Page 50 of The Sacred and the Tormented

Two others stood with their hands up, staring at Saoirse, likely wondering which of them would be put in a precarious situation next.

But Saoirse took in the scents littering the space, then her gaze roamed to the houses in the distance. Smoke curled from the chimneys and people moved back and forth, completely unaware of the new Fae in their midst.

“Relax,” the male in Talon’s grip said.

“What the hell was that?” Talon demanded even though they all knew. Pádraigín’s magic. Was she in a glamor? Saoirseglanced back to be sure Zylah still stood behind her. The female nodded, telling Saoirse she was fine.

Their relationship might still be a strained one, but neither could deny how well they worked together. When the village was attacked, Saoirse had fought like hell to keep the Dark Fae away from Zylah’s patients. She’d refused to submit, even when the wall had fallen.

It had resulted in Zylah giving her fifteen stitches in her left arm. She’d broken a few in her fight against the Dark Fae. Zylah had silently tended to them again. The hopeful part of Saoirse wanted to reason it meant Zylah cared. Or maybe she was just being practical.

“We have to keep this place hidden from Pádraigín’s High Lord,” the male answered.

“You can use his own magic to hide from him?”

“I’ve used it to lie to him,” Gavin said.

“No one asked you,” Talon barked. The male partly blamed Gavin for Ellie’s disappearance. She couldn’t say she blamed him.

“The glamour prevents his spies from finding us. It keeps us safe.”

“Why didn’t you warn us beforehand?” Raevina demanded, never taking her eyes off the male in her grasp.

“I—” His eyes were wide. “I just assumed you’d know.”

Right, because it wasn’t as if a rebel group could function out in the open. Still, it was a stupid assumption on his part.

“Talon!” Their heads all turned and Saoirse watched the tension fall from Talon’s shoulders when he spotted Arianna across the field. Saoirse’s gaze wandered to her side and relief flooded through her at the sight of her little brother.

He stood without his magic. No weapons drawn either. Arianna sat in a chair beside him.

Talon left the male where he was and ran, his long legs carrying him across the space in record time. Saoirse glanced back at Zylah and the pair of them were moving a second later with Gavin in tow. She didn’t look to see if Raevina followed.

Saoirse studied her brother, searching the space around him for that strange ripple Gavin had pointed out. They’d entered a glamour. Even with their friends supposedly before them, they needed to be careful. None of this might be real.

“Talon,” Saoirse called out in warning. The male stopped, seeming to realize the same thing she already had. Arianna’s face scrunched as she stared at them, but Saoirse addressed her little brother, or who she hoped was her little brother.

“Tell me something only you would know.”

Silence filled the space between them. Rion’s magic swirled lightly at his feet, nothing like the storm she’d expected. And … were those markings down his arms? She studied the symbols. They did nothing to ease her mind.

“You have cacti pajamas.”

She nearly smiled. “Everyone knows that.”

He remained still. Thinking. “They don’t know about the stain on the left pant leg where you spilled wine one night. Or how you furiously scrubbed the material, refusing to let anyone else touch them. They also don’t know about you meticulously resewing the bottom seam when it comes undone or the night you threw out a male because he tried to rip—.”

“All right, all right,” Saoirse said, “It’s them.” She didn’t look back at Zylah—couldn’t without her face burning. Saoirse wasn’t sure why she didn’t want the female knowing about her past lovers. Maybe she didn’t want to give her any more reason to turn away.

Arianna stood with the help of a stranger. A female, not Rion. She found the gesture odd, but when Talon closed the distance, she heard the clear warning in Rion’s tone. “Careful.”

It was then that Saoirse took in the way Arianna hadn’t fully straightened. Talon watched too and wrapped Arianna in a light embrace before pulling back to look her over. Talon had mentioned Arianna’s injured state before her brother had taken off.

Saoirse inched closer, her emotions flaring through her as she watched her little brother staring at his mate as if she were the only one who existed.

“You’re alive,” Talon breathed.

“I think that should be my line,” Arianna replied. Had she thought them dead?

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