Unfaithful (52 page)

Simon let out an exasperated sigh. “Where did it happen?” he asked.

“In the woods. What do you want me to say? I wasn’t expecting it myself. They already knew what consequences there would be if I deserted, they already knew the feelings hidden in my heart. They’d already perceived them before I was aware of them myself, and they knew how many Subterraneans would pay the price. I guess that was why they thought it was best to personally intervene and try to change my mind, persuade me that it had to be done. They talked as if the fate of the whole world depended on Gemma’s death, like it was a question of the utmost importance.” Evan snorted, his lips twisted into a grimace, then faced Simon again, his eyes intense. “Not only did the Màsala refuse my request, they
demanded
I carry out their order—but I didn’t.”

“Wait a minute,” said Ginevra, who looked as if she hadn’t dared interrupt until then. “During the battle what you saw wasn’t actually an Elder . . . but how could Drake have known what they look like?”

Our baffled faces shot to Evan’s in search of an answer to the mystery but his expression had already darkened, shrouded by an impenetrable veil.

“He said something,” I told Simon. “I couldn’t tell what language it was, but it sounded ancient.”

“Sanskrit,” he deduced, looking grim.

“Evan, did you understand what—”

The darkness of Evan’s expression made me cringe and the words died in my throat. He clenched his fists at his sides and his jaw tightened as he answered my unfinished question. “He’s not going to stop until he kills you.”

An eerie silence enveloped us all. A silence that extended to our hearts.

The sun hadn’t yet risen over the silent town of Lake Placid. Snow blanketed everything in a fluffy white mantle. I stared at it through the picture window in Evan’s living room, but all I saw was the dark halo encircling my heart.

Still in shock, the others continued their discussion, searching for a solution. Their conflicting emotions were keeping them from formulating a plan to kill the brother with whom they’d lived for such a long time—longer than my entire life.

I was miserable. Guilt gripped my heart like a tether pulled so tight it made it bleed. Even so, I tried hard to hide it, maybe because I was afraid the others would finally realize it was all my fault. Regret burned me like acid corroding my stomach. The feeling was unbearable.

From time to time, reflected in the window, I saw Evan steal a glance at me as Simon healed his wounds. Only after Evan had taken off his shirt had I seen the bloody gashes on his body.

“My God, look what he did to you,” Ginevra had said, her voice broken with dismay over Drake’s brutality. “I still can’t believe it was him.” Her comment had been met with silence.

Ginevra returned to the subject now, a new awareness in her eyes. “You already suspected him,” she said, turning to Evan. It wasn’t a question. “How could I not have picked up on your suspicions?” she wondered aloud, self-reproach in her tone. “When did you figure it out?”

I turned to look at Evan too, waiting for him to answer. He hesitated a few seconds, staring blankly ahead as if recalling the memory were painful. “He attacked us when we were in the café, but at that point I wasn’t suspicious at all. I didn’t sense the presence of any Subterraneans except him, but I thought he was there for the guy who’d been riding the motorcycle. That’s what he wanted me to believe,” Evan said as if just figuring it out now. “Then he caused the accident with my car. That’s when I realized it wasn’t over, that it was happening again.” Evan paused, still shaken by the memory. “That afternoon he tried it again, in the woods.”

“I still don’t get it,” said Simon. “What made you suspect Drake?”

“That afternoon, before the car accident, we went to a hangar not far from Lake Placid. I took Gemma up for a ride in the old fighter plane that used to be Drake’s.” I instantly noticed the surprise on Ginevra’s face. She was wondering how Evan could have kept it a secret from her. “I was expecting to be attacked at any moment, although I tried not to let Gemma see how worried I was.” He glanced at me. “What happened in the café had alarmed me. But then nothing happened.”

We all gazed at him in silence.

