Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

DB Chapter 11 - Another Dance

Chapter 11

"THAT DRESS DESPERATELY needs a necklace."

"The only ones I had to choose from were his mother's diamonds," Vivienne muttered as the metallic gates of Pearl Tower came into view. "I couldn't wear those."

"Then buy some new ones."

"Was it hard, finding Calbert's chain?" Vivienne asked. Julian plucked the chain from his rearview mirror and offered it to her. As Vivienne accepted the chain back into her possession, she could feel Calbert nearby. Were the Hentons visiting Pearl Tower for business again? She wondered if Sallen was here too. As she closed her eyes, she could practically see through Calbert's eyes. She caught bits of shrubs, a garden, and an empty teacup. Was he waiting for his uncle again?

How dull, but at the same time, how clearly she could read his thoughts. She could never see with the same amount of clarity with the cameo necklace. She could only catch bits of dreams, reflections in the windows at night, and traces of words that made no sense. Blake was good at concealing his mind. Vivienne wondered if she would ever see with as much clarity into his life as she could see into Calbert's now.

Even back when she had the cameo necklace, she had no idea where Blake had disappeared to, even when she was in the same house as him.

"No. Maglania has far too many things on her mind now. This chain, here, is the least of her worries."

"Does any of it involve anyone I know?"

"Yes, it involved everyone you know."

"I know I may not understand, but can you try to explain?" Vivienne asked.

"At least Maglania has forgotten all about you. Your friend Allison is now the number one target on her execution list. You remember the Winthers from the other day. Well, she called Melody Balan for help. This is the part you may not understand. This is a huge deal because it exposes Maglania's weakness to the Balans. Now your boyfriend must make a choice. He can choose to take responsibility for calling the Balans, which Maglania will absolutely discern to be a lie because he never asks anyone for help, least of all the Balans.  Alternatively, he can let Devon die for her mistake."

"You don't think he'll let Allison die. Otherwise, you wouldn't have promised she would have lunch with me tomorrow," Vivienne teased with a small smile.

"Devon believes she did the Palace a favor by fixing everything without innocent bloodshed. But what that empty-headed girl missed is that at this point, we aren't talking about fighting demons. This is approaching a battle between the Six Families, and none of the Princes or Handmaidens are going to survive."

"So, you're with me because you've picked your next boss," Vivienne noted.

Julian put his jacket back and ran over to offer her his arm as they approached the entrance. Even though Julian was merely accompanying her around Manna City, to anyone watching, they might as well be a couple. There was no pushing him away. He was her only connection to whatever was happening in Blake's life. She needed Julian now, and she might as well keep up the pretense of being the best of friends.

"I don't think I can begin to understand what any of this means. But if you're still with me, I guess you still expect to be paid. That must mean he isn't going to die."

"You're pretty sharp. Now, let's talk of happier things," Julian winked at her and knocked on the ornate steel doors of Pearl Tower. 

"Do you think there will ever be a role for me in Manna City, besides being a girl who waits around for things to happen?" Vivienne asked as she traced the spirals of metal with her fingertips. When she first arrived here, she was told that this door was made by a man with the last name Janvier.