Schwint stayed calm as he turned to her. “I searched all over after I found the note. I even went to the members of the royal family that reside in the Southern California areas.”
“The royal family?” Mom’s brow creased. “Like the Royals? You know members of the Vampire Cathedral?”
I jumped in to save Schwint from explanation. “The fairies have their own royal family, ones that preside over the entire species.”
“Oh, that’s right. I knew that. The medication must be affecting my memory.”
Schwint cut back in. “I thought if I could locate her before they got too far… I didn’t want the trail to get cold.”
“And what could you do, fairy? If you’d come straight here, you could have gotten us instead. Gotten the ones with real power.”
“I’m a fairy, Caitlin. I can fly and cover more distance in a couple hours than you can in a day. I didn’t want to waste time if I could find her.”
“But you didn’t, did you? Instead you wasted the hours we could have been looking.”
“Stop, Caitlin.” Mom’s tone was harsh, and Caitlin fell silent. “This is not Schwint’s doing. If anything, he saved us a day of searching.”
“Mom, we still need to look. Just because some fairy—”
“No! If Schwint already looked, then we would be wasting valuable time retracing steps that he already covered.”
“Then what are we supposed…?” Caitlin’s words trailed off, and she turned to me.
I nodded, preparing to voice what Mom had known instantly and what Caitlin had just figured out. What I had known days ago. Maybe if I’d acted on it then, Cynthia’s current fate would have been avoided. “I have to go.”
Schwint didn’t respond. Neither confirming nor denying. He’d tried to tell us days ago, before the car wreck. We’d refused to listen.
Mom took a steadying breath and placed her hand on my cheek, her voice strong, even as tears began to fall. “Please be careful, my sweet boy. Do what you have to, but come back to us, you and your sister, in one piece.”
“I will, Mom.” My own tears fell. “I’m so sorry. If I’d never gone to the Square, none of this would have happened. It’s all my—”
“Stop that!” Mom gripped my chin, forcing my eyes to meet hers. “We don’t know that. This might have happened no matter what. There’s no reason to try to understand the whys and what-ifs. We must face what is.”
I tried to nod, but she held me firm.
“Do you hear me, Finn?”
“Yes, Mom.” Her grip loosened. Maybe she was right. But I knew she wasn’t. Whatever had found me that first day I’d sought out the Square as Cynthia waited at home by Brett’s side had set this thing in motion. I had no idea how or why, but there was no doubt in my mind I was the cause of all of this.
I felt a warm hand pass over my back and an arm wrap over my shoulders. I turned and saw Schwint, his face looking toward my mother. “He won’t be alone. Not for one minute. I promise you.”
I turned to face him. “No. You have to stay here. This is too much. I don’t expect you to go. No one would expect that. This isn’t your battle.”
“You need to stop, Finn.” His expression said that arguing wouldn’t do any good. “I am going. Don’t argue about it. I’m going.”
“Let him go with you, Finn.” Mom squeezed my hand, and I looked down at her. “Let him.”
I nodded. I had no reserves of strength left. Even if I did, I wasn’t sure I’d offer more resistance. I wanted him with me.
“I’m going too!” Caitlin stood, her look daring me to contradict her. “I’m done with these vamps fucking with our family.”
I used the only argument that would hold any water. One that couldn’t be argued with. “Someone has to stay and take care of Dad.”
She paused. “Christina can do it. She’ll stay here. Her and Ricky.”
“That’s not enough, and you know it, Cate.” I looked at her beseechingly. This wasn’t about us and how we fought all the time.
“Finn, I have to go. I have to help.” She looked around desperately, as if the answer might be hiding somewhere in the room. “I can’t stay here while the Royals have Cynthia. I can’t!”
