“We’re closed,” Alex snipped from the other side of the room. “There’s another café just down the street.”
“Miss Moore,” said one of the men. “Will you please come with us?”
Haven rose from her seat to face the gray men. Only one person could have sent the pair. “Why?” she asked. “Do you know what Adam wants?”
“No, Miss Moore. We were only told to find you.”
“Do you need help?” Owen whispered to Haven. Across the room, Calum and Alex stood watching the scene, their jaws agape. But they didn’t dare make a move.
“You need to come with us to the Society,” stated the second gray man.
“Haven?” Owen whispered again, this time with more urgency. “Do you want me to deal with this?”
“It’s okay,” Haven assured him, though she was certain it wasn’t. Adam would never have her hauled away unless Haven was about to be punished. If there hadn’t been witnesses on the scene, she might have collapsed under the weight of her fear. But somehow Haven managed to keep her knees from buckling, and she hid her hands in her pockets so no one could see how much they were shaking.
“Let’s go,” said the second man, taking Haven by the elbow and leading her out of the café.
“How did they know where to find her?” Haven heard Calum casually inquire before the door slammed behind her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The two gray men deposited Haven on the front stairs of the Ouroboros Society.
“Wait inside,” one of them instructed her. They remained stationed on the sidewalk in front of the building, but they didn’t follow her up the steps.
Beyond the front door, it was business as usual, and several members were milling about the lobby.
“Hello, Miss Moore,” the receptionist said pleasantly. “Adam will be with you in a moment. Would you like to take a seat in the waiting area?”
Haven walked in slow circles around the room but didn’t settle into a chair. She was trying very hard to appear calm while she secretly fought the urge to vomit. Something had gone terribly wrong. A door opened on the other side of the lobby, and a group of children emerged. Haven recognized them as the birthday kids she’d seen bird-watching with Adam. They walked, almost single file, past Haven and toward the front door. The last person in line was Flora, who stopped to zip up her coat.
“Hello, Miss Moore,” she said when she spotted Haven.
Haven cleared her throat. “Hi, Flora. How are you? Did you have a good birthday?”
“Yes, it was wonderful,” Flora said. “But I’m looking forward to getting back to school.” There was something so odd about the kid, Haven thought once again. Flora had changed so much since their first meeting. Then, all at once, Haven figured it out. The politeness, the slightly stilted language—even the oddly penetrating stare. Flora was mimicking Adam Rosier. “I heard you were there yesterday. What did you think?”
“How do you know I was at Halcyon Hall?” Haven asked, feeling suddenly exposed.
Flora frowned. “Everyone knows. We don’t have many visitors. Did you like it?”
“Of course I did!” Haven tried to laugh and nearly choked instead. Was this why she’d been dragged to the OS? Was Adam furious that she’d visited Halcyon Hall without his permission? “It’s so much better than the school I attended. All the classes seem so interesting! What are you studying there?” Haven babbled.
“The same subjects as everyone else.”
“But don’t you have a special gift? Weren’t you an epidemiologist in your last life? Shouldn’t you be studying biology or medicine?”
“I don’t need to study those things,” Flora informed her politely. “I already know everything I need to know about medicine. There are many more subjects I’ll need to master if I’m going to be ready for the future. Adam says we all have a great responsibility on our shoulders.”
“Flora.” It was the receptionist. “Please don’t dillydally. The car is waiting for you outside.”
“Bye, Miss Moore,” Flora said. “I hope I see you soon.”
“Yes,” Haven said. “I hope so too.”
Haven felt someone watching her. Adam was standing in the door of the room on the other side of the reception area. Haven hurried over.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “Why am I here? Is this about Halcyon Hall?”
“I apologize for dragging you away from your friends,” Adam said. “But I needed to speak with you at once.”
“Is this about Beau?” she tried again.
“No. And it’s not a subject we should discuss in public. Come with me, Haven.”
Adam led the way up the stairs toward his office on the second floor. Inside, he pointed to a chair. Haven sat down while he closed the door. He paced the small room a few times, then came to rest three feet away from her. He leaned back against his desk and said nothing. His fingers gripped the edge of the wood with such force that Haven expected chunks to snap off in his hands.
“Adam?”
Suddenly his black eyes were on her. “I know Iain Morrow is alive.”
Haven could feel the red-hot flush creeping across her chest and scaling her neck. “What?” she managed to croak.
“I’ve known for months. You were spotted together in Rome. My people tell me that Marta Vega is alive as well. I doubt that comes as a surprise to you.” It wasn’t an accusation—merely a statement of fact.
“You knew all of this and you didn’t—”
“I promised you this life to lead as you chose, and I will keep my promise no matter what happens.”
That was one possible explanation, Haven thought, her mind racing. Unfortunately it wasn’t the only one. Months had passed since Adam had discovered the truth about Iain. If Adam had set his sights on revenge, he’d had more than enough time to put together a plan. Haven shuddered at the thought—and prayed that Adam would prove true to his word.
