Page 131 of White Raven
Tony shook his head and shrugged a shoulder. “There was never any need for me to learn. That bar top was my life. My gift. My prison. What need did I have for a car? I always thoughtmy eternity would be spent like that. There was never any way to escape that coven…not until you. Until Kane.”
It made her chest ache. She reflected back to the night she met Tony. The night she’d first seen Athan in that bar. The night that her world turned on its side and shook her out of whatever reality she’d believed. But it also got her thinking of something else.
“Tony…do you really think Poe’s last words were about Decclan?”
His expression told her as much. Like he’d been betrayed. Like the thought of it being the truth made a world of sense, but—like Sarah, he refused to believe it. Two people with impossible truths. Heavy truths that neither wanted to admit. He took a double drag and slowly blew his smoke.
“I hope I’m wrong. But I don’t think I am.”
Sarah gripped the steering wheel and reached for the cigarette. He passed it over without question, a knowing smirk on his face. As soon as she inhaled, she nearly choked, her eyes watering. “Oh, my God! What the hell is that?!” Tony cackled from the passenger seat and tapped the ashes out the window.
“It’s a home-rolled cigarette. There’s no filter,” he chuckled. “Got the tobacco from an old friend in Edinburgh. It’s fine stuff.”
“Jesus, Tony. You better be counting your blessings that vampires can’t die of lung cancer. Fuck.”
Their laughter died out, and he stared at the road ahead, swallowing before he spoke again. “Do you remember when we joined you at the pub? When I told you the story of the night, I met John Allan?”
Sarah nodded softly, glancing at him. “Yeah, I nearly cried when I saw you guys eat.”
“Decc was so…quietabout the whole thing. When we asked him how he never heard anything about John Allan from Dahlia…he—I think he lied.”
“Now that you mention it…I did notice that. I thought it was just me. I didn’t know Decclan. But it still struck me as odd.”
Tony shook his head. “It makes so much sense now. He was as hard as stone at her execution. I thought it was because he was having a hard time letting her go. But when she said something to you about John…whatever secrets Decc was keeping…they were dying with her. Maybe he thought he was safe.”
Sarah looked over, reading his face. “You think John Allan is after him? After the coven?”
“I dunno. That would depend on whatever relationship he had with John, I guess.”
Ryan. She had told her that she couldn’t speak for John’s decisions regarding the Black Bird coven and their freedom. Maybe whatever it was—was unforgivable. “I should have asked her,” Sarah breathed, slapping her palm against the steering wheel.
“Asked who, what?”
“Sykes. Whatever happened between Decclan and John…I bet she would have known.”
Tony shifted in his seat. “Do you think she’ll be in Baltimore when we get there?”
“I’m not sure. But I feel like if she’s on the run, it’s not just because she thinks I’m after her. Or my friends. I think she’s trying to get away fromhim.”
“Can’t we call the number back? Get one of them on the phone?”
Sarah shook her head again. “Every time I try redialing these numbers, they’re trashed. I think they use burners and break them when they’re done. They’ve spent a really long timecovering their asses. They like to stretch the mystery out as long as it’ll go. Keep you guessing. Keep you on the fucking line. That leaves them the control, you know?”
Tony sighed, dragging one last time on his smoke before tossing it out the window. “Yeah…that part.”
Sarah looked him over, and he met eyes with her. “I’m not gonna let this coven get caught up again, Tony. Father or not…he’s going down. Poe spent his mortal life obsessed with death. He just spun his own fucking wheel of misfortune. This ismylife. My story. My future. It’s just as important as yours. Nobody should hold the keys to anyone’s freedom.”
He stared at her for a long moment, and then softly smiled. “Athan is a lucky man. Truly.”
Sarah scoffed, and looked up at a huge green sign, taking the next exit. “Maybe I’m the one that’s lucky.” She saw light shine on a pair of beating wings as Poe flew over the SUV and ahead of her. “He’s given me an extraordinary life.”
“What if he’s—hungry?” Tony asked, wringing his fingers in his lap.
“I don’t have any doubt about that. We don’t have much longer now. It’ll be really late. I’m hoping any unsuspecting humans will be well on their way to dreaming. It’s a Wednesday night. What are the odds that anybody will be hanging out at a grave?”
“Yeah, but…we don’t have any blood.”
Sarah smirked, recalling the night she wore Athan’s black hoodie, and how it pained him to see her in it. The night she forgave him for throwing a grenade in her life and reconstructing it into something amazing.
