Eternal

keep?

“Anyway”—she waved one hand—“there’s much, much more, but I won’t bore you with the details. The most important thing is that the Dauphin’s power usurps all others, even that of the Eldest. He will take control of the Tribunal, and all will bow to him. He can bring peace, you see. Safety to the human race. With the Sabbat and the Krsnik under his control, he can ensure that those who refuse to follow the law will be summarily destroyed.”

“And you think Aidan is the Dauphin,” I said, stating the obvious.

She nodded. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he is. It would appear that Blackwell figured it out before I did. He was a clever one, that Augustus Blackwell—clever and ambitious. I should have known that, with his vast knowledge of legend and lore, he might eventually stumble upon something, a hint of some sort.

“But it was Goran Petrovic who ultimately betrayed us all, giving Blackwell the specific information he needed about the prophecy, information that no one save the Tribunal was privy to. The Propagators made him promises he couldn’t refuse—he would eventually rule all, they bargained, both vampire and subjugated mortal alike. All he had to do was destroy the Dauphin. Or have you destroy him, Miss McKenna, since a vampire cannot.”

I looked over at Aidan, waiting for him to speak, to say something about that awful day last spring. But he didn’t—he just sat there, as silent and still as a statue. “Bu-but Blackwell sent Jenna in to save us,” I stammered, completely unnerved by Aidan’s haggard, haunted expression.

Mrs. Girard shrugged. “That I cannot explain. A last-minute change of heart, perhaps? I suppose we’ll never know.”

I digested that in silence.

“So, you must see my dilemma. We need a leader. We need someone to restore the peace, to end the war and ensure the safety of both mortals and vampires alike. I couldn’t very well have Aidan cure himself, no matter how sympathetic I might be to that cause. I didn’t mean for the tampered serum to affect him the way it did— those attacks were an entirely unexpected consequence. But once they were discovered . . . well, I couldn’t tip my hand and show him preferential treatment. He had to be punished. The outbreak of war and ensuing chaos provided the necessary opportunity to release him, and so here we are.”

My heart was thudding in my chest now, anger racing through my veins. I still couldn’t believe she’d done that to Aidan—turned him into a killer. I struggled to rein it in, to keep my voice calm and controlled. “So . . . why do you need my help?”

“Simply to help me persuade Aidan to do what he was created to do—to assume the role of the Dauphin and take his rightful place by my side on the newly formed Tribunal.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “And if I don’t?”

Her smile turned my blood to ice. “Well, then I suppose I’ll just have to make you destroy him, won’t I?”

13 ~ Dead Man Walking

Instinctively, I reached for my stake. I stopped myself just short of pulling it from its sheath.

“I assure you there’s no need for that, Miss McKenna,” Mrs. Girard said quickly, rising from her seat, both palms pressed against the desk. “We’re all friends here, on the side of right.”

Straightening, I glanced over at Luc, expecting him to look as if he were ready to pounce. Instead, his attention was focused on Aidan. For a moment, I studied Luc closely, prodding the invisible barrier that protected his mind. Immediately, I felt the wall crumble, the thoughts tumbling out.

He must agree. We need him too badly—he’s our only hope.

Other thoughts, mostly jumbled, took over my consciousness. I barely had time to make heads or tails of them, but the message was clear. I could sense Luc’s desperation, his panic. I had to press my fingers against my temples to break the connection, hoping that I looked as if I were massaging away a headache or something.

“I think you two need some time alone.” Mrs. Girard walked briskly around her desk, stopping at Aidan’s side. She laid a hand on his shoulder, her touch surprisingly gentle. “Is there somewhere you can go, mon chou? Somewhere you can talk without fear of interruption?”

He nodded, a muscle in his jaw flexing.

“But . . . but what about sixth period?” I stammered nonsensically.

Mrs. Girard returned to her desk and reached for the phone. “Fencing, correct?” When I nodded, she continued on. “I’ll call Coach Gibson and let him know that you’re excused. Luc, can you escort them?”

“Of course, madam,” he answered. His voice was deep, heavily accented.

He strode over to Aidan and looped an arm under his right shoulder, offering himself as a crutch as Aidan struggled awkwardly to his feet. If not for Luc, I’m pretty sure Aidan would have collapsed to the floor.

Oh my God. My stomach plummeted. Whatever they’d done to him, it’d been bad. Really, really bad.

I hurried to Aidan’s side, wrapping an arm around his waist. Together we moved toward the door, Luc and me supporting Aidan as he shuffled toward it.

“Where are we going?” Luc asked, and I looked to Aidan for the answer, realizing I had no idea.

My room, he answered inside my head.

“I’ll show you,” I said to Luc.

As soon as we stepped out into the hallway, Matthew’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with surprise. “What the hell?” he whispered harshly as we passed. “Is he okay?”

“I have no idea,” I answered without turning around. There was no way I could stop and explain what was going on, not with Mrs. Girard there on the other side of the door. He would just have to trust that I was safe, that I could take care of myself for the time being.

We set off at a lumbering pace. Luckily, it was still sixth period, so the halls were empty. I was moving on autopilot, trying to wrap my brain around everything I’d just learned—and wondering what exactly I was up against in convincing Aidan to go along with Mrs. Girard’s plan.

“This way,” I said, tipping my head toward the stairwell on our right. “Down the stairs and to the right.”

In Aidan’s absence, I had memorized the route to his underground room. It had taken me several tries to find it without him. But still, I found some comfort in retracing my steps there and back. Now I felt only fear.

As if sensing it, Luc turned toward me, meeting my gaze over Aidan’s bowed head. “She’s not likely to force you to destroy him,” he said. “A bluff, I think. Despite what she says, I don’t think she could bear it. She’ll simply lock him back in the dungeon, hoping that he’ll eventually change his mind.”

I just nodded, swallowing hard. I hoped he was right, though it didn’t matter, not really. As far as I was concerned, neither was acceptable.

We walked on in silence. Another flight of stairs and two turns later, we finally reached the nondescript door, locked tight.

“Can you . . . ?” I tilted my head toward the door.

“Of course,” Luc said. There was an audible click, and the door swung open.

Moving in tandem, we led Aidan to the daybed against the wall and helped him to sit on the edge of the mattress.

“I’ll be just outside,” Luc said, hooking a thumb toward the hallway. “Take all the time you need.”

And then he was gone. Even though I knew it was pointless, I turned the lock anyway.

“Violet,” Aidan whispered, his voice a gravelly rasp. It was the first word he’d spoken aloud, I realized with a start.

“Oh my God, Aidan.” I rushed back to his side and knelt on the ground before him. “What did they do to you?” I gathered his cold hands in mine as I peered up at him, trying not to wince at the sight of his red-rimmed eyes, his hollow, gaunt cheeks. “Have they . . . did you feed before you came here?”

He nodded, bowing his head and pressing his lips against my knuckles. “This isn’t real—it can’t be. It’s an illusion, like all the others.”

I slipped one hand from his grasp and reached up to run it through his hair. “It’s real, Aidan. I’m here. See?