“Of course! You can always count on me. Usually I am the one trying to calm down the dragons. This was a lot more fun.”
“The dragons.” I let loose a slow breath as we passed the waif. She darted out and if she’d had a knife, I still wouldn’t have flinched. They’d both probably hurt about the same. “I’m not looking forward to?—“
“Here.” The girl held up a note, looking all around. “It’s from Granny.”
The shock of her words had me frozen in place.
“What did you say?” I reached for her, caught up short by the flare of pain.
“From Granny,” she said, dodging through the street and away.
I stared after her as emotions and confusion raced through my mind. I swung my head toward Hadriel, my eyes—well, eye—wide.
Strangely, his expression was grim. He looked away from me, straight ahead. It wasn’t like him not to comment.
Dread coiled in my gut. Bile rose to the back of my throat.
“No,” I whispered to myself, “it can’t be. She’s dead. I saw her. She died on the floor.”
With shaking hands, I straightened out the note and immediately recognized the familiar, hastened scrawl. The world dropped away around me as I read.
Aurelia,
I’m so sorry that this has happened to you. I am saddened to hear you disobeyed Alexander’s order to run and hide. To wait until we came for you. When I’d returned from my evasive measures, you were gone. That wasn’t me in the cottage, it was a likeness to give us all time. Time you didn’t use. You allowed yourself to make a foolish decision and get taken—exactly what we were always hoping to avoid.
There are no words to express how sick I am that you’ve ended up in exactly the situation I warned you of. It’s no wonder you fought our help in Crossbon Town. I do not blame you; you didn’t know we’d taken great pains, at great expense, to cast a wide net and hopefully bring you in safely.
As for yesterday, have no fear, dear. Alexander will be punished severely. He shouldneverhave placed his hands on you. While I was fighting off the reach of that alpha, who was stronger than any other I’ve encountered, Alexander was supposed to guide you to me so that I could explain what has happened. He is too quick to use brawn over brains. That is my fault. I should’ve trained him better.
Do not worry, you are not out of my reach. You are not alone. Since the first day I took you in, I promised you I would protect you, did I not? I toiled in finding your strengths and, once I did, built an empire around the only thing you were good at. Remember? I told you I’d care for you, build walls around your community and you’d be welcomed, safe, for the rest of your life. It was our labor of love and I do not regret a single day of it.
I do not fault you for what has become of the product. It was necessary to ensure your survival. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You didn’t have any other options. Neither of us did if we wanted to keep the organization going and keep those walls protecting you.
Survival is a hard business, and sometimes it is messy. I’ve told you that before.
Feel confident. I have contacts and alliances everywhere. Wherever they take you, I will come for you. Once you’re safe, we can plan a new life for you.
I can help you get back to our family, Aurelia. I miss our chats. I miss hearing about your mom.
Stay safe and take care of yourself until I can come for you.
I love you.
Best,
Granny
Tears clouded my eyes.
“A likeness?” I asked with a thick throat, remembering the body lying on the ground. Remembering the tangled mess and the hair. Her face had been destroyed, her body ripped apart. “That blood had been fresh.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, my mind whirring.
“Is this some sick joke?” I turned the note over and back again. The writing was hers, I knew it was. That, or someone great at mimicking it. And mimicking the way she said things, wrote things.
Still shaking, not knowing what to think, I read it again, and then one more time.
“I love you,” I said quietly, reading that line again and again. “Back to our family...”
