And so, after dinner, when everyone drifted into the parlor for drinks and conversation, Capri hovered near the Dryads, waiting and watching for a good moment to approach Roarke and the others. She’d decided that Roarke would be the most forthcoming with information, and since he was generally very talkative he might divulge even more than what she was asking for. Figuring that more information was always better than less information, she made her move towards Roarke.
She excused herself from her father and friends, who all looked on after her with concerned faces, and she walked straight towards Roarke, trying to control her trembling legs.
The Furies were seated on their usual sofa and armchairs near the windows, and Roarke appeared to be discussing something with Balgaire on the sofa while Brogan sat by silently in one of the two neighboring armchairs. Rian was standing in front of the windows, staring out into the darkness with his hands clasped behind his back. She could see his faint reflection in the glass as she approached, and she could tell that he was watching her.
“Excuse me.” Capri said softly with a shy smile as she looked down at Roarke. He looked up at her from the sofa and beamed, his blue eyes twinkling.
“Well, hello there, girl.” He greeted gruffly, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He winked at her with a toothy grin. “Come to ask me for some shooting lessons?”
Capri blushed. “No, sir, actually I was just hoping I could ask you a question…regarding my mother?”
Roarke’s smile faltered just slightly as he watched her, his eyes softening with pity. Capri knew then that she had made the right decision in going straight to Roarke with her questions, as both Balgaire and Brogan seemed incredibly uncomfortable and were sitting in silence.
Rian turned around and leaned against the window, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes sharp and focused.
“What is it you’d like to know?” Roarke asked, gesturing for her to sit in the armchair across from him. She took a seat and folded her hands in her lap, hoping she didn’t look as awkward as she felt.
“Well, I’m sure you’ve heard that I went to the Muses to try and remember more about the night I was taken, and that I still didn’t really get a good glimpse of the demon responsible for my mother’s death. I guess I was just hoping that maybe you could tell me what you knew, and, if it’s alright with you, I’m going to try and figure out who he is.”
Roarke looked extraordinarily surprised. “I can tell you everything we know, but I doubt you’ll be able to do anything more than what we’ve already done. The only person out there who knows the identity of that demon is long gone by now, withering away amongst humans. And if we couldn’t get the name out of him, I doubt you’d be able to.”
“I understand.” Capri replied, biting her lip softly as she considered. “But it wouldn’t hurt if you could at least tell me what you remember? I’m sorry if I’m being too bold, but my entire life was changed because of that one night, and I’d like to know as much about it as possible.”
Roarke watched her carefully, measuring her much like how his son was doing behind him, and for a moment Capri began to doubt whether he would tell her anything at all. But when he began to speak, his voice was kind.
“You were such a tiny little thing back then.” He said softly, rubbing his bearded chin in thought. “We were all so protective of you kids.” He glanced over at his own son, who was still leaning against the window silently, and his face seemed to tighten when he turned back to Capri. “As you’ll already know, your mother was walking with you in the courtyard when the demons came in. Brock was supposedly working late in the dungeon when in reality he had left to bring the demons to Euphora and let them through the front gate, which was when your mother spotted them. At the same time, Balgaire stepped out for fresh air, and he saw your mother speaking with Brock and the demons, but before he could do much more than be suspicious, the demon had shot and killed her, and was running away with you. Balgaire didn’t get a good enough glimpse at the face of the demon since he was too far away, but he did manage to fight off a couple of other demons before the rest of us even realized what was going on.” Roarke turned to Balgaire and patted him on the back proudly. “He may look stuffy, but he knows how to use a pistol almost as well as I do.”
Capri watched Balgaire shift uncomfortably in his seat, as though he didn’t like being the center of attention. His stony face was unreadable, but when his dark eyes met hers she tried to smile. This man was essentially a hero, anyway, who had fought off the demons as they tried to storm the castle. Who knows how many others might have been hurt if he hadn’t been there to fight? And even though he had been too late to save her mother and rescue herself, at least Capri knew that he would have tried.
