Crest (Ondine Quartet Book 3) (18 page)

Magic rolled back. Body clenched, caught in a riptide of emotion.

Why did it bother you?

I squirmed, wishing there was some way to pry those images away from my body.

Magic relentlessly dug up every private experience better left buried. Reliving memories I'd deliberately locked away.

You must tell the truth.

Pressure squeezed my lungs. Black pinpricks appeared at the edge of my vision.

I was going to die and I'd die knowing I couldn't tell the truth about this.

That, more than anything else, spurred the words forward.

"Because she was right!" I panted. My chest hurt. "I hated that she was right."

Because if she was right about this, it meant maybe she was right about other things, too.

For a long moment, I didn't think it would accept my answer.

It must've decided I told the truth because Magic's hold loosened.

But the memories and questions didn't stop.

***

Although Cindy Pasterno, Queen Bee of Crestmont High School, was a junior, her unfailing instinct for timing had secured her popularity. She knew exactly when to flirt with the right guy, when to latch on to the latest fashion, and when to spread exactly the right gossip casting her in a flattering light.

I heard she'd had a thing with Jason last year, but hadn't once thought about her during his seduction campaign.

Until I walked into school the morning after.

"Hey, Kendra."

I stiffened. It was the first time she spoke to me and when a snake hissed, you paid attention.

She sauntered closer, bright red lipstick perfectly accentuating her pouty mouth. Hallway traffic slowed, everyone pausing to watch.

She reached into her bag and threw something at my face.

I dodged at the last moment. It hit my shoulder and slid down my torso, landing at my feet with an audible plop.

I stared at the bunch of cherries. Some of the overripe ones split on impact and a dark scarlet juice now spread across the tile floor.

"Heard you lost something last night." She laughed.

Whispers raced down the hall like wildfire.

My lungs constricted and everything fell into sharp relief.

Reflection of lockers on the gleaming floor. Taunting sounds of laughter and mocking judgment. Air tasting of books, pencils, lip gloss, and floor wax.

All of it closed in, another suffocating cage locking me into a life I hated.

It wasn't until after I heard the shocked cries that I recognized the pain shooting up my arm and the hand balled into a fist by my side.

That was when I registered her on the ground, blood pouring out of her nose.

And I didn't feel bad at all.

In that moment, I felt powerful.

I'd been weak. But I wouldn't be that way again.

***

It was the first time I'd gotten into a fight with a human. It wasn't the last.

I could still feel the unbelievable satisfaction it'd given me in that moment. Cindy had become Jason, my mother, every single hit I'd sucked up and taken over the years.

Why did you do that?

"Because I hated the way she made me feel. Humiliated." I could still feel the hot sting of it coursing through me. "Stupid. Angry."

Who were you angry at?

"Her."

Magic lashed against me and I cringed.

"Jason."

The energy shoved deeper, slicing my insides and I cried out at the anguish.

It pushed, demanding the truth.

Who were you angry at?

"Me," I whispered.

Because he'd called me baby and other words I believed when I should've known better. Because even though I had this Virtue, I'd deliberately chosen not to use it out of fear.

I hated that I'd needed what he pretended to offer. And that somehow my mother and even Cindy had known.

Magic's interrogation continued, ruthless and unyielding. It dove into the present, into my time at Haverleau.

Miriam, Ryder, Ian, Marcella.

Nothing was left untouched, every part of me examined and questioned.

And when the energy finally pulled out, I collapsed at the sudden blackness.

All that remained was a gaping crack.

How was this fair? How was this going to make me Governor?

"You judge me."

We do not judge an individual.

Water pulsed, drawing me away from that strange mountain.

"But you ask for the truth. You ask to see my past."

We do not judge an individual.

Pull increased.

"Wait!" I strained to stay. "I have a question."

No response.

"You made Jourdain. You made the Shadow." Waters swirled, energy building around me. "How do I end this? How do I stop him?"

