Page 124 of White Raven
“Nevermore,”Poe trilled, clicking his beak.“Nevermore.”
She wanted to rage. To cry. To scream at the top of her lungs.
“Do you know her?” Tony asked, looking at a window across the courtyard.
“Who?” Sarah asked, peering around him.
Tony turned his body and pointed at the woman standing at the window, watching them intently. That face… “She’s staring awfully hard to be a stranger,” Tony concluded. Athan’s phone started ringing in her pocket, and she pulled itout, revealing yetanotherunknown number. When she looked back up, she realized then who it was. Why she seemed so familiar. Sarah answered the call.
“You fucking bitch. I’m gonna rip yourthroatout!” Sarah leapt up, Poe scattering off, and landing back on the bust from earlier.
“He’s not here,”Sykes said quickly.
“What the hell did you do to him? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t take your head clean off!”
“Look, I don’t have much time. My orders were to report back about where you are, and what you’ve figured out. If he finds out that I’m talking to you, I’m as good as dead, and so is—look, just hear me out, okay? John’s got people everywhere. I’m not trying to get caught.”
“What the hell are you talking about? It’s real fucking grimy to tell me that we’re all so violent, and you’re the one kidnapping people. Where the fuck is Athan!”
“I only did as I was told. It doesn’t mean I liked it or wanted to. I can’t tell you where he is, but if I’m right about what I think you finally know, then your mate is your next stop, little bird.”
“What did you do to him, Sykes?”
The stare between them threatened to hack anyone in half that passed through the space between Sarah and that window. As much as she wanted to end this bitch, she had to admit…the look in her eyes wasn’t vengeful, or malicious. It was sad, and apologetic.
“He didn’t know I was there. He seemed pissed off or upset. I broke his neck and took him where I was instructed.”
“You killed him?!”
“Sarah, you know damned well he isn’t dead. Not permanently, anyway. When I take a life, I take it because I’m hunting. I’m not a murderer.”
“Lie. You killed Nell! You robbed and murdered a defenseless old woman!”
“You don’t know shit. I would never do that. You know nothing about me, St. James.”
Sarah stepped forward. “Then what happened?”
“That woman gave your man an envelope. I found it on him when I dropped him at your apartment. Your old lady friend knew your father’s real identity. She knew a lot of shit. I assumed he was supposed to share that with you. He never got the chance to look inside. I was ordered to get rid of it, and any other potential clues as to who he really is. When I got to the antique shop, and found what I was looking for, she walked in and freaked out. She grabbed her chest and hit the floor! I swear to you, I didn’t hurt that woman. I stayed with her until she took her last breath, said my prayers, and ran. After that, I had a deadline to drop your mate off, and I barely made it in time!”
Sarah wasn’t sure she was breathing. So, she didn’t kill her. Tony stood in silence, listening as best he could and keeping a sharp eye on Sykes.
“Why the hell should I believe you? And drop him offwhere?!”
“I told you; I can’t tell you that. You don’t have to believe me. You’ve got friends with connections. I posed as one of them. You’ve gotta be aware of the truth by now. Look up her coroner’s report. I know you wanna kill me, Sarah. I can’t say I blame you, but you’ve gotta trust me. He doesn’t want either of you dead. I am, and always have been…just the messenger.”
“Prove that.”
Sykes turned her head over her shoulder and then glanced back at Sarah with a grin.“We never talked. Got it?”
“Fine.”
“Come and get me, St. James.”
The call ended, and Sykes turned away from the window, disappearing from view. Tony took off at the same time she did, and they raced across the courtyard, nearly slipping on the worn cobblestone walkway as they made a sharp turn around the wall into the breezeway and jerked the glass door open into the gift shop. Several patrons looked around in confusion, and it was clear Sykes was gone. In her wake, was what looked like a prize wheel, spinning its ass off. Sarah glanced above it.
“Poe’s wheel of misfortune?” she asked. The gift shop clerk stared at her, still clearly confused about the commotion.
“Just a little fun,” she said warily. “You spin the wheel and find out how you’d die in one of his tall tales. The lady in the red coat didn’t stick around to find out.”
