Page 76 of Enchantment of Silver and Sea
A beat passed.
Everything happened at once.
A flurry of movement. Kieran was no longer across from me. There was shouting all around. I twisted to look behind me and sawEnforcersfrom both sides of the table converging on one spot. In the breaks between them, I caught flashes of fabric and of limbs. I heard a series of thuds, a zapping noise, something slamming against the carpeted floor, a shuffling of fabric, a zapping noise again, and various other sounds that I couldn’t place. And grunting andEnforcersgiving commands overlapping with one another.
Then there was quiet.
When the knot ofEnforcersthinned, I saw Zander sitting with his head in hands. Blood poured between his fingertips, gushing down his arms in rivulets. There was so much that it was impossible to locate the source. His eyes were squeezed shut. He was panting heavily.
Next to him, Kieran lay prone on the ground, hands bound behind his back this time instead of in front of him. His ankles were bound as well. He was unconscious.
“Well,” Addis said from his spot at the table. “Things have certainly taken a turn. I was hoping we could all remain civilized, but we are dealing with a Stranger here. Maila?” At my name, I tore my eyes away from the scene behind me. Addis was standing, as wereQuinn, Westley, and Cato. “Rest up, and we’ll chat more later.” Then over my shoulder, “Bergam, why don’t you take Maila home?”
Before I could respond, the round-faced Enforcer with the blue eyes was standing in front of me, offering a hand to help me rise. I took it and was immediately grateful for the support, my legs wobbling. He was directing me toward the door we had entered through when I paused, turning back around.
“What about Kieran?” I asked. Several Enforcers had positioned themselves around his limp body and were beginning to lift him.
“Don’t worry,” Addis replied warmly. “He has a lot to answer for, but we’ll be taking him somewhere safe and secure in the meantime.”
The word “secure” set off those warning bells again, but Bergam had a hand on my back and was gently but swiftly guiding me forward. My head still turned, I heard the click of the door opening behind me. Meanwhile, theEnforcersback at the table, with a suspended Kieran between them, were starting to move toward the alternate exit that Leon had left through earlier.
Even after everything, I made a move to go back. Back to Kieran.
But Bergam pushed me—hard this time—out the door and pulled it shut behind us.
“Here’s you,” Bergam said cheerfully, holding my apartment door open for me.
My new door, I observed. Someone had replaced it while we were gone.
I stepped inside and noticed immediately that all remnants of my old door had been cleared away. It even looked like someone had gone the extra step to clean my carpet.
I moved deeper into the room.
The counter above my cabinets was the cleanest I had ever seen it. Practically shining. The saucer and glass that Kieran had used were no longer in the sink. The desk also had the gleam of being freshly wiped down. My candles, which had been stumpy and dripping from use, had been replaced with new ones. The bed was made. I could only assume that my comforter had been replaced, as the one in its place was nearly identical but missing a few rips and permanent stains that had accrued over the years.
I turned on my heel and hurried to my bathroom to find a similar scene—everything fresh, clean, sparkling. The towels and bandages and other items that Kieran had used the night before were gone.
I knew, intuitively, that the items Kieran had used, the traces of him left here, were not simply put away. I went to the kitchen cabinet where I kept cups and plates.
Three glasses and three saucers. I was missing one of each.
“Who cleaned my apartment?” I turned back to Bergam, who was still standing in the doorway. “And why?”
“You’ve been through a lot,” he replied, scratching the back of his neck. “And we kicked down your door. The Council thought it was the least we could do for you.”
The answer only raised additional questions. Had someone literally been standing around the corner with a fresh comforter and a caddy of cleaners, waiting for theEnforcersto usher Kieran and I out so they could get to work?
Instead, the question I asked was, “When can I see Kieran?”
Bergam gave me a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Kieran doesn’t seem to play well with others,” he said, as if that were an answer. “Why don’t you just focus on getting some rest, and I’ll be out here if you need me.”
We shared a long look as his meaning sunk in. He wasn’t going anywhere.
And neither was I.
Bergam stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind him. I continued to stand there motionless, staring after him.
Eventually something in me urged me to move, at least enough to go sit down. I passed my desk and my bed. I thought about opening the glass door and going to my balcony, my usual spot. But something told me there was anEnforcerposted just out of view, eyes trained on the balcony. Partnered with Bergam to make sure I stayed put.
