Free A Kind Of Magic by Donna Grant

here.”

    “Then I’ll have to do the best I can.”

    Roderick had the almost uncontrollable urge to reach over and pull Elle into his lap to ravage her lips. She had no idea what she was talking about facing, but she was willing to face it to kill the Harpies.

    “Thank you for being so brave,” he said as he scooted to the end of the chair, “but you will be needed once all of you are found.”

    “For what purpose?”

    “’Tis been said that you hold a key to the entity distributing the stones. You and the others are the means to ending the evil.”

Chapter Ten
    “But I don’t know anything.”

    Roderick could feel her fear and uncertainty. “Together you all will. Until then, it is imperative that you stay alive. Originally, there were twelve infants sent to Earth, six boys and six girls. All the boys and one of the girls are dead. Only five of you remain, and we are unsure with only five of you that we will discover the answers we need.”

    “And if we don’t know the answers?”

    He rose to his feet and put his back to her. “Let us think about the Harpies for now.” He had no wish to think what it would mean to his realm if Elle and the others didn’t have the answers. They had to have the answers. He had lived with his sin for too long, and his people had suffered for too long for there not to be a solution.
    “Roderick?”

    He jerked at his name and turned toward her. “I know this is hard for you, but I need you to trust me and Val. We will keep you alive.” Before she could respond, he heard the door to their home open and close. A moment later the door to the library opened, and Val and Aimery stepped inside.

    “What did you find?” Elle asked as she came to stand beside him.

    “No one in Galveston ever sold that necklace,” Val said.

    “You must not have checked every store.”

    “We did,” Aimery said softly.

    Roderick glanced at Elle to see her face crumble.

    “No,” she cried, unconvinced. “Jennifer told me Alex found it in a shop in Galveston, and they went to buy it.”

    “They could have lied,” Roderick said.

    She turned her pale blue eyes on him, and the anger and confusion tore at his gut.
    He remembered seeing the same look in his sister’s eyes, a look he had hoped to never see again.

    “Jennifer wouldn’t lie to me.”

    Aimery stepped forward. “Tell me, Elle, has Jennifer never lied to you before?” Roderick wanted to punch Aimery for crushing Elle like he had just done. Her face fell as her eyes shown with tears, but she held them back.

    She was much braver than he gave her credit for.

    “With the stone now missing, I think I should take Elle with me to keep her safe,” Aimery said to Roderick and Val.

    Roderick knew it was a wise decision, and it would be one less distraction for him and Val, but he felt responsible for Elle now.

    “I won’t go,” Elle said loudly. “I lost the necklace, and I will get it back.” Aimery’s brow furrowed. “Haven’t you listened to anything Roderick has told you? There are only five of you left. We need you to survive.” “Roderick will keep me alive.”

    It surprised him how her words pleased him, and the fact she had such faith in his abilities. It had been a long time since anyone had put that much devotion and trust in him.

    Aimery shook his head. “Roderick needs to concentrate on finding a way to kill the Harpies, not worry about keeping you alive.”

    “I’m not going,” Elle declared.

    Roderick watched her walk from the library, leaving him with Aimery and Val.
    He returned Aimery’s stare, knowing the Fae commander was about to give him a piece of his mind.

    “Is there something going on between you two?” Aimery asked.

    Roderick crossed his arms over his chest. “Why ask me when you can dig through my thoughts and discover for yourself.”

    “I already have. I want you to answer me.” His words stunned Roderick. If Aimery had already seen the answer to his question, why