Blackbird Broken (The Witch King's Crown #2) - Keri Arthur Page 0,110
to my feet, determined to meet him upright and ready.
The breeze stirred around me with renewed vigor, bringing with it familiar scents—cardamom, bergamot, and lavender. It was combination I’d smelled at least twice before—on King’s Island the day I’d performed the blessing, and in the tunnels underneath the King’s Tower the morning fire had ripped through the genealogy archives.
This man had not only been in both places, but he could control the demons in a manner I’d not seen before.
He was a leader … but was he the leader? The man who’d liberated the sword from the stone?
Was it Max?
Chapter Fifteen
As far as I was aware, Max had never purchased aftershave that had those specific undertones, but it wasn’t like he’d spent all that much time at home in recent years. He might have tons of the stuff in his London apartment.
If it was Max, it would certainly explain the weird, soul-deep vibes I’d been getting. While we’d never shared the telepathic-like connection twins were supposed to have, there’d been a few times over the years when I’d instinctively known he was in trouble, and vice versa. The vibes could simply be a variation of that—although surely if it was him approaching, I’d have a clearer sense of him.
A flicker ran down Nex’s side. Not Max, then, as she’d never reacted to him in such a manner. She had reacted that way to halflings, though.
A heartbeat later, a man walked out of the tunnel and stopped close to the ledge’s edge.
It wasn’t Max.
It was Winter.
Relief hit so hard, my knees briefly buckled, and I had to grab the nearby wall to remain upright. I might still be in grave danger, but I’d at least gained a fraction more time to prepare for the confrontation with Max.
Although I was pretty sure a lifetime wouldn’t be enough.
“Well, well, well.” Winter’s voice was soft and surprisingly melodious. “If it isn’t the meddlesome sister. Why don’t you come out of that tunnel?”
“Why don’t you come in and get me?”
His brief smile didn’t touch the coolness in his sharp blue eyes. “We both know you can’t hold that protective cylinder around your grandmother forever, especially if the attacks on it are renewed. Do as I say or watch her die in utter agony instead of receiving a clean death.”
“I prefer the third option—ashing your ass the minute your demons attack.”
He chuckled softly; the sound reverberated around the cavern and sent a chill skittering across my skin. “If you had strength enough to kill me, you would have done so already. Come out, or I’ll force you out.”
Why was he so unconcerned about the prospect of me attacking? He might be right about my strength, but given the damage I’d caused to his brethren over the last week or so, he shouldn’t be as certain as he sounded.
Or was it more a case of being certain that I couldn’t hurt him if I did attack?
I lightly swiped at the blood dribbling over my lashes in an effort to clear my vision. That’s when I saw it—the faint but undeniable shimmer surrounding him. He was shielded.
Several demons stirred, drawing my gaze. A warning, nothing more. In truth, while I did have enough strength to attack, he was right in that I wouldn’t last long if they did. And once my strength gave out and unconsciousness swept me away, I’d be at the mercy of whatever the bastard planned.
Even worse, so would Mo, because the minute I fell, so too would the cylinder. And she was close, so close to removing the copper rod. Whether that would be the end of it and she could join the fight, I had no idea, but I had to give her time.
Even if time was scarce at the moment.
“You’re going to kill me whether I’m out there or in here,” I replied evenly, “and I’ll last longer in here.”
“I have no desire to kill you,” he said. “Not unless there’s absolutely no other choice.”
“And why would I believe you?”
“I’m not asking you to, but let’s be realistic, dear Gwen. You’ve only got two options. Come out and take the chance that I mean what I say, or I order an attack and wait for you to collapse.”
“You forgot about the third option.”
He smiled. It was a pleasant sort of thing, totally at odds with the growing ice in his eyes. “I think we both know that won’t have any effect. You’ve never been stupid, Gwen. Please don’t act like it.”