Page 51 of Crown of Wings and Whispers

I turned to face my old friends now scattered around the sitting room of a richly appointed hotel suite. Everly and Urban, Kitch and Persi, Ivy and Wickham, and Flann. Alwyn and Brian were the only ones missing from our regular fighting team.

“Thank you for coming for me.”

Flann winked and smiled. “My apologies if it’s too soon, but we’re all in a fit to know…just how ye made that lattice of vines burst into flame.”

“I don’t know. I just wished it would, and it did.”

Wickham’s face changed in an instant. “One moment.” He left his wife to come stand in front of me. He lifted his hands, paused for permission, and after I nodded, he placed his palms against the sides of my head and searched my eyes. “Not touchin’ yer memories. Just looking’ for…” After a long minute, he shook his head. “If ye’re Fae, I cannae tell it.”

“I’m DeNoy.” It felt good to say it out loud and to his face.

He dropped his hands to his side, but in their place, exactly where his hands had been, a white replica still held onto me. I felt a pull, as if these white hands really didn’t want to let go of me, but since they were also attached to Wickham, to something inside Wickham, they had to release me when he stepped back.

“It’s the power of theSeanair,” he said, like an apology. “I suppose we ken now why it is drawn to ye. Fancies the DeNoy, I reckon.” Then he laughed. They all laughed, nervously, but it served to chase away what tension remained in the room.

“You asked about the fire,” I said, bringing them back to the conversation. “I think it happened before, in Muirsglen, in that burning house. When I found that girl in the bathroom, the fire came up behind me, but I wanted it to stay back. And it did. It licked around the doorway, but it left us alone.”

“Daughter of a firefighter,” Persi said with a smirk. “We should have looked closer when you came out of there unscathed, unsinged.”

“We were otherwise occupied.” Wickham paced to the patio doors and back again. “We need answers.” He looked at Griffon. “Where do we find answers?”

“We need to findThe Queevna,” Flann said.

Everyone looked to Griffon, who shook his head. “They go where they like. Until it pleases them to come to us, they could be anywhere in Fairy. If they are trying to stay beyond Orion’s reach, there is no finding them.”

Wickham lifted a brow. “Would they go back to yer mother’s?”

“They would have to be taken there, by family, or invited there by my mother. But I refuse to look. She and my brother are safe there, for the time being. My father’s wards are unbeatable, but I will not risk being tailed. I sent word for them to stay put and wait out the storm.”

Wickham nodded. “In the meantime, we need to see Fallon safe…”

I gripped Griffon’s hand tight. He did the same in return. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but you’ll have to excuse us. Lennon and I will be going now.” He held up his hand to ward off their alarmed reactions. “We don’t needThe Queevnato explain the DeNoy to us. Lennon can figure it out. And I’m going to help her. We’re going somewhere safe—"

“How will we contact you?” Wickham wasn’t happy. “We won’t linger here after we find safe havens for the Muirsglen folk—”

“I will call your Mr. Brooks when I need to get in touch, but we will be…off the grid…for some time.”

Inside, I was jumping up and down like a high-on-life cheerleader, waving my pompoms in faces and crowing at the top of my lungs.

Persi was on her feet. I could tell she was grasping for some reason to keep us from going. “What about Fallon?”

“I explained our leaving before I brought her to you,” Griffon said. “Be gentle with her. I believe Annag is convinced the lass will be better off without her power. I’m not sure Fallon even knows she has it. But either way,wecan’t stay. You’ll have to manage without us for now.”

I looked around the room and made eye contact with each of them, letting them know that Griffon spoke for us both, that I was leaving them again. Then I smiled. “At least this time, I’m not sneaking out.”

Griffon tugged on my arm, then led me out the door. No one stopped us, despite how we were dressed. I chose to believe my friends stayed quiet because we were right to go, and not because I’d hurt them again.

* * *

I didn’t carewhat people thought as we hurried down the London sidewalk. With my robe tied securely, I wrapped one arm around Griffon’s and held his hand with the other, sure something would try separate us if I didn’t grip him tight enough. He was shirtless and it was maybe forty degrees, so we drew a lot of attention, but I didn’t give a rat’s arse.

“Where we’re headed,” he said quietly, “we mustn’t fly. Too cold for even me. So I’ll take us to Fairy—only for a moment—and when we enter this realm again, we’ll be where we need to be."

"But what if Orion catches us in Fairy--"

"He won’t. Trust me."

We ducked into a clothing store and spent far too much time outfitting ourselves. Neither of us had extra clothing, and since we were headed “off the grid” for a while, I stocked up on underwear, got a couple pair of jeans, some sweats, and two hoodies. When Griffon insisted we buy parkas and fur hats with ear flaps, I didn’t argue.

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