Heart of Glass

Chapter 28

Kestrel released Emily's hand, meeting her gaze. "Give me your heart. And the key to the office."

Ariel recoiled. Her voice oozed with wrongness, the sensation creeping across her skin like slime. An involuntary shiver ran up her spine. The sound of crashing from downstairs made her jump and the words burst from her mouth -

"You're using magic, aren't you? Your voice is weird."

"Of course I am," she said impatiently. Emily rose to her feet, standing beside Kestral. "And as fun as it would be to explain how to you, I really don't have time. Now, give me your heart and the key."

The magic crawled across her skin and she could feel her limbs twitching, ready to obey, but Ariel was able to remain in control. She didn't know if it was her weird ability to sense magic, but she thanked whatever it was.

"No," she said firmly. "Em, come here now."

She held out of her hand, trying to keep it from shaking. Kestral's eyes darkened in anger as Emily walked over to Ariel.

Once Emily was within reach, Ariel yanked her close, putting herself between Emily and Kestral. "I don't know what you're playing at," she said to Kestral, pushing Emily back out the door. "But it stops now."

"You're right, Kestral smiled. "It does stop now."

Ariel tried to push Emily out the door, but Emily's feet stopped moving, as if glued to the floor.

"Em, move!" Ariel turned to push her and something connected with the side of her face. Pain exploded in her right eye, reverberating throughout her head as she dropped to the floor in a crumpled heap.

Ariel struggled to look up; Emily stood over her, fist still raised. Her eyes were glassed over, expressionless and Ariel watched numbly as she bent down and started reaching for the chain around her neck. Ariel tried to stop her, but her own body was still trying to catch up with the blow to her head. She fumbled at Emily's hands, weakly trying to pull her away.

"Em..."

Emily wrenched her hand free, pulling the chain away with a snap. One of her fingers looked disjointed, the knuckles becoming purple and Ariel guessed she had hurt herself when she'd hit her.

"You hurt her," she slurred.

"She hurt herself." Kestral said indifferently. Emily threw her the chain, and Ariel saw the glint of Amelia's crystal. Dammit, she thought. I should've used it.

"Why are you doing this?" she choked out, trying to get back onto her feet.

"Because I know you and that witch are investigating that murder in town, and whatever you're hiding in the office is clearly your ticket to answers. And I can't let you get your answers."

"Why do you care if we get answers?" She shifted away from Emily, trying to keep them both in her line of sight.

"Because, my father got what he deserved,"Kestral snapped.

Ariel's breath caught in her throat. That man had been her father?

"Oh yes, I see you're surprised," she laughed bitterly. Her fingers curled tightly around Ariel's keys, her knuckles turning white. "Always making me do his dirty work, charming people into giving me everything he wanted so he could sell it off to the highest bidders."

She started pacing, as she continued muttering, and Ariel wondered if she'd forgotten they were even there. She slowly started moving to the door as Kestral continued to rant about her father.