I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it. Corbin looked up in concern, but Arthur just squeezed me tighter. “Oh yeah. The best time. What’s up?”
“I just wanted to tell you that today wentperfectly. I met my new lawyer and she’s amazing. She thinks I have a very good chance of having my petition for emancipation approved, especially given the state of my finances and your statement. And she helped me submit my passport application and pulled some lawyer tricks to get me a special emergency passport that only takes a couple of days. And I’ve had the best day hanging out with Gabe and Pete and all the backpackers. We went to the Desert Botanical Garden and Old Town Scottsdale. I can’t believe I’ve lived in Arizona all my life and I’ve never been to Old Town Scottsdale! So I decided that’s what I want to do.”
“What is?” My head spun. Bile rose in my throat.So many deaths on my hands. Thank god Kelly wasn’t here to be another one of them.
“I’m going to be a backpacker. I’m going to travel the world with my possessions on my back and do odd jobs when I need money and make friends everywhere I go.”
“You…what?”
“I’m going to be a world traveller! And, the best news is, I can start from England.” Kelly’s voice rose with excitement. “I’ve already got my travel visa sorted. Gabe helped me do it. And Candice – she’s my lawyer – says I don’t need to be in the country for my petition to be lodged. There’s nothing keeping me here, which means I can come to Briarwood even earlier than we thought. I’m getting on a plane in two days. Isn’t that awesome?”
“But…”
“I want the bedroom right under yours so we can gossip about those hot tenants all night. I can’t wait to meet them! And since you’re not doing much except hanging around reading boring astronomy books, I’ll take you to see all the sights – Big Ben, Hadrian’s Wall, Buckingham Palace, let’s do them all!”
My head throbbed.
Two days.
I thought I’d have weeks until Kelly got herself organized enough to come to England. Kelly had no idea I was really a witch. Now she was coming to Briarwood, right in the middle of my messy relationship with the guys and a full-on war against the fae.
What the hell am I going to do?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MAEVE
My sister is coming to Briarwood.
Right as the fae have captured people for their blood sacrifice.
This is going to go horribly wrong.
I huddled in a circle with Jane and the rest of my coven at the back of the church, gazing out over the smooth marble floor that had only half an hour ago been torn down the middle with a great dark fissure through which poured an army of fae warriors who stole away several people – including the old castle housekeeper – to use as a human sacrifice.
Horror and panic rose in my gut as the scene repeated over in my head – the terrifying rumbling through the ancient church as the fae tore open the earth, the snarl and snap of sharpened teeth as the Far Darrigs scampered across the nave, the screams of innocent people as they were pulled into the black abyss.
I leaned against Arthur, looping my arms around his neck and letting him take my weight in a way that couldn’t have been comfortable. Right now, he was the only thing keeping my trembling body upright.
Magic still hummed in my veins, desperate for release. We needed to get back to the castle, to do…something.But the police wouldn’t let us leave.
They arrived on the scene after one of the neighbors heard all the screaming, and found at least twenty people had gone missing and those who remained telling a crazy story that made no sense. They were questioning Flynn right now, while paramedics tended to the vicar. He’d gone catatonic from the shock of seeing his church carved open down the middle like a Sunday roast.
I can’t say I blamed him.
“Everyone got it?” Corbin hissed. He was the only one talking. He’d switched to solve-the-problem-and-protect-the-coven mode immediately, trying to concoct a story for the police that would marry up with what the others saidwithoutgiving away that the cause was supernatural. Considering the Far Darrigs were essentially four-foot tall talking rats, that was some tall order. He must have come up with something, because he was looking at everyone expectantly.
I nodded, even though I hadn’t heard a word he’d said.
All those people are dead. I couldn’t save them. And now Kelly is coming here and putting herself right in the middle of impending war.
“Flynn’s coming back,” Arthur said in a flat voice, his arms tightening around me. I sunk deeper into his thick trench coat, feeling the heavy weight of his sword brushing against my leg. It was hard to believe that only a half hour ago he was swinging that sword around like a Viking, slaying any fae that crossed his path. At least he’d managed to calm his rage now. If the police discovered that blade on him – its edge darkened with fae blood – or any of our other weapons, we’d be in a world of trouble.
“They want to talk to you next,” Flynn said, as he rejoined the circle and patted Blake on the shoulder. His usually jovial expression burned with weariness.
Corbin turned to Blake, his eyes wide as though he’d just remembered our newest coven member was there. “What are you going to tell them? You can’t say you’re the son of Darren and Colleen Beckett, or they’ll find out about the murder-suicide and?—”
“Relax, Mussolini. I’ve got this.” Blake shot me his wild grin as he sauntered off after Officer Judge.
