“Maybe.He seemed sure, but—”
“Not that.”Two years of life with Laurie swept through Sasha'smind.Right up until the day he'd ditched Romeo in favour of DevlinSteele, and come home feverish to tell Sasha so, every moment ofthat time was lit up and lucid with the trust they’d placed in oneanother.“Something like that—he’d have told me.”
“Yes, except last time you ran away from him.”
“What?”
“Last time Stefan and his men were chasing you.You left himall alone.You did it to take the danger away from him, but don’tyou see that it half killed him?He’d have faced anything at yourside rather than be left behind like that.And now he’s afraid thatyou’ll do it again.”
Sashatook a step away from her.There was a low table by the door: hesank down onto that, dislodging some mail and a pot plant.Absurdities tore at him.He was sitting in a million-dollar housein Western Hollywood—Laurie was lost in the Mojave, getting drunkand stoned and sucked off by a stranger—because of Stefan Petrica?“No,” he whispered, retrieving the plant.He tucked it back intoits little pot, tugging off a broken leaf.Weeks’ worth ofstrangeness, a kind of fog that had entered his home and driftedthere, began to condense and break up.No sunlight camethrough—just a cold neon glare of the truth.Because Laurie hadbeen right.If Stefan was loose in London, that was exactly whatSasha would have done.Locked Laurie in a padded leaden boxsomewhere—found reason to pack him off alone to Aunt Elise inFrance—and he’d have run.“Poor John Kucharski.”
“I know.He was so kind to me.”
“Yes.To me too.Clara, Laurie shouldn’t have told you this.You shouldn’t have had to carry it around.”
“I don’t mind.He’s my brother, and I...”She padded over tohim, knelt at his feet.“I only mind if it hasn’t made a differenceto you—knowing why he did all this.I don’t mean the thing on thevideo, except that keeping all these secrets...”
“Must have been driving him crazy.Yes.”
“Yes.Tell me it’s made a difference, Sash.Please.”
He tookher hand.It was cold with fear.“Yes.Of course ithas.”
“Then you’ll stay, won’t you?Despite what he’s done—you won’trush off into the night?At least you’re safe here.The dragon hadto show our passports at your gate.We practically had to give themDNA before they’d let us in.”
“Your dragon says my security sucks.”
“At least it’s there.Sasha, I mean it.Don’t make me haveblown Laurie out of the water for nothing.”
“You haven't.”Sasha saw the shadows closing round her.He hadto clear her, chase them away.He remembered the wedding now, herabrupt departure, and he wondered what on earth had possessedLaurie.“Why did he tell you this, when he couldn't even tellme?”
“Oh, I was being precocious.”
Sashaflickered her a smile.“I can't imagine that, Clara.”
“You know how I can be.Terribly adult, talking to him aboutrelationships and careers.He usually sees through me, but I hadhim fooled him that time.He must have thought he couldconfide.”
“He shouldn't have.You do know that, don't you?No grown-upshould lay down his fears on a child.”
“I do know.Normally he never would have.Something was wrongwith him even back them—something more than being scared aboutStefan, I mean.”She patted his knees, a short, nervous tattoo.“But it did some good, didn't it?Because I can tell you now.Andit's made a difference.You're going to stay here.”
It wasthe only way to send her back into the sun.“Yes,” he said firmly,settling a mask to match his tone.“I'm so glad you came.You didexactly the right thing, and it must have been so hard foryou.”
“Really?You won't run?”
“There's no need, is there?”He managed a faint chuckle.“Ilove your brother...”Yes, always, still,the only true words left to me, and even if they weren't I'd saythem, to see the relief in her eyes.“Ilove Laurie, but he really overdid it, didn't he?Stefan was nevergonna find me here.”
“Oh, thank God.”She looked over her shoulder.Dracinsky hadfinished sweeping up.She was standing as discreetly as she couldamong the shadows, but plainly time was up.“Because the thingis...I rather ran away from Seattle.I might get away with missingmy practice hours today, but not a whole performance.”
“You have to go.You're still young Jane Eyre, aren'tyou?”
“I'll be the old one by the time this damn runends.”
Hehelped her up.Or maybe she helped him—there was little in it nowin terms of strength.They looked at one another, and Sashaunderstood—almost forgave—Laurie's impulse to bare his soul.Sashafolded up his own soul small so it couldn't escape, kissed hergently on the delicate Fitzroy cheekbone that lent her brother'sface such charm.“Go on.Everything will be okay.”
“You promise?”
That wastough.Sasha's standards for a vow were Romani ones, deep andbright as blood.But the terms were vague, he supposed, and at sometime in a future he could no longer envisage, maybe they would betrue.Everything would be okay for this girl, and for anyone elsestill left standing.
