chapter 8
We took the stairs at the end of the hallway and went up two floors. I’d never been to this floor before, mainly because all it housed was my parent’s bedroom and, so it would seem, my father’s study. A colossal wooden door, unlike the ivory doors throughout the château, stood at the end of the corridor. He pushed it inward, and the doors obeyed with a loud whine.
What lay before had just become my most favorite room in the entire Château. “Wow!” I exclaimed as I entered the space. The high ceiling was beamed with massive wooden logs, ornate metal chandeliers hanging from them like earrings. The white marbled floor was covered in a cream rug, flecked with the exquisite golden hues of Zakarian sand. It captured every flicker of light and looked like it was glowing.
Bookshelves lined every wall, their old pages filing my nose with the incredible scent of aged parchment. I breathed deeply, wishing I could bathe in the aroma of it. Large, leafy plants towered by every window and acted like umbrellas for the antique arm chairs that sat beneath them. My father’s desk was buried under columns of dusty books that wobbled precariously. I ran my fingers against the spines; most of them were in languages I couldn’t read. Some had gold lettering, other’s black, and several had no title at all. Perhaps they had faded away with age.
“I’m worried about you, Claire,” my father said from behind me. I turned around to find him watching me with anxiety stressing his features. Why was everyone so worried about me? “Why do you wear them?” He gestured toward my neck. Great! He had heard my conversation with Bennett.
I thought about it for a moment, and I didn’t really have an answer as to why. “I don’t know.”
“I know you feel they helped save your life, and maybe they did, but there’s no reason for you to keep wearing them. Right now there’s no immediate threat, and… everyone would feel a lot better if you kept them locked up.”
“Everyone? What do you mean?”
“Please, sit down.” He pointed to a seat and fell into one himself. He clenched his fists together, cracking his knuckles. That’s when it hit me.
“Are they afraid of me?”
“No, no, not afraid of you, but afraid of the stones. They’re very dangerous.”
“But they won’t hurt anyone!” I cried out, pleading my case. I hadn’t meant to scare people, they were scared enough already. I knew firsthand how scary the stones could be; hell, I’d been terrified during my first encounter, but I couldn’t deny how their power had saved my and Bennett’s lives.
“I know you may think so, but they are objects of magic, there’s no way to know for sure what they will do.”
“But…” I pulled the chain out from my shirt and held the stones in my fingers. They were so small, no bigger than a small coin, yet they caused so much trouble, so much fear. I felt deep down in my heart that they weren’t inherently evil, but could I really convince everyone of that? These stones were also victims of Baal, and I wanted to protect them as much as I did everyone else.
I looked up to see my father visibly uncomfortable at the sight of the stones. “I’ve had this made for you.” He rose from his seat and walked around to his desk. Digging into his breast pocket, he pulled out a key and inserted it into a drawer. The lock clicked open, and he lifted up a small black box. I had seen a box like this before. It was a deep ebony, with a gold lock dangling from the seam of the lid.
He handed the box to me, and I took it, resting it atop my lap. “I want you to lock them up, Claire.”
“But we might need them!” If Baal attacked again, how could we stand a chance against other minions without the stones?
“If that time comes, then you may have them, but for now I ask this of you. Wear only the key around your neck, and know that no one can access these stones but you.” I stared at the box, and then at the stones in my hand. I lifted the lid and dropped them in. As the lid closed a sense of grief washed over me. I couldn’t feel them anymore, I couldn’t sense their power.
“You’ve made the right choice.” His body relaxed as I clicked the lock closed and draped the key around my neck.
“It doesn’t feel like the right choice though.”
“In time you will understand.” He settled into his seat, heaving a deep breath. “Tell me again what happened that night, Claire. What did he say to you?”
As much as I would have liked to have forgotten the horrific events of that night, they were burned into my memory. “He said he wanted me.” A shiver ran down my spine as I said aloud the words that haunted me most.
“Yes, that’s what disturbs me.” His hands shook as he clenched them together, balancing his elbows on his knees. “I just can’t figure out what he wants with you. What could he possibly gain?”
“Maybe he just wants revenge and he thinks hurting me is his leverage against you?” I didn’t like trying to decipher the mind of a sadistic monster, let alone what Baal could possibly want with me. A thought came to mind that disturbed me. “How does he even know about me anyway? You don’t think that…”
“Nicolae? That was my first guess, but if it were, why would Baal attack him too?”
“This is getting more and more confusing.”
“Yes, it is.” He rose from his seat and marched toward the open window. “My main focus is the safety of this family, and this region. But, in order to do that I must know what he is after and who is helping him.”
“We know that Ana is helping him.”
