9
Istared at the vacant spot in the bed, where Nicholas used to rest his head. His absence was palpable, a physical ache in my chest that refused to be ignored. I lay there for a moment, trying to hold on to the memory of his warmth and scent before reluctantly dragging myself out of bed. I didn”t bother to brush my hair or apply any makeup. What was the point? Nicholas was gone, and with him, all the color and interest in my world was gone, too.
I pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater, my movements mechanical and devoid of purpose. I wandered around the empty room, restless and aimless. Every object held a memory of him, and it felt like a cruel taunt.
Eventually, I found myself standing in front of the large window overlooking the estate. The view used to take my breath away, but now it felt cold and indifferent. I leaned my forehead against the cool glass, tears welling in my eyes. How could I focus on weeks—or months—without him? And how could I know for sure that he would return?
I had to snap out of it. I had to get it together, and get through it. After all, I was getting the bearable end of the deal. For Nicholas, it would be years in another time, waiting for Alec to mature in body and spirit, until he was a man ready to face his new life in the present day.
I resigned myself to moving and left the room, carelessly leaving the door ajar behind me. As I moved through the hallway, from downstairs, the sound of raised voices drifted up. Connor. And...Elias?
I crept to the top of the stairs, peering over the balusters.
My mouth felt dry and metallic as I watched Elias, a bitter taste filling my throat. I could feel the tension and unease radiating from him, even from my perch above.
”I”m doing you a courtesy by telling you this.”
Elias stood tall and graceful, his hands clasped calmly behind his back as he paced back and forth in the foyer, his eyes on my father. His dark hair was neatly slicked back, and his tailored suit exuded confidence and authority. ”The Council has been called. We must discuss the Nicholas situation.”
My father’s jaw tightened, but his voice remained level and controlled. ”There is no situation. Nicholas left of his own volition.”
”Did he now?” Elias”s words dripped skepticism. ”How convenient he disappeared after the artifact went missing. I warned you not to trust him.”
My breath caught in my throat; the Keepers couldn”t be allowed to search for Nicholas or discover he”d gone back in time. Alec needed time to grow, to mature, to heal—and he could not do that if the Keepers pursued him. And despite my father giving Elias his coin, I did not trust Elias to have our back on the matter.
Swallowing hard, I descended the stairs, back stiff and my gaze narrowed. ”You were right about him,” I said, forcing a coldness into my words.
Both men turned towards me with surprise flickering across their faces.
”No,” I cut off Connor before he could say anything else in defense of Nicholas. I had to show Elias I was angry to make it believable, otherwise I’d be caught. ”Don”t defend him. He may be your nephew, but he’s not worth your loyalty. He manipulated me and then abandoned me once he got his hands on the dagger. You were right about him all along. I was a fool. If I ever see him again, I’ll hand him over to the Council myself.”
I could feel the mood shift in the air. Father seamlessly played along, picking up where I left off. “You cannot blame yourself, Sophia. Nicholas has evaded us for centuries. We all know what he’s capable of,” Father agreed.
“I will send an army after him and bring him back to face justice, if that is what you want,” Elias immediately replied.
I bit back a dose of panic that surged. I had not intended to take it that far, and that was not what I wanted from Elias. I meant to throw him off the scent, not send him on a quest for revenge in my honor.
“No. I don’t ever want to see him again. I want to forget I ever heard his name,” I insisted firmly.
I avoided his gaze when Elias approached me with a new gentleness in his eyes. “Are you sure? You need only ask.”
”I appreciate your concern,” My bitter tone echoed through the foyer. I had to make him believe I was a scorned woman.
”Your father is right. Do not blame yourself. He’s a master of manipulation. You’ve been sheltered from the worst of our kind, until he came here, Sophia. You couldn’t have known how he would use your kindness against you,” Elias tried again to console me.
The deceit left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I had no choice. Nicholas was relying on me—and so was Alec. They needed time, and our protection, to let Alec heal and adapt. We needed to make the Keepers believe Nicholas gave up on his quest to save Alec, and simply disappeared into time, as he had done countless times before.
Taking a deep breath, I composed myself.
”I”m sorry I didn’t listen to all of you,” I said softly. Playing the part of the wounded female certainly seemed to gain Elias’s sympathy, and I would use any means at my disposal to gain his trust. ”It”s just...very difficult.”
Elias gazed at me for what felt like an eternity before finally speaking again. ”There is no need to apologize,” he said at last. “I’ll let the Council know the matter is resolved. You both have my support in this matter.”
Connor stepped forward then, urging Elias towards the door with a firm hand on his shoulder. Just when I thought the grueling deceit was finished, Elias turned back, and he stared hard at me. I felt my toes curl inside my shoes, as I was well aware of the look on his face. It was pure, unadulterated interest; the game was a heady one for a man like him, and with the notion that I was a broken bird needing comfort, he was completely dialed in.
“Your cell number, it is the same?” he asked. I tried not to flinch at the thought of Elias worming his way back into my life. I nodded, not missing the glare my father shot at him.
“Yes.”
“I will call you tomorrow,” he said.
”Thank you,” I said.
With his departure, I wrapped my arms around myself and closed my eyes; relief washed over me even as guilt twisted my heart into knots. My father closed the door and turned back to me, his eyes wide.
“That was impressive. You have an immense talent for acting,” my father remarked, his tone filled with admiration. “Nicholas”s disappearance is a necessary part of the plan to protect Alec. You played your part pretty well, Sophia. I’m proud of you.”
I forced a smile, the weight of the lies and deceit settling heavily on my shoulders. “I know he had your coin, but we can’t trust him. We can’t let them find out the truth. Nicholas needs us to protect him and Alec.”
My father nodded in understanding. “We need to keep the Council at bay until they come home. Alec’s life depends on it.”
As we stood in the foyer, a surge of determination filled me. I would do whatever it took to ensure Nicholas had the time he needed to let Alec mature and grow to adulthood. Only then, they could return and live in peace, as the Keepers expected Nicholas to change Alec’s death—not raise him from the grave, and integrate him into our lives as a grown man. The consequences of failure were too great to even contemplate.
With a resolute nod, I straightened my posture and looked towards the door where Elias had exited. “We have to make sure they never suspect what Nicholas is doing. We need to make them believe he’s given up trying to change Alec’s fate.”
My father sighed, the creases on his face deep. ”We will continue to play our roles until Nicholas returns. It’s all we can do.”
I knew the weight of this responsibility rested on my shoulders, more than my father or anyone else in my family. I had to maintain the fa?ade to convince Elias, all for the greater good of protecting my family and ensuring Nicholas had the time he needed to change the course of Alec’s life.
As the days passed, I found myself falling deeper into the role I had created for myself—a grieving lover betrayed by Nicholas, a fragile soul shattered by his abandonment. Every word spoken, every tear shed was a performance aimed at convincing Elias and the other outsiders of my brokenness.
The days stretched on, each one a battle of wills as I navigated the delicate dance of deceit, all while keeping a watchful eye on the horizon for any sign of Nicholas”s return.