“We need to get you back to the party before people start wondering where you are.”

I scoffed. “Please, those people have no idea who I am.”

“Regardless, we can’t be seen out here alone together.”

I watched him closely as he stood in front of me. “Tell me what you’re thinking?”

“That we should—”

“About the files, Eli.”

He exhaled and glanced over his shoulder briefly. “I think you’re right. I think Cesare is using a necromancer. I also think the rest of the council is oblivious to it.”

“What makes you say that?”

He took a step or two closer. “Well, the other files had barcodes along the base, one for every council member. The ones in the bottom drawer had none, meaning they haven’t been put into the system.”

Gee, how did I miss that? A great detective I would not make. “What do we do?”

Eli shook his head. “I have no idea. Let me talk with Mr. Aleksandrov first and then we’ll see where we can go from here.”

I shuffled further back on the rock and crossed my legs.

“You look like you’re getting comfortable,” he said, almost smiling.

“I am. You go talk to Mr. Aleksandrov and I’ll wait here, away from the circus.”

He wasn’t about to fight me. “Fine. Stay out of trouble and I’ll send Hunter back to get you.”

Trouble? I was sitting on a rock by myself. I couldn’t possibly get into trouble even if I tried, then again, stranger things have happened. Eli left, heading back to my engagement party. When he was gone, it felt a little cooler out here. Goosebumps prickled over my skin and I shuddered as a quick cool breeze blew over me. Perhaps I should head back to the party after all. I pushed off the rock and kept a tight grip on my shoes as I trotted across the grass. I barely made it a few feet when I heard the first choked sob from behind me. I paused, glancing over my shoulder. The husky cry sounded again and despite my better judgement, I turned back toward the garden.

“Hello?”

The hidden crier gasped and the closest tree ruffled. My shoes hit the grass with a small thud and my hand flew to my guardian whistle. I didn’t blow it and I wasn’t going to until I was certain it was something dangerous. Don’t freak out, I told myself. It could be an injured animal. I raised the palm of my hand to the tree and felt power surge through me as the branches jostled. I wanted to scare whatever it was from the tree.

“If only you could do that the last time I saw you, maybe I’d still be alive.” My insides froze—I was certain even my heart stopped moving. No. Her voice was so real… so exactly the same. I stopped moving the tree and watched the branches still. I waited for the woman to speak again. Surely I was imagining it.

“Ruby,” she cooed and I began to move, turning slowly. I saw her, inch by inch as my stare dragged over her living, breathing body. To me, it was exactly like looking in the mirror. People always said I looked like my mother, but I never saw it… until now. “Hello, darling,”

This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. “Mom?”

“In the flesh, well, kind of.”

She dissolved into nothing, like Tay had, but unlike him, she appeared again, this time closer to me. I gritted my teeth against an outward flinch and my vision blurred as tears threatened my eyes. “It was you? Crying?”

She smirked and even something so dark and calculated looked devastatingly beautiful on her. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her tight, black jeans. “It was a tad bit dramatic, I’ll be the first to admit that.”

I inched closer. “Why are you here? Who brought you here?”

She shook her head. “I can’t tell you that, but what I can tell you is, I’m not the same, Ruby. I’m not here for a reunion or to wish you luck for your wedding.”

I swallowed hard, backing up. “Then what are you here for?”

Baring her teeth, she launched forward, slamming her body into mine and knocking me to the ground. I wrestled against her, but I found myself feeling weak. I was crying—tears wet my eyes, pouring down the sides of my temples and into my hair.

“Mom!” I screamed.“Stop!”

