Traitor

  “She didn’t take my side. She defended herself, defended the people she had already promised to protect.”

  He cocked his head, sadness dulling his eyes. “I agree, but semantics can play against us. She knew what she was doing, and so did those who struck against her. Her own protection had been taken away. She didn’t get the chance to adjust. Whoever organised her death must have known this because they acted as soon as Baba Yaga was judged by her peers.”

  “Her peers? Judged?” I glanced at Anka, who shrugged and held her finger to her lips.

  Breslin leaned forward eagerly. “There’s so much you don’t know. The judgement was decided, and the attack came almost immediately. Clever move because only the spilling of her blood by an enemy would permit entry by those who intended harm. When she was injured at her home, the protection temporarily fell from the cul-de-sac because they spilled just enough of her blood to weaken the magic. Upon her death, it fell for good.”

  “So there’s no hope,” Margie said in a dull voice. “We’ll never be safe there again.”

  “The others won’t interfere, but there is hope.”

  Others?

  Breslin slipped on a pair of glasses and shuffled through the papers on his desk. “Ah, here it is. Her heir’s blood will provide the same defences on the homes of those who were under Baba Yaga’s protection. It all comes with a price, of course, but there can be protection once again. Provided the heir stays out of the bloodshed and doesn’t try to influence anyone to take actions that the heir would profit from.” He looked up and smiled as if he expected us to be happy.

  But I was more confused than ever. “Why would her heir give us his blood protection?” I asked, choosing to lead with the least complicated one of my questions.

  “It’s a lifetime commitment, really, but it’s not as serious as it sounds.” He patted the pages in front of him. “It shouldn’t hurt so much. I can organise everything, but I’m more concerned with the long-term options.”

  “We’re all concerned with long-term changes,” Anka said sharply. “How long do we have to find new homes if the heir refuses?”

  Breslin shot a concerned glance at Anka. “I’ll read her will as soon as you’re all ready. Upon speaking the words, the clauses therein will be invoked, and I would rather we all know where we stand first. Mrs. Yaga wished to provide for all of her souls. She left the homes to those who still live in them. It was the fairest way she could think of.”

  My mouth dropped open. “She’s giving us the houses? All of us?”

  “Yes,” he said. “Her first priority has always been to protect those she accepted under her wing. The only proviso is that the tenant had lived in the property for at least twelve consecutive months up to the point of her death.”

  I stared at the floor. “That counts me out.”

  “Well, no.” He removed his glasses. “Baba Yaga had an important role to play. She made a choice a long time ago, a choice that brought her some unusual advantages. Her death marks the end of an era and leaves empty a role that has to be filled.”

  “What are you saying?” I asked impatiently. “That there’ll be another landlady or…?”

  “Of course,” he said. “That’s how her role evolved. You couldn’t understand. Her deals were made in darker days. They’re older than those in power. There are higher beings than Councils and governments, Ms. Delaney. There are those who are outside of the normal laws, who are untouchable. But those untouchable beings cannot take sides. They are not politicians. Baba Yaga was one of them. She was the Matriarch of Lost Souls, and her seat has to be filled in order to maintain the balance set in this world long before anyone alive on this island existed. The circle of protection has now been broken.” He held up his hands. “As I said, I don’t understand it all, but Baba Yaga’s vault can be opened by the one who will replace her. Only then will all of the secrets be revealed.”

  I exchanged a glance with Anka.

  Margie asked, “Where does this leave us?”

  Breslin’s gaze locked with mine. “We need a new Matriarch, partly to maintain neutral status on the properties to protect them. Times have changed, but other things never do. My business has always had one client only, and we’re waiting to serve. The lost souls need to find their way. She insisted she had found her replacement. She intended you to replace her, Ms. Delaney.”

  I let out a shaky laugh. “I’m not her replacement.”

  He blinked rapidly. “I was under the impression this was already agreed upon.”

  I opened and closed my mouth, glancing at all three of them in turn. “But I don’t have power. I don’t have deals or—”

  “If you don’t replace her, the people you hide in her buildings will lose her protection.”

  “Why can’t some other hag replace her?” I asked. “Why can’t—”

  “You’re missing the point. It isn’t about the power you wield or the circumstances of your birth.”

  “Then what the hell is it about?”

  He took a deep breath. “It’s about the right person at the right time, but I’m not the person to ask. There’s a role that needs to be filled. Baba Yaga sought out her replacement, and according to her, you already agreed to this. If you don’t accept, the role will remain empty unless someone suitable comes along. That may or may not happen, but unfortunate events come to pass when there is an empty seat for too long.” He gazed at me. “Everything happens for a reason.”

  Frowning, I stood. “This is a mistake. I was made to be a warrior, to fight. I can’t be neutral when our country is going to hell. Mrs. Yaga saw that herself.”

  “There’s a bigger picture,” he said softly. “The only way you can protect your neighbours and yourself is to step into the role and fulfil the terms of the will. Are you ready for me to read the will? It will set everything into motion.”

  I walked toward the door. “I’m going home, where I know what the hell I’m doing some of the time. I’m going back to fight in the war that’s coming our way, the war your so-called neutral Matriarch was prepared to take part in.”

