Book of Night(114)

The shadowless can’t be controlled. There’s a door shut inside of them.

There would have been no way for Charlie to come here and confront Salt if it was possible for him to puppet her. It had been surprisingly hard to give up her shadow, but she’d sewn it to Posey’s feet and trusted her sister to care for it. Charlie wasn’t destined to be a gloamist. She was destined for this.

“Lionel,” said Vicereine. “That was naughty of you.”

“I wanted to force her to confess the truth,” Salt said, a hectic flush on his cheeks. He managed to sound calm, however, as though this was all just a small and embarrassing disagreement. “I shouldn’t have done that, but she has herself been deceived.”

“Do you know something about the death of a Cabal member?” Malik asked Lionel. “Because that would have been a hell of a thing to keep to yourself, no matter what the truth is about your involvement.”

“I did not think I would have to reveal this, certainly not here,” Salt said, looking around, annoyed. “But you see, I have been working with the Hierophant to catch the murderer of Knight Singh. And we have succeeded.”

“Oh, did he catch himself, then?” Charlie asked. “Because he’s the one who killed Knight, on your orders.”

“Be quiet!” the Hierophant ground out.

Salt turned toward Charlie with a sneer. “The Hierophant has served the Cabal faithfully,” Salt said. “Who are you to question his loyalty, thief?”

“Stephen, what’s this about?” Bellamy asked, peering at the Hierophant. The name of the human, the one who Charlie was almost sure wasn’t in control of the body anymore. It wasn’t just the way he spoke, but that he had the wan, sickly appearance of someone whose energy was being consumed.

“She’s a liar,” said the Hierophant.

Salt looked at Charlie and shook his head sadly. “Oh dear, yes, our boy tricked you, didn’t he? The deceiver deceived. You’re not the first.” He turned back to the others, his confidence that he could get away with this growing. “Now, perhaps we can do this part in private? I have something to show you. Something I would prefer we kept between the four of us.”

Vicereine and Malik shared a glance. Malik nodded to Bellamy.

“Yes, I think so,” Vicereine said, with a look at Charlie. “I believe you said your name was…”

“Charlie,” she said. “Charlie Hall.”

“Ms. Hall, I promise you that we’ll hear your accusations and pass judgment.”

Malik nodded. Bellamy regarded her with interest. “We can be fair.”

Charlie was certain they could, but less certain they would.

“Let us adjourn to the library,” Salt said. “And I will tell you everything.” He signaled to a young man in a suit and tie. “Get him for me. Bring him in the cuffs.”

The other gloamists watched them leave, a few of them stopping one or the other Cabal members to ask them a question, or make some comment. A few laughed. The Hierophant walked behind them, his gaze returning over and over to the book in Charlie’s hands.

“You,” Salt said to her, under his breath. “Are nothing more than a piece of gristle between my teeth.”

She tried to ignore him, tried to ignore the shudder that went through her. He was just picking at stitches, hoping she’d unravel.

It was uncomfortable to be back in the library, her gaze going automatically to the small stain on the rug. But only for a moment, because Vince was already there, standing against a shelf, his arms bound in the same onyx restraints that had been hanging on the wall in the hidden hallway.

She took in the despair in his gray eyes, his broad shoulders and the muscles beneath them. Took in the dark gold of his hair and the angry line of his mouth. Looking at him made her stomach hurt.

“Char,” he said. “You should have gone when you had a chance.”

She turned her face away, not sure if she was capable of doing what was necessary with him watching.

“And who is this?” Malik asked.

“That’s Edmund, his grandson,” Bellamy said, peering at Vince as though trying to convince himself of something. “I thought he was dead.”

“Oh, we’ll get to that,” Salt said.

Adeline entered the room in her long black gown and perched on the arm of a chair. “Can I get any of you a drink?”

Charlie, having been drugged once in this room already, shook her head.

Vicereine settled herself into a chair opposite Adeline. “All right, Lionel. Now, explain yourself.”

He looked relaxed, pleased. Charlie thought he might even be enjoying himself. “I became involved with the Hierophant because we had a common interest. The murderer of Knight Singh was also the murderer of my grandson. It stands before you, in his guise. But it isn’t him. You’re looking at his shadow.”

“That is impossible,” said Malik.

“Are you saying this man is a Blight?” asked Bellamy, walking up to Vince.

Vince glowered but made no move to step away.

Bellamy reached out a hand. Almost immediately upon touching Vince’s upper arm, he pulled back in surprise. He turned toward Vicereine, who said nothing.

“My grandson had always taken a somewhat unorthodox approach to shadow magic. He treated his shadow like an entirely separate being, one he let make decisions for them both. Eventually, it became independent enough to trick him.”