Page 60 of Crown of Death
“I’ll just be at the top of the stairs,” Rafael says, tucking the keys into his pocket. “Not that you can, but don’t try anything.” He turns and walks back up the stairs, leaving Eli and Ialone.
Hesitantly, I take a stepforward.
“Why are you here, Logan?” Eli asks. His voice is concerned,confused.
“Cyrus…the…the King,” I say. My thoughts are a swirling, racing, confused mess. “He wanted me to understand. To show me what all of this…what it reallymeans.”
He shakes his head, letting it drop. “I’m so sorry, Logan. This shouldn’t have happened. It should have been so much further down the road. I failed you, and I’msorry.”
I finish crossing to the cell, grabbing one of the bars. “What…what does that mean? Eli…Cyrus has said these things, and now, I don’t think I really even know who youare.”
Eli looks up, and there’s pain and regret written all over hisface.
“I was sent to Colorado sixteen years ago,” he says. He hesitates, and I can see him debating this, telling me the truth. But he swallows once and then says, “By yourmother.”
My brows furrow and my hands are icecold.
“She wanted to protect you,” he says. Something softens in his voice when he speaks about my mother. “She knew that one day Cyrus would go looking for you, would find you, but she sent me, so that I could delay that day for as long as possible. And I failed. I am so, so sorry,Logan.”
“Why?” I whisper. “Why would she think Cyrus would come looking for me? Cyrus is crazy and scary, but why would she be so worried about him findingme?”
Rath, because I realize now, that’s who he’s always really been—this entire time—shakes his head and lets it fall once more. “It doesn’t…it doesn’t even matter now. You’ll die, and everything you were will probably be gone and your mother and I will just have to acceptit.”
My chest hurts. And I’m angry. I feelbetrayed.
“None of that makes any sense,” I say through clenched teeth. “Everyone just keeps speaking in riddles, being vague and so damn mysterious.” I smack the bar in my frustration, but all it does is hurt my hand. I turn away so he won’t see the angry tears rushing into myeyes.
“I want to protect you from this life for as long as I can,” he says, resolved. Even he hardly believes his words. “To keep that weight from your shoulders until the last possiblemoment.”
I shake my head, as one of the tears breaks free. I wipe at itangrily.
“I’ve thought of you as family for years, now,” I say. “You were always there. Always had my back. Were always so caring.” My voice grows hoarse. “But it was all a lie. Family doesn’t keep secrets. Especially not of thisscale.”
His mouth opens and closes, but still, he won’t tell me thetruth.
“You know,” I hiss. “You know exactly what is going on. But you keep your mouth shut. You keep Cyrus’ secrets. You keep Alivia’s secrets. You just let me run around with the King, looking like a completefool.”
I turn and head toward thosestairs.
“Cyrus will kill me,” I say, pausing. “He’s incredibly anxious to do so. So, you’ll be released, I promise. But I can tell you this.” I hesitate, because the words are going to break me. “I won’t bother you anymore once you’re out. I realize now that sometimes you can’t even trust those closest to you. You can’t trust someone you don’t evenknow.”
I turn, and I walk back up thosestairs.
Chapter 14
No one bothersme for the rest of the night, other than a worker who knocks, leaving a dinnertray.
I take a few nibbles, but my stomach is in too many knots toeat.
So, I take a shower, washing the blood sprays from my skin and hair. I crawl into bed, too tired to even dress, and fall fastasleep.
* * *
Ababy cries.
Over andover.
Howling, rushing wind blows all around, unrelenting with its strength. It’s cold. So bitterly, deathlycold.