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I know that we will need some time to ourselves, to recover and plot our revenge. But where are we going to hide?
Penny turns in my arms. Her movement draws my eyes to her face again. Her eyes drift open, focusing on me.
She places a small hand on my chest, almost like she is reassuring me. The tenderness of the moment surprises me, makes my chest tighten.
I pick up her hand, kissing the palm. Her eyes bore into mine and I sense something passing between us, a nearly palpable fission.
“It’ll be okay,” she whispers. “Don’t look so angry, Hades.”
I kiss her hand again, doing my damndest to repress a shudder. “I can see that you’re tired. Go to sleep, Penny.”
Her eyelids droop as she nods her head, turning it to furrow against my chest.
“Hades.”
I glance up at my brother in the front seat, irritated that he should intrude on such a moment. “What?”
He shoves a hand through his chin-length brown curls. “I have an idea.” His expression tightens. “We’re not gonna like it though.”
“Well?” If I didn’t have Persephone in my arms, I would probably lean forward and give him a healthy shove. “Out with it.”
“Ye should take Persephone to ground in Whitewraithe.”
My entire body goes rigid. My face goes red, and I glare at Ares.
One word - Whitewraithe - has me on the edge of throwing a fit. My brother has just name dropped the one town that I wouldn’t ever dream of going.
“Why in the fuck would I go there?”
Penny opens her eyes, pushing against my chest to sit up against me. Before I can tell her to go back to sleep, she places a quelling hand against my chest.
“Where is this place? What’s it called? White… thwart?”
Ares jumps in to answer her question. “It’s the manor house that took in our Ma after she left us. So it’s still in Scotland, but only just.”
My jaw clenches. “You mean they fucking sheltered our coward of a mother after she vanished from our lives forever.”
Persephone blinks, her eyes widening. “Forever?”
“We don’t know what became of her,” Ares fills in. “Which means that Whitewraithe is nothing if not discreet. It’s shrouded in mist and secrets. And it happens to be owned by our uncle.”
“That man is not our uncle, Ares,” I snap.
Ares shrugs noncommittally. “He’s our ma’s uncle. So he’s kin.”
“Are ye just going to pretend that we are welcome at Whitewraithe, then?” I ask, disgusted.
Ares purses his lips. “Have ye got a better idea, Hades?” His gaze slides away from my face to the road ahead and he shrugs. “Because I think you know as well as I do that Whitewraithe is a damned good option. Ma left us the photo of the place with the address written on the back for a reason. If there was ever a time to pull the rip cord and save yourself…”
“We can go anywhere!” I shout. I bang my hand repeatedly against the leather seat beside my leg. “Anywhere would be better than that!”
Persephone winces and pulls her arms from mine, scooting away from me.
“Fuck,” I mutter. “Penny…”
She huddles against the door on the other side of the car, looking more tired than I’ve ever seen her. “If you’re going to shout and hit things, I’m fine over here.”
I’m very god damned close to losing control. I look at Persephone, my mouth drawing into a tight circle. My fists clench and unclench.
“Hades. Just… we have to refuel in New York anyway. Think about Whitewraithe. And if you can’t come up with a better plan by the time we touch down in the big apple, then…” He throws his hands up in the air for a second.
I glance at him. Then at the road before us, realizing that he’s right. Any minute now we will pull up to the airport and have to tell the flight crew just where to fly us.
Glancing over at Penny, I blow out a long breath. “Fine,” I grate out. “Put it on the flight manifest. And if I can’t come up with a better place before New York…”
I clamp my lips shut, feeling a pulse of anger sluice through the veins. Ares turns around, texting and driving.
I slide my hand out, gripping Penny’s knee. She looks at me, as if she’s uncertain about my intentions. The distrust in her eyes is a knife to my heart.
A few minutes later, she lets me pull her back onto my lap and cover her with the blanket again. A muscle ticks in my cheek as I try to be naught but her savior once more.
