for him, he sacrificed his dignity and sank to the same depths as those he stood against, what kind of man was he?
But what good were all the years of sacrifice if he let her tell the Family the truth?
They could not know. They could not be allowed to know. Not until perhaps their last day.
On the other hand, Cora could not be deprived of her right to stand trial. Her destruction of the man gave Turk the opportunity to put her in the tower without having to invent a crime. For that, he was thankful. But it left him in the same uncomfortable and impossible situation.
Either he broke his code of ethics and hurled her into the tower without a proper trial and without cause…or he would be forced to stare down the Family he cared for and tell them all he had doomed them to die.
They posed him no real threat. Even if they trapped him in one of Louis’s boxes and threw him into the lake, they couldn’t take the Key from him. It could only be transferred willingly by the owner or taken upon their true death. And no one could kill him.
No one but Cora.
It was tragic to him that she should be placed with such a burden. The girl had done nothing wrong to anyone since her arrival until the previous night. She did not deserve a single ounce of what was going to be paid her. She seemed by all accounts to be a kind, intelligent girl. Her choice in men notwithstanding. Even that may not be her fault. They are linked.
Turk shut his eyes and leaned heavily against his desk. He was so very tired of it all. He had stood as the “brave” soldier for so very long. The last line of defense against a monster who had plagued the Earth since the dawn of time. He wanted it over. Soon enough, it would be. One way or another.
He had been so close!
Damn you for feeding the beast, Cora. Damn you. May the prophet curse your name! But could he truly blame her for seeking her own survival? Could he blame Rudy for wanting to feed his animals? No. They were rabid wolves. They were not at fault for being starved.
“Darling?”
He looked up at Amanda as she walked into the tent. She was beautiful, even in her mismatched pajamas and damp overcoat. Her brightly colored, hysterically clashing clothes always made him smile. “Hello, my love.”
Amanda looked at Simon and Cora and frowned. “I still feel so bad for her.” She walked over to Turk, and he held out his arm to her. She perched on his thigh and leaned into his chest, and he hugged her to him with a faint smile.
No matter how dark his thoughts, she would always be his shining light. “As do I. But I know not else what to do. I hoped she would side with me against Harrow Faire. But last night changed all of that.”
Amanda tucked her head against his neck. “She will need a trial.”
“And when she speaks, she’ll turn them all against me. If the Family frees her before I can place her in the tower, we’ve lost.” He rehashed his thoughts aloud. Sometimes it helped him to sort matters out. Poor Amanda had been forced to listen to many one-sided conversations on his behalf. “If I placed her in the tower without trial, then…I am just as bad as those I seek to rise above.”
“If she tells the Family the truth and they side with her, you’ll be in danger.” Amanda frowned.
He shrugged. “They cannot kill me, you know that.”
“But she can…and what if they help her do it?”
Turk blinked. He had not thought of that. Yes, the Family couldn’t kill him. But they could hold him down while Cora did. “Oh.”
“Sometimes you really miss the forest for the trees, don’t you?” She smiled sadly and kissed his cheek again. “So put her in the tower without trial. Tell the others it wasn’t because of the destruction of that man, but because she’s a threat.” Amanda tapped her finger on the end of his nose. “You’re Ringmaster. You make the rules.”
“The others will not see it that way.”
“The others won’t be able to do anything to stop you. And they’ll calm down over time. No one will be sad to see Simon caged. They’ll fuss and moan over Cora—but you can simply explain that there were more dangerous matters to consider.