Pushing back strands of her wet hair, I said, “You cannot control everything. Dorian brings me happiness right now, and that’s all I need. The rest will come later; you need not concern yourself.”
The servant returned and gestured for Claire to follow him. I waved as they walked away and braced myself for the cold rain.
The next morning Dorian and I arrived at the castle like normal. I felt the need to speak with Claire again. I wanted to know what led her to involving herself in my relationship.
I immediately went to her bedroom, but no one was there. She also did not show up at breakfast, which left me concerned but not panicked. She usually spent mornings in the garden, and sometimes she forgot the time. As much as I wanted to seek her out, Jhase insisted we head straight into the meeting. I decided I would readdress the situation afterwards. I was told about a witness in Rajoor who needed transportation to Ninomay. I received the papers and had my golden key at the ready. As I exited the meeting I immediately rushed to Declan’s side.
“Have you seen Claire?”
“Not this morning,” he said calmly.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him aside in the hallway. “Don’t you think it odd she’s wandering on your birthday? She should be here, rearranging the party setup or yelling at someone. This isn’t right.”
“She would not let something keep her from this party. You and I should search for her before we involve anyone else. You try the garden; I’ll look in town,” he suggested.
We agreed and split up. I searched the garden but found no one there. I immediately rushed back into the castle and asked servants. None of them could remember seeing Claire since last night. I asked councilors too, but none of them recalled her presence. Everyone answered with “no” and asked me the same question: “is she alright?” I lied to their faces, especially Jhase’s. He was ill; only days ago he had recovered from a sudden fever. I did not want him to go into a full state of panic over possibly nothing. Even so, as I searched more of the castle I knew it to be true.
Claire was gone. She was nowhere to be seen, and her absence struck more than the eerie silence in the areas where she should have been. Everyone knew Claire to be a wanderer, but she never left for hours at a time without someone’s knowledge.
“Lukas! Lukas!” I shouted out as I passed him on the staircase. He turned around and stopped, raising a brow. I rolled my eyes, dreading what he thought my desire to speak with him meant.
“No need to shout. All you needed to do was ask,” he said, winking.
Ignoring his comment, I whispered, “Have you seen Claire this morning?”
His eyes wondered for a moment. “Come to think of it... no. Where is she?”
“Somewhere rearranging plans for the party, I’m sure,” I said with a fake smile. I could not let Lukas know about Claire’s disappearance. He was our best Watcher, and once he knew information everyone in the Council and on his team would know. This had to stay a secret until I knew without a doubt Claire was nowhere to be seen. And then what would I do? Declan’s birthday party meant having locals in the castle and making our best appearances. We could not hide her absence with a story about her falling ill. The locals would jump to conclusions and assume the worst, and to make it worse Declan’s parents would be present. They could not find out their future daughter-in-law had disappeared a month before her wedding. It would look terrible for the Council, islands, and the couple.
I descended the staircase with what little energy I had left. This morning had flown by, and I needed to travel to Rajoor soon. I hated the idea of leaving while Claire’s fate remained unknown. As I walked outside I noticed Declan’s return. He ran to where I stood and confirmed my worst fear. No one in town had seen Claire either.
“What could have happened to her? She seemed normal last night,” Declan said. Fear rose in his voice, and beads of sweat dripped down his face.
In a whisper I said, “I have to leave for Rajoor. Do not tell anyone about this. If anyone asks say you saw her in town, searching the stores for last minute gifts. We’ll figure this out when I return.”
***
Alec
Everyone debated on whether to leave or stay for the remainder of the night. I stood in the foyer, staring outside as the rain poured. I knew I could not stay. This castle was a constant reminder of happier memories. While Gem and I remained on good terms, nothing hid how quickly she moved on. Dorian gained all her attention while I lost sight of my future. My previous incident barely granted me alone time anymore.
Everyone seemed to watch me from a distance as if to check my mind remained intact. I could hear their thoughts of “will he do it again?” I ignored them, despite their good intentions. I sought to leave the Council, but Jhase would not allow it so long as he held power. Perhaps he believed this job gave me a purpose. Instead it engulfed me further into the darkness. Memories and reality seemed to collide together. I stood helplessly in between the two.
“So much rain...” A woman’s voice said, causing me to jump.
I glanced back at Claire’s face. “You and I should talk.”
She gestured for me to continue, and I gulped. The majority of the councilors prepared for their journey home. None were within earshot of our conversation. More importantly Jhase had retired to bed and would not be interrupting. I had already spoken about my desire to leave the Council once before. Risks remained high by bringing it up again to his daughter. However, Claire did not think the same way as her old man. She had a mind of her own, and it would not be long before she took over leadership of the Council.
In a whisper I continued. “Upon your entrance into the Council, I wish for you to grant me leave.”
“Leave? For what?”
“For my life. I can’t stay here in the Council and in Ninomay with everything I’ve lost. My wife... has moved on. It eats at me to watch her with another man. Please, I will start a new life elsewhere on the island. All I ask is this one request,” I said. My father always reasoned pleading was for the weak and helpless. I did not care how Claire viewed me. I needed a fresh start if I wanted to returning meaning to my life.
