Billow (35 page)

But I didn't doubt him. Just imagining how clueless we'd be without his info sent a shudder through me.

"You're wrong about him."

His response was quiet. "I hope so."

The setting sun cast orange and red streaks through the cloudy sky. Light seeped into the car as we headed for the western section of Haverleau.

Ewan's
pedaillon
glimmered, reminding me of an amber brand.

"Is the color of the
pedaillon
stone always the same as the elemental brand in seal form?"

He nodded.

"Why does everyone have different colors?"

"The color is a reflection of the kind of gardinel you are. The Armicant makes that decision when you're inducted."

I remembered King Belicoux's pewter stone. "I guess the King is some kind of hardass."

"You shouldn't say that." He sounded like he was trying not to laugh.

I studied the square, dark yellow stone of Ewan's
pedaillon
. Surrounded by a thin, silver border, it hung off a silver chain. There was a warm friendliness about it, like a sunflower soaking in the sun.

"What's the most amazing
pedaillon
stone you've ever seen?"

Ewan navigated the car down a quaint residential street.

"Eric." His tone sombered. "Eric Belicoux had a sapphire
pedaillon
. In seal form, it looked like water itself infused his elemental brand."

It was the first time I'd heard anyone speak of Tristan's brother. "Was he a great warrior?"

"Brilliant. Like the color of his stone." He hesitated. "But I believe Prince Belicoux is better."

Surprised, I glanced at him.

"His amber stone shines as bright as Eric's. But Prince Belicoux has a warmth, a generosity Eric didn't have. When you think about what he had to do…" He abruptly stopped.

I knew what Ewan meant to say. What Tristan had to do was unthinkable.

I know what it's like to live in a pain so dark and deep you're convinced you never need to see outside it.

In the days and months after killing his brother, I wondered how he'd gotten through it.

If anyone could ever get through something like that.

Ewan brought the car to a stop in front of an elegant two-storied home and we walked to the covered porch in silence.

I knocked, eyes taking in the surroundings.

Dark green shutters accentuated the cream-colored brick house and a few hardy shrubs lined the sides. A wooden sled rested next to a pair of small, pink boots at the porch corner.

I was about to knock again when the door opened.

Marquisa Desmarais' eyes widened. "Kendra! What a surprise."

Her voice was cheerful, but exhaustion lined her eyes and mouth.

"Nanette, do you have a moment?" I asked. "I wanted to ask a few questions."

"Of course." She opened the door wider and gestured. "Come in."

"Good evening, Marquisa," Ewan murmured as we walked in.

The rich scent of cinnamon and vanilla enveloped us in a warm embrace.

"It's good to see you, Ewan." She squinted. "Are you eating properly? You look a bit thin."

He blanched. Nothing made a selkie more paranoid. "Really?"

She waved her hand. "Why don't you have something to eat? I have leftovers in the fridge."

Ewan didn't need any more encouragement. He scrambled for the kitchen.

Nanette led me into a cozy living room and lowered her voice. "Now that he's gone, we can speak a bit more openly."

"I heard that." It sounded like Ewan's mouth was already stuffed.

I made a mental note. Food was the fastest way to get rid of a selkie.

Several toys were scattered on the floor and the furnishings were comfortable and lived in. A family's home.

She sat beside me on the sofa and patted my arm. "What's on your mind?"

"I wanted to talk to you about your Virtue," I began. "You're a Cloaker, right?"

Nanette nodded. "I've worked on the Mist around Haverleau, among other things."

"Does Cloaking only work against Aquidae and humans?"

Her eyes widened. "No, dear. Cloaking can be used for many purposes. Who to cloak against is a decision made by the user before the magic is performed."

"So when the Mist for Haverleau or any ondine community is constructed —"

"We design it against those we want to hide from," she finished. "That would be Aquidae and humans."

My stomach turned with apprehension.

