Page 9 of The Sirin Sisterhood (The Sons of Echidna #2)

Lucy

Early the next morning, Lucy made her way into the penthouse apartment’s kitchen and grabbed a shiny white mug from thewell stockedcupboard.

She battled briefly with the expensive, fancy coffee machine, but the stubborn gadget refused to cooperate without Xim’s phone giving it orders, so after being thoroughly defeated she filled the mug with water from the filtered faucet and stuffed it into the microwave instead.

A picture stuck perfectly haphazardly to the fridge drew her attention while the water was heating up.

It was of her and Xim as kids. They’d recreated Lucy’s parent’s engagement photo, a ring-pop on her finger and Xim down on one knee.

Her mother had been thrilled to take thephotoand her dad had just laughed.

“Trust a Farrowatcher to know exactly what they want.” Her father’s voice rang clear and sweet in her head.

“You did say yes, so no backing out now,” Xim laughed, noticing Lucy looking at the picture as she emerged from the bedroom in a silky dressing gown. “Well, unless you really want to.I did promise you space, and this iskind ofa situationship for now.”

“For now, I’m less worried about bailing on you than you bailing on me.

In a few hours, you meet my new family.”Lucy leaned against the kitchen counter.

It felt strange saying that. Were they her family, or had she blown it?

Were they missing her now? She had barely stopped thinking about them.

Even with Xim’s lips on her neck, her mind wandered back to the manor and her hurried plans of revenge.

“Why would I bail on you over them?” Xim smiled and nibbled on Lucy’s throat, watching the coffee mug rotate in the microwave with a slight twitch of her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

“They’re... Well, they can be a bit much.”

Understatement of the century.Lucy was used to the chaotic bunch and little surprised her anymore, but Xim was about to experience it for the first time.

Lucy wasn’texactlyenvious of that. If anything, she felt sorry for her friend.

“You’re going to hate Aris, probably love Lai, and adore Klein.

Ryan is a bit of a know-it-all but isa really goodkid, and Lou thinks he can speak bird. ”

“Which one did you fuck?”

Lucy blushed, “Aris,” she admitted as she fished out her steaming mug from the microwave, dumping in a scoop of the instant coffeesheloved and kept at the penthouse for the nights she stayed over, stirring it slowly.

“Count me curious...” Xim grinned, stealing the cup for a sip. She looked like she immediately regretted it, giving it right back to Lucy. “Any serious feelings there? Or just a fun ride?”

“It didn’t mean anything. It was purely transactional, but in a roller-coaster way. You know how you get on it, but then it starts moving, and youbegin toquestion your decision? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any feelings for him, but those feelings are complicated.”

Xim pursed her lips, watching Lucy for a moment. “I’m good at sharing, you know. Not always. Not with everyone. But I can share.”

“I swear it was nothing serious. I don’t know why I feel so guilty, though. Your body count is still way higher than mine.” Lucy shrugged.

“Only because I had those three at the same time! I was stressed!” Xim huffed indignantly, then sighed. “I’m only teasing, you know. Don’t look so squirmy. If anything, I’m disappointed in you.”

“What? Why?”

“You did all that crazy stuff, and I didn’t even get a picture.”

“I had no signal.”

“Do you know why? You weren’t that far from the city, were you?”

“Oh, it was Gaia, she...”

Lucy hesitated. She suddenly remembered the Farrowatcher logo on Gaia’s arm and paused. Didn’t that logo mean Ximalreadyknew why Lucy couldn’t communicate with her? Was she testing her?

Lucy didn’t like that thought and quickly pushed it away, making a mental note to ask Klein or Ryan more about Gaia later.

“I can paint you a picture of it all if you like,” she teased as she deliberately changed the subject.

“A big man panting under me as I collar him,” her voice purred seductively.

“His cock begging me to take him, his lips begging me to take him...”

“Dammit.” Xim stared at Lucy in awe. “I just had a shower. So, let me get the story straight. You weren’t kidnapped and enslaved ,you were kidnapped in a trashy romance way?”

“Yeah,” Lucy nodded. “Aris is also the father of Klein, who I kinda thought of kissing a few times.”

“You fantasized about a guy, then you fucked his dad?” Xim gasped, covering her mouth as she laughed in utter disbelief. “Shit, if my dads weren’t gay, I’d be worried! Now, march that adorable ass to the couch. You promised me some quality time.”

They had a couple more hours to enjoy the quiet bliss before the sudden elevator ding announced the arrival of the bickering family, shattering the peace.

