Page 58 of A Fate of Wings

“Hmm.” He sat in the leather chair, steepled his hands, and put his chin on them. “Let’s puzzle this out. If she’s on Earth, why wouldn’t she have returned to the Autumn Court?”

“How would I know?” I scowled.

He stared me down, eyes drilling into my skull, making me think harder. Smarter.

“Because she couldn’t.”

“All immortal creatures with access to power can sift through the realms.”

I paused behind the other leather chair and dug my fingers into the smooth surface. “What you’re saying is she can’t access her powers.”

“Spot on.” He slapped his hands on his thighs. “Locator spells work on power, so that’s why they wouldn’t work. It’s why her sister hasn’t found her.”

“What would work?”

“I’m assuming you didn’t complete the mating bond.”

“No.” I grimaced.

“Smart on her sister’s part.”

I scowled. A headlock it was then.

He lifted his hands in an apologetic gesture. “You’d think her twin could find her, too. They’d share a strong sibling bond.”

“I don’t need all these postulations. What I need is answers on how to find my mate.”

The door burst open, and Tay raced across the room, her long, dark hair flying like wings themselves. A second before she collided with me, I opened my arms and embraced her.

“I knew something was wrong. I kept telling Rexan you would have come back by now. The stupid idiot didn’t believe me.” Tay sat up and stared me square in the eyes. “What’s wrong?”

I urged her onto the floor by my feet and braided her out-of-control hair while I once again retold the events. Tay hummed and gasped at the moments as I laid them out for her. When I’dfinished, she withdrew a knife from under her dress. The curved dull gray blade appeared as though a fire had scorched it, but we made the material from the ice steel of the Winter Court. Strong. Unbreakable. If used to stab a demon in both eyes, then fatal too.

“Tay, what are you doing?” I struggled to keep the concern out of my voice, but we kept these blades a secret for a reason. How had my sister found one? I shot Rexan a concerned glance. He too looked taken aback she had one in her possession.

“I need one of your bones.”

“Wait.” I held up my hands, but she grabbed my foot.

I struggled against her firm hold on my leg. “What are you doing?”

“I dated a sorcerer for a bit, and I picked up a few things.” She wrenched my leather boot from my foot. “Brother, your feet stink!” She gagged for added effect.

“They do not.”

But they did. When was the last time I washed?

She sliced the blade through my toes before I even realized her intent. A howl yelped from my lips as the air whooshed from my lungs. I’d suffered worse, but Tay’s injury was unexpected.

“What the hell, Tay?” Rexan jumped to his feet and snatched the knife from her hand.

She gathered up my toes. “I’ll throw his bones across a map and, with a bit of luck, we’ll get a read on your mate’s location.”

“With my toes?” I lifted my foot onto my knee and wrapped my palm over the end as blood dripped onto the timber floor.

“Quit your crying. Your toes will grow back by the time I’ve boiled the flesh from these.”

I tried not to gag but failed. At least Rexan appeared to have a greenish hue to him, too.