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“I was raised not by my parents, yet I know somehow they were alive. The same as I knew I hated my father. Those emotions I can feel deeply, but alas, they hold no specific memories for me.”Shaking his head, he looked at her.

“I was also a master archer and had many interested women should I have chosen them for my bed.”He smirked.

“So sorry I took such a stud from the world.” She stood, rolling her eyes.

“As you should be. I am sure many of the women wasted away in grief.”

She snorted, then in embarrassment, turned away, pushing her hair behind her ear as she focused on where Cyerra usually nested down. Where was the crow when she could use a distraction?

“Your ears... they are human...”Kian stared at her just as she had when she first saw his pointed ears.

“Yeah, I am human.” Crossing her arms, she stared at Kian, feeling vulnerability at admitting that but not knowing why.

Kian straightened, his face stoic once more as he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“Stop letting the human woman hurt you. Figure out who you are so I can know if I should return the favor of your death.”

And on those encouraging words, he swirled into shadows, disappearing.

Bryn knew it was a threat, but something bothered him at seeing his killer tormented. Perhaps he wanted the honor all to himself.

But something deep, deep down inside her said he wouldn’t actually hurt her.

No matter who she turned out to be.

Chapter 23

Thesoundoffootstepscoming up the clinic stairs broke Bryn from the book she was trying, and failing, to lose herself in. An attempt to calm down after Mallory’s visit, knowing it had been long enough that Mallory had moved onto something else and was not coming back for an encore.

Focusing on the cadence of the steps, she knew whoever this was, it was not someone she was familiar with. She had learned the sound of her aunt’s footsteps long ago in a sense of self-preservation.

Snapping the book closed as she jumped off her bed, her pulse thrumming, she walked quietly to her door.

Carefully turning the knob to where it made no noise, she made sure to only pull it open a crack so she could see who it was before she announced herself.

“I am so glad you could come, Scrios. Daran and I...” The words trailed off as Arioch walked into Mallory’s apartment, closing the door behind him.

Panic held Bryn tightly by the throat. She knew instinctively they were talking about her, and the possibility of the three of them deciding to do something extreme, that they were colluding, did not bode well for her future in Ifreann. Especially after Mallory’s intrusion and subsequent freak-out earlier.

Stepping into the hallway, careful to stick to the wood she knew wouldn’t creak, something she learned as a fearful youth trying to avoid Mallory’s wrath, she closed in on her aunt’s door to listen.

“Bryn!” Jace yelled from the other stairwell coming up from inside the clinic, and the thought of throttling him hit the forefront of her mind, right after the jolt of panic. Spinning, she placed her finger to her lips as she quickly moved over the stable pieces of wood back toward her door.

“Mr. Rafferty called a meeting. Let’s go.” He ignored her obvious determination to remain quiet, and without waiting on her, he turned and ran back down the stairs.

Bryn quickly followed, hearing Mallory’s door open as they left and breathing a sigh of relief she hadn’t been caught. Far too close of a call. Another second and she would have been fending off another enraged session of torment courtesy of her aunt.

Scrambling behind Jace, they ran to the Sanctuary, making their way back to the very drawing room that was quickly becoming less of a refuge for Bryn and more of a reminder that her life was vastly different from only days ago.

Danu sat with everyone as before, but Bryn could feel the difference under her skin as she stepped past the threshold. There was a pulse of energy in the room, and it was coming from different sources.

Coming up behind her, Mr. Rafferty placed a hand on her shoulder, ignoring her squeak of surprise as he leaned down to whisper into her ear.

“Once we are done here, no matter how this goes, we still need to work on what the dead man said.”

With a squeeze of his hand at the words, she looked to Callum, who gave a nod. So, they had discussed the vision out in front of the pyres without her. Agitation thrummed under her skin at being excluded from the conversation, but she let it go... for now.

Moving to a vacant seat, she watched Declan’s eyes, full of rage, as they followed his father across the room.