C
HAPTER
13
“T
he Covenant requires we forge a symbol of our agreement,” Dominic said.
Luc guided Marguerite onstage. In her hands, she carried a box of age-blackened wood. “For you,” she said, lifting the lid and holding it out to me. Inside were five silver rings, each as big around as an orange.
I took one gingerly. “A bracelet?”
“A link. Do well, Mo,” she murmured.
Dominic stepped forward and took a ring for himself. At his nod, Pascal and Orla did, too. Wordlessly, Marguerite shut the box, and Luc escorted her down the steps.
I would have thought signing a contract was enough, but it made a certain sense. Arcs didn’t need tools to work a spell—Luc had destroyed the Chicago Water Tower with words alone—but objects seemed to give their magic a focal point. Verity had been given a ring to help her with the Torrent; when Luc and I had gone through the Binding Ceremony, we’d wrapped our wrists with a fine platinum chain. It was invisible now, joined to the magic, but still a constant reminder of our connection. And then there were the weapons. Channels, Luc had called them, a way to direct a large amount of magic. He’d carried a sword, the edge dancing with ruby flames, and every time he’d drawn it, there’d been big danger and bigger magic.
Now, I saw, the Quartoren had weapons of their own.
They’d formed a loose circle, leaving space for me. Each held a ring in one hand and a weapon in the other. Dominic held a scimitar, a curved sword, and Orla carried a delicately carved bow and arrow. Pascal rested a huge hammer, the metal head incredibly heavy looking, against his leg.
“Come,” said Dominic, crooking an elbow at the gap next to him. “No one will harm you here.”
I moved into the circle, apprehensive.
In a booming voice meant to carry through the room, he said, “We have forged an alliance, which shall remain fast until the terms of the Covenant are fulfilled. We seal our words with magic, the source of our strength. Hold out your link.”
I did, and Dominic placed his circle over mine. The room grew warmer, and as he spoke, the air seemed to tremble, like the surface of a pot about to boil. With the flat of the scimitar’s blade, he struck the links sharply, and ruby sparks flew into the air. I turned away, squeezing my eyes shut.
A few feet away, Luc said, “Won’t hurt, and it’ll be over in a minute.”
I looked back at the ring. The two circles were now linked together, no seam visible, no cracks in the surface. On the other side of me, Orla touched her ring to mine and tapped it with the tip of the arrow, speaking a similar incantation. The golden sparks were so bright I was nearly blinded. The air around me seemed to charge, my scalp prickling as my headache returned with a vengeance.
“You said it wouldn’t hurt,” I muttered to Luc. The bones of his face seemed even more prominent, and his eyes were gold-rimmed green as he moved toward me. “It feels like before. With Constance.”
Only Pascal and Luc reacted. Pascal’s expression turned thoughtful, and Luc reached for me through our bond, trying to gauge exactly how much trouble we were in. The connection still felt muted by interference, and that made me worry more.
“Stop the ritual,” Luc said. “It’s too risky.”
“We can’t stop now,” said Orla. “The Covenant hasn’t been sealed. We’d be no better off than before.”
“And your friend will be on her own again,” Pascal said to me. “You’ll be safe enough to continue, I think.”
“Safe
enough?
” I asked.
“Are you sure?” Dominic asked. “We can’t lose her here.”
I felt a rush of affection for Dominic. Finally, someone on my side.
Pascal waved a hand. “Yes, yes. I can’t predict other ramifications, but she’ll live.”
The hair on my arms stood up as the magic filled the air with a crackling tension. Orla made a noise of impatience.
“Maura?” said Dominic. “Are you well enough to proceed?”
I grabbed the increasingly heavy mass of rings with both hands, trying to hide my shakiness. “Okay.”
At Dominic’s nod, Pascal spoke, words of power that seemed to rebound off the magic looming over us. I tightened my grip on the rings as Pascal bobbled the massive hammer, his thin arms straining under its weight. When he finally struck the links, it was only a glancing blow. The hammer head slipped off to the side with a faint clink. I wondered for an instant if it had worked.
