Beneath the Dust (Force of Nature #4) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,37
killing your brother—my father?” I dared a step closer. “I put him in the ground because of all the pain and anguish he caused me for years, Drake. Don’t think I’ve forgotten who he is. What he’s done. But would you really have me pass up a chance to remove the magic that keeps me from killing the fey queen? Allow her to torment and threaten everyone I love for eternity because Kingston might be lying?”
A mix of emotions flashed in his eyes before he let out a harsh breath. The raven cawed in agreement.
“No, I wouldn’t,” he said under his breath.
“Then help me. Help me find the lock. Surely one of the warlocks can help…or the witches…”
“It is possible.” He turned from me to pace the grounds, his mind working through the problem I’d passed to him. “I will need the others.”
“Then find them—”
“But they will want to meet you—and I cannot, under any circumstances, mention Kingston, or they will scatter.”
“Okay. No talk of he-who-shall-no-longer-be-mentioned. Got it.”
He shook his head in frustration. “I hope to God you know what you’re doing, Piper.”
“I don’t. But I need you behind me, for better or worse—because it might be for worse.”
“Indeed.”
“Does that mean you’re in?”
The raven cawed again, wings flapping in agitation.
“Of course I’m in,” he said, tone still sharp and filled with anger. “You are my family.”
I smiled. “And I’ll try not to make you regret that.”
He headed for the trees again, raven perched on his shoulder. “I will be in touch shortly. The others will want to meet you. They do not know you as I do. They will not help until they trust you.”
“How long will it take you to hunt them down?” I asked, knowing we were running out of time.
He stopped and looked back at me. “I don’t need to hunt them down. I already did.”
“You sneaky bastard,” I muttered as he disappeared into the shade of the forest.
The laughter that filled the air in his wake was his only reply.
Fucking warlocks.
Chapter Fifteen
“I’ve gotta go back to Sherry’s,” Knox said, heading for the door. “The talisman is ready.”
“Do you need me to come with you?” I asked. He looked over his shoulder at me with a mix of expressions ranging from incredulous to amused. I squirmed under its weight. “Not for that! For backup…in case, you know, she gets uppity or whatever.”
“I think I’ll be all right, Piper,” he replied with a smile. “Foust agreed to take Jase’s place so he and Dean could go with you today. But I appreciate the thought.” He looked past me to Jase and Dean. “Besides, these two need your backup more than I do.”
“Arrogant motherfucker,” Dean grumbled.
“Arrogance works for him,” I said, letting the tension in my shoulders release. “Adds to his sex appeal.”
“Damn right it does,” Knox said with a wink. Then the amusement fell from his face. “If anything happens to her while she’s with you, you’re dead. Got it?”
“Halfway there already,” Jase replied, the menace in his voice plain.
I choked on a nervous laugh. “Okay, well, the warlocks won’t wait forever—and neither will Sherry.” I gave Knox a kiss and blushed at Foust as he approached the group. “I’d say have fun and be safe, but they feel like really loaded comments under the current circumstances.”
Foust cracked a smile that reminded me of the day we met. “It’ll be fun for sure.”
“Kill anyone who dares to look at you sideways,” Knox said, his urge to keep me safe at all costs shining through.
“Deal.”
Jase and Dean hooked their arms in mine and led the way outside. Knox and Foust climbed into one of the cars in the fleet and sped off, both waving through the windows.
“Well this should be fun,” Dean said. I let out a breath and opened the SUV’s door.
“Just like old times!” I ribbed him with my elbow, and he pulled me closer to him.
“Except you can kick a ton of ass now. It’s going to be even better than old times.”
“Before you two sign the death warrants of the warlock clan, can we at least find them and talk to them first?” Jase said with an irritated sigh. “Drake was the one to set this up. I don’t think ass-kicking will be required.”
Dean let out a disgruntled sound. “Boring…”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Merc wouldn’t have agreed to meet with the coven queen at the same time we met the warlocks if he thought our interaction with them would be anything but boring.”