Page 40 of The Lies We Conjure
I smirk at her. “That money went into clean energy decades ago.”
“And the Starwoods?” Evander asks, forcing things per usual. “They didn’t seem interested in power, only getting out of here and moving on with their lives.”
“Isn’t that motivation enough?” I ask. It should be.
Evander just shrugs at me. Winter sighs. I lay it out for them the way I see it. A way that won’t jump the gun but will be efficient.
“Look, I think we join the game and watch how it’s played.” Evander’s nostrils flare at the word “game” but I continue. It’s the word Ursula used all those months ago and it’s the word I’m going to use now. “That’s our investigation—observation only, which isn’t against the rules. We need to look at the murder probe and the masters hunt through the same lens—two sides of the same coin. If someone killed Ursula specifically to get their hands on the masters, they’ll reveal themselves as the masters are being found by how they react.”
Evander grimaces, ready to argue. I drill him with an unblinking stare.
“And before you shoot down this idea, let me tell you that it’ll simply look like you made your priority the game.”
“It’snota game. Stop calling it that. And reclaiming our family title as High Sorcerer is my priority. I just don’t want us to lose sight of punishing Ursula’s murderer.”
“Evander, it’s something to be won. Call it what you want—hunt, quest, competition—I’m calling it a game.”
Winter draws in a thin breath and nods in a way that makes me think she’s on my side about this stupid terminology but then wisely goes on.
“And no one is losing sight of the fact that we have twin aims here. You were in that meeting just now, Evander, the same as Auden and me. The determination was to focus on the master relics. That’s what we’ll dowhilekeeping an eye open for clues as to who was the killer, Marsyas or otherwise. Then, we watch, we ask questions, we keep tugging at threads. And if we get to the end and determine it is Marsyas who did it, then we focus all our energy on using those relics to break the lockdown, and then punish her for what she’s done.” Winter turns to our older cousin. “Which was your idea, I may remind you.”
It was. Evander swallows his grimace. “Fine.”
Our logic has hit the mark. But I push further.
“And just so we’re on the same page, don’t make it seem like you’re interrogating someone,” I add. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you don’t have to havealreadymurdered someone tobecomea murderer. This situation is stressful enough, and keeping our emotions under wraps will go a long way to ensuring we don’t have anyone else do something rash.”
To my surprise, Evander bursts into a low laugh.
When we gape at him, he stabs a finger on the leather blotter, full mouth twisted and incredulous. “Auden, you don’t want to cause discord between the lines. This is you trying to keep me from a confrontation.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“That’s exactly what you’re doing—”
“Because he doesn’t want to see you hurt.” Winter glares at our oldest cousin. “Idon’t want to see you hurt. Those relics are valuable and we don’t know what everyone is thinking when they’re not sucking up to us. You may be a bad murder suspect, but you’re a good target. If someone is motivated to control the lines, you’re in the way, Evander. And hurting you—hell, killing you—is a way to get you out of the way.”
All mirth falls from Evander’s face as he looks at her.
“Ursula’s rules won’t allow that.”
“Her magic isn’t a shield, Evander. It’s a deterrent.” I wish I could knock the reality of it straight through his skull. “If anyone kills you, it’ll be worth a day locked in Ursula’s magic because with you out of the picture, they’ll win. They’ll win the title, have enough power to avoid punishment, and be in charge while you’ll be in a grave next to Ursula.”
Evander’s gaze snaps to my face. His mossy-green eyes are rimmed with red this close, from sadness or anger or exhaustion. It’s impossible to tell. Maybe all those emotions, pressing against his skin, hoping for release but not getting it from the one of us who’s too stubborn and determined to allow it.
“Fine. Fine. Understood. Noted. I’ll be careful with my phrasing and attitude tomorrow. Happy?” We nod. He smooths his hands over the desk blotter. “But I can’t just sit here and do nothing tonight. We have to do something. We have to know what Ursula was thinking.”
I fish out the chain at my throat. “All three of us have keys. Maybe we need to spend time seeing how many drawers and cabinets we can open. We go through the contents, and if there’s anything that won’t open for us, we open it by other means.”
Winter is incredulous. “You seriously want to do this right now?”
I point at the grandfather clock on the mantel above the fireplace. “It’s just past eleven on Saturday night. We have until 11:59P.M.Monday night to figure this out. We won’t know unless we haven’t completed the tasks and then it’s too late.” I yank the chain from my throat and stand up. “We’re the only ones who can do this search. And I’m with Evander, I need to do something tonight.”
CHAPTER14
RUBY
Wren and I make it from our room, down the hallway lined with dark window wells overlooking the inky black courtyard and back to the foyer, which is still lit up, a guidepost in the night. While Wren stands there gawking at the mural, I wrack my exhausted brain for something close to an educated guess about the location of a library. It isn’t like there are placards in a place as sprawling as Hegemony Manor, announcing the names of rooms and, if you asked Wren, their appointed ghosts.
