Chapter 16

MAEVE

Our London plans move forward nowthat Andrei"s back with us and seemingly himself so far. The debate whether to involve Alaric"s group continues. We"re worried about Matt and Amelia becoming collateral damage since Alaric takes the deaths of those who work with him as unfortunate rather than tragic. Yes, Matt and Amelia helped the night the academy fell, but that help could"ve cost them.

And there"s another reason. Dorian. The hybrid killed Alaric"s father. They"ve met since, Alaric shocked that his niece Eloise is now Dorian"s lover. Does he know about Mia? By all accounts, Alaric maintains an understandable hatred for Dorian and that conflict and division would not help in our battle.

I"m hesitant to leave the Winterfall House. Despite the recent horrors between these walls, the place became home. I"m a little guilty about the mental magic hold on Steve, who renovated and prepared to rent the premises, and worry about that control breaking while we"re away. Tobias assures me that won"t happen, and he"s paying rent for the portion of the house we use, anyway. I ask where that money came from, and he refuses to answer at first.

Until I guess: Oskar"s still paying Tobias to watch his grandson. The Confederacy leader must know we"ve joined with Dorian who has plans against his organisation—specifically him. Seems that eradicating the Dominion trumps everything for Oskar—including keeping Andrei out of his mother"s hands. Oskar isn"t stupid; he"ll ensure preparations are in place for when attention turns to him.

Even though the Confederacy covered up the true events at the academy, Oskar knows how much we"re aware of. Is he aware of the First—he must be? And what will happen the day Oskar discovers Andrei"s new state? Andrei"s the biggest threat to the Confederacy now unless neutralised.

We settled on the idea that we"ll stay at a house central enough to blend in, weighing up how close we should get to the city against how much attention we might attract. Tomas"s occupation as a lawyer, and his single lifestyle leaves him with plenty of money and he arranges for a rental close amongst a more eclectic population, including a lot of students and younger people. No doubt this includes supernaturals and perhaps clues to Gabriella"s whereabouts. Tomas instructs a friend to deal with the short-term lease in order to prevent any hint of a connection to us.

Hopefully we won"t be in London long because Gabriella won"t hang around.

Since Ash met with Ethan and Zeke, he"s cagey about their conversation, stating his usual "other things are more important" and he"ll discuss everything once we"re in London.

I"m suspicious.

I"m also surprised as we"ve seen nothing of Dorian. Following Ethan and Zeke"s visit, I expected the hybrid to appear on our doorstep the same day. The next day, Tobias told Dorian that Andrei had ‘returned", which he apparently treated with nonchalance, informing Tobias he"s not coming over because he"s too busy searching for Gabriella in London. Dorian missing the opportunity to gloat that he was right and study what Andrei"s become? For once in his life is he scared?

Then Dorian asked if we"d seen the First again and Tobias believes that"s his reason for keeping away. Dorian left their conversation with, "I"m too busy for your shit."

Hmm. Not the reaction we expected and there"s a reason.

Dorian apparently doesn"t stay in London for long periods instead using his blood runes every day or two. The family prefer their protected estate in the countryside and don"t join him, and Dorian"s paranoia about their safety sees him split his time between London and home. He"s convinced the First will screw around with his family now it"s screwed up ours.

By early evening, I"m packed, ready, and impatient. Last time I saw Andrei, he stared out of a window, pouting at the rain, which amuses me because vampires aren"t bothered about the cold and wet. Our new sun worshipper behaves as if bad weather"s a personal insult to him. Ash teases Andrei that Ethan"s right and that he"ll get a tan, but Andrei remains hemia pale.

I"ve avoided speaking to Jamie about his thoughts on Blackwood magic since that day in the garden, foolishly hoping he might calm down, but the edge hasn"t left him. At least Tobias"s focus on Andrei distracts him from Jamie"s energy.

Ready to leave, I wander around the house looking for the others. Jamie"s sitting in the lounge room, laptop open, and I walk up behind, drape my arms around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder. He turns his face and kisses me, soft and brief.

"More research?" I ask, then frown. "That isn"t your laptop."

"Declan"s." He closes the lid. "Looking for more London connections."

"Right." I move the laptop from his knee and take its place, facing sideways to study him. "I spoke to Lex."

"About?" he asks suspiciously.

"The memories I saw." He strokes hair from my face. "I know what my mother looks like now—or in the future. I"m positive she"s the blonde woman in the vision."

"A future you might change again," he reminds me.

I huff and lie back, head on the sofa arm. "Why can"t I have visions anymore? We"ve tried, but since the academy... everything"s blocked."

"Maybe the First is stopping you?" he suggests. "Besides, focusing on the mind control helps in the meantime."

"Mmm." I rub a hand down my face. "I"ve practiced that a little more with Tobias, but I worry because he"s strong and can cut me off. Painfully."

"Have you tried using the shadows?" he asks quietly.

"Jamie," I warn.

"Shadows will help scramble the person"s mind because they"re harder to fight." My mouth parts at his nonchalance. "Just saying."

