Gone: A Shadow Slayers Story (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 3) by Nellie Steele (best books for 20 year olds txt) 📕

“We know about her parents,” Michael began. “Uh, Marquis Gaspard Devereaux was her father. Her mother died giving birth to Celine. She has an older sister, Celeste, who is also a witch. She’s the one who introduced Celine to the Duke.”

“Well, that should prove helpful,” Gray mocked.

“What?” Michael questioned.

“Ignore him, he’s being unhelpful,” Alexander advised.

“I’m being truthful. Everyone knows that information. I’ve never met the woman and I know that information,” Gray responded.

“She spoke English before her father realized it,” Michael suggested, recalling any information they learned when meeting Celine in Martinique as a young woman. “He hired her an English tutor, but she didn’t need it, she spoke English. Does that help?”

Alexander considered it. “Interesting, but I’m not certain it’s substantial enough to make any impression on the Duchess.”

Michael sighed. Damien snapped his fingers. “Wait a minute,” he began. “Her father, Celine’s father, is he alive?”

“No,” Alexander answered. “He is not. He died quite some time ago.”

“When she was sixteen?” Damien questioned.

“I’m not certain, but it sounds correct.”

“How?”

“The poor man was murdered,” Alexander recounted.

“Days before her sixteenth birthday. He was murdered on his way to return to France, right?”

“Yes, I believe that was the account. What does this have to do with gaining her trust?”

“I’d like to know the same,” Gray added. “I’m not sure bringing up the painful memory of her father’s demise is going to win you any favor with the Duchess.”

“It’s not his death, it’s who is responsible.”

“Some wretched seaman who robbed him for a few pieces of gold if memory serves,” Alexander answered.

“No, no, no, no,” Michael corrected. “That might be the man who actually committed the murder, who wielded the knife, but he’s not the man responsible.”

“What are you getting at?” Gray inquired.

“The man responsible for the murder of Marquis Devereaux is none other than Duchess Northcott’s loving husband, Duke Marcus Northcott.”

“What?” Alexander questioned, stunned.

“I find that hard to fathom,” Gray added.

“It’s true. Marcus Northcott had her father killed so she would have no one and she’d turn to him,” Michael explained.

“But she had a married sister. Theodore VanWoodsen became her legal guardian following her father’s death.”

“Celeste and Teddy were up to their eyeballs in the Duke’s dealings. They more than happily allowed him to do whatever he wanted with her.”

Silence fell over them for a few moments. “This is incredible,” Alexander replied.

“Incredible or not, can you prove any of it?” Gray questioned.

Michael and Damien glanced to each other. “No,” Damien admitted.

“So, the information is useless,” Gray replied.

“How did you come by this information?” Alexander queried.

“We were there the night Celine became… what she is,” Damien answered. “That ceremony… he… the Duke tossed her father’s dead body in front of her and told her he was her new family. The Celine we know realized very quickly his involvement in her father’s murder.

“Obviously, this Celine did not. She married the man,” Gray countered.

“By choice or because she had no other options? Does this Celine not realize it, or has she suppressed it?” Damien asked rhetorically.

“She seems quite content with him,” Gray argued. “She parades about high society as though she owns everyone.”

“That’s a gross overstatement. Besides, she’ll likely be queen of this country one day. I suppose she knows that,” Alexander added.

“I assume the man who committed the murder is long since dead,” Damien mused to Michael.

“Probably. I mean, either Celine killed him like the Duke asked that night or the Duke killed him that night like he did when we were there,” Michael responded.

“Damn it!” Damien exclaimed. “We can’t go to Celine and tell her the Duke had her father killed but we have no proof of anything to back that up.”

“Perhaps we should conclude for the evening, gentlemen,” Alexander suggested. “Allow us all some time to think.”

With reluctance, Damien and Michael agreed. “I guess so,” Damien said. “Good night.”

Everyone said their goodnights and Michael and Damien retired for the night. Damien spent the better part of the night tossing and turning. They had no way of gaining Celine’s trust. They were no closer to solving this puzzle or to returning home.

Their memories were returning, but the process was slow and painstaking. Perhaps once they recalled all the details leading up to their trip, they would have a breakthrough. Until then, they were stuck guessing at everything. And upsetting Gray, as usual. Gray, Damien mused. The man stuck in his mind. An idea formed, and a smile crossed his face. He’d run it past Michael in the morning. With his mind settled, he turned over, falling asleep for the rest of the night.

Damien bounded out of bed the next morning. He dressed as fast as he could and made his way to Michael’s room. He rapped at the door, hoping Michael was awake. Michael opened the door, still fastening his shirt. “Good morning,” he greeted Damien.

“Good morning, did I wake you?”

“No, I was up,” Michael assured him as Damien entered the room.

“Good. I have an idea, and then I figured we could keep working on our memories.”

“Sounds good, what’s the idea? Hope we wake up from this nightmare soon?”

“Haha, no,” Damien chuckled. “Last night I was going over everything in my head, over and over. And I was thinking how no matter where we are, Gray seems to hate us.”

“Yeah, no kidding. What is that guy’s problem?”

“In general, I don’t know, but this time I might have an idea.”

“Which is?”

Damien grinned at him. “Well, in all the other instances when we’ve time traveled, it’s been to fix something, right?”

“All two times, you mean,” Michael countered.

“Whatever. It stands to reason we’re supposed to fix something again this time. What if we’re supposed to fix the situation between Celine and Gray?”

“Fix it? How? She’s married to another man!”

“That I’m not sure about, but what if Celine sent us back to make sure she meets Gray, falls in love with him and marries him?”

“Okay, well, she sent us to the wrong year because she was supposed to meet Gray in the 1700s. Not in 1812.”

Damien