The Nightmare Charade (15 page)

“Okay,” I said, “apology accepted. But you've got to go.”

“Are you expecting someone?” He said it joking at first, but then understanding dawned on his face. “Eli.” The line of his lips went razor thin. “I'll leave in a second, but I didn't come here just to apologize. I've got info about your mother.”

My heart seemed to falter for a second, like a car stalling out then surging back to life. “What do you know?”

Paul met my gaze, his expression unwavering. “She didn't kill my uncle.”

I held my breath, braced for whatever he would say next.
It was me,
I imagined him saying. Paul hated Titus Kirkwood. I didn't have a single doubt that he would've killed him, given the chance. And deep down, I couldn't really blame him after all the years of abuse he'd suffered at his uncle's hands. No, I certainly wasn't sorry Titus was dead, only that my mother was being blamed for it.

“She was there, on the ward,” Paul said, “At least I'm pretty sure it was her. But he was still alive when she left.”

My head spun with shock for a moment. “My mom was there?”

“Yeah, I think so. They were keeping me in the same ward as Titus at the time. For my protection, you know. The night he died, someone came onto the ward between the midnight and one o'clock guard check. I didn't see who it was. The person put me under a binding spell.”

“Wait.” I raised my hand to my forehead. “If you didn't see the person, then how do you know it was her?”

“The magic … it felt … well … a lot like yours.”

“Oh.” A blush warmed my skin. Magic did have characteristics unique to the person who wielded it, but recognizing them was tricky. It was the sort of thing that required a lot of familiarity with the magic, a kind of intimacy.

“Anyway,” Paul continued, a flush rising up his neck, “my uncle wasn't killed until some time between the one and two o'clock guard check, long after I was free of the binding spell. When the one o'clock guard made his rounds, he talked to my uncle briefly. I heard Titus reply. The two o'clock guard is the one that found him dead.”

My hope rose, and I reached for Bellanax, wrapping my hand around the hilt as if for a holdfast. If my mom had visited the ward, then that might explain the DNA. It might even explain her guilt, too. “Did you see anyone else come onto the ward during that time?”

“No, but I might have fallen asleep.”

I bit my lip. “Did you tell anyone about what you saw?”

He shook his head.

“Why not?”

“I didn't have any proof, for one thing, just a feeling. And I was trying to protect your mom. To protect you. I didn't know what she was doing there, but I knew it would be trouble for her either way. And at the time the detective interviewed me, she wasn't even a suspect yet.”

“Okay,” I said, grudgingly seeing his point. “But what about now? It was Detective Valentine, right? If you tell him he might let my mom go.”

Paul sighed. “It won't work, Dusty. He wouldn't believe me. I already lied once, and…”

“And what?”

“He knows how I feel about you. He would just think I was lying now to help you.”

I turned away from him, both in frustration and embarrassment. I didn't know how to react. I wasn't sure I even believed him. Paul was so hard to read and so easy to distrust. Mostly because my first inclination was always the opposite—I wanted to believe everything he said wholeheartedly. But that was a bad idea. Paul was a halfkind, like me, but instead of being part human, part Nightmare, he was part wizard, part siren. I knew firsthand how good he was at siren magic. Unlike Katarina, or even Selene, Paul was sly with his siren magic. He could mesmerize without you ever realizing.

Until it was too late.

“Anyway,” Paul said into the awkward silence. “I'm really sorry. I wish there was something I could do about it.”

“Maybe you can.” I bit my lip. Eli would be here soon, but this was too important not to pursue. “I need to get a hold of Valentine's case file on the murder. The Dream Team is going to investigate.”

Paul nodded, a polite smile creasing his lips. “I figured. But I don't see how I'm going to get it for you. I'm not supposed to wander far from the Menagerie. This is my witness protection cover.” He held up the necklace again, the green gem twinkling as it caught the light from the orb.

“What is it exactly?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“It's a shape-change necklace. It allows me to change my appearance without the telltale signs of a normal glamour. No blurring around the edges and stuff.”