"I can not believe how far you"ve changed your mind about Blackwood magic, Jamie."

He regards me unblinkingly. "Ione."

I take a sharp breath. Does he mean the change of mind happened due to Ione"s attack on him or ours on her?

"Lex won"t teach me shadow magic and I can"t use something that"s uncontrolled." I sigh. "Let"s change the subject."

"Fine. Have you tried controlling Andrei since he returned?" He runs fingers along my leg. "Because if you can, that would be a big step."

I swallow. I haven"t attempted to touch his mind at all, although Tobias told me it"s "Andrei" in there—Andrei agreed that Tobias could look the other night in order to keep the peace. Something happened. I"m unsure what because although Tobias believes he isn"t a danger, he"s uneasy around Andrei.

Why won"t I look inside his mind? Because I"m frightened I"ll see someone I don"t recognise.

"No. But I"m sure my mind control will work on less powerful supes. Andrei"s the one with the biggest power against his mother."

"Do you think he"ll be the one to kill her?" whispers Jamie.

Andrei won"t hear—hopefully—because I sense he"s no longer in the house and feel his new presence wandering around the woods in the rain.

He really does weird, non-Andrei things these days. I thought he hated the rain?

"I wish I could see that future the same way I saw the academy fire. Some clues to when and where we confront Gabriella. Anything."

"Mmm." He twirls a strand of my hair around a finger. "Like how big a pain in the arse Dorian will be because he won"t stay away forever."

I chuckle and give him another soft kiss, and my heart speeds with worry over his thoughts on using shadows—partly because he"s right.

"Tell me again why we"re waiting until night to travel?" grumbles Andrei as he walks into the room.

I startle but not due to his arrival. Andrei isn"t wet.

"Because we"re keeping your daywalking secret for now, remember?" says Jamie wearily.

But Andrei isn"t listening, mind and hearing elsewhere as he darts to the window. "Shit."

On the day that Andrei came back, I thought the First approached me because the First"s blood ties Andrei tightly to her. That blood connection misled me then—and now. Andrei wasn"t the presence I just sensed in the woods, and his response confirms who.

No.

Oh no.

"Where"s Tobias?" I ask in sudden panic and leap from Jamie"s lap. "Ash?"

"You feel it too?" asks Andrei, eyes wide.

"Yes. I think the thing is here," I say, breath shortening. "Get together. Now."

The First moves at a speed beyond any vampire, as if travelling the ether but without a blood spell. She"s in the lounge with us as the last word leaves my mouth and halts centimetres from Andrei"s face.

Their twin hearts thud louder in my ears, and I squeeze my hands together. As Jamie darts from the room to find the others, I fight the shock and fear that could trigger shadows.

But I will not give this creature the satisfaction of seeing it upset me, and I can"t allow the First to see the shadows again.

The First looks no different, the girl she is hasn"t aged and today dresses in a cute blue dress that skims her knees and brings out her eye colour. My eye colour but for once not my clothes. The short-blonde haired version of me reaches out and strokes Andrei"s cheeks with the back of its fingers and I wind myself tighter, ready to intervene if the hand goes to his neck. The creature"s smiling, silent, as if a sculptor pleased with the results.

"How lovely to see you breathing," the First says softly.

Andrei"s rigid, expressionless, but both the creature and I can sense his trepidation. What if the First"s here to take him? My heart couldn"t cope.

"I am not, Maeve," says the First, eyes not leaving Andrei"s. "He belongs to you, after all."

"Andrei doesn"t belong to me," I reply, holding back the terseness. "But he does belong with me."

"Semantics." The creature turns its gaze my way. "But now he"ll always be with you, yes?"

The First may look like a teen, but the same imperceptible dark edges and unsettling energy surround it, as if we need any other reason to watch our behaviour around the creature.

Tobias stumbles into the room and halts, Ash in the doorway behind him. The creature glances over but doesn"t register their presence.

"Have your friends explained my motivation for allowing you my blood?" the First asks Andrei, and he nods. "In which case you will be with him always, Maeve."

I swallow, ignoring the creature"s almost riddle.

"Why are you back?" asks Tobias, snatching those very words from my mouth.

The First pivots to face him. "Because you"re leaving."

"Are you offering to house sit?" mutters Ash.

The First"s light laugh holds an edge of warning. "No. I"ve things to do. Decisions to make."

"About us?" asks Jamie.

"Partly."

"And Gabriella?" asks Tobias.

"Isn"t the deal that you"ll kill her?" The First points at the clock on the kitchen wall. "Tick tock. No excuse now that Andrei"s not bound to her anymore."

Andrei breaks his silence. "But I"m bound to you."

"Yes. Aren"t you a fortunate boy?" The First pats his cheek and I suck air between my teeth. "I hope your decision to take the blood without consulting Maeve didn"t cause issues."

"No, Andrei"s agony and week of unconsciousness was the issue," I put in.

