Chapter 23 Astra
TWENTY-THREE
Astra
I decide it’s time for action. So when Fabien offers to help me in any way that he can, I ask him to track down Sandra. I’m surprised at how easy it is for him. It literally takes two phone calls before he has a number he can reach her at.
She seems very interested in meeting right away. Fabien tells her the name of a place, and I’m just sitting here in the background with no clue what’s really going on.
Despite knowing Donovan is going to flip his lid, I let Fabien call Torrin to let him know we were meeting up with Sandra.
Donovan quickly takes over the call and, sounding very pissed, tells me I’m not to leave until Andre gets here.
I want to ask where he is because it doesn’t sound like he’s off…
taking out the trash or whatever, but it’s only out of curiosity.
I want to know if he’s done and how he did it so quickly.
But I let the curiosity pass because he sounds very focused on this idea of me having some kind of watcher.
When he explains it’s to keep me safe, I give in without argument, even though I had been ready to tear him a new one because I thought we were past these little trust issues.
Since I don’t want to think about how these feelings for the monster are growing, I let Fabien distract me by getting him to talk about his research.
The more he talks, the more I learn how big of a witch nerd he is.
It’s absolutely adorable how he lights up when talking about his work.
I might not follow along with it, but that’s not the point.
I get the feeling he doesn’t get the chance to share these things very often.
A little while later, Fabien declares it’s time to go. While Fabien says the cafe we’re meeting at is within walking distance, Andre insists on driving.
The sky is overcast, but since it isn’t raining, I suggest we sit outside. I tuck myself in a corner with the wall to my back and a line of shrubs to my side. I can see everything going on this way.
Since I’m not trying to hide anything from Donovan, I tell Andre to sit with us as he goes to grab a table a few feet away.
He shakes his head, making me wonder if he’s still leery of me.
He seemed very shaken yesterday when my abilities went haywire.
I respect his need for distance, so I let him do his thing.
I try not to laugh at how his deep green dress shirt makes him blend in with the huge potted plant behind him.
“Do you think you can trust her?” Fabien asks as he leans close to me. The cafe isn’t too busy, and the courtyard only holds two other full tables. It seems a little silly that he’s trying to share secrets when there’s no one around.
I shrug and try to keep the expression on my face light.
I want to trust Sandra, but I’m not sure who I can trust anymore.
My thoughts instantly drift to Donovan. He’s never lied to me. He’s never tried to hide who he truly is. As scary as that is, I actually respect it. If I’m being honest, it’s the one thing above everything else that makes me trust him.
Glancing at Fabien, I can’t help but feel like I can trust him, too.
His face is too honest. It’s almost precious how his eyes are wide as he looks around, and his finger taps against his knee as we wait.
If he chews on the side of his bottom lip any harder, I’m worried he’s going to chomp right through it.
“It’s okay, Fabien,” I tell him as I place a calm hand on the top of his.
“Yeah, sorry.” He nods and reaches for the glass of water in front of him. “I think I’m more spooked by the break-in than I want to admit. My already frazzled nerves are shot, and it probably doesn’t help that I feel like we might be doing something dangerous.”
“Not a fan of danger?” I lightly tease with a raised brow.
Fabien snorts as he shoots me a look that says ‘of course not.’
“I suspect that’s why Torrin and Donovan stopped hanging out with me,” he tells me. “I’m not quite cut out for… that kind of life.”
I blink at him. Again, I sense there’s more to it, and I would bet that’s not why they pushed him away.
I don’t know Torrin well, but I can read him like a book.
And Donovan has a heart under all that concrete in his chest. My guess, they wanted to protect Fabien and keep him away from a life that would either change him or get him killed. Probably both.
Donovan has a reputation to maintain, and I’m sure the same goes for Torrin. As much as I want to say something, I don’t think it’s my place.
I catch sight of Sandra walking across the cafe in our direction.
Her body language says she’s trying to go unnoticed, but the look in her eyes says she’s not afraid.
I’m not sure what to make of it, but I am positive it puts me on edge.
Remembering what Donovan said, I try to hold back any and all emotions.
I’ve already warned Fabien not to say anything about my abilities, so I just need to focus on not letting them reveal themselves.
“Hello, Astra,” Sandra says as she pulls out the seat across from me. “And you must be the one who called me.”
“Fabien Beaumont,” he introduces himself to her again her.
His tone is tight, but he smiles easily enough.
My gut rocks as she looks at him. She already knows who he is.
I can see it in her carefully crafted expression.
What game is she playing at? “I know all about you. Sandra Perkins of the Northern Border Coven. Though it seems your coven has presented formal documents calling your loyalty into question.”
Well played, Fabien.
I’m proud of how he held his ground. Head high and not an ounce of fear in his tone.
I don’t ask how he knows this off the top of his head or why he didn’t tell me this information earlier.
Sandra drops her gaze from his. I can’t read her face, and something is keeping me from being able to pull her emotions. I don’t have the first clue how to control my abilities, but I could really use the help now.
Her eyes slide to the side, pinning me with a curious look.
I inhale slowly, pushing down the fear slithering up my spine.
She can’t know.
She can’t.
I stop trying because I’m not strong enough to use my magic yet. Maybe one day… if I’m given the chance to survive this curse.
“Have you told my father where I am?” I blurt out. That wasn’t why I’d called a meeting, but I suppose it would be good information to have.
“He knows where you are, yes.” Look at her, answering without answering.
It makes me think my father is keeping tabs on Donovan even beyond Sandra’s help. I glance around, but I’m not good at spotting these sort of things. I suppose it would be good in the kind of life Donovan leads, and if I stay with him…
I cut the thought off. It’s dumb to think whatever this is between us will last beyond this curse linking us together. I suppose it won’t really matter if we both die.