  I left the building in a hurry, but I had to wait outside for nearly an hour until Margie and Anka emerged.

  “He’s going to give you some time if you really want to leave,” Anka said.

  “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” I said. “You know what I have to do. I don’t get to give up in the middle and claim neutrality. That doesn’t save us.”

  “It protects you,” she said urgently. “Didn’t you hear him? You would be untouchable! Do you not understand? Even if we fail, the Council can never touch you.”

  “And where does that leave the rest of you?”

  “You could protect us,” Margie said. “You could do for us what Mrs. Yaga did for so long.”

  “She died,” I hissed. “She wasn’t so untouchable when she died to protect you.”

  “She gave up her protection to help you,” Anka said sharply. “Don’t be so ungrateful.”

  I took a couple of steps away from her. “I made a deal with her. She gave me a price, and I paid it. She never mentioned me giving up what I’m doing. Why would she? She joined us.”

  Anka’s gaze was unwavering. “She never told you she thought you were like her? She never mentioned lost souls?”

  “She never said I had to… I had a choice. She was vague, and…” I tried to remember the hag’s exact words.

  “If you don’t take her place, it might never be done,” Margie said. “We need you. Emmett could come back. You could—”

  “Why does everyone need me for something?” I realized I was yelling and sucked in a breath to try to calm down. “I’m not Mrs. Yaga. I’m not anybody. I’m just…” I shook my head. “Don’t tell the others about this. Not now. I can’t deal with all of this as well.”

  “See the bigger picture and know that this could change everything for you.” Margie linked her arm in mine. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, b
ut at least think about it.”

  “Wait. Why were you two there? He barely spoke to either of you until I left.”

  Margie exchanged a glance with Anka before answering. “Love, I think we’re supposed to convince you. All I know for sure is that there are worse things than the Council. There are far more terrifying enemies. We need you.”

  I pulled away from her. “If anyone wants to explain it to me, feel free, but if you’re just going to keep hinting then I don’t want to hear it.”

  “You’re not ready to listen to anybody these days,” Anka said in a voice that reminded me of when she scolded her daughter.

  “I’m ready to fight,” I insisted. “I don’t know how to find lost souls or how to help them. All I can do is kill. That’s what’s going to win us this war.” I let them see my fangs to remind them of my heritage.

  Anka laughed. “You saw Mrs. Yaga’s true face, Ava. You know the monster my mother was. Don’t tell me what we were born to be. You’ve spent your entire life fighting against that. The lost souls will find you. Emmett, Carl, Esther, even Val and Leah. They’ve all found you. That’s how it works.”

  “I wasted my time fighting against what I was born to be,” I snapped, “because there’s only darkness in me, and the only time I feel alive is when I send the light away. I can never be neutral. I’m a monster, and I think like one.”

  They didn’t follow me when I stalked away. A weight had lifted from my shoulders when the truth finally left my lips. I had seen my true face, and it was something to fear.

  Chapter Two

  I rapped on the bookshop door five times, and Eddie opened it cautiously.

  “Locking your door these days?” I shuffled my feet as he glanced down the empty street.

  “It’s a symbol of safety,” he replied. “Were you seen?”

  I shook my head. “Hurry up and let me in. It’s cold, and we need to talk before anyone else arrives.”

  Sighing, he let me inside the dimly lit room. I inhaled the familiar scents of magic—freshly doused matches and sea salt. That tinge of darkness I had recently been sensing was absent.

  I noticed a bead of sweat running down Eddie’s temple. “If you’re stressed, then I need to worry.”

  He ran his hands through his ginger hair. He needed a haircut, and heavy bags cradled his blue eyes. I had never seen Eddie Brogan, Keeper of Gods, in such poor shape.

  “I’m not stressed. I’m busy,” he said. “While you children run around making friends, I have to ensure there are no traitors in our midst. And I need to prepare for the next step, despite your unnecessary reluctance, Ava.”

  I shrugged. His next step likely involved taking advantage of magical children. I was the one who would stop him, whether he realised it or not. I took a seat on his counter, much to his chagrin.

  “What’s today’s problem?” he asked.

  “Carl and I have been thinking,” I said.

  He tutted. “A dangerous hobby, to be sure.”

  Grinning, I swung my legs so my heels kicked solid wood. “We were talking, and we’ve decided we’re nervous about the fact that roughly half of the Council and their consultants are supposed to be on our team. Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose? And how do we know who we can trust anyway?”

  He wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “It’s not half. And not all will last until the end. Trust me on that.”

  “So you’re keeping secrets again? How are we supposed to work together if I don’t even know the plan?”

  He approached me slowly. The bookshelves rattled, but nothing fell, so he was containing his anger. For the moment. “The only one on the Council who is on our side is Gabe, and that was because of your plans. I would never in a million years have taken him on board. Of the consultants, one hates your guts, one has gone missing, and I and the other two are glad for a chance to rise in power. Elathan is a gift, given his history with the Council, and Marina is far more powerful than even you can imagine. I have great uses in mind for her. More importantly, neither of them care enough about you to want you dead.” He paused and kept a stern eye on me. “And don’t pretend I’m the only one keeping secrets here, pet.” His expression softened. “You look exhausted. Are you keeping well?”