“They’re here,” Lucy groaned, glad she had gotten dressed and was not meeting Aris injustan oversized t-shirt. She wasn’t ready to face himjust yet, not him or anyone else. Guilt still consumed her every waking thought, though it seemed she was the only one still dwelling on it.

The family gawked at the massive apartment, drinking it in.

“Okay, this is definitely an improvement.” Lai strolled in, examining the penthouseas thoughhe was looking to buy.

“I could get used to this view.”He squinted through the floor-to-ceiling windows to the city below, looking forallthe world like a super-villain plotting his next move.

“Oh, and this view as well,” he added as he finally noticed Xim.

“Hands off, Lai.” Lucy rolled her eyes. She knew it was meaningless flirting.

Lai had no interest in Xim; it was just his way of introducing himself and making a memorable first impression.

She helped play into it a little, and he rewarded her with a wolfish grin before strolling up to Xim, taking her hand in his andplacing a soft kiss on her fingers.

Xim looked most unimpressed, even alittlebit uncomfortable, as she shook her fingers away from his grip and grabbed a hand sanitizer from the coffee table drawer, squeezing the clear liquid into her palm.

Lai looked flabbergasted that his charm had zero effect on Xim, who was examining the group, eyes lingering on Aris before darting back to Lucy.

Lucy took that as her cue for introductions. “Xim, meet Lai, Klein, Aris, Ryan, and Lou.” She pointed as she introduced them, amused when they each meekly waved as their name was called, sans Aris.

“It’s a pleasure. Welcome to my humble abode; I’ve heard a lot about you,” Xim addressed the group, though her eyes were trained on Aris. “You are welcome to make this your base of operations until you reclaim your home. Lucy’s friends are my friends.”

No one in the family was shy enough or polite enough to act that way for very long.

As soon as the introductions were over they settled into the penthouse as though it was their own home.

Aris flopped on the couch, testing the leather with a hard pinch between his fingernails and grunting his satisfaction that it was genuine hide, whileRyan examined the coffee machine with fascination and longing, clearly aching for his morning espresso.

Lucy cleared her throat, trying to herd the group back together. She distinctly felt like she was losing control of their manners, and having them contained in one place helped herto make surethey were behaving.

“Any plans on how to get the manor back yet?”

“We will need help. The real problem is finding it. We are not exactly on friendly terms with the other families.” Klein had seized Lucy’s coffee mug the second she’d finished it and scrubbed it clean before looking around the spotless apartment in dismay, his twitchy fingers betraying how badly he needed something to tidy away.

Xim looked like she wanted to stop him, but Lucy held her back. Klein needed to keep busy. “Other families?”

“I told you about them in the library. Remember all those crests carved into the ceiling?” Lai sat down at last, reclining on the sofa beside his father with his bare feet resting on the coffee table.

“Most of them are extinct, but a few are still kicking around out there. Problem is, even if we find them and convince them to help, Eleanore’s probably summoned reinforcements by now. She will be difficult to smoke out.”

“I wonder what set her off?” Klein sighed, picking up a tea light candle holder and polishing it with his sleeve.

“Who knows? Crazy bitch was always rabid.” Aris shrugged, looking away. Lucy’s heart twisted painfully with a fresh wave of guilt. Did Aris suspect her? If he did, he wasn’t voicing it yet. “I don’t care about her grievances anymore. She has to go. For good.”

Lucy looked at Aris with a frown. “That’s your ex-wife, you picked her, didn’t you? Why on earth did you marry her if she was always nuts? Bad taste in women, or...?”

“I think I’ve learned my lesson.” He gave her a pointed look, and Lucy scowled as she realized that sheherselfwas an excellent example of his poor judgment.

“They never actually married,” Ryan called out from the kitchen, as though that was the main issue with Eleanore.

Refusing to be drawn into thesquabble, Lucy took Lou by the hand and led him to a spotin front ofthe T.V., plopping him down and flicking on a nature documentary about the elaborate nest building of Bowerbirds.

“Our Bird’s nest was better,” the boy commented, glancing up at Lucy with wide, watery eyes. “Do you think it’s still okay?”

Lucy sat down beside him and pulled him into a tight hug as he sniffled. She knew he was trying to be brave. No easy thing to ask of a child who had just lost his home.

“Yeah, of course I do. You know Bird, no way he’s letting anyone touch his sparkly trash,” she promised him quietly. That seemed to soothe him, and he gradually broke away from the hug to watch the Bowerbirds flirt and dance.