Piper

 

My hands were slippery on the gun and I was shaking as I tried to lift it. Frost’s smile seemed to swing around in my vision and I sucked in a steadying breath. It wasn’t working.

I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe and the sense of a void cracking open at the tips of my toes was filling me. Pain was hitting me in waves, along with anger and shock.

“It’s not real,” I said, but again my voice lacked any certainty.

“Ask Balt,” Frost said with a smile and a spreading of her hands.

I bit my lip savagely as I tried to clear my head. But all I could see was the look on Balt’s face as he stared at Frost, one hand clutching his side and the other clenched at his heart. It was one of absolute desperation and hope, his chest heaving up and down.

“You honestly think I’m going to believe you?” I asked, my voice harsh.

“Oh, well, yes, actually. Look at you. You should see your face, Piper. You’re putting two and two together. No, he couldn’t tell you. Too painful a subject. How is he supposed to admit the price that comes from a family of sinners?” Frost asked, her tone light and cheery.

I stumbled back and lifted the gun. “You’re lying.”

I sounded so young. Desperate, vulnerable, and breaking apart.

“I never lie,” Frost said in a clear, ringing voice. “Meet me in Greece in two weeks’ time – midnight at the Erechtheion, under the eyes of the Caryatids.” She gestured for Hunter and Ras to leave. Hunter scowled at me and Ras tipped his head, smiling indulgently. “I look forward to it.”

“You’re not leaving,” I said, but my voice was as fragile as shattered glass.

“I am, though, Piper.” Frost’s gaze was full of pity. “I’ll tell you this, tick tock, tick tock. Don’t be late – you’re already running out time. And you’d do anything for Balt, wouldn’t you?”

I watched as she walked away and climbed into the helicopter. It rose into the sky and I watched as it vanished over the treetops.

I was still standing there when backup came and there were shouts of French. Turning, I saw a healer swoop down on Balt and hold her hands over his side. The squad leader marched up to me and was asking questions, but I couldn’t hear him.

The curse is real? Or no, is this another trick of Frost’s? But the look on Balt’s face… I sucked in a breath. And the letter. His behavior lately… Was it part of it?

“Weslark!” The squad leader was snapping his fingers. “Are you alright? Hello?”

Lady Huna, too. Going to see Dez. I knew he was keeping something from me…

Now the healer was next to me, her hands on my face and the cut fading away.

How long has he been keeping this from me?

“Leave her alone,” Balt was suddenly barking and he was in the squad leader’s face. “We just had to deal with three of the nastiest top members of the TLO and witnessed a murder.”

“Filian?” the squad leader asked. “He’s dead? Sacre bleu, could this day get worse?”

“I’ll answer your questions,” Balt said. “Piper needs to recover. They were tormenting her about her brother and her capture.”

As the two men began to speak, I turned and walked away, sitting on a large rock in the corner of the garden. So much had happened in the last hour, it seemed like it had been weeks since this morning in Paris. Slowly, I went to pull my phone out and stopped.

I couldn’t talk to Soraya about this. I couldn’t even process this.

“C’mon.” A shadow fell over me. “We can go now. You need food. Rest.”

Balt was pulling me to my feet and leading me away from the Filian Estate. We walked in silence back to the car, his arm clamped around my elbow. But when it came into sight, I suddenly felt a crackle of fury rise up in me and I jerked away.

“Piper, what?” Balt asked turning around.

“Is it true?” I asked.

Balt gave me a look. “You’re going to start believing that insane woman?”

“I saw your face, Balt,” I said, my heart pounding and reverberating deeply through my body. “Tell me the truth. You owe me that.” I swallowed. “Running out of time? Till what?”

His jaw clenched. “Don’t listen to her.”

“You’re not telling me yes or no, Balt!” I cried. “You’re dodging me and pretty poorly at that. What was she talking about? You’re in some kind of trouble, aren’t you? This is why you’ve been so weird lately and going to see people like Lady Huna, isn’t it?” He said nothing. “Isn’t it?”

“I’m not talking about this here,” he muttered.

A sense of being punched in the chest hit me and I grabbed his shirt. “Balt, what the hell is going on? I’m freaking out – please, please tell me.”

“No.”

“What?” I asked, staring up at him.

Balt had completely closed off and he pulled away from me. “No.”

