King of the Wilds - Tasha Black Page 0,27

the car back around and tell her new friends that she had failed before she had even had a chance to try.

But somehow, she just couldn’t bring herself to pull over.

Her hands stayed on the wheel and her foot stayed on the gas, and she found herself pulling onto I-95, and heading straight for the city.

Another idea was beginning to occur to her.

It was a crazy plan, maybe even an idiotic plan.

But it was the only plan she had, and she was the only one who could possibly pull it off.

16

Bron

Bron stood in the driveway, glaring at the industrious workers as he inwardly agonized about his queen.

Tabitha’s car pulled up a few minutes later.

Tabitha, Tristan, Sara, and Dorian hopped out.

“Miranda just left a little while ago,” he told Sara. “Can you call her? Tell her to come back for me.”

“Sure, but where is she going?” Sara asked instead of just calling.

“Please, just call her,” he asked again, more urgently.

Kings did not beg favors from mortals, but he didn’t know what else to do.

She slipped the communication device out of her pocket and began tapping its glassy surface immediately.

Lights flashed in the trees and for a moment he thought it was some trick of Tristan’s.

But the colorful lights were atop a car.

“The police are here,” Tabitha said, sounding relieved as she jogged over to meet them.

The foreman of the work crew headed for the police car as well. If he was going up against Tabitha, Bron almost felt sorry for him.

“I can’t seem to reach her,” Sara said turning back to Bron. “I’m texting her though, so if she sees it maybe she’ll come back. Did you guys have an argument or something?”

“No,” he said. “Gods, no. She’s going to ask her boss to stop all of this. But I don’t want her alone when there’s still something out there. We don’t know what kind of foul creature that last shard housed.”

Sara observed him with sympathetic eyes. “You care about her.”

He held up his hand so she could see the vines running around his finger.

“Oh,” she said, trying not to smile.

“You can smile,” he told her. “I’m happy too. Except that I can’t stand being away from her.”

“Philadelphia is half an hour away,” Sara told him. “She’ll be back really soon. And then hopefully, we can celebrate.”

They looked over to where Tabitha was pointing at the trees.

The police officer was shaking his head.

“Come on,” the foreman yelled angrily to his crew. “Pack it up.”

Tabitha had been successful, for now.

“We’ll stick around to make sure they really leave,” Sara said.

Bron nodded, feeling Miranda’s absence more keenly than ever now that the land was out of danger and his focus was no longer split.

“Ask forgiveness, not permission,” Tabitha said indignantly heading their way with Tristan and Dorian in tow. “What is this world coming to?”

“Is that what they said they were doing?” Sara asked. “Thank God Bron and Miranda were here to catch them.”

“Thank God for someone like Dale Evans being on the Tarker’s Hollow police force,” Tabitha said, shaking her head. “I’m glad he ran them off, but I have a feeling we’re going to have to keep a sharp eye on this place.”

“What were you doing here so early, brother?” Dorian asked.

Bron blinked.

“I have an idea,” Tristan said, looking at Bron’s hand.

“Ah,” Dorian said with a big smile. “I see congratulations are in order. Where’s the lucky lass?”

“She went to Philadelphia to talk to her boss,” Sara said quietly. “If she succeeds, then he’ll stop all this. And we all know how persuasive Miranda can be.”

“Genius,” Dorian said. “Well played, brother.”

“It’s not a game, Dorian. I didn’t play it,” Bron exploded. “I love her and she’s out there without me, with a piece still missing from the mirror, and gods know what’s still on the loose.”

“My apologies, brother,” Dorian said. “That’s not what I meant. But I am certain she’s fine.”

“How can you say that she’s fine?” Bron demanded. “You’ve seen what’s out there. You’ve seen that it takes all of us to fight it.”

“The creatures from that mirror could have gone far and wide,” Dorian replied. “But we found every single one of them right here in Rosethorn Valley.”

“We should be more concerned that the rest of us might have to face whatever it is without Miranda,” Tristan said lightly.

The compliment to his queen’s power and bravery mollified Bron slightly and he sighed in resignation.

“Let us wait for her in the garden, brother,” Dorian suggested. “We will be more comfortable