Riordan shook his head. “Let’s find the others.”
He wasn’t about to discuss anything personal like that in this home that probably had eyes and ears everywhere. The alliance with Lady Caith was built partly on Wade and his god pack’sreputation. Riordan would take it, but he wouldn’t trust her, not completely.
Saoirse huffed out a sigh and turned on her heels. “All right.”
He followed her to the dining room, where he was unsurprised to see Wade clutching a plate piled high with food. It all smelled good, a mix of mundane human food and fae food. There was even a dish of tiny roasted fish piled high that he had to force his older brother to share. Riordan doubted it was typical fare for Lady Caith, who seemed satisfied with her fruit and sweet bread and was probably meant just for the selkies to eat.
“Did you see the news this morning?” Riordan asked after he’d eaten half the food on his plate and was on his second cup of coffee.
“I presume you are referring to the burned yacht,” Lady Caith said.
“Yeah. The news thinks it’s Niall’s.”
“They are most likely correct. You told us you would go straight to the hotel last night.”
“It wasn’t us, if that’s what you’re asking. It was the vampires’ doing.”
Lady Caith neatly buttered a piece of fluffy bread. “Ah. Well, good for them.”
“Has anyone heard from Ella?” Wade asked before shoving a forkful of food into his mouth.
“No.”
“Okay. I’ll call them after I eat.”
Riordan couldn’t shake off the tension that settled in him as they ate. It was barely nine o’clock in the morning, but time felt as if it were dragging. He was a day past Niall’s demand, and the only reason Saoirse wasn’t writhing around in pain still was because of the ring she still wore. None of them knew the status of her sealskin, and they couldn’t go another day withoutreaching out to Niall. Riordan wouldn’t risk his sister’s life and sanity any longer.
It was strange, though, that Niall hadn’t reached out after his last call. Riordan had thought he would, but perhaps being hunted by vampires and the loss of Harper was making him reassess everything.
Riordan was finishing the last bite of food when thunder rumbled overhead, strong enough to rattle the windows. He glanced up reflexively, listening to the howling wind outside. “I don’t think we factored in the rain.”
“I did,” Lady Caith said. Considering her title, Riordan wasn’t going to question the storm any longer.
“We’ll still launch the boats, and you have clan leaders to call,” Donal said.
Riordan grimaced. “I still think?—”
“It was decided,” Lady Caith interrupted coolly. “Your protests were noted, but your skin is not the one in Niall’s possession. Allow your sister this choice.”
Wade knocked his foot against Riordan’s beneath the table. “I’ll keep her safe. You know that.”
“I know,” Riordan said, putting his fork down, suddenly no longer hungry. “But it should still be me.”
No one seemed inclined to argue with him again, so he didn’t press the issue despite how badly he wanted to. Lady Caith didn’t seem in the mood to rehash everything they’d fought over yesterday, and the plan in question was already set. All that was left was giving in to Niall’s demands.
Riordan kept his phone on him, the weight of it impossible to ignore in his back pocket. The rain meant they all remained inside Lady Caith’s home, all of them twitchy. Riordan had wanted to call Niall first, to get it all over with, but Lady Caith had shaken her head.
“Better to let him come crawling to us for what he wants,” she had said.
Riordan didn’t know if that would make everything better, but he’d agreed to wait, spending time with his siblings in the den, where they huddled together on the couch. Wade stayed close, seated on the floor in front of the couch, resting his head against Riordan’s knee.
The storm didn’t let up as the hours ticked down. Noon came and went, lunch a tense, quiet affair with little conversation. It was after everyone had eaten, and they were arguing over what to watch when Riordan’s phone finally rang, quieting the conversation.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at the screen, Niall’s name on the incoming call. Riordan drew in a steadying breath before he answered it. “Niall.”
“You must think yourself above me, to play such games with your sister’s skin,” Niall said in a silky, dangerous voice.
“I take it you didn’t get much sleep last night? Vampires keep you up?” Riordan asked, forcing his voice to remain calm.