  Abruptly his mood had changed, and we were back to him talking to me in a doting tone of voice—a fatherly tone of voice. I touched the cross he had once given me, unable to imagine how everything would end. No matter what he did wrong, Eddie was one of the first supernatural people to assist me. He had helped me control my thirst when it had been more of a mental attack than anything else. I still owed him favours, and he hadn’t collected. Not yet.

  One more thing still bothered me: The warning Maeve had sent to me through Emmett that Eddie was seeking another like me. But why?

  “I’m fine.” I inched away from him, chilled all over again.

  “And how is everyone your way?” he asked. “Still getting along?”

  “As well as can be expected. We lost a few along the way. Not everyone wants to be part of a movement. But you were right about what we’ve gained; there are so many disgruntled people in this country right now.”

  “And the tattooist? Has she been tracked down yet?”

  I rubbed my temples. To my dismay, Carl and Val had recently teamed up in an attempt to find Raven, a one-time inmate of the slave market and someone who could possibly have information on the tattooed assassins. Both my friends had magical tattoos. They believed they would find the right information eventually, but all of their leads had so far resulted in dead ends.

  “No sign yet,” I said. “She may have left the country, or she could be in hiding. The tattoos might not even be her work.”

  “She could be dead.”

  I winced. I had made the mistake of trying to suggest the same thing to Val.

  He peered at me. “You look troubled. Is there something I should know?”

  “Just thinking about where we go from here.” Mrs. Yaga’s will was at the forefront of my thoughts, but I frowned as another problem came to mind. “The thing is, not everyone seems to want to follow my lead. I don’t know how to make them trust me.”

  “You don’t need their trust. You need their respect.” His tone chilled. “You need to let go of your emotions and teach them to obey.”

  The door rattled as somebody knocked five times. Eddie froze, only relaxing when I nodded.

  “Open it,” I said. “It’s them.”

  He did, allowing Garda Shay Whelan and Ben O’Halloran, aka Moses, to step inside. Moses held his hands behind his back.

  I frowned. “You’ve got to stop handcuffing him, Shay.”

  Shay gave me a sweet half-smile. “Best way to take him from the flats without drawing the wrong attention. The lads at the station are covering for me.”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t explain why he’s still handcuffed,” I said.

  The sullen look on Moses’s face turned into a delighted grin. “I caught him in the balls when he dragged me out.”

  Shay winced before pushing Moses forward. “Don’t remind me,” he said as he unlocked the cuffs. “Unless you don’t want a lift home.”

  Moses wrapped his arm around Shay’s shoulders, barely able to reach. “Me buddy, me pal.” Moses was everything I didn’t like in a person, and yet I couldn’t help liking him. He had lost some weight since the attack on his community, and he wore his scars like badges of honour, but his appetite for change—and vengeance—had only increased. His neighbourhood was owned by supernaturals who hadn’t bothered to help when the beasts came, and he wanted payback.

  Shay stepped toward me, a look I didn’t want to see on his face. “How are you doing? Have you heard from him recently?”

  I slid off the counter and walked away. I didn’t want to talk about Peter or Emmett. I didn’t want anyone to know how I grieved for the loss every time I was alone. I didn’t want to talk about the way I was angry at what had been given and then taken away. The
taste of family had only fed my hunger, and I had to put that feeling aside to carry on with the very actions that had driven that family away.

  And I was still mad at Shay for acting as though I were some kind of filthy dirt-eating monster when he’d learned the truth about me. Everything else felt like an apology I didn’t want.

  “Ava,” he said under his breath.

  Ignoring him, I nodded at Eddie.

  “Progress so far has been smooth,” Eddie said in a self-satisfied tone of voice. “There’s more to do, but in the time we’ve been given, we’ve all moved swiftly. Erossi has been struggling to deal with the negative PR, and we have been reeling in sympathisers, one soul at a time.”

  I shivered at the wording, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “Both the criminal element and the police force have been affected by someone powerful. If you both can work toward discovering who exactly is pulling the strings, then we’re one step closer to finding out where to strike first. If we take the head, the body will be easy to knock down. And if… no, when we rise amongst the rubble and major elements from the human communities stand by our side, the adjustments will be far easier to make.”

  “There’s been some bad press,” Shay said. “But people are still too scared to make a stand. Although, human politics have come into play. That could be a game-changer.”

  Eddie nodded. “As long as humans know there’s an alternative. As long as they know there are rebels willing to fight for them, you would be surprised at what we can achieve. Historically, the Irish have been the underdogs, always fighting battles they cannot possibly win, and yet refusing to lie down and die. This time, we have the chance to win. We have the chance to do things the right way. To bring the country to the state it belongs in, the way past wars and martyrs intended.”

  “And we don’t have to destroy the country to do it,” I reminded him, thinking of the witch Marina’s past ideas of bombing cities with black magic just to win a battle. We needed to win the war, but we needed a country left to win it for.