Chapter 44
Forty-Four
Elodie
Uncle Nik gets up from the table and motions to the door. “Everything’s in place, then. The rest is up to you.”
My fingers clench around the vial of poison he handed me minutes ago. My lungs clench too, so tight I can’t breathe.
The words tumble from my mouth. “I don’t know if I can really do this.”
Nik peers down his nose at me, his dark gaze as inscrutable as always. I can never tell how much he actually cares about me.
He saved me from the ruin my life would have become if the truth about my glim and Asher’s death had come out, but how much was that because I’m his niece and how much because I’m a tool he wants to use?
His voice is equally unreadable. “We’ve been training for this first mission for months, Elodie. It’s your way to start setting more things right after the wrong you did. Or does restoring the balance not matter to you anymore?”
If I say it doesn’t matter, he’ll reveal everything—to Mom, to the three matches I still have.
In the back of my mind, I see how Cole’s eyes will harden with revulsion, how Byron will recoil in horrified shock, how Salvatore’s anger will twist his face.
I hear Asher’s last scream as I killed him.
My stomach lurches, and I stiffen my spine.
“No. It does matter, a lot. I can do it. I’ll be fine.”
Uncle Nik nods approvingly. “And I’ll be right here backing you up the whole way through…”
The chime of my phone’s alarm cuts through the last remembered word. I blink into bleary awareness, my gut still listing with nausea.
Inhaling and exhaling gradually, I summon my mantra.
I have all I need. I have all I need.
Uncle Nik isn’t here right now. As far as I know, he’s nowhere near me in this reality.
But I’m still about to set off on a mission I might regret.
I still have that one secret I haven’t told my matches.
Do they need to know? I told them the worst part—about my innate power and how it killed Asher—and that didn’t shake them much. Everything that came after…
Would they understand why I accepted Nik’s deal? Why I took so much more blood onto my hands?
I’m never going to head down that path again, and I never wanted to do it in the first place. So maybe that one dark blemish on my past can simply be left there, undisturbed.
I push myself off the bed with a glance toward the window. A faint glow from the streetlamps glazes the night beyond.
It seemed like a good idea to squeeze in as much of a nap as I could before tonight’s training exercise. I wish the attempt had left me clearer-headed rather than rattled.
Giving myself a shake, I grab the hoodie I picked out and pull it over the long-sleeved tee I’ve paired with yoga pants. Captain Ross instructed us to dress for physical activity.
My fingers brush over the delicate chain of the bracelet Asher gave me. It doesn’t feel totally right—him protecting me.
I’d like to chain up the door to his house so he can’t follow me into tonight’s danger.
I drag a breath deep into my lungs, steadying myself.
He wants to be there. He knows the risks, and it’d hurt him more leaving me to face them alone than tackling them with me.
All of my men feel the same way.
I don’t know if the original versions of my matches would have held on to their devotion if they’d known the truth about my glim… but that doesn’t matter anymore, does it? Aunt Daphne or fate or some other power brought me here instead, and this is the life I have.
And fucking fuaths, do I want to keep it.
Uncle Nik did teach me a few useful things, not the least of which is how much power I can wield. Maybe we don’t know why this murderous group is out to kill me or how many people they’ve roped into their schemes, but I’m not letting them get the better of me.
And if they harm any of the men I love, I’ll make them pay.
When I head downstairs, Dad comes into the front hall. The lines at the corners of his eyes and mouth look deeper than usual—or maybe it’s just the stark artificial lighting.
“Be careful out there,” he says. “Keep alert so nothing can take you by surprise.”
One side of my mouth kicks up into a wry smile. “I think that’s the whole point of the training.”
He touches my shoulder. “And I know you can handle yourself. How did you end up getting so strong, Sunshine?”
He says it lightly, but my stomach knots up all over again. Ms. Lupul’s influence runs through the words, nudging him to encourage me rather than dissuade me from going.
If she hadn’t gotten her claws into his head, he’d be telling me to stay home.
My smile tightens, but I manage to hold it in place. “You must have raised me well.”
