open.
The dreary interior had been completely transformed to its former glory. The dust and cobwebs had been magically swept away, leaving clean surfaces and the faint smell of lavender. The foyer where I stood opened up to a grand parlor of epic proportions. The slate tile floor beneath my feet met walls of stone that extended to the cathedral ceilings above. Skylights of stained glass scattered the sunlight across the room in spectacular fashion. A stone fireplace dominated the right side of the room, and a grand staircase of mahogany opened its arms to me at the opposite side of the room. Rich blue carpet blanketed the stairs as they split halfway up, leading to opposite sides of the manor. An immense wrought iron chandelier hung above the middle landing, strings of crystals hanging delicately from its arms. The crystals sent prisms of sparkling light into every corner of the room.
The most impressive feature was at the parlor’s center. An elegant stone fountain rose from the floor, surrounded by a small pristine pool of water. The fountain itself was a sculpture of a man kneeling and pouring water from a large bowl. He was adorned in a long robe and gladiator sandals.
The water fell over the sides of the pail creating a gushing waterfall. I smiled as I realized who it was. Aquarius. I walked closer and became mesmerized as I peered down into the pool encircling him. The fountain was merely the top of a massive underwater cavern; the small pool around the fountain acting as the entrance. It gave a whole new meaning to indoor pool. Decorating the walls were portraits of men and women I didn’t recognize as well as vast, awe inspiring landscapes. I froze when my eyes found the portrait hanging above the fireplace. With legs full of bricks, I walked over to get a closer look. It was the portrait of a gorgeous young woman dressed in a long, flowing dress of silver and blue. An ethereal glow emanated from her thick blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Upon closer inspection, they weren’t just blue. They were a teal or aqua. Exactly like mine. If my heart skipped a beat at her eyes, it stopped completely when I saw the necklace around her neck. A brilliant aquamarine stone encased in a swirling pendant, hanging on a dark metal chain. My necklace. Finn had given me Thetis’s necklace. My mother’s necklace.
A terrifying scream coming from outside broke my thoughts and I immediately ran to the door and down the stone path to the gate. Once outside the grounds, I looked from side to side, trying to find the source. I hesitated when I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the estate had disappeared, replaced once again by the rolling meadow of wild flowers. I turned to run, but at the same moment, my head exploded in pain and everything went dark.
Chapter 34
The good news was that I had found Kira. The bad news was that I had found Kira.
“Like a moth to a flame,” Isadora literally cackled at me, once I’d woken up from the blow to my head. “You made it way too easy. Really Anastasia, it’s pathetic.” She looked at me with mock sympathy. My hands and feet were both bound in chains and I was leaning up against a tree at the edge of the beach. The chains themselves pulsed with a silvery glow and I knew Isadora had enchanted them somehow. Kira was a couple yards away in a similar position. Her mouth was taped, but I could still see the panic in her green eyes even as the sun began to sink below the horizon. Her face was beaten and bloody, just as I’d seen it in my vision. I clenched my teeth.
“Why are you doing this? What do you want?” I growled at Isadora.
“Oh, if it were only that easy,” she smiled down at me, shook her head and continued pacing between Kira and me. Her dark hair fell down her back in waves and her long black skirt dragged in the sand as she walked. I got the feeling we were waiting for something or someone, I just didn’t know what or who that was. After several minutes passed, Isadora strolled over and kneeled down in front of me. Her bright green eyes burned into mine.
“This isn’t about what I want. This is about what never should have been. And you, dear Anastasia,” she squeezed my cheeks hard with her fingers, “never should have been born.” I tried to wrench myself free of her grip, but failed miserably as her fingernails dug in to my skin. “But don’t worry; we’ll be rectifying that situation very soon.”
“You don’t know anything about me!” I yelled at her through squished cheeks. She turned my head side to side as if inspecting my face and laughed. Her breath smelled like stale coffee.
