Page 11

Koth cursed again. Silas growled.

“Haven, why don’t you go back to Tegan?”

Tenn didn’t move.

Tim looked to Kessler who stood and physically pulled Tenn to his feet. Tenn flinched and threw his arms out, then froze when he saw it was his father holding him.

Tenn’s face fell and his shoulders dropped. “I did it again.”

Kessler wrapped his arm around Tenn’s shoulders and led him toward the stairs. “C’mon, Son. Let’s go back down there.”

“Cooper, go put him to sleep please.” Tim’s eyebrows were scrunched low. “And check Lancaster.”

Cooper raced after them.

“Anyway, Koth . . .” Tim coughed, then leaned forward. “I was hoping to ask a favor but feel no pressure to?—”

“I’m happy to station one of my dragons here. Yes.”

Tim smiled. “Thank you. With Tegan being down and Haven . . . Yeah, we could use the help. Though, perhaps not Silas.”

Silas arched an eyebrow.

“You know damn well this isn’t about your skill. You have been a valuable assassin for us, but Sweyn expects you now. And I’d like to heed the warnings I’ve been given on the Unseelie.”

Silas crossed his arms over his chest. “Dragons they’ve yet to see so they won’t know to look for them.”

I held my hand up. “How many dragons do you have?”

Koth looked upset by the question but didn’t say so. “Four teenagers that no one wants me to send out. Neka I’d rather keep a tight lid on. He’s a rare type of dragon. Yaluk, Finn, Tyce, and Dace are available.”

Dream-Deacon looked up from the book. “Yaluk is the hot-tempered one, right? Maybe not him.”

Silas chuckled.

Koth tapped his knuckles on the table. “Finn could be good for blending in here.”

Royce blushed and glanced to Thiago, who didn’t notice. Interesting.

“It needs to be the twins,” Silas grumbled. “Send both. They might need it.”

“I’ll send them down here asap. But they’re a need-to-know set of guys. They have the best of intentions but are a little too happy-go-lucky and forget some things are meant to be secret.”

Kessler grinned. “Reminds me of Easton and Royce a few years ago.”

They high-fived in the air across the table.

Tim looked up with pinched eyebrows. “He sleeping?”

Cooper slid back into his seat next to Savannah. “Out cold, with Albert curled between his legs. But he and Jackson seem to be having quite the argument.”

Easton frowned. “Albert or Tenn?”

“Albert.” Cooper grinned. “Also, Jackson is solid. Says Em fed him chicken before we all came down.”

Katherine nodded. “Oh, that’s true. She did.”

“Good.” Tim turned his gaze back to Koth. “What’s the safety level of Issale?”

“Issale cannot be accessed, the angels have assured me of that. Eithne and her soulmate have been staying with us to ensure our borders are protected and strong. They promise to let us know if our borders are in jeopardy.”

Constance leaned forward. “And your civilians outside of Issale?”

Silas growled. “A lot harder to track down and contact than yours.”

Kenneth wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I remember meetings with your father when I was younger. There were certain . . . protocols and assignments to aid in times of trouble.”

Koth sat up straight, his eyes sharp. “Perhaps we can have a word. I don’t have much in the way of guidance as I am the last of my line—aside from Finn and Maddox.”

Tim waved his hand. “Kenneth, go to Issale with Koth. Help them. Whatever you know. We don’t need to know every working detail of their mission in this realm but we are as equally focused to see it through.”

Koth nodded. “Thank you.”

“Ideally, and this is not yet a Coven-mandated law we’re setting, but we need all of our civilians somewhat locked down. Shifters are not yet targeted by Sweyn and the Unseelie, but we can’t know that won’t change, or that the demon and Duenill situation won’t escalate as a result. Do what you can to get your civilians to Issale.” Tim’s expression soured. “While we are as much your ally as you ours, we may not have the manpower to rush to your aide.”

“Not with the Unseelie. Not with Tegan down. I don’t want you worrying about my people right now. I will secure them as best possible. They’re animals at their core, so this won’t be too hard.”

I raised my hand to get their attention. “But like Koth asked . . . what are we to do right now?”

