It was a traditional New Orleans Creole cottage—a small, boxy front, with two long shuttered windows in between two narrow doors, a small porch in front. The house was painted a pale, cheery green, the trim and porch white. Tadji sat on the porch in one of two rocking chairs, notebook and pencil in hand. Surprisingly enough, Burke sat in the other chair. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that. Glad that we’d be able to loop Delta into what we’d found out. But I didn’t like to see Burke hanging out with Tadji under what might have been false pretenses. Did I think he needed to tell Tadji the truth about who he was? Absolutely. But did she need to find out here? Right now, and from me? I was fuzzier on that.
“You take her, and I’ll take him?” Liam asked.
“You read my mind.”
Tadji and Burke stood when we climbed out of the truck. Burke smiled, at least until he saw the expression on our faces.
I saw the instant flinch of concern in Tadji’s eyes, but she stayed composed. “What’s wrong?” she asked as we crossed the small strip of grass in front of the house.
“I need to talk to Tadji about a family matter.”
Burke’s eyebrows lifted, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he looked at Tadji. He was worried about whatever this was, and he’d take his cue from her. “Tadj?”
She watched us for a moment, eyes narrowed. It was clear she was suspicious, but she had to know we wouldn’t make such a weird request unless there was a good reason for it.
“It’s fine,” she said finally. “I’ll talk to them.”
Burke smiled, squeezed her hand. “All right,” he said. “But I’m holding you to that lemonade you promised.”
She nodded, watched as he walked down the couple of porch stairs to the sidewalk. He stopped when he reached Liam.
“Let’s go inside,” I said. She stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, before nodding and opening the door.
The interior of the cottage was as original as the exterior. Old oak floors, brick walls, simple, pretty furniture. The house smelled of antiques and peonies, but it was a little stuffy. Probably why she and Burke had been sitting on the porch.
“What’s this about?” Tadji asked. She put the notebook and pencil on a small table, crossed her arms.
“Your mom and aunt might be in danger. We need to find them.”
“What? How could they be in danger?”
“Because they’re Sensitives.”
She froze. “How would you know that? Is this because of those questions you were asking me the other day? Because you were trying to find out where they were?”
“What? No. Oh God.” I put a hand on my chest, horrified that she’d had to worry I was trying to rat out her family. “Is that what you thought? That I was trying to get information about your family? No. I mean, I was curious, but not because I wanted to get your family into trouble.” I swallowed. “It’s because I’m a Sensitive, too.”
She looked stricken, like I’d slapped her.
“Let’s sit down,” I said, gently taking her arm and moving her to a chair. When she was seated, I took the chair opposite her.
“Tadji, I know you don’t like magic, and I know you don’t want to talk about it. But I think it’s better just to get it all out there, okay? So that’s what I’m going to do.” I moistened my lips.
“Someone is trying to open the Veil, and they need Sensitives to do it. Your mom and aunt are on a short list of those who’ve been targeted for information. The people who are doing this—we think it’s a defense contractor—is turning the Sensitives into wraiths to cover their tracks. We need to get to your mom and your aunt before they do, and we need to go now. I wouldn’t bring this to you if I didn’t think it was necessary. If I didn’t think there was a chance they were in very real danger.”
“You take her, and I’ll take him?” Liam asked.
“You read my mind.”
Tadji and Burke stood when we climbed out of the truck. Burke smiled, at least until he saw the expression on our faces.
I saw the instant flinch of concern in Tadji’s eyes, but she stayed composed. “What’s wrong?” she asked as we crossed the small strip of grass in front of the house.
“I need to talk to Tadji about a family matter.”
Burke’s eyebrows lifted, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he looked at Tadji. He was worried about whatever this was, and he’d take his cue from her. “Tadj?”
She watched us for a moment, eyes narrowed. It was clear she was suspicious, but she had to know we wouldn’t make such a weird request unless there was a good reason for it.
“It’s fine,” she said finally. “I’ll talk to them.”
Burke smiled, squeezed her hand. “All right,” he said. “But I’m holding you to that lemonade you promised.”
She nodded, watched as he walked down the couple of porch stairs to the sidewalk. He stopped when he reached Liam.
“Let’s go inside,” I said. She stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, before nodding and opening the door.
The interior of the cottage was as original as the exterior. Old oak floors, brick walls, simple, pretty furniture. The house smelled of antiques and peonies, but it was a little stuffy. Probably why she and Burke had been sitting on the porch.
“What’s this about?” Tadji asked. She put the notebook and pencil on a small table, crossed her arms.
“Your mom and aunt might be in danger. We need to find them.”
“What? How could they be in danger?”
“Because they’re Sensitives.”
She froze. “How would you know that? Is this because of those questions you were asking me the other day? Because you were trying to find out where they were?”
“What? No. Oh God.” I put a hand on my chest, horrified that she’d had to worry I was trying to rat out her family. “Is that what you thought? That I was trying to get information about your family? No. I mean, I was curious, but not because I wanted to get your family into trouble.” I swallowed. “It’s because I’m a Sensitive, too.”
She looked stricken, like I’d slapped her.
“Let’s sit down,” I said, gently taking her arm and moving her to a chair. When she was seated, I took the chair opposite her.
“Tadji, I know you don’t like magic, and I know you don’t want to talk about it. But I think it’s better just to get it all out there, okay? So that’s what I’m going to do.” I moistened my lips.
“Someone is trying to open the Veil, and they need Sensitives to do it. Your mom and aunt are on a short list of those who’ve been targeted for information. The people who are doing this—we think it’s a defense contractor—is turning the Sensitives into wraiths to cover their tracks. We need to get to your mom and your aunt before they do, and we need to go now. I wouldn’t bring this to you if I didn’t think it was necessary. If I didn’t think there was a chance they were in very real danger.”
