Page 137 of White Raven
“Ryan wait…stop,”Leigh said hurriedly,“I know who Rhaena Northwood is. I’m with her. They thought you might come looking for me and wanted me to be the bait to draw you out.”
Ryan nearly shook with relief. “You’re with her?”
“What’s going on? Where are you?”
“Let me talk to her. Hurry.”
“Ryan, I—”
“Leigh!Please,” she bit down on her lip, and she swore she felt her eyes stinging with something like…tears. “I need you to put her on. Please, just trust me.”
The phone shuffled, and Rhaena answered…
“Sykes?”Northwood sounded anything but thrilled, but it was undoubtedly her voice.
“Northwood…look, I—I know you’re out for blood. I know what you think about me right now, and…and I’ll accept that. But I need you to listen to me.”
“I know more than you think I do. If you’re in Boston, turn yourself in. To me. I don’t know what kinda trouble you’re in—”
“No,please. The Black Bird coven…if you know what I think you know, you have to protect Leigh. They’re coming for her. They’re coming for her, and they’re gonna kill ourfamily, Rhaena!” There was only silence on the other end. “Are you listening to me?!”
“By family, you mean my mother? I can protect her, Ryan…but don’t ask me to care about what happens to Ashina Northwood. She’s no mother to me.”
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with! It’s not just your mother. It’smymother! Myfather! Our entire pack! Canyou put your tough cop bullshit aside, and just thisonce, let me have my fucking dignity?!”
There was a blistering pause, until she finally asked,“What’s your plan?”
Ryan turned and glanced up at the flights on the marquee. “I can’t save them both, Rhaena. Please don’t make me choose.”
“Nobody knows she’s here.”
“They do! They’rewatchingher! I’m telling you…you don’t know what you’re up against. I’veworkedwith these vampires. They work for John Allan.”
“Don’t you mean Edgar Allan Poe?”Her tone was choppy and cynical.“Don’t you see where your fucked up loyalty landed innocent people, Ryan? You better go to them. And you better hope I never find you.”
Ryan could hear Leigh pleading in the background.
“Theheart,” she croaked, making her way to her terminal on the other side of the airport. “When they find you…go for the heart. If I were with you, I could take them down with my bite. Their venom is lethal to humans. Mine is lethal to vampires. But…they can’t live without a heart. Even if it doesn’t beat.”
She hung up, squeezing her eyes shut at the sound of Leigh’s voice, and rushing into a jog.
Breaking into the small church required little, and if he was being honest…the place could use a little renovating, but Tony got them into the back door. He snicked it shut and locked everyone in, opting out of flipping on the lights to the small hallway that they crept down, in search of a bathroom. Athanheld tight to Sarah, who stumbled here and there. She was still a bit weak from all he’d taken from her, but her blood…God it did amazing things. Even a small amount seemed to rejuvenate the bleakest of situations regarding one’s health—mortal or otherwise.
“Found it,” Tony announced, flipping a switch and holding the door open. Sarah found a spot on the floor to rest up, and he handed Athan a duffle they’d carried with them with a change of clothes and some necessities to clean up with. She’d thought of everything…everything except a shovel. Athan bent down to check Sarah over, kissing the top of her head before he stood, and then turned to face Tony.
“You helped her…helpedme, when you didn’t have to.” He pulled the dirty shirt over his head and tossed it in a nearby trash bin. “I don’t have the words to thank you, Tony. You were out.Free. Last I heard, you left for Scotland. What made you come back?”
Tony glanced at Sarah, who softly nodded as she leaned back against the wall and pulled her knees to her chest. “I think we should start with everything else first, Athan,” she said, her voice heavy with exhaustion. Athan sighed heavily and ran the water in the sink. He started washing up, and watched her in the mirror.
“I don’t remember much,” he said, scrubbing his face, and splashing water on his body. “I know it was Sykes that took me. I remembered hearing her voice before my neck snapped. And—” he jerked toward her. “Nell. Nell gave me an envelope. She knows who John Allan is.”
Tony had no idea who Nell was, but he remembered Sarah mentioning it to Sykes when they spoke on the phone. It was clear to him then, by the look on Sarah’s face, that Athan didn’t know about the circumstances yet.
“I know who he is. Athan…Nell is—Nell’s dead.”
She must have meant a lot to him. His body sagged, and Kane’s stare was hollow…void. He leaned against the sink. “How?” he asked, hoarsely.
“Coroner said a heart attack. Sykes had been there. She had orders to take Poe’s shit out of the shop. Nell was startled. She swears she stayed by her side until she took her last breath, but…whatever was in the envelope was enough to scare John Allan into covering his tracks. He wanted all traces of his work out of that shop.”