“I am so glad you asked,” a familiar voice asked from behind us.

I turned and spotted my aunt and uncle standing in the foyer with shit-eating grins on their faces.

Aunt Kimmy’s hazel eyes darted left and right, then she blushed. “The door was open, so we let ourselves in.”

“Heya, Franks!” Uncle Kyle’s silver eyes bounced around the room. He held a white box with a big pink bow on top. “I think I’ve got a project for ya.”

I scrambled to my feet. “Aunt Kimmy . . . Uncle Kyle . . . hi. Sorry, wasn’t expecting you today?—”

“Well, we weren’t expecting this either.” Uncle Kyle held the present up. “This just showed up on the table in front of us, so we figured we’d bring it on over.”

“Why? What is it?” I frowned. “What do you mean it just showed up?”

“It’s a present.” He strolled over to me and held the box out. “Has your name on it.”

I glanced down. Sure enough, my name, Francelina, was written in a pretty elegant script. “Who’s it from? What is it? Where’d it come from?”

“No idea, no idea, and no idea.” Uncle Kyle chuckled. “You’re gonna have to open it to find out—preferably now because my curiosity can only be restrained so much.”

“We were just watching a movie and there it appeared.” Aunt Kimmy shrugged. “Poof.”

“It has your name on it?” Cooper stood and leaned over the table to look. “Is that not weird?”

I sat it down and stared at it. “I don’t like that.”

Royce snapped his fingers. ‘ That’s my line,’ he mouthed.

“Son of a bitch stick.” I exhaled roughly. “This is sus, right?”

“So sus.”

“What if it’s a bomb?”

“What if it’s one of those smoke-dragon things that called the Unseelie?”

“Wrapped in a pretty pink bow? That’d be a lot of thought for those guys.”

“Hey, it’s not impossible.”

“King Lucy sent me a present once.”

“Maybe it’s a threat or a warning.”

“It’s safe,” Myrtle finally said softly, interrupting everyone’s hypothesizing and panic. “No harm will come from opening this.”

“Oh, is that fried chicken?” Uncle Kyle bounced over to the kitchen. “May I invite myself over?”

“Can you invite me over too?” Aunt Kimmy chuckled behind him, her hazel gaze locked on the food. “Smells divine.”

“Come on over, kids,” Myrtle said with a wink. She slid two clean plates out and started serving. “How many?”

“Until I can’t breathe right, please.” Uncle Kyle grinned. “An old friend of mine used to put this special hot sauce on them— hey that’s the one! Yo, hit me, dragon boy.”

Koth chuckled and tossed the bottle down to my uncle who caught it effortlessly. He immediately drenched his food in it with a huge grin.

“HEY. How come he got to try it?” Easton whined.

“Go ahead. But you’re not bringing your tongue anywhere near me after.” Lily batted her eyelashes at him. “Your choice.”

“Dirty game, sunshine. Dirty game.” Easton eyed the hot sauce longingly but made no move to grab it. “One day. I’ll get it. That’s how I got you: patience.”

“Okay, but this present ?” I bit my bottom lip. “Myrtle, you’re sure it’s safe? We don’t even know who it’s from?—”

“I do.” She laughed. “Go ahead.”

Everyone else froze and just watched. I took a deep breath, then slowly pulled the pink bow off. The second it was off, the white box vanished . . . leaving a small wooden puzzle box sitting in front of me. A glittery golden bow was wrapped around it.

“Oh, that’s snazzy.” Uncle Kyle snapped his fingers. “A secret admirer perhaps? Bet there’s a present inside.”

“ Careful, her soulmate tends to behead those ,” Cooper whispered.

“Soulmate?” My aunt asked with wide eyes. “Frankie, you have a soulmate and didn’t tell us?”

My jaw dropped. I blinked, then swallowed roughly. “Um . . . yes . . . but I only found out last night. And he’s not here?—”

“Who is it?”

“Everest,” I said softly, trying to ignore the roughness in my voice when I said his name out loud.

My aunt’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, that pretty white-haired boy who brought you those flowers in the hospital?”