The ground seemed to buckle under my feet and I stared at him in utter disbelief. “No?”

“This doesn’t involve you, Piper,” he said in a dark, rough voice. “Leave it the hell alone.”

“It involves you, Balt,” I said and my voice broke. “How does it not involve me?”

"It has to be this way." He scowled and looked away from me. As though the sight of me was hurting him. "Please, Piper. This is already hard enough.”

“I thought we told each other everything,” I said, my eyes welling with tears.

At that, he looked back at me and gave me the most devastated smile I'd ever seen. “No, not everything, Piper. Not everything.”

It sent a throb of fresh agony through my body, through every last vein and bone, as he gently took my hand and pulled me to the car.

 

The next day Balt and I were on the train again, only now we had a four-hour ride to Luxembourg. After barely speaking to each other last night or this morning, worsened by a shared bad night’s rest, neither of us were in a good mood.

Sitting across from him, I tried to figure out how I could get him to talk to me. Rage was building and suddenly he stretched out, putting his feet up next to me and I jumped.

“What are you doing?” I demanded, my temper fraying at the seams.

“Putting my feet up,” Balt said, tilting an eyebrow at me. “Problem?”

“Yes, I don’t want your damn feet next to me,” I said.

“Well, that’s too damn bad, isn’t it?” Balt asked. “This is comfortable. If you haven’t noticed, I’m tall and this compartment was built for short European people.”

“You’re European, Balt,” I said snidely.

He waved a hand and went back to glaring out the window.

“When are you going to tell me, Balt?” I asked, staring at him. His lips thinned but he said nothing. “You know that I will not rest until I figure it out, so you may as well tell me.”

“Good luck with that,” he said dryly.

“I’m taking that meeting with Frost,” I said, just to push his buttons.

Balt sat up and his feet hit the floor so loudly, I half-expected them to go through it. "Like hell, you are, Piper Weslark. Are you trying to kill me?”

“No, I’m trying to help you.”

“Funny how often those two overlap.”

I let out an angry noise and sat back against the seat. “Balt, you are being impossible.”

“Oh, well, now you know what it’s like to be in my shoes for a change,” he retorted.

“Balt!” I snapped stung, and he shrugged putting his feet back. “Unbelievable.”

When he didn’t respond, I bit my lip and blurted out, “Is that what that letter was about?”

“Letter? From who?” he asked, puzzled and irritated.

“The one in your notebook from you to me,” I said evenly.

Balt’s cheeks drained of color and his eyes went black. He looked horrified, but more than that, he looked enraged. Clenching his fists, he slowly put his feet down and leaned forward.

“You read my–?” he choked. “You went through my stuff?” His voice was a growl.

“Yes and no,” I said, tilting my chin and trying to pretend I wasn’t upset or unnerved by how incensed he was. “It slipped out and I saw the first two lines or so. How you didn’t want to write it and you wanted to stay with me.”

If I could have anything in the world – it would be to never leave your side.

“I can’t believe you, Piper. Do you ever think about anyone besides yourself?” Balt snarled.

“What?” I exclaimed, hurt. “I was thinking about you. Can’t you see how worried I am?”

“That was a shitty and low-handed thing to do. I have never disrespected your privacy and I have always given you whatever space you needed. I’ve always been there for you Piper. And the one time I ask you to leave something alone – you snoop?” Balt was outraged.

“No, this was in London,” I protested. “I was packing and you woke up…”

“And you’re telling me now?” he roared, standing up and glaring down at me. “No. I can’t-I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be around you, Piper.”

“Balt, I’m sorry,” I said, panicking a little and feeling terrible. He was right, that was a shitty thing to do. “I didn’t see anything else. Please, it was an accident,” I said, watching as he grabbed his bag and slung it over a shoulder. “Balt – you’re my best friend, please talk to me. I’m worried.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” he asked.

“Get what?” I asked and he didn’t answer. “Balt, what?”

“I’ll meet you on the platform. I need some air. Respect that at least, would you?” Balt asked, sliding open the door. “See you later. I’ll text you,” he said, shutting the door behind him.

The sudden space and silence swallowed me up like a black hole. Rubbing my aching head, I tried to figure out what to do – how to solve this. I had nothing, though. No answers.

Raising my head, I stared out the window.

But I know where to find them.