Chapter 10: A Lie Unfolds
Sitting in the darkened interior of Lucas's cabin, I hardly noticed the roar of the wind outside. I gripped the note Salome had put in my hands, my fingers shaking. The paper was torn at the edges, as if it had been folded and unfolded too much. With the weight of my twin sister's last words bearing down on me like a mountain, my heart thumped in my chest.
Isidora
I apologize. This is not how I intended it to finish. I didn't intend to abandon you. But I was powerless. You wouldn't believe some of the things I can't tell you. Please know that you are loved. I always have.
Pardon me.
Veronica
As I read the lines a third time, hoping—praying—that I had misinterpreted them, a hollow, choked moan came out of my mouth. However, they remained unchanged. It was permanent ink. The facts are unavoidable.
Veronica had left.
My identical twin. My spouse. Even when everyone else turned away, that individual had always been there. At this point, she was just a memory.
"She didn't simply vanish," I said in a hoarse whisper. "She was pushed to this by someone."
Lucas stepped close to the flames and let out a strong sigh. "That's not logical. Veronica wasn't helpless.
I furiously shook my head. "She wasn't. And for that reason, I don't think this is true. I slapped the letter down on the table made of wood. She refused to do this. Not without a rationale.
Salome crossed her arms and shuffled nervously. She hesitated before admitting, "There's more." "This is being used as fuel against you by the elders, especially Magnus. They claim that you were involved in her demise.
My throat tightened each breath. "What?"
Lucas cursed out loud. "That idiot."
Salome gave a sad nod. They say that when Veronica learned of your alleged "betrayal," she was unable to cope. That she— She took a swallow. "That you caused her to commit suicide."
I felt a searing, choking anger rise within of me that was so strong it almost ate me alive.
With my nails pressing into my hands, I swore, "That's a lie."
Salome looked at me, her face inscrutable. "Then demonstrate it."
Between us, a thick, oppressive silence hung.
At last, Lucas said something. "Where is her body?"
Before responding, Salome's lips were squeezed together. "Cremated." Right away.
The blood in my face started to run out. "What?"
"No funeral," she agreed. "No pomp and circumstance. Just a hurried, silent procedure. Elder Magnus saw to that.
My mouth was filled with a harsh taste. The elder who had wiped out my sister's final remnant was also the one planning my demise.
I forced my breathing to settle and closed my eyes.
There was a problem.
This is not what Veronica would have done. Why would they hurry to remove the evidence even if she had?
Unless...
My pulse pounded as I jerked my eyes open.
"What if she's still alive?"
Salome and Lucas both looked at me with disbelief.
Salome scowled. "Isidora—"
"No," I cut in. "Consider it. Veronica was intelligent. Would she not do all it takes to get away if she felt something was hazardous or if she were ensnared in something larger than herself?
Lucas's face became serious. "You think she feigned it?"
"I am saying that I need more than just a letter and the word of an elder to believe that my sister is no longer with me." With my head racing, I forced myself to get up. "I require evidence."
Salome let out a harsh sigh. "If you're correct, she's in danger." If you're mistaken— She paused. "So you're pursuing a ghost."
My determination hardened as I met her eyes. "Then, until I find out the truth, I will pursue her."
The chat was cut short by a knock on the door. Lucas walked for the knife that was fastened to his belt. Before he opened it, he gestured for us to remain behind.
I was startled by a familiar voice.
"Give me access."
Jacob.
Even if the sound of his words was enough to make my nerves burn, I made myself remain still and silent. Lucas turned to face me as he awaited my command.
I raised my chin. "Give him access."
After a brief moment of hesitation, Lucas opened the door. With keen eyes, Jacob entered the room and looked about before focusing on me.
Tension flared in the air between us.
He had changed appearance. more worn. He maintained his customary self-assurance, but something else boiled behind it. Feeling sorry? Uncertainty? I was unable to tell.
He walked slowly in my direction. "Isidora."
I avoided making my face visible. "What brings you here?"
He tightened his jaw. "We must speak."
I sneered. "You want to talk now?"
Lucas took a step toward me, sending a quiet warning to Jacob.
Jacob paid him no attention. It has to do with Veronica.
I gasped. "How about her?"
Jacob paused. "I don't believe she's deceased."
There was a sudden silence in the room.
Salome muttered an expletive. Lucas tensed up next to me.
I moved ahead a step. "What do you mean?"
Jacob's emerald eyes searched mine as he stared at me. "I believe she vanished because of someone."
In my ears, my pulse thundered.
I had been correct.
Jacob moved in my direction once again. "And I believe Elder Magnus is fully aware of her location."
A shiver went through my body.
Veronica was still alive.
I was going to locate her immediately.
My breath came in shallow bursts, my pulse thundering in my ears. Veronica was alive. She had to be.
Jacob's words echoed in my head, colliding with my own suspicions. Elder Magnus knew where she was. That meant she was taken. Hidden. Used for something far worse than just a cover-up.
Lucas clenched his jaw. "If Magnus is involved, then this is bigger than just Veronica disappearing. It means she's a threat to whatever he's planning."
Salome swore under her breath. "And if that's the case, we don't have much time."
I turned to Jacob, my voice sharp. "Do you have proof, or is this just another one of your games?"
His green eyes flashed with something I couldn't place. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was real." He reached into his coat and pulled out a crumpled photograph. "This was taken two days ago. Outside the southern borders."
My hands trembled as I snatched it from him.
The photo was grainy, as if captured in secret. The figure in it was shrouded in a heavy cloak, their face partially turned away. But I knew that posture. That tilt of the head. The way she held her hands close to her chest like she was protecting something.
It was Veronica.
A rush of breath left my lungs. "Where exactly was this taken?"
Jacob hesitated. "Near the abandoned temple in the valley."
Salome's face paled. "That place is crawling with Magnus's guards. If she's there—"
"Then we're already behind," I finished, shoving the photo into my pocket. My mind was spinning with possibilities.
Was Veronica trapped? Was she running? Or was she playing the long game, waiting for the right moment to strike?
Lucas ran a hand through his hair. "If we're doing this, we need a plan. Magnus won't just let us stroll in."
I exhaled slowly, my resolve hardening. "Then we won't give him a choice. We move at night. We get in. We find her. And we bring her home."
Jacob studied me for a long moment before nodding. "Then I hope you're ready for war, Isidora."
Before I could respond, a loud crack echoed outside.
A warning shot.
Lucas lunged for his blade. Salome cursed and grabbed the lantern. Jacob's hand flew to the gun at his hip.
Footsteps crunched against the snow. Heavy. Measured.
A shadow moved past the window.
Then a voice. Cold. Familiar.
"You should have left well enough alone, Isidora."
Magnus.
My blood turned to ice.
The cabin door rattled violently. Another crack of gunfire rang through the night.
And then—The door burst open.