found hers. She rushed over, making remarkable time in her heels. Saffron succumbed to hysterical tears as her mother held her close.
“Thank goodness,” her mother’s voice shook. The lingering pneumonia made her short of breath and reddened her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re safe.”
Saffron wiped at her face, her movements still sluggish. “Me? I told you, I was completely fine. You, on the other hand, should be resting.” She embraced Thyme again. “I was so worried about you! Of all the idiotic ideas to go anywhere with those men!”
“You’re the one who went to Eden and practically begged them to kidnap you!” Thyme squeezed Saffron’s shoulders. “You scared the life out of me!”
“Girls!” Their mother chuckled and coughed into a handkerchief.
Thyme headed for the line in front of the reception desk. Saffron followed her mother to a bench and they both sagged against the stained wood.
“We received a threat last night,” her mother said. “We had to leave home and check into a hotel. We tried to reach you, in case there was danger to you also. I haven’t gotten a moment’s sleep.”
“What kind of threat?”
She shrugged and smoothed her hair. “Probably a hoax, but you can never be too careful. Some man called Thyme in the middle of the night and said we had to get out or we’d be killed. Crisse de Ciboire! Well, at least nothing happened. We called in extra security for the house. No one got inside, nothing was damaged.”
Saffron’s heart jumped into her throat. Kestrel? Could he have…? “Did the caller give a name?”
“No.”
“Thyme?”
Her sister, who’d been standing in line for the check-in desk, hurried over, her long braids swinging.
“The man who called you. Was he one of the demons you spoke to before?”
“No. He said he knew you in Eden. His French was very accented. Oh, and the call came from the same number the demons gave me to call you a few days ago.”
“ Crisse. ” Saffron slumped against her mother. Her pulse pounded in her ears. Her mouth dried out. “Can I see your phone, Ty?”
“Sure.” Thyme handed over the cell. “I’ve tried calling him a couple times. He doesn’t pick up.”
Saffron sent a text to the number. Kes? It’s Saffron. Call me. Please.
“We increased security at the house even though we left,” her mother said. “Neither the police nor the security company saw anything unusual. Moving forward, your father is having the entire system re-evaluated. We can go home after your surgery and you can stay with us while you recover, so you don’t have to worry about those awful stairs at your place.”
“That’s good. Thank you.” The stairs would be manageable, in all reality. Normally, Saffron would refuse to be fussed over by her mother. However, after coming so close to losing both of her parents, she wanted to spend time with them.
Later, as Saffron waited to be called by the nurse, the phone vibrated. Shaking, she connected the call. “Kes?”
“Saffron.”
Fresh tears fell. “It was you.”
“Are you all right?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m at the hospital waiting for pre-surgery prep.”
“Good. Be well, Saffron.”
“Wait—”
The line went dead.
“Saf?” Her mother wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Who was it?”
Saffron just shook her head and shut her eyes.
…
Three Months Later
Saffron walked into her father’s showroom and shut the door. The tomb, as she’d thought of it since she’d been a little girl. Her parents were away on a business trip, but security hadn’t given her a second glance when she showed up. She had no-questions-asked access.
She sickened herself, betraying her parents’ trust. However, this was something she had to do. She flicked the light switches and held her breath.
The room illuminated before her. Feathers of all sizes and colors filled the display cases that lined the walls, like a butterfly collection. But these weren’t butterflies. These were men and
“Thank goodness,” her mother’s voice shook. The lingering pneumonia made her short of breath and reddened her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re safe.”
Saffron wiped at her face, her movements still sluggish. “Me? I told you, I was completely fine. You, on the other hand, should be resting.” She embraced Thyme again. “I was so worried about you! Of all the idiotic ideas to go anywhere with those men!”
“You’re the one who went to Eden and practically begged them to kidnap you!” Thyme squeezed Saffron’s shoulders. “You scared the life out of me!”
“Girls!” Their mother chuckled and coughed into a handkerchief.
Thyme headed for the line in front of the reception desk. Saffron followed her mother to a bench and they both sagged against the stained wood.
“We received a threat last night,” her mother said. “We had to leave home and check into a hotel. We tried to reach you, in case there was danger to you also. I haven’t gotten a moment’s sleep.”
“What kind of threat?”
She shrugged and smoothed her hair. “Probably a hoax, but you can never be too careful. Some man called Thyme in the middle of the night and said we had to get out or we’d be killed. Crisse de Ciboire! Well, at least nothing happened. We called in extra security for the house. No one got inside, nothing was damaged.”
Saffron’s heart jumped into her throat. Kestrel? Could he have…? “Did the caller give a name?”
“No.”
“Thyme?”
Her sister, who’d been standing in line for the check-in desk, hurried over, her long braids swinging.
“The man who called you. Was he one of the demons you spoke to before?”
“No. He said he knew you in Eden. His French was very accented. Oh, and the call came from the same number the demons gave me to call you a few days ago.”
“ Crisse. ” Saffron slumped against her mother. Her pulse pounded in her ears. Her mouth dried out. “Can I see your phone, Ty?”
“Sure.” Thyme handed over the cell. “I’ve tried calling him a couple times. He doesn’t pick up.”
Saffron sent a text to the number. Kes? It’s Saffron. Call me. Please.
“We increased security at the house even though we left,” her mother said. “Neither the police nor the security company saw anything unusual. Moving forward, your father is having the entire system re-evaluated. We can go home after your surgery and you can stay with us while you recover, so you don’t have to worry about those awful stairs at your place.”
“That’s good. Thank you.” The stairs would be manageable, in all reality. Normally, Saffron would refuse to be fussed over by her mother. However, after coming so close to losing both of her parents, she wanted to spend time with them.
Later, as Saffron waited to be called by the nurse, the phone vibrated. Shaking, she connected the call. “Kes?”
“Saffron.”
Fresh tears fell. “It was you.”
“Are you all right?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m at the hospital waiting for pre-surgery prep.”
“Good. Be well, Saffron.”
“Wait—”
The line went dead.
“Saf?” Her mother wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Who was it?”
Saffron just shook her head and shut her eyes.
…
Three Months Later
Saffron walked into her father’s showroom and shut the door. The tomb, as she’d thought of it since she’d been a little girl. Her parents were away on a business trip, but security hadn’t given her a second glance when she showed up. She had no-questions-asked access.
She sickened herself, betraying her parents’ trust. However, this was something she had to do. She flicked the light switches and held her breath.
The room illuminated before her. Feathers of all sizes and colors filled the display cases that lined the walls, like a butterfly collection. But these weren’t butterflies. These were men and
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