Breath of Air (32 page)

“Dante.”

The crowd exploded in a sudden eruption of noise. At least, the adults were shouting in alarm and hysteria. Their sons and daughters were looking at each other, wide-eyed, wondering who in the world Dante was, and why just hearing his name seemed to send everyone into a panicked frenzy.

Capri looked up at her father, who had gone ghostly pale. His mouth was open slightly, his eyes wide in astonished disbelief. She squeezed his hand, but he didn’t move. Alarmed, she shook him, frightened at the blank look he gave her.

“Who is Dante?” She asked him, shaking her head in confusion.

“I can’t believe…” He mumbled, looking more than a little nauseous. “It’s not possible…”

“What is?”

But before he could answer her, a loud shriek echoed over the din of the crowd.

“YOU BASTARD!” Nyxa screamed, Balgaire’s revolver in her shaking hands, pointed directly at him.

“Oh, God. No.” Capri started forward, only to stop mid-step as the shot rang out into the air. She winced at the sound of it, and felt her legs go numb as she watched Balgaire become consumed instantly by fire.

Sebastian grabbed Thea and dragged her away, shielding her from the flames that were now erupting out of Balgaire’s chest. Within moments, both Lucian and Liam were dousing Balgaire’s now lifeless body with water that jetted out of their open palms. Apparently Dryad water could extinguish demon flames as well as milk could…

Rian reached for Capri as her legs gave out from under her, her eyes locked on what was left of Balgaire.

“Look away.” He ordered her, pulling her against his chest and holding her tightly. “Don’t think about it.”

She felt bile rising in her throat and despite how tightly she shut her eyes, the image of him burning wouldn’t go away. She didn’t think she would ever, ever forget it.

She could hear shouting and screaming, but she didn’t feel she had the strength to move. It was over. The truth was out, and Balgaire was dead.

Rian held her tightly, and for that she was grateful. She needed something solid, something steady, to keep her from crumbling. He had his face pressed into her hair, and when he shifted, his lips caressed her forehead lightly.

“It’s okay, baby.” He told her, his voice gentle. “It’s over now.”

♦ ♦ ♦

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“I’m fine, really.” Capri protested as Rian lifted her up into his arms and began walking towards the castle.

“You have dried blood and a bruise the size of a baseball on your head which tells me that you hit your head at some point.” He began, his voice stern. “You were locked up God knows where for nearly twenty four hours, I assume without food and water. You have a burn on your shoulder from the demon fire bullet that needs to be treated. And, to top it all off, you just witnessed a man burn to death. I think we need to be honest here and acknowledge that you’re a little less than fine.”

Capri pouted, just then realizing that her shoulder did in fact hurt, and she was pretty weak from not eating. Regardless, she felt like she could at least walk on her own two feet…

Her father raced beside them, his face strained.

“He’s right, Capri, we need to get you inside, away from all of this. You’ve had a rough past couple days.” Clynn told her, oddly not bothered by Rian’s insistence on carrying his daughter.

“But what if Thea has more questions for me, or if she needs me to help, or something.” Capri questioned, shaking her head at Rian. “There’s too much going on, I want to help.”

In response he simply shook his head, and continued into the castle and through the corridor, leading the way up to her room. When they got there, he set her down carefully on the bed like she were a porcelain doll about to shatter, and turned to Clynn.

“We should get her something to eat and drink, and some salve for that burn.”

Clynn nodded, still looking stressed. “Right. I’ll go get everything.” He began to turn around, only to stop midway and eye Rian, a curious expression on his face. “Thank you for saving her, again. I, uh, can tell that you care about her and, well, I suppose that’s what matters most.”

With that, he nodded again and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Rian stood where he was for a moment, unmoving, until Capri nudged him with her foot, startling him out of his reverie.

“Maybe you’re the one who needs to lie down.” She joked, hoping to lighten the mood. He looked more than a little taken aback, and it amused her to see it. “I told you he wasn’t going to stand in the way anymore.”

“Right…” He murmured, still lost in thought. However, when he turned back to look at her, his eyes sharpened once again with purpose. “Get under the blankets. Let me get a washcloth to clean the blood off your face.”