When he nodded slightly as though acknowledging her silent thanks, she felt she liked him a lot better than she had before. He was really just shy, and being shy herself she couldn’t hold it against him.
She turned back to Roarke. “How many other demons were there?”
“Ten, all possessing humans at the time. The one who got away with you makes eleven.” Roarke replied with a nod. “And good ol’ Brock tried to pretend to fight them off, had us all fooled until the evidence surfaced and pointed straight to him. Then Thea banished him to live amongst humans for the remainder of his days. Too light a punishment if you ask me. I’d’ve taken care of him myself if Thea had given me the chance. It’s just not right what he did, and I have never been okay with murdering innocents.”
“And he never told you the name of the demon? I just wonder why he would protect one demon while letting the others get caught.”
Roarke looked intrigued. “Well, we figured it was because the demon that got away was his partner of sorts, while the others were merely a means to an end. You see, Brock had a lot of dealings with demons that were, let’s say, unethical. He enjoyed his vices more than most men, and had a weakness for demon weapons and demon booze, a bad, bad combination. Not to mention, both are forbidden by Thea except when used for training purposes by us.” He smirked then, smug and proud.
“Did you know any of the demons that he dealt with?”
“We did, we had a good, long list.” Roarke replied, looking suddenly bitter. “And all the bastards’ stories checked out. None of them were part of the raid.”
“Oh,” Capri sighed, pursing her lips in thought. “So that was it? That’s where the trail goes cold?”
“Pretty much.” Roarke shrugged. “There comes a time when a particular case goes cold, and fresh cases start building up until you don’t have the time to focus on the old anymore. I’m sorry we couldn’t do more, but if you think of anything else or remember any more details, be sure to let me know. Sometimes cold cases get solved, even fifteen years later.”
“I understand.” Capri stood up and took a deep breath, trying to smile and look stronger than she felt. “Thank you for your time.”
“You should help us help you.” Rian said suddenly from his spot by the window, his arms still crossed and his face stonily serious.
“What do you mean?” She asked, eyeing him cautiously.
“You should go back to the Muses, and try and remember more details. If we had more to go off of, then we could help you. So instead of asking everyone else what they remember, try uncovering everything you remember first. You were the only person who witnessed the whole thing.”
Capri wasn’t sure what to say for a moment, so shocked was she that Rian was actually speaking in full sentences to her. She acknowledged his comments, though she wasn’t sure she agreed. She didn’t think she could bear reliving her memories again, considering how much pain it had caused her the first time. Plus, she didn’t even know if she had ever gotten a glimpse of the demon’s face, and if she hadn’t then she certainly wouldn’t remember it, and then what was the point in seeing the Muses again?
“I’ll think about it. Thank you again” She replied quietly, her eyes leaving his as she turned away and walked back towards her father and the other Dryads, feeling even more lost and confused than before.
♦ ♦ ♦
CHAPTER EIGHT
She tried to convince herself over the next two weeks that she wasn’t being a coward. Surely she could go visit the Muses again and relive her dream and survive just fine, it’s just that she didn’t quite think it was necessary. After all, she’d witnessed it once, how many more details could she possibly pick up by seeing the memory a second time? She hadn’t seen the demon’s face, so that was that. Rian was just trying to turn this on her, as if she was being foolish by asking others what happened that night. It annoyed her that he had said that, though she knew that he was most likely just trying to help. And maybe he was right, maybe she should be focusing more on what she remembered versus pestering everybody else…it was probably starting to get on everyone’s nerves by now anyway.
Annoyed that she was still so unsure what step to take next, she decided to take some time off for herself. She’d taken to spending as much free time as she could in the enormous library, and the fact that it was empty more often than not made it even more appealing. She’d always hated trying to read at her old library with all those people walking around and distracting her.
