– Chapter 166

Arabella

“What fresh hell is this?” I mutter, staring at the news coverage from Elysium in horror. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Frederic, who is by far the most conniving wolf I’ve ever met, is on screen getting tricked into admitting his crimes by that little whore, Selene. The worst part is that she drags me into it too, and he doesn’t deny a single word.

My mouth falls wider and wider open with every word that passes between them. The cunning bitch clearly knows they’re being watched, and she eggs him on for the cameras. A dozen questions flood my mind as their conversation escalates. How on earth did this happen? How did she even find out the truth? She isn’t smart enough to figure it out on her own.

I gasp when Frederic raises his hand to strike Selene, clamping my own hand over my mouth and knowing the answers aren’t important. The only question that matters now is how in the hell I’m going to hide this from Bastien. This is going to be at the top of the news cycle all week long – at a minimum. I can’t keep breaking the cable and making fake newspapers. Making a few edits to one or two articles is one thing, but I simply don’t have the time to do it every day.

Not to mention Bastien is already getting too impatient to return to Elysium. Even if I can find a way to cover this up, he’s going to keep pressuring me to stop stalling and return home. He already sent the annulment papers to Selene, as far as he’s concerned every moment we delay is another day for her and Frederic to make a head start.

Even now, I can hear him stirring in the other room. I have to think fast, I have to find a way to delay him and hide the news at once. Desperation takes hold of me as Bastien appears in the doorway, and I slam my finger down on the remote’s power button.

His handsome brow furrows as he looks between me and the television. “What was that?”

“Nothing!” I exclaim, much too quickly. “Just more of the same nonsense they’re always spinning. You’re a monster, Selene’s a goddess – you know.”

“I know you hate it, Bella.” Bastien sighs, coming forward and reaching for the remote. “But it’s important I keep up with everything happening in Elysium, even if it’s infuriating.”

He pries the black rectangle out of my fingers, and I panic, turning and grabbing the vase of flowers sitting on the coffee table. The screen comes to life and a reporter sitting behind a news desk only has time to say, “the shocking video-” before I bring down the heavy glass on the back of Bastien’s head with all my strength.

He crumples to the ground, unconscious, and I pull out my phone, dialing swiftly. The man who made me Bastien’s memory potion gave me his number on my last visit, a gesture I’m now eternally grateful for – especially considering the fact that I don’t want to risk Blaise’s fury by returning to the undercity again.

The line only rings twice before a gruff voice answers, filling me with instant relief despite his hostile tone. “I told you only to use this number in case of emergency.”

“This is an emergency.” I breathe nervously, “I need help.” I wouldn’t normally trust an underworld potion maker with anything so sensitive, but I don’t have anyone else to turn to. “I’ve got an unconscious man who needs to be moved, and I need a strong sleeping potion- something that can be injected.”

“That will cost you.” The slimy shifter tells me, sounding annoyed and excited for such a profitable opportunity at once.

“I’ll pay any price.” I answer foolishly, wincing after the words are out of my mouth. That was stupid.

“Any price?” He repeats gleefully. “Well then, I’ll be right over.”

__________________

Selene

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

My reflection stares back at me in the bathroom mirror, both thoroughly familiar, yet strange. Helene concocted a potion that would disguise my eyes after a few drops have been applied directly to my cornea, and we’re testing it out for the first time. Now instead of the ethereal combination of blue and violet I’m used to seeing, both of my eyes are an unremarkable shade of brown.

Of course, as surreal as it is to see myself this way, my altered image is not the cause of my unease. We’re supposed to leave within the hour, and while I’m still confident that this is the right thing to do, leaving feels much harder now that the time is upon us.

Drake and Sophie are taking Lila to Asphodel as soon as Helene and I leave, and they’re taking Bastien’s bodyguard with them. Still the prospect of being separated from her while everything is still so uncertain makes me so agitated I can barely breathe.

It’s true that Frederic has been exposed to the pack now thanks to his attempted intervention, but I’ve learned the hard way that a wounded animal is the most dangerous by far. He’ll feel he has nothing to lose now, especially with the constant news coverage. In a matter of 24 hours he’s gone from a potential alpha to the most reviled man in the territory, and I wouldn’t put it past him to do something desperate.

Aiden and Donovan immediately put out a warrant for his arrest, but of course by the time the enforcers arrived at his apartment, he was gone. I hate knowing he’s out there somewhere probably plotting his revenge, and I pray that if he’s watching us he’ll choose to follow me and not Lila.

“None of that, my darling.” Helene murmurs, rubbing my arms. “This is not the time for doubts. You need your confidence now more than ever.”

“It’s not doubts.” I admit weakly, feeling tears burn in my eyes. “It’s fear. I’m afraid of leaving Lila like this, I’m afraid that I won’t come back… I know what it’s like to grow up without a mother – I don’t want that for her.”

“That is exactly why you’ll fight so hard to return.” Helene reminds me. “You have something to live for, something that Blaise never will.”

“Blaise has himself.” I reason, “He’s incapable of loving another person, he doesn’t need anyone other than himself to keep going.”

“Selene, if you weren’t afraid you’d be a fool.” Helene says. Her words were probably meant to be reassuring, yet they only make me worry harder. “A little fear is good, it drives you to survive at all costs, but you can’t let it consume you. Just think: if you hadn’t been afraid of what Garrick would do to you, you never would have fought him off, but if you’d let the fear control you, you never would have found the strength to escape either.”

Blinking in surprise I whisper, “I never told you that.”

She rolls her eyes, “When are you going to learn, silly girl? You don’t have to tell me for me to know.” Continuing she reminds me, “You found the strength then, when you only had yourself to live for. Now you have three other lives to fight for – don’t forget it. You are capable of so much more than you think.”

“Thank you, Helene.” I sniffle, “I wish you’d been there to give me these pep talks when I was younger. I might have avoided some terrible mistakes.”

“And you never would have learned your own lessons.” She smiles wanly, “Now, finish getting ready so we can make our goodbyes, the longer you put them off, the worse they’ll be.”

In the end they’re horrible no matter the delay. Saying goodbye to Odette, Drake and Sophie was torment enough, their warm hugs and words of support had me crying before I could even contemplate the pain of missing them. I was even feeling so sentimental that I actually enjoyed Aiden and Donovan’s final lectures about safety. I hugged and kissed the big worrywarts and promised to be as careful as if they were standing over my shoulder.

However the worst was parting with my pup – not that this was any surprise. Just like when we left Asphodel, reality didn’t seem to sink in for Lila until the moment of truth was upon us. She cried and screamed and broke my heart to absolute pieces, wailing for me not to go so loudly that I could hear her even as Helene drove us away from the house.

As soon as we were in the car I let go and sobbed, covering my ears in a futile attempt to drown out the sounds of her misery. Helene crooned and rubbed my back, promising that Lila would be alright and the sooner we got to Tartarus and found Bastien, the sooner I could return home to her.

Her words filled me with determination, and after a while I was able to dry my tears and focus on what lies ahead. In two days time we’ll be in Tartarus. I’m not going to let anything get in my way now – I don’t care what I have to do, or who I have to defeat to bring my mate home. It’s only a matter of time.