“So I figured my suspicions were unfounded and that they hadn’t come back to hunt Gemma down after all. It would have been the ideal opportunity for anyone who wanted to kill her. I’d offered them the perfect chance to attack. And if they had, I would have been prepared—but nothing happened.” He stopped, gazing into space again. “Later the car went out of control and someone kept me from stopping it. That’s when I thought of Drake and something he’d said just a few days before when I’d told him where I was going to take Gemma: he said he didn’t want to see that plane ever again. He wanted me to get rid of it. I knew how much he suffered whenever he went near that place. Still, I couldn’t accept the idea—it was so far-fetched. When he kissed Gemma my suspicions grew stronger, though I still wasn’t completely sure. I went to Roomer’s because I was furious about what he’d done and what I suspected he meant to do. I wanted to give him a warning, make him change his mind while there was still time. Or maybe deep down I still hoped I was wrong. Clearly I wasn’t. In that case, I could at least have gotten him away from the house—that was already something.”

“How did you manage to keep me in the dark about all this?” Ginevra was shocked. She still couldn’t believe it was possible.

“I’ve honed my skills over the years,” he said with dull sarcasm. “I can block my thoughts and keep anyone from getting into my mind. Besides, don’t forget I have my powers too, including the power to influence
your
mind. I didn’t want to worry you guys until I was sure. Until tonight,” he repeated bitterly.

“What do we do now?” his sister asked.

I listened to them distractedly, staring blankly out the window as the first timid rays of sunlight began to illuminate the garden. Their voices reached me like a distant echo, almost as if I weren’t part of the group right now. Maybe taking part in their pain was too much for me. Maybe I couldn’t handle being the cause of it. I’d never seen them so upset before.

“First of all you two need to choose whose side you’re on,” Evan said steadily. I turned to look at him. The others’ eyes were fixed on him. “You and Simon aren’t obligated to stand by us. I won’t ask you to do it. You’re free to choose or declare your neutrality. I won’t blame you if you decide not to get involved. Gemma and I can handle this on our own.”

“No,” Simon replied firmly. “What Drake has done is underhanded, atrocious. He had no right,” he said, his voice stern. “He might have sided against us and chosen to follow orders, but he still should have treated her differently.” He looked at me for a moment, righteous anger in his eyes. “Drake showed you no respect.”

“I barely recognize him,” Ginevra murmured distractedly. “Now I know why he was avoiding me all the time—he didn’t want me to read his mind and find out his true intentions.”

“The Elders thought of everything,” Simon went on, still stunned. “I mean, he clearly isn’t acting alone—I suspect he’s working under someone’s guidance. He’s too young. They would never let him tackle all this on his own. It would be a suicide mission and
they
can’t afford that. Besides, some of his behavior just isn’t like him. He’s always loved being surrounded by beautiful girls, but he would never have done anything so wrong to Evan, of all people.”

For a moment a grim silence enveloped us. Simon and Ginevra still hadn’t given a definitive answer, and the tension they felt about their decision was plain to see in their faces.

“We’re with you,” Ginevra stated, speaking for both of them.

Evan’s face instantly relaxed and he let out a long sigh, as if he’d been holding his breath the whole time. Having Simon and Ginevra on our side was a far-from-negligible detail.

Simon rested his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “We could never abandon you. You can count on us,” he confirmed, though Ginevra had clearly spoken for both of them. “You’re part of a team as long as you’re playing on the right side of the field. Drake isn’t on our side any more, though it pains me to accept it.” His voice broke. “Personally, I don’t feel like standing around doing nothing when someone needs me. Ginevra and I will be on the playing field with you,” he concluded, sounding more confident.

“What do we do now?” Ginevra asked, turning to Evan. “We can’t sit around waiting for him to attack. It’s too dangerous. We need to be in full control of the situation.” Her green eyes began to sparkle. “We need to act, and act fast.” Evan looked absorbed in his sister’s words. “But most importantly, we can’t forget he stole my poison. That means that unless we stop him before it’s too late, he’ll use it against us. It’s not just for Gemma any more.”

