Steadfast

27

ELIZABETH STRETCHED WIDE HER ARMS AND SURRENDERED to the storm. Instead of controlling it, she let the winds and wildness own her. Her power became part of the storm as the storm became a part of her. The waters circled as though caught in a whirlpool, until suddenly they went still—more motionless than the ocean would ever be.

To her it was as though everything uncertain had just been made solid. As if a bone out of joint had popped into place, or a fire had been lit in a cold room. Whatever it was, this sudden sense of order imposed on the chaotic mortal world, Elizabeth knew what it meant: The bridge was built. The One Beneath would come. Nadia’s capitulation had completed the great work, at least for now.

As an afterthought, she let Mateo go; he sagged to his knees. His Steadfast powers had made Nadia stronger, just at the moment when that strength could be used to tie her to the One Beneath irrevocably. Perhaps there was something to be said for young love. Without Mateo, Nadia could never have been so unbreakably damned.

“It is done,” she said, and Nadia hung her head, unwilling to look Elizabeth in the face. “We now have but to break the final seal. That is the hardest of all—but not hard, not truly. Not when His power mingles with our own.”

Still Nadia would not lift her eyes. It was only natural that she would find this a defeat instead of a victory, new to service as she was. Given time, Nadia Caldani would embrace her new role and even glory in it.

Perhaps the girl also suffered from wounded pride. She had, of course, been beaten; no doubt the fact of it shamed her. But servants of the One Beneath learned to do without such luxuries as pride. To humble oneself, to give oneself over to his unhallowed love completely—that was the only joy remaining, after a while.

“The people in the hospital,” Nadia said, voice ragged. “They’re okay?”

What did they matter any longer? Elizabeth shrugged. “I would assume. I do very little for spite. Cruelty should serve a purpose, and it serves many purposes very well. You’ll see.”

Nadia shivered, and for a few moments neither of them spoke.

By now the storm was smoothing into soft rain, which would soon turn into snow. Elizabeth held out her hand. “Return with me to the shore, and our lessons can begin.”

“But—” Nadia looked back at Mateo, who was staring at her as though he had never seen her before.

Such distractions ill-suited a Sorceress, but this lesson was one better taught by experience. Elizabeth smiled thinly. “As you will. Say farewell to your former love. See your friends and your family. But tomorrow night, you present yourself to me, and your instruction can resume.”

“All right.” Then Nadia blinked and said, more formally, “I have sworn.”

Elizabeth flung her arms out, hands reaching downward, fingers splayed. Once again, the water swirled up to cocoon her and carry her across the waves. As it shatter-splashed onto the beach, Elizabeth smiled. The new powers she had gained would be interesting to explore.

Now the One Beneath was close. Now He could give her strength. Now He could reward his servants—

—including Nadia.

How badly He had wanted Nadia to join them. How eager He had been for the child of two witching bloodlines to take up magic in his service. Already He valued Nadia.

Soon He would treasure her beyond any of His other possessions.

Even though Elizabeth was the one who had served Him for centuries, the one who would make his final triumph possible . . .

A thought flickered in her mind: It is unfair.

Elizabeth banished that thought immediately. It was not given to her to question the One Beneath. She was to love and serve Him with no thought of reward.

And yet the hot ember of new jealousy burned down deep within her heart.

Mateo felt numb. He pushed himself to his feet to walk toward Nadia.

She stood before him, trembling. “I had to do it,” she said, and her voice broke. “I know you don’t understand. I know you can’t forgive me for it. But it was the only way, Mateo. Please believe me.”

Very slowly he said, “Of course I believe you.”

Nadia sobbed once, but she shook her head, like it couldn’t be true.

Mateo grabbed her into his embrace. “Don’t you think I know you’d never do that unless—that you just gave yourself up for all of us? Nadia. Oh, Jesus, Nadia. I know you. I love you. You did what you had to do.” He kissed her hair, clutched her close, and let her cry her heartbreak into his chest, so that the sound was lost in the rolling of the sea.