Dad chuckles. “I don’t think I can take all the credit, but I appreciate the thought. I’ll stay up until you’re home.”
“You don’t need—”
“No.” I catch a flicker of his true apprehension behind his warm eyes. “I do. I have some work to finish up anyway. And if you run into any trouble, call me right away.”
“Of course.”
With a heavy lump in my gut, I walk out to meet the chauffeured car waiting in the drive. Radiants only know how Dad will react to the news that should come out of tonight’s activities.
Maurice has just opened the sedan’s door for me when a different car comes cruising up from the street.
As the pale green Volvo parks just behind us, my lips part with shock. Where in the nine Norse realms has Aunt Daphne been?
She shimmies out of the car with a billow of her hair and a darting gesture toward me. “Ellie. Where are you going this late?”
My heart thumps hard in my chest. I wanted her to come back. I reached out to her.
But now there’s no time. I need to be at the park in half an hour, or Professor Jovak will start wondering why I haven’t arrived. He might realize something’s up and adjust his plans.
I dig my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, one of which holds my phone and the other a slim metal flashlight like Captain Ross requested. “A session for that supplementary combat program. Did you… did you find out anything useful?”
A flicker of hope passes through me. Is it possible I won’t have to present myself as bait after all? That Daphne uncovered some thread we can use to hang Gwyn and her associates with instead?
But my aunt purses her lips. “Bits and pieces, nothing totally conclusive. It sounded as though I was needed here.”
Yesterday’s message. I thought I did need her. But it doesn’t sound as if she can offer anything helpful after all. She didn’t even blink at my mention of the combat seminars, so she clearly hasn’t uncovered anything shady about them.
She didn’t even bother to reply to me so I knew she was on her way.
I can’t stop my voice from coming out a bit stiff. “Maybe not. We can talk after I get back.”
I don’t know if it’s my tone or my expression, but that canny glint that always unnerves me flashes in Daphne’s eyes.
She motions me away from Maurice with a sterner air than I’m used to. “I think we’d better talk a little now, in private.”
My teeth set on edge, but I allow her to usher me into the shadows of the garage. As soon as the door has shut behind us with the flare of the automatic lights above us, she turns to me.
She speaks under her breath but still firm. “What’s really going on, Elodie?”
I fold my arms over my chest, shoring up my resolve. “My matches and I have a plan to bring the right people to justice. It could all be over tonight.”
Her face pales. “You’re going out there right now to tackle the people who want you dead?”
“It’s better than waiting around for them to kill me.”
“You can’t—going off into that much danger alone— We’ll come up with a better plan. I’m sure I can help you sort things out.”
A fire kindles deep in my chest, anger spurring on my determination.
“You could have helped me sort things out, maybe, if you’d been here before.
But while you were off doing Tiamat knows what, I had to deal with this mess myself.
But not by myself. I’m not alone. All four of my matches will be with me tonight. ”
Aunt Daphne grasps my arm. “Just tell me what you’re going to do, and we’ll figure out the safest way—”
I yank away from her. “There is no ‘safe.’ You’d know that if you’d been here. We’ve figured out lots just the five of us, and I don’t have time to hash it out with you without ruining what we’ve already set up. So you’ll just have to wait.”
Like I’ve been waiting for her for the past two weeks.
I don’t say that part, just push out of the garage and hustle back to the car. I didn’t realize just how upset I was with her until the words came out of my mouth.
She dragged me into this totally different reality for her own purposes… and then she left me stranded with barely any guidance.
Where the fuck does she get off trying to take charge of my life now?
Daphne bursts out of the garage after me but stops when she sees me ducking into the back seat. Her hands ball into fists at her sides.
She must know there’s some truth to what I said, because she doesn’t barge in to stop me. A moment later, she’s dwindling in the rearview mirror.
I check my phone. I only lost a few minutes, and I wasn’t cutting the time that close. I should still get to the park on schedule.
Before I can put the device away, a message from Cole pops up with a faint vibration.
Have completed circuit of the park. Some odd metal storage containers near the west end that clearly had magic embedded but ephemera was muddled. Nothing else unusual. I’m staying in view of those and will warn if I see any threat.
