Chapter 66
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
PHOENIX
The moment we get back to Vera’s studio, a massive black hawk lands outside one of the big windows that overlooks the back garden. It cocks its head to the side, eyeing us. Vera sighs and goes to open the sliding glass door.
A tiny rolled-up note is in the hawk’s claws. Once Vera retrieves it, the bird croaks and flies away, melting into the darkness of the night.
Jax peeks over Vera’s shoulder when she returns inside. “What’s that?”
Vera frowns, reading whatever is written in the note. “Apparently, my night is not over yet. I’ve got to go see Noire.”
“Should we go with you?” I ask. “Caligos may have followed us.”
She waves her hand. “No need. I’ll be fine.
If he sent me a message with an invitation, it means he sent his spies to make sure I make it to him alive.
He probably has something he wants to discuss about the trials.
Now that the Trial of Strength might happen anytime, every minute counts.
I’ll be back in no time. You guys have a drink without me.
Don’t wait up. Phoenix, Hojo and Tanaka will tend to your injury. ”
“Why don’t you tell Noire to fuck off and wait until the morning,” Jax says with a wink. “You earned a drink or three after the night we’ve had.”
Vera purses her lips and arches an eyebrow. But she’s not fooling anyone. I see the amusement in her gaze, and the warmth at the corner of her mouth that curves in a little smile despite her best efforts to look unimpressed.
I place my hands on Jax’s shoulders and, limping, steer him towards Vera’s mini home bar where she keeps the liquid gold. “What he means to say is that we’ll wait for you. We agreed on a drink, so we’ll have it even if it’s four in the damn morning.”
With a beautiful laugh, Vera leaves the studio. Jax and I raid her mini bar, going through all the different expensive spirits.
“Damn, that’s a very rare crystal vodka from Emera,” Jax says, lifting a black clay bottle to inspect the label on the back better. “How on earth did Vera get this?”
I pour myself a generous amount of smokey whiskey into a glass. “I’m sure you noticed by now, Vera is very connected and has many friends in high places.”
“Ah, of course,” Jax says and opens the bottle. He sniffs it and then closes his eyes with a sigh. “But you see, this one is not allowed to be exported, not even for the rich and influential. To have this in Ekios means bargaining with the black market.”
I look over at him. “I didn’t know you’re a specialist on very rare, expensive drinks from outside the country. How do you know that much about this specific vodka, huh?”
Jax corks the bottle and puts it back in its place. “That’s because it’s my family’s business.”
I’m surprised to hear that.
“Your family’s business? I thought…”
He flashes me a roguish grin. “You thought what, dearest? That I was born into the legacy of murders and the art of thievery?”
I purse my lips and shrug my shoulders. “Can you blame me? You said your father was a menace, so I assumed…I definitely didn’t think you to be a poor little rich boy. Though now all the rings and your fancy manners make sense…”
Jax laughs and pours himself a generous amount of honey whiskey. “A man does not need to be a criminal to be awful. Though, Father does have illegal dealings, too.”
We settle by the fireplace. It’s cozy and warm, exactly what I need after the day we just had.
“Poor little rich boy,” Jax murmurs after a while. “I like the sound of it.”
I snort. “Of course you do.”
“Should we get Tanaka and Hojo to look at your thigh? You’re bleeding all over Vera’s floor.”
Pouting, I glance at the arrow still sticking from my thigh. This is going to be so painful.
I down the last of my drink. “Yeah. Let’s get this over with.”
Vera returns surprisingly soon. Tanaka and Hojo have just finished cleaning my wound and bandaging me before heading to their rooms for the night.
The moment Vera steps through the door, I know something is off. I don’t even need to sense her emotions. It’s written in the delicate features of her face.
I sit straighter in my seat, alert. “What happened?”
Once Vera removes her shoes, she just stands there by the entrance and stares at nothing.
I get on my feet and wince, my heart racing. “Vera? What’s the matter?”
