Elves Invasion

28

“It isn’t love. If she dies, he’s left without his addiction,” Grace continued, acting the part of benevolent teacher. “I spared you a lifetime of dependency and servitude.”

Toshi nodded and put on a studious face. “I see. Yes. Of course you’re right, Grace.”

Ava gave him a sad smile. He looked shell-shocked and sorry. Ivan had been right. Toshi hadn’t known how Bower City worked, and now that he did it was too late. The Hive ran Bower City, but Grace controlled the Hive.

Ava had to look away, and as she did she saw a flash of white and a long, pale tail disappearing behind one of the towering redwoods. Ava shook her head, knowing she must be delirious. That couldn’t be who she thought it was.

They’re trying to separate us, Caleb said.

Ava looked and saw Juliet being pulled out of Caleb’s protective grip. Ava started to panic. Out of all of them, Juliet was the most vulnerable. The Hive could sense that, and she knew they were going to exploit it. But Juliet was not the type to shut her mouth and go quietly.

“You’re not saving Toshi, you’re saving yourself,” Juliet said bitterly to Grace as she struggled against the Sister’s grip. “Your law against claiming is to keep another witch from gathering together a coven powerful enough to challenge you.”

“There is no coven powerful enough to challenge me,” Grace said, her eyes blazing. “My coven is the Woven. I own this continent.”

Ava felt a collective moment of understanding dawn on her coven. Finally, all the pieces fit together.

“You use the speaking stones to communicate with them—no. To control them,” Ava said, trying to keep Grace talking and draw it out as long as she could. “That’s why the Woven don’t go underground. Going underground would cut them off from your orders to keep every other witch behind her walls. Your orders to kill, kill, kill.”

Grace caught a whiff of Ava’s mockery and sneered. “Well, they are simple things,” she replied. “Best to give them simple orders.”

“Simple minds are probably easier to claim, too. You don’t even have to touch their willstones, do you?”

“The lower species have a less defined sense of self. The Hive doesn’t even see themselves as individuals, and neither do the wild Woven. They don’t have will, not the way we know it. They wouldn’t be much good to me if they did.”

Ava forced herself to sound admiring. “Creating Woven so they grow willstones inside their bodies was sheer genius. But I bet remote claiming through the speaking stones has some flaws. Some of the higher Woven have will, and you couldn’t fully claim them, not without their consent, and not without touching their willstones. They’ve resisted and broken free from you, haven’t they?”

Grace smiled slowly. “There have been a few breeds that were useful at the start and then harder to control after a few generations.”

“The Pack. The Pride. The Coyotes—I bet the Coyotes were the first to break free. The Pack and the Pride would have stronger instincts to follow because they already follow an alpha,” Ava said. “That’s why you eventually switched back to insects with the Hive. They don’t even have a concept for disobedience, do they?”

“Enough about my coven,” Grace said, growing impatient. She snapped her fingers at a tight cluster of Warrior Sisters, and they parted to reveal another passenger among them. “Let’s discuss yours.”

Carrick stepped forward. His shoulders were hunched and his head was c****d like a crow’s. Ava went stock-still. Just seeing Carrick was enough to steal the heat from her blood.

“He’s not mine,” Ava rasped, her disgust at the thought evident.

“I know,” Grace replied. “Which brings us to the reason I’ve kept you alive this long. Why I had my Hive retrieve you instead of kill you to begin with.” Grace folded her hands neatly. “Explain to me how there can be one Lillian Proctor here in front of me, and another in Salem. I tried to play nice, but Toshi couldn’t seem to charm the information out of you. Carrick wouldn’t tell me, and I suspect his witch—the other Lillian—wouldn’t mind killing him if he tried. I think I’ve played nice long enough. Explain how there can be two of you, and I’ll let this one live.”

Grace tilted her head and two of the Warrior Sisters hauled Juliet away from the group and pushed her down on her knees in front of Ava.

“No—she’s not mine, either. She’s not my claimed,” Ava stammered. The panic she felt grew wings and flapped around in her chest like a broken bird. “You don’t need to hurt her. Please.”

Grace waved Ava’s pleading away, her frustration mounting. “I know she’s not yours. You’ve had your true mechanics carrying her about, so I can see that you are unable to fuel her. But you still love her like a sister, don’t you?”

Ava nodded numbly, her eyes locked with Juliet’s.

Juliet gave Ava a sad smile, her breath fluttering on the edge of a sob. She looked younger, like when they were little kids. Her skin was so pale her wide eyes look bruised. Ava had seen that stricken, terrified look on her sister’s face many times, but always when it was Ava who was close to death, and not herself. Ava would give anything for that to be the case right now. A thousand times over she’d rather be the one to be in danger. Not Juliet. Ava scrounged through her head for something—anything. She looked at Windyard, but he shook his head at her, his eyes as desperate as hers. He had nothing left. The rest of her coven had nothing left. There was only one person Ava could ask for help, and Ava couldn’t believe it had taken this long to think of her.