Blackbird Broken (The Witch King's Crown #2) - Keri Arthur Page 0,92
idea what he was up to, and I’m his goddamn twin. You can’t blame yourself for something you can’t possibly have changed.”
She raised an eyebrow, amusement evident in the bright glint of her eyes. “Sage advice coming from the woman who has done nothing but blame herself.”
“Well, I am your granddaughter—what do you expect?”
She smiled and drew the car keys from her pocket. “If this goes on for too long, you might have to send Luc for sustenance. Just remember the tide is coming in—if you do want something to eat and drink, you’d better go get it sooner rather than later.”
I nodded. She placed her hands palm up on her knees and closed her eyes. In very little time, she’d slipped into an astral trance.
I crossed my legs, then placed the daggers in front of me; they’d at least give advance warning of any approaching demons. As for human foe—well, hopefully I’d spot their shadows against the skyline as they entered the cavern. Depending, of course, on how long the still-swirling dust took to clear.
Time ticked by slowly. It was tempting to pull out my phone and check what was happening in the world—or at least on social media—but inattention was the surest way to tempt an attack.
Eventually, awareness tingled down my spine. I glanced around as Luc appeared out of the gloom. “Did you find anything?”
“A dark gate at the rear of the cavern. Freshly created, too.”
He sat down beside me and lightly pressed his shoulder against mine. Warmth flowed between us, and it felt oddly energizing. As if he was somehow sharing his strength—or that I was siphoning it. I frowned and shifted fractionally, breaking the connection. The flow of strength immediately stopped. I glanced down at Vita; golden light was fading in the heart of her blade. Obviously, there was more to her healing abilities than Mo had previously mentioned.
But that was something I could worry about later.
“Are you certain it’s actually new?” I said. “Or is it simply a gate broken by the stretching of time that’s been recently fixed?”
“There’s no real way to tell a recommissioned one from a new, but either way, it doesn’t bode well.”
No. “I gather you’ve sealed and alarmed it?”
He nodded. “And I sent a message to Janet, who’s in charge of the Carlisle council. They’ll monitor it.”
I frowned. “Isn’t there a council in Dumfries? It’s a bit closer.”
“There’s only a regional monitor there these days. He hasn’t really got the power to shut the gate down again if something breaks through my locks.”
“Ah.” I brushed some dirt off my face and wished I could so easily brush away the tiredness. “Mo’s not sure how long it’ll take to get a hold of Mryddin. If we want something to eat, we’ll have to grab it now, before the tide becomes a problem.”
He glanced at me. “Do you want something to eat?”
I hesitated. “I could do with a cup of tea and some chocolate, but it’s a long way back—”
“If you want them, I’ll go get them. Keys?”
I handed them to him. He leaned forward and gently brushed a kiss across my lips. I raised a hand, cupped his bristly cheek, and deepened the kiss. For far too many minutes, there was nothing but this man and this kiss. A kiss that felt like a homecoming. Like I was exactly where I was always meant to be.
His gaze, when it finally met mine, burned with desire, but there was something else in those green depths now—something I hadn’t unexpected. Something that made my heart soar.
It was an acceptance of fate.
He might never admit it to me or to anyone else, of course, and maybe—given the uncertainty of our situation and the fact we might not survive what was coming at us—that was wise. And even acceptance didn’t mean anything in the true scheme of things. The two of us had apparently fallen in and out of love many times over the centuries, and there was no guarantee that this rebirth would be the one to change any of that.
But still … there was always hope, and given the dark times that lay ahead, it was at least something to cling to.
“You’re a witch. You know that, don’t you?” His voice was soft, husky.
“Well, technically, so are you.”
He laughed and brushed a stray strand of sweat-curled hair from my eyes. “I better go, before I give in to temptation again. I won’t be long.”