22 AURORA
It’s like London’s pancakes have flipped a switch inside the kids.
Pepper and Sheena are having a tug-of-war over a ginger-cat-cross-stitch throw pillow.
And Ricky has one of those swinging-ball desk toys, which he is determinedly getting tangled into one big knot. Lil’ Hare, who is actually called Maisy, is watching him with wide eyes, nodding her encouragement.
They are acting like real kids.
I don’t know why, but I feel I’ve also reset.
For the first time since escaping, my spark is beginning to glow properly.
“Give it back, it’s mine!” Out of the corner of my eye, I see the orange cushion go flying and bite my tongue. I’m not going to tell them to knock it off, poor things can let off as much steam as they want.
With a loud screech, Ricky shoves his stool away from the table and grabs the cushion. The girls wail as he tosses it towards the window. Before I can even stop myself, my hand shoots out.
I twist my wrist and murmur a half-remembered levitation syllable.
The ginger cat pillow halts in mid-air, defies gravity for one perfect beat, and then bounces softly to land right back at Pepper and Sheena’s feet.
Oh, fuck. That felt so good.
Enjoying the feeling, I go back to the list I was making.
The kid’s full names, parents’ names, and whatever they can remember of their address.
Plus whether it's safe at home.
I need a map. I’ve no idea if any of these places are close by.
Heading into the office, I find Tally, Basil and London. They’re poring over a large local map.
“What are you guys doing?”
Tally looks up, giving me the sweetest smile. “Basil said older girls were sometimes taken to a house with a moat on the mainland. We’re scouring the maps, trying to find a place that fits.”
I give Basil a thankful nod. “Good info to have. Moats aren’t that common. I was also looking for a map. I’ve got the name of a town where Pepper and Sheena come from—Waddington.”
“I saw that, it’s on the other page,” Basil says, snatching the large, flat mapbook from Tally. He flips back a page then points his finger. “There.”
I scoot closer and try to figure out the scale. “OK, that’s maybe ten miles away? We need to get these kids somewhere safe, guys. They can’t stay with us.”
“Leave all the little peas in Waddington, is that what you’re thinking, Kitten?” London asks while standing on one leg.
“I think that would be best. Pepper and Sheena seem to have good parents. They could take the kids in and try to reunite them with their parents.” I look to Basil. “What do you think?”
Basil looks insulted. “I’m not going with those kids. I’ll stick with you fucking numbnuts—or fuck off on my own, whatever.”
“What? Why?”
He sneers. “I’m not going anywhere the authorities can get their stupid hands on me. I hate fucking foster-care, fuck that. I don’t need any ‘responsible adult’ twats in my life.”
Hmm, even though he has nowhere to go, it seems wrong to either drag the kid further into our mess—or abandon him. I look at Tally, hoping he’ll have an opinion.
Tally moves closer and takes my hand. “What do we know about the girl’s parents? Are they trustworthy?”
“As I can figure out, the girls weren’t sold by their folks. It seems like they got snatched walking home from school. Pepper says she misses them, so…”
Tally sighs deeply. “So sometimes we just have to trust that people are good, I guess.”
Basil mutters something about Tally being stupid.
“No, he’s right, Basil. The biggest tell is the girls want to go home.
If they didn’t we’d be having a different conversation.
So do we just drop them off and bolt? Seems like a bad idea to be seen.
The parents might be grateful to us for returning their daughters but still turn us in for the bounty. We can’t risk it.”
“I think you’re right, Princess. That’s what we’ll do. So on to the Sky-hunt. It doesn’t seem like this map is detailed enough to show a moat around a property, unfortunately.”
Shit.
I jab my finger at the paper. “I think this is where we are. The shape of the coastline looks just like our view out of the window.”
“Right.”
“It would make life a lot easier if we could just go online. Me and Basil have been trying but it’s password protected.”
Maisy/lil’Hare wanders into the room and London gets on all-fours to give her a horsey ride. “Have you tried Uncle Bulgaria? That’s my favorite password.”
Basil ignores him, looking serious and many years older than the twelve he is. “Let me out at the nearest town and I’ll steal an unlocked cell-phone.”
A cell phone would be a game-changer, but we really can’t put Basil in any more danger. It’s just not an option. “Let’s table that discussion for now.” I meet eyes with Tally, trying to convey my feelings. “What’s our vehicle situation?”
“There’s a beat up LandRover in the garage. Shouldn’t be hard to hotwire. I’ve already filled the tank and put extra blankets in the back. We should get on the road as soon as possible. Staying in one place for too long is dangerous.”
I take a beat, then speak what I’ve been holding back. “What about Francois?”
Tally squeezes my hand. “We have to hope his shifter senses will pick up our trail. After we get the kids to safety, and after we find Sky, we’ll put our minds to the snake. That’s the best we can do, babe.”
I know he’s right, but I hate it.
“OK. Let’s get out of here.” I fold up the map, and look through the door to the kitchen. It’s a fucking mess, like a bomb exploded in here.
No way we can leave this place looking like it hasn’t been touched, so we won’t even bother.
Basil puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles. “We’re going, kids. Get your shit together.”
Ten minutes later, we are hustling into the rumbling gray LandRover.
“Peas in the pod, please,” London says, lifting Ricky and Lil’ Hare into the back seats while Pepper and Sheena scramble into the rear cargo space.
I slide in next to Lil’ Hare and pull her onto my knee. Basil, pulling the goggles down over his eyes, tries to claim the driver's seat, but Taliesin kicks him over to the passenger side.
London is about to cram himself in beside me, when he freezes. His head tilts to the left, furry faun ears swiveling like radar dishes.
My heart thumps. “What do you hear?”
“Rubber on gravel,” London whispers. “Two hundred yards down the lane. Company’s coming, Kitten.”
A beat later, Tally is reversing out of the building, swinging in a sharp bend, then accelerating away.
Ignoring the private road, he wheel-spins across the lawn and out towards the fields.
“Hang on, everyone,” he yells over the engine noise. “We’re off-roading.