“Running again?” He smirks.
“Fuck off. Dirk Kessler just told the world that he’s my great uncle, but didn’t think to give me a heads up.”
“He probably assumed you knew. You had Debbie’s birth certificate; it has the name Kessler on it.”
“Well excuse me for being overwhelmed by the news of discovering my real mother!” I cry hotly. “Of course I overlooked the connection to some old dude I only met a couple of times! And even if I did realise he was a relative, maybe I wasn’t ready for the world to know!”
“Whatever, Amelie. You need to grow up and stop being such a goddamn drama queen. Boo-hoo, you have shitty parents. Look around, everyone here does.”
I shrink back as if slapped by the venom in Baxter’s words.
“Why are you being like this?”
“Don’t you get it? You’re in! Congratufuckinglations. The Order owns your ass now. This isn’t a game or a hobby or even a nine day wonder! There’s only one way out and it’s your funeral.”
“What choice did I have?” I hiss back at him. “No, really. Tell me, what else I could have done to get answers.”
“I offered! I begged you to come away with me.”
“But I would still be in the dark!” I cry. “If we ran, would you spill all their secrets?”
“Amelie—”
“There you go.” I sigh. “Excuse me, I need some space.”
I push past him, heading towards the French doors at the end of the corridor. Behind me, I hear him curse, but when I look over my shoulder he’s tossing his cigarette butt into a silver vase, and stalking back towards the ballroom.
Jeesh, what crawled up his ass and died? Why does he even care what I do?
Fresh air hits my face and I take deep, calming breaths. If I can just be left alone for twenty minutes or so, I’ll be fine. I just need a break.
Who am I kidding? Kalen will be so far up my ass it isn’t funny.
I can hear him calling my name. I can’t lie and say I hate the attention he gives me, but right now I need to get away. I’m glad I wore combat boots tonight.
I race down the stairs, taking in lungful’s of that bitterly cold air, glad for once for the biting, bracing temperature. Hearing Kalen getting closer, I dart for the sanctuary of the trees, oblivious to everything behind me.
Chapter Forty
Slate
Everything happens so fast: Amelie runs from the room after Dirk’s announcement, and Kalen and I go after her at the same time. Kalen may be fast, but I take the short cut and weave between tables.
When it comes to Amelie, I have tunnel vision. Everything around me fades away, a dangerous thing when you're in a room of very powerful men.
I take a different exit to Kalen, thinking we might be able to cut her off, but when I come out into the main corridor, she’s nowhere to be seen. I search for her, but when it proves fruitless, I double back to the ballroom in search of my brothers. Maybe Kalen has found her and they’re already back?
The room shakes violently and I lurch on my feet.
I turn back to see flames and smoke spiralling from the corner of the room, shrapnel flying and hitting people as they try to escape in a flood of hysteria.
The explosion has the room thrown into a chaotic kind of panic. Confusion halts my search for Amelie. My feet stall whenI hear a scream. Even over the chaos of the room, my ears are so well trained that I can pick out the voices of my loved ones. That scream was Kalen. Normally I’d tease him that he sounds like a girl, but the sound causes a war within me. Cold dread and white hot panic shoot through and collide in my chest, spurring me into action.
Frantically, I look around, but the smoke which has now engulfed the entire room makes it hard to see what is happening. But he’s there. On the ground. Debris covering his body. I race to his side, pushing rubble off of him and inspecting him for injuries.
“Are you okay?” I ask with fear lacing my voice. I’m not prepared to lose my brothers or Amelie. There’s very few people in my life I care about besides them.
“I’m fine, just go find Amelie and make sure she’s okay. I don’t trust that Grandfather wasn’t behind this.”
