Chapter 7
It had to be a dream, nothing more. Why else would Zachary Lockwood be standing there waving? He must know he wasn’t welcome, especially as there was no doubt he knew what Thaddeus was planning. Dante looked down at the ground for a moment, hoping to wake up, but maybe it was real.
Zachary was there for a reason, and Dante breathed in deeply.
“Why are you here?”
“I was hoping we could talk.”
“Thaddeus sent you, right? He thought you were the one who could talk me into coming to the ritual.”
“You were already coming. I don’t need to say anything.”
“I was, was I?”
“Dante, I don’t need to talk to you to have an idea of who you are. There is no possible way you’d let the family you love walk into Thaddeus’ house alone. You’re going to be right beside them.”
“So why are you here?”
“For my own reasons.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“No, it’s not, but I’m a Lockwood whether I want to be or not. I don’t trust you.”
“I don’t trust you either.”
There was a moment where they looked at each other. “Father thinks I’m doing this for him, but I’m doing it for me. Neither Anne or I are like Titus.”
“Anne is close to Matthew. I know her, at least a little, and I agree with that.”
“She’s the last person I want tied up in this mess, but there’s very little I can do to stop it. We aren’t close, and yet I still care about her, because she’s my little sister. Titus cares most.”
“Titus cares?”
“He does when it comes to the people he believes are important. I couldn’t tell you exactly how he makes that determination.”
“Do you think Thaddeus understands?”
“Probably not, but even if he did I don’t think it would change anything. He believes he’s stronger.”
“You don’t?”
“No, I don’t, and if anyone’s truly leading the ritual it’s Titus. Father did send me to talk to you. I don’t think you should come.”
Dante stared. “You’re here for the opposite reason, Zachary.”
“I know, but I think it’s your strength we should all be scared of.”
“What do you mean?”
“Father said you were special. I don’t know how, exactly, but those words were enough. You should stay far away, because there’s no chance this will go well, and when it doesn’t I think you’re going to be the worst affected.”
Well, the dreams weren’t lies.
“I know.”
“Then why go?”
“You know why, Zachary. I have a chance to save the people I love if I’m there.”
Zachary sighed. “No matter how hard you might try I’m certain you won’t.”
“Why are you staying?”
“Mother won’t be talked out of trying to save Father. I need to be there.”
“Then we’re both making the decision to put someone else first, and I don’t see either of us getting anywhere with talking each other out of going.”
“Probably not.”
“Would me not going be enough to stop Titus?”
“My brother has plans within plans, and backups should those go wrong.”
“Yet you’re still here.”
“I’m trying to save people, Dante. Mother will talk to Anne. Anne will talk to Titus. He’ll know we all know, apart from Father, who still believes he’s in control. From there we’ll all make our decisions, but we can’t walk away. You can. You should.”
“You have no reason to care.”
“I’m not my father, Dante, or my brother. Neither of them care. They see you as a means to an end. Anne and I see people.”
“Zachary…”
“Whatever happens I need to know I did my best. I’m certain you’ll walk through the door, but at least I tried.”
“You’ve tried. I am going to walk through the door, because I have to.”
“Anne will get Matthew out.”
“She’ll try, at least. If anyone can convince him it’ll be her.”
“They care about each other. I think it might be part of the reason Titus wants you all there.”
“Jealousy?”
“Anne is Titus’. Nothing else matters.”
“They aren’t close?”
“Being close doesn’t matter.”
Zachary shrugged. “It’s hard to explain my brother, because I’m not him. From the time she was little he believed he had to protect her.”
“Who is he?”
“Now, that’s the question, isn’t it?”
“I See bits and pieces. Not enough for me to be able to understand.”
“With any precognition it’s not unusual for that to be the case. Mother would say Titus is more like Grandfather Tyrell, but I feel like there’s something else. None of us understand it. He often hides it.”
“Not with Anne.”
“Less with Anne, but he’s never told her everything. I think it’s easier if he doesn’t.”
“Reincarnation is complicated.”
“Only if you remember. Titus, if that is the case, obviously does, and Anne doesn’t.”
“At least not yet.”
“You think…”
“Part of it, maybe.”
“Titus’ interest in dark magic came from somewhere, and I don’t think it’s my parents. Father… I can see the changes. He would always have viewed you as inferior, because you’re new magic, but he’d hide it. You’d think he was the most charming man, whatever he might feel.”
“Instead we saw what was truly inside, Thaddeus unable to keep it hidden, but then he came here to apologise to Father.”
“Apologising in order to get you where he wants you. It’s not even something he feels bad about, because this is how things are meant to be.”
“Maybe you should leave with Anne.”
“I can’t. Not if Mother’s going to stay.”
“You don’t think she’d want you to put yourself first, the same way Anne is, when the two of you are both her children?”
“She would say exactly that, but I can’t leave her. Mother needs my strength.”
“You know what she’s going to do.”
“I have an idea, Dante, nothing more. She’ll be focused on trying to save us, using her strength to protect the people she loves. Titus will have two options, with one of them being an escape should it go wrong. I need to know what you’ve Seen.”
“Darkness. Transformations.” Dante had Seen himself. “Spreading through the world, little by little, but there’s more.”
“Transitioning from world to world.”
“You know?”
“Grandfather Lockwood had some interesting theories. Titus was the one who put them together.”
“Of course he was.”
“Titus is smart.”
“Unfortunately, for all of us.”
“I’m not going to argue.”
“We have no easy way to stop him.”
“Except Anne talking him out of it.”
“She won’t.”
“No, but I have to hope.”
“Can we find a way to save you?”
“Dante, I don’t matter.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Why?”
“You care, Zachary, and you came here to try to help a stranger. Now I think it’s my time to try to do the same. I know nothing will save me, but you… that’s different.”
“Not going will save you.”
“Honestly, I don’t think it will. The darkness will spread. I’m marked.”
“Marked how?”
“I don’t know, but I’m certain you can’t save me. That might be different for you.”
“Dante…”
“Let me try. Please.”
“Are you really going to give me a choice?”
“No, but it would help if you helped me when the time comes.”
“How will I know?”
“You won’t miss it.”
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