Page 41 of Endless Terrors
The light meant the others would arrive soon. I sat at the kitchen counter, tapping the side of a coffee mug while my lips twisted in thought. I strained to hear any voices or footsteps outside.
Last night we had decided—well, Emma had decided—that everyone needed to rest before we regathered. Her efforts were wasted on me, since I’d passed the night either pacing my room or tossing and turning in bed. But for the others’ well-being, I had bitten my tongue and waited.
It was one of the longest nights of my life.
Savannah arrived first. She already knew the plan, since we’d discussed it at length before she’d left yesterday. I gave her a quiet, slightly tense greeting and offered a cup of coffee, which she accepted with a grateful look. Together, we went to stand in front of the fireplace and wait.
Lyari and Finn came up the stairwell next. The faerie claimed her usual post by my side, and Finn sank onto the couch. As we waited, I caught him giving the rug a fleeting glance. His expression gave nothing away, but the rug was where Finn usually sat when he was in wolf form. He wished he was in that form now, I knew. Now and always. Worry pricked at my heart, and I forced myself to look away.
Gil arrived shortly after that. He was alone, just as I’d asked him to be. I examined his expression carefully as he tossed himself onto the couch, wondering if I should’ve included Adam for Gil’s sake. Contrary to how my request might’ve made it seem, Adam was a good friend and I trusted him. I just didn’t fully trust Dracula, and I wasn’t sure how much Adam passed on to his sire. I’d already taken a risk by calling him. The older vampire was merciless when it came to his life’s mission, which was to keep Fallenkind a secret. To keep the peace.
If Dracula found out how much the devil valued my power, he might decide to help me … or he might decide killing me would effectively put an end to Lucifer’s plans. I wasn’t willing to roll the dice. These days, I had a lot more to lose.
The thought only solidified my decision, and I felt my expression harden. This was the right call, what I was about to do. The only call.
Minutes later, Emma walked in with my nephew, and Savannah instantly moved toward them. Matthew went into her arms without protest, his eyes still heavy-lidded. Cyrus and Ariel followed a few minutes after that. And finally, almost a half hour later than everyone else, Laurie came.
Emma called a warm greeting to the Seelie King from where she sat at the table, Matthew now secured in his booster seat beside her, and Laurie winked. He was dressed more casually than usual, if gray slacks and a dark blazer could be considered casual. His sleek, shining hair was straight, the left side tucked behind a pointed ear.
Every arrival noticed Savannah, who had returned to my side, and all had varying reactions. Confusion. Curiosity. Surprise. Speculation. I sat on one of the stools, facing the living room. It was nearing sunset now. Colors that looked like fire and paint moved over everything. Gil said something to Lyari out of the corner of his mouth, and to my shock, she snickered. Finn stiffened, his mouth tightening with annoyance. Normally, I would’ve sighed or thought about intervening. Tonight there were bigger things to worry about.
Feeling Laurie’s eyes on me, I glanced over at him. He didn’t look away or try to hide the fact he was staring.
“What?” I said quietly, not wanting to be overheard. Savannah had moved away to steal another moment with her son. Matthew touched her cheek with his food-laden hand, and when she playfully gasped, a noise of utter delight burst out of him. Savannah laughed.
“You’ve got that look on your face,” Laurie told me, bringing my attention back to him.
“What look?”
He bent his head closer to mine, forcing me to notice how good he smelled, and his voice dropped to a conspiratorial murmur. “The one that comes right before the chaos. Normally I enjoy a good bloodbath, but seeing as I only recently lost and regained my throne, I’m trying to be on my best behavior.”
I kept my eyes on the stairwell, trying not to react to his proximity. “I want to wait until everyone is here.”
“Who else is coming?”
I did a swift, distracted scan of the room. “It looks like we’re just waiting on—”
There was movement out of the corner of my eye, and everyone looked in the same direction. I turned quickly. When I saw who stood on the threshold, my mouth parted in surprise. “Nym?”
He stood there, holding an armful of clocks. All of them, I noted, were ticking. “Time” was all Nym said.
“Can I help you with those?” I asked, moving forward. I took the clocks from him, one by one, and put them on the counter. When we were done, I gave the faerie a warm smile. “It’s good to see you. Did you come for the family meeting? I also left a message with Queen Viessa. Did she ever pass that along?”
Nym frowned at me, as if he was trying to understand the question. He looked even thinner than the last time I’d seen him. He wore a linen shirt and brown trousers a few sizes too big. There were no shoes on his feet, and I remembered what Lyari had said about Nym throwing them at her emissary.
“Just a little longer now,” he said, bringing his gaze back to me. Then he nodded emphatically. “Yes. The family meeting. Yes.”
Laurie had returned to my side, and he watched Nym intently. Finn, Gil, and Lyari also stared in our direction. They were gauging Nym, I thought. Trying to determine whether he was a potential threat. I deliberately took Nym’s hands in mine and gave them a gentle squeeze.
“We’re still expecting one more person. In the meantime, make yourself at home,” I said. “There should be plenty of cookies left, unless Finn ate them all. They’re on the coffee table.”
Nym’s eyes lit up with interest, almost childlike in its softness. He pulled away from me and walked over to the table, going right past the formidable figures still following his every move. He bent and picked up a cookie with the tips of his fingers. As always, Nym was fluid and graceful, despite his scattered thoughts.
He’d just taken his first bite when Danny finally came up the stairwell.
With the deputy’s arrival, everyone was present. Everyone except, of course, Collith. I faced them, keeping my hands at my sides to keep them from fidgeting. My family waited patiently to hear the solution. To find out what magical, last-minute miracle I’d found after all our hours of searching.
“I’m going to accept Lucifer’s offer,” I said.
