Billow (5 page)

Just like I had no choice in being born to my mother. And Chloe had no choice but to be Miriam Moreaux's daughter.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when an ondine would finally stand as one of the elites."

A petite ondine approached. Long, mahogany hair, streaked with silver, was swept up into a French twist.

Swallowing hastily, I croaked out her name. "Er, Marquisa Desmarais."

As a member of the Governing Council, she and Marcella pushed through a motion changing a long-held law that only demillirs could become chevaliers.

"Please, call me Nanette."

Delicate, soft palm wrapped around mine and we shook hands.

"I'm here because of what you did."

"I'm just glad we were able to do it." Light blue eyes gazed at me with curiosity. "How's the training going?"

"It's going."

She laughed and the sound tinkled like bells. "Oh, I think you're being much too modest. Gabe often brags that you're the most talented student he's ever seen."

He'd never said anything like that to me.

"Naida would've been thrilled to see you as an elite."

"Did you know her?"

"I met her at the binding ceremony to Ansel. Your parents were so excited about their new life with you."

They'd been looking forward to a normal future. A home filled with joy and laughter like Marcella and Gabe's.

My mother may've chosen to have a child, but she had no choice in her being the
sondaleur
.

Maybe she'd wanted and expected a normal daughter. Like Marcella. Or one like Chloe. Aubrey.

Nerves flared with anxiety and the warm atmosphere suddenly felt overheated.

Because of my fate, Naida Irisavie spent the last sixteen years of her life obsessed with training me.

Nanette continued talking. I half-listened, nodding at the appropriate moments.

A stifling sensation writhed, choking me from inside. The party faded into a muted wash of sounds, sights, and smells.

And all I could think about was the people who'd continue to suffer until I did my job as
sondaleur
.

FOUR

The Justice Department handled Haverleau prisoners and I assumed Gabe would take me there. Instead, he walked toward the imposing marble steps of the Governing House.

Frowning, I followed him past two Royal Gardinels standing on either side of the ebony doors into the immense entrance foyer.

A glittering chandelier complemented the imperial marble floors. Faint residues of old Virtue magic brushed against my skin and the cool elegance of the building had an immediate calming effect.

Iron control froze every inch of Rhian Irisavie. Straight posture was as rigid as a statue, greying raven hair tightly pulled back in an updo. Icy hazel eyes, set within a sharp, hawkish face, flickered over me.

It was a striking contrast to the distinguished demillir standing beside her.

"Hey, Jeeves."

An effortless charisma flowed off Chief Counsel Augustin Genevieve. Gleaming silver hair and an impeccable pin-striped suit gave the impression of a corporate CEO.

"
Sondaleur
." Periwinkle eyes twinkled and he gave a slight, old-fashioned little bow. "It's nice to see you again."

"Same here." I straightened. "Where's Ian?"

I'd expected Gabe to bring me to a holding cell, not my grandmother.

"Mr. MacAllister is staying at the Governing House," Jeeves said.

"I'd like to keep Haverleau unaware of a nix's presence," Rhian added coldly.

I understood. After the Governor's Ball massacre last spring, the public wouldn't like the presence of a dark creature within the community.

"We've placed him in the Royal Gardens guest house," Jeeves explained. We headed down the central hallway and passed through Rhian's private quarters. "People will eventually realize someone is here. But for now, it's isolated enough to prevent unwanted questions."

"I still don't know about this, Augustin," Gabe muttered.

He made Ian seem like a dangerous fugitive.

We exited the rear glass doors and made our way through flourishing gardens to the two-story guest house located at the center. With views of the ocean and gardens on one side and the Governing House on the other, the cottage was mainly used for visiting political dignitaries.

Two gardinels stood outside. Displeasure hardened Gabe's eyes.

Chevaliers were usually in charge of justice matters, including guarding and monitoring prisoners. The use of gardinels meant Rhian and Jeeves were keeping Ian's presence hidden from them.

Gabe was probably the only chevalier who knew about him.

Rhian turned. "Let us know what you find out,
sondaleur
."

I nodded.

Jeeves followed her back to the main house. Gabe reluctantly went last, his expression troubled.

A gardinel led me into the guest house's small living room. Ian slumped on the couch, elbows on his knees. He didn't lift his head when I walked in.

I sat beside him and waited until we were alone.

"Hey."

He didn't respond.

"You okay?"

Nothing.

I struggled to control my impatience. Screw it. Gentle diplomacy was more Chloe's thing, anyway.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

His head lifted a little. "You mean like how you told me you were an ondine?"

Touché.

"But you knew." His nervousness in the Trident wasn't over seeing me. "You knew Ewan was a gardinel. Not my boyfriend."

Ian leaned back and rested his head against the sofa. His eyes stayed closed.

"Yeah. When he came up behind you, I saw his
pedaillon
."

And Ewan had instantly recognized Ian. "I didn't know nixes had auras."

He gave a tired nod. "Selkies don't have auras because they constantly use a lot of magic to shape-shift."

Unlike the selkies, nixes had lost that ability and now permanently remained in human form.

But both races shared similar magic. They could spot an ondine's aura and they possessed self-healing abilities that allowed them to mend most injuries.

"Since we don't change forms, nixes have a lot of magic pent up in our blood. It glows around us in a dark aura."

Ondines were the same. Our auras flared to life when our latent magic kicked in at age seventeen.

"Sorry about how Ewan treated you."

"I'm used to it." The resigned tone upset me. "Selkies aren't fond of nixes."

I frowned. "Why not?"

"They come from light magic and nixes come from the dark. They don't trust our race." He finally opened his eyes. "Your aura's better. When I saw you in the Trident, it was blazing really bright. Kinda hurt my eyes."

"Did you know who I was from the beginning? From Florida?"

