Vareck cleared his throat. “Kaia knows where portals are located in every realm, and where to find a witch that can help if needed.” Despite being in pain, Lou smiled as soon as he heard Kaia’s name. “But this won’t be easy. Not every realm has aportal to the other eight. There will be a lot of back and forth. It could take weeks. Even months.”
“She may not have weeks,” I said, fear causing my chest to constrict.
My family looked at each other, sharing a silent conversation before my mother spoke. “Then we’re all going.”
Corvo’s ears perked up. “Oh, this is like a family vacation!”
I poked him in the side, and he let out a small chirp. “No! That’s not what this is, and also, you aren’t invited.”
“Rude,” he muttered quietly, narrowing his golden eyes at me.
“Before we start realm hopping on a whim, we need to know a few things,” Vareck began. He picked up one of the cloth napkins Ferris had dropped off at the table and he tossed it at Lou. “Clean up. You’re bleeding on the floor.”
“Because I have a knife in my shoulder,” Lou said through a clenched jaw.
“Should have kept your mouth shut,” my father said. “Lucky it wasn’t Molly who got to you first.”
Lou took the cloth and tried in vain to wipe the blood and prevent it from dripping onto the floorboards.
Vareck stood by me, gently placing his hand on my shoulder in support, grazing his thumb in a soothing back and forth motion. “First things first,” he began, directing his question to Atlas. “You said you knew if you followed Lucian, you’d find Meera.”
“That’s right.”
“Did you go to anyone else before hiring him?”
“Sadie’s ex.”
“Jared?” I asked in surprise, not expecting my voice to squeak as I spoke.
Darroch chimed in with a slight chuckle. “Yeah. Him. Fearghal and I went to his place to see if Sadie was there makinganother mistake. He gave up some information that saved his skin. Told us he’d seen Sadie at the Witching Hour about to beat up a leprechaun, claiming he knew where you were. Gave us a perfect description of our friend here.” He winked, giving Lou a wicked grin.
I stared at him deadpanned. “Was this information given under coercion?”
He shrugged. “Define coercion.”
“You’re such an idiot.” My nostrils flared as I exhaled a harsh breath. “How do you know he wasn’t lying just to get out of an ass-kicking from you two? You could have wasted valuable time if Jared had lied to you.”
“A few other patrons confirmed it, Meera. We’re not stupid,” Fearghal huffed.
I pinned Lou with a dirty look. “Funny how you didn’t mention this earlier.”
Lou tossed the bloodied napkin on the table. “Sadie held an axe to my throat, and contrary to what they heard, I told her Ididn’tknow where you were. I did, however, tell her I knew you were with the king. I obviously didn’t lie,” he said, flicking his eyes to my brother, then back to me. “Then Amelia dragged her off after she broke the rules and pulled a gun. That was the last I saw her. If you hadn’t been so busy throwing dishes and chairs at my head, Iwouldhave told you that.”
I patted Corvo’s leg, gently nudging him to get off so I could stand. He reluctantly complied, hopping onto the empty chair next to me and curling back up. I looked at Vareck. “I have to go to the Arcane District. Start where she started and see what I can find.” He rubbed the back of his knuckles down my cheek.
“I’m coming with you,” he said softly, and I heard my brothers chortle in an annoying harmony.
“I don’t think she needs you to come with us,bud,” my brother said with a snicker. “The Wyldes protect our own just fine.”
“Darroch!” my mother shouted. “That’s theking of Faerie. You’ll mind yourself and shut it,now.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “They mean well ... for temperamental assholes.”
“Darroch, is it?” Vareck said, keeping his formidable stance, but clearly at the end of his patience with my brothers’ antics. “While I appreciate your enthusiasm in protecting Meera, I wasn’t suggesting I accompany her. Iwillbe with her. She’s my?—”
“Okay, that’s enough of that,” I interjected with a nervous laugh, standing up and putting a hand on Vareck’s chest. I widened my eyes at him in a desperate attempt to keep him quiet, pleading with him not to say the words he was about to say. A frown creased between his brows; his icy blue eyes darkening as though a storm were brewing. Despite his obvious displeasure, he remained silent.
I knew we’d have to talk about the whole mate thing, but I wasn’t going to have that conversation in front of my family.
