But he wasn’t the one talking. The second voice was higher than his, but still masculine and familiar, and whoever it was spoke in hushed words laced with urgency and frustration.
“You can’t keep her here.” I couldn’t see who was talking, but I was certain I recognized his voice. “That was part of the deal. You can’t force her to stay if she doesn’t want to.”
I inched closer. Underneath me, the floorboard creaked, and I froze. From my vantage point I could see Henry also still, and my heart beat so loudly I was sure he must’ve been able to hear it. But after a few tense seconds, he spoke, and I exhaled.
“She did not want to leave,” he said tiredly. “She thought our deal had finished because she failed the exam.”
“You still stopped her,” said the second voice. It was achingly familiar, but he spoke so low it was hard to place. “She told you twice to leave her alone, and you ignored her.”
“Because she did not understand.” Henry glared over his shoulder to a spot behind the door where the other stood.
“It doesn’t matter.” He spoke viciously, and I glanced at Ava, but she lingered by the corner now. “You prevented her from leaving.”
“I can argue semantics with you all night, but the fact remains that she has not left the property,” said Henry. “You have no right to ask the other members of the council to terminate the deal.”
“I do, and I will.” A shadow passed over me, and I shrank back. “I won’t let you force her to stay like you did Persephone. She isn’t your prisoner, and you aren’t her keeper. You can’t manipulate her into this situation and then act surprised when she hates you so much she wants to leave.”
Malice dripped from his words, and his voice was filled with venom. Across the room Henry tensed, but he said nothing. The urge to speak up for him was overwhelming, and I badly wanted to tell whoever it was that he was an idiot and I stayed because I wanted to help Henry, not because he was forcing me, but the words died on my lips. I’d gone for months without answers. I couldn’t give up any chance I might have at finally getting them.
“Let her go,” said the voice, quieter this time. “Persephone didn’t love you, and you can’t replace her no matter how hard you look. Even if you could, Kate isn’t that person.”
“She could be.” Henry’s words came out choked. “My sister thinks she is.”
“My aunt is too blinded by guilt and determination to see the situation clearly. Please, Henry.” The floor creaked again as he stepped toward Henry. I could make out his arm now, and he wore a black jacket that looked far too thin for November. “Let her go before she dies, too. We both know it’s only a matter of time, and if you care about her at all, you’ll let her go before she becomes another victim.” He paused, and I held my breath. “Eleven girls are already dead because of you. Don’t turn Kate into the twelfth because of your selfishness.”
The sound of breaking glass exploded inches away from me. I gasped and stumbled backward, and my ankle twisted underneath me again. I cried out, falling to the ground. The door opened, and the blood drained from my face when I saw who was on the other side.
James.
CHAPTER 12
JAMES
“You’re in on this, too?” My voice was hoarse, and I stared at James in disbelief. He looked exactly like I remembered him from school—ears sticking out, his blond hair a mess, and his massive headphones wrapped around his neck.
“Kate—” he started, but Henry appeared in the door, and he pushed James aside. When Henry offered me his hand, I took it, glaring at James.
“What’s going on?” The words came out strangled, and I could hardly see straight, but I wasn’t going to give either of them a way out. “Tell me. First Sofia, then Irene, now you—”
“Perhaps it would be best if we continued this conversation inside,” said Henry with a grimace. I gritted my teeth and nodded, leaning on him as he helped me into the room.
Inside, I realized it was a bedroom. While it wasn’t dusty, it had the feeling of disuse, and as Henry helped me maneuver around the broken glass on the hardwood floor, I saw a mangled frame lying on the ground, its picture bent and torn. Smiling up at me was the photograph of a girl who couldn’t have been much older than me, with freckled cheeks and strawberry-blond hair. Next to her stood Henry, and he looked much happier than I’d ever seen him, all of the tension from his body gone.
“Who’s that?” I said, but I had a sinking feeling I already knew.
Henry glanced at the picture, and pain flashed across his face. He waited until he’d helped me to the bed before answering, and even then he wouldn’t look me in the eye. “Persephone,” he said in a fragile voice that threatened to break. “A very long time ago.”
“Not too long ago,” I said, eyeing the image. “Not if you had cameras around.”
“It is not a photograph,” he said, bending down to retrieve it. “It is a reflection. Look.”
His hands shook as he handed me the picture, and as I examined it, I noticed it had a depth to it that photographs didn’t. It seemed to shimmer, as if it was a pool of water, and Persephone and Henry were moving. Not so much that it looked like a home movie, but she blinked, and I could see his arms tighten around her.
“She’s beautiful,” I said softly. Part of me was jealous, knowing I could never live up to her memory, but I was so consumed by sadness for what Henry must have gone through that I pushed it aside. “I’m sorry.”
He waved dismissively, as if it were no big deal, but when I handed the picture back to him, he took it gently and passed his hand over the surface. It smoothed out as if it had never been damaged. “As I said, it was a long time ago.”
A cough tore my attention away from him, and I looked up to see James lingering near the doorway. My eyes narrowed. “What?”
“You asked why I was here.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the door, shutting it firmly. Behind it I heard a squeak. Ava was still out there, but this wasn’t something I wanted her to overhear.
“And you still haven’t told me.” I winced as Henry gently touched my ankle.
“He is my successor,” said Henry, and I looked at him sharply. “He will take over my duties if I fade.”
A wave of horror washed over me, and I stared at James, disgusted. “Is that why you tried to stop me from coming here? You knew I was his last chance, and you thought if you stopped me, you’d have a clear shot at the winner’s circle?”