thumping my foot against the edge of my chair. "Or are you going to blow on your tea all day long?"
Henry takes one more sip, and I nearly lose my mind.
Finally, he says, "I think you're fighting too many fronts right now and need help wherever you can find it. If the Council can alleviate some of your responsibilities, I'd use them."
I purse my lips. There's wisdom in Henry's words, but now that Beck is back by my side, I'm confident he can help me fix the problems with the Light witches and hopefully the food shortages.
But then there are the civil and foreign wars in which our Society is embroiled. Not to mention people starving in my Society, and a Splinter group determined to kill me – or at least torture me for fun.
And why are they doing it? To take over the government? Or rule over all witches? Are they trying, as Mother once told me, to turn our young Dark witches Light? Is that even possible?
What exactly is their end game?
That's not to mention Ryker, who still roams about freely. He swore to me through tears that when the time came, and I became too uncontrollable or dangerous to Beck, he'd kill me. It was an oath I made him take, and one I wish I could take back.
"Who do you think orchestrated the attacks?"
"There are so many choices," Henry responds. "We need to discover that information quickly before there are any more."
"Do you think it was Ryker?" I ask. "He's a trained assassin. He could have slipped past Dawson and the wards."
"Despite your former mate's training, I don't think he's behind this. At least not the attacks."
"He promised to kill me if I became too much of a threat."
Henry shakes his head. "It wasn't him. Even with his promise to you, I don't think he would have attacked Beck. Still, it was someone who could slip past the guards. Someone in your inner circle."
"Again, that's Ryker. He was my mate. He had every reason to be in the garden with me. Plus, Kyra, Maz, and Beck all saw him with Eamon."
"Lark, I think you're looking in completely the wrong direction here."
I clink my teaspoon around my cup and stare down at the swirling liquid. Two names keep circling my brain, two I don't want to believe. "Annalise," I say. "But she was first on the scene, and she's done nothing but prove herself to me time and again."
"That's true." Henry sets his cup down. "Despite her mourning over Oliver, she's shown no ill will toward you."
"So that leaves..."
"Kyra."
I gulp and clench my jaw, not wanting to suspect my best friend.
"Why?" I ask, even though I know the reasons. I just need to hear them said aloud by someone other than myself.
"You condemned Maz. You were increasingly erratic. You threatened her safety." My uncle ticks off my transgressions as if they were nothing. "It's possible she attacked the two of you and used Ryker to help Maz escape."
"She wouldn't. When I attacked Lena, she was horrified." I exhale loudly. "Plus, Kyra doesn't have that kind of...anger inside her. She'd never kill Dawson and turn on Beck and me."
"Sometimes, Lark, the people we suspect the least are the ones who are the most dangerous."
"Not Kyra."
"You sound like Beck now when he defends Ryker."
I cross my arms tightly and say nothing.
Henry leans forward in his chair. "You have to consider every option. Every one."
"Including you and Eloise," I sass. "Neither of you rushed to help. And you're both Light witches."
Henry squeezes his eyes shut. "I wondered when you'd get to that conclusion."
"So you admit it's possible."
"Anything is possible, but we need to start by ruling out suspects. I still believe Ryker shouldn't be on that list. He's too obvious."
I bite my lip. "What about you and Eloise?"
My uncle's shoulders tense. "Eloise was still too ill to carry out such an elaborate attack. I, however, shouldn't be trusted for all the reasons you listed."
My jaw drops open. Henry is saying not to trust him?
"I...I didn't mean..."
"Of course you did. And you should. I'm a
Henry takes one more sip, and I nearly lose my mind.
Finally, he says, "I think you're fighting too many fronts right now and need help wherever you can find it. If the Council can alleviate some of your responsibilities, I'd use them."
I purse my lips. There's wisdom in Henry's words, but now that Beck is back by my side, I'm confident he can help me fix the problems with the Light witches and hopefully the food shortages.
But then there are the civil and foreign wars in which our Society is embroiled. Not to mention people starving in my Society, and a Splinter group determined to kill me – or at least torture me for fun.
And why are they doing it? To take over the government? Or rule over all witches? Are they trying, as Mother once told me, to turn our young Dark witches Light? Is that even possible?
What exactly is their end game?
That's not to mention Ryker, who still roams about freely. He swore to me through tears that when the time came, and I became too uncontrollable or dangerous to Beck, he'd kill me. It was an oath I made him take, and one I wish I could take back.
"Who do you think orchestrated the attacks?"
"There are so many choices," Henry responds. "We need to discover that information quickly before there are any more."
"Do you think it was Ryker?" I ask. "He's a trained assassin. He could have slipped past Dawson and the wards."
"Despite your former mate's training, I don't think he's behind this. At least not the attacks."
"He promised to kill me if I became too much of a threat."
Henry shakes his head. "It wasn't him. Even with his promise to you, I don't think he would have attacked Beck. Still, it was someone who could slip past the guards. Someone in your inner circle."
"Again, that's Ryker. He was my mate. He had every reason to be in the garden with me. Plus, Kyra, Maz, and Beck all saw him with Eamon."
"Lark, I think you're looking in completely the wrong direction here."
I clink my teaspoon around my cup and stare down at the swirling liquid. Two names keep circling my brain, two I don't want to believe. "Annalise," I say. "But she was first on the scene, and she's done nothing but prove herself to me time and again."
"That's true." Henry sets his cup down. "Despite her mourning over Oliver, she's shown no ill will toward you."
"So that leaves..."
"Kyra."
I gulp and clench my jaw, not wanting to suspect my best friend.
"Why?" I ask, even though I know the reasons. I just need to hear them said aloud by someone other than myself.
"You condemned Maz. You were increasingly erratic. You threatened her safety." My uncle ticks off my transgressions as if they were nothing. "It's possible she attacked the two of you and used Ryker to help Maz escape."
"She wouldn't. When I attacked Lena, she was horrified." I exhale loudly. "Plus, Kyra doesn't have that kind of...anger inside her. She'd never kill Dawson and turn on Beck and me."
"Sometimes, Lark, the people we suspect the least are the ones who are the most dangerous."
"Not Kyra."
"You sound like Beck now when he defends Ryker."
I cross my arms tightly and say nothing.
Henry leans forward in his chair. "You have to consider every option. Every one."
"Including you and Eloise," I sass. "Neither of you rushed to help. And you're both Light witches."
Henry squeezes his eyes shut. "I wondered when you'd get to that conclusion."
"So you admit it's possible."
"Anything is possible, but we need to start by ruling out suspects. I still believe Ryker shouldn't be on that list. He's too obvious."
I bite my lip. "What about you and Eloise?"
My uncle's shoulders tense. "Eloise was still too ill to carry out such an elaborate attack. I, however, shouldn't be trusted for all the reasons you listed."
My jaw drops open. Henry is saying not to trust him?
"I...I didn't mean..."
"Of course you did. And you should. I'm a
Similar Books
Devlin's Curse
Lady Brenda
Source One
Allyson Simonian
Nanny Piggins and the Wicked Plan
R. A. Spratt
The Legend of the Phantom Highwayman
Tom McCaughren
My Enchanting Hoyden (A Once Upon A Rogue Novel, #3)
Julie Johnstone
Apex 3: Shaylo Attacks
Adam Moon
Lunar Mates 1: Under Cover of the Moon
Under the Cover of the Moon (Cobblestone)
Another Kind of Hurricane
Tamara Ellis Smith
Reality Bites
Nicola Rhodes
My Life as a Doormat (in Three Acts)
Rene Gutteridge