With the library closed, my mom’s spirit safely inside the locked box, and the guards restored to their positions, Finch and I had been frog-marched to Katherine’s office so we could await her return. The injured ones had gone to the infirmary to get their frazzled skin seen to, while others had taken their place, all along the hallway. Fortunately for us, however, the guards who’d escorted us here seemed preoccupied with what had just happened, the three of them clustered a short distance away, speaking in scared whispers.
“Do you think she’ll really kill Henry and Jenna?” one asked.
Another shrugged. “Of course she will. They allowed themselves to be compromised.”
Meanwhile, I gaped at Finch. “So you’re telling me there might have been a way out of that library this whole time, and you didn’t think to mention it the moment we had my mother’s spirit?” He’d just told me about the secret door he’d caught sight of, though a little too late for it to be any use.
He shrugged. “I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”
“And what good is that?”
“Well, now we have a way out, even with all this added security. We can use it to escape when we snatch your mom’s spirit again. Anyway, it wasn’t like I saw it as soon as we got in. It was a last-minute spot.”
“Yeah, provided we make it out of this meeting in one piece. What do you think the chances of that are?”
He smiled. “Fifty-fifty?”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Oh, come on, what are you so worried about? We’ve got our alibis covered. Those guards will attest to what we say. I can’t say the same for Tess. As soon as we leave this meeting, we can get back into the library through that secret door and take the jar. It’s not just an exit, Sis—doors go both ways.”
I paused. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Now who’s the idiot? I just have to find out where the entrance is. Katherine once said something about ‘looking for Lux’ to find it, but I don’t know what that means. Not that I won’t figure it out.” The smugness was radiating off him, no Empathy needed. Glancing at him, I had to smile. If what he said was true, and he really knew the way back into the library through that second door, then we were closer to victory than I’d thought. This was the break we needed, and with Katherine distracted by Tess, it might be the perfect timing, too. Not that I felt good about it. I didn’t want Tess to suffer like this. If we’d had more time, I would’ve tried to save her, but I didn’t know if that was even a possibility now.
“We haven’t won yet,” I reminded him. “And can we not just talk about Tess like that? She’s going to die because of your trick with the replay thing. Like, really die. In a horrible, horrible way. This isn’t a casual threat.”
He shrugged, visibly chastened. “But we can see the finish line, right?”
“Come on, let’s just get through this and try not to get ourselves killed. And remember what Tess is giving up for us… because of us. Okay?”
“Killjoy.”
We put on solemn expressions as Katherine rounded the corner, sweeping past us into the office. The door slammed behind her, leaving us confused. Were we supposed to just go in? Finch made the first move, knocking and waiting for her to reply, the two of us sharing one last, conspiratorial look before we entered the lion’s den.
“Come in,” Katherine called.
Gathering every ounce of courage I had left, I pushed through the door and into Katherine’s study. She sat behind the expansive desk, flipping casually through a stack of large books with covers made out of a material that resembled human skin.
“What do you think, Volla—death by flaying to the bone and making her eat what comes off, or death by cellular disintegration, killing her one cell at a time? They’re both time consuming, but that is what I promised. I can’t let Tess down now, can I?” She chuckled darkly. My stomach churned.
Every scrap of Katherine’s former anger appeared to have dissipated, leaving the composed Katherine we were used to. Her left hand glowed as she scanned it over the pages, revealing hidden words and symbols.
“Whichever you prefer,” I replied, forcing my voice to stay calm.
“You’ll get splinters if you sit on the fence, Volla,” she tutted, looking up. “But I can’t knock your punctuality.
Sit.”
We did as she asked, looking like naughty schoolkids who’d been brought into the principal’s office. Only, with much higher stakes.
“Now, tell me what you were doing in the library. I know you weren’t just trying to apprehend Tess. Before she was locked away in one of my personal Bestiary boxes, she insisted that the two of you were up to no good. I’m inclined to believe her, given how desperate she was. Traitor or not, I sensed it was prudent to listen.” She smiled. “Plus, you’re new. I’m always suspicious of newbies. Call it an occupational quirk.”
I didn’t know what to say. My mouth had clammed up. Fortunately, Finch took the lead and leaned forward in his chair.
“I already knew that Tess was the traitor, Eris.” At least he was sticking to the script on this one. We’d figured, before coming here, that it was best to stay as close to the truth as possible, without the obvious discrepancies. “We were passing the library on our way to the war room, when we heard a commotion inside. The door was open, so we went in, and we found two collapsed guards and Tess heading for the door with that jar in her hands. I took it from her and was trying to put it back, when she turned on us and told us all that stuff about you.”
He was improvising, and I didn’t know if I liked it.
“When we saw Tess with the jar, that was it. We knew what she was up to, and we had to stop her so she wouldn’t have the chance to ruin your plans,” Finch continued. “The rest is history.”
