I started to say something—what, I didn’t know—but Chris gripped my arm.
Georgine was a Lunar Court princess. Someone who could control wolves. Gaining her attention wasn’t wise.
“And I’m supposed to let you go?” Cosette asked, gaining Georgine’s attention again. “Because my timing is good?”
“I kept her alive, even when Mother’s magic would’ve smothered her wolf until it was dead.” Her words felt like a punch to my gut. “But I gave little bits of myself. I sacrificed for her. You owe me for that.”
She’d helped keep Tessa alive? I wasn’t sure how to feel about this fey.
Cosette’s sister stood from her perch on the loveseat.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Away, and you’re not going to stop me. You need to help that one there, and I want no part of it.” She motioned to Tessa. “When you go after Mother, you will either say nothing about me or tell her I’m dead. I honestly don’t care which.”
Cosette crossed her arms, and I wasn’t sure why she was agreeing to this. “And where will you go? How do I know you won’t act against me?”
“I won’t act against you as long as you don’t attack me. Said plainly and no lies hidden in my words. There’s war brewing among the fey, and I’m not like you. I was never Mother’s assassin. I’ll wait somewhere safe until this is over.”
Georgine got up and walked to the balcony door.
She was living, but she couldn’t lie. If she said that she wasn’t going to act against us, that she’d helped Tessa, then we had to let her go.
“Georgie?” Cosette stood. Her voice was softer, kinder. “You swear you didn’t hurt her.”
“No, Coco. I didn’t hurt her. I was sent here when the magic was already on her and only here to watch. I was bound to do that, but I didn’t hurt her. I couldn’t really help either.” She opened the balcony door. “See you in the next life, Cosette.” She stepped into the moonlight and was gone.
Cosette sat on the pouf again, but this time her face looked paler. I wasn’t sure what to make of that or what to make of her sister.
“Are you sure it’s okay to let your sister go?”
Cosette sighed, and then she turned to me. “Yes. I would’ve killed her if I thought she’d harm any of us, but that’s not Georgie’s way. She’s cold, oftentimes heartless, a straight-up bitch most of the time, and a narcissist all of the time…but that coldness in her was built over centuries of being with our mother. Under it all—buried very deep—is a softness. She doesn’t have the stomach to fight or even hurt someone. Not like our mother. Or even like me.”
“You’re not cold like that,” Chris said.
Cosette laughed and reached her hand out to Chris. “I’m glad you think that.” He took her hand, and they smiled at each other.
I wasn’t sure what to say, but I had more questions. “What did you find in her apartment?”
Cosette turned to me. “There are spells woven into every wall. Everything she touches in there reinforces the magic.” She pressed her lips together as if she were thinking hard about what she would say next.
I stayed quiet, waiting. Chris stood next to her. I could read him a little better, but his concern and worry didn’t give me answers.
“When she was first taken, I remember thinking about how much magic someone would need to hold her hostage and thinking it was too much. I just could
n’t wrap my head around what would need to be done, and that’s because I wasn’t thinking big enough.” She leaned forward over her knees. “And it is big. What’s in there is no joke. They’ve got spells on every inch of that place, reinforcing the magic hiding her, the memory loss, and making her more…docile, I guess, might be the right word. Making her accept what’s given to her—what she’s told to do and believe—and not push for more answers. It’s vile. I know my sister helped keep that going, even if she was also feeding her a little strength to keep her going. I’m not sure how Tessa’s survived this long.”
Chris sat down next to Cosette, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “She survived because she’s strong.”
I sat next to Tessa, gently pulling her back onto my lap.
Cosette stared at Tessa. “She’s got these clear capsules in her medicine cabinet. I’m assuming those are the meds she mentioned. They’re herbal, but potions. I can’t tell what they do exactly, but I have to assume that they make her more vulnerable to the fey magic. It says on the bottle that she’s supposed to take them every two hours and then five more before bed. That’s a lot of spells she’s been ingesting every single day for a very long time.”
“Did your sister say anything about how to break the magic before you came in here?”
“No. Georgine’s powers are less and weaker than mine. There’s no way she could break it if I can’t either. Eli said no one but you could do it, but this is actually good news.”
I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or scream. “Why? How is any of this good?”