“Okay.”She found the first aid box and cleaned the wound with an antiseptic wipe.The doctor had stitched it closed, and she hoped he’d cleaned it well because she didn’t want to reopen the wound.It wasn’t as if they could go to a vet now.
“Where are we?”Liam asked.
“Wales.Jules and Kitto figured it would be best to drive through more isolated places.We used main roads to get here, but from tomorrow we’ll stay on the B roads.We’re with Jules tomorrow, but she’ll drop Ma and me in town to sort out a hire vehicle.After that, she’s heading for France.”
Liam gripped her arm.“Can we trust her?”
“Yes, I think so.We haven’t told her our destination, and she hasn’t asked.”
Once they had the camp organized and the tent pitched, Kitto and Jules worked on decorating the unpainted hearts.Liam drifted off to sleep.
She brought out the ribbons, and the rest of them settled down to thread them through the painted hearts, readying them for sale, while her parents went for a walk.
“We found clay,” her father said, excitement lighting up his gaze.“It’s a little different from ours, but it will work with our equipment.What do you say about staying here for longer?It’s quiet, and I haven’t seen anyone else since we arrived.What do you think?”
“You won’t have access to cooking stuff once I leave,” Jules pointed out.
“We could use the barbecue over there,” Ma said.
Sienna shared a glance with her brothers before turning back to her parents.“We could stay, but we’ll need to hire a vehicle.”
“We have enough cash,” her father said.
“Pa, they’ll need a credit card or it will seem suspicious,” Sienna said.
“I have a better idea.Staying here is fine, but use my credit card.I’ll hire the vehicle and hand it over to you later.”Jules bit her lip, momentarily losing some of her confidence.“Though I’ll have some explaining to do when the charges show up.”
“We don’t want to get you in trouble.”
Jules straightened.“My father owes you.”
Sienna shared another glance with her brothers and nodded.“We’re not sure of our destination.It will depend on local shifters and if they’re welcoming.And we have to find an isolated place.”
“A location with clay so we can make pottery to sell,” Hedrek said.
“A north destination,” Jules said.“Why don’t I tell them I’ll drop the vehicle at Edinburgh Airport?You can get someone else to deliver it if necessary.”
Sienna nodded.“All right.Can we hire a van tomorrow, and I’ll give you the equivalent in cash?”
“Check to see if they have any markets where we can hire a stall or sell from our van,” Hedrek said.
The vehicle rental went through without a hitch, and she and Jules parted.Sienna scoped out the town and learned they had a market in two days.She booked a spot and purchased fresh bread, fruit, and vegetables from the market before heading back to their camping spot.
“Liam’s not good,” her mother said.“The wound looks infected.A scrap of foreign material may still be present.”
“What do we do?”Sienna asked.
“We reopen the wound and clean it properly,” Mama said, her tone grim.“I have my herbal supplies, and there are still the antibiotics.”
“Ma,” Sienna said, unease coiling inside her, rousing her feline.
Her mother squeezed her hand.“The sooner we do this, the better.”
“But what if he dies?”Sienna fervently wished she could turn back time because she’d made one mistake after another.
“We won’t let him,” her mother said.
Chapter 19