“It's a good one,” I said. “I had no idea it was you in there. But I wasn't suggesting you going to the Rush to get the files.”

“Then how?”

“Hacking Valentine's computer. Think you can do it?”

Paul raised his hand to his face and rubbed his chin. He didn't have a beard anymore, not without the shape-change necklace on, but there was a good amount of blond stubble. “I don't know, Dusty. I'm on really thin ice in general. If I get caught it could mean jail time.”

I pressed my lips together, angry tears stinging my eyes. My mother was already in jail, and she was innocent. Unlike Paul. I took a breath and then blurted, “Valentine says they'll execute her if she's found guilty.”

Paul gaped. “You're kidding. For killing my uncle? That doesn't seem like justice.”

“Don't joke about it, Paul,” I hissed. “Don't you dare.”

He raised his hands as if in surrender. “Wasn't joking. But all right. I'll do it. At least, I'll give it a try. I can't promise I'll be able to get in. This Valentine guy knows his stuff better than any other magickind I've seen.”

“So I've noticed,” I said. Even still I felt light-headed with relief. “But thank you. I can't tell you how much it means.”

“Like I said, no promises.” Paul hesitated. “And I'm going to need a couple of things from you.”

“Such as?”

“Computer access, mostly. I'm not allowed to connect to the network. I'm not even allowed to look at a computer for longer than a second without my guards stepping in.”

“You're being guarded?” It was an all-too familiar scenario.

Paul shrugged. “Sure. Can you blame them? I've got two Will Guards that take turns watching me all day.”

“Huh.” I frowned. “Then how did you get away from them tonight?”

“With this.” Paul held up the necklace again. “I finally figured out how to change the glamour at will. As far as my guards know I can only shift into the Menagerie worker you saw before. The necklace defaults to that, but if I concentrate hard enough, I can change it to something else. It was enough to let me walk by them tonight without them even knowing it.”

“Wow,” I said, genuinely impressed. “That's got to be handy.”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “I was starting to go nuts not having any freedom.”

I smiled, utterly sympathetic. “But wait, if you're not allowed computer access then how have you been e-mailing me all summer?”

“Cell phone. But Sheriff Brackenberry gave it to me, so you can bet it's not clean.”

“No kidding.” That explained the dodgy tone in his e-mails. I was suddenly very glad that I never answered any of them.

“But as I was saying,” Paul continued. “I need your username and password. I could also use a good computer, and you'll need to purchase and download some software. Do you have a laptop these days?”

I shook my head. “Just the eTab and my ancient desktop.”

“No good.”

I thought about it for a couple of seconds, frustrated to meet another roadblock so soon. There was no way I could get my hands on a new laptop. I didn't have any money for it; what little savings I'd had before had taken a hit during my summer abroad. Eli didn't have one either and neither did Selene.

Then the answer dawned on me. “Lance Rathbone might have one. If Selene asks he'd probably let us use it. Actually, if she asks he might go out and get a new one just to make her happy. His dad's rich enough for him to do crazy stuff like that.”
So long as he hasn't been disinherited yet,
I reminded myself.

“All right,” Paul said. “Talk to him and let me know.”

“How can I do that with your phone being monitored?”

“The old-fashioned way.” A delighted expression lit Paul's face. “Write me a note. I'll be sure to be near when you're in biology tomorrow.”

I wrinkled my nose. I supposed that would work. With the chaos that was biology, slipping him a note would be simple enough. But it was a slow way to communicate. “We can do that for now, but we should come up with a code so we can use the phones.”

“Agreed.” He inclined his head. “I'll put something together that Brackenberry, or whoever is watching, won't be able to figure out.”

“It's a plan. But you've got to go.” I glanced at the door, convinced I'd heard a noise. But several seconds passed, and the door remained shut.

“All right.” Paul slid the necklace around his neck, locking it into place. The second he did, the magic in the thing kicked on. That same blurriness obscured his features for a second before clearing again. The creepy bearded man stood in the room with me. I suppressed a shiver.