“I wouldn’t have said a thing,” Adam continued, “but Iain approached one of my men this morning. He asked to meet with me.”
“He did?” Haven said, genuinely shocked. She had never known Iain to be so reckless. What was he trying to accomplish? What was he trying to prove to her? Phoebe had been right to warn her. If Haven wasn’t careful, Iain might get them both killed.
Adam remained motionless—so still that he couldn’t possibly be breathing. “May I ask what the state of your relationship is at this moment?” He looked down. “I wouldn’t dare inquire if it weren’t for the other night.”
“Our relationship?” She could barely hear her own words over the pounding in her chest.
“Are you and Iain together?”
Adam had caught her off guard. She should have had a response prepared, but Haven had never expected the question to be posed so bluntly. What would happen if she said yes? At the very best Adam might call off the search for Beau. She didn’t want to imagine the worst he might do. Everything now depended on her answer.
“We came back to New York when Beau disappeared,” Haven explained. “I thought the Pythia could help me uncover the clues I needed to save him. Iain wanted to hire a private investigator. He didn’t want me anywhere near the Ouroboros Society. Anywhere near you. He made clear from the beginning that he didn’t trust me. When he heard that I’d seen you at the spa, he went crazy. I could tell that he didn’t really give a damn about Beau. So I asked for your help instead. Iain and I haven’t been together since. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. He didn’t trust me, and he wasn’t there for me when I needed him.”
She lifted herself slowly from her chair, approaching Adam as cautiously as she would a wounded beast. When she was close enough, she took one of his icy hands. Her touch seemed to reassure him.
“Why did Iain want to meet with you?” Haven asked again. “Did he say?”
“Yes,” Adam said. “He wants you back. And for the first and last time, he has my sympathy.”
“It doesn’t matter what Iain wants anymo
re,” Haven declared.
“How can you be certain that you won’t forgive him? You’ve forgiven me, haven’t you?” There was such sadness in Adam’s question that Haven’s heart hurt. “You don’t need to answer. But you should know that Iain won’t give you up easily. I believe he asked me to meet him with the hope of imprisoning me.”
“What makes you think that?” Haven asked, forcing herself to speak.
Adam must have mistaken the grimace on her face for confusion. “Iain suggested we meet at an address in Harlem. He said it was neutral ground. I sent one of my men to do some reconnaissance. It was a storefront on a block slated for demolition. There wasn’t much to see at the location in question, but my man discovered an abandoned bank vault in the basement of the building next door. I suspect that’s where I might have found myself had I agreed to the meeting.”
Adam paused to study Haven’s response, and she prayed he would misread her horror. She now knew what Iain had been trying to accomplish. Phoebe had told them both where the Horae planned to confine the magos. Iain had substituted himself as bait. Had he believed he could lock Adam away on his own? Or had Iain planned to sacrifice himself just to prove that Adam was evil? Whatever the case, it was pure insanity.
“I doubt the vault was Iain’s idea,” Adam continued. “The modus operandi leads me to believe that he’s been in touch with a group called the Horae. Have you heard of them?”
“No,” Haven lied, hoping Adam didn’t know more than he was letting on. “Who are they?”
“You might say they’re my enemies. The Horae devote themselves to hindering my work. Once or twice a millenium they convince some gullible soul to assist them with their schemes. They spin a tragic story about how they were once sisters who met a terrible end because of something I did.”
“The story isn’t true?” Haven asked, her mind reeling. She had come so close to being that gullible soul.
“It could be. As you know, I’ve unleashed horrible things on the world. But in this case the accusations against me are false. The Horae were never innocent girls.”
“What are they?”
“The world is full of forces that humans don’t understand, Haven. I bring chaos. The Horae do their best to restore order. There are others at work, as well. We aren’t the only ones.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s much like the weather,” Adam explained. “Most people think of the weather as sun or rain. Heat or cold. But there are countless invisible forces forever battling to bring about one or the other. The battle itself is the most important part. It can’t be allowed to end. If one force ever prevailed, there would be drought. If another won, the whole world would wash away.”
“And the Horae are trying to end the battle by locking you up in a bank vault?” It sickened Haven to think that she’d almost helped them.
“They want their day in the sun. And they’ll get it any way they can. They’re as ruthless as I’ve ever been. You must realize that order is no better than chaos. Ask anyone who lived under Joseph Stalin—or the other tyrants and dictators who’ve been friendly with the head of the Horae. Remember, I told you I don’t know what could happen to me now. I may be evolving, but the Horae are not.”
“If you change, does that mean the Horae could win?” Haven asked. “What happens if there’s no chaos left to battle their order?”
“I have no intention of letting them win,” Adam assured her. “I’m simply testing a new approach. Chaos doesn’t always demand death and destruction. You saw Halcyon Hall yesterday?”
“Yes, I’m sorry I didn’t—”
“There’s no need to apologize. Now you know what I have planned for the Ouroboros Society. Imagine each of those young people sent out into the world. They’ve never been told what to think. They’ve never had their creativity stifled by ridiculous rules or petty little minds. They will have all the resources they’ll need at their disposal. Think of how they might shake up society. They have the power to create a new brand of chaos.”
