Claimed

  She nodded, a little frantically, and focused on a little tear in her sweatpants, her eyes tracing every tiny torn stitch. “Go on.”

  “I was fighting with everything I had, but the guy with the baton kept jabbing it into me, and every time he did, it felt like my bones were melting.”

  Galena pressed her face to their joined hands. She remembered—Eli had arched back, his body jerking. She’d been sure she was watching him die. “I couldn’t stop screaming,” she said.

  “The last thing I heard was you screaming my name. I knew you needed me. And I knew I had failed you.” He put his arm around her and kissed the back of her bowed head. “But that’s all I remember, G. It’s all I’ve got. I woke up in the ambulance when they brought me back to life.”

  She wished that was where her memories stopped as well. She wished they’d shocked her into unconsciousness. Instead, her brain had recorded every second with unwavering detail. “I don’t know if I can do this, Eli,” she whispered. “I’m afraid to lose control of them.”

  “They’re controlling you, G. And you know that. You know that.”

  She let out a sob. “I know.”

  He pulled her up but kept his arm around her, holding her tight. “But what you don’t know, what you need to know, is that you’re so much stronger than they are. And I’m sorry that I’ve forgotten that at times.”

  “Are you kidding? I’m a mess.” She swiped her hand over her face.

  “You’re a brilliant scientist. You’re focused on saving people. After what Rylan Ferry did to you, I thought I’d be picking up the pieces for months. But instead, you kept going. And then, when everything fell apart three days ago, again I was afraid you were done. I was so wrong.”

  “All of that was because of Dec. He’s held me together.”

  “Maybe he helped, but I don’t think you give yourself nearly enough credit. If you did, I think you’d tackle the enemies in your head with as much determination as you tackle all those germs in your lab.”

  She laid her cheek on his shoulder. “You are the best little brother ever.”

  “Because I have the best big sister.”

  She closed her eyes again, filled with gratitude that she still had him by her side. But was he right? Could she really conquer those barely contained memories, the ones that were still holding her down?

  Dec’s angular face appeared in her mind, his blue eyes, his smile. Just thinking of him soothed some of the panic and made her feel braver. She knew, though—her memories were the wall between them. They were keeping her from really touching him, from really knowing him.

  But she wanted to know him. And touch him. She wanted to be able to reach out to him in the fragile hope that he would reach back. Yes, he was protecting her out of honor, and maybe it was no more than that. But she would never know if she didn’t try.

  Which meant she had no choice but to face the past she had worked so hard to forget.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Dec stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Trevor as they walked into the Psychopomps tower. He glanced at the time projected up on the wall behind Walter. He had less than twelve hours to clear Galena’s name before Aislin brought the hammer down. Assuming she would actually give him that much time.

  Trevor looked utterly defeated, his eyes downcast. The sight made Dec’s throat tighten with sorrow and confusion. What the hell had happened? He put his hand on Trevor’s shoulder. “Can you call Erin? Maybe she could help us figure out what’s going on.” Because the more he thought about it, the more Trevor’s actions didn’t make sense. Angry or not, Ker or not, the Trevor he knew would never stab an innocent woman in the chest. He wouldn’t Mark people who weren’t fated to die.

  Trevor’s eyes went wide. “No! I promised her I wouldn’t bring her into this. She was so scared, Dec. And if Moros finds out, he’ll probably kill her just for being with me. None of this is her fault. She tried to stop me.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “She didn’t tell anyone because she didn’t want to get me in trouble, but because she didn’t tell, she looks guilty. I can’t do that to her.”

  “Fine.” But I’m going to track her down. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “After what I did?” His dark skin was ashy, like he was going to puke. “If I’m capable of that, I shouldn’t be allowed to exist.” He looked at Dec and gave him a sad smile. “Thanks for sticking by me.”

  It was finally becoming real, the understanding that he was about to lose his best friend. “Maybe Moros will show mercy.”

  “If you believe that, you know nothing about him.”

