Page 51 of Shadow Warrior
Sixteen
The cottage was nestled in a woodland grove on the Lunar Creek Academy grounds. Now that the suckers had been taken out by Trinity, we were in the clear. We just needed to ensure we didn’t fall into another interesting plot the weavers might pick up for transmission.
Kash picked the lock to the pretty cottage, and we slipped inside. It smelled of pine furniture polish and lemon floor wipes.
This was Payne’s home? This place with squishy sofas, rocking chairs, landscapes on the wall, and book-lined walls? This was his refuge now?
There was an open book face down on the coffee table, an empty mug by the sink, and a knitted purple blanket thrown over the back of an armchair. It was homey and cozy. My gaze swept over the mantelpiece and snapped to a photograph of Payne and Trinity. They were staring at the camera with huge grins on their faces.
Envy and rage laced with sorrow mingled inside me.
Did he believe he was happy here? How would I convince him to come home with me?
“Don’t,” Larkin said. “We didn’t come this far for you to second-guess yourself.”
Kash frowned. “What?”
I sighed. “Larkin reads minds.”
Twin spots of color appeared high on Kash’s cheeks. “What?”
Larkin fixed his orange eyes on Kash and smirked. “Oh, yes, you dirty, dirty boy.”
Kash opened his mouth to retaliate then snapped it closed and shrugged. “Makes me wonder why you didn’t tune out.”
It was Larkin’s turn to flush, so his skin almost matched the tiger stripes on his face.
I rolled my eyes. “I donotwant to know.”
Larkin wandered off, deeper into the cottage, and Kash turned to me. “It’s going to be okay,” he said. “Payne belongs with you. He’ll realize that, and we can go home.”
“But what if he doesn’t? What if the memories the weavers have given him are too strong? He barely knows me. We spent a few weeks together, that was it.”
“And those were real memories based on real experiences,” Kash reminded me. “What Payne has here is fake. None of this is him. It’s who he’s been manipulated to become.”
“And Trinity?”
“Will get over it. He’s a stranger. He’s not her father. He—”
Larkin dashed into the room like a mini whirlwind. “Someone’s coming!”
The door opened a moment later, letting in the fresh night air and the unmistakable aroma of pepperoni pizza.
Payne entered the lounge and froze, pizza box in one hand, slice halfway to his mouth. His brows snapped down, and then the box was on the floor and he was wielding a dagger.
Nice.
“Stop!” Kash stepped forward, so he partially covered me, and raised his palms. “We’re not here to fight. We need to speak to you.”
But Payne’s gaze wasn’t on Kash or Larkin, despite the fact he was a strange-looking cat man. I mean, that would be where I’d have expected him to look. No. Payne’s gray eyes were fixed on me.
“Who are you?” he asked.
I stepped around Kash. The smile wobbled on my face. “Hello, Payne. My name’s Indigo, and I’m your daughter.”
* * *
Payne staredat me unblinkingly for a long beat. “I only have one daughter. Her name is Trinity.”
