Chapter Fifteen

COPPER HAIR. BUDDING blooms. A note. A phone. A tapping against her mind. Briar was going to summon Nilaja into whatever weird gathering this was and strangle her. That was the only way she was going to see her right now. She didn’t want to remember that night, her resolve to sacrifice her aunt. Her desperation.

She tried to send images back but had no idea if it worked. Later, she’d give in, but not now. Not when an unsettlingly cheery Fauna was drunk in her living room, wearing what Briar was pretty sure was her mother’s dress.

Whatever worked. She’d taken one psych class in college but she knew there were stages of grief, though she couldn’t remember any of them but acceptance. Still, she wasn’t catatonic. It had to be better.

Soren watched her, his eyes following every movement. The sharpness of it reminded Briar of a predator watching prey. His expression changed whenever Fauna looked at him, a gentle smile.

Her resolve to use him weakened with every moment. There had to be another way. A way that didn’t involve sacrificing anyone. She needed to try. Maybe Henrik was right, if everyone knew maybe someone would have a solution.

Maybe someone else would do it for her. She didn’t want anyone to die but she’d rather a stranger than Soren. Or maybe they could work together. A massive amount of magic existed in this world. The Gods couldn’t know everything. They hadn’t predicted this. Maybe they could trap her somewhere, deep and dark and dank, until she lived out the natural lifespan of Jenia’s body.

Maybe they could stab her instead.

Briar took another shot offered to her by Fauna. She could feel Henrik watching her as Soren watched her cousin. She imagined summoning a God just to frighten him—make him understand the realities of their situation. Universes were born in their eyes. Seasons swirled around them. They rattled bones and shook the stars. Their magic was wild and intoxicating.

And that’s why she was frightened to tell. She didn’t know what would happen. Some would flock to Eliana, even half a God was more than had been seen in centuries. When they realized she’d cracked the door for Gods to walk with them again they’d want to try. Who knew what the Gods would bring with them or what the people summoning them might call instead? She didn’t trust the Deities to make the right choices.

“My father wants to help,” Soren said, breaking the silence of the room, then took a drink. “I know he’s…well, I know he sucks, but we should let him.”

“Everyone we involve is in danger.”

“Everyone is in danger,” Soren said, echoing Henrik’s earlier words. Briar understood. He didn’t want to die. He wanted another solution. How could she deny him that?

“Well, he was Prime Minister,” Sparrow reminded them, from his spot sprawled across the floor in front of her balcony door. “I’m assuming Evaria knows and she’s powerful. Ansel still has some clout with…shadier groups.”

“And Agatha Marsh is on our side. She’s going to publish a piece in the capital paper. You’re taking this all on yourself, saying no one will believe you, but people are suspicious.” Henrik sipped his own drink leisurely. “I don’t know what exactly your plan is but I know the kind of magic the Gods work with. I can see the scars on your arms. I can see the despair on your faces. When are you planning to act?”

“I don’t know. We’d have to get close to her to do the only spell we have,” Briar said. She didn’t mention that she needed time to rework the spell before she did anything. She didn’t know how she was going to do it but she knew spells were made by witches, powerful witches, and she was going to find a way to twist the words and get rid of Eliana for good. Hopefully.

Maybe Henrik was right and she did need to let people help her. Maybe acting alone had been the whole problem. But it was also dangerous. Acting against Eliana left people dead. Briar took a deep breath. “The only spell I have is to send her back to the Gods, same as Cordelia once did. And that was only temporary. She came back.”

“We should keep raising suspicions, but I think you should stay away from Agatha. Let her write this without your involvement. She knows the potential consequences. Let her pull Eliana’s attention and we can search for another solution while she’s busy in Ourst.” Henrik frowned. “I’m sorry. I know you’re mourning your mother. I know you didn’t come here to plan anymore.” He rubbed his temples.

“No.” Sparrow pushed himself up onto his elbows. “She killed my mother. All we should be doing is planning, whenever we can stomach it. I never cared much about the Gods but Briar always did. Look at what they’ve done to her. And this is their child? They’re monsters. Everyone should know.”

“They won’t help us. They just call for more blood. They should be here. This is their fight.” Fauna put down her empty glass. “I don’t want to send her back. I want to kill her. I want her blood to be the sacrifice and I want the Gods to make it.” Her hands shook but her voice didn’t waver.

Briar watched their anger grow. She knew this was how it would spread through the public as well. Fear, anger, revenge. The Gods had given them magic and abandoned them. They’d tried to wipe their history but it had been sloppy, leaving lies, half-truths, and confusion in its place. Eliana had been called Goddess of Witches. It was why Briar had trusted her.

Let her deal with it. Let her answer press conferences about whether she was truly Jenia Alvier, about why she was so strange. Let her worry. Let her feel fear.

Let Soren live.

She looked across her coffee table to him. A fae sitting in a room of witches. He’d offered to sacrifice himself for them. All those years of war and anger toward each other was a curse. Every dead witch and faerie was blood on Eliana’s hands because she couldn’t handle rejection.

“Okay. Let Agatha raise an alarm but we need to be careful. Keep her busy with other things. And we need an expiration date on this. I want to kill her, more than you know. I want a solution that hurts only her. But she keeps getting the upper hand.”

Soren’s gaze sent shivers down her spine. “One month.”

“And then?” Fauna twisted the engagement ring she was still wearing. “What happens?”

“Then we end this.” Soren took another drink. “However we have to. We end this.”

Before Fauna had a chance to reply, Sparrow sat up fully, his head cocked to the side. Blond hair fell into his eyes. “You really are engaged to a faerie. That’s perfect. Dad’s going to think it’s hilarious.”

