas and Everly joined us. Lukas wore a grim expression, and I imagined that would not change once I showed him Daphne’s notebook. Everly, on the other hand, reminded me I had unfinished business with Emrys. He was still in need of preparations for his future.

  “What about Emrys? He needs a new home, and I promised Ahna that no harm would come to him,” I explained.

  “We’ll do the best we can for him, Clara. People… might not be as forgiving as you for Kade and Ahna’s past. And whoever wishes to adopt him has the right to know his history,” Claire replied.

  Everly cleared her throat.

  “Ma’am, I’d be happy to take him on as my own. I may not have a husband, but I could provide comfort and safety for him,” Everly said.

  “I’m available,” Lukas chimed in.

  Claire and I both stared at him in disbelief. Elias had pushed hard for Lukas to marry sooner rather than later. Since Claire’s disappearance he had not shown any interest in women. He certainly had not shown any interest in marriage. Why did he have a sudden change of heart?

  “Lukas, you should put some thought into this,” Claire said.

  “What is there to think about? Everly is a Watcher like me. She is the ideal match for me! She’s young and beautiful. Everything my parents would have wanted,” he replied.

  Claire grabbed his arm and dragged him, leading him toward the dinning hall.

  I followed quickly after them, leaving Everly and Ezra on their own. Why would Lukas want to marry Everly? The way he talked about her made her sound like a contract more than a person. Would he really marry this woman to please his family, a family like mine that was already tainted with so many lies and secrets?

  Lukas could not simply marry Everly out of spite because Claire was soon to be married. Everly had offered to take on Emrys as a son, meaning the child would be Lukas’s responsibility as well. Was he ready to raise someone else’s child as his own? A child who had already suffered enough for one lifetime?

  Claire stopped Lukas in front of the dinning hall.

  �
��Have you lost your mind?” she asked, raising her voice.

  “No…” he said cautiously.

  She squeezed his arm tighter.

  “Lukas, she is a good woman. An honest worker, and now she’s offering to raise a child that is not hers. I will not let you marry her to spite me!”

  “Then order me to marry her! Call it an arranged marriage if you’d like. My mind is already made up, Claire. You may not like it, but it is my choice,” he replied bitterly.

  “Why? Why are you doing this?” Claire asked, frowning.

  “Because… marriage may be the only way to clean the Pavlous name. And… because I will never love another like I do you. So an arranged marriage is my only option,” he answered.

  Claire was silent. I was silent. Neither of us knew hat to say. I had known Lukas loved Claire for a long time now. I had known he still loved her when Aralyn asked him to choose between her and I. I had not thought what kind of emotional torment her wedding day would bring him. While she and I had found happiness, Lukas remained searching.

  Perhaps he was right. Perhaps he had to force himself into a loveless marriage in order to ever move on.

  Claire released his arm.

  More gently she said, “If you do this… Everly will be your wife. Emmys will be your child. They will be your responsibility. If anything happens to them, you’ll answer to me. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  “Very well. Then, as you said, the choice is yours. I cannot stop you,” Claire replied.

  She turned her back and walked away, leaving me standing alone with Lukas. We both looked at each other and then looked away. I could imagine being him in this moment. I could not imagine loving another and never truly being able to love them.

  At noon Claire and the councilors went into the marketplace to announce Stefan’s death.