Why did Lucian want my mother?

Had my words driven him so far that he meant to use her in some terrible ritual?

The thought chilled me.

“I’m not letting you take a key witness,” Hayes said.

Miles spread his hands.

“My orders are to bring her. I’m sorry.”

“Then let me speak to him.”

“He isn’t available.”

Miles’s tone hardened.

“Take her.”

“Stay back.”

Hayes reached for his weapon.

A tranquilizer dart struck his neck.

He touched it, tried to speak, and collapsed.

“My apologies, Detective.”

Miles ordered his men to take Hayes and Vivian to the police station together.

My mother went into another car.

He treated her gently.

Opened the door himself.

“You don’t need to be frightened. Nobody will hurt you again.”

She remained wary.

From her pocket, she took the crumpled photograph of me.

She carefully showed it to him, then pressed it over her heart.

Tears filled her eyes.

Miles sighed.

“We know. You’re her mother. Mr. Blackwood is her… friend. He won’t let her death go unanswered.”

He seemed to mean her no harm.

I relaxed a little.

My body was close to disappearing.

I remembered what he had said about Lucian being unavailable.

Had something happened?

Before I vanished completely, I wanted to see him once more.

I returned to him.

The room full of photographs was dark.

Moonlight filled it with cold.

He sat in a corner, holding my urn.

Felix’s worried voice came through the door.

“You’ve been in there a day and a night. At least eat something.”

Lucian didn’t answer.

He looked at the wall.

Every face was mine.

His fingers moved over the cold urn.

“Stella.”

His voice was rough with thirst.

And something wounded I had never heard in it before.

“You have no heart.”

He lowered his eyes.

“What is so good about him? You’re dead, and you still protect him.”

His pale mouth twisted.

Holding my ashes, he looked unbearably hurt.

“Do you hate me that much?”

I closed my eyes.

I couldn’t face him.

“I don’t hate you. I haven’t for so long.”

He would never hear it.

Someone knocked.

“Get out!” he roared.

Silence.

Then a soft voice.

“Lucian. It’s me.”

Almost my voice.

The woman Julian had sent.

She was still here.

But Lucian knew I was dead now.

He wouldn’t believe her anymore.

He stood and opened the door.

She waited outside with a bowl of porridge in her remaining hand.

“Eat something. If you starve, who’s going to fight me for control of Fairhaven?”

I gave a cold smile.

She really was committed to the role.

But he had seen through her.

He wouldn’t fall for it.

He studied her and took the bowl.

“While it’s hot,” she urged. “I made it myself. It won’t taste as good cold.”

Poison.

I knew.

So did he.

He wouldn’t eat it.

“This is the bargain Julian offered?”

His tone was calm as he looked down at the steaming bowl.

“You kill me. He releases your fiancé.”

She turned sharply.

Panic crossed her face.

“What are you talking about? You’re the one keeping me here. I don’t have a fiancé. Julian is my—”

“Evan Brooks is dead.”

The words cut her off.

“They put him in a car and drove it off a cliff. It burned. The police recorded it as a drunk-driving accident.”

She shook.

The performance ended.

Evan Brooks.

Her fiancé.

“No. You’re lying. Evan isn’t dead.”

She tried to run.

Lucian caught her and held her against the wall.

He stared at the face so much like mine.

His eyes darkened with something complicated.

After a few seconds, he looked away and opened a news report on his phone.

“The crash happened three hours ago.”

He held it where she could see.

“Grace Collins. An orphan. Trafficked a year ago. Julian took you out and remade you, piece by piece. His final weapon. A replacement Stella.”

He had uncovered everything.

She sank to the floor.

“If Evan’s dead, I have nothing left. You knew who I was. Knew I came to kill you. There’s no point denying it. Kill me.”

She smiled bitterly.

“Nobody cares what happens to a worthless life like mine. The only person who did is gone.”