Blackbird Broken (The Witch King's Crown #2) - Keri Arthur Page 0,115

about doing so to date. Pain rose yet again, but there was nothing I could do except ignore it. Nothing I could do but accept that the ache was going to be with me for the rest of my life.

“I’ll grab some breakfast, then we can head out.” I hesitated. “I take it you retrieved Nex and Vita?”

“And the stone knife. It saved you once. I think it’ll do so a few more times before this whole thing is resolved.”

“Well, that’s good to know.”

My voice was dry, and her smile flashed. “Magic cannot solve all problems. Sometimes, the old-fashioned methods of dealing out death are the best.”

“Perhaps when it comes to a gun. But a short knife that requires you to get far too close to your assailant? Not so much.”

She laughed. “Get a move on, darling girl. I’d like to get to the King’s Stone by midday if possible.”

“Any particular reason?”

“Maximum daylight protection.” She rose. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

I quickly dressed, then strapped on the wrist sheath, grabbed Nex, Vita, and my coat, and headed out.

Breakfast was waiting for me in the small morning room. Luc was absent, as were Barney, Mia, and Ginny. I glanced around as Mo walked in, a cup of tea in hand. “Where is everyone?”

“Luc’s been summoned back to Covent Garden.”

“That was sudden, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, he got the call a few minutes after your little tête-à-tête upstairs. From what I heard, it had something to do with the protections around the current queen and the need to boost them.”

“Fair enough, but he left without saying goodbye. I’m affronted.”

A wicked twinkle gleamed in her eyes. “And he was all front. Such a very well-built young man.”

I just about choked on my bacon. “Mo!”

“I can’t help noticing what is very obvious,” she said mildly. “And I daresay the extent of that hard-on is the reason he didn’t risk another encounter.”

I shook my head. I’d basically lived with her all my life, and she still had the power to shock me. And long may it continue. “What about the others?”

“Barney and Ginny are still dealing with the mess in Manchester—”

“I thought that had already been taken care of?”

“The tunnels, yes. The witches who were working with Darkside, not so much.” She grimaced. “I believe the preternatural team has been called in to help interview and process them all.”

“There must have been a few.”

“They were determined to protect their asset.”

I grunted and tucked into my meal. “And Mia?”

“Had to go back to Ainslyn—it’s her mother’s seventieth, and there’s a family party.”

“I hope you told her to be careful.”

“Of course. Not that she needed the warning.”

Maybe not, but it nevertheless needed to be said. Max would want revenge for the murder of his lover, and he might just start by taking out everyone I cared about.

Once I’d finished my breakfast, we headed out. The day was bright and sunny, the skies blue. It was still winter, so a chill remained in the air, but all in all, it was a perfect day for flying.

We shifted shape and, after I’d scooped up my knives, followed the coastline until we reached King’s Island. We landed on the open ground just before the ring of stone monoliths that surrounded the King’s Stone. I swung around, studying the area. Nothing moved, and nothing seemed out of place. The sky was clear, and all of Ainslyn was on view, from the old docks at the far end of the walled section to the many high-rises in the business sector.

Mo was already moving toward the stone circle. I hastily followed, my gaze on the stone that had once held the sword. Physically, it looked no different and yet … and yet, something was different. The feel of the place was different.

“Mo—”

Her pace didn’t slow. “I know.”

“What is it?”

“Someone’s tried to shatter the blessing.”

I frowned. “How? Only you and I—” I stopped. “Max.”

“I would guess so. The blessing might be the province of De Montfort women, but he’s witnessed me performing it often enough to have a keen understanding of it.”

“But he’s not capable of magic. Not the blessing sort, anyway.”

She glanced over her shoulder, her eyebrows raised. “Technically, neither were you.”

“Yes, but—” I stopped. The lines between what should and shouldn’t be possible had definitely blurred over the last week or so. “Is there any visible damage?”

“Nothing that’s immediately obvious.”

I stopped at the base of the knob and stared up at the hump of rock that had once held the sword. Its sides were smooth,