  But Dec did know. Moros had a reputation for being pretty ruthless with the Kere who didn’t obey him. And the Lord of the Kere had made it very clear that he wanted Galena to be protected. If Trevor had done something to endanger her, he didn’t stand a chance. Dec’s grip tightened over the strap of the duffel bag into which he’d stuffed the sack containing the bloody knife. He quickened his pace through the soaring lobby.

  Four guards intercepted him before he had a chance to reach Walter. “Mr. Ferry, we’ve been instructed to bring you straight to Level Four,” said the one whose name tag read “Max.” He was fiddling with the electroshock baton at his belt.

  “You’ll have my cooperation,” said Dec. “As long as you call my sister right now and tell her to meet us there. I need to talk to her.”

  Max frowned. “Sir, her instructions didn’t—”

  Dec stepped close to him. “Max, what would she do if she knew you’d prevented me from giving her important information about the Galena Margolis case?”

  The guard’s nostrils flared with annoyance. “You can just tell us, and we’ll tell her.”

  “I’m not talking to anyone but Aislin.” Dec gestured at Trevor. “My friend and I need to speak with her immediately.”

  Trevor leaned forward slowly, not even trying to hide the crimson glow in his eyes. “We’re doing you a favor, son,” he said slowly, his deep voice rumbling. “If I wanted to leave and take Dec with me right now, I could do that. But we’re here. So call your boss and let her know.”

  Max took a full step back and bumped into another guard. He pressed his earpiece and waited a moment, then spoke. “Ms. Ferry. Your brother is here. There’s a Ker with him. They say they have evidence—oh. All right.” His hand fell to his side. “She’s on her way down.”

  The guards escorted Dec and Trevor to the elevator. Dec couldn’t control the pounding of his heart as they ascended to Level Four. Would they take his Scope? He hadn’t been without it for any length of time since he was sixteen years old. Yes, he’d fantasized about dropping it in a canal and moving to Baffin for good, but when he really considered being truly mortal again, he wasn’t so sure.

  When the elevator doors slid open, they were greeted by more guards, who surrounded the two of them as they were shunted all the way down the hall, past Rylan’s cell, and into a large, empty interrogation room with black videowalls on all sides.

  Aislin was waiting in the center of the room, her pale cheeks flushed with anger. “Do you understand the position you’ve put me in?” she snapped as soon as she saw Dec.

  “I did what I had to do, Aislin.”

  Her mouth twisted with contempt. “What utter garbage. I warned you not to take matters into your own hands. You’ve put us under a microscope and turned Galena Margolis into a fugitive, even though the evidence against her appears ironclad. Meanwhile, apparently you were traipsing around Cambridge two nights ago, flaunting your Scope and disappearing from some convenience store bathroom?” Her voice had risen, becoming shrill with rage. “Do you have any idea how many of your messes I’ve been cleaning up today? I thought you were better than this, Declan. I thought you were on my side.”

  “I thought you were on mine,” he shouted. “But ever since I Claimed Galena—”

  “Wait,” Trevor said, his eyes going round. “You Claimed Galena?”

  “I did,” Dec said, softeni
ng his tone as that protective pride surged in him again. She’s mine.

  Aislin’s mouth drew tight. “And I should never have supported that ridiculous idea. It’s drawn way too much attention on all sides, and—”

  “Stop,” Dec said. “It’s done. I don’t regret it. And I will not abandon her. She’s innocent.”

  “But I’m not,” mumbled Trevor.

  Aislin’s ice-blue eyes shot to the muscular Ker. “What?”

  Dec handed Aislin the duffel bag as Trevor explained what he had done. His own shame and bafflement about his actions made the Charon’s brow furrow in confusion, but she remained silent as he spoke. When he was finished, Aislin opened the bag and looked inside, then paled and closed it again.

  “Guard,” she said, and immediately the door to the room opened. “Take this to the forensic lab and tell them to run rapid DNA. Send the results directly to me.”

  “Yes, Ms. Ferry.” The guard accepted the duffel and left, closing the door behind him.

  Trevor watched him go, looking hollowed out. Dec knew he was probably dreading the results, confirmation of something that seemed too horrible to accept without hard evidence.

