Midnight Dolls (4 page)

My father quickly introduces the group to us. The woman who stood to greet us is Diane; the other two are Shelly and Veronica. The man, who's lanky and stern-looking, is George, the third king in my dad's generation, and he shakes hands firmly with my dad and Simon before turning to us and echoing Diane's greeting. As we go around the room quickly introducing ourselves, I begin to feel uneasy. They're all looking at me like a bug under a microscope.

“So you're Eveny,” Diane says as we settle around the table. “We've all heard so much about you. It's fascinating to finally meet you.”

“It's nice to meet all of you too,” I say, but I'm feeling weird, because they're still staring. “Um, and thank you for having us here,” I add.

“Well, it's your island too, isn't it?” Diane says, and I don't think I'm imagining the edge to her voice.

My father shoots Diane a look and takes over smoothly. “You've been called here today because our sosyete is very concerned about yesterday's attack against Eveny and has some
important information they want to share with us. George will explain what we know.”

George stands, and although his expression is grave, his eyes are kind. He's about my father's age, with close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair and a neatly trimmed goatee.

“We made contact with a Main de Lumière defector, who informed us that there are at least two other undercover operatives already embedded in Carrefour, and that they're townspeople you trust,” he explains quickly. “That's in addition to Drew Grady. We believe they're ready to move against you—and that they've been instrumental in helping Main de Lumière disable your protective gate.”

“Wait, that's impossible!” Peregrine's mother says. “Our gate has worked for more than a hundred years. There's no way it could be disabled by anyone who isn't magical.”

“Then how do you explain what happened to me?” I ask. “The man who attacked me, he wasn't from Carrefour. Sure, he could have gotten in with one of the townspeople's keys, but if the charm on the gate was working, he wouldn't have been able to harm me.”

“I'm sure there's an explanation,” Peregrine's mother says firmly, but I can read uncertainty in her eyes.

“Which is why we need to hear George out,” I say, looking at my father's brother king, who nods at me gratefully.

Peregrine stands suddenly before George can continue. “How do we know this source of yours even defected? Maybe he's just lying on their behalf.”

George shakes his head. “I wish that were the case,” he says. “But within twenty-four hours of him giving us this information, he was found dead.”

“Dead?” Chloe repeats as Peregrine slumps back into her seat.

George's mouth compresses into a thin line. “He was dumped on our shores, which means Main de Lumière has discovered our location too. They must have tortured him until he talked. The last thing he said to us is that Main de Lumière is planning to destroy both andaba and zandara by eliminating the one person who's essential to both magical traditions. That can mean only one thing.” He closes his eyes, as if the rest is too painful to ponder. There's suddenly a sour taste in my mouth, and I brace myself for what I know is coming next.

Diane stands. “If we don't do something about it,” she says, looking directly at me, “we believe that Eveny will be dead within a matter of days.”

“
I
t's exactly like Drew said before he died,” I say twenty minutes later, as we break for a meal and tuxedoed waiters bring us roasted chicken, grilled peaches, pecan green beans, and truffled mashed potatoes on huge gold platters. “I wish they could understand that I'm still new at all this. I'm no more powerful than anyone else.”

“But that's not true, now, Eveny, is it?” Diane asks. “You're quite different from all of us.”

Simon gives her a look before turning to me. “What Diane means to say, Eveny, is that you're still a bit of an unknown. You've only just begun to tap into your zandara abilities, but we don't yet know the extent of your andaba powers, and that's what Main de Lumière is apparently concerned about.”

“My andaba powers?” I ask, looking from Simon to my father in confusion. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I
learned my father was an andaba king, but I had assumed that my andaba blood would merely strengthen my skill in zandara.

It's Diane who finally begins to explain. “As you may know, andaba is based around a patriarchy, the same way zandara is centered around a matriarchy. Power here is passed from father to son. So while women have always been respected, we've never been the ones with the true power, just as the men in your magical tradition take a backseat to the queens.

“But for the first time in Caouanne Island history,” she continues, glancing at my father, “we have a female heir, which creates a very . . . unique situation.”

It takes me a split second to realize exactly what Diane means, and when I do, I feel like I've swallowed a jagged piece of glass. “Me?” I ask. “You're saying I'm an andaba ruler?”

