“Shit,” Antonio muttered, eyes still on the empty image.
“What’s happening?” Ezra rumbled, his voice turning Vampire.
“Wherever she entered, I couldn’t access it by memory,” Antonio growled in irritation. He glanced at me. “Who was the Mage you met with?”
I swallowed, my heart and breathing faltering again, and Ezra jerked me hard when my eyes started to close. Eyes fluttering open, I whispered, “Knocker. No name.” That was the truth. I had never asked. I couldn’t help Antonio.
“Christ, Lil,” he muttered, jerking his finger again in irritation.
Ezra was growling lightly as he stared at the black image, and he pressed his hand to my chest. I felt instant peace. My heart no longer hurt, and though my breathing was still labored and I couldn’t move, I no longer sensed it. A soft groan of contentment reverberated from my throat, and Ezra’s head tilted, resting on top of mine even as he trembled and growled, his eyes still glowing fiercely.
“There,” Cahal murmured, the image back on the beach, but in fast-forward.
Antonio tilted his head, and the image slowed, but still not to regular speed. They watched silently until I had pulled my phone out, hiding in the shadows while watching Cahal’s suite door, and Antonio lifted his head, the image going to normal speed. They heard my conversation with Jack, heard me say that I loved him and Pearl. And what I had asked of them.
Elder Jacobs made an odd noise, then muttered, “Now we know who created that damn mess.”
They all leaned forward, watching my actions intently as I snuck into the room. Saw me break Ezra’s door, creep inside, and ask Bindi to leave. Ezra blinked slowly, seeing himself as he had been. He looked as good as new, now. His skin was back to normal, flush with life, no lingering effects of his poisoning. His lips even looked plump and soft again.
No, I didn’t regret it at all.
They watched as I straddled him. And as soon as I brought the vial out of my pocket, Antonio flicked a finger, and the image stilled. He leaned forward further, studying the image, and then glanced over his shoulder, growling, “Do you know what type of potion that is?”
“No.” I blinked when I heard Elder Harcourt’s voice behind me somewhere.
“Fuck,” Antonio muttered, turning his face back to the image, staring at the potion. “Did you give her the knocker?”
Elder Harcourt cleared his throat. “I didn’t physically hand it to her.”
Antonio straightened. Swung an arm back. Golden light erupted from his palm, arching over our heads. I heard Elder Harcourt grunt and Bindi gasp. Antonio turned slowly, and never before had I seen him look so pissed. He moved his hand, and Elder Harcourt came into my line of sight, caught in Antonio’s web of Mage magic a few feet off the ground.
“He was telling the truth,” Elder Merrick stated slowly from somewhere behind us.
“Did. You. Give. It. To. Her?” Antonio hissed, eyes steadfast on Elder Harcourt.
Elder Harcourt grunted again, his wrinkled face contorting in discomfort. “I touched her when she was a babe.” A pause. “I left the knocker for her to find.”
I blinked. I had no clue what that — being touched as a babe — really meant, although, I didn’t believe it was meant in a corrupt way. I also hadn’t known he had met me as a child.
Antonio’s gaze swung over our heads, and Elder Merrick voiced quietly, “Truth.”
Elder Harcourt gasped. “You saw some of this, Antonio.”
“I saw her choice to save him!” Antonio shouted. “Not how! It was a damn blackness. I didn’t see her hurt!”
“You saw it correctly,” Elder Harcourt whispered, his own eyes beginning to glow.
Antonio stiffened then sluggishly lowered Elder Harcourt to the ground. “You had better not have f**ked with her future. You know how the last time played out when someone screwed with time.” He dropped the golden web holding Elder Harcourt.
It seemed all of the Elders stiffened at that comment.
Ezra smiled at Elder Harcourt. With fang. “And I will personally kill you if she even flinches in pain.”
Elder Harcourt wiped his brow and smiled cheerily. “Ah, Ezra. I’ve touched you, too.” I saw Cahal freeze next to us even as Elder Harcourt stated happily, “I know your path as well as hers. I know how to stay off your hit list.”
Ah, it meant he knew our future. Wonderful.
There was a tense silence, then Antonio muttered, “Oh, f**k off, Richard. I need to figure this out.” He turned back to the image of me freeze-framed: me straddling Ezra, vial in my hand. “What the hell is the black?” His head cocked, studying the image.
Elder Harcourt moved forward, his wrinkled hand rubbing his chin. He pointed at Ezra’s ashen image. “Death.” His finger swung to the vial. “Life.” He blinked, his hand falling to his side. “Oh.”
“What?” Antonio asked instantly.
“Someone else I once touched,” his gaze fell to the floor, “I remember…” He sighed, glancing back to the liquid. “That’s the individual’s willingly-given life.”
“Black magic?” Antonio asked, but immediately shook his head. “No. Willingly given. And otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to get it in here.” He worked his shoulders, and I noticed through my blinking that the action looked remarkably like what I did to remove tension, noticing it only for the first time. “Who the hell is the Mage that went with that knocker?”
Elder Harcourt slightly hesitated, then whispered, “Clarice.”
Everyone in the room stiffened, including Ezra under me. As my eyes fluttered open and shut, I had the insane thought that I should probably pick up a history book and study. Ezra actually started to remove me from his lap, shouting, “Tell me again why I shouldn’t kill you right now?”
“No, no.” Elder Harcourt waved a quick hand. “Clarice didn’t harm her.” He blinked, and a funny smile painted his lips before he turned back to the image, oblivious to how Cahal had to slam a hand down on Ezra’s shoulder to keep him seated. “Play the rest, Antonio. There has to be more.”
“I cannot believe you sent her to Clarice,” Antonio muttered, rubbing his forehead before flicking a finger. “I’m thinking Ezra’s got the right of it, and you should be dead.”
Elder Harcourt only shrugged his shoulders.
Ezra stilled as the image came to life again, quickly holding me close and resting his head on mine. He saw me chug the vial, barely keeping the liquid down, then murmur the words. He stiffened as Antonio cursed. Watching my hand glow and hold him down, the image actually getting blurry as my vision dimmed, his breathing faltered just as heavily as mine.