Page 47 of White Charms and Dark Secrets

“What now?” he huffs, giving me an irritated look.

“What do you want out of this? What’s your price?” I demand.

“We can work out the details later. Call me when you’re about to fall from that cliff’s edge, little witch,” he replies, winking at me just before he blinks out of existence.

Twenty-Two

Who Needs A Plan, Anyway?

“Absolutely not!” Kier all but shouts, rejecting my plan the second I finish explaining.

“You can't do this alone,” I say gently, trying to convince him.

“I can, and I will,” he retorts, glaring at the men standing behind me. I glance back to find Rhydian smirking, looking pleased if anything, but Darren's face remains a blank mask.

“Stop goading him,” I snap at Rhydian, before turning back to Kier. “Youcan't.We couldn't do it with just the two of us, let alone you by yourself. Either you need to leave this to the people actually assigned to bringing him in, or you need to agree to our help. All of us. They've both agreed to help you, why can't you accept it?”

“Well, if I’m honest, I only agreed to this because Darren here is making me,” Rhydian drawls.

“AndIonly agreed because you're a magnet for disaster, Kayla. Like hell am I letting you go into a situation like that without help,” Darren adds.

I turn back and give Darren a hesitant smile. Despite his words not helping me convince Kier, I appreciate the fact he was willing to show up and help me at all. After everything that happened yesterday, between me bailing on our date and how we left things, I expected some kind of resistance. Instead, he'd come with Rhydian in tow, determined to help.

“They don't want to help me, and I don't want any of your assistance. Not fromanyof you,” Kier insists, giving me a harsh glare to emphasize his displeasure at my persistence.

“You may not want it, but you need it. Now stop being a dick and admit when you can't do something all by yourself!” I feel my magic ripple through me, and glance down, staring wide-eyed at the bracelet around my wrist in shock. Since I put it back on after Solas’ departure, I shouldn't feel my magic at all right now.

After a few moments pass, I look back up, glancing around to see if anyone noticed. Rhydian and Kier's faces show no sign of them feeling anything, and I let out a shaky breath. Rather than respond, Kier starts pacing back and forth across my living room. Rhydian sighs loudly as if bored, before taking a seat on my sofa and putting his feet up on the coffee table. His gaze doesn't leave Kier though, watching his agitated stride. His green eyes are laser focused on the man.

“You should listen to Kayla. She's right, and you know it,” Darren asserts, breaking the silence that had fallen upon us. Kier pauses in his pacing, glancing between me and Darren in contemplation. A calculating look shines in his eyes.

“Did she tell you what happened last time?” Kier demands as he steps towards Darren.

Shit.

Goddess, if you have any mercy,pleasedon't let Kier say anything more...

“She said you went after your father, but that you had to portal out of there when you realised the odds were stacked against just the two of you alone,” Darren answers. Rhydian chokes on a laugh from his perch the sofa. I flip him off behind my back, before turning pleading eyes on Kier. He shakes his head, a determined look crossing his face.

“She almostdied. Her bad luck curse interfered with her magic, and it blew up in our faces, quite literally. Her burns were terrible. If I wasn't such a gifted healer, there’s no question she would have died before I could have gotten her to one. She's not coming with me again; I can't guarantee her safety if she does, and I won't be responsible for her death,” Kier states, giving Darren all of the information I'd deliberately left out.

“So Kayla won't come. She'll stay here, out of the way and safe,” Darren replies, sounding a lot calmer than I'd anticipated given the information Kier just dropped on him. Reading the shock on my face, he shrugs. “I knew you were hiding something. I never planned to let you go anyway.”

“Letme?You can't make me stay here!” I snap back at him.

“Oh, but I can. We won't help him unless you remain here. I'm sure Detective Huxley here will agree, he stands a much better chance with the two of us at his side than with you.”

“I won't dispute that, but unfortunately I don't trust you, either of you.” Kier gestures between Darren and Rhydian. “I will be goingaloneonce Kayla tells me where in the hell I can find him, seeing as she seems to have turned herself into a tracker somehow.”

“I don't know what—”

“Don't try to deny it. I don't know what kind of spell you used, but I could feel the magic coming off you whenever you closed your eyes on our way to his hideout,” he says, cutting me off. A heavy feeling settles in my stomach, as pressure seems to slam into my chest. “Relax, Harlow. I won't ask you to spill your secret,” he adds gently, somehow realising the source of my distress.

I breathe a little easier and flash him a smile. “I won't let you go alone. All of us are going together. Safety in numbers and all that.”

“Not a chance,” Kier dismisses me.

“I mean, if we're cutting people out of this reckless mission of yours, I'd like to opt out myself,” Rhydian calls from the sofa, unhelpful as usual.

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