He pulled back and gazed into my eyes.‘And I love you,’he said, through thebond.
I squeezed his hand and took one last look over his shoulder at my mother’s untouched grave before getting back into the car. Danny’s magical valium spell had worn off and I was feeling melancholyagain.
Sorry, Mom, but I know it’s what you would havewanted.
The second I shut the door, Danny gunned the car, the tires screeching alittle.
I raised one eyebrow at the sorcerer. “In ahurry?”
He gave me a quick side glance. “I don’t likedeath.”
I settled into my seat for the drive. I understood that. Some people were okay with death and the dark art of dying, others not somuch.
“You know, I had a sister,” Danny told me as he made his way out of the gate and took a right onto UniversityAve.
I sat up a bit straighter. “What happened?”Hada sister. Pasttense.
Danny stared at the passing cars and it was a moment before he spoke. “Drunk driver. She was a pureblooded witch and she got taken out by a drunk driver.” His knuckles clutched thewheel.
My heart ached for him. I couldn’t imagine losing a sibling. That kind of loss … it stayed with you forever. “How old wasshe?”
Danny sighed. “Sixteen. I was eighteen. The most ironic of all is that she showed an affinity for healing but she died instantly. Nothing could’ve been done. I wasn’t alright for a long time afterthat.”
Sixteen.Sweet Jesus. Why did awful shit happen to innocent kids? It made my bloodboil.
“Yeah, some days I wonder if I’m alright now,” I told himhonestly.
He chuckled, turning onto Mill Ave. “Me too, girl. Metoo.”
I would never be the same person I was when my mother was alive and healthy. That innocent, happy Sloane had died. “Logan makes me feel alright,” I saidsincerely.
He nodded, as we passed a bicycle cop. “Keegan made me feel alrighttoo.”
My heart picked up. Oh how I wished I could force those two to get back together. They were perfect for each other and miserable apart! But life didn’t work that way. He needed to figure that out himself. “Maybe he could be trusted … one more time?” I offered. If he screwed up again I’d kick him in the ballsmyself.
Danny was quiet for a full minute watching the spectacle that was Mill Avenue at night. Drunken college students spilled out of bars and talked loudly with the kind of crazy hand gestures that only an extremely intoxicated person would make. “Yeah, maybe he could,” he finally said. He sounded defeated, like he didn’t have the energy to stay away from Keegananymore.
Something in my heart lifted then. I didn’t want to press him, but his admission made me overjoyed. I’d spent a lot of time around Keegan and Danny, and the love was still so strong betweenthem.
Danny’s muscles suddenly stiffened as his eyes scanned theroad.
“What is it?” I asked him, sitting forward in my seat, and looking at the drunken revelers. There was a group of hippies banging away on their drums, making cool music, but nothing that lookeddangerous.
“I’ve just had this feeling the past few hours … like I’m being watched,” he said, and brushed it off with a shake of hishead.
My whole body froze, reminded that I’d forgotten to tell him something very,veryimportant.
“Umm, yeah … hypothetically, if I told another sorcerer where The Eye was, could he get it and spy onus?”
Danny slammed on the brakes so hard my face nearly hit thedashboard.
“Sloane Murphy! Tell me you didn’t!” he roared, and cars behind us laid on theirhorns.
I winced. “I did. It’s the only thing that could buy me time without gettingtortured.”
The sorcerer growled, an honest to God growl, and then gunned it. “You should have toldus!”
Well, shit, I was a little busy getting my tooth rippedout!