  Aislin was staring at Trevor with sharp curiosity in her eyes. “Are you sure you wish to request execution?” she asked, the authoritative edge gone from her voice.

  “I’m sure.”

  Aislin summoned the guards, who arrived to escort Trevor to a cell. Dec put his hand on Trevor’s arm as he headed for the door. “I’ll be with you,” he said in a strained voice. “I’ll be with you when Moros comes.”

  “Thanks, man.” Trevor plodded out the door after the guards, defeat rolling off him in waves.

  Dec turned to Aislin. “You said I had until midnight. I need you to stick to that.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “Where have you taken Galena?”

  “I’ll bring her back when we’ve cleared her name.”

  Aislin’s eyes glinted with cold calculation. “The Keepers have contacted me. Our summit is in one week. And you, Declan, are making me look like a fool.”

  “You’re doing that to yourself, Aislin,” he snapped. “You’re willing to sacrifice Galena and everything she stands for just to stay in control of the empire. But I’m telling you, she’s innocent. It would be damn convenient for all of us if she weren’t, but she is. I’m going to prove it. And if you don’t let me, you’re going to have to live with that for the rest of your very long life. You’ll have condemned an innocent woman. And kept her from saving millions of others, even though that’s what she’s fated to do.”

  Aislin looked away. “Trevor’s involvement doesn’t exonerate Galena. You haven’t proven her innocence yet.”

  “I know.” But Galena had been on to something just before they were discovered at that data center, and maybe, with enough time, she could figure out who had set her up. “Just give me the time you promised. That’s all I’m asking.”

  Aislin lifted her chin, still not meeting his eyes. “Very well. You have until midnight, but after that, you’ll leave me no choice. Too much is at stake for me to be lenient.”

  Meaning she felt like she had to prove her ruthlessness to one and all, and she was willing to use him to do it. Dec smiled sadly. Aislin had built a wall of ice around her, one that kept everyone away. Even people who wanted to be close to her. “Message received.”

  He took a step toward the door, but her slender fingers closed over his arm. “She’s very lucky,” Aislin said quietly. “Does she know that?”

  “Considering everything that’s happened to her, ‘lucky’ wouldn’t be the way I’d describe her.”

  “Few people have someone willing to sacrifice so much for them.”

  Dec stared at Aislin, whose eyes were riveted on the black videowall in front of her. “It’s not luck,” he said, then strode out of the room.

  He walked by Rylan’s cell just as his dinner was being wheeled in on a tray. Chinese. Rylan’s favorite. He peeked in to see Rylan sitting at his chess table. Rylan’s dark gaze skimmed right over the tray of food and met Dec’s. “Brother,” he said quietly. “Still free, or will you be joining me?”

  His guard cleared his throat, and Dec suddenly realized that Ry had probably charmed or tricked his jailers out of a hell of a lot of information. “Still on the loose,” Dec replied.

  “But your friend Trevor’s not. I saw the guards escorting him to a cell.”

  Dec let out an exasperated breath. “Ry, shouldn’t you be worried more about your own ass?”

  Dec’s older brother thanked his guard as the man set the tray on one side of the chessboard. Then Ry picked up a chess piece and tossed it at Dec, who caught it. “Ever feel like one of those, Dec?”

  He looked down at the piece in his hand. A pawn, of course. “Why, is that how you think of me?”

  Rylan’s eyebrows shot up. “Me? I’m not running the board. Not now, not ever. But if Trevor’s here, I’m guessing Moros isn’t running it, either. So that raises the question—who is?”

  Dec rolled his eyes. “I’m not here to talk to you about Ais—”

  “I’m not talking about Aislin,” Rylan said, picking up the white queen and staring at her. “No, she may be a powerful piece, but she’s merely a player.”

  “The Keepers, you mean?”

  Rylan shrugged. “Maybe. Someone powerful enough to wrest control of Moros’s Kere away from him. Who would that be?”

  “Did Mandy ever seem like she was being controlled by someone else?”

