“Well, I’ve met your mother now. And I get the feeling that there’s not much in this world that wouldn’t disappoint her.”
Adam smiled slightly, but then worry crossed his expression again. “My whole life, whenever I’ve needed him, Farrell’s been there for me. More like a friend than a brother. Even more than Connor was.”
“Connor?” Becca asked absently. Again she was distracted by Crys and Farrell and was trying very hard to send Crys a mental message: Come back. He’s hot, but he’s also Markus’s brainwashed minion, remember?
“My oldest brother. Or he was my oldest brother.”
She turned immediately back to face him. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks. He died last year. It was in the news.” Adam offered her another small, sad smile. “Our family’s kind of famous in this city, you know.”
“So I’m learning.”
“Yeah. Well, when it happened, Connor was very much in Markus’s good graces, just like Farrell is now. That’s another reason why I’m worried about him. I know Farrell never believed that Connor killed himself. From the moment they found him, Farrell felt in his gut that he was murdered and that whoever did it wanted to make it look like suicide. I’m starting to wonder if he might be right.”
“Oh my God,” Becca gasped.
“If it is true, I’d be surprised if it didn’t have something to do with Markus. The timing’s way too coincidental.”
Becca studied Adam Grayson for a long moment, trying to decide whether or not she could trust him. He had already helped her and Crys twice now, and it was clear he felt the same way about Markus and his influence that the Hatchers did. She didn’t want to give him every detail about what their research had concluded—that they needed to get the dagger as soon as possible to try to put an end to this whole terrible chain of events—but the truth was that she could really use some help from someone on the inside.
Suddenly, something caught Adam’s eye, and his gaze shifted to somewhere beyond Becca. His expression darkened.
Becca glanced over her shoulder. There, making his way through the crowd, was Markus King. Her breath caught in her chest. This was her chance, but she felt completely paralyzed.
No, Becca told herself. No second thoughts. She knew what she had to do. And right here, in the middle of a huge party, provided the safest environment to do it.
Unless . . .
“How many people here are in the Hawkspear Society?” she asked Adam warily.
Adam thought for a moment, scanning the room. “Less than half, I’d say.”
The tight feeling that had built up in her chest eased off by a fraction. “That means more than half of them aren’t under Markus’s spell?”
“What, you’re imagining all the Hawkspears will start grabbing at you like zombies if they see you approach their leader at a public event?”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking, actually.”
She turned back to the crowd to make sure she didn’t lose track of Markus, and a familiar flash of blond hair caught her eye. Jackie was trailing only a few paces behind Markus, her gaze fixed on him like a predator on her prey.
Becca stood up, the black shadow slithering out from under the table along with her. She spared it only a short glance before returning her attention to Markus and Jackie.
“Are you even listening to me?” Adam’s voice was wary as he touched her arm. “Markus is dangerous. He kidnapped you a week ago, or did you forget that already?”
“I have to do this.”
“You are seriously the most frustrating girl I’ve ever met.” His jaw was set as he also watched Markus. “Is there any way I can talk you out of this?”
“No.”
“What you’re doing—what you think you’re doing . . .” He hesitated. “Do you think there’s a chance that it could help free my brother? Free my family from that man?”
The pain in his voice captured her full attention. She met his gaze. “I don’t know. It’s possible.”
Adam responded with only a solemn gaze, but Becca saw enough sadness and empathy in it to keep going.
“Will you help me?” she asked. “I need to get close to him.”
Adam was silent for so long that Becca began to worry she’d made a horrible mistake—what if his big speech about morality was all a ploy to get her to trust him when he was the last person she should begin to trust? What if his questions about helping his family were part of the same ploy? She was seriously considering bolting when, finally, Adam nodded firmly.
“Fine,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Becca let out a small sigh of relief. They began making their way across the crowded ballroom.
Valoria claimed that she wanted that dagger to ensure that the mortals she used it on would be loyal, obedient, and trustworthy. She’d used those exact words—loyalty, obedience, and trust—but that was a very mild way of saying what she actually had in mind.
What the goddess really wanted was an army of slaves.
Was that what Markus already had in half of these people in the ballroom tonight, dressed to the nines in their sparkles and masks? Were all these refined members of high society merely slaves required to carry out any evil deed their master commanded of them?
Becca knew how strong and determined Jackie was and that her heart was definitely in the right place. Jackie wanted to save her family and prevent an evil man from doing even more harm, but was she a fool to go after a dangerous immortal who possessed so much power?
Then again, wasn’t that almost exactly the same thing that Becca was doing?
All Becca could do was hope that her theory was right: that destroying that dagger would free not just her mother but everyone in Markus’s secret society.
With Adam close by her side, she kept Markus and Jackie in her sight. She watched Markus pluck two glasses of champagne from a passing tray while her aunt lurked behind him. Markus turned around, practically facing Jackie now, and Becca almost flinched. But Jackie didn’t turn away or act aloof. She just stood there while Markus King handed her a glass of champagne, which she accepted.
