Page 43 of Inextricably Tied

“I don’t deal with this sort of thing often.” Harbinger clears her throat. “I don’t think anything I can say will help. But I want to find Evie. And I hope that she is.”

It’s the most she can offer. “I’ll call you,” she adds. “I promise. Every week.”

Mrs. Albrun does her best to smile, but Harbinger knows that look. Like she doesn’t believe it. Like she’s been burned before. Harbinger can’t blame her. She steps out onto the porch and pulls the door closed behind her.

Garden flora sways in twilight purples and pinks as Harbinger moves back toward the SUV. From a distance, she can make out Flint’s massive shape and Agony’s eyes floating in the backseat. She pulls herself into the passenger side, exhaling for what feels like the first time since she stepped inside the house.

Flint locks the doors and keeps his eyes on her. “How’d it go?”

Agony’s silent, which is unnerving in its own right. Harbinger turns over the portrait of Evie, clicking on the overhead light so they can all see it.

“She was supposed to —”

“I recognize her.”

Flint and Harbinger turn to the backseat. To Agony’s gaze hooked on Evie’s face.

“You do?” Harbinger’s wary. Uncertain. But Agony’s fingers curl around the bars on the cage, all his attention on the picture.

There’s nothing malicious in his gaze. No wicked intent. Just a tenderness she hasn’t seen from him.

“She likes sushi.”

They both say it at once. Agony’s eyes meet Harbinger’s. Her heart thuds. “How do you know that?”

“I don’t know.” His eyes drift back to the picture. “But she was in the dream.”

FOURTEEN

Harbinger

That’s the most Agony can give them. Evie was in the dream. Anything more devolves into Agony’s snarky remarks that he could see more if they’d remove his cuffs, followed by Flint’s sharp refusal.

And that’s not the only thing they bicker about. Once they pull into the next hotel, Flint cuts off the engine. “We think there’s more to your connection with Agony than originally suspected.”

Harbinger pinches the corner of Evie’s portrait. “How would that work?”

They both shrug in sync. Flint glares in the rearview. “The connection must have forged like it would with any other living thing, even if he’s not quite alive.”

Harbinger scowls as the dashboard clock clicks to the next minute. “But I don’t feel his emotions the way I do with yours. Even when you’re both in the same room, I barely get anything from him.”

“Maybe his emotions are different.” Irritation cuts through Flint’s voice. “You said yourself that you could feel that he wasn’t going to…”

Flint trails off. Agony blinks between them. “Wasn’t going to what?”

Harbinger leans against the door. “When you put your cuffs around my throat, I could feel you weren’t going to hurt me.”

The shadowy flames on Agony’s head heighten. He smooths them out, reclining in the seat. “Hate to break it to you, babe, but that’s wishful thinking.”

Flint keeps his eyes out the windshield. “Agreed.”

Anger spikes in Harbinger, angled toward Agony. “Can you feel what I’m feeling now?”

He tilts his head. “Hard to say. Can you feel something strongly?”

“How strong are we talking?”

“Judging by the last time?” Agony stares straight into her. Faint heat settles in Harbinger’s cheeks. “Pretty fucking strong.”