“I wonder why he hasn’t used it yet,” Simon added, voicing the question we all shared.

“We’re all wondering that,” Ginevra said.

“The vial seemed empty,” Evan said. “Maybe he thought it wouldn’t be enough, that exposing himself that much was too risky. I mean, he was counting on our trusting him, and if we’d caught him with the poison it would have ruined that. No, it’s crazy.”

Ginevra shook her head. “Its odor was still strong. I could even smell it with the vial closed when I opened the drawer I’d hidden it in. I seriously doubt any Subterranean could survive if Drake decided to use it on them.”

Evan and Simon exchanged puzzled glances, obviously not understanding. Then why had I understood instantly? I remembered perfectly well what Ginevra was talking about—the pungent smell was branded on my memory. Sometimes I even thought I could smell it when I woke up in the morning. It was probably because of the shock connected to the memory, the trauma I’d undergone that day. But I knew for a fact that Evan had told me the poison was odorless and tasteless. Was it possible it had a different effect on humans? Maybe it was a punishment for the Subterraneans—not being able to sense the only weapon capable of killing them.

Their conversation snapped me back to reality.

“He hasn’t used it yet, which means he still has it, and that complicates everything.” Ginevra was leading the discussion again. “We had an advantage over Faust, but this time we’re fighting on equal terms.” As she spoke, she shot Simon concerned glances, probably worried about him.

I stared at the floor, feeling guilty again. No one had anything else to say.

“Damn it!” Evan’s furious voice sliced through the dismal silence we were lost in. “Not now!” he said through gritted teeth. After a moment, his expression became more resigned.

Ginevra gazed at him regretfully for a second. To my dismay, I understood. He had to leave. I looked him in the eye, forcing myself not to seem alarmed, though the idea that he was leaving me right now made me tremble. After everything that had happened today, I wasn’t sure I could face anything else, especially without Evan’s support. I was exhausted and couldn’t even remember the last time I’d slept or eaten.

Evan looked at me, a mix of devastation and rage in his eyes. Without coming closer, he clenched his fists, his eyes on mine. The intense silence seemed to fill with his unspoken words.

“Evan,” I murmured, almost to myself, in a frail voice.

“I’m not leaving now,” he growled.

“We’ll be here with her,” Ginevra reassured him. “There’s nothing for you to be afraid of.”

Evan shook his head. “No. I said I’m not leaving,” he insisted. “I can’t. I can’t leave her now, of all times.”

“He won’t attack right away,” Simon pointed out. “He’ll need to recover after tonight’s fight too, and we still don’t have a plan for how to face him. We need time.”

Evan clenched his jaw, deep in thought. He looked torn. “To hell with it! I don’t care!” He looked at me again and moved closer. “I’m staying here with you.”

I wavered for a moment, confused by his expression. It had become tender but still had a touch of desperation in it. I didn’t know what to say, though I was sure of what I wanted and sure of what would be best. Unfortunately, the two things weren’t the same. “You should go,” I said, my voice dull. It wasn’t convincing enough. I tried to regain my self-control, even though I knew someone else in the room was aware of exactly what I was feeling. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. I don’t want you to compromise yourself for me even more than you already have.” For a second, I thought my words had been almost believable.

“Screw the rules!” he exclaimed, still furious. Then his tone sweetened for me. “I have nothing more to lose if I stay, but I could lose everything if I go.”

“It’s not true you have nothing more to lose,” I said. “You’ve already risked enough for me.” Evan came closer still and my voice began to waver. “I won’t—I won’t let you throw away your only hope of redeeming yourself,” I said in a desperate whisper as he rested his forehead against mine. “I want to know you’ll be there when . . . one day—I don’t want to lose you forever.”

Ginevra spoke up. “Evan, she’s right. We’ll be here with her. You’ve been gone for far longer periods in the past, even days at a time.”