Violet Fire
Chapter 13

I was up early the next morning after a fitful night’s sleep. I was exhausted, but my determination was strong. Claire wasn’t in her study when I checked, so I hunted down a servant that I could interrogate. I must have looked especially terrifying, because the only servant I could pin down was Lilly. She told me that Claire was down in the baths, and although the thought of intruding on her wasn’t exactly appealing, I wasn’t going to be deterred. The servant attending Claire didn’t try to stop me, merely poked her head in and announced my presence to Claire. I stood in the dressing room as the water sloshed in the next room. Claire entered in a robe, a flicker of irritation crossing her face as she went behind the changing screen.

“You should consider hiring servants that aren’t afraid of me,” I said crossly.

“Most of them served under Aleia, they can hardly be blamed,” Claire’s voice was muffled slightly by the screen.

I opened my mouth for a sarcastic reply when I caught a glimpse of Claire’s back. The words died on my tongue as I took in the long scars crisscrossing her skin. I looked away quickly, my cheeks warm.

“I thought I made myself clear the last time we spoke,” Claire said, coming out from behind the screen, arms crossed.

My jaw clenched as anger surged through me. “I know that you don’t trust me Claire,” I ground out, catching her off-guard. “But I can’t help anyone if I don’t know what is going on.”

“Why do you insist on bringing up my past?” Claire sighed, I remained silent. Claire’s stiff posture relaxed and I knew that my patience paid off. “I never knew my mother, but I didn’t want a replacement. I would have been fine if it were just me and Papa forever, but he insisted on bringing her here. At first, it wasn’t too difficult, but then Aleia became pregnant. When she lost the baby the entire castle changed. It was as if everyone were afraid of breaking the fragile queen,” there was a touch of contempt in her voice. “Then I found her covered in my father’s blood. She killed the man she claimed to love. She took the only family that I had from me. She showed her true colors, driving me into servitude in my own home. I welcomed the work, it distracted me from my grief. But that wasn’t enough for her,” her voice was emotionless. “She wouldn’t rest until I was dead, so I ran.”

I let the silence hang for a few moments, Claire’s eyes shining in the dim light. “What else could you do?” I reached out to lay a comforting hand on her arm. “You were a victim of Aleia’s jealousy.”

I realized my mistake too late. Claire recoiled from me, my understanding more repulsive to her than if I had defended Aleia. Claire held my gaze, and as she stared into my eyes, I saw hers widen with fear. I took a step back and she shook her head. Her cheeks reddened with shame and I understood her momentary fear: she saw Aleia in my eyes. I swore, turning away from her in frustration.

“Whatever you see in me Claire, I am not Aleia,” I still had my back to her. “I’m sorry that I intruded, from now on all I will concern myself with is replaceing my parents.”

I left before I could hear her response.

I knew when I didn’t show up to train that Damon would come looking for me. He wasn’t the least bit surprised to replace me in my parents’ study, sitting on the floor. Damon watched the paper airplanes floating above my head, my fingers following their flight path.

“You’re improving,” he remarked, coming to sit beside me.

I could tell that his glance took in the tear streaks on my face. Tears of frustration, of anger.

“I suppose,” I replied, grabbing a crumpled ball of paper and watching as violet flames engulfed it.

“Have we finished with those notes?” Damon could be very tactful.

“All of this paper is worthless,” another page went up in flames. “It tells me nothing.”

“I thought you said this was the key to replaceing your parents.”

“I was wrong,” it came out sharper than I intended, my paper airplanes crashing into the stone floor as I spoke.

Damon grabbed my hand before I could turn another page into ash. “What’s wrong?”

My fingers intertwined with his automatically, but I couldn’t meet his eyes. “I’ve been thinking…” Damon squeezed my hand in encouragement. “I think that I should try to follow my parents, maybe someone in the last place they were seen…”

“Juliet,” the worry was clear in his voice, and I looked over at him.

He extracted his hand from mine, moving so that he could look at me better. “We don’t know enough for you to go running off.”

“Exactly!” I burst, cutting him off. “I don’t know anything!”

He waited for me to calm before resuming. “We still have so much to read and learn, particularly about Aleia.”

“Claire has made it abundantly clear that Aleia is none of my business,” I muttered sourly.

Damon leaned back a little, his expression clearing. “Claire isn’t always correct.”

I waited for Damon to go on, but he just sat there. I let the silence stretch before finally sighing in defeat.

