Page 73 of The Vixen

I hope not.

Liberty looks away, head half turned as she recovers. She presses a hand to her throat and coughs before she speaks. “This was pointless.”

She turns toward Aiden and tosses me a look over her shoulder. “I’m going back… Don’t follow me.”

“We’re here.”

Liberty pauses. Eyes skeptical, she faces me. My cheek is still numb, my limbs heavy, but I manage to point at a hill twenty yards away. Two young girls play with dolls, their dresses spilling onto a picnic blanket that protects them from themelting snow. It’s warmer today—above freezing, at least—but the matching coats buttoned to their chins still leave their legs cold. Ruffled tulle hits just above the ankles.

One dress is green. The other…

“Did Thorne tell you what white means?”

Liberty’s head tilts. Meaning seems to settle instead of click—her jaw gradually releases; her face slowly pales.

A high-pitched doll impersonation carries to where we stand, as if emphasizing the point. Another answers, their voices growing louder in the silence. More girlish.

“Her name is Persephone.” The girl in green spots us staring. When she gives a tentative wave, I wave back. They turn to face the forest, voices no longer audible. “She was at Aurelius’s mansion a few mornings ago… Not for the first time.”

Liberty’s eyes run over the girl’s back.

“She’s…”

“Yes.”

Her shoulders fall as she lets out a breath, brows pulling together. Aiden is slowly approaching, so I get close to Liberty and speak low.

“This isn’t just about you, me, or Aubry.” I stab a thumb to my chest. “They’re using me,” I point at her, “to breedyou,” my thumb crooks at the young girl, “so that they can birththat.”

I pause just long enough for that to land. “It isn’t enough to leave. They have to be stopped.”

Liberty shakes her head. “How?”

“I don’t know… I’m not as versed in dismantling organizations as you-know-who, which is why we need him here. He’s on the outside. He can learn the ins and outs of this place from a different vantage point.”

“But how… I mean, aren’t they monitoring you? Why wouldn’t you just contact the police?”

I let my head fall to the side at that last comment, but Liberty looks so concerned, I let it go. She tucks her hair behind her ears and looks anxiously at Aiden.

“Just a second,” I tell him.

“This is a walk, Mr. Hansley.”

I open my mouth to argue but instead start walking again. Liberty matches my pace, her arm brushing against mine.

“I’ve been sending messages to random girls all week who fit your niece’s profile… Our friend knows the language I use. If I send your niece a message, he’ll notice it immediately. All I have to do is disable the VPN then?—”

“No.” Her voice is so loud, I look over my shoulder at Aiden who’s trailing behind. I don’t think he’s trying to listen to this conversation, which… No surprise. Luna would want to hear this firsthand.

My fingers nudge the corners of my jacket pocket in search of some sort of mass hiding in the seams. If there’s a bug, it’ll be tiny.

There’d better be a bug.

“You’re not messaging her.Do noteventhinkabout doing that.”

Don’t eventhinkabout it.

Good God, I hope Luna is as naive as Liberty.