Page 24 of Shadow Dreaming

what do you want us to do? just say the word, Orik texted.

Carson’s response was more direct. i hope they rot in the depths. how do we save penn?

And Sophia texted, where should i start?

I thought for a moment, then texted, carson, can you start hunting for anything you can find on the dark web that might involve this—any mention of something big going down with brim fire? the rest of you, get some sleep. we’ll meet early, say seven? we also have to go take care of the coxigans tomorrow afternoon. brainstorm, think of any ideas you can, regardless of how oddball they might sound. i’m heading home. i don’t think i’ll sleep tonight.

As Duran dropped me off, I asked him to come down to the office the next morning at seven. He promised to be there. I closed the door and locked it. Then, facing the mess left after Penn had been abducted, I dropped on the sofa. With Jangles and Murdoch cuddling me, I burst into tears, feeling alone and frightened.

Finally, I pulled myself together and, after feeding the cats, I stripped off my clothes and put on a sleep shirt. Pulling a blanket over me. I turned on the TV, trying to distract myself, as Jangles and Murdoch finished eating and came in to curl up with me. As I tried to focus on the mind numbing reality show, I yawned, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

CHAPTER SEVEN

I opened my eyes, squinting as the morning light came streaming through the window. My phone was ringing and I sifted through the covers to find it, then answered.

“Are you all right? I was about ready to come over there to see if you’d been kidnapped, too,” Dante said.

“What? I just woke up…” I glanced at the time. Seven-fifteen. “Damn it, I fell asleep before I could set my alarm last night. I’ll be there in twenty. Is Duran there?”

“Yeah, he’s here. All right, I’ll go get breakfast for everybody. What kind of coffee do you want?”

“Quad shot peppermint mocha, please. With whip.” I was already out of bed, and I tossed the phone on the covers. With no time for a shower, I grabbed on a pair of low-rise black jeans, a V-neck sweater in deep cobalt, and a pair of knee-high biker boots with a two inch heel, four buckles down the outside and two across the heel. The top strap around my heel attached to an O-ring, and grommets decorated the leather straps.

I buckled a black belt around my waist, then brushed my hair into a high ponytail. With a slick of lipstick, a sweep of mascara and eyeliner, I headed downstairs where I fed the cats and scattered some bird food in Mr. Crumble’s cage, then dashed out the door.

Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the office. Dante was getting out of his car as I stepped out of my Jeep. He was carrying a large tray of coffees, along with a couple bags that smelled like food.

“Here, let me take the tray,” I said, relieving him of the coffees.

“You just want dibs on the coffee. They’re all marked,” he said, holding the door open for me.

Instead of taking the stairs, I opted for the elevator. It was easier while carrying enough liquid that could scald me from head to toe, if I dropped it on myself. Dante punched the button for the third floor and then turned to me.

“How are you doing?” he asked. “Really?”

I exhaled, realizing I’d been holding my breath.

“How am I? Worried sick over Penn. Angry at the Crystal Court. I’d like to slap Queen Elsabetha upside the head.”

“I can’t believe they’re being so heartless.”

“I have no idea what the hell they’re thinking. You should have seen Duran’s face. I thought he was going to explode.” I stared bleakly at the coffee cups. “Seriously, I’m on the bad side of the Crystal Court and they’re on my shit list now. And what the hell will Penn think when she finds out they threw her to the wolves?”

“She won’t take it kindly,” Dante said, opening the door to the office for me. There was a small foyer in front of the office proper, but we had the entire third floor. As I swung into the main office, Sophia hurried over to lock the door behind us as we headed toward the breakroom.

I strode in, set the coffee on the table and found the one with my name, and settled in. “I apologize for being late. I crashed before I could even set my alarm last night.”

Dante set the food bags on the counter, then opened them, bringing out pastries, sausage cheese sandwiches, a container of fruit salad, and some hashbrown cakes. Sophia motioned for him to move out of the way.

“I’ll serve,” she said. “Kyann, what do you want?”

“Sausage sandwich, hashbrowns, and a maple bar.”

She handed me a paper plate and a few napkins. Then she went on to serve everybody else, finally settling into her seat with her own plate. Meanwhile, Dante handed out the coffee.

“I assume you’ve all met Duran?” After they nodded, I continued. “Thanks for meeting us here,” I said. “So, I’m not sure where to begin. What we know: Penn was abducted from my house yesterday. We’re pretty sure Brim Fire did it, but we’re not going to be able to get near the portal thanks to the Crystal Court.”

“Trust me,” Duran said, “once the queen makes up her mind, that’s it. She’ll never let Penelope back in, or me. There’s a saying in the Crystal Court: Only the Queen is irreplaceable. And now that they’ve taken away our access to the portals, we’ll never make it near them. Which is a good thing—they won’t let Brim Fire near them, either. But this puts Penelope in serious danger,” he added, staring at the table.

---