Page 2 of The Sirin Sisterhood (The Sons of Echidna #2)

Al

Al met them on the landing, ushering the crowd into his apartment. “I’m not allowed pets! Quickly,” he hissed, holding the door open. “Someone will notice six fucking dogs. ”

“Oh, stop your pouting. We aren’t gonna stay too long. Lucy here has a plan, and she has an amazing success rate with those, so I’m not worried.” Lai grinned, dodging a slap from her.

The group explored the tiny place, the dogs excitedly sniffing their new surroundings.

Al felt his blood pressure rise as the hounds climbed onto the furniture, but he dared not shoo them off with Aris right there.

Not that the spoiled mutts would even listen.

They had never been refused anything in their entire lives.

The place was simple yet homely. The lounge had a decent-sized sofa and a T.V.

with a couple of video game consoles plugged into it.

There was a two-person dining table and a mini kitchen.

There were two bedrooms, with Lilly taking the bigger one.

There was barely enough room for the siblings, let alone the extended family.

Making sure his sister was in her bed, asleep and comfortable, Al joined the others in the living room. Everyone was preoccupied with the loss of the manor, and no one seemed to care that his own little world was on the brink of collapse.

“Guess who didn’t pay his rent for two months?

” He glumly waved the red envelope that had been taped to his door.

“I have a week to clear the debt, or I’ll be joining your traveling circus.

Klein, are you seriously doing the dishes?

Can everyone just sit? We need a plan. A real plan.

” Al raised his voice and even Aris turned, wearing the same expression as his dogs, irritated at being interrupted as they sniffed around the apartment.

Al didn’t care. This was his home. Not for long, but until the debt collectors knocked on his door with an eviction notice, he would hold the fort.

“Charger?” Lucy held up her dead phone.

Al raised a brow, waiting for a please, but he was used to Lucy’s bluntness.

She hadn’t meant to be rude, she was just focused on a task.

“All the chargers are in that basket under the T.V.,” he pointed, closing the door to the room where his sister was sleeping, still under the effect of the sedative he administered a few hours ago.

Kneeling beside theT.V.stand, Lucy dug inside the basket of miscellaneous cords and chargers, fishing out one that suited her phone. The phone beeped cheerfully, displaying a charging symbol.

“So, what’s the next step?” Al left Klein to soothe himself by cleaning and joined the others on the sofa.

Lucy sighed, resting her head on the cushion.

“Money is not going to magically appear, but- do any of you have a social security number?” She looked over at the row of blank faces.

“Didn’t think so. Don’t have papers either, so finding work is gonna be tricky.

Plus, they have responsibilities back home.

Eleanore might be on the warpath, but she can’t be allowed to win, and they can’t stay. ”

No, they could not. Al was used to Lai bringing his problems to his doorstep. He was often a reluctant custodian of chaos. This wasn’t the first time his apartment had held a late-night council trying to solve a mess that Lai got involved in, from minor run-ins with the law to world-ending events.

“First things first. We need money.” Al took charge. Money solved a lot of problems—most of them, actually. If it didn’t, then one simply doesn’t have enough money for that particular problem. Unfortunately for them, they had a lot of problems and no money.

Aris took off one of the rings from his finger. A gold signet with a pale blue diamond in it. “This should fetch a good deal.”

Al picked it up and examined the heavy piece of gold.

“Retail, maybe. Pawn shops will give you a couple hundred tops.” He sighed, handing the piece back to Aris.

“It’s okay. We can figure this out. I think we just need time to think.

Lai, where are you going?” Glancing up, he spotted the man sneak in and out of his bedroom, carrying some of his own clothes from when he used to be a much more frequent visitor.

“Out.” Lai put his hair up with a wink. “You guys settle. I’ll get us a cash injection.”

“How exactly?” Lucy raised an eyebrow, sitting back up. “Not that it’s a hard guess, judging by the risqué outfit,” she added.

“Honey. It’s the oldest and most reliable profession in the history of the human race. Also the easiest, if you know what you are doing,” Lai laughed, leaning on the door frame.