She did as she was told, sliding comfily into her bed, exhaling softly as she did so. It felt amazing to lie down finally after so many hours of sitting in that horrible metal chair. Her back was screaming and her head still pounding, but at least she could finally relax.

Rian returned from the bathroom, a small cloth and a bowl of water in his hands. He sat on the wooden chair beside her bed, and proceeded to dab the cloth on her head wound. She winced in pain, but grinned anyways at how cute he looked tending to her.

“What?” He asked, noticing her smiling.

“Nothing…I’m just…happy. At this moment, at least. I know that once I start thinking again and taking it all in, I’ll be a mess for sure. But right now, being here with you makes me happy.”

“I’m glad I can help.” He smirked, placing the bowl and towel on her nightstand. “But you should probably get some rest. Your father should be back soon.” When he started to stand up, she reached for his hand, holding him back.

“Please, don’t go.” She murmured, her eyes soft and kind of sad. She had no way of knowing the devastating effect that one look had over his willpower.

Resigned that he wouldn’t be able to persuade her or himself otherwise, he sat back down, his hand still in hers. “Okay, I won’t.”

She smiled sleepily, the dredges of exhaustion beginning to take their toll. She tried to will her eyes to stay open, and to stay focused on him.

“Talk to me, so I can stay awake until my food comes.”

“What would you like to talk about?”

“I don’t know, anything. Whatever comes to mind.” She fought against a yawn, not wanting him to see just how tired she really was.

“Your father seems to…approve…of us.” He looked strained as he remembered the older man’s words, and just how much it had startled him to hear it.

Capri’s lips curved happily. “Yes, he does.”

“I was prepared to prove myself to him if I had to.” He added with a small grin. “Even if he told me I had to get up and sing karaoke in front of everyone, and I hate singing, I’d still do it.”

“You’d do that for me?” Capri giggled softly, her eyes closing momentarily as she tried to picture him on a stage singing.

“I would do that, and a lot more.” He murmured, watching her eyes flutter open and closed and she fought to stay awake.

“I should tell you…I wanted to say something to you yesterday…couldn’t…” She sighed, her eyes closed now, her words so quiet he had to lean in closer to hear her clearly.

“What was it, baby?”

“I’m pretty sure…that I’m…in love…with you.” She said the last words on an exhale, her lips curved into a soft smile as her mind drifted into the darkness of sound sleep.

He was much too speechless to bother keeping her awake any longer.

♦ ♦ ♦

“This has been a very troubling time for all of us here on Euphora, but I’m afraid it’s in danger of getting much, much worse.”

Thea stood before everyone at the dining table, her voice stern and her presence ominous. “In light of yesterday’s events, I have called you all before me to give you not only information, but explicit instruction.”

Capri sat between her father and Rian at the table, anxiety clear in her eyes. She held Rian’s hand in her own underneath the table, as much for support as for comfort. She felt better knowing his hand was there for her to hold if she ever needed it. And, given the look on Thea’s face and the seriousness of the situation, she knew that she was definitely going to need it in the times to come.

Around the table sat all of the people she had come to know during her stay on Euphora. The Muses, with the ability to inspire creativity, intelligence, and clarity of thought, were holding hands, looking nervous and afraid. Even their children looked uneasy, especially Tobias, who sat with his head lowered and his eyes glued to the table in what Capri assumed was shame. Thea had forgiven him, of course, because Capri had survived. But that didn’t mean everyone else had. Capri told herself that the moment she had the chance, she would talk everything over with him, and reassure him that she didn’t blame him, and that she would love to be friends. She had a feeling he could use a friend, and if he would allow her to help, then she most certainly would.

The Fates, masters of life and death, seemed edgy and distrustful, and were surrounding Nyxa protectively, who looked distraught and miserable. No one really blamed her for her sudden emotional outburst which had resulted in the death of her husband, but Capri sympathized with her anyway. To know that the man she had loved, Brock, had been wrongfully accused and then banished, and that she had believed him guilty all this time, must be hard to swallow. Especially because the man who framed him happened to be the same man who slid cozily into her life afterwards to supposedly ‘pick up the pieces.’

Beside Rian sat Brogan, who was staring resolutely at the table in front of him, his face stonily blank. Capri had no idea what was going through his mind. She wasn’t sure if he needed someone to talk to, or if he really just wanted everyone to back off. She figured she’d leave it up to Rian to take care of him, since he knew Brogan best. After all, they were the last two Furies now, and they were going to need to rely on each other for everything.