“ What? ” I waved my hands in front of my face. “He brought me flowers? When?”

“After Tegan returned you to that hospital and set you out as bait. We walked in and found him sitting with you.” She pursed her lips. “I don’t remember if he was still holding the flowers or if they were on the table next to you?—”

“Everest was there that day?”

“Yeah, I don’t know how I feel about this guy.” Uncle Kyle gestured to his clothes. “I mean, how do we trust a guy who wears all white and isn’t dirty? That’s sus.”

“Well, he’s a vampire?—”

“Even more sus!” He threw his hands up. “Where’s the blood? How’s he that clean of an eater?”

“ Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. I thought I went straight from Avolire to the hospital?” I glanced around to everyone. They were all nodding. “You’re sure he was there?”

Aunt Kimmy smiled and winked at me. “He did not like seeing you back in that bed. Neither did we. He left in a hurry though, all spooky too.”

“OH YEAH.” Uncle Kyle shivered. “That whole turned-into-shadow thing? Creepy. Hella sus, Franks. Hella . . . sus. Keep your eyes on that one.”

I clenched my teeth and swallowed through a hot lump in my throat. He’d been there. Everest had been there right away. He must have left Avolire right after Tegan pulled us out of there and went to check on me. Even thinking I hated him, even knowing I thought he’d betrayed me, even when I thought he was marrying Sam, he came to me. Somehow him visiting me without me knowing was important, because that meant he really cared. It wasn’t for show. Since the day I’d met Everest, I’d been in a loop of confusion, not knowing which way us up or down. I’d assumed he hadn’t seen me since I left Avolire until that night I went to the infirmary after the demon attack. Days and days later. But no, he was there that night. Because I woke up while it was daylight so that meant he’d had to have come almost immediately.

That brought tears to my eyes that I had to blink through so I didn’t embarrass myself in front of everyone, especially my aunt and uncle. I was not ready to talk about my vampire soulmate with them. I was still on shaky ground with him myself.

“Frankie?”

I jumped at the sound of my name and looked up to find Dream-Deacon watching me. My cheeks flushed. “Yes? Sorry, I zoned out for a second?—”

“The box said Francelina, didn’t it?” When I nodded, Dream-Deacon shrugged. “Everest calls you Francelina, doesn’t he? Isn’t he the only person who calls you that?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. “You think this is from Everest?”

“Strangers also call her Francelina,” Thiago said while eyeing the wooden box like it was going to hurt him. “Could still be?—”

“Safe.” Tim laughed and shook his head. “Myrtle, the Lead Crone, says it is safe to open. When have we ever second-guessed her?”

“True,” they all said in perfect unison.

Myrtle just chuckled.

“Right. Sorry, Myrtle.” I reached out and grabbed the wooden puzzle box and the golden bow flashed with light. In the blink of an eye, the bow turned into golden parchment, almost like a postcard. My eyes widened. “Myrtle, still not doubting you but?—”

“Oh, he’s enjoying this.” She giggled. “It’s like a gift for you and him.”

I eyed the handwriting on the note, not quite ready to focus on the words, but I did notice the handwriting was foreign to me. “This is not Everest’s handwriting. It’s too . . . easy breezy.”

“Handwriting can be easy breezy?” Uncle Kyle chuckled.

“Yeah, this looks like someone just grabbed the first paper they found and scribbled down a note. They just happen to have decent script.” I exhaled. My stomach was in knots. “This handwriting makes me nervous. I don’t know why but like . . . I’m terrified to read the note.”

“I thought you said it was easy breezy?”

“ It is. ” I groaned, then let out a nasty curse that made my aunt hiss and my Coven-mates chuckle. “Okay, okay, I’m reading it. I’m reading it . . . right . . . it says Francelina, right, so here’s the dealio ?—”

“Dealio?” Easton snorted. “It says dealio ?”

I nodded, then kept reading out loud, “ Here’s the dealio. Valathame wanted to do her sneaky thing with the riddles on Benny’s arm, but I said nah bruh, ain’t nobody got time for that. And since I’m the one who had the box, I get to decide. Vetoed her shit. You’re welcome. So pay attention, ‘cuz imma give you the down and dirty deets ?— ”

Myrtle covered her mouth and laughed. She shook her head.