“Prostitution?” Lucy asked, wide-eyed.

Lai frowned. “Well, don’t say it like that ,fuck. I’ll see you kids later.”

“You are not going!” Aris got up, blocking Lai’s way. Al had to agree; separating now seemed like a bad idea. “I’m not letting any of you wander in this world alone. Especially not now.”

Lai paused, looking up at his father, and Al noticed a slight curl of his lip—a disdainful snarl. He knew what it meant, and so did Aris. Lai had been out in the world alone for years after his mother died, and his father hadn’t cared. Why care now?

The silent standoff ended with Aris stepping aside. No one was ready for that conversation, so Lai was free to go.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Al whispered as Lai went past him, his fingers catching on Lai’s sleeve. “Don’t be gone long.”

Al received the same look as Aris moments earlier, but softer. Lai looked pleased that Al cared. He didn’t answer, but blew a kiss and slipped out, leaving Aris shaking his head.

Only one person had gone, but the place somehow felt a lot calmer. Chaos followed Lai like a lost puppy, so chaos had gone out the door with him. The pacing and panicking seemed to stop. Even Aris settled on the sofa, one of the dogs climbing onto his lap and the others settling by the man’s feet.

Now, they could plan.

“We need fighters and weapons. Where can I recruit a crew in this city?” Aris asked, petting the coarse black fur of his favorite hound.

“Probably the local renaissance fair. Or Comic Con.” Lucy couldn’t hide a smile.

“Are they good warriors?”

“They will fight to the death if you insult one of their gods.”

“Like the Norsemen, then? Perfect! Take me to them.”

“They prefer to be called the order of Trek .” Lucy checked her phone. The battery was taking its sweet time charging.

“Don’t get his hopes up,” Al laughed, the ridiculousness of the situation setting in.

“Most of those warriors would offend Vikings with their hygiene practices. Sorry Aris. The crews you’re used to can’t be so easily found anymore.

Your next best bet is a private special forces unit, but you’re broke and don’t want anyone to learn about your little paradise.

” Al took a seat next to Lucy. “Do we have any actual ideas?”

“Xim’s family is our best bet.”

“The Farrowatchers?” Al winced as Lucy nodded.

He still couldn’t believe that Lucy was on a first-name basis with the heir to the Farrowatcher empire.

Maybe they could use that if they were truly friends, but Al knew people like Xim and her parents.

Anyone running a trillion-dollar corporation would not be getting off their pedestal to help in a hurry.

He had worked for those people. He heard stories.

Henry and Victor Farrowatcher were above mere mortals.

“We can test that theory tomorrow.” Al opened a change jar he kept on the counter and fished out a fistful of singles.

“I’ll go get us some dinner for now. Are you coming, Luce?

” The last thing Al wanted to do was leave again, but he was getting claustrophobic, stuck in a tiny space with so many people, and he needed to think.

“Sure,” Lucy jumped up, grabbing her phone. Five percent would have to do. “You lot, behave. You are guests. ” She scolded the remaining men in advance.

Al took his key off the hook and opened the door for Lucy. “Just watch T.V. or something, and don’t let the dogs bark.”

◆◆◆

“Sorry to crash at yours like that, uninvited.” Lucy wrapped herself in a borrowed leather jacket that smelled like minty aftershave and cigarettes.

“Wasn’t gonna lock them out. They are the closest thing I have to a family.” He tucked both hands into the deep pockets of his long military coat. Despite the late spring, the wind chilled to the bone. “You gonna turn your phone on?”

Lucy nodded and held the power button. Her phone chirped, displaying the stylized Farrowatcher logo before the serenade of endless notifications began. “Oh, shit...”

“I’m going to assume they filed a missing persons report?”

“Looks like it.” Lucy’s eyes widened as the phone began to ring.

Xim’s name flashed up beneath a photo of a young, white-haired Vietnamese woman.

Al felt his stomach clench anxiously. How did she know that Lucy was back?

Silly question. Xim must have been tracking her phone through the company network.

“Hello? Sorry, I know. I’m alive.”