Paul peered down at me with a stranger's eyes. “I'll talk to you soon. Be careful. Especially with that sword.”

I nodded, lacking the nerve to speak. It was just too weird with him in that disguise.

He turned toward the door, but then stopped just short of opening it. He glanced back. “One more thing. Are you going to tell Eli I was here?”

“I…” I hesitated, the answer not forthcoming. “I don't know. Probably. Why do you ask?”

“He won't like it,” Paul said, a warning look in his eyes. “He hates me.”

I scoffed. “Eli doesn't hate you. You're just not his favorite person. Like ever.”

Paul chortled. “That's an understatement. Do what you want, but please remember that nobody is supposed to know I'm here.”

“Eli wouldn't out you,” I said, annoyed.

“No, I suppose not. But please promise to keep it secret. Selene and Lance are okay. But that's it. All right?”

“Sure,” I said, understanding all too well. Paul had made a lot of enemies the last few months. He'd been one of Marrow's most important followers once, and now he'd openly turned against him. Every person on that destroyed list might be out to get him.

“Thanks,” Paul said. “I'll be seeing you.” Then he disappeared out the door, closing it silently behind him.

Alone again, I leaned back on the pillow and closed my eyes, eager for Eli's arrival. Even though having Paul back in my life wasn't something I wanted, I had to admit he'd raised my spirits. The situation with my mom looked less bleak than it had just an hour before. Less bleak enough that I thought I'd be able to enjoy the private time with Eli without too much guilt or worry.

About time,
I thought, yawning.

But as the seconds gave way to minutes, and finally an hour, I succumbed to sleep once more.

Eli never showed up.

 

11

Bad Luck

“Where were you?”

Eli chewed the last bit of his bacon and swallowed. Around us the cafeteria was chaotic with breakfast activity, chattering voices, tired laughter, and the click and clack of silverware against plates. Selene and Lance were still going through the food line, giving Eli and me a rare moment to talk in private. Minus the couple dozen of our fellow students, of course.

“I got caught by Bollinger,” he said, rubbing his eyes. Two dark circles rimmed his cheeks. “She was patrolling right outside the infirmary. I think I would've made it in to see you if it had been anybody else, but she knew exactly why I was there.”

My eyebrows climbed my forehead. “You think she was guarding me?”

“Yeah, maybe. At least she knew you were in there. It was rotten bad luck.”

“No kidding.” I smiled, ruefully. “That's certainly how it's been running for us lately though, right?”

“So it seems.” He pushed his tray to the side, the food half-eaten. I frowned, dismayed by his reaction. I'd expected the opposite. He was usually my bright-side boy.

Deciding it was my turn to take the sunny view, I leaned toward him, lowering my voice. “In the better news department, I might have a way to get a copy of the case files Valentine has on my mom.”

“You do?” Eli sat up straighter. “How?”

“Paul's back. He's here at Arkwell, but it's a secret. He's in disguise for his own protection. But he's willing to try to hack into Valentine's computer for us.”

Eli's body went rigid. “When did you start talking to Paul?”

I swallowed, remembering Paul's warning. “He's been e-mailing me all summer. I've been ignoring them, but last night … he came to see me in the infirmary. Not long after I texted you.”

Eli dug his fingers against the table. “You were alone with him? In the middle of the night?”

I slowly nodded. “I thought it was you at first. You can imagine my shock.”

The sound of his teeth grinding sent a shiver down my back. “Not really.”

“Well, trust me, I wasn't happy about it. Until he told me that he knows my mother is innocent.”

I watched as Eli visibly unclenched his jaw. “What did he say?”

Quickly, I relayed the story. “And so I ended up asking if he could hack into the police computer network for us,” I said, as I finished, “and he agreed.”

Eli drew a deep breath, and I could see the struggle waging inside him. “That's good news. And I'm … I'm glad he's willing to help. We need those files for sure.”

“Right,” I said, my voice breathless with relief.