Page 56 of Soulbound Shadows: Part 2

I meant it. I would use the wand, even if it would destroy me. It had to be wielded by someone powerful enough to withstand it for a little while, and I knew with absolute certainty that if I didn’t do it, Evangeline would insist on taking my place. That couldn’t happen.

I would have to do as much good for my people as possible before we confronted Morgana. Again, my mind slipped away to plans. How many things could I set into motion? How many pieces could I put in place for my successor to use?

Evangeline looked as withdrawn as I had ever seen her. She would’ve seemed more vulnerable in full plate armor.

“I’ll tell the others to gather for a meeting,” she said shortly. “And to hurry since you’ve got places to be.”

I slumped down onto the sofa, head in my hands. The trash bag of papers was at my feet. A hollowness had spread through me into every bone and nerve, but that could be useful. Birds used hollow bones to soar.

“Excuse me,” I said to the building at large. “Does Marcus have a phone I could use?”

After a moment of hesitation, a landline floated over. It was a lurid shade of orange, and it looked like a cartoon cat. When I lifted the receiver, its eyes opened with a plasticky clacking sound. I wasn’t in a state of mind to appreciate the whimsy. I punched in the first citadel office number I could remember.

“Get me Gwendoline Ash,” I ordered as soon as someone picked up.

“She’s busy at the moment. Can I take a message?” asked the harried-sounding woman on the other end.

“This is Lord De Montclair,” I said. “She’ll make time.”

To the poor office worker’s credit, she got Gwen on the line very quickly.

“I’m going to need a competent code breaker and a team of people to go through local records,” I said as soon as Gwen was on the phone. “And a new phone. Send someone you trust to Wraithwood School to deal with my father’s body. And tell them to bring a phone charger. One of the solar ones.”

“What should they do with the charger?” Gwendoline asked, all business.

“Leave it outside the door of the teacher’s lounge.” Merri would figure out how to use it, I was sure.

If Gwendoline thought that was odd, she was either too well-trained or too busy to comment. “I’ll have it taken care of,” she said with absolute certainty.

“Good,” I said. “I’ll see you in an hour.”

20

EVANGELINE

As soon as I was out of sight, I leaned against the wall and tipped my head back against it. That was the first time a man ever told me he loved me. That’d always be the first time. Great. Just my goddamn luck. At least he’d done it before I’d told him about the magic sickness. If he’d done it right after I finally opened up and asked him for help, the humiliation might’ve killed me.

There was a gentle touch on my shoulder, and I jumped. Lissa, who had managed to sneak up on me, smiled apologetically.

“Sorry,” she said. “I forgot how much worse human hearing is. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s fine.”

“He’s done something stupid, hasn’t he?” she asked with the resignation of an older sister.

I huffed out an exhausted sound that fell woefully short of being a laugh. “He dumped me.”

Lissa grimaced. “That does sound like Gabriel. He’s not… the best with feelings.”

“Yeah, believe it or not, I already picked up on that,” I muttered.

“Under different circumstances, I would offer you a listening ear and a cocktail that’s been outlawed in several countries since the twenties,” Lissa said.

I managed a small smile even as I shook my head. “If you wanna help, could you gather everybody up in the workshop? His Royal Highness wants to have a meeting before he fucks off.”

Lissa squeezed my shoulder again before she slipped away. It didn’t change anything, but it was nice to know that one of Gabriel’s dearest friends was on my side. I knew he was just panicking, but knowing why someone did something shitty didn’t make it less shitty. I was glad I wasn’t the only one who realized how shitty it was.

Taking a steadying breath, I headed for the workshop on the first floor where Gabriel, Lissa, Theo, Marcus, and Xarek were already gathered. Isabella and Vic were with the wounded We stood around the table with the ley line map like officers in a war movie looking at battle plans. I guess, in a way, we sort of were. Gabriel stood at the head of the table, extremely straight-backed, but with a dazed look in his eyes that didn’t reach the rest of his expression.

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