Should this have come as such a surprise to Becca? Jackie and Julia were known to Markus, of course. The Kendalls had been a part of the society for generations until the sisters had left it. Jackie must have figured that the best way to get closer to Markus would be to play the long time, no see card so she could butter him up and get the dagger.
And kill him.
Becca and Adam followed the pair to the back of the ballroom, opposite the entrance, to an archway that led into a small alcove. Becca pressed back against the wall and signaled Adam to do the same next to her, making sure that they were out of sight of the pair but still within earshot of their conversation. The ball continued in full view only twenty feet away.
The shadow came to rest next to the nearest empty table, its occupants currently on the adjacent dance floor. She stared at the inky blot of darkness as she strained her ears to hear anything over the sound of the band and the constant din of conversation.
“You spared no expense tonight,” Jackie said. “This is wonderful champagne.”
“Do you remember your first taste?” Markus replied.
“How could I forget? It’s not like every girl gets her first sip of champagne while sitting in the shadow of the Eifel Tower with . . . well, someone like you.”
“I’m so glad you came tonight. I wasn’t sure you would.”
“I wasn’t sure I would either. But I’m glad too.”
Becca and Adam exchanged a confused look. After seeing that first exchange with the champagne, Becca had certainly been expecting her aunt to flirt, but this discussion seemed too friendly. More than flirting. These two had history. Much more than two people merely acquainted through a shared organization should have.
“Honestly, Markus?” Jackie continued. “I’m amazed by your patience all these years.”
“With the book, you mean? Or with you?”
&nb
sp; “Both, really. I know how furious you must have been to have lost it in the exact same moment you found it.”
“I went about things in a foolish way. I know that now, and I apologize. Knowing how much you hated me . . . I felt my choices were limited.”
“The thing about hatred is that it almost always fades over time. Whether you want it to or not—the heart just can’t keep up with all that effort.”
“I’ve always believed just the opposite,” Markus replied without skipping a beat. Becca could sense a heavy hesitation hanging between them, until Markus spoke again. “I will say it again, my love: I didn’t kill your family. It wasn’t me.”
My love?
Becca was certain she must have heard him wrong. Why would he say something so intimate to Jackie?
Her aunt inhaled sharply. “That is what I was led to believe as a child, yes. But time has taught me that not everything is as it seems. My parents died in a car accident, plain and simple and so tragic because it was so senseless. I was furious at that senselessness, so when the idea was introduced, it was easier to blame you. And I’m sorry for that. And Grandmother . . . I see now that she took her own life.”
Becca felt Adam grow tense. She reached out to clutch his hand.
Another Markus-adjacent suicide, and a suspicious car accident too. It could be a coincidence. But Becca didn’t really believe in coincidences—especially not when Markus was involved.
Anyway, Becca couldn’t really focus on any of that at the moment. Those two words—my love—kept echoing in her mind over and over again.
Oh my God, she thought.
They were together when Jackie was in the society. When she hadn’t been much older than Becca herself. Is that what that meant? Or was she reading too much into it?
A wave of nausea shot through her like a lightning bolt as she thought of her teenaged aunt falling in love with Markus, an ancient immortal being who treated murder like a day at the office.
She couldn’t breathe.
Becca had to find a way to focus, to keep her mind from reeling over this revelation. She closed her eyes and steadied her breath. Okay. Maybe it’s a good thing Markus still has feelings for Jackie, she thought. Maybe this was even what Jackie was hoping for—and with good reason too. Perhaps his love for her was the only thing that had kept him from muscling his way into Angus’s apartment and killing everyone in his path to get to the Codex.
“I have a confession to make, Markus,” Jackie said. Becca blinked away all the distracting thoughts from her head and listened, rapt. “I came here tonight to ask something of you. A personal favor.”
“What’s that?”
“The golden dagger,” Jackie said, and Becca’s heart leaped into her throat. Jackie continued before Markus could say a word. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I want to see it again. I just want to learn more about it. As I’m sure you already know, I’ve become involved in an organization that has a special interest in such pieces.”
“You assume I’ve been keeping tabs on you all this time?” Markus’s question was innocent enough—he didn’t fly into a rage at Jackie’s mention of the dagger, as Becca would have expected. But there was a definite change in the tone of his voice, a note of something that wasn’t there before.
“I do.”
“Well, you assume correctly. And to say I don’t approve of your choice of vocation would be to put it mildly. These thieves you’ve chosen to associate yourself with—you’re part of something dangerous.”
“There you go again, just as overprotective of me as ever.”
“I didn’t want you to get hurt. I still don’t.”
“I know.”
“What are you asking of me, Jackie? What do you want to do? Photograph the dagger? Put it into some kind of database to which your ring of thieves has access?”
“It’s not just a ring of thieves, Markus. It’s a group of people who are passionate about learning what lies beyond this world. About the possibility of magic within our—everyone’s—reach. It’s important work that could lead to better ways to protect everyone in this world—which is exactly what you say your society is trying to do.”