And then the room went blindingly white as the magic ripped through it, throwing me backward. Luc caught me, shielding my body with his. I could see his lips moving, casting wards around us as the magic burned, but everything had gone eerily silent.
As the magic ebbed away, noise began to filter back in, popping and hissing like an old-fashioned record. Gradually, my hearing returned to normal. Luc hauled me to my feet, checking for injuries.
“I’m okay,” I said. “My head’s ... better ... I think.” Better was a relative term, but the throbbing pain I’d felt before had passed.
Luc shot an angry glance at the Quartoren, but they were too dazed to notice. “I’m taking you home.”
I was still holding the rings, fused together like a complicated silver flower. “What about this?”
“Keep it as a reminder of our Covenant,” Orla said.
Like I needed one, after tonight. “C’mon,” said Luc, leading me away. From the other side of the room came a soft sound of distress. I turned and saw Luc’s mom crouched on the ground, arms covering her head.
“Marguerite!” Dominic cried, rushing to her.
Luc dropped my hand and dashed across the stage.
“Maman?”
Dominic helped her to her feet, murmuring reassurances, his broad frame dwarfing her tiny one. Effortlessly, she shook him off and looked directly at me.
I clapped a hand over my mouth. Her eyes had gone milky white, and her hands were cupped in front of her like she was receiving communion.
“What do you see?” Dominic asked. There was no trace of the concerned husband I’d seen a moment ago. Then again, this was an entirely new Marguerite.
Despite her clouded pupils, she held my gaze as she spoke, her voice high and hollow, nothing like the way she’d sounded at the bayou cabin.
“I see a new age rising, and we are brought low before it. Against the tide stands the Four-In-One, the Vessel bound forever, all the magic seeks.” She paused, gasping in a breath, hands trembling. “Listen to it. Join the heart. Seal it with yourself, or we are, every one, lost.”
Her words echoed in the silent room. The color seeped back into her eyes, and she sagged against Dominic. He scooped her up like a sleeping child, concern creasing his face. “See to her,” he said to Luc, nodding in my direction. An instant later, they had gone Between.
“What the hell was that?” Luc asked.
Pascal’s brow furrowed. “As with all seers, Marguerite’s talent is unpredictable. Likely the surge triggered her ability, permitting her to voice a new prophecy.”
“Was she talking about me?” I asked.
I have other talents
, she’d said to me. No kidding. How much of my future did she see?
“It would appear that way. We’ll study it,” he said.
“I don’t like all this magic floatin’ around,” Luc said, taking my hand. “Let’s get you home.”
I was about to answer when something struck the side of the building. The torches along the walls guttered.
Luc swore. Pascal and Orla exchanged a look of dread. As usual, I was the one playing catch-up. “What’s going on?” I asked.
Orla’s lip curled as something jolted the wall again. “Darklings. We told you, they’re attracted to raw magic. From the sound of it, no more than a pair.”
That was two more than I was comfortable with. “They’re attacking the building?”
“The surge must have brought them,” Pascal said. “Don’t worry. Orla and I can easily dispatch two Darklings. It’s unlikely they’ll even breach the outer doors. This is not a comfortable place for their kind.”
“Not odds I’m willing to play,” said Luc. “We’ll go Between instead.”
Even though my heart was thudding in my chest as loud the creatures outside, I couldn’t leave yet. Orla was already heading toward the stairs, ready to do battle, but I blocked her path. “You promised to help Constance. That starts now.”
The walls shuddered from another assault. “Priorities,” she said, gesturing to the bow in her hand.
“Constance
is
my priority.” I crossed my arms.
“Fine. I’ll select a guide and they’ll begin tomorrow. You’ll be kept ...”—she smiled thinly—“... in the loop? That’s what Flats call it, correct?”
The loop was feeling more and more like a noose. “How do I fix the magic? I don’t even know what’s wrong with it.”