A thin branch of ocher coral extended like a bizarre finger to the sand at the bottom of the ocean. It drew two pyramids, each a reflection of the other. Bottoms joined to form a diamond.

As light above, so dark below.

It drew another horizontal line straight through the middle of the diamond, where the bottoms met.

Held together by the first and last, by the children of land and sea
.

"What does that mean?"

The ocean's roar grew. Violet, ebony, and cobalt ripples consolidated, spinning in a dizzying frenzy.

The balance must be restored.

"How? Tell me!"

Water shifted, twisting into an agitated vortex of power.

And then it yanked.

Body soared, tumbling through the water. Everything blended into a jumble of faint shapes and colors.

Tide bellowed, unleashing the full might of its force.

Did I fail?

Pure terror rocketed through my veins. Squeezing my eyes shut, I dropped all resistance.

I didn't know if I was going up or down. If Magic would smash me against a wall of coral or shove me deep beneath the surface, unable to rise again.

Speed increased. Body flipped, insides scrambled, everything moving, flowing, an overwhelming torrent of churning potential.

Please, please, please.

A final painful thrust forward and then...

Nothing.

No pressure, no movement.

Fingers grasped at air.

I'd broken the surface.

A familiar warm hand wrapped around mine and pulled me on to the cool stone surface of the Council Chamber.

Remnants of fear and panic echoed in my chest. I ran my hands over my face, my body.

Everything there. Dry and intact.

For a moment, I had the hysterical thought I'd dreamed it all. But my insides were wrecked as if an earthquake had blasted through its foundation.

Tristan's hand was still on my arm. "
Sondaleur
?"

He kept his voice low and polite, the real concern reflected in his eyes.

You could hear a pin drop in the Chamber.

"I'm all right, Prince Belicoux," I said formally.

Relief briefly flickered over his face before his expression slipped back into his royal mask.

He let go and I slowly stood on my own.

I felt wrung out, limp and aching. But I couldn't show weakness now.

Shoulders back, chin up. Everything hurt.

That's right. I'm still here.

Being alive had to count for something.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes watched me with skepticism.

Rhian stepped forward. "We now await decision."

Whispers raced through the chamber.

My grandmother's face remained unruffled, but her eyes held empathy.

Something indefinable passed between us and I finally understood what the trial was.

It wasn't judgment. It was about paying a price.

Magic had devoured my secrets, the cost it extracted for me to fulfill this position.

This was why only the strongest could pass. It was a heavy toll to pay.

I could only hope the amount I'd given, the weight of my truths, was enough.

Silence reigned and anticipation built.

If a clear column of water appeared, I passed. Muddied water meant I failed.

Marquisa LeVeq twisted her hands, attention glued to the Summoning Pool.

In the first tier seating across me, Aub pressed a fist to her mouth. Chloe's arms wrapped around her stomach. Cam and Alex stared at the darkened pool.

A ripple followed by a fleeting flicker of colors. Energy surged around the room.

Large column of water shot into the air, so transparent I could see Tristan through it.

As suddenly as it appeared, it dropped back into the pool without a splash.

Water's surface smoothed.

Damn.

"Succession continues with Kendra Irisavie. The
sondaleur
is now Governor-elect."

Rhian's voice calmly cut through the rising clamor.

A clamor, I realized, of dissatisfaction.

Passing Original Magic's trial wasn't the conclusion of a battle.

It was simply the start of another.

SATURDAY MORNING SKY HUNG HEAVY, carrying a hint of rain. I woke with a terrible dread as if I'd opened a box that could no longer close.

Instincts told me the traitor wasn't on the Council.

He was in Haverleau, but I didn't know if he lived here.

An influx of visitors now flowed through our community. Important dignitaries and Redavi arrived daily, stopping off at Haverleau before heading on to the Selkie Kingdom for the conference.

Ewan and the other gardinels weren't at the dorm this morning. Rather than wait, I decided to head out.

Haverleau security was currently stretched to the limit. I was only heading over to the governing complex and preferred gardinels direct their help to those who needed it.

