The others had eaten by the time I made it upstairs and into the kitchen, but Lucia lingered as if she had been waiting for me. I sat opposite her, ignoring the plate Vi left for me in the microwave, and hit her with an idea that struck me in the crypt. “How do portals work? Can you open one anywhere?”
That got her attention, her eyes gleaming, and she braced her elbows on the table.
“Portals are tricky. They require touchstones. Maybe not for full-blooded fae, but Mom taught me what worked for her, and it worked for me, so I never saw reason to test another method.”
“You found me in Abaddon.”
“To visit a place, I require one of two things. To have already been there, or to hold an object that’s from there. A physical item gives my magic a connection between my location and my destination. As long as the link is secure, I can open a portal to bridge the distance between those two points. You’re my blood, so you acted as my touchstone.”
“Ah. I get it now. That’s why there’s nothing stopping you from returning to Ithas’s home for him.”
“Yep.” She grabbed for her mug of coffee. “I returned the fee to Vi, by the way.”
Uncertain what sort of reaction she anticipated, I chose to approach the elephant in the room with caution.
“Out of the goodness of your heart, or because she inadvertently gave you something more valuable?” I pretended to think about what that might be. “Say, access to Ithas’s inner sanctum, which allows you to enact your vengeance at your leisure.”
“You’re clever.” A throaty chuckle moved through her chest. “I like you, kid.”
I liked her too. Trust was a ways off, but she was pretty cool. I didn’t hate knowing she was my mother.
“Watch out for Ankou, if you’re still set on going after Ithas alone.”
“His god blood.”
“He told me I owe him, and who knows what that will entail. He could show up to collect at any time. He might be hiding in shadows on the street as we speak. He’s persistent when he wants something. Though, if he’s too big of a pest, I can always kill him again and send him back to Abaddon. The last time, he was incapacitated for a good while. It’s not a long-term solution, but it’ll get him out of our hair in the interim.”
“Works for me.”
The only snag was Harrow. He planned to end Ankou. Permanently. Revenge wouldn’t heal him. Nothing would bring Lyle back. (Thank God for that.) But Harrow couldn’t rest until he avenged the version of his uncle he wanted to remember. He was a prime candidate for the job too, since he had no emotional ties to Armie. No matter which face he wore at the time, Harrow wouldn’t hesitate when the time came.
“So…” I checked the kitchen to ensure we were alone. “Your plan.”
“You’re hell on wheels, kid.” A grin broke across her face. “Your siblings will kill us if we use you as bait.”
“Then I better hope I can respawn in Abaddon too.”
After Luciaand I finished our chat, I fixed Badb a bowl of fruit and nuts to bring down while I checked on Kierce. I wasn’t sure where the others had gone, which made me suspicious, butI couldn’t point a finger at them when I was having covert kitchen meetings myself.
As a matter of fact, I would be willing to bet they were huddled together, plotting amongst themselves.
Arms full, I entered the garage and found Pascal standing outside the crypt, and it hit me. “I thought you were inside with Pedro.” I should have clocked his absence, but I hadn’t been in the best headspace. “Are you on your way to the cemetery?”
For the first week we spent in New Orleans, Pascal had possessed Matty’s body during the day to free up his nights. Nights he spent partying in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where the Fontenot family owned a mausoleum.
“Yeah.” He leaned a shoulder against the crypt. “I’m off to say my goodbyes.”
Must be nice. I wished I could spend my final hours in the city with friends. But that wasn’t in the cards.
Nostalgia for the simpler times, when my biggest problem was matching a client to a loaner then ironing out the details of their lease, left me wistful. A return to those days would be more than welcome. But it wouldn’t be resuming business as usual without Kierce. Not when I had gotten used to him living with us and pitching in around The Body Shop. I would never be able to visit Bonaventure without searching for him in its shadows either.
With a hard knot lodged in my throat, I wished Pascal happy hunting and walked him past the wards. I stole a lungful of spicy nighttime air before shutting the door. As soon as I entered the crypt, Badb shot to her feet, spreading her wings across Kierce’s torso, shielding him.
“She’s hungry,” Kierce said softly, his head too heavy to lift. “But she won’t leave me.”
“Then it’s a good thing I brought this.” I rattled the bowl for emphasis. “I won’t feed you on top of him.” I pushed her cat bedaside, waded up the used papers to dispose of, then laid out fresh ones. Under her watchful eyes, I set her bowl on top of them. “Stop glaring at me. I promise I’ll stay with him until you’re done. Will that satisfy you?”
Little did she know, I planned to do that anyway, but leverage was leverage.