Her skinny, cold fingers wrapped around my neck and she squeezed. I couldn’t pry her hands away for the life of me and as my air flow was cut, I began to panic. My chest burned as I tried to force my lungs to expand, but it was no use. She had me and I couldn’t stop it. I stopped pulling and pushing at her arms and reached out, clawing my hands around on the cool grass in search of my shoe. My vision faltered for a brief second, just as my index finger swiped the strap to my heel. I quickly hooked my finger around it and pulled it closer. With a half choke, half cough, I grasped the shoe fully and slammed it into the side of my own mother’s head. The distinct sound of something hard hitting a human skull echoes through my ears, but I didn’t have time to cringe. I shoved her off of me and rolled over before barely climbing to my feet. I gasped for air, greedily drinking it in, but it didn’t feel like enough. I wasn’t about to fight her, I couldn’t. I blew my whistle and pulled my dress up, leaping the rock I was previously sitting on in a single bound. I had to put something between us. Mom rubbed the side of her head and exhaled in pain. “Really? A shoe?”

This sarcasm and dark banter wasn’t her style at all. This woman wasn’t my mother. My mother would never intentionally hurt her only child. She wasn’t capable of it. Mom disappeared again before appearing directly in front of me. She didn’t waste any time on her second attack and she punched me low, hitting me in the stomach. I barely flinched, too focused on her fist coming in from the left. I blocked and punched her straight in the ribs. I had to end this before she ended me. Mom swung from the right and I grabbed her fist tightly and yanked her into me.

“Ruby!” I heard Eli’s voice, but I didn’t look up. I couldn’t. I had to finish this.

I threw my arm and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around before kicking her in the back of the knees. She dropped to the ground, her knees digging into the grass, and I grabbed her head. To avoid witnessing killing my own mother, I squeezed my eyes shut and snapped her neck. The sound was nauseating and the way her head hung in my hands once I did it was sickening. I let go and took quick steps back. Eli was on me in an instant, ignoring my mother’s limp body. I opened my eyes, but then closed them again for a brief second as he pulled me into him, squeezing me hard against his chest. I felt his chest vibrate as he spoke, but I heard nothing. I was in shock—my body wasn’t working. I tried to move my fingers, but suddenly, I didn’t know how. In the distance I heard lively chatter and Eli released me immediately, keeping a hand on my shoulder. The one subtle touch from him was enough to keep me from collapsing to the ground and I reluctantly dragged my eyes to the spot my dead mother’s dead body was. Nothing.

I glanced around, terrified that she was lurking somewhere, ready for round two, but she made no reappearance. The crowd of at least twelve swamped me, asking questions and demanding to know why I was crying. I took steps back, unable to find the words to tell them that I was fine—even though I was far from it. A set of hands slid around my shoulders and I lurched forward.

“Easy,” Hunter whispered, pulling me back into him. “It’s only me.”

I relaxed, happy that the hands touching me were alive at least.

“She’s had a bit too much to drink,” Eli said, casually, as if he hadn’t witnessed me snap my own mother’s neck. “And she got a little lost.”

The spectators—none of which I knew—chuckled and poked fun at me like I was an idiot and involuntarily, my bottom lip started to quiver. Sobs built up in my throat, but I didn’t dare let them fall.

“Perhaps you should take her to bed, Hunter,” Eli suggested, not once looking in our direction.

I expected Hunter to say something sleazy and witty, but he didn’t. He realized the seriousness of the situation and for that I was grateful. If he started up the whole Eli versus Hunter thing right now, I’d probably have broken down completely. There is only so much one girl can handle. I let Hunter lead me away from the laughter and the place I killed my mother… again. Hunter didn’t push for answers as we walked. In fact, he didn’t say a thing. We walked silently past the courthouse, and leaning outside against the brick wall was Cesare. I dragged my eyes onto him and he watched us closely.

“A bit too much to drink, Ruby?” he asked normally enough, but I heard the darkness laced in his words. If he was behind this, I was going to expose him. I was going to expose him even if it meant I had to marry every person on the planet.

“Wine isn’t for everyone, apparently,” I muttered back, glaring.

He smirked at me, and as far as I’m concerned, that smirk was the declaration of war. If he wanted to take us on, then he better be prepared. Sure, he could fight us with our sand our nightmares, but that’s all they were. On our side, we had the present and we had the future. He couldn’t use those against us. He couldn’t keep them locked in a file in his room.

