Page 6 of Secrets of the Forgotten Heir

‘All right,’ she said finally. ‘I’ll take that, for now. But I need to be clear, if you disappear after this and you don’t stay in touch, I’m done. History only gets you so far. I deserve more.’

I had a lump in my throat the size of Gibraltar as I nodded. A big part of me was so proud of her for setting out her needs like that. Toxic friendship was no friendship at all, and I was determined that things would change from here on out.

Maddie gave the biggest yawn ever. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her skin was paler than usual. ‘Sorry,’ she said quickly. ‘I think it’s the driving and the magic. It’s been a big day. Is it okay if I pass out?’

For a second I worried that she meant it literally. ‘Sure,’ I said quickly, ‘and like you said, we need to get up early. Do you want the sofa or my bed? I really don’t mind – but bear in mind that if you take my bed you’ll have to share it with Eva.’

Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. ‘The sofa’s fine for me,’ she said before taking my hand and squeezing it tightly. ‘It’s truly good to see you, Bumble Bea.’ There wasthe slightest hint of a waver in her voice and she looked at me like I was something precious that had an expiration date. It wasn’t a good feeling.

My throat was suddenly tight. ‘It’s good to see you, too. Really good.’

Maddie turned to Eva. ‘And it’s good to meet you.’ She ruffled my dog’s fur. ‘I’m guessing you need an early night as well – I assume you’re coming with us to Witchlight Cove tomorrow? Unless you want to stay here, that is?’

Eva gave a low rumbling growl. ‘I guess you’re coming then,’ Maddie laughed.

‘We couldn’t be apart,’ I confessed.

‘Like you and I once.’ Maddie’s voice was small. And yes, that stung too.

I pulled out a blanket and threw it onto the sofa. ‘We’d better get to bed. Goodnight, Maddie.’

‘Night, Beatrix. And Bea?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Thanks for agreeing to come.’ She laid down and pulled the blanket over herself then, from one breath to the next, she was asleep. I started to worry again because that wasn’t normal for Maddie; she was a sprawled octopus sleeper who tossed and turned for ages before sleep claimed her.

She was tired, that was all. That was what I tried to tell myself.

As I studied my friend, the weight of what she was asking pressed down on me. This wasn’t a friendly visit; this was a call to arms. Someone wanted to take the Flame; someone wanted to claim my family’s legacy.

I turned off the lights and stared out of the window. The wards had needed strengthening and Maddie had collapsed from the effort. And now some stranger was making a move for the house.

Something was coming. And I had a feeling it was already too late to stop it.

I grabbed a blanket and curled up in the chair opposite Maddie. She wasn’t well, and I didn’t want to leave her alone in case something happened again. ‘If her fingers glow,’ I murmured to Eva, ‘wake me.’

My dog laid down facing Maddie.

For a long time, the two of us watched her chest rise and fall.

Chapter Four

‘So, what can you tell me about this guy? This property developer?’ I asked Maddie as I drove.

Eva was sprawled across the back seat of the car. If ever there was a sofa, a seat or a bed of any kind, she claimed it instantly – usually after a lengthy roll that left a substantial sprinkling of her golden fur behind. I admired her for it: she saw what she wanted and took it. It was the kind of confidence I aspired to but could never quite achieve, mostly because human society frowned upon rolling around on furniture in public spaces.

I didn’t blame her for getting comfy; we had a long journey south ahead of us. Witchlight Cove is in Cornwall, the southernmost county in the UK. The rugged landscape, with its miles of coastline, undulating hills and epic scenery, is a favourite with both magical and non-magical tourists, and Witchlight Cove itself is one of the premier holiday destinations for magical folk. Thesmall village has it all: quaint houses, stunning views and some gorgeous coffee shops.

Nostalgia and longing hit me like a sledgehammer: Witchlight Cove had never been a place to me but a living, breathing entity that I had loved as much as my own family. I’d been born there, taken my first steps there, had my first kiss there. Everything important in my life – the good, the bad and the downright ugly – had happened there.

I remembered that when I was young lots of holiday visitors talked about moving there but very few ever did. It had that small-town vibe that always felt good in the short term, but after a while it could grate on you if you weren’t used to it. And even if youwereused to it, it could get frustrating: you couldn’t sneeze without half the village hearing about it. And dating? That was even worse. Not that that had been something for me to worry about because in order to date someone, they had to be willing to speak to you. Even people I’d gone to school with had given me a wide berth after my grandmother's visit. Fear is a cancer in society, eroding friendships and raising walls instead.

Yanni, Maddie and Ezra, the scrawny werewolf kid we’d grown up with, were the only friends who’d stuck by me.They’d tried to make me feel it wasn’t my fault and I’d always appreciated that – no matter how wrong they were.

Gods – Ezra. The thought of seeing him made a flutter of excitement and nerves rear up and take residence in my stomach. Wouldhebe happy to see me? Or would he want to chew me out too? Maddie was dragging me back not quite kicking and screaming, but close; how wouldhefeel about seeing me, the third of the Three Amigos?

I wondered what he’d look like, what he’d be doing. Maybe he was married by now with a pup or two on the way. He’d been fairly scrawny but he was good looking in that guy-next-door kind of way, and he had a warm sense of humour. He could always make me laugh back when I still had something to laugh about.

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