It would have sounded wonderful if there hadn’t been one little fact still nagging at Haven. “You founded Halcyon Hall ten years ago, Adam. You were different back then. What did you originally have in mind for the students?”
Adam’s eyes dropped from Haven’s face to the floor. “I must admit that I had other intentions in those days. I set out to find the most gifted souls—the ones who possessed incredible power. I believed that by recruiting them as children, I could make them loyal to me. When the time came, I would manipulate their power however I chose.”
It took every ounce of Haven’s courage to ask the next question. “How did you make all those kids loyal to you?”
“I supported them. Educated them. Gave them my time and attention.”
“That’s it?” She found it hard to believe.
“You were imagining something slightly more sinister? Brainwashing, perhaps? You’ve been to Halcyon Hall. Did the children appear to be brainwashed?”
“No,” Haven said, thinking back to Jorge, the little boy she’d met.
“I’ve never needed to employ such heavy-handed techniques,” Adam explained. “Power is neither good nor bad. With the right inspiration, it can easily be nudged in either direction. Now the students at Halcyon Hall will be encouraged to improve the world. And they have been given the education to do so. Did you like what you saw during your visit to the school?”
“I was impressed,” Haven admitted. “It really seemed like a wonderful place.”
“I’m glad you thought so. Perhaps someday we can expand the program—start more schools around the world. But first . . . first we need to take care of the problem in front of us.”
“You mean Iain?” Haven fell back into the present with an unpleasant thud. “What are you going to do to him?”
“That depends,” Adam replied. “What would you like me to do?”
“You’re asking me?”
“Why not? You know him better than anyone.”
Haven had never faced a more terrible test. If Adam was still a monster, then the wrong answer—whatever it was—would risk three lives. If he wasn’t, she needed to stay close to him. He was still her best hope of saving Beau. She was out on a limb, and there was no going back.
“You’re the one who came to my rescue, Adam. My loyalties lie with you now. You should do what you think is necessary,” Haven said, knowing full well that the Adam of the past would never have allowed a dangerous rival to live.
“You say that to please me, but I know you wouldn’t want to see anyone harmed,” Adam replied. “So I will do my best to ignore Iain Morrow for now. But there is one thing I must ask of you in return.”
“Anything,” Haven said, hiding her relief. She’d trusted her instincts and saved Iain’s life.
“There’s a gathering at the Ouroboros Society tonight. Nothing terribly important, but a few of our highest-ranking members will be there. Will you come?”
“Of course.”
“As my date?”
“Yes.”
“Do you realize what that means?” Adam asked. “People will know who you are. It will be our first appearance together as a couple.”
“I know,” Haven said.
“Things will change,” Adam said. “In ways you might not expect.”
“I know,” Haven said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The sound of ringing took Haven by surprise. Voice mail picked up, and Iain’s voice on the message made her heart do a somersault before she remembered how furious she was with him. How could she still love someone whose recklessness had come so close to destroying them both?
“What in the hell were you trying to do, Iain?” she hissed into the phone. She was standing by the service entrance of an apartment building on Nineteenth Street. There wasn’t a soul in sight, but Haven couldn’t shake the feeling that someone might be listening. “Did you really think Adam would take the bait and come after you? Were you hoping
to show me how stupid I’ve been? Well, you know what? Turns out I was right all along. Adam is different now. But I would never have risked our lives to prove it. You thought you had everything figured, out didn’t you? Well, all you managed to do was make me get closer to him. Tonight Adam’s going to introduce me at the Society as his girlfriend. Do you have any idea what that means? Do you—”
There was a loud beep in her ear.
“Your message has reached the maximum length,” said a cheerful automated voice.
“Aaarrrrghh!” Haven screamed into the phone, no longer afraid of who might hear her. She kicked the wall and considered giving it a punch for good measure. Instead she stood with her forehead pressed to the concrete, breathing deeply and trying to recapture some calm. She was squeezing the phone in her hand like a stress ball when an e-mail arrived from Beau Decker’s address.
There was no message, just an attachment. A single photo of Beau’s face. One of his eyes was closed, already swelling, and the other glared up at his photographer with helpless rage. He’d been knocked to the ground, and blood poured from fresh gashes on his right temple and lower lip. Another trickle left a crimson trail from his nose to his ear. It had been bad enough to know that Beau might have been injured. But seeing him suffer was far worse than Haven had ever imagined.
The world went quiet, and she saw nothing but the picture on the screen. Adam and Iain were forgotten. Haven had no other worries, no other concerns. The terror coursing through her system had washed them all away. There were only two things that mattered. Finding Beau. And punishing the people who’d hurt him.
The photo disappeared, and Leah Frizzell’s name appeared in glowing letters on the phone’s screen. Haven answered the call.
“They hurt him again.” She didn’t have time to waste on hello.
“I know,” Leah said. “Whoever took the picture sent it to everyone in Beau’s address book. But he’s alive, Haven . . .”