I have never seen her like this before. She blinks a few times. Slowly, her gaze moves from nowhere to Jax, still sitting in one of the armchairs. She’s shooting daggers at him.
I’m very worried now. What for the love of the gods is going on?
Vera takes one step forward and then halts.
I try again. “Vera, what is going on? Did something happen to Noire? Is it about the trials?”
Vera looks away from Jax and at me. “It seems we have an issue,” she says, slowly articulating every word. “It seems some of us are liars.”
I swallow, panic rising in my chest. Oh shit. Has Vera found out about me sneaking around with Daegel before we officially broke up?
“Vera, it’s not what you think,” I start.
Maybe it’s not too late.
We’re not together anymore.
Vera frowns. “Oh, I think it’s exactly that. I’ve seen the proof.”
Shit, shit, shit. Did I miss some of her spies following me?
I can’t lose her. Not when I’m so fucking close.
Vera isn’t look at me anymore, though. Her full attention is on Jax once again.
Wait, what?
I whip my head to where he sits. He wears a mask of calmness as he keeps Vera’s gaze without even flinching.
He’s awfully quiet. So unlike Jax.
No way.
I swallow. “Jax? What the fuck did you do?”
Before he can answer, Vera spits, “You fucking bastard. The audacity! You come to us, offering an alliance, pretending that we have a common enemy, when you’re the reason why we’re here in the first place!”
I’m stunned for a moment. Jax swallows. The only visible sigh that he’s feeling anxious.
“Vera, I had no choice,” he says, each word carefully calculated.
Vera’s nostrils flare. “Really? We always have a choice. You had a choice not to murder Kitajo. You had a choice not to be a Caligos puppet! ”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
I stare at Jax, speechless.
Him? He’s the one who assassinated the late Ezkai General?
Jax inhales a sharp breath and lifts his chin. For a heartbeat, he doesn’t speak. His silence is answer enough. Yet Vera is not satisfied.
A bitter laugh bubbles out of Vera. “All the pockets are empty of new lies, huh?”
There is so much pain inside her. Her voice cracks at the end, and it pierces right through my chest.
“Is that true?” I ask. “I thought it was Caligos who assassinated him.”
“I was the one who poisoned Kitajo’s drink that night at the Golden Dragon.
He’s dead because of me,” Jax says, slowly.
“Caligos are the ones who ordered it. You must understand, Vera. I had—I had no other choice. Daegel Talbot owns me, and when he ordered me to assassinate the General, I had no choice but to obey.”
I close my eyes for a moment.
Of course Daegel’s the one who ordered the assassination of Kitajo Hiromasa.
Makes complete sense considering what he shared with me about his destiny being determined before he was even born.
Vera spits. “You did what was convenient. You chose to serve your master’s fucked-up plans like a fucking coward!
You chose to take away a great man’s life, at the wish of some arrogant spoiled asshole, without even thinking what your actions might mean to people.
To the whole country! And then you come to us and lie about wanting to help ensure the Talbots don’t win? ”
“It’s not as black-and-white as that.” Jax rises to his feet. “My life is in Daegel’s hands. I’m at his full mercy. I had no other choice. Believe me, I didn’t want to do it. And if I could, I would take it back.”
Vera shakes her head. She covers her mouth with her hand and turns away from us. When she sobs, my heart breaks for her.
“You said you want Daegel dead,” I say. “You said you are here to help us, because he has something of yours. Was anything you said true? Were you the one who sold us out during this rescue mission?”
“No! I never said anything to a soul about Savage King, believe me.” Jax sighs and runs his hands through his hair.
“Listen, I made a wrong choice once. I was working at Madame Mercy’s place as an in-house dealer, taking freelance jobs on the side.
Daegel approached me as a client, with a job that looked easy enough.
I didn’t know his family or him back then.
I was new to Ekios. I didn’t know what Caligos were.
