Page 30 of The Sirin Sisterhood (The Sons of Echidna #2)

Agata

Alone in their quarters, the sisters gathered for a private meeting; Agata was ready to remind Freya why they didn’t trust strangers but hesitated upon seeing the youngest sister’s face. She was surprised to realize they were all on the same page already.

“So, do we trust them?”She asked sarcastically. She already knew the answer.

“I do not,”Freya replied immediately. “The girl is a liar.”

“She is?”Sabira asked, intrigued by the bold statement.

Agata was pleased. For a time, the dreamer in Freya had seemed to triumph over reason. It was a relief to see she was still firmly planted in reality.

“She has no scars from practice. She doesn’t have the body of a warrior. She tripped twice going up the stairs to her room. And where is her weapon? She did not defeat the Dreadlord’s son in his true form.”

Agata stared at her, in awe of Freya’s mind.

The girl had always been clever, but her observations of Lucy were spot on.

Agata hadn’t doubted Lucy’s story of conquest; the photos were convincing.

She was only suspicious of her motives. For what purpose could the pictures have been faked?

What could they possibly gain from the lie of Aris’s defeat at the hands of a woman that they couldn’t have with honesty?

Just their trust. And they’d almost had it.

“Well, if you were paying attention with more senses than just your sight, you would’ve sensed her magic.”Sabira settled on the seat by the fire and opened her book, her eyes darting over the words. Agata didn’t mind; she knew Sabira was still present in the conversation.

“Of course I noticed,but the beast didn’t look to be beaten by magic.

The wounds didn’t match up.”Freya crossed her arms, putting on a pout.

“He had many cuts and slashing wounds that were already beginning to heal. I don’t believe her story, not unless she can transform herself into a thousand daggers. ”

Sabira twisted her hair around her finger, looking thoughtful.

Freya was right once again. Their guests’ stories were losing their credibility.

Anyone in Lucy’s place would have been bragging about such a victory.

Defeating a powerful patriarch and claiming charge of an ancient family should have been conversation for the whole night, but Lucy had shared no stories, leaving the topic behind as quickly as she could.

“Then we need to find out why they are really here. Perhaps a friendly chat with her and her companions? Separately, of course,”Sabira finally offered, returning to her book.

“I’d be interested in seeing where their stories don’t match up. Be wary of the purple-haired one in particular, though. I don’t trust him.”Freya turned to Agata, waiting for the eldest to make the final decision.

“You’ll deal with him, then. I’ll question Lucy, and you, Sabira–use your charm on the quiet one. He seems stiff; warm him up if you need to.”

Freya smiled. “With pleasure.”

Sabira also looked pleased with the arrangement. “Do a tea reading on the girl if you can. I want to know what the leaves think of her.”

◆◆◆

After Freya had bounced away to torture the young man, Agata turned to Sabira, allowing the other woman to see her worry. “They must know. They must be here for her,”she whispered, pulling her sister close. She needed her heat, her firm embrace.

Agata was terrified that they were about to lose their little one, the girl they had raised from a newborn.

“Why else would her brothers be here? We need to tell her.”

“No.”Sabira shook her head, squeezing her tighter. “We don’t know their reasons, but telling her the truth could complicate matters further. Freya is a smart girl. She doesn’t trust them any more than we do. She’ll only be more susceptible to their trickery if she believes we’ve lied to her.”

“But we are lying to her,”Agata whispered anxiously, eyes closed tight.

“No. We are protecting her.”