Blackbird Broken (The Witch King's Crown #2) - Keri Arthur Page 0,38
the inner panic.
She bit her lip, fear evident. I smiled and tugged her up into my arms. Her little body was hot and trembling. “It’s okay, Riona. Nothing you said to him will ever make us angry.”
She hesitated, and then said, “I told him we were at a house in Wigan, but I don’t know where.”
We. Fuck. “And did he make you tell him who you were with?”
She pulled back, her lips trembling. It was answer enough. “It’s okay, Riona. Really, it is.”
“But he’ll come for me. He always comes for me.”
Something within went cold. “Where does he take you when he comes for you?”
“To the dark place.”
Holy fuck … I swallowed the rage and tried to remain calm. I didn’t want to scare her. “Does Winter talk to Reign the same way?”
She nodded. I swore. Silently—vehemently. Gianna might be on the run, but she wouldn’t get far. Not if Winter could track her son via some form of sleep telepathy.
“Does you mom accompany you when Winter takes you to the dark place?”
She shook her head. “Just Reign.”
“And what happens when you go to there?”
“They teach us to speak their magic and their language.”
It wasn’t unusual for witches to be taught magic at such a young age, but I hated to think just how badly Darkside would be twisting—fouling—the lessons. “So you can speak the dark language?”
She nodded. “They … they scare me.”
“They scare me, too,” I admitted and hugged her for the longest time.
A soft noise had me glancing over my shoulder, though I was well aware it was Luc at the door rather than Winter or one of his half-demon thugs. “We’ll need to get out of here.”
He nodded. “I’ve already called Mo. She’ll contact Jackie and Ron and get them to meet us at Waterloo. They’ll take her off grid until it’s safe.”
“There is nowhere safe if Winter is able to communicate with her telepathically.”
“Apparently Ron will be able to counter any further attempts.”
Which suggested Ron’s abilities ran to personal magic rather than elemental—unless, of course, there were non-magical means of countering telepathy. Given the preternatural team apparently had psychics on their books as well as witches, I guess it would make sense that a psychic means of countering such attacks existed.
I glanced down at Riona. “We’ll have to leave. Do you want a hand getting dressed?”
“I’m big. I can do it myself.”
“Good. But if Winter makes another attempt to contact you, let me know, okay?”
She nodded. “He only comes at night.”
“Probably because the night gives him a stronger range and easier access to her mind,” Luc said. “Shall I make toasted sandwiches for everyone?”
“Cheese and Marmite, please,” Riona immediately said.
“Done. See you downstairs in a few minutes.”
Riona got dressed, and then I brushed her hair. A few golden strands got caught in the bristles, so I plucked them free and wrapped them in a tissue. If Darkside did catch up with her, then Mo would be able to use them to trace her.
We headed into the other bedroom; once I’d fully dressed, she took my hand, and we headed down the stairs. It felt oddly right—felt as if we were family rather than two strangers—and I couldn’t help wondering yet again if that was because her father was my brother. As much as I kept hoping he wasn’t involved in this whole mess, there was a tiny part of me that welcomed her arrival. I could certainly deal with having a niece …
Luc handed us each a paper-wrapped sandwich, then picked up the keys and ushered us out of the house—after first checking that it was safe to do so.
Once we were all in the car—Riona safely buckled into the back and happily consuming her sandwich and juice—we headed off. Thankfully, there was very little traffic on the road, so it only took little over half an hour to reach Waterloo.
As Luc drove through a myriad of streets, my phone beeped. I pulled it out of my pocket and glanced at the screen. “Jackie’s waiting in the café. She wants to know if we want coffee.”
He shook his head. “I think it better none of us hang about. The sooner we get Riona tucked safely away, the better.”
I nodded in agreement and then turned around. Her blue gaze met mine, sharp with an intelligence that went far beyond her years.
“Because Winter might be trying to find us, we’ll have to leave you for a few days. But a good friend of mine by the name of