Hikaru’s nod was barely perceptible. “Members of…members of the council.”
I didn’t need to ask which one. “Huxley?”
Another nod. “He…”
“I know.” That wasn’t completely true. I’d gleaned that Huxley had gone after members of the Magical Usage Council before he’d sprung his trap on Erasmus. While I wasn’t exactly certain who those members were, I’d heard that many were confused by which members Huxley targeted and those he did not. The kitsune sagging in my arms was on that hit list. Hikaru had been too quick and wily for Huxley to succeed.
“Did he…did Keir say if they were alive or…”
I hadn’t anticipated that question. “He did not, but I did not get the impression he thought them alive. I could be wrong. I didn’t?—”
“No. You’re right.” Hikaru released an animalistic growl laden with hate and more than a hint of sorrow. “Huxley wouldn’t have taken the chance. If he thought them worth eliminating, then he would have completed the job, just as he attempted to do with me.” Hikaru straightened and pulled from my arms, pushing me away in the process. Arms at his side, Hikaru’s muscles bunched and tensed as his fingers clasped into tight fists. Tails whipped around him, beating against the wind. Standing behind Hikaru, it was clear where the eighth, missing tail had been. Its absence was suddenly all I could focus on.
“Where?” Hikaru abruptly asked, that singular word barely recognizable through the guttural growl it was spoken with.
Others might have found Hikaru’s fury frightening. I did not scare so easily. “Keir did not say. Exactly. He…” I wasn’t sure how to soften my words, so I simply spoke without sugar coating their context. “Keir said they were deep within rock. Somewhere impenetrable to most modes of travel.”
Hands now fisted on his sides, Hikaru’s bent head shook back and forth. Instead of a growl, half-crazed laughter drifted on the wind. “That’s why heneedsme.”
“A brownie could do it.” I wasn’t certain why I decided to argue. Only, I didn’t like the idea of Hikaru doing this. I didn’t like thinking of him being sent in alone to find…I wasn’t exactly certain what Hikaru would find. If Huxley was involved, I couldn’t imagine it would be pretty.
“They could. Too bad Huxley pissed off the brownie community when he captured and drained that brownie child, Deni.”
“That wasn’t Keir’s fault,” I argued.
Hikaru shrugged. “I don’t think they care. It happened because a couple of brownies were trying to help the Magical Usage Council. I don’t blame them for being gun shy when offering up their services. Brownies have long memories, and their children are precious. Huxley could not have committed a graver sin in their eyes.”
I ran my fingers through my wind-whipped hair. “A fairy then. They could?—”
“Keir would not involve Fairy. At least, not unless there were no other options.”
I ventured closer but kept my hands to myself. The urge to reach out and offer tactile comfort was nearly overwhelming. “Are there other options?” I knew there were. I was looking at one. A djinn could also do what Keir wanted, but I don’t think any of us considered that a viable option. Aurelia might help. Then again, she’d be just as likely to raise a questioning eyebrow, turn her back, and blink away.
Hikaru’s head lifted, his gaze settled outward toward the turbulent Pacific. Voice barely audible, he whispered, “There is,” before his body dissipated, whisps of green mist fanning out until there was nothing of the kitsune left, leaving me alone again.
Alone.
I’d once relished that word. I’d found solace in it, sought out its peace and basked in its quiet comfort. For the first time, that word created an ache in my chest that no amount of rubbing could ease.
Ten
Hikaru
I hated this place. This monstrosity of a building with its twists, turns, and multiple levels. I’d once found the Magical Usage Compound a curious playground. I’d relished all its little hidey-holes and found its numerous halls, rooms, and tunnels endlessly fascinating. It was the perfect place for an insatiably curious kitsune to grow up in. Had Huxley known that? Had he designed this crazed building with me in mind?
I scoffed, scolding myself. I’d been important to Huxley, if only for my magical potential, but I hadn’t been important enough to design an entire structure around. Even contemplating such a thing was dangerous to my precarious psyche. I needed to remember that I’d been nothing more than a magical pig raised with slaughter in mind. The only reason Huxley had given me any attention at all was for his own benefit, not mine.
While I hadn’t spent much time in Keir’s personal quarters, I’d pranked the old gryphon enough over the years to know their location. I’d manifested outside his door instead of in his living space. I wasn’t sure if I’d done so out of politeness or in a foolish attempt to delay the inevitable.
Keir was inside. I could read his magical signature. I could track him just as easily as I could Niki. What I hadn’t been able to do was track the missing. That alone indicated they were no longer living, that their magical signatures were no longer there for me to find. Their loss had left a hollow hole in my chest. I doubted the coming centuries would be able to fill that emptiness.
I was still standing in the hall, contemplating knocking, when the door opened. Raising my head, I found myself staring into Keir’s deep amber eyes. No matter how stuffy and old-fashioned I found Keir, I’d always been fascinated by his eyes. The depth within them was unlike any other. Keir’s eyes were keen and sharp, as if very little could escape his sight. They should have felt cold and calculating, and yet I’d never once gotten that impression. Instead, Keir’s amber irises were warm and welcoming. Even at his most angry, I’d never found reproach within his gaze.
It didn’t look like today would change that fact.
“Hikaru.” My name exited Keir’s lips in a relieved breath. “It is good to see you.” I had no doubt Keir truly meant those words. “Would you please come in.” Keir held his door open. The old oaken structure was sturdy and wide. The warm glow of the low banked fire deeper in the room beckoned me inside.
With a barely there nod, I complied. My fingers fisted and released in quick succession. It was difficult being back. I was nowhere near my old rooms or Huxley’s, but the scents inside the compound were the same and flooded my memory, triggering emotions I didn’t want to address.
