Page 34 of The Robin on the Oak Throne

“Kierse!” Gen said with a shake of her head.

“I’m kidding. Things got heated, but nothing happened. You know it’s complicated.”

“So you still have it bad?”

Kierse made a little shrug. “Well, he’s very pretty.”

“Big trouble, though.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Getting the third degree from Gen was unsurprising. It was what family did when they were concerned, and Gen was family in every sense of the word. After Jason had beaten Kierse to within an inch of her life and left her for dead, Gen had found her, taken her in, and healed her. She’d done the same with Ethan when he’d escaped a similar fatein the church. Gen had been there to pick up the pieces for the both of them.

“I’m not going to tell you not to do it, because I know you better than that,” Gen muttered.

“Good. I love you,” Kierse said with a laugh. “Anyway, we have more important things to deal with.”

Kierse reached under her bed and felt around for the hidden compartment she’d created when she’d first moved in, to store the spear. Gen had thought that they should keep it somewhere more secure, like a bank vault, but Kierse had broken into enough of those to want it near her person.

She reached through her ward and pulled out a gray metal box. The carrying case was bulletproof and hermetically sealed. She’d had a keypad and facial recognition scanner attached and then etched her warding in by hand. No one was breaking into this thing. It didn’t keep anyone from stealing the entire case, but still, they’d have to get through her wards or throughherfor that, and the spear inside would remain inaccessible.

And through everything—the wards, the security, the case—she couldfeelthe spear there. A humming under her fingers that called to her. It had gotten stronger once the spell on her was broken, like a metal detector vibrating to life as she got near the thing.

“So did you get the bracelet?” Gen asked.

“Yep. In there.” Kierse pointed to her purse. “Thanks to Graves.”

Gen chuckled as she pulled the bangle from the purse. “Tell me the whole story.”

Kierse relayed what had happened last night as she got through her locking system and opened the case to revealthe Spear of Lugh. It wasn’t a long-handled spear like she’d first assumed it would be. Instead, it was a handheld spear, for thrusting and parrying and slicing. The thing had an iron blade attached to an ash handle that somehow looked brand new and not hundreds of years old.

She reached a shaky hand into the case and touched the spear.

The spear said,Hello, old friend.

And then its normal bullshit,Who are we killing today?

Kierse laughed and pushed aside the thought. No killing today.

The first time she had wielded the spear, it had imposed its will upon her.Kill thy enemies. Use me. Conquer the world. That sort of refrain. And while it still generally wanted to be used as the weapon it was, it had gotten, dare she say, used to her.

Gen shivered. “You should put that thing away.”

“I think I’m going to bring it into the market.”

She pulled it out of its case and twirled it expertly. She’d been practicing with it. Partially to get used to its particular weight and partially because she liked the weight of it in her hand.

“What? That’s a horrible idea.”

“I’ll glamour it,” Kierse told her. “Don’t worry.”

Gen snorted. “Worry is my birth right. How can I not worry about you?”

“Well, don’t worry about this. My glamours are improving.”

“They’re notthatgood yet.”

Kierse shrugged. “Fine. Fine.” She set the spear back into the case. “Maybe it’s not the best idea.”

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