“Yeah, what are you doing?” Aisling echoed, giving chase. “You’re not developing a split-personality from the head wound, are you? If so, hand over the baby.”
Instead of acquiescing, I lodged Lily on my hip and positioned myself at the front window. It took a moment to get my bearings, but when I did, one thing immediately jumped out at me. Across the road, under the streetlight, three figures stood in ceremonial robes. I couldn’t make out faces, but I had no doubt what faction they belonged to.
“Is that ... ?” Cormack frowned when he realized what I had in my gaze.
“Are they from the cult?” Griffin asked. This time when he reached for a tearful Lily I willingly handed her over.
“I think so,” I replied, my mind busy. “Can you hear that?”
Aisling looked more annoyed than worried as she stared at the trio. “Are they saying something?”
“They’re chanting.”
“Chanting?” Cormack’s eyebrows winged up. “A spell?”
I shrugged. “I can’t make out the words.”
“What should we do?” Aisling asked. “Should we head out there and scare them off?”
“They’re not breaking the law,” Griffin noted. “They’re on a public easement and minding their own business, at least as far as I can tell. It’s not as if they’re threatening us.”
“They’re chanting, though,” Braden argued. “That can’t be good, right?”
“I don’t know,” Griffin said. “The whole thing is weird.”
“It’s weird?” Emmet sputtered, drawing attention back to him as he made an exaggerated face. “There are people outside chanting and the best way you can describe the situation is weird? What is even happening here?”
Cormack didn’t buckle under his father’s disapproving eye. “Don’t worry. We’ve handled far worse than this. We have everything under control.
“Of course you do.” Emmet turned on his heel. “I don’t understand how you can live like this. This is not how we raised you.”
Cormack ignored him and went back to watching out the window. “So what do we do?”
That was a very good question. “For now, we watch them.”
“That’s it?” Braden didn’t look impressed with the suggestion. “I think we should chase them off.”
“And then what? Griffin is right. They aren’t breaking the law. Besides, they might be trying to provoke a reaction. We don’t want to play into their hands.”
“How long are we going to sit back and watch?” Aisling asked, stroking her hand over Lily’s head as the baby sobbed into her father’s shoulder.
I didn’t have an answer for her. “We’ll have to play it by ear.”
“Oh, well, that sounds like something we’re good at,” Braden drawled. “We’ll be patient. That sounds just like us.”
Fourteen
Dinner was an uncomfortable affair — and not for the usual reasons. The knowledge that people in robes were standing in front of the house chanting set everybody on edge, including Lily. The baby cried so hard Aisling and Griffin had to take her out of the room despite Cormack’s protests. The rest of the family would’ve willingly put up with the baby’s wailing, even helping so Aisling and Griffin could eat. Emmet and Mary were another story.
After dinner, no one much felt like hanging around with their grandparents. Everyone split up for downtime. Cormack suggested no one leave, which meant Aidan and Jerry were sleeping in the same part of the house as Griffin and Aisling. Cillian and Maya were back by Redmond and Braden. It was a full house, just as Cormack preferred, but nobody could have fun because of what was happening outside.
“What are you doing down here?”
Braden’s voice was a whisper on the back of my neck as he slid in behind me, making me shudder. I’d sensed him leave the bedroom and knew he was looking for me. Still, he moved like a cat sometimes.
“Watching our friends.” I tilted my head as I regarded the men in robes. They didn’t move. They didn’t take a break to sit. They simply stood and stared at the house.
“Are you second-guessing the decision not to confront them?”
I wasn’t sure how I felt. “I don’t know,” I said, earning a curious stare from him as he brushed my hair from my face. “I know I pushed to ignore them, but I’m restless — and I don’t know what to do about it.”
Braden’s face lit with a devilish grin. “I can think of one thing.”
I pinched his flank, shaking my head as I went back to staring. “I can’t figure out what the plan is here. Does Titus think this will frighten us?”
“I’m sure Titus is used to dealing with people he can bully,” Braden replied as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. I felt his lips curve into a scowl against my temple. “He’s the sort of guy who thinks he can terrorize people into doing what he wants. We grew up with Aisling, so we know how to deal with a terrorist.”
The response made me smile, but it didn’t last. I went right back to staring at the intruders. “Maybe we should confront them.”
When Braden didn’t immediately say anything, I cocked my head and studied his profile. “Or not.”
He flashed a smile when he realized I’d switched my attention to him. “I’m not against the idea,” he said. “But I don’t think we should do it alone.”
I could read between the lines of his response. “And you don’t want to put your family in danger.”
“Not if I can help it,” he agreed. “In fact ... .” He trailed off at the unmistakable sound of a baby sniffling. As if on cue, Griffin strolled into the foyer, Lily’s head resting on his shoulder. He rubbed the baby’s back, speaking softly to his daughter.
“I know you’re upset, but everything is going to be okay,” he promised her in a soothing voice. “We won’t let anything bad happen to you. I won’t let anything bad happen to Mommy either. I promise I won’t lose her again.”
My heart seized at the words. His unguarded statement obviously indicated he didn’t realize he wasn’t alone. The family had mostly recovered from Aisling’s ordeal, but a few members still grappled with fear responses. Griffin was clearly one of them.