“Yes, we do…” he left the sentence hanging in the air as if there was more he wanted to say; a thought that just lingered on the tip of his tongue, but never fully formed.
“We’ll figure it out,” I said, trying to sound confident.
“That we will,” my father replied, unable to hide his unease.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” Rennek questioned as he stepped into the room. “I just had some reports for you.”
“No,” my father answered, clearing his throat. “Come in, Rennek.”
Rennek nodded at me as he entered, dozens of folders stashed under his arm. I stood up to leave, deciding that it was more important for my father to be kept up-to-date on the reports. I held the box against my stomach as I made my way out of the room, my father already getting an earful about the evening’s reports.
“Claire!” I stopped, turning to look at him. “Please promise me you’ll be careful.” He eyed the box in my hands. I simply nodded and closed the door behind me. I’d do as my father asked and be careful, but that was all I could do.
A pleasant surprise awaited me in my room. Robin was sitting on the couch, her head tilted back and her eyes closed, but at the sound of me shutting the door she was startled awake.
“Oh! You scared me, Claire.” She smiled sheepishly, and yawned.
“Sorry.” I smiled back at her as I walked toward my closet. “Did you not sleep well?”
“Not really, but ya know, new place.” She strolled up behind me, following me into my closet. “What’s that?”
I shoved the black box in-between a pile of extra blankets in the corner shelf of my closet. “Nothing,” I said, trying to be evasive. “What’s up?” I questioned, strolling back to my seating area and cuddling myself up on the couch.
“I just wanted to see how you were doing. You’ve been so focused on everyone else, and I realized that I haven’t once asked how you’re dealing with everything.” She took a seat beside me, looking as sweet as an angel.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
“Oh, I’m sure.” She raised her brows in disbelief, giving me a smirk that said she knew I was lying. I’d forgotten how easily Robin could read me. She didn’t even need to probe my emotions, the truth was written plainly enough on my face.
“I was just talking with my father, and I don’t know… seeing him so worried makes me even more worried.” I groaned, squeezing a pillow in my lap as if it would bring me comfort. “That doesn’t even make sense does it?”
“No, it does. You look up to him, and in your eyes he’s the be all and end all. If something has him troubled, then it has to be something really bad.” I nodded my head at her words. She knew exactly how I felt.
“He made me lock up the stones. That’s what’s in the box,” I admitted.
“I kinda figured that.” I looked up at her surprised. “Don’t give me that look.” She wagged a finger at me.
“What look?” I asked, a small smile escaping me.
“Like I wouldn’t know a concealing box when I saw one,” she giggled.
“Is that what they’re called?”
“Yeah, I’ve only ever seen pictures of them though. Does it really work? I mean, obviously, it does or your father wouldn’t have asked you to lock the stones inside.”
“Are you scared of them?” I stared at her, hopeful to have someone on my side.
“I don’t know.” Her eyes rolled around, as she thought on it. “I suppose I should be, but I’ve only ever read about them.”
“Do you think Ana will come back?” I hadn’t realized I had subconsciously feared it until it popped out of my mouth unexpectedly.
“Here?” Robin looked confused. “It would be stupid of her, but she isn’t exactly the sharpest fang on the planet.” Robin giggled at her jab.
“I mean for the stone, Robin.” I wanted to laugh with her, but it just wasn’t in me at the moment. “She wanted it so badly. If only you’d seen the look in her eyes.”
“Well… maybe it’s a good thing your father had you lock up the stones then. The box conceals the energy of the stones, so she shouldn’t be able to find them.”
“Yeah…” I didn’t feel so convinced. “She knows I have it, and she knows I’m here, so I don’t think that will make a difference.”
“Why do you think she wanted it so much?” Robin asked, sounding curious.
“No clue.” I recalled a suspicion I once had, but it was too terrible for me to admit out loud. Had Luka’s soul been trapped inside a stone? Although I didn’t know how it could be possible, it still made fear bubble in the back of my mind.
Robin scooted closer to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Claire, she won’t come back. She’s tried to kill you twice now, and you’ve beaten her twice. Ana is no match for you and she knows it.”
“What about Ana?” Liz asked, walking into the room with her arms full of books and color swatches.
“Nothing, I’m just freaking out,” I admitted.
“Do you think she’s coming back?” Liz asked, dropping her armful into the chair and taking a seat on the coffee table, a look of sincere concern on her face.
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“So, why doesn’t someone stop her?”
“No one knows where to find Ana,” Robin answered for me.
“Somebody has to know where she’d go, right? What about her friends or her parents?” Liz sounded like a protective best friend ready to kick down some doors to get information.
