C
HAPTER
49
L
ena was waiting just inside the doors the next morning. It was too cold to linger in the courtyard, and Colin was still laid up at his place, sending me grumpy texts to check in every hour. We headed over to the cafeteria and grabbed a table, pretending that we were studying.
“How’s Colin?”
“Very cranky.”
“Back to normal, huh? He was pissed when you left yesterday. I almost had to sit on him to keep him from going after you.”
“I figured. Thanks for watching him.”
She leaned forward, propping her chin in her hands. “Your family really is as bad as everyone says, aren’t they?”
I met her eyes. She already knew the answer. “Worse.”
“And your uncle sent those guys after Colin because you two hooked up?”
“He wasn’t thrilled.” Hard to say which bothered Billy more—my relationship with Colin or that we’d defied him. But the end result was the same.
“In some families, they just, you know, ground people for that kind of thing.”
“Must be nice.”
“Your uncle set the fire, didn’t he?”
I caught my lower lip between my teeth and nodded.
“Why’d he do it?”
“Insurance, mostly. Leverage with me.” I didn’t mention Ekomov or the hard drive wrapped in newspaper and stuffed inside my messenger bag, waiting to be dropped off with Jenny. “He wants me to work for him.”
She made a dismissive motion with her hand. “Like that’s ever going to happen.”
I stayed silent.
“Are you crazy?”
“You can’t say anything. Especially not to Colin.”
“You’re insane,” she said bluntly. “Why the hell would you ... oh. Colin.”
I twisted the metal tab on my Diet Coke.
“So you’re going to work for your uncle and he’s going to let your boyfriend live. That should make for a fun Christmas.”
“You don’t seem rattled by any of this,” I said. “Why not?”
She looked uncomfortable, eyes sliding away, crumbling her Pop-Tart to bits. “You’re my friend,” she said after a long silence. “Isn’t that what friends do? Stand with you during the bad stuff?”
“I guess it is.” I thought of Verity, and how I hadn’t been able to stand with her until it was too late. I wondered if I’d ever get to help Lena the way she’d helped me. “Thanks.”
“The one thing I don’t get is Luc. What’s the deal with him? How does he fit into all this?”
“Luc doesn’t have anything to do with my family,” I said.
“It’s a job, kind of. Something I’m doing as a favor to Verity. We’re not ...” I waved my hand, because finding the words to describe what Luc and I were or were not was more than I could handle today.
“You guys looked very ...” She mimicked the hand-wave. “At the dance.”
I bit my lip. “That was a mistake.”
“Oh.” She was about to say more, but stopped abruptly. “So ... French monarchy.”
I blinked at the subject change. “What?”
“Shouldn’t you girls be in class?” Niobe asked behind me. “First period has started.”
We gathered up our books, mumbling apologies, and Niobe held up a hand. “Actually, Mo, I’d like to see you in my office.”
Lena grimaced as she hurried off.
“Let me guess. The Quartoren want to see me.”
“I’m sure they do, but that’s not why I sought you out.”
We walked silently through the office, and she opened the door, unlocking it with a spell instead of a key. I could feel the casting, the exact shape of the magic as it worked. A side effect, I supposed.
Inside, Constance sat on one of the low chairs, nose red, cheeks wet.
“Hey,” I said, slipping into the other seat. “Are you okay?”
She wiped her face with her sleeve. “Niobe said you fixed the magic.”
“Yeah.”
“She said it was really dangerous.”
“It wasn’t so bad. The important thing is that they have to help you now.”
“Only because you forced them, right? They would have abandoned me.”
I glanced out the window at the patchy snow still clinging to the bedraggled planters and statues in the courtyard. “I don’t know. I don’t really understand how they think.”
“But you helped them.” Her hands clutched the edge of the seat, white-knuckled.
“I wanted to set things right. They needed my help, and I needed theirs.” I felt oddly defensive, and that was annoying. I’d nearly died. Was that not enough?
“Constance,” Niobe said. “You said you had something to tell Mo?”
She seemed to come back to herself, tucking her hair behind her ears, smoothing her skirt, her chin wobbling. “I wanted to say thanks. For saving me. Even though I was kind of a bitch.”
I miss her, too,
I wanted to say.
Every day.
I settled for, “You’re welcome.”
She darted a look at Niobe and took off without another word.
When we were alone, I asked, “Does this mean you’re leaving?”