Her head lowered. “Have you told Gemma? You cannot run away from her and your responsibilities here.”
“Of course not. I have always promised to be in Cedric’s life and help in any way I can. The boy will not live without his father,” I replied.
Hesitantly Claire nodded and allowed me to refocus on the rain. I dreaded returning home as much as spending another minute in the castle. Though Claire granted me my request nothing foretold of how long I would be waiting. By the time she led the Council Gemma and Dorian might be more involved, and alas I could do nothing but watch. Watch the rain, watch my wife fall in love with another man, and watch my life drain of meaning. Without saying goodbye to anyone I left the castle and journeyed home.
In the morning I never saw Claire. At times I thought I heard her voice, but I could not be certain. Breakfast was rushed because of another meeting. Gem was assigned to travel to Rajoor, though I wished it had been me. I needed new scenery and new faces to surround myself with. Alas I knew better than to challenge Jhase’s decision.
After the meeting I ran into Gem on two separate occasions, and both times she asked me if I had seen Claire. I thought it odd that she be rushing around the halls, searching for her friend at a time like this. In a short amount of time she would need to leave for Rajoor. What did she need to settle with Claire before leaving this morning? The other councilors seemed unfazed by this.
With having the remainder of the day to ourselves, they slowly left the castle to enjoy what time remained before Declan’s party. I joined together with Ezra for lunch and set aside my suspicions from earlier. I did not see Gem again and assumed she had finally found Claire.
***
Ezra
Declan and I stayed in the dinning hall while everyone prepared for the party. Claire insisted I distract Declan, even though he already knew about the e
vent. Nonetheless we stayed in the room and enjoyed drinks and relaxation. It was one of the rare times where neither of us felt the need to discuss Council matters. We could just enjoy each other’s company for what it was and leave our worries for outside the room.
The night grew late and thunder roared, echoing in the distance. Declan and I left the dinning hall without permission and found the others spread from the foyer to the ballroom. Claire immediately noticed us and rushed to where we stood by the staircase.
“Shoo!”
I laughed. “He already knows. What’s the harm? You ought not do this much work on your own birthday.”
“I’ve had enough parties to last me a lifetime. Declan and I celebrate together, and besides he is a part of this family. It’s time everyone in Ninomay celebrates his birthday as they’ve done for mine in the past.”
I shook my head and sighed. Claire’s birthdays never seemed like ordinary days. Only in the past two years had she insisted we stop throwing her a party and started doing it for Declan instead. I was certain once they married and had a child of their own Declan would quickly insist they skip over his party too.
With it being late and with poor weather, I suggested we end the preparations for the night. Though I stood at a distance, I could see the ballroom. It already looked more than ready for tomorrow’s event.
“But—”
“People need to go home, Claire,” Declan said in a firm voice. Despite Claire’s determination, her fiancé always seemed like her voice of reason. If I could not convince her I left it to Declan. I wondered if he had that effect on anyone else. Quietly Claire left us to address the other councilors. I dreaded the thought of traveling home in this weather and informed Declan I would be staying the night. Jhase had allowed me to spend the night in the castle since I was a young boy. Enough rooms filled the halls to accompany all the councilors if need be. Alesia also chose to stay, and the four of us watched as the others left the castle.
The next day the rain cleared away and sunshine beamed through the windows. I greeted Declan as I passed him in the hallway, though I did not notice Claire with him. We met again in the dinning hall where once again I noticed Claire’s absence.
“No Claire this morning?” I asked Declan as I glanced around the table.
“I imagine she left for some alone time in the garden,” he responded calmly.
I chewed a piece of bread and tried to reassure myself. If Declan was not worried I should not be either. Claire never stayed in one spot for too long. In the mornings she was known to spend hours in the garden, even at early hours. Watchers remained on guard, and if they saw anything out of the ordinary they would report it. No harm had ever befallen Claire in the garden before. It was one of the safest places for her.
At the end of breakfast Jhase reminded everyone to meet upstairs. His eyes were bloodshot, and I wondered what kept him from sleeping last night. We reconvened in the meeting room, and Jhase gave Gemma papers to travel to Rajoor. A mix of emotions ran across councilor’s faces. Traveling to another island was perhaps the best part of this job. No one argued against it; it allowed us to see the world. At the end of the meeting I waited for everyone to leave and asked Jhase about Claire.
“I’m not myself this morning, but if you see her tell her to find me,” he responded. He looked as though he might collapse, and I suggested he rest until later tonight.
I decided to explore outside in hopes of finding Claire. She could not have wandered off far; she never had before. Until I knew the severity of the situation I did not want to involve the entire castle. Today was supposed to be our day off to enjoy. No need to upset Claire’s friends and the locals while this remained under control.
