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“Where do we start?” Lily blinked pretty doe eyes at them, and Kellen understood in that moment just how lonely he was. Callum had gone to sit by Lily, casually leaning into her, while Seamus ranged himself behind Bianca, subconsciously protecting her.
And Kellen sat alone. His mother gone. His best friend murdered. His father an unstable support system.
“Sir?” A guard poked his head in the door, and Kellen stood. Crossing the room, he stepped into the hallway with the guard and closed the door behind him.
“What’s the problem?” Kellen knew it must be bad if the guard had dared to interrupt a royal meeting.
“It’s the girl. The one you had us watching in Galway? She’s in trouble. The Domnua are hunting her. While she’s held them off thus far, it’s only gotten worse. I wanted to request the ability to intervene if necessary?”
Raven’s face sprung to mind, her defiant chin and world-weary eyes, and he felt an irrepressible tug in his heart to go to her.
“It’s surprising they are targeting her with such vehemence. I wonder why?” Kellen looked at his guard.
“I, too, wondered the same thing.”
“We need to bring her back here. For her safety,” Kellen said. It didn’t matter that he wanted to see her again. What mattered was the Domnua wanted Raven for some reason, and until they figured out what that was, the woman wasn’t safe. “Give me a moment to speak with the others.”
“Problem?” Callum asked, both him and Seamus standing at the ready as Kellen returned to the room.
“There’s a woman…” Kellen quickly filled them in on his interaction with Raven, and by the time he’d finished, Bianca had also risen and was dusting her palms off on her pants.
“Well, then. Let’s go,” Bianca said, surprising Kellen.
“Let’s go?” Kellen echoed, tilting his head at her in question.
“Surely you don’t think this woman is going to come with the likes of you? She’ll trust me though. I’m human. And I’m charming. Isn’t that right, my love?” Bianca winked at Seamus.
“She can charm a gold pot off a leprechaun,” Seamus agreed.
“But…is it safe for you to go with me?” Kellen countered.
“I fear I haven’t had a chance to fully bring you up to speed,” Callum said, stepping forward. “Bianca and Seamus were integral in the battles of the Four Treasures. They’ve kindly been of assistance to us since Domnu has returned in her quest to destroy the Danula Fae. There isn’t much they haven’t seen or fought against. Bianca’s right, she’s one of the strongest tools at your disposal.”
“That’s the first time I’ve enjoyed someone calling me a tool.” Bianca grinned as she elbowed the king in the ribs, and Kellen gaped at the overt familiarity before shaking his head to clear the shock away.
“In that case, are you ready to ride again?”
“On an Alicorn? Hell yes, I am!” Bianca shot her fist in the air and grinned, and despite himself, Kellen did as well.
He, too, felt the same every time he mounted an Alicorn.
“Then, by all means, let’s fly.”
6
Raven
She needed to keep moving.
Keep moving and keep to crowded places, Raven amended, as she wove her way through the main streets of Galway. It was Saturday, a busy shopping day, and Raven hoped if she kept herself surrounded by enough people that she’d stay safe until the evening.
It seemed the silver men preferred the cover of darkness anyway.
They’d visited her once more the night before, and she’d held them off yet again. Not without considerable effort, and now her shoulders drooped as she paused beneath an overhang to get out of the misting rain.
It had been over forty-eight hours since she’d slept.
Raven hadn’t returned to her flat, instead slipping through old haunts and crevices in the city, seeking to stay underground as much as she could. Her heart was heavy at leaving Taryn behind, and her flat, but there wasn’t much to be done about either of those things. Danger had landed on her doorstep and Raven wasn’t one to wish away reality. There was no point in wishing for anything, really, when life served up exactly what it wanted to,whenit wanted to. They were all subject to the whims of fate, bit players in the game, simple pieces to be moved around on a chessboard. The thought of being out of control rankled at Raven’s fierce independent spirit, but she’d dealt with the government enough to know just how little control she had over her own life.