"When humans approach Haverleau, the Mist prevents them from seeing the community. Does it also affect what they're thinking?"

"Most humans who near Haverleau feel a sudden urge to turn away. Others remember something else they had to do. Some simply decide not to come near it again."

"And it affects memory."

"Yes. We can exchange a person's memory for another suggested one. Even if someone remembered a location, Cloaking can alter memories to believe nothing exists."

I took a deep breath. "What form does the magic take? Is it always airborne like Mist?"

Concentration creased her face. "It always comes down to water. The Mist is magic contained within the water in the air. Warden Pairs add magic to the water in the earth to create the ward boundaries."

Warden Pairs were four strong ondine and demillir couples assigned to each compass point around a community. Wards were tied to the bond between the couple and the life force of the ondine.

I leaned forward. "How do they do it?"

"Excuse me?"

"Warden Pairs," I pressed. "How do they imbue the ground with their magic? It must be powerful since it lasts after death."

She stared. "Kendra, do you realize you're asking me for highly classified information?"

A part of me really didn't like what I was about to do. But this was important.

I kept my expression blank. "Nanette, your granddaughter was one of those kidnapped."

She paled. "Yes, but —"

"I believe this may help locate her." My voice grew cold. "I'm aware this is privileged information. But we're running out of time."

Silence.

I hardened myself. "This is the only way you'll see Charisse again."

She flinched as if I'd slapped her. I felt like the biggest bitch in the world.

Fear and pain gleamed in the light blue depths of her eyes. It took a few long moments for her to answer.

"Blood."

With that, everything fit together.

Cold horror bloomed.

"Magic is highly concentrated in our blood. When a Warden Pair is assigned, the ondine gives a few drops. Even if her life ends, her essence is tied to it. It allows the wards to survive until a new Warden Pair is assigned and the new ondine's blood is used."

"Just a few drops?"

"Yes." She smoothed a few strands of hair off her face with anxious movements. "But it's tricky magic. The blood cannot come from an injury or something you pick up off the ground. It must be willingly given."

Intent is everything in magic.

No matter how impossible it may seem, no matter how much I didn't want it to be true, I knew I was right.

But one last question needed to be asked. Probably the most difficult question of all.

"Would you recognize Miriam Moreaux's magic?"

The words hung in the air.

And she finally understood.

Shock. Denial. Pain. Grief.

All of it glistened in her eyes and she lifted trembling fingers to her mouth.

"Nanette." I forced my voice to remain deliberate and controlled. "Would you be able to sense Miriam's magic signature?"

A shaky breath followed by a rough nod of agreement.

I stood to get Ewan.

Looked like that trip to Lyondale was happening after all.

TWENTY-SEVEN

It wasn't an ideal way to spend the first day of the new year.

Aubrey rubbed the bridge of her nose with eyes closed. Ian turned a coffee mug in his hand, watching the swirl of caramel liquid.

After working so hard to include Chloe in the investigation, her absence in the guest house was conspicuous.

But I couldn't bring her here. Not for this.

Ian sighed and finally put down the mug. "Why allow ondines and nixes to see the factory?"

"Because they don't consider us a threat," I told him. "Nanette said the magic is designed to work against selkies, demillirs, and humans."

Preferring to remain cautious, Ewan parked five blocks away from the factory last night. Nanette reached out with her Virtue and was easily able to discern its basic structure.

Aubrey opened her eyes. "It's really Miriam?"

"Yeah."

That was the most difficult part to accept.

Miriam Moreaux instigated the worst attack in Haverleau history. She'd abducted Ryder. She'd caused excruciating pain not only to elementals, but to her own family.

And even after her execution, the Shadow made sure she continued to torment us.

"Do you want me to tell her?" Aubrey's tone was subdued.

I nodded. How could I possibly tell Chloe her dead mother was still involved?

Aubrey was much better with words. She'd say it with the kindness Chloe deserved.

