Unfaithful (54 page)

Crushed by a feeling of powerlessness, I looked directly at Simon for the first time just as his crystalline eyes flickered and a sly smile spread over his face. It looked familiar for some reason, and I realized it was the same smile that appeared on Evan’s lips whenever he had an idea. I tried hard not to let myself be overcome by nostalgia, since it threatened to drag me into the vortex that led to Evan. Maybe it was natural for every thought to lead me back to him.

I turned to look at Ginevra. Her eyes had narrowed to slits as she studied Simon’s mind with keen interest. “What are you thinking?” I said, speaking for the first time.

They turned toward me as if they’d forgotten my presence. I looked at each of them in turn. Simon hesitated, giving Ginevra time to carefully assess his idea.

“Interesting,” she whispered, deep in thought.

I glanced at Simon and then turned back to Ginevra, waiting for one of them to answer me.

“Drake is expecting a battle.” Simon’s expression gradually became more cunning and determined as he explained. The plan began to take shape outside his mind. “But he’s in for a surprise.”

“It’s a desperate plan,” Ginevra cautioned him, still probing his mind.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

They both turned their eyes on me. I looked back and forth between them, puzzled. The whole time they’d pretty much excluded me from their conversation, talking to each other as if I weren’t there, but now they had a strange light in their eyes as they stared at me, as if I were the key to everything.

“What?” I asked in alarm, but their attention to me disappeared as quickly as it had come. I was invisible again.

“Would she go that far?” Simon asked Ginevra, almost in a whisper, without taking his eyes off me. I had the impression they were both studying me. “It might work but we need to assess all the risks,” Simon warned her. “It would take incredible courage.”

“I don’t think that’s a problem. She can do it. I know she can.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I just am, trust me. I can’t explain why—it’s like an instinct. Just believe me on this,” Ginevra told him.

“But you saw how she reacted the first time!”

“This time it’ll be different,” she said, determined. “Things have changed.”

I was lost. Simon wasn’t so convinced of his own plan any more?

“Besides, I’m not even sure Evan would allow it.”

“Would you guys mind telling me what you’re talking about?” I blurted. “What wouldn’t Evan agree to?” They both stared at me again. “What do you have to tell me?” I realized my voice was trembling. “You have a plan, don’t you?”

“Not necessarily,” Simon answered.

Ginevra rephrased his answer: “You’ll be the one to decide that,” she said gravely.

I looked at her, bewildered. What was going on? “I’m too tired to play guessing games,” I said. Their mysterious discussion had left me exasperated. “What is your plan, exactly?”

They stared at me for a long moment, as surprised as I was by how calmly I’d asked. Ginevra was studying me, I was sure of it. There was nothing I could hide from her. “Simon has an idea.” I waited for her to go on, my impatience mounting. “I think it’s a good plan, but you would be directly involved.” Her gaze, deep as a stormy sea, lingered on me.

“That’s why the decision is up to you,” Simon added. “No one will blame you if you decide to refuse.”

They were both gazing at me attentively. What was going on? Could Simon read my thoughts now too? From the way he was looking at me, it certainly seemed like it. My heartbeat accelerated unexpectedly. What was with all the tension I saw on their faces? And why would Evan not accept their plan? My instinct gave me the answer: I was going to have to do something dangerous.

“Would you mind telling me what’s going on?” I asked again, though I wasn’t so sure I wanted to know any more.

“The idea might work. In fact, I
know
it’ll work. It’s an excellent plan,” Ginevra exclaimed, “but it requires a courageous decision on your part.” She moved a few steps closer. “And I know you’re capable of handling it.”

“Tell me something I don’t already know,” I shot back, out of patience.

“Gemma,” Ginevra began cautiously, “you already know my poison is the only weapon that can kill Drake.” I nodded without speaking. “But open battle might be too risky at this point for any of us. You know Evan won’t hesitate to fight for you.”

“We’re almost positive somebody’s got Drake’s back,” Simon added. “He isn’t working alone, and that’s definitely not to our advantage. We might lose.” His tone hardened.

Was that really a possibility?

