He nodded to where it was folded on the floor. “I was going to have them throw it away.”
Fiona’s eyes widened as she shook her head. “Please, hand it to me. There’s something I need to get out of it.”
“Let’s finish getting you dressed first,” he said. He helped her into the tee, then into the stretchy pants and jacket. He had her sit on the bed again as he put her new socks and slippers on.
Kelan grabbed the red cape and set it on the bed next to her.
“I need scissors. Can you find me some?”
Kelan opened one of the drawers in a bank of cabinets. He handed her a pair. She cut into the velvet fabric and pulled out some white envelopes. Setting the scissors aside, she handed him the envelopes.
“There were two girls there from the Friendship Community. They weren’t allowed to leave. Did you see them?”
“I may have seen one of them.”
“We have to go back and get them.”
“You’re not going anywhere near there ever again. I’ll call Kit on our way home and ask him to keep an eye out for them.”
Kelan helped Fiona off the bed, then wrapped an arm around her waist, trying to support most of her weight himself. They made their way out of the emergency room hall and into the waiting room. Angel was there. He took one look at Fiona, who was walking on legs as unstable as a newborn foal, and made as if he was going to swing her up into his arms. Kelan held a hand out and stopped him—he wasn’t certain how comfortable Fiona was being touched by other men just then, and he didn’t want to find out. He gave Angel a warning look. “She’s okay; walking is good for her—helps get that shit out of her system.”
Angel glared at Kelan in helpless frustration. He turned and walked next to them as they went outside. Angel opened the rear passenger door of the team SUV. Kelan helped Fiona inside and tossed their bags in the front seat.
Fiona leaned forward and touched Angel’s shoulder. “I really am okay, Angel. Just a little queasy.”
He rolled down all of the windows then turned up the heat. He handed her a bottle of water, which Kelan opened for her. “Best just keep washing it through,” Angel said.
Kelan opened the blankets and wrapped them around her. “Let’s go home, Angel.”
Chapter Nineteen
All the girls were awake and waiting in the living room when the three of them arrived at the house. Kelan felt Fiona pull back against him. He thought about making their excuses and getting her out of there as fast as possible, but it occurred to him she might feel more comfortable in the long run if she got her reunion with them over with now. And, truthfully, everyone in the household had been worried sick since she was taken, so they needed to see her just as much.
Mandy came over and wrapped her arms around Fiona. She started to cry all over again. It fucking wrecked him.
“Oh, Kelan. God,” Eden said as she waited for her turn to hug Fiona.
“What happened?” Ivy asked. Her eyes were wide with horror as she looked him over.
Kelan glanced at all of the women who’d been confined to the house while they tracked down Fiona. “It’s a long story. But we’re here and we’re fine. Kit and the others are at the site down in Colorado where King was holding Fiona. They may be there a while. Lobo’s got his guys there, and there’s a huge police presence, too.”
The good news, which he didn’t yet tell them, was that he didn’t think they would be targeted next. Fiona had been taken because she was King’s daughter. They could probably resume their lives—Ivy at the diner, Remi at the university. Mandy and Eden had their work here. Hope was still in hiding from the WKB, so she wasn’t out and about anyway.
“Will you take care of her for a second?” he asked Mandy. “I have to go get something from my room.”
Upstairs, he grabbed his smudging stick, then hurried back down. Fiona looked ready to drop. If it weren’t such an important step in cleansing her spirit, he would have postponed the task. In the living room, he held out his hand to her. “Fiona, will you come outside with me?”
She put her hand in his and let him draw her to her feet. On the patio, he lit a sage and white cedar smudge stick, and let it smoke in an abalone shell. “Spread your arms.”
She didn’t question him, didn’t argue, just docilely did as requested. He floated the smoke over her body, feet to head, front to back, all while speaking words he knew she didn’t understand.
“Why are we doing this? Am I impure?” Her voice broke on the last question.
“No, you are not impure. Each of us is surrounded by an energy field. It’s a little sticky, and it keeps some of the energy that passes near it. Smudging helps clear that away, releasing what clings to you but doesn’t belong to you. It will help you regain your own balance.” When he was finished smudging her he smudged himself and then extinguished the stick. “Now we shower.”
When they came back into the living room, it was empty. He was glad they wouldn’t have to field more questions just then. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he helped her up the stairs.
“Will you let me help you shower?” he asked as they reached her room.
“I can manage. I think I need to be alone.” She folded her arms in front of her and hunched her shoulders.
Kelan kissed her forehead and nodded. “That works. I’ll take your letters down to Max to hold for Greer. Then I think I’ll have a shower myself.” He didn’t immediately leave. “Are you hungry? Do you want a sandwich? A cup of tea?”
“A cup of tea would be heaven. But Kelan, you don’t have to wait on me. Look at yourself. You are in worse shape than I am.”
“I’ll bring tea when I come back.” He hugged her and was so damned reluctant to let go.
*