Книга - Midnight

Midnight
Christi J. Whitney


The final volume in this incredible YA trilogy which will see Sebastian and Josephine’s fates finally sealed…Sebastian Grey’s sole purpose is to be a guardian for secretive gypsy clans and to protect the girl he loves, Josephine Romany. But what happens when your guardian is the one in trouble?When Karl Corsi is found dead in his trailer, all evidence points to him being killed by a shadow creature. This is a threat to the entire clan: frightened, rumours begin to spread among them, and Sebastian becomes the main suspect.Josephine must risk everything to find the inner strength to save Sebastian and uncover the true killer. Then, and only then, can they be together. Can they prove that love is stronger than stone?









Midnight

Book Three of the Romany Outcasts Series

CHRISTI J. WHITNEY













HarperVoyager

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street,

London SE1 9GF

www.harpervoyagerbooks.co.uk (http://www.harpervoyagerbooks.co.uk)

First published in Great Britain by HarperVoyager 2017

Copyright © Christi J. Whitney 2017

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2017.

Cover photographs © Shutterstock.com (http://Shutterstock.com)

Christi J. Whitney asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Digital eFirst: Automatically produced by Atomik ePublisher from Easypress.

Ebook Edition © May 2017 ISBN: 9780008122416

Version: 2017-10-19


To my love


Table of Contents

Cover (#uccaa2918-72b2-5289-8108-63528f37d9b4)

Title Page (#ue0bfe272-b018-5a12-bf90-957e84a878d2)

Copyright (#uaf961528-342b-5f8b-8438-6b06544a0d95)

Dedication (#u086b18e8-758d-55a8-9968-b7cd0c072c1d)

1. Josephine (#ua32719a1-ed70-5bd2-af91-0726bb1d9d98)

2. Josephine (#uccea47a1-da83-5dbf-bbb7-69549635d40a)

3. Josephine (#uc614ab6e-1256-5717-8a55-d509af5b9827)

4. Sebastian (#u76c9adde-c2d8-5d68-8d88-3c03a3b9581a)

5. Sebastian (#u16e4083f-0f3b-5532-8997-61a44efba794)



6. Sebastian (#u776a624c-cd27-59b6-b2bd-e2f8c96fa424)



7. Josephine (#u3f566f26-8f4f-5e68-a257-738d276af9e7)



8. Josephine (#ud3d51f8c-4ac2-505e-b2e9-37da92dc70f0)



9. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



10. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



11. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



12. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



13. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



14. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



15. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



16. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



17. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



18. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



19. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



20. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



21. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



22. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



23. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



24. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



25. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



26. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



27. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



28. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



29. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



30. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



31. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



32. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



33. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



34. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



35. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



36. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



37. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



38. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



39. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



40. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



41. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



42. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



43. Josephine (#litres_trial_promo)



44. Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



Epilogue – Sebastian (#litres_trial_promo)



Acknowledgments (#litres_trial_promo)



About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)



Also by Christi J. Whitney (#litres_trial_promo)



About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)




1. Josephine (#u49ab785d-578f-5234-a720-aa3836a11090)


‘They’re putting Sebastian on trial.’

I stopped walking and stared hard at my brother, trying to wrap my head around his words. Fifteen minutes ago, Sebastian and I had been on our way back to the Circe de Romany from our picnic. Then Quentin and his Marksmen met us at the gate, and turned everything upside down.

‘What are you saying, Francis?’ I demanded. ‘Putting him on trial for what?’

‘We have to go, Josephine. It’s starting.’

My brother took me under the arm and hurried me through the opening of the red and gold tent. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Our entire clan had gathered in the Circe’s large Holding Tent. People stood along the canvas walls or squeezed themselves onto the long benches, talking in low, questioning voices.

A table had been set up on the far side of the tent and our father, Nicolas Romany, sat blank-faced in the center. I recognized the men positioned on either side of him. They were judges, appointed by each family in our clan to preside over a trial. One of them was Andre, my Circe partner. And another was Quentin.

My heart dropped like a heavy weight inside me.

Francis followed my gaze, and his green eyes mirrored mine. His jaw tightened. ‘Father called the kris a half-hour ago and ordered everyone to be present. We’ve been waiting for you to get back from your trip to Copper Mountain.’ My brother nodded towards the entrance. ‘Both of you.’

‘Francis, what—’

‘It’s not good, Josephine,’ he said, cutting me off. ‘It’s really not good.’

I allowed him to lead me through the center of the tent. I felt eyes on me from every direction, like bugs crawling all over my body. I held my chin high and kept my face wiped clean of any expression, but my insides churned.

I took my place, standing behind the table next to my mother. She didn’t look at me. Francis stayed on my other side, his shoulder pressing comfortingly into mine. Leo, the head judge, stood up from the table and motioned to the Marksmen standing on either side of the tent door.

‘Bring it in.’

My stomach clenched with nausea as the guards opened the flaps and Sebastian was shoved forcefully through the opening. He went down on one knee, but only for a moment before he was yanked to his feet. I winced at the sight of him. They’d strapped his gigantic wings to his back with tight cords, and their clawed tips dragged along the ground behind him. His arms were also pinned behind him, heavily chained across his wings.

Sebastian stumbled to the center, looking weak and disoriented. He shook his head several times, like he was trying to clear whatever it was away. His pewter hair fell across his forehead. Marksmen forced him down onto his knees, but he looked up sharply, his strange, silver eyes focusing on the people at the table. And then, his gaze landed on me.

Sebastian’s expression held no anger, only confusion. He blinked once, slowly. Immediately, I felt his emotions, deep inside my chest, as strongly as if they were my own. He was concerned about … me. My breath caught in my throat. I could only stare back at him, praying he felt my emotions the same way. He gave me one last blink, then pushed himself determinedly to his feet.

Quentin also rose and stepped around the table. He was dressed in his normal Marksman outfit, perfectly fitted from head to toe. Once, I used to love the way his tall, trim figure looked in the uniform. Now, it just made me feel sick inside. He smoothed his sleek black hair, the way he did when he was feeling confident about something.

Sebastian ignored him, turning to my father instead. ‘Nicolas, I don’t—’

‘Chain the creature,’ said Quentin.

I watched in helpless horror as four of our largest guards descended on Sebastian. They pushed him backwards to the middle of the tent, to the thick center support beam. Metal chains were flung across his chest and yanked taut. Sebastian grunted as one Marksman adjusted the manacles and fastened them with a lock that clicked ominously into place.

‘What’s going on?’ demanded Sebastian.

I heard the telltale growling sound seeping into his voice, though I could feel him trying his best to stay calm. My eyes pricked with hot tears, but I forcibly blinked them away.

My father answered. ‘It’s not your time to speak, Sebastian Grey.’

One of the Marksmen – a man named Jacque, who I’d known since we were children – stepped forward and raised his fist towards Sebastian. I opened my mouth, but Quentin yelled out a command, and Jacque lowered his arm.

My father stood. The crowd went instantly quiet. Nicolas Romany was our bandoleer, and no one from our clan would dare speak over him.

‘We’ve called this kris because what happened tonight affects the entire clan – and not just us, but everyone in our kumpania.’

I searched frantically for my brother’s hand. Francis felt my touch and looked down at me. I saw the light of fiery anger behind his eyes. That tiny glimmer steadied me. My brother had supported Sebastian from the beginning, even when so many others had been unwilling to trust him because of what he was.

‘What’s happened?’ I whispered to him.

Francis turned his eyes towards our father. ‘I don’t know,’ he said tensely, through clenched teeth. ‘I heard there was another chimera attack.’

I froze. Had those demonic beasts we’d fought on Copper Mountain infiltrated the Circe while we were gone? Were people blaming Sebastian for not being here to protect them? If so, then it was my fault. I’d been the one to ask him to come with me. Guilt twisted my lungs like a tourniquet. All I’d wanted was some time with Sebastian alone – a moment of peace away from the business of the clan. It was the Marksmen’s job to patrol the Fairgrounds.

How could they blame Sebastian for this?

Leo, the head judge, addressed the crowd, turning his old withered face to the benches full of people. ‘The purpose of this kris is to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused.’

My throat seized up. Accused?

‘Nicolas!’ Sebastian’s voice suddenly rang out from the center of the tent. Jacque took a swing at him with his fist, but Sebastian ducked his head out of the way. ‘I demand to know why I’m here.’

Leo’s head snapped around. ‘You will speak only when directed to, gargoyle!’

‘I have the right to—’

‘You have no rights in this court,’ said Andre, cutting him off.

I felt my stomach sink even lower. Andre was my Circe partner. It wasn’t a secret that he was wary of Sebastian, but the malice in his voice took me by surprise. All around me, people were murmuring. People I’d always considered my friends – or, at least, people I’d always liked. Now, it was as though someone had poisoned the entire room with dark thoughts.

Quentin leaned across the table. ‘Leo, for the benefit of the court … and the accused, of course … why don’t you state the accusation?’

‘Very well,’ said Leo, drawing up his wrinkled face. ‘Sebastian Grey, you are on trial for the murder of Karl Corsi.’

The crowd exploded around me. I gasped and dug my fingers into Francis’ arm. Karl was dead? A cold shiver went down my spine. Karl had been more than just our circus trainer. He’d been like a grandfather to us all.

At Leo’s accusation, Sebastian slumped forward, as through someone had punched him in the stomach. The life went out of his inhumanly silver eyes. He looked sick. My heart wanted to burst.

‘No,’ I said loudly. Francis pulled on me, but I broke out of his grasp and rushed to the table. ‘That’s not possible. Sebastian was with me all day.’

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Quentin went rigid all over. He turned his piercing eyes in my direction, and I saw the familiar set of his jaw that meant he was furious with me. But I didn’t care. What they were doing was wrong. It was all wrong.

My father was also staring at me. ‘We’ll cover the details in time, Josephine,’ he said slowly. ‘Go back to your place.’

Though his voice sounded relaxed, his expression wasn’t. I felt the tension between us, and I knew I’d come dangerously close to overstepping my bounds. At this moment, I wasn’t Nicolas Romany’s daughter. I was a member of the Romany clan, and he was my bandoleer.

Every part of me screamed inside. But the authority of the kris was absolute. I was bound by it, the same as anyone else. With a huge amount of effort, I managed a stiff nod at my father. I felt Francis guiding me back to my place. He took my hand in his, holding it tightly.

‘There’s nothing you can do,’ he said quietly in my ear.

I watched with mounting dread as Leo regarded Sebastian with a frigid look and crossed his arms expectantly.

‘Well, gargoyle,’ said Leo. ‘What is your plea?’

Sebastian pushed himself up as straight as possible against the support pole. The clanking of his chains echoed eerily in the silent tent. Trickles of purple-black blood ran down his hands from the metal cuffs. His gray skin looked oddly pale, but his expression remained resolute. Sebastian looked steadily at each and every man at the table, and his silver gaze fell lastly on me. He took a deep breath and said in a voice loud enough for the entire room to hear:

‘I didn’t kill him.’

The neon sign of the Gypsy Ink flashed, ripping me from the memory. The horrible scene of the last few hours vaporized, and I found myself staring at the black door of the Corsi tattoo parlor, the place where Sebastian had spent most of his life. My chest ached.

How was I going to tell them about Sebastian?

I took a deep breath and flung open the door. A group of heavily tattooed men turned to face me. I looked around the room, trying to catch my breath and squash my nerves at the same time. I clutched Quentin’s keys in my fist, wondering how long it would be until he realized his SUV wasn’t there.

‘Where’s Hugo?’

The three men gaped at me, then turned their heads simultaneously towards a narrow hallway. I heard the clamp of heavy, steel-toed boots approaching on the tile floor. I squared my shoulders and pulled my robe tighter around my Circe costume as Hugo Corsi, the leader of the Corsi clan and Sebastian’s foster brother, stepped into the room.

‘Josephine.’

Hugo’s voice was rough and harder than concrete. The voice of someone used to being in charge and giving orders. The tone in which he said my name demanded answers to questions he hadn’t even asked.

‘I’m sorry,’ I blurted out, my nerves getting the best of me. ‘I tried to come sooner, but I couldn’t get away.’ I felt utterly ridiculous in my stage outfit and makeup. My Circe life was so different from Sebastian’s world – the world I was standing in now. ‘My father’s been watching my every move since it happened.’

‘Since what happened?’ Hugo punctuated every word. His dark eyes shifted to the door and back. ‘What are you doing here? And where’s Sebastian?’

I glanced over Hugo’s head, at the skull-and-crossbones clock hanging on the back wall. I had less than an hour until our show began. Andre, my routine partner, would realize I was missing the second he came by my dressing room to fetch me.

‘Sebastian’s gone,’ I answered.

Hugo tossed his cleaning rag aside and stormed around the counter. The muscles beneath his neck tattoo bulged, and the ink seemed to come to life across his skin.

‘What do you mean he’s gone?’

Before I could reply, a huge man standing on my right reached for me, his touch surprisingly gentle on my arm. He gave me a small smile. ‘Why don’t you start over, from the beginning?’

A man with red hair and a lip piercing shoved a stack of magazines off the couch and motioned for me to sit. I barely knew the Corsis, but I could pick them out from Sebastian’s descriptions. The red-haired man was Vincent. The stocky, thick-shouldered one was Kris, and the massive man with the gentle demeanor was James. Then, there was their leader Hugo Corsi. His expression was scary, intense.

‘From the beginning,’ I repeated. I inhaled through my nose and breathed out slowly through my mouth, as though preparing for a stunt in one of my acts ‘My clan held a kris last night.’

‘A trial,’ said James, frowning heavily. ‘Why?’

‘Last night, Karl Corsi was found dead in his trailer.’ I spoke quickly, pushing my raw feelings aside. ‘All the evidence pointed to him being killed by a shadow creature. They accused Sebastian of murdering Karl and taking all his books with information on the shadow world.’

I paused, gauging their reactions. I didn’t know how close they’d been to Karl, but he was a Corsi, and clan ties were stronger than blood. James looked visibly shaken, but the others remained blank and silent, which was somehow worse.

‘Our council was deadlocked,’ I continued. ‘They couldn’t find Sebastian guilty or innocent, but because of everything that had happened, they refused to release him.’

‘That’s ridiculous,’ said Kris, crossing his thick arms. ‘If they couldn’t find him guilty—’

‘Everything was out of control,’ I said, cutting him off. ‘People were scared. There were reports of shadow creatures in the woods, and a lot of people were convinced Sebastian had called them there. The Marksmen ordered everyone to stay in our trailers, and our clan was demanding a verdict. My father had no choice but to defer to the High Council in Savannah.’

‘A convenient action,’ snarled Kris.

‘But it’s the law,’ said James. ‘Whether we like it or not. If a decision can’t be made in a kris, then it has to go before the High Court. Nicolas was only doing his job.’

Hugo studied me. ‘Why haven’t we been told?’

‘My father didn’t want other clans getting wind of what happened, especially after all the rumors of shadowen attacks and clan feuding that have been coming out of the north. He thought it would only cause panic.’

‘Karl may have worked with you, but he was from our clan,’ said Vincent from the other side of the room. His face turned as red as his hair. ‘Your family had no right to keep this from us.’

I looked away, feeling awful. ‘I know.’

‘We will mourn for Karl in our own time,’ said Hugo, addressing the others. ‘He was a Corsi, but he belonged to the Circe. They will do right by him. For now, Sebastian needs to be our focus. If we start making preparations now, we can leave before—’

‘Wait,’ I said. ‘That’s not all of it.’

I closed my eyes, forcing my thoughts to go back, to return to the last time I saw Sebastian, almost seventeen hours ago. To make myself see the old animal cage at the back of the Circe property where he’d been held. To relive the moment I’d lost him.

‘Right after the trial, Augustine showed up at the Circe.’

At the mention of the man who’d been banished from Outcast Gypsy society, the Corsis immediately bristled with hatred and fury. But, they kept silent, letting me continue.

‘Augustine is actually my uncle Adolár.’ The words burned like acid in my throat. ‘I never knew it until last night. I was too young when he left the Circe to remember him.’ I shuddered. I didn’t want to dwell on my relationship to the former Gypsy anymore than I had to. ‘Augustine told my father he was on his way to Savannah to meet with the Queen. He had somehow found out about our kris, and he offered to escort Sebastian there.’

‘So, Augustine has my brother,’ said Hugo, in a deadly tone. ‘That marimé traitor with a grudge against every clan in this kumpania, and Nicolas just lets him waltz out of the Romany camp with your guardian?’

‘It happened so fast,’ I replied, rubbing my palms together until my skin stung. ‘My father couldn’t spare a Marksmen escort, but the High Council was already expecting Sebastian. Augustine said that if he personally delivered Sebastian to the Court, he’d be able to get an audience with the Queen.’

‘Why would he think that?’ huffed Kris. ‘He’s marimé. He’s lost his Gypsy blood and every right he had under our law. It’s not like he could even get anywhere near her.’

