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I stared at Azriel for a moment, unable to believe it was all over, then added, “I know they’ll pay for their crimes with their lives, but somehow that just doesn’t seem enough given what they did to little Hanna and the others.”
Tao’s hand grasped mine, squeezing lightly, but it was Azriel’s small, cold smile that brought me the most comfort.
“Never fear, they will have an eternity to regret what they have done,” he said softly. “The dark path has a special kind of purgatory for those who would destroy children.”
“Good.” I took a deep breath, but it didn’t do a lot to ease the sick tension still roiling around inside me.
Which was odd, because the hellhounds were gone and we were safe …
And then I realized just what that sick tension was.
Mom.
Something had happened to her.
For a moment the fear was so great I couldn’t think and I couldn’t breathe. Tao’s grip on my arm tightened, and though I knew he was speaking, I had no idea what he said. There seemed to be a veil between me and the two of them—a veil that held the chill of death.
Oh God, oh God, no!
I wrenched free of Tao’s grip and called once again to the Aedh. Heat and pain exploded through my brain, and an odd sort of redness blurred my vision.
Too much, something inside me whispered, you’ve done too much.
I didn’t care, simply held on fiercely to the power, forcing it to sweep me from flesh to energy form. Then I spun out of the church and raced for Toorak and home.
Mom’s home. The one place she felt safe. The one place she didn’t have the protection of her Fravardin guards.
Except I’d sent Riley there …
No, please, no …
Everything was a blur. The landscape, my thoughts. Nothing connected, nothing meant anything, all that mattered was getting home, seeing Mom, making sure she was safe.
She had to be safe. Damn it, she’d promised she’d be safe! She was all I had, all the family I had. I might have grown up with Riley, Rhoan, Quinn, and Liander, but they weren’t flesh and blood, no matter how much I might love them.
I couldn’t lose my mom. I just couldn’t.
Familiar la
ndmarks began appearing through the blur of movement. I reached for greater speed, felt agony shimmer through every particle, and knew I would pay when I re-formed.
But I didn’t care.
Nothing mattered, nothing except getting home and Mom being safe.
She’s safe. She has to be.
It was a sentence that looped through my mind. A hope I knew deep down to be false.
There were vehicles outside our house. Black vehicles. Directorate vehicles.
No, no, no, NO!
I raced down the driveway and past the two men collecting evidence near the front door. It was whole and untouched, showing no sign of forced entry, and yet the fear in me increased.
I flowed into the entrance hall. There were voices deep in the house. Familiar voices. Riley and Rhoan, and one other. One I didn’t expect.
Director Hunter.