I thought about it as hard as I could. Who knew Ana? Robin did, but they’d never gotten along and if she had any ideas at all she would have told me. Her parents were nowhere to be found at the palace or in the Noire region according to Nicolae. That left Dmitry. His brother had been dating Ana for at least a decade; he had to have picked up some details to get some kind of guess where we could start looking.
“What about Dmitry?” I asked Robin and her forehead wrinkled as she thought about it.
“Couldn’t hurt to ask him.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“Whoa,” Liz put her hand on my shoulder to stop me from standing up. “Are you sure you want to be the one to find her, Claire? She tried to kill you.”
“If I don’t find her, then she’ll find me and I don’t want her catching me off guard again.” I might have survived the last two encounters with Ana, but that didn’t mean I would survive the next. “I guess I better go look for him then,” I said, not feeling very enthused. In all honesty I didn’t want to find Ana, I just wanted her to disappear forever, but that would never happen.
“Wait, wait! Before you go I need you two to help me decide on something,” Liz said frantically as she dug through the pile of stuff that she’d dumped on the chair. She pulled out two swatches and held them out before us. “Which yellow is better?”
Robin and I stared at the two colors, and then at each other. “Liz, they look exactly the same,” I told her, a small smile perking up my lips.
“They are not! This one is optimistic yellow, and this one is lantern light,” she replied, sternly.
“Umm… I like this one,” Robin said, pointing to one of the swatches. I’d already forgotten which was which.
“Me too!” Liz agreed. “How ’bout you, Claire?”
“I like that one, too,” I said, not really caring which shade of yellow she chose since they both looked the same to me.
“Good.” Liz opened up a notebook, shoving the color we’d all agreed on inside. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her so excited about something. It was nice to see she had something to keep her mind off things.
I rose from the sofa and headed for the door. As I grasped the handle I turned back to my two dearest friends. “I almost forgot. We’ve all got training tomorrow with Eli. I wouldn’t be late if I were you.” I winked at Liz, knowing she was never on time for anything.
“Training?” she said, helplessly. “For what?”
I plastered a wicked grin on my face and walked out the door to the sound of Liz hammering Robin with questions. Tomorrow night was going to be interesting to say the least. Liz wouldn’t even go jogging because she didn’t like to sweat. I could only image what Eli’s response would be when she gives him her first excuse as to why she can’t train. I could almost see the expression on her face in my mind. Yes, tomorrow evening would be interesting. Liz might not like it, but she’ll thank me for it later when she’s still alive after the war.
It took me ages to find Dmitry. He was in the gardens, sitting on a bench, his head tilted up toward the night sky. I didn’t see him move even an inch from the time I laid eyes on him till I was standing right beside him.
“Beautiful, aren’t they?” I asked, trying to strike up conversation.
“I used to think so,” he grumbled, interlocking his fingers across his chest and turning his gaze toward me. I was surprised to find anger in his expression. “What do you want, Claire?”
I stammered, taken aback by his tone. I knew things hadn’t ended well between us, but I thought we had moved past that. I had hoped we could still be friends despite everything, but maybe we couldn’t. He was a different Dmitry than the one I once knew. I knew it wasn’t just because of us either. His physical appearance may have been scarred, but something inside him had been too.
I took a seat beside him, my breath catching in my throat as I studied him. Yes, he was very different, I could see it in his eyes; I could feel it emanating from him. Without realizing it, my hand lifted to touch the scar that trailed down his temple. He jerked away from my touch, and I hesitated before reaching slowly for him again. This time he didn’t pull away.
The scar was smooth under my fingertips, the new skin was delicate; a stark contrast from the wound that had caused it. I didn’t want to imagine the pain he had gone through the night of the attack, but I was grateful he had survived. Despite his aggression toward me, I was glad he was here.
“How come it didn’t heal?” I asked curiously, my words coming out as a whisper as I pulled my fingers away.
Dmitry’s dark eyes found mine, an explosion of emotion being held at bay. At that moment I wished I could read his mind, but he kept his feelings locked down. I could only catch glimpses, like sand sifting through my fingers.
“They were too severe. I wasn’t able to feed quickly enough to assist in the healing. If it weren’t for your boyfriend I probably would have lost my eye,” he said, turning his gaze from mine and back toward the sky. His words were bitter.
“I’m sorry.” I tilted my head, trying to get him to look at me.
“For what?” he shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable being so close to me.
“For… for everything.” Sorry just didn’t seem good enough, but I couldn’t think of another word to apologize for what I’d done. His world, and everyone else’s, seemed to have been so much better before I came around.
