He flashed a small smile at me.
“A banshee’s song can be sung seconds or weeks before a death. There’s no telling when this big thing will happen or how many will be affected. Likely, the Council is trying to figure that out right now. Worrying about it won’t change the outcome.”
“Then, why send us all scurrying home?”
“Home is where most people feel safest. Plus, it keeps any additional outbreaks of trouble down while the Council tries to sort things out.”
A few minutes later, we pulled into the Quills’ long drive. Every window of the house was lit, and cars clogged the turnaround before the main entrance. Fenris navigated past the mess and pulled into my space in the garage.
As soon as I opened the kitchen door, I heard voices coming from the office above. Fenris followed me through the dining room and up the stairs. We lingered in the hallway, blatantly listening to the Council’s discussion in progress.
“We need to know where the other two are,” Mr. Quill said. “Is Grace in contact with Paxton?”
“Not yet. Irene is, but she’s as unlikely to speak with us as Megan,” Adira said.
I frowned, trying to understand why they were talking about the furies.
“It’s unlikely any of them are going to come here,” Mrs. Quill said. “Megan is staying away because Eliana asked her to, fearing her mother’s hunger.”
“But for how long? You know as well as I do that those songs could still be a herald for Megan’s return. We’re missing Ashlyn. We haven’t started on the silly library she insisted on. And we’re still requiring the humans to assist in training our young while we come up with an alternative way for them to learn how to hunt. When Megan returns, she will not be happy.”
Megan would be interested to know that while Adira had heard Megan’s demands, she wasn’t yet serious enough about them to take action.
“It might not be triggered by Megan at all. Or any fury,” Raiden said, speaking for the first time. “There are other creatures out there capable of causing widespread death. The druid, Zayn, was killing some of the most powerful creatures known to us. For what purpose? What if these songs are related to that?”
“The songs and those previous deaths could be any number of unrelated things,” Mr. Quill agreed. “We could try to evacuate to another Mantirum location, but that could be what ultimately causes the deaths the banshees have foretold.”
The room fell silent for a long moment.
“The only way to know for certain is to visit the Oracle,” Mrs. Quill said softly.
“You know how dangerous that is. She twists her answers. And even if she spoke plainly, her price will be high. Higher than we might be willing to pay to spare a few lives.”
I glanced at Fenris in shock.
“A few?” Raiden sounded angry. “It was every banshee here, Adira. It won’t be a few lives, and you know it.”
“I believe we should check with the other Councils before we make a rash decision to speak with the Oracle. She should be our last resort.”
I shivered lightly, thinking of how Megan had faced a creature that not even Adira wanted to face.
Fenris wrapped an arm around me and guided me away from the door.
“Whatever’s going on, they’re not going to figure it out tonight from the sound of things,” he said when we reached my room. “Get some rest.”
Sleep was the last thing I thought I’d find once I closed myself in my room. Yet, after a warm shower, my bed called to me. Shuffling forward, I checked my windows to make sure they were locked then crawled under my covers.
Tired of the hectic, long days I’d been having, I closed my eyes and thought of my peaceful forest. My stomach rumbled ravenously, hungry for cake. I drifted off with a smile.
* * *
I openedmy eyes and languidly stretched, well-rested from the uninterrupted night filled with cake dream after cake dream. The dreams had been so vivid I could still taste the sweetened lemons and spices that lingered in my mouth.
Smiling, I sat up and almost screamed.
Piepen hovered in the air, inches from my face. His tiny, bloodshot eyes peered at me.
“Morning, princess.” His slurred words made him sound like a squeaky cowboy.
