The Nightmare Charade (30 page)

He looks exactly the same,
I realized, my brain reeling. All those years ago. Hundreds of them, and he'd worn the same face. How was it possible?

Then I remembered a conversation I'd once had with Bethany Grey where she claimed that there were no recorded images of the Red Warlock anywhere.
Some say he cursed his own image,
she had said. It must be true. His face was an Achilles' heel. If his enemies had a way to record his image and pass it down, they and their descendants could target him forever. But since they couldn't, Marrow could always start over again, in another country, in another century, if he waited long enough.

Then I wondered why Bellanax had been able to record his image, but the sword supplied that answer at once—
this is memory.

“Is the fighting over?” Marrow asked.

Nimue nodded, her expression now troubled. “It is, but you nearly didn't survive it. Your phoenix struggled to find you amid the fighting. I thought it would be too late—”

Marrow waved a hand at the bird, standing on a perch near the window. “He never fails me.…”

Show me more,
I thought at Bellanax. The memories came faster now, like a movie montage. I watched Marrow's resurrection a dozen times in a dozen different places. One was on a tiny grass- and flower-covered island at the center of a silver lake. Another was in an underground cavern not unlike the one where we had found Nimue's tomb. In all of them he was alone. These were from a time before Nimue.

The more the sword revealed the more exotic the locations became, until finally we witnessed his rebirth inside the newly built Temple of Athena. I didn't think anything could top that, but the next one happened inside an Egyptian pyramid.

Each time Bellanax was beside him. The black phoenix was there, too, only in the oldest memories, its feathers weren't black but scarlet and gold. We were witnessing Marrow's history in reverse time, and it showed that the black phoenix had gradually earned its name, each resurrection darkening its facade, spreading like some kind of cancer.

Once we witnessed his many births, Bellanax showed us his many deaths. Some were normal enough—stabbing with a spear, an arrow to the throat—while others were gruesome—a beheading, pulled apart by chariots, burned at the stake. But all of them were violent. In every one he'd been put to death. Killed by someone's hand or order. It seemed he'd never known a natural death, one from old age or sickness or even tragic accident. The closest he came was the first one, not long after he discovered Bellanax. He'd spent the majority of his first natural life searching for the sword of power. I tried to imagine what it would be like to experience so many different ways to die, to carry those memories forever. It would drive a person insane.

Even worse was when I realized what all this said about Marrow's nature. Here was a man who would never stop. Over and over again he'd made plays for power. Over and over again someone had taken him down, forced him to retreat. But no one ever won. Nimue had come the closest when she imprisoned him in that dream. But she had not beaten him.

And neither will we
. I felt a shudder pass through me.
Unless we find a way to kill him forever
.

I started to ask Bellanax if he knew a way, if he could show us, but the scene had changed again, drawing my attention back to it. We seemed to have traveled full circle. Once more I saw the clearing with the Great Oak. Nimue and Marrow were there along with a group of strange men. They were all armed, some with swords or bow and arrow, others with battleaxes and maces. They all wore leather jerkins with no undershirt, their arms and chests bare. Although their clothes were of different colors, there was a uniformity to their appearance that told me clearly that they were a single group.

A hostile group, I realized, as they started to circle around Marrow and Nimue. They did not draw their weapons, but magic swelled in the air around them. These strange men were all magickind. But of what type, I didn't know.

Four naturekind, four witchkind.
Bellanax provided.
Four Nightmares.

I stared at them, completely transfixed. All three kinds here at once, and so many Nightmares among them—but why? I kept moving my gaze from them to Nimue to Marrow and back again. Although they were circling around Nimue and Marrow both, it was clear they were only concerned with the Red Warlock. He was the focus of all their hostility.

Slowly and with dawning shock, I realized that all twelve men bore identical scars, visible on their bare chests beneath the sleeveless jerkins. Across their breastbones the Borromean rings had been branded into their skin. They were the exact shape, the exact image, as Mr. Corvus's.

