Kai walks into, almost falls into, the salle, a snarl on his face.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he cries, arms wide. “A fuckingelectricalfire is what they’re claiming torched up the library?”
I stiffen my spine. I’d known that was the leading theory; Father had shared as much from the trustees. But it seems it’s now official.
“An ‘Act of God.’” Kai draws air quotes. “Nice and tidy for that insurance claim, huh? So poetic, too. God did it.” He laughs. “Give me a fucking break.”
“Who else could have done it, Kai?” Lanz interjects. “Elena and everyone…they were all at Porter’s. Celebrating. We’d just beaten St. Ignaty, remember?”
“I’ll fucking tell you who,” Kai says. “Moroslav.”
My blood goes cold.
“What?”
“It was Moroslav. Alexei Moroslav started that fire,” Kai stares at me, his gaze unsteady. “I can fucking prove it, if you even care. Tried to tell Daddy Dearest, even, but he told me to get bent and stop talking about arson because arson claims don’t pay out. But I know it was him. All pissed off from losing and wanted to get back at us.” He gestures wildly, something dangling from his hand. “And she took the fall.”
Car keys, I realize. The Escalade.
“What are you doing, Kai?” I take a step towards him, but he leaps back.
“She deserves to know the truth,” my foster brother says, arms spread wide. From this close, I can smell the liquor on his breath. “I’m not going to let her rot away somewhere thinking we sold her down thefuckingriver for something that Russian bastard did to get a rise out of us. Maybe you’re fine with throwing her away like that, taking the money, and moving on, but I’m not. And since I know won’t tell her, like the coward you are, then...” He jingles the keys. “I will.”
A pang of realization. He’s going to try to leave. To drive to?—
“Kai, no. We—Kai!”
He ignores me, jumps out of my reach, and darts up the stairs.
“Shit,” I say under my breath. I look around, trying to think, the pressure to act like a physical thing bearing down on me.
I can't let Kai drive to her, let alone drive drunk. I can't lethimbe the one to tell her.
I think of what I saw with Morgan. That place where Gwenna is.
And I know Kai’s right.
I’m acting like a coward. Iama coward.
And Gwenna deserves the truth.
“Lanz,” I snap. “Get Kai. Stop him. Donotlet him drive away.”
Lanz nods and sprints off as I rip off my jacket and glove, tear out of my underplastron and knickers and cast around for my street clothes.
On the edge of the strip, Cal hesitates. “What are you?—”
“Get changed,” I order him. “And get your coat.”
TWO
GWENNA
The church isquiet at night.
Like it always is.
I skim my palm over the heads of the pew-ends, feeling the cool gloss of wood, and let my eyes close as I walk.