“Enough,” said Luc, as several of the torches went out.
“Figurin’ out the next step is their job. I’m taking you home.” With broad, angry slashes, he cut a doorway into the air.
“You ready?”
I nodded, and he pulled me through.
C
HAPTER
14
W
e came Between down the street from my house. The lights were blazing from the windows, my uncle’s Cadillac parked at the curb, Colin’s truck right behind it. “The gang’s all here,” I muttered, nearly toppling over.
From behind me, Luc grabbed my shoulders, keeping me upright. “Easy, Mouse.”
I peered down the block. No bony talons, no rotting arms or tattered wings pierced the amber glow of the streetlights. “Do you think the Darklings will follow us?”
He concentrated for a moment, searching along the lines for some hint of trouble to come. “Doubt it. My guess is Pascal and Orla took care of them quick. And they’re not after you—they want raw magic. None of that floatin’ around here.”
“I’m safe now?”
“Let’s not get carried away. Seraphim could be a problem. Covenant definitely is. But Darklings shouldn’t be an issue tonight.” He didn’t let go of me, though.
I couldn’t think about the Seraphim or the Covenant right now. There was enough trouble facing me inside the front door. “You should check on your mom.”
His body tensed against mine, and he rested his chin on the top of my head. “She meant us, you know. In the prophecy.”
“The Four-In-One.” Luc had one elemental power; I had three because of my link to Verity. But thanks to our binding, we shared all four talents.
“Bound forever,” he added. “You heard it, too.”
I knew what he was going to say—Marguerite’s vision was proof we were supposed to be together. But I couldn’t talk about it with him. I needed time to think and recover. I heard Marguerite’s voice again, and a splintering pain stabbed at my chest, making it hard to breathe. It must have been another aftereffect of the trip Between. I was grateful that we’d come through in a shadowy spot so he couldn’t see my face. “I can’t deal with this right now.”
He tried very hard not to look hurt. “Let me walk you to the door.”
“I’ll be fine.” I eased away. “Go ahead.”
I forced myself to cross the street without stumbling, clenching my teeth against the pain. I could feel Luc’s presence clearly again, the slight tension in the chain between us. When I reached for the doorknob, he left, the sound echoing down the street.
I paused, not ready to go inside. The Quartoren’s rings weighed down my bag, and I dropped it with a clank. I’d done the right thing. Constance needed help, and I was the only one who could make sure she got it. I had to believe that keeping my word, even without the life-or-death incentive of the Covenant, mattered. It was the opposite of what my family had taught me—tell the truth, keep your promises, take responsibility. I’d done something to the magic, and now I owed it to Verity’s people to fix it.
Through the window I could see my uncle pacing the living room, phone to his ear, barking orders. No doubt my mother was in the kitchen freaking out. Colin was leaning against the doorframe between the two rooms, watching it all. He spoke to my mom, probably trying to calm her, but I knew exactly what his lowered brow and crossed arms meant: There’d be questions—and hell to pay—later.
I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Silence fell like the curtain at a play, and then an explosion of noise, the tumult nearly knocking me backward.
“Maura Kathleen Fitzgerald!” Billy roared, his face nearly purple. He snapped the phone shut. “What in the name of sweet Jesus were you thinking? Don’t you ever run off like that again.”
“You’re not my mother.” I walked past him to the staircase. Forget confrontations and explanations. All I wanted was a handful of aspirin and my bed. Across the room, Colin took a step toward me, eyes locking on to mine.
My mom skirted him and stopped next to my uncle, her mouth a narrow line. “I am. And I would like to know exactly where you’ve been, young lady.”
I dropped my bag on the staircase with a thump. “Out.”
“Out? That’s the best you can do? I suppose you were out this morning, too, when you skipped school. I talked to Sister Donna this evening, and she told me all about it.”
“I know. I heard you.” I crossed my arms and braced for the inevitable fight.
Her triumphant look faded, replaced with uncertainty. “I didn’t see you.”