“Yes, of course. That work does sound very important.”
Doubt. That’s what now coated Markus’s words.
If Becca heard it, Jackie must have as well.
“I do understand if this is something you don’t want to share. I know how important that dagger is to the society.”
“Do you? Because if you truly understood its importance, you wouldn’t ask such a favor of me. Especially given how long we’ve been apart.”
“Forget I mentioned it,” Jackie said with a nervous twist of her voice.
“I don’t know if that’s possible, Jackie. Is this a game to you? Coming here, trying to convince me that you’ve seen the error of your ways, that all is forgiven? I wanted to trust you. I really did. But I see that nothing’s changed between us. That, aside from your improved ability to lie, you haven’t changed at all.”
Becca’s stomach sank. Her aunt had moved too quickly, and it didn’t seem like she could recover.
“Really, Markus? You wanted to trust me?” Now there was something new in Jackie’s tone as well, a bite of iciness that chilled even Becca.
“Of course I did,” Markus said. “I knew you would bring me the book eventually, of your own free will, no less. I am not a patient person, but when it comes to you, it seems I have all the patience in the world.”
“I see. Funny, though, because if that were true, you never would have started messing with Julia’s mind again.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know you’ve been calling her, tapping back into her society marks to control her.”
“I’ve done nothing of the sort,” Markus said, impressing Becca with how genuinely scandalized he seemed. “Her marks were always weak, from the very beginning. I only allowed her to remain in the society because she was your sister, and a Kendall. Your marks, on the other hand, are completely gone. I tried to find you through them so many times, and I never succeeded. I always wondered why.”
“I guess they didn’t take as well as you always thought,” Jackie said, but her voice had grown quiet and timid, the iciness gone now.
“It was the pregnancy,” Markus said coolly. “Wasn’t it?”
Jackie fell silent. The accusation hung in the air between them as Becca tried to make sense of what Markus just said. Jackie, pregnant? As far as Becca knew, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
“See? You don’t attempt to deny it because you know it’s useless. I know.” Markus spoke slowly, his tone calm and even. “Becca is my daughter.”
Becca pressed herself hard against the wall so she wouldn’t fall when her legs gave out beneath her.
“Markus, I—”
“You’ve hidden her from me all these years, but now there will be no more hiding, Jackie. She’s mine. She belongs to me now.”
Becca’s mind had gone blank and silent. Behind her eyes was a dark and empty cavern where nothing but the devastation of this moment existed.
“Becca is my daughter.”
“Becca.” Adam was whispering to her. Dimly, she realized that he had hooked his arm through hers and was helping to keep her vertical.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” she managed.
This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t. Markus was lying, and Jackie was just too scared to deny it.
“I want the Codex, and I want the girl,” Markus growled. “And I want you out of my sight.”
With that, he turned and stormed out of the alcove to enter the main ballroom again. Adam tried to shock Becca into moving on her own, to maneuver in time to get out of Markus’s line of sight, but it was too late. The immortal fixed his hawkish eyes on Becca’s dazed ones. She stared at him, frozen in place, seeing him as if for the first time.
His dark blue eyes . . . the oval curve of his face . . . the slight dimple in
his chin . . .
They were just like hers.
Jackie emerged from the alcove a moment later, a look of fierceness lighting up her face. But when she saw Becca, her hand flew to her mouth, and all that fiery determination was extinguished.
Markus hadn’t moved, hadn’t taken his attention away from Becca for one moment.
“Becca,” Jackie gasped. “What are you doing here?”
Becca tried to speak, to make any sound at all, but she couldn’t. Her reeling mind and shattered heart wouldn’t let her.
Tears began to stream down Jackie’s face. “Damn it, Becca!” she swore loudly. “I told you to stay home, where it’s safe.”
“Nowhere is safe,” Markus said under his breath. “You should know that by now.”
Becca wasn’t crying—another thing her heart and mind wouldn’t let her do—but her body felt as cold as ice. Like one little fall would shatter her into a million pieces.
So this was real. If it were a nightmare, someone—Jackie, Adam, even Markus—would have told her.
The shadow at her feet drew closer to her, weaving back and forth at the floor before her in a slow figure eight. She started to shiver, and Adam took off his suit jacket and put it around her shoulders.
“Why?” Becca finally managed to ask, her voice cracking. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Jackie wiped at her tears and stole an apprehensive glance at Markus. “If you hurt her, I swear I’ll kill you.”
Markus tore his gaze from Becca and glared harshly at Jackie.
Becca knew he was about to say something atrocious, something that might result in more damage than she could have ever been prepared for. But before he could say or do a single thing, a loud crashing sound rang out across the ballroom. They froze and turned to watch a group of about a dozen people dressed in black come through the entrance on the opposite side. They all wore thick black ski masks—not the kind found on a guest at a masquerade ball.
One of them raised a gun and pointed it at the ceiling. He fired off a shot, and the whole party fell into absolute silence.