Ian stroked her hand in comfort. "Miriam must've given her blood to the Shadow before she was turned."

And she'd given it with the clear intent of altering memories and cloaking against us.

With each new revelation, I realized just how far ahead the Shadow was.

How long had he planned this? Months? Years?

Like a piece on a board, he was moving me. Toying with me.

I couldn't figure out what game was being played.

All I knew was he wanted me to feel powerless and out of control.

What better way to do that than throw our own magic back at us?

"Did Nanette notice anything else?" Aubrey asked.

I let out a small breath. "Besides Miriam's signature, she sensed something in the magic. But she didn't recognize it."

Ian's eyes darkened with concern. "She doesn't know what it does?"

"No. It's just something we're going to have to deal with."

I hated not having as much information as possible. But we were out of time.

I needed to get in there. At this point, understanding how they concealed the factory was enough to move forward.

"The smokestack is sending the magic into the air?" Ian asked.

Aubrey concentrated, her eyes growing slightly unfocused. "They're replicating the Mist around Haverleau."

I wearily crossed my legs and took a gulp of tepid coffee. This was what I'd spent most of last night working out with Nanette.

"Unlike nix blood, ondine blood requires execution for the magic to come to life. A user to guide it. Since Miriam isn't around, they had to pull the magic out of her blood and bond it with the water in the air."

Understanding flickered across Ian's face. "So they transform its state."

I nodded. "Nanette thinks they're heating up Miriam's blood, along with whatever else is in there. They pump it into the air and it works like Mist. Gardinels and chevaliers drive through that area all the time."

Just one contact with that magic would alter their memories. Because ondine magic was so concentrated, a simple tube of Miriam's blood would've been more than enough to supply the amount of Cloaking needed for the factory.

"Then what's spewing out of those stacks isn't smoke. It's steam," Aubrey murmured. "Which means it'll dissipate fast."

She was already thinking along the lines of what I had in mind.

"I have a plan."

Aubrey glowered. "Your plan sucks."

I blinked. "But I haven't even said what —"

"Your plan was to go running in there and somehow shut down the smokestack yourself."

Why did she have to be so smart?

"It's the only way."

"We're talking about an entire nest of those nasties."

Exactly. And I would get them one by one.

No gardinel, no chevalier, no one around to stop me or my Virtue.

The
sondaleur
would be free.

Observant emerald eyes narrowed and I shuttered my expression. "It's my job."

"You know, Kendra, sometimes you make it really hard to be your friend."

Unexpected hurt lanced through me.

Aubrey's life was in constant danger. She was always under extra gardinel protection. She'd worked tirelessly on this situation and spent more time at the Governing House than at the Academy.

Being near me had cost her the ability to have a normal life.

"I know —"

"No. You don't." Stubbornness gleamed in her eyes. "I've watched you get hurt. Watched you be in a coma for days. I don't think you understand what it's like for the ones who see you do it."

"What does that have to —"

"There's another way. Only ondines and nixes can see it?" She gestured between the two of them. "Right here."

Oh, hell no.

I opened my mouth, but she steamrolled right over me.

"Your plan is flawed. This is not a one-person job. Even if you miraculously get to the factory controls, do you know how to shut down the smokestack?"

Damn it. "Isn't there a bright red stop button?"

Ian made a choking sound and I shot him a dirty look.

"This isn't a cartoon," she said dryly. "You have to study the control schematics and understand how to do it."

He got ahold of his laughter. "You know she's right."

"Don't start," I warned.

"Aubrey and I have the ability to —"

"Not a good enough reason."

"We have to be there with you."

"No, you don't."

He exchanged a look with her. Worry flashed through her eyes.

Wariness set in. What was going on?

Ian took a deep breath. "If you don't want to bring Aubrey, at least take me. I need to go in there."

His tone was insistent. Personal.

This wasn't about the mechanics of shutting down the magic.

I can't shake the feeling he's keeping something from us.