‘Unless he had an extremely important reason,’ Hugo said, sarcasm heavy and dripping. ‘Unbelievable. Nicolas let Augustine use my brother like some kind of bargaining chip to see the Queen.’

‘My father had no choice,’ I replied, feeling caught between my family and Sebastian and sickened by the whole thing. ‘Augustine threatened to tell the other clans we were harboring a murderer. The Marksmen made Sebastian look like some merciless killer. Half the troupe already believed he was guilty. But then, when they let him out of that cage …’

I dropped off. A cold chill poured through me.

James touched my shoulder again, gentle and non-threatening. ‘What happened when they let Sebastian out?’

‘He wasn’t himself,’ I said quietly.

‘What do you mean?’ asked Hugo. He sat on the other end of the couch. I felt the tension coming off him like the heat from an engine.

‘I’ve seen what Sebastian can do.’ I paused, trying to find words to describe the change that came over him, but everything sounded wrong in my head. ‘What I mean is, I know how he can be when he’s forced to act as a guardian, when he has to protect me … or anyone else. But he’s always snapped back before. It was different this time. He was vicious, and his eyes … his eyes were just … empty.’

Like an animal’s, I’d nearly added, but stopped myself. No, he wasn’t the creature Quentin accused him of being. In that brief moment – just before he’d gone so wild – he’d asked for my forgiveness, and in his eyes, I saw the sweet, strange boy whose life had intersected with mine. He wasn’t a beast.

Something had happened to him.

Hugo’s gaze traveled to the window. It had grown dark outside, and the glass reflected the room. The corner of his mouth tightened. ‘Do you believe he killed Karl?’

‘Absolutely not!’ I leapt up, suddenly shaking with a fury that caught me off guard. ‘He would never do something like that. You’re his brother. You should know!’

‘He’s not the same kid you knew in school. He’s a gargoyle now.’

‘He’s my guardian,’ I snapped. ‘I don’t care what he looks like or where he came from. He’s still Sebastian. He has the best heart of anyone I’ve ever met, and he would never … ever …’

Hugo rubbed his eyes. ‘I’m not saying it was intentional …’

‘He didn’t murder Karl!’

I pressed my hand against my mouth. I would not cry. Not in front of them. As my fingers brushed my lips, I remembered the impulsive kiss I’d given Sebastian after the trial. How he’d stared at me, so shocked and wide-eyed with that unearthly silver gaze, that it felt like my heart was going to leap through my chest.

‘Okay,’ said Hugo, after several moments. Both his expression and his voice were softer this time. ‘I just wanted to hear it from you.’

Hugo walked to the front window, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his ripped jeans. The others watched his movements the same way people in our troupe watched my father.

‘This was Augustine’s doing, from the very beginning,’ said James. ‘He had his shadow creatures kill Karl, then he took his books.’

‘And framed Sebastian in the process,’ added Vincent.

It felt like the temperature had dropped ten degrees. ‘But why?’ I questioned. ‘My uncle … I mean, Augustine … had his own collection of shadowen books. I remember his library when I was a child. It was mostly fairy tales and stories, same as Karl’s.’

‘I think Karl had more information than we knew,’ said Hugo.

A moment passed. Then another. The four tattoo artists locked stares with each other. The veins in Hugo’s neck bulged. Goosebumps rose along my arms.

‘Whatever Augustine took from Karl is the least of our problems,’ said Hugo at last. He ran his hands through his wiry hair. ‘Maybe he’s using my brother to gain safe passage into Savannah, but he wants Sebastian for himself.’

‘Sebastian’s sealed to me.’ I clutched the dandelion pendant at my neck. Though I hadn’t believed it at first, there was no longer any doubt in my mind. He was my guardian. I was his charge.

‘I know,’ said Hugo, sounding resigned. ‘But Augustine has wanted Sebastian from the start. After everything that went down last autumn, I thought he’d given up his quest. But it looks like I was wrong. Augustine knows there’s something special about him.’

My stomach rolled uneasily. I’d known Sebastian was special, even before he’d become a gargoyle. I’d never met anyone like him before. But the way Hugo used the word sounded different. Ominous. ‘What is it?’

James sighed heavily. ‘We don’t know.’

All my scared feelings funneled back into anger. ‘Well, what do you know, then? I came here because I thought you could help Sebastian. You’re the ones who turned him into a gargoyle in the first place.’

‘People don’t turn into gargoyles, Josephine,’ Hugo replied. ‘Shadowen have to be created. Their bodies are carved from special stone and then brought to life with prah.’ Hugo paused, as though working over several thoughts in his head. ‘You know what Sebastian looked like when you first met him, and how he is now. There’s something unique about him.’

Vincent pounded his fist against the wall. ‘Now, Augustine has him.’

‘Augustine was ordered to take Sebastian directly to the Court of Shadows for trial,’ I said. ‘If he had failed to show up, the Council would know. And so would my father.’

‘Josephine’s right,’ said Hugo. He moved behind the counter and stared at the wall calendar near the register. ‘The High Council is scheduled to meet in three days. That gives us time. But we should leave tonight.’

‘When?’ asked Vincent.

‘Midnight,’ Hugo replied. Then he turned back to me. ‘Thank you for letting us know what’s happened. I’m sure you’re being missed right now. You’d better get back to the Circe.’

‘No. I have to get to Savannah.’

Hugo frowned. ‘What good would that do?’

‘I’m going to testify on Sebastian’s behalf.’

‘So tell your father to take you.’

I hesitated. I hadn’t been allowed to set foot inside our primary Gypsy Haven since becoming the Queen’s successor. But I couldn’t tell the Corsis that. ‘Look,’ I continued quickly, ‘I have to get to Savannah before Sebastian goes on trial. I’m a Romany. The Queen has to see me.’

‘Josephine.’ Hugo’s voice was firm. ‘I get where you’re coming from, I really do. But you’re not coming with us. Besides, what do you think would happen if Nicolas discovered you just took off and left the Circe without permission?’

I met his gaze without blinking. ‘I’m going to Savannah.’

‘No, you’re not.’ Hugo lifted me to my feet, not forcibly, but enough for me to know he meant business. The guys crowded around me, herding me towards the door. ‘Thank you for coming here to tell us. I know it was a risk. But let us handle it from here.’

I grabbed hold of Hugo’s shirt, desperate now. ‘Hugo, please.’

James opened the door and stood aside.

Hugo took my hands in his. ‘Things are complicated enough as it is. You being there would only make things more difficult. The sooner we get to Savannah, the sooner we clear this up and get Sebastian back.’

‘But—’

‘Go home, Josephine.’

Hugo ushered me out of the Gypsy Ink and shut the door behind me.




2. Josephine (#u49ab785d-578f-5234-a720-aa3836a11090)


It was sweltering underneath the stage lights. My thick tights clung damply to my legs, and sweat tickled the back of my neck. As I eased carefully into a headstand, balancing on Andre’s shoulders, my sequined costume scraped against my arms.

Once I made it through the routine, the show would be over, and I would be free. I tried to focus, to keep myself in the moment of our performance, but the Circe continued to fade around me … my mind traveled, the crowd blurred …

The Holding Tent emptied quickly after Sebastian’s trial. The benches were abandoned and the space was eerily quiet. Except for one sound – the sound of labored breathing, the sound of someone in pain.

He was still chained to the center support pole, just as he’d been during the kris. I stared at Sebastian in sickened shock. His jeans were ripped in several places with long tears. There were gashes in his arms, covered with his strange, purple-black blood. A deep slash cut across his chest. It had ripped the fabric of his t-shirt away. His jaw was discolored, his gray skin turning an unsettling shade of indigo.

My eyes rose to his face, and his eyes met mine.

I ran across the room.

‘Sebastian!’

‘Josephine,’ he answered. His voice was hoarse. ‘What are you doing here?’

I studied his wounds. ‘Oh, God, what have they done?’

‘I’m fine,’ he said, smiling.

He kept his lips closed, as always. But how could he smile right now? I tried to laugh, but it felt like I was choking. ‘You suck at lying, you know.’ I suddenly remembered the Marksmen. ‘Are they still here?’

‘They’re in the woods,’ he answered. He shifted his body, trying to loosen the chains around his middle. I could see pain flicker behind his silver eyes. ‘What’s going on?’

‘A handful of grotesques near the back gates.’ I looked away, hating to say it out loud, to admit the next bit. ‘And two chimeras.’

Sebastian growled. The sound was inhuman, threatening. But it wasn’t directed at me. It was for himself. I saw the glimmer of sharp teeth as he started to speak. ‘I should’ve—’

I pressed my fingers against his mouth. ‘Don’t go there. I’m the one who told you to leave Anya and Matthias. The Marksmen will deal with them. Even if you had killed those chimeras on the mountain, it wouldn’t have prevented all this from happening.’

I removed my hand, and I saw him swallow back another growl. His eyes, which had taken on a fierce gleam, softened again. I felt a kind of unspoken communication pass between us, wrapping around me like a blanket, familiar and comfortable. We were in this together, no matter what happened next.

Sebastian’s wings suddenly shuddered against the cords, and he winced. He maneuvered his body, trying to find a comfortable position, but the Marksmen had done their job well.

Quentin’s Marksmen.

Anger licked across my stomach as I remembered how nonchalantly Quentin had withheld casting a vote in Sebastian’s verdict – a decision that could’ve set him free. Quentin’s hatred of the shadow world was fierce. I’d once seen it as noble. But after this …

‘They’re wrong about you,’ I said, placing my hand against Sebastian’s neck. I felt him tremble. ‘I should have challenged my father and the kris. I should have forced Quentin to change his decision. You’re innocent.’

‘There’s nothing you could’ve done,’ Sebastian replied, giving me that same, gentle smile that made me feel all kinds of things. ‘Not even your father can go against the ruling, you said so yourself. I don’t know much about your people’s laws, but I saw the power of the council tonight. They’d already made up their minds.’

My shoulders slumped under invisible hands, pushing me down. ‘I know my words wouldn’t have changed anything but, believe me, I’m not done trying. There has to be another way.’

I stared into his eyes, and a powerful, electric silence fell between us. He leaned forward, but the chains prevented him from going very far.

‘Thank you,’ he said softly. ‘For believing me.’

‘I’ve always believed you, Sebastian.’ I raised my hand to his face and pressed my palm gently against his right cheek. His skin was cool to the touch, like a stone plucked from a mountain stream. I felt my heart beat faster as our eyes met. ‘You’re the only one I can believe.’

Applause roared around me. I jerked to the present. My legs wobbled in my pose. The chair Andre was balancing on teetered underneath his feet, but he adjusted so fast, no one in the audience would’ve noticed. But he did. I came out of my handstand. He offered his hands and I dismounted beside him.

‘What’s in your head?’ Andre hissed in my ear. ‘Focus!’

I sprang onto his broad shoulders again for our next pose, the most difficult of our combinations for the routine. His hands wrapped around mine, giving me a cue with one firm squeeze. I pulled myself up again, this time, balancing on one arm. My body quivered. Just a few more seconds. I tried to block out the crowd, the lights, and the pressure. But my mind …

Sebastian …

I said his name like a plea.

Sebastian …

He turned his silver-moon eyes toward me. Guilt, like a massive explosion, struck me from the inside out. I strained to reach him through the bars of the cage. I couldn’t. He was too far. I’d come too late. All I could do was whisper the same phrase, over and over again.

I’m so sorry … I’m so sorry … I’m so …

I over-rotated. Andre’s hand clamped tighter, but I couldn’t straighten. My body wouldn’t obey. I clenched my teeth and willed all my strength into my muscles. My stomach burned as I held on. It was only skill and hours of practice that kept us together. We morphed fluidly into another pose and I managed a smooth dismount without missing a beat. Applause erupted from around the Big Tent.

My cheeks burned as Andre took my hand and we faced the audience. We took our bows and hurried out of the circle as the lights dimmed on the stage space. We slipped behind the curtain separating the Big Tent from the backstage.

‘What was that?’ Andre snapped at me. ‘That’s the worse we’ve ever done that routine.’ We stopped in front of our dressing areas and he looked me over, his close-set eyes scrutinizing me critically. ‘What’s going on? Are you hurt?’

‘No,’ I said, pulling back the separating curtain. I didn’t want to look at him. I just needed him to leave me alone so I could change out of my costume and be finished with the performance for good. ‘I’m fine, Andre. I just had an off-night, that’s all. It’s been a long day.’

‘When is it not a long day around here?’ he said.

‘I know—’

‘It’s about that gargoyle, isn’t it?’

I froze, my hand on the curtain. I saw the judgment written across Andre’s broad face, along with his scathing disbelief. He’d formed his own opinions, just like Quentin – I knew it the second I saw him sitting at the table for the kris. I felt a slow, cold anger seep through my bones, pushing away my guilt and shame.

‘His name’s Sebastian,’ I said.

And I shoved the curtain closed between us.

*

I stripped down as quickly as possible, relieved to put away the sequins and glitter. I’d spent most of my life hiding behind the show glam, disappearing within the elaborate makeup and bright clothes. It gave me a sense of peace. Now, I suddenly felt stifled by it.

The curtain rustled. I finished buttoning my jeans and sat down to pull on my shoes.

‘Come in.’

Francis slipped inside my small dressing room. My brother was dressed all in black, but it was the uniform used by the Circe crew, not the Marksmen. He plopped down in a chair opposite me, giving me a crooked smile, but his eyes were clouded.

‘Are you sure about this, Josie?’

I stood and grabbed my duffel bag, hastily cramming a few outfits inside it, along with items off my dressing table. ‘Yes, I’m sure. It’s the only way. I’ve already worked it out. Claire is going to take over for me for tomorrow’s show. I talked to Father and told him I need a short break, so I can clear my head.’

‘I still can’t believe he’s giving you permission to spend the entire weekend away from the Circe,’ said Francis. ‘It’s totally not like him at all.’

‘Father’s a lot of things, but he’s not heartless.’ I zipped up the duffel bag, then shrugged and looked away. ‘And he knows how much Sebastian—’

Means to me.

I didn’t complete the thought, but I didn’t have to. Francis already knew what I was going to say. He was my twin, after all. His eyes narrowed into a knowing look, and he pursed his lips.

‘You’re taking a big risk, you know. You’re not allowed anywhere near Savannah, you remember that, right? What with you being the secret successor to the Queen and all.’

I almost smiled. ‘It’s kind of hard to forget that.’

‘Okay,’ said Francis. ‘Just checking. As your brother, I feel it’s my obligation to let you know that your plan is both dangerous and ridiculous.’ He crossed his arms over his chest. ‘Which is why I’m behind it, one hundred and ten percent.’

I reached for his hand. ‘Thanks.’

Francis smiled. ‘So, you ready?’

‘Almost.’

I pulled open the top drawer of my makeup table. Inside was the small, leather-bond book Esmeralda Lucian had given me the day before, when Sebastian and I were in her cave home under the bridge. I ran my fingers over the worn cover. Esmeralda, my high school teacher, who I’d only recently discovered was a banished guardian, had instructed me to keep the book safe. So it had to come with me.

I stuffed the book into the back pocket of my jeans and hoisted my bag over my shoulder. ‘Now, I’m ready.’

My brother and I slipped out of the Holding Tent and headed towards the back of the lot, where our vehicles were kept. It was quiet around the Circe. Most everyone had retired to their trailers for the night. My nerves dissipated as we climbed into Francis’ pick-up truck and he steered us out the back gates of the Fairgrounds.

My fingers tingled with nervous anticipation. I’d told Sebastian after the trial that there had to be another way to help him. Earlier this evening, I’d thought that way was with Hugo and the Corsis. But it wasn’t. They’d pushed me out.

Which meant, I was going to have to do this on my own.

We crossed the churning Sutallee River and headed through the woods in the direction of town. Francis stayed uncharacte‌ristically quiet for most of the ride. We’d never been ones to try and talk the other out of things, but I could tell by the way he gripped the steering wheel that he was wary.

Ten minutes later, we pulled into the front entrance of a well-manicured neighborhood. We passed several houses before turning into the long, winding driveway of a beautiful three-story home. Francis put the transmission in park, and then reached across the cab and wrapped his arms around me.

‘I should go with you,’ he said.

I hugged him back. ‘You know you can’t.’

His voice was muffled against my shoulder. ‘Josie, just be careful, okay? Just get down there and testify, and then come straight home. If you’re not back by Sunday night, Father’s going to be suspicious that something’s up.’

‘I know.’

‘Alright then,’ Francis said suddenly, pushing me away. ‘Stop wasting time. You get Sebastian out of there and bring him home, you hear me? He’s gone through enough crap already.’

I nodded and climbed out of the cab. ‘Bye, France.’

My brother put the truck in reverse, foot still on the brake. He surveyed the large house looming in front of us. ‘And what makes you so sure she’s going to go along with this?’

I couldn’t help smiling. ‘Because it’s Katie.’

