“Take everything this man—thismage—held dear and destroyed it. That man swore, with his dying breath, to burn everything and everyone Tane holds dear to the ground.”
“And yet he swore no revenge on your father, who killed him?”
His expression didn’t change, nor did the shadows in his eyes deepen, darken, but there was something in his stillness, in the brief flash of energy that burned across my skin, that had my breath hitching.
And not in a good way.
“He didn’t need to. He was no doubt aware my father was already on a trajectory from which there was no return.”
My frown deepened. “I don’t understand?—”
The trajectoryhe speaks of, Atticus cut in, as he strolled out from under the dumpster,is one most dark witches face, a road that leads down the path of hell into a soulless death.
“Yes,” René said, meaning Atticus had once again broadcast widely. “But that is neither here nor there when it comes to this case.”
It might not be relevant to the current case, but it certainly was to me and whatever relationship I might wish to have with the man.
“Then whatisrelevant?”
His gaze met mine again; the shadows were deeper, angrier. Not at me, butforme.
“He would have felt the caress of your magic through the shard. He has a hunger for the pure of heart that cannot be satiated, and he will come for your blood and your life.”
ChapterNine
“Well,” I said lightly. “That’s me safe then.”
“I am not joking, Hanna.”
“Oh, neither am I, let me assure you. But given what you’ve said about the man, is there anywhere safe we can discuss him without having to worry about him jumping out on us?”
He hesitated. “The beach.”
“The beach?” I repeated, caught by surprise.
Water in constant movement combined with swirling winds are a combination long used to protect against the resonance of a name, Atticus said.Did they not teach you anything at school?
“Whoisthis?” René asked, waving a hand at the scrawny creature sitting within clawing distance of his leg. “I didn’t think you had a familiar?”
“I don’t. I did, however, rescue his sorry ass a few months back from a fire that killed his witch, and he’s since decided to not only make a running commentary on my life choices, but also to step into the middle of conversations unasked.”
“So he’s ayokai?” Surprise briefly lifted the shadows. “Interesting.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because it’s usually only the very ancient or the very powerful familiars who can maintain such a presence long-term.”
“The former is certainly on point but, aside from an awesome ability to clean messy bedrooms with his magic, I can’t really attest to the latter.”
I cannot sleep in the disaster zone you call a bedroom, and there has been no reason as yet to display the might that resides within me.
“He’s also imbued with modesty,” I said dryly. “Which beach do you want to go to?”
“Pandanus. There’s a long jetty there with seating at the far end. It’ll provide plenty of natural protection, though I will of course enhance it.”
And I will be interested in seeing his magic at work.
I glanced down at Atticus in surprise.You can’t sense it?