“Fine, I won’t go running off,” I ran a hand through my hair. “Yet.”

Damon nodded in satisfaction as he stood, offering me a hand up. We left my parents’ study and headed out into the hall. The corridor was chaos. Servants and courtiers were jostling for a view of the courtyard from the windows lining the passageway. Damon and I made our way through the crowd, pausing when we saw Eoin alone. He looked up as we approached, giving us a brief smile before returning his attention to what was happening below. The courtyard was in greater disarray than the windows as a massive shape wreaked havoc below.

“What’s going on?” I asked, watching as more guards flooded the courtyard.

“The Loridian guard caught the centaurs’ leader,” Eoin’s voice was flat.

Damon looked over at Eoin sharply and the look that passed between them turned my stomach.

“The arena?” Damon’s voice was husky.

Eoin nodded grimly. I gulped, watching the massive shape below. He went down, and my heart followed.

The knot in my stomach had been slowly twisting itself tighter, ever since the news came. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I walked between Damon and Evanna, but if I had been looking for any comfort in their grim expressions, I would replace none. The people around us seemed to be in fine spirits, speeding up as a steady drumbeat started to sound. We increased our pace as well, having left later than the rest of the royal party. We quickly took our seats in the reserved box as the last of the stragglers rushed in.

Although it was little more than wooden bleachers encircling a vast dirt field, the arena was incredibly ominous. Through all of the gossip I had gained only the barest understanding of what was happening, and the malicious expressions surrounding me only confirmed my suspicions. The drumbeat stopped, and the crowd fell silent. Directly across from the royal box, a metal grate slowly lifted, and two dark shapes could be seen ascending from the tunnels that led to the arena from the dungeon. To our right, three men in suits of armor stood at attention, their squires holding their weapons in readiness.

As the two figures stepped into the light, the crowd began hissing, booing, and jeering. I clenched my hands together, my eyes rooted to the figures. One was a teenaged boy, clearly uncomfortable, but hardly the center of attention. No, all eyes were fixed upon the figure at the end of his rope. The centaur was massive, his dark skin contrasting deeply with the white of his coat. He was built like a draft horse, and his human half was no less impressive. He gave the crowd a cursory glance before fixing his eyes on the royal box.

He took his time gazing at those occupying the box, regarding each individual in turn. His eyes fell on me last, locking me in his gaze. To this day I cannot explain how I saw him in such detail from that distance, and yet I missed nothing. His intelligent hazel eyes met mine steadily, with no trace of fear. One back hoof stomped somewhat impatiently, as if he were ready to be done with this spectacle. His eyes did not plead for help, did not entreat mercy, and yet I felt my heart ache for him. It was only after he turned his head and released my gaze that I realized I was crying. I brushed the tears away hastily, determined not to miss a moment of the proceedings.

At a signal from the chief Councilor, the rope binding the centaur’s hands behind his back was severed. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his arms, glad to be rid of his bonds. At the same time, the knights took their weapons from their squires. One held a wicked looking mace in his hands, the next a pike, and the last one held a sword. The centaur’s attention turned to these knights for the first time, and he pawed the ground with a hoof, his expression grim. The chief Councilor stood at the front of the royal box, and once again a hush fell over the crowd.

“Creature!” the chief Councilor cried imperiously, his voice carrying through the arena.

The centaur turned his head, a trace of annoyance flickering across his face.

“Last night you were brought before the Council, having violated the Relocation Act by coming within five feet of the border between Loridian and the Great Wood. Having been found guilty of violating said Relocation Act, you are hereby sentenced to death within the arena. In accordance with our laws, you will have clemency if you overcome the knights,” here the Councilor paused, an evil smile stealing over his face. In that instant it was clear that the Councilor found that highly unlikely. “May fortune smile upon you.”

The Councilor sat down to wild applause, and I turned to Damon.

“Five feet! That is worthy of death?” I whispered hotly.

Damon nodded grimly, his face impassive, but his eyes burning with anger. He glanced down and slipped his hand between mine. I was surprised by his considerably forward gesture, taking a second to realize that he was mostly trying to get circulation back in my fingers – I had been clenching them so hard.

A crash brought my attention back to the arena, my heart leaping with fright. The centaur had snapped the pike with one well-placed kick, then rammed the knight with his shoulder, sending him sprawling. The knight’s heavy armor left him flailing like a turtle on its back as he called for a squire. There was a soft ripple of laughter, quickly drowned out by indignant cries.

