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Merri’s foot bumps against mine under the table again. “You could take cooking classes. You might enjoy it.”
I stiffen at the implication that I can’t feed myself before I force the embarrassment away. Outside of buying from other people, Idon’tknow how to feed myself, and there’s no shame in seeking to correct that issue by looking to a professional.
I swallow down my pride. “Would you help me find a class?”
She beams at me, and my whole world lights up. “Of course. The local university has courses, or there are private lessons with smaller groups available. We can look over the course options and see—”
She cuts off as her phone vibrates on the table, and everyone straightens with alarm.
We’ve been tense since arriving home, waiting for the call that will summon us back into battle with the Bone Man.
But when she flips her phone over, Flint’s name appears on her screen.
She presses the answer button and puts it on speaker. “Hey, Flint, have you guys—”
“Get down to the gate,” he cuts in, his voice urgent, and the sound of a car door slamming fills the phone. “Lia and the kids are arriving via a portal. I’m on my way.”
The line goes silent before we can ask questions.
Merri and Marceau move into action, with Marceau grabbing his shotgun from the closet while Merri shoves her shoes back on.
While they gear up, I head for the garage. We’ll need the van to bring everyone back up to the cabin. The others follow behind me, and I take the driver’s seat, Marc beside me with Pen in the back.
Engine roaring to life, we speed out of the garage and down the gravel driveway, the wheels kicking up small stones in our wake. The overcast sky masks the stars, and the only illumination comes from the narrow beams of the van’s headlights.
As we approach the gate, tension fills the van. We don’t know what we’ll find when we reach our destination.
I steal a glance at Marc, his knuckles white as he grips the stock of his shotgun. Pen’s fingers tap rhythmically on her thigh, a telltale sign of her nerves.
We reach the gate, and my heart skips a beat when I spot Lia standing on the other side, her blond hair tousled by the wind. She raises her hand in greeting, but worry etches her features.
Beside her, Aediva huddles close, her blond hair bound in braids and her blue eyes filled with sadness. Alaska stands near her, the frost on his cheeks shimmering in the headlights as his eyes dart around, as if expecting danger at any moment.
Star and Trevor, the older kids of the group, stand facing away from us, watching the access road for danger. But Star glances over her shoulder as we approach, and her purple eyes glow brightly in the dark.
I press the button to open the gate, and the small group hurries through.
Before I even come to a stop, Merri opens the sliding door and leaps out. “What happened?”
“Someone got past our security system and into the house.” Fear tightens her features, and she tugs Aediva closer. “We were all together, so we made it to the safe room and contacted Flint. He told us to come here.”
Tears well in her eyes. “How did they find us again?
“We don’t know.” Merri directs them into the back of the van. “But we’ll figure it out. We’ll keep you all safe.”
Aediva looks up at Lia. “This is my fault, isn’t it?”
“Hey, none of that.” Marceau twists around to smile at them. “Just think of this as a spontaneous sleepover. We’ll have hot chocolate and camp out in front of the fire.”
“What if the men find us again?” Alaska whispers.
“They can’t follow you through a portal.” I carefully make a three-point turn and head back up to the cabin at a slower speed. “You’re in a completely different city now, and no one witnessed your arrival.”
Merri nods in agreement. “No one will get you here.”
When we reach the cabin, I stop at the front for Merri and Lia to unload the kids before I drive around to the garage at the back.
Marceau’s voice breaks the silence. “How do you think Berdherst found them? We switched vehicles, and Trent’s team took them to the safe house. Could they be tracking Aediva somehow?”
