Whirl (Ondine Quartet Book 1) (33 page)

She'd lost her mother. And he'd lost his best
friend.

"Chloe. Cam." I choked out. "I'm sorry."

Chloe leaned forward and wrapped her arms
around me. This time I didn't resist and hugged her back. Her arms
were stronger than I thought they'd be, stronger than me. After a
few moments, we let go and my eyes went to Cam.

He stood stiffly, his shoulders and jaw
tensed. A haunted look had replaced the usual mocking in his eyes.
"Thanks for…" he struggled. "Thanks for going after him. Being with
him to the end."

My throat was too tight to speak. I didn't
deserve his thanks.

The two soon left to be with Oliver, who was
having a difficult time. His wife had turned Aquidae and betrayed
all of us. I couldn't imagine what he was going through.

Aubrey stayed and filled me in on everything.
Cam had managed to get Tristan my message. Just as I'd expected,
Tristan had sent gardinels and chevaliers to arrest Miriam and
secure Haverleau from any other Aquidae.

Miriam was now securely locked up, awaiting a
Council Tribunal. Given the nature of her crimes, Rhian thought a
private session in court was better than a public trial. There was
no need to further inflame Haverleau.

After giving the order to arrest Miriam,
Tristan went looking for me. He questioned Aubrey, who told him I'd
taken her car. They tapped into the car's GPS system to find my
location, and Tristan and his gardinels took off after me.

Though they had my location, they ultimately
didn't need it. The magic I used while fighting had lit up like a
beacon in the sky. According to the Healers, I'd burned up an
enormous mass of energy, an amount no one had ever seen before. The
use of it sent me into a coma and all anyone could do was wait
until my body recovered enough to regain consciousness.

I remembered the sounds that had pulled me
out of the blackness.

"There was music —"

"Oh, that was a present!" Aubrey's face
brightened. She pointed to a cute, sky blue iPod mounted onto a
portable player with mini-speakers. "Prince Belicoux brought you
here to the clinic and the next day he stopped by with it. I was
playing it earlier."

I wondered how Tristan knew my favorite
color.

"Has he been here recently?" I asked
casually.

"No. Actually the last time I saw him was two
days ago." My heart dropped.

"You got lots of other presents, too," she
continued, indicating the small dresser against the wall. Several
wrapped boxes and a small pile of get-well cards took up most of
the space.

A tall vase filled with beautiful, elegant
irises was placed in the center. The petals were dark blue, a color
so deep it was almost purple.

"The flowers were from —"

"I know. Julian."

Sweet iris.
Only he would have thought
of it. The flowers were the exact same shade as his eyes.

"He was really worried about you," Aubrey
said. "He's come by the clinic a lot." A teasing, inquisitive glint
lit up her face.

I nodded, too tired to respond to the implied
question. It was rather selfless and thoughtful for Julian to show
such concern for me. But I couldn't help wishing that a certain
dark-haired prince had been the one so worried.

The clinic kept me under observation for
another two days. By the time they released me, my restlessness had
reached an almost unbearable point. Tristan didn't come by to see
me and I wasn't surprised. I knew we should be staying away from
each other. It was better for both of us.

Arthur's frequent mention of the Shadow
bothered me. Everything had become clear and I now knew what his
end game was. He wouldn't stop until he turned me Aquidae. And
after what happened to Arthur and Gina, he knew what I was capable
of.

The Shadow and the
sondaleur
. We were
hunting each other and the only way for me to get to him was to
figure out who he truly was. His hidden human identity. It wouldn't
be long before he sent more of his Aquidae after me again.

I shook my head, willing myself not to worry
about it today. My first priority was to recover and build
strength. I would need every ounce of power and ability to deal
with the Shadow.

***

Miriam's tribunal was held in a large
room in one of the buildings next to the Governing House. It was
plain and stark, with none of the usual baroque flourishes that
adorned the other government buildings. There were two rows of
wooden pews for observers. On both sides was an enclosure similar
to a jury box. Rhian and Gabe sat in the left box. The right box
seated the Redavi from the Governing Council.

