“We can only win if we’re together.”
“Win what?” Fel asks.
I peer around the room and shake my head. ‘Not here,’ I mouth. She nods her head. I replace the runes. “Come on, we have a scroll to find.” I feel like a zombie as we return to the room and my instincts kick in, pulling me toward an untouched group of scrolls.
“What are you doing?”
“I have no clue,” I admit as I kneel and begin to slowly remove the tubes until I hit one that makes me pause. I pull it out and unscrew the top.
“No way,” Fel whispers.
I read the scrawling old English.
“Yes way.”
“I thought magic wasn’t allowed.”
I shake my head. “It wasn’t me.”
“The ancestors, then?” Her brow furrows. Things are dire when they choose to step in. I see the questions.
“Why would they help me when it involves vampires? They’ve made their opinions on them clear in the past.”
“Yeah, but they do what’s necessary to protect their own. I’m worried for you, Lou.”
My stomach aches. “Me too.”
“Did the Runes mean anything to you?”
“I think so. I need an outside perspective.”
“Lou, this is insane. What the hell is going on with you?”
“Let’s clean up our mess, and we’ll talk.” Glaring, she grinds her teeth together. “I promise. No more diversions.”
“Fine.”
We work together in a tense silence, replacing scrolls. The Runes are rightfully the Blanchard’s, but something tells me they knew that. Pulling us into this was about more than settling a disagreement. The stones are eerily active. There’s more at work here than coincidence. Spirits work in mysterious ways, and for once I’m grateful for their interference.
Sweaty, dusty, and spent, we return to the drawing room where Sykes is waiting. He stands, and I hand him the scroll. “It’s the Blanchard’s Runes. This should be all the proof the Morels need. They borrowed the pouch over thirty years ago, so I can see where the confusion came from.”
“We’re indebted to you ladies.”
“The fee we charged you will be plenty, trust us,” Fel says.
His gaze darts between us. “We want you to know the Blanchards are friends. Please don’t hesitate to call on us for assistance.”
“Thank you, Sykes. We’ll remember that moving forward. Your library is an incredible treasure.”
“May I escort you out?”
“Please do,” Fel purrs. I cough to cover my giggle as she links her arm in his and smiles prettily. The poor boy doesn’t know what hit him as she lays on the charm, teasing him as we make our way out.
The silence in the car is loud as we wait for the gates to open and allow us to leave.
“Do you feel like you just got manipulated?”
Fel turns to me, her expression one of surprise. “You think they set this up?”