The Torn Wing Read Online Free PDF Page A

black.” He pushed out of the chair to close the door to the study and his grin faded as he returned to his seat.
    “We’ve got to make a plan, Tiki—to understand what your mark means, to be prepared for the worst.”
    Tiki smoothed the forest green folds of her dress, running her fingers across the fabric. She agreed they needed a plan, but she wasn’t sure it needed to include knowing what her mark meant. She’d lived just fine for sixteen years without knowing. Would it really make that much difference now? What they needed to do was obvious: stay away from faeries. She let out a slow breath, trying to be patient. “What do you have in mind?”
    “There are two people I can think of who might have some answers for us.” Rieker tilted his head so he could see her eyes. “The first is Sean.” He paused, waiting for a reaction, but Tiki didn’t speak. “The other is Mamie, the woman who has tended Queen Victoria all these years. You heard Leo and Arthur today—they often get information regarding the Otherworld from her. She lives in the Birdkeeper’s Cottage at the end of St. James Park. We could pay her a visit and see what she might know of your birthmark.”
    Tiki lifted her chin. Better to be clear now, rather than let Rieker think she was in agreement with him on their course of action. “What if I don’t want to know what my birthmark means?”
    Rieker’s mouth opened in a startled expression. “ What?” His dark eyebrows drew down until they were two slashes across his forehead. “You’re joking, right?”
    Tiki crossed her arms. “Not really.” A conversation she’d had with Larkin when the faerie bargained for the ring of the truce echoed in her ears. ‘An fáinne sí is a birthmark of Finn MacLochlan—a high king of Tara— the ancient Irish faerie court. That mark on your arm practically makes you royalty.’ Larkin’s face had twisted with jealousy. ‘That’s why Adasara hid you in London.’
    Even now, the words made Tiki squirm in her chair. She tapped her finger on her arm and worked hard at keeping her voice level. “I don’t really see how it will help, anyway. It’s not like we’re going to go do battle with them. We just need to stay as far away from the bloody fey as we can get.”
    For a moment, Rieker seemed at a loss for words. “But, it’s not that simple—”
    “Why not?” Tiki snapped. She didn’t want to argue about this. After being attacked by Marcus last December and Larkin stealing little Clara when the child was deathly ill—of all people, Rieker should understand why she didn’t want anything to do with faeries.
    The rap of knuckles sounded on the door.
    A growl of frustration erupted from Rieker’s throat and through gritted teeth he called, “Come.”
    The door swung open and Charles, the butler, stood there. “Sorry to interrupt, sir. A Miss Isabelle Cavendish has arrived to see you.”
    Rieker frowned. “Isabelle?” He blew out a long sigh and ran his hands through his hair. “Thank you. Please show her in, Charles.”
    Tiki pushed herself out of the chair intending to leave the room.
    Rieker stood as though to stop her, then seemed to think better of it and slid his hands into his pockets instead. “Will you stay, Tiki? I can’t imagine Izzy will be here long and you and I have more to talk about.”
    Tiki’s heart squeezed at the familiar way he addressed his visitor. Isabelle had grown up in the same wealthy circles as Rieker—a world almost as alien to Tiki as the Otherworld. She’d met the other girl at the Masked Ball held at Buckingham Palace last December and could still envision Isabelle’s beautiful features. Her magnetic eyes and regal posture were hard to forget, as was her obvious attraction to William Richmond.
    “Certainly—if you’d like.” Tiki’s words came out sounding stiff and formal. It wasn’t often that she had difficulty making a decision, but how she fit into William Richmond’s life was a puzzle she