Part 40 (1/2)
”More like his slave. I made a deal with the Court years ago. I wanted to be rich. I wanted to be the best salesman this world has ever seen. I got my wish. h.e.l.l, I've literally sold the Brooklyn Bridge to three different billionaires in the last decade alone. I made a star out of Joe Vince when n.o.body would give that poor sap the time of day without me. But I've been bound to the Court ever since.
They own me. But if they're all dead . . .”
He moves ever so slightly away from Dax. I take advantage of his mistake and rush at him, a bolt of lightning building inside my chest. I raise my arm to fling it at him, but he swings around, looking me in the eye, and commands, ”Be still!”
My body goes stiff, my arm still raised. I am frozen like a petrified tree. I cringe, fighting to break loose from Simon's mental hold.
”You think I like being at the beck and call of you little dung eaters? I'm a broker. A dealer. And you've got one of the finest artifacts I've ever encountered. This girl is my ticket to the life I should have had when I made that deal with the Court. In fact, my buyer is on his way here now.
”Daphne, be a dear and give me the Compa.s.s,” Simon says, turning his full power of persuasion on her.
She starts to lift the Compa.s.s in her hand, but I can see her struggling against Simon's will. To my surprise, she clutches the Compa.s.s to her chest instead of handing it to him. ”No,” she says. ”And I'll never go anywhere with you.”
”Well, isn't that a neat trick,” Simon says. ”Our little Cypher seems to be impervious to my charms.
Must be because you've got a few drops of G.o.d blood running through your veins. Never mind. That's why I brought a little leverage. Joe?” He snaps his fingers. ”You can move now.” Joe lurches forward, as if falling out of a trance. He makes a move to grab Daphne out of the boys'
grasp, but Simon commands him to stop. He freezes once more.
”Now, I could just get one of these boys to tear that Compa.s.s out of your hands and give it to me. But I think a little game of Simonsays might be more fun. You know the rules, don't you, boys and girls?
You do as Simon says”-he reaches behind him and pulls a dark, glossy weapon from his belt-”or you're out.”
”Gun!” Lexie shrieks. She tries to flee to the corner of the room, where Sarah stands motionless, staring at her easel. It's as if the Oracle isn't even conscious that we are still here.
”Not so fast,” Simon says, stopping Lexie. ”I think we have our first player. What's your name, dear?”
”What?” she says, sounding even smaller than she looks.
”Your name!”
”L . . . Lexie.”
”Simon says, come here, Lexie.” He beckons her with the gun. ”It's okay. I only bite if you don't listen to me.” Unlike Daphne, Lexie is unable to resists his persuasive orders and goes to him.
”Simon says, hold out your hands. That's good. Now take this.” He places the gun into her shaking hands, wraps them around the handle, and gently places her finger on the trigger, positioning her arms so she's pointing it at Joe.
chapter fifty-four.
daphne
”Simon says, get ready to shoot.”
Lexie nods, tears streaming down her face.
”No,” I say to Mr. Fitzgerald-or Simon, rather. ”Don't do this.” ”Now, now, Daphne. Give me the Compa.s.s and come with me to rendezvous with the Skylords, and we can avoid this mess.” I don't know if the others can hear it, but a strange resonance rattles through his voice when he gives his requests. It permeates everything around him, engulfing me. It takes all of my mental strength not to give in.
”Don't do it, Daphne,” Haden says. I can see him struggling to break free from the hold Simon has over him. I can hear pain aching from his body.
I shake my head. I don't know what it all means to be a Cypher, and I don't know what this Compa.s.s thing is supposed to do, and I had sure been reluctant to take it from the Oracle-but the moment Sarah had pressed it into my hand, it felt like it belonged there. Like it belongs to me. No, more like it is a piece of me. Giving it away would be as impossible as tearing off my own arm.
”Then we'll get to play our little game after all,” Simon says. ”Guns are such barbaric things. I much prefer to use my words. . . . That is why I am going to give you until the count of ten to decide to listen to me. But if you let me get to number one, your friend here is going to shoot your father.” I clutch the Compa.s.s closer to my chest, looking from Simon to Joe. I know I can't give it to him, but I can't let him hurt my father. Tobin and Garrick still hold me tightly. I can't break free from both of them. Deep, low notes of fear and panic fill the room, from five people unable to move.
”Ten,” Simon says. ”Nine.”
Lexie sobs, her arms shaking along with her hands now. ”Don't do this, Lexie, please,” I beg her.
”Don't listen to him.” ”I can't lower my arms,” she says between her tears.
”Eight,” Simon says. A gleeful tone dances around him. He really does think this is fun. ”Any last words, Joe? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
”Daphne,” Joe says, able to speak again. ”Don't give yourself over to him. Not for me. I'm not worth it.”
”Seven.”
I lower the Compa.s.s, holding it out in my hands.
”No, Daphne,” Haden says.
”Six.”
I shake my head. It will feel like ripping out my own heart, but I need to give in. ”I have to, Dad.”
”No, you don't, Daph. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve you. Not after what I did.”
”Oh,” Simon says. ”We're having a last-minute confessional. This should be good.” I look at Joe as he hangs his head. I recognize the tone coming off him as remorse. ”What are you talking about?” I ask him, but part of me fears that I already know the answer. It had been scratching at me since I realized Tobin's mother is somehow in on what is going on in Olympus Hills-and is covering up for the Underlords. That town isn't just any town-it is a staging ground for the Underrealm. A place for them to find their Boons and take them away and let the local government cover up their messes. I'd seen Simon once before I was introduced to him as Joe's manager at Bobby's restaurant. He'd been at the mayor's party-the man in the bicycle helmet she'd been meeting with. That was probably the night my name had been added to her list. Which meant that I'd been brought to Olympus Hills for the Underrealm's convenience, rather than Haden's being sent to Utah. And the person who brought me there was Joe. . . .
”I traded you, Daphne,” Joe says, confirming my worst fear. ”I traded you for fame and fortune.” My hands fall to my sides. I can barely keep my grasp on the Compa.s.s. My heart drops and feels like it's being crushed underneath the weight of his words. Suddenly, all the sound stops. There is no music. No notes. No vibrations. The rush of silence makes my head swim and I feel my legs wanting to give way. ”How could you?” I ask, but my words are barely audible, and a low, rumbling song of sorrow begins to grow deep inside of me.
”I didn't know, Daphne. I didn't know you even existed at the time. It happened after I'd only been with your mother for three days. This man came to me. He claimed to be a talent scout at first. He said he'd heard me play at the Crossroads and he offered me a deal. He said I could be famous; I could be the G.o.d of rock; he could grant me every dream I had ever had; and all I had to do was stick my hand in a bowl of glittering water and swear that someday I would give him my child in return. I didn't know your mother was pregnant with you; I swear it. I thought I could cheat the system. I agreed to the deal, thinking I would just never have any children. That's why I left your mum. That's why I haven't touched another woman since. . . . I didn't even know you existed until you were three years old. . . .
That's why I stayed away from you. The guilt was too much to bear, and I knew if I got attached, it would only be harder. And I tried, Daphne . . . I've tried to take it back. I've tried to stop this from happening.”
”Then why did you bring me to Olympus Hills?”
Joe's face crumples. ”They couldn't get to you in Ellis. Simon said I had to bring you to them instead.
. . . I had to have you in place by the time they sent someone for you. . . . I am so sorry, Daphne.”