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They finished the rest of the walk in silence as the wind picked up, stirring the waters of the lake. By the time Sera said goodbye and disappeared from the lawn in a puff of blue smoke, the first rain drops had started to fall.
Elyse was once again alone.
The house seemed darker than usual as rain pelted against the windows, or perhaps it was just Elyse’s shadowy mood. She lit a taper and carried it down the hall, passing by the library. She couldn’t bring herself to look at any more books. Her tired eyes begged her to crawl into bed, but sleep felt like a comfort she didn’t deserve.
Restless, her feet carried her into the sitting room, where she stored all the gifts Jaime brought her. Her fingers traced the keys of the piano, but the smooth ivory did not call to her. Neither did the paints, their rich colors too bright and luxurious. She chose the sketch pad with its striking leather cover, splaying it open and savoring the subtle feel of the spine bending in her hands. Her eyes searched for a tool, holding her breath until she found just the right one: a charcoal pencil, its tip blunt and black.
With a fervor she hadn’t felt in a long time, Elyse sat on the divan, curled up beneath a blanket, and drew.
Chapter 22
- Killian -
If Killian had known it was going to rain, he would have run his errand earlier. The sun had shone bright all day in the cloudless sky, yet as soon as he stepped out the door, the wind picked up. A drizzle started not ten minutes later.
Maybe this is a sign, he told himself. He had been putting off sending this correspondence for a week now, and the sudden downpour didn’t bode well. He hurried down one street after another, trying to duck beneath awnings when he could, and taking care to make sure the letter in his pocket stayed dry.
The letter was addressed to Siamus and consisted of three sentences:
Please be advised that I am no longer in need of your services. You are free from all obligations effective immediately. I ask that you confirm your understanding at your earliest convenience.
Of course, it would have been much easier if he could simply drop off the letter at the postal office and have it delivered, but that was not how the Bastards worked. Instead, he was forced to travel halfway across the city, give the letter to a bartender at a seedy tavern, and trust that this stranger would deliver it to the appropriate person.
Even though he no longer needed help locating Elyse, it somehow felt wrong calling off the Bastards. Her betrayal clawed at him, reminding him that he couldn’t trust her, blood oath or not. She had deceived him once—who was to say she wouldn’t do it again? Terminating his agreement with the Bastards seemed almost reckless, like he was putting more faith in Elyse than she deserved.
Thunder rumbled as pedestrians escaped the storm. Killian picked up his pace, taking care to avoid the puddles accruing in the street. Mud caked his boots, but he hardly noticed. He was too engrossed in a single thought: the words he’d spat at Jaime earlier.
“She’d rather turn herself in and face what she’s done than spend anymore time locked up here as your prisoner.”
At the time he’d merely said it out of anger, a way to draw blood verbally. He hadn’t given much thought to the insult’s fidelity before delivering it, but now he wondered. Was there a truth to his words?
Elyse appeared to be a wholly different person than the one he’d known before. Killian had contributed it to deceit, to being rattled by Prestowne, to never really having known her in the first place. There were a hundred possible explanations for her sudden meekness, but there was one that he had refused to consider: that she actually felt regret.
Maybe it was true. Maybe she did wish to atone. Maybe she felt out of control. As lavish as the country estate was, it would be like a prison to Elyse. She’d lost her home, her business, her freedom. Perhaps signing the blood pact was a way to take control of her life again, even if it meant giving it up.
Or perhaps it’s all part of some elaborate scheme, he thought as lightning crackled above.
Time would tell. For now, he would send the letter to Siamus, and hope that it was the right decision.
Chapter 23
- Killian -
The next day, Killian knocked at the mahogany door a third time, the special rhythm reverberating against the wood. Still, no one answered, and he, Manny, and Sera exchanged concerned looks. There was no reason to panic—at least not yet. Elyse had probably overslept. That didn’t stop Killian’s mind from imagining one disastrous scenario after another.
“Should we just go in?” Manny asked, sounding unsure.
“No,” Killian blurted out. There was a chance that Jaime and Elyse weren’t answering because they were otherwise occupied, and that was the last thing he wanted to walk in on. “Besides, it’s probably locked—”
Before the entire sentence was out of his mouth, Sera reached out and grasped the handle. The door opened easily, admitting them into the foyer.
“Elyse?” Sera called out as she entered. Her sweet voice echoed eerily down the hall. “I’ll check her bedroom and see if she’s still sleeping.”
“I’ll check the library,” Manny said.
They both disappeared down the hall, leaving Killian alone.
“I guess I’ll check the rest of the house,” he mumbled to himself. He hadn’t ventured any farther than the library before, but he let his feet lead him and prayed he wouldn’t find something terrible.