Verlaine sat in the hospital room, her head on the same pillow as Uncle Gary. She’d already cried all of her tears for Asa. If the worst happened now, she didn’t think she could cry anymore. Maybe she couldn’t feel anything anymore. All the emotion that had been drained out of everybody else when they looked at her—she was starting to think it had been drained from her, too. By the end of this there wouldn’t be anything left of her but resignation.

She wondered where Asa was now, whether she’d ever find out what had become of him. Could she even ask Nadia? Nobody else cared about demons.

That’s the one thing we had in common, she realized.

If only she could have given him something in return . . .

Uncle Gary’s monitors started making different sounds. It was all just so much beeping and blinking to Verlaine, but she knew same from different, and this was definitely new. She jerked upright, terrified that at any moment he would flatline.

Instead she saw Uncle Gary open his eyes.

“Hey,” she whispered, squeezing his hand tightly. “Can you hear me?”

He nodded, then made a face. “Are there tubes in my nose? Oh, gross.”

“Lie still.” Doctors—they needed doctors! “Hang on, okay? I’ll be right back, I swear.”

In the next bed over, Mrs. Purdhy turned her head as she, too, began to awaken; Riley Bender started to stretch. They were okay, too. Everyone was waking up—everyone at once: Nadia must have won.

Verlaine had thought she’d never be able to feel anything again, but she’d been so wrong. Her heart still had room for joy.

By the time Nadia and Mateo returned to shore, Mateo had told her about what Gage had done. But she shook her head when he claimed he’d broken the spell. “Not possible,” she said. “You don’t possess magic.”

“Men being Steadfasts isn’t supposed to be possible, either,” Mateo pointed out. His arm supported her as they walked along the beach. Her entire body shook with exhaustion, and with the enormity of what she’d done. If Mateo hadn’t stood by her, she wasn’t sure she could have borne it.

When they went into Mateo’s home, Gage was gone—but Verlaine and Faye were sitting in the living room, munching on a large plate of toast Gage had apparently left behind. Verlaine was listening to Faye raptly as they sat by the fire.

“A thrall?” Verlaine said through a mouthful of toast. “What’s that?”

“A servant to a Sorceress,” Faye said.

Verlaine went very still. “You mean, like a demon?”

“No,” Faye explained. “Demons are supernatural beings, with motives and powers of their own. Thralls are humans who fall under a Sorceress’s control. Usually it begins with love—the thrall falling for the Sorceress, then going to bed with her. Once they’re bound by sex, then the Sorceress can take over his will as absolutely and often as she wants.” Then Faye saw them and smiled. “You made it.”

“Yeah.” Mateo’s eyes met Nadia’s, but only for a second. He tried to make a joke. “So, Gage finally got with the girl of his dreams without realizing she was the girl of his nightmares.”

“Before we bury the lede here—Nadia, you did it!” Verlaine flung her arms around them both. “Oh, Nadia, you did it! Uncle Gary’s just fine.”

“Momma’s spell worked?” Faye grinned at the group of them; Nadia suspected she would have liked to join in. “I’m so glad.”

“The spell worked.” Nadia’s words were muffled until she pulled back from Verlaine. “But it didn’t stop Elizabeth.”

And as she told them the rest—the price she’d had to pay—she could only watch as Faye’s and Verlaine’s faces fell. Even Mateo winced as he heard Nadia finish: “As of my oath, I’m the same as Elizabeth. I’m a Sorceress.”

Verlaine found her voice first. “Does this mean you’re here to kill us?”

“No! God, no. Never. I would never do that.” Nadia ran one hand through her damp hair, trying not to give in to tears. “But I took a binding oath. From now on, I’m tied to Elizabeth. I just hope I can use the connection. Turn it to our advantage.”

“You’re a fool.” Faye’s words hit Nadia like a slap. “You think you can use darkness? Trust me, it always winds up using you.”