I have to hold back a snort at the thought. I mean, it’s silly, but it’s the situation I’m in and how I’m choosing to handle it. If I don’t find it ridiculous, the alternative is curling up in a ball and crying. And, well, I just can’t go down that road.
“I’m running out of time,” I tell her flatly. “If this is a curse of death, then I’m struck with it too. Is Mr. Aubert aware of that?”
“I filled him in on what’s happening. I wish I could say he took the news badly…”
“But he didn’t,” I finish for her. Imagine that, my father’s happy I’ve managed to curse his enemy, and he doesn’t care if I go down too. To her credit, she does look regretful about delivering this information.
I know in my heart that I loved my mother deeply, even if I can’t remember her.
I sense she was a good mother. But I can’t help thinking that she had to have been blinded by her feelings for my father if she hung on the way she had.
All those years. All that time, not letting someone else in because she was so stuck on a man who used her and didn’t care about her.
All the things she could have been spared.
“What am I supposed to do?” I ask. “There’s no way out of this. The Heart Bonding won’t work because it would be a lie. The magic would know. Besides, I can’t live my life that way. I’d never feel right tricking the divine spirits, even if we somehow did manage to pull it off.”
“It would help if we knew how the curse was set. What exactly did Mr. Aubert do? Say?” Fabien’s tone is almost accusatory. I want to smile at him so badly, but figure it’s better to keep my eyes on Sandra.
“I wasn’t there. I don’t know. As I told Astra, I refused to help him with it.” I believe her when she says this. There’s a hint of anger in her tone when she speaks about it. No matter how much she’s helped my father, it’s clear that putting a curse of this caliber on a child is too far for her.
“Do you think he was able to get someone to help him?” I ask. “Or have any idea when he did it?”
A long moment of silence goes by.
This is when the waiter chooses to swoop in and attempt to see if we’re ready to order.
I can only imagine he’s been over there waiting for a break in this obviously intense conversation.
I don’t know about everyone else, but my nerves are so shot I can’t even think about putting something in my stomach.
I blindly order a grilled cheese. I think I saw it had tomato on it, which sounds absolutely gross and not something I would normally order.
I suppose it doesn’t matter since I won’t be touching it anyway.
Fabien orders a shrimp po’ boy, dressed.
“Your mother begged him to help her not long after you were born,” Sandra finally says. “I know he was back and forth, sometimes staying with you and your mom for days at a time. She shut me out, so I know nothing about what happened then.”
“And when did you come to work for him?” I ask with a bite in my tone. Something isn’t adding up. It hasn’t been since the moment she opened up to me.
“I was working for him before he met your mother,” she says. “I’m actually the reason they met, though it hadn’t been planned.”
I can see hurt in her eyes. A wave of regret and sadness washes over me, but it’s quickly drowned out by anger. Not just anger. There’s something more there.
When her eyes lock onto mine, the feelings vanish instantly.
She knows. Fuck. She knows what I’m doing and how to keep me from tapping into her emotions.
“Being away from Mr. Falco weakens you. I can feel it,” she says. She’s not gloating at this newfound information, but I can tell she’s filing it away. No doubt my father will know soon enough. “And you have no control over yourself. It’s a bad combination, Astra.”
I try to pull something from her because I need to be able to understand why she’s a part of this. How does she really feel about me?
It doesn’t take long to realize how bad an idea it is.
“I’m telling you to stop, now, Astra,” Sandra warns in a calm tone.
I push past the nausea rocking my stomach and the blackness taking over my thoughts.
A crackle of surprise breaks through the darkness, followed by a spark of fear. I can barely feel them long enough to recognize them, forget trying to hold onto them.
My head is dizzy. My vision is becoming blurry. I blink, trying to hold it together. This feels… different than before. I can’t explain it. It’s like my energy has been drained in an instant.
“Fabien,” I whisper as I rise to my feet. I’m not up long before the world spins around me, giving me a strange sense like I’m falling.
Strong arms catch me, and I blink a few times in an attempt to see who my savior is. It’s too blurry. I feel like I have no choice but to close my eyes and give in to whatever is happening.
“Char? Can you hear me? Astra?” Andre asks. He’s very close, and I can only assume he’s the one who caught me, and he’s now also the one lightly slapping my cheek.
“Something’s wrong,” I tell him, but it sounds mumbled and unintelligible to my ears, leaving me to wonder if he even understood me at all.
“What did you do?” I hear Andre ask in his deep voice. He’s not scared. No, there’s an edge to his tone that sounds as if he’s seconds away from killing. He’s pissed.
“I didn’t have to do anything,” Sandra replies.
I hear the scrape of chair legs and force my lids open.
Sandra is looking down at me with an unreadable expression.
I almost think I see worry there in her eyes.
“Your death will be his greatest victory. As soon as you and Donovan Falco are dead, your father will own this city. Nothing will stop him after that.”
“Stop him from what?” I croak.
“From turning it into his empire.” There isn’t a single emotion on her face as she looks down at me. “From destroying it.”
“Lady, if you can fix her, you need to do it now,” Andre says, no room for games in his tone.
“You need to get her back to Mr. Falco,” Sandra says. “And some advice,” she leans closer and lowers her voice, “I wouldn’t use your magic against someone who has had years on you to prepare for this moment.”
She straightens and walks away as if nothing happened. I glance around, hoping no one has seen what just went down. It seems everyone around is intently not looking this way.
My body sags as I lose feeling in all of my extremities. Luckily, Andre is still holding me up.
“I can’t move,” I tell him in a whisper.
“I got you,” he assures me as he lifts me up in his arms.
I close my eyes and let the world slip away.