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I turned, mirroring his movements. "Did you take her? Did you kidnap Heather?"
"Kidnap is such a pale word, don't you think?" He stopped, his face deadpan. Then he shook his head. "No, I didn't take her; I swear on my life that I did not. But I know who did. I told you, Myst rules the town. And she always gets whatever she wants."
"Is Heather still alive?"
"That's information I'm not privy to, Cicely."
I sucked in a deep breath. "So, I guess my next question is, does Myst rule your actions? Are you truly now a part of the Indigo Court, Grieve? What happened to your devotion to the Queen of Rivers and Rushes? Is Lainule still alive?"
He leaned toward me and I thought he might kiss me again but instead he lingered a few inches away from my lips. "Devotion is an honorable attribute but unfortunately not one apt to prolong my life under certain circumstances."
I narrowed my eyes. He hadn't hurt me yet, but that was no guarantee my luck would hold. I tensed to run should he decide to come at me.
"I'll ask you again: Do you answer to the Indigo Court? Are you . . . are you one of the Vampiric Fae? What happened to Lainule?"
Grieve's eyes flashed. He laughed, low and throaty.
"I was born of the Cambyra . . . but ask you this: How do you think those of us belonging to the nobility saved our necks? The Queen of Rivers and Rushes managed to escape. We don't know where she is, and for that I am grateful. I would not want to see her at the mercy of Myst. But hundreds in the court were slaughtered. Massacred. I watched them die, torn to bits, their souls drained even as their veins were bled dry."
He shuddered, a look of revulsion filling his face. "The Indigo Court feed in a frenzy, Cicely. Like sharks or piranha. They can devour their victims alive. They're bloody and terrifying, and entirely without remorse. I decided to forego the pleasure of that particular demise. Chatter was spared for two reasons only: he's not one of the nobility, and I begged them to let me keep him as my pet. I went down on my knees for him, and that is why he lives."
He reached out and stroked my cheek. "Chatter was worried I'd kill you. But trust me on this: I will never deliberately destroy you. I will never deliberately hurt you. Long ago I caught a glimpse of the future, a glimpse of what potential you had, and of who you would become. And of who you are. We're meant to be together, Cicely. I always knew you'd come back to me when you were ready. I told you to go away but . . . I can't bear the thought of seeing you leave again.">Leo put his arm around her and she leaned against his shoulder.
I sat beside them and took her hand. I'd never known exactly what had happened but it didn't surprise me. "You never meant to do it. It was an accident."
She shook her head, her eyes furious. "I didn't mean to do it, but Cicely, I killed that little girl and over a decade later, I can still remember her screaming, pounding on the window, trying to get out. And the flames were so hot . . . so hot. And then the explosion . . . I watched her die, and I still see her every day. She haunts my dreams. I haven't touched my flame since that day."
"You can't run from the fire. If you keep running from it, the flames will build up inside you. They'll devour you! Look at what happened to Krystal. She ran from her powers and ended up a strung-out bloodwhore, and she died in a nameless alley because she was afraid. Rhiannon, you need to be strong."
She let out a snort. "The Society said I was tainted--that I'll never be able to control my powers. Marta threatened to kick Heather out if she ever taught me to use my abilities. I found that out by accident, so one day I told her they'd vanished, to keep her from worrying. She never believed me."
"What?" I gave her a long look. "The Society said what to you?"
"Marta refused to sanction any further training for me because my hands were sullied with blood, and since Heather is a member of the Society, she had to obey."
I snorted. "Fuck them, then. Where were they when you needed help? Fuck them and their rules. Marta's dead and Heather needs you. She's out there, the Indigo Court has her, and we don't know what the hell they're doing to her. And since the Society wouldn't do its job, then we'll help you."
Leo kissed the top of Rhiannon's head and gently guided her to her feet. She was shaky, but he braced her elbow.
I shook my head. "The Thirteen Moons Society is almost defunct. We can't rely on anybody but ourselves. We're in this by our lonesome. Ask Kaylin if he's interested in joining us. If you trust him, go for it. And Leo--can you please give Geoffrey a call now that the sun's down?"
"I still don't think it's a good idea, but I'll set up a meeting." The look on his face told me he thought I was crazy.
"You do that." Weary--the day had seemed long beyond words--I sighed and pushed to my feet. "Meanwhile, I need to unpack."
"We'll make dinner while you're doing that. Then we'll figure out how to ward the house."
As I headed upstairs, I whispered to Ulean, Back me up, friend. I think we're all in trouble.
Always and forever came the reply.
Chapter 7
Once in my room, I pulled out my wallet and counted how much cash I had left. Checking accounts had never been a part of my life. Five hundred and twenty-three dollars. Add to that the four thousand in Marta's business checking and I still needed a job before long.
The wallet had been Krystal's. I'd always suspected she'd lifted it off some john. Why I kept it, I didn't know, but it was one of the few links I had to my mother. It had contained a single photo when I found it on her bruised and bloodied body. I slid the photo out of the wallet and flipped it over.
A crinkled picture of my mother and Heather, arms around each other. Krystal and Heather had been twenty years old, according to the date written on the back. They looked so young, and Heather was smiling, the wind blowing her hair in her face. Krystal was also smiling, but there was something in her gaze--a fear that had never left her.
