Page 118 of White Raven
Sarah swallowed, turning away from Tony slowly.
“So, are you saying it may not even be Poe resting in that grave in Baltimore?”
The odds of this were insane…
Insane.
“Where are you going?” Tony asked from behind her as she rushed down the ratchety old stairs. It sounded like he was following her. Sarah rounded the landing and down a short hallway near the gift shop to another room in the museum that she remembered seeing information about Poe’s death.
“Died in Baltimore…” she whispered on a shaky breath, skimming through every line. “October…1849. Cause of death was never determined.” Tony stepped up behind her, watching a few people leave the room. “He was delirious. Calling out for someone named ‘Reynolds’. They found him in clothes that weren’t his.”
“Reynolds?” Tony breathed, removing his cap to scratch his head. Sarah looked over her shoulder.
“That’s what it says. You know somebody?”
She wasn’t sure how much more color Tony could lose in his skin. His red hair, and scruff of stubble seemed brighter against the pallor.
“Yeah,” he choked, raising his eyes to hers. “So do you.”
She turned to face him fully then, arms trembling as she crossed them. “Tony?”
“Decclan…Decclan’s last name is Reynolds.”
“And…that’s about it. You’re caught up. Now we’re trying to figure out the link between Trainor’s case, and Athan’s disappearance.” Brandon shifted uncomfortably on the couch as Rhaena downed another tumbler of water. Her captain watched from the adjacent armchair, his muscular arms bulging from his rolled-up sleeves as he crossed them over his chest and studied her.
“And no one knows where Sarah is?” she asked. Her fiance tensed next to her.
“We don’t. And if she reaches out to any of you, I expect word. I need her to know that she’s safe. We’re all on the same side. Foster may not be a welcome presence, but I don’t think she means St. James any ill will either.” She stared at Foley, who looked like he hadn’t slept in months.
“How long have you been here, Malcolm?”
He sighed and shook his head slowly. “In and out…for a while.”
“You should go home. Get some rest. I need it too. I need some time to process all this. Feel out how to live with…whateverI am now.”
“I understand, Gloves. You’ll call…won’t you?”
“We will,” she smiled softly.
He took his cue to leave, and grabbed his jacket, nodding his farewell to them both as he left. Brandon waited a few minutes before speaking.
“Sarah’s in Richmond,” he whispered.
Rhaena turned to look at him. “Foley doesn’t know?” He shook his head.
“I don’t know why Sarah feels so strongly about why we can’t trust our captain…but I’m trying to be respectful of her wishes. That’s her soon-to-be husband she’s fighting for out there. If that were you, I wouldn’t let anybody stop me either.”
“So, does she think he’s out there? In Virginia, of all places?”
“I’m not sure. I’m guessing so, or she wouldn’t have hopped a plane. But Wren was the last one to get word from her. She’s relaying everything as quietly as she can.”
If there was bad news, Rhaena believed they’d know it by now. And some deep part of her could feel that Sarah was alive, and well. Her gut told her that it was because of the blood that turned her into a freak of fucking nature. While Sarah hadn’t actually bitten her, that blood was a hidden lifeline to its donor. She could feel it in every thrumming vein. This blood, that filled her with unease, apprehension, and a tremendous lack of clarity…also filled her with strength…power…appreciation. Sarah had tried to help. Regardless of her sometimes reckless behavior, her vulgar mouth, and her knack for making their lives complicated, she was a genuinely caring individual. She fought hard for the people she loved, and she had a will that would power through a hurricane. For what it was worth, Rhaena was grateful to her. And deep down, she knew that Sarah would find him. She’d come back with all the answers. One day of observing gratitude for simply being alive suddenly seemed…possible.
Rhaena met eyes with the man who, even when she refused to notice him, had stuck by her side. A man who always would, if by no other evidence than the fact that he was sitting barely an inch from a being that could rip him to shreds in a matter of seconds. She knew full well that in the past few weeks, it had probably crossed his mind more than once that maybe her focus was pulled more towards another man, rather than the one she agreed to spend her life with. Maybe it was always pulled in every direction other than himself…and far too often.
“How long has it been since we’ve been alone together?” she asked.
“While you were conscious?” Brandon grinned.
