Celeste laughed. “I’d like to see you try. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
“No, I don’t,” he replied. “Why are you here? What does she have on you?”
Celeste’s face hardened. “None of your business.”
“Fine. Don’t tell me. How about you tell me why you made me choke Holly?” he demanded.
“I didn’t want to,” Celeste whispered. “I know you won’t believe me. Phaedra was furious. She relies on my powers at every stage right now. She made me.”
“Is she truly the Maiden?” Keller asked. “Is Holly just a piece of some gigantic misunderstanding?”
“I don’t know,” Celeste replied. “I’m not a shifter. I don’t know what the Maiden is supposed to look like or act like.”
“She must have something huge on you.” Keller shook his head. “What about the spells? Did you do that too?”
“No,” Celeste said. “That actually was Phaedra. I don’t know how she’s doing it. She might have someone else working for her. She might be using all of her power to maintain it. I simply don’t know.”
“What I know is that we have to get out of here. Where’s the door?”
“No!” Celeste gripped his arm. “I’m not leaving.”
“Then, I’m leaving. If you don’t want to save yourself, fine.”
“If you leave, I’ll bring you back. You know I can do it.”
“Dammit.” Keller threw his fist against the icy wall, breaking the skin. Bright red droplets of blood splattered on the cool, blue ice.
“Don’t damage yourself,” Celeste warned. “I don’t know what Phaedra is going to do to you.”
“She called me lieutenant. Does she have an army?”
“Not that I’ve seen,” Celeste replied. “I’m not allowed to go in most parts of the fortress. I couldn’t tell you how to get out or even how big it is, even if I wanted to.”
“See? You don’t even want to help me,” Keller snapped.
“No, I don’t. No matter how much it costs me to do such horrible things for her, I won’t stop. To defy her would cost me everything. I will not risk it.”
“If you tell me, I might be able to help,” Keller said.
“Like I said, I will not risk it.” Celeste stopped in front of a plain ice door. “This is your room. Go inside. Do not come out unless I retrieve you.”
“But—”
“I will arrange for food to be brought. Sleep while you can.” Celeste turned to leave but stopped. “One more thing, never ever discuss anything personal with me. You will regret it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE—TREVOR
He burst into his room at the inn and made a mad dash for the desk. He tore through the drawers, flinging them onto the floor until he found the letter from Holly’s grandmother.
Once he had it, he sat down on the bed.
He’d only read it once, months ago. At first, he thought Pearl had sent it to him by mistake. He always assumed it was meant for the other firstborns, one of the ones Pearl had known.
Then, Holly told Lucien about Pearl’s gift of foresight.
Trevor hadn’t thought anything of it at first; then he remembered the letter.
He opened the envelope and pulled out the paper that somehow still smelled like perfume. Holly’s hair smelt faintly of the same perfume when he had first met her.
To Trevor Charmaine,
You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. I’d understand if you were to throw this letter away, but I’m hoping that the mystery of receiving a letter from a stranger is enough to stop you from doing so.
I have a granddaughter a few years younger than you.
Yes, you’re receiving a letter from an elderly woman. Not so mysterious, eh?
Anyway, I am writing to you because I want to help you. I’m sure you think you don’t need help. Most young men don’t ever think they need help. Let me tell you right now, you need help. Maybe not right now. Maybe not tomorrow. But you will.
My granddaughter, Holly, will be the one to help you. No, I’m not trying to fix you up with my granddaughter. Though, if that were to happen, I don’t think it would be a bad thing.
She is what you need. You are what she needs. I wish I could tell you more than that, but everything is getting so fuzzy for me lately.
She’s a powerful young woman, but she doesn’t realize it yet. She won’t be the only one with power.
On the off chance you haven’t tossed this right into the trash, I’m going to tell you everything I can.
There’s another power out there. It’s like hers, but it’s dark and twisted. You will both have to face it. You have to find each other somehow. I’m not sure how to make that happen. An old woman can only do so much with her gifts.
I have sent her letters as well, but you aren’t mentioned in any of them.
Yes, I know that sounds counterintuitive. Trust me when I say that if I was meant to tell her about you, I would have.
I’m not crazy, despite what this letter makes you think.
You and Holly will do great things together. Continue with your plans, even when it gets hard. Do what you’re good at. You know what that is.
Even though we haven’t met, you have my love.
Pearl Smart.
Trevor folded the letter as an unexpected sadness filled his heart. He wished he could’ve known Pearl. She clearly was an incredible woman.
He pushed his sadness aside to focus on the aspect of the letter that hadn’t made sense to him until now.
Someone somewhere had power like Holly, whoever that was had to be the person behind all of this.
Only one person in recorded history ever had power