Diane nods. “Of course this is because your father, our most powerful king, had a child with the heir to a matriarchal structure: your mother. If he'd simply stayed on the island and had a child here, as he was intended to, his firstborn would have been a boy, just like every other firstborn in the history of andaba.

“So while you're obviously a Queen of Carrefour, Eveny, you're also a Queen of Caouanne Island,” Diane continues. “We're quite fascinated by what this might mean for the future of andaba. But we're also very aware that if Main de Lumière gets to you, they'll be able to destroy not just the zandara bloodline in Carrefour, but also the future of andaba
on Caouanne Island. That's what makes you such an appealing target. Of course Peregrine, Chloe, and their mothers are targets too—as are the kings here on Caouanne Island—but you're unique, and they have their eyes on you.”

George picks up her explanation. “Eveny, they know that eliminating you before you give birth to an heir would effectively cripple both andaba and zandara, because your bloodline would be destroyed.”

My head spinning, I turn to my dad. “Why didn't you tell me this?”

He hesitates. “Honey, you've had so many revelations lately that I didn't want to overwhelm you. The truth is, you're not just a part of our sosyete; you're the leader, since it was our ancestors who founded the sect. When you turned seventeen, that authority fell naturally to you.”

Suddenly, I realize something. “Wait, is that why you came back?” I ask. “Because the future of Caouanne Island rides on me? Because you wanted to bring me here to assume my rightful place or something?”

My father looks startled. “Of course not, Eveny. I came back after Main de Lumière's attack on you because you were in great danger. I couldn't live with losing you.”

I turn to Caleb. “Did you know about this?” I ask. “That I'm an andaba queen too?”

“No,” he says. He glances at my father. “I would never have kept something like this from you. It changes everything.”

Peregrine, who managed to clean her plate while we were
discussing the possibility of my imminent death, holds up a fork. “Clearly, for Eveny's protection, we should all return to Carrefour immediately,” she says.

Diane looks like her eyes are going to pop out of her head. “Why on earth would that be the preferable situation? Am I incorrect in recalling that just yesterday, Eveny was attacked inside your walls?”

“We'll work on that,” Peregrine says. “Besides, Caleb is better able to protect her there. Inside Carrefour's walls, he's able to sense when she's in danger.”

“When his abilities aren't being disrupted by his lust for Eveny,” Diane shoots back. I can feel my cheeks burning as she adds, “You know as well as I do that he's compromised, and his abilities are lessened because of it.”

“It's over between us,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat as I wonder how she knows about Caleb. My father must have told her, which makes me feel betrayed. “His feelings are no longer an issue.”

Diane gives me a withering look. “And I suppose you feel you'd be safer in a place where we know there are at least two Main de Lumière operatives lurking?”

“You have Main de Lumière informants washing up dead on your beaches, so I'd say your little island here is just as exposed,” Peregrine says before I can answer. “At least in Carrefour, Eveny is at home. And she already knows how to use her zandara abilities, which are stronger there.”

“All the more reason she should stay here, to begin
learning about andaba,” Diane says.

The conversation disintegrates from there. Chloe's and Peregrine's mothers jump into the fray on Carrefour's side, as Simon and Shelly both speak up in favor of me staying on Caouanne Island. I can barely differentiate the voices that echo rapid-fire around the room.

“We have a protective wall!”

“We're isolated from the mainland!”

“Eveny's been one of us for months now!”

“Yes, and you've been keeping her from her rightful role here!”

“Stop, everyone!” I say, interrupting the volley of accusations. “Fighting isn't getting us anywhere. Look, why don't I just disappear for a while? If I hide out somewhere else, maybe they won't find me.”

“That's a terrible idea,” Diane says.

“You know, I'm really starting to dislike you,” I say, which earns me a glare from her and a stifled laugh from Caleb.

“Diane means that you'll always be safer in a town protected by magic,” Simon says. “We'll still have the upper hand. And frankly, if you're here on Caouanne Island, we'll be able to fight Main de Lumière off much more effectively with the addition of your power.”

“Which is exactly why we need her in Carrefour,” Peregrine's mother says. “Because of her power.”

That's when it dawns on me that the sosyetes aren't just trying to protect me. They're fighting over who gets to keep me
to enhance their own magical abilities. The realization hurts. “Look,” I say, “it's my life you're arguing about. Shouldn't I be the one to decide where I go?”

