Eternally Yours (10 page)

I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to process everything I had seen. Anne leaned over and blew out the center candle. I wondered what the rest of them were thinking—we’d seen each of them at real low points in their lives, and we’d had a weird vision about me. I thought about how everyone here except for Anne had nodded when Ottavio had been ranting about how dark I was.

Well, to hell with them.

“What was the purpose of this?” Charles’s voice sounded thin.

Looking weary, Anne brushed her dark bangs off her forehead. “My only guideline was that we see what we needed to see.” Her chin came up. “I think we can all agree that we’ve had dark pasts and, as such, can’t be in a position to judge others.” The
like Nastasya
went unsaid.

“It isn’t that,” said Solis, his voice strained. “It’s like I said—Nastasya is more than just an immortal with a hard
past. Who she is, what she represents, will draw others here; others who want her power, possibly want her dead, like her friend in Boston. That will affect all of us.”

“If a battle comes to us,” said Anne, “we will be ready for it. And we will all stand together to protect our own. There are precious few Tähti in the world—we cannot lose another.” There was a fine thread of steel in her voice, and Solis looked at her without saying anything.

“What was all that stuff at the end?” Charles asked. His fair skin was still pink with embarrassment over his memory.

“I don’t know,” I said, my heart aching. “Those banners—those were the flags of my family, our color guards. But I don’t think that was my father—he never led his army to big towns like that. I never saw any procession of his, ever. I don’t know what it was about.” But I’d found it painful, all the same.

My parents had been Terävä, but I’d been happy, as a child. For the first ten years of my life, I’d felt loved, happy, and secure. I’d had no idea that my parents were murderers, that my father had sought to increase his power by any means necessary. My whole picture of them was changing, and it was so sad. I hated the truth of it.

“What was with the bears?” Jess’s voice sounded scraped raw. Now we would always know who he had been. We would never unknow it. His face looked bleak, shuttered.

“That was my father’s crest,” I said. “Five black bears on a red background. Sometimes the bears wore crowns.” I let
out a breath. “My sister and I used to tell stories about the bears, giving them names, making up their adventures.” My sister. Oh, Eydís. I still miss you, after all this time.

I needed to lie down, or maybe go cry in the shower. Abruptly I stood, muttered “Thanks,” and headed out.

Maybe Anne’s exercise had been useful. I didn’t know.

But, oh yeah, now I remember: I hate meditation.

U
sually after dinner, if I don’t have classes, I escape upstairs to my room. I have a big, ancient book about immortals’ magick in the Middle Ages, and behind that I keep the paperback romance I’m actually reading.

But now I felt that maybe I should join the others, who were probably in the double parlors. Of course I would no doubt run into Ottavio and Daniel, both of whom I now loathed almost as much as they loathed me.

But I was getting to be a big girl, so let’s see just how far we’ve come, shall we?

In the parlor Brynne was curled up on a loveseat, reading, her shoeless feet draped over the back. When she saw me, she swung her feet down and patted the space next to her.

“Hi,” I said. “I’m here to mingle and strengthen my social skills.” I sat with my back against one arm, she sat against the other, and our legs overlapped in the middle.

Brynne laughed softly, then inclined her head toward the other side of the room. All of the teachers were gathered there, along with Daniel and Ottavio.

“Ooh, serious faces,” I said under my breath. “Have you heard any of it?”

“Nope,” said Brynne. “Not for lack of trying. But River hasn’t smacked either brother yet, so it might not be about you.”

“Ugh. You know they’re here because I’m a dangerous, uncontrollable menace, right?”

“Are we talking about your clothes again?” she asked innocently, and I kicked her with one foot. She snickered, then became more serious. “I believe that has been mentioned, yes.” Leaning back again, she whispered, “What do you think of Daniel? Hot, no?”

I glanced across the room, where Daniel’s face was outlined in red by the fire. “I guess,” I said. “He’s kind of ruined for me, with all the judging and attempted bribery and whatnot.”

Brynne’s even, white teeth shone against her caramel-colored skin. “He tried to bribe you? To what? To leave?”

I nodded, and Brynne snickered. “Did you go for it?”

