“Alas, there’s always more to the story.” She tucked one hand beneath her pillow and gripped it with the other. “After my Creator died, I lived in that house alone. I suppose I thought I could stay there forever… until the food started running out. I didn’t have a job. I’d wasted thirty years going to parties and keeping her up to speed on modern language and fashion trends. The only person who ever cared about me was dead, and I was furious that I’d have to live out an eternity alone. The house was all I had left of her, and I wanted to keep it. So I went back to doing the only thing I knew: translating stolen documents for money. I knew a few names because when Bob talked on the phone, I listened. When the Mageri caught on to my crimes, they labeled me an outlaw and put out a warrant. You know what that means, right?”
“Wanted dead or alive.”
“When I fled, they seized the house and all her property. Margaret would have been so ashamed of me. Her things probably ended up in a place like Pawn of the Dead. Even worse, I ruined her good name. I was her only progeny, and people would always remember her for having a criminal Learner. What kind of legacy is that?” Tears dripped onto Gem’s pillowcase. “I didn’t deserve the gift she gave me. The gift of life. The gift of a second chance. So… I hired someone to kill me.”
Niko’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“That’s right,” she said, sick with shame. “I was too chicken to do it myself. I wasn’t sure how to take my own head off, but I suppose I could have set myself on fire.” She rolled onto her back and stared up at the lights. “You wouldn’t understand. I had to live in hiding. Once you’re a declared an outlaw, word spreads fast. Bounty hunters were after me, and I had no friends, no money, and no hope to plead my case to the Mageri. What little money I made from selling her jewelry, I gave to a man to take my life.” Gem shut her eyes. “And that man was Viktor.”
Niko sat up with a startled look. “You paid Viktor to take your life?”
“I heard he was a dangerous man. People were afraid of him. How was I supposed to know that he was a bounty hunter? I didn’t know anything about the crime world. We met in secret, and he wanted to know my story. He said he wouldn’t entertain my offer without knowing the reasons, and boy, did I tell him all the reasons. I stupidly gave my money to the wrong man.”
“Or the right man.”
Gem wiped her wet cheeks. She hadn’t really thought about it that way. Had Viktor been anyone else, she wouldn’t be having this conversation. “Viktor said he wanted to help me. Instead of turning me over to the Mageri, he took me to the higher authority to plead my case. Viktor had connections, as you can imagine. I’ve wondered if he might have been secretly doing contract work for them, and maybe that’s how he was able to start up this group so easily. Anyhow, he told them that he needed an assistant and I was exactly the right person. Can you imagine? Me.”
“A wise move. It’s often impossible to get a conviction overturned; the Mageri aren’t known for their leniency. Viktor is a persuasive man, and I’m sure he knew the right people to convince. Normally the higher authority lets the Mageri handle their own affairs. They only intervene when it involves another Breed or in the case of a high crime.”
“I guess since Viktor’s a Shifter, it counted.” She bent her knees and stared at the lights above. “You should have seen him fighting for me. I’ll never understand why he did it. We were strangers! And here this man was, fighting for my life. They were suspicious of his motives, but he convinced them that he was building a team that would protect and serve. I was the first of many more to come. His team would be devoted to capturing criminals and working closely with the higher authority. They agreed to remove the outlaw status from me under the condition that he stay true to his word.”
“And so Keystone was born.”
“Bingo.” She turned her head and looked up at him. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone, Niko. Even though I’ve been with Keystone for years, if the Mageri found out I paid someone to kill me, they would deem me unstable and put out my light.”
“I would never let that happen.” He placed his hand on her foot and gave it a light squeeze. “We all deserve redemption. I’m only grateful that the fates gave you a second chance. Grief and loneliness are a powerful force, one that many are unable to battle. Darkness always fades, but it’s not easy to see that when you’re lost in it.”
Gem stared up at the fairy lights. “It wasn’t the second chance that saved me from grief.”
“Then what was it?”
“Viktor cared. That’s all I really needed. I just wanted someone to care about me. I spent my whole childhood dreaming about friends and family, and the two people I truly cared for died. When I lost Hooper, I began wondering if I was cursed like King Midas. But no matter how much it hurts, I can’t shut people out of my life. That’s what I did after my Creator died, and I’m scared of making the same mistakes.”
Gem sat up and faced Niko. She searched his eyes, looking for signs of disappointment or disgust. But the only thing that resided in his ancient gaze was acceptance. A man as handsome as him, with such a golden heart and brave spirit, could snag any woman he desired. Now that he was free of the book, he didn’t have to live in hiding anymore. He didn’t need Keystone’s protection.
“Niko, are you going to leave Keystone?”
His eyebrows knitted. “Why would you ask me that?”
“I just figured since the book was gone…”
“My loyalty to Viktor runs deep. Unless he asks me to leave, this is where I belong.”
She took his hand and held it tightly. “Will you be my friend? A real friend? Even after Keystone splits apart and everyone goes their separate ways? I know it’s a lot to ask an immortal, especially since we could live for a million years, but will you? I promise in return that I’ll always be there for you. No strings attached.”
“Why is my friendship important to you?”
She let go of his hand. “I have no family and no Creator. I don’t want to live in this world alone. I want someone I can count on, and you’re the only person I can think of. I just need someone to be there for me. I adore Claude, but I’ll probably outlive him. And if he finds a mate and has a family, he won’t have time for a friend. You’ve never let me down. Not once. If you’re not up for it, I’ll understand.”
Niko reached out and touched her cheek. “You could ask so much more of me, and I would give it to you.” After a thoughtful pause, he answered. “I would be honored. I am curious to see what kind of woman you’ll one day become.”
“Hopefully better than the one I once was.”
“You’re only fifty, and that’s so very young for a Mage. These painful memories will soon be but a faint speck in your past. This I can promise you.” Niko’s fingers explored her cheeks, nose, and eyebrows. She let him feel her delicate bone structure, her heart-shaped face, her mouth, even her long eyelashes.
Gem got butterflies. No one had ever examined her this closely. When she smiled beneath his fingertips, he smiled back.
Niko’s hand traveled down the length of her arm until he clasped her hand in his. “Gem Laroux, progeny of Margaret Laroux, I pledge you my eternal friendship. If you ever need me, for any reason, I’ll be there. No questions.”