Blackbird Crowned (The Witch King's Crown #3) - Keri Arthur Page 0,104

luck.”

“You too.”

They peeled off at separate exits, leaving me alone on the motorway. I concentrated on following directions and keeping to the speed limit, while trying not to let fear take hold every time a car or truck remained behind me for too long.

Roadworks and an accident meant the two-hour journey drifted out to nearly three, so by the time I took the Pucklechurch exit, my anxiety levels were through the roof. I drove along a myriad of smaller roads and lanes until I neared our rendezvous point—a small farmstead surrounded by fallow fields. I didn’t stop, instead studying the old stone building as I crawled past. I couldn’t see anything untoward or out of place, but that didn’t really mean anything. If Max and his people were there, it wasn’t like they’d be waving flags or otherwise drawing attention to themselves.

I took a deep breath that did nothing for the tension riding me and continued on until I found the abandoned barns Luc had mentioned. Once I’d driven into the largest of them, I stopped and climbed out. Half of the old barn’s roof was missing, and the bit that remained had obviously been a roost for multiple generations of birds. The grimy, straw-covered dirt floor was decorated with cowpats, some of which were fairly recent, suggesting it was still used as a shelter for livestock in the more inclement weather.

I looked around for a manure-free area and then dug my toes into the straw until I hit the earth. Her pulse rose to meet me, but held no immediate sense of threat. There was the faintest whisper of movement in the distance, but I had no idea whether it was human or animal.

I switched my attention to the breeze that whistled gently through multiple gaps in the building’s fabric. Her whispers held little information about the distant movement, suggesting it was inside rather than out. There was, however, a car approaching.

My heart skipped several beats and then raced on. It wasn’t beyond the bounds of possibility that Max had seen the van go past and sent someone to investigate.

I grabbed my knives, then walked over to the barn’s doorway and squatted in the shadows of roof rubble that lay to the right. It gave me a good view of the road and the driveway, while still remaining hidden.

The inner tension was now so bad my muscles were quivering. Or maybe that was fear. The wind kept me apprised of the vehicle’s location, but she couldn’t tell me who was driving the thing. If I survived this—if Mo survived this—the first thing I was going to get her to teach me was how to get more information from the whispers of the earth and air.

An old Ford Estate appeared. It stopped briefly and then swung into the driveway. My grip tightened on Nex’s hilt, but there was no response from her. As the Estate drew closer, it became evident why—it was Luc.

My heart leapt, and tears stung my eyes.

He’d come here. Despite his orders and the oath he’d made, he’d come here rather than to London.

He’d chosen me. Chosen love over duty.

And suddenly, winning this battle and saving Mo in the process actually seemed possible.

He pulled into the barn and stopped next to the van. I tucked my knives into my belt and then walked around the rear of the vehicle and threw myself into his waiting arms. I pressed my cheek against his broad chest, closed my eyes, and reveled in not only the warm wash of his strength across my senses, but the steady beat of his heart and the tender way in which he held me. I felt safe and loved and utterly secure, and I wished I could simply stay like this forever.

But I had a grandmother to find and a brother to stop, before there was any possibility of that happening.

I sighed regretfully and pulled back a little without leaving the circle of his arms. “What happened to London?”

“Nothing. It’s still there as far as I’m aware.”

I gave him the look. “You know what I meant.”

“Yes, I do, and you can blame the crown.” He lifted my chin and studied me intently for a second or two. “You look like shit.”

“Stop avoiding the question.”

A smile tugged at his lovely lips. “Not long after our phone call, the crown and the ring came to life. From what Ricker has said, it happened around the same time as you drawing Elysian from the palace courtyard. It