“And we can’t forget he has my poison with him—enough for a lethal dose.” Ginevra said. She paused to study my reaction and read the thoughts that whirled confusedly in my mind like a helium balloon at the mercy of the wind. Their plan must be far from pleasant if it was taking them this long to explain it. She continued. “That’s why we need to avoid a direct battle . . . and set a trap for him. We need to catch him off guard,” she concluded firmly.

“All right,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, “but what’s my part in all this?” I was starting to feel seriously worried.

“Actually, that all depends on you,” Ginevra said gravely.

I turned to Simon who was staring at the floor as if avoiding my eyes. The idea had been his, and yet on his face was a look of . . . uncertainty? Guilt? I couldn’t tell. And what were we talking about, exactly?

“I’ll do whatever it takes.” My voice trembled. I wasn’t completely sure I would be able to keep that promise, but after all it was entirely my fault they were in this situation in the first place. “Tell me what you have in mind,” I said, my tone more convinced this time.

“Good,” Ginevra murmured, almost to herself, “because you’re the only one who can slip Drake the poison without his noticing.”

Her words hit me hard, like a punch to the gut. “Me? What are you talking about? H-how could I?” I asked, confused.

“With a kiss.”

I jumped in my seat, my blood running cold. It was finally clear why they’d been so hesitant and mysterious. A mind-numbing panic filled me and I tried not to show how incredibly shaken I was. “You’re saying I would have to
kiss
him?” I shot nervous looks at Ginevra and Simon, who was still avoiding my eyes.

“No one is forcing you, of course,” he said, “but that’s all we’ve got. For now, it’s our only hope. We can’t put the poison in a glass of water—Drake has no need to drink and would be suspicious if you asked him to. Not to mention how dangerous it would be if he discovered our plan.”

It took me a moment to grasp what he meant. They had wondered out loud if I was brave enough and now I was wondering the same thing. Ginevra seemed convinced, but how could they be so sure, if not even I knew the answer to that question? I would have to let Drake come near me, and he could kill me with a wave of his hand. That in itself was enough to make me hesitate.

The thought of kissing anyone other than Evan of my own free will was hard enough already, but it was impossible to wrap my brain around the fact that this kiss would be fatal. No matter how many times Simon and Ginevra told me I wouldn’t be forced to do it, I knew it wasn’t true, at least in part. I had to do it whether or not I wanted to. It was my turn. I had to protect Evan.

It was up to me to kill Drake. I calmly repeated the thought in my mind as the two of them assessed my silence. Simon, who had stood aside, was also waiting for me to speak.

When I finally opened my mouth, I’d made my decision and it was final. “I’m the one who set you against each other. I’ll do whatever you ask.”

“Don’t speak too soon,” Simon warned. “First you need to hear the hardest part.”

His harsh tone made me flinch. “What could be more terrible than kissing Drake . . . and
killing
him?” I asked, forcing out the last two words. How would I be able to kill Drake if I could barely stand the mere thought of doing it? I studied their faces and waited.

After a silence that felt endless, Ginevra explained all in one breath: “You wouldn’t be immune to the poison.”

A cold, bitter wave crashed over me even before I’d fully grasped what she’d just said. My body had understood and reacted instinctively. “You’re saying—” I murmured in shock.

“The poison is going to kill you too,” Simon said ruefully.

I was stunned. My thoughts echoed in my mind as they continued talking, freezing everything inside me. For a moment I felt cut off from them, like I wasn’t in the room any more. I was alone—alone in my desperation.

So death would come after all, and not by chance. I felt myself wandering through the darkness of those absurd words. My mind seemed to be lost, or maybe it didn’t want to return at all. I wished I could run away from this place, from these people, even from myself, and hide somewhere dark and safe.

I heard something in the background and barely managed to realize someone was talking to me, but I couldn’t make out the words, still deafened as I was by the last ones. They whirled through my head, drowning out everything else. Everything was so distorted, so confusing . . .

Their voices echoed in my head, shouting the bone-chilling words I didn’t want to hear: I had to die.

All at once the murmur stopped and the sudden silence tore me out the trance I’d fallen into, dragging me back to the room. “You’re saying that—” I stopped, unable to go on.

