“You don’t understand,” she says.
What don’t I understand, Liz?Internally, I beg her as the table resets. The witches must have magically silenced Mr. Vandozer because he’s howling into the air, but no sound comes out.
“We need to know how,” the red-skinned witch says, not breathless. “This is good information, Candice of Earth, but we must know how he gave her that scar and when.”
“Elizabeth, please tell us,” the black-haired witch asks.
Mr. Vandozer writhes against whatever magic is holding him, trying to yell and scream and stop her.
This is it. This is the moment I can prove us right. And yet, tears fill Liz’s eyes as she answers.
“It was that night. The night he changed.”
I frown, staring down at my hands. Her hands are shaking.
“But it can’t be true. It can’t—”
My heart sinks.
“How did he harm you? What happened?”
He was my way out of this,she’d said.They won’t let me go.
My heart picks up its pace. They’re using her. They need her for this ruse, but if that changes—
She is very useful right now as a slave, Bea told me.
My stomach drops to my feet with a terrible realization. We can’t protect her. She’s under their control. With Vincent bound it gives us some leverage, but what are the chances he didn’t make a demand that she must return to the council when the meeting was finished? What are the chances we could not only get her away from them right now but keep her away? Because one word from a single council member and she is back under their control.
Under their control, but no longer useful as slave.
She’s lucky they haven’t killed her already.
“Glass,” I say.
Jarron stares at me in horror. He feels the truth settling into my mind at the same time, but the loss of this victory cuts deep regardless.
“Jarron scared her, and she ran into a window and cut herself.” The lie is bitter on my tongue, but I will do anything to save my sister.
“Well, that’s hardly proof,” the red-haired witch says, waving me off.
My heart aches. I was so close to getting what we came for, but I lied to lose on purpose.
Because I realized that if I win this game today, I will lose my sister.
The moment the tribunal believe Jarron’s claim, the council will have no use for her.
They’ll kill her.
52
Victory Slipping Through My Fingers
Jarron paces back and forth in the bedroom back at Shadow Hills, still in demon form. His leathery wings scrape against the tile, and I can feel the uneasiness pulsing from him.
We had victory in our grasp.
He knows why I lied, why I backtracked on the one truth that could essentially prove that Vincent’s claims are false.