“I heard about Dad coming home, too.” Six months ago, I would have left it at that. Not anymore. “You should have told me. Everyone at church knew, Mom. It’ll be all over school by tomorrow.” Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of surprise on Colin’s face, followed by understanding. He hadn’t known either, it seemed.
“I wanted to find the right time... .” She blinked, then beamed at me. “Isn’t it wonderful?”
I laughed despite my exhaustion. “Are you kidding me? It’s the exact opposite of wonderful. You are so delusional.”
“Watch your tongue,” Billy snapped. “And don’t change the subject. Where were you tonight?”
Colin gripped the back of the ivory wing chair, and my heart broke a little bit at the worry in his expression.
I didn’t care if my mom and Billy were angry with me. It felt good to be the one with the answers for a change, to give them a taste of their own medicine. But Colin was different. Since Verity had died, he was the person I was most myself with. I didn’t have to pretend, or hide, or be ashamed. When I was with Colin, being Mo was enough. He’d given me that, like a gift, and in return I’d caused him nothing but worry.
There was no way to say that to him right now, though. The best I could do was mouth “Sorry” as my family continued to rail at me.
My mother crossed her arms. “March yourself right into the kitchen. We’re not done discussing this.”
Oh, good. Because I was really up for a family meeting. I started across the room, deliberately brushing against Colin’s arm.
He jerked away. “I should go.”
“Stay,” my uncle barked, and a hint of temper flashed across Colin’s face, so handsome that even anger looked good. “We’re going to be making some changes around here, and you’ll need to be aware of them.”
That didn’t sound promising. I was not a fan of change, and I doubted tonight would prove the exception.
“Changes?” I echoed, dropping into my usual chair.
“It’s nothing too terrible.” Mom followed me into the kitchen and stood at the counter. “We think it would be better if you stayed close to home for the next little while.”
“Define ‘close to home.’ ”
She squared her shoulders. “You’ll still go to school and church. You can work at The Slice. But until we see some improvement in your attitude, and hear that your school performance is back to where it should be, you’re grounded.”
“You’re kidding, right?” But my mom didn’t kid. It wasn’t in her DNA. “You’re grounding me. My senior year.”
“You’ve been through so much, honey. I think you need a little downtime.” She picked up an apple from the pile on the counter and began to peel it, the skin coming off in one shining, red curl. Despite the wobbly corners of her mouth, her hands were sure and steady on the knife as she worked, something I’d seen her do countless times.
“Now,” Billy said, settling himself at the head of the Formica-topped table and glowering. “Where did you go?”
I glanced at Colin, peering out the window that overlooked the screen porch. Fatigue overwhelmed me, and I folded my arms on the table, making a pillow for my head. “I told you. Out.”
“Where is out?” he demanded.
“Not. In.” Even though my voice was muffled, the sound of Billy’s hand striking the table proved he heard me.
“That’s not an answer.”
I lifted my head and studied him, the way his hair, pure white, fell limply across his head. There were new lines etched into the corners of his eyes and mouth, and he seemed ... tired. Older than I’d realized. He was a lot older than my mom, more than fifteen years. There’d been other siblings, but Billy was the only one who’d come over from Ireland with my grandparents; my mom had been born here in the States. Once my grandparents had died, he was the only one left to watch over my mother. For a moment, I felt a faint stirring of sympathy. Then I remembered that he might have taken care of my mom, but it was because of him we’d needed help to begin with.
Wordlessly, I let my aching head drop to my arms again. “Fine. You’ll tell us who you were with, then.”
“Nobody you know.”
“The girl from the diner today?”
Jenny Kowalski? Oh, God. How bad would it be if he found out Jenny was looking into her dad’s death and blaming it on me? I didn’t think he’d harm a teenage girl, not really. Then again, he hadn’t agonized when he’d thrown me to the wolves a month ago, asking me to falsely accuse someone of Verity’s murder to further his own standing in the Mob. If he thought Jenny was really a threat—and I knew by the fervor in her voice it was a definite possibility—there was no telling what he’d do.
