Chapter 47

MAEVE

Dorian reappearswith a glass of whiskey, expression no less sour, and he nods at Tobias. "Let's hear what you actually achieved, then. Are you any closer to finding the bitch?"

"I have some information, yes," says Tobias coolly.

"Did you tell Tobias and Ash about the First and the girl's name?" I ask Jamie.

"I haven't had the chance."

"Some recruits thought a girl who joined but then left was my sister because I resembled her. And the name Maeve was on their list," I tell the others.

Dorian looks up. "Do continue."

"Was the First in the catacombs?" asks Tobias in horror.

"Not that we saw or sensed," says Jamie. "Maeve couldn't hear the heartbeat. Andrei?"

"The First wasn't down there," he said. "I would've picked up on the presence."

"I can check the girl's name now," says Jamie. "I couldn't earlier."

"What was her full name?" asks Dorian and sips his drink as Jamie swipes his phone screen.

"Maeve Erste. Not a familiar witch name. Maybe a vamp. Could be a coincidence?" I suggest.

Dorian blinks for a moment and then laughs in the annoying, patronising way I'm too familiar with. "Yeah. That girl's the First."

"Fuck." Jamie stares at the screen, not paying attention to Dorian.

"I speak a lot of languages," says Dorian casually. "Most, actually."

"Of course you do," I mutter.

"Plenty of spare time as a kid." He wrinkles his nose and sips again. "In between… things."

"And your marvellous language proficiency is relevant, how?" asks Tobias.

"Erste is German for First," says Jamie flatly and holds up his phone before Dorian can open his mouth.

I'd expected a connection between the girl and the First, but fear squirms in my stomach at the confirmation. "The First is working with Gabriella."

"Nah." I glare at Dorian's dismissal. "Why would the First hide amongst the kids and leave a cryptic clue? More game playing with you lot, I reckon."

"I don't believe that," says Jamie.

"We have two days," urges Tobias. "Less than that now. I'd planned to watch who entered and left the catacombs—especially on Friday—but that's pointless. Dominion won't leave the recruits in the tunnels now."

All eyes turn back to Andrei. He's dishevelled from fighting with me on the catacombs floor, but his aura and appearance returned to the new everyday Andrei. If he'd killed as a hemia, blood would cover his pale face and hands, but there's no evidence he slaughtered three people in less than a minute.

"I understand I fucked up. Whatever happened in the catacombs came from something leashed inside me," he says stiffly. "Pressure that built up over the days exploded. And I've learned something about my painful vulnerability." Andrei nods at me.

"Can you control this power? Are you the one controlling it?" asks Tobias.

He glares. "The First isn't using me."

"From now on, stick with Maeve in any situations likely to go south," says Ash. "Then you won't have to leap across the room and defend her."

He's semi-sarcastic, but correct.

Dorian sets his empty glass on the small round table near the window. "On that note, I'm leaving."

"How did your chat with the Confederacy kid go, Dorian? Or is that where you're going now?" interrupts Tobias as he crosses the room.

"Eloise thinks the kid's more use to us alive." Dorian wrinkles his nose. "And she remembers him from Ravenhold."

"How is he more use alive?" I ask.

"Apparently, my questioning techniques weren't appropriately successful." I stifle a laugh at him, despite the sickening undertone—I've seen the result of those techniques. "Someone locked the kid's mind too. Put it this way, we now have a short-term guest on our estate."

"Short-term for you or him?" asks Jamie.

"That depends on Dom's cooperation—if the Confederacy kid isn't taking the piss and that really is his name." Dorian flashes a smile, then pushes his teeth through skin on a recently healed finger. "I'll give your regards to my family. Mia would like to visit again soon." Laughter bursts from him at our horrified silence. "Joking. She isn't leaving the estate until we've dealt with the First."

"And dealt with Gabriella?" asks Tobias.

Dorian's blood-smeared lips press together, and he stabs a bleeding finger at Tobias's chest. "You've cried wolf twice, Whitlock. I'm not coming anywhere near ‘Gabriella' without proof."

"But you'll help with finding her?" he asks.

"If I hear anything, I'll be sure to let you know." I don't miss Dorian's sarcasm as he examines his finger then points at the conservatory door. "I'll draw my runes outside. I find blood can be hard to remove from the floor."

As if gracing us with the biggest favour in the world, Dorian heads through the sliding glass doors and into the gardens.

"Interesting that Dorian never spoke to me," says Andrei, watching him go.

"He's pissed off with Tobias," says Jamie. "And I bet Dorian doesn't tell his family that the guy tricked him."

Tobias half-smiles.

"You're on thin ice if you're annoying Dorian," I tell him.

Andrei shrugs. "Less interference by the egomaniac hybrid suits me."

Ash barks a laugh. "You bloody hypocrite. Do you understand what you've done?"

"You do know the vamp who touched Maeve would've caused bigger issues if I hadn't stepped in?" retorts Andrei. "Jamie and Maeve wanted to leave. The vamps intended to stop them. People were suspicious."

"Uh. Like they won't suspicious be now?" asks Ash.

"I said, I fucked up." He scowls at Jamie when the witch mutters ‘again'. "But Gabriella now knows what she's facing in us. You say she'll go underground? How? She's planned this ritual for a long time. Even if she chooses not to leave the UK by ship because she's figured out that we're onto her, Gabriella won't cancel her other plans."

"How can you know?" asks Ash.

"You don't fill catacombs with recruited hemia and witches to abandon them and start again," he replies. "Plus, Gabriella would never show failure and appear weak."

Tobias rubs his lips. "Art mentioned the Dominion are struggling to recruit witches. I hate to agree with Andrei right now, but Gabriella won't allow setbacks. The witches are key to her plans."

I fold my hands in my lap and voice the other alternative that's come to mind. "The First will help." The others gawk at me. "If we need to confront Gabriella to maintain the creature's planned future, the First won't allow us to fail. That's why ‘the girl' visited the catacombs."

"What? To leave us clues like it's a fucking murder mystery night?" says Ash.

Jamie stands and walks across the room, rubbing the side of his head. "Why? Why the hell doesn't the First kill Gabriella if she needs to die? I get that the creature's playing games, but if Gabriella's death is key to maintaining the future the First wants, why risk the Dominion leader winning?"

"Jamie," says Tobias quietly. "Gabriella's death isn't the key. Us killing Gabriella is. The First is allowing everything to play out as needed."

"Right. Including the First then killing us?" asks Jamie.

"No, Jamie," I say. "We're changing the future."

"And what if changing the future means Gabriella has to live?" he shoots back. "By not doing what the First wants?"

"Yeah, well, that's not fucking happening," snaps Andrei. "Because if for any insane reason we don't, Dorian Blackwood will."

"This isn't about whether Gabriella lives or dies," I say quietly. "Whatever's happening goes much deeper and is the reason we're all alive."