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What was she talking about? How exactly were they planning on “settling” this “matter”? I bit my lip, wishing I could see their expressions. Wishing I could ask them what the hell theymeant.
“Well,” Derek said. “I suppose if you think it’s best. All this subterfuge has been tiring. We might as well get the gist of it overwith.”
“Excellent,” Celestine said. “All you have to do is meet me by the old ash tree just beyond the back gardens at midnight. I’ll take care of the rest. I have everything we need for the ceremony. And I can handleRosalind.”
The ceremony. A chill shot through me, so sharp my whole body stiffened. My pulsethumped.
That was what they were talking about. The gist of it. Settling the matter. They were going to force me into the consort ceremony with Derektonight.
Of course. There’d be no chance for me to go to Dad then. No chance for me to find any other way out of Celestine’s magic. They’d found the perfect solution to theirproblem.
How the hell was I going to stopthem?
The chair’s wheels rattled as Derek shifted it. “She isn’t going to want to come. You might have a fight on your hands. What if she comes to me looking to light some of her magic? She’ll be suspicious if I put her off. Or does that not matteranymore?”
Celestine guffawed. “It’d take a lot more than some inexperienced chit with a half-kindled spark to overpower me. I’ve been preparing for this day for years. Why not let her have a little taste if she comes to you wanting it? She might as well enjoy that brief freedom while it lasts. When we’re done tonight, she won’t be able to so much as twitch that spark of hers unless it suitsus.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rose
Derek tried to work for a few minutes after Celestine left before he grunted to himself and pushed back his chair. My body deflated as he walked out of the room. I waited until his footsteps had treaded away down the hall, and then I unfolded myself from the floor of hiscloset.
My legs wobbled under me as I slipped to the door. I couldn’t pretend the weakness was only from staying crouched on the floor. My whole body felt shaky, as if I’d just come out of a rough bout of theflu.
But the rough times weren’t behind me. They wereahead.
My breath only steadied slightly when I’d darted into the hall. I dashed for my room and shut that door behind me firmly, turning the lock—as if that would do me any good when Celestine came to collect me. A shudder passed through me. I sank onto the side of the bed, clutching mystomach.
Midnight. I had about ten hours left before my fate was sealed. Spark help me, I had no idea how to change thatfate.
Celestine was right. There was no way I could challenge her. Even if I’d come with my spark freshly flaring after that tryst with Damon, the magic I had couldn’t compare with hers, fully kindled. She must have stoked her own inner flame high before my father hadleft.
Ugh, thinking about that even vaguely made me feel even moresick.
It didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if I could reach the guys from in here anyway. I was trapped like a mouse in acage.
My hand rubbed over the ribbon I’d wrapped around my wrist this morning. Blue today—bright blue like Gabriel’s eyes and his confidence as limitless as the sky. I’d always thought he was the one who’d held us all together all those years ago, but today I’d been coming to the guys to see if I could take that role now. So much for that. I couldn’t even send them a simplemessage…
My fingers stilled against the silky fabric. My gaze rose to the window. The memory swam up of Kyler standing in front of it that first night when I was back, holding up my white ribbon to return it tome.
In case you need us, and you can’t reach out any otherway.
My pulse skipped. My beautiful brilliant boy. Of course it’d be Ky who’d thought of a solution to a problem that hadn’t even happenedyet.
I went to my jewelry case, my breath catching for a second before I opened it. But there they all were, the other five ribbons. My stepmother hadn’t thought to steal awaythismethod ofcommunication.
I probably could have used the blue one to the same effect, but I slid out the white instead. The one I’d used before. The clearest message. The brightest signal I could offer against the dark bars of thegate.
The only question now was how to get it out there without Celestinenoticing.
What reason could I have to go out to the gates if I didn’t want her to think I was up to anything suspicious?Ah.
I balled the ribbon in my pocket and made myself amble down to the front door as if I had nothing all that urgent on my mind. Outside, I headed toward the garage. One of the workers who’d been polishing the hood of Celestine’s Jaguar glancedup.
“Miss Hallowell. Do you need to gosomewhere?”
“No,” I said. “I just noticed when I came in today that the gate’s hinges are getting a little squeaky. Figured I’d take care of that before my dad gets home. I know you Sunday staff are always extrabusy.”
