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We had been going back and forth, but he wasn’t giving me anything new.
“I was just sent here to retrieve that asshole.” He glared at me before I walked away from him. “How many times can I fucking say that? Katarina’s father wanted him alive.”
“Wait what?” I turned around quickly.
“Katarina’s father sent us,” he said it again, like he was worried about what I would say.
“I thought Caston sent you?”
“No, her father did.” He spit out blood. “The three the ghost captured were sent by Caston, but I was the only one caught, the others were able to escape, leaving just me.”
“Why would Caston and her father send people for Clodius, are they afraid of what we might do to Clodius?” I sat in front of him.
“We were supposed to get to him before Caston. His words were ‘We cannot let Caston get Clodius before us’.” He moved hisneck, side to side, and I pulled out a vial, opening the top so I could give it to him. He eyed me suspiciously before he allowed me to pour it in his mouth.
I gave him a moment to gather himself, before I continued my questioning.
“Why are you telling me this?” I looked at him suspiciously.
“I didn’t know that’s what you wanted to hear,” he said, rolling his shoulders.
“Why is Clodius so important?” I pulled a chair to sit in front of him.
“Clodius is extremely powerful, he’s also fucking crazy and if we took him out of the game it was one less powerful witch Caston had on his side.”
“Why does this feel like a big chess game?” I leaned over to put my head in my hands.
“Because it is, and it’s the most important game you’ll ever play in your life.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know the specifics, but Katarina is the most important player, and she needs to be protected at all costs.”
I looked up at him wondering if this was all a game. He could be manipulating me, saying he was ordered by her father, but it didn’t feel like it.
“What else do you know? If she is someone who needs to be protected at all costs, then tell me something that is going to keep her safe,” I pleaded.
“She needs to break the spell and if she doesn’t, then it’s not just her life on the line, it might be yours and her families too.” He looked serious and tired.
“I’ll have someone bring you down food. I’ll be back tomorrow for more information, so whatever you can think of, even if you think it’s nothing, please tell me.” I tried to convey my need to keep her safe as much as possible. “I can’t keep her safe if I’m left in the dark.”
The man studied him for a moment, like he was trying to figure him out.
“Did you all mate with her?”
“Two of us have,” I said, wondering why that mattered.
“All of you need to mate with her,” he said with conviction. “She needs all the protection she can get and there’s no one better suited to protect her than all of you.”
“Ok,” I said, worried that there was no way to skirt around the issue. Zev wouldn’t mate with her unless he wanted to, and this might be a good excuse. Unfortunately, I knew Katarina wouldn’t want to mate out of convenience or duty. “Thank you, I’ll send food down.”
I left the dungeon quickly with the need to go see Katarina, but as I got to the stairs, my nerves got the best of me. Katarina was faint in the bond no doubt shielding me from her emotions, but I knew she was probably still mad at me for rejecting her.
My actions over the last few days had been awful. Guilt weighed heavily in my heart and instead of sucking it up, I walked into the pack room and straight to the grand piano. Playing always helped center me, but it had been years since I had played. Mr. Potter kept it tuned and cleaned just in case I ever got the itch to play. Right now, I needed it.
A piece of sheet music sat on top of the piano, making me smile because I could guarantee Mr. Potter had just put it here. The title read “Clair de Lune” by Debussey. The piece seemed relatively easy, something soft and almost forlorn.
Flipping the cover up to show the keys, I ran my hand over them, taking a deep breath as the familiarity eased some comfort in me. I sat down on the bench, starting on some warmups to loosen my fingers and wrists. I remembered sitting in the living room with my mother as she walked me through each warmup. My heart ached with the memory, remembering the days myfather would come home to watch us and eventually rate my songs.
I eased into a Mozart sonata that was too chipper for my taste. I quickly pivoted into a more somber song that I had learned right before we were cursed. I don’t remember the name of the pianist, but I remember playing it those first few years. My playing wasn’t as fluid as it used to be, but it felt good to keep playing. Once I felt warmed up enough, I took the sheet music, propping it up, going through a few chords before I started to play.
The piece was beautiful, the somber tone matching my mood as I got lost in the song. As soon as I was finished, I played it again at a different tempo that felt natural. I was so lost in the piece I didn’t even notice Katarina until she was close to the piano.
