Page 71 of Hidden
“Yeah…” I rolled my eyes. How had they made it through life without common sense? “Like I’m going to admit I hear voices in my head. Besides, I’m not supposed to tell you. It’s a secret. She said I can’t tell anyone. It’s really important.”
Damen’s face morphed into a roaring inferno, and his eyes remained fixated on Finn. “Summon her!”
“Hold on!” Julian protested. “He can’t summon her right now.”
Confusion, then realization, crossed Damen’s expression before he sighed, pinching his nose.
“Right…” He sounded so tired.
“No, he should totally summon her!” I argued, struggling to escape from Titus’s unrelenting arms. He might not have been contributing to this conversation, but he seemed to not want me to leave him either. “I want to meet the badger!”
Everyone settled into a shocked silence, before Miles stepped forward, looking both horrified and amused.
“I can’t decide how to feel.” He glanced toward the others. “It’s almost funny, but mostly sad.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Julian snapped, rubbing his temples. “They must not have been giving her the correct dosage. Now, she’s not used to it.”
Damen’s almost-amused expression vanished, and his mouth thinned. “That wouldn’t surprise me. They were kind of terrible.”
“What does that mean?” Titus chose this moment to finally participate.
“Yes,” Miles said, suddenly serious. “Whatdoesthat mean?”
Julian and Damen exchanged a glance before Damen refocused his attention on the others.
“Later.” He nodded toward me. “We have something else to take care of first.”
“Who cares about those stupid mean nurses.” I pushed at Titus’s arms, even as he continued to ignore my efforts to escape. They’d brought it up though, and I was half-tempted to tell Titus about them. Maybe he’d go have a snack. He did have a people-eating quota to fill.
But first…
I really wanted to see this. “I want to meet her!”
Finn watched me cautiously before he glanced at his brother. “I’ve already summoned Kiania recently. She was off her medication already,” he admitted, his voice subdued. “It didn’t seem to do anything to her then.”
Damen jaw tightened. “What?”
“I had no choice!” Finn pointed at Miles, who jumped at being singled out. “He wasn’t paying attention, and she was left alone with Mr. Dungworth. I sent Kiania to intervene.”
I stopped struggling against Titus, my attention captured by the two of them.
I knew what Finn was saying, but I didn’t believe it.
There was no way the friendly tiger who didn’t eat my hands was Kiania.
“I also sent her to scout Aine’s house when Bianca first mentioned a spirit,” Finn continued. “Nothing happened. It only seems triggered by my emotions.”
Damen shared a brief glance with Julian before Damen spoke again. “Then do it,” he told Finn. “Bring her here. Julian will watch and intervene if he needs to.”
Chapter Fifteen
Bianca
Leverage
“But…” Finn hesitated.
“Oh stop.” Damen shot his brother a disapproving look. “You are far beyond the point of stage fright.”
