Chapter 6

Julian pulled us into the planetarium theater. He pushed Eli behind the control console and told him to be quiet. Then he left. A moment later, his voice came through the control room speaker. He had switched on the house intercom by mistake-or on purpose.

Victor Kessler entered the rotunda.

I had seen him on the donor program. I had seen him in the news. I had not seen him since the night he shot Daniel. He was older now. Grayer. His suit was midnight blue. His smile was mild.

Mrs. Prescott hurried to him. “Mr. Kessler. There was a disturbance. A cleaning woman. She had a child with a pendant.”

Victor’s smile stayed. “A pendant?”

“Silver crescent. Blue stone. Julian Thorne recognized it.”

Victor’s face changed. It was small-a flicker around the eyes. But I knew that flicker. I had seen it in my apartment five years ago, just before he raised the gun.

“Where is Thorne now?” Victor asked.

“Gone to the service halls. With the woman.”

Victor turned to the security chief. “Find them. Bring me the pendant.”

The chief hesitated. “Mr. Thorne gave orders-”

“I am the chair of the Celestial Society,” Victor said. “Mr. Thorne is a guest. Find them.”

Julian’s voice came over the intercom. “Victor.”

Victor looked up. Julian stood on the mezzanine balcony, alone. He looked relaxed. He looked like a man who had spent forty years in rooms with dangerous people.

“Julian,” Victor said. “I hear you’ve found a ghost.”

“I found my daughter.”

The rotunda went silent. Even Mrs. Prescott stopped moving.

Victor’s mild expression did not crack, but his hands curled at his sides. “Your daughter is dead.”

“My daughter is alive. And she saw what you did to Daniel Vaughn.”

Victor did not deny it. He looked around the gala, at the donors pretending not to listen. Then he said, very clearly, “Bring me the pendant. And bring me the boy.”

Eli pressed against me. I covered his mouth with my hand.

Victor knew. He had known the moment Mrs. Prescott said the word crescent. He had been waiting for this. He had been waiting for me.

The intercom clicked off. Footsteps moved toward the theater.