“He was offering less than a hundred million dollars.”

“Oh, well, to hell with him, then. Anyway—I have taken it on as my personal mission, you know. I must somehow convince him how wrong he is about you.” Her eyes followed Daniel’s every move, and I was forcibly reminded of, like, a snake watching a rat. “No matter what it takes,” she added dreamily. “It will be my sacrifice, my gift to you.”

Stifling my laughter, I kicked her again, and she covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling until they were just slits.

“Seriously,” I said finally. “They think I’m bad news. You’re not worried?” Please don’t be worried.

“Oh, right,” Brynne scoffed, arranging a pillow behind her. “They just don’t know you, is all.”

A warm glow of gratitude surrounded my heart, but I pressed, “
You
don’t really know me, either.”

That got her attention, and she stopped fussing with the pillow and looked at me. “I do,” she said slowly. “I do know you. I’ve been living and eating and working and studying with you for four months. You’re a lot of things, and God knows you need work, but one thing you’re not is evil.” She shrugged. “I
know
that.”

My breath was caught somewhere around my solar plexus as I carefully let myself feel the comfort of friendship. “Thanks,” I croaked, and rubbed my nose against the sleeve of my sweatshirt.

Tearing her eyes away from Daniel again, Brynne gave me a knowing look. “Speaking of hotness, is there anything you want to share about our dear, monosyllabic Reyn?”

Oh, he’s so hot, I want him so bad, I don’t understand it, I’m scared….

“He’s not monosyllabic,” I said. “
Idiot
has three syllables, and I hear that a lot from him.”

Brynne wasn’t going to be put off. “Are you guys
an item
?”

I dropped my head into my hands. “I don’t know! I just don’t know. We constantly piss each other off, but we also—”

“Mmyes?” Brynne purred.

“It’s not that simple.” Brynne didn’t know about the part Reyn’s family had played in the destruction of my life, and I didn’t want to enlighten her.

“It
is
that simple,” she urged, nudging me. “You guys seem like a pair. Get out of your own way and give in to it!”

I wish. I said nothing but nodded. Brynne looked like she wanted to say more but was deciding not to push me.

“Nastasya.” River’s voice was quiet, but it carried through the room. “We’ve been talking.”

“Okay,” I said, already not liking where this was going.

But River’s eyes, the color of wet stones in a stream, were kind.

“How do you explain the death of a hundred songbirds in Boston?” Ottavio burst out. The look of pained irritation River gave him was classic, but I almost fell off the loveseat. How in the world did he know about that?

“I didn’t do that,” I said, a pinball of alarm pinging in my head.

“And the crippled London cabbie?”

This time, River actually punched his shoulder. He ignored her.

“I didn’t do that,” I said more strongly.

“The train wreck in India? That killed almost a hundred people?”

I stared at him. That had been at least eighty years ago. “Again, something awful I did not do.”

Just then, the door behind them opened and Anne’s sister Amy walked in with a tray. “Pot brownies?” she asked cheerfully, looking around.

We were nonplussed.

“No, really?” Brynne was the first to find her voice.

Amy sighed regretfully. “No, not really. Just regular. Anyone still want one?” Then she seemed to pick up on the room’s tension, the expression on my face, and her brow furrowed. “I think everyone needs to take a brownie.” Her tone implied this was an offer we couldn’t refuse, and she took the tray around, staring us down until we caved.

But it would take more than a brownie to stop Ott, now that he was on a roll.

“The things that took place at a club called Miss Edna’s?” His face was dark and angry.

Amy stood right in front of him. “Take. A. Brownie.”

“Is she sure these aren’t loaded?” I whispered to Brynne. Brynne shook her head.

Not answering her, Ottavio tried to nudge her out of the
way. Amy planted her feet, refusing to budge, and he finally looked up at her. “Move, please!” he snapped.

“You’re a guest in this house,” Amy said in a low tone, and I swallowed a crumb wrong and coughed. I’d never heard her sound like that, and apparently no one else had, either. Brynne and I made
huh?
faces at each other.

It took a moment, but Ottavio became still, glaring at her.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was still soft but inescapable. I glanced at River to see her watching Amy with a look of surprised speculation.