The other two knights were circling the centaur, trying to distract him so the other could strike. He pawed the ground, his tail flicking as he watched them, ever composed. The flash of sunlight off of metal drew the sharp-eyed centaur’s attention, and the resulting kick glanced off of its target, causing the knight to become unbalanced. The centaur caught the mace of the second knight mid-swing and ripped it easily out of its owner’s grasp. Down went another turtle crying for his squire. Although these men sought his life, the centaur refused to cause them more harm than was necessary. I hardly realized that I was starting to lean forward, my hands removed from Damon’s to grasp the wooden railing in front of me.

The last night moved deliberately, smart enough to stay out of kicking range now. The centaur watched him attentively, hardly aware of the fine sheen of sweat on his face. The knight lunged and he easily sidestepped, stirring up some dust as he moved. I watched as a shadow moved in the dust cloud, my heart sinking as the centaur tripped on the broken pike shaft that had been rolled into his way. I watched the shadow, my blood boiling as I became certain that this was no accident. I looked over at the Councilor, saw the blood lust on his face, and knew that this had been the plan all along. He knew that the centaur could not be defeated by his knights in a fair fight. I looked to Eoin and Claire, hoping that they might do something. They were distressed, but still as statues. A flash of sunlight on metal and my eyes darted back to the scene in the arena. The centaur could not get himself up, and as the sword rose slowly above him, he bowed his head in resignation. Before I was fully aware of what I was doing, I was vaulting over the side of the royal box and running headlong into the arena.

“Juliet, no!” I felt rather than saw Damon and Evanna try to pull me back, but they were too slow.

In five long strides I had placed myself between the centaur and the sword, barely aware of the purple glow intensifying around me as I threw my arms up. There was a tremendous crash as the sword slammed into the purple light and promptly shattered. A cry of outrage went up around me as I looked at the unconscious knight at my feet. In moments there were guards in the arena, and a rather purple-face chief Councilor came spluttering over as fast as his significant girth would allow.

“How dare you!” he screeched, starting to get right up in my face, then seeming to think better of it.

“How dare I? How dare you!” I returned, feeling my anger start to rise. “You almost ended an innocent life!”

“Innocent life?” It was just above a whisper, and yet it carried through the now silent arena. “That-that thing is a criminal! It has broken our laws!”

“Well, sir,” I spat with heavy sarcasm. “Any law that prohibits someone from coming within even five feet of the border deserves to be broken.”

A murmur swept through the crowd. No one challenged the Council. No one.

“Those are dangerous words,” he replied softly.

I fought back the shiver that tried to run down my spine and drew myself to my full height. “Any law made and enforced by a council of tyrants not only deserves to be broken, but should be.”

You would have been able to hear a pin drop in that arena. The chief Councilor’s eyes looked like they might pop out of his head, meanwhile the centaur was looking at me with open admiration.

“Your prejudice has made you blind with hatred. What has he ever done to you? What have any of them done to you?”

“So, you sympathize with these creatures?” the Councilor asked, his eyes gleaming unpleasantly.

I could sense a trap in the question, but there was no going back now. “Yes. I sympathize with the ill-treated.”

The Councilor’s expression cleared, and the evil smile returned. He turned his back on me, appealing to the crowd now.

“Do you hear what she says? This vagabond, this witch who has been taken in to our very bosom sympathizes with our enemies! Will we stand for this?”

“No!” it came out with surprising vehemence.

“Down with the witch!” someone in the crowd yelled, and the cry spread like wildfire.

The Councilor gave a signal and two guards swept in before my mind could catch up and pulled my arms behind my back. The Councilor stepped forward, coming closer now that I was restrained.

“You certainly made that easy,” he chuckled. “I thought I was going to have to try harder to get rid of you, but you did that so wonderfully yourself.”

I felt my face flush as another wave of reckless anger swept over me. “So, you planned this all along.”

“Of course we did. We can’t have another of your kind among us,” he sneered. “And this time, not even the Queen can save you.”

A soft purple glow shimmered around me, and the ground shook slightly. The Councilor lost his balance and tried to quickly conceal the flash of fear that swept across his face.

“If you think that your troubles will end with me, you are sorely mistaken. There comes a day when everyone must pay for their crimes. Even you.”

