“That too.”
“This is a strange game you are playing, Cail,” Ilyan said, his body turning to address him directly. “Your sister has offered a sacrifice to give you asylum and to take the ?tít out of your heart, and you don’t seem to want it.”
“I don’t,” Cail said simply, his eyes not leaving Ilyan’s.
I took a step back, right into Talon’s stiff chest before moving away from him automatically. How could Cail not want this? He had been helping me for a century, and to what end? He was now going to walk away, give us up to Edmund? My jaw clenched in frustration without me even realizing it.
“Why is that I wonder?”
“Simple.” Cail said, his eyes still not leaving Ilyan’s, the contest of wills and power strong between them. “With no one left on the inside, who is going to stop Edmund from coming after her?”
“I promised her asylum, and I will deliver that.”
“You will? Against Edmund? Impressive.” Cail nodded as he moved to the window, everyone’s eyes following him. I could feel Talon tense in expectation. I knew he would do anything to stop Cail if he made a move to leave. He couldn’t risk anyone finding out about Ilyan’s location or breaking their cover.
“He is my father, Cail. I know his strength. You do not seem to see mine.”
“Then you know about the Vil??” Cail turned, his back against the window, blocking some of the light that was able to come in through the dingy bottle-glass window.
“The what?” I didn’t miss the confusion, the need in Ilyan’s voice. I had to hand it to my brother; he played his cards well.
“Make me a deal, and I will tell you.”
The room was silent except for the clicking of Cail’s nails against the windowsill and the constricted breathing from Talon’s chest as he fought the desire to protect Ilyan from my brother. I half expected them to just disappear and leave us both hanging, but they didn’t.
“What deal?” Ilyan breathed out, his eyes narrowing.
“Protect my sister,” Cail said without hesitation, his finger nails still clicking against the wooden frame. “When the time comes, I will stop the zánik curse that my father has already begun infecting her with.”
I inhaled roughly, Cail had been holding back. No wonder he had been handed a death card. He knew far more than he had been letting me know. Even Edmund had never used the zánik curse. That level of pain and suffering was reserved for the ultimate of traitors, which I guess I was.
“The zánik curse?” Ilyan asked, a wicked glow lighting up his face. “My, you have gotten yourself in some trouble, Wynifred.”
“If you take her now, he will kill her before even you will have a chance to stop it,” Cail said, fear lighting up his eyes even though his face was still hard. I wasn’t sure anyone else would have caught his panic, but I could see it. “But, let us walk into their trap, and I will bind the curse and take my father’s control from it. Then you can take her.”
“Why wait?” Ilyan asked, as he leaned toward Cail in an obvious attempt to establish authority.
“Now, Ilyan,” Cail taunted smoothly, “do you really want to give up a chance to attack your father? Besides, if we wait, I will not only be able to bind the curse inside of Wynifred, but I will also be able to siphon the curse through me using Edmund’s power. I may be able to curse him instead.”
Everyone eyed Cail curiously, my breathing increasing at what he was saying. I was sure my eyes looked ready to explode from my face. What was he saying; siphon the curse? That wouldn’t just kill Edmund; it would kill him as well.
“It will come at a cost,” Cail continued, ignoring my panicked intake of breath. “You will have to remove her from my care quickly.”
“What are you saying?” I gasped, my words lost in my panic, the hard edge that was always in my voice all but gone.
“I may lose my mind.”
To use so much magic that his mind would crack – I couldn’t let him take that risk. What’s more, if he failed then Edmund would live knowing that Cail had attempted to use his magic without permission. That alone was a risk I couldn’t allow him to take. The ?tít was there for control; he had been warned about what would happen if he utilized it any other way.
“Cail, you can’t,” I pleaded, knowing he wouldn’t listen, even if he heard me.
“Don’t show your emotions, sister, it is incredibly unattractive,” Cail spat. I stepped back, my disgust still evident on my face. “Once my job is done, keep me from her. Then, on the day the curse fulfills itself, when Edmund has died and when my mind has returned to its own, then you will get me out.”