She entered the library and smiled to herself, excited for some time alone. Wandering over to one of the many bookshelves, she perused the titles, debating which book to read. On a good day, she could polish off a couple hundred page book without breaking a sweat.
The morning sunlight slanted in through the large windows that graced one of the walls, dust motes glittering in the golden rays. The library had basically three full walls filled floor to ceiling with bookshelves, with a notch cut out for the door. The fourth wall was entirely dedicated to the windows, which provided excellent reading light.
There were desks, sofas, plush armchairs, pillows, and side tables throughout the room, all arranged in groups. When Capri had selected The Picture of Dorian Gray, she headed over towards what had become her favorite reading spot: a tall wingback armchair the color of summer squash with a cozy matching footstool that faced the windows, keeping its occupant completely hidden from view. It was the perfect place for reading, and she loved occasionally glancing up from her book to admire the view of the courtyard outside.
Content, she cuddled up in the chair and opened the book, losing herself within its pages.
After some time, she heard the library door open and shut behind her, and someone shuffle inside hastily. She froze, hoping the person would leave and not notice her sitting there. She already felt embarrassed at having someone think themselves alone when really she was hiding out in silence.
Before she could turn around in her seat to announce her presence to the newcomer, deciding that would be best, she heard two sets of low voices and so instead she sunk lower into the chair.
Her heart started pounding in her chest as she listened, clutching the book and trying to stay completely silent.
One of the voices she recognized as Rhiannon’s father, Rohan. He sounded irritated and desperate, and the combination struck Capri as odd. She’d never seen him act anything other than elegant and quietly superior, and so to hear his voice punctuated with resentment troubled her.
“You say you have this under control, and that you’re keeping an eye out, but I need your word that this will be handled!” Rohan whispered viciously.
“You have my word, like I said before.” The other voice said. It sounded oddly familiar, and yet she couldn’t quite place it. “You needn’t worry yourself anymore.”
“Good. Good.” Rohan said again, softer this time. “But I’m trusting you will be good to your word. If I find out otherwise, I will not be so kind.”
“I understand.”
Capri heard the door open, and the sounds of footsteps. When the door shut again, she stayed where she was, listening for any sounds in case one of the men was still in the room.
After a few moments of nothing but silence, she let out a long breath and sat up slowly, scanning the library. It was empty. Feeling foolish, she sat back down in the chair and tried to regulate her breathing.
All she had witnessed was a simple conversation, nothing more. And yet she couldn’t help but feel that what she had heard was important in some way, especially since the two men obviously didn’t want anyone else to hear. But what could Rohan possibly be doing that would require such secrecy? And who was he doing it with?
The other voice had been deeper than Rohan’s, and harder almost, with a sharp edge to it. While he had said nothing threatening, something in his voice still implied danger.
When her eyes drifted out towards the courtyard and locked on the jasmine plant beside the cobblestone walkway, she had the sudden realization where she had heard that voice before.
He was the man who had ordered her mother to die.
Terror shot through her body in vicious waves as she fought with herself for a moment. It just wasn’t possible. Brock had been banished, he wasn’t on Euphora…
But how else could she explain hearing his voice? She was positive it was the same voice she had heard in her dream…and yet, she supposed she could just be projecting…
Maybe she’d been stressing herself out too much over the past couple weeks by constantly dwelling on the night she was taken. And maybe she was just imagining that she had heard that same voice, when in reality it was someone completely different. It was possible, she supposed…though she just couldn’t be sure.
Shaken, she stood up and walked over to replace the book she’d been reading in its place on the shelf. She then began to make a hasty escape out of the library, when as she opened the door there was suddenly a person there.
She bumped right into them, and instinctively retreated, her hands up in apology.
“I’m so sorry!” She stammered, now focusing on the person she had bumped into. It was Tobias, one of the Muses.
He looked at her with such an odd expression on his face, as though he had just come across a monster that was quite ready to eat him.