“Oh, hey,” he said when he finally caught sight of us, pulling up short. “I didn’t realize anyone was down here. What are you guys doing?”
Braden cocked an eyebrow. “Probably the same thing you are.” He inclined his head toward the window. “We’re watching our guests.”
“Yes, our guests.” Griffin’s expression was dark as he moved to stand next to Braden. “I hate them. Lily really hates them.”
“Lily is susceptible to certain emotions,” I countered, turning my attention to the baby. She was no longer screaming, which I considered a good thing, but I figured that was because she was tuckered out. Her violet eyes were wide and full of sadness, her delicate lashes heavy with tears. She continuously sniffled to remind us she’d been traumatized.
“She’s quiet now,” Braden noted as he made a face for his niece’s benefit. Lily didn’t smile.
“She’s just taking a break,” Griffin replied, lightly patting Lily’s back. “I don’t think she’s going to sleep tonight. That means Aisling won’t sleep either. She’s a bear when she doesn’t get her eight hours.”
“Which means you’ll try to stay up with Lily to make sure Aisling gets her rest,” I said, my heart doing a long, slow roll. He was an amazing father and husband. Aisling being taken from us had shaken him to the core. He was still in doting mode and would do whatever it took to keep his wife happy. That included sacrificing himself.
“Have you considered taking her up to the game room?” I suggested. “That’s probably the room furthest from the chanters. Maybe Lily won’t sense them there.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” Griffin flashed me a thankful smile. “I’ll take her now. If I’m lucky, she’ll settle down long enough for me to get a little sleep, too.”
I nodded in agreement, waiting until he’d disappeared from the foyer
to speak. “Okay, new plan. You need to grab Redmond, Cillian, and Aidan. We’re going out to talk to those guys.”
Braden’s eyebrows hopped. “We are? When did this happen?”
“When I realized your sister and brother-in-law will be tortured if we don’t do something,” I replied. “Aisling won’t simply sleep and let Griffin walk Lily all night. They’ll be up suffering together. And because your father can’t stand the idea of his baby suffering, he’ll be up with them.”
“And then the rest of us will probably get up to help.” Braden nodded once. “You have a point.”
“I always have a point.” I stared hard at the chanters. “Get your brothers and meet me by the back door. I have an idea.”
“Those words terrify me,” he said, smiling.
“Do you see where we have another choice?”
“No, but ... don’t leave this house without me.” His expression was stern. “After what happened earlier, I don’t want you out of my sight.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I waved him off.
He was halfway to the stairs when he turned back to me. “We’re still going to talk about you getting hit in the head,” he warned. “I haven’t forgotten that you tried to cover that up.”
“I didn’t try to cover it up,” I protested. “I simply thought it best not to speak about it in front of your grandparents.”
“We’re still going to talk.”
TEN MINUTES LATER, OUR GROUP WAS sliding out the back door.
“Teams,” Braden whispered as he glanced between his brothers. “You three take the east side of the house, we’ll take the west. We’ll converge on the chanters from both sides.”
“That’s a good plan,” Redmond said in a low voice, “but why are you two going alone?” He looked genuinely conflicted. “Maybe one of us should go with you.”
I didn’t have to ask why he thought that was important. “You don’t want your brother trapped with only a girl for backup,” I challenged.
Redmond balked. “I didn’t say that.”
“It’s written all over your face.” I tried not to be offended, but it wasn’t easy. “Do you think I’d leave your brother vulnerable?”
“Of course not.” Redmond had the grace to be abashed.
Braden, shaking his head, interjected. “Redmond, I’ll be fine. Izzy is magical. She’s stronger than the rest of us combined.”
Redmond didn’t look convinced, but he nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
I stood with Braden and watched his brothers disappear around the other side of the house. “He doesn’t trust me,” I said, the realization stinging.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Braden made a face. “It has nothing to do with that. You have to remember, our father drilled into our heads that we were supposed to take care of Aisling. We had to protect her at all costs.”
I pursed my lips. “So he thinks of me as a sister?” That was mildly gross. “You don’t, do you?”
Braden snickered at the question. “I definitely don’t think of you as a sister. Redmond doesn’t either. It’s just ... you’re a girl.” His smile was weak as my gaze darkened. “Don’t take it personally. We have to protect girls. It has nothing to do with trust. He wasn’t worried about me, despite what he said. He was worried about you.”
I was in a rage. “That’s some sexist crap right there.”
“He doesn’t see it that way.”
“Well, it is.”
“We can argue about it later.” Braden grabbed my hand and tugged. “Come on. We’re already running behind. We don’t want them to have all the fun of rousting the cult without us.”
I reluctantly allowed him to spirit me around the building. By the time we reached the hedges at the front of the property, I’d managed to push Redmond’s antiquated beliefs to the back of my mind. Well, mostly.
“I’m a total badass,” I reminded Braden as we prepared to leap out and confront the invaders. “I mean total. I can kick ten asses at once.”
Despite the serious nature of the situation, Braden looked amused. “I’m sure you can. There, there.” He patted my arm while pressing his lips together.