*

I pressed the doorbell, but I didn’t have to wait long.

Almost immediately, the door swung open, and Katie Lewis threw her arms around me, squishing the air out of my lungs. ‘Oh my gosh, you’re here!’

‘Hey, Katie,’ I said, breathless. ‘It’s so good to see you.’

She pushed me back, holding onto my arms. ‘Of course it is,’ she said. ‘I should totally be pissed at you right now, though. Don’t think I didn’t know you’ve been in town for weeks.’

Katie herded me inside. I paused, looking around the vast entryway. I never got used to houses this big. The high ceilings, the giant rooms – nothing like our small trailers back at the Circe.

‘I’m really sorry,’ I said, following her through an extensive kitchen and down a hallway. ‘My father wouldn’t let any of us away from the Fairgrounds this trip. Our schedule has been crazy. Plus, I knew you were in New York.’

‘Only for two weeks,’ she said, ushering me into her spacious bedroom. ‘It’s okay, being at my dad’s, but I was so ready to come home. I’m in desperate need of some lake time and a serious tan.’ She shot me a disgusted look. ‘Not all of us were blessed with skin like yours.’

‘Runs in the family,’ I said with a shrug.

‘Speaking of your family, how was the show tonight? I’m totally planning on coming to see you just as soon as I can get everyone together.’

‘It was fine,’ I replied, trying not to think about how I’d nearly botched our last routine. ‘Just a few first-night jitters. I’m sorry to come by so late. The show ran longer than expected.’

Katie laughed. ‘Well, I just got off work, and my Friday night plans involved some major television binge watching, so no worries. I’ve missed you like crazy, by the way. So, how’s your summer been so far? Did you get your graduation certificate? Oh, and how’s Quentin?’

‘He’s fine,’ I replied, feeling suddenly cold. ‘It’s all … fine.’

I looked around Katie’s bedroom. Like everything else in the Lewis home, it was huge. Everything matched perfectly, from the pastel walls, to the puffy bed pillows – even the frames of all the pictures lined across her desk. I picked up a photo of Katie, posing with a group of friends, and standing beside her was …

Sebastian.

I barely recognized him. His skin was a normal shade, his hair dark brown and wavy, flopping across his eyes. Not the luminous silver eyes I’d looked into so many times. They were simply hazel. No darkened lips or sharp teeth. And he was smiling, bright and full, as though he’d been halfway through a laugh when the picture was taken.

The guilt I thought I’d released taunted me again, savage and heavy. Sebastian told me he’d always been a gargoyle, and I had to believe him. But his life seemed so normal before all of this. Before he met me.

Katie took the picture out of my hands. ‘Josie, I’ve been totally patient with you, but I’m about to freaking blow up if you don’t tell me what’s going on.’

I glanced up, startled. ‘What?’

Her eyes narrowed into blue slits. ‘In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never once spent the night at my house. Like ever. And then, suddenly, you’re asking to come over, like immediately? Something’s up, and you’d better spill.’

Katie plopped on the bed, sending her mound of stuffed animals exploding in all directions. She looked at me expectantly.

I tried smiling, but my face didn’t know what to do. I wondered how Sebastian had managed to keep the truth of what he was from Katie and his friends for so long. Those first months during his change must’ve been horrible. But deep down, I knew he’d kept his secrets the same way I’d kept mine.

He’d lied.

Keeping my family’s Outcast Gypsy roots hidden was something we had to do – it was for our protection; it was how we preserved our heritage. But secrets like ours came at a constant cost. They built a wall between our world and the outside one. But it was a divide I was going to have to tear down.

‘Katie,’ I began hesitantly. ‘I’m not here for a slumber party. I came here because I need your help. But first, there’s a lot I have to tell you.’

‘No problem.’ She leaned forward eagerly. ‘I’m all ears.’

A lifetime and a very long past pulled on me. I respected our Outcast traditions, but I also valued my friendship with Katie – more than I even realized until now.

‘I guess I should start by telling you that I’m a Gypsy.’

‘Well, yeah,’ she replied, staring at me as though I’d told her the sky was blue. ‘I mean, what with your last name and the whole circus thing you’ve got going on. Not to mention the fortune tellers and folky music and stuff.’

‘No, you don’t understand,’ I said. ‘It’s not like that. We’re Roma. The entire Circe troupe. We make up part of the Romany clan, and my father’s the head of it.’ I fiddled with the bracelets on my wrist. ‘It’s not something we tell outsiders. Letting non-Roma into our world isn’t allowed. It’s one of our laws.’

‘Whoa.’ Katie uncrossed her legs and slid off the bed. ‘For real?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Oh my gosh! Actual Gypsies?’

‘Not all my people like using that name, but in my kumpania – in my group – we don’t mind. It’s what we are. Outcast Gypsies.’

‘Outcast from where?’

‘From Europe, from our original clans, two hundred years ago. My ancestors wanted to start a new life in America so we could follow our own ways.’

‘That is so unbelievably cool!’ she exclaimed, practically bouncing in front of me. Her brows lowered suddenly. ‘But wait, if you’re not allowed to go around telling people who you are, then why is your family so open with all the Gypsy stuff at the Circe?’

‘People don’t make the connection between our stage shows and our real life. My father says it’s using an old stereotype to our advantage. The Circe gives us freedom to live like we want and travel where we like, but without anyone knowing who we are.’ I shrugged. ‘It’s not like we’re the first circus to use a theme.’

‘So it’s a gimmick,’ Katie said. ‘You know, it’s kind of like what Sebastian’s brother does with his tattoo shop.’ She stopped abruptly, and I literally saw the wheels click into place behind her eyes. ‘Hang on. Is Hugo a Gypsy, too?’

An unsettling sensation pricked at me. I wasn’t betraying the Corsis, I told myself. I didn’t have a choice. ‘Yeah, he is. Everybody that works there is part of his clan.’

‘No freaking way,’ Katie exclaimed. ‘What about Sebastian? Is he—’

‘Sebastian’s not a Gypsy.’ I glanced away. ‘He’s … something else.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

Conflict pulled inside me, tighter than acrobat robes. This was worse than telling a gadje about my heritage, even if that gadje was Katie. My gaze drifted to the picture Katie had replaced on her desk. The image of his smiling face made my stomach ache. ‘When was the last time you saw Sebastian?’

‘My graduation party. Why?’

‘How did he seem to you?’

Katie huffed. ‘Honestly, I was surprised he even showed up. Something major’s been going on with him, and he’s been totally distant, in a really weird way. I don’t know, I guess it’s the trauma from the accident with his van or something, but whatever it is, Sebastian’s just not the same. I mean, we text sometimes, but he won’t talk to me on the phone, and my party was the first time I’d seen him in weeks. But he was acting all freaked out. And totally paranoid. He wouldn’t even come inside the fence.’

I paused to take a long breath. ‘You’re right Katie, something has been going on with Sebastian the last few months. But it’s not what you think.’

‘If you’re about to tell me he’s on drugs—’

‘No, it’s nothing like that.’

‘Good, ’cause I wouldn’t have believed it anyway. I mean, it’s Sebastian we’re talking about here. In case you haven’t noticed, he’s not really the rebellious type, which is why I always found it so hilarious that he wanted to be a tattoo artist.’ Her eyes widened. ‘Not that they’re rebels, I mean. His brother’s totally cool. They all are. It just never seemed like Sebastian’s thing.’

‘What did you picture him doing after high school?’ I asked. I was stalling, but I couldn’t help it. Talking about him made it feel like he was still here, waiting for me back at the Circe with that soft, apologetic smile of his.

‘Gosh, I don’t know,’ she said. ‘His brother wanted him to go to college.’

‘That would’ve been nice. He deserved that.’

‘Josie.’ Katie crossed to me and gripped my shoulder. ‘You’re talking about him like he’s dead, and it’s starting to freak me out. Is Sebastian okay?’

Her question shook me to attention. Without Katie’s help, I’d never be able to get away from the Circe. I’d be stuck here – trapped, with no way to help the person who mattered most. I still didn’t know how to define my feelings, if there were even words, but one thing I knew for sure: without him, nothing else made sense anymore.

‘He’s in trouble,’ I said quickly. Katie opened her mouth, but I kept going before she could interject. ‘He didn’t do anything wrong, and it’s not his fault, but he’s been sent to Savannah by my people.’

‘Savannah,’ Katie repeated, letting go of my arm. ‘What are you talking about? Is he okay, or isn’t he? You’re not making any sense.’

I felt stupid for thinking I could get away with only telling Katie what she absolutely needed to know. But this wasn’t my secret … it was Sebastian’s. I turned the dandelion pendant between my fingers, pressing the cold glass against my skin. He’d kept this from Katie on purpose. Once I crossed this line, there would be no going back.

‘Katie, there’s something about Sebastian, something that’s happened to him, but I don’t know how to say it without sounding like I’m insane.’

‘Too late for that,’ she replied. ‘So just spit it out.’

I saw the rising irritation in Katie’s eyes, but behind that, the fear. Suddenly, I hated secrets, more than I ever had in my life.

‘There are these creatures,’ I said quickly, before I could change my mind. ‘My people brought them to life a long time ago. He’s one of them. Hugo’s parents brought him here, and he looked normal, but he didn’t know the truth, and when my family came to Sixes, stuff began happening to him, and he’s different now.’

‘Creatures?’ Katie’s mouth quirked. ‘Seriously Jo, you’re making it sound like Sebastian’s not human.’

‘He’s not.’

‘Josephine,’ said Katie, drawing my name out slowly. Her expression turned hard and skeptical, and the tension between us instantly rose. ‘What’s really going on?’

My throat was so dry I couldn’t swallow. It was too late to stop now. This went deeper than just acquiring her help. This was about truth and trust. Katie was Sebastian’s friend.

But she was also mine.

‘Sebastian’s a gargoyle.’

For a moment, I didn’t think Katie had heard me. She just stared, blank-faced. I chewed on my fingernail. I couldn’t remember the last time Katie had been at a loss for words. I saw her jaw clench, and then she stood slowly from the bed.

‘I want every single detail. And you’d better not leave anything out.’

*

I told Katie everything.

Everything that had happened since the day my family had arrived in Sixes last autumn. How Sebastian was my guardian and how we were sealed the moment my pendant, my sclav, and his dandelion tattoo touched – and how we were now connected through that bond.

I’d never said so much about my life to anyone outside the Circe, but now I’d spilled my guts, and there was nothing to do but wait for Katie’s verdict. She paced back and forth across the plush rug in the middle of her room. At last, she stopped and faced me with a heavy, drawn-out sigh.

‘Seriously, Josie, I don’t know what you expect me to believe.’ She shook her head fiercely. ‘I mean, yeah, I remember how weird Sebastian got during the school play, and him getting sick, and then, there was that thing with his hair.’ Katie pulled a face before continuing. ‘And you’re telling me it’s all because he’s some creature from your people’s fairy tales. You get how that sounds, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘Do you, really?’

‘I’m not making this up, Katie.’

‘Okay.’ She walked to her desk and studied the same photo that had held my attention. ‘If he’s really this … shadow creature you say he is, then show me a picture of him.’

‘It’s not something I’d put on my camera roll, Katie. No Gypsy would ever risk exposing the existence of the shadow world, the good or the bad. It’s for gadje protection as well as our own. Besides, Sebastian would never have let me take a picture of him.’ I winced. ‘He hated … hates … the way he looks.’

Katie flopped on the rug. ‘That night at my party, I was talking to Sebastian about his back brace, you know, the one he was wearing because of his car accident.’ She saw my look and frowned. ‘That’s what he told me. Anyway, I tried to look at it, and he jerked away from me, like he was totally scared of me getting close to him. But I swear, I saw something.’

‘What?’

‘I’m not sure.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Maybe it wasn’t anything.’

‘Katie—’

‘Listen, I’m way ticked off right now,’ she snapped. ‘Okay, so maybe I can forgive you for not telling me because it’s like your people’s rules and everything not to talk about stuff, but why would that idiot not say anything to me?’ Katie’s eyes turned an icy shade. ‘I thought Sebastian and I were friends.’

‘You are,’ I said. ‘But he couldn’t—’

‘Couldn’t tell me he thinks he’s a gargoyle? Yeah, I can see why not.’

‘He doesn’t think he is,’ I said.

She grimaced through a bitter laugh. ‘Yeah, okay.’

‘Katie, I don’t blame you for not believing me.’ I sat beside her. ‘I wouldn’t believe me, either. But I still need your help. Hugo and the Corsis are leaving for Savannah tonight. I have to get there, too. But I don’t have a car. My father only let me leave the Circe because he thinks I’m spending the weekend with you.’

‘So you want me to drive you to Savannah.’

‘It’s four hours away. You could be back before morning. After I testify, I can find my own way home.’ I started to reach for her hand, but held back. ‘Please, Katie. I have to do this.’

She drummed her fingers rapidly against her leg as her gaze went around the room. ‘But I’m … whatever it was you called me.’

‘Gadje.’

‘Yeah, that. I thought you weren’t supposed to associate with us.’

‘It has nothing to do with hanging out with you. It’s about not telling gadje all about us. My father trusts that I will do what I’ve always done – keep my heritage a secret.’

‘Well, you obviously suck at that.’

Katie didn’t smile, but the iciness melted from her eyes.

‘I guess I do,’ I said.

We sat in silence in the middle of Katie’s room, surrounded by stuffed animals. I closed my eyes. Memories immediately sprouted to the surface. The kris, my uncle, Sebastian locked up. If Katie didn’t agree to this, I didn’t know how I was going to make it to Savannah without my father finding out.

A door suddenly squeaked. I opened my eyes to find Katie rummaging in her massive closet. She began tossing clothes into the center of the room and then dragged out a small piece of luggage.

‘What are you doing?’ I asked.

‘Look,’ she said, stopping long enough to glare at me. ‘This does not mean I believe your ridiculous creature story, because I don’t. But if you think Sebastian’s in trouble, then I want to help.’

‘But you don’t have to—’

‘Yes I do. Your father can still think you’re staying with me for the weekend. But I’m not leaving you in Savannah alone, not after everything you’ve just told me. So you’re gonna have to deal with that.’

I really smiled for the first time all night. ‘I’ll help you pack.’




3. Josephine (#u49ab785d-578f-5234-a720-aa3836a11090)


‘Hey mom,’ said Katie, knocking on the door. ‘You awake?’

‘Yeah,’ came a muffled voice from inside.

Katie motioned for me to follow her into her mother’s bedroom. Nicole Lewis walked out of the bathroom wearing a fluffy bathrobe, her face covered in a green-tinted facial mask.

‘Hey, Josephine,’ she said pleasantly, opening the top drawer of her dresser as she smiled at me. She was an older, mirrored image of Katie, right down to the bright blue eyes. ‘I haven’t seen you in a long time. How’s everything going with the Circe?’

I smiled back. ‘It’s been busy.’

‘Mom, can we switch cars this weekend?’ asked Katie.

Nicole sat on the edge of the bed and proceeded to file her nails. ‘Why, is something wrong with yours?’

‘No, it’s just that Josie and I just decided to take a girls’ weekend to Savannah. They’re having a food and craft festival tomorrow, and Josie’s in serious need of a break from the Circe for a couple of days. You know your car’s a lot more reliable than mine on long trips.’

I glanced sideways at Katie, but I didn’t say anything. Nicole finished one hand and turned the emery board over to start the other. ‘When are you leaving?’

‘Right now.’

Nicole paused and looked at her nightstand clock. ‘It’s 11:30.’

‘We want to get an early start in the morning,’ I jumped in, still smiling. ‘I have some family in Savannah that don’t mind us staying with them for a few nights.’

‘Please, Mom,’ said Katie. ‘I promise I’ll bring your car back home with a full tank. This is the only weekend Josie’s free all summer.’

Nicole looked at me for a few seconds, and then puckered her lips in a sympathetic way. ‘Well, I suppose so. My keys are on the kitchen table. Just don’t forget to leave me yours.’

Katie rushed forward and hugged her mom. ‘Thank you!’

Nicole laughed and wiped a smudge of green facial off Katie’s cheek. ‘As long as you promise me you’ll call when you girls get there. And let me know when you’re coming home. Okay?’

‘I’ll make sure she does,’ I replied.

We backed out of the room quickly and retrieved our things. Katie swiped the keys off the table on our way to the garage, rolling her suitcase behind her. I threw my duffel bag in the back seat of her mom’s Lexus and slid into the passenger seat.

‘Why are we taking your mom’s car again?’ I asked.

Katie adjusted the mirrors. ‘Because Hugo knows my car.’

I felt a surge of surprise. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’

‘Which is exactly why I’m coming with you.’

