Page 79 of The Lies We Conjure
“We—”
Hector is the first person to get out a full answer, cutting and accusatory in the air. “Are you saying one of us is the culprit? Because we’re not.”
Lavinia shakes her head. “We can’t blame this on Nona Marsyas. What if someone else is inside? On the grounds?”
“We checked for others after the driver was found,” I answer, gesturing to my cousins. “There’s no one else but the people in this room.”
Still, Hector scoffs, teeth flashing in an imperious smile. “Are you suggesting someone in this room is the culprit? Check your ma—”
“Theculprit? Thekiller. Themurdererof my grandmother!” Infinity pounds both fists on the wall behind them so forcefully sparks of brilliantly white Celestial magic flare into the air before retreating, falling away like snowflakes hitting wet pavement. “I… I don’t want any of you in here right now. I want you to leave.”
Infinity has never been a loud person. Ever. But in their eyes is a wild emotion I recognize—the same one I tamped down deep last night. The one my cousins locked away too. The one we’re not supposed to show.
Rage.
The one the Blackgates chose to bury with their girls’ memories of the reason for it. The one Infinity is brave enough to reveal in the face of immediate, terrible pain.
Reflected back, my own rage rouses and unfurls. I’m angry for them. For us. I want this over. I want to move past, even though I know it won’t hurt less. The victory of minutes ago seems hollownow. But it’s a way forward, as weak in the face of this new horror as everything else.
“We’ll leave, but first, I have something for you.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the vial. “We found the Celestial relic.”
In the firelight, the vial glows crimson and bold, like noon through vermilion stained glass.
Infinity draws in a sharp breath, their eyes growing big. “It—you did?”
Their fingers stretch to accept it, but Hector is suddenly in motion and between us. “It’s blood—that can’t be the Celestial master.”
I draw it away so that he can’t snatch it. “It’s the Blood ofNostradamus. He’s a noted Celestial witch.”
Infinity is nodding, but Hector is not assuaged, digging deeper, despite how petty it may seem as we stand here in the echo of Infinity’s loss. The patriarch has the audacity to smile, as if that will suffice in muting his single-mindedness.
“The first master relic was literally breath—the elements of air and life wound into one—and this is blood. The first relic was harvested from a Death witch, and this from a Celestial witch.” He waves a hand in the general direction of the sisters. “Therefore, we have immediate precedent that the Celestial witches should cede to the Blood witches—”
“Are you kidding me?” Winter challenges, stepping in to block Infinity from view. “You want to fight Infinity for this vial right now? In this moment? With what they’ve just lost? Just so you can hold something that’s not even yours? Fuck no.”
“Perhaps—”
“Papa—” Hex jumps in, but Hector shakes him off, barely pausing to swallow before he appeals to the person he suddenly sees as his closest equal and someone who might agree: Evander.
“Perhapswe should check the next clue. It could point to—”
“I don’t fucking care about the next clue!” Infinity explodes, pushing off the wall and toward Hector. Winter steps into them, hooking an arm around their middle. They don’t go around orshake it off, but yell at him from over the frame of Winter’s shoulder. “I don’t care about any of it! I care about my grandmother.” They thrust out their hand, past Winter, toward me. “Auden, give me the vial.”
I don’t hesitate. They snatch it away. “Nowleave.All of you!”
I turn to exit but Hector blocks the door. Gone is the sycophant, the team player, the noble patriarch. In his place is something disgusting, greedy, repugnant.
“No, we’ll read that clue right now.” Hector crosses his arms over his chest and stands as still as a tracksuited statue. “If it points to the Celestial Line, I want my chance to hold that vial ofblood. The Cerise Clan has worked for years to atone for the crimes of Napoleon Cerise, and we have earned the right and the credit to hold our master relic.”
“Jesus Christ—” Evander moans, cut off by Winter whirling around, eyes blazing.
“Fuck you, asshole!”
Hector doesn’t blink. “It’s our right just as much as it’s theirs.”
“Holy shit,” Hex breathes, and for once in his goddamn life the boy looks completely embarrassed. Next to him, Ada is so horrified she’s nearly purple. She’s stopped tugging at her father’s arm. Sanguine, of course, stands next to Hector, with him, a front.
“Unbelievable,” Infinity bites out, shoulders quaking as they hang their head. Then, “Auden, do it. Read it.”