Jeeves stood next to Rhian, dressed in a
somber grey pin-striped suit. Because he was Chief Consul, he would
question Miriam today. His posture was casual and relaxed, but I
saw the sharpness in his eyes. Tension and a glint of predatory
danger shone through them.

The primary goal of the tribunal was to
question Miriam Moreaux. As she was already an Aquidae, there was
no need to prove either guilt or innocence. She was a demon, an
enemy to all elementals.

But everyone wanted answers. No elemental had
ever turned Aquidae and lived unnoticed in Haverleau.

On Rhian's orders, the tribunal was closed to
the public and the only people present were the Redavi council
members, Gabe as demillir representative, and the Governor. I was
summoned to testify as a victim.

Chloe and Oliver were also allowed to attend
and they sat together in the front pew. I tried to cover my shock
at Oliver's appearance. His face was haggard, and he looked as
though he'd aged thirty years since the last time I saw him. He
slumped forward and Chloe put her arm around his back in comfort. I
left them alone and took a seat on the far side of the room.

A side door opened. Ten chevaliers led Miriam
in. Silver cuffs shackled her wrists and ankles, and she shuffled
forward awkwardly. She was held in a cell down below. Aubrey told
me the cell bars were all made of Essence-infused silver and twenty
chevaliers guarded her at all times.

Miriam looked insane. A vicious smile was
carved on to her face and her platinum hair was no longer perfectly
styled, but a disheveled mess. The chevaliers settled her on to a
silver chair in the center of the room. Miriam winced when her skin
touched it. The chair was probably infused with Essence, as well.
Additional chains were wrapped around her legs and arms, tying her
down to the seat. The chevaliers stood in a line behind her.

Jeeves sauntered forward, reminding me of a
lion about to pounce.

"Miriam Moreaux. You are here to answer
questions about your role in recent Aquidae attacks."

Miriam's cold eyes locked on to him. She
hadn't once acknowledged Chloe or Oliver.

"Tell us when and how you became Aquidae."
Jeeves' voice was filled with such iciness, I shivered.

"My mortal body was diagnosed again with
throat cancer," she spat. "I hated its weakness. Two months ago,
after finishing one of my treatments at the hospital, He approached
me and offered to make me invincible. Immortal. He offered me
freedom."

"He?"

Her smile was disturbing. "The Shadow, of
course."

A collective gasp spread through the
room.

"And did the Shadow turn you?" Jeeves
pressed.

"Of course."

That meant Miriam was incredibly strong. No
wonder they had so many guards on her.

"How did you get past the wards? Why were you
able to stay in Haverleau undetected?"

Miriam gave a cackle that made the hairs on
my arms stand up. "Those wards are pitiful. They have no effect on
me, nor will they have any effect on Him. They may work at keeping
out the lesser among us, but they are nothing against His
power."

The fear and anxiety caused by this new piece
of information crackled in the air. Even Jeeves seemed taken
aback.

He quickly regained composure. "And how did
you maintain contact with the Shadow?"

She arched an eyebrow. "I pretended to
continue my treatment sessions at the hospital. Each time I left
for one of those sessions, I met him in Lyondale."

"And what did he ask you to do?"

She shrugged. "My job was to help in taking
the
sondaleur
."

Jeeves paused, then turned to address the
room. "We have the
sondaleur
here to give testimony."

I stood and walked to the front. Miriam's
eyes followed me and I refused to look away.

Jeeves fired question after question at me,
and I answered all of them as best I could. I told him about my
visions of Cassandra, Kevin, and Ryder, as well as everything
Arthur had said. My voice shook a little when I spoke about Ryder's
death, but I managed to hold it together to the end.

"Thank you,
sondaleur
." His face was
solemn. As I walked back to the pews, I glanced at Chloe. Tears
flowed down her pale face and she didn't meet my eyes. Oliver's
head was still buried in his hands, as though he couldn't bear to
see Miriam.

"Tell us everything you know about the
Shadow. Where he lives, what he does, what he looks like."

