Page 107 of Hidden Kingdoms

“One time, Rina and her friend found a baby ignis lizard. She said they took turns letting it sleep under their beds, but it got found by Teacher Toad Face and they got in trouble.”

An ignis lizard was definitely not something you wanted sleeping under your bed; the day they reach adulthood and gain the flames that wreathe their body wouldn’t be the day you’d want to be sleeping above them.

“Do you want to know what happened then?” Myla asked, trying to suppress a smile.

“Go on then.”

“Teacher Toad Face,” she continued as if I had any idea who Teacher Toad Face was, “made them clean out the friesian horse stables after Perry Tyrrin had fed them chocolate drops. Rina said it took ten washes to get the smell out of her hair.”

A giggle filled the room, and I couldn’t help but grimace as I imagined the carnage that would have occurred.

“You haven’t got any baby ignis lizards hidden under your bed, have you?” I asked, as I secured a corner of the blanket I had been put in charge of to a door handle.

“Nope.” She turned to me, after finally getting her corner wedged properly. “Just toys.”

“That’s good then,” I replied, pausing as my magik snagged on some books hidden under Marina’s bed. Probably diaries; I’d get Calida to collect them.

“You’re good at that.” She pointed to where the fort draped across the room.

“Thank you, Myla.”

“Do you make them for your sisters, too?”

My fingers froze at the knot I had made in the blanket, securing it to the frame of her bed. “How did you know I had sisters?”

“Because you helped me make my fort.”

“I do have sisters. I have three sisters and two brothers.” My chest ached a little as I pictured their faces. Fuck, it had been so long since I’d been home.

“That’s a lot.” Myla’s eyebrows shot up as she did a mental count.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “It is a lot.”

“I only have Marina,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, and my heart squeezed for this little girl. “Did something bad happen to her?”

What could I say to that? Even I knew it was bad to lie to children. Again, her eyes flicked to my daggers, so I crouched down in front of her. She followed the movement, head still tilted upwards at me. No fear to be found in them.

I pulled one of them out, twirling it round my tattooed fingers before holding it out to her. Hesitantly, her eyes flickingto mine for a second, she clasped her small hand around the silver hilt, fingers tightening a fraction as she took on its weight.

“It’s pretty,” Myla said as she studied the intricate markings worked into the hilt.

“Will you bring my sister home?” she asked, staring into my eyes, and I couldn’t help admiring the bravery of this little girl.

“I will try, Myla.” It wasn’t enough but—though I hated it—it was all I could offer.

“And if she doesn’t come back? Will you help me build a fort again?” Offering the blade back to me I took it, chest cracking as if she had plunged it into my ribcage.

“Sure, kid,” was all I could reply as I tugged lightly on one of her plaits earning me a toothy smile.

I straightened, turning my attention to the layers of blankets and fabric that were draped across the room, and away from the shaky, almost-promise I’d made to Myla. Who was now tucked away under that colourful canopy.

My search of Marina’s room had concluded right around the time I was busy preventing a fort collapse. I flicked out one last flash of magik to the spotted blanket that was starting to slip from its place tucked into the wardrobe and left on silent feet to the sounds of Myla tugging at whatever the hell it was she had stashed under the bed.

Standing back in the hall, I pulled out my phone, fingers flashing across the screen as I typed out my orders. I halted at the stairs, finding Calloway stood halfway up them as though that was as far as she could bring herself to go. Her face angled towards me, eyes shining with unshed tears. She blinked them back, descending the stairs as I followed behind.

“I’ve called in a unit to keep an eye on the house. Discreetly,” I told her quietly so no little ears could hear.

Calloway’s eyes flew wide. “Why?”

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