The tension in Katie’s tone was palpable. She pulled the car out of the garage and headed down the long driveway. We didn’t say anything as we drove through town. Katie was even quieter than Francis had been. I felt a knot form in my stomach. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

‘Katie—’

‘You know,’ she said, stopping me with a wave of her hand. ‘All these months, I thought Sebastian was the one who’d gone completely nuts. But you’re telling me a man was killed at the Circe, and then some crazy guy hauls Sebastian out of Sixes in a cage, and no one even called 911?’

‘You know we can’t do that,’ I said slowly.

‘Why, because you’d have to explain your monster story?’

I leaned back in the seat and stared out the window. ‘Katie, maybe I shouldn’t have told you …’

‘No,’ she said. ‘I asked for it. I did.’

‘Okay,’ I said, and left it at that.

Maybe I’d crossed the line by telling Katie the truth, but I couldn’t help feeling grateful she was here with me; relieved not to have to pretend with her anymore – whether she believed me or not.

Katie put on her blinker as we waited to turn into the small strip mall that housed the Gypsy Ink Tattoo Parlor. ‘So, what’s the plan?’

‘Park on the far side of the lot,’ I replied. ‘There’s a convenience store that’s still open. We can watch the shop from there. We’ll wait for them to leave, and then we’ll follow behind.’

‘Can’t you just map out the directions on your phone?’ asked Katie as she turned into the parking lot. ‘Why do we have to follow Hugo?’

‘It’s not about directions. I want to know what the Corsis intend to do when they get there. I haven’t been to our Haven in years. I’m not even sure the High Council still meets in the same place. I need the Corsis’ help, but this time, they won’t be able to push me out.’

Katie chose an empty parking spot near the road, but one that faced towards the tattoo shop. She turned off the car, and we settled in to wait. I glanced down to check my phone. It read 11:50.

‘Hey, isn’t that Ms Lucian?’ said Katie suddenly.

I peered through the shadowy lights of the parking lot. A woman was making her way quickly across the empty space, carrying a small bag. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and her red-tipped black hair blew across her face as she walked in the direction of the Gypsy Ink.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘That’s her.’

‘What’s our drama teacher doing here, and this late at night?’ Katie leaned over the steering wheel, watching with narrowed eyes as Esmeralda Lucian walked into the shop and closed the door behind her. ‘Oh, do you think she’s getting a tattoo?’

I glanced over my shoulder at my duffel bag in the back seat. I could just see the outline of the small, leather-bound book, where I’d placed it in the side pocket. If Ezzie was here, it could only mean one thing: she was going with Hugo and the Corsis to Savannah.

‘There was something I left out when I was telling you everything,’ I said, turning to Katie. ‘Ezzie sort of works with the Corsi clan.’

‘Ezzie?’

‘Ms Lucian … Esmeralda Lucian … is a former gargoyle.’

Katie shot me another suspicious look. ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

‘I don’t know all the details,’ I said, looking back towards the tattoo shop. Everything was still quiet. ‘A long time ago, when she was a gargoyle, Esmeralda had a charge. His name was Markus, and he died. Apparently it was her fault, and she was turned human as punishment.’

I could see Katie processing. I assumed it was about Ezzie, but her question caught me off guard. ‘So, does that mean that Sebastian could be cured of whatever this is?’

‘It’s not a disease.’

The words snapped free of my lips harsher than I’d intended. But I didn’t regret them. My stomach turned over again as I saw Sebastian’s face in my memory and heard my name as he said it, gentle and full of warmth.

‘I didn’t mean—’

‘I know,’ I said quickly, studying the flashing neon sign of the Gypsy Ink. ‘Ms Lucian still has a lot of shadowen abilities,’ I continued, preferring to switch the subject back to Ezzie. ‘And her senses are really good. Plus, she’s still really protective of the Corsis.’

‘Why do the Corsis need protecting?’ Katie asked.

‘We all do,’ I replied.

‘From what?’

‘I told you, from the shadow creatures.’

Katie slumped in the driver’s seat with a heavy, exasperated sigh. ‘Yeah, yeah. The monsters that have been after your people since the Dark Ages. I heard everything you said back at my house.’

I didn’t have the energy to reply, not that there was anything else to say. After listening to my outrageous story, Katie had still chosen to come with me. Could I really expect anything more?

The shop’s neon sign went dark.

I checked my phone again. It was five minutes past midnight. After a few moments, three motorcycles rounded the side of the building from the back of the strip mall. It was easy to make out the figures of James, Kris, and Vincent, even underneath the sickly light of the street lamps. An old pick-up truck followed them through the empty lot. As the vehicle slowed to pull out into the street, I caught a glimpse of the occupants: Hugo driving and Ezzie in the passenger seat.

‘Okay,’ I said, buckling my seat belt. ‘Let’s go.’

Katie kept a considerable distance from the Corsi caravan as they took the main road leading out of Sixes, just enough to keep Hugo’s brake lights in view. Neither one of us spoke as we turned onto the Interstate. I leaned against the window, staring at the darkened road and the occasional white lights from oncoming cars.

‘So, what are we going to do when we get there?’ asked Katie.

‘I’m still working on that.’

I massaged my temples with my fingertips. I would testify before the High Council on Sebastian’s behalf. I would do everything in my power to make sure he walked free. But my head ached with uncertainties, questions that went deeper than his being framed at the kris.

What information did Karl’s books contain that was so important Augustine would be willing to murder for it? And why was he still after Sebastian, as Hugo believed? But there was one question that bothered me the most: what had happened to Sebastian when he was in that cage to turn him so wild?

‘Josie, did you hear me?’

I jumped in the seat. Katie threw a sideways glance at me as she drove.

‘I’m sorry, I was thinking.’

‘About Quentin?’ she asked. Her tone was level and pointed. ‘You do realize you haven’t said one thing to me about him this whole time.’

I felt cold again, and I wrapped my arms around my stomach. ‘He went with Augustine last night, on my father’s orders, to make sure Sebastian was delivered safely to the High Council. I’m sure he’s probably on his way back home by now.’

‘You don’t know?’

‘He hasn’t texted. But he usually doesn’t when he’s working.’

Katie’s curious stare burned into me. But I didn’t look at her. I knew Quentin had been pleased with how things had turned out in the kris, despite the sweet words and consoling hugs he offered me. He’d never liked Sebastian, never even gave him a real chance. And I knew I was going to have to confront that head on. But right now, I had Sebastian’s trial to think about.

*

‘We have to stop for gas,’ said Katie.

‘What?’ I bolted out of my half-slumber and yanked out my phone. We’d been on the road nearly three hours. I stared at the black road stretching out before us. There were several red taillights, and I wasn’t sure which one was Hugo’s anymore. ‘No, we can’t. We’ll lose the Corsis.’

‘My refuel light’s been on for the last twenty miles,’ said Katie. ‘We won’t make it there on this tank. Besides, I really have to pee.’ She glanced pleadingly at me. ‘I promise, we’ll be really quick. But I’m seriously going to wet myself if we don’t stop now.’

‘Okay,’ I said, trying to manage my frustration. ‘Just hurry.’

We took the exit ramp and stopped at the first gas station. I filled up the tank while Katie went inside to use the facilities. She came out a few minutes later carrying two sodas. I finished paying, but as I reached to take one of the bottles from her, a cold breeze whipped across my face.

The garish white lights from the gas station only reached the edges of the parking lot, leaving everything beyond in shadowy darkness. The air felt warm, but the breeze was noticeably colder – a sensation I’d felt before. Goosebumps sprouted up my arms.

‘What is it?’ Katie asked, frowning at me.

‘This was a bad idea,’ I said, moving towards the car. ‘We aren’t anywhere near an Outcast Haven. We don’t have any Marksmen with us.’

‘What are you talking about?’

I opened the back door and reached for my bag. I retrieved the diamond-coated knife Quentin had given me – the one I’d used on Matthias when Sebastian and I had been attacked on Copper Mountain. The blade caught the light and glittered. Katie stared at it as though I’d pulled out a jar of scorpions.

‘It’s a Marksman knife,’ I said as I surveyed the parking lot. It was empty and still. Poster advertisements covered the front windows of the tiny convenience store, preventing me from seeing inside. ‘Diamond-coated weapons are the only things that can kill shadow creatures.’

Katie’s shock morphed into irritation. ‘And we’re back to monsters.’

I ignored her comment as I eased cautiously around the front of the car. I’d gotten so used to having Sebastian by my side the last few weeks, that I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be afraid, genuinely afraid. But he wasn’t here, and all I had to defend us was one small knife and my limited fighting experience.

The cold breeze swirled bits of trash across the concrete.

‘I should’ve known,’ I said, peering upward. ‘It can smell me.’

‘Smell you?’ Katie took a step backwards, her jaw hung open in disbelief. ‘Okay, you know Josie, I’ve been giving you the benefit of the doubt all night, but this is just too much to swallow. I’m starting to think you might be delusional or something.’

A dark form swooped through the air, just over one of the streetlights. I heard the leathery flap of wings. Fear worked its way up my throat with prickly fingers. I brandished the knife, though I couldn’t see anything against the cloudy, starless sky. Why had I been so reckless?

‘We need to get in the car,’ I said.

Suddenly, a vehicle came screeching into the parking lot from the road. Katie sprang back, and I spun on my heel as Hugo’s truck roared up beside ours and slammed to a halt. Hugo and Esmeralda flew out of the truck. I didn’t like the look on either of their faces.

‘We’re being tracked,’ said Hugo.

Three motorcycles rumbled in behind him. James, Vincent, and Kris leapt off. Their faces were tense as they spanned out and searched the sky. Hugo scowled at me.

‘How did you—’ I began.

‘A discussion for later,’ said Ezzie. She tilted her head and sniffed the air. ‘We must get out of the open.’ She gestured to a thin line of trees running parallel to the parking lot, just outside the glow of lights from the station. ‘It will reduce their advantage.’

‘Can’t we just outdrive them?’ asked James.

‘Only to have them follow us to the next stop and attack there?’ hissed Ezzie. Her eyes glittered dangerously. ‘No, we must deal with them here.’

Katie suddenly chucked her soda into the trash and whirled on us with a half-crazed expression. ‘Are you serious? You guys believe all this stuff, too? I can’t even … it’s like some freaking shared delusion!’

‘There is no time for this, Katie Lewis,’ snapped Ezzie, flinging open the door of Hugo’s truck. Her hazel eyes flickered silver. ‘You are not Roma. They will leave you alone. Stay here and do not open these doors.’

The color faded from Katie’s cheeks. ‘Josephine …’

I grabbed her hand. ‘Just do what Ms Lucian says.’

‘But—’

‘And stay low,’ I said as I closed the door after her.

We hurried into the trees, Esmeralda leading the way and the Corsis bringing up the rear. My heart pounded. Marksmen were the ones equipped to kill these things, not us. And Esmeralda, though intimidating, was human, not gargoyle. I said a quick prayer under my breath.

We crouched behind a group of shrubs. Ezzie sniffed the air again, and I sensed her frustration. I knew she retained bits of her old shadow creature abilities, but I didn’t know how well they worked.

‘I cannot tell how many,’ Ezzie whispered. ‘Two, I believe.’

Hugo reached down and wrapped his fingers around a fallen branch the size of a baseball bat. He caught Ezzie’s look. ‘Yeah, I know. It won’t kill ’em, but it’ll still hurt.’

James, Kris, and Vincent found their own pieces of wood. We waited. I kept anxious eyes on the truck, praying that Katie would stay put. Ezzie leaned forward in her crouch, fingers splayed wide against the ground in a posture that reminded me of Sebastian. I clutched the knife tighter.

Ezzie closed her eyes and took in one smooth breath. Then, her eyes snapped open. She pointed with both hands, at two different trees directly above us. A wild snarl erupted from a cluster of branches. Something dropped to the ground. Ezzie shoved me aside.

The thing hissed, shuffling into view. I cringed in disgust. A grotesque. It was at least the size of a horse. A body and head like some medieval serpent, with black liquid dripping from its venomous-looking fangs. It scrambled closer, moving on multiple legs.

From out of the darkness, a winged creature slammed into Hugo from behind. He kicked at the beast as James bashed its scaly head with his branch. Kris and Vincent jumped into the fray, but my attention snapped immediately back to the shadowen in front of us.

Ezzie made a snarling sound, and inky mist appeared around her body. The creature lunged. Ezzie reappeared in another clump of mist several feet away. The grotesque roared in fury, its solid silver eyes gleaming, as it whirled around. It backed me up against a tree.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Esmeralda move into view. The creature reared back like a coiled snake. As it went for my head, I ducked and rolled to the side. With accuracy I’d learned over years of Circe training, I tossed the knife in Ezzie’s direction. She caught it and stabbed the creature, right in the middle of the back. The blade buried itself in the grotie’s flesh, all the way to the handle. The creature shuddered and dropped to the ground.

‘Ezzie!’ yelled Hugo.

Ms Lucian spun and aimed my knife at the other grotesque. It screeched and went down. Hugo wasted no time. He yanked the blade free from the creature’s wing and plunged it into the thing’s scaled chest.

Both shadowen collapsed, dead.

I leaned against the tree, gasping for breath. Hugo pried my knife free from the winged grotesque just as its body solidified into stone. Within seconds, both shadow creatures became nothing more than statues lying on the leaf-covered ground.

‘Is everyone okay?’ Hugo asked.

Suddenly, panic gripped me. ‘Katie!’

I rushed back to the truck. I could see her tear-stained face pressed against the window. I wrestled open the door, and she stumbled out, shaking all over. She stared at me with enormous eyes.

‘I believe it,’ she whimpered, clutching my arms. ‘I believe all of it.’

Then she was sick all over the tops of my shoes.

*

James and Kris hid the bodies of the grotesques in the brush, while Hugo supervised. I waited anxiously next to the car, with Katie by my side. She took small sips from a water bottle James had given her. Her face was pale, and she was unusually quiet.

Hugo emerged from the trees, wiping his hands off on his jeans. The others followed behind. His face grew darker as he approached us, and he sized me up with one long, penetrating stare. I met his gaze, unblinking, though inside, I felt close to crumbling.

‘How much does she know?’ Hugo asked me.

‘Everything,’ I replied.

Hugo paused long enough to give a definitive huff. Then he turned to Katie and held out his hand. ‘Well Katie, I guess you’re in.’

Vincent’s mouth gaped open.

James grabbed Hugo’s shoulder. ‘I don’t think that’s a good—’

‘No arguments,’ said Hugo brusquely. ‘If Josephine trusts her with our secrets, then so do I. Katie Lewis, consider yourself diddikoi from this point forward.’

‘Friend of Gypsies,’ I said, for her benefit.

Katie shook Hugo’s hand with the confidence of someone handling a snake.

‘How did you know we were following you?’ I asked.

‘It was Ezzie,’ he answered, watching as Ms Lucian walked the perimeter of the gas station, her head tilted upward. ‘She saw a couple of girls in a shiny SUV, hanging out in the back of our parking lot before we left. It didn’t take a lot of brainwork to put the rest together. Ezzie’s had the scent of groties on our tail for the last hour. When you two pulled off the Interstate, I got worried.’

I felt heat rise to my face. ‘Thanks for coming back.’

His expression softened somewhat. ‘I don’t reckon Sebastian would forgive me if I let you get yourself killed,’ he replied. ‘And since you’re obviously not going to listen to our advice about staying home, I’m offering you a place to stay in Savannah. The Corsi clan owns a B&B in the Victorian District. That’s where we’re heading.’

I nodded as Ezzie approached, ending our conversation.

‘Anything?’ Hugo asked.

‘No,’ she said, her attention still on the dark trees beyond the lights. ‘I don’t sense any other shadowen in the area. But we should be on our way. I’ve never seen grotesques so bold before. To attack Roma in public as they did is highly unusual. I fear this was not simply an isolated incident.’

‘Agreed,’ said Hugo. He turned his sharp eyes towards Katie. ‘Since you’ve been following us for three hours, I’m sure it won’t be too much trouble to continue on into the city.’

Katie nodded weakly.

‘I’ll drive,’ Ezzie said to her. ‘If you don’t mind.’

Katie dropped her car keys into Esmeralda’s outstretched hand without the slightest hint of argument. I looked at our former teacher curiously, but she only smiled, an oddly tight expression.

‘Try and keep up,’ said Hugo wryly. ‘And no more pit stops.’

We pulled out onto the Interstate once more, Hugo in the lead. The rest of the guys maneuvered behind us on their motorcycles. Katie took the passenger seat, and I retreated to the back. I didn’t try and explain anything more to her. She’d seen enough by now to be convinced– at least of everything that mattered at this point. But there was nothing I could do to make it any less horrible.

I turned the diamond-coated knife over in my hands. The grotesque’s black blood had cleaned off easily, but nausea lingered in the back of my throat. I hadn’t wanted Quentin’s weapon – he’d only given it to me to protect myself against Sebastian – but now I was glad I’d brought it. His weapon had saved our lives.

