Page 84 of Destined to Fight

Asta came to Kelly and gently helped her inside. They went to the living room, where the fire was already burning. Kade pulled the love seat right in front of it, and Asta helped her lie down, then covered her with a heavy blanket.

“I’ll get you some tea.”

Kelly nodded, not trusting her ability to speak through chattering teeth.

Kade sat at her feet and looked at her like she might shatter at any moment.

Gods, they almost had ye.

“They don’t, though. I’m f-f-f-fine.”

“Ye think ye can shut that down now? Give me some privacy for a minute or two?”

Oh. She’d forgotten she was doing it, which was creepy.

Kelly nodded and shut her mind off from his thoughts.

“I think I’ll get used to it, but sometimes a man needs to be alone in his head.”

Nodding again, she curled up, hugging her knees to her chest.

A mug of tea appeared in front of her, and Kelly gratefully wrapped her hands around it, absorbing the warmth through her palms. The citrusy, floral scent of lavender Earl Gray greeted her senses as she held the mug to her nose, breathing in the warm steam.

The tea sloshed a little as she fought for control of the shivers that racked her body, but Kelly ignored the awkwardness.

Connor came into the living room, cautious in his strides. “They’ve secured Fabian and Asmund. I’m awaiting further info on Ginna.”

Kade nodded, and Connor left the room.

Everything moved so quickly in this world. Kelly was still shivering, and they’d already made it back to the scene to check on everyone.

“Connor just got the call. They located Ginna too. Had to drag her off the trail of the vampire she was chasing,” Kade said.

That made Kelly smile. Her mentor was something else. “How did you know?

“I heard Connor’s phone conversation.”

Oh, yeah. His earlier update must have been just for her benefit.

On cue, the front door opened, and the rest of the crew strode in and came to stand around the fire. Connor and Asta joined them, too.

After what felt like an hour of silence, Fabian spoke. “We learned a lot today, but I think it is best to discuss it all in the morning when we have had a chance to recover.”

“Connor, get twenty of yer most trusted guards here tomorrow. I dinnae care how far they have to fly or what we have to pay them. See if there are any houses for rent nearby and arrange for four of them to stay here.”

Connor gave his usual nod.

“You all right, Rookie?”

Kelly nodded. “This is the new normal, isn’t it? Two attacks in three days. This is going to happen every time I leave the house. Will they come here, too?”

Fabian broke the bad news. “They will not come here. There is an unspoken respect for the homestead of any Arcane. That is all you can count on, though. We have wards on the house for added protection, but those won’t stop the people we’re dealing with. The only way to stop them coming for you outside of the house is to find out who is behind this and eliminate them—or for you to complete your bonding.”

Finishing her tea, Kelly tossed the blanket aside and stood. “Well then, let’s find the fucker behind it all.” No one was going to control her out of fear.

Fabian wouldn’t let her out of training in the morning. Focusing proved difficult with everything on her mind, and he was anything but forgiving each time she slipped up or moved wrong.

Just when she was about ready to give up, Kelly got the wild idea to bring her powers into the fight and tossed water at him, drenching him from head to toe.

---