Page 94 of Bishop's Flight
“Good.” Anne looked at her brother, then back at Brigid. “I can help you if you want.”
“It’s quite dangerous, so no. But thanks. I can tell you love your brother a lot.”
The little girl’s bow-mouth wrinkled. “I’m going to be a vampire as soon as I’m big. Then I’ll protect Lucas. He doesn’t want to be, but I do, and Rose said that she can make me one if I want.”
Well that was… a lot.
“That’s a very grown-up choice, Anna. I think you need to wait a long time to make that decision.”
“That’s what Agnes said, but I know what I want and so does Rose.” Anna looked at Lucas again. “No one will ever take me from Agnes and Rose. I wouldn’t let them.”
I suspect they would regret trying.
“Be kind to Lucas.” It was the only thing Brigid could think so say. “He missed home a lot, and he lost a friend.”
“Miguel?” Anna frowned. “Rose said Miguel was going to live even though he probably should die for losing Lucas.”
“No, I’m not talking about Miguel.” She was glad to hear the man would live. Less glad to know that Rose blamed the man for Lucas’s kidnapping. “Your brother lost a friend named Angel. He’ll probably be very sad about that.”
She’d seen how the news had already affected the boy when Bernard casually mentioned Alina Oorzhak’s death in the car. They might have known Alina as Zasha’s conspirator, but Lucas still knew her as Angel, the girl who’d flirted with and befriended him.
“I’ll be nice to him.” Anna picked up the large white cat that curled around her legs. “I’ll even play chess with him if he wants.”
Brigid smiled. “I’m sure he’d love that.”
Carwyn walked over from talking to Agnes. “Hello, Anna. How are you?”
“I am doing fine.” Her expression was remote. “Are you ready to go? I want Lucas to myself please.”
He patted her head, not noticing that the little girl rolled her eyes. “Of course you do, dove. You’ve been missing your brother, haven’t you? We’ll get out of your hair, won’t we?” He held his hand out for Brigid. “You ready?”
“Yes.” Brigid rose, took Carwyn’s hand, and nodded at Anna. “Anna, don’t forget what I said.”
“I won’t.” Her clear brown eyes blinked at Brigid. “You too.”
“If I need your help, I’ll call.”
“Good.” She turned, walked over to the sofa where Lucas was sitting, and climbed up next to him, placing the fluffy white cat in his lap.
Carwyn and Brigid were nearly out the door when she heard Lucas calling her name.
She turned to Carwyn. “Give me a moment?”
“Of course.” He smiled. “I’ll wait for you in the car.”
Brigid walked over to Lucas. “Hey, how are you—?”
“Can we talk in the garden?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Sure thing.”
They walked out the door, and Lucas guided her toward a winding path that led under an arbor to a quiet corner of the rose garden on the side of the house. “There aren’t any microphones here. I heard Agnes say it once. That’s why she has meetings here sometimes.”
“I see.” How much of Lucas’s house was under surveillance? “It’s gonna get worse now, isn’t it?”
He shrugged. “For a while. Is Miguel going to be okay? Are they going to kill him?”
“I don’t think so. I can make sure he has our information though. Would that make you feel better? Carwyn will check on him before we leave the city.”