Miriam's eyes were still fastened on to me.
"You'll never find him," she hissed. I wasn't sure if she was
talking to me or answering the question.

Jeeves took a few steps forward. "You will
tell us everything you know."

Miriam smirked. "He has no appearance. He
chooses who and what he wants to look like. He is blackness itself,
a God that gifts us with power and immortality. Even as his direct
child, I know nothing. He is everywhere and nowhere. You will never
find him, unless he wants to be found."

Jeeves' hands clenched. She smiled as though
she knew how much she was testing his patience.

"I can tell you one thing," she taunted.
Violence surged into her eyes and in a split second her face
transformed into something demonic. The chevaliers around her
tensed.

"He will never stop coming for you,
Kendra."

I froze.

"Nothing can stop him. Not magic, not wards,
not chevaliers or gardinels. He is the power of everything
combined. The alpha. And you will become his."

I stood slowly and gave her a twisted smile.
"And I'll be waiting for him."

She snarled and leapt, pulling at the chains
that bound her to the chair. The chevaliers restrained her. A
sickening wave turned my stomach as I watched them drag her back to
her cell. Her crazed eyes never left mine.

I couldn't bear to look at Chloe and Oliver.
I felt I had no right to intrude on their private family grief.
Jeeves, his periwinkle eyes troubled, rubbed his forehead.

Rhian stood and addressed the room. Her voice
was very quiet. "We have gotten the information we need. Miriam
Moreaux will be executed for her treasonous crimes tomorrow."

One painful sob from Oliver rang through the
silent room. Without another word, the Council left, their
expressions ranging from disgust to profound sorrow. Marcella was
the only member who went over to speak to Chloe and Oliver.

My insides felt tired and empty and I turned
to leave.

Just as I was about to exit, someone grabbed
my arm. It was Jeeves.

"
Sondaleur
," he said in a low voice.
"The Governor would like to have a word with you."

Rhian had left through a back door and had
barely spared me a glance the entire tribunal. Even when I
testified, her eyes had been focused on Jeeves or Miriam.

I sighed. "Take me to her."

TWENTY-FIVE

Jeeves led me through the back door and
down several winding hallways. This building was primarily used for
justice matters, and the offices were filled with lawyers and
chevaliers.

We walked in silence. There really wasn't
much to say after what had just happened. Jeeves looked weary and I
realized questioning Miriam had taken more out of him than he let
on.

We finally entered a small sitting room. Nexa
sat next to Rhian on the sofa. She had her usual glass of scotch
cradled in her hands, though the cigarette was missing this time
around. The building was probably anti-smoking. Rhian held a fine
china cup and a tea service was laid out on the table in front of
them.

Nexa greeted me with a nod and Jeeves tensed
slightly beside me.

"Thank you, Augustin," Rhian said. "Please
relay the information we've learned to the other ondine
communities. And I believe we're going to have to put together a
proposal on how to better spot Aquidae who infiltrate
Haverleau."

"How do you plan on doing that?" I asked,
sitting on a chair opposite them. "Are you going to check
everybody's neck to see if they have an Origin?"

"At the very least, I think it would be for
the best if we instituted a rule prohibiting any clothing that
covers the neck," Rhian responded coldly. "After all, that's how
Miriam hid her Origin for these past few months."

Wow. I wasn't sure what the public's response
would be when the Governing Council began dictating their fashion
wear.

Jeeves inclined his head. "I'll do it
immediately, Governor." He turned stiffly and left. Regret briefly
flickered in Nexa's eyes.

"You wanted to speak to me?" I asked.

No emotion crossed Rhian's face. No
comforting words of how glad she was that I was alive. No
expression of sympathy.

Nexa spoke first. "We wondered if you could
share with us what happened when you fought the two Aquidae."

I didn't answer right away. During the trial,
Jeeves hadn't asked me any questions about the details of the
fight. But Nexa was my magic mentor. During my stay at the clinic,
she'd mentioned that I found myself in the water. I was certain
that she already had some inkling of what had happened.