He couldn’t do that. Experience that depth of feeling for someone, that connection, and not be ruined when they were taken. It was impossible.
A brush of supernatural scent interrupted his thoughts. He fought the urge to hunt it or give the others a warning. He didn’t turn, either. Couldn’t be caught watching, even though he’d noted a glimpse in his periphery of the creature’s human-passing form. Their pale skin. The baseball cap over their eyes.
The fake thief wasted no time.
They touched the case around the harp, and the glass shattered.
Chaos erupted with near deafening shouts and screams as the creature leaned in and hauled the instrument up. Dylan didn’t have to fake alarm at the almost careless way they grabbed it.
But before the thief could run past Remi, Dylan tripped them, and Remi lurched.
She caught the harp, her face a mask of shock and relief.Somethingblasted into her as she caught it and her fingers plucked one of the strings.
But there was no time to say anything as security rushed inside and some chased down the perpetrator.
‘What happened?’ Dylan demanded like any normal, concerned bystander. ‘Are you okay?’ He reached for Remi’s shoulders to ease her up.
‘Someone stop that guy!’ a tourist shouted. ‘With the baseball cap!’
‘Oh my god, that girl saved the harp!’
‘Are you all right?’ Dylan asked quietly, the instrument gleaming in her arms.
‘It’s not the one,’ Remi whispered, her eyes meeting his. ‘It’s not the right harp.’
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Nicole
A FEW HOURS LATER, ONCE DYLAN, REMI ANDNICOLE’Sfather had been questioned about the attempted robbery, they all sat in the otherwise silent reading room of the National Library of Ireland, one of Lawna’s muting devices around their desks.
Upon entering the ethereal oblong space, Nicole had been immediately grateful to find only a few other human readers, all too occupied with their research to notice her group and their muted conversation.
The great white dome above the array of desks was ringed with windows and painted in varying blue panels to match the sky. It filled the space with an airy, academic quality and a colour scheme that reminded her of Raphael’sSchool of Athensfresco. A single tier of mahogany bookshelves hugged the curved walls, their aged books low-lit like the frieze of cherubs that looked as if they were dancing to the patter of laptop keys and the turning of pages.
‘When I touched the inscriptions,’ Remi began, leaning into the light of one of the desk’s banker’s lamps, which glowed rich as emerald sea glass. ‘They feltalive. Like they’d been made with magic.’
‘Magic?’ Bells asked, perking up from where she’d sat between them. ‘So you think the patterns mean something?’
Remi slid a book over, which contained detailed sketches of the harp.
‘Honestly, I have no idea. I’ll have to check them out in the SirenArchives. But I wouldn’t be surprised. The harp is highly decorated with stars, flowers, and geometric designs. It could be a language, a cipher, or nothing at all.’
‘As well as some little dragon things,’ Dylan chimed in from the matching row behind them.
Nicole glanced again to the Tène, a literal piece of Irish treasure still secured to her sister’s wrist.
‘Speaking of, how do we get that thing off her?’ Dylan asked, shooting a suspicious look at the creature. ‘Why didn’t it attack you three?’
‘Because we didn’t want to steal from it,’ Kyan said. ‘I think our best bet is finding the treasure taken from it. I imagine it will release Bells at that point.’
Bells chewed her lip before sitting forward, leaning closer to Remi. ‘Are you sure the Siren Archives are safe? Wouldn’t that be the most likely place the Empyreal assassin would look for you after Liverpool? Especially if that’s where your dad was attacked?’
Remi took a deep breath, considering. ‘My aunt can smuggle me in. I need that information. Besides, I want to get back to Mum. Biróg said she’d be okay going back down to join me and Dad; he’s already travelled up to meet and check on her.’
Nicole leaned into the firm back of the wooden chair, mind racing as she played with the pages of the book before her.
‘Nicole, what’s this?’ Remi asked.