I heaved myself up in the seat, the effort monumental, and met his eyes. “No. I told you, it was no one you know.”
“A boy?” my mom asked, setting the knife down, her voice pitched higher. “Were you with a boy?”
Colin turned slowly, his expression absolutely blank. I chose my words carefully, meaning them for him.
“I had something I needed to do.” I hoped like hell that Colin caught the implication—need, not want—but his eyes were shuttered, unreadable. I dragged my focus back to Billy, rubbing at my forehead.
“And you think you can simply disappear from church, all by yourself? Without so much as a good-bye?”
It wasn’t simple, and I couldn’t do it by myself, but otherwise. . . yeah, pretty much. I didn’t think saying so would help me at that moment. “Why should I stay? So people can get in more digs about Dad coming home? I can’t believe you didn’t warn me.”
“Sweetheart, why would I warn you? I know you’re angry that Daddy left, but he’s coming back. It’s a blessing!”
“He didn’t
leave
. He was convicted of multiple felonies.”
“You’re dwelling on the negative.”
Could she really be this clueless? “There’s not really a positive. I don’t want him coming back here. I don’t want to live in the same house with him.”
“That’s not your decision.” My mom’s voice had taken on a sharp, thin edge, her eyes dangerous. “This is my house, and I have worked my fingers to the bone to keep it that way. He is your father, and my husband, and you will treat him with the respect he is due. Everyone makes mistakes, Mo. Even you. But we forgive each other, because that’s what families do. That’s what this family does.” She pressed her hand to her mouth and rushed from the room.
My family did lots of things, but I’d never seen forgiveness rank high on the list. I shook my head, trying to catch Colin’s eye. But he was still staring out the window, like he might catch sight of Luc.
“Are you satisfied?” Billy asked. “The happiest day she’s had in years, and you ruined it for her.”
I put my head back down, not wanting him to catch sight of the guilt starting to nibble at me.
“You have been through quite a lot, haven’t you?” he said after a long minute. His voice was gentler, and when I looked up, his hands were resting, loosely folded, on the table. He looked good natured and utterly reasonable.
He was after something.
“Mo, you’re old enough to know the truth. Some of it I’m sure you’ve guessed already, smart as you are. Some of it ... well, you deserve an explanation.”
I propped my chin in my hand and waited to hear this new version of the truth.
“The men I asked you to identify this fall work for a man named Yuri Ekomov. He’s not a good man. He’s greedy, and violent, and unstable. He is looking to use our neighborhood as a place to expand his criminal activities. I believe with my whole heart he is responsible for Verity’s death. But for the grace of God, it might have been you.”
I could have corrected him, but I didn’t. Billy wasn’t the only one who could play things close to the chest.
He continued, “All I want is to keep him out of our neighborhood. To protect all of us. Our family, our friends, our way of life. You may have believed you were doing the right thing when you refused to identify those men, but you’ve drawn attention to yourself. You’re in danger, and the time for this sort of recklessness has long passed. You can’t be running around the city unsupervised.”
I pointed to Colin. “Supervised.”
“And yet you slipped out tonight.” He frowned at Colin.
“The guys at church were yours, remember? Don’t blame him because your muscle isn’t up to the job. I don’t care about Yuri Ekomov’s business or yours. I told you before, I’m out.”
Billy’s eyes narrowed. “You forget exactly how much influence I hold over your life, Mo. You’re still a child, under your mother’s care, and she listens to me. You need to be careful how you proceed.”
What I needed was to get the hell out of the house. Or at the very least, the kitchen.
“I’m going to bed.” As I got to my feet, I clutched the edge of the table for balance, the room spinning around me. I bit down on my tongue to keep from moaning and focused on getting upstairs without falling over. If Billy noticed something was off, he’d administer a Breathalyzer on the spot. If Colin noticed—which seemed a lot more likely—he’d add it to the list of topics covered during my interrogation tomorrow.