Chapter 20

MAEVE

Stories of originalstrapped in a timeless world. Curses against every hemia. The intention to reveal supes to humans. The games the First plays over and over. The creature could kill everybody—kill Gabriella—but refuses. The thing talks about natural order. Natural order. This creature has no interest in anything but self-preservation.

"The First set us out like chess pieces so it can watch," I say, teeth gritted. "Somebody could die when we fight Gabriella."

"Nobody will die," says Tobias firmly. "We survived once, and we will again."

"Gabriella has the creature"s blood and shared it with her followers," I say in desperation. "The First allowed this, despite insisting it wants Gabriella dead because the stupid vampire stole the creature's blood."

"I have the First"s blood, Maeve," says Andrei softly. "I"m part of her. Stronger than any Dominion."

Why does he exchange a look with Tobias? What haven"t they told us?

"Against an army?" I ask. "And stop calling it her."

"We"ll pick through Gabriella"s army first," says Tobias. "We"ve more than enough power to take down the less potent Dominion members. Maeve"s magic with Jamie"s help. Ash"s strength. My powers. And Andrei... We still don"t know the extent of his."

"I"m eager to discover more," says Andrei. "And I want Gabriella to hear what I can do so she knows who"s coming for her."

Everything inside me goes tight. Not due to Andrei"s fighting talk, but when Jamie catches and holds my gaze. Shadows. He wants to use the shadows.

"I"ll practice mind-control," I say pointedly and look away from him. "Attempt to scry. I might be able to predict where the battle happens and narrow down where we should look for Gabriella."

"As long as Gabriella"s army doesn"t include necromancers" constructs. Their minds aren"t controllable. We"ll need something else to take them down." Jamie says firmly, and my eyes widen as I look back at him. Shadows.

"Yes. Andrei. Ash. Tobias," I say tersely. "Me and you."

I catch Tobias watching us, but he says nothing, his brow pinching slightly.

"Seems odd that the First hasn"t threatened any of us," says Ash, and drinks from his third beer of the night.

"The creature threatened to kill the original elders and so anybody with their families" hemia blood dies," says Tobias.

"Andrei," I say flatly.

"I don"t have any of my old blood. My body purged that. But he does since he"s a hybrid descendent of the Vitlaks."

He. Tobias. What does this mean? "The what?"

"Original family." He sighs. "No. I didn"t realise. Nobody ever told me."

"The three Blackwood hybrids are part originals," says Andrei.

"Mia and Eloise too. That"s why Dorian walked away?" I ask.

"Which is pointless. As if the creature couldn"t find Dorian if it wanted to." I rub my tired eyes, brain hurting with all this information. "If Blackwoods can perform the spell to trap the First, why hasn"t it killed them?"

"Their daughter," says Andrei softly. "The First wants the Blackwood"s daughter."

"What?" I choke out. "No."

"We"ve learned one thing. The First rarely kills the powerful," says Tobias. "The creature manipulates those who"re a threat by binding them to it and lets them do the killing."

"Like Andrei, because now he has the First"s blood. And you because you won"t act against the creature due to that reason, Maeve," says Jamie flatly. "If the First gives Mia the blood too, the kid would face the same fate as Andrei if anybody trapped or injured the First. Dorian wouldn"t risk that. His family are bound too."

I swallow. "Everybody"s in that creature"s web."

"The First has plans for Dorian," says Tobias. "It clearly likes him."

"Oh yeah, big fan, if the thing"s threatening to assault his three-year-old daughter," retorts Ash.

"Don"t attempt to understand how the First thinks or plans," says Tobias with a sigh. "We worry about that once we"ve killed Gabriella and decimated her ranks."

Another look exchanged with Andrei.

The pair may try to avoid telling Ash and Jamie something, but I won"t rest tonight until they tell me. My mind buzzes with what. Last time the pair approached me alone with news, they told me Andrei would die. So, who"s predicted to die this time? Because if that person sits in the room right now, Andrei and Tobias shouldn"t stay silent.

Which leads to one conclusion that slices into my heart.

Me.The First lied. I"m the one who"ll die.

* * *

Andrei and Tobiasdon"t elaborate, moving the conversation to the search for Gabriella and Dorian"s information, but I fix Tobias with a hard look and mouth "I need to talk to you".

Following their revelations, Jamie claims he"s tired and that he"s headed to bed. He"s equally suspicious whether we have the full story and I"d lay bets he"s sneaking off to research.

Ash decides to watch TV as we move to speak in the kitchen—watch TV and listen out in case the pair upset me.

Andrei barely slept since he returned to us and with no physical effect, but his eyes are reddened with tiredness. Tobias"s face and stance are exhausted, too. Whatever occurred in their time with the First took it out of them, understandably.

I rest against the kitchen door, arms crossed over my chest as I watch the impassive pair, who both remain standing.

