“You have what you want. Let my son go,” Alicia demands. I notice Edmund then, across the room, chained and guarded in the same way Arden is. Arden is staring at him, but he keeps his gaze locked on the floor.
Kieran waves a hand in the air. “Give her the boy. He’s done the task appointed to him and earned his place.”
One of the black creatures releases Edmund, and he runs into his mother’s arms. The two move for the mirror, but Kieran raises a hand.
“Stay where you are, Alicia. We’re not done here.”
Seven trades a deadly look with Alicia, and I send my own dagger-filled stare after his. If I ever get out of this, I’m going to make her and her brat pay.
“Release Arden as well,” Seven demands.
“Whether Arden walks out of my castle or is carried out in the bellies of my hounds is up to you, young Delaney.”
“What do you want from me?” Seven’s eyes flash, and I sense him holding back his power. Kieran is rumored to be as formidable as Godmother. She bested him, which is why he’s here, but she’s the only one who ever has as far as I know. Seven is wise to tread lightly.
I inch toward Arden, hoping Seven is enough of a diversion that I can reach her.
“Stay right there, Ms. Larkspur,” Kieran says, pointing at me. “I’m afraid everyone in this room is now part of this. I will need your cooperation as well.”
“If you want my cooperation, let me go to my daughter!” I blurt.
“All in good time. I’m sure you’re wondering why I went to such great lengths to bring you here, and it’s time you understood exactly what role you will play in the future of Shadowvale.” He turns to the hound creatures. “Bring them.”
Bony black fingers seize my shoulders. I try to make eye contact with Seven, but I’m pushed forward into a dim hallway. Arden is in front of me, and I notice for the first time that they haven’t taken her bow. I wonder if it’s operational or just a costume prop. Either way, Kieran must not see it as a threat to allow her to keep it on her person. Still, if I could get my hands on it…
The hounds herd us along until we reach a large balcony overlooking Shadowvale. I blink against the orangey light of sunset. When my eyes adapt, what I see beyond the walls of the castle confuses me more than anything that’s happened today.
“You’re mining malivite here?” Seven is beside me again, and he looks as confused as I am.
Kieran glowers at us. “It’s sad really how detached you were from your father’s vision, Seven. Allow me to bring you up to speed. Shadowvale is a source of a unique mineral.” He holds up a segment of malivite between his thumb and forefinger, similar to the one I retrieved from Adam Barker’s murder scene but bigger. “This stone is as dense as lead but far more interesting. You see, it shares properties with both rhodium and neodymium to the extent it can replace those minerals in manufacturing. What I’m holding here is so concentrated an ounce of it is equivalent to a pound of those other elements.”
Beside me, Seven shifts with his astonishment. “No wonder Rayrcore wants it.”
I can’t help myself. “Sorry, what do rhodium and neodymium do?”
Seven turns to me. “They’re rare earth elements. They’re used in electronic devices and car engines. We use them in our slot machines.”
“Rare earth isn’t exactly rare,” Kieran says, “But it is essential and problematic to mine in your world. We are the solution to that problem. We are going to mine, sell, and ship malivite to Rayrcore from Shadowvale. You, Seven, and Lucky Enterprises are going to be the conduit for that transaction.”
“Is that what this is all about? You need me because I own the casino now,” Seven says slowly. “Once my father was arrested, I inherited the property the portal is on. You want me to power the portal so you can get the malivite from here into Rayrcore’s garage.”
Alicia laughs. “You self-important twit. I have access to the tunnels too and can open a portal without you. We need you because Lucky Enterprises’ manufacturing subsidiary has the established business relationship with Rayrcore. If you don’t carry this through, it could raise a red flag with Godmother or FIRE.”
“That’s it? This is all about selling malivite? But why did you kill Adam Barker?” I ask.
“We didn’t,” Alicia says.
“I know you were there.” I don’t bother explaining how I know that. No reason to bring Eva into this.
She nods. “Iwasthere because I was working with Adam. I’d provided him with some malivite, and he came to Dragonfly Hollow to share the results of his analysis with me, results I planned to share with Rayrcore. Someone shot him before we could connect.”
She’s telling the truth and I glance at Seven, but he just shakes his head. If Alicia didn’t kill Adam, who did? Kieran had no reason to want him dead.
Seven struggles against the hound creatures’ grip, but they only hold him tighter. “Okay, you have me now. Just let Arden and Sophia go.”
I glance over to see that Arden’s eyes are rimmed with red. She’s staring at Edmund. I’ve never seen her so heartbroken. The hounds that guard her barely have to do anything because she’s barely there. A ghost among us.
You’re going to be okay, I mouth to her. Her next breath trembles in her throat, her tears flowing freely, but she offers me a nod.
