Part 27 (2/2)

Mrs. Jenkins turned to him. ”If you think that's disgusting, you should ask your girlfriend why she went under. She obviously didn't know there would be a chance for exaltation, so what was her reason?”

Jack looked away.

I wasn't expecting Mrs. Jenkins to be so forthcoming, and it made me realize something I should've seen before. Our conversation might lead to mention of the Tunnels, and Jack didn't know about them. I had to steer her clear of the topic. The news of what was waiting for me at the end of my six months had to come from me, not Mrs. Jenkins.

”Mrs. Jenkins, do you know how I survived?” I asked.

She sighed and gave a slight shrug. ”I only know of one person who survived like you. It happened hundreds of years ago. Adonia was her name. She Returned from the Feed, young and sane, as you did.”

”How did she do it?”

”She never had a chance to tell anyone.” Mrs. Jenkins gestured to the jar on the mantelpiece. ”The current queen found her. Those are her ashes.”

I could feel the blood drain from my face. ”The queen burned her?”

Mrs. Jenkins smiled as if I were a simpleton. ”No. The queen found her and stole what was left of her energy. But when a queen steals your energy, the transfer is so violent it shreds a person. We burned Adonia's remains.”

Jack looked like he was going to be sick. I was sure my face mirrored his. How could Cole think I'd ever want to be a queen?

”So you see, my dear, even if you survive, that doesn't mean you'll be queen.” My heart started to race, and I suddenly felt very exposed. Was that why Cole and Maxwell had talked about keeping my existence a secret from the queen?

”Don't worry, now,” she said, noticing my expression. ”I had no idea you existed. I'm sure if you were going to end up like Adonia, it would've happened by now. It would take an act of betrayal by the Everliving who Fed off you to get word to the queen.” She looked at the jar. ”I'm afraid Adonia was not in tune with her Everliving. He wanted her to be his queen, but she did not. So he took his revenge by telling the queen about her. And”-she paused for a moment-”where, exactly, the queen could find her.”

A sound like m.u.f.fled ocean waves reached my ears as my pulse quickened. Would Cole ever do that to me? Could he? Jack grabbed my hand, which I hadn't realized was shaking.

”I don't want to be queen,” I mumbled.

”Well, you can just be an Everliving.”

Jack sat forward. ”She doesn't want to be an Everliving, either.”

She frowned and tilted her head, confused, as if Jack had just told her I wanted to scratch my own eyes out for fun. Uh-oh.

”Don't be silly,” she scoffed. ”What other choice is there? You don't really think she'd-”

She was dangerously close to talking about the Tunnels. I had to shut her up, so I shot out of my seat and started coughing loudly and frantically. Jack put a hand on my back. ”Do you need some water?”

I nodded, and Jack sprinted to the kitchen. I had a few seconds at the most.

”Don't tell him,” I whispered to Mrs. Jenkins. ”About the Tunnels.”

Her mouth opened in a speechless kind of way, and then Jack was back with a gla.s.s.

”Thanks,” I said, and as I sipped the water, I shot Mrs. Jenkins my most pleading look.

She tried to smile but it looked forced, and at that moment, her demeanor transformed from confused to calculating. Her eyes narrowed. ”Despite how you feel now, if you do get to the throne one day, perhaps you'll remember this old woman, who helped you in every way she could.”

Her own daughter hadn't survived the Feed, and now she saw me as a golden opportunity for her. Without saying the words, she and I had made a bargain. She wouldn't tell Jack about the Tunnels, and I would remember her when I was queen, an event she saw as inevitable.

Jack spoke up. ”Is there a way we can get Cole to leave Nikki alone?”

She shook her head. ”Everlivings are a tenacious bunch.” She gestured to the mantel. ”In fact, I would be wary of making one of them angry.”

A chill ran down my back as I glanced at the urn, and I quickly changed the subject. ”Mrs. Jenkins, why did Meredith Return?”

Her smile melted into a frown. ”I was surprised too, although I shouldn't have been. Meredith thought that since she came from the same line as Adonia, she would have a better chance to survive and become the next queen. She was convinced. Perhaps we both were.” She let out a deep sigh. ”Meredith says she came back for me. It's ridiculous, really, her attachment to me. I raised her better than that. And now I can do nothing for her. Nor she, me. The moment she left for the Feed, I let her go from my mind and my heart.”

How could she be so unfeeling? Meredith was her daughter. I looked at Jack, and he nodded, probably thinking the same thing.

Jack leaned forward. ”Do you know where we can find her?”

”I haven't seen her, and I've been looking.”

Finally I thought I saw a sign of humanity in her, until she continued.

”She stole a piece of jewelry that belongs to me. I think she took it to get my attention.”

The bracelet, I thought. Jack opened his mouth, but I shot him a look. He nodded almost imperceptibly.

”One more question,” I said. ”How many of you are there?”

She smiled. ”You'd find us all over the world. Near every entrance to the Everneath.”

”Why didn't you tell her about the bracelet?” Jack said once we were in his car and driving away.

”It didn't feel right. I don't trust her. I feel like the bracelet is the only card we have to play, although I have no idea what to do with it.” I took a deep breath. ”Plus Mrs. Jenkins was creepy and weird.”

”She's a Daughter of Persephone. Weird probably doesn't begin to cover it.” Jack allowed himself a little smile. ”One thing I learned from our visit,” he said, his expression serious again. ”We can't let Cole know we've been digging around.”

I thought back to the urn on the mantel, and I was sure Jack was thinking of the same thing.

TWENTY-FIVE.

NOW.

School. One and a half weeks left.

My mark reached the end of my shoulder and started to trickle down my arm, and as it did, it looked like someone had poured chocolate syrup on me and it was oozing over my biceps, gravity helping it along.

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