 

22

Holy Places

Afterward, Deverell and I did not discuss what we'd seen. I started to tell him about Corvus, but he raised a hand, silencing me.

“Lady Elaine has made it clear that the Magi Senate does not want you to discuss anything connected to the sword with anyone,” he said.

I frowned as I absentmindedly reapplied the glamour to Bellanax and slid the silver band onto my wrist. “Why not? You already know everything. Or almost everything.”

“I was given the impression it was for my own safety.” He offered me an apologetic smile.

“Yeah, I guess that's for the best,” I said, although it was halfhearted. With so much going on, it would've been nice to have an adult to talk to about all of this—one who wasn't threatening me with visions of the future. Then again, it wasn't as if I could tell him my suspicions about Corvus. I didn't think he would freak out—he'd always been the poster boy of cool, like when he caught me sneaking into the boy's locker room last year—but he would have to wonder how I knew about Corvus's scar in the first place. And short of a potentially disturbing lie about witnessing teacher nakedness, I doubted I could tell him without implicating Paul.

Paul.
I needed to talk to him right now. We needed to figure out when it would be safe to go to Corvus's house. I said good-bye to Deverell; then, stepping through the door, I pulled out my cell phone.

“Dusty.”

The voice made me jump, and I turned to see Eli leaning against one of the lockers. He wore his gym clothes, his hair dark with sweat and his face flushed. Despite his casual stance, I figured he must have raced here from gladiator practice, his breathing still labored.

“Hey,” I said, shouldering my bag. I braced, waiting for him to make the next move.

His hesitation was obvious, even if it lasted only a second before he came forward and crushed me against him. The feelings and images of Lady Elaine's vision reared inside my head, and along with them an urge to push him away. I sucked in a breath, my body shaking. But then I buried the panic deep down inside me. I clung to the realness of him, the feel of his arms around my body, even the smell of his sweat.

Sinking into him, I felt the dizziness retreat.

“How'd it go with Deverell?” Eli pulled back from the hug, but he kept his hands on my waist, as if afraid to break direct physical contact.

“Good. Better than good.” I paused, catching sight of a Will Guard who had just stepped into the hallway.

Eli glanced behind him then turned back to me. “Come on. Let's talk in here.” He led me to the nearest door and into an empty classroom. He left the door open, but paused long enough to peer out into the hallway. I imagined he was giving the Will Guard a look that stated—
leave us alone.
I could only hope the man would listen.

A moment later, Eli was next to me again. “Spill.”

I plunged into the story, telling him everything Bellanax had shown me. “They had the Borromean brand, Eli,” I said, coming to the end. “Just like Corvus, and now I've got to find a way to get to his house. At first I thought we might just be looking for the knife, but now…” I stared at Eli, my eyes wide. “What if … what if that's where he's keeping them? Like in the basement or something.”

Eli ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “I guess it's possible. But either way we need to check it out. We've got to find a time for you to go when we know he won't be home.”

“Easy, I'll ditch tomorrow. We know he's in class all day.”

“No good.” Eli's expression turned stern. “The moment anybody notices that you're missing from class there will be wide-scale panic.”

“Crap. This is so impossible.” I smacked my fist against my palm.

Eli put his hands on my shoulders, rubbing my arms. “It'll be okay. We'll figure something out.”

Peering up at him, I said, “How?”

He thought about it for a couple of seconds. “I'll con him into revealing his schedule. Shouldn't be too hard. I can use the ouroboros and the Iwatoke as a lead in. He is a history teacher. Who knows, maybe I'll even learn something helpful on the way.”

This would've sounded like a thin plan from anyone else besides Eli. I had full faith in his ability. He knew how to steer a conversation and he practically oozed charm. “Okay. Can we do it tomorrow?”