“Whatever, it’s not your fault.” He sat up suddenly, turning toward me fully. After a deep, heavy breath he allowed his eyes to fall onto my face. My heart thumped in my chest as he leaned toward me. The realization hit me that this was the first time we’d been alone together since I left Noire. Despite everything, I couldn’t deny how incredibly attractive he was. He drew ever closer, watching my every feature for a reaction as our faces were only inches apart. Was he going to kiss me? Part of me hoped he wouldn’t, but another part of me craved the touch of his lips on mine again; the electricity that had shot through me when his fangs caressed my lips. It was wrong, it felt so incredibly wrong.
My body began to shudder, either from nerves or anticipation I didn’t know, but it brought a smile to Dmitry’s face. He pulled back, chuckling lightly to himself. What the hell was so damn funny?
“I knew it!” He leaned into the bench, lacing his fingers behind his head as he sat lazily.
“Knew what?” Aggravation began to bubble within me. He was playing games with me and I didn’t like it. Especially when it involved my emotions.
“That you still have feelings for me,” he answered, triumphantly.
“I… I… I do not!” The second the words left my mouth, I knew they were a lie. I would always have feelings for Dmitry, but they were different from what I felt for Arrick. Yes, Dmitry was stunningly handsome, and incredibly smart, but there was a very important piece missing between us. There was no connection like what I had with Arrick.
“I didn’t come here to talk about what I do and don’t feel,” I growled at him. I liked this new Dmitry less and less.
“Then why did you come here?” he said, curtly.
Drawing in a breath, I collected my emotions. Now wasn’t the time to snap at each other, even though he was being incredibly irritating it was warranted. If our situations were reversed I’d be the same way.
“I came to ask you about Ana.”
“Ana?” His brisk tone disappeared, and he sat up again, giving me a confused expression. “What about her?”
“I want to find her, and I was hoping you could help me.”
“What? Why would you want to find her?” he asked, dragging his hand across his short, blonde hair.
“I want to find her before she finds me.”
“Claire,” he said my name admonishingly, “that’s crazy. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“No. I’m just sick and tired of looking over my shoulder, worrying if she is hiding in the shadows waiting for the right time to come after me again.”
“She’s not going to come after you again, okay?” The pitch of his voice was softer, reminding me of the Dmitry I once knew.
“You don’t know that.”
“No, I don’t, but I do know that she won’t have the advantage like she had before. She won’t be able to get anywhere near you, Claire. That I can promise you.” He brought his hand to my shoulder and squeezed, conveying the certainty of his words. “I won’t let her.”
My mouth fell open at his words. In spite of everything, he was still willing to stand by my side, still willing to protect me. Maybe we could be friends after all.
“Why did you think I could help you with Ana anyway?” he released his grip on my shoulder.
“Well… when was the last time you saw her?”
“The night she attacked you,” he answered quickly.
“Really?” I was surprised. I would have thought she’d have returned to the palace and tried to convince everyone she had no part in the attack. Or even work with her parents to usurp Nicolae. With me gone, that would have been the perfect opportunity for her. But, maybe she had other plans in the works.
“Yeah. Both she and her parent’s disappeared that night.”
“But what about Luka? She didn’t return for his funeral?” They were mates. I would have thought that she’d at least show up at his burial. I didn’t know much about their relationship, so maybe the depth of their connection wasn’t as deep as I thought.
“There was no funeral for Luka,” Dmitry said flatly, trying to mask the emotion I could feel stampeding inside him.
“Oh.” I couldn’t help but still feel guilty for killing Luka, but only because of the pain it obviously inflicted on Dmitry. No matter what, he was still his brother and I couldn’t imagine the agony he felt.
“He was to be burned, as punishment for his sins. His actions were unforgiveable.”
“Was?” I couldn’t help but catch onto the fact that something didn’t go as planned.
“His body was stolen.” Fury burned in his voice.
“Stolen? Who would steal his body?” It didn’t make any sense, until Dmitry’s wrathful expression turned toward me.
“Ana,” I whispered in shock. “You don’t think she…”
“Who else would have taken him?” he asked.
“But what would she even do with him? Do you think she buried him somewhere?”
“I don’t know what she’d do. Obviously I’m not a very good judge of character.” I frowned at his words. He was still beating himself up over what happened. There was no way he could have known his brother could do such a thing. Luka was his family; you can’t help but think good things about your family. I hoped he’d learn to forgive himself. I didn’t blame him for what happened and neither should he.
“If she did bury him somewhere, then maybe that’s how we can find her,” I tried not to sound too hopeful, even though the idea of catching Ana by surprise for once, did feel good.
“They were really close,” he said, sadly. “If she did bury him somewhere then she’d definitely be close by. She wouldn’t want to leave his side for too long.”
“I guess that’s it then. To find Ana, we need to find Luka’s grave.”