My mind shifts from family issues to the unknowns ahead of us.
Metal storage containers. Could they hold military equipment like the machines Captain Ross brought to other training sessions?
Do they factor into my instructors’ intentions toward me?
I guess I’ll find out once I’m in the thick of it. At least we have Cole keeping an eye on them.
By the time Maurice lets me out at the northeast corner of the park, my pulse is pounding again, hard enough to drown out the rumble of passing traffic. Girding myself, I head down the path through the trees to the cleared picnic area where we’re meant to meet up.
A dozen figures are already standing around the wooden picnic tables in the glow of a security lamp and a couple of electric lanterns. The tingle of my bond tells me they include my other three matches before I spot Byron, Salvatore, and Asher scattered through the growing crowd.
I pretend not to pay any attention to them and come to a stop next to Stella, who’s also shown up promptly. She tucks her arms tighter around her chest over her chunky sweater. “I don’t know what we did to deserve this.”
From her tone, she’s framing tonight’s session as a punishment. I restrain a snort. “No kidding.”
Captain Ross and Professor Jovak stand in the middle of the cluster of tables, talking to each other in low voices. I can’t tell if they’ve noted my arrival, even though theoretically they should have been waiting for it.
But then, they must be good actors. I had no idea Jovak disliked me, let alone wanted me dead.
More students arrive, drifting along the fringes of the clearing. Cadance strikes a haughty pose at the other side of the group from Stella and me.
A few minutes later, Madison joins us with an air of impatient resignation. She glances around at the last stragglers and scuffs her sneaker against the ground. “If they’re going to make us go to this much trouble, it’d better at least count toward our ranking.”
Stella arches her eyebrows at our other friend. “I don’t know if you should wish for that. Knowing Cosgrave’s reputation, it might put a criminal in the number one spot.”
I bite my tongue against the urge to defend Salvatore. He’d probably like that she thinks that way about him.
And we don’t want to give anyone the idea that we knew about our bond before we see tonight’s plan through.
Captain Ross scans our group and must determine that everyone he’s expecting is here.
He produces a black fabric bag that he holds out in front of him.
“All right, students. First things first: We want you relying on your own skills rather than others’ observations.
Please turn in your phones. They’ll be returned to you after the exercise is complete. ”
My pulse skips a beat. We hadn’t anticipated this request.
Thank all that’s bright we did agree on additional contingencies in case my phone was disabled or broken.
I type a hasty message to Cole letting him know we’ll be going phone silent and turn the device right off before I reach the captain. His firm gaze shows no sign of hostility as I add my phone to the bag.
I don’t even know if he’s my enemy too or only Jovak.
Once he’s collected all of our phones, Ross lifts his voice again.
“As my initial request implied, we’re looking at your individual performance here.
You can’t assume you’ll have friends or even friendly acquaintances nearby when you face a threat.
We expect you to spread out through the park maintaining plenty of distance from each other.
There’s enough room to roam that it shouldn’t be hard to manage. ”
One of the younger seniors raises his hand. “What if we run into someone else by accident?”
Ross’s tone turns dry. “If you see a fellow student, walk away until you can’t see them anymore. There shouldn’t be any regular civilians in the park—we’ve ensured it’ll stay clear.”
Do the containers Cole noticed have anything to do with that goal? There’s no way for him to tell us any details he uncovers now.
I hold myself back from nibbling at my lower lip, tamping down all the nervous questions I want to ask. I’m portraying a girl who hasn’t the slightest suspicion of impending foul play.
Cadance speaks up for me, forcing a little gratitude I’d rather not feel. “What exactly are we going to be doing while we’re wandering around?”
Ross offers her a thin smile. “We have various challenges set up around the park, some similar to what you’ve encountered in past exercises, others more of a surprise.
Nothing you shouldn’t be able to handle at this point.
Our goal is to evaluate how well you do and see where there’s room for further improvement. ”
And to “accidentally” murder me, I have to assume.
He sweeps his arm toward the sprawling forestland that leads to the rest of the park. “You’ll set off in a few waves to help you spread out. Tonight’s seminar begins… now.”