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The Ends of the World (The Conspiracy of Us #3)(22)

By:Maggie Hall


Part of Elodie's head was scarred and bald. The rest was covered in black hair, buzzed short. That was what I'd seen at her hairline. She slipped the wig back on, settling it into place over her real hair.

"When another apartment building a couple of neighborhoods away burned down, too," she said, brushing her bangs back into place, "I watched the aftermath. I wondered if I was wrong and it was all a coincidence, but then I found out that some kids had survived that fire, too. A baby, and a boy about my age."

Elodie's face was oddly calm. Stellan's breathing was labored. I realized I was holding my breath.

"I went to the hospital where you were," Elodie whispered. "I watched you every day. You and Anya. You'd been burned much worse than I had, but you'd lived. And one day, a man came to see you. He wasn't Russian, and he'd taken a particular interest in you. I could tell you didn't want to, but you went with him because you had no other choice. I don't know if it was because I knew somehow that you were connected to my family's deaths or because I'd gotten attached to you, but I followed you. That's how Fitz found me. He took pity on me, and brought me to France, too. Brought me into the Order." Elodie finally looked up, studying Stellan for a long moment. When he didn't respond, she turned to Jack and me. "I was planted in the Dauphin home to do various things, including watch out for Stellan, though I never really knew why until you all uncovered the thirteenth bloodline. Fitz never told me what he suspected. I don't think he told anyone."

I was still trying to wrap my head around any of it. Somehow, what came out of my mouth was, "Do you think the Dauphins killed your family?"

Elodie hadn't put the wig on quite straight, and a bit of scar tissue peeked out. She looked vulnerable, which didn't look right on her. "I don't think so. I suspected the Vasilyevs at first, but Fitz didn't think it was them. That's one reason I agreed to be in the Order-so I could keep investigating. I've never really stopped, even though I haven't found answers."



       
         
       
        

The shell-shocked silence hung heavy over the room. Finally Jack cleared his throat. "So now the Order wants to take down the Circle using the virus? Is that the conclusion to this story?"

I wasn't sure whether to admonish him for being so callous or to wait for the answer. Maybe both.

Elodie licked her lips, eyes darting between us. "The purpose of the Order is not to harm the Circle. Just to serve as a line of defense between them and the world."

Stellan sat with his elbows on his knees, stroking the scars on the backs of his hands. He hadn't said a word since Elodie started the story. Now he looked up. "Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you tell me?" He said it so quietly, it was scary.

"I couldn't risk it," Elodie said. "I wanted to-"

Stellan stood up. Without a word, he stalked out of the room.

Jack turned to Elodie. "Stay here," he said. "Just-stay here."

He took my hand and pulled me into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.

"Do you believe . . ." Jack's face was slack. "Would Fitz really have . . ."

"I don't think Elodie's lying. And it doesn't sound like Fitz did anything evil. I just can't imagine him being part of something like what the Circle always thought the Order was. Him or my mom. Though-" Connections started forming in my head. "Do you think he was just studying me the whole time? Both me and Stellan?" I'd known that I'd been entangled with Jack-with Charlie Emerson, as Fitz had called him-through Fitz for years. But Stellan was part of that web, too. And Elodie. Fitz hadn't just been our mentor. He'd been our puppet master, pulling the strings that had brought us to where we were today. Who we were today.

But he'd also done so much to protect us. To take care of us. So much that it had gotten him killed.

This was not a path I could let my mind go down right now. My mom, Fitz- I fisted my hands in my hair. Elodie. Concentrate on Elodie.

"I should have known." Jack paced the worn floral carpet in front of the door, thumbing his gun at his hip. "I should have at least suspected. About Fitz. Especially about Elodie. I've let us be in danger. I'm sorry. We'll send her away. I'll make certain she hasn't bugged our phones, and-"

I caught his arm. "Wait, stop. Do you really think we're in danger? She's been with us the entire time and nothing bad has happened." 

"We're Circle. She's Order. I know it's Elodie, and I know she's saying the Order aren't what we think, but I'm not sure that matters."