Across the table from her sat Rohan, one hand clutching Serendipity’s on the table. He looked particularly distressed and flustered, and Capri wondered what he would do once Brock returned home, which she assumed he would certainly do now that he was proven innocent.

Rhiannon, Liam, and Lucian were next to him. Lucian looked severely troubled, much like her own father, but Liam and Rhiannon both looked curious and eager for information.

And then there was Blythe. Capri had spoken with her briefly that morning when she had woken up, only to find her friend a bundle of emotions. Blythe wasn’t really sure what to think about all of the startling revelations, and she kept switching between being pissed off, weeping hysterically, laughing uncontrollably, and getting lost in deep silences. Capri figured it would take time for her to adjust to the truth, but until then, she could at least be happy to know her father would be coming home to her, an innocent man after all.

“We have all been deceived and wronged here, and we have all paid the price in some way.” Thea glanced around the table, her eyes resting on everyone in turn. “Most of us, including myself, are shocked and appalled by the actions of one of our own. It is thanks to Capri that we ever found out the truth of Balgaire’s deceit. Therefore, I feel we should all toast in her honor, thanking her for being a crucial part of solving this investigation for good.” Glasses suddenly appeared over the table, filled with rich red wine. Everyone reached for a glass and lifted it high, much as they had done when Capri had first arrived home months ago. She couldn’t stop the blush that came over her face as everyone toasted to her, but instead tried to hide behind her glass as she sipped.

“Now, back to the matter at hand.” Thea continued, setting her glass back down on the table. “It has come to light that Balgaire was working with a demon named Dante to execute all of his plans. Many of you recall who Dante is, but there are more of you here who do not know of him. I feel it is my responsibility to inform you, despite my prior resolve to never mention his name again in this castle.”

There was hushed whispering around the table then at her words, and she patiently waited it out. Capri shot a worried glance at Rian, who squeezed her hand reassuringly. When she looked back up at Thea, she saw Mother Earth watching her closely.

“Capri, Rian informed me that you were saying strange things while you were possessed, things that didn’t make sense to either of you.”

Capri nodded slowly, her brows creasing with worry.

“Well.” Thea continued, her eyes hardening. “What you said made sense to me, and that was perhaps the precise moment I came to the realization that we were dealing with more than just an average demon. Do you remember the exact words you said?”

Capri shook her head, but turned to Rian, who nodded as he spoke. “You will suffer as I have suffered, an outcast, disposed of like trash, not worthy of being a Dryad because of dirty blood.”

“Thank you, Rian.” Thea bowed her head slightly before turning to the group at large. “To those of you who remember Dante, these words make a lot of sense, don’t they?”

Around the table, the adults nodded solemnly, all looking uneasy.

“And for those of you who don’t, let me explain.” She took a deep breath before continuing, as though fighting against herself and her own principles to even muster the courage to tell the story. “Brock’s mother, Bristol, was the Fire Dryad before her son was born. Many of you remember her. She was feisty, devil-may-care, and foolish. But when she settled down with one of our Enforcers and gave birth to Brock, I thought all of my doubts about her had proven false. She was fiercely devoted to her son, and very proud of everything he did. But when he was ten years old, she started to lose interest in this life. I don’t know what it was that started it, but she began disappearing for weeks at a time, doing God knows what, and when I approached her about it, she threatened to leave and never come back.” Thea chuckled darkly, shaking her head. “Most of you know that threats like that don’t go very far with me. I told her to leave, and that I would raise her son Brock to replace her. I thought that by threatening to raise her son myself that she would see reason and stay, but just the opposite happened. She left, leaving her son behind, and I didn’t see or hear from her for nearly a year. Then one day, she came back, and she had a baby boy with her. She started begging me to forgive her, until I had to ask her why she needed my forgiveness. I, after all, had told her to go without fear of reprisal, and I was fully prepared to take her back. But then she held out the baby for me to see, and she, surprisingly, told me the truth. And the truth was by far worse than anything I had ever expected of her. For all of her faults, I would have never dreamed her capable of committing this act. But she did, and it was done. A child had been produced. A child that was half Fire Dryad, and half demon.”