Blackbird Broken (The Witch King's Crown #2) - Keri Arthur Page 0,80

the water.”

“Hopefully.” She made a give-me motion with her hand.

While she made the call, I finished my pie and then headed in for a shower. I stood under the hot water for what seemed an eternity, but it didn’t do much to erase the inner chill. The ties that bound Max and me were very deep; he was my twin, and he would always be a part of me. But to survive what was coming—to survive what I might yet have to do—I had to totally lock my feelings and emotions down. If I didn’t, I might hesitate at the worst possible moment, and that could have dire consequences. Not just for Mo or me, but also for the world. The inner chill was the beginning of that lockdown. It was a barrier of ice forming around my emotions and memories—a shield that would hopefully protect me when I needed it the most.

And I would need it.

I closed my eyes and raised my face to wash away the reemergence of tears. But there would be plenty more before all this was over, of that I was sure.

By the time I got out of the shower, Mo was making another cup of tea. I grabbed the phone from the side table, then slipped under the duvet and called Luc.

“Hey,” he said, his voice warm but weary. “How’s the transcribing going?”

“Good, I presume. Ginny and Mia are working on it with Barney.”

“Then where are you and Mo?”

I gave him a brief rundown of events, and he swore vehemently. “Maybe you should both back off—”

“And do what? Watch the world burn around us?”

“No, but that’s two close calls now. You might not be so lucky the third time—”

“If you want to be technical,” I said lightly, “it’s actually three close calls—I also survived the roof collapse, remember.”

“Damn it, Gwen, I’m being serious here.”

“So am I. We De Montforts lost the sword, Luc. It’s our duty to get it back.”

“I think that horse has well and truly bolted.”

“That depends entirely on whether the sword in the stone was the true king’s sword or not, doesn’t it?”

He grunted. It was not a happy sound. “Has Mo managed to transcribe what was written on the King’s Stone yet?”

“She’s still waiting for Barney’s nephew to send through the adjusted images.”

“Which should be by the morning,” Mo said as she placed a fresh cup of tea on the bedside table.

I passed the comment on and then added, “I talked to Max this evening. He all but confirmed today’s attack was as much about grabbing the coronation ring as destroying Blackbirds.”

“Then they failed in both aims.”

“The ring wasn’t there?”

“No, we moved it and a few other precious artifacts to safer locations when the museum theft happened.”

Relief stirred. Max might believe the Blackbirds were past their prime, but at least they’d been one step ahead on this particular occasion. “Good. But I need you to grab it for me.”

“I doubt that would ever be approved—”

“Luc, the safest place for the ring right now is with the Lady of the Lake. Darkside won’t get it off her anytime soon.”

“Why would Vivienne deign to safekeep the ring? She hasn’t gotten involved in the affairs of men or witches for decades.”

“This is different.” I cast a questioning look at Mo, and she shook her head. No telling him about the crown, then, despite the fact he—and the Blackbirds—had a right to know. “It’s only a matter of time before they attack your other locations looking for the ring, Luc. It needs to be protected by the goddess who made the sword.”

“I doubt any of us has the capacity to raise her—”

“Mo’s interacted with Vivienne in the past,” I cut in. “And besides, we’ve nothing to lose by trying.”

His doubt and disbelief seemed to vibrate all around me. “Look, all I can do is talk to the table and see what happens.”

“And when is that likely to be, because there’s a bit of urgency here—”

“We’re meeting in half an hour,” he said. “I presume that’s quick enough for even Mo.”

I ignored the slight edge of sarcasm. “Given your headquarters is a ruin and the round table undoubtedly buried under a pile of rubble, where are you meeting?”

“We’ve a choice of buildings nearby, and the round table is fine—it was one of the artifacts moved out under the cover of darkness. As I’ve said before, it’s irreplaceable.” He paused, murmuring something I couldn’t quite catch. The soft reply was also inaudible, but I recognized the