“It’s…” Fauna stood up, her eyes wide and brimming with tears.

“Shit. I’m such an ass. I’ve proposed to like half a dozen girls. None of them have taken me up on it though.” He walked over to Fauna and wiped the tears on her cheeks. “Don’t cry. Hey, do you remember when Briar was little and she wrote love letters to…who was it, B?”

“Claudia Berkshaw.” She sighed, remembering the teen actress. “She never responded. I’ve seen her a few times since, now that I’m grown.”

“And?” Soren leaned forward.

“And I didn’t say anything because I was afraid she’d remember and it would be incredibly embarrassing. She’s married now so I guess I missed my chance.”

“Like that’s ever stopped you.” Sparrow’s face split into a wide grin.

Briar threw a pillow at him. “Just the once.”

“That…is such a fucking lie.” Fauna ducked as another pillow came her way. “Professor Rayne? That one guy in Kylva?”

“I hate Kylva.” Briar crossed her legs in the chair, glad to see Fauna smiling. “Once I caught your mom kissing…someone at a party.” She waited until they’d all begged for an answer before grinning. She’d sworn to Vestia she wouldn’t tell but she’d always wanted to. “Remember that huge hotel she wanted to buy? The one with the massive fountain in the courtyard. It was the owner’s wife.”

“Shut up!” Sparrow laughed. “Mom did not.”

“I’ve known about it for years. It was right after she broke up with that finance guy. George or whatever his name was. I’d told her to take a walk because she was wasted. She must have walked right into her.”

Fauna wiped tears from her eyes but now they were from laughter. “No way that’s true. Briar just wants everyone to be gay.”

“Everyone is gay, Faunie. For me.” Briar made an obscene gesture with two fingers and her tongue, then another pillow collided with her head.

Later, Soren found her on the balcony, nursing her drink. The night air was balmy, thick and promising summer heat. He stood beside her and his winter wind mixed with the air. Her skin tightened at the chill. She thought of Nilaja, all the contradictions they brought with them.

“I had hope for a second. Listening to Henrik. I shouldn’t have promised a month. We won’t find anything.”

Briar stared at the people below her, moving in groups. “We need time. We need to rework a spell. We need to figure out how to get near her. Don’t give up on hope yet, Soren. I know it seems dire but with everyone in there I realized we have numbers, we have backup. She doesn’t have that. None of the Gods are really on her side. Even if they mourn her.”

“What about other spell books? I never paid them attention but I’ve seen them go at auctions.” He chuckled when Briar looked up at him curiously. “What? I go to auctions. I like to buy old cufflinks. And people still use spells, old witches. Sometimes the kids use them for internet videos.”

“I’m scared to mess with spells. It’s powerful magic,” Briar said, thinking of the horrors she’d seen. “But you’re right. I’ve always focused on history books but I’ve got a couple spell books packed away. Mostly on housekeeping. I can reach out to my contacts.” She finished her drink. “You promised you’d slowly grow old with me. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to hurt you.” The same refrain that wouldn’t stop playing in her head.

“I know. We’ll use our month well. If I believe in anyone, I believe in you, Briar Constance. I watched you attack a God. Eliana has you wholly underestimated.”

Briar turned, watching everyone inside through the glass doors. Henrik had fallen asleep on the couch and Sparrow and Fauna were laughing, though Fauna’s cheeks were wet with tears.

Briar sighed. “At least I’ll always have the nude photo you sent me to remember you by.”

Soren wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Put it above my grave. That’s how I’d like to be remembered.”

“A billboard overlooking Esse Park.”

“I always thought it was neat to live by a Gods Spot, now it’s like this magnet drawing me to it. I can’t pass it without stopping and wondering at everything I missed before. I always thought it just held a connection to the Gods. Do you think it bolsters our magic as well?”

“So many thoughts up there in that pretty head. Why don’t we visit the park sometime soon? At the very least we could try out a few spells and see if it does amplify our magic. I want whatever advantage we can get.” She rubbed her arms. Though the night had not chilled, something inside her had. “She likes you.”

His arms dropped from her side and he shoved his hands in his pockets. “She has the absolute worst taste in men. You turned me into someone who gives a shit and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive you for that.”

“What are you going to do…about that?” About the ill-fated glances she saw between them. The ones it had taken her far too long to notice.

“I don’t know. It’s weird, I know that. I know she deserves someone who noticed her first. I know it’s weird for both of us. So, yeah, I don’t know. What about you? What are you going to do about Lillia? You can’t just let her get away.” He sank down until he was sitting and wrapped his arms around his knees.

Briar did the same. “I don’t know about that either. Everything she said about me was right. I’m never happy. Never satisfied. But maybe I could be. I want to be.” She was so selfish, making Soren talk of the future when he might not have one. But until it was inevitable, until the blade was in her hand, she had to believe it would work out.

Dwelling on death would leave her paralyzed. She knew she hadn’t seen the end of it, that the path ahead would run with blood. But she had to pretend they would find a solution. She had to pretend she’d find a book tucked away somewhere and it would tell her what to do because it was the only way she could get out of bed in the morning.

Soren put his head on his arms, muffling his words. “I’m scared, Briar. I don’t want to die.”

“I don’t want you to die. I don’t think I can do it. Maybe that’s why she’s letting me live, so I know I’m a coward. You’ve offered yourself and all I can think about is how scared I am.”

The air chilled and when she looked over, he was watching her with silent tears falling down his face, freezing before they hit his chin. She wanted to say more but instead she leaned against the railing of the balcony, half wishing it would give way. But it was Constance steel and it would not budge.