Beautiful Redemption
Page 68

He glared at me. “As you can imagine, their little showdown with my brother and Abraham did not go according to plan. And Mr. Breed almost met an untimely end.”
“But Uncle M saved the day.” Ridley didn’t even try to hide her sarcasm. “He gave Hunting a sunburn where the sun don’t shine. Now let’s get on with the part where you give us a big lecture and we all get grounded.”
Marian turned to my uncle. “Is she implying—?”
Uncle Macon nodded. “Hunting is no longer with us.”
“Abraham’s dead, too,” John added.
Marian stared at Uncle Macon as if he had just parted the Red Sea. “You killed Abraham Ravenwood?”
Link cleared his throat loudly, grinning. “No, ma’am. I did.”
For a moment Marian was speechless. “I think I need to sit down,” she said, her knees beginning to buckle. John rushed behind the desk to get her a chair.
Marian pressed her fingers against her temples. “You’re telling me that Hunting and Abraham are dead?”
“That would be correct,” Uncle Macon said.
Marian shook her head. “Anything else?”
“Just this, Aunt Marian.” Ethan’s nickname for her just slipped out before I realized it. I dropped The Book of Moons on the polished wood tabletop next to her.
Liv inhaled sharply. “Oh my God.”
I stared down at the worn black leather, embossed with a crescent moon, and the weight of the moment closed in on me. My hands shook, and my legs felt like they were about to give out, too.
“I can’t believe it.” Marian inspected the book suspiciously, as if I were returning a late library book into her system. She would never be anything less than 100 percent librarian.
“It’s the real deal.” Ridley leaned against one of the marble columns.
Marian stood up in front of her desk as if trying to position herself between Ridley and the most dangerous book in the Mortal and Caster worlds. “Ridley, I don’t think you belong in here.”
Ridley pushed her sunglasses up on her head, yellow cat eyes blinking back at Marian. “I know, I know. I’m a Dark Caster, and I don’t belong in the good guys’ secret clubhouse, right?” She rolled her eyes. “I am so over this.”
“The Lunae Libri is open to all Casters, Light and Dark,” Marian answered. “What I meant is that I’m not sure you belong with us.”
“It’s okay, Marian. Rid helped us get the Book,” I explained.
Ridley blew a bubble and waited for it to pop, the sound echoing loudly off the walls. “Helped you? If by help, you mean set Abraham up for you so you could get The Book of Moons and kill him, then, yeah, I guess I helped.”
Marian stared at her, speechless. Without a word, she walked over and held up a trash can in front of Ridley’s mouth. “Not in my library. Spit it out now.”
Ridley sighed. “You know it’s not just gum, right?”
Marian didn’t move.
Ridley spit.
Marian dropped the can. “What I don’t understand is why you would risk your lives for that dreadful book. I appreciate the fact it is no longer in the hands of Blood Incubuses, but—”
“Ethan needs it,” I blurted out. “He found a way to contact me, and he needs The Book of Moons. He’s trying to get back here.”
“Have you gotten another message?” Marian asked.
I nodded. “In the latest Stars and Stripes.” I took a deep breath. “I need you to trust me.” I looked into her eyes. “And I need your help.”
Marian studied me for a long moment. I don’t know what she was thinking, or debating, or even deciding. All I know is, she didn’t say a word.
I don’t think she could.
Then she nodded, pulling her chair a bit closer to me. “Tell me everything.”
So I started talking. We took turns filling in the blanks—Link and John all but acting out our encounter with Abraham, and Rid and Uncle Macon helping me explain our plan to trade John for The Book of Moons. Liv looked on unhappily, as if she could hardly bear to hear it.
Marian didn’t say a word until we finished, though it was easy to read her expressions, which ranged from shock and horror to sympathy and despair.
“Is that everything?” She looked at me, exhausted by our story.
“It gets worse.” I looked at Ridley.
“You mean aside from the fact that Link dissected Abraham with the giant scissors?” Rid made a face.
“No, Rid. Tell her about Abraham’s plans. Tell her what you heard about Angelus,” I said.
Uncle Macon’s head snapped up at the sound of the Keeper’s name. “What is Lena talking about, Ridley?”
“Angelus and Abraham were up to something, but I don’t know the details.” She shrugged.
“Tell us exactly what you know.”
Ridley twisted a lock of pink hair around her finger nervously. “This Angelus guy is a nutcase. He hates Mortals, and he thinks the Dark Casters and the Far Keep should be in control of the Mortal world, or something like that.”
“Why?” Marian was thinking out loud. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles were white. Marian’s own trouble with the Far Keep was all too fresh in her memory.
Rid shrugged. “Ah, maybe because he’s Special K-razy?”
Marian looked over at my uncle, a silent conversation passing between them. “We can’t let Angelus gain a foothold here. He’s far too dangerous.”