A lump of conflicted emotion rotated in my stomach. My feelings for Sebastian, however new and undefined they might be, weren’t going to change. But neither, I hated to admit, were Quentin’s. In his eyes, he was a Marksman and Sebastian was a shadow creature. There was no middle ground.

‘Josie?’

I leaned towards Katie. ‘Yeah?’

‘Does Sebastian … look like that?’ She shuddered visibly. ‘Like them?’

‘No,’ I said firmly. I focused on the windshield, finding myself once more at a loss for the right words. ‘I mean, not exactly. It’s like I told you before, he’s still Sebastian. Mostly. Just different.’

‘Different,’ she repeated numbly. Katie rubbed her eyes. Her mental conflict and exhaustion were etched clearly on her face. She was still pale, even through her rosy-pink makeup. ‘So why did they attack you?’

It was Ezzie who answered. ‘Roma blood. Grotesques smell it. The scent draws them in, like a predator seeking its prey.’

‘Prey?’ said Katie. ‘You guys are their prey?’

Ezzie gripped the steering wheel. But she didn’t answer. Instead, she frowned through the rear-view mirror at me. ‘Josephine, did you bring the book I gave you?’

It was at that moment that I realized why Esmeralda had insisted on driving our car. She wanted to talk.

‘Yes, I packed it when I left the Circe.’

‘Good,’ she replied. ‘Markus’ book may be of use to us in Savannah.’

Pain flickered behind Ezzie’s eyes when she mentioned her charge by name. I felt my own pain welling up inside of me. Maybe it was only a fraction of hers, but the source was the same. What if I couldn’t save Sebastian? What if I failed?

Katie looked between us. ‘What book?’

‘One similar to those stolen from Karl Corsi,’ answered Ezzie. ‘Markus believed it to be important to the future of the shadow world when he entrusted it to my care. I must confess, I had not thought of it until Sebastian’s awakening last autumn. I have felt a strong upheaval in the shadow world the last few months. The increase in shadowen activity and the timing of Sebastian’s awakening cannot be treated as mere coincidence.’ She paused as she checked the side mirrors and changed lanes. ‘His difficult adjustment as a gargoyle has concerned me. I can’t explain it, but Sebastian is not the same to me as other shadowen. Even the way he smells—’

Katie made a sound in the back of her throat.

‘His scent,’ Ezzie continued, flashing a silvery glare at Katie that made her cringe. ‘Since his transformation I have been at a loss to figure it out. It is my hope that Zindelo and Nadya will be able to answer our questions.’

‘Hugo’s parents? But I thought no one knew their whereabouts.’

Esmeralda almost smiled. ‘That’s not entirely true.’

I swallowed past a sudden lump in my throat. ‘What does Hugo think about Sebastian?’

‘He denies anything openly,’ Ezzie replied. ‘But Hugo Corsi is an intelligent man. Unfortunately, I believe his attachment to Sebastian as his brother clouds his clarity.’

‘What about you?’

‘I am a guardian,’ she answered. ‘Or at least, I was. Guardians do not form attachments outside of our charges.’

‘That’s not true of you,’ I said. ‘Or Sebastian.’

Esmeralda paused. ‘No, it’s not.’

I stuffed the diamond-encrusted knife into my bag and closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure when I drifted off or how much time passed, but the sensation of slowing down woke me up. Katie had also fallen asleep; her head resting against the window and her mouth slacked open.

The skies were still dark, with dawn at least another hour away. I nudged Katie awake as we passed the Savannah city limits sign. We entered the coastal city, surrounded by palm trees and large oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Even in the darkness, it felt like we were passing into another world. Hugo led us down several roads, driving by numerous hotels and restaurants, before we ended up on a small cobblestone street lined on either side with eclectic, Victorian-style houses. He pulled into one and drove around the back.

‘Whoa,’ Katie breathed. ‘This is seriously gorgeous.’

The brick house was three stories tall, with a massive porch, lined with white columns. There were even balconies on the second and third levels with several brick chimneys sticking out from the roof. Thick trees, their limbs heavy with clumps of moss, populated the courtyard.

‘Josephine, Katie,’ said Esmeralda, turning off the car. ‘Welcome to The Dandelion Inn, headquarters of the Corsi clan in Savannah.’




4. Sebastian (#u49ab785d-578f-5234-a720-aa3836a11090)


[17 hours ago]

Rocking.

Like a boat – Katie’s boat, out on the lake. Out with her family. Waves lapping the sides. Dipping in and out. Up and down. Sideways. Lulling and sleepy; a lullaby without song. Constantly repeating.

Repeating …

Repeating …

My body awakened with a start. Every sense was flooded – with an overwhelming, pinpoint clarity that still shocked me. Noises and smells exploded inside me full force, and I registered exactly where I was before I even opened my eyes.

The cage.

I coughed out a mouthful of hay and pushed up onto my elbows. The paralyzing Vitamin D I’d been injected with was out of my system, freeing me to move again, but the rush of blood to my head made me dizzy. I blinked, using my gargoyle night vision in the darkness. My cage had been loaded into one of the Circe’s equipment trailers. Heavy locks clanged against the bars as we moved at a decent speed down the road.

‘Brilliant, Sebastian,’ I muttered. ‘You really thought this one through.’

It had seemed like the best solution – allowing myself to be taken by Augustine to keep Josephine safe – but now doubts crept along the edges of my vision. The separation from Josephine felt like a constant throbbing ache, a wound that wouldn’t heal.

The pang intensified as I began to fully realize the deal I’d made with Augustine and what it had cost. This was far from over. Coming up with a decent plan on an empty stomach, however, wasn’t going to be easy. Now that I was conscious again, hunger ate not only at my stomach, but also at my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head to clear it.

‘Stay focused,’ I whispered.

The wheels of the trailer came to a stop, and an engine shut off. My heart thrummed nervously. I was having serious second thoughts about everything. I didn’t regret getting Augustine away from the Romany camp, but I had no idea what to do next.

The heavy trailer door slid open and clanged into place. Faint light from the highway spilled through the opening, and my eyes instantly adjusted. Cold ice lodged in my chest, and a nasty burning smell singed my nostrils. Quentin Marks walked in. He was still in head-to-toe black, typical Marksmen attire, but his bow and quiver were gone. A snarl played across my lips. He stopped at the door to my cage, and it was at that moment another scent hit me.

Meat. Dried and spiced.

My mouth instantly watered. I curled my body into a tense crouch to keep from moving forward. Quentin smiled – thinly tight, like a piece of stretched rope. He pulled out a pouch of jerky and tossed it through the bars to the far side of the cage.

It took everything inside my head to force myself to stay where I was. My claws, my teeth … everything strained for the meat. The hunger was very close to controlling me completely, and it was disgusting. Utterly and thoroughly disgusting. I hated being under the command of this thing, this dark, murky part of me. I managed to turn my head away.

‘No thanks.’

‘Oh, you’re going to want to eat,’ said Quentin. ‘We’re still a couple of hours out of Savannah, and from what I hear, you don’t fare well on an empty stomach.’

I glared at him. ‘So why are you feeding me, then?’

‘It’s not my call,’ he answered. ‘I could care less if you starved. But Augustine wants you coherent when we arrive.’

Coherent.

Augustine not only knew about my gargoyle weaknesses, but also about my particular appetite as well. The knowledge of that made me feel sick. ‘And if I refuse to eat?’

Quentin leaned closer to the bars. ‘Trust me, you don’t want to do that.’

He leapt from the trailer and the door slammed shut again. I waited until we were moving again before I scrambled across the cage and ripped the meat free from the plastic wrapping. My instinctive reaction was embarrassing, and I was thankful no one was here to watch, especially Josephine.

Josephine.

Her name was like a punch in the gut.

I didn’t want to imagine what she thought of me now. I clamped my teeth together and shoved Josephine from my thoughts. But the farther away we drove from the camp, the more off-centered I felt. I didn’t know how I’d function separated from my charge, but I had to find a way to manage. She was safe in Sixes, and that’s what mattered.

The meat’s tangy scent was overwhelming. I wiped dribble from my chin. Eating would lighten the cloudy brain haze, but the thought of doing anything Quentin told me to was downright revolting. I gripped the package so tightly my knuckles burned. The jerky was probably tainted with something. That would explain why they wanted me to eat. No, I’d keep my head clear – not by eating their food, but by using my own force of will. I was not going to be Augustine’s pet.

I summoned my strength and flung the meat as far away from me as I could. The package thumped against the trailer wall and landed unceremoniously in a pile of old woodchips.

My stomach hated me immediately.

Underneath the thick manacle on my wrist, the dandelion tattoo burned. I tried prying my claws underneath the metal, but the spikes lining the inside of the cuff ground deeper into my already raw skin. The shadowen-proof diamond coating had zapped my energy and rendered my limited shadowing abilities useless.

‘Karl,’ I whispered. ‘I’m sorry.’

My stomach twisted, but not from hunger. If I’d listened to the old circus trainer more, if I’d managed to get past my trepidation of what I was, maybe I could’ve done something to save him. I’d failed him, and I’d failed the Corsis.

The Corsis.

I reached for my jeans pocket before remembering I no longer had my phone. Would Hugo realize something had happened if I didn’t answer his texts? Would he even text at all? Our communication had gradually waned the longer I’d been at the Circe, sometimes going a week between calls.

Josephine.

She didn’t have any more control over this situation than I did. Besides, I’d seen the way she’d clung to Quentin after I went completely nuts. I saw the horrified look on her face when they carted me away. Even if she had felt something for me, it meant nothing after tonight.

I leaned my shoulder against the metal bars of the cage. A year ago, I’d been a senior in high school, looking forward to the freedom of graduation. Now, freedom sounded like a foreign word. My head dropped heavily to my chest. I had no idea what kind of Gypsy trial awaited me when I got to Savannah, but I was going to have to face it alone.

*

The next hour slogged along. The cage rocked and jolted as we made various turns. I lay on my stomach, my face pressed into the rotting hay. I rolled my shoulders and cringed. My old set of nylon straps may have been uncomfortable, but they were nothing compared to the thick cords the Marksmen used to bind my wings. Each time I moved, all the muscles along my back cramped.

At last, the trailer rolled to a stop. I rose as the door opened once more. I smelled Quentin’s unpleasant scent, but after that, came the smell of saltwater, moss, and stone. We were parked in an alley of some kind. Streetlamps shone between branches weighted down with Spanish moss.

Quentin ascended the stairs and sauntered around the cage without acknowledging my presence. Then he knelt beside the pile of woodchips and retrieved the beef jerky. He held it between two fingers, as though it were contaminated.

‘Just like he said you would,’ Quentin remarked.

I snarled as another scent reached my nose.

‘Not very wise, Mr Grey.’ Augustine entered the trailer. ‘I know for a fact it’s been at least six hours since your last meal. Very likely even longer than that, since I can only speak in regards to my arrival at the Circe. I assumed you understood your shadowen needs by now.’

I clutched my stomach as a wave of nauseous hunger slammed into me. My legs wobbled, and I found myself on my knees, gritting my teeth, fighting against the thickness in my head. I had to keep my rational thoughts, no matter what.

‘Yeah, I’m hungry. But if you think I’m going to trust anything you give me, you’re delusional.’

‘I’m just trying to help you,’ Augustine replied.

‘I’m fine,’ I growled.

‘Well, then. Suit yourself. We’ve just arrived in Savannah,’ he continued. ‘But before we begin this next part of our journey together, let’s go over a few … expectations I have for you.’

I wrapped my fingers around a cage bar and hoisted myself to my feet. My upper lip twitched uncontrollably. I felt the jagged edges of my teeth; the hideous things could make short work of a rib-eye steak but remained stupidly ridiculous to talk around.

‘Like what?’

Augustine pulled a wooden stool from the corner of the trailer and set it down with a loud bang. The sound stung my ears. ‘Well, I can’t exactly bring you any further in this cage. It’s a bit conspicuous. So I am going to need your cooperation. When they come to escort you to the Court of Shadows, I expect you to go calmly, quietly, and without a fuss.’

I stared back at him.

‘The Court of Shadows is the hub for all Outcast Gypsy activity, not only in Savannah, but for the entire kumpania,’ he explained. ‘Its location is a carefully guarded secret, so we must take precautions.’

‘Since when did you care about keeping secrets?’ I demanded. ‘Or care about anything to do with the Roma.’

‘You misunderstand me,’ Augustine answered, propping his elbows on his knees. ‘Despite my current status among the Outcasts, I continue to have a deep respect for our traditions, and for our very rich and unusual past.’

‘No offense, but that’s not really coming across.’

Augustine chuckled. ‘It’s a shame we won’t be having many more of these conversations, Sebastian.’ He stood and tapped the corner of my cage. ‘I’ve quite enjoyed them.’

As soon as he left the trailer, Quentin approached. I caught sight of a long knife tucked through his belt. The diamonds glinted like deadly sparks – a grim reminder that he knew exactly how to end my gargoyle-y existence.

‘Time to go,’ he said.

‘Don’t guess you’re going to tell me where.’

Quentin whistled sharply. Thomas and Ian, my Marksmen guard dogs since the kris, stomped into the trailer. Ice exploded in my gut, but my blood heated in my veins. Quentin pulled out a key. I stared hard at the lock as it clicked. Instincts skittered up my spine like a colony of ants. Red seeped into my vision, but I ground my teeth even harder, pushing it away.

Augustine was desperate to see the Queen. If I went quietly, maybe I could find out what was going on. I blinked everything into focus as the cage door swung open. Besides, even if I could fight them off, where would I go?

Thomas clamped a short chain to my manacles, pinning my arms in front of me. A long cloak was thrown around my shoulders and the hood was pulled up to obscure my face. The three Marksmen surrounded me, keeping my form hidden as we stepped from the trailer into the night.




5. Sebastian (#u49ab785d-578f-5234-a720-aa3836a11090)


The narrow street where we’d parked was deserted. Streetlights cast a yellow sheen on the cobblestone and drew long shadows from between the close-set buildings. I tilted my head and glanced up as we stopped at a three-story brick storefront. A dark-green canopy stretched across the length of the ground floor. Printed on the canvas flap were the words Tea and Spice.

Augustine came alongside me. ‘May I remind you, if you want Josephine to remain safe, you will behave yourself. We have many loyal to us within the Marksmen ranks. It would only take a word from Quentin, and her circus career would be finished. Accidents are unpredictable that way.’

I flashed my teeth under the hood. ‘Don’t you dare.’

‘Don’t give me a reason to,’ said Quentin.

‘See now?’ Augustine’s broad smile made me want to retch. ‘We all have an understanding. None of us wants my niece to come to harm, and she doesn’t have to. Let us simply conduct ourselves in an orderly manner, and all will be fine.’

White-hot anger boiled inside me, heating up my protective instincts. I grit my teeth until the sensation cooled enough to answer. ‘Alright.’

Quentin approached the green painted door with a CLOSED sign in the window. He rapped on the wood in a series of short and long knocks. I sniffed the air, catching the smell of another Gypsy. After a few seconds, the door opened. An elderly Roma woman motioned us inside.

Floor-to-ceiling shelves lined every wall of the sparsely lighted store, filled with assortments of cooking spices and various loose teas. The aromas made my sensitive nose burn, and mixed with the pungent scent of Marksmen, added to my headache. I switched to breathing through my mouth.

The Gypsy woman walked purposefully behind the counter and took a long, skeleton-looking key from a peg on the wall. Without saying a word or even giving my heavily cloaked self a second glance, she pushed past the group to a door marked PRIVATE in the back of the room. She unlocked it, and Quentin pushed the door open, which was thicker and heavier that it appeared.

Beyond was a decent-sized storage room with more shelves. A man sat at a circular table, playing a game of Solitaire with a grungy set of cards. He nodded at the woman. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. I heard the lock click into place.

The man shoved back his chair and stood. ‘We’ve been expecting you,’ he said. He was tall, with a large nose and a buzz cut. He was dressed like a Marksman. ‘It’s good to see you, Quentin.’

‘And you, Donani.’

My brows lifted in surprise, until I remembered that all Marksmen were from the same clan. It made sense they would know each other – something Quentin seemed pleased with as well.

The Marksman named Donani turned his attention on me. ‘So this is the gargoyle.’ He gripped my hood and yanked it back. My shoulders flexed, but I kept my eyes on him and breathed in slowly. Controlled. He smelled like charred wood. ‘Interesting,’ he said, regarding me with a calloused expression. He returned to the table and retrieved a belt full of weapons from the chair. He strapped it on and drew out a particularly nasty-looking blade – sharp, diamond encrusted, and probably capable of slicing me up like a block of cheese. ‘We’ll take the creature from here,’ he continued. ‘You and your Marksmen are welcome to join us, of course.’ Donani kept his eyes on Quentin. ‘Oh, and tell your marimé companion that we will return for him tomorrow.’

‘But,’ started Augustine, visibly ruffled, his gaze settling on the blade. He hesitated, then clamped his mouth shut and straightened, arranging a smile that mirrored Quentin’s.

