Page 65 of In the Dark

Aisanna and Astix stared at each other while both tried to find the right words. “He seems like a nice man. A dependable kind of guy.” Astix poured herself a second cup of coffee and, uncaring what the others thought, added a generous shot of whiskey. This time she took it to the table and sat down. “I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Or however the expression goes.”

“How about we do not talk about him? I’m not in a sharing mood.” Karsia held onto her control by a tenuous string. It helped, though, being there with them, the familiarity of it all helping to reinforce who she really was, despite her dark passenger.

“I’ve been wondering what made you suddenly decide to trust him. You sought him out.”

Karsia opened her mouth to answer and stopped. What had it been? She couldn’t remember. “It doesn’t matter. He’s one more body on our side for this confrontation.”

The way she said the word gave Astix pause. “I’m not going to let you throw away what little life you have left planning an attack on the Claddium. It’s not worth it. I won’t let you kill yourself.”

“Oh, haven’t you heard? I’m immortal now, one of the perks of being the figurehead of evil. I’ll be immortal until the next lunar eclipse on the vernal equinox and some poor unsuspecting witch is forced to take my place. But that’s not the point,” Karsia continued. “The point is something should be done before things get worse. I’m a bloodthirsty sociopath, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“The longer you carry that thing around with you, the stronger it gets,” Aisanna supplied. She kept her gaze down, long hair obscuring her face.

Karsia didn’t tell them the truth—that it was already too late. She merely said the words they wanted to hear like a good puppet with a recorder in its stomach. The others needed something to hang on to, to believe in, and she needed to get to the stone.

“So far, we haven’t found a sure way to eject her. Which doesn’t mean we won’t keep trying.” Astix placed her hand over her sister’s. “We won’t stop until we do. It was wrong of you to take off like you did, when you should have stayed. We’re stronger together than we are apart.”

“It was the only thing I could think to do since I didn’t want any of you getting hurt.”

“We are not weak. Don’t underestimate us,” Astix said quietly.

“Look,” Aisanna began, “we think we have a spell that, with a little tweaking, will work now that we’re together again. It will bind the evil to a single point in space and time. Once we have Cecilia under control, we should be able to use our combined powers to remove the stain from you and set it back into the stone. It won’t stop the veil from fraying, but it gives us a buffer.”

“So easy, right?” Karsia shoved her plate to the side, observing the yellow mass of scrambled eggs jiggle. It turned her stomach. “How can you think it would ever be so simple?”

“I don’t think it’s simple. But I do believe it’s our best shot,” Aisanna countered. “I don’t see anyone else coming up with a better idea. We’ll leave once everyone is here.”

“Who are we waiting for?”

“The cavalry.”

Karsia rocked back on her heels and thought about where she would rather be. Roaming the streets amongst her people instead of standing around waiting. They were always waiting, she thought of her sisters. For the right time, the right people, the damn Harbinger to come and save them. Maybe tonight would buy her the time she needed to get them out of her hair for good.

And how weird was it, she considered, that both her sisters were now pinning their hopes on alliances with men, the two women who could never be bothered to take a partner. Who had taken pride in standing on their own feet.

Karsia gritted her teeth at the way things had worked out, knowing the numbers coupled her and Morgan together. Oh well, she would be done with them soon. All of them.

Elon and Morgan both rose within minutes of each other, one fresh and tidy, the other wearing his tatty tweed from the previous two days. He’d used the shower stall adjacent to his room and made the most of the limited facilities before slipping again into his soiled clothes.

Ready for the day.

“Eggs? They look great. I’m starving.” Morgan sent the sisters, so alike in face but miles apart in demeanor, a round of smiles before helping himself.

Elon crossed the room and bestowed a chaste kiss on Aisanna’s cheek. He was fresh-faced and bright-eyed. “You didn’t have to do this. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She leaned into the contact, at last content with it. “It takes my mind off of…less savory things.”

Astix drummed her fingers on the table. “He should be here by now.”

“We’re waiting for Leo?”

“He sent me a message yesterday saying he had loose ends to tie up and then he’d be on his way.”

“Then he’ll be here,” Aisanna said with a grim smile. “He always shows up.”

The sheer number of people in the room had Karsia feeling antsy and claustrophobic. “I don’t give two shits about whether he shows up or not. Let me see the spell. I can tell you whether it will work or not.”

“Oh, you found one?” Morgan slurped up the last bits of his breakfast, downing the plate in record time and contemplating going back for more. He decided not to make a pig of himself.

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