After my afternoon work assignment at the range, I leave the Dagger and walk to the aviary in search of Poppy. I’ve been trying to link with her all day, but she’s shutting me out telepathically, so I decide to track her down in person. I know she likes to spend most afternoons here, but when I arrive at the aviary, the woman who runs it, Scarlett, tells me Poppy hasn’t been there in weeks.
“Not since Didi died,” Scarlett says, and I think of the bossy raven that Poppy introduced me to months ago. I know Didi was one of her favorites.
“What happened?” I ask in concern.
“We’re not sure. Poppy found the body. Could have been a heart attack or any other number of things.”
Dismayed, I attempt to link with Poppy again, and this time, she finally allows it.
“Where are you?”I ask her.
“Picking flowers in the clearing.”
“Do you want some company?”
“If you want.”
It’s not a ringing invitation, but I’m worried about her, so I follow the winding trail toward the clearing where she likes to pick her flowers. All the deadly violet bells are gone for the season, thankfully, but the crimlock is still going strong.
“Are those for your mom?” I join Poppy by the tall grass, gesturing to the cluster of pink and yellow wildflowers in her hand.
“Yeah.”
I grin. “I hope Fiona appreciates having a daughter like you. I never would’ve dreamed of picking flowers for my uncle. He would’ve laughed in my face.”
“Your uncle? You mean Kallister’s brother?”
“Yeah. Did you ever meet him? Julian?”
She shakes her head. “Was he nice like Kallister?”
The wordsniceandJimdon’t belong in the same sentence, so I can’thelp but snicker. “No. He was kind of a prickhole. If he didn’t like you, he made it known.”
“Sort of like my mom.” Poppy rolls her eyes.
“He was overprotective like your mom, too. Anytime I wanted to do something with even a hint of risk, he’d shoot me down. He wouldn’t let me work for the Uprising. If he thought a boy and I were getting too close, he’d drive up in his truck and drag me home. He did everything he could to keep me safe on the ranch. But you know what happens—the tighter the hold, the harder you want to break free.”
Poppy dons a faraway expression. “You felt it, too? Trapped?”
“Yes, and I hated it. But…it also taught me a really good lesson.”
She regards me curiously.
“That it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission,” I say with a wink.
A smile stretches across her face. “You disobeyed him?”
“Sometimes.” I pause. “Often,” I correct. “Never anything that would truly put us in danger, but yeah, I’d sneak out on my bike. Go to the village, get drunk with my friend Tana.”
Tana and I used to steal synthetic whiskey from the pub in the village square, where her father worked. Later, I’d return to the ranch and bat my eyelashes at Uncle Jim and say,Please don’t be mad at me.He never fell for it. You couldn’t manipulate Jim Darlington. Unless your name was Marina Serrano, maybe. I still can’t fathom how my mother was able to inspire such loyalty from him.
The only explanation I can think of is…love makes you do stupid things.
Poppy suddenly jerks, and I don’t need to see her veins to know her mom is speaking to her.
“I have to go back,” she says glumly. “Mom wants me to practice my shielding in the Temple.”
Fiona is always harping on Poppy to keep up with her training. I feel bad for the teen, but I can’t deny that the training has worked. I’ve opened a path into her mind before to get a sense of her shield, and it’s so strong I’ve never even tried to penetrate it. Looks like it would be a real chore.