***
Clara
The remaining five stories remained true with what other councilors told me. Bellona had spent most of the night preoccupied with concerns about who her children would attend the party with. She mentioned that Vanessa chose not to attend because of not having anyone to go with. Lukas chose two different women to go with, against his mother’s wishes. Elias argued with Alesia to stay at the castle because of her condition and ultimately won the argument. He then spent the remainder of his time in the castle drinking with Jhase. Jhase’s story confirmed this; he had been drinking because Claire’s birthday also reminded him of his second daughter. And lastly Declan’s story matched up with Ezra’s. Declan was also one of the councilors who spent the night. He fell asleep with Claire, but in the morning it seemed she had woken up and left the room without him.
Eight different but somewhat similar accounts of the night and following morning left me more uncertain than before. Everyone had an alibi, and they sounded believable with the stories they told. Some were more detailed than others, some left me questioning more, but nothing struck out to me. No one story held up a red flag and hinted that this person might be responsible for Claire’s disappearance. With the knowledge I had I needed to spend the remainder of my time watching how everyone acted. Anything out of the ordinary might be a clue.
With the investigation complete, I stepped outside the room and thanked Lukas. He mentioned the day had grown late; no light remained outside. I returned to my room, feeling entirely drained of energy. Despite the stories echoing in my head, I lay down and closed my eyes. Sleep welcomed me into its warm embrace, and I did not fight it.
Chapter Eighteen
Lucky Charm
I woke up sweating with tears rolling down my face. My whole body felt as though it was on fire, and I quickly threw the blankets off of me. Though the nightmare had ended, it still felt real to me. I could not shake it away as I had with others in the past. This nightmare stood out, and I prayed to Circe it did not hold any truths. I was not a believer in foresight or dreams holding alternate meanings. However, what I had seen could not be forgotten.
My body continued to burn up, and I leapt from the bed and advanced to the door. In one swift movement I opened the door and paced in the hall. I stopped at a dead end, staring out of a window into the dark night. Glancing back, I considered approaching Ezra’s door. I had never gone to anyone about my nightmares, and certainly not a male figure. What state of mind did I remain in if I thought allowing Ezra to see me like this would help? My conscience reasoned against it, but my feet dragged me to his door.
Quietly I knocked on the door repetitively while trying to remain somewhat quiet. I was not familiar with anyone else who shared a room upstairs nor did I want to wake everyone. At the silence my body sunk against the wall. If skin could melt into clothes I was a pile of mush. I panted, trying to focus on the moonlight beaming through the window to distract myself. Breathe in hopes of forgetting the horror and never thinking of it again.
Creak. The door slowly opened, and I moved away from the wall to face Ezra. He urged me to step inside, offering me a hand to help me up. Regaining my balance, I stood up and walked inside. With no energy to stand, I immediately sat on his bed without asking. He closed the door and fetched a bowl from his nightstand, handing it to me. I dipped my hands in and felt warm water. I splashed it on my face without hesitation and thanked him. Whatever hopes I had of leaving him out of this were long gone.
“What’s happened? Are you alright?” He asked as he lit a candle that hung from the wall. His eyes scanned my body as if searched for signs of harm.
“A nightmare... Claire was dead, and everyone blamed me. They thought... you thought...” I could not complete the sentence. Gemma had asked me why I stayed, but after this nightmare I could not imagine leaving. Claire’s cold, emotionless face haunted my mind. The accusations from the councilors echoed endlessly.
At Ezra silence I wiped away a tear. “You think me a child, don’t you? Running to you about nightmares? I was foolish to come to you, thinking you would be any different...”
Ezra’s hand touched my knee, squeezing it. “Claire is not dead. We’ll find her before she meets such a fate. And no matter what, no harm will ever befall you on her b
ehalf.”
Though we remained clueless about Claire’s situation, I worried about her safety. No one had found her, not even any strangers. She was somewhere no one recognized her and possibly alone. The nightmare might be a coincidence, but if too much time passed her fate would be sealed. For being someone I had never met before, in the nightmare she seemed so familiar to me. I had cried and screamed like she was my own blood relative as Jhase claimed. Everything he told me felt twice more believable after what I saw.
Standing up, he said, “I would offer you company for the remainder of the night, but alas...”
I blushed, but the candlelight did not seem bright enough to show this. While Ezra meant well nothing good could come from a night in his room if someone found out. Claire’s life became more public every time I tried to do something. It left me wondering how anyone had managed to do any harm to her.
Offering a weak smile, I replied, “Thank you for listening. Please don’t take it personally when I question any of your motives. I have struggled to trust anyone my entire life.”
He grunted. “You do a damn fine job of breaking a man’s heart…”
Crossing his arms, he approached the center of the room and looked down to the floor. I remained speechless and stunned, having never heard these words before. My ending with Ren led to him wanting to kill me, and Nicholaus had been poisoned by Mother’s words. Breaking someone’s heart was entirely new and nothing I had done intentionally. I could not be with Ezra when all eyes focused on me. Declan was already suspicious, and we could not afford angering the Council. Claire’s name would be dragged through the mud if anyone thought she was unfaithful to her fiancé.
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