The Councilor refused to look at me, turning instead to the guards. “Take the creature with her,” he commanded gruffly, before stalking off.

The centaur was brought to his feet, then marched at spear point back into the tunnels. My “escort” followed, with the rest of the guards filing in behind us. My guards kept casting me uncomfortable glances, trying to keep as much distance between themselves and me, while still keeping my arms firmly behind my back. They were as relieved to be rid of me as I was of them, only pausing long enough to chain me to the floor before leaving.

I glanced around the dismal cell, shivering with the cold. The centaur and I were in the same cell, both chained securely. He was watching me intently, and I fidgeted under his gaze.

“What?” I finally asked.

“Thank you,” he said simply, his deep voice echoing in the damp.

“You’re welcome,” I replied bashfully, avoiding his gaze.

“It was very brave of you to risk your life for me,” he persisted, trying to get me to meet his eyes again.

I complied reluctantly, blushing a bit under his scrutiny. “Someone needed to do it.”

He smiled then, revealing neat white teeth. “We haven’t been properly introduced. My name is Inteus.”

“Juliet.”

Inteus smiled at me briefly before leaning against the cold brick wall. “My apologies for landing you down here,” he whispered, deliberately looking away.

I shook my head, bringing my knees up to my chest. “The Council had it in for me from the moment they knew I existed. It was only a matter of time.”

Inteus’ creamy tail flicked in irritation. “They think that they are gods,” he spat in a sudden burst of anger.

A sudden thought occurred to me as I started to shiver in the cold. “How did they even replace you, is there a border patrol?”

Inteus snorted, his tailing slamming into the floor with an audible smack. “I was lured there,” he said lowly, his hands clenching into fists. “The villagers near the Great Wood kidnapped my daughter. They told me that I could give myself up or watch my daughter die.”

“That’s awful,” I breathed, shivering with more than cold.

“You remind me of my daughter,” he said more calmly, his eyes smiling. “You have the same spirit.”

The light in his eyes left as quickly as it came. My better judgement said not to voice my question, but my impulse won out. “Did they let your daughter go?”

Inteus shook his head, his face twisted in agony. “I do not know.”

I felt my anger starting to bubble just beneath the surface again. “I promise you, if we get out of this, I will help you replace your daughter,” a dim purple light had started to glow in the room around us. “And whoever did this to the both of you will pay.”

Mixed emotions flowed across his face like water: gratitude, doubt, hope, and apprehension. The light slowly faded around us as I calmed, and I began to shiver. What little light and warmth the setting sun had sent through our barred window was fading quickly, and despite the season, it was cold in our cell. Before I could protest, Inteus reached out and pulled me against his warm side like one might a small child. I stiffened in surprise, then gave in and leaned against his warm hide. The silence stretched on, and soon we were both asleep.

I woke up to the sound of metal scraping against stone, and I jerked up. Inteus was already awake, smiling broadly. It took my groggy mind a few minutes to process the scene in front of me, and even when it did, I could hardly believe it. Evanna, James, Damon, Derek, and Alaric stood in front of us, grinning.

“What’s going on?” I asked sleepily.

“We’re getting you out of here,” Evanna replied.

It was only then that I noticed the bow in her hands. Derek knelt in front of us and whispered a few words. Instantly, our shackles snapped open, freeing us. Derek moved to help Inteus up as Damon stretched his hand out for me.

“When did you get back?” I asked Derek, stumbling a little on my numb legs.

“A couple of hours ago,” he replied, his face a mixture of anger and worry. “As soon as I heard what happened I organized a rescue party.”

“It wasn’t hard,” Evanna offered.

I could see varying degrees of anger on all of their faces, even the quiet and steady James.

“Has something else happened?” I asked tentatively.

“You tell her,” Evanna growled in Derek’s direction, too upset to explain.

“Eoin and Claire tried fighting for you,” Derek replied, earning him a scoff from Evanna. “Well, mostly Eoin. It was just us and the Council, no one else.”

“And?” I prompted when he didn’t say anything else.

“They threatened Claire and Eoin’s children,” James said quietly, every head turning to look at him in surprise.

“What did they say?” I was almost afraid to hear the answer.

Derek sighed, passing a hand over his face wearily. “In essence, the Council said that if Claire and Eoin continued to fight them, they would be forced to examine their fitness as rulers. If such an investigation were to take place, they could take the children away from them.”

I felt a spark fly from my fingertips. “They can’t do that!”