I thought he was just a rogue criminal like I am, and so, I took this job.
It turns out, he fucked me over, it was a scam to get me in debt with Caligos.
That mistake made me a slave. A slave to him, and his family. ”
I frown. “So, what? You were fucking stupid. No fucking wonder. Honestly, Jax. What is it of yours that he has?”
“My freedom,” Jax says. “He has my life and my freedom on a fucking contract. Which changes at his whims. He told me I’d be free after the assassination, then he changed it to after I get you to drop out of the trials.
I have absolutely no control over what orders he gives me.
I serve him, and his family. If I don’t execute, I die. Caligos laws are ruthless.”
“Are you saying that you’re a fucking Caligos?” I almost scream at him.
“No!” Jax shakes his head, his eyes wide. “I’m not. I’m simply their pawn.”
Vera whirls to face us again. “It doesn’t fucking matter! You are the reason why we are here. You are the reason why Kitajo is dead, and we are here trying to fucking help Phoenix win so that evil family doesn’t take the damn power! Do you understand what you did?”
“Yes, I fucking do,” Jax says, pleading. “I had long enough to ponder my actions. And that’s why I chose to help you! That’s why I stay at your side, to ensure Daegel and his family don’t do more damage!”
Vera sneers. “Sure. Sure. Play the fucking hero now. You benefit if Phoenix wins because it means Daegel has to die! And if he’s dead, your contract is null, isn’t it? You’ll be free.”
A muscle in Jax’s jaw ticks. “That might be the reason why I started on this journey. But it’s not the only reason anymore.”
“You’re so full of shit,” Vera says, shaking her head.
“Daegel doesn’t want to hurt me. I don’t need your protection,” I say.
I’m not sure I believe those words the moment they leave my mouth.
Jax’s gaze burns bright. “Stop fooling yourself, Phoenix! He’s dangerous, and the only thing he cares about is power. Did you hear anything I just said about him and his family? Does any of it matter, or are you so fucking blinded by all the lies he feeds you that you can’t see the truth?”
I cross my arms. “You’re not one to lecture on lies.”
Jax looks ready to give up.
“I don’t believe a word coming out of your filthy mouth,” Vera snaps. “You’re a thief and a liar. And the worst of all, a fucking murderer. A psychotic one!”
Jax flinches at that and takes a step back. His face drops, full of pain. Vera relishes the damage her words do—it’s written on her face.
“What?” I look between them. “What the fuck does that mean, Vera?”
Jax opens his mouth, but no words come out.
“Oh, Jaxy, don’t hold back now,” Vera coos sweetly.
“I know all about the real reason your own father banished you from Emera and why you ended up here. You know what he did, Phoenix? Our precious Jax set a whole damn building on fire, with people inside that he knew about, and he watched them burn to the ash. If you ask me, I think the spirits of the gods should have drowned you in the sea on your way from Emera to Ekios.”
I can’t believe that.
“It’s not—”
Jax doesn’t get to finish the sentence, because Vera cuts him off. “Oh, let me guess—it’s not how it looks? Sure.”
“You know, this is exactly what the Talbots want. They want you distracted. Daegel wants us divided so he can win more easily. Don’t you understand that? That family are damn sociopaths.”
“Get out,” Vera spits. “Get out of my damn house and don’t you dare come back here.
Noire knows about you. If he catches you, you’ll be executed for your crimes.
And if you get lucky, I hope the Talbots hunt you down for failing your orders and punish you in the most savage ways of Caligos.
Spirits of the gods know you don’t deserve a clean death. ”
Each word from Vera’s lips is like a blade, laced with poison, and they slice through Jax with no mercy. His shoulders slump. He knows there is no way back from here.
We’re over.
Quietly, he makes his way to the door and leaves. I must admit, my heart bleeds for him.
I don’t want any of it to be the truth.
I don’t want him to go.
But…the sting from his betrayal prevents me from saying anything.