“You're a child,” Diane says.

“She's a queen,” Caleb says immediately, “of both towns.”

I'm grateful for Caleb's intervention, but the weight on my shoulders feels suddenly immense. Whichever town I choose, I'll be putting the sosyete there in grave danger, because the town will be a bull's-eye for Main de Lumière. On the other hand, I'll bring more protection to the town I'm in simply by being there and contributing my power. It's an impossible choice.

“What do you think?” I ask Caleb.

“I think,” he says, “that it's up to you. And I'll be behind you, one hundred percent, whatever you choose.”

As I look around me, I see people who, for all their faults, are my family. I may not always approve of Peregrine and Chloe, but they're my sisters. On the other side stands a group I hardly know but whose strongest king is my only living parent, a man who loved my mother enough to defy tradition and marry her. I can't believe he would lead me astray either.

Finally, I turn to Diane. “I'm sorry,” I say. “I have to go back to Carrefour for now.” I look at my dad and add, “You only just came back for me. Mom's family, well, they've always been a part of my life. I have to stay and fight with them.”

“That's a terribly shortsighted decision,” Diane says.

“That's enough, Diane,” my father says quickly. “She's
your queen.” He turns to the rest of the group and adds, “She's a queen to all of you, and she deserves your respect, whether you agree with her or not. We all need to support her now. Our future is in her hands.”

Instead of soothing me, the words make me feel queasy. It's not a responsibility I've asked for, and it scares me to know that so many people depend on me. I wonder if I'll ever feel like the leader they expect me to be.

“Fine, then, it's decided,” Diane says, looking back to me. “Eveny will return to Carrefour. In the meantime, we'll cast as much protection as we can over both towns and Eveny herself.”

“What do you want us to do?” Chloe's mother asks.

“Meet us in the ceremonial room here in Matthias's house at midnight,” George says. “We'd like you to sit in on our ceremony. Although you can't cast with us, we feel your presence might strengthen our influence with the spirits. We work with different spirits than you do, but they all live in the nether, and they may be able to communicate with each other. If that's the case, having them know we're allied is important. So it's best to spend the next few hours getting some rest.”

“Or doing your hair. Or shopping. Or whatever it is you queens do,” Diane says, smirking at the Carrefour contingent. “Because goodness knows, the way you look is far more important than saving lives, right?”

“That's enough, Diane,” my father says.

A shadow crosses her face, and then she stands up, slams her hands on the table, and strides out of the room.

My father takes us all to our rooms and tells us to make ourselves at home while we wait for the evening ceremony. “We'll show all of you around tomorrow,” he adds. “It's important to me that you get to know the island. But for now, you must rest. All of you.”

Peregrine eyes the bathroom at the end of the hall. “Does this house of yours have a Jacuzzi tub? I'm in desperate need of a long soak after that hideous experience flying coach.”

My father gives me a look and forces a pleasant expression. “Yes, Peregrine, I think you'll find the accommodations here very comfortable.”

Right away, Peregrine, Chloe, and their mothers begin chattering about how they'll pamper themselves for the next few hours. Caleb and the other protectors stand off to the side, whispering to each other.

“Don't you think we should be coming up with a plan or something?” I say. “Considering that the whole reason we're here is that our lives are in danger?”

“Eveny, dear,” Chloe's mother says, “nothing's going to happen to us this evening. Your father said it himself; this is a safe place. So we might as well enjoy our vacation, don't you think?”

“This isn't a vacation,” I say, but my words are lost in their resumed babble about baths and facials and blow-outs.

“You doing okay?” Caleb asks, coming up beside me and putting a hand on the small of my back. His touch makes me shiver, and noticing my reaction, he quickly pulls away. “I
mean, if you want to talk about what happened downstairs . . .”

“No, I'm fine,” I say quickly. “I think I'm going to go explore the garden I saw out back.”

“I can come with you.”

“I'd rather go alone.” I don't meet his eyes as I say the words, because they're not true. I want to be with him. But I know he'll only act cold and distant, and I'm so overwhelmed right now, I don't think I can handle that. I feel him stiffen, and he takes a step back.

“No problem,” he says. “Just don't leave your dad's property, okay? Since we're not in Carrefour, I won't be able to sense it if you're in danger.”

“I'll be fine,” I tell him, and head downstairs alone before he can say anything else.