“I like this person.” Uncle Kyle nodded in approval. “Let’s hear the down and dirty.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “ Imma give you the down and dirty deets . . . Val has quite a hefty task ahead for you. But you know this. That page wasn’t in the bitch’s throne, so you already know you’re going hunting for it. Not me, not Hermione, YOU. ”

Royce snort-laughed so hard water sprayed all over him.

“See, you see? I knew! I knew to be nervous.” I shook my head and went back to the note. “ I’m not allowed to tell you anything about that, trust me I’ve tried already, but I CAN tell you that before that quest, you’ve gotta handle a few things first. And you have to do these things before Mr. Winter Frost Mountain can step into the light.”

Savannah threw her head back and cackled. “WINTER FROST MOUNTAIN.”

Cooper tried not to laugh and failed. “Do they mean . . . Everest?”

My cheeks burned from laughing. He continues—because this has to be a guy . . . “ During your initiation you saw a bunch of symbols and runes for potions that each member of The Coven and company need . . . Time to make those potions. I know, I know, you’re thinking ‘how the hell do I know what those symbols mean?’, but sadly, Val won’t let me just tell you. Process and order and all that shit. Luckily, you’re in the right spot to get help with potions. Read some books and talk to some proper Cups — and no, the Bishop boys do not count for this ?— ”

“Rude.” Hunter chuckled. “But fair.”

“ You’re gonna have to collect all your ingredients first. To finish this task, you’re gonna need a cheat sheet . . . and because I’m not allowed to just hand it over like a drug deal in an alley behind a gas station, I had to put it inside this puzzle box. Good luck with that, by the way. Anyhoo, no one expects you to figure these potions out all by your onesie, so seek help anywhere you can and then get help making them. In fact, I’d focus all your attention on Tegan’s potion and wake her devious ass up. She loves breaking rules and Valathame loves when she does it (but you didn’t hear that from me). SO, there you go. Make Tegan’s potion, have her do the rest. Boom. Done. Guess I could’ve just said that to start, eh? Whatevs. You’re welcome. Best to do it in a bit of a run if you’re nervous ?— ”

“This guy.” Easton laughed and slapped the table. “I wanna party with him.”

“Who is it from?”

“It’s signed, and I quote, ‘P.S. Let’s make this box a little more . . . appropriate. Ya girl, Leyka.”

The second I read that last sentence, the wooden box flashed with light. When it faded, gone was the brown square box. In its place sat a pale-tan pig with two black spots on its back. It still was made of wood and still had all kinds of levers and carvings around it, so I doubted it’d be any easier to solve this way.

Everyone else at the table turned to look at Myrtle with raised brows.

She grinned and shrugged, then turned her gaze back to my aunt and uncle. “We’re only half-siblings.”

Uncle Kyle threw his head back and cackled. Aunt Kimmy giggled and clapped her hands. And that did it, the rest of the table burst into laughter. I smiled along with them, but my heart was hammering too hard in my chest. Leyka’s tone may have been easy breezy and direct, which I very much appreciated, but there was still a whole lot to unpack there.

“Frankie, you all right?” Hunter asked softly, his golden magic sliding over my hands.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat, pressing my fingers to my temples. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“Ya know, I’ve had mixed feelings about Leyka since day one—because I liked him, he’s funny and obviously helpful, and we owe him a shit ton more than we’ll ever be able to repay, especially me and D . . .” Emersyn grinned and shook her head. “But damn, ya girl gives us guidance much simpler than Valathame.”

Cooper hung his head and chuckled. “Ya girl is right though. Let’s focus on getting Tegan awake so she can do the damn thing. And then we’ll at least get Tenn back to fully operational.”

“Right. Totally. I’m all in for these things . . . but where do I start for these potions?”

Daniel cleared his throat. “I’ll look into the help at Edenburg, but it’s Saturday so that may be difficult to track down today.”

Tim nodded. “For now, you need to focus on that puzzle pig.”

“Yeah, no big squeal.”