"What really happened with the First?" I ask. "What"s the creature"s latest game?"

A familiar wariness fills Andrei"s eyes, and he steps forward to smooth a thumb across my cheek. "We"ve told you most of the First"s plans."

I glance between him and Tobias. "But not everything." Andrei"s heart speeds from the slow thud to something closer to normal. "I promise not to react like I did last time. Has the First threatened to kill one of us again?"

"You"re right about her chess game. The thing made its next move," says Tobias. He rests his back against the counter, watching. "The First intends to bind the Winterfalls and Blackwoods to her."

"You said." Silence. "In what way? What are you holding back?"

The uneasy atmosphere that joined us in the lounge when the pair spoke about their experience with the First becomes suffocating.

"A way that shouldn"t happen," says Andrei softly. "The First wants you to be like me. Part of what it is." He squeezes his eyes closed. "For me to turn you."

I take a sharp breath and move from the door. "What? No. I can"t become... that. I don"t even want to be immortal, let alone with its blood."

"I know." Andrei reaches out to me. "And I promise that won"t happen."

I look wildly at Tobias, who joins us, a hand on my arm. No, I"m not about to lose my shit, but his calming skills could help right now.

"Is the First intending to kill me if I say no? That"s been its plan all along—the creature"s waiting until we"re done with Gabriella, isn"t it? Watching its little game play out. See who dies and then kill the rest of us."

My stomach churns, bile moving upwards, and I"m unable to speak. The shadows don"t stir because my mind won"t comprehend what I"m told.

Andrei takes both my hands. "Don"t consider it for a moment, Maeve. This could be another trick."

Kill the rest of us.The words still won"t settle in my mind.

"A trick because the First will kill us all anyway, whether you bind yourself to her or not," says Tobias.

"Apart from me and Andrei. And the Blackwoods," I mutter. "The creature loves the idea of controlling us all." Yanking out a kitchen chair, I sit and stare absentmindedly at the takeaway menus pinned to a noticeboard above ‘House Rules". Stay calm.

"Trapping the First again is our only way forward," says Andrei.

All my remaining breath leaves. "And lose you? No."

"I"m one person out of thousands, Maeve. The First"s counting on you refusing to act against it because of me, but I don"t want that." He pauses. "Everybody I care about is in danger if that thing remains free."

"No," I repeat softly. "There"s another way. We broke Tobias"s curse."

"The situation isn"t anywhere near the same," Tobias says cautiously. "That curse was a witch"s. This creature... the First"s a whole other level."

"There"s a way," I say firmly. "We always find a way."

The pair fall quiet, and I swallow down the sickness. Have we encountered something that would finally beat us?

"I don"t want Jamie and Ash to know. Not yet," I say to Tobias as he sits beside me. "I know we agreed no more secrets, but they"ll lose focus on finding and ending Gabriella."

"I"m not sure, Maeve," says Tobias. "We tell them tomorrow. Andrei and I didn"t say anything earlier because we wanted you to know first."

"In case I behaved in the same way as the last bad news you gave me?" I sigh and look at my hands, outstretching my fingers. "No shadows." And this news is about me, not somebody I love. "The fight with Gabriella buys us time." I say through gritted teeth. "We"re the First"s avatars in a fucking game.."

"And nothing will end well until the First is trapped again." Andrei"s eyes are earnest as he repeats his thoughts. He genuinely believes that"s the only way forward?

"Even if I saw that as an option, we don"t know how to," I say weakly. "The First destroyed the Winterfall and Blackwood grimoires."

"The runes will still exist," Andrei says. "Ones as powerful couldn"t be destroyed."

I blink. "They"re buried beneath tonnes of rubble, Andrei. So that"s not an option."

"She"s right," says Tobias, and Andrei drags a hand down his face, turning away. "But we don"t give up," he adds.

There has to be an answer. Another way forward. One that allows us all to live and eradicate the First from the world. This can"t be the first time the creature escaped from captivity, otherwise the First would never create the living dead vampires it hides. The creature would"ve manipulated and killed people in the past in an attempt to stop her incarceration happening.

Standing again, I tiptoe to press my lips to Andrei"s, spreading fingers over the back of his neck as I do. "Thank you for telling me."

"Your response still worries me," says Tobias. "Don"t shut down the way you did before."

"This is different to me worrying Andrei might die," I say and turn to him. "I"m quiet because I need time to process what you"ve told me."

With a sigh, Tobias draws me into his arms and holds me tight, kissing the top of my head. "If you need me, I"m here."

"I know. And I agree—we"ll find another way." I turn my head, cheek still pressed to Tobias"s chest. "One that will break her influence on you too, Andrei."

Andrei shrugs, such a small gesture in response to the enormity. Andrei"s serious. If it were possible, he"d help trap the First and suffer the consequences for himself.