I gape, my head starting to pound. “Oh, I don’t know, intimidate him? Maybe go rough him up?” I blurt. “Show his fangs and scare him into signing his rights away? Pull an Ebenezer Scrooge visit and convince him of the error of his ways so that he voluntarily does the right thing?”
Maeve breaks out into raucous laughter. “Seriously?Once again you underestimate the depths of Tony’s depravity. None of those things will work. Trust me on this.”
Knees weak, I drop into one of the chairs, hunching over the box. “Maeve, I can't be responsible for Tony's death. I'm not a murderer.”
“You won't be. The advocate will do it for you. Distract yourself with something fun tonight, and by morning it will all be better.”
“But I hired him! He might as well be a gun whose trigger I pulled.”
“You'll get over it once this nightmare goes away and you have your home. If he dies, the divorce does not move forward, and as the surviving spouse, you have a right to receive assets from Tony's estate, even if his will makes no provision for you. It's in your best interest to allow the advocate to do what he does best.”
I squeeze my eyes shut for a beat, disbelieving what I'm hearing. “How can you be so flippant about this? We're talking about a man's life!”
With a reflective sigh, Maeve leans back in her leather chair and threads her black-painted fingertips across her belly. “I'm not flippant, okay?” She gestures toward the box. “I lent that to you at great personal risk. He’s been in my family for centuries, and you are the first human to employ his services. But what Tony did to you, what he's doing to you, is wrong, Eloise. I believe you're justified.”
“Is that why you didn't tell me exactly what the spell did in advance?” I can't keep the edge from my voice.
Her posture stiffens, and the look she gives me is as cold and dark as the eyes of the menagerie of skeletal animals tattooed on her arms. “You told me you were willing to do anything to save your house.”
I clutch at the heavy weight of guiltthat forms in my chest again. “I was. I am. Almost anything! But I never thought... Listen, I know you only want to help me, but this is more than I feel is warranted. How do I undo it?”
Maeve twirls her hair around her finger, her lips pressed tightly. “You can call him back the same way you called him the first time and strike a new bargain.”
“But I can't perform the spell until midnight, right? He could strike as soon as the sun goes down. In fact, I'm sure he will because I gave him Tony's office address, not his home.”
“Right. You could try to call him earlier, but the magic will be weaker. He might ignore you.” She drums her fingers on the desk. “If you're absolutely sure this is what you want, and I really wish you’d reconsider, El, the only way to stop him is to intercept him at Tony's office. You can command him not to kill Tony, and he must obey you. Once you have an agreement, as long as the candle is in your possession, if you tell him to stop, he'll stop.”
I stand, gripping the box until my knuckles turn white. “That's what I'll do then. Thanks, Maeve.”
“He won't be happy about it.” Her gaze dips toward the box. “Don't be surprised if the advocate doesn't appreciate your interference. No beast likes to have his chain yanked.”
The intense memory of his giant body dwarfing mine as his teeth sank into my throat comes back to me. If that was him on a good day, what would the advocate be like angry? A shiver courses through me. “I understand.”
I head for the door, but Maeve stops me before I reach it. She pulls me into her arms until all the tension leaks from my body. “I'm sorry I didn't prepare you. I should have known you weren't ready for this. You've never used magic before.”
I wonder why her apology is about magic and notmurder, but I figure she means as much, even if she doesn't say it. “No, I uh, thank you, Maeve. I know you only want to help.”
She kisses my cheek, and I leave without another word. Maeve and I are good. It would take a hell of a lot more than this to come between us.
6
Breaking Point
ELOISE
Afew hours later, I arrive on the twentieth floor of Tony's building and walk through the doors to Denardi Enterprises. According to my app, I've made it just in time. Five minutes to sunset. I scan the reception area, wondering where I should wait for the advocate, then remember he can form from shadows. I'll have to be in Tony's office if I’m going to stop him.
“Can I help you?” the woman behind the desk asks.
“I need to see Tony Denardi, please. It's an emergency.”
“Name?”
“Eloise Harcourt.” I've never been so happy to have kept my maiden name.
Her eyes lift and then widen with recognition, her cheeks staining pink. “Oh, uh, I'm afraid he's booked for the afternoon.”
I study her for a moment, the way she shifts in her chair, her gaze darting everywhere but to me, and realization dawns. Oh God, this is awkward. I know Tony's beenhaving an affair with one of his assistants, but I never knew which one… until now. “You're her,” I mutter. “You're the one Tony's been… seeing.”