“I want the truth!” Ottavio sat back, his black shark eyes shooting sparks.

“Then let the truth come to you!” Amy said, sounding more normal. “Quit trying to bludgeon it out of everything, you pompous jackass!”

Mouths dropped open like frogs at a fly convention. Amy balanced the tray on her hip and swung out the door, perhaps leaving before she said anything worse.

River looked astonished. Okay, pretty much everyone looked astonished. Except Anne.

“She’s a little scary sometimes,” she said conversationally, and took a bite of brownie.

Ottavio seemed completely undone, absolutely speechless. It was great.

But during the stunned silence, I was thinking.

“Who told you all this stuff, Ott?” I asked. “Where did it
all come from?” I couldn’t think of any one person who had been at every instance he mentioned. “I mean, the train wreck was just a train wreck—it happens all the time in India. Especially back then.”

“The train wreck was caused by someone working Terävä magick,” Daniel said.

“What? Why do you think that?” I shook my head and stood up. “I mean—what is all this about? I didn’t do any of these things! I just happened to be there.” Wow, that sounded so… lame.

“Yes,” said Daniel, his voice still calm. “You just happened to be there.”

I crossed my arms, trying not to throw something at his head. “People all over the world make Terävä magick every day,” I said tightly. “And have been for thousands of years. Even before I was born.” Like you, for example. “I was not nearby or the cause of every bit of dark magick that has been worked in this world. So what,
exactly
, are you getting at, Ott?”

Ottavio opened his mouth, but River leaned forward and literally clapped her hand over it, shutting him up.

“Both Ottavio and Daniel have been hearing rumors of very dangerous magick being worked here,” River said. “Or, at least, close to here. I’ve heard from some other friends as well—one in England, one in Russia. I don’t know what’s going on, but stories have been flying.” She frowned and took her hand away from Ottavio’s cold, furious face.

“We believe that what happened with Innocencio—as well as the things you witnessed at that club in Boston—are part of something larger, something truly dark and truly dangerous,” River went on.

I nodded slowly, thinking. “But why is it about me? Why are you questioning everything that’s happened in
my
life?”

“We don’t think it’s a coincidence that Innocencio came for
you
,” River said. “We assume that he knows who you are, your heritage, and that he wants to take your power. He’s safely at Louisette’s right now, but it seems clear that though he worked the magick he used on you, he didn’t instigate this whole thing. So who did?”

“Okay.” I felt shivery and cold and went to stand with my back to the fire. “But I still want to know: Who told you all these things? Where are these rumors coming from? Why would someone want to discredit
me
, in front of
you
?”

Daniel and Ottavio looked thoughtful.

“I think it was… my secretary who told me,” Ottavio said, frowning. “I’m not sure. Or maybe I heard it at a circle? I’m trying to remember. Someone told me…” His voice trailed off.

“It was my friend Didi,” Daniel said, but he didn’t sound rock solid, either. “I think. I was in Canada, researching old spells, and maybe Didi mentioned it? Said something about my sister—and then the story of what happened with Innocencio and Nastasya seemed to be common knowledge.”

I stared at him. “The only people there that night were
me, Incy, Katy, and Stratton,” I said. “And I guess everyone here learned about it. So
who
is talking?”

“Could it have been the mirror?” Brynne suggested.

Shortly after I’d gotten back from Boston, I’d repeated what Incy had told me—that he had caused a bunch of bad things to happen to me here, to make me run away. Asher had searched the place and found that the large dining room mirror was overlaid with dark spells—it was how Incy had been affecting me. They’d destroyed it.

“We burned it—what, several days after you were back?” Asher asked. “Three days? Could someone—not Innocencio—still have been in contact with it?” He shook his head. “Either that, or there was someone else at the warehouse that night. Someone none of us knew about.”

“Oh God,” I said. “I’ve never considered that. That place was huge, dark as the belly of a ship—you could have hidden a hundred people in there, and I never would have seen them.” It was a new and horrible thought that made me feel creeped out down to my bones.

“And you were under a holding spell,” River added. “Your vision, your awareness, would have been compromised anyway.”