Page 35 of The Robin on the Oak Throne

“I feel like I should go with you, but that place creeps me out.”

“No,” Kierse said at once. “I don’t want you to go in there.”

The thought jostled her out of her reverie. She hid the spear away again. For a second, she felt as if she could still hear the echo of the spear’s murderous refrain, but it was there and gone.

“I know. I know. I just wish I could play point like Ethan.”

“I miss him,” Kierse muttered.

“Same,” Gen agreed.

Neither of them commented on his radio silence. Clearly it was Lorcan’s doing, and Kierse didn’t want to reach out to the head of the Druids to get answers. It was likely part of his plan to get to her, anyway.

“But I wouldn’t let Ethan follow me into the market, either,” Kierse told her quickly. “And I’d worry about you the whole time. It’d make me reckless.”

“As if you aren’t already reckless,” Gen said with a laugh.

“Fair.”

“But Graves is going to go in with you?” Gen guessed.

Kierse smothered a smile. “The bastard insisted.”

“Shocking,” Gen said with dripping sarcasm.

“I’ll be safe,” Kierse promised.

“Safe isn’t in your vocabulary.”

A knock from the front door interrupted their conversation. “You’re not wrong,” Kierse said as she left her bedroom and headed into the main room. “Think it’s Niamh?”

“I thought she was working today,” Gen said on her heels.

Graves had his head in a book but looked up when they emerged. Kierse pulled the door open and found a tall, stunning woman with burgundy hair down to her mid-back standing at the door.

“Hey, Niamh,” Kierse said.

“Hey! Heard you’re back!” Niamh said. She wore an impractically short, pleated mini skirt straight out of a Catholic school uniform with a white polo tucked in and lug sole loafers.

Kierse put her hand on the warding to let her friend inside. “I thought you’d be at the bookstore.”

“My shift starts in a few minutes. Heard your door open and…” She gestured to herself as she crossed the threshold.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Graves said.

Niamh turned her attention to Graves, who was now standing. “Well hello, handsome.”

He immediately moved into a defensive stance. “Get the fuck out.”

“Uh…do you know one another?” Kierse asked in confusion.

“This is therobin.”

Chapter Twelve

“The…robin,” Kierse repeated, uncomprehending.

“What’s the robin?” Gen asked.

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