Rust red car dully gleamed in the Academy parking lot and a wave of joy washed over me.

The ugliest thing in the entire community was all mine.

I pulled my keys out.

Air shifted. Hand clamped on to my shoulder.

I whipped around. Fist caught someone's jaw with a resounding crack.

The demillir fell and crashed against my car door. He looked vaguely familiar.

"You bitch!"

I gave a not very nice smile. "Pleasure to meet you, too."

His hand rubbed his jaw. "Fucking Irisavies."

The words were slightly slurred. He wasn't completely smashed, just enough to lower his inhibitions and do something stupid.

I kept my guard up.

"Think you can do whatever you want, tell everybody what to do. Think you're better than everyone."

Something about the resentful mutterings sparked recognition.

The jawline sagged and the eyes were a lighter shade of brown. But if he'd been thirty years younger, he would've looked exactly like his son.

Dylan Rosamund's father.

Fury sparked in my stomach. I was President of the Anti-Dylan club, but I'd felt his rage a few months ago.

I knew exactly what this person did to him.

Meaty fingers wrapped around my wrist and dug into skin. Apparently, the Marquis thought he could do the same thing to me.

Wrong move.

Easy swipe knocked his hand aside. Forearm jammed against his throat. Using my full weight, I pressed him against the side of my car.

Virtue uncoiled and reached inside. Emotions were too unstable to be the meticulous traitor I was looking for.

Marquis Nicolas Rosamund was, quite simply, an asshole.

Empath sensed what he did to his wife and son. The miserable insecurity, rage, and powerlessness fueling the cycle of violence. It lurked in the shadows of his chest, hidden beneath fake layers of wealth and societal privilege.

"You're Dylan's father."

Brows pinched together into a brutish scowl. "You another one of my son's sluts?"

Nails dug into my palms. The urge to teach him a lesson was so strong but I wasn't the one who'd feel the brunt of it later.

"Don't come up behind me like that again."

"Or what?" His eyes narrowed. "You're just another stupid ondine acting like you're better than everyone else. Like that old bag, Rhian."

My jaw clenched. He wasn't worth it.

"I'm going to let go now. Walk away if you don't want me to break your arm."

"How can you be Governor? You're the traitor," he mumbled. "Leaving bodies behind wherever you go."

"What are you talking about?"

"Got upset after Marquisa LeVeq told the truth about you in the Council chamber?" he sneered. "Just couldn't leave it alone?"

I pushed a little harder with my arm. He gagged, complexion turning a mottled red.

Strong arms pulled me off. Ewan and Adrian stood beside me, warily eyeing the coughing demillir.

"Marquis Rosamund." Tristan's hard voice came from behind. "You shouldn't be walking around alone. These are not safe times."

Nicolas straightened, paling slightly at Tristan's expression. "Of course, Your Highness. There seems to have been a little misunderstanding."

A lifetime of etiquette kicked in and he gave me a polite nod. "Just wanted to pay my respects to the new Governor-elect."

Unbelievable.

Ewan's amber eyes were cold and hard. "Allow us to escort you home, Marquis."

"Oh, that's not necessary —"

"Please, we insist." Adrian's smile was really not nice. "Security is such a concern nowadays."

Realizing he had no choice, he gave a stiff nod. "Thank you both for your dedication."

They followed him to a school SUV, bodies hemming him in.

"Are you okay?" Tristan asked.

"Fine." I shook my head, resisting the urge to wipe my skin. "He's disgusting."

Two more Academy gardinels pulled up in a school SUV. Tristan spoke a few words to them in their language and the car pulled away.

Had he been on his way out?

You're the traitor. Leaving bodies behind wherever you go.

Realization dawned.

"There was another killing."
 

"Isabelle LeVeq." Tristan confirmed, expression solemn. "Marquisa LeVeq's niece."

Julian's cousin.

At yesterday's Council session, the Marquisa mentioned she was on her way here.