"Don"t we always suffer for what we want?" the First replies quietly. "I"m sure you"re appreciating the benefits, Andrei."

"Apart from I"ve no idea what else this change might mean for me," he replies. "What I"ll become."

"I"m afraid I can"t answer that since you"re the only one who I can remember surviving." The creature pulls a non-committal face. "Others did but so long ago I"ve forgotten."

Games. Lies.

"As you say, we"re busy planning our assault against Gabriella," says Tobias, stiffly. "And about to leave."

"Yes. Rather late in the day. I waited for you at that London house you"ve decided to occupy. Why are you travelling at night when Andrei loves the daytime now?"

"Because we don"t want anybody to know what"s happened to me," he replies.

"Ooh." The First claps its hands together. "Subterfuge. Exciting."

"Why don"t you plan to help us?" asks Ash.

"Unlike your future-sighted witch, I don"t mess with what needs to happen. Ensuring the threads of connections and that the future plays out as planned takes hard work." The First wanders to the fridge and opens it. "Orange juice?"

"We"re all out," says Jamie stiffly.

"How irritating." The First slams the fridge door closed. "What are you eating currently, Andrei?"

"Not much. But I don"t want blood," he says stiffly.

The First nods. "The lifeforce within you doesn"t require as much rest or sustenance. How about your other desires?"

My eyes go wide, but Andrei remains impassive. "Desire for what?"

"Experiencing everything that your heightened senses desire. You must crave other things." The creature"s sweet smile graces me. "I do hope this isn"t the end of your physical relationship. You"re so fragile, Maeve."

I"m not allowing this thing to taunt us. No, Andrei and I haven"t spent intimate time alone since he returned, but that"s partly Andrei wanting to prove a point to the other guys. "We"ve somewhere we need to be," I reply. "And if you won"t help, we can"t waste the time you"ve given us."

"Ah. So, avoiding intimate situations with Andrei?" The First"s tongue pushes against its teeth.

"No," I say firmly. "We"ve other priorities."

"Is it a control issue?" the First suggests.

Tobias pulls keys from his pocket, and they jingle. "We"re leaving."

Ash stares at him in horror, and the First laughs. "You"re not."

"What?" I ask sharply. "Why?"

"He and Andrei are accompanying me to visit some old acquaintances," the creature says casually.

"We need everybody to stick together," protests Jamie.

"You just said you"re not taking him," I say in panic.

"Don"t worry. I"ll deposit them at your little battle HQ before sunrise." The First waves a hand. "That"s why I had to catch you before you leave."

"What acquaintances?" asks Tobias. "Are you wanting us to kill someone or planning to kill us?"

The First"s eyes roll, the creature so deceptively human. "I just told you I"m bringing you back to your friends afterwards. Don"t I always keep my word?"

I swallow down a scoff.

"I"m coming," I say stiffly and move to hold Andrei"s hand, and what was once a tingle when we touched becomes a surge of his new energy that jolts my heart.

"You are not," the First says simply. "This matter does not concern witches."

"And if I don"t want to go?" Andrei asks.

The First"s laughter bounces around before she leans into Andrei"s face, almost nose to nose. "You may be part of me, Andrei Tepes, but you are not equal in any way. Do as you"re told."

I bristle as Andrei"s fingers tighten further around mine.

"We"ve no choice, Andrei," says Tobias wearily.

"See, that"s what I like. Sensible boys."

Boys.

But I suppose they are to this ancient whatever the hell it is.

"Jamie—you can drive to London," says Tobias. "Wait for us at the house."

I edge around Andrei and face him, taking both his hands. "This could be a trap."

His concerned eyes meet mine. "Yes, but the First could also kill us all for refusing its demands. We know that."

"I could," says the eavesdropping creature. "Bear that in mind."

"You could help us," says Jamie. "In fact, you could kill Gabriella yourself. Why won"t you?"

"True," replies the First. "But again, I"m not interfering in the future. And isn"t everything so much more fun this way?"

My heart suddenly beats harder, away from the rhythm I recently share with Andrei and it.

What does the First mean about ensuring the future plays out as planned? My ability to see our future stopped the moment the First re-entered the world. Am I right that the creature is blocking me, and my recent failure isn"t caused by my changing events at the academy?

Maybe the Blackwood magic and my upending the future isn"t what"s causing the visions to fail.

The First is the reason.

I"ve given up too easily, switching focus to the mind-control and the fight against the shadows. I recently saw Astrid in a short vision that I hope comes true, so I am still capable of the magic.

"Come along now," says the First sweetly and beckons at Andrei and Tobias. "It would be preferable if you came willingly."

I fight chasing after the three as they leave the kitchen, body surging with fear for their lives. Nate warned what will happen to me if I continue to change the future, and I"ve seen Aunt Marie"s bad mental state as an example. But the First is adamant that we follow along the path it can see. Where does that path end because I need to know whether we should walk a different one?

I"ll find the future the First envisions and change what"s necessary to keep everybody safe, whatever the consequences.