“No. Constance still requires supervision. The Quartoren must uphold their part of the Covenant.”
“That reminds me,” I said, digging in my bag. “What do I do with these?”
She took the stack of Covenant rings from me. When I’d finally returned home, they were scattered across my nightstand, blackened and unlinked. There was no longer a hum, or any magic, emanating from them.
“Whatever you wish. The instant you fulfilled your oath to the Covenant, they reverted back to their mundane form. You could recycle them, I suppose.” She looked doubtfully at the green bin beside her desk.
“It’s really done, then.”
“Not in the slightest. You did well, but there will be ramifications. More political than anything, I would assume.”
“I don’t care about the politics.”
“You should, considering your position.”
“I’m bound to the magic, Niobe, but I’m not looking to get caught up in that sort of thing.”
She smiled. “You’re bound to the Heir, Mo Fitzgerald. You’re caught whether you were looking for it or not.”
C
HAPTER
50
I
was taking out the trash in the alley behind Morgan’s when Luc appeared.
“Takin’ up a new career, Mouse?” His teasing held a tentative note, like he didn’t know if I’d find him funny.
I hefted the bag into the Dumpster. “Hard to make any tips when your restaurant’s burned down. Besides ...” I plucked at the white twill apron. “The uniform’s better.”
“Don’t know about that,” he said, examining me. “Always thought the little hat was cute.”
“Smurfs are cute,” I said. “That thing was a crime against fashion.”
He smiled, just a little. “Cujo around? Figured I should thank him.”
“For pulling you out? You healed him after the Torrent. Consider yourself even.”
“I did that for you,” he said softly.
“I know.” I paused, toying with the string of my apron. The anger I had expected refused to come. He’d had an impossible choice to make, I realized now. And in the end, he’d chosen me. “Why did you try to step into the magic? That was my job. Why did you risk it?”
He shrugged, looked away. “Was hoping it might work both ways—if you could draw on my talents, I could draw on yours.”
“I don’t have any talents.”
“Smart mouth, big heart, stubborn streak wider than the Mississippi. Seem like talents to me.”
“Magic ones. And that’s not what the prophecy said. Why would you—”
“I was afraid.” He kicked halfheartedly at a stack of wooden pallets.
“That I couldn’t do it?”
“That I’d lose you.”
I hugged myself against the cold, kept my voice gentle. “I’m not yours to lose.”
“You made that pretty clear.” Bitterness laced through his words. “You said the only reason I loved you was ’cause I had to. That I cared more about the prophecy than you.”
“And risking your life was supposed to prove otherwise?”
He looked up, eyes blazing green and gold. “From the day we met, you’ve been stark terrified of us, you know that? Thinking it was Vee I wanted. Worrying what I feel for you is because of the prophecy, or our bond, or fate. And so you run the other direction, sayin’ you can’t trust me.”
Pointless to deny it. “You haven’t given me much reason to.”
He shrugged. “The thing is, what we hate most about other people? That’s usually what we hate about ourselves. Makes me wonder if it ain’t just my feelings you don’t trust. Maybe it’s yours, too.”
He’d lost his egotistical mind. He was trying to con me. He was absolutely wrong, and if my heart was jackhammering in my chest, it was from outrage, not fear that he was right. “That’s crazy.”
“Really? I’m thinking it makes perfect sense. You’re scared to death what you feel for me is something you’re being forced into. There’s nothing in the world you hate more than someone telling you what to do, whether it’s your mom or the Lord above or fate.”
I started to protest, but he lifted an eyebrow, and I shut up.
“I tried to take over so you could get free of the prophecy. So you’d know that what you’re feelin’ is coming from your heart instead of the magic. You won’t trust yourself to be with me, ’less you’re convinced of that. Until you choose.”
“You can’t make me choose you,” I said unsteadily.
“ ’Course not,” he said. “But I sure as hell can try.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.” The words slipped out.
“Aw, Mouse. If wishes were horses ...”
“I need to get back,” I said, tilting my head toward Morgan’s.
“You can’t walk away from this anymore,” he said, his voice carrying through the night. “We’re long past that.”
The magic curled inside me, my constant companion. “I know.”
“The Quartoren are weak. They’re still short a member, and they ain’t winning any popularity contest these days. The Seraphim aren’t giving up, and you’re the perfect target.”
“What do you mean?”
“You and the magic are part of each other now. If you’re hurt, the magic suffers. Anton’s people want to do some damage, and you’re easy pickings.”
