“Is that why Xiven was so strong within the veils?” I asked. “Is he Septori too?”

“Xiven was here to make sure I did my job;, that is all. He was assigned because we looked alike. He was my watchdog and look how good of one he turned out to be. He’s probably long gone by now, off licking his wounds.” Mona’s lip curled in distaste. “Thanks to you.”

My mind whirled as I tried to process all of the information that was coming at me. Mona was put here to control the leaders of SkyFell.  She was able to easily with the concentrated chai they all drank greedily until Joss had left to train in Haven. How could she control the future leader if he was gone?

“You would have gotten away with it too, until Joss left. That’s why you kidnapped Joss’ sister. It was so that he would come back.”

Mona nodded. “Catch on quick, don’t you? I got in trouble when he left. I actually think Gloria knew something was up and orchestrated him leaving for school when I left for a few days and the drugs started to leave her system. When I had returned, he was gone. But that’s alright. I know how to bide my time. He was promised to me as a reward, once I had proven myself to Talbot.”

“When Joss finally came home, I was shocked to find out that he brought home a lost puppy and even more shocked when he announced his intentions to become your lifemate. I would have killed you, Thalia, believe me I would have; but Talbot recognized you and made me wait and watch you.” Mona shifted her feet uncomfortably and looked me over from head to toe as if realizing something for the first time. “You’re one of them, aren’t you?”

“One of what?” saying the words made them feel like gravel in my throat.

“His experiments.”

Since Mona obviously didn’t know off hand, it she wasn’t as important to the Septori as she thought. She wasn’t apprised of all of their doings or her father’s. But the way she was speaking about Talbot led me to believe that he wasn’t even her father, just a ruse to allow him into the Jesai’s home. Her attitude sparked something deep inside, a cache of hidden determination and will. The stubbornness that helped keep me alive in the prison began to rise to the surface.

“Apparently one of the better ones,” I challenged, pretending pride. Obviously Mona wanted power and I stood for what she secretly wanted. Mona’s eyes grew dark with jealousy. I decided to push her further with a lie. “And you’re one of his!”

“What do you mean?” Uncertainty filled her eyes.

“Do you honestly think he never spoke of you, of his disappointment in you? I spent many hours in his presence, and I’ve overheard many things spoken when they thought I was unconscious.” I stood up straight and threw my own look of contempt on my face. “How you are one of the failed ones.” It was another gamble but I saw that it had a ring of truth to it, because Mona’s face turned ashen white and she slumped lower to the ground dejectedly.

“You lie,” she whispered unconvincingly as if she were trying to persuade herself.

“Even in the alley a few hours ago, he spoke of your incompetence. Of your inability to make a young girl drink a drugged beverage.” Finally piecing together the facts,, I was starting to make sense of everything. After all, knowledge was power.

“You’re wrong. I will prove myself to him. I will.” With a final scream of desperation, Mona pulled on the thread of power and I saw Gloria on the bed gasp for breath and struggle.

“Stop her!” Joss and Nero yelled.

Without thinking, I too grabbed a thread of life, Mona’s, and squeezed. Mona struggled and refused to release her hold on Gloria, but she was no longer trying to kill her. Panting, she fell to the floor trembling but the thread linking her to Gloria was still there.

“What should we do?” Nero spoke as he had grabbed his wife and brushed her blonde hair with his hands in an attempt to comfort her, though she was still unconscious. “How can we break her control over her? I don’t know if she can survive another attack like that. It’s not something I can heal.  She made Gloria stop breathing.”

“Kill her,” Hemi spoke up gruffly for the first time. “If you can't do it, I will.” To him it was a simple choice and not one that he would ever lose sleep over.

“What?  No! We need her to find my sister,” Joss argued.

“Then get rid of her,” Hemi snapped.

“Where can we bring her that she won’t be able to hurt anyone else?”

“I know where.” And I did.

I gave instructions to Hemi and Darren and they re-gagged Mona and walked her out. They were taking her to Fanny’s to place her deep within her underground shield, but first they were going to drug Mona using the same techniques she used on us. She would be drugged and unable to reach any power within the shield, but the shield would also block her from reaching those outside of it.

A few minutes later later I saw the dark thread of power that was linked to Gloria vanish instantly, a sign that they had entered Fanny’s underground workroom. Gloria’s color returned and her breathing became more even. Now all we had to do was wait for the drug to work its way out of her system and the others that were in the main room.

Slowly, one by one, they regained control and every one of the guests affected wanted answers to what had happened. I promised Berry and Avina answers later and I left Joss and Nero to explain what they felt was appropriate to share to tell to the affronted guests.

Blindly, I made my way to my bedroom and crawled into bed and felt my eyes, heavy with fatigue, close as the first rays of morning sunshine entered my room. I was falling deep into sleep when a stray thought floated into my head before disappearing with the morning rays. Kael hadn’t returned.

Chapter 27

“Well, he has to be somewhere,” I yelled, cutting Joss short. It had been hours since I had last seen Kael.

“Thalia, he’ll come back. He’s probably following Talbot, er, uh, the Raven back to his stronghold. He’s a SwordBrother.  He will be fine.

“No, he won’t. Joss, he needs me.” Joss’ beautiful face scowled in disagreement. We hadn’t had the chance to talk alone about what had happened between him and Mona or the fact that we could officially drop the charade of our engagement.

“I highly doubt that he needs you,” Joss grumbled.

“No, he does. It’s something they did to him, to us. It’s really complicated. But believe me when I say that if we can’t find him soon, he could die.”

Joss’ head jerked up in surprise. “And when were you going to tell me about this?” he asked accusingly.

“Hopefully never.” It was the truth.  We had hoped to find a cure or fix for the bond. “But if you won’t help me find him, then I will go on my own.” I grabbed my pack and set off down the stairs to start my own search party for Kael. Joss grabbed my arm and turned me to look at him.

“Does he mean that much to you that you would go back onto the street where Talbot and Xiven are running free and try to find him? When you could end up captured or even killed?” Joss searched deeply into my hurt blue eyes.

I stared at Joss and raised my chin in defiance, showing him that I wasn’t afraid. “He would do the same for me.” I shook off Joss’ arm and ran down the steps out onto the street. Louder thuds behind me attested to the fact that Joss was following me.