Page 81 of Samhain
This is it. It’s all over now.
“Javier. Norton,” someone else hissed. A woman. The guard turned and walked away. “What are you two idiots doing this far away from the village?”
Ivy stiffened and grabbed my arm, widening her eyes as if she recognized the voice.
Siobhan, she mouthed.
“We chased some humans this way,” the guard inside said.
“What humans?” Siobhan sounded pissed. “Where are they?” She paused for a reply that didn’t come. “Well?”
“We lost them,” the other guard added.
“Get your ass back on that horse and follow me to base, or I’ll tie you to that tree right now and flog you for desertion. How do you suppose our king would react to that?”
“It isn’t desertion,” one of them snapped.
“We were chasing someone,” the other said. “They had the child.”
“I don’t care what you thought you were chasing,” Siobhan sneered. “Let’s go!”
Three sets of horses galloped away, and we waited a long time, much longer than was probably necessary, to finally speak.
“That was Siobhan,” Ivy said.
“Did she know we were here?” I asked.
“Yes. She spoke to me.” Ivy pointed to her temple. “She told me to take Poppy and get out of here. Go back to our realm and stay there.”
“Why is she helping us if she’s working for the king?” Carter rubbed at the back of his head, keeping his voice low.
“I don’t know,” Ivy murmured. “She didn’t have time to explain, but I don’t think she’s switched sides. She told me to protect the child.”
Carter hitched Poppy higher on his hip, and she twisted her little hands around his neck, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Hey,” I said, rubbing the back of my finger over her puffy cheek to comfort her. “You okay?”
She pinched her eyes together and tucked herself into Carter’s chest. He rubbed his hand over her back, and a part of me fell in love with her then. Her life had been fucked-up by these monsters. She belonged with us. I knew it. I could feel it. The same way I belonged to my spouses and them to me.
“Shhh,” Carter said. “It’s okay. You’re okay now. We’ll keep you safe.”
“Um.” Lex ran his hands through his hair and pursed his lips. “I hate to be the heartless prick here.”
“I doubt that,” Ivy added.
“We can’t take the kid with us.” Lex focused his attention on Carter and me.
Ivy sighed and rubbed at the spot on her neck.
“What?” Carter furrowed his brows, seemingly confused.
Lex took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. “You need to leave her here.”
“No fucking way.” Carter held her tighter.
“Carter,” Lex cut in.
“I’m not leaving her,” he said. “And that’s it.”