“Don’t placate me.” I shrugged off his touch and turned my attention to the dudes in robes. “Do you want to see what a badass I am?”
Realization washed over his features. “Absolutely not. We have a plan. You’re going to stick with it.”
“Of course I am. It’s my plan. In fact ... .” I caught sight of movement at the other set of hedges and knew Braden’s brothers were in position. “Everyone is in place. Let’s do this.”
Braden reached out to grab my arm — perhaps to pull me behind him — but I was already moving.
“Izzy!” He hissed my name, but I didn’t turn around.
The robed men didn’t realize we were approaching for a good twenty seconds. Then, as if a switch had magically been thrown in their heads, they lifted their heads in unison and stared us down.
“We’ve broken no laws,” one of the men called. He sounded bold, but I detected a shakiness in his voice. “You can’t remove us from this space.”
“You would be surprised what we can do,” Redmond responded, drawing the speaker’s eyes. The way the man’s shoulders jolted made me realize he had no idea he was being approached from two separate directions.The men remained rooted to their spots, the only movement coming from their faces as they looked at one another. Then, as if by some unspoken agreement, they all scattered.
“What the ... ?” Braden looked baffled as the men ran.
“Should we follow?” Redmond shouted.
I nodded. “We need one of them to question. You guys go that way. We’ll go after the idiot who was doing the talking. If you snag one of them, call.”
“You’ve got it.”
I considered myself in relatively good shape, but Braden and his brothers enjoyed working out five days a week. They lifted weights, jogged for cardio and even hopped on the elliptical when the weather wasn’t cooperating. I, on the other hand, considered it a win when I didn’t eat the entire bag of chips in one sitting.
“Keep up, Izzy,” Braden ordered. He was twenty paces in front of me, continuously looking over his shoulder. “I think he’s close.”
I leaned over and rested my hands on my knees to catch my breath. “I really need to start working out,” I muttered as I pressed my hand to my side. “I mean ... really.”
He rolled his eyes and clapped his hands. “Come on.”
Movement from my peripheral vision caught my attention, and when I turned my head to a house across the street I saw a furtive shadow hugging a tree trunk.
“Come on.” Braden started running again.
I wanted to call out to him, draw him back, but I couldn’t do that without tipping off whoever was hiding beneath the tree. I felt his eyes on me, but I forced myself to look anywhere but in that direction. “I’ll catch up in a second,” I called to Braden’s back, though I was certain he didn’t hear me. “I’ll just ... catch my breath over here and then be right behind you.”
I crossed the street, skirting the circle of pavement brightened by the streetlight. Most of the homes in this neighborhood were protected by state-of-the-art security systems and wrought-iron fences. The house my guy picked was devoid of fencing. As for the security system, I couldn’t say.
I deliberately picked my way across the sidewalk, finding the spot closest to the tree without being on top of it, and then debated how I was going to approach him. Ultimately, I figured there was little choice in the matter. If I wanted to talk to him, I would have to force him to stay here.
“Illuceo,” I whispered, raising my hands and causing a magical burst to surge out of my fingers and slam into the branches. The spell allowed small bits of light to explode throughout the leaves, illuminating the area beneath.
The man in the robes looked like an animal caught in the headlights of a large vehicle. “You!”
“Me,” I agreed, enjoying the momen
t.
“You’re ... a monster.”
That was enough to elicit a frown. “I don’t know that I would call myself a monster. That’s kind of rude. I’m a bruja, which is a special form of witch. That doesn’t make me a monster.”
The man shook his head, bewildered. “No, you’re ... oh.” His eyes widened, and I was convinced he was mired in some sort of epiphany. “You’re one of those who protect the door. You’ve known about it all along.”
I opted not to indulge him. “What are you guys doing out here? Why were you outside the house?” I allowed my bruja mask to flash in an attempt to terrify him. It worked, because he audibly gulped. “What were you chanting? Was it a spell?”
“I ... .” The man trailed off. I could practically see the gears in his mind working.
“Just answer the questions,” I hissed. “I don’t have time for your crap. I want to know what you’re doing here. Did Titus send you? Is he planning something? Is he looking for Knight? Is that what this is about?”
The man worked his jaw, his eyes briefly moving to the sparkling magical fragments above his head. Instead of answering, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a knife.
“Don’t even think about it,” I warned, extending a finger. “You won’t like what happens if you attack me with that.”
The man shook his head as he regarded me. “Titus didn’t understand what he was up against. He didn’t realize ... and now it’s too late. I won’t be able to tell him, but my brothers will avenge me.”
“What are you talking about? I ... .” I realized what he had planned an instant too late. My heart clogged in my throat as I reached out. “No!”
The blade glinted under my manufactured lights and then blood spurted as he ran the knife across his throat. He didn’t even hesitate. He simply sank the blade into his flesh and pulled. I turned away, not wanting to see the fruits of his labor. He gurgled once behind me, and his body hit the ground.
It was over before it even began.
Fifteen
Braden dragged me from the body. I thought we should call the police, but he was adamant we should report what had happened to Griffin instead. That seemed somehow wrong, but I allowed him to lead me away from what I felt in my core was right.
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