He nodded. It was amazing how others knew more about my life than I did.

"Why didn't you say something?"

"If I'd come right out and said I was a nix and I knew you were an ondine, what would you have done?"

"Probably would've told my mother and she or I would've kicked your ass."

"Exactly."

"Are there others here?"

He exhaled. "No. I came to Lyondale alone."

"Gardinels and chevaliers aren't happy with —"

"I need to warn you about the Aquidae. Maybe your grandmother can help."

If he had information against Aquidae everyone would definitely be interested.

"Why didn't you say that when they brought you in?"

He gave me a wry look. "I'm a nix, Kendra. Elementals don't like us very much."

But I'd known him for three years and he'd hoped that would make a difference.

"Fine." I settled against the cushions. "Start talking."

"You know the basic organizational structure of Aquidae?"

"Hierarchical pyramid with the Shadow at the top and individual cells underneath."

"Part of being immortal means they need enough money to last a long time. Individual cells have their hands in everything. Drugs, prostitution, illegal gambling, arms dealing. Each cell has its own stream of income."

Aquidae needed money for things like shelter, clothing, and transportation in order to covertly exist in human society.

"The Shadow is the central figure who runs everything with an iron fist." Ian glanced at me. "Do you know how they select who to turn?"

"I thought each cell individually decided who to target."

He made a dismissive gesture. "The Shadow wouldn't allow that. It's his blood in their veins. If he didn't control them, they'd turn everyone they came across and it'd be mass chaos."

It was weirdly fascinating to hear how the Aquidae ran themselves. Ian knew more about them than any elemental I'd met.

"It's a methodical process," he continued. "The Shadow indicates when kidnappings take place. Usually three to four times a year. An elite team of Aquidae nabs a bunch of potential humans and elementals and there's an auction."

His hands suddenly clenched. "Individual cells specify whether they need a teenage boy, a little girl, an older female or male. Maybe an elemental."

The words slowly sank in.

Horrified, I stared. "You mean they
bid
on who they want to turn?"

"Yeah," he said tightly. "It's one large trafficking ring. Each cell
bids on who they want and pays for it at the auction. The ones not selected are eliminated."

Nausea rose. They treated living beings like products where the only choice was either becoming a demon or being killed.

"How do you know this?"

He was silent for a few moments. "Nixes conduct business with Aquidae mostly out of self-protection. In the beginning of the war, there were a few of us who willingly turned. I guess it was a kind of freedom."

I made a sound of disgust. How could anyone even consider becoming one of those things?

"No one's ever really free, Kendra." Ian rubbed his eyes. The simple gesture made him seem much older than me. "Even wild animals are dependent upon the environment. We all need things to survive. Food, air, water. No matter how free we think we are, we're really not."

I shifted, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"But Aquidae don't need food or water. They don't even need to breathe. The Shadow's blood is enough. That's why destroying the Origin scar is the only way to kill them. It ends the power of the blood."

"Do nixes still want to turn? Is that why you work with them?"

He sighed. "No. But we're not strong enough to fight back and other elementals won't help us. There's an understanding between nixes and Aquidae. We do stuff for them, make a little bit of money, and they leave us alone."

"What kind of stuff?" The question came out hard.

After what happened to Ryder and my mother, I didn't have too much sympathy for what he told me.

His shoulders dropped like he knew what I was thinking. "Mostly information gathering."

"Like information on potential kidnapping victims."

"Among other things."

"Do…" I hated asking, but I needed to know. "Do you help them?"

"Five years ago Aquidae wanted my parents to provide information on local children. They refused."

My racing pulse slowed a bit.

"They turned my father." His tone was hollow. "Killed my mother and younger sister."

He'd been just a kid. "Ian —"

"There are others like me. A group of nixes who want to work with other elementals and end this. For the past few years, we've been tracking the Aquidae who run the auction. They move from city to city."

A large number of kidnappings in one location would draw too much human attention.

An icy shiver ran through me as realization slid into place. "And you followed them here."

"I've been tracking the flow of money and movements of key players. It led to Lyondale."

My mind reeled. "Do you know where they are?"

"No," he said, frustrated. "Callan, the Aquidae in charge, drove into Lyondale last week. But he abandoned his car and I haven't been able to find him."

I let out a deep breath. "Is that why you were in the Trident?"

"I was following up on a possible lead," he muttered. "Then I ran into you."

"That human boy —"

"I know. I saw the mother." His face was pale. "It's starting."

I swallowed hard. The Aquidae I'd sensed took the boy to auction off. 

Why didn't you stop it?

Ian's hand suddenly gripped mine. "You have to convince the Governor to help."

I recognized the look in his eyes. The one that came from loss.

"That's why you talked to me in Florida," I said slowly. "You knew I was Rhian's granddaughter and you wanted to get close."

In freshman year, Ian was a normal guy I enjoyed hanging out with. He was the first person who'd kept in touch with me over the years. Someone who had nothing to do with ondine or elemental life.

But I was wrong about all of it. Because he'd befriended me for a purpose.

"I found your mother through her aura. Research led me to believe you were the Governor's granddaughter. And yes, in the beginning, that's why I spoke to you. Our group wanted to find a way to ally with Haverleau."

Coldness leaked into my chest. My life had always been defined by the freak set of circumstances that made me
sondaleur
.

"But that's not why I continued hanging out with you." His voice was quiet. "You're my friend, Kendra. As a friend, I'm asking for help."

A part of me wanted to hate him. Get mad at him.

But I couldn't. I would've done the exact same thing if I'd been in his position.

I shoved all the doubts and hurt back. "We'll put a stop to it."

His mouth finally tilted up into the shy smile I knew.

"But you should've told me about the
sondaleur
thing." I nudged his arm and kept my tone light. "Wouldn't have gotten that damned tat in the first place."