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Kayleigh’s lips curved, and her face lit with true pleasure, proving herself a liar for saying she was any less naturally stunning than me. Grandmother had just convinced her sheneededall that pomp and cosmetic-stance to live up to the Sheridan name.
For a moment, I could imagine us back in our parents’ St. Louis home in a simpler time, before we manifested Radiant abilities and our Grandmother’s machinations began driving a wedge between us. Back when I’d been the big sister she imitated and she the baby sister I adored.
Hopefully life wouldn’t steal that closeness from Rory and Sorsha.
“Fine,” I huffed out. “I’ll go pick up Maddox’s oversized cousins and drop them off at the McMansion.”
She pursed her lips sardonically at my dig on her home, where tonight’s reception would be held, but let the comment slide. “Thank you, Ava.”
Ironically, I had only myself to blame for the evening’s pesky black tie affair. It’d been my idea as part of the PR blitz. I waved off her thanks and jumped to my feet, surprised when she stood and placed a hand on my arm. My brows arched, but I waited for her to speak.
To my shock, she leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek. Something she hadn’t done in…I couldn’t remember how long. An emotion that suspiciously resembled regret flashed across her face, and she pressed an envelope into my hand. I opened my mouth, but she shook her head and urgently tapped the heavy vellum material. Drawing my attention to the Circle of Dawn and Dusk embossed in both wax and magic.
My eyes widened, and I hissed out a breath. The last time someone had handed me an envelope like this, all hell had broken loose. Maddox’s sister had died to assassins, despite our desperate attempts to save her. For Kayleigh to hand this to me now meant trouble must be brewing again.
I flipped the envelope over and stared at the words etched in her ridiculously pretty handwriting, “Open at the airport under a Radiant Seal. Tell no one.”
A buzz of energy pulsed from the envelope as it recognized my magical signature. No one but me would be able to open this sealed order that Pack Beacons like Kayleigh issued to those in their line of command.
I swallowed dryly and covered her hand with my free one. “You’re welcome, Baby Sis.” A name I hadn’t called her out loud in quite some time. “The girls and I will see you before the reception, I assume?”
She gave a shaky smile that held far more gratitude than my agreeing to fulfill a simple favor should inspire. Dread coated my stomach as I wondered what potential disaster would meet my eyes when I opened the envelope in my hand.
“Of course. I’ll tuck them in like always, and then they’ll watch the two of us run off like Cinderella to the Prince’s Ball.”
Goosebumps crawled across my skin as she referenced the fairy tale that had once been our favorite. For some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was hidden significance to her storybook reference. Before I could puzzle out any meaning, however, she kissed my other cheek and strolled out of the room. The last look my sister sent my way revealed one more emotion that shook me to my core: stark terror.
* * *
Shea
Finn stared at the thick piece of parchment on the table between us with an angry scowl. His fingers jerked violently, claws peeking out for just an instant as he fought the urge to shift. Definitelynota good idea while mid-flight. Always the most temperamental triplet, it was a good thing for Maddox’s obnoxiously handsome face that he hadn’t come along for the ride after sending the St. Louis Pack’s private jet to pick us up in San Francisco. Hell, given the sparks of fury flooding through my own system after the magic swept through us against our will, I might haveletFinn take a few swings at our cousin.
“This fucked-up order has to beherdoing,” Finn snarled.
I barely managed to suppress a sigh that would have only further antagonized him. Finn’s inability to hide his distrust of Maddox’s wife, courtesy of his understandable hatred for her tyrannical grandmother, had caused me far too many headaches. It had also caused him to verbally lash out at Muriel Sheridan’sothergranddaughter so severely after that one fantastic night that we mightneverconvince her to give us a second chance.
Which was a damned shame, given the way merelythinkingabout Ava was enough to make me one part hot and two parts bothered.
Connor, our self-appointed comedic relief, tapped the Radiant Order with a smirk, “Ofcourseit was Kayleigh’s doing. Maddox certainly can’t spellbind his commands into paper. And then intous.” He shuddered dramatically, a sentiment I very much shared.
Finn snarled at Connor, who simply rolled his eyes. “You know damned well what I mean.”
I broke in before things could escalate. “Let’s channel this frustration in the direction it belongs. Against the foolhardy enemies who think they can start another War of Succession.”
“Nowthat’ssomething I can get the fuck behind!” Finn gritted his teeth. “Who the hell would be that stupid after how hard Maddox came down on the traitors last time? He almost annihilated that entirelineof Shadow Wolves who assassinated his sister.”
A point that had me thoughtfully tapping the now blank parchment between us. “There’s a huge distance betweenalmostandcompleteannihilation.”
Connor’s breath hissed out. “You think enough of them survived to be stirring up trouble now?”
“I think it’s something we certainly need to consider.”
My brothers nodded, a dark scowl on Finn’s face and a more introspective one on Connor’s. What I was about to say would definitely wipe that frown away.
I glanced at my smartwatch and then met each of their gazes directly. “We have approximately two hours to devise our own plan that doesn’t directly contradict this ‘fucked-up order’ Kayleigh and Maddox gave. And I suggest that we get both creative and...aggressive...in using the resources available to us.”
Sure enough, a fierce smile lit Finn’s face. “Are you suggesting we go against the commands they gave?”
