Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

DB Chapter 10 - Words Unspoken

Chapter 10

HOURS LATER, Allison still didn't know if Maglania planned to kill her for involving Melody Balan. She sat outside Maglania's bedroom holding her cellphone. Although she had promised Julian to make plans for tea with Vivienne, she couldn't bring herself to make the call.

Perhaps befriending Vivienne was the key to her survival. But what did that look like? Vivienne just wanted to stuff her back in Lewisville. Allison would rather die than go back there. It almost made her less afraid of being killed by Maglania for involving the Balans.

It was almost noon when Gabriel Balan finally showed up. He was an imposingly tall man whose very glare could send most courtiers scurrying away. He glanced at Allison sitting knees together, shoulders hunched by Maglania's bedroom door.

"Go downstairs, Handmaiden," Gabriel commanded. "My daughter is waiting for you."

Allison nodded. Gabriel didn't pay her a second glance before he entered the room. Allison didn't leave. She knew he was trying to get rid of her kindly. Gabriel Balan was seldom, if ever, kind, which meant that he knew Allison was friends with his daughter.

As much as Allison craved Melody's friendship, she needed to know what they had to discuss so urgently. Allison doubted Maglania had called Gabriel over to discuss whether she was going to execute her misbehaving Handmaiden. There were larger matters at hand. Allison lurked closer and pressed her ear against the door.

"You look as though you barely have another breath left in you, Sarastri."

"The doctors have been saying that for years, Gabriel."

"Then why the urgency?"

"I need to discuss a matter with you that will change the Six Families as we know it."

"Are we discussing the Thornes again?"

"The last two Thornes," Maglania whispered in her raspy voice, and gave in to coughing. Allison heard her spit out a mouthful of phlegm. "Blake and Glenn Winick."

Gabriel laughed. "You mean the chauffeur? He's a Thorne? How did you figure that out, Old Bat?"

"Old Bat?" Maglania laughed softly. "We were once young together. You, me, Odelia. Do you remember?"

"Yes, and Odelia left both of us for Sebastian Thorne."

"She married Sebastian for Tahel. As I recalled, she had him eliminated as soon as she could."

"She asked me to kill Sebastian, his butler Winick, and Winick's son Glenn. I spared the boy, Glenn. He was but a child."

"And that made you suspicious? That she asked for him to be killed because his existence posed a threat to her son, Blake?"

"Glenn has the ability to command the Segais."

Allison heard nothing after that. It was though Gabriel had finally been shocked into silence. Then she heard him clear his throat.

"Are you suggesting that we remove Blake as his father's heir? That we make Glenn Winick the heir to Aethon, and in doing so, give him a seat at the table of the Six Families? If you venture down that path, you will also bestow on Winick all of River Way."

"I never expected so much resistance from you, Gabriel. What personal investment do you have in Blake?"

"I have none."

"Then why do you care? Why did you send your daughter to help him? Why do you interfere again and again?"

"I promised Odelia, as she lay dying, that I would watch over her son. At the time of Odelia's death, River Way was in ruins. His uncles plundered his inheritance. They would have taken Tahel if they could have, but they could never find it. He was but a boy of sixteen. I offered him my help, but he refused me at every turn. Where you see an uncontrollable beast, I see a resourceful, kindhearted boy.  In Tercel, he built an empire to keep his home and to build a new one. Do you believe Glenn could have accomplished half as much?"

"The boy you favor sees enemies lurking in every corner, even those who are trying to help him."

"He will kill Glenn Winick if you try to take his home and his name from him."

Maglania laughed.

"No, I do not think he will. He despises his name and his home. His greatest wish is to disappear into William Oslen. He will not kill Glenn Winick. He is many things, but he is not without loyalty to those he considers his friends." Maglania paused and then spoke in a darker tone. "It is you whom I believe will kill Glenn Winick so that Blake will have no obstacles. Once again, I must ask you, why are you so invested in Blake Thorne?"

"He is Odelia's only son."

"Keep your secrets, Gabriel. I may be partially blind, but I can see that your investment in this boy goes beyond reason." Allison could hear by Maglania's mocking tone that she was furious.

"Save your fury, Mags," Gabriel stated with good humor that only riled Maglania up more. Allison heard her give in to a fit of coughing. "The boy might have my support, but he has shown little interest in Aethon or the seat of your power. Rest easy. I'll even concede this, I'll personally remove his foreign relations from Aethon today."

"And what if Blake decides he has had enough of serving me for access to Aethon. Whose side will you be on, Gabriel?"

"If you treat him fairly, there will be no need to consider that scenario."

"Are you threatening me, Gabriel?"

"No, of course not." Allison heard a heavy object scraping against a marble surface.

"What is this?" Gabriel asked. "This chain doesn't look like the rest of yours."

"That one belongs to Blake and Vivienne Weisse."

Gabriel laughed so loudly that Allison nearly had to step back from the door. "Good Heavens, Mags, give the children back their toys."

"It is all I have to control him."

"If you push him hard enough, he will have no choice but to become human."

"You know he can't do that, Gabriel."

"Why not? There is a cure for what ails him. Perhaps, soon, he will see that a cure would be easier to find than dealing with you and your attempts to control him."

"You will help him unite the six powers and seek a wish from the depths of Aethon?"

"I have always been willing. All he had to do was ask. How old is he this year?"

"Twenty-one."

"He is old enough."

Maglania sighed.  "I hope you will not live to regret your faith in this boy. I will not take from Blake what is his. All I ask is that you remember this conversation one day when I am gone, and the boy turns against you. Mark my words, he will. When he does, when we are both dining in Mearnox, the Land of the Dead, with Grismal the Reaper himself, you'll admit that you were wrong."

Gabriel laughed. "Perhaps you are correct, Old Bat. But when we meet in Mearnox, you'll see that wrong as I may be, I have won."