Simon and Ginevra continued to watch me silently. “We told you it would be difficult,” Ginevra said.

“And we’ll understand if you decide to back down, though we don’t have much time to come up with another plan. If Drake attacks again, we’ll have to face him, and we’re not sure how that will turn out,” Simon explained.

I winced, thinking of Evan. He was all that mattered to me. Everything else—including my own life—was less important.

“Simon’s plan is really good,” Ginevra added, “and there’s no way it can fail, unless you’re discovered.”

Did they really think I was capable of this? I would ruin everything like I always did one way or another, and put them in danger for the millionth time. Why didn’t they realize that? Why did they trust me so much?

“The only person who doesn’t trust you is you,” Ginevra said, replying to my thoughts.

“What if I fail?” I murmured, the knot in my throat growing tighter.

“You won’t. We trust you, Gemma,” Simon assured me.

“What happens afterwards?” I said, my voice barely audible, forcing myself to hide my trembling.

Simon walked over to me and looked me in the eye for the first time. “You don’t need to worry about that.” There wasn’t a trace of fear or doubt in his voice. “We’ll be there with you, even though you won’t be able to see us. When the right moment comes we’ll get there in time. You just need to focus on what you have to do and it will all be over. We’ll take care of the rest. We’ve already done it once before. We know now how to handle the situation and we’ll be able to bring you back without any problems. You’ll return, but he won’t.”

Simon’s reassuring tone eased some of my tension. I felt drained. In a way, I had no words to say or questions to ask.

“You can always say no,” Ginevra repeated.

I turned to look at her.
No, I can’t,
I replied in my mind. I owed it to him—to them all. “I’ll do it,” I announced, forcing myself to sound determined. “Tell me what I have to do.”

Simon shook his head. “This is insane,” he burst out. My eyes shot to his. “Forget we even said it. We’ll think of something else.”

“Simon, there’s no time,” Ginevra rebuked him.

“Evan will never go along with it. We’re wasting our breath.”

“Why? Don’t forget his last plan entailed risks, and they weren’t any less drastic than yours. He was aware of the dangers but he accepted them.” Simon looked torn and Ginevra studied his silence. “Fine. Do you have a better idea?”

Simon clearly didn’t. “All I’m saying is that it’s insane! We can’t let him get so close to Gemma.”

If they didn’t even believe in the plan, how could I?

“It’s dangerous, that’s true, but we’ll be there with her. It’ll work and none of us will get hurt. Now cut it out, Simon—you’re confusing her!”

“It’s up to me to decide, right?” I said. They looked at me. “Simon, is there any possibility you won’t be able to bring me back?” I asked, just in case.

Simon glanced at me, seeming unsure whether or not to relieve my doubts with his answer. “No. Your death will only be temporary. As far as that goes, you have nothing to worry about. It would be even briefer than last time.”

 “But last time,” I said cautiously, “there were three of you there to heal me.”

My point left him wordless for a second, but he composed himself. “We don’t need Drake. This time we won’t need to heal wounds all over your body, so it’ll be easier. You’ll only die from the effect of the poison. Other than that, your body will remain intact and unharmed.”

“I don’t see a problem then,” I said firmly. I looked him in the eye, almost as if I were the one reassuring him. “I can do it,” I said in a determined tone even I didn’t recognize.

“You sure?” he asked, still wary.

I looked at him and then at Ginevra before answering: “I’m doing it.” I stared at them hard to emphasize my decision.

“Fine. We have to act fast then. We can’t risk his making the first move, so you need to be prepared to face him when the opportunity presents itself.”

I flinched when I realized it was actually going to happen. I’d agreed. The
end
would be the solution. “When do you think he might show up?” I asked anxiously, turning to Ginevra.

“We can’t know for sure. He’ll need time to recover and I doubt he would decide to attack too soon, but meanwhile he might use his powers to get close to you again. I’ll give you some of my poison. You’ll need to take special care of it. You must keep it with you
everywhere
and
at all times
. Then, when the opportunity arises—and I don’t think it’ll take that long—you can’t hesitate for even a second or Drake might guess our plan.”