end. After taking the iron out of her back and grappling with Astra for the pendant, Niamh didn’t win.
Astra twisted in her arms and drove an iron blade through Niamh’s heart.
And he launched out of sleep, adrenaline coursing through his body, until the reality of his mate sleeping at his side soothed him.
“They’ll go away eventually.” Niamh crossed the room to sit down on the bed. Magic tingled in the air along with a cloud of heat as she dried herself before pushing him back onto his pillow to snuggle into him.
Kiyo wrapped an arm around her, his fingers finding the scar on her spine and massaging it.
“It’ll just take time. It’s only been four weeks.”
Four weeks. It felt longer and shorter in equal measure.
By the time they arrived in Osaka, Bran had sent information that there would be a private plane waiting for them. The plane would log false passenger information and itinerary. Kiyo didn’t ask questions. A private plane with a false itinerary was the safest way for them to get out of Japan.
He’d been feeling grateful to the vampire—until they’d landed in Thailand.
In Phuket, to be exact.
Where a young Thai man awaited their arrival to drive them in his four-seater jungle buggy and left them in the middle of the rainforest next to their own jungle buggy. When he tried to contact the vampire for answers, he got a single text from him.
Look up. Tree house and buggy belong to Fionn. Consider this a honeymoon present. Enjoy. You lucky fucking dog.
In a sense, Bran and Fionn had forced Kiyo to take his first-ever vacation.
Whatever aggravation he felt about that had melted away because of Niamh. She had the wonder in her eyes again as their driver shot through the forest, and her excitement hit new levels when they looked up and glimpsed the building far above their heads. There was no way to get to it unless you were fae and could travel. Taking hold of his hand, Niamh traveled and then oohed and ahhed over what Kiyo had to admit was a pretty impressive tree house.
It took three weeks for Kiyo to believe Niamh when she said Astra had no idea where they were. Bran had contacted them to confirm that they were safe. The East Asian Council was investigating the Yamamoto Coven for the attack against Pack Iryoku and seemed pretty happy to lay the blame at their door since there was a long history between the magic users and the wolves. There was evidence of strained relations over the past twenty years since Sakura took over as alpha, including the murder of a high-ranking coven member. The attacks had been ruled to be the consequences of a secret cold war. The coven would pay for the crimes despite their protestation of innocence.
Tokyo was slowly recovering from the devastation. Human governments publicly investigated terrorist organizations while those in the know about the supernatural world grew more ruthless in recruiting supes to their secret armies. If the supernatural world was beginning to cause devastation in the human world, they wanted to be prepared if war was coming.
It felt like the world was changing beneath most humans’ very noses.
Kiyo hurt for Tokyo, but he didn’t like to talk about it with Niamh. She already blamed herself for it. Instead, he’d distracted her with explorations of Phuket with its stunning beaches, aqua waters, and amazing food. And there was the sex. They’d indulged in a lot of sex this past month.
However, the restlessness he felt within himself, he also sensed in Niamh.
They were waiting for Niamh to have a vision. Something that would tell them what their next move should be.
So far she’d been visionless. Not that Kiyo minded. He hated witnessing her experience a vision. But it was driving his mate insane with frustration.
She sighed beside him. “As beautiful as it is here, I think we should leave.”
“And go where?”
“Maybe the US.”
“Why there?”
“It’s where Elijah is.”
“The last of the fae-borne?”
Niamh nodded.
As restless as he was, Kiyo replied, “You’re safe here. No one but the people we trust know we’re here. And it’s not exactly a crappy view.” He gestured the stunning blue sky beyond the tops of the trees.
“I know.” But she sighed heavily again.
“Those are big sighs, Komorebi.”
Niamh pushed up off him, her palm pressed to his chest. “I can sense your restlessness, too, Kiyo. This place isn’t exactly full-moon friendly.”
She referred to the fact that he’d been relegated to a small section of the jungle