“Yes, but I'll do it by myself. It's easier to work a conversation one on one,” Eli said. “And I've got the better time for it. Corvus has a free period right after my class. I'll hang back.”

I gritted my teeth. I didn't like not being involved, but then again, I couldn't be sure that I would be able to keep my cool around Corvus. Not with all my suspicions about him. “All right. I just hope we get lucky and he spills something.”

“If he doesn't, I'll find a way to peek at his day planner.” Eli smiled. “One way or another, you'll be heading to check him out soon. I promise.”

*   *   *

With all the excitement of the night before and today, I didn't linger with Eli after dinner, but went straight up to my dorm, planning for an early turn-in. At least, that's what I told the little voice in my head nagging me about it.

To my surprise, Selene came up with me.

“For the record,” she said as she plopped down on her desk chair, “I hate this nondisclosure thing.”

I crossed my eyes for a second. “Ugh, I hate it, too. It sucks not being able to tell you things.”

Selene huffed, folding her arms over her chest. “No kidding.” She started kicking her leg back and forth. “So, if we can't talk about your secret mission, why don't you tell me what's going on with you and Eli?”

I winced, hating the question, even though her asking it was inevitable. Selene was far too perceptive about people and feelings to have missed the tension between Eli and me tonight. Still, no one could blame me for wanting to avoid the painful subject for as long as possible.

“I'll tell you about Eli if you tell me what you and Lance were arguing about earlier.” I'd spotted them having a heated discussion in the cafeteria hallway after school, but the moment they saw me coming, they both put on their play-nice faces.

Anger flashed across Selene's features. “It was about his horrible father, what else.”

I swore on her behalf and then started to pick at the fraying end of my shirtsleeve. “What'd he do this time?”

“Nothing,” Selene said. “Not yet anyway. But he's threatening to do all sorts of things. Lance wants to just blow him off and keep right on like nothing's wrong.”

“What do you want to do?” I said, looking up from the thread that had now doubled in length.

Selene glanced away, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. “I want to break up.”

“What?” Shock heightened my voice.

“I mean, I want us to pretend to break up, but keep on seeing each other in secret.”

I stared at her, at a loss for words.

“Oh, don't look at me like that,” Selene said, finally meeting my gaze. “I know it sounds cowardly, but you've no idea how bad it was last time. Lance started off just ignoring it, but his dad wore him down in the end.”

“No, I get it. I really do.” I offered her a commiserating smile. “But … um … don't you think you ought to have a little faith in him?”

Selene shot me a look like I'd said something crazy. “
You
think I should have faith in
Lance
?”

I made a face. It did sound crazy, given our history. “I've decided he can be an okay guy. Besides, he's absolutely nuts about you. Anybody can see that.”

She blushed, but waved the comment off. “It's time for you to tell me about Eli.”

I took a deep breath to steady myself, and then I spilled on everything I'd seen in Lady Elaine's vision. It was just as awful talking about it as it had been witnessing it—no sense of getting it off my shoulders when I finished.

“That's horrible,” Selene said. Her eyes were huge with shock.

I bit my lip. “Yeah, but do you think it's real? Are curses like that real?”

“Some of them,” Selene said, her tone far too diplomatic for my comfort.

Fighting back tears, I dropped my gaze to my frayed shirtsleeve once more. “Do you know of any way to break a curse?” I tried to say it jokingly, but it came out pathetic instead.

Selene sighed. “Short of killing the person who cast it, the only way I've heard of is self-sacrifice.”

“You mean like dying in the place of someone else?”

She nodded. “But the only trouble with that solution is you end up dead. Which is no solution at all.”

I didn't reply, the three visions playing through my mind once again.
One of us is going to die either way.

If the curse is true.

*   *   *

Eli didn't manage to find out Corvus's schedule the next day.

“But I will tomorrow,” he reassured me when we met up after practice. “Corvus had somewhere to be and left in a hurry, but not before I got him to agree to meet with me after classes tomorrow.”