“I didn’t have any other choice,” Nadia said. “Everyone would have died.”

“Then you should have let them die.” Faye grabbed her satchel and walked up to them, clearly heading for the door. She said, “My mother’s Book of Shadows is still at La Catrina. I’m taking it back. Don’t try to stop me. I may not be a witch, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Test me and you’ll find out.”

Nadia protested, “We’re not enemies.”

Faye shook her head. “If you’re sworn to the One Beneath? We most certainly are.” With that she stalked outside.

Verlaine twisted the length of her silvery hair, a gesture that by now Nadia knew meant she was nervous. “We’re not enemies,” she said, “but I have to admit I’m kind of freaked out at the moment.”

“Me too,” Nadia confessed.

“I’m gonna—I need to collapse for about two days straight right now,” Verlaine said. “And I’ll think about the rest later.”

Nadia nodded. “Okay.”

“So I’ll see you at school. I guess we’ll have school again, now that everybody’s gotten better.” Verlaine went for the door, then paused. “Do you still get to go to school, and live at home, and do, uh, normal human stuff?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Nadia nodded. “At least, as far as I know.”

“Then I’ll see you at school,” Verlaine repeated more steadily, and then she went out and left them alone.

They stayed together as long as they could that night, until Mr. Perez texted that he was on his way home. Nadia hated to leave Mateo—hated the thought of being separated from him for even a moment. She needed the people she loved more than ever now. They were her best defense against the darkness. Maybe her only defense. Whatever hope she had of ultimately defeating Elizabeth lay with them.

She remembered her mother’s voice in her head: Love is the only thing that makes life worth living.

And yet a price had to be paid.

Mateo walked with her out on the beach. Already the sky was almost clear; many of the stars shone through the scanty clouds. Neither of them spoke for a long time, until Mateo finally said, “We have to break the Steadfast bond, don’t we?”

He’d glimpsed part of this, at least, but it didn’t make what Nadia had to say any easier. “No. We can’t. It’s like I told you—at this point, for us to break that bond, I would have to sever my connection to magic, completely and forever.”

“I thought maybe—maybe you felt like you had to do that.”

She wrapped her hand around his. “I don’t have the right to do that anymore. I’m sworn to the One Beneath. If I even tried it, I’d die.”

It might come to that, in the end. But Nadia knew better than to say so to Mateo. That knowledge was too terrible to burden him with, at least until there was no other choice.

“But I make you stronger,” Mateo said. “Just by being near you. And now, if you have to do things for the One Beneath, I’ll be making him stronger.”

She nodded. “Just by being near me.”

He understood then. His steps faltered, but he didn’t let go of her hand. The pain she saw in Mateo’s eyes cut her to the quick—but worse by far was the compassion she saw there. The total commitment. Mateo knew why she had to do this, and he was strong enough not to hate her for it.

Nadia only hoped she was strong enough not to hate herself.

“If we’re together, you’ll make me too strong,” she said. “You’ll make me too useful to the One Beneath. I always draw power from you—you always make me stronger, always. But we have to minimize that as much as we can. That means staying apart as much as possible. Besides—” By now her voice shook, and her throat ached with unshed tears. “From now on, every moment is dangerous. Every step I take could go wrong. I need to know you’re safe, Mateo. Otherwise I don’t think I can do this. I can only do it without you.”

She could see the anguish in his eyes, but when he spoke, none of the pain came through. Only the love. “You’re going to come back to me, Nadia. You will. You’re going to take them down from the inside, Elizabeth and the One Beneath. And then you’re coming back to me.” Mateo pulled her into his arms. “Promise me.”

How could she promise what might not be possible? But that was exactly why she had to promise, Nadia realized. She had to promise it before she could believe it, and if she couldn’t believe it, she couldn’t make it real. “I promise, Mateo. I promise.”

They kissed each other, a kiss almost terrible in its desperation. Nadia closed her eyes tightly and tried to believe this kiss wasn’t their last.