“I know everything about you. You are the one who’s clueless, child.” She pressed my head up against the tree. “What a waste. So much power hidden in that scrawny little body of yours and Mommy Dearest was never around to teach you how to use it.” She shook her head and tsked, “She thought she was being so careful, so smart by blending you in with the humans. Make no mistake, she is the reason you’re about to die. It’s her fault you are in this situation.” I didn’t want to believe what she was saying, but unfortunately it was true. If Thetis was my mother, she had given me away instead of preparing me. She had hidden me instead of teaching me about this world. How could she leave me so vulnerable? She had taken the cowardly way out. And now I was the one who would have to pay for her decisions. In the hands of Isadora, I was at a distinct disadvantage. I didn’t know if I was angrier at Isadora or Thetis. And what about my father? Where was he in all of this? Was he still alive?
“What does any of this have to do with Kira? Let her go!” I demanded through her hand. My cheeks were beginning to ache and my teeth were digging into the sides of my mouth. I tasted blood.
“Patience, patience. No need to fear for her life, she was just the bait. And what an excellent bait she turned out to be.” She turned and cast an appreciative glance at Kira, who was staring daggers at her.
“Then let her go!” I yelled. Isadora let go of my cheeks and wrapped her hand around my throat. Her frigid green eyes were suddenly blazing with hysteria, and her nails were slicing into my skin.
“Silence!” She squeezed harder and my breaths were suddenly much harder to come by. She quickly composed herself, and the emotion slid off her face. She smiled so coldly at me; frost bite started forming on my heart. “She is still extremely useful to us. You’ll see.” She winked at me and I wanted nothing more than to tear out of my bindings and rip her head off. She stood and began pacing again.
“You see, Kira has been more helpful to us than Nicolet ever was. Nicolet had so many good theories, so many good ideas. She was closer to the truth than anyone else. But unfortunately for her, she wore out her welcome and we had to get rid of her. A pity, really.” I saw Kira’s eyes widen at what I already knew. Nicolet had been murdered. But I still didn’t know why. Did Nicolet know about me somehow?
“You killed her because of me.” I decided to throw out my own bait to see what information she was willing to divulge. She shook her head at me and a grin slithered across her beautiful face.
“Oh you poor dear, don’t flatter yourself. You’re just an orphan. Your own parents dismissed you; abandoned you like a fleeting memory.” She turned and pointed at me, “You. Are. Nothing.” I could feel the tears burning my eyes at her harsh words. Unfortunately I had no way of challenging them. “Your mother on the other hand, she had everything. She was the most powerful Neried and she wasted it! All of it! Her status! Her power! She was a fool!” Part of the puzzle suddenly clicked in my mind and a savage storm began boiling inside me. I narrowed my eyes at her.
“You murdered her.” It was a statement, not a question; and by her expression I knew I’d hit the truth on the dot. Behind Isadora I could see the tears running down Kira’s bruised cheeks.
Isadora’s eyes turning frigid. “So much power and she wouldn’t use it against us. Virtue is a weakness, Anastasia. The merciless will always prevail. Your father, however, was much easier to deal with. So weak. So pathetic. You remind me of him.”
I stared back at her as a burning anger centered in my soul, simmering and hardening into bitter resolve. This woman had taken my parents from me. She deprived me of the family I had so desperately needed. Even if they had given me away, at least I could have found them…tried to reconnect with them. But now that was impossible. I had finally found my true home, but there was nothing to come back to. Most importantly, there was no one to come back to.
“You will pay for this,” the venom in my voice was palpable. Isadora laughed.
“Enough!” I could tell the booming voice had caught her by surprise, too. Panic swam in Isadora’s eyes and she swiveled around in one quick movement. Priscilla glided out of the shadows of the forest, looking ravishing in a long red dress; her collection of sapphire jewelry shining brightly.
Her piercing blue eyes and grim face were locked on Isadora. “I don’t have time for this. Get the ring.”
“Yes, Priscilla.” Isadora produced a velvet pouch from a small bag in the sand. The pouch was peculiarly
