EXIT, STAGE LEFT
“The carriage will be here for you this evening, little one," Hunter said, handing me out into the theater's alley.
Nireas had already unfolded himself out of the narrow door, and Ronan was following after me.
"I'll have dinner waiting. Jude has already confirmed he'll return for the evening." Hunter's gaze flicked over my shoulder to Nireas and then back to me, a slightly expectant rise to his eyebrows.
I wanted to tease him for inviting Jude already, but in truth, we would all be guests in Hunter's home. He had every right to issue the invitations. And I would be contrary if I pretended to wish for Ronan and Nireas to remain here at the theater.
"I'll bring these two wastrels along with me," I said, winking over Hunter's shoulder at Ronan.
"Oh, you will, will you?" Nireas asked. "Never mind that I have my own apartment to retire to." I spun to face him and found him smiling. "I'd be delighted."
Hunter kissed my cheek as Ronan descended and then stepped back into the compartment of the carriage. "Until this evening, friends."
"Reddy will give the three of us hell for being late," Ronan said.
"Reddy won't say a word," Nireas said with absolute certainty. "If he tries, I'll remind him I own fifty-one percent of the theater."
My jaw dropped at that, and Nireas opened the side door that led to the stage left wing before I had time to form the words for a question.
"Did you know?" Ronan whispered in my ear.
"What do you mean he's working with the man who killed Beth and Margaret?!"
The shouted question, coming from inside the theater, wiped away all my plans of quizzing Nireas with a sudden blow of surprise and worry. The three of us rushed inside to find the company gathered together on and around the stage.
Alexa was standing at the foot of the stage, glaring up at Mr. Reddy.
"He's not working with the bastard," Mr. Reddy said.
"But…" Myra murmured, staring up at Reddy.
"But what?" Alexa asked.
"Myra, but what?" Evie echoed, sitting in the front row with her arms crossed.
"Don't lie," Eston said. "I heard you talking about him. Birsha sent the demon here."
Realization was cold and cutting, the meaning behind the conversation suddenly clear. I marched forward onto the stage, searching the room for Constantine and finding him in the shadows on the opposite wing.
"He's not here for Birsha," I said immediately. "Constantine might be here because of him, but not for. He's—"
Constantine stepped out of the shadows, head jerking at me once in refusal, eyes glinting like a mirror's reflection caught by light. Quiet, that look said. Don't tell them.
"He's not a danger to us," I said instead.
"You just don't want to give up your starring act," Eston snapped at me.
I scoffed, and Ronan marched ahead of me. "Eston, don't be an idiot. If anyone is jealous of Constantine's presence here, it's bound to be you."
"Birsha bullied Red into bringing him on!" Myra said to Alexa, her head shaking and eyes wide. "We were under so much pressure."
"Missy, hush," Reddy hissed to his partner.
"Constantine is not working with Birsha. He never touched Beth or Margaret," I said. "This is mad! How did this even come up? He's been here for weeks, and we lost Beth before he ever arrived!"
"The timing is close though, isn't it?" Goliath asked, glaring at Constantine from the stage.
"Listen, all of you—" Reddy tried, hands raised in a useless placating gesture that would only rile more tempers than it soothed.
"Answer for yourself, Gemini," Evie said, rising, glaring at Constantine. "Are you here at Birsha's bequest?"
Constantine stepped forward, and my heart sank as everyone on the stage—everyone in the audience, even—inched back.
"Yes," he said.
I tried to intervene again, shouldering Eston out of my way. "But—"
Evie held a single finger up in my direction to hush me. She alone didn't flinch in Constantine's focus, and she refused to look away. I loved Evie. She was brave and stern, and a little bitter, like I'd been recently. And Evie loved this theater. As long as Constantine posed any kind of threat, she would never accept him.
"Are you reporting back to him? Giving him information about what's happening in the theater?" Evie asked.
Constantine's head tipped to the side. "Yes."
"Constantine," I gasped out. I turned to Evie. "He's not helping Birsha."
"Not voluntarily," Constantine said.
Damnit, stop!I wanted to shout at him.
"Hopefully not at all," Constantine added, one shoulder rising and falling in an abrupt shrug. "But I am forced to speak with some truth."
I held my breath. The words were damning. Honest too, which was worse.
"It's not his fault," I whispered, but I saw the look on all the faces in front of me. Anger, fear. No sympathy. Constantine had not endeared himself to the other company members. I looked back at Ronan and Nireas, found them frowning. They looked worried, but I wasn't sure if that was for Constantine's sake or mine.
Evie tore her stare away from Constantine's and looked back at me, cold and determined.
"He can't stay," she said. "He stays and I leave."
"We leave," Samson said, now standing at Alexa's side.