A light snow began to fall, tiny white flakes that vanished as they hit the ground. Despite the cold, I made no move to go inside.
“We need you,” he said softly. “They’d destroy the magic to bring about their version of the perfect world, and trust me—it won’t be perfect for your people or mine. You were meant for this. How else do you explain everything you’ve been able to do, everything you’ve survived? You and the magic, your fates are so tangled up together that we couldn’t separate ’em if we tried.”
I ground my teeth. He was right, and he didn’t even know the half of it. “I don’t believe in fate.”
“Don’t call it fate. Call it the cost of free will. You had the chance to walk away the night they killed Vee. She told you to run, and you chose to stay, and every step you’ve taken since that night has brought you further down this path. There’s no going back anymore. You think otherwise, it’s the worst lie you’ve ever told yourself.”
I watched him leave, the snow swirling around him. I wasn’t lying to myself, but there was no point in chasing after him to say so. We weren’t finished, Luc and I—only changed, just as the magic was changing me. Already, I could feel it transforming the pieces of the girl I’d been into the girl I could be. Someone stronger, capable of forging a path that traversed both my worlds.
Luc had been right about one thing. There was no going back, no returning to the life I’d had before. From now on, all I could do was keep moving forward.
F
OOD FOR
T
HOUGHT
1.
At the beginning of the novel, Mo says that the truth is overrated. Do you agree? Are there situations where dishonesty is the right choice, or is it always better to tell the truth, regardless of the cost? Is it truly possible to lie to yourself?
2.
Constance copes with her grief by lashing out at Mo. After her powers emerge, Constance’s emotions become physically dangerous to those around her. Is there a point at which she should be held accountable for her actions? How long does grief or depression excuse a person’s behavior?
3.
Mo spends much of
Tangled
dealing with the consequences of her actions in
Torn.
For example, killing Evangeline during the Torrent inadvertently triggered the magical surges. Also, her refusal to falsely identify the Russian gangsters escalates the problems between her uncle and Yuri Ekomov. If she had known what would happen, do you think she would have chosen differently—allowed Evangeline to live and / or lied for her uncle? Should she have? In a situation where following your principles will cause problems later, how do you choose? Are there times when the cost of following your most deeply held beliefs is too high?
4.
Colin tells Mo he knows her, whereas most people only know
about
her. What is the difference? Considering her actions and her agreement with Billy at the end of the book, do you think he’s right? How long does it take to know someone really well? Does anyone ever completely know anyone else?
5.
Mo agrees to pass information to Jenny about her uncle’s criminal activities, but she keeps the Arcs a secret. Is it enough to help with the case against Billy, or does she have an obligation to tell Jenny how her father really died? Are there any differences between Jenny’s quest for vengeance and Mo’s?
6.
Mo and Luc’s relationship is complicated by their opposing views on fate. Does Luc’s belief in the prophecy and fate make his feelings for Mo less genuine? Is Mo’s fear—that being with Luc means letting fate control her life—reasonable? Who is right? If someone’s worldview and beliefs are completely different from yours, is it possible to overcome those differences?
7.
Why does Colin keep his past a secret from Mo: to protect her, to put it behind him, or another reason? Should he have been more open, or was Mo wrong to investigate after he asked her not to? Does loving someone mean sharing all your secrets, or is it better to keep some things to yourself?
8.
Mo forges the Covenant with the Arcs to help Constance and agrees to work for her uncle to spare Colin’s life. Why do you think she repeatedly puts herself second? Is her self-sacrifice a strength or a weakness? At what point should she put herself first? Her mother also sacrificed her own happiness to ensure a stable life for Mo; do you agree with her choice? Is there a difference between Mrs. Fitzgerald’s deal with Billy and Mo’s?
9.
How does Mo’s view of her mother change over the course of the novel? Mrs. Fitzgerald is aware of much more than she lets on, particularly about Billy’s activities and Mo’s relationship with Colin. Is this an effective way to cope with the situation? How does her approach to the family’s troubles differ from Mo’s? When you’re faced with difficult things you can’t change, how do you handle it?
10.
At the end of the novel, Mo realizes that she will never be free of Luc and the Arcs; her bond with the magic means she will always be connected to their world. How will this affect her future? Do you agree with Luc that she will eventually have to choose between the Flat world and the Arc one, or is there a way for her to balance the two? What is the appeal of each world for her? How would you make that decision?