It seemed this turn of events wasn’t exactly what he had planned.

Donani clapped his hands once. Two Marksmen appeared from behind a single shelf, where they’d been stationed, I supposed, all along. They took hold of the shelf and rolled it out of the way. Behind it was a paneled door made of ancient-looking planks held together with rusty metal braces.

A weird, uncomfortable sensation took up residence inside me as they unlatched the door. Just beyond, I saw stone stairs, leading downward in a spiral, concealed by a brick wall.

Augustine gripped Quentin by the shoulder and pulled him aside. My gargoyle hearing picked up their conversation.

‘Do not forget all we’ve spoken about, Marks.’

Quentin shrugged him off. ‘I won’t.’

Donani made his way down the stairs. Quentin, Thomas, and Ian went after. I followed, after being kindly persuaded by a spear in my back from one of Donani’s men.

The staircase wound in a circular pattern, weaving down farther than I would’ve thought possible. It smelled damp and pleasantly earthy. I shifted my body sideways as my bound wings scraped against the narrow walls. After descending in silence for a full minute, we reached the bottom. It opened into a circular tunnel, several feet taller than my head and lined with packed dirt and cobblestone. A heavy gate of the same shape barred the entrance.

‘It is with God I have arrived,’ said Donani.

A bearded man peered through the gate. ‘It is with God you are received.’

The gate opened, and we made our way along the tunnel for several yards before it suddenly veered left and opened into a gigantic room. The chamber could have easily held several hundred people. The jagged stone ceiling loomed twenty feet above us, and a railed balcony ran the length of a second level.

This had to be the Court of Shadows.

The Marksmen pushed me hastily through the room and another, shorter tunnel. On the other side was a smaller room, filled with long tables and benches. Soft light filtered through the space, provided by a mixture of electric and gas lanterns.

At least a dozen Gypsies chatted noisily around me, drinks in hand. Food and spiced smells perfumed the air. Donani increased his pace, and we swiftly passed through another room. I felt the stares of the inhabitants, and I was glad for the cloak and hood the Marksmen had provided as my disguise. From the next room, corridors broke off in many directions. The entire underground area must’ve taken up three blocks of the city above.

But the tour wasn’t over yet. Donani led us down eight stone steps and an extremely narrow passage. My nose wrinkled. It reeked of mold, dirt, and stale air. Even before we entered, I knew I wasn’t going to be a fan of the next room. Barred walls lined each side of the corridor, separated into individual cells, like an old, underground prison.

The Marksmen prodded me into the nearest one. The dirt walls absorbed the clanking of the metal as the iron-gate door slammed shut after me.

‘Could I request a different room?’ I asked. ‘I’m not really feeling this one.’

‘Ah, it speaks,’ said Donani.

‘Unfortunately,’ Quentin replied.

Donani leaned on his spear. ‘Well, listen up, gargoyle—’

‘The name’s Sebastian.’

‘—I suggest you behave like a good little beastie and shut your mouth.’

It seemed Marksmen were pretty much the same, no matter where.

‘Or what,’ I shot back. ‘Let me guess, you’re going to beat me up and throw me in a cage. Oh, wait.’

He rammed his blade through the bars, just missing the side of my face. ‘Trust me,’ he replied. ‘I could make it worse.’

The laughter of the Marksmen echoed down the passage.

‘So what now,’ asked Quentin.

‘Now, we get some breakfast,’ Donani replied. ‘This gargoyle’s not going anywhere for a while.’

Quentin smiled at me. ‘Enjoy your stay.’

I’d lost track of the amount of times the two of us had stared each other down between a set of metal bars, but it had gotten old a long time ago. I’d been ignoring my hunger and pulsing adrenaline. Now my nerves and my will were both on the verge of snapping, but I wouldn’t give them that satisfaction.

‘Enjoy yours,’ I said, forcing every word. ‘While you can.’




6. Sebastian (#ulink_c7df3122-2dfa-5441-9f2a-6e33f5022aca)


I really missed lying on my back.

If I was honest, I missed a lot of things from my old life, but I refused to dwell on any of them at length. Instead, I put my energy into finding a comfortable spot along the wall to prop myself against. My jeans and shirt were filthy. I smelled of blood, dirt, and sweat. My eyes burned hot when I closed them, and my stomach felt deeply hollow in a way I hadn’t experienced before.

What would happen when it was time for me to stand before the High Council? Would they let me speak, or would they kill me on the spot? I didn’t know the rules and laws for the Outcasts, much less the shadow world.

There was no possible way this was going to go well.

Something wet fell against my cheek and I reached up to brush it away. Tears. I hadn’t even realized I was crying. Now, I was conscious of them rolling down my face, one after the other.

I thought of the stares I’d gotten the day I arrived at the Circe. The way people avoided me when I approached. The way I’d just been hustled through the Court of Shadows like I had the plague.

I scared people. I scared myself. Maybe I really was the demonic abomination so many Gypsies feared. But as I sat on the dirt floor, shackled and trapped, I just felt like a helpless little kid; frightened, alone, and …

Hungry.

Visions of meat scrolled behind my eyelids. I struggled to concentrate on something else. On anything else. But I was too tired, and nothing worked. My teeth throbbed beneath my gums. I groaned inwardly and let the feelings cloud my head, turning my thoughts to unintelligent jumbles, diminishing my sense of time.

*

Ice solidified in my stomach, jerking me from the incoherent haze. I sniffed the air and sighed. They were back. Donani and Quentin were alone this time. I noted the Romany’s head Marksman had resumed his full arsenal of weaponry, complete with a full quiver of arrows strapped to his back.

I also caught the smell of meat. My stomach lurched greedily. I licked my dry lips, pricking my tongue on my jagged teeth and tasting blood. As the Marksmen neared my cell, I shuffled to my feet.

‘Listen guys,’ I said, stretching as much as I could. ‘I really need a bathroom. Seriously, this hotel sucks.’

‘Still running your mouth,’ said Donani. He pointed to the rudimentary latrine in the corner. ‘Your accommodations are better than you deserve, demon.’

Quentin produced a brown paper bag. I tried not to sniff, but I couldn’t help it. Instantly, my brain registered hamburgers. I swallowed several times as my mouth began to water uncontrollably. The Marksman thrust the bag through the bars.

‘I brought you dinner.’

I moved aside, putting as much distance as I could between us. ‘You know, I was really craving some pancakes, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass. Thanks for going to all this trouble, though.’

Quentin’s usually composed expression suddenly cracked. He threw the bag into my cell. ‘You idiot,’ he said, spittle flying from his mouth. ‘Do you think starving yourself will do you any good? Why won’t you eat?’

I gave him a steady look. ‘Because you want me to.’

‘I’m trying to keep you functioning. Do you wish to stand trial as nothing more than a slobbering beast, or do you want the capacity to defend yourself to the Council?’

‘What difference does it make to you?’

‘I want the Council to hear from Sebastian Grey, the proclaimed guardian of the Romany clan. And then I want them to see that you’re no different than the rest of your brethren, despite all your protests: a gargoyle who would and did kill someone of Roma blood.’

‘And me scarfing down a couple of burgers is going to prove your point?’

‘There isn’t an Outcast Gypsy in our kumpania who hasn’t witnessed the destructive nature of the shadow creatures. Grotesques and chimeras are an evil curse, a scourge to our existence. But gargoyles.’ He stepped closer, his voice lowering as he continued. ‘Your reputation as guardians has kept you safe over the decades. But the loyalty the Old Clans held for gargoyles is long dead. And soon, the same thing will happen among the Outcasts. You’re not guardians. You’re a threat. But when you’re convicted of murder, I promise you, it will be open season on all of your kind.’

‘That’s why you’re working with Augustine.’

‘We have an arrangement.’

I tried to smile, to keep the conversation going so that I could think clearly. ‘Well, since I’m doomed anyway, could I at least brush my teeth and take a shower? I want to look my best before my trial.’

Quentin’s black eyes narrowed. ‘Sorry, but that’s not on the agenda.’

Suddenly, the smell of exotic flowers wafted through the passage. For the briefest instant, I thought it was Josephine. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, it was immediately negated. The scent was similar, but definitely not her. I moved to the front of the cell for a better look.

A tall woman stood at the passageway entrance, with Augustine at her side. I knew at once it was Josephine’s aunt – which meant I was staring into the face of the Queen of the Outcast Gypsies. She wore a multicolored dress and an elaborate head wrap that concealed her hair. Heavy makeup outlined her eyes, and gold jewelry sparkled at her neck. Just behind her, four men, armed with diamond-coated spears, lined the inside of the corridor.

The woman scrutinized me with eyes like cold emeralds.

‘This is the gargoyle.’

‘Yes, Rani,’ said Augustine. ‘Just as I—’

‘Silence,’ said the Queen. ‘You are not to speak directly to me. Marimé is marimé, no matter the bargain that was struck with the Council. If you wish to address me, you will speak through the Marksman.’

Their eyes met for a single, tension-saturated moment. I glanced between the two. If Augustine hadn’t told me his family connection to the Romanys, I never would’ve guessed he and the Queen were siblings. She reminded me of Nicolas. But Augustine shared nothing with them, apart from his tall, lean frame.

The Queen turned her attention back to me. Something within me felt her Roma authority in a way that hummed through my guardian blood. Before I even realized it, I had bowed my head respectfully.

‘Very well,’ said Augustine, his tone curt. ‘Quentin, if you would tell the Queen that I have brought this gargoyle to be placed on trial for the death of Karl Corsi, of the Romany clan, as requested by Nicolas Romany.’

She continued to look at me – not with fear, disgust, or pity as I was accustomed to, but with something that bothered me a lot more. Something emotionless.

‘The gesture seems honorable,’ she said. ‘But the man once known as Adolár Romany has no honor in him and does nothing without seeking his own gain. So why is he really here?’

Augustine rolled his shoulders back in a slow, fluid motion. Only the hardened edges around his eyes betrayed his irritation. ‘Quentin, if you would please relay to the Queen my request for a private audience with her.’

The strange emphasis he put on the woman’s title sparked my curiosity. It was heavy with a meaning I didn’t understand, but one that seemed to heighten the tense air between them.

‘I have already given the marimé access to the Court of Shadows, which is against our highest law. And yet, he still has the audacity to ask for more.’

‘The Queen will benefit greatly from this meeting,’ said Augustine.

Quentin repeated his sentence. The Marksman’s expression hovered somewhere between smug and annoyed, however he kept his eyes lowered respectfully. The Queen hesitated, turning her gaze from me to the ceiling.

‘Because I am in an amiable mood,’ she said finally, ‘I shall grant the marimé a thirty-minute audience with me, but he must be accompanied by my Marksmen and an appointed liaison to speak through.’

‘Surely I could have an audience with you alone, for only—’

‘If he speaks to me again,’ said the Queen, ‘he shall have nothing.’

Augustine dipped his head. ‘Quentin, if you would offer the Queen my sincere apologies. Her offer is gracious, and I will accept it.’

The Queen moved down the corridor, glancing sideways at me. She carried herself much the same way as Josephine’s father did, all authority and confidence. Whatever she thought of me, I couldn’t tell, but she’d scored major points in my estimation for the way she’d treated Augustine.

She snapped her fingers. ‘Release the gargoyle.’

Donani dipped his head. ‘But Kralitsa …’

‘Now.’

The Marksman removed the padlock and slid open the heavy door. I watched him warily. His weapons remained sheathed, but I had no doubt he’d be fast to draw them. My wings felt like stone slabs attached to my back, and my head was so heavy I could hardly lift it. I willed my feet to move and stepped out of the cell. The Queen assessed me steadily.

‘He looks half-dead,’ she said to the Marksman at her right.

‘Only because he is being stubborn,’ said Augustine, his gaze moving past me to the untouched bag of hamburgers on the cell floor and then meeting my eyes once more. ‘It is, unfortunately, his loss. Now, Quentin, if you would kindly repeat all this to the Queen.’

‘The marimé traitor tests my good will,’ said the Queen.

The pompous expression I was used to seeing on Augustine’s face returned with a vengeance. His smile stretched the white scar at his cheek into a thin line. ‘Allow us to demonstrate what this creature is capable of.’

Warning vibes tingled down my spine.

‘Please, Your Majesty,’ I said softly. The phrase sounded weird, but I didn’t know how else to address her. The Queen’s forehead wrinkled in surprise, and I hurried to speak before she could respond. ‘I don’t understand what’s happening. Nicolas sent me here because the kris was deadlocked. I didn’t kill anyone. I only want the opportunity to defend myself and show you the truth.’

‘The truth is precisely what I desire,’ she replied. She stepped back. ‘Take the gargoyle to the Stone Chamber.’

Quentin and Donani took up positions on either side of me as I was escorted down the hall and out of the dungeon area. We moved through an intersection of corridors and descended several more steps before reaching another room. The cavernous space looked two stories high and void of anything – save an enormous cage.

It was octagonal in shape and made of chain-link fencing on all sides and along the top. The floor was spread with a thick mat. It looked like something out of a professional cage-fighting match.

‘You can’t be serious,’ I said.

Quentin undid the latch. ‘Get in.’

Donani stripped off my cloak. The straps around my wings were cut, and the chains linking my manacles together were removed. The Marksmen’s spears made sure I complied with Quentin’s order. Once I was inside, the door of the cage was shut and bolted. Adrenaline seeped into my blood, turning my breaths shallow. I grabbed hold of the chain-link wall, my eyes searching for the Queen.

‘What about the trial?’ The pleading in my voice mingled with a growl.

‘You shall have your trial,’ she said. ‘After I know what manner of creature I’m dealing with.’

A hissing sound reached my ears. I lifted my head and sniffed the air. Instantly, I wanted to gag. Grotesques. I recognized the smell, thanks to the one that had infiltrated the Romany camp the evening I’d arrived. My heart beat faster, pushing the adrenaline through my veins.

Screeching metal reverberated off the walls. Another door on the opposite side of the cage opened. I recoiled as several Marksmen rolled two large containers inside. The lids lifted and two shadowen leapt into the cage. One was a feral cat, large and mutated, with razor-sharp claws. The other was almost twice my size, a terrifying mixture of reptile and bird.

A snarl quivered against my lips. I backed away, unfurling my wings and taking to the air. The muscles along my shoulder blades and wing joints ached from being pinned so long. I hovered, using most of my energy to keep my wings pumping.

The reptile bird spread its gray-feathered wings and launched itself at me. I rolled in the air. The grotesque streaked by me and circled around the cage. I countered, keeping plenty of distance between us. My blood felt hot in my veins, burning me from the inside out. I clenched my fists.

Below me, the cat creature paced, its solid silver eyes narrowed into slits and black ooze dripping from its fangs. The bird beast screeched, readying itself for another charge. There was no way I could escape them, in the air or on the ground. The edges of my vision blurred crimson.

‘I’m not going to fight for your sport,’ I called down.

‘It’s not sport,’ said Augustine. ‘It’s evidence.’

I was a guardian. I was supposed to defend Gypsies from the nasty creatures circling the cage below me, but I had a feeling that wasn’t the kind of evidence Augustine was looking for.

I dropped to the mat, crouched low, wings expanded to their full length. The cat dove at me, teeth catching my shoulder. They pierced my skin like knives, and I cried out. I clamped onto its body with my claws and stripped it off me, flinging it against the chain-link wall.

I retreated quickly, retracting my wings.

Stop.

The word came unbidden into my mind, and I wasn’t even aware that I’d spoken telepathically at first. But the cat creature hesitated, the gleam in its silver glare fading. The bird-snake landed opposite me, tilting its head. Its beak opened and closed. A fragment of hope kindled inside me.

Groties were dumb beasts, according to Karl. They relied purely on instinct, driven by their need to kill. Only chimeras and gargoyles could communicate. But maybe these creatures could understand basic commands. I closed my eyes and fired off another telepathic order.

Get back.

For a fleeting second, I thought the creatures might actually obey as they regarded me with unblinking, silver-orbed eyes. The enormous cat suddenly shook itself off, hissed, and dropped into an attack crouch. The bird-snake snapped its gray feathers. Both came at me, full speed.

I took flight. The winged shadowen pursued. I saw the Gypsies out of the corner of my eye, watching intently. Anger clawed its way up my spine. I didn’t want to fight. I just wanted to go home; to see Josephine again and go back to the way things were at the Circe.

But the thing inside me: the guardian or monster or whatever it was, wouldn’t let up. It welcomed the threat and longed for action. It pressed on the back of my skull. Controlling. Demanding. Unrelenting.

‘Please, let me out,’ I yelled.

My voice had turned to gravel and growls.

Donani flashed a wicked grin. ‘There’s only one way out, gargoyle.’

I changed direction and streaked downward, knocking the feline shadowen off its feet. It hissed as I came back around. Then, I was knocked off course. I slammed into the chain-link wall, the bird-snake creature on my back. Talons ripped my flesh.

