Chapter thirty-six

Then, when Irina thought the situation couldn't possibly get any worse, her sister walked in, crossed to Cuvee's side, and kissed him, keeping her gun trained on Irina.

Irina couldn't breathe.

"Hello, Irishka," Elena said. "It's been a long time."

"Elena—"

Elena bent down to look at Sydney. "Hello. I'm your Aunt Elena."

Sydney raised her chin, slightly less pale now that there were no guns pointed at her head. "My aunt's name is Katya."

Elena smiled affectionately. "Yes, but I'm the oldest. You had an uncle too, you know. You should ask your mother about him sometime."

"Lena, don't—" Irina began.

"You know Uncle Andrei?"

"Yes, but I'm not talking about him." Something in Elena's expression changed, and Irina knew for certain: it had not been a car backfiring earlier. She felt grief lance through her, and pushed it aside. Now was not the time.

But where was Jack?

"Sydney, come here." She took a chance; if she could get Sydney away from Cuvee—

Sydney glanced nervously at Cuvee, but it was Elena who stopped her, keeping her in place with a firm hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not going to hurt her, Irina. She's my flesh and blood, too."

Cuvee moved around the table, towards Irina. The expression on his face was one that had filled Irina's nightmares for months, and she knew exactly what he intended to do. If he touched her, she decided, she would kill him. For what he'd done to her, for pointing a gun at Sydney. She was grateful for an earlier opportunity to slip the knife up her sleeve. Now, its weight comforting against her arm, she relished the thought of plunging it into Cuvee's side.

"While the two of you are getting to know each other," he said to Elena, "I'll keep your sister entertained."

Elena tilted her head to one side, her lips pursed, then raised her gun and fired one bullet into Cuvee's head. He dropped to the floor. Sydney screamed. Irina stepped forward in relief – she'd come to help, she thought – and froze when Elena swung her arm to aim the gun at her.

"Elena—"

"Oh, don't pretend you're sorry he's dead. I know what he did to you."

Irina looked at her sister. It took a minute for her to understand, and when she did, she felt suddenly light-headed. The moment passed quickly, and the feeling was replaced by anger.

"You knew I was in prison? All those months, you knew, and you left me there?"

Elena shrugged. "I needed you there."

"What?"

"I needed you broken. You'd never have embraced Rambaldi otherwise. I thought you were the Chosen One in the prophecy; I needed you to choose to follow Rambaldi."

Rambaldi again. Seven months of her life. Nadia. "You are not my sister."

"Oh, come now, Irishka. Who do you think it was who let Bristow walk out with you?"

"Why – Why would you let me escape?"

"Because they'd broken you." Elena's tone was matter-of-fact, as if they were discussing something as mundane as the weather. "I didn't need you there anymore."

"Was Katya a part of this?" Irina was afraid of the answer, but she had to ask.

"Katya?" Elena laughed. "No. Well, not that she was aware of, anyway."

"Get away from my daughter," a new voice said, and Irina wanted to cry with relief. Jack.

He stepped fully into the kitchen, a gun trained on Elena, and kept his eye on her as he slowly moved into a better position.

"You sure you can shoot me before I kill your wife?" Elena sounded amused. "Are you willing to risk that?"

"Daddy!" Sydney looked at his gun in shock. "D-Daddy?"

"Close your eyes, Sydney," he said.

Elena swiftly brought her arm down, pressing the barrel of her gun into Sydney's neck. "Still willing to take the risk, Agent Bristow?"

"Elena, please!"

"I don't want to hurt her," Elena said. "She's the reason I came."

"What?" Irina looked from Elena to Jack, then back to Elena. "Why?"

"I misread the prophecy. You're not the one he speaks of."

"If you think I'm just going to let you walk out of here with my daughter—"

"Put your gun away, Agent Bristow." Elena didn't look at him. "Sydney is his Chosen One, Irishka. Don't worry about her. I'll love her as if she was my own."

"Elena, please."

Elena smiled. "It really was good to see you again."

She grabbed Sydney's arm and steered her towards the door, keeping her gun against Sydney's neck. "Say goodbye to Mommy, Sydney."