Page 30 of The Grip of Death
“The brilliance runs in your blood. The Prydes didn’t make mistakes. The Prydesdon’tmake mistakes. And that means you, Jackson. There was no problem with the arcane engine then, I’m sure of it. None of your parents’ making, that is. And there shouldn’t have been a problem with it now.”
Reza rose slowly from his armchair. “But what you’re suggesting is sabotage.”
Gertrude drew back her hands, releasing mine. I missed the warmth of her touch immediately. Maybe I missed my parents too much.
“That is exactly what I am suggesting. Don’t take my word for it, but I’ve known Giuseppe for years. You knew him for a time back in the days of the old guild as well. The man does not have a spiteful bone in his body. Incredibly competent, too. No. This was no accident. Gentlemen, I would look beyond your circle for signs of a saboteur. How lucky that you have SEER’s very best man on your team.”
“Lucky indeed,” Reza mumbled under his breath. “Thank you for your time. And the tea. It was delicious.”
We finally left Gertrude to the privacy of her office, but not before she managed to ply us with an unreasonable supply of gift cards, valid at all Mother Dough-accredited outlets. I was a littleembarrassed to accept them, especially after already being such an imposition on her day, but Gertrude insisted.
Reza, for whatever reason, was far less resistant to the idea. He definitely deserved them for putting up with me. But that didn’t stop him from giving me withering, judgmental looks the entire walk back from Mother Dough to Mystery Row. Every few steps, I found myself muttering, “Sorry, Reza,” or “Cut it out, Reza,” as though that would ease the tension.
As we turned down my street, Reza spoke up at last.
“Are you satisfied now? Did you hear what Gertrude said? Even she believes this has nothing to do with the artificers. I don’t feel right complimenting you right now because I’m so annoyed, but you didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did your parents, and especially Giuseppe, who didn’t deserve any of this.”
I sighed, kicking at a loose pebble on the cobblestones, scuffing the bottom of my shoe. No wonder the boots of hovering were in such a shabby state. “You’re right. I owe Giuseppe an apology — and maybe a gift.”
Reza chuckled. “Try a fruit basket. The man’s got more bread than he knows what to do with.”
I pushed open the door to the Pryde House, greeted instantly by the delicious, savory scent of freshly cooked chicken noodle soup. As we passed through the foyer, I was surprised to find Preston, Beatrice, and Niko all gathered in the living room.
Reza, naturally, made a beeline for Niko. The two bumped foreheads in one of Niko’s usual restrained displays of affection. Beatrice, however, was far less welcoming. She rose to her feet, arms crossed, and shook her head.
“Honestly, Jackson. It doesn’t feel right for you to be out and about when Xander is still in this condition.”
I stopped in my tracks, a bit taken aback by her bluntness. Then again, Beatrice Rex had never been known for her subtlety.
“B, I’m a little hurt that you’d say that. I’m trying to figure out what happened — whose fault this was. There’s nothing I can do to help by just staying here.”
She sniffed, but said nothing. Preston wrung his hands nervously. I could tell by the worried look on his face that he didn’t want to add anything more, but the words were struggling to escape his mouth.
“Sorry, buddy, but I think Beatrice is right. If Sedgewick ever got hurt, I’d be too scared to leave his side.”
Niko scoffed. “You guys are being way too judgmental about this. Jackson’s right. Sure, the instinct might be to stay and wait, but someone did this to Xander. If I were in Jack’s position, I’d probably do the same thing.”
Reza, mercifully, said nothing, though he did give Niko a hard, narrow-eyed look. I shot Niko a grateful smile.
“And? Did you figure out who did this?” Beatrice asked.
I bit my bottom lip in frustration. “No, not exactly. I’m still confused about everything. I’m doing my best, Beatrice. This is how I’m processing it. The machine that killed my parents almost killed my fiancé. Whoever’s responsible needs to be stopped before they can hurt anyone else.”
Beatrice smoothed the hem of her skirt as she sat back down on the couch. She was still frowning, but the lines of anger in her face had softened slightly. She wouldn’t apologize — not just yet — but I could tell she understood.
Preston got up from the couch, slinging one large arm around my shoulders in a comforting gesture. He squeezed me tightly. “We’ll figure something out. Don’t worry about it for now. We’re not trying to attack you, Jack. The only point we’re trying to make is that Xander might want to see you when he wakes up.”
I sighed, feeling a bit deflated, but still grateful for Preston’s support — grateful for everyone’s support, really.
“You’re right, Pres. I’m here now, and all we can do is wait.”
Sedgewick’s voice called from the top of the stairs. “He’s awake, Jack. Xander’s awake!”
14
I combedmy fingers through Xander’s hair, staring into his eyes as he held my other hand tight. We must have been in bed like that for several minutes.
“No chicken soup yet,” he’d said, wanting only a glass of water and some time to be. Just be, and exist, and live.
