Astrid tapped the veil with one finger. "I hope you do better than the other magic breakers we found. None of them returned."
That was just great.
"Try not to die, Aileen," Travis said with a nasty smile.
I snarled at him, the urge to do severe bodily harm difficult to deny.
His hands curled as if he wanted to pick me up and hurl me through the veil.
"She still needs to be prepared for what might await her," Callie said in a neutral voice.
Travis waved an impatient hand.
An invisible fist squeezed my insides. The realm stuttered as if something had made it skip a beat.
As if in answer, the veil heaved, a stair on either side vanishing as it reclaimed a small piece of the realm.
"What was that?" I asked.
No one paid me any attention.
"Someone's penetrated the wards," Astrid murmured in a distracted voice. "At least two intruders."
To Owen and Astrid, Travis ordered, "Stay with her. She goes nowhere until I get back."
Owen grunted in agreement.
Travis spun on his heel. "Callie, Don, you're with me."
"What about the twins?" Don asked.
Travis hesitated, sending them a brief glance. "Bring them. They could be useful."
Breandan bounced in place. "An invasion, how fun."
Travis pointed at them. "You'd better not try anything or I'll rip your spines out through your mouths."
"So sensitive. I'm beginning to think they don't trust us, twin." Baran started down the hallway after Travis.
"You would be right," Don said with a small bow.
With one last glance in my direction, Callie glided after them.
Alone with my two keepers and the shadow bird, I stretched. "Anyone got any ideas of how to pass the time?"
Owen’s stare was humorless. "I suggest silence."
"Sounds boring." I shrugged like I didn't care, while inside I was desperately hoping the intruders were the cavalry.
Astrid and Owen ignored me, keeping one eye on the veil and the other on the long hallway.
"Who do you think it is?" I asked, holding my hands up to the veil, pretending to examine its magic.
I didn't make the mistake of getting too close like last time. One dread creature was more than enough.
"Not your vampire lover, if that's what you're hoping," Astrid said. "The intruders are Fae. Most likely they're scouts from another realm. They make incursions every now and then. If Travis or the others don't drive them off, the realm's guardian will."
"What guardian?"