Instinct and rage forged into one.

Everything went red.

*

When I came back to myself, I was lying on my side in the middle of the cage. My wings were splayed wide. Black blood spattered the floor. My shirt was gone, the remnants shredded into pieces a few feet away from me. My own purple-black blood dripped from claw wounds on my shoulders.

Both shadowen lay on the ground on the opposite end of the space. The bird-snake’s wings were bent underneath its body. The cat was huddled in a crumpled mass. I gasped in horror and struggled to sit up. Disgust and loathing churned in my stomach.

‘Oh no …’

Then, I realized, neither creature had turned to stone. Relief surged through me. If they weren’t stone, it meant the shadowen were still alive! I collapsed, breathing a thankful prayer. I didn’t want to kill them, no matter how much my instincts told me to.

A sudden wave of ferocious hunger lit into me. I gasped again and pushed myself into a crouch. My arms shook. I peered through the cage to find the Gypsies staring at me. Augustine’s black eyes met mine, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

‘I have seen enough,’ said the Queen.

Quentin didn’t miss a beat. He notched his bow, aimed at the shadow creatures, and let one arrow fly, then another. Each passed effortlessly through the narrow chinks in the fence. The diamond tips struck home. The grotesques howled in hatred and fury. A second later, their bodies shimmered dully and turned to granite in front of me.

One moment, they’d been alive.

The next, nothing more than hideous statues.

I felt hollow.

Marksmen entered the cage, spears at the ready as they approached me. But I stood quietly, folded my wings against my back, and held out my hands for the manacles. I was too hungry to think, too exhausted to care anymore.

‘Well,’ said Augustine to Quentin. ‘Would you be so kind as to inquire about my audience with the Queen once more?’

‘Tomorrow,’ she said, her expression smoother than stone. ‘I will send word concerning the time and place, when I am ready.’ The Queen brushed widely past him, holding her skirt to the side as though he was contagious. ‘Donani, escort this man out of the Court of Shadows immediately. He knows how foolish it would be to try and enter here again.’

Donani and another Marksman flanked Augustine. I watched through the bars as he dipped his head in respect, but his face went so taut that the scar along his cheek turned pink. He disappeared out the chamber without another word.

*

‘Why is Augustine so desperate so talk to the Queen?’

Quentin’s answer to my question was to shove me along the narrow corridor. He’d been given the job of getting the gargoyle back to his cell, and I’d never seen the Marksman look so pleased.

Just as we reached the door, I tripped over an uneven gap in the floor and pitched forward, landing on one knee. Fighting the grotesques had used up whatever remained of my reserves, and left me running on empty. Quentin waited while I regained my feet. He tapped the edge of his knife impatiently against his thigh.

His expression was enough to kindle the fire inside me, but I pushed it down and made my face smile back. ‘Oh, come on, surely you know the reason? Unless he doesn’t share important things like that with you.’

Quentin secured the lock on the cell door and looked down his nose at me, as though I were a piece of dirt he was preparing to flick off his shirt. ‘Your trial is scheduled first thing Monday morning, which means you’ll be spending the next two days in this cell. You may as well get comfortable.’

Chatting with Quentin Marks was the last thing I wanted to do, but he was also the only source of information I had right now. I pressed against the bars. ‘This is totally illegal, you know.’

Quentin seemed surprised, and then he laughed. ‘What, do you think your family would actually file a missing persons report on you, a shadow creature, and get the gadje authorities involved? Even a dumb beast like you knows better than that.’

‘Why not kill me now? It sounds like it’d be a whole lot easier.’

‘Oh believe me, it’s tempting, but Augustine was right. Once you’re convicted, we’ll be able to rid the Roma world of all shadowen, beginning with you.’ Quentin sheathed his knife. ‘I can wait a few days more.’

I leaned against the wall. My joints were beginning to feel stiff, and it hurt to move my fingers. ‘I’m flattered you’re going to so much trouble.’

‘There are other perks,’ he replied with a shrug.

The cold in my chest spread to my skin. ‘What perks?’

‘You mean, besides the satisfaction of seeing you get what you deserve?’ Quentin’s smile widened. ‘Well, that should be obvious, demon. Once you’re gone and Josephine and I are married, it’s only a matter of time before the Romany clan becomes mine.’ He took the lantern from its hook on the wall and called back over his shoulder as he walked out. ‘Have a good night, Sebastian.’

Tears threatened again, but I closed my eyes and forced them away.




7. Josephine (#ulink_65ce40ea-c835-5b95-903c-299c5bca53f6)


Hugo ushered us into the Dandelion Inn, which was richly decorated with antique furniture, lace curtains in the windows, and doilies covering every surface. Two women met us in the cozy parlor of the Corsis’ bed and breakfast. Both were middle-aged, short in stature, and beaming brightly despite the earliness of the hour.

‘Hugo,’ said the first one, who appeared to be the older of the two. I watched, amused, as she hugged him fondly and planted a kiss on his cheek. ‘It’s been far too long.’

The second woman took his hand, patting it affectionately. ‘Your ride down was pleasant, I take it?’

‘Not unless you call a grotie attack pleasant,’ he replied, ‘but we took care of it.’ His features relaxed a bit as he turned to us. ‘These are my cousins, Paizi and her sister Ferka. They own this bed and breakfast.’

‘And keep things running smoothly around here,’ added Paizi.

‘That too,’ Hugo agreed. He gestured to me. ‘This is Josephine Romany, of the Romany clan, and her friend Katie, a diddikoi.’

‘Please accept our thanks for allowing us to stay with you,’ I said, shifting into a more formal interaction, one I was used to using as daughter of a bandoleer. ‘God’s blessings on this place.’

‘Hugo told us about your guardian and the trial when he called,’ said Paizi solemnly.

Ferka nodded. ‘You know how Gypsy news usually travels, but this was the first we’ve heard of it. I had no idea there were any guardians left in our kumpania. Present company excepted, of course.’ She smiled at Ezzie, who nodded in return. ‘Surely, he is innocent.’

‘He is,’ I replied, without hesitation.

‘We’ll hear more later,’ said Paizi gently, picking up my bag. ‘First, you must rest. We’ll show you to your rooms. Breakfast is served at seven. That should give you time to settle in.’

‘Thank you,’ I replied, grateful not to have to relive the kris yet again.

The sisters ushered us up the stairs and down a long hallway. The hardwood floors creaked underneath the rugs as we walked. We were quickly assigned rooms; Katie and I were given the one near the communal bathroom. Just as I was closing the door, I heard Hugo’s voice from the top of the stairs.

‘This is my business, Ezzie.’

‘No more than it is mine,’ she answered. ‘I will return before dawn.’

Hugo’s heavy sigh echoed down the hall. ‘Alright. It’s not like I can stop you, anyway. But you need to watch yourself. I’ve had a really bad feeling since we got here, and you’re not exactly inconspicuous. Not here.’

‘I appreciate your concern,’ Ezzie answered.

‘Just be careful, okay?’

‘It is not I who must be careful, Gypsy.’

I shut the door to our room before Hugo reached the top of the stairs. I turned and nearly tripped over Katie’s suitcase. She’d unpacked – or rather, she’d dumped most of her things onto the floor.

I reached the bed and fell back into the mound of pillows as Katie explored the room. She touched every piece of furniture and peered out of the windows multiple times.

Katie bounced on the bed next to me. ‘Oh my gosh! We totally need to come here for a real girls’ trip. After we spring Sebastian from Gypsy jail, or whatever, I mean. This place is amazing. I mean, do you see that dresser in the corner? It’s got to be a hundred years old.’

‘Probably,’ I replied, kicking off my shoes.

‘And this chandelier is to die for. I need one for my room, like right now.’ Katie pulled her phone out and snapped a few pictures as she continued to prattle away about the room décor.

She was still a little unnerved, and I couldn’t blame her, but at least Katie was talking more like herself again. It was nice to have something else to focus on besides my own worry. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and unzipped my bag, only half-listening to Katie’s chatter as I unpacked. I took off my jewelry, hesitating as I held the dandelion pendant in my hand.

I became suddenly aware that it had gotten quiet. I turned around. Katie had taken my place on the bed, propped up against the pillows. She looked from me to my necklace, and her brows rose expectantly.

‘Sorry. What were you saying?’

She motioned me over. ‘I asked how you felt about Sebastian.’

‘What?’

Katie took the pendant out of my hands. She turned it over in her palm and held it up to the soft light of the chandelier. ‘You’ve told me a bunch of crazy stuff that doesn’t make sense, but one thing’s pretty obvious, and it’s the one thing you’ve totally left out.’

‘He’s my guardian.’ I watched the way the light refracted off the glass, illuminating the yellow dandelion petals inside the pendant. ‘He’s my friend.’

‘And?’

I kept my eyes on the necklace. ‘And … I don’t know.’

‘Come on, Josie. After everything you’ve done to get down here – sneaking around your dad, missing your performances, not to mention dealing with those freaking nightmares from hell at the gas station. I mean, you’re taking a pretty big risk here, aren’t you?’

I nodded. ‘Yeah.’

‘So, why is it so hard to tell me how you feel about Sebastian?’

I took the pendant and set it on the nightstand. The flower darkened and seemed to lose its life. I touched it with my finger. Even the glass had grown cold. A deep, aching loss curled through me.

‘I grew up hearing tales of guardians and their charges from our legends,’ I said. ‘But they were just stories before I met him. I didn’t know it was going to be like this.’

Katie leaned forward. ‘What do you mean?’

I pulled my legs up to my chest and rested my chin on my knee. ‘In a way, it feels like I’ve known Sebastian forever. I guess that scared me at first. It was like he could see past the image I’d created of myself, in a way no one had before. Maybe that’s why I avoided him in the beginning. And then, afterwards, I didn’t know what to do with everything that had happened.’

‘You mean the … gargoyle thing?’

I closed my eyes, so I wouldn’t have to look at Katie’s half-believing, questioning expression. Immediately, my mind conjured up an image of Sebastian – the firelight glinting off his fierce teeth as he spoke, his silver eyes gleaming. ‘Yes and no.’

‘So it’s really that bad.’ I heard the doubt in Katie’s voice.

‘No, that’s not what I meant. It wasn’t his change I couldn’t deal with. It was my guilt. Maybe it wasn’t directly my fault, but I was convinced I’d ruined his life by somehow making it happen.’ I pressed the heel of my hand against my chest, trying to ease the hurt. ‘I still feel like that, sometimes. But I’m learning to deal with it.’

‘Go on,’ Katie pressed. Not demanding, but insistent.

‘The bond we have doesn’t scare me anymore. That stopped the moment he came to live at the Circe. It’s the only thing that feels right, honestly. I can sense his emotions. I understand the way he thinks. I know when he’s near.’ My gaze drifted back to the pendant. ‘He’s become closer to me than anyone else in the world. We’re connected in a way I can’t really put into words.’

‘Well, whatever you want to call it, it’s obvious Sebastian loves you,’ said Katie. A slow smile spread over Katie’s features, lighting up her eyes. ‘And now you feel the same way about him, don’t you?’

I stood up quickly. The action made my head pound. I crossed the room and opened the closet door. Inside were several stacks of plush bath towels. I grabbed a pastel yellow one from the top of the pile.

‘Look Katie, I can’t think about that, okay? You know the seriousness of my relationship with Quentin. This guardian and charge thing has put a giant strain on us, and I can’t mess that up.’

‘Yeah, why not?’ she asked.

My eyes widened. ‘Excuse me?’

Katie held her hands up defensively. ‘Hey, you know I’ve been totally supportive of you and Quentin, and yeah, pretty much jealous, too. I mean, hello … the guy’s basically perfection on a platter.’

‘Aren’t you dating Mitchell?’

‘We aren’t exclusive, and nothing says I can’t enjoy the scenery, right?’ Katie shrugged. ‘Anyway, that’s beside the point. We’re talking about you right now. So the question boils down to this: hotness and charm factor aside, is Quentin really the guy you want?’

‘It’s complicated.’

‘I swear, Josie, I’m going to jump out of this window right now. It’s not complicated, it’s simple facts. Do you love Quentin?’

‘Yes,’ I said slowly. ‘Or, at least, some part of me does. Quentin and I are … I don’t know what we are right now. It’s been so difficult lately. He’s been part of my life for so long, and he loves me. It’s always been understood we’d get married. It’s something I accepted a long time ago.’ I twisted my fingers in my lap and looked away from her. ‘It’s our way, Katie. I’m not going to try and explain that to you, I just hope you understand.’

‘I do,’ she said. ‘But don’t you—’

‘Look, I know I owe Quentin the truth. I just don’t know what that is, yet.’

Katie frowned. ‘Okay, maybe it is a little complicated.’

‘None of that matters now,’ I said. ‘What matters is getting Sebastian out of this trial, one way or another.’

Katie nodded with a yawn. ‘Alright, fair enough. Lucky for you, I’m too tired to think straight anymore.’ She curled up with one of the oversized pillows. ‘I’ve gotta take a power nap, or I won’t survive tomorrow.’

‘Then I’ll leave you to it,’ I said with a smile, glad to be done with the conversation, at least for now. I plugged in my phone and set an alarm. ‘I’m going to take a shower.’

*

Katie was sprawled sideways on the bed when I returned, snoring loudly. I tiptoed across the groaning floorboards as best I could. As I placed my old clothes in my bag, my fingers brushed against the small book I’d hidden inside.

I retrieved it and quietly stepped outside. There was a tiny nook at the end of the narrow hallway arranged as a reading area. All the bedroom doors were closed, and the predawn silence permeated the upstairs. I settled into the chair, gathered my legs underneath me, and opened Markus Corsi’s book.

The pages crackled as I picked a place, somewhere in the middle. I stared hard at the flowing, handwritten script. Ezzie had said that only Gypsies could read these kinds of books. Some words I could make out, but most were in a Roma dialect I’d never seen before. How could this book be useful if I couldn’t even read a full sentence? I narrowed my eyes, desperately willing the words to make sense.

‘Josephine.’

I jumped so hard I nearly toppled my seat.

‘Ms Lucian!’

She stood a few paces away, leaning against the wall. She wore a long jacket, despite the warm summer night, and her hair fell loose around her face. It was impossible to tell how old she was. At least Hugo’s age, definitely, but something about her seemed older – her eyes, and the way fine lines appeared around her forehead and mouth when she frowned – like she was doing at that very moment.

‘Josephine, why are you not sleeping?’

I set my feet on the floor. ‘I could ask you the same thing.’

A hint of a smirk danced across her lips. Her gaze traveled to the book in my hands. Emotion flickered briefly behind her hazel eyes – a sort of calloused pain. She’d said little of her past when she brought Sebastian and I to her home under the bridge, and I didn’t know her well enough to pry. Not too much, anyway.

‘I have been out,’ she finally replied.

‘Where?’

‘That is my business, for now.’ She drew her jacket tighter. ‘It will be time for breakfast soon. You should think about getting some rest.’

‘You’re an original guardian,’ I said quickly. Esmeralda paused at my words, and I ploughed ahead before she could leave. ‘There were so many bedtime stories I heard as a child, so many legends passed down through our clan, about how the guardians fought against the Old Clans and helped us break free.’

‘Who I once was no longer matters, Josephine Romany.’ Her entire body tensed, and her face turned dark. ‘This is who I am now.’

I closed the book. ‘Do you … miss it?’

The fire in her eyes dwindled. Her hand drifted to her neck, to the small, faded tattoo. ‘With all that I am.’




8. Josephine (#ulink_31a7b8e2-faf2-5159-8759-d35aa184f86b)


Breakfast was served in the parlor, precisely at seven, as promised. Paizi and Ferka made the rounds with cups and saucers as the Corsis gathered in the room. I sipped my tea, fighting exhaustion and a growing sense of apprehension. Beside me, Katie nibbled on a pastry.

‘Are you okay?’ I asked over the rim of my cup.

‘Am I supposed to be here?’ she whispered. ‘I mean, I feel like they’re about to go over some top-secret files or something, and I’m literally the only person in the room who isn’t a Gypsy. It’s seriously uncomfortable.’

I hid my smile. Katie was her old self again, freak-out and all. I felt selfish for thinking it, but I was glad to have her back. The Corsis may have been Roma, but they weren’t my clan.

‘If it makes you feel any better,’ I said, ‘I feel out of place, too.’

‘It does a tiny bit, yeah.’

Sunlight filtered through the lace curtains, illuminating tiny particles of dust in the air. James propped himself against the doorframe, as though he didn’t trust the structural integrity of the antique furniture. Kris and Vincent sat in two parlor chairs near the kitchen, heads bowed as they talked in low voices. Esmeralda had found a chair in a shadowy corner of the room. I wondered if gravitating towards dim-lit spaces was a habit left over from her days as a gargoyle.

Sebastian had a knack for it as well. During evening hours, it was sometimes almost impossible to spot him, unless he blinked. Or, on those rare occasions, when he gave me one of his full, unhindered grins that brightened his entire face. But even when I couldn’t see him, I always knew he was there.