Katherine smiled, but there was something deeply unsettling about it. “About that trick you pulled with the replay—very clever. Did they teach you that in Russia?”
Finch nodded. “Our parents were eager for us to learn how to defend ourselves. We learned from ex-Russian secret magical services.”
She shrugged, apparently satisfied. “I suppose deception is in your nature.”
“I only use those skills if I need to, Eris,” Finch replied.
“Yes, I suppose you do.” That smile crept onto her lips again, sending a shiver through me. “I happen to like spells like that. They’re so much more satisfying than voice recorders or polygraph tests. I can get on board with most technology, but I find these modern cell phones fairly distasteful, making everyone into zombies. ‘Pics or it didn’t happen,’ that sort of vile thing. Once I’ve achieved my goal, I’ll see them banned. Make people actually sit up and take notice of the world around them. Then, they might see what they’ve been missing while they’ve been staring at their screens. Maybe I’ll post one picture, to let them know that it did happen, on the day their world ends.”
Katherine on Instagram? There was a strange idea. I couldn’t imagine her posting snaps of her dinner, and hashtagging: #endoftheworld #blessed #cultlife. It made me want to laugh suddenly, but I pushed the giggle down. That was a sure way to get myself blown up.
“I’m thankful you two were there to intervene. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened. Tess’s treachery is not something I can forgive or forget.” She sighed, as if the weight of the world were on her shoulders. “I view all the members here as my children. I suffer when one of them suffers. I feel their pain, as any mother would. Every word Tess said was like a barb in my heart. It’s unjust and untrue. All I want is to give these people their fair shot at a majestic life, free from the shackles of banality and human-run power. And yet, I’m spurned for it.”
Geez, you’d be the last on the list to win Mom of the Year.
“I mean to bring them peace and prosperity, but that comes at a price. It comes with blood and sweat and hard work. They would see it handed to them on a silver platter, but I’m not a believer in letting things come to me. I grab what I want by the balls and squeeze until I get it.”
Nice image. I shuddered discreetly, and Finch did too.
“Your job can’t come without its sacrifices, right?” he said, surprising me.
She nodded. “Exactly. I do what I have to do, in order to make this world a better place for my children.”
Don’t rise to it, Finch! I wanted to reach out and grab his hand, to forcibly pull him away from the trap he was edging toward. But if I’d done that, she would’ve known something was up. Instead, I had to sit there as the carrot dangled in front of him.
“What kind of sacrifices?” he pressed.
She shrugged. “All kinds. Sending teams into dangerous scenarios. Getting rid of people who’ve become weak.
Severing ties to people who betray me. That sort of thing.”
“Like putting your son on the front line? He’s in Purgatory now, right?”
Oh, Finch…
Katherine sighed, and I could have sworn she’d managed to muster a tear. “Yes, he is, and not a day goes by that I don’t worry about him. He did so much for me, and I can’t get him out. I might take risks, but trying to break into Purgatory is too dangerous, even for me.”
Funny, since you sent Kenneth in there to kill Finch. I held the words in, even though I was dying to scream them in her face. I glanced at Finch, praying he wasn’t stupid enough to listen to her. He knew what she’d done. Surely, she didn’t still have any kind of hold on him?
“Are you going to punish us for being in the library?” I cut in, eager to get this over with.
She shook her head. “You did me a favor. I’ve got no reason to punish you. But, I should warn you, if I find you in there again, I won’t be so lenient. Two strikes are one more than I’m used to giving, though I can make an exception on this occasion.”
“So we’re free to go?” I almost heaved out a sigh of relief.
“You are.”
“Thank you, Eris. We won’t let you down.” I scraped back my chair and made to leave, and Finch followed. He seemed quieter than normal, his expression confused. I needed to get him out of here, pronto, before Katherine could weave any of her motherly magic on him. With us being so close to the finish line, I wasn’t about to take two steps back.
“Pieter?” Katherine’s voice sliced through the room. No… We were almost out of here.
Finch turned. “Yes, Eris?”
“Could you stay behind a moment? I’ve got some tasks for you. With Tess locked up, I need someone to take over her duties, and I can’t trust Kenneth to handle them. Would you mind? I’ll need to run through them with you.” She smiled sweetly, but I knew the devil lurked behind her innocent demeanor.
“Uh… sure.”
“Do you want me to stay and help?” I couldn’t leave here without Finch.
She shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. It’s a one-man job, and two would be overkill. You can go.” “Relax,” Finch whispered. “Just do your thing and I’ll meet you later. Look for the light and you’ll work it out.”
Look for the light? I remembered what he’d said about Lux and the secret entrance to the library, but he said he hadn’t figured it out himself, so how was I supposed to?
I really didn’t want to leave him here, but it wasn’t like I could stomp my feet until she relented. Reluctantly, I stepped out of the room, hearing Katherine’s words as the door closed behind me.
“You have a great future in this cult, for sure.”