Chapter 27 #2
“He killed Harrison,” I say.
Madam Lyrie whirls around. Her hands are still on Elliot, but now, her gaze is wholly focused on me. She scans my body, head to toe, lip curling at what she sees. Even though it doesn’t matter, I impulsively add, “I wasn’t there.”
“And yet, here you are,” she says. Her voice is pure venom as she shifts, facing me. She places herself like a shield before Elliot and the absurdity of it—of her protecting him from me—should be ludicrous. It should make me laugh.
Instead, the bitter taste of bile crawls up my throat. He clearly does need protection from me. If only I’d let Elliot introduce me to his mama like he wanted, she likely would have prevented any of this from happening.
“Explain everything. Now.” She keeps one hand on Elliot and raises the other toward me. Though I can’t see her magic, I can feel it. It sizzles through the air, stronger than any other I’ve felt, except perhaps my own.
“I don’t know the details,” I say. “Only that Elliot killed him. I imagine there’s a terrible mess.”
Madam Lyrie doesn’t immediately respond. Her jaw works as she looks at me, and her upper lip curls into a snarl. I tilt my chin, leveling her with a stare. I hope she can’t see the way my knees shake, the way my breath hitches
“What do you want?” she asks finally. Her magic pulses again, but she doesn’t strike.
She’s too smart. There’s too much at stake.
If she kills me, she won’t know how to cover for Elliot.
The council might ignore the rape of a Dark One, but they likely won’t do the same for the murder of an augur’s son.
“You need to clean it up,” I say. When Madam Lyrie doesn’t react, doesn’t even breathe, I continue. “I don’t have the right ingredients to conceal his involvement. I’m hoping you do.”
She still doesn’t move. She only stares and stares at me, one hand locked on Elliot’s arm, as if bracing him for impact.
“Why?” she asks.
“Why?” I echo. There are too many questions that could start with that single word. Why did Elliot kill Harrison? Why did he come to me? Why do I want to protect my rapist’s best friend?
“Why,” she repeats. This time it’s not a question.
“You already know,” I whisper.
Her eyes flash, and it’s the only confirmation I need. Elliot promised me he wouldn’t fight with his mama about her ruling, but I feared he would anyway. He’s too good. He can’t help but defend the defenseless, especially when it’s me.
“This is all for your little accusation?” she spits. Her magic pulses again, and this time, I feel it stretch for me. She’s ready to hurt me, to kill me, to ruin me. If only she understood, I’m ruined already. Ruined, with no hope of recovering.
“We don’t have time,” I say, rather than responding to her question. I glance past her, to the brightening sky visible between her orange drapes. “The sun will rise soon, and someone is bound to discover him. You need to go.”
Her glare hardens, only to soften when she glances over Elliot on the couch. He’s starting to snore, and despite everything else, that makes me want to smile.
Mind magic can be a powerful sedative. Despite his wounds, he’s sleeping peacefully.
I imagine he will for the rest of his life.
He won’t remember killing Harrison. He won’t remember what his best friend did to me.
He won’t remember me at all, and as much as that burns my insides, it’s for the best.
For him, at least.
“He gave me his memories,” I say. Madam Lyrie’s attention snaps to me, mouth falling open. “No one will know the truth of what happened. Not even him.”
The silence stretches between us, and I watch as a dozen emotions flash over her features.
“Where’s the body?” she asks finally.
“I need your word first,” I say. Madam Lyrie’s face scrunches, a snarl twisting her lips. Before she can protest, I continue. “Promise me you won’t give me the death penalty.”
“You’re trying to barter?” she asks. “My son is bleeding out. His best friend is dead. And you…you’re using this to your advantage?”
“Blame Harrison’s murder on me. Exile me. Send me to the farthest reaches of the Echo,” I say, ignoring the malice in her tone. “Spare my life, and I promise, I’ll never come back.”
Madam Lyrie’s jaw works, but she can’t deny me. She knows as well as I do. Elliot’s all over that crime scene, and if I don’t tell her where that is, he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison. I only hope she doesn’t know I would never allow that to happen.
“Help me get him upstairs,” she says. She rises to her feet before looking expectantly at me. “Once my healer arrives, we’ll go.”
“Your word,” I demand.
“You have my word,” she bites out. “I’ll exile you, and you’ll never come back.”
And that is that.
Two days later, the council guard arrives at Mama Blake’s house.
They tear me from Margot’s outstretched reach and drag me down their front porch.
Neighbors all down the street poke their heads out to watch, and not one of them looks surprised.
They don’t know what I’m being taken for, but they all assume I deserve it.
Maybe I do.
I don’t fight the guards. I enter the trolley and stare at my cuffed wrists.
I’m wearing three pairs again, but no one knows the golden set is false.
These silver ones are debilitating. Heavy.
Exhausting. But they do nothing to my magic.
I’d barely have to move, and I could kill every guard in this trolley.
I won’t.
I will give Madam Lyrie the chance to keep her word. And if she breaks it, I will be long gone before she destroys me again.