“Unfortunately, they can.”

Inteus shifted his weight impatiently, clearly wanting to say something, yet holding himself back.

“We don’t have a whole lot of time,” Alaric piped up, leaning casually against the doorframe. “We should really be going.”

The others nodded and started filing out of the cell, but I stayed rooted to the spot.

“What will the Council do to them if they replace me missing?” I asked in a small voice.

“Juliet, the Council means to have you executed!” Damon burst out hotly.

“Just answer me,” I whispered stubbornly.

Derek came over and laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. “They will be fine,” he told me reassuringly, then firmly steered me out of the cell.

I trusted Derek, but I didn’t quite believe him.

We crept through the dank corridors, pausing to check around every corner for guards. Evanna and Damon knocked out a couple of guards and we moved faster, the sense of urgency growing. Evanna and I left the boys waiting while we darted up to my room so I could change and grab a few things. We were in and out in no time and making good time when I hesitated. Evanna looked over her shoulder at me, and I was surprised to see how agitated she was.

“Come on, we don’t have much time!”

“You go on ahead, there’s something I have to do,” I replied, my mind made up.

“This is not part of the plan,” Evanna hissed, her eyes darting around nervously.

“Well then I guess this is Plan B,” I retorted, moving away before she could protest further.

I was going on instinct now, feeling vulnerable without Evanna by my side. He must have been expecting Claire when he heard my soft footsteps. His eyes widened in shock when he saw me instead.

“Juliet, you shouldn’t be here!” Eoin said softly, looking over my shoulder for palace guards.

“You told them to get me and Inteus out of here, didn’t you?”

Eoin smiled sadly and I noticed the growing lines on his face.

“I only wish that I could do more to help.”

I shook my head quickly. “I know why you can’t, and I’m grateful that you’ve helped me at all,” it came out in a rush. “But that isn’t why I’m here.”

Eoin didn’t look at all surprised. “You came to ask more about Aleia and Claire.”

I nodded. “I need to know.”

Eoin looked out of the window for a long moment, gathering his thoughts.

“I was certain when I left Claire that I would never see her again,” Eoin sighed. “My plan worked perfectly, the squad of centaurs followed me instead of the others and ran me down. The captain looked at me with enough hunger to chill my blood. I thought that they would kill me right then and there, but that would have been merciful. No, they were going to take me to Aleia.” Eoin rubbed his wrists as he continued, not realizing that he was doing it. “I will spare you the details of that encounter. I knew that I wouldn’t die immediately, not until Claire came for me. After languishing in a cell for a time, I was dragged into a secret passage, looking into Aleia’s chamber. Claire had come, and I knew that she would not leave.”

Eoin paused, utterly still. “Details have been lost with time, but I will never forget anything that passed in that chamber.”

“Hello Claire,” Aleia said softly.

Claire stood erect, her posture perfect, her face unreadable. “Hello, Aleia.”

Aleia’s head cocked to one side, her purple eyes glittering. “There was a time when you ventured to call me mother.”

“You are not my mother,” it was said simply, bluntly.

A shadow passed over the Queen’s face. “I know.”

The silence stretched on for a few minutes before Claire spoke again. “Where is Eoin?”

Aleia’s expression became unreadable once more. “He is currently unavailable to you,” she replied airily. “Help yourself while you wait,” she gestured to a bowl of bright red apples.

“Where is he?” Claire’s patience was wearing thin. “Tell me where he is!”

“Or what?” it was cold and sharp.

Claire didn’t have an answer.

Aleia sighed, nodding to the apples once more. “Really Claire, you must be famished.”

“Why do you suddenly care about my well-being?”

Aleia shook her head, her eyes shining a little too brightly. “I tried, Claire,” her voice was soft. “I wanted to love you, because Cedric loved you so much. I tried everything that I could think of, and you would have nothing to do with me.”

“Did you ever really love my father?”

Aleia turned her head away, and I caught a quick movement of her hand to her face. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” it was desperate, almost a scream.

“I was a foolish young girl,” it came out very sharply, but was aimed at herself. “I was swept off my feet by a man who said he loved me, and I thought that I loved him too. But the truth is,” There was a pause, a soft sigh. “I can’t love. I don’t know how.”

The conflict was clear on Claire’s face. I had spent much of my time in Aleia’s presence, and even I couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or not.

“And that justifies everything that you’ve done?”

