“No, because while she may have nothing to do with spying on you, she’s involved in something bad. Otherwise, why arrange a kidnapping?”

“Maybe after trashing your place, she decided it was best means of getting the Eye.”

“Unlikely, given she was trashing the place at the very same time as the kidnapping was happening. Besides, do you really want to risk her ending up being shot in the head and buried under a pile of rocks like Mom?”

It was a brutal thing to say, but I was beginning to suspect it was the only way to get through to her.

She clutched her cardigan again, her face pale but determined. “Tia is not working with the people who shot your mother. I am sure of that, if nothing else.”

“There’s more than one game afoot here,” Cynwrig said. “And both are leaving a trail of dead people behind them.”

“No pixie dare risk the blood curse, and my daughter is no fool—”

“Then by all means, please, do contact her. But if she ends up dead, don’t be claiming you weren’t warned or come crying to your niece.”

Though his voice held little inflection, the air around him fairly crackled with anger. I suspected it had less to do with this situation, and more his own.

Riayn flexed her hands; fighting the urge to attempt a compulsion on us, I suspected. “Fine. We do it your way.”

There was an unspoken “for now” at the end of that, but I wasn’t about to push it. That we’d gotten any agreement out of her was an achievement.

Cynwrig nodded and glanced at me. “I’ll wait for you in the car.”

I watched him leave. The man was definitely not happy.

“What happens now?” my aunt said.

“You keep doing what you’ve been doing.”

“And if Tia calls?”

“You talk to her. Just don’t mention anything we’ve told you. Don’t mention we’ve been here.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if I simply told her she needs to talk to you as a matter of urgency?”

I rolled my eyes. This woman just wasn't listening. “You’ve a woman in your house who has been keeping track of everyone you speak to. No doubt they’ve a similar watch placed on Vincentia. If they realize we know she’s involved, they’ll kill her before we can get to her.”

She took another of those shuddering breaths then nodded. I suspected she still hadn’t taken our warnings to heart, but there was little I could do it. Compelling her was out of the question, given the minute I stepped close enough, she’d probably attempt the same on me.

“What of my guest?”

“She’ll remain here and keep making her reports.”

“Is that safe? What if Tia rings and she reports the conversation back to this Morrisa person?”

“Anything reported to her will be relayed to me. If I think you’re in any danger, I’ll let you know.”

“Am I not endangered by her very presence?”

“She can’t perform magic, and she’s restricted to her bedroom and the guest bathroom. That does mean you’ll have to take her meals up.”