The constant, heavy knot in my chest would never go away. Not until he was safe and near me again. I’d avoided dealing with my frustration and worry, but now that we were in Savannah, fear took root inside me. Real fear. Not only did I feel responsible for Sebastian’s acquittal, but now I also had Katie to think about. I stole a quick glance in her direction.

She was licking the frosting off a cinnamon roll and trying hard not to stare at everyone around her. Katie was more than capable of taking care of herself, but my world was way more complex than she knew.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Quentin.

How was opening night?

Everyone was still busy eating and having their own conversations. I tapped out a quick reply.

Good crowd. Everything went fine.

I held my phone in my hand, debating. Then I added another text.

Spending the weekend at Katie’s.

Be back on Sunday. See you then?

I felt Katie’s shoulder press into mine. She looked at me with her brows raised questioningly. I tilted my phone so she could see, just as another text from Quentin came through.

I’m staying in Savannah.

Your father wants me here to represent the clan.

Just until he arrives for Gathering on Monday.

The remnants of breakfast turned sour on my tongue. Quentin was staying in Savannah. I hadn’t even considered this. I’d just assumed he would discharge his duty to escort Sebastian and Augustine to the city and then come back home.

I hurried to type out my next question.

How was the trip? Augustine?

Quentin’s response came in waves.

Uneventful.

He wasn’t allowed inside. He left pissed.

I’m staying in the Court of Shadows.

I glanced up at Katie. She was reading along, her brow furrowed deep in thought. I swallowed hard, and typed again.

Is Sebastian okay?

I stared nervously at the blank screen. Quentin had to know I’d ask. Sebastian had been my guardian for weeks, and Quentin had dealt with it, even if he was only doing so because of my father.

Haven’t seen him.

I blinked at his reply, unsure of what to believe. Quentin was a Marksman, which meant he’d have access to Sebastian, as well as the upcoming trial. He was convinced Sebastian was a killer. Would he really let him out of his sight?

As if reading my mind, Katie said, ‘Hey, you told me he’s totally not a fan of Sebastian’s. If I were Quentin, the last thing I’d want to do is hang around anywhere near him. Besides, don’t they have lots of Marksmen protecting this Court of Shadows place?’

I nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘It sounds to me like the only reason Quentin’s still there is because he’s following orders from your dad.’

‘Yeah,’ I said, pocketing my phone. ‘Maybe you’re right.’

I didn’t have a chance to think anymore about it. Just as I picked up a blueberry muffin, Hugo Corsi entered the parlor room, wearing the same jeans and t-shirt he’d had on when we arrived. It didn’t look as though he’d slept either. He poured himself a mug of coffee. We waited expectantly. Even Paizi and Ferka ceased their bustling over platters and saucers.

‘I went to the Court of Shadows this morning,’ Hugo said after several sips. ‘Our suspicions were correct. They’re keeping a real tight lid on the trial. No one I talked to knew anything about it. Until I ran into Donani Marks.’

‘The head of the Queen’s Marksmen guard,’ I said.

Hugo nodded and wiped his mouth against his sleeve. ‘Yeah, that’s him. After going ’round with him for a bit, he finally admitted the trial would happen first thing on Monday, before the monthly High Council meeting. Only Marksmen and Council members will be admitted.’

‘That’s ridiculous,’ growled James. ‘If the Council is holding a Kris Romani, then we can be there. High Court trials are open to any Gypsy who wants to attend. It’s the law.’

‘In Roma matters, perhaps,’ said Esmeralda from her shadowy corner. ‘But Sebastian is not Roma, and therefore those laws do not apply.’

‘That’s exactly what Donani said.’ Hugo scowled into his coffee. ‘But I wasn’t about to let it go at that. Shadow creature or not, Sebastian is my brother and I’m also his bandoleer. And as leader, it’s my right to see him.’

James rubbed his knuckles like he was ready for a fight. ‘And what did he say to that?’

‘That I’m allowed one visitation before the trial,’ Hugo replied. ‘So I’m going to see Sebastian today.’

At the mention of seeing him, my heart sped up. ‘I’m going with you.’

‘I thought you wished to keep your presence here a secret,’ said Esmeralda from the corner. Heads swiveled in her direction. ‘A public appearance in the Court of Shadows wouldn’t be prudent in that regard.’

‘I have to see my aunt. She needs to hear the truth.’

‘According to Donani, the Queen isn’t even here,’ said Hugo. ‘He said she’s been out of town for a few days but expects to return tomorrow evening, in preparation for the Summer Gathering.’

It was as though someone had set a heavy weight on my chest. I’d been counting on getting to the Queen, on putting an end to this whole thing before it even began. I’d convinced myself that I’d be able to rescue Sebastian. And now—

My phone vibrated again with another text. I peered at it quickly, and the weight in my chest doubled.

Love you Josie

I stared at the three words Quentin had said to me countless times before. They blurred in front of me. I heard Hugo say my name, but it sounded faint and far away.

‘Josephine.’

Quentin took my hands in his. His fingers were long and slender, scarred with years of Marksmen work. They were just about the only thing that wasn’t perfect about him, physically. He rubbed my knuckles gently as he spoke. ‘I’m sorry you had to go through this. I know you had a connection with the creature that you couldn’t control.’

‘He has a name,’ I replied.

Quentin nodded. ‘Of course he does. But that doesn’t make him human. I know you wanted him to be. So did your father. But shadowen will never be anything other than what they were created.’

I looked past Quentin to the gates of the Fairgrounds. Augustine stood outside the truck and trailer, waiting for him. I felt sick to my stomach.

‘Sebastian is innocent,’ I said.

‘I know what you believe,’ he replied, his voice smooth and gentle. ‘But the facts can’t be ignored. Karl’s death must be answered for. The gargoyle’s fate is out of our hands, Josie. It’s out of your hands. You have to accept that.’

‘And what if I can’t?’

‘My duty is to your father and this clan. I will ensure that the gargoyle arrives safely in Savannah and that he is given his chance for a fair trial with the High Council. You have a duty to this clan as well. Everyone looks to your family. The Romanys must present a unified front. Whatever your personal feelings for this gargoyle, are they really more important than the welfare of the entire clan?’

Quentin shouldered his bag and leaned down, pressing his lips to mine. I felt myself tense before I could stop the reaction. Quentin’s lips immediately tightened, and he pulled back, searching my face.

‘I’ll be back soon, Josephine.’

Katie nudged me in the side. Hugo was looking at me with an expectant expression on his face, waiting, for my answer. I ran over my options in my head. Going to the Court of Shadows meant I would risk running into Quentin. If he discovered I was here, then so would my father. And, if I was being honest, I wasn’t ready to face Quentin.

I’d find an opportunity to speak to the Queen when she returned. I could be patient. I could wait. And, if for some reason she refused to hear me out, then I would make absolutely sure that I was there at the Kris Romani to testify on Sebastian’s behalf.

No matter what.

‘You’re right,’ I said. ‘I don’t want to jeopardize anything right now.’

‘Good,’ said Hugo, setting his mug aside and sweeping his gaze around the parlor. ‘In the meantime, the rest of you are free to head into the city while I’m gone, but I want everyone back to the inn before sunset.’

‘You gotta be kidding me,’ growled James. He peeled himself from the wall. ‘We’ve got a curfew now?’

‘In case you’ve forgotten, we had two groties on our tail last night. If they were willing to risk being out in the open, then who’s to say it won’t happen again? Plus, the more Outcasts there are, the more groties come out to play.’

I nodded in agreement. Summer and Autumn Gatherings always brought more shadowen around, since those were the only times large numbers of our kumpania assembled together in one place. Then, a realization suddenly hit me. ‘Your clan has no Marksmen.’

‘Never needed them,’ said Kris.

Vincent huffed. ‘We can take care of ourselves.’

‘In the past, maybe,’ said Hugo. But I’m not so sure anymore. So don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone, understood?’

The others mumbled their agreement.

*

‘We’re in Savannah,’ said Katie, pressing her face against the bay window overlooking the street. ‘And this city is gorgeous. Why do you want to stick around here?’

I swept aside the lace curtain and joined her in admiring the view. Rows of historic homes of varying designs and levels nestled neatly along the thick hardwoods on either side of the quiet road. Several people sat outside a cute little coffee shop the next block down. ‘I don’t feel like going anywhere right now. Not with Sebastian—’

Katie grabbed my hand and pulled us away from the window. ‘Hey, you heard Hugo. There’s literally nothing you can do for him right now. Hugo’s going to take care of him. I mean, Sebastian’s his brother.’

‘I know.’ It hadn’t taken much to convince Katie, but I wasn’t so sure. ‘But anyway, I also don’t want to risk anyone recognizing me, since I’m not supposed to be here.’

‘It’s a really big city, Josie. Are you telling me you’re that much of a celebrity in your world that you can’t leave this house?’

‘Definitely not a celebrity. It’s just—’

‘Just what? I mean, come on, you’re over eighteen. You can make your own decisions. Besides, it’s not like they could force you to go home or anything.’

Katie’s question sent a rush of heat to my face. Clan honor and family loyalty wasn’t something I could explain to her in a few sentences. Traditions and stringent expectations were the backbone of everything we were, but they were our customs, not those of the gadje.

Katie was trying hard to understand, and I could’ve hugged her for it. I felt the corner of my mouth lifting in a smile. ‘You know, it’s been a few years since I’ve been here on Outcast business. I guess as long as I stay away from the Court of Shadows …’

‘That’s more like it.’ Katie walked past me to the stairs and swung around on the bannister. ‘I’m mean, after all, you’re doing no one any good just moping around here.’

‘Okay, then,’ I said. ‘What do you want to do?’

‘Shopping and lunch,’ she replied. ‘Be right back.’

Katie bounded off to take a shower, which meant she’d be a while. I did my best to stay out of the path of the sisters. Ferka and Paizi were buzzing like frantic bees, getting everything in order. In two days, hundreds of Outcast Gypsies would descend on our primary Haven for the Summer Gathering, a two-week reunion of clans in our kumpania – which meant the bed and breakfast would soon be crawling with Corsis.

I explored the house while I waited on Katie, finally ending up in the kitchen, where a large pot of soup simmered on the stove, filling the room with the scent of meat and onions. I opened the door to the cellar. I expected cool, musty air, but instead, I smelled and felt the warmth of a fire. Curious, I made my way down the groaning steps into a decently sized room with a low ceiling. Part of the room had been furnished, with a sitting area and a couple of twin beds.

Esmeralda sat in a chair with her nose in a book. Other than the light bulb above the stairs, the only illumination came from a low fire in a small fireplace in the corner.

‘Does the sun bother you, like it does Sebastian?’

Esmeralda turned a page. ‘Not anymore,’ she replied. ‘I just prefer evening hours and dark spaces. Old habits, I suppose.’

‘Ezzie?’

She lifted her eyes from the book she was reading. Their color was hazel, soft and unthreatening, not the silver glint they often took on when she was irritated. I took that as a good sign.

‘Well?’ she said.

‘Can I talk to you?’

The muscles in her neck tightened against her dark hair, but she nodded and set the book aside. She leaned against the back of the antique chair. ‘Yes, of course. I was actually wondering how long it would take you to come find me.’

I settled into the chair opposite her. Embers crackled in a small fireplace, producing enough heat to suck the chill from the underground cellar and make the room comfortable to sit in. I watched their pulsing glow for a few breaths.

‘Ezzie, what happened to you, exactly?’

One of her arched brows lifted. ‘Could you be more specific?’

‘After Markus,’ I said carefully.

Creases formed along her forehead and the sides of her mouth. ‘After Markus died, I was brought before the Sobrasi in their Court in Paris. I thought they would kill me, which would’ve been a sweet release. But instead, they did something much worse. I don’t know how it happened. All I remember is waking up in one of their dungeons … as you see me now.’

‘But how did you end up here?’

‘It is a long story through many years,’ she replied.

‘That’s code for more secrets, I take it.’

She almost smiled. ‘I am not the only one with secrets, Kralitsa.’

My breath caught. The traditional title was reserved only for our rulers. I’d never been called it, but again, no one knew I was the future queen. I lowered my voice. ‘How did you know?’

‘I know many things,’ she said simply. The wrinkles eased around her eyes, smoothing her skin once more. ‘After all, I have been around quite a while.’

‘But how—’

‘You have said it yourself. I am an original guardian. I came into existence as a result of your ancestor himself, Keveco Romany, during the seventh century. The year six hundred and ninety-nine, to be exact.’

My mouth dropped open.

‘But you must remember,’ she continued. ‘I was not awake during all this time. In fact, I slept for hundreds of years.’

I studied her features, this time more carefully. ‘Do you age?’

Ezzie’s lip quirked. ‘We age, the same as all of God’s creation, unless we sleep. During that time, our life is suspended – frozen in stone. The moment we awaken, we become a part of this world, subject to the effects of time once more.’ She tilted her head, seeing the question in my eyes. ‘Why have I not died of old age by now? When the Outcasts fled Europe, I was taken with the Corsi clan, who had found a way to allow me to sleep, even in my human form.’

‘You’ve been alive for hundreds of years,’ I mused. ‘Which means you could be alive for hundreds more, if you slept, I mean. You’re basically immortal.’

She laughed, but I heard pain underneath it. ‘To begin with, I am not nearly as young as I would wish for such a life. But we are not made to live out eternity here, neither shadowen nor humans. Our immortality lies in the hands of God.’ Esmeralda paused, and her fingers touched her neck, gently prodding her faded tattoo. I couldn’t make out the design. ‘I was awakened fifteen years ago,’ she continued. ‘By Zindelo and Nadya Corsi.’

I sat upright in the chair. ‘Hugo’s parents.’

‘They gave me some semblance of life, human though it is. I may no longer be a guardian or have a charge, but I still feel the pull of loyalty and duty to the head of the Corsi clan.’

So that’s why she was always so intent on looking after Hugo and the guys. It wasn’t just because Markus had been a Corsi. I clutched my hands together in my lap as I worked through my thoughts.

‘You once told us that love between a gargoyle and charge was forbidden, because of you and Markus. You didn’t want to talk about it then.’ I glanced up at her. ‘What about now?’

Esmeralda uncurled herself from the chair and rose. I thought for a moment she was going to leave the room, but she paused at the bottom of the stairs. She ran her hand over the wooden railing.

‘Markus was not my first charge,’ she said, turning her gaze to the fire. ‘During the first several hundred years of our existence, gargoyles remained statues far longer than they were alive, only awakened when there was a threat, sealed to Roma as needed. But as clans began fighting amongst themselves, gargoyles were used as weapons, rather than guardians. The Sobrasi were formed to regulate the shadow world, but eventually, they came to care more for the power and wealth that control brought them.’

‘But Markus was not one of those,’ I said.

‘No.’ Esmeralda turned her attention to the fire. ‘There were still noble Sobrasi back then. When awakened, gargoyles were given time to acclimate to their surroundings before being sealed to a Gypsy. Markus was the Sobrasi tasked with assimilating them. I was under his care.’

I frowned. ‘So you weren’t his guardian?’

‘Not at first. At that time, every member of the Sobrasi had their own guardian, and I had been selected for someone else. But Markus and I … there was something between us. Something I’d never experienced.’ Ezzie’s eyes glazed over in memory. ‘He went against the head of the Sobrasi and chose me instead.’ She looked back at me. ‘It did not win him much favor among them.’

‘How did you … I mean, how did you fall in love?’

The expression on her face shifted. ‘Even before we were sealed, I felt connected to him. He wasn’t like my past charges. With those, the bond had been strong, but it was born out of a protective duty, a deep and compelling calling. But with Markus …’ Esmeralda hesitated, and I saw the corner of her eye twitch, the only evidence of whatever emotions she was dealing with. She sighed. ‘I don’t know why it happened to us. Why we were the ones to be cursed.’

‘How could your relationship be a curse?’

‘Because it got him killed.’

‘Ezzie.’

‘Please,’ she said, holding up her hand. ‘I don’t wish to continue speaking about me. I’ve spent many years trying to move forward.’ She moved to her chair and sat in front of me. ‘But you haven’t asked me the real question yet. The one that concerns you most.’

Ezzie waited patiently.

I fumbled with my pendant. ‘How was it possible? Shadowen are …’

Creatures.

I didn’t want to say the word aloud. But Ezzie seemed to know it, anyway. She perched on the edge of her chair, reminding me of a cat about to pounce. Her eyes locked onto mine with a fierce intensity.

‘When shadowen were first created, they were indeed, creatures of stone, brought to life. The grotesques were once noble beasts, charged with protecting holy places and innocent Roma. Until the blood feuds ripped the Old Clans apart and mutilated the shadow world in the process. Then chimeras were crafted to be even more brutal. You must remember, gargoyles were fashioned by the Roma to fight those evils.’





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