Stars of Fortune (The Guardians Trilogy 1)

“Nice piece. Mind?” Riley took it, examined it. “Bronze case, nice-looking rose—you’ve kept it in good shape. It’s old, but I’d gauge it more seventeenth century.”

“Yeah, but that’s how the story came down.”

“That doesn’t explain why you came to Corfu,” Doyle pointed out.

“Well, it will.”

He hitched up, took a plastic sleeve from his pocket, and carefully drew out the map folded inside. After pushing dishes aside, he unfolded the map on the table. Held out his hand, wiggled his fingers at Riley for the compass.

“One way or the other, it’s always accurate.”

He set the compass on the map. Within seconds the old brass casing glowed, and the rose began to shine. Then the compass slid over the map.

“Like a Ouija board,” Riley said.

“No.” Watching the movement, Bran shook his head. “This doesn’t open a door. It shows the way to one.”

“Pretty much, and see?” Sawyer tapped his finger on the map. “It stops right here, on Corfu. So, I followed the map.”

“It’s done that before?” Sasha asked.

“Oh, yeah, plenty. Nobody’s found any of the stars, but for me? It’s always taken me somewhere I pick up something fresh on them, or confirm something, or just get an experience. This time? See how it’s shining?”

“It’s beautiful,” Annika murmured.

“Yeah, but that shining? That’s new. It would glow some, but not like this. I had to figure coming here was pretty damn important. Turns out it was. I was hitching my way here, and y’all came along. That made four of the six. That night, I went for a walk on the beach, and found Annika.”

He shifted to her. “Your turn.”

“I was sent to help. To be one of you.” She bowed her head. “I can’t explain. I don’t have a magick compass, or the powers like Sasha and Bran. I don’t have such a smart mind like Riley, but I can help. I don’t like fighting, but I will fight with you. Don’t send me away.”

“Hey.” Sawyer put an arm around her shoulders. “Nobody’s sending you anywhere.”

“I came to you.” She turned into him. “You found me.”

“That’s right. We can leave it at that for now.” He looked over at Bran as if daring him to disagree.

“You’re one of us, Annika, and that’s more than enough. Not all stories need telling at once.”

“How about you, McCleary?” Riley sat back, studied him. “What’s your story?”

“A family thing, and the duty that comes with it. And here? An urge I couldn’t shake led me to Corfu, then to the cave. It’s the closest I’ve come. It’s the closest I’ve ever come.”

“Where are you from? What do you do?”

“Nowhere in particular, and whatever needs doing. You haven’t had much time together, but more than a couple hours, so that’s all I’m going to tell you until I decide to tell you more.”

“You don’t trust us. Why should he?” Sasha glanced at Riley. “It’s true we haven’t had much time, but it’s been intense, even intimate. And today, in the cave, it was life and death. Both you and Sawyer brought guns, but you didn’t tell the rest of us.”

Sawyer shifted. “Shit. Combat knife, too.”

Riley pulled a wicked blade out of her boot. “Throwing knife.”

“Which only proves we’ve yet to reach the point where we’re fully honest. We know about Bran only because he . . . used what he has to get us all out of the cave alive. And we know about the compass because Sawyer felt guilty not telling us after we found out about Bran. Annika’s not ready, and Doyle? You’re still annoyed we got in your way.”

“You’re right on that.”

“You’re not, because we didn’t get in your way, and you know that, under the annoyance. We were all where we were supposed to be today. We all made the choice to go into the cave.”