Blackbird Crowned (The Witch King's Crown #3) - Keri Arthur Page 0,24

certainly spell her invisible, but it would mean you’d have to get used to moving around with an unwieldy sword strapped to your back. Whatever spell the Blackbirds use seems to erase that inconvenience.”

“And you don’t know it? That surprises me.”

“It shouldn’t. The Blackbirds are a closed-mouth lot at the best of times.”

That was certainly true. “What about the crown? Do we similarly hide that?”

She hesitated. “While I doubt it will be necessary to shadow it, I do think we need to keep it and the ring close.”

“Why? They’ll be of no use to either Max or Darkside now that I’ve claimed the sword.”

“I know but—” She shrugged. “I’ve a gut feeling they’ll be of some use yet.”

And Mo’s gut feelings were best not ignored. “We’ll need to contact one of the other Blackbirds to do the shadowing, then, as Luc’s going to be busy with his sister for a few days.”

“No, he won’t. The process is long and delicate, and no one other than the council’s specialists will be allowed anywhere near her while it’s happening. Call him. If nothing else, it’ll give him something to do other than worry.”

I pulled my phone out of the glove compartment and made the call. It went to voicemail, so I left a message asking him to contact me as soon as possible.

“Even if we do manage to wrap an invisibility spell around Elysian, what happens when we need to change shape? I can’t carry a sword and the two knives.”

“Why not? You’ve carried the knives and that big old book home from Jackie’s.”

“In a backpack, not in my claws.”

“You can lash the sword and the knives together easily enough, and it certainly wouldn’t be any heavier.” She cast an amused look my way. “You’re just looking for excuses not to carry her about.”

“Until I actually know how to use her, is there any actual point to me carrying her about?”

“Think of her as just a more powerful version of Nex and Vita,” Mo said. “That will at least give you a good place to start.”

“Nex and Vita can’t pull the sheer range of power that Elysian can.” I ran my gaze across the storm-clad skies, once again seeing the threads of energy. My gaze dropped. A similar energy ran up the trunks of the barely visible trees to my left. “Is it always like this for you?”

Mo glanced at me briefly. “Like what?”

I waved a hand toward the trees. “The lifeblood of the earth and the sky being so visible?”

“Ah.” A smile twisted her lips. “It’s really only evident in open spaces and in land unaltered by human hand.”

“Human hands haven’t altered the sky.”

“Pollution has, especially over the cities.” She shrugged. “You might notice it more at the moment, because the ability is very raw in you, but it will quickly tone down to a point where you won’t notice it unless you’re actively looking for it.”

My phone rang, the tone telling me it was Ginny—who was not only my best friend but also my cousin. She normally worked as a specialist detective for the Major Crimes Unit, but had recently been forced to take leave. She’d helped us hide Max’s twins, and that had led to Darkside becoming aware of her involvement. Max might not go after her, but the same couldn’t be said about his Darkside cronies. In fact, it might not have even been Max behind the multiple attempts on both Mo’s and my life, but rather those opposing factions he’d spoken of.

I hit the answer button and then said, “Hey, what’s up?”

“I’m not sure.” Her usually unruffled tone held an edge of worry. “Have you heard from Mia recently?”

Mia was the third member of our “inseparable gang of three,” as Max had often called us when we’d all been younger. “Didn’t she go back to Ainslyn for her mother’s seventieth?”

“Yes, but I haven’t heard from her since.”

“You’ve called her parents?”

“I did. She left them yesterday afternoon to come back here.”

It was a statement that hit like a punch to the gut. My breath left in a wheeze, and fear surged. Something must have happened. Something bad.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. “I take it you’ve tried to track her phone?”

“I have. It’s either switched off or dead.”

“Do you know the location of the last cell tower it communicated with before it powered down?”

“Castle Walk, which isn’t that far away from where we are in Southport.”

I took a deep, steadying breath. “Have you driven around the