“I can’t answer you.”

That time it really was a scream. “Why not?”

Aleia rose from her seat, causing Claire to fall back a step. “I can’t tell you because I don’t have an answer!”

They stood facing each other, both breathing heavily. Neither seemed sure of what to do next. A soft light emanated from the Mirror as its surface swirled mistily. Aleia’s head turned to the Mirror, as if it were speaking to her, and slowly, her eyes turned silver. The conflict and remorse on Aleia’s face was swept away. She picked up the bowl of apples and held them out to Claire.

“I insist,” her voice echoed ominously in the spacious room, and I could see the hesitation on Claire’s face.

Claire’s hand reached for the bowl, her movements jerky. I tried to cry out, but my voice was stolen from me. Claire raised the too-red apple to her lips, her eyes never wavering from Aleia. Time slowed as she took a bite, still regarding her stepmother with those expressive brown eyes. I watched as she swayed, heard her fall to the ground. Aleia’s eyes slowly changed back to their normal color and she took a step back, a hand pressed against her mouth.

She turned to the Mirror, her eyes flashing. From my position, I could see a face appear in the glass, cold and calculating. Its eyes flicked disdainfully from Claire’s limp form to Aleia’s reaction.

“I didn’t want it to end this way,” Aleia told the Mirror hotly, refusing to look at Claire. “Not after last time.”

The Mirror looked at Aleia sharply, mist swirling around its face. “This is the way it must be, if you wish to remain Queen.”

“When will it end?” Aleia shrieked, her hands tearing at her hair. “How much blood must you put on my hands?”

“I am merely giving you your greatest desire.”

“No!” the Mirror seemed taken aback by the harshness of her tone. “You have turned me into your puppet. But no more.”

Aleia took a silver hairbrush and flung it at the Mirror. A spider web of cracks appeared in its surface. Impossibly, the cracks disappeared, leaving the Mirror immaculate.

“You cannot destroy me.”

Aleia shook her head, her eyes darting around like a caged animal. She jumped over Claire and grabbed a hold of the doorknob. She managed to gain enough composure to look at the Mirror one last time.

“I am no longer your servant,” she spat before darting out of the door.

I was dragged out of the corridor and met a panicked Aleia.

“Leave us,” she snarled, the guards scurrying to obey.

I didn’t know what to make of the woman in front of me. This was not the Aleia that had sat in the throne room, this was a woman scared out of her wits. Aleia waved her hand and I was free from my shackles. As we stood in the hall I found myself torn between wanting to comfort her, and wanting to strangle her.

“I cannot explain or change what I have done,” she finally said unsteadily. “But you might have a chance to save her.” Aleia ignored my shocked expression and continued. “Tell the people that I am dead, celebrate your victory. I know that there will be no mourning for me.”

Before I could begin to decipher what she meant, she was gone. I stood in the hall for a time after, then I came to my senses and ran to save Claire. I knelt next to her, gathering her cold body into my arms. How could I possibly have a chance of saving her? The Mirror was still, but I felt as if it were mocking me.

“I’m so sorry,” I choked out, cupping her pale cheek.

I leaned over to bestow the kiss that I had held back for so long. Her lips grew warm beneath mine and she drew in a gasping breath. I pulled away in disbelief as my beloved came back to me.

“What happened?” she asked groggily.

I opened my mouth, but the truth wouldn’t come out. “Aleia is dead.”

Claire’s eyes widened in shock and she threw her arms around me. “She’s gone!” she cried happily.

I hugged her tightly, but some of the joy was already ebbing away. I knew that Aleia wasn’t dead, but I also knew that Claire held a bitterness within her that I couldn’t change. And that worried me more than Aleia.”

“So you never told Claire that Aleia was still alive?”

Eoin shook his head, absently fiddling with his wedding ring. “I didn’t have to,” he replied. “Deny it as she may, she knew.”

I ran a hand through my hair, my thoughts spinning. Eoin seemed to come back to reality, his hands falling to his sides.

“You must go now,” he said firmly. “Claire and I can’t protect you any longer.”

I nodded, heading for the door. I paused with my hand on the knob, a weight settling on my chest. “I’m not sure what’s waiting for me outside of the city,” I began, my eyes locking with Eoin’s. “But one thing that I am sure of is that Claire is going to have to face her past, one way or another.”

Eoin’s pained look was cemented in my mind as I stole into the night.