  He shook his head. “She said she felt free,” he said.

  Different than Trevor, who said he felt “disconnected.” Mandy had enjoyed pain and chaos. She would have been thrilled to engage in unsanctioned killing. But Trevor . . . Dec couldn’t shake the feeling that he hadn’t been in complete control of himself. The one thing Trevor and Mandy shared, though, was that both had wanted to bring Moros down, and they’d hurt and killed others to do it.

  Come to think of it, Luke had been pretty down on Moros, too. I’ll talk about that bastard however I want, he’d said.

  Dec cursed quietly. He needed to know more about how Moros controlled the Kere. If he knew that, then he might be able to help Trevor figure out whether someone had been controlling him. Dec clenched the pawn in his fist. “I hear you’re facing the Keepers next week. Ready?”

  “Maybe. Right now I’d say a lot depends on how things turn out with Galena.” Rylan set the white queen on the board and scooped up the king, holding the piece between finger and thumb. “She’s certainly gotten herself in a lot of trouble, hasn’t she?”

  Dec slowly walked forward. Never taking his gaze from his brother’s, Dec set the pawn in the middle of the board. “This isn’t a game to me.”

  Rylan reached across the board and moved a knight, casually knocking the pawn away and setting the piece in its place. “Maybe not to you, Brother.” His voice had become tired, no longer edged with cunning. “But I think someone’s having a hell of a lot of fun. If we don’t figure out who it is and what they want . . .” He swept his arm across the board, and all the pieces clattered to the tile floor. He looked up at Dec. “Good luck out there.”

  His heart beating faster than he wanted to admit, Dec turned on his heel and walked past the guard, who’d been standing at the door. As he entered the hallway, he pulled his Scope from his collar.

  He had less than twelve hours and no plan. But right now, all he could think about was getting back to Galena.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Eli cursed and looked down at his arm. “G, I have to go. But you won’t be alone here, okay? I’ll make sure you’re guarded.”

  Galena stood up with him. “No one knows I’m here, Eli. And you’re the only one who knows I’m not immortal. Don’t you think it’s safe?”

  He put his warm hands on her shoulders. “Can you forgive me if I don’t want to take that risk? Dec’s not back yet, and for all we know, he’s gotten collared by Aislin’
s guards.”

  “What would she do to him?”

  “No idea. She seems pretty determined to control every variable, and Dec has been a loose cannon.”

  Because of her. If anything happened to Dec, she wasn’t sure how she would handle it. Somehow, over these last few crazy days, he’d become important—no, necessary. She had to figure out a way to clear her name, because maybe it would clear his, too.

  Eli studied the worried look on her face. “Do you want me to take you somewhere? Or go get Cacy and bring her back here? She’d be willing, G. She’s worried about you.”

  Galena shook her head. “No. I’ll stay here.” If Dec was free, he’d come here. And she wanted to be here when that happened.

  “All right.” He rubbed his inner forearm like it was suddenly sore. “I’m going.” He kissed her forehead and vanished.

  Galena stood in the middle of the cabin’s small living space, shivering. She’d cracked open the cage where she’d imprisoned all those black memories, but now Eli was gone, and she was alone with them, feeling shaky and vulnerable. Eli believed she could reclaim her own mind. Her hand skimmed down her stomach to her lower belly, where the scars lay. A slick crimson mess. Made of pain and terror and grief. She let out a low sob. How could Eli possibly have thought she could do this?

  A faint cold breeze tickled her cheek, and she turned to see Dec climbing out of his Scope. He looked like he’d lived fifty years in the last few hours. His hair was messy, and dark stubble shadowed his jaw. He closed his Scope and fastened it to its setting, and then his eyes met hers. He didn’t say anything. He just came toward her, his arms rising from his sides. Reaching for her.

  A frantic noise flew from her mouth as she rushed into his embrace, and he wrapped her up tight, lifting her off her feet. His rough cheek scraped against her throat as he bowed his head against her shoulder. Her fingers tangled in his hair. “I was so worried about you,” she mumbled.