I was going to destroy him.

Chapter Fifteen

I spent a whole week moping in my room and Hunter stayed with me the entire time. It was nice having his company, but I wanted to be alone. I didn’t even want to see Eli, and Mila was barely allowed to leave her room—Mr. Aleksandrov’s orders. According to my calendar, I was getting married in a week. One whole week. It was too soon and yet, it couldn’t come fast enough.

I told Hunter about what we found in Cesare’s room. He believed Cesare was in on it, but Mr. Aleksandrov was more concerned about Mila than anyone else. He wanted us to wait it out until his application was viable and then go in for the kill. He had plans of his own, Mr. Aleksandrov, and they were big ones. He wanted to expose the council and then become a part of it. He believed only someone as detached from our species as he is, would be able to run it without a conflict of interest. I agreed with him and I trusted no one more than I trusted Mr. Aleksandrov. He had no hidden agendas—except for the one he currently had—but Mila was his family, and they were my family. We had to protect them no matter what, even if it meant sacrificing the things we want.

It was night time and I lay awake in bed, as I often did. Hunter was sound asleep and I made sure I kept all of my movements minimal as I slipped from the sheets. I needed to see Eli. I hadn’t since the night my mother attacked me. My hands began to shake at the thought and I quickly crossed my arms, trapping my hands in the pits of my arms. Now was not the time to think about that. It was over—a trick—a stupid mind game played only to distract me from my main purpose… whatever that was. I guess my purpose in a nutshell was this; get married in order to lift the relationship laws, which helps Mila and Eli and I, get divorced, expose the corrupt council, and take over as rulers. I exhaled as I opened the door and stepped through it. Perhaps the plan was a bit farfetched… I mean, overthrowing a group of leaders that have been in power for however many years? Extreme, much? I suppose that was just who we were. That’s why this group sticks together like glue, because we’re all the same. We fight for the good of everyone. In the beginning it might have looked like we were in it only for our own personal desires, but deep down, we all share the same future. We have the same passions and wants out of life. We want peace, happiness, and equality for all. If we win, everyone wins. If we lose… well, I hadn’t thought about that yet.

I tip-toed from my building and over to Eli’s. This was stupid and risky, I knew that, but when has that stopped me? Ever? Elites wandered the grounds, but none of them seemed alert. As I peered out from around the side of the courthouse, one elite was bouncing a tennis ball, keeping his eyes on that instead of his surroundings. He was alone at first, humming a cheerful tune until another elite walked up. They joked and laughed their greeting before stilling and chatting indistinguishably. They weren’t paying attention at all. If they were paying attention, they would have seen me zip right past them and into the building Eli, Lyric, and Xavier resided in. I rested against the door, giving myself a few seconds to release the breath I’d been holding.

“Yes sir,” I heard one elite guard say, and then a tennis ball rolled quickly past my feet.

“You’re paid to stay alert, Tate, we can’t afford to be slack with these people roaming about. Do you understand?”

The man with the ball was Tate? I didn’t recognize him.

“Yes, sir.”

“I don’t think you do.” I strained my ears and peered around the edge of the door. When my gaze rested on Cesare, towering over his elites, my stomach dropped into my intestines, making me want to vomit. What was he doing out so late? Only dodgy people are out this late. I glanced down at myself and shook my head. Scratch that, I wasn’t dodgy. My only reason for being out this late was Eli, and I seriously doubted Cesare’s little midnight adventure had anything to do with love. “They’re dangerous. They could kill us all and take this city while we sleep.”

I rolled my eyes. Dramatic, much? We wanted equality, not cities.

“You’re that worried? Why are you letting them stay if you believe they’re that dangerous?”

“Mr. Aleksandrov wants to prove me wrong, but I’ve never been proved wrong in my entire life. I know there’s something going on between Ruby and the guardian. I can see it. It’s in their faces when they